Real Food Home Cook Gift Guide

I love Christmas.

I really do.

But…

I also struggle with Christmas because the things I love about it take up so much energy.  I love making the cookies my mom made.  I love getting the biggest tree possible and putting my heart into decorating it just like my dad did.  I love making handmade cards, carrying on a tradition of my Grandmother’s.  I love to have parties and dinners to celebrate the season with my friends and family.  I love to reflect and give thanks on my own like the season deserves, but even something so simple, takes time and I can feel my mind wondering to the next party, the next “memory” to be made, to the next task on my list be it “To Do” or “To Buy…”

Thank goodness I have teamed up with some fellow Indiana Bloggers to help knock a few things off that “To Buy” List.  We each of have created Gift Guides to help you find a great gift for a hostess throughout the season or for the big day.

I put together a handful of ideas of gifts for the Real Food Home Cook.  I have been gifted all of these items over the years and they are some of my absolute favorites.  If you have a loved one with a passion for cooking these couldn’t be more perfect.

1. 8 Inch Wusthof Chef’s Knife: Every home cook should invest in at least one good knife.  This chef’s knife can do just about everything a cook would want a knife to do from slicing, dicing, and mincing but also can handle cutting meat and larger fruits or vegetables.  It’s style and design is purposeful so that it looks nice, but also prevents fatigue when doing repetitive motions.
2. Tall and Round le Creuset Dutch Oven:  Talk about a gift.  This is perfect for simmering soups, searing meat, sautéing vegetables and more.  Le Creuset is built to last the ages. Not to mention, there are so many colors to choose from making it fun to throw in a bit of the recipients personality.
3. All-Clad Stainless-Steel Small Roaster and Rack:  Our roasting pan gets a work out thanks to all the whole chickens we cook at home, but they also work great for vegetables and other types of meat.  This pan is great because the meat will not sit in it’s juice as it cooks and with vegetables roasting beneath it, it will pick up on their flavors and moisture.
4. Stacked Salt and Pepper Cellars from Mud Pie: Having a cellar of salt and pepper by the stove top makes seasoning easy whether you are taking a precise measurement or just adding a pinch.  There are so many of great options for these cellars.  The ceramic options at Mud Pie are classic.  Mine are wood, but I have seen them in marble which is gorgeous too.
5. Lodge Cast Iron Skillet:  I can never go back to normal cookware after cooking with cast iron.  From a health perspective, a well seasoned cast iron skillet is naturally non-stick versus the chemicals used on other non-stick pans and they last for forever.  Cast iron retains heat so it stays hot so food stays warm even when transferring it to the table.
6. Exacto 2 in 1 Compost Bucket: Cooking with real food and preventing food waste go hand in hand.  Kitchen scraps can easily be composted for use in a garden.  This cute compost bucket has enough visual appeal for a countertop but also has function as you don’t have to bring the whole unit outside thanks to it’s dishwasher safe inner bucket.
7. KitchenAid Metallic Series Stand Mixer– Copper: While scrolling through Instagram this mixer stopped me dead in my tracks.  Seriously.  I “ooh”‘ed out loud.  I have never really been a cooper girl, but this is seriously delicious. As are the treats you can make with it!
8. Cuisinart Hand Mixer: I actually gifted my mom a hand mixer last  Christmas.  She is a great home cook and wrote about her first time using it in her Thank You note to me.  She was making soup and didn’t have to transfer everything to a blender to get a smooth soup.  She was hooked and wrote, “Thanks for welcoming me to the 21st century!”
9. Boos Block Cutting Board: I love my Boos Block for it’s function and look.  It looks pretty on my counter and compliments my kitchen, but also is a great cutting board.

Happy Shopping and Merry Cooking!

Check out the other Gift Guides!

Erika at Full and Simple shares gifts for the Fancy Farm Girl complete with lots of coupon codes to support the small businesses she showcases. She also has a Giveaway going on for another Indiana Blogger, Love Grows Wild, new book, “A Touch of Farmhouse Charm.”

Anna at Anna Scott shows us great ideas for the friend you want to show a little love and bless these season. Sounds like all the right things we should be focusing on this time of year.

And, Stephanie at The Color Floral has a great Holiday Style guide full of ideas for gifts for any fashionista on your list… or for you and the season’s many celebrations! Stephanie has a giveaway too! It’s the perfect plaid scarf for the cooler weather and Holiday Season from Civvies, an Indiana boutique!