Christmas Gift Guide 2016: Gift Ideas for Cooks & Foodies

When putting together the following pages of gift ideas, I took two things into consideration:

What do I have that I know other cooks and foodies would love?
What would I love to open on Christmas morning, myself?!

Merry Christmas from my family to your family! ~ Joi ("Joy")

Fellow Purple Fanatics, You’re Going to LOVE These Dishes

November 11, 2020 By Joi Sigers

There are some things in life that kind of define me (cats, coffee, old movies, chocolate, more cats, baseball…). One of the most beautiful definitions I have associated with me is the color purple. I’ve been obsessed with it probably even before I could spell it.

A while back, I did a post about purple in the kitchen and heard from quite a few people through e-mail echoing my love of purple. That’s why, after seeing (and falling head over purple sock-covered heels in love with them) these dishes on Amazon, I knew I had to share them here.

This gorgeous stoneware square 16 piece dish set is absolutely stunning. While I love the color, I love the shape just as much. They’re simply gorgeous… but I said that already, didn’t I?!

My dilemma is the fact that they’re also available in my second-favorite color, red!

While I’m adding these to the Christmas Gift Ideas Roundup, if you’re anything like me, you’re thinking more about your own table setting right now than anything.

These beauties are microwave and dishwasher safe, making their appeal EVEN greater. Click here (Amazon link) for a closer look.

Adorable Kitchen Gadgets for Kids who LOVE Dinosaurs!

March 20, 2020 By Joi Sigers

I was on Amazon earlier (full disclosure, I’m never really officially off Amazon), looking for dinosaur-related plates for my grand-babies. I have three grand babies and they’re all little boys – one is 2 years old, one is almost 6 months old, and the youngest? Well, he isn’t officially here yet, but he IS officially loved!

I found three WONDERFUL Dinosaur Food Holders from Funwares:

The TriceraTaco (the triceratops is one of kids favorite dinosaurs) is pictured on the left. It can hold tacos – or sandwiches, waffles, toast, English muffins, fish sticks, chicken nuggets, etc.

On the right is another one I’m kind of freaking out over, the NachoSaurus. I love that he comes with his little food dish for dunking and dipping. He could be used for fries with ketchup just as easily as chips with salsa or cheese. He could also hold candy, carrot sticks, or other snacks.

Last, but in no way least, is TacoSaurus Rex (pictured below). This guy can hold tacos, sandwiches, bagels… whatever the little “boss” has consented to eat that day!

I can’t wait to whip these out on my 2 year old grandson – he is WILD WILD WILD about dinosaurs and will love these.

Colorful Table and Chairs for Toddlers (In Love with This!)

December 12, 2019 By Joi Sigers

This may seem like a deviation from the usual posts on the food blog, but… if you think about it…. it is actually exactly on brand!

My biggest motivation when I cook or plan meals (and I’m sure it’s the same for you) is my much loved family. Every step made in or near the kitchen is done with them in mind – from the oldest to the youngest and from the first one I ever met to the one I’ve yet to meet (as she or he isn’t due until July 9, 2020!).

We have been blessed with two beautiful grand babies (the beautiful July baby will make it three), so I have been thinking for a while now about finding a table and chairs for them to use while the adults take up all the spaces at the dining table. When I was growing up, we kids had a small table similar to the one shown here (except our chairs weren’t nearly as colorful or fun). When we outgrew it, we moved on to a card table and… again… our chairs couldn’t compare to these beauties!

This Kids Wood Table & 4 Chair Set (Amazon link) is the best-looking and sturdiest set I’ve found – and, yes, MiMi has been shopping around for some time now.

The set is available in a variety of table and chair colors – the one pictured is my personal favorite but you may prefer pastel chairs or a darker wood for the table. There are even gray or white table options available that’re extra sharp, too.

Child-sized table and chair set from Tot Tutors; includes rectangular table and 4 chairs
Table crafted in sturdy wood with natural finish; wood chairs painted in 4 bright colors
Great for children ages 3 and up with 10-inch seat height; home assembly required
Table measures 26-inch wide by 22-inch deep by 19-inch high; 10-by-10-inch chairs stand 22-inch high overall
For ages 3+ years

See Kids Wood Table & 4 Chair Set for a closer look. I can’t wait to be able to use this one for all future Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, and birthday get togethers!

Multi Hard Boiled Egg Peeler: One A-Peeling Kitchen Gadget!

October 30, 2019 By Joi Sigers

Ingenious! This Multi Hard Boiled Egg Peeler is going under the 2019 Christmas Gifts for Cooks Guide category but, let’s be honest here, this is something most of us will want… not just before Christmas, but also before Thanksgiving. Kangaroo Eggs (Deviled Eggs to most of you, but one of my daughters started calling them Kangaroo Eggs when she was little and they’ve been Kangaroo Eggs in our family since. Come on, how could they NOT be?) are a staple of our family gatherings. Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Fourth of July – hmmm, now that I think about it, they’re at get-togethers as much as I am.

The only thing I hate about making Kangaroo Eggs (Deviled Eggs) is the peeling. Hate it with a passion. Some have a beautiful gift for shelling a hard-boiled egg without causing any damage to the egg, itself. They’re peels even look like works of art. My youngest daughter, Stephany, is the world’s most gifted egg artist. Every egg, perfect. Every peel, long and glorious. She doesn’t even chip a nail in the process.

I do NOT have this gift. Like, at all.

That’s why I am very excited about the Multi Hard Boiled Egg Peeler, on the left.

I’ll soon be making these popular eggs and everyone will think Steph made them! I may or may not let them in on my secret.

Multi-Hard Boiled Egg Peeler Description:

Peels 1-3 eggs in under ten seconds. Quick, simply & no mess.
Egg Stripper spins and rotates in water to loosen and remove egg shells.
Simply fill the egg stripper base with water up to the water fill line. Add hard-boiled & chilled eggs. Close & shake it up and down (but not too hard!) for about 5 seconds.
Seeing the white of the egg indicates that egg shell was loosened enough and the egg will be ready to slip out of its shell.

The Multi Hard Boiled Egg Peeler is available in two sizes – the small allows you peel 3 eggs at once, while the larger one accommodates 5 eggs. Since I make mine in batches of 12, I’m just ridiculously anal enough to go with the smaller one, as 3 is a factor of 12…. 4 spins around the block will get the job done.

And they thought I never paid attention in math class. Obviously I did…. that day.

For those who want to REALLY make Kangaroo Eggs (Deviled eggs) as simple as is legal, check out the Dash Egg Cooker.

Gift Ideas for Pig Collectors

September 26, 2019 By Joi Sigers

If you scroll through my food blog for any length of time, you’ll see pig after pig after pig. I’m completely and utterly (if only cows were my obsession, what a joke this would be) in love with pigs and you can find them everywhere in my kitchen. The deliciously unique pig platter (pictured on the right) needs to join my crew as soon as possible.

In fact, I plan to see to it that she does.

Made of resin, I plan to use her more for looks than anything else.

Equally beautiful is the equally unique small pig bowl pictured to the left. How gorgeous is this?! When you click through and see the picture on Amazon, you’ll notice they have a few artificial flowers in it, along with a candle. LOVE the way that looks and that’s exactly what I’ll be putting in mine.

Originally carved out of a knotty wood, this adorable pig bowl measures 4″ wide, 8″ long, and 3″ wide.

Like the beautiful pig platter above, the pig bowl is also made of resin.

Click through the links or the pictures to take a closer look.

Gorgeous Pfaltzgraff Football Platter

September 23, 2019 By Joi Sigers

The gorgeous Pfaltzgraff Football Platter shown here isn’t just on my gift-giving list this year, it’s at the top of my, “Buy for my own darn self” list as well.

My family celebrates any and all seasons, days and occasions as we can. What can I say? We love to eat, love to laugh, love to make a lot of noise and look for a reason to do all of the above at once.

Football season was made for families like this one!

Whether it’s college football or the NFL, weekends just become a lot more fun this time of year, don’t they?

Product Description from Amazon

This rectangular Football Platter will be a big winner on game day
Designed to look like a football field, this platter is perfect for serving your guests lunch meat and cheese, hors d’oeuvres and more
Football platter measures 17 inch long x 11 inch wide
Crafted of ceramic
Use & Care: Microwave and dishwasher safe

I’m picturing so many delicious things on this gorgeous platter…. pigs in blankets, cookies, brownies, sandwiches, chips, cheese and crackers… and, just like that, I’ve made myself hungry.

See Pfaltzgraff Football Platter for more information and a closer look. This is a beauty.

Christmas Gift Guide 2019: Daily Gift Idea… Alexa-Inspired Products on Amazon

September 23, 2019 By Joi Sigers

When buying and giving Christmas gifts (or any gifts, for that matter), I love things that’ll make my loved ones smile and (if I’m lucky) even laugh. That’s why I love the line of “Alexa…” gifts on Amazon. Below are just a few of the ones that are applicable to a food blog, click the link above to see the entire collection. They’re absolutely ingenious – and sure to make you AND THEM smile.

Click through the following links for a closer look and to read more about each handmade item.

Alexa, Order Tacos Towel

It’s like this Alexa, Order Tacos Towel reads my mind. Seriously, I am never NOT in the mood for tacos. My favorite Authentic Mexican restaurant makes the best grilled shrimp tacos you’ve ever tasted and I could, honestly, eat them every single night and twice on Saturdays. What is it with Authentic Mexican cooks? They make everything so delicious?!

Product Description from Amazon: These are 100% premium cotton flour sack towels. They are as useful as they are pretty. Flower sack towels are also known as tea towels. These are a natural white towel, not a bright white.

Image is ink that is heat pressed into fibers to be permanent. It is a dark gray color and not solid black, which adds to the slightly vintage farmhouse style charm.
Size: 30 x 30 inches
They are hemmed on all 4 sides, with slight size variances possible.
100% cotton towel

Alexa, Do The Dishes Towel

The Alexa Do the Dishes Towel is one most of us can appreciate. I say “most” because I am (in many ways) a very odd duck. I enjoy doing dishes! Love to cook, love to clean up after the deed. Now if Alexa wanted to clean the fridge or do the laundry, she can knock herself out!

Product Description from Amazon: These are 100% premium cotton flour sack towels. They are as useful as they are pretty. Flower sack towels are also known as tea towels.

These are a natural white towel.
Image is ink that is heat pressed into fibers to be permanent.
Size: 30 x 30 inches
They are hemmed on all 4 sides, with slight size variances possible.
100% cotton towel

Alexa, Cook Dinner Towel

One of my three beautiful daughters is receiving this Alexa, Cook Dinner Towel as a Christmas present this year because she is the PERFECT example of a gal who simply does not like to cook. As in at all. Her mother has a food blog, loves to cook as much as she loves to breath and yet… she’d rather have a trip to the dentist than to cook a meal.

Literally.

Her two sisters took after me when it comes to cooking – they love it. Funny thing is, each one of them is a wonderful cook – including the non-cooker! She makes excellent spaghetti, breakfast foods, and all of her desserts are outstanding.

Funny thing, though, some people simply do not like cooking and this towel is just for them.

Product Description from Amazon: Towels measure approximately 25″x15″.

This is a natural colored, 100% cotton towel.

To see even more wonderful (and hilarious) gift ideas like these, see “Alexa…” gifts on Amazon.

Kicking off the Christmas Gift Guide with a Sloth in a Coffee Cup (Because Why Wouldn’t I??)

September 20, 2019 By Joi Sigers

I have good news and bad news for you… the window of opportunity for Christmas shopping is now officially wide open! You can shop for Christmas gifts now without being looked at like you have three heads. That’s the good news.

The bad news is this window begins closing a little bit each day, until it relentlessly slams shut before you know it!

That’s why I’m beginning the 2019 Gift Guide for Cooks and Foodies today. I may not have the graphic for the sidebar yet (soon, soon) but I have a fun gift to kick things off with – the Feeling Slothee, Need a Coffee mug you see here.

Crazy cute!

For whatever reasons, gifts like this are my favorite to give AND receive – the deliciously unique and fun variety. The kind that makes the recipient smile ear to ear as they show it off to everyone in the room.

Designed exclusively by Geek Details and shipped exclusively from Geek Details.
The imprinted design is beautifully displayed on both sides of the mug and looks as pictured. It stops approximately 1 inch from both sides of the C-handle.
The premium full color sublimation imprint creates vibrant, long lasting, lead-free designs.
Microwave and dishwasher safe for your convenience.
Eleven ounce white ceramic coffee mug also holds a great cup of tea and includes a large, easy to grip C-handle.

I love everything about this adorable coffee mug, especially the fact that it is an exclusive design (there’s that uniqueness that floats my boat). I also love the fact that the design is on both sides.

See Feeling Slothee, Need a Coffee for a closer look. SO DARN CUTE!

Colonel Popper’s Popcorn Maker: Healthy (but Delicious) Snacking Made Possible

September 19, 2019 By Joi Sigers

Colonel Popper’s Popcorn Maker

I have a foodie confession to make. I am a snacker. What’s more, I am a snacker who is uncommonly passionate about her snacking. When I stop and think about it (which I’m doing now, for better or worse), I do very few things without a snack within reach.

Watching a baseball, football, or basketball game on tv
Watching an old movie on TCM
Posting on one of my blogs
Cooking supper
Working a puzzle
Reading

Yep… everything has to have a snack close by.

I have popcorn in front of me at the moment – made with my new obsession: Colonel Popper’s Popcorn Maker.

We’ve already established that I’m a snacker of the highest order, so it’s obviously very important to me that my snacks be as healthy and low-calorie as possible. Otherwise I’d be in a world of trouble.

Fortunately my favorite “go to” snack is popcorn and now, with this ingenious little popcorn maker, it’s healthier than ever.

Colonel Popper’s Silicone Popcorn Maker is super durable, safe, and eco-friendly. You can eat fresh microwave popcorn right out of the colorful popcorn bowl. I can say from experience – you’ll never want to pop popcorn without a Colonel Popper again.

Five things you’re going to love about Colonel Popper:

Such an inexpensive snack! Use any popcorn kernels – which are about as cheap as it gets.
BPA Free Silicone Microwave Popcorn Popper makes up to 14 cups of popcorn, plenty for your kids and family.
MUCH healthier than microwavable popcorn you buy in stores. Who wants those harmful chemicals around their family? I certainly don’t.
Easy and convenient. You simply pour the desired amount of kernels into the bowl, add butter/oil or (my personal favorite) ghee, and “pop” it into the microwave. After you remove the perfectly popped popcorn, add a little salt or other additions that float your boat (M&Ms, Parmesan, etc.)
Easy to store. The bowl collapses, when not in use, to a height of 2 inches – freeing up counter space and minimizing cabinet space. Perfect for college dorm rooms or even an RV Camper with portable microwave.
Dishwasher Safe – these words are always like choir music to my ears. You can either hand-wash your Colonel Popper or use your dishwasher.
Available in eight gorgeous colors. You can match your personality, style, or favorite team colors. Truth be told, the Colonel Popper is so inexpensive, you can grab several different colors. Some of the colors are transparent and others are solid. Be sure to take a close look at each – and good luck choosing. They’re all beautiful!
Makes a great gift idea – fun, original, and highly useful.

The Colonel Popper’s Silicone Popcorn Maker comes with a handy guide that tells you everything you need to know to pop perfect popcorn time after time. You’ll want to hang onto this guide by either storing it right with the popper or keeping it in a drawer.

When you add the kernels to the popper, be sure it’s in the “up” position, as opposed to the collapsed position. It’s at this point you can add either oil, butter, or (my personal favorite, by far) ghee – my favorite ghee is the best ghee available, Ancient Organics Ghee. I fell in love with ghee on popcorn about a year ago and haven’t seen fit to eat it any other way since!

Topped off with a little salt (I love Rachael Ray’s Pink Himalayan Salt) and you have a fun, delicious, and guilt-free snack for any occasion.

Click through any of the links to learn more about this ingenious little popcorn maker and… trust me… even if you do buy several for fun gift-giving, you will want a Colonel Popper’s Silicone Popcorn Maker for yourself.

Winco Hamburger Smasher and Turner: Perfect for Diner-Style Burgers

June 27, 2019 By Joi Sigers

I love burgers. There, I said it. I love them more than words can even say. In fact, I wouldn’t spend too much time searching for words because that would be time taken away from eating burgers.

My favorite way to fix burgers is “diner-style,” just a food blogger cool way of saying, “burgers that are smashed into an iron skillet.”

Before we found the HANDY as HECK Winco Burger Turner above (or as I call it, my smasher), it was a headache to smash the burgers into the skillet. I’d try to get my spatulas to go along with the plan, but they just weren’t built for it. You should’ve seen me, holding the spatula in one hand and placing a mug on top of the spatula with the other hand. The spatula took a beating, the mug felt anxious, and the cats laughed. Embarrassing.

This crazy cool and inexpensive little tool has made life a lot easier. It’s also perfect for the grill – gets the burgers nice and flat. This makes them cook quicker and, in my opinion, makes them tastier.