#5 Guitar Pick Punch

Fair warning that I did buy this as a gift this year for some folks so sorry about the spoiler if you're out there reading this. I saw this gift idea in Real Simple this year, it's for this cool hole punch that punches out guitar picks out of pretty much anything. Old gift cards, cardboard, hotel room keys, credit cards, paper, salami, etc. Available locally at Urban Outfitters.

#4 CC Made Caramel Popcorn Spiced Almond

We were out in the Bay Area this week to see Adam's family for Thanksgiving where I bought two bags of my favorite caramel popcorn from CC Made...made right in the Napa Valley. I bought two bags so I'd have enough to share since the warmly spicy sweet flavor makes this popcorn highly addictive. Sure enough, my father-in-law confessed to eating a bunch of it the next day. Fortunately, I planned for it by buying TWO bags. No worries Dad, I got you covered. If you gift this one, be sure to buy some for yourself

#3 Bag O' Dumplings

Every so often, I like to throw in a kooky gift idea just to see if it sticks or [pot]stickers in this case. If someone showed up at my party with a bag of frozen dumplings as a hostess gift...I'd be delighted because I could always use a quick solution for dinner. If you brought me good quality frozen dumplings like ones from QingDao Garden, that would be even sweeter. Everyone brings wine, candles and candy. Differentiate your gift with something more substantial that's truly a gift to the host. Put it in a gift bag or slap a bow on it.

On that note, I'm off to find some lunch because I must be hungry.

#2 Salt Pig

Oink oink! We have a nice Emile Henry salt pig in an Apricot color that I really like. We keep it by the stove filled with kosher salt. There's a nice wide angled opening so you can reach in and grab some salt while you're cooking. It's wide enough for big hands too. The inside of the salt pig isn't glazed so it absorbs some moisture and prevents the salt form clumping. Overall, a great design and a unexpected gift for someone who loves to cook or at least loves salt. They're a little pricey for something that holds salt, but you can buy "seconds" online at Emily Henry.

2013 Gift Ideas - let's get started

McCrea's Caramels

I hear the shop local thingamajig is the next thing or maybe it's the just past thing or current thing. I also like to think buying local artisanal foods make them nutritionally virtuous. Adam and I stopped by the Williams Sonoma at Copley yesterday where they had Mr. McCrea himself from McCrea Candies passing out delicious samples of their caramels handmade in Boston. Mr. McCrea was generous with his samples so we tried the Black Lava Salted Caramels, the Highland Single Malt Scotch Caramel and I just tried the Fusion Ginger. The Black Lava Salted Caramels are insanely good and I made one last 30 minutes by taking tiny bites. Big salt granules embedded in a creamy soft caramel. Excellent product and a great gift for the holidays. It's easy to pack for travel since it's not fragile or "liquid" and a little goes a long way. Locally available at Pemberton Farms or check out their online store. That's why I'm kicking off 2013's list with McCrea's Caramels