In the Spirit of Giving: Fun Foodie Picks

'Tis the season. Yesterday I had a moment of clarity about the Spirit of Giving.

My 10-year-old was wandering around CostPlus World Market, looking for the last of his Secret Santa gifts. His buddy has been in a few of my Friday afternoon elective classes and, apparently, they talk about food and cooking a lot. So, D had some ideas of what he wanted to get, including measuring spoons, spices, and a spatula. He had a budget of $7 because he had already spent $3 on other days' gifts.

Let me set the stage: It was raining. I had just finished a class at the library and was tired. I just wanted to get home to work on other things. I was tempted to rush him into a selection.

But as I listened to him, questioning which one his buddy would like more, searching to see if there was something better, and staying within his budget I realized: he was focusing on what someone else would really want and need. His gift would be thoughtful. And THAT is the spirit of giving.

So, I we stayed in that store for almost an hour. Dinner was late, but it was worth it.

That experience made me think about compiling a list of some fun foodie picks for under the tree or just in stockings.*

Some of these I have. Some I just covet.

Some I bought for myself. Some were gifts.

Enjoy. What's on your wish list??

*This blog currently has a partnership with Amazon.com in their affiliate program, which gives me a small percentage of sales if you buy a product through a link on my blog. If you are uncomfortable with this, feel free to go directly to Amazon.com and search for the book or item of your choice.

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