so much is overwhelming, gift guides don't have to be...
a.k.a. eight great gifts
I find gift guides so overwhelming. Too many things! Never the right thing! I don’t know why I think mine will be different (….ego?), but below you’ll find eight great gifts. Not too long of a list. A range of prices. Nothing outrageous. FWIW, none of this is sponsored— no affiliate links or anything like that. Just things I really love to give. I hope this is helpful for you this holiday season.
A TIN OF GREAT POPCORN ($50): I LOVE BjornQorn popcorn (fun fact: I live near the BQ HQ and even got to visit to see how they make they’re wonderful popcorn— see here!). Every year for the holidays, the gift I buy myself is one of their popcorn tins. And this year they did a special collab with Food52. Here it is! Who doesn’t love a tin of popcorn?! It’s the perfect gift.
THE BEST BEANS ($6.25 - $7.50/PACK): I would be DELIGHTED to get a few packs of Rancho Gordo beans as a gift. They’re so delicious, so beautiful, so shelf stable, so versatile, and it’s just a great company. For the wise home cook in your life….
EXCELLENT SPICES FOR A GREAT CAUSE ($33.99): Burlap & Barrel is one of my favorite spice companies and God’s Love We Deliver is one of the organizations nearest + dearest to me (it’s a NYC-based non-profit that cooks and home-delivers free medically tailored meals for people living with severe illness / fun fact— I am on their Culinary Council). For the holiday season, they combined to develop three spice blends (Herbs & Sumac / Smoke & Garlic / Cocoa & Spice) and the cute three pack comes in a great box that’s easy to wrap. Excellent gift! You can shop GLWD’s entire holiday catalogue here— so many wonderful things, including sponsoring meals for clients.
A THREE POUND BUCKET OF MALDON SALT ($24.99): Please someone get this for me. (You can also get a 1.25-pound bucket for $13.99).
A CUSTOM PHONE CASE (price varies depending on device): Grace got me one of these last year with a grid of photos of our pets and it was the sweetest gift ever and I love it and show it off to everyone and just adore having the thing I most desire: all of our pets in my pocket!!! Of course you can make these with any images you want….doesn’t have to be pets!
MY COOKING CLASSES! A.K.A. GIFT AN EXPERIENCE: I know I am biased, but a lot of people gift my cooking classes and I think they’re onto something! <3 I offer gift certificates for a single class ($40), a pack of two ($80), a pack of five ($185), or a pack of ten ($350). No expiration date! Note that gift certificates go directly to the recipient (you fill in their contact info at checkout). You can also purchase gift cards for whatever amount you’d like right here and these can be sent to you so that you can share with the recipient whenever you’d like. You don’t have to pick a specific class(es) to give— your recipient can choose whatever they want. This is a really fun thing to gift a friend or family member who lives far away and then you can do a class together. I know a lot of people who do this and then they eat together afterwards on FaceTime or Zoom and it allows you to do something together even when you’re apart which is just really lovely!!! All info about my classes including FAQs is right here.
CSA MEMBERSHIP: For the home cook in your life who loves vegetables, variety + supporting local farms, get them a CSA membership to a nearby farm. There are also maple syrup CSAs, flower CSAs, meat CSAs + more. To learn more about CSAs + to find ones near you (or your gift recipient), head here.
Who wouldn’t want to get this?! A GREAT BOOK (price varies): A great book is always a great gift. Never goes out of style! Easy to wrap! When purchasing books as gifts, please please pleaseeeee get them from your local indie bookstore if you have one (check out IndieBound to help you figure out where your nearest is). Local bookstores are not just small businesses, they’re also community centers. They’re so important. Please support them! Three of my favorite books that I read this year are:
Essential Labor: Mothering as Social Change by Angela Garbes (you don’t have to be a parent to get something very meaningful out of this book!)
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus (I LOVED it!!!)
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow: A Novel by Gabrielle Zevin (ALSO LOVED IT!!!)
If you’d like to gift a signed and/or personalized copy of any of my cookbooks, just order from Oblong Books (my local indie!!!) and they’ll make it happen— they ship anywhere!
Before I go! A quick reminder about my special Thanksgiving prep class happening this Sunday (November 20 at 2p EST).
OFFICIAL DESCRIPTION:
***PROCEEDS FROM THIS CLASS WILL GO TO THE NATIONAL INDIGENOUS WOMEN’S RESOURCE CENTER + THE NATIVE AMERICAN DISABILITY LAW CENTER***
Want to go into Thanksgiving relaxed and prepared? Join me on the Sunday before Thanksgiving to prepare a few things for the big meal, plus get my entire Thanksgiving menu + accompanying recipes. This special class also includes a make-ahead timetable and, as always, a complete grocery list. It also includes suggestions for what to delegate (including dessert!).
During class we’ll discuss the plan + I’ll be available to answer any questions. Every recipe except the turkey can be easily adapted to be vegan + recipes will include notes for those substitutions. All recipes will serve eight people generously but can easily be multiplied (or cut in half!).
Complete menu + recipes included with class:
Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
Simple Roast Turkey
Grace’s Mashed Potatoes
Sheet Pan Stuffing
Green Beans
Kale Salad with Mustard Dressing
Apple Cider + Sage Gravy
Roasted Cranberry Sauce
During the live class, we will prepare:
Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
Apple Cider + Sage Gravy Base
Roasted Cranberry Sauce
Mustard Salad Dressing
Sautéed Vegetables for Stuffing
Take care everyone and wishing you all a calm + easy holiday season. xo, Julia
I just gave SIMPLY JULIA to a friend and she loves it. As I do!