The Platefull Blog

Family Game Night

December 14, 2019~ Drinks, Lifestyle, The Platefull Blog

After getting extremely bored with playing Trouble every. single. night. I was on the hunt for fun games that us adults could enjoy, but would be simple enough for our 5 year old (and some for our 3 year old as well). I found the best article that reviewed multiple games and age groups! I selected a few games from that list and promptly ordered them on Amazon Prime. Two days later, we had our first family game night and our kids now beg to have game night EVERY night. They love the games and so do we! And of course, who doesn’t love popcorn and hot chocolate?! So today I’m sharing the best, richest hot chocolate recipe and the list of games we love so far. Let’s start with the games and save the best till last, shall we? 😉

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. These are all games that our family loves.

Game List and Review:

Sleeping Queens – this has by far been the favorite of all of the games I ordered. Our 5 year old loves it and honestly, we love it too. It’s too advanced for our 3 year old, so we play this one after he’s in bed, or he “helps” one of the grown ups. It does give the option of using addition (up to 10) and our 5 year old is able to make some equations on his own. I would guess as he gets closer to 6, he will do that part even more on his own. Either way, he beats us fair and square all the time!
Sushi Go – This one has quite a few rules to remember, but after a few times through, our 5 year old got it down. Our 3 year old has no clue what he’s doing in this game, but he loves to be a part of the action, taking a card and passing the rest. Sometimes he even ends up with more points than I do, which is embarrassing to say since I should be using some sort of strategy I guess. This one’s definitely a keeper – we all enjoy it!
Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza – we just got this game out for the first time today. After just one round, we are still figuring it out, but the boys were really giggling with this one. It seems like it will be a really fun game over the holidays with a crowd!
My First Castle Panic – Both our 3 and 5 year olds can play this game. I love that it’s a cooperative game. It’s all of us against the monsters, who are trying to get to the castle to knock the walls down! You can ask other players for help, which is nice because it encourages the boys to offer help to one another, which never happens. As adults, we don’t enjoy this one quite as much because it’s pretty simple, but it is a nice short game that our 3 year old can really take part in, so the boys love it.
Skip Bo Jr. – Both boys like to play this game. Our 5 year old understands the rules, and our 3 year old can do it with a little help, since it only requires being able to count up to 10. He doesn’t understand any sort of strategy, but he likes putting his cards in the middle.

I’ve got a few more games planned as Christmas gifts for the boys, and I’m anxious to see if any of those become favorites. I’ll update this post after the holidays to include those as well! They are: Ticket to Ride My First Journey, Connect Four, Trouble Olaf’s Ice Adventure, and Kanoodle. I love that this has become a tradition in our home that we all look forward to!

Now for the good part. We always make a bowl of popcorn and sometimes as a special treat, this hot chocolate. I love that it cooks in the slow cooker, so there’s no work when it’s time for game night!

Hot Chocolate

Author: Sarah

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Ingredients

Scale

6 cups whole milk

2 cups heavy cream

1/2 cup granulated sugar

8 oz semi sweet chocolate chips

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tsp vanilla extract

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Instructions

Add all ingredients to a slow cooker and whisk vigorously for 2 minutes. Heat on low for 6 hours or high for 4 hours, whisking periodically. Serve with your choice of toppings: marshmallows, candy cane, etc.

Mediterranean Sheet Pan Chicken

December 13, 2019~ Main, The Platefull Blog

I love my Greek dinner with homemade pita, but it’s just not practical for a weeknight. I love the flavors in this dish, and it uses the same chicken recipe, but in a much easier, faster way for a quick and healthy weeknight dinner. Not only is it delicious, it is an absolutely stunning dish with the vibrant colors. This has become one of my go-to dinners for weeknights or having friends over. It’s super easy to feed a crowd with this meal!

Start by spreading the chopped veggies on a pan. Pour about 1/4 cup of the marinade mixture over the veggies and toss well. Place the tomatoes on the vine on top (you can use cherry tomatoes instead, but on the vine gives a really pretty, gourmet look with no effort!). Place the halved chicken breasts on top of the veggies and bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.

When finished baking, top with Kalamata olives, cubed feta, and a sprinkle of fresh chopped parsley. This meal is great served with my Loaded Hummus and pita (store bought for simplicity’s sake!

Mediterranean Sheet Pan Chicken

Author: Sarah

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Ingredients

For the marinade:

3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice

1 1/2 tsp fresh lemon zest

1 1/2 tsp greek seasoning

1 1/2 tsp poultry seasoning

1 1/2 tsp dried oregano

For the chicken and veggies:

4 chicken breasts, halved across the width of the center

1 red bell pepper, chopped into 2 inch pieces

1 yellow bell pepper, chopped into 2 inch pieces

1 orange bell pepper, chopped into 2 inch pieces

1 red onion, cut into wedges

1 15-oz can artichoke hearts, drained

1 package on-the-vine cherry tomatoes (or 15-20 cherry tomatoes)

1/2 block of feta, cubed

1/2 cup sliced Kalamata olives

Fresh parsley, chopped

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Instructions

In advance: Make the marinade by whisking together the extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, greek seasoning, poultry seasoning, and oregano. Reserve 1/4 cup of the marinade and refrigerate until ready to use. Pour the remaining marinade into a Ziploc bag. Add the chicken, seal the bag, and turn the bag over a few times to cover all of the chicken pieces with marinade. You can refrigerate for 1 day or freeze until ready to use (thaw the chicken before cooking).

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spread the veggies (except for the tomatoes if they are on the vine) on a sheet pan, pour over 1/4 cup of the marinade, and toss to combine well. Lay the tomatoes on top. Remove the chicken from the marinade and place the chicken breasts on top of the veggies. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Remove from the oven and top with olives, feta, and a sprinkle of fresh parsley.

Espinaca

December 12, 2019~ Appetizers, Side Dishes, The Platefull Blog

I love cheese dip of any sort, but this Espinaca is especially delicious! I use Homemade Velveeta in this recipe, but of course you can use store bought. It’s the perfect side for Smoky Pulled Sheet Pan Chicken Nachos!

This recipe is simple to make – all ingredients get thrown in a pot (or the crockpot) together and cooked over low to medium-low heat until melted and combined. That’s it!

Espinaca

Author: Sarah

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Ingredients

Scale

16 oz cream cheese

1/2 pint heavy cream

2 4-oz cans Rotel tomatoes, drained

1/4 cup diced jalapeno

8 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

4 chicken bouillon cubes

8 oz Velveeta cheese

1/2 cup milk

1/2 onion, chopped

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Instructions

Mix all ingredients together in a saucepan over medium low heat, stirring occasionally, until all ingredients are melted and well combined.

Notes

This recipe can also be made in the crockpot. Place all ingredients in the crockpot over low heat, and stir occasionally.

Homemade Velveeta

December 12, 2019~ Sauces and Dressings, The Platefull Blog

There are just some things that are better made with Velveeta. We all know that gooey, melty goodness that is the golden cheese product. Over the last year, I’ve spent a lot of time focused on nutrition and fueling our bodies in a healthy way, which has meant eliminating foods like my dearly beloved Velveeta from our diet. This left me wondering, “Is there a way to make copycat Velveet at home, using real cheese?” This recipe is pretty darn close to the real thing and it’s surprisingly simple to make. I love the fact that I can feel good about feeding it to my kids. I use this to make any sort of cheese dip or casserole that calls for Velveeta. It’s a 1:1 substitute. The only difference is that with real food ingredients, this recipe is not shelf stable to infinity and beyond (you can thank my 3 year old for that reference).

Why can I feel good about this version? Well to start, its only 5 ingredients. Cheddar cheese, milk, cream, salt, and gelatin. The gelatin is the magic ingredient – it gives it that creamy texture that solidifies it, but provides a great melt. Why can I feel good about the gelatin? I’m not talking any off the shelf gelatin here. I’m talking about 100% grass fed bovine gelatin. It’s essentially collagen that has been cooked. There are a whole host of benefits to consuming gelatin in this form, some of which are that it provides collagens (which support bone and joint health), protein (but does not contain tryptophan, etc that meat does, which can cause inflammation), and is high in amino acids. I use Vital Proteins Unflavored Beef Gelatin (found at Whole Foods – my Whole Foods has little packets, of which you’ll need less than 1 packet to make this recipe).

Alright, now that the geeky food knowledge stuff is out of the way, let’s get started. Add the milk and cream to a small saucepan and sprinkle the gelatin on top. Don’t turn on the heat – you want to just let the gelatin sit for a few minutes. After 5-10 minutes, turn the heat on to low or medium low. You want to slowly heat the milk mixture.

In the meantime, shred the cheddar cheese in a food processor. You do not want to use pre-shredded cheese for this recipe, as you won’t get as good of a melt (and I have other issues with pre-shredded cheese containing unwanted ingredients, but that’s a whole notha’ thing). Anyway, just use cheese and only cheese. 😉 . Sprinkle a little salt on the cheese.

When the milk mixture is warm, pour it into the food processor and let the food processor run for about a minute. You want the cheese to melt completely and should end up with a smooth mixture. Transfer to a loaf pan lined with plastic wrap and refrigerate. If you are using in a sauce or casserole, use it right away – no need to let it solidify fully in the fridge.

Homemade Velveeta

Author: Sarah

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Ingredients

Scale

3/4 cup whole milk

1 Tbsp heavy cream

2 tsp grass fed gelatin

12 ounces shredded cheddar cheese

3/4 tsp salt

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Instructions

Pour the milk and heavy cream into a small saucepan. Do not turn on the heat. Sprinkle the gelatin over the top and let it sit for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, turn the heat to medium low and heat until just steaming, being careful not to let it get to a boil. You want it hot enough to melt shredded cheese, but not boiling.

While the gelatin sits for 5 minutes, shred the cheddar cheese in a food processor. Add the salt to the food processor. Pour in the heated milk mixture and turn the food processor on. Let it run for about 1 minute, until the cheese is completely melted and the mixture is smooth. Transfer to a bread loaf pan that has been lined with plastic wrap and refrigerate. If you are using in a casserole or dip, put it straight into your other recipe – no need to solidify it. Otherwise, refrigerate for up to 1 week.

Notes

You do not want to use pre-shredded cheese for this, as it has ingredients added to prevent the shreds from sticking together. You’ll get a smoother melt from a block of cheese that you shred.

Smoky Pulled Chicken Sheet Pan Nachos

December 11, 2019~ Main, The Platefull Blog

I love this recipe because its a simple sheet pan dinner that can be ready from start to finish in about 15 minutes. It uses the chicken from my Smoky Pulled Chicken Tacos. When I make that recipe, we always have leftover meat, so I freeze it. It’s perfect for a quick meal.

Here’s how easy this meal is. Spread out tortilla chips on a sheet pan. Warm the leftover meat in the microwave and layer it on top of the chips. If you don’t have a batch of pulled chicken in the freezer, you can substitute shredded rotisserie chicken.

Add ranch style beans and shredded cheese.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 8-10 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Serve with your favorite nacho toppings! Shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, jalapeños, guacamole, salsa, sour cream, and espinaca are my favorite toppings. I typically set out the toppings in little bowls and let everyone top their nachos with what they like!

Smoky Pulled Chicken Sheet Pan Nachos

Author: Sarah

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Ingredients

Scale

Tortilla chips

1 can Ranch Style beans

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (or your favorite cheese blend)

2 cups Smoky Pulled Chicken (or shredded rotisserie chicken)

For topping:

Shredded lettuce

Chopped tomatoes

Chopped jalapeños

Guacamole

Sour Cream

Salsa

Espinaca

Cilantro

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The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

December 10, 2019~ Baking, Dessert, The Platefull Blog

This is my Mom’s chocolate chip cookie recipe and I think they are the absolute best! My kids haven’t ever turned one down, so I guess they think they are pretty good too. 😉

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

Author: Sarah

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Ingredients

Scale

1 cup Crisco

3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cream of tarter

1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

1/2 cup quick oatmeal

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350. Beat the crisco, sugars, vanilla, and eggs until fluffy. Add flour, baking soda, salt, and cream of tarter and mix until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips and oatmeal. Using a 1 inch cookie scoop, scoop balls of cookie dough onto a baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.

Caramel Chocolate Chip Oat Squares

December 9, 2019~ Baking, Dessert, The Platefull Blog

My mom made these when I was a kid and they’ve always been one of my favorites. I make these every Christmas when I’m doing my holiday baking. I hope you like them as much as I do!

Start by combining the flour, oats, sugar, baking soda, salt, and melted butter to make the crust.

Press about 2/3 of the crust mixture evenly into the bottom of an 8×8 baking dish and bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

Remove from the oven and sprinkle with chocolate chips and nuts.

Pour the caramel evenly over the top.

Crumble the remaining crust mixture over the top and bake for an additional 15 minutes.

Caramel Chocolate Chip Oat Squares

Author: Sarah

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Ingredients

Scale

1 cup flour

1 cup quick oatmeal

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup melted butter

32 Kraft caramels, unwrapped (or 1 bag Kraft ready to melt caramel balls)

5 Tbsp evaporated milk

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 cup chocolate chips

1 cup chopped walnuts (or pecans)

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour, oatmeal, sugar, soda, salt and melted butter. Put about 2/3 of the mixture into an 8×8 baking dish, pressing evenly into the bottom. Bake for 10 minutes.

In the meantime, melt the caramels in the microwave. Add the evaporated milk and vanilla and stir well to combine until smooth. Remove the crust from the oven. Sprinkle with chocolate chips and nuts. Pour the caramel evenly over the top. Crumble the remaining oat mixture over the top and bake for an additional 15 minutes.

The Best Kitchen Gadgets for Home Cooks

December 8, 2019~ Lifestyle, The Platefull Blog

As you can probably tell from the types of items on my wish list, I’m fortunate to have a well-stocked kitchen. Cooking has always been something I’ve truly loved, so I’ve collected a fair amount of kitchen gadgets over the years! I thought it would be fun to share the things I love that have withstood the test of time. When you’ve used as many brands and kitchen gadgets as I have, you definitely develop favorites that you consistently return to. This list has all of my favorites, broken down by category!

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I only recommend products I use in my own kitchen and these are all of my favorites.

Small Gadgets

I posted all about my most loved small kitchen gadgets here.

Cookbooks

There are three cookbooks always on display in my house. They are beautiful and have earned a place of prominence due to the amount I use them! The fourth spiral bound book you see here is my family recipes book, which is something my Mom made for all of us and is one of my favorite things ever.

The Food Lab is one of my all time favorite cookbooks. I’ve owned it for four years now and I still consistently refer to it. This cookbook does an amazing job of teaching you the very best methods to cook anything and everything. My boys are absolutely spoiled because of the Buttermilk Pancake recipe in this book!

Magnolia Table is a beautiful book first off. Second, if for no other reason, you need this book for the biscuit recipe. You’re welcome. (P.S. I can’t wait for the second one to come out!)

No Crumbs Left is another beautiful cookbook with delicious recipes that my family will actually eat. Some of them are even Whole 30 compliant! Bonus!

Pots and Pans

Outside of using cheap pots and pans through my earlier years, I’ve mostly used four “nice” brands for the last ten years. They are Kitchen Aid, All-Clad, Le Creuset, and Calphalon. I like them all for different reasons. I would say Kitchen Aid and Calphalon are pretty comparable. These are my “every day” pans. I use certain All-Clad pots and pans more than others, partly because I find them harder to work with (read: food sticks and if I can’t figure out what I’m doing wrong within a few seconds, I won’t mess with it any further. Sorry.). My most beloved pots and pans are my Le Creuset. They heat so well and clean up so easily, plus they are just beautiful! Here I’ve linked the specific pans I have and love from each brand and how I use them.

Le Creuset 3.5 Qt Braiser I use this pan for anything that requires browning and then moving to the oven. I also use it for anything that I plan to serve straight out of the pan because it’s so pretty.

Le Creuset 5 Qt Dutch Oven This is my favorite pot for making soups and chili. It’s small enough for every day use, but just the right size for all of the soup recipes that I make.

Le Creuset 9 Qt Dutch Oven I use this one for braising meat, like large pork shoulders or beef roasts.

Calphalon 10 Piece Pots and Pans Set This is the set that I currently have as my every day set. For the most part, I am really happy with them. The only thing I don’t love is the one saucepan that has a lid with a built in strainer. I originally though I would really love this feature, but I don’t use it much because this pot isn’t big enough for cooking pasta really. And with the holes, it means it doesn’t seal tight enough to cook rice, which this pot is the perfect size for. Other than that, I love this set and it’s held up really well in the dishwasher.

Kitchen Aid 10 Piece Pots and Pans Set This set is really quite comparable to the Calphalon set, except they don’t stack as nicely. I still use the saucepans from this set because I like them slightly better.

All Clad Stock Pot I use this pot for the occasions when I need a giant pot. Mostly for brining a chicken or making stock/broth.

All Clad 3 Qt Sauce Pan I use this saucepan a lot for things like lentils, quinoa, coconut rice, etc. It’s a really good size and a great, basic sauce pan.

Small Appliances

I tend to get very excited about small appliances and then rarely use them once I buy them. What can I say, I’m a creature of habit. When the Instant Pot came out, I was super excited. But, I find myself going back to my trusty slow cooker more often than not. Maybe it’s because of the learning curve, I don’t know. Here are the small appliances that I consistently use!

Kitchen Aid Artisan Stand Mixer This thing has been WELL LOVED and is still running perfectly! I’ve had mine for probably close to 10 years now.

Kitchen Aid Immersion Blender While I don’t use this all the time, it is nice to have for pureeing soups right in the pot or making homemade mayo, dressings, and marinades. Those are the primary things I use it for. I would say for the price, I’ve gotten a good amount of use out of it and it’s lasted several years now.

Kitchen Aid Food Processor I’ve had more food processors than I care to admit, from super tiny to the big guy with multiple bowls. This one is the one I’ve always gone back to. It’s the perfect size, not too heavy to get out, not too many pieces, and all dishwasher safe. Can’t beat that!

Kitchen Aid Slow Cooker Like I said before, my slow cooker is one of my old trusted friends. I just like it and I know how to use it.

Breville Smart Oven I originally got this to put in our basement bar area because we spend most of our time entertaining there in the summer. I found myself running up and down the stairs to use it so much that it now has a permanent place upstairs in my kitchen.

Breville Barista Express I’ll admit, when I first got this machine, I was coming from using a Nespresso, which is beyond easy. I was intimidated and found myself going back to the Nespresso until my brother showed me how to use this one. This is now all I’ve used, every single day (too many times a day than I care to admit) for making fancy lattes at home for the last 2 years and I’ve grown to absolutely love it! I’ve found the secret is buying freshly roasted beans. Makes perfect espresso every time!

Breville Juicer This is one that when I bought it, I found it on a great sale and wasn’t entirely sure I’d use it. But the price was so good, I figured I’d give it a shot. Now, a year later, I still use my juicer regularly. My only complaint is cleaning it. Outside of that, I love it – and my kids do too! They get a kick out of putting the fruits and veggies in. They’ve really surprised me with the combinations they are willing to try! Their favorite is actually Green Gorilla Juice! They get quite adventurous with what they will put into their juice. Yet somehow, they still love to drink it. That’s a win in my book!

Check out my current wish list (you know, in case you need a last minute gift idea for me, I mean for the cook in your life…..).

Candy Cane Bars

December 8, 2019~ Baking, Dessert, The Platefull Blog

Candy cane bars are a nice break from chocolate in holiday baking (don’t get me wrong, I love chocolate…like, a lot…). These bars are both beautiful and delicious!

First, make the cookie crust and press into a 9×3 prepared baking dish (lined with foil and coated with baking spray). Bake at 375 for 18-20 minutes, until barely light golden.

Remove from the oven and let cool completely. Then, using the edges of the foil, lift the bars out of the pan and slide off of the foil onto a cutting board. Spread the frosting over the top.

Sprinkle on the crushed candy canes and snowflake sprinkles (if using).

Cut into triangles to serve. Aren’t they beautiful?!

Candy Cane Bars

Author: Sarah

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Ingredients

For the bars

2 1/2 cups flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1 egg

4 Tbsp plain greek yogurt

1 tsp vanilla

For the frosting

1/2 cup butter, softened

2 Tbsp cream cheese, softened

3 cups powdered sugar

1/2 tsp peppermint extract

For topping

1/4 cup finely crushed candy canes

Snowflake sprinkles (optional)

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a 9×13 baking dish with foil coated in cooking spray. In a mixer bowl, cream together 1/2 cup of softened butter with granulated sugar and powdered sugar. Add in the egg, greek yogurt, and vanilla and mix well to combine. Add in the flour, baking powder, and salt and mix until the dough is no longer crumbly.

Press the dough into the lined baking dish. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until just starting to turn light golden brown. Set aside to cool completely.

For the frosting, whip the softened 1/2 cup of butter until fluffy. Add the cream cheese and peppermint extract and mix to combine. Add in the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time and mix well.

Using the edges of the foil, lift the crust out of the baking dish and slide off of the foil onto a cutting board. Spread the frosting over the top of the cooled bars. Sprinkle with crushed candy canes and snowflake sprinkles. Cut into triangles to serve.

Notes

You can find pre-crushed candy cane pieces at some specialty stores like World Market. Williams Sonoma has beautiful snowflake sprinkles.

The Cook’s Wish List

December 7, 2019~ Lifestyle

Curious as to what’s on my wish list for the kitchen this year? Here are the things I would love to add to my kitchen!

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I only recommend products I use in my own kitchen (or in this case, those that I really want!).

I love having pretty cookbooks in my kitchen, and Half Baked Harvest always has the prettiest Instagram posts! I would love to add this one to my collection of beautiful cookbooks that I keep on display (and try the recipes, too!).

In the summer, there is just nothing that beats fresh sweet corn. We put up corn with my Grandma’s recipe every summer and this tool looks like it could speed things up a bit!

I know, I know, I will probably get made fun of endlessly in my house for this one, because who really puts a fat separator on their wish list?! I love to braise meats in the oven and use the sauce afterwards, but how annoying is skimming fat off of a sauce?! Super annoying to me, hence the reason this gadget is on my list!

I’ve been really curious about the whole sous vide fad for a while now. I’ve got my eye on this sous vide cooker!

I always struggle with serving several dishes straight out of the oven that I want to serve family style on the table (think Thanksgiving dinner). I run around looking for extra hot pads to put under them and then the whole table looks like a mess of random fabrics. This looks like the perfect solution to that!

I truly don’t mind eating spiralized veggies in place of pasta noodles and I think they can make a salad more fun! I currently have a small hand spiralizer, which is a little difficult to use. I’ve had my eye on this one for a while now.

I make apple pies every holiday and they are well loved by our family and friends. Can you believe I peel all of those apples by hand?! I don’t know why, but I’ve never purchased an apple corer and peeler, so that’s at the top of my list this year before I make another pie!

Looking for additional gift ideas for the home cook? Check out my post on gifts under $25!

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