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Cyber Monday and Black Friday may be over, but The Container Store has just launched its online sale: 20% off kitchen organizing products, for today only. So that can only mean one thing: It’s officially time to actually organize your kitchen.
Related Reading: How to Organize Your Kitchen for Healthy Eating
Whether you simply need to upgrade your storage bins or you’re really looking to dive into revamping your entire life before this decade comes to a close (in less than one month!), you’re in luck. There are plenty of storage containers, refrigerator bins, and starter organization kits to get you on your way. Check out our picks for what to stock up on, then grease your elbows and say adieu to all that mess.
Travel to the French countryside with these lovely glass terrine jars, which boast an air-tight seal and come in six different sizes. Buy Now
These sleek glass canisters come in three sizes (1.5, 2, and 3 quarts) and are crowned with a chestnut wood cap. The openings are wide enough to scoop out everything from cups of rice to brown sugar (speaking of, see how you can soften brown sugar here). Buy Now
Every baker has that scary cabinet—the one where you can hardly get what you want without knocking down all your baking sheets and muffin tins. But no more, thanks to this over-the-cabinet bakeware holder, which can store everything from cutting boards to baking tins. Buy Now
Showcase your favorite labels in style with this 8-bottle rose gold wine rack. It can sit on the kitchen counter or be stored away in a cabinet, but either way you’ll never lose sight of your wine stash ever again. Buy Now
Use this small lazy Susan to store and easily access all of your spice jars, bottles, and cans. Buy Now
These fridge bins come with built-in handles, so you can easily pull them in and out. Employ them to sort everything in your fridge so you can find what you’re looking for quickly. Buy Now
Suffering from disorganized cabinets? Try The Container Store’s upper cabinet organization kit, which comes with everything you need to reorganize your cabinets: one chrome undershelf stemware holder, a cupboard shelf, a single corner shelf, and an undershelf basket. Buy Now
Keep all of your pantry staples—from powdered sugar to flour—with these translucent containers, so you’ll always know what’s stored inside. The set comes with a flour container with a snap-out leveler, a sugar container with a flip-out pour spout, a powdered sugar container with integrated dusting spoon, a brown sugar container with a terra cotta disk to keep sugar fresh, and two mini containers with dusting screens and levelers. Buy Now
For those who really want to revamp their entire pantry, start with the pantry starter kit. Your entire pantry can get an organized upgrade, thanks to this set which includes an OXO 5-piece canister set, two OXO medium cereal dispensers, one 20-bottle spice rack, and one large, medium, and small Omaha stacking bin.Buy Now
Make entertaining (and storage!) so much easier, thanks to this bar cart that comes with all of the supplies you’ll need to throw any party. Along with the 3-tier rolling cart, the set comes with two bins, three tall water bottles, three glass canisters, three bamboo bowls, two bamboo trays, three bamboo jars, and a set of three Birch Bin clip labels.Buy Now
You’ve scored an invitation to a holiday party. So what’s the etiquette as a guest? Besides arriving on time (or within an acceptable window of time if you know how they roll), there’s another factor that makes itself apparent as soon as you ring the doorbell: the host or hostess gift. Please don’t arrive empty handed. Your hosts have spent a lot of time and effort planning this dinner and probably a bunch of money. And let’s avoid causing more stress than joy with your gift.
As a professional dinner party planner, chef, visual artist, and social media and marketing consultant based in New York City, Stephanie Nass is often on both sides of the dinner party scene.
In 2014, Nass founded Victory Club, a bi-monthly dinner club in which each member brings a friend to gather in galleries, museums, and other art collections for sit-down meals. Her art-inspired dinners have popped all over the world and have been featured in Food & Wine as well as Town & Country magazines. Nicknamed “Chefanie,” Nass also designs vegan, gluten-free, shelf-stable cake sheets, called Chefanie Sheets, and she shares entertaining tips with major brands from Vogue to Tory Burch.
Nass reveals to Chowhound her best tips and biggest faux pas for holiday host and hostess gift-giving.
First off, if you’re stressing too much about the gift, go with the basics: wine, candy, flowers, or candles. It’s about the gesture, really. “The only thing customary about gifts at [parties] is bringing one,” Nass says, but “wine is reliable because the [holiday] meal is so predictable; it’s easy to pair a wine with any of the classic dishes.” (If you’re headed to a cocktail party, Champagne is always a safe bet.)
Being a good listener is the key to being a good gift-giver, she says. “Listen to what the host wants or needs. Maybe it’s something practical; maybe it’s something superfluous,” Nass says. After that, you can make your gift more unique by adding a personal touch or customization. That could be as simple as tying a pretty ribbon with a festive bauble on the neck of the wine bottle, or wrapping the candle in beautiful paper for a dramatic effect.
There’s hope if you’re short on dough (pun intended)—something homemade is always the go-to affordable gift. Nass brings a dessert, usually one of her Chefanie Sheets cakes, and sometimes she customizes it for the occasion to make it more personal.
As a hostess, Nass treasures a thoughtful card, with or without a gift. “I treasure the letters people have written me,” she says. “Notes endure after the flowers have wilted, the wine is drunk, and only a few crumbs from the pie remain.”
Don’t upstage the host and his or her work. Basically, don’t bring dinner or any part of it, unless the host explicitly asks you for it, Nass says.
Don’t bring something that you, not the host, want.
Don’t bring untrimmed flowers. The host will be busy with enough other things, so if you bring flowers, bring them arranged in a vase. (See our favorite flower delivery services.)
Don’t bring an extra guest without asking. The host has given thought and attention to the table setting, and another guest throws a wrench into the event.
Still need help? Here are some more specific host and hostess gift ideas:
The morning-after meal might be the last thing on your host’s mind, and much appreciated. Bring shelf-stable muffins or bagels (with a small container of cream cheese) to avoid even more crowding in the refrigerator, homemade cinnamon rolls (also acceptable if they’re from a great local bakery), or a hearty pumpkin-oat bread. Or just bring a fruit salad and hope for the best when it comes to space in the refrigerator. Try to use the smallest container necessary, possibly even a leak-proof Ziplock freezer bag. Here’s a holiday-inspired breakfast idea: Get our Pumpkin Spice Pecan Streusel Muffins recipe.
Ask what kind of wine your host would like and if it’s white, bring it chilled already—for that purpose, you can get a beautiful Uashmama’s wine bag cooler that makes for a great bonus gift. Try a riesling or gewürztraminer for whites, and a pinot noir or a light, refreshing beaujolais for reds. Then there’s always fine whiskey or bourbon, or a digestif for after dinner. You could bring a nice tea or coffee too, which your hosts can save for later if they want.
Related Reading: A Sonoma Wine Pro Recommends Her 10 Favorite Bottles for Every Occasion
Flowers are a safe bet anytime. But bring them cut and in a vase you’re gifting as well (see don’ts above) so the hosts won’t have to stop what they’re doing and hunt for a vase and prep the flowers too, in addition to everything else. You could use a Mason jar if you (and they) like that homespun, shabby-chic vibe. You could even give them the gift of a flower subscription through Bloomsy Box.
Also consider an indoor potted plant that your hosts can enjoy for longer than a few days—the set of 4 ceramic animal planters above ($26.92 at World Market) come with faux succulents included, but you could replant them with the real thing. If you bring a bouquet, don’t expect your flowers to be the table’s centerpiece. That detail was likely already planned.
Give something for the hosts to enjoy later, when it’s calm and they don’t have to share. It could be a pretty candle, bottle of Champagne, or a home-preserved jar of pickled vegetables, apple butter, jam, or chutney. You could gift a decorative tin of high-end tea with a cute infuser and a mug or two, or the classic box of fancy chocolates.
Related Reading: Our Favorite Gifts for Acquaintances
Really, there are so many little thoughtful gifts you can bring. Instead of wine, how about a nice balsamic vinegar and olive combo? You could find a fancy hand soap in a pump bottle or bring a pretty new trivet. Anything handmade lends a thoughtful touch, even if it isn’t food. Nass once made and brought a set of napkins in her mom’s favorite color, embroidered with her mom’s dogs in the corner:
If that’s too labor intensive, you can bring a book you think they’ll like, with a personal message inscribed inside the cover. It can be a new cookbook, or maybe a food memoir, or whatever else they’re into.
Parents will really appreciate this one. Bring a craft activity, game, coloring book and crayons, or some toy that could occupy the children, which will be a welcome respite for the adults when the little ones get restless and bored. A Lego set sounds like a cool idea; the lakeside cabin scene above even includes a moose!
Or amuse the adults and bring a party game. A grown-up card game or board game for after the meal can provide just the break people need before they’re ready to tackle dessert. For food lovers, try this Foodie Fight trivia game, which is fun for adults and kid-friendly too.
You can always ask the hosts specifically what you can bring that would help the most, and if you’re lucky, they might actually tell you—a good cheese with crackers, maybe, or a simple side dish, or dessert. A crisp salad with a bracing bite of greens is often not included already, so that might be a good idea. Bring the components cleaned, dried, chopped, and packaged separately, especially the dressing. Whatever you bring, make sure you don’t have to do much (or any) prep work on it. You can’t impose on the counter space or the oven. Get our Watercress Salad recipe.
If it’s a potluck, bring your own serving dish and utensils, as the hosts will likely be using all of theirs; the metallic gold serving utensils above are party-perfect and just $12 at Target. Better yet if you leave the new utensils and/or dish there as part of your gift to them (unless you think they’ll stress at having to find storage space for something else).
Related Reading: The Prettiest Pie Pans for Your Blue Ribbon Desserts
For more festive tips, tricks, hacks, and recipes, visit our Holiday Headquarters.
If you’ve purchased baking flour in the past several weeks you might want to listen up. Two brands of all-purpose baking flour—Hodgson Mill Unbleached All-Purpose White Wheat Flour, and Wild Harvest Organic Unbleached All-Purpose Flour—are being recalled due to possible contamination of E. coli.
Related Reading: E. Coli Outbreak Linked to Romaine Lettuce Spreads Across U.S.
The contaminated flour from both brands was shipped and sold nationwide, largely in 5-pound bags with best buy dates extending into 2020. The contamination was discovered during “routine sampling” and announced on November 29. At present, it’s not known which states or regions the majority of the flour has been shipped to, so it is being pulled from shelves nationally.
So far no illnesses have been reported but this specific strain of E. coli found in the flour can cause diarrhea, vomiting, kidney failure, and even death. The Food and Drug Administration is encouraging those with bags of flour that match the criteria of the contaminated batch to throw it away or return it to the place of purchase for a refund.
If you’ve consumed flour from any of the contaminated brands and are experiencing symptoms, see a medical professional immediately. If you have flour in your home that matches any of the below, be advised to dispose of it right away. Thoroughly wash any container it may have been stored in as well.
Contact for manufacturers:
Continue reading "13 Meals to Feed a House Full of Guests" »
Christmas cookies are always a welcome addition to any holiday party, but the same old sugar cookies just won’t cut it this time around. Gingerbread men are passé, and there are so many other great options to test out that you could bake a new recipe every day for months and never run out of choices. Here’s a roundup of ten recipes you should try this holiday season—but no guarantees your mother-in-law will like them.
Related Reading: Swap Basic for Baller with These Pistachio & Raspberry Cookies
These soft, chewy ginger cookies are a great alternative to crunchy gingersnaps. A classic cookie, this is delicious alone and even better dipped in a glass of milk. You can use light or dark molasses to alter the taste; try to use recently purchased ginger powder to guarantee freshness. Get the Super-Size Soft Ginger Cookie recipe.
Our Linzer Sablés recipe is a new take on the linzer torte and has a whole cup and a half of finely ground nuts; try almonds, hazelnuts, or walnuts to figure out your favorite. These tiny sandwich cookies are delicate and addictive when filled with raspberry or apricot jam, but for a real show-stopper try filling them with a dollop of Nutella. Get our Linzer Sablé Cookies recipe.
Flip the script on regular old chocolate chip cookies this year. Make spicy hazelnut flour cookies with roughly chopped dark chocolate, crystallized ginger, and a bit of black pepper for addictive kick instead. Get the Spicy Chocolate Chip Hazelnut Cookies recipe.
Mexican Wedding Cakes are small pillow-like cookies known by many names throughout the world—and in any language, they’re delectable. These cookies are crunchy but light, with an entire cup of toasted pecans in the dough. Covered with confectioners’ sugar, they are amazing with a cup of coffee or an after-dinner drink. Get our Mexican Wedding Cookies recipe.
Chocolate and peppermint are the perfect holiday combination. These chocolate cookies are really simple: You can freeze the cylinder of dough and keep it on hand for a last-minute gift or a weeknight dessert. The peppermint buttercream filling with crushed peppermint candies (or candy canes) is minty and refreshing. If you’re feeling extra festive, try adding some red or green food coloring. Get our Chocolate Sandwich Cookies with Peppermint Buttercream Filling recipe.
Italian tricolor cookies (often called rainbow cookies) are both a nod to the Boot and a visual celebration of Christmas colors (red, green, and white). These cookies come together easily with a cake-like cookies, jam, and melted chocolate. Get our recipe for Italian tricolor cookies.
This recipe is an incredible jumping-off point for a variety of beautiful and tasty holiday cookies. You can roll the logs of cookie dough in chopped nuts, sprinkles, chocolate chips, anything you can think of, and feel free to embellish the tops with frosting or more add-ins. You can also flavor the dough with a multitude of spices or seasonings and get as creative as you want. Start with classic holiday combos (nutmeg, allspice, ginger, etc.) and expand from there. Get our Icebox Sugar Cookie recipe.
Related Reading: Dorie Greenspan’s Genius Trick for Perfectly Round Cookies
These festively colored cookies manage to include some healthy ingredients—pistachios and cherries (but feel free to swap in dried cranberries)—and kids can easily pitch in and assemble them with little supervision. This is a creatively and deliciously jazzed-up version of a simple holiday sugar cookie. Mix it up by substituting other types of chocolate chips, chopped nuts, crushed candies, and/or dried fruit; just keep the ratios the same. Get our White Chocolate Pistachio Cherry Cookie recipe. (Or try a slightly more labor-intensive but lovely White Chocolate, Pistachio, and Cranberry Cookie Wreaths recipe.)
Classic Millionaire’s shortbread combines all the best dessert elements: a crunchy shortbread crust, a layer of gooey caramel, and a smooth layer of chocolate on top. This version from Yotam Ottolenghi is a bit more sophisticated, with a rich and roasty halvah layer and a faintly bitter, slightly salty tahini caramel topping—another layer of semisweet chocolate would still be great to finish these off. In any case, these cookies are incredibly rich, so try cutting them in one-inch squares or rectangles. Get the Middle Eastern Millionaire’s Shortbread recipe.
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This recipe for Earl Grey shortbread coins contains actual loose tea leaves that delicately flavor the dough. Regular orange juice, milk, or any other liquid also works for the glaze if you want to focus on the tea flavor (and you can tint it red or green with food coloring if desired), but the hint of citrus is nice. Dipped in hot cocoa, coffee, or even tea, these cookies are an outstanding holiday snack and make a great hostess gift as well. Get the Earl Grey Shortbread with Blood Orange Glaze recipe.
Okay, okay, you can’t go wrong with this classic holiday cookie. Trust us, Santa (and your mother-in-law) will thank you. Get our Christmas Sugar Cookie recipe.
See all of our holiday cookie recipes for more sweet inspiration. And for even more holiday hacks, tips, tricks, and recipes, check out our Ultimate Guide to Christmas and Holiday Entertaining Headquarters.
ALDI, our favorite German grocery store, is back with a slew of great discounted items geared toward the holidays. The beloved chain is featuring a whole lot of items that’ll help you get ready to host holiday parties, bake cookies, and curl up in front of the fireplace with a mug of hot chocolate—meaning there’s something to satisfy just about everyone. Keep reading for the best items to snag at ALDI in December.
Related Reading: Tasty Reads: The Best Food Memoirs to Give This Holiday Season
Sip this Belgian blonde ale—a malty blend of spicy notes and banana—with freshly baked goods, meaty dishes, and toffee-studded desserts.
Break off a piece of these decadent toffee crackers—enrobed in either milk or dark chocolate—and you’ll meet your new favorite midnight snack.
On those cold nights, bake up a bowl of these cheesy potatoes, studded with Parmesan cheese, apple cheddar, or cheddar and herbs.
Douse your morning coffee with an almond creamer tinged with peppermint and mocha.
Level up movie night with this carnival-style popcorn maker, which is poised to make your home smell like melted butter.
Shake, stir, and pour your favorite beverage into these copper colored glasses.
Upgrade your next cheese board with some wedges of cheddar that have been infused with alcohol. Cut into cheddars flavored with blueberry and vodka, whiskey, or Irish creme liqueur.
Whether you need an easy appetizer or you’re simply itching for a quick, warm snack, these puff pastry bites will do the trick. Pop them in the oven or microwave and watch them brim with artichoke and jalapeno; spinach, cheese, and bacon; and Mediterranean vegetables and feta.
Toast a slice of L’oven’s sweet breads and top with butter or your favorite jam.
Get into the holiday spirit with these holiday-inspired kitchen accessories, including red glove tongs and a Santa spatula.
Let your wine bottles arrive in style with these faux fur wine bags, whether you’re bringing a bottle of wine as a gift or simply want to fashionably tote around your favorite vintage.
Just because the summer’s over doesn’t mean rosé season has concluded. Pop open this sparkling rosé for your festive parties.
At your next gathering, unveil this meat, cheese, and olive tapas tray that will transport you to the sunny beaches of Spain.
Ready to spice up your plain old salt? These seasoned grinders give a different kind of flavor to your salt: smoked chili, thyme lemon, and violet.
Grab a fistful of crackers and dive into this warm spinach Parmesan dip—it’s the kind of app people aren’t going to be able to stop eating.
Never break a cork in half again with this electric wine set, which is guaranteed to quickly and efficiently open up bottles.
Let your wine breathe in style in this sleek glass wine decanter.
Stock up on a couple of bottles of prosecco so you can pop them open while the ball drops.