The best kitchen gifts under $25

I have to admit it: every year in October I tell myself I will start Christmas shopping, and before I know it, it’s nearing the end of November and I have most of my shopping still to do. I kick  myself every year because I really don’t love shopping malls to begin with, but shopping malls in December are even more anxiety provoking for me. This year I have finally succeeded at getting organized and am quite proud of the dent I have made in my shopping list.

One of the things I love most about the holiday season is giving gifts. I love finding the perfect gift for someone that’s both useful and shows that I am actually paying attention to their interests. My kids are the easiest to shop for of course, since they are very obvious about what’s on their list, and since the holidays can get costly we usually just buy for the kids in the extended family.

I find if I’m buying for someone I don’t know well, I usually go with some sort of kitchen accessorie. There are so many neat kitchen accessories you just don’t think to buy for yourself, so there are a ton of great options to choose from. Finding a bunch of great holiday gifts for the kitchen for under 25 dollars is actually quite easy to do.

Great party gifts

With Christmas comes holiday parties and open houses, and it’s nice to be able to bring a small gift for the host as a “thank you for having me”. These gifts don’t have to be elaborate and an accessory for the kitchen or bar is always a good go-to host gift.

This Home Presence Wine Aerator is a great small gift and would be perfectly paired with a nice bottle of wine. Wine aerators are nice to have around when last minute guests come over and you didn’t have time to aerate a bottle of wine before they got there, or even for those people who just show up announced (you know who you are).

I love the option to just aerate a glass of wine instead of a whole bottle too. It’s handy for those stressful evenings leading up to the holidays when you need a nice peaceful evening to yourself.

Beautiful and functional glassware

How perfect of a host gift are these Govino Classic 16oz. Shatterproof Wine Glasses?  I might need these for everyday use in my house since between my clumsiness, a husband, and two boys we have gone through more than a few sets of glasses. Even my cats have even been known to pull the place mat right off the table with whatever is on it, resulting in a lot of broken dishes. These wine glasses are also perfect for entertaining and you won’t have to worry about broken glasses during your holiday party.

These unique glasses aren’t just for wine though, you can use them for any of your favourite drinks. The patented thumb notch also gives you some extra grip. These glasses may not shatter, but you still don’t want to be the person to spill red wine on your hosts nice carpet.

Since Christmas is a holiday for everyone to enjoy, here’s the recipe for my kids favourite fancy drink, the Shirley Temple cocktail. It’s non-alcoholic of course.

Shirley Temple

Directions

Fill a tall glass halfway with ice cubes, pour in orange juice and 7-up/sprite. Pour grenadine in and let it sink to the bottom. Garnish with a maraschino cherry and a straw for stirring. 

I don’t know about you, but my kids love having their own special drink. They know they only get them when it’s a holiday or a special occasion so they always look forward to a “Shirley” as we call them.

Potluck with a twist

Another great gift you can bring as a party or dinner guest is an appetizer. A nice to way to do this is by bringing the appetizer in something the guests can keep, with the bonus that you don’t have to collect all your dishes after the holidays.

This 3.8 Litres Round Slow Cooker is something that will definitely come in handy, and what better way to give it than full of spinach and artichoke dip and a loaf of warm bread for dipping. This recipe by sixsistersstuff.com, is delicious (I’ve tried it many times) and I have also yet to meet someone who doesn’t love a good spinach and artichoke dip.

Slow Cooker Spinach Artichoke Dip Recipe

Directions

Spray a slow cooker (I used a 4 quart slow cooker) with non-stick cooking spray.
In a large bowl, mix together spinach, artichoke hearts, sour cream, mayonnaise, onion, garlic, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, garlic salt, and milk. Add salt and pepper as desired. Dump into your slow cooker.
Place your cubed cream cheese on top of spinach/artichoke mixture, spread out as evenly as possible.
Cook on high for 2 – 2½ hours, or until ingredients are cooked through and the cream cheese is melted. Mix in the cream cheese keep dip on “warm” setting until eaten. Serve with a warm loaf of crusty bread.

Gift giving at Christmas can be quite stressful when you don’t know what to buy someone. I always like to think of small items that I myself would like to have but just never seem to get around to buying. It’s also nice to think of something that the person would enjoy, so if they are bakers something unique they could add to their baking supplies, or if they are wine lovers, something to add to their bar.

At the end of the day remember that the gifts don’t have to be over the top expensive, just a little something special to let that person know you are thinking of them or appreciate them inviting you into their home.

Check out bestbuy.ca for some great gift ideas under 25 dollars.

Title image @ ezhomedecorating.com