Holiday Gift Guide 2009 :: For the Baker

Have you started your holiday shopping?  I'm starting to worry a bit, because in spite of all of my gift daydreaming, I haven't actually 'bought' anything yet.  Oooops!  Well there's still time... and I will say that scouring the web for gift ideas is almost as fun as receiving them. :-)

So the Holiday Gift Guide continues!  I'm in love with all of these goodies perfect for anyone who ♥'s baking!  Wouldn't the vintage red scale look wonderful on a a countertop?  Almost as perfect as having an embosser to stamp everything in sight (yes... that's what I would probably do!).  

Enjoy!

• You can't be a baker without a kitchen scale! Vintage Red Kitchen Scale $39.95 (Pillsbury Store.com). I also ♥ this one from Salter at Walmart - $15
  
• Pretty twine in different colors for wrapping all those homemade goodies.  It comes in large spools perfect for leaving on the counter.  Divine Twine $15.
• Wouldn't a chocolate souffle look beautiful in these heart molds?  Charlotte Molds for making puddings, jellies, and souffles.  Sur la Table, starting at $18
• Beautifully simple!  Emille Henry 9" Pie Dish $45 (Macys.com) 
• Milk container perfect for serving with all of those fresh baked chocolate chip cookies!  Half Pint glass creamer from the MOMA store, $14.
• A collection of delicious Madagascar Nielsen-Masey vanilla.  Beans, extract, paste, and sugar...oh my!  William Sonoma, all for $56
• Personal embosser to create gift tags or emboss cookbooks, recipes, etc.  Williams-Sonoma, $40
• 'Birds in the Kitchen' Print $16 (etsy.com)
• Personalized baker's labels to sticker on all of your cookie boxes, jars of preserves, oven bags of homemade dog treats! :-) $40

Holiday Gift Guide 2009 :: For the Tea Lover

Ok, here we go!  The start of the holiday gift ideas.  A. and I put up our wreath today so I'm in a very Christmas-y mood! :-)

First up: for the tea lover.  All things I ♥ tea related that make the perfect gift on their own or combined.  Wouldn't a vintage tea set be perfect wrapped with a colorful jar of Kusmi tea, or how about treating your friend to a holiday afternoon at Tea & Sympathy?

Enjoy!

• French macarons of course!  Nothing goes better with tea than beautiful macaroons.  Delivered anywhere by MadMacNYC.com (starting at $18)
  
• A beautiful vintage Silver Tea Set! Only $32! (etsy.com many more on ebay)
  
• My favorite tea: Kusmi.  A.'s favorite is 'Anastasia', mine is 'English Breakfast. (Kusmi.com or stop by McNulty's in the West Village)
  
• Tiered Cake stand perfect for afternoon tea sandwiches and cakes $45 (etsy.com)
  
• ...or  the new "I ♥ Macarons" cookbook $15 (Amazon.com)
  
• If you happen to be in Paris...bring back the delicious tins of Fauchon tea cookies (... why can't they deliver to the US???)
  
• A relaxing afternoon at Tea & Sympathy, West Village NYC.  Afternoon tea: $35/pp (no reservations)
  
• Deliciously aromatic tea sachets from the French Mariage Frere (Dean & Deluca)
  
• Honey Spoons that melt in your tea as you stir...yum!  ($15 for 8)
  

Things I ♥ :: Holiday Gift Guide!

Anywhere you go it feels like the Holidays are here, I love it!  It makes me crave pumpkin pies, and peppermint lattes, and big bowls of stuffing.  ...Yes, I actually like the stuffing a bit more than the turkey... but shhh! :-)

Sorry for the lack of posts (really!!!), but A. and I took a few weeks off and went on a small vacation to visit family for Thanksgiving.   So I've been staying clear of the kitchen.  In the meantime, and in the spirit of getting ready for the Holiday shopping madness...I thought I'd share a few of my favorite things:  a Holiday Gift Guide!  It starts tomorrow....so get ready!!!

...all things food, kitchen, entertaining, related,  and a few of my random faves for everybody on your list:  you're mom the baker, you're friend the tea lover, your co-worker the chocolate fiend, or your husband the vanilla-syrup addict (...yes, A., that's you!)  or even for yourself (come on, shopping is hard work, everybody deserves a little reward!)

Hope you enjoy!  Stay tuned!