My father and mother always had very different shopping habits when it came to acquiring Christmas gifts.  My mother typically had all gifts stored away by Thanksgiving while my father would realize several days before Christmas, when all the other packages had already been stuffed under the tree, that he had some shopping to do.  He would pack my sister and I into the truck, turn up the Christmas music, sing along with Mariah Carey and we would pick out gifts for our mama. 

I like to believe that I fall somewhere in the middle when it comes to my Christmas shopping habits.  I usually have one or two gifts that I have collected throughout the year, and buy the last one the week before Christmas.  

If you are more like my father and I, and you still have a few gifts left to cross off your list, I have a few suggestions for the food-lovers in your life.  In essence, this is a list of things I either want to receive myself or already have and enjoy.  

1. This Coffee & Tea Calendar is high on my personal Christmas list this year.  The illustrations are whimsical and charming - October’s is my favorite.  If I am lucky enough to receive this gem, I plan on cutting out several of the illustrations and framing them for my kitchen.  After the year is over, of course.  
2. I love buying people things that they would never buy for themselves.  Things like this Copper Tea Kettle.  It’s a total splurge, but absolutely heart-stopping.
3. If you are looking for something small to tuck into a Christmas basket, or a causal gift for that co-worker that is always brewing tea in the break room, this Downton Abbey Christmas Black Tea is a fabulous choice.
4. This Mastering Pasta book is everything.  It is an excellent technical resource, especially for someone who is new to pasta-making.
5. Honeycomb is one of the hottest trends in the foodie world right now.  Bring this as a hostess gift for your food-loving friend and she will love you forever.  Bring her a fresh baguette too and she might cry a little.  It’s a good move.  
6. I first saw these Snowflake Copper Cookie Cutters last year while window-shopping on a cold, December day.  I love how they look hanging in my kitchen and their twisty shapes make them so unique.

7. This book is high on my list of recipe books that I want to acquire within the next couple months.  I love the simplicity of the recipes - from yogurt biscuits to cream cheese cookies, each recipe is a blend of new and old.  I cannot wait to begin baking with this book! 

8. These are my very favorite teacups.  Yes, you have seen them before in many a recipe post, but I just love them.  They are so dainty and the perfect size for me.  They can be used on formal occasions or more causal evenings, and they can also become punch glasses in a pinch.
9. These books are from Penguin's Great Food Series and I am dying to crack them open.  Witty essays, old but faithful culinary tips, and instructions for hosting a dinner party fill their pages.  With titles like “The Campaign For Domestic Happiness” and "A Dissertation Upon Roast Pig and Other Essays" you know they are going to be good.  
10. This Heirloom Recipe Box is one of those things I would probably never buy for myself but I would be overjoyed to receive.  It’s simple and classic and everything that a recipe box should be. 
11. I love this French Marble Rolling Pin.  Marble rolling pins are wonderful because, unlike wooden models, they do not tend to stick to the dough while you are rolling.  They also stay cool which helps in preventing the dough from getting gummy while you are working.

I have to go bake something.  Happy shopping! 

Sincerely, 

Pedantic Foodie