10 Awesome Gifts for Foodies
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This is the second installment of my gift guides for the holiday season. Last week I shared with you tons of bestselling cookbooks and kitchen toys, and this week I am sharing some “off the beaten path” foodie gift ideas. They aren’t bestsellers on Amazon, and they aren’t your typical go-to’s like stand mixers, measuring cups or flavored dipping oils. They’re unique, a little quirky and definitely fun. I hope you enjoy browsing them as much as I enjoyed putting the list together for you!
For the record, I don’t own any of the products below (many of them are on my own wish list) so I can’t provide detailed reviews. Maybe some of them will make their way under my tree Christmas morning 
1. Pewter Measuring Cups from Crosby & Taylor
I happened to flip on Paula Deen one Saturday while lounging around on the couch, not something I have done in years. While watching her and her son bake, I was immediately drawn to the measuring cups/spoons they were using. I kept trying to get a close-up look, but couldn’t tell what they were. I did some Googling and found that she uses these pewter measuring cups and spoons from Crosby & Taylor. GORGEOUS! I Want! They have tons of different styles, but I love these with the moose on the handle – so cute 
2. Sweetest Thing Dishtowel from Anthropologie
I saw Jenny from Picky Palate tweet a picture of these adorable dish towels hanging in her kitchen last week and in a split second was on Anthropologie’s website. Aside from these dish towels, I think I could do some serious spending damage there. So many awesome things to put on my wish list!
3. Custom Cookie Mixes from The Mason Jar Cookie Company
This takes the whole “cookie in a jar” concept to an unbelievable level. Not only can you change up the type of cookie base you want to use (“regular”, chocolate, peanut butter or oatmeal), but you can pick from dozens of different add-ins, from candy to chocolate, nuts and dried fruit. An awesome way to customize different cookie packages for different people on your list.
4. RuMeBags
Using reusable grocery bags has been “in” for quite a few years now, and I love it as much for the convenience as I do for the green factor. You can load them into your car easier, and carrying them over your shoulder is so much easier than trying to gather as many plastic bags as you can around your fingers. Ouch. The best part about the RuMeBags is that in addition to all of the pretty patterns and designs they have available, you can create customized bags with monograms, photos of your kids, your dog, whatever you want!
5. Adopt an Olive Tree from Nudo
I shared this gift idea last year, but I think it’s so cool that it deserves a repeat mention. I’ll also add that my Chief Culinary Consultant got this for his parents last Christmas and they absolutely loved it. Nudo is an olive grove in Italy, and you can adopt one of their trees for a year and then receive the produce from that tree in two shipments (spring and fall). You can even read about each of their groves and decide which grove you want your tree to be from. I think this is a phenomenal gift idea and something to even treat yourself to!
6. Custom Canning Labels from My Own Labels
If someone on your gift-buying list is into canning, this is an awesome idea (see sample above). You can use templates or design your own labels completely from scratch. Great way to get creative and personalize!
7. Create Your Own Ice Cream, Gelato or Sorbetto Flavors from eCreamery
Speaking of customizing, this is seriously one of the most amazing ideas, ever. Make a completely customized ice cream, starting from a flavor of your choice, and then throwing in mix-ins, name it and choose your packaging. Once ready, it’s packed in dry ice and shipped right to you. So insanely awesome. I might just have to buy this for myself. If you’re having a brain freeze (ha!), eCreamery has some packages to get you started. For instance, their “Season’s Eatings” 4-pack includes the following:
“Sweetest of Holiday Wishes” – Vanilla Bean with Caramel Swirls & Cashew Brittle
“Season’s Eatings” – Chocolate Mint with Chocolate Cookie Crunch
“Mmmerry Christmas Cream” – White Chocolate with White & Milk Chocolate Peppermint Bark
“Naughty & Nice Spice” – Cinnamon & Spice
8. Grow-at-Home Mushroom Kit from Back to the Roots
Move over Chia Pet, you can actually eat this! Not only can you easily grow your own mushrooms right in your kitchen, but the kit grows the mushrooms in recycled coffee grounds – organic and green. A great gift for anyone interested in gardening, organic foods, and do-it-yourselfers.
9. Fun class at a local kitchen store or cooking school!
Above is sushi that I made during a class at a local kitchen store back in February. The sushi class was my sister’s gift to me last Christmas, and it was such an awesome idea. I am a big fan of “experience” gifts and we had a ton of fun taking the class together. Plus, it took the mystique out of sushi and gave me the confidence to know I could make my own at home. Check out some local kitchen stores and cooking schools to see what they offer – I guarantee a foodie on your gift list would love something like that!
10. Bacon-of-the-Month Club from The Grateful Palate
And finally, unless your foodie friend is a vegetarian, I guarantee they’re a bacon-lover. Who isn’t, after all? This bacon of the month club is infinitely better than the jellybean of the month club that Clark Griswald had bestowed upon him. Twelve months, 12 different gourmet varieties of bacon (1-pound each) delivered right to your door. Mmmm…
What’s on your wish list this year??
![Most Popular Cookbooks & Kitchen Equipment [Spring 2012]](http://www.browneyedbaker.com/wp-content/themes/browneyedbaker/images/default.png)
Arg! The Bacon of the Month Club’s site is down! Noooooooooo!
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You’re right…those ARE great gifts! I particularly like the custom labels!
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Great list! My sister got us the Olive Tree for Christmas last year and we were very impressed with the olive oil in the spring. (We still haven’t received our fall package unfortunately, the flavored olive oils, so coincidentally I just emailed them to ask what’s up).
The grow-at-home mushroom kit is on my “want to buy list” – hopefully in the new year I’ll get around to it!
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this is a great, great list!
the dishtowel is a keeper & i love the custom cookie mix jars…
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The grow your own mushroom kit sounds like fun.
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I have seen than mushroom kit before, it’s so cute! The gelato flavor creation one looks amazing, I’d love to do that
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i love the gifts and will buy the mushroom growing kit and the bacon of the month for my foodie friend.
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What great gift idea’s. I’m going to look into the Bacon of the Club for my Husband for Christmas! I don’t know what else to get him!
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I too lusted over Paula Deen’s pewter measuring cups & spoons until I saw the price! Who pays $180 for measuring cups, or $80 for measuring spoons? Those two together would pay for five months of cable so I can watch Paula.
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Hey! Was that sushi class you took in Pittsburgh? I was thinking about getting that for my best friend who lives in Pittsburgh!
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Michelle on December 12th, 2011 at 11:20 pm
Hi Karli, Yes it was in Pittsburgh! At Crate: http://www.cratecook.com/. It was great, I would highly recommend it, my sister and I really enjoyed it.
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My wishlist is a large cupboard for the corner of my minute kitchen in which to store all my cooking supplies.
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I LOVE that towel from anthropologie. I’ve had it on my pinterest board for five centuries hoping somebody would see it there and buy it for me. haha.
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Love all these ideas!
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LOVE the RuMe Bags!
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So funny that the opening pic you have up is the exact same ornament my mother-in-law gave me last night. I knew I liked you!
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Bacon?! Yes please!
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I love the mushroom kit
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ok i have to ask where did you get the ornament? i love it!
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Michelle on December 12th, 2011 at 11:21 pm
Hi Casey, Thank you! It was actually a gift from my mom last year, she got it at Sur La Table.
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Love those measuring cups!!
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I want Paula Deens measuring set too and the TBSP, tsp set too!! Here is a link to a facebook page that I think some may be interested in. She makes some really cute ornaments and not expensive!
http://www.facebook.com/?ref=tn_tnmn#!/KamNCo
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Why in the world would you recommend PEWTER measuring spoons?? I agree- look elegant but not for the dishwasher!
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Ooh, this all looks too fun!
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I would die if someone gave me the Nudo gift. As a Mediterranean girl, I love olive oil like I love candy. What a cool find!
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Bacon of the month?! Count me in! My son desperately wants one of those grow your own mushroom kits as well…
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Love the red prints of the RuMeBags!
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What a fun round up! I’ll take one of everything!
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My husband would love the bacon of the month club. They have a club for everything now. I kind of like them all.
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I love the mushroom kit idea!
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ahh, Michelle! Thank you for the inspiration! My family is doing a gift exchange with one rule– “Made In America” — Those mushrooms were the answer….made in America, at the target price, and unique enough to not be duplicated! Then I had to order two so that I could grow some too! awesome!
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These are awesome! I can’t wait to try the cookies in a jar and to make my own labels !(well, I’m the foodie in my house!) Thanks!
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We use reusable shopping bags in lieu of gift wrap. Upcycle and recycle at the same time!
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beautiful and original ideas!! thank you for sharing!!
I love the olive tree adoption!!!…maybe because I’m Italian and I miss my olive trees so much!!! ♥
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I’m loving the cupcake ornament, where did you get that?
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Michelle on December 20th, 2011 at 6:48 pm
Thank you! My mom got it for me last year; she bought it from Sur La Table.
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