Holiday Gift List – The Chef/ Foodie

When I have time, I love to cook!  I enjoy reading my cookbooks, researching recipes on-line and generally checking out all the food porn!  I've got quite a few chefs and foodies in my family; this list is in honour of all the family get togethers and celebrations past and those to come:

Eclairs

Éclairs are my dad’s favourite dessert and thus a necessity in my cooking repertoire. 

Here’s one from a batch I made for Father’s Day this year (the rest got eaten before I could snap some shots!).

Ella’s Botanicals Gift Basket

I’m so excited to receive my Ella’s Botanicals gift basket that I won on Instagram!  I seldom win, so I was completely surprised when I got the notice I had won!

If you don’t know Ella’s Botanicals you are missing out on some really great skincare products that are amazing for the entire family’s use.  Created and headed up by Ella, all of her products are made in small batches in Toronto, Canada focusing on natural, locally sourced ingredients where possible and are biodegradable.  Good for you and not harmful to our lovely planet.  Love that!

Holiday Gift List – The Beauty Lover

I've got some more holiday gift ideas for you.  This time focusing on the beauty lover!

Come check it out:

Floral Friday - Thanksgiving Flowers

Happy Friday everyone!  It was a quick week with Monday being off J

Ella’s Botanicals

Ok.  I'm sorry.  I can’t believe it’s already Wednesday Thursday and I haven’t written anything about the arrival of my first Ella’s Botanicals parcel on Monday.  MONDAY.  Can you believe it?! 

The Bomb Brownies

I was heading out to dinner Friday evening with my bestie and had to whip up a batch of our favourite brownies to celebrate!

Chocolate Swiss Roll – Two Filling Options

My better half LOVES Swiss rolls.  You know.  The ones that come in pairs packaged in clear plastic?!  So I decided to try a homemade version.

Andes Crème de Menthe Chunk Cookies

It seems like we can only find Andes Crème de Menthe around Christmas time and we never fail to pick up several boxes!!  This past winter, I stumbled upon Andes Crème de Menthe Baking Chips and quickly grabbed a bag.  They’ve since been sitting in my pantry stacked with my other baking chips just waiting for the day I finally got around to using them.  Well – I finally have!

Floral Friday – Schiphol Airport Flower Bowls

I love to explore different cities and cultures, and particularly enjoy sampling the local delicacies.  But I’m not a huge lover of flying.  In fact, I only fly because it is a necessary evil of travelling. 

One airport that actually lifts my spirits is Schiphol airport in Amsterdam.  Here’s a shot from a few years ago on one of the many trips to, what I consider to be, my home away from home!

Happy Canada Day!

via

Hope everyone is having a lovely Canada Day!

Holiday Gift Giving

Holiday gift giving can be a little intimidating, especially if you are strapped for time.  To help alleviate some of this stress, I’ve put together a list of items that I have either received, gifted or plan on gifting.  There are items in all price points, as the holidays are not meant to break the bank, but rather are a time of expressing your love and affection for the people you care about.

HOME

·       Lands’ End Large Natural Open Top Canvas Tote Bag - $29.50 USD + $6  USD for monogramming.  I had heard about these bags for years before I finally put it on my wish list a few years back.  I absolutely LOVE my bags.  I have them in Large and X-Large (and it really is X-Large!) and use them for a plethora of carrying tasks.  The amount of stuff you can cram in these bags without stressing the handles is amazing.  The only caveat - finding someone to carry the X-Large when it is filled to the brim!! 

 

·       Hudson's Bay Company Collection Millenium Point Blanket - $275 to $475 CAD Twin to King.  These blankets are very durable and extremely warm.  Very cosy for those cold winter nights :)

·       Swarovski Christmas Kris Bear Annual Edition 2011 - $140 CAD.  If you are looking to start a holiday tradition, these little Swarovski crystal figures are the cutest!  They also create a beautiful pattern on the walls and ceiling when lit from above. 

·       I started collecting Louise Bousquet’s pottery last year and am eager to continue adding to my collection.  Here's what is on my radar for this holiday season:

o   Cake Pedestal $126 CAD

o   Square Butter Dish $55 CAD

  

o    Small Night Light "Stripes" $120 CAD

TECHY

·       Pico USB FlashDrive in 8, 16 or 32 gigs available at Think Geek - $29.99 to $139.99 USD.  I have my Pico on my key chain and I cannot tell you the number of times it has come in handy.  Amazing that something so small can store so much information!

KIDS

·       Alphabet Flash Cards from Valhalla Cards - $21.99 USD.  I gave these as a gift a few years ago and they were quite the hit with the little one.

 

·       Build A Bear - prices vary depending on style selected.  I gifted these last year to my girlfriend's kids and it was so fun to first give them the “body” and then schedule a date to bring the bears to life.  A gift and an activity all in one!

TRAVEL

·       Smythson of Bond Street Luggage Label Peridot Collection - £60.  For the road warrior.  Bonus - the bright colour will help distinguish from all the other black suitcases!

·       Escape^TM Luxury Travel Sleep Mask from Dream Essentials - $19.95 USD.  For those pesky red eye flights.

BEAUTY

·       MAC Cosmetics Lip Conditioner SPF 15 - $18 CAD.   This is my all-time favorite lip balm - it's the bomb!

  

·       Urban Decay Naked Palette - $48 USD.  I am by no means a make-up guru.  I'm actually relatively new to the whole world of make-up, so this product is stellar for a newbie like me, but would make a make-up pro equally thrilled to be gifted such a classic set.  Be sure to act quickly as this item sells out like hot cakes. 

HEALTH

·       Tracy Anderson Metamorphosis Series = $89.97 USD.  This is most definitely on my wish list.  Her Mat Workout video still kicks my butt!

PET

·       Rhinestone Slide Crown Charms from Here Kitty Kitty - $3.00 USD.  These charms are so cute and the perfect way to treat your pet!  They are offered in Diamond, Pink Sapphire and Blue Sapphire.  Plus, Karen is a pleasure to deal with!

HOSTESS

·       Vice Vodka Icewine Martini - Instead of giving a traditional bottle of wine, why not shake it up a bit and gift them Vice.  Vice retails for approximately $40 CAD.   I was first introduced to Vice while I was at one of my favorite restaurants in Toronto - Sotto Sotto - and they gave us a glass while we were waiting to be seated.  I tend to find icewine to be a little too sweet, but mixed with the vodka is a killer combo.  I cannot tell you the number of liquor stores I hit to try and find this stuff - it took over 6 months, but I finally found some!  Definitely worth the hunt. 

·       Lee Gallery Frames from Pottery Barn - $44.27 to $167.97 CAD .  Perfect for capturing memories of your friends and family.

·       Kusmi Tea – prices vary.  I was introduced to this tea a few years back and I have yet to try a flavor I haven’t enjoyed.  Their Essentials kit includes 24 muslim tea bags of 12 different flavours – the perfect introduction to Kusmi teas.   

Happy holiday shopping!