As for holiday gifts, let me warn the gentlemen, you must be careful with your purchases. You never want to gift your best girl appliances or kitchenware, unless of course its Spode Christmas China or Waterford Holiday Crystal. But if you’ve got a girl who’s a whiz in the kitchen, there are a few things she might love, love, love.
Myself, I’m one step above my friend who says she only has a kitchen because it came with the house and quite a few steps below girls who have welding devices to brown the sugar on their crème brulees. I admit to liking my gadgets and even occasionally asking for them from Santa. Need a list of the best? Add these to the Regular Girls Holiday Favorite Things list.
Right up top is the Nurtri Bullet. This thing saved my life during chemo and radiation, macerating food into swallowable drinks my body could handle. For regular girls, it whips up the best smoothies, fruit drinks and anything “mixxy,” one might need.
The Cuisinart Mandolin is a must. You can only slice off the side of your thumb with the grocery store models so many times before you give in and get a good one. Use the Bed, Bath and Beyond twenty percent off coupon that floods your mailbox every week and put it towards this kitchen gem.
My family banned me from infomercials, since I was born with no resistance gene. One thing acquired before the ban is in constant use. It’s the Vidalia Chop Wizard. This thing can dice a tomato like nobody’s business and it makes a giant slam sound when you chop so its sounds like you’re actually doing something.
Pampered Chef stones have saved this girls butt more than once. Cookies come out perfectly; no burnt bottoms or mushy tops. Its magic. They also bake up a great pizza.
Aprons at Anthropologie. Cutest thing ever. If you’re gonna be stuck in the kitchen and not the bar at the Ritz, why not look the good?
Got a Santa Daddy Warbucks tucked in your pocket or your hard work earned you a hefty bonus? Treat yourself to the Kitchen Aid Artisan Stand Mixer. You know it. You’ve seen it in every cooking show and The Barefoot Contessa barely takes a step without dumping the very finest vanilla, store-bought if you must, into hers. I got mine for Christmas one year.
The Norwegian thought it was a trick. “I will not buy you a mixer. You’re going to tell everyone and then I’m that guy who bought his wife an appliance. Can’t fool me.”
It took quite the convincing and a promise that I would never reveal it as a holiday gift and instead weave a story of how my little hand mixer was so hard on my delicate hands that my doll of a husband just brought it home one day with a big bow.
What we won’t do for our guys, huh dolls?
The Duchess Diaries 