Ahhhh, the leaves have fallen. I never see the light of day during the work week now, and baking pies has become a weekend ritual. Yes, it’s about that time. Thanksgiving! Christmas! And Hanukkah. And Kwanzaa.
All I know is the holiday season is approaching quickly, and no matter the specific holiday, it’s always a great time to gather with friends and family to eat, drink and eat some more.
If you’re preparing your shopping list or your very own wish list, I’ve found some gifts less than $10, $25 and $50 that will keep you cooking – and eating – well through the holiday season.
Less than $10
• For the do-it-yourselfer, the Ball four-piece canning utensil set is a pretty safe investment a little less than $10. Whether you know someone who wants to can more or is just curious about the process, this set is so inexpensive it doesn’t matter whether they can the set after a couple uses. The Ball brand set or something similar can be found virtually anywhere: grocery stores, discount stores, kitchen specialty shops. The set includes a Ball Bubble Freer spatula, jar lifter, jar funnel and lid wand.
• A great stocking stuffer for any level of cook in your kitchen is the Chef’n Switchit silicone spoon spatula. The multiuse tool can mix, stir and serve, and comes in an array of food-festive colors: apricot, wasabi, cherry, radicchio, arugula. Priced just less than $10, the Switchit has a hardened steel core for durability and is heat and stain resistant.
Less than $25
• For avid coffee drinkers, co-workers or green-minded folks, wrap up a DCI I am NOT a Paper Cup. It’s a quirky ceramic mug with a silicone lid that looks like a paper coffee cup. Obviously it’s reusable, and I won’t tell anyone if you drink out of a white cup past Labor Day. Currently, it seems to be the cheapest at betterkitchen living.com for $11.99, but can also be found at amazon.com.
• For the eternal dieter, there is a plethora of food scales out there. They can range in price from around $20-$50, depending on the features you can live and live without. There are also scales endorsed by your favorite weight-loss shows and programs, i.e. “The Biggest Loser” and Weight Watchers. “The Biggest Loser” digital scale seems to be the most reasonably priced at $23.99 at Wal-Mart. Caution: If you decide to purchase this as a gift, please be sure the gift receiver will not be offended by your generosity.
Less than $50
• With the advent of television shows such as “Ace of Cakes,” “Cake Boss” and “Ultimate Cake Off,” it seems like the latest trend is to buy ridiculously beautiful and expensive pastries. But why not give the gift that can keep on giving – for well less than the price of a designer cake? Wilton’s 40-piece cake decorating set lets you design your own cakes and comes with a plethora of tips, decorating bags and icing along with a handy caddy to store it all in. Depending on your budget or your interest in decorating cakes, Wilton also has 50- and 100-piece sets. You can easily find these sets at discount retailers or online.
• Maybe the people on your list aren’t the most gifted in the kitchen but wish they were. Behold what makes Nintendo’s Wii so great. Can’t bowl or play baseball in real life? Well, with a controller in your hand, it’s so much easier to be an All-Star. Can’t slice and dice to save your life? Well, there are games for that, too. Nintendo Wii has a slew of cooking games from “Cooking Mama” to “Iron Chef America: Supreme Cuisine to Hell’s Kitchen.” The new “Food Network Cook or Be Cooked” Wii game may be closer to reality than the others – the game aims for education more than kitchen chaos and offers more than 30 recipes that you can try in your actual kitchen. And no matter how much you cook with it, you don’t need to worry about the calories. “Cook or Be Cook” retails for right around $40.
So whether the recipient of your gifts can cook, bake or just eat, there are plenty of gifts for different budgets that can stuff any foodie’s stocking. And Santa, just in case you’re reading this, I’d be happy with any of the gifts. Happy holidays!
Craves and Raves appears on the third Wednesday of the month. Kerry Lowe can be reached at ka.lowe@yahoo.com.
