‘Tis the season and I have been frantically trying to find the perfect gifts for all my loved ones.  You still have a little less than one week before the first night of Hanukkah and two weeks-ish before Christmas, but the clock is ticking!  I have a few favorite foodie gifts here, but you should also check out my shopping list for all my favorite kitchen tools and must-haves for additional gift ideas for people who cook (or would like to!)  I even have things on there like the portable cart I bring to the farmers market and my favorite stockpot about which I receive so many compliments!

Solstice Canyon Almond Butters

These nut butters from Solstice Canyon are not only delicious but one of the most healthful nut butters on the market right now.  They are made from organic, truly raw, unpastureized almonds- something that is almost impossible to find at your local market.  The other ingredients (coconut, coconut sugar and Himalayan sea salt) in the nut butters are all top notch and very clean, making these nut butters completely guilt-free.  They come in 3 flavors: Original, Aztec chocolate, and Cardamom & Clove.  I am absolutely crazy about all three, but the Aztec chocolate is my favorite — the perfect amount of chocolate, slightly sweet with a hint of heat.  Delicious.  Find this here.

Farmhouse Pottery Maple Syrup and Pitcher or Honey and Pitcher

My best girlfriend gave me one of these sets a couple of years ago and even though I went through the maple syrup quickety-quick, I am still adoring and using the beautiful pitcher that came with it.  Both the syrup and the honey are locally sourced in Vermont and I can tell you the syrup is delicious!  Plus it all comes packaged in this darling little box to make this an easy gift to give.  Find it all at Farmhouse Pottery.

Summerland LA Produce Box

For my Los Angeles friends, what better gift is there for the food lover in your life than fresh, organic produce delivered right to their doorstep?  Summerland LA delivers boxes each week filled with a variety of vegetables and/or fruits that is all sourced from local or in-state certified organic farmers, and is hand delivered to your door within 48 hours of picking.  The quality here is TOP NOTCH.  Plus, Summerland includes recipes each week featuring ingredients that are delivered, which will help ensure that you use up every last piece of produce.  If you don’t live in LA, there are so many great local services like this in many parts of the country.

PUREnola

I professed my love for PUREnola snacks on Instagram a while back and I am still smitten.  It’s not easy to find truly healthful and nutritious snacks, so when I was introduced to PUREnola, I was super excited.  It’s a cluster snack with sprouted organic raw nuts, sprouted organic raw seeds and other natural ingredients to pack a powerful crunch. It is a favorite of those following grain free, gluten free, dairy free, soy free, raw, vegan and paleo diets.  I don’t follow any of those diets, but I find myself using PUREnola like I would granola on yogurt, chia pudding, hot porridge and frozen desserts.  But it also makes a unique and delicious addition to a cheeseboard. The flavors range from salted chocolate to coconut to my favorite, rosemary spice, and many others.  Love this!  PUREnola can be found here.  PUREnola is offering my readers 10% off their purchases with the promo code PAMELA10

Bulletproof Coffee and Hot Chocolate

Move over, Starbucks.  There’s a new drink in town.  Bulletproof Coffee is all the rage.  Imagine taking So, lowest toxin, highest performance coffee there is and then blend unsalted, grass-fed butter into it, along with an extract of coconut oil that improves brain energy. Repeat, butter.  So the idea is you have all the benefits of healthy milk fat with none of the damaging denatured casein proteins found in cream. People say (I haven’t tried it because I don’t drink coffee) it makes for the creamiest, most satisfying cup of coffee you’ve ever had. And it will keep you satisfied with level energy for 6 hours if you need it, without craving simple carbs or sugar, and because one drinks it for breakfast, the body is programmed to burn fat for energy all day long!  I know many people that swear by it!  Buy the coffee here.

And now, perfect for the holidays and for non-coffee drinkers, there’s a limited edition high quality Bulletproof Hot Chocolate.  SO exciting!  Find it here.

Next Friday, I’ll post my favorite homemade edible gifts!

Happy Holidays, friends!  I had to take a little blogging break in order to prepare for (and recover from) my 36-person Thanksgiving last week!  Hope yours was as special and fun as mine was.

I have a few new Friday Favorites to share!  These are some of my go-to items for entertaining and I thought they might be useful right around now.  Have a great weekend!  xoxo

Silicone ice cube trays

Cocktail hour just got a whole lot more interesting with these silicone ice cube trays!  I love using these cubes to spruce up any iced beverage I may be serving to my guests.  They come in all different shapes and sizes and are so fun and easy to use.  I especially like the large size which chills a drink evenly without diluting it.  Plus, food-grade silicone doesn’t leach anything weird into your ice.  If you search silicone ice cube molds, do try to find ones that are BPA-free.  Of course, you can freeze more than just water in them.  Try freezing pesto, baby food or stock.  Props to my husband for adding these to our kitchen!

The three images above are the ones I have, purchased from Amazon and Williams-Sonoma.

MYdrap Reusable/Disposable Napkins

MYdrap reusable/disposable napkins have become my ultimate go-to for easy entertaining.  My mother-in-law gave me my first roll last year and I have been buying them ever since.  They are perfect for occasions when I want an upgrade from paper/disposable napkins, but without the cost, effort, and upkeep of traditional linen napkins.  And 99% of the time, people think they’re using my regular linens.  Plus, these are made of biodegradable, recyclable materials, so I feel better about not throwing away a lot of disposable paper goods.  They can be washed and reused up to 6 times, so you are sure to get your money’s worth!  I always buy the neutral “linen” ones because they resemble my real napkins, but they come in so many colors, fabrics and sizes.  You can order them directly from buymydrap.com or Amazon.

Gold Flatware

I have admired matte gold flatware for a while.  I think it looks unique, stylish, and warm, especially when paired with simple, neutral dishes and a rustic table.  It can add that pop of elegance you need when you don’t want to pull out the fine china.  For Thanksgiving this year, my husband surprised me by bringing home this beautiful set of matte gold flatware from Design Within Reach.  I thought it was the perfect addition to our holiday table and I have already used it again since last week.  There are other pretty styles that I have seen as well, such as these from  Canvas Home, or these from Vera Wang at Bloomingdales.

Cheeseboard

The perfect cheese board is such a staple for entertaining, especially around the holidays when I want to keep things simple, but elegant.  While there are many tricks and tips to creating that perfect cheese plate (and perhaps that should be a post soon,) it all starts with a great board.  I think it’s worth investing in a nice board which you can use for not only cheese, but serving hors d’oeuvres as well.  I personally prefer wood, but there are some beautiful boards in marble or slate, as well.  I have the middle sized oval board pictured on the left.  It’s from Spencer Peterman, but I purchased it at Lost and Found in LA.  The board in the center and right is from Williams-Sonoma.

Toothpicks and Skewers

What is a party without some kind of skewered hors d’oeurve?  Ditch the frilly cocktail picks.  You can give your starters a complete makeover with these cute little skewers and toothpicks.  I think they add inexpensive chicness (is that a word?) and refinement to my hors d’oeuvres which would otherwise look a little amateur.  Norpro toothpicks available here.  Bamboo knots from here.  Bamboo mini forks from here.  When you are ordering skewers and the like, be sure to pay attention to the size since there are many offered.  4-inches is a good basic size to have for hors d’oeuvres, but you may want a smaller size for garnishes for drinks or for holding mini sandwiches together.

It’s party time!  Enjoy!

Happy Halloween!  Remember what I always say about today being the day that sets off our sugar binges for the next few months!  Be mindful.  I have some new favorites I’d like to share with you today.  Enjoy!

oster dura ceramic flip waffle maker

I finally found it — the waffle maker I’ve been searching for!  I didn’t want a waffle maker coated in nasty teflon or non-stick chemicals.  But I had a tough time with a cast iron version for the stovetop.  I was so excited to discover this Oster ceramic waffle iron on amazon with mostly good reviews and at a very affordable price!  Ceramic is nontoxic and doesn’t leach and I checked that this ceramic is lead-free.  There have been complaints about ceramic in general as a coating for pots and pans, that the ceramic doesn’t last long and it starts chipping.  Well, I make waffles about once a month and this machine is less than $30.  Chipping or flaking is a risk I’m willing to take since I can’t find another acceptable waffle iron.  Admittedly, I haven’t had the waffle iron long, so feel free to check in with me in a year to see if I still like it.  But I was DELIGHTED at how well my waffles turned out.  My family likes them crispy, so I did have to leave them in a bit longer than the recommended time.  If you have a better, nontoxic, non-leaching, easy-to-use and easy-to-clean waffle iron, please share!!

seasonal produce:  pumpkin

There is nothing that gets me more in the holiday spirit than roasting my first pumpkin of the season.  Click here for how to do that.  The recommended varieties of edible pumpkins include the smaller ones like Sugar Pie, Cinderella, Baby Pam, Lumina, or Pink Banana Squash.  Even blue pumpkins are edible.  Jack O’Lantern pumpkins are typically not recommended for eating because they don’t taste all that great and they’re grainy.  You also don’t want to cook a pumpkin that you carved and left outside since rodents likely have visited it.  Yikes!

Pumpkin is such a great versatile winter vegetable that can be added to soups, oatmeal, smoothies, and of course, used in all kinds of baked goods.  Lucky for us, not only is pumpkin delicious, but it is super healthful as well.  Pumpkin is loaded beta-carotene, a powerful anti-oxidant which our bodies convert to Vitamin A.  And did you also know that this squash has tons of potassium and vitamin C??  What a great way to keep our immune systems going strong through the cold and flu season!  Although I prefer to roast my pumpkin from scratch, tetra-paks of pumpkin puree are also so great when I am in a pinch.  Check out a couple of my favorite pumpkin recipes from my site and around the web!

Pumpkin Pancakes with Sauteed Apples 

Vegan Pumpkin Oatmeal Spice Cookies

Pumpkin Oatmeal

Roasted Pumpkin Salad via 101 Cookbooks

Ginger Apple Pumpkin Soup via Love and Lemons

Pumpkin Granola via Two Peas and Their Pod

superfood spotlight: hemp seeds

One of my favorite toppings for oatmeal, smoothie bowls, porridges, and even salads are hemp seeds!  Hemp seeds, or hemp hearts as they are sometimes called, are a seed that come from a variety of the cannabis plant (variety being the key word here, people), and are considered to be one of nature’s perfect foods.  Hemp seeds are packed with a type of protein that is a lot more easily digestible to our bodies than animal proteins (such as the proteins found in meat, eggs, and dairy).  Also, they carry all 9 of the essential amino acids needed for optimum health, including the rarely found GLA.  Hemp seeds are also high in Vitamin E, fiber, zinc, iron- the list goes on and on!  Hemp seeds have a pleasant, slightly nutty flavor with a smooth texture that allows them to be blended easily.  Their light flavor is hard to detect when added to cookies, granolas, smoothies, and etc.  So many reasons to add this superfood to your repetoire, asap!  I buy them at Whole Foods or amazon.

diy body scrub:  brown sugar and coconut oil

I love  a beauty product that can be made from natural items that I have in my pantry.  I have been obsessed lately with homemade coconut oil and brown sugar body scrub.  Depending on how much you want to make, you take approximately 2 parts brown sugar (white sugar works fine here, too- finally a good use for it!) and mix with 1 part coconut oil.  I just eyeball it.   It will last in your cabinet for 2+ months, so feel free to make a big batch at one time!  You can also play around with adding essential oils like lavender, or vanilla to create a nice scent.  The scrub will exfoliate your skin beautifully, which is so important to help our body to regenerate new skin cells- this is what gives us glowing, radiant skin!  Coconut oil is also extremely hydrating and moisturizing, which is just another reason why this scrub is a must as the weather turns drier.  I prefer to use it in the shower rather than the bath since it will leave an oily film around the tub which isn’t awesome to clean up.  I was also thinking we could make some scrubs and package them in cute jars for holiday gifts!

herringbone kitchen towels

These herringbone towels have made their way to the top of my stack of dish towels lately, and I can’t get enough of them!  I bought them on amazon a few months ago, and not only are they adorable, but they are extremely useful, durable, and budget-friendly.  The herringbone weave provides a little texture to the towel which gives it added cleaning power and makes it super absorbent.  These towels are very low-lint too, which is nice if you wanted to use these as napkins for an informal dinner party with a rustic theme or for drying glassware.  Also, they aren’t bulky like some of my waffle weave towels, so don’t take up as much space in my ever-shrinking storage areas in my kitchen.  This type of towel is available at many kitchen and home stores, but I happen to love these on Amazon and think they are a great price at 13 towels for $17.99.

Have a great Halloween!

TGIF, friends!  Here’s a few of my favorites this week, running the gamut from food to beauty care to kitchen aids and a fun little basket my husband gave me!

Glasslock Containers

Little by little, piece-by-piece, my kitchen is slowly becoming a 100% plastic-free zone.  Glass is my preferred medium when it comes to storing food:  it doesn’t leach chemicals, cleans easily, doesn’t hold onto odors and is inexpensive. My favorite glass storage products are these Glasslock containers, which I found at The Container Store (check Amazon too!)   I do a lot of advance dinner prep, like chopping my veggies before I go to work, and I am so pleased with the way Glasslock doesn’t allow odors to seep out (like onions.)   These containers also freeze stock, which I make gallons of every week.  This time of year I am stock-ing my freezer (no pun intended), and these containers have made my life much easier.  They freeze perfectly with no cracking unlike some other glass jars and even plastic counterparts, and come in a perfect 6.3-cup portion, which allows you to freeze a quart of stock while still allowing room for expansion.  I personally love the rectangular sizes so that I am utilizing every last square inch of my freezer!  Please, please, please check this post for how to properly freeze liquids in glass without shattering.  Of course, you can also use glass to freeze cooked grains, nuts, beans, fruit and the like.  I love the littlest Glasslocks for salad dressing in lunch boxes.  There are other brands of this type of storage container (such as Store n’ Lock at Bed Bath and Beyond) and Costco has some as well.

Soapwalla Deoderant

We are all aware that antiperspirant is not good for our bodies, right?  Sweating is one of the body’s methods for detoxifying.  If you wear antiperspirant, you are blocking the armpits from sweating and it stays in the body, close to the breasts.  Please chose deodorant only and skip the antiperspirant, especially ones with aluminum.  But, I am the first to admit, it’s hard to find a natural deodorant that works, i.e. prevents odor and stink.  I posted this natural deodorant on Instagram after I put it to the test on my 3-week trip to Europe this summer when I trekked miles a day in the heat.  Everyday I would come back to our room and force my family to smell my armpits because I had no smell.  Really.  I love, love, love this deodorant.  Here’s a bummer though, one of my daughters felt a stinging under her armpits when she used it.  So I can’t say it’s for everyone.

Seasonal food:  Fuyu Persimmons

The only good thing about peach and nectarine season coming to an end is that soon enough I start seeing one of my favorite fall fruits pop up in the markets- persimmons!  Persimmons are high in fiber, B and C vitamins, and anti-inflammatory compounds.

Fuyu persimmons, which are the most common kind and non-astringent, can be eaten raw and crisp while still firm (as opposed to Hachiyas, which must be eaten at the perfect level of softness.)  Have you ever tried a Fuyu?  They are sweet and juicy and have flavors of honey, apple, and peach (in my opinion.)  The skin can be eaten or peeled (I always eat it.)  Enjoy this yummy fall fruit fresh raw out of hand, in salads, baked into breads or sweets, chopped into a salsa, or my new fave which is sliced on a piece of toast with some almond butter!  If you can get your hands on dried persimmons, you are in for a treat.  Super sweet and caramel-y.  De-lish!

Here are a few good-looking recipes from around the web:

Persimmon and Pomegranate Salad with Arugula and Hazelnuts from Sunday Suppers at Lucques Cookbook (one of my favorite salads EVER!)

Spiced Persimmon Salsa by Cooking Light

Amie at The Healthy Apple has a bunch of great persimmon ideas here

Roasted Root Vegetable Salad with Persimmons from Food & Wine

Persimmon and Buffalo Mozzarella Salad from The Kitchn

Superfood Spotlight:  Raw cacao powder and unsweetened raw cacao nibs

Someone in one of my classes asked me recently why I put raw cacao nibs on everything even though they are unsweetened and don’t taste like regular chocolate.  Raw cacao can be an acquired taste for sure.  My girls and I like it a lot, Mr. Picky and my husband are not into it.  I love the crunchy texture and bitter chocolate flavor that this superfood adds to my oatmeals, porridges, puddings, raw desserts (like my Larabars) and smoothie bowls!  You can even use the nibs like you would chocolate chips, in cookies and baked goods.  And when paired with unrefined sweeteners such as maple syrup or dates, cacao is the perfect substitution for sugar-laden chocolate in sweets.

Raw cacao powder and nibs come from the cacao bean, which grows on a tree.  Cacao nibs are the cacao bean broken into little chunks or “nibs”, and raw cacao powder is the cacao bean finely ground.  Because they are raw and have never been heated, none of their beneficial chemical properties has been destroyed (which is the case with cocoa powder and processed chocolate).  This allows the cacao bean to have powerful antioxidant properties that fight off free radicals, decrease cholesterol, and can enhance your mood and libido!  It is also high in magnesium, which is a nutrient that helps decrease stress.  When paired with something sweet, I could definitely be fooled into thinking cacao was chocolate!  I buy raw cacao powder and unsweetened raw cacao nibs at Whole Foods, but you can order them online from vitacost.com and amazon.com.

“Best Before”  Tuti Fruiti Paper Basket

My husband surprised me with a little gift last week!  This super cute eco-friendly basket is one of my favorite new additions to my kitchen countertop accessories.  It is made from 100% recycled paper, and is the perfect size for holding lemons, apples, or other goodies.  He bought it at the Lost and Found shop in Los Angeles, a unique little shop that carries textiles and handcrafted pieces for the home from all over the world.  I’m obsessed with everything there!  They even have a website if you don’t live in LA and you’re looking for some cool holiday gifts. 🙂

Have a great weekend!  Until next time! xoxo