With a week until Christmas and Hanukkah, here are my 2019 Gift Guide and Ideas. I tried to keep it simple, economical, and include something for everyone on your list – and, I’ve included a few experiences. The guide is not in any particular order or for any particular age, rather it’s meant to inspire you through a bunch of suggested categories for you to consider! Don’t forget to check out my post from last year where I talked about my best holiday shopping tips, here.
This fall I attended an event at the Miele Experience Centre in Vaughan, Ontario, where the Miele chefs gave us many kitchen tips and taught us how to make delicious, classic dishes, like tomato bruschetta.
The event was part of the Kitchen Stuff Plus and Henckels & Staub combined product knowledge day on the functions of the various knife offerings. Making bruschetta using the sharpest and most appropriate knives for the job was an absolute delight.
It seems strange to post a recipe that calls for fresh tomatoes in the middle of the winter, but I think this is the time of year we start to crave a variety of fresh vegetables! Continue reading →
7 Stocking Stuffer Ideas For The Foodie In Your Life
Foodie Stocking Stuffer Ideas
(This post is sponsored by Kitchen Stuff Plus. You can read the original post that first appeared on November 21, 2018, directly on their website, here; all opinions are my own.)
As a food and lifestyle blogger, I love receiving gifts that are themed around entertaining and spending time in my kitchen. And, I think people who like to be around food always appreciate getting something new to use. Here are 7 practical stocking stuffer ideas, for the foodie, cook, baker, and general kitchen enthusiast in your life!
Foodie Oven Mitts
Foodie Oven Mitts (Cotton With Printed Silicone)
When I was looking through the many household items at Kitchen Stuff Plus, I was delighted by these cotton-silicone mitts with the word ‘foodie’ repeated all over them! How fun are they? They’re 100% cotton with 100% silicone printing, which provides additional grip. I think they’re perfect for someone who creates and entertains in the kitchen. Continue reading →
5 Tips For Hosting a Casual Hanukkah Party Plus A Latke Recipe
Hanukkah Party Table
(This post is sponsored by Kitchen Stuff Plus. You can read the original post that first appeared on November 21, 2018, directly on their website, here; all opinions are my own.)
As we approach the darkest days of the year, celebrating Hanukkah is one of the most anticipated events in the Jewish calendar.
Hanukkah is an 8-day holiday observed in November or December, depending on the Hebrew lunar calendar. This year it begins on the evening of December 2nd.
Often referred to as the ‘festival of lights’, Hanukkah refers to the rededication of the Holy Temple after the Maccabees defeated their Greek-Syrian oppressors. When the Jews went to light the menorah, or candelabra, oil that should’ve lasted for one day burned for eight.
Hanukkah is celebrated in as many ways as there are family traditions, but almost all Hanukkah party celebrations include lighting the menorah, playing dreidel, singing songs, opening gifts; and, eating latkes, gelt, and sufganiyot.
I only started making latkes when my kids came home from school one day raving about the latkes a mom had made in their classroom. Since then, my family looks forward to the one or two days when I go all out making latkes: they like to invite friends over to enjoy the party!
Here are 5 tips for hosting a casual Hanukkah party:
Tip 1: Use any variation of blue, white, grey, silver, and gold linens and platters that you have.
Get Your Kitchen Christmas-Ready With These 7 Festive Pieces!
Christmas Pieces For Your Kitchen Island
(This post is sponsored by Kitchen Stuff Plus. You can read the original post that first appeared on November 21, 2018, directly on their website, here; all opinions are my own)
It’s time to get ready for Christmas and the best place to start is in the kitchen, the central meeting place of our home!
My kids and husband love all of the décor and enjoy every piece I put out. How fun is it to eat off of Christmas plates and to be surrounded by the colours and scenes of the season for a few weeks a year?
I recently picked up these 7 festive plates and tableware items at Kitchen Stuff Plus and they instantly put my family and kitchen into the holiday spirit.
1) Placemats and a Table Runner
After using mainly plain red placemats, I changed things up this year by going with printed placemats. I chose the Festive Tree pattern because I liked the different coloured trees on the beige background and because they go with the mini-tree decorations I have around the house.
Last week I had an amazing day with the Henckels & Staub product knowledge team, at the beautiful Miele Experience Center in Vaughan.
At the Henckels’ Knives Event at the Miele Experience Centre, Vaughan, Ontario
Along with the Kitchen Stuff Plus team, we saw close-up product demonstrations by 5 chefs and a sales manager — all while preparing our own delicious lunch!
My favorite part was learning some food prep secrets from the chefs while trying out the different knives and cookware. I was on the team that made Tomato Bruschetta and Grilled Ratatouille Crostini and I very quickly realized that having the right knife, sharpened, could easily save me about 20 minutes a meal!
Tomato Bruschetta
Here are some of the insider tips and tricks that I learned:
Pro Tip #1 The three most useful knives in any kitchen are a paring knife, a chef’s knife (can be a 6, 10, or 12 inch blade), and a bread knife.Continue reading →
(This post first appeared on the Kitchen Stuff Plus website, on August 7, 2018. You can read that post here and follow the hyperlinks there to learn more about the highlighted products.)
After meal planning and making lunches for many years, my family and I have decided to shake things up for our upcoming back to school and work routines: we’re eating more fruits and vegetables and trying out different food combinations and ingredients.
Recently, I sat down with my high school daughter, who prepares and takes lunch every day, and my husband, who brings lunch to work a few times a month, to discuss new and fun ideas.
My daughter tested these lunches when she was at her summer day camp job and my husband enjoyed the leftovers from the photo shoot – yup, all the meals got a thumbs up!
Getting ready for back to school with Kitchen Stuff Plus
(This post first appeared on the Kitchen Stuff Plus website, on August 1, 2018. You can read that post here and follow the hyperlinks to learn more about the highlighted products.)
Although it’s going to be very hard to say goodbye to my oldest daughter when she goes off to university in September, it makes me feel better knowing she’ll have what she needs to make her dorm room feel a bit like home.
When we looked at the Kitchen Stuff Plus website, there were many room décor and snack accessories to choose from! We chose items that are reusable and environmentally friendly, conducive to healthy eating, and durable – so she can still use them when she eventually moves off campus.
Clothing & Shoes Storage
Non-slip hangers and underbed storage containers
These velvet-covered hangers ensure clothes stay put without sliding to the bottom of the closet. Because they’re all the same, the closet will look more organized and aesthetically pleasing.
It’s amazing how a set of outdoor tableware can change how one feels about eating outdoors. I recently won a flatlay contest sponsored by Collective Influence, a blogger/influencer association, of which I’m a member, and Kitchen Stuff Plus, one of southwestern Ontario’s leading kitchen and homewares stores. The prize was this beautiful tableware set for eight that my family and friends loved using this past weekend.
Outdoor Tableware from Kitchen Stuff Plus
The tableware is called the Madrid and it’s part of the Blue Sky collection. It’s made out of BPA-free melamine that won’t mark when you use a steak knife on it like we did this weekend! It’s light-weight, dishwasher safe, and the perfect size for a bbq meal or just lounging around at home or in nature. The dinner dishes are the same size as indoor plates but the side dishes and bowls are slightly larger. These larger side dishes and bowls can be used as extra dishes when you have more guests. Continue reading →
