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Holiday Round-up: 24 Things We Love (+ a gift for you!)

By December 12, 2011October 2nd, 2013167 Comments

So we may not be the only ones posting a Holiday Gift Guide this week, but weโ€™d like to argue that DALS is probably going to be the only place you can stop by for a Family Dinner Holiday Gift Guide. Which is another way of saying that every gift, recipe, ritual, moment you see here is either family-related, dinner-related, family-dinner related, or, in keeping with the spirit of the blog,ย s#$t we like so much we just needed to tell you about it.ย (See #1 above,ย Pantone Ornaments from Seletti โ€” for all your design geek friends!) Be sure to read carefully โ€” thereโ€™s something in it for you, too. โ€” Happy Holidays fromย The DALS Team!

2.ย Mauviel Copper Roasting Pan ($280, 11 3/4โ€ณ x 8 5/8โ€ณ) A Big Ticket Item for Big Ticket Home Cooks. Copper pots โ€” any size or shape or model โ€” are the gold standard for cookware. This was a present for Jenny last year; amazing what passes for romance in this house. But roasted chicken thighs have never looked so good. โ€” Andy

3.ย A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector. Letโ€™s put aside the fact that heโ€™s doing life in prison right now: Phil Spector could make music sound good.ย We pretty much put this album on repeat ย for the entire month of December. Even when weโ€™re eating Latkes (see #6). You can hate Christmas records and love this. Darlene Love singing โ€œChristmas (Baby, Please Come Home)โ€? That alone is worth the price of admission. โ€” Andy

4. Bangles ($20 each) I bought some version of these for our babysitter โ€” but I canโ€™t be too specific in case sheโ€™s reading. There are a zillion options to choose from at J.Crew. โ€” Jenny

5. Little History of the World by E.H. Gombrich (ages: 8-adult). This book is my new obsession. My friends are so incredibly sick of hearing about it. But let me just show you the first paragraph, and you tell me: โ€œAll stories begin with โ€˜Once Upon a Time.โ€™ And thatโ€™s just what this story is all about: What happened once upon a time. Once you were so small that, even standing on tiptoes, you could barely reach your motherโ€™s hand. Do you remember? Your own history might begin like this: โ€˜Once upon a time, there was a small boyโ€™ โ€” or a small girl โ€” โ€˜and that small boy was me.โ€™ But before that you were a baby in a cradle. You wonโ€™t remember that, but you know itโ€™s true. Your father and mother were also small once, and so was your grandfather, and your grandmother, a much longer time ago, but you know that too. After all, we say: โ€˜they are old.โ€™ But they too had grandfathers and grandmothers and they too could say, โ€˜Once upon a time.โ€™ And so it goes on, further and further back. Behind every โ€˜Once upon a timeโ€™ there is always another. Have you ever tried standing between two mirrors? You should. You will see a great long line of shiny mirrors, each one smaller than the one before, stretching away into the distance, getting fainter and fainter, so that you never see the last. But even when you canโ€™t see them anymore, the mirrors still go on. They are there, and you know it.โ€ OH MAN, I AM DYING. IT IS TOO GOOD.โ€” Andy


6. Potato Pancakes on the first night of Hannukah. Withย Marthaโ€™s edible dreidls for dessert, bien sur. โ€” Jenny


7. Ruhlmanโ€™s Twenty, ($23) byย Michael Ruhlman. Every time Iโ€™m in a bookstore I am drawn to this one. The title refers to twenty culinary techniques which, if learned, will turn you in to a real cook โ€” the kind who understands why things happen the way they do and not the kind who follows recipes to the letter without thinking. Which explains his first technique: โ€œThink.โ€ โ€”Jenny

8. Black Maple Hill Bourbon ($33). Jenny bought a bottle of this for me a couple birthdays ago and it one of those things that disabuses you of the idea that all [insert product here] are basically the same. Oh, the $12 stuff is just as good. No one can tell the difference between x and y. Itโ€™s all marketing. That stuffโ€™s a ripoff. Iโ€™ve said it, too. And I was wrong. Use sparingly, but use well. Also: what a label.ย โ€” Andy

9 & 10. Trader Joeโ€™s Gift Tags As if we needed another reason to love TJoes? Templates for these gift tags (and also a garland which was a little too ambitious for us) are sketched right on their paper grocery bags. Remind me why all stores arenโ€™t doing this? PS: While youโ€™re at TJoes, pick up the (#10)ย Gingerbread House Kit for a holiday activity with the kids that doesnโ€™t require a degree in Baking from ICE. And itโ€™s from Germany, so it feels legit. โ€” Jenny


11. Concert T-Shirts ($20-$25) Jenny calls my new concert t-shirt obsession my โ€œmid-life crisis.โ€ To which I say: better than a new girlfriend or a Porsche. Itโ€™s true, though. I have been wearing these out lately, and I have no excuse. It just feels good to put one on; it feels less good, after putting one on, to walk by the full-length mirror in your bedroom and catch a glimpse of yourself and think, Man, whoโ€™s the dorky old guy trying to be a kid again? (From left, Neil Young, Nick Lowe, and The Drive-By Truckers.) โ€” Andy

12. Beans from Joe the Art of Coffee ($11.95). There are way more days than I care to admit when my medium-sized cup of this stuff, purchased from Joeโ€™s coffee cart in Grand Central Terminal, is the highlight of my work day. Seriously. โ€” Andy

13. The Christmas Cookie Ritual Simple, buttery cookies, made with grandma, and slathered in sugar and sprinkles. Whatโ€™s not to love? I could never quite figure out, though, why the cookies themselves, as tasty as they are, are only half as tasty as the raw dough. That never seemed quite fair. The familyย recipe is here. โ€” Andy

14. Magnetic earrings. A pair of these should put off the ear pierce begging for at least a month or two. If you canโ€™t find them at your local junky accessory store at the mall (which is where I found these), you can find some version of them at Claireโ€™s, where they sell for $8 a pair. (Buy 2 get 1 free.)ย -Jenny

15. Marta Barware from CB2, ($1.50-$2.50 per glass) Every time I order these I think the same thing: Did they get the price wrong? Itโ€™s crazy how inexpensive these glasses are given how pretty our chocolate milks andย cocktails look inside them. If youโ€™re having a holiday party and not serving a special cocktail because you donโ€™t want to cough up the dough for the extra (or proper) glassware โ€” hereโ€™s your answer.ย โ€” Jenny

16.ย Make Dinner Not War bumper stickers ($4 for 1; $10 for 4 โ€” includes shipping) If you need me to give you a reason, please see previous 389 posts. โ€” Jenny

17. Bon Appetit Subscription ($20 for first gift subscription, second is FREE) Have you noticed how much a part of the conversation this magazine has become? I like to think this is because Andy and I show up six times a year writing our โ€œProvidersโ€ column, but I think it might also have something to do with Marcus Nilsson-shot stories like these. โ€”Jenny

18.ย In2green Organic Cotton Blanket ($150)ย GIVEAWAY!!
Their classic cable knitย baby blanket has long been my go-to newborn gift, so you can imagine how delighted I was when they started making full-size, bonafide cotton throws for grown-ups. Hereโ€™s the best part: Theyโ€™ve been nice enough to offer a free blanket to one lucky DALS reader.ย Rules:ย Comment below with the best gift youโ€™ve ever given or received. (As always, you must be a newsletter subscriber to be eligible, soย do that first if youโ€™re not already signed up.) Winner will be chosen at random this Friday.ย โ€” Jenny

19. Pixar Short Films Collection. ($15) The downside of taking this DVD with us on road trips is that Jenny and I have to sit up front while the kids get to sit in the back, watching. We all have our personal favorites โ€” Phoebe (โ€œOne Man Bandโ€), Abby (โ€œLiftedโ€), Jenny (โ€œBoundin'โ€), and me (โ€œBirds On a Wireโ€) โ€” but really, theyโ€™re all genius. Thereโ€™s something nice about how short they are (a few minutes each); theyโ€™re like little treats that we can dole out accordingly โ€” and use as bribes if necessary โ€” with minimal parental guilt. Why is it that letting the kids watch stuff from Pixar feels somehow healthy? โ€” Andy

20. MOMA Spherical Ice Tray Set ($13) Iโ€™ve never been to Japan, but I hear this is how they roll, ice cube-wise. If so, I like their style. Drop one of these bad boys in your Black Maple Hill bourbon โ€” or, really, the kidsโ€™ pineapple juice โ€” and now weโ€™re talking. One of those little silly things that makes life more fun.ย โ€” Andy

21. Billy Kirk Black Laptop Bag ($290) If youโ€™re going to splurge on one thing this holiday, make it this. Andy bought it for me last year in khaki and tan and not a day goes by when I donโ€™t get a compliment on it. -Jenny

22. Flying Pig Farms Gift Certificate Itโ€™s been well-documented by now: we like pork. And weโ€™ve yet to find pork that tastes better than the stuff they sell at Flying Pig Farms, which we only discovered after friends sent us a gift certificate a few years ago. We ordered a roast and some chops and some bacon, and none of it was bad. Now itโ€™s a go-to present for friends who know from pigs. It also takes our ragu to another level. โ€” Andy

23. Sambas for Kids ($30-$50)ย How good? These are Abbyโ€™s and are only a few weeks old โ€” that should tell you how well-loved they are in our house. โ€“Jenny

Update: The winner of the in2green blanket is Katherine (#115). Thanks for playing everyone!

Potato latkes photo by Andrew McCaul; Pork shredding photo by Jennifer Causey

167 Comments

  • Avatar Amanda says:

    I think the best gift Iโ€™ve ever gotten was a good set of knives. I didnโ€™t know I needed it (I was using the โ€˜free giftโ€™ ones you get from Time magazine), and it changed my cooking, and made me start to cook like crazy!

  • Avatar Kathy says:

    One of the best gifts I have ever received was on Motherโ€™s Day. I was in the thick of toddlerhood with my twins and feeling very crazed, frumpy, blah,etc. My brother & his wife surprised me with 3 summer dresses that a โ€œmore togetherโ€ woman would actually wear and that I really loved. They gave me hope that I could return to feeling good about myself !

  • Avatar Laura says:

    The first Christmas I shared with my husband, we lived overseas. I was less than jolly โ€“ I missed my family, had to work a long shifts on both Christmas Eve and Christmas day, and our heater was K.O.ed! When I got home from work, my husband โ€“ not a cook in slightest โ€“ had surprised me by preparing a complicated Christmas dinner. All of my favorite foods from home. Best Christmas gift ever!

  • Avatar Deirdre says:

    When I was expecting my first child, my best friend contacted my sisters, mom, MIL, and old friends and asked each to write a short essay/note with their favorite story of motherhood or advice. She put them all together in a book for me, and this was 10 yrs ago when there werenโ€™t 100 options for doing so. It remains a priceless treasure.

  • Avatar Kayla says:

    The best gift I ever received was the engagement ring I got last year!

  • Avatar km says:

    driving lessons. It was a liberation !!!!!!!!!

  • Avatar Sarah says:

    The best Christmas gift I ever received was a proposal from my now husband on Christmas Eve 4 years ago. He wrapped the ring in a huge box and mixed it in with my other presents. ๐Ÿ™‚

  • Avatar C.C. says:

    In 1890 my great-grandparents built a new house and outfitted it with new furniture and dishes. About 100 years later, my parents rebuilt one of the chairs from that house (it had fallen apart completely) and gave it to me for Christmas. Two years ago my parents gave me a fork and knife from the house. I framed the utensils in a shadow box and hung them in the dining room. I wasnโ€™t given just items, but a bit of history to cherish and share with my children.

  • Avatar Leah Gregory says:

    I think the best gift would have to be my trip to South America with my brother! It was amazing and where I met my boyfriend of 3.5 years!

  • Avatar Jessica says:

    Iโ€™m kind of a sucker for homemade gifts to give and receive.

  • Avatar Beth S says:

    My mom always dreamed to stay at the Grand Floridian at Walt Disney World. We went in late November one year to see the park decked out for Christmas. Her birthday is Dec 23. I booked one night out of our stay for her at the Grand Floridian. They even upgraded her to a water view! She loved it and felt totally spoiled. I got a good rate, and made a dream come true. Hard to top that!

  • Avatar Susan says:

    The best gift Iโ€™ve ever received was from my husband on our 5th wedding anniversary this September. In order to surprise me with a week-long trip to London (including childcare arrangements for our toddler son), he made me the most amazing dinner. He doesnโ€™t cook and doesnโ€™t care for most foodie dishes. However, he rose to the occasion and made
    Tuscan pork spare ribs with an amazing assortment of Italian and Middle Eastern herbs and spices. The trip was unbelievable, but it was the dinner that warmed my heart.

  • Avatar michelle in montana says:

    homemade things from my kids that they are very proud of. Now that they are on their own, when they send me a handmade card with heartfelt sentiments, it melts my heart!
    WE all survived the teen years!

  • Avatar kimberly says:

    hmmmโ€ฆthe best gift Iโ€™ve ever received is probably the trip to Minnesota to see my dear friend Hollyโ€ฆmy husband gave that to me for my last birthdayโ€ฆsuper memories & nothing left to clutter the house ๐Ÿ™‚

  • Avatar Kat says:

    About ten years ago, when we started โ€œliving on our own,โ€ my Aunt compiled a cookbook for me and my sister. She sent recipe cards to all of the special women in our familyโ€“my mother, her sisters, close family friends, old neighbors, even the nurse who cared for my father when he was sick. (She also wrote down recipes from family members who are no longer w/ us โ€” my grandmother, the man who cooked on the VA farm where my mom & her sisters grew up) All of the cards are organized in a three-ring binder cookbook w/ plastic insert-pages for the cards. We come from a long line of fiesty southern women who are amazing cooks. Having all of those recipes in one place (in their handwriting) is a communion of sorts for me whenever I look through the pages. Nanโ€™s potato salad (onion, homeade bread & butter pickes, Natureโ€™s Seasoning Salt, Dukeโ€™s), Gammieโ€™s โ€œJames River Waffles,โ€ Momโ€™s ham biscuits, Dorisโ€™s โ€œone-hundred year old cake,โ€ then thereโ€™s the watermelon pickles, southern cavier w/ hominy, sour cherry jam, worldโ€™s best pecan pie . . . I could go on & on . . .& on. If my house caught fire, Iโ€™d grab my baby, my husband, and my cookbook ๐Ÿ™‚

  • Avatar natasha says:

    best gift ever? giving birth to 3 beautiful children. corny,I know, but trueโ€ฆ 2nd best gift ever: homemade presents made by them.

  • Avatar atout says:

    Best gift I ever got was a marriage proposal!

  • Loren says:

    Best gift received was 36 holiday cards from my long-lost birth father. One for every year he looked for me after I was stolen as a baby & sold on the black market.

  • Avatar Francie says:

    Best gift received: college education, free and clear. Best gift given: This year I am surprising my husband with flying lessons. Heโ€™s always wanted to do this but has never been able to. Shhh, itโ€™s a surprise!

  • Avatar Christine says:

    Best gift ever? Probably the car my dad gave me before I graduated from college. It saved my life. I could do adult life and didnโ€™t take on debt. Runner up: Le Creuset 7ish quart dutch oven in red.

  • Heather says:

    rolling pin from my grandmother, I still think some of the flour on it is from her!

  • Avatar Kendra says:

    best gift given: handknitted socks by me!
    best gift received: my swiss army watch.

  • Avatar cianne says:

    best gift ever = my cat. find it hard to receive a gift that beats one that love you back ๐Ÿ™‚

  • Avatar AmyPH says:

    The most thoughtful gift I ever received was a little plastic Yoda from my Dad. He has a matching one, and we keep them on our work desks, which are states apart. I think of him whanever i look at it. Regardless of what is happening in life, we are always able to bond over sci-fi.

  • Avatar kristy says:

    The Christmas before my husband and I were married, he presented me with a small-ish wrapped box as we were finishing with gifts. I opened it to reveal a KitchenAid pouring shield, which confused the heck out of me. That is, until he got up and went to the other room, returning with the KitchenAid. Sixteen years later, that mixer has made LOTS of memories in the kitchen!

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