Xmas gift guide (aka presents I’d buy for myself)

Xmas Pressies

Ok so, as mentioned last week, I’m jumping on the ‘gift guide’ bandwagon, I’ve seen it’s a ‘thing’ so I’m joining in, I realise I’m probably way too late given that we have a week to go until Xmas (HOW, HOW has that happened) but here we are.

I’m not sure whether I have the credibility to be suggesting gifts you could buy for friends/family, and really this list is just a series of things I would quite like myself, but it may provide a bit of VERY last minute inspiration for you should you have a friend with similar interests to me. LET’s GO!

Also, if you have any great gift ideas, pop them in the comments below - I for one would love to hear of some suggestions and we can all share with each other! yay!

Kitchenware /equipment/utensils

• A new micro plane - I love my current one - it’s a kitchen staple IMO. However, I’m not sure if they become blunt like a knife would but mine doesn’t seem to be zesting very well these days, so a new one would be very much appreciated - just LOOK at all the beautiful colours on offer!

• A Thermapen - I rate a digital thermometer up there with a microplane and spatula as one of my most useful kitchen utensils. We used this brand in the tent on Bake off and it was fab - obviously I want the pink version with strawberries on it, durhhh!

• A stick blender/immersion blender - I was recommended this one by my baking buddy Sealsi - pricey but apparently it’s a belter!

• Ok, I’m pushing my luck here but I want pretty much every product from the Enamel Cast iron Le Creuset range here. Imagine if you got everything in a different colour? (obv I wouldn’t do this, I would play it safe and get everything in the same neutral colour because I’m a bore, not a dare devil! lol)

• Mugs Mugs Mugs… I’m a mug fan (also a big teaspoon fan but that makes me sound weird). Over the past couple of years, Mum and I seem to have started a little collection of these Wrendale ones. We have the Robin and this rabbit (I KNOW SO CUTE). I obv want them all!

• PME baking tins, a couple of round 6 and 8 inch-ers would be lovely - they’re the greatest IMO… and a small set of piping nozzles which includes some of the most commonly used shapes/sizes, yes please.

Food

• Chocolate -Islands choc, Pump street or Bare bones… they all are winners for QUALITY chocolate!

• Utta Nutta peanut butter - we discussed this the other week, I love my ride or die - Manilife, but would also like a VAT of this stuff for special occasions.

• Sous chef has some great, novel, foodie gifts. For cheese lovers, the Fine Cheese Co. is a no brainer. Obv you have Fortnum and Mason for a top notch hamper. AND… I’m not sure if I may be a bit late suggesting this, but Nova Bakehouse do an incredible looking festive biscuit selection (amongst other things) here - if no longer available, make a note for next year. Also, owner of Nova, Sarah Lemanski, is a baking genius - check out her newsletter, ‘Bake sense’ here.

• Make your OWN!!! Homemade foodie (or non foodie for that matter) gifts top everything for me, they are so full of love, thought, and creativity… I love making gifts, and receiving them is just as special. Biscuits, truffles, roasted caramelised nuts, sweets (and photo collages if you want a non-foodie option) are all excellent ideas!

Drink

• Coffee - quality coffee from one of the many wizard coffee roasters in the UK. I’m annoyed because a friend sent me some wonderful coffee a while back that I LOVED and I now can’t find the packet (yes I keep the packets as a reminder… then lose them)… bit of a rubbish story but source some of the best and you’ll be rewarded. I’d happily lap up any of the ones recommended by the Beeb here, OR my go-to Canna coffee!

• Some posh tea - Tea pigs or Brew tea, dreamy!

• Xmas specific - love a mini bottle of Champagne (I’m a lightweight).

Books

In truth, I could write down so many books that I would love but here are just a few.

• Bakey/foodie Books:

  • Nicola Lamb’s debut book, ‘SIFT’ (out next year, ok so it’s a pre-order gift),

  • Also out next year - Kitty Coles: ‘Make more with less’ (I have followed Kitty for ages and just love her vibe, defo want this debut(?) book of hers),

  • Rav Gill’s latest book: ‘Baking for pleasure’,

  • Phil Khoury’s book ‘A new way to bake’ - Phil is not just an incredibly talented baker but also a lovely guy, his book is perfect for your plant- based, baking pals!

  • I also really love the look of: ‘The joy of Snacks’, by Laura Goodman,

  • Oh and ‘One more Croissant for the road’ from Felicity Cloake - if you haven’t heard of Felicity yet (where have you been? jokes). She is an author and journalist, well known for her Guardian articles ‘How to cook the perfect…’ They are extremely useful if you want to tackle a particular bake/dish and don’t know who to trust for a reliable, robust recipe.

    *there are so many more books that I could put here that I would like, like Natasha Pickowicz and fellow Bake Off-er Giuseppe’s new book (and his original), I still want all of Letitia Clark’s books because they’re STUNNING and I love the simplicity and beauty of her recipes… ahhhh so many BOOKS!

• Non-foodie, I have less ideas, but here are a few I have read and recommend or would like:

  • Lesson’s in Chemistry is one I have read, LOVED it!

  • Matt Haig has written ANOTHER book, ‘The Life Impossible’ out next year- I’m quite certain it’ll be another knockout!

  • I’m a Clarkson’s Farm super-fan, and would love to read Kaleb Cooper’s book ‘The World According To Kaleb’

  • For fiction reads, I’m outsourcing to this Independent article - if I could have every one of the recommendations on this list, I would be very content!

Clothes/shoes

• This Patagonia Jumper - OK OK, I have one already, I’m very lucky. And yes, it was a pricy number, but I swear I have worn it for 75% of the year (we had no summer so I guess this is no surprise). But it has been one of my best purchases, it’s cosy and really good quality and I love it. I would like another now because I guess washing it once a week is not entirely hygienic.

• An apron… or overalls… or both…. I love this one by Lucy and Yak… most aprons drown me so I tended to just slop things down my clothes, RIP Patagonia jumper BUT this one looks cute.

• Pyjamas… no, not Christmas specific ones - sorry not a fan, but I do love a solid winter PJ, preferably the ‘jogger’ or ‘long John’ style ones with the elastic ankle - cosyyyy! I wish I was still a kid because LOOK at these ones from Boden, LOVE.

• A pair of Hoka Cliftons - I love to run when my body will allow, and my favourite pair of trainers to run in are the Cliftons, I ran in them for my marathon back in 2020 and they were the dream, desperately in need of a new pair please santa.

• Sweaty Betty Leggings - I LITERALLY live in 3 pairs of SB leggings (not all at once, on rotation)- I wear the power 7/8ths gym leggings, which I have in maroon, black, and grey - navy would be a lovely addition.

• Blundstones - I saw Georgia Toffolo in these and now want some myself - I also fear for my feet every time I step out of the door with the dog at the moment, I inevitably return from any walk with sodden, frozen, blueish feet which I’m pretty sure isn’t great! This pair are waterproof AND thermal - YES PLEASE!

• Socks - I’m a sock fiend - either trainer liners or ‘long enough to scrunch them down’ socks, look at these cuties from Seasalt Cornwall - DREAMY!

Misc extras

• Elizabeth Scarlett make up bag - pretty sure Instagram reeled me in with their clever algorithmic marketing here but I stumbled across this brand, and fell a bit in love, I’m not your typical ‘girls girl’ with tons of make up and ‘products’, but I could do with something to put my face junk in, and this is a bit of me!

• A Roberts Radio I don’t have a speaker or radio at home and so work mainly in silence or occasionally have the TV on, I don’t love noise but I do quite like listening to the radio… so this would be LOVELY!

• O’keefe’s working hands hand cream - does what it says on the tin and perfect if you spend your life washing your hands in a kitchen.

• A Papier notebook - another pricey little number, but excellent quality and oh so beautiful, right? Chuck a rollerball pen in too because we all love a pen don’t we?

• Giorgio Armani Sì Eau de Parfum - Love this scent and can’t justify buying perfume so it’s on my wish list instead.

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Ok, I’ve decided I could add to this list endlessly - I’ve just thought about all the great newsletter subscriptions I know of too… (also great things to gift to people) - nevertheless, I’m going to stop or I’ll be here until next Christmas - by which point all of this stuff will be ‘so last year’!

*Don’t forget to drop any of your suggestions below and happy (last minute) shopping!

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Just a little aside - I know this probably sounds nauseating but, whilst all of these things are very lovely, what I actually wish for more than anything this Christmas, is happiness and health for me, my family, friends, and you lovely lot. Because really that is all that matters isn’t it? (bread is also nice, just saying…)

Lots of Festive Love,

Steph x x x