Gift Ideas-Cookbooks

One of my favorite gifts to give and receive is a cookbook. I love to try new recipes and find  tips to make my time in the kitchen easier and more productive. Today I am sharing some of my favorites, along with some new releases and a few that can be pre-ordered and received after the holidays.

   First up is Martha Stewart's latest book, which is all about cookies. This makes a great gift for the hostess,teachers,friends or anyone you know who enjoys baking. In true Martha style, the title is Cookie Perfection and you can find it here.. This month, I am giving away a copy of this book along with a year long subscription to Living magazine(10 issues). In order to enter, you simply follow along with my Instagram account ( @parnellspantry) and like each post throughout the month of November. That's it! It really is a beautiful book and it is filled with great cookie recipes.

  

Another new release comes from Ree Drummond, the Pioneer Women. This book chronicles more of her life on the ranch and some new recipes. Her books are always colorful and entertaining and make great gifts for the cook(s) in your life.

    Joanna Gaines will be releasing her second cookbook in April. Her first was a huge success, and if you enjoy all things Magnolia, or have someone on your list who does, then this is a no brainer. The recipient will, however, have to wait until the spring to receive it. It is available for pre-order here.

I love anything that has to do with sweets, especially pastry. This book is ideal for anyone on your gift list that has a love affair with sweets and likes to experiment in the kitchen.

This beautiful book, from the daughter of famous bread maker Lionel  Poilane, is for the serious baker. The bread from this quaint french shop is known world wide, and now it can be shared in your own home. This is a gorgeous book and makes a spectacular gift. Want to make it even better? They ship their bread from France to you! It isn't inexpensive, but if you know someone who loves fancy bread and may never get to France, this could be the gift of the season! Check out their website for ordering information.https://www.poilane.com/en/

Looking for the ultimate in comfort food? This book shares recipes from the heartland such as pies and brownies,and that's all I need to know!

If you are looking for tried and true recipes for a new or seasoned baker, Ina Garten is your girl. Any of her books make a wonderful gift. Not only are they beautiful, I can honestly say I've yet to try a recipe that didn't taste great. Definitely an easy and popular gift idea. It is hard to choose just one, but I do love this one.

If your list includes people who love southern cooking and seafood , this release may be for you. Flavorful recipes with fresh ingredients and lots of seafood . One of the best releases this year.

I hope this makes your gift giving a bit easier. Enjoy your weekend.

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Holiday Headstart #4- Baking Essentials

Holidays and food go hand in hand. Today I'm sharing some holiday baking essentials that you can shop for now and have on hand when you are ready to make cookies, cakes or any other special treats.
Believe it or not, baking is easy if you have the right tools.

Parchment paper is key. Not only does it keep your cookies from sticking to your pans, it makes for an easy clean up when you are finished. I am never without this.

All purpose baking sheets are  wonderful tools in the kitchen. They can be used for everything from baking cookies, to making Buche de Noel, to roasting vegetables. I keep a bunch handy and use parchment to keep them clean and in good shape.

Another useful tool for the holidays is a bundt pan. It doesn't matter the size or design, it is just an easy way to make an elegant dessert. Bake, sprinkle with powdered sugar and you are all set! Here is a great recipe to use with your bundt pan!

 Cooling racks are a necessary tool. Many people make cookies and then put all of the warm cookies on top of each other on a plate. You know what happens when you do that? You wind up with soggy, misshapen  cookies that are stuck together. Always cool your cookies on a rack before storing them. These are thin so they store easily and are inexpensive. Trust me, you want to store your cookies AFTER they've cooled down.

 This is a biggie, and you don't have to have one, but if you are in the market for an all purpose mixer, this is the one I recommend. I have the 7 quart because I bake in large quantities, but the smaller versions are great. These mixers can be used to make bread dough, batters, mashed potatoes, you name it, and now they also make a variety of attachments and pretty bowls to go with them. Love mine and truly couldn't function in the kitchen without it.

  This one will mix your batters up just as well at a much lower price point.

If you want something smaller because you don't bake often, their hand held mixer may be a better option for you. I prefer the stand mixer because I can walk away and do something else while it does the work for me, but it is an investment.

 Spatulas are great to have handy whenever you are baking and cooking. They get all the excess batter so waste is minimal. I love these for the holiday season.

A pastry brush is  great for recipes that call for an egg wash on top, like pies,tarts, cookies or even for basting a turkey.. You can find them in almost any home store. I prefer the silicone because the ones with bristles tend to leave those bristles behind on your food and no one enjoys that.

   When I bake for the holidays, I make a lot of cookie dough and either store the dough in the freezer or roll it into balls and store it that way. Either way, I need something to keep the dough fresh. These containers do the trick. They also sell them in a variety of different shapes and colors on QVC.If you don't have a lot of room in your freezer, zip lock freezer bags work too!

 

Naturally, cookie cutters are a must during the holidays! You can find so many shapes and designs in just about every store from now until Christmas. Here is a fun set to begin with.

   

If you plan to decorate your cookies, tipless pastry bags are the way to go. They are disposable, they do not require tips and couplers like most pastry bags do, and the icing does not leak out of the bottom which makes decorating a much neater affair. I use these .

 

I hope these tips help you with your holiday baking plans. I'll be sharing another post this week about pantry essentials that I keep on hand for holiday baking so you can begin to stock up on ingredients as well!

*** Here is the link for the french rolling pin pictured at the beginning of the post. I love mine, it is easy to use and beautifully made. 

Have a sweet day.

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Holiday Head Start #3- Advent Calendars

Halloween will be here in a week. Typically, the week after, everyone changes from pumpkin spice mode into holiday mode. This is why I began this series early...so you can get a head start on some popular items that are likely to sell out before you can say "Thanksgiving." Today I am sharing some fun advent calendars with you. We have a tradition in my house that has caused me to wake on a few nights in a panic because I forgot to leave out a little something special. From December 1st up until the 24th, I leave a special little treat next to the boys' calendars. Many advent calendars have a tiny space for a small piece of candy, but I always wanted to leave a little book, or something else,which would not fit inside. That's when I decided to just leave the gifts in front of their calendars for them  to find each morning. We've been doing this for years and the kids always enjoyed it.This is the way we've always done it but that doesn't mean you have to do the same.  Whether you like to add little gifts or enjoy a little taste of something sweet hidden behind the doors, there is a calendar to fit in with every tradition.

   I'm starting with the big one this year. This calendar was released by Disney in early August and sold out immediately. I've been looking all over for it and found the spot where you can pre-order it for November delivery. If this interests you  and your little ones, order it right away! It is hard to say how many they have to go around and if it will be widely available. What I like about this one is that it has a little book for each day of the countdown,with all your favorite characters, so it is not only fun, it encourages reading as well. I am ordering a few for the little guys in our family.
  

These are great for the train fans in your family. Each day a new mini train is waiting to be unveiled behind a door. A few new holiday designs round out the lineup of familiar characters that have been loved for years. We've had a few of these in our house and they are always a hit!

You can always count on Melissa & Doug for fun,education toys for children, so naturally, they have an advent calendar for the 3-7 age group. This tree comes with an inspirational poem on the back as well as 25 magnets for the kids to attach to their tree each day.
  

If I had a dollar for all of the Little People characters and toys we've had over the years, well, let's say it would really add up! I'm a huge fan of this line from Fisher-Price and their advent calendar is perfect for the younger set. It is filled with fun characters including Santa himself, Mrs. Claus and a reindeer! Toddlers will play with these characters long after the holidays end.
 

If you know me ,you know I'm an avid reader and a big fan of children's literature,so when I found this one, I fell in love. No big bells and whistles ,but instead gorgeous illustrations hide behind each door. If your child loves Eric Carle books(and really, who doesn't?) this may be the perfect calendar for you this year.
  

Gingerbread...I love anything that has to do with gingerbread. How cute is this? You assemble (which can be a great family project)  then fill the drawers with little treats. It even has a place to personalize with your child's name. Love it.
 

Naturally,Playmobil always has an assortment of fun calendars. This one has a bunch of forest friends ,but there are many others to choose from.
 

If your child loves to create, Play-Doh has you covered.

If your kids prefer edibles, Hershey is offering three different calendars this year.
Kisses

Minis

Reeses 

If you have little ones, Step 2 offers a fun calendar that can be used for a few years and you decide what goes in all of the numbered drawers.

Of course, I can't forget Legos when posting about advent calendars. You can see more of those calendars here in my post about all things Lego.

 

Hopefully, I've given you a few new options for this year! Have fun counting down the days!

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Amazon Finds

Today's post includes some of my favorite fun Amazon finds for Thanksgiving tables. I've included some ideas for both the adults and the kids. Some little, festive touches that add some fall flare to your tables!

I love this brown plaid table runner from Hester & Cook,and have some fun ideas for using it. These runners come in other colors so there is basically something for every table.

I love Mud Pie products. They are simple enough for impromptu gatherings , yet special enough for holiday celebrations. When I found this, I had to get it.

Naturally,I fell in love with this platter as well.

Throughout the fall, I love to make dinners a little extra special. These fall placemats do just that. They are made of paper and come in the form of a pad. You just tear out as many as you need. I have them for a variety of different occasions.Definitely a favorite of mine.

If that one is too busy for you, here is another simpler pattern.

These are adorable for a children's table.

These banners are a fun way to decorate the kid's room for fall or even to hang from the edges of the kid's Thanksgiving table. So cute!

Activity placemats are a great way to entertain the little ones while the adults are preparing for the big meal. Here are a few of the ones I like. This one has puzzles and coloring..just add the crayons!

The young artists in your family will enjoy these.

Well, those are my  Amazon finds this week. Hopefully they will help you get a head start on your Thanksgiving plans! Have a great weekend!

** Here is the link for the turkey placemat at the top of this page. Turkey placemat
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Holiday Head Start #2-Pajamas

  

One of my favorite seasonal traditions is buying holiday pajamas for my kids.When they were little, we always bought them the same holiday pattern and left them on their beds Christmas Eve. Santa would leave them a note telling them to wear their new pjs that night and they'd get so excited. It was something I truly looked forward to each holiday season. After many years I've learned that it is wise to purchase them early because many families share this same tradition. Today, I am sharing some of the latest holiday pajamas for kids, and encourage you not to wait if this is something you are interested in. I remember a few years when I thought I'd go back and purchase them after Halloween and they were sold out of whatever size I needed.

   The first choice is an obvious one..Hanna Andersson. My boys spent many a Christmas in their famous striped long johns and I loved every minute of it! Here are a few of my favorites from their collection this year.

Trains

Grinch

Christmas Trees

Eight Nights

Gingerbread

 

Hanna Andersson also has an array of styles for the entire family. I've always loved their pajamas because they are well made, last forever and now come in a variety of organic options as well. I have absolutely no affiliation with them except for the fact that I am a big fan of their products. Right now, if you are a first time customer, they are offering 40% off everything and Halloween pajamas are on sale.

   I also am loving this set from The Company Store. They have  many nice offerings this season ,but this is my favorite. It is very "holiday."

This set  is adorable and is on sale(as of Monday evening) for $8 ! Only sizes left are girls' 3T and 4T.

Love these  ,also on sale for $8 in boy's sizes 2T, 4T and 5T.

Having a shark lover in my house naturally makes me want to buy these for some little guys!Also selling for $8 and change in sizes 2T,3T and 4T.

Here is a fun set for the dinosaur lovers in your family. Still available in sizes 2T-10.

For me, it isn't a holiday without Snoopy and the gang! This set comes in many sizes and is so cute!

Amazon also has some holiday offerings. Simple holiday stripes from Burt's Bees. Best part is they are organic! Find them here.

Here is a very basic set from Pajamagram for the entire family,including your pup! I love the colors and the plaid!!

I am loving this precious night gown from Carters. Goes all the way up to size 14 for girls. Reminds me of my childhood, and many a Christmas Eve filled with anticipation!

I know I already share a set of Peanuts pajamas, but what can I say? I love Snoopy. Find this set here.

While shopping at Old Navy this week, I noticed the holiday pajamas are starting to appear. I like this set for the girls, but they really have so many options in the store. Loads of flannel bottoms and coordinating shirts for the older kids who may not be interested in characters or whimsy any longer.

I hope I've given you some fun options and some incentive to shop for those holiday jams early! Right now, they are starting to fill the shelves, but in a few weeks,they'll be dwindling, trust me,I've missed out too many times to count.
   Stop by next week for Holiday Head Start #3 and some more ideas to help you get some holiday tasks finished early! Have a great day!

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