Christmas Gifts

With the date of my apartment being ready getting closer and closer I've been trying to gather as much housey stuff as I possibly can. I figure it will be better to buy things over time, especially the larger items, rather than having to buy it all at once and empty out my bank account. Which is why I really appreciated getting a few really cute kitchen related gifts this year for Christmas.

Anna Gare Blackboard Spice Jars
I saw jars similar to these in Anthropologie when I was in New York and was so tempted to buy some, but I was worried they'd break on the way home. I found that Lark in Daylesford started selling them, and although they've run out of the blue, there's still red ones for sale (or you can follow the link to find some blue ones). The great thing about these is that you don't have to stick with putting the same thing in them all the time, that's the handy thing about having the blackboard label on them.

Set of 4 Anna Gare Mixing Bowls
Aren't these mixing bowls just adorable?! They remind me of something my Mum would have used when she first got married - very retro. I especially love the colour of the blue bowls and that you can stack them inside each other - a great space saver.

A gorgeous Ellis Benson 'Food Glorious Food' print
My sister surprised me with this one. I love the colour, I love the food processor (it'll go perfectly sitting next to my KitchenAid Mixer) and I love the words. It has in bold 'what's your favourite food moment?' and then goes on to list things like 'tapas bar hopping in San Sebastian', 'vegemite toast', 'fish and chips on the beach' and more amazing food moments that are actually on my list of favourite food moments.

And a close up of the text 'what's your favourite food moment' 

1. The Truck Food Cookbook: 150 Recipes and Ramblings from America's Best Restaurants on Wheels - John T Edge

The Food Truck fad is only just starting to take off here in Australia, so I haven't had a chance to visit many of them. There definitely isn't as many as there are in America, nor the variety of food, so when I saw this cookbook I was intrigued to see what sorts of food I would find. And there's definitely some interesting recipes that I want to try out in there from Moroccan Chicken Crepes to Grilled Cheese Mac and Cheese Sandwiches and more.

2. Heston Blumenthal at Home - Heston Blumenthal

If you know Heston Blumenthal and the types of food he cooks there's not really much more to say - although the recipes in this book are a little more possible to try at home. They do still have the special Heston touches like popping candy in the base of a chocolate cheesecake. Yum!

Celebrate: A Year of Festivities for Families and Friends - Pippa Middleton

I knew Pippa Middleton was writing a book but didn't realise that it had been released yet. I was surprised and excited to receive this - it's full of recipes, crafts and tips for celebrating various events during the year. It might not be widely known but Pippa Middleton has lots of experience with planning events, with her family's party business and then later with an events company - plus who wouldn't want to read a girls book after she says in the intro 'It's a bit startling to achieve global recognition....before the age of thirty, on account of your sister, your brother-in-law and your bottom'?!