It’s the MOOOOSSSTT Wonderful Time of The Year! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from our Lil Eats family to yours.
Christmas is such a magical time of the year. I find people are nicer, our friends and family want to spend more time together, and there’s just a sense of awe and wonder in the air. Adding to this awe and wonder, we have a five year old that somehow we have managed to convince that Santa exists! We ourselves get caught right up in the excitement and joy he gets from it all and of course use it as our bargaining tool for good behaviour…..hey whatever works right!
Anywho…the holidays are always such a busy food season. There are certain dishes saved just for this time of the year, as well as different family traditions surrounding food, eating or cooking. My FAVOURITE holiday food memory is being up all night with my dad and preparing Christmas dinner as everyone else in the house slept. One of our traditions was to open one gift at midnight and then it was back to sleep which was always in our living room, under the Christmas tree, all snuggled up together. Into the wee hours of the morning, the house would be filled with familiar scents of what would be our Christmas dinner. My dad never prepared the traditional ‘ham and turkey’ dishes. His reasoning behind this was that every single household we would visit that day would have these exact same items. So if we wanted ham and turkey, we could get it from them! As for our house, he would prepare dishes such as leg of lamb, baked grouper fillet and scalloped potatoes…..my mouth is just watering thinking about this!
Now that I have my own family, I thought we should have our own Christmas cooking tradition. My husband’s family traditionally has a potluck dinner on Christmas afternoon, so I thought, “why not brunch” at our house! I have been preparing the same items every year, a quiche, chicken and sweet potato waffles with a guava butter sauce, steamed mussels and fresh-baked rolls. I stay up after midnight to start preparing these dishes so that when everyone wakes, everything is hot and ready
….oh we also sleep under the Christmas tree. Some traditions are too special not to continue, and that is absolutely one of them.
Now, I know what you’re thinking….”what does this have to do with my picks for Holiday gifting for that foodie in your life?”….well I’m getting to that!
Every year when my husband asks me what I want for Christmas, my answer is always the same…some food/kitchen-related item, and every year I get the same response, “not another kitchen gadget in this house! Is that seriously what you want for a gift?!” Yes! Yes! The answer is always yesssssss….I mean what else could I possibly want?!
So here’s a list of some of my preferences this year and on my wish list. I’m just hoping the hubby is telling me no but still gets me one of these to try and surprise me wink, wink, hint hint!!
A Wok
I mean isn’t she a BEAUT!!! This is first on my list because this is what I got told “no” for this year…
Compact Swivel Cheese & Tapas Board
Charcuterie Boards seems to have taken over social media these days…gift one to your favourite at-home entertainer to look like a professional charcuterier…..if that’s a thing
Cast Iron Skillet
I mean this thing has over 19k reviews on Amazon…..enough said!
Handblown Glass Olive Oil Pourer
Oh, so you fancy now! Wow your guests with this unique way of presenting that homemade salad dressing….or dress up that store-bought one.. some of us will never know!
Tea Drop Sampler
I am a HUGE tea fan and this is the new in thing when it comes to tea! Love drinking tea but get annoyed with having to throw that bag out? Well here is THE SOLUTION! These tea drops magically dissolve into your cup of hot water making the best cup of tea you have had in a while. Also, in the season of giving, this company donates proceeds from every box sold to a charity that provides access to clean drinking water. This my friends is what we call a double gifter!
I hope you have enjoyed my holiday gift picks and hope that you can light up that foodie’s eyes when they open one of these selfishly picked gifts….I’m talking to you there hubby….Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas and may all your wishes come true for the New Year!
Filling bellies,
Lil Eats
