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Tuesday, December 8, 2015 by alana

rosie xmas
This weekend, Rosie and I hopped on the train to Brooklyn for an interview with Cathy Erway of Eat Your Words on Heritage Radio. I’ve been wanting to meet Cathy for years and it was so great to finally get the chance, and we got to eat pizza at Roberta’s, too. Cathy and I talked about homemade gifts, home cooking and how we both DO make sauerkraut and DON’T make donuts. But Rosie had a few requests of her own, and the rest of the day was about making those happen. The main one was Starbucks, which we don’t have here. She wanted to see the red cups she’d heard about, and to EXPERIENCE a holiday drink, and take New York holiday selfies. Yes. Of course, yes!
So we walked through crazy shopping midtown, sipping from our red cups (me: eggnog latte, blech!, her: decaf peppermint mocha, delicious!), watching everyone else shop. And boy did they shop. We marveled at how they could carry all the bags from the lego store, the M&M store (a whole store!), the American Girl store. Parents lugged bags, yelled at kids, looked for the nearest TGIFridays. Oh yes. Midtown in December is a museum in itself.

Rosie xmas 2
We barely bought a thing, but we took lots of selfies. And the whole experience reminded me that it’s time for our annual gift guide! So, without further ado, a few tidbits I’ve been saving for the occasion…
raw spice bar
RawSpiceBar Subscription: Ever since I posted a picture of the package RawSpiceBar sent me earlier this year, people have been asking about it. Essentially for 6 bucks a month you get a beautiful little package with spices and recipes. Each month features a new kind of cuisine, and it’s an education as well as a really lovely thing to get in the mail.
scraper
The most beautiful bench knife: I found this bench knife when I was doing an event at Hazel and Dewey in Denver, and I couldn’t put it down. Jenna, the owner, gave it to me as a gift after the event, and it’s become one of my favorite things in the kitchen. It’s great to look at but it’s even better to hold and use. 18 bucks.
Screenshot 2015-12-08 10.35.49
Pineapple Pants:I was wanting to include these in this year’s round up before they came on as a sponsor, and now I get to have them there in the sidebar too. These are the best pants–organic, hand printed, and they’re designed so well they fit for ages. Also for grownups if you special order, and in cactus print if pineapples aren’t your thing. 38 bucks.
Screenshot 2015-12-08 10.43.44
Harry’s Shaving Set: I bought this for Joey a few years back, and then he made me buy my own because I kept swiping it from him. It’s a really good company, and their customer service is great. 15 bucks.
IMG_8863
THE Apron: I posted this one a little ways back, but so many people have asked about it I thought it should make a second appearance. This is made by a really great woman out in my neck of the woods. It’s beautiful, functional, and so well made. (And if you’re trying to figure out sizing, I bought a medium and that’s great for me.)
And of course there are so many good things to make: Just for starters…
Ruggala, Granola, Preserved Lemons, Nibby Buckwheat Cookies, or Maple Popcorn! How about a tea mix you blend yourself? Or a bit of infused booze?
 
cover
How about a few nice cookbooks? The Homemade Kitchen was just picked as one of Epicurious’ best books of the year (yeah!), and there are some really great books on that list. Or maybe this oldie but goodie? Punk Domestics has a nice list for those who like to make things, and my friend Aimee has a nice round-up over on her site too.
I’ve got a few signings left this year, so you might even be able to pick up a personalized book. This Saturday, December 12, I’ll be at One Mercantile in Great Barrington between 4 and 6. It’s part of a huge and wonderful holiday stroll, so it’s a good thing to get on your calendar.
Next weekend, I’ll be in Boston for two events on Saturday, December 19. First I’ll be at the Eat Boutique Holiday market demonstrating spoon butter (another great gift) and signing from 10 to 12. Then I’ll be at Farm and Fable at 2, drinking all the pumpkin hot chocolate.
If you can’t get to a signing but would like a personalized book, there are a few options. My local bookstore has signed copies, and they ship quick. Or if you already have a book and want a little signed card to put into it, send me an email through the contact link and let me know the name of who I’m signing to and the address I should send it to. Just let me know by December 15 so I can get it to you in time!
This post contains affiliate links. Thanks for helping me keep the site going!

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: gifts, holidays

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Comments

  1. Nadia says

    Tuesday, December 8, 2015 at 1:44 pm

    Great and beautiful ideas! Thanks for sharing especially since we are all looking out for the perfect gift. Love hearing about your adventure too! I like to take in the scene as well.
    By the way, looks like the link for the “RawSpiceBar Subscription” is broken. The code needs to be fixed.

    • alanac says

      Tuesday, December 8, 2015 at 1:53 pm

      Thank you, Nadia! And I think that rawspicebar link should work now- just let me know if it still gives you trouble!

  2. Alna Kleid says

    Wednesday, December 9, 2015 at 5:15 pm

    I WOULD LIKE FOUR SIGNING CARDS FOR THE BOOKS I PURCHASED FROM AMAZON. HAILEY ALFRED
    MICHELLE KLEID
    KATHLEEN CARLTON
    ALNA KLEID
    1123 MASSA DRIVE
    NAPA, CA 94558
    ps: love the books

    • alanac says

      Thursday, December 10, 2015 at 8:18 am

      You’ve got it, Alna! I’ll get those out this week!

  3. Rose says

    Wednesday, December 9, 2015 at 11:11 pm

    Thanks so much for the gift ideas! I was struggling for an idea for my daughter, who lives in a small apartment in Brooklyn and does not want STUFF but loves to cook, so the spice subscription is genius! Signed up immediately!

    • alanac says

      Thursday, December 10, 2015 at 8:19 am

      Oh good- I’m so glad! I think she’ll be really pleased. The presentation is gorgeous, the spices are fresh and wonderful, and I’ve learned something from every box. I’m not a huge person for subscriptions services, but this one–I love.

  4. Liz P says

    Friday, December 18, 2015 at 12:01 am

    I’m gifting your/my granola this year!

    • alanac says

      Friday, December 18, 2015 at 10:02 am

      Oh good! Yours, all yours 🙂


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