This year I wanted to gather a collection of gift ideas that could beautify the kitchen in practical ways. Along with delicious chocolate as a stocking stuffer, coffee delivery to send a loved one or a spice club membership as a creative hostess gift, these are a few items on my holiday wish list.
KLTworks
Pacific Northwest artist and screen printer Kristin Loffer Theiss hand prints her original kitchen hand towels, which add beauty and whimsy to any holiday table. Theiss also prints table runners, scarves, handbags and more. Find her in Amazon.com’s exclusive Handmade shop or purchase via her website.
Propolis Brewing
This unique Port Townsend brewery named for the resin bees collect to place on the doors of their hive for protection specializes in herbal beers with delicate balance and layers of nuance, perfect pairing for a holiday meal full of the season’s herbs and spices. Propolis is available at Whole Foods Market in Lynnwood, Blanc &Rouge Wine in Snohomish or visit them at the Sunday Ballard Farmers Market in Seattle. Blanc &Rouge Wine, 801 1st St. Suite 203, Snohomish.
Daily Bird Pottery
Port Townsend potters Phoebe and Darby Huffman craft quality utilitarian pieces in unglazed red clay. Named for the tiny clay birds Phoebe makes daily, Daily Bird Pottery uses the sale of their birds to support a different local charity each month. Find Daily Bird Pottery at the Sunday Ballard Farmers Market in Seattle or purchase online at their website.
Finex Premium Cast Iron Skillets
Heirloom quality cast iron skillets crafted by hand in Portland, Oregon. Each has a coiled handle for ease in use. With their trademark hexagonal shape, Finex skillets move easily from stove to tabletop. Find Finex at The Wooden Spoon Kitchen Shop in Edmonds. The Wooden Spoon, 104 5th Ave S, Edmonds.
Forte Chocolates
Local chocolatier Karen Neugebauer has created an award-winning line of chocolate bars and confections — my favorite is the balsamic fig truffle. Visit Forte in Mount Vernon and Bellingham or find their chocolate at Faded Elegance in Snohomish. Faded Elegance, 1116 1st St, Snohomish.
Blue Stilly Coffee
If your loved one lives in the Puget Sound area, Marysville coffee roasters Rick and Sue MacDonald will hand deliver beans to their doorstep. With small batch, well-crafted roasts, this is a coffee club that will satisfy even the most picky coffee drinkers. Blue Stilly works with Washington Vocational Services to hand stamp their packaging and makes every effort to get beans to customers within 48 hours of roasting. Find Blue Stilly Coffee at the Port Susan Farmers Market Handmade Holidays (Thursdays through Dec. 17 and Dec. 21 through 24) or order coffee and join their coffee club via their website.
Savory Spice Shop
The perfect gift for classical and adventurous home cooks alike, the Savory Spice Shop Spice Club sends one spice blend, a specialty spice, an occasional bonus spice and partnering recipes every month. Join online or visit Savory Spice Shop in the Alderwood Mall in Lynnwood. Savory Spice Shop, 3000 184th St. SW, No. 992, Lynnwood.
Ergo Chef Michael Symon Cutlery
Chef Michael Symon has partnered with Ergo Chef to create a knife that is comfortable enough for regular use in the home kitchen. We aren’t all up to chef standards with our knife skills, but after a few recipes using one of Symon’s knives, I feel much more capable. Find Ergo Chef knives online.
Erin Pride is a home cook who loves cookbooks and writes about them on her blog, Edible Shelf. For more on the specific recipes Erin tested, visit her website, edibleshelf.com.
Follow Erin on Twitter and Instagram @edibleshelf.
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