Started your Christmas Shopping? Struggling for Ideas for things you might want for Christmas? Here are some of my top favourites for 2018
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For those that know me, I am a bit gadget-obsessed. My kitchen is filled with all kinds of wonderful items for making tasks in the kitchen that little bit more easier.
In fact not am I just gadget-obsessed, I just love shopping in general, be it stuff for the kitchen, pretty home goods, clothes, food, you name it, I love it.
You should see my prop cupboard for all my yummy food pictures. It's got a little bit out of control.
So much so, that I opened it the other day to get out a plate for a food picture and my most favourite plate ever, jumped out at me and smashed all over the floor. Gutted is an understatement, as it was too shattered to piece together to work out who it was made for, in the hope I can source another one.
Nowadays we don't even have to leave the house to go shopping because now pretty much everything you can think of can be found online through internet shopping.
I do like to go out shopping though too, me and one of my best friends and neighbour, often make a day of it, shopping, grabbing a coffee and some lunch. It's more about the company than the shopping through in those instances I think.
This time of year, however, with the craze and mania of crowds that descend on all the shops, I just can't face it. Makes me super stressed and I just can't concentrate on what it is I am looking for. So this time of year most of my shopping gets done online.
Plus if you live overseas, it's a lot easier to get things shipped to family members than trying to post it yourself.
So whether you are a foodie like me or just after some ideas you might not of thought of. Here are some of my favourite items/recommendations for 2018.
MY TOP RECOMMEND CHRISTMAS GIFT!! THE PRESSURE COOKER
If you are lucky enough to already own one of these, you will know how amazingly convenient they are, especially for someone on a busy schedule. Long gone are the days of leaving a slow cooker on all day while at work, now you can come in, throw a few ingredients in the pressure cooker and in a super short period of time, you can have a meal on the table that looks like it has taken hours to prepare. My favourite one is the Instant Pot, it's probably the most sold Pressure Cooker this year and last year. I have to confess you will probably see this feature on many of my Christmas gift lists because I truly recommend this to everyone and anyone.
Click here to view this on Amazon
and if you would like some meals to try - check out my Pressure Cooker Recipes
Can't have an Instant Pot without these accessories
of course, if I am going to recommend the Instant Pot, then I have to recommend accessories set like this 5 Piece Instant Pot Accessories Set because you are bound to need a springform pan for my Instant Pot Lasagne and steam basket for vegetables etc and the rest of the items will always come in handy.
Ditch the Instant Coffee - it's yucky!!!
Before I moved to Canada, I confess I was an instant coffee drinker. Well, I was mostly a tea drinker, but on the occasion, I did have a coffee unless it was from a coffee shop, it came out of a jar and was instant.
Now I am a bit of a coffee snob. Instant Coffee just tastes yucky to me and there really is no need to drink it when you can pick up a pretty good espresso maker like this Bialetti Moka Express Espresso Maker
Can't have coffee without the lovely milky froth!!
Occasionally we all fancy a latte or a cappuccino and that's where one of these Homitt Automatic Milk Frother and Warmer. I love mine and use it daily, a great way to create a lovely latte using your Healthy Extra A choice and not blowing syns at the overpriced coffee shop.
Tefal have an amazing new Actifry with all the bells and whistles
Okay, it doesn't really have bells and whistles, but it's pretty darn good. Whether you are on the lookout for a new actifry or haven't yet bitten the bullet and invested in one. The new Tefal Actifry Genius XL Air Fryer is pretty amazing. You can read my full review of it here along with two amazing recipes I made in it.
and if you need some other recipe ideas, check out my Actifry/Airfryer section
But I want perfect chips and can't be bothered to chop them myself
then you definitely will want one of these Kitchencraft Potato Chipper as it will chip a whole potato in seconds, with the skin on or off and comes with two different blades for small and large chips.
Check out How to make Perfect Syn Free Chips.
Staub Cast Iron Casserole Dish
I love my cast iron cooking pots. I have both Le Creuset and Staub in my collection. But my Staub 26cm Round Casserole Dish is definitely my favourite. Perfect for all kinds of stews and casseroles and will literally last you a lifetime.
Save your hands with a vegetable chopper!!
I recently bought one of these Brieftons QuickPush Food Chopper for friends and they love it. Takes away some of the hard work of having to chop all that veg, especially if you are making a stew, soup or casserole. It also means there is no excuse for not getting enough speed foods into your meals.
The Ultimate make everything maker!!
I don't actually own one of these Tefal Snack Makers with Interchangeable Plates (yet!!) - but I keep seeing adverts on facebook for it and it looks pretty amazing and well you know me and gadgets. You can literally make all kinds of yummy things in this from waffles, doughnuts, sandwiches, pancakes etc.
Eggs are a great source of protein for breakfast
If like me you love eggs for breakfast, then you will love these cute little Boiled Egg Bucket Cups. Kids will love them, in fact, the whole family will love them.
Sprinkle a little bit of freshness on everything!!
Ever fancied your own little homegrown veggies or herbs but can't be doing with the whole outdoor garden lark. Then this Miracle-Gro AeroGarden might be just the gift idea for you. Never again will you have to worry about not having fresh herbs on hand because with this you can grow your own.
Invest in a good quality knife
If you are in need of a brand new chopping knife, then a Zelite Infinity Santoku Knife is definitely what you need. It's my preferred type of knife and is amazing for chopping or slicing all kind of food items.
Non-stick cooking where things truly don't stick.
Fed up with buying pans that aren't really as non-stick as they advertise, then invest in a good quality brand like this Le Creuset Non-Stick Pan.
Travel Mug for those with a busy schedule
If you need to take your tea or coffee with you each morning, then one of these Hiwill Double-Walled Vacuum Insulated Travel Coffee Mugs are perfect. It will keep your tea or coffee hot for up to 12 hours or cold for 8. If of course your coffee ever lasts that long, I've usually drunk mine long before then.
Can't get enough of Netflix
I must confess I am quite the Netflix addict, can't get enough of my shows. Whether I am having a quiet hour or two while the kids are at school or watching some programmes while getting some work done on the blog, it comes in super handy and with this Fire TV Stick 4K UHD with All-New Alexa Voice Remote + Echo Dot - it's the perfect Christmas gift idea for anyone.
Everyone needs a non-food hobby
Genealogy is one of the most interesting non-food hobbies out there. It will keep you busy for hours and introduce you to stories and history about your family that you never imagined and what better way to start off than with an Ancestry DNA Kit.
What are some of your favourite things you would recommend? Comment below or tag me @slimmingeats on TWITTER or INSTAGRAM, I'd love to hear them. It might give me some more ideas for gifts to buy.
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