First, a strainer/sifter. Lots of people probably use this to sift flour or powdered sugar, but I use this almost everyday as a pasta strainer. It doesn't break up the pasta and works great for single servings. I make sure to wash mine out right away, and it hasn't gotten gunked up with pasta starch. I believe I got mine at a kitchen outlet store for about $12.99, but I found a set of three on BedBathandBeyond.com for only $9.99!
I really like this size because it easily strains a single serving of pasta without taking up a lot of room in the cupboard.
While we're talking about strainers, my parents got me this adorable little colander from Sur La Table for my birthday. It is the perfect size to clean off berries and other fresh produce. It isn't great for anything cooked as it doesn't really have handles to keep your hands away from the heat, but for cool items it is perfect!
Another great thing about it, it collapses flat! Anyone with kitchen space issues knows how awesome this feature can be, and lots of collapsible kitchen tools are available these days.
Next up, bamboo spoons! I love cooking with bamboo tools; they wear really well, clean up easily, and rarely (if ever) splinter. Like other wooden spoons, they are safe on nonstick surfaces, but they seem a little more refined and durable than your typical wooden tools. I have a set of specialty, squared off bamboo tools from Pampered Chef that I just love. But this spoon was a gift from my parents from Sur La Table. All of them are reasonably priced and will last you a long time!
This next gift actually came in my stocking a couple years ago, and I have loved it ever since. It is a Kuhn Rikon paring knife, and while it is small and simple it certainly does the job well. My mom got mine (and hers) at Williams Sonoma, but I am pretty sure I have seen them at other stores lately. They are about $9.99 a piece and come with the sheath; a great asset for any small knife, particularly if you plan on taking it with you to a party or picnic.
Williams Sonoma's website has a set of three right now for $29.85, but for some reason they aren't selling them individually. That said, they also are selling a serrated version for $12.00, which seems like it would be great for cutting up tomatoes and the like.
Every good knife deserves a good knife sharpener. Our knife set came with a sharpening rod, but I find those difficult to use. My late Uncle Craig gave me this a couple years ago and I have been in love with it ever since. The Redi Edge Sharpener is, in my opinion, the only sharpener you'll ever need. It is technically marketed towards hunters and fishermen, but it works just as well in the kitchen.
Basically fool-proof, you just draw your knife through the sharpener blades a few times and your knife is as good as new. Apparently you can use the rounded edges to sharpen serrated knives, but I haven't figured out how to do this yet. At $20.00, this handy little tool is a steal compared to the hundreds of dollars you can easily spend on fancy electric sharpeners, and it's so easy to use! This would make a great stocking stuffer for the chef or outdoorsman/woman in your life!
Ah, the Chop and Scoop cutting board! Where have you been all my life?! I got this green beauty for my birthday and have been enjoying it immensely ever since. Chop up your onions, peppers, etc. then just slide them on into your pot. It cuts down on spills and smelly hands, and helps get food into the pot or skillet without things falling into the burners. It comes in a variety of sizes, but the link above is to the $10.00 version I have.
I might have to get another one at some point that can handle larger quantities of food (or that can be devoted to meats), but for now this one is working out just fine!
I know I have written about this little cookbook a number of times, but I just love it! My sister surprised me with it last Christmas, and this year we have so enjoyed trying out all the different casseroles in it! One of my new favorite foods, sloppy joe pie, comes from this very book! 101 Things To Do With A Casserole is a great little gift for the casserole-lover in your life!
And now that you've made all the food and probably eaten most of it, you need a place to store the leftovers, right? My parents got me a nice set of Rubbermaid Premier containers for my birthday, and I'm not sure I ever want to use anything else. Not only do they do a good job holding leftovers, but they don't pit or stain and have lids that connect to each other and the bottoms of the containers for easy storage. Seriously, my container cupboard looks like this all the time now; I just lifted everything out for this picture!
My set was from Costco and has something like 25 pieces, but Bed Bath and Beyond has a nice 12 piece set that can totally get you started.
If you are serious about keeping things fresh at your house, these last gift ideas are going to be right up your alley. OXO has come out with their Good Grips Pop Storage line of food storage containers, and I must say they are truly amazing. My mom opened those marshmallows, pictured below, a few weeks ago and they are still fresh! Like right-out-of-the-bag fresh.
At anywhere from $7.99 to $18.99 a pop, they aren't cheap to be sure, but they are amazing at keeping things fresh - possibly saving you money in the long run. Give them a try; I doubt you'll be disappointed!
I hope this helps you with ideas for Christmas gifts or ways to make your own life run a little more smoothly!
Happy shopping!
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