Gap Creek Gourmet Gift Guide 2012

Well, the Christmas trees are up and the house is decorated. Now it's time to get serious about shopping.  It's tough sometimes to figure out what to get everyone on my list. I'm sure you're the same, right?  Luckily, this year, I've been stockpiling ideas on Pinterest... bookmarking others.  And now it's time to share my loot and hopefully give you guys some good ideas for those harder to please people on your list.

Note: if you are a relative (or my husband), please quit reading and go back to whatever else you were doing or your grand surprise might be destroyed forever.  Thanks.

Flavored salts are the bomb.  We keep a jar of the Yamika Applewood Smoked Sea Salt on hand from Whole Foods at all times and it's a definite yes on the gift giving list this year, but I also found this Sriracha Salt for the hubs stocking on Etsy.

Van's Chocolates in Hendersonville, North Carolina has amazing Wine Truffles.  Tickle that wine lover's fancy with a half dozen chocolates and a bottle of red.

I found this cake tester on the Duff Goldman site and immediately bought one for someone on my list.  It's hard not to buy one of everything for myself, too.  Sigh.  I pinned it to my "I want..." board on Pinterest to satiate the need.  Maybe Santa will get one for my stocking...  PS: right now, everything on this site is 50% off!

I am a HUGE Chuck fan.  Love me some green Converse, but did you know you can personalize the heck out of these things?  I mean, you can even order them in zebra stripe with the color of trim you want and your name on the side?  Seriously.  Go check it out.  When my daughter's foot quits growing, I'm so getting her some of these.

I need this hat, and so does the baker on your list. It's a must, don't you think?

Okay, so Greenville has this amazing Culinary Tour.  No, I haven't been yet, but this is year number two it's on my wishlist.   You get to meet the chefs and get up close and behind the scenes at some of Greenville's hottest restaurants.  Oh, and they feed you. 

Books.  Everyone still needs a book or two for Christmas.  There's something so tactile about flipping a page, dog-earing for later... Two pics for the cook on your  list are

"Stuffed: Adventures of a Restaurant Family" by Patricia Volk (a memoir and recommended at a food writing class I took recently) and..."The Secrets of the Best Chefs" by Adam Roberts (recipes, tips and tricks from a foodie/chef/blogger who is the cat's p.j.'s in my little world). 

I just can't keep up with my life on my iPhone or computer.  I've tried Outlook.  I've tried reminders.  Nope.  I need a good, old fashioned written calendar.  And I am lusting over this Erin Condren life planner. You can personalize it with pics, etc, but the coolest part is the big, full spread calendar and lots of sections for keeping notes and important info.

I love a good movie that makes me want to run for the kitchen for some grub (or a tasty beverage).  Here are the top foodie movies on my list: Ratatouille, Julie and Julia, Under the Tuscan Sun, Chocolat, Big Night (on my wishlist this year), It's Complicated, Bottle Shock and Sideways.

For the 3 and unders on your list, get them the Little People Nativity Set.  I've purchased so many of these over the years that I should have bought Fisher-Price stock.  Seriously. It's part of the Christmas decor in my house, too.

Got a wife/daughter/friend who's just got everything?  This Figs and Ginger necklace is awesome.  I have one and every single time I wear it someone compliments me on it.

Okay, so I could go on and on forever.  I love the gift giving season.  It's the bomb!  I'm always open to helping out if you're stumped and need some inspiration for someone on your list. But for now, I hope this gets you started!  Happy shopping.