Amazing Foodie Gift Ideas With a Difference

Thinking up the perfect gift for any foodies you know can sometimes be tricky. It’s best to make sure you have as much information as you can. So, check these ideas out, and use them to help you make the perfect choice of gift for the foodie in your life.

Spices

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One of the perfect gifts to get anyone who's a food nut is spices. That's because these last a long time, and they can go great with any kind of food or meal. So, you need to think about the perfect spices to get as a gift for someone. I would suggest taking a look at RawSpiceBar and the gift boxes they offer. You can find plenty of weird and wonderful spices here. These would make the perfect gift items for any foodies that you know.
 
Hampton Creek

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As well as using spices as a gift, you might also want to consider Hampton Creek products. They specialize in making eggless mayonnaise, and, recently, cookie dough as well. Hampton Creek represents the future of the way in which food products may develop. Though seen, and marketed as vegan mayo, it is also something that is enjoyed by those who want to be more healthy. So, if the foodie in your life fancies a health kick as well, then this would be perfect for them.

Hamper

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You might also decide that you’d like to go with a hamper. These are generally a great idea when you’re buying for a foodie. You can get lots of different hampers to choose from, and you may even be able to make your own as well. That's why it’s important to ensure you have a look at the types of things on offer before you start. A hamper is the perfect way of including a little bit of everything in the gift. That way you will be able to appeal to a much wider collective of foodies. Try to customize your hamper to suit the interests of the person you’re buying for.

Gin Kit

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Okay, so it’s not exactly a food, but who doesn't like a gin and tonic?! And, these days it has become very popular for people to make their own gin using kits. That's why this would be an ideal gift for someone who is a food and booze fan. You can choose from a lot of different options when it comes to gin kits. And, a quick search online will reveal many different kinds of kits to choose from. A gin kit is an excellent gift for anyone and will show a bit of thought and effort on your part. It’s also something a little different from what someone would normally receive.

You have to bear in mind that buying gifts for the foodies in your life can be a challenge. These are generally people who know a lot more about food than you do. So, it can be tricky to find the right kind of gift for them. That's why you sometimes need to think outside the box. Use the suggestions on here to come up with a few ideas to get you started.

Not All Kids Eat Like Kids

I haven't posted about anything personal in so long, so I thought I'd post about my favorite 70-year-old son. Yes, I said seventy. William has such an old soul so I always say he is a 70-year-old man in a 7-year-old body. I wanted to share some things about William's eating habits. He is a very good eater. He exclusively likes foodie-food, meaning NO snacks. When I say no snacks, this means no cookies, chips, fruit, crackers, ice-cream or any candy.. at all. 

Any time we attend parties or functions where there will be food, I panic. You see, William likes home-cooked food-- rice, beans, chicken, veggies and pasta. If you gave him rice with any type of meat, veggie or beans for every meal, he would be so happy. When we are at a party where there will be pizza, cake and ice-cream this means he will not be eating. He may have a couple bites of pizza, but that's it. For his birthday we don't bother with cake because he simply doesn't like it. He recently started to enjoy Krispy Kreme doughnuts and Cinnabon cinnamon rolls. That is the extent of his tolerance for any sweets. When he gets Halloween candy, he gives it to his big sisters. He won't have anything to do with it. The kid doesn't even eat chicken nuggets, tacos or any normal kid food. I think the only exception is mac & cheese. He started taking a lot of interest in what goes into his food and likes to help in the kitchen. He loves to help season food and calls himself a "Tony Chachere's man". His thing is as long as food has flavor, he will eat it. He informed me that maybe when he is 13, he will like snacks and sweets.

People are often stunned to find out that he only eats real food and tell me how lucky we are to have a healthy eater. They are right about that, but it sure would be nice if he could eat regular stuff on occasion to make life easier. Some may call him a picky eater, but the truth is, he's a particular eater. He knows exactly what he likes and doesn't like. I guess for now he will continue to be a foodie as he calls himself. Life with a 70 year old kid, gotta love it!

Do your kids have any odd eating habits?

Kitchen Confessions: My Biggest Fear

I am a kitchen adventurer. I am almost always willing to try exotic ingredients and semi-outrageous cooking methods. I have torched things, gutted fish while they were still alive and too many things to list. I just have this one phobia-- The Pressure Cooker. I have owned one for about 15 years now and grew up using one probably a few times a week. I used it here and there the first few years I had it with no fear. It didn't even phase  I was making the most tough meats melt-in-your-mouth tender. I was also making dishes that would normally take hours in 1/4 of the time. It was that one time that I was using it to make dhal (an Indian soup-like dish made with split peas) and I had the burner on too high of heat and the shaker top popped off. All I remember was a volcanic eruption of turmeric colored split peas spewing out the top and I had to act quickly. I threw a wet towel over the top and grabbed pot holders to remove the pressure cooker off the burner element. Holy cow, it was an absolute mess! I can't believe by some miracle, I was able to clean it all up from the ceiling and walls. I was panicked since we were living in an apartment at the time. That was many years ago! I washed my pot up and packed it away. I didn't want to go through that drama again.

Fast forward to this past weekend... I had been talking to my sister for a few weeks now about how I cook dhal for almost 2 hours because I am deathly afraid of the pressure cooker. She would make fun of me for being such a wimp and told me it would be fine. I finally got enough courage to try it out one more time. I won't lie, I felt the fear move through my entire body. I washed each component and could feel my heart racing. I had to take deep breaths and calm myself down. It's just cookware after all. I proceeded to get my ingredients in the pot and it all came down to that moment-- putting the lid on the pot and placing the weight topper on it. I think my blood pressure spiked at this time. I actually prayed as I waited to hear the sound when you know the actual pressure is locked inside the pot. Slowly, the topper started to move and make a hissing sound. Once this started I did not take my eyes off of it. I had my oven mitts set beside me and a wet kitchen towel, just in case.

It started going a little faster. This is where I turned the heat down a bit. I wasn't taking any chances! Fifteen anxiety-riddled minutes later, I had completely cooked dhal! I even got all of my estimated measurements right. I was able to breathe and know that I don't have to be (as) afraid of the pressure cooker any more :)

Do you own a pressure cooker? Have you ever had any bad experiences with it before?

My latest Pinterest success | Two-toned frosted cupcakes

Yesterday evening, we had a graduation party for our oldest daughter. I gave her the option of ordering a cake but she wanted my homemade cupcakes. She requested hot pink and white "zebra stripes" for the frosting to match with her hot pink, black and white theme. I already ruled out the fact that I can make the icing turn out to look anything like zebra stripes, but I knew somehow I could pull off dual colored swirls. I remember seeing an idea on Pinterest about a year ago so I figured I would give it a shot.

I started off with baking the cupcakes (I did a boxed white cake to make life easier) and then mixed up my homemade cream cheese frosting. I scooped out half of the frosting in a separate bowl and tinted it with pink food coloring until I got the right shade I was looking for.

Next, I added the plain frosting in a piping bag and the hot pink in another piping bag. I then snipped the tips off both piping bags and put both bags carefully into one more empty piping bag that had a large star tip in it. I gently squeezed some frosting out until I saw both colors come out. 

I was so pleased with the results and it was worth using 3 piping bags to make it happen. I found some cute graduation themed cupcake liners and picks made by Wilton and here is the final product. 

My daughter and her guests all loved how cute the cupcakes came out!  

My latest food obsession, Yum Yum sauce

It is not unusual for me to get on these crazy food kicks where I find something I like and end up eating it like it's going to no longer be available. My husband would love to tell those stories! My recent foodie find is Yum Yum sauce. I have had it several times at my favorite Asian eatery and I can't get enough of it. I found it in Kroger by accident the other day and although it was a bit pricey ($4.29) I just had to have it. It came in regular and spicy. I wanted spicy, but figured I would see if the rest of the family would like it too.

You can put it on all kinds of food--- steak, chicken, seafood, veggies, salads and pretty much anything you like. I tried some out in a wrap today and it was pure perfection!

For those of you wondering what it tastes like, it is almost like a kicked up mayo with a saucy, dressingy type of consistency and a tangy sweet taste. I will be getting the spicy next time. Even the husband called me up from work and told me that the Yum Yum sauce "set off" his wrap I sent him for lunch.

Have you tried Yum Yum sauce before?

Sriracha | A must-have in my kitchen

I have talked about my must-have staples in my spice cabinet before, but I left out something very important... sriracha. Sriracha is a sweet, tangy paste made with sun-ripened chili peppers, garlic, vinegar, sugar and salt. I love it SO much. I use it on and in just about everything savory. There is something so perfect about the balance of heat, garlic and chili that makes it irresistible. I think from getting more "mature", I can't seem to handle very spicy, hot condiments like I used to.

It's amazing how a few squirts of sriracha can transform a dish. My husband isn't quite sold and still prefers the traditional West Indian pepper sauce. I need to find sriracha in mini-bottles so I can stash one in my purse! I am serious :-)

Are you a sriracha fan?