Sugar with Spice 2019 Holiday Gift Guide
It’s that time of year! I couldn’t be more excited. I love the tree, the lights, the smells in the kitchen.
And I love gifting my loved one something they will use and cherish. Below is my collection of favorite gifts for this year. I love all of these products, and I hope you can find something to treat your special cook/baker/host/homemaker/cat lover too! (Or treat yourself. I’m not judging!)
For the Cook
Everything a cook in 2019 might need to be their best in the kitchen. Gift one of these then sit back and enjoy the tasty results as thanks!
Non-Stick Pans – An absolute necessity for any home chef! I do about 90% of my cooking in these pans. They’re versatile and effective and super easy to clean.
*SwS Favorite* Lodge Pans – The next upgrade for any home chef. You’ll be amazed at what you can make in a lodge pan (steaks, apple pies, sauces, casseroles, whole fish). And you’ll be amazed at what a lodge pan can do for your cooking skills! Plus they last for generations. You can’t destroy them.
*SwS Favorite* Knife Sharpener – Want to slice a tin can in half? Well, probably not. But you do want to be able to cut a tomato without squishing it! If I had to pick one practical gift to give someone this year, this would be it! Easy to use and so helpful when you really need it. (I can’t make these whole roast trout without it.)
Foldable Cutting Boards – An excellent addition for anyone who chops fruits or veggies or meat in the kitchen. (There are three so you can separate your chopping duties according to board if you’re worried about contamination.) The foldable aspect makes it easy to dump into your meal!
Casserole Dish – Everyone needs a good casserole dish. These pretty ceramic Staub plates can also double as a serving dish. They’ll last you forever.
13-Cup Cuisinart Food Processor – So useful for any emulsifying, grinding, or chopping. It makes sauces and relishes and can even grind up some pesky spices if you don’t have a mortar and pestle. This guy is heavy-duty, so it’s a special gift!
*SwS Favorite* Braun Immersion Hand Blender – My most treasured cooking appliance. There is no way my brown butter butternut squash soup could exist without it. You also don’t even need to dirty a second dish with this. Just place it inside whatever dish you want blended and press go! It wipes off spotless under some running water. Also comes with a whisk, processor, and blender cup – truly a multi-use tool! It will make soups, sauces, salsas, smoothies, milkshakes, batters, etc.
Instant Pot 6 Quart – Incredibly useful tool for meal preps, huge feasts, and just generally cutting down on effort and time in the kitchen! This one is big enough for all your possible needs. (I would know since I’ve had a teeny one for so long…)
For the Baker
Love to Bake? Or…love to eat what someone else baked? Check out these tools any baker would love to have on hand for their next project!
KitchenAid – A very special gift for that very special baker in your life. These big guys can do so much and make cookies, pies, cakes, and frosting so much easier!
*SwS Favorite* Ceramic Pie Dish – The cutest pie dish ever! I fell in love with this red ceramic dream the minute I saw it. It makes deep dish pies, perfect for apple or peach with lots of fruit! (And a super crispy crust!) I use my spiced all-butter pie crust in it all the time.
Holiday Spatulas – Absolutely adorable, perfect for the holidays, and useful…what’s not to love!
Collapsible Cooling Rack – So useful for the big-batch baker! Setting out rows and rows of cooling racks takes up so much space. This 3-tiered cooling rack is much more space-effective and does the same job. How could you not love all those cookies cooling in a row.
Shark Tank Cheat-Sheet Apron – Aprons are always useful. This one has a cheat sheet on the bottom! (I find this hilarious since I am always running to my own personal cheat sheet to figure out what I need to do.) A portion of the proceeds also go to charity.
Butter Churn – Yep. A butter churn. Why? Because it’s cute. And because any kind of baking we want to eat involves butter. So why not make your own!
For the Host
Got a host in your life? Here are a few of my favorite hosting-helpers for this holiday season!
*SwS Favorite* Wine Opening Set – Vasiliy and I love this one! Makes opening copious bottles of wine easy. (And it’s really fun to use.) It includes a foil cutter, wine pourer, bottle stopper, electric opener, and a vacuum opener! Vasiliy can open a bottle in about 5 seconds with the hand pump. (I’m a scaredy-cat so it takes me about 30 seconds with my eyes squeezed shut.)
*SwS Favorite* Wooden Salad Bowl – I absolutely love my wooden salad serving bowl. It’s one of my prize pieces and I get so many complements on it! Classy, rustic, elegant, a lovely gift for the host in your life.
Slate Dish Labels – Perfect for anyone who is serving a buffet. Little slate labels really cut down on the prep time too, so much easier than hand-making a label for each dish!
Wooden Dessert Stand – If you’ve got a wooden salad bowl you better have a wooden dessert stand too! Holds cakes, pies, bars, cookies, cupcakes, individual servings, etc. A very elegant and festive display.
Hot Chocolate Set – As a hot chocolate connoisseur, I can’t imagine going through the holidays without a variety pack of chocolate. And if your hostess-with-the-mostess is hosting a Christmas party, this is exactly what they’ll be craving.
Tea Box – Perfect for that hostess who always offers you a dozen different beverages when you arrive! It also makes a pretty decoration for a tea lover!
Tray Tables – We use these almost every day. They are so convenient for quick set ups, doing puzzles, watching TV with dinner, etc. I use them when I invite more guests than fit at my (nonexistent) dining room table.
For the Homemaker
Anyone who loves to create a beautiful home (and spend loads of time in it) could use a few of these lying around!
Cable Knit Throw – Just bought this super cozy throw because it was in my favorite color and I wanted one more blanket for my Christmas party. It’s very warm, 100% cotton, and dresses up the whole couch. Just like a comforting, stretchy sweater, but bigger!
Soy Candle – I know, I know…SNL did a whole sketch about the ubiquitous Christmas candle. But I really love this brand. Genuinely. I’ve had my Jasmine candle for about 2 years now and it’s still going strong! The smell is so pleasant and it actually does make the whole room smell, not just the corner it’s in!
Touchless Vacuum – How great is a vacuum that you don’t have to carry around! And forget dealing with dust pans ever again. This little guy makes kitchen clean up super easy. Just sweep your pile next to the bottom and it sucks all the grime away.
Instax Camera – Such a perfect little camera for making memories. I’ve used the tiny polaroids to decorate above my desk, and they always make me smile when I’m sitting down to work.
Globe Teapot – My favorite teapot for cozying up with a good book. Also in other colors like white and black polka dots or solid colors. So if you aren’t as in love with bright red kitchen equipment as I am, you have options. (But what other color would you put in your kitchen?!)
*SwS Favorite* Chicwish Sweater – My favorite cozy sweater for lounging around doing chores. I love it so much I bought two so I have a back up! So cute and cozy and surprisingly warm (acrylic/wool blend).
For the Cat Lover
A collection of all of Daisy’s favorite presents over the past year! If I can get Daisy to like a present, it must be worth something!
Spring Cat Toys – Daisy’s favorite toy since she was a kitten. She loves to play fetch with these and chase them skittering across the floor and lose them under the fridge. We’ve gone through 4 packs so far.
*SwS Favorite* Extendable Fishing Toy – Daisy’s favorite toy. Here’s how much she loves it. Yep. That’s her Christmas stocking on Christmas Eve. She was so excited to get this. We play with it once a day, at least. The extendable pole means you don’t even have to get off the couch. Comes with adjustable bait at the end so kitty doesn’t get bored.
Blackhole Litter Mat – Tired of litter getting everywhere? This mat absorbs litter that sprays out of the box or falls off your cat’s feet as the dash out in that post-poo run. The design also makes it easy to dump that litter back into the box. Just be careful you lift it up flat or all the litter will split out the ends.
Pet Water Fountain – Most cats don’t drink enough water. In the wild, cats get most of their hydration from fresh meat or moving water like streams and rivers. Cats are averse to drinking from stagnant water (like a dish) And since we feed them dry kibble, many just don’t get the water they need. A running water fountain encourages your cat to drink! (Or just leave the sink on…)
Holiday Cat Collars – one of the few collars Daisy hasn’t taken off and hidden under our bed. I think she knows the bow makes her extra fancy!
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