(holiday music)
- Hey, Munchies!
I'm a foodie and I assume if you're watching this
there's some food lover in you too.
Foodie gifts are one of my favorite ways
to connect over the holidays
because I get to share something that I love
with someone that I care about.
I have got some gift ideas
to inspire your shopping this season.
First up, Vahdam teas.
Oh my gosh, this tea is so amazing.
In taste and as a company.
And it is beautiful.
I was actually first exposed to them last year
when my boyfriend, Christian's mom sent them to my parents
as a holiday gift.
The packaging is gorgeous and the tea tastes so good
and really so fresh.
Then, this year, they reached out to me
and asked if I'd partner with them on a video
to share it as a holiday gift idea,
and I thought it would be a perfect fit
because I'd already tried it
and it actually is seriously so good.
It's sourced from five different regions in India,
and there's a reason that their tea tastes so fresh.
It's because what the company does
and what makes them different
is that they cut out the middlemen.
So, instead of the tea being sent to a middleman
and then distributed, they distribute it directly to you,
which means you get it more quickly
and it maintains it's fresh quality.
Cutting out the middleman also means
that all the earnings directly help the tea farmers
rather than any of it getting lost in the process.
This turmeric tea set is awesome,
because as we know, turmeric is a healthy super food
that's anti-inflammatory, anti-aging
with it's antioxidant properties
and it's great for brain health
and preventing heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer's,
and it can alleviate stress, anxiety, and depression.
It made it into Oprah's favorite things
last year and this year.
There are six different teas in the box.
My favorite is probably the turmeric ginger
or turmeric spiced herbal tea.
The aromas when you open them are so strong,
you can really tell they're fresh
before you even taste them.
And they are delicious.
They're naturally spicy and sweet.
Strong, without being overpowering.
And really just so much brighter and more crisp
than other teas that I've tried.
For every gift set that they sell,
they donate a gift to bring joy to someone less fortunate
in India, and they also help provide education
for the tea workers' children.
But on top of that, within each tea
is a random act of kindness that you can perform
that continues to spread the love and kindness.
I just love that!
One of them in my tea set was to set the table,
and I loved that suggestion,
especially since it's the holidays.
Taking a few extra minutes to set the table
enhances my experience with food,
but also with my family
and the loved ones that I'm eating with.
My mom always had us set the table growing up
and as an adult, I don't do it as much a I'd like to.
So, it was really a special reminder for me.
If you wanna try them out,
you can check them out on Amazon.com/Oprah
or at Vadham.com.
And you can use the code MOM15 to get 15% off.
I highly recommend it, it's a beautiful gift
and a great company.
Next up on the foodie gift guide
is an appliance that I have been loving lately.
My new milk frother.
I bought the little handheld battery-operated ones for years
and they always end up either breaking
or only sort of working.
I went home to Florida over Thanksgiving
and my mom had one of these and my mind was blown!
So, I ordered it for myself immediately.
It will foam milk for coffee, lattes, hot chocolate
or whatever you want.
A little goes a long way.
Of course, dairy milk works best.
Half and half and regular milk with froth beautifully.
Store-bought almond milk does not really froth,
but the coconut milk both from the can or the carton
will froth and so will those pre-made specialty creamers.
I literally just add my milk,
let it whip up and pour it over my coffee
for a fun, coffee shop style beverage.
For festive flare, sometimes I'll add cinnamon on top
or even sweetener drops in there like peppermint,
so, it's like a peppermint flavored coffee.
It's so good.
I got this on Amazon and I will link all of the products
in this video below.
There's no coupon code for this one,
but it's still worth it.
Next is this churro maker.
I don't know if you've ever made churros.
I have once with Sara Lynn on our channel together
and I also made them last year at Christmas
for my family when they visited.
It is a pain.
Frying in hot oil, it tastes good
but it is so irritating to do
and it's even worse having to dispose of the oil.
And not to mention, it's deep fried,
which is not exactly what my body wants to consume.
And oven baked churros, they can barely be called churros.
This is like a waffle maker for churros.
The set up is easy.
You just let it heat up.
And I followed one of the recipes from the free book
that it comes with,
which was an actual churro recipe.
And in less than five minutes of cooking,
they can be tossed in cinnamon sugar
and they're ready to enjoy.
I was totally skeptical,
but they actually look and taste like churros.
So neat.
What a fun gift for the churro lover in your life.
And I mean, who doesn't fall into that category?
Okay, from sweet to savory,
who is the hot sauce lover in your life?
How about the sriracha lover?
We all know one.
This little keychain set would be perfect for them.
It's so cute, great for on-the-go sriracha.
You know, when that person is out
and they ask for hot sauce and they have Chalula
but no sriracha, and they just wanna roll their eyes,
or maybe they do roll their eyes.
Problem solved.
I am actually team Chalula,
but these were adorable.
Which team are you on?
Vote in the poll.
Next, a fondue pot.
I actually bought this already for a friend this year
and I hope she doesn't watch this video, whoops!
I love my fondue pot.
I've had it for years, and a few years ago,
Christian and I did fondue for Christmas dinner together
and it was so fun.
Cheese for me, chocolate for him.
It was a win all around.
This pot works really well.
It's easy to take care of.
And everything you make in it tastes delicious.
I like hosting fondue parties with friends,
but I will also just do fondue for dinner sometimes,
and it's such a nice change.
Remember, you can do cheese fondue with dippers,
meat cooked in broth or oil,
and you can do chocolate.
It's super versatile, and could be great for your partner
or foodie friend.
I mean, propose a monthly fondue night.
How about something food related, but not edible?
Ornaments.
I have been collecting food ornaments for years now.
I have accumulated so many
that I actually have a separate tree
just for food ornaments.
Say what?
I have gotten them from all over, so Target,
Sur La Table always has great ones, Cost Plus World Market,
and of course, there are a lot of stores online.
Some friends and family get me a new one each year
and I just love adding to my little collection.
Or I guess it would be a big collection.
I don't collect much, but food ornaments and cat wines,
that I do.
Okay, I am also obsessed with the little foodie enamel pins.
Another great gift.
They have become pretty popular
and are easy to find online and in stores.
My sister collects them, so I'm always looking out for them
and they are just adorable.
Something about mini stuff is just so cute.
A few years back, I gave her a backpack for Christmas
with all of the pins on the front as her gift
and she loved it!
This year, I saw that Cost Plus World Market
has some fun food pins out there that are also adorable.
A great foodie find.
I have another appliance, or is it an appliance?
I don't know if this would be considered that,
but it is a cooking tool.
This is a silicone popcorn popper.
It is an air popper so no oil is needed.
And it's great because I don't need to keep
another huge appliance on the counter
like I used to have to do with my old air popper.
This one comes in 18 different colors.
I actually have two of the colors.
But there are many brands online.
I'm not partial to this one,
it just had good reviews and it does work.
I think it's supposed to make like
14 or 18 cups of popcorn or something.
I mean, it is a good amount
and it's pretty impressive how easy it is
and how good it tastes.
It takes one or two times with your microwave
to figure out, you know, the right amount of time.
But once you know, you're good to go.
It's so easy and I love that it is so much healthier
this way because I'm in control of how to season my popcorn.
Last but not least, there's always books.
I love getting books and I love giving them.
For those who love the science of cooking
or wanna learn more about cooking and how it works,
this book, Salt Fat Acid Heat is great.
I love the design and the illustrations
and it is very simple to go through
and a nice book to reference when you have a question.
For foodie lovers, there are fun novelty books
like this 1,000 Foods to Try Before You Die.
I have quite a few foods I still need to try apparently.
And of course, regular cookbooks.
I had to shout out my friend Sara Lynn
for her The Domestic Geek cookbook that came out this year.
That would make an amazing Christmas gift
for anyone wanting delicious and healthy recipes
for the new year.
So, that is it for the foodie gift guide.
Feel free to give more foodie gift ideas in the comments.
Remember that you can get 15% off your order
of Vadham teas using my code MOM15,
not to mention you get inspiration
for a random act of kindness,
and you pay it forward to those in need in India.
I appreciate you all being here.
I will have some DIY edible gifts coming next week,
so stay tuned for that
if you actually want to make food for someone.
And remember, it's all a matter of Mind Over Munch.