Well, I about fell out of my chair when my co-worker Nikki said that Christmas was in 10 days. SAY WHAT!?  Where did this year go? I guess I’ve been too busy eating to realize this year really did wooosh right by me. So much fun, so much food and so many changes – but we’ll get to all that in another post. For now – let’s talk gifting!

While I hope you have your shopping wrapped up, if you don’t I wanted to share some of my favorite foodie-ish gifts to give and get!

Hot Sauce

People are always giving Sir Dave and I hot sauce, and we absolutely love it. We’ve received hot sauce as gifts from all over the country (and recently got a fantastic one from our friend Katrina from Saint Marten)! There are so many unique flavor combos and each region seems to have their own specialty, I want to try them all! So if you know anyone who likes things spicy, Etsy has fun hot sauce + hot sauce swag and you can also find great choices on Amazon like one of our favorites, Secret Aardvark Habanero Suace.

Ina Garten Pin

We all know my love of Ina knows no bounds, which is evident from my Ina Pinterest Board as well as my celebration of Ina Day last fall and this summer. When I stumbled upon this pin, I just had to get it for Maddi, a 2-time Ina Day player. You can find this little lovely on Etsy!

Cat Measuring Cups, Because CATS.

My friend Jackie bought me these lovely cat measuring cups for a housewarming gift and I couldn’t be more in love with them. They make me smile every time I use them so if you have a cat lover in your life, get at these! Meow.

Ratio Book

As you can see this book, Ratio, is totally tattered and well-read. Sir Dave received this book as a gift and couldn’t put it down! He says he loves it so much because, “if you can remember the ratios you can cook a variety of things without ever having to look at a recipe.” Sounds like a freaking superpower, if you ask me!

BBQ Sauce!

I’m really not kidding when I say I haven’t met a BBQ sauce I don’t like. But when my mom gifted me this yummy variety, Brownwood Farms Cherry BBQ, I really freaked out. It’s crazy good. I even made Dave use it for my birthday party smoked ribs. While this one is currently out of stock on Amazon (I know, I really set you up here) – my favorite is getting to try sauces from all over, so check your local options! Or if you’re looking for a good Chicago-staple, Lillie Q’s has tons to offer!

And last, but certainly not least, another idea I love is to donate to a good cause in honor of the giftee. Feeding America is a great organization to consider, as is OxFam. If you want to keep it super local, Feeding America also keeps a list of Local Food Banks you can gift a donation to as well.

I hope you are all having a wonderful holiday season so far, and I’ll be back with some recipes right around the corner!

Cheers!