Seasonโs greetings everyone! Iโm pleased to present to you the DALS 2017 gift guide, which, per tradition, tries to keep your familyโs eating and reading pleasures in mind. This year, to shake things up a bit, I added a โpairs well withโฆโ element to many in the mix, as a way to personalize or accessorize. Happy giving.
Parlor Instant Coffee ($28) New darling of the coffee world, the Brooklyn-based roaster just launched these small-batch instant jars, but Iโm also tempted to pick up a bag or two of their beans, if only because the design is so festive. Pairs well withโฆ
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Milk Frother (Soloxo, $15) Phoebe has gotten into drinking coffee and lattes this year (was I not just nursing her yesterday?), which means it might be time to start accessorizing the habit.
Good Troubleย (Diana Kane, $10) Small pin, big message and a perfect stocking stuffer for your budding activist. Brought to you by the same people who made the iconic gold-lettered โFeminist T-shirt, the pin refers to Congressman John Lewisโs call to stir things up, get into โgood troubleโ in the fight against social injustices. Pairs well withโฆ
Feed the Resistance, by Julia Turshen ($10) The food-worldโs favorite revolutionary has been busy causing โgood troubleโ all year long, and is banking on the idea that food equals community, community equals connection, connection equals action. (All proceeds go to the ACLU)
Panda Tea Setย (Urban Outfitters, $42) When I asked my 13-year-old for ideas, she sent me a link to the gift page of Urban Outfitters with the message โI would love LITERALLY anything from here.โ (Good to remember when grandparents say theyโre stuck coming up with ideas for your teens.) I thought this panda tea set was the sweetest. Pairs well with: Your favorite tea (or, in keeping with the theme, this mini panda bluetooth speaker, $25).
Cook in a Book: Pancakesย ($12) File this one under the category of โwhy hasnโt someone thought of this before?โ The pre-school set can crack eggs, whisk batter, and flip pancakes in this interactive board book, one in a series devoted to cooking our favorite foods โ thereโs also Pizza & Tacos.ย I had some copies lying around my workshare space and every parent with toddler-age kids picked them up and said (unsolicited) some version of This is genius. ย (Viaย Mrs. Little) Pairs well with: A satchel of homemade pancake mix orโฆ
Dash Mini Waffle Maker ($10) Look at how adorable this is. Just the thing to launch a Saturday morning breakfast ritual with your toddler (or your teen โ Abby lost her mind when I showed it to her.) Also comes in pink, aqua, red.
One (or Two! Or Three!) Dozen Cookies (Schmakarys, $30-$50) I donโt know about you, but I spend a good part of my life in search of the exact taste of all the cookies I ate and loved in my mustard-colored linoleum-laden childhood kitchen. Last year, I found that taste in Schmackaryโs Funfetti cookie, but you might find it in the NYC shopโs high-qualย Mexican Hot Chocolate or Classic Chocolate Chip or Dirty Peppermint. Lots of options for combo gifts. (Also, this seems as good an excuse as any to repeat my favorite Alan Richman quote: โShow me a man who believes his favorite desserts are those he has eaten as an adult, and Iโll show you a man who has had an unhappy childhood.โ)
Oil & Vinegar Bottles ($19) I saw these on Little Green Notebookโs gift guide (check it out here) and instantly wanted to wrap them up withโฆ
Oil & Vinegars (McEvoy Ranch, $50) Longtime DALS readers know how much I love the bright, peppery Petaluma-based olive oils they sell. And can you imagine how much better your salads would taste with those vinegars whisked in too? (Related: Olive Oil is the New Wine.)
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One Mixed Up Night, by Catherine Newman ($12) In a modern-day From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, two sneaky kids plan a sleepover in the store theyโre obsessed with: Ikea. As you know, Catherine is a favorite around these parts and not surprisingly, her first attempt at middle grade fiction is gold. Pairs well with a family trip to Ikea or aย headlamp, gear that figures prominently in Frankieโs and Walterโs adventure (and that might come in handy for future camping or hide and seek).
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Big Books of 2017: You probably donโt need me to tell you about any of these award-winners and bestsellers, but thereโs something extremely satisfying about handing someone a sure thing, whether itโs fiction (Manhattan Beach, by Jennifer Egan); nonfiction (Black Edge, by Sheelah Kolhatkar, about the rise and fall of hedge fund billionaire Steve Cohen) or YA (Turtles All The Way Down by John Green, about a girl suffering from OCD).
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Turntableย ($79) I donโt know who was happier about this turntable arriving in our house, 15-year-old Phoebe (itโs in her room) or Phoebeโs grandfather, my father, who was thrilled to have a grateful beneficiary for all the beloved Beatles and Simon & Garfunkel and Judy Collins LPs he was hanging on to for decades.ย Pairs well with: A few albums from the vinyl collection youโve never been able to toss.
Barr Hill Ginย ย (ranges $35-$50) This will anger some afficiandos, but in our house we have a theory on alcohol: vodka is vodka, but gin ainโt gin, which is why a Gin and Tonic is our cocktail of choice. Among all the gins out there right now, this one, made with its hint of honey, is weird and delicious and our current favorite. Pairs well with:ย Meehanโsย Bartender Manual,ย the holy grail of gifts: educational, gorgeous, and alcoholic.
The Dinner: A Love Story Trilogy ($14-$20; complete set: $54) If youโve made it this far and been with me this long, you donโt need me to explain. Iโll just take this opportunity to thank every single reader who has supported Dinner: A Love Story over the past almost eight (eight!) years. Trying not to sound like NPR here, but this blog literally would not exist without those of you who have purchased my books or spread the word about the mission here. Iโm so grateful.
Other Gift Guides Iโve Been Using and Loving:
Supermakeit (for crafty kids)
Bon Appetitย (for food lovers)
Cup of Joย (for everybody!)
Little Green Notebookย (for moms and best friends)
Ben & Birdyย (for book & game lovers)
And DALS guides through the years:
Gift Guide 2016
Gift Guide 2015
Gift Guide 2014
Gift Guide 2013
Gift Guide 2012
Gift Guide 2011
Happy Holidays Everyone!
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Hi โ Iโm loving the turntable, but it seems the link is incorrect โ thanks!
Just want you to know โ weโve had 2 friends have surgery this month, and Iโve taken huge batches of your chili to their families. Itโs absolutely our go-to and everyone loves it. Happy holidays!
Have you made your own tonic yet? My parents have started making their own (itโs a syrup and then we add it to fizzy water) and with your favorite gin (they currently have a small distillery batch with nice juniper notes. It is UNBELIEVABLE! Your own homemade tonic syrup would accompany the gin perfectly. Happy Holidays!
Gave the Dash waffle maker to nieces, nephews, and friends with preschoolers last year. Huge hit! My breakfast hack is a scant 3/4 c scoop of pancake mix, 1 egg, 1 glug of vegetable oil, and then enough water to achieve a thick batter. Makes about 3 waffles for my middle schooler. So much better than waffles from the freezer
I shall be buying the milk frother and the Newman novel ASAP!!!
Thank you! I always love your gift guide. Getting that coffee for Fred + the pin + a few other things! (And thank you for the link!) xo
I use your books every single week. Love them.
The rest of this list is fun, too!
I simply love your gift ideas! That โfeed the resistanceโ book sounds amazing, I would love to get my hands on one. Thanks for sharing!
Got my husband the bartenders manual when you first wrote about it. Such a nice book!
My grandpa is a big fan of tea and I had spent a long time to find a tea set to give him. He really like Panda tea set. Thanks you so much!