Thank you to all of the companies that provided samples for this gift guide for foodies and wine lovers. Even though I received samples of many of the items in the post, all opinions are my own.

Brian and I have always been considered foodies by those around us. We never realized it until our time in Uruguay when one day we realized that everyone there referred to us as the foodie expats.

Now, we have fully embraced our foodie sides because, guess what, we absolutely love good food and wine! Unlike many foodies, we enjoy cooking at home more than we enjoy eating out.

If you have a similar foodie or wine lover on your holiday shopping list, check out our holiday Gift guide for foodies and wine lovers below.

Tucson Tamales

Even foodies that like to cook at home enjoy a break sometimes! We are huge Mexican food lovers in our house (I grew up in San Diego – I should be!). So the whole family was excited to dig into some delicious handmade tamales from Tucson Tamale.

I have to say, they did not disappoint! From the very first bite, I was hooked. Both the meat and vegetarian versions were absolutely delicious.

I served them with pinto beans and Mexican Rice made in my Instant Pot and the entire family ate in silence. The gift pack lasted us 2 night’s dinners, which was awesome.

It’s super easy to prepare the tamales once they arrive from Tucson Tamale. Just let them defrost and then steam them. That’s the secret – you have to steam your tamales, not bake them!

Tucson Tamale has been making tamales since 2008. They’re always handmade from scratch and their delicate corn masa is only made with non-GMO organic corn. They’re also lard-free.

There are lots of filling options to choose from, such as ‘calabacitas’ – a traditional mix of stewed squash, tomatoes, onion, green chile and sweet corn. Or you can try a not-so-traditional Indian-inspired tamale filled with organic curried vegetables made with coconut milk in a mild yellow curry sauce.

Get your tamale gift pack from Tucson Tamale here.

Carmel Honey Company

We are also total honey junkies. I use honey all the time – in baking, in my tea, by the spoonful… you get the picture. After our recent family vacation to Carmel, I learned about the Carmel Honey Company.

It was started by 13-year-old Carmel student Jake Reisdorf who was 11 at the time. He was tired of seeing stories about the bees dying. Instead of just being frustrated and upset by it, he took the matter into his own hands and did something and started beekeeping. Pretty admirable!

As part of his “Jake Gives Back” program, Jake donates a portion of his honey sales proceeds to organizations that are expanding research and education efforts by addressing the production, nutritional value, health benefits, economics, and/or quality standards of honey bees and honey.

The four types of honey currently available — Sage Honey, Wildflower Honey, Orange Blossom Honey and Meadowfoam Honey — from Carmel Honey Company are all-natural, pure, raw, premium honey that come straight from the hive.

In addition to individual jars of honey, Carmel Honey Company offers three special packages that would be great for the foodie on your gift list: Carmel Honey Company Honey Sampler, Honeycomb and Honey Stix. My girls love the honey stix!

You can order online from Carmel Honey Company here.

Thoughtfully Gift Boxes

The girls were the most excited about this one, but I’m pretty thrilled about it too. I love mystery gift boxes that are filled with awesome goodies.

Have you seen Thoughtfully Gift Boxes yet? They are super cute and packed with good stuff! We got the Cirque Du Sweet box, which has brownie mix, sugar cookie mix and chocolate chip cookie mix in it.

Aren’t the colors super fun?

Best of all, it comes with three mini cast iron pans for baking everything in. It also has a frosting kit, sprinkles and three small milk bottles. It’s super cute and I’d be thrilled to receive any one of the many gift boxes offered by Thoughtfully!

They’re running a special right now too where you can buy 3 and get 1 free. Great deal! Check them out here.

Miner Family Wines

Brian and I love a good glass of wine. Typically, we both prefer red, so we were really excited to get to sample three reds and one white from Miner Family Wines.

• 2012 Miner Family Winery Wild Yeast Chardonnay (SRP: $50.00)
• 2014 Miner Family Winery Garys’ Pinot Noir (SRP: $60.00)
• 2013 Stagecoach Miner Family Winery Merlot (SRP: $50.00)
• 2013 Stagecoach Miner Family Winery Cabernet Sauvignon (SRP $75.00)

Surprisingly, out of the four wines, our favorite was the Chardonnay! It had a super mellow flavor on the front end and tons of flavor on the back it. It was delicious and we were sad when the bottle was gone.

The reds have a very strong cherry flavor to them, so if you know a big cherry fan, then they would be a great gift choice for them!

Learn more about Miner Family Wines here.

Saltopia

Salt. It’s one of my favorite things. It makes everything better! I’ve been wanting to try cooking on a salt block for a while now.

I love how versatile they are. Himalayan salt slabs can be used as plates & platters. They can also be used as cooking tools to sauté, grill, chill, cure, bake and sear food! Super cool.

Knowing how much I adore good salt, Saltopia sent us a variety of their fabulous products to check out, including an 8x6x2 salt slab, salt shot glasses, Signature Line salts and Himalayan grinder products.

If you haven’t heard of Saltopia, they are an all natural harvested Salt company based out of New Jersey. Kimarie Santiago, founder of Saltopia, uses only natural Sea Salts from all over the world and infuses them with distinct, delectable and locally sourced flavors such as basil, cabernet and vanilla.

If you there’s someone on your shopping list that loves salt as much as me, be sure to check out all of the wonderful gift ideas from Saltopia here.

Silicone Popsicle Mold

We make a lot of popsicles. I have a great recipe for Pumpkin Spice Popsicles if you’re looking for a seasonal recipe! However, I have really struggled to find a popsicle mold that I like using.

Most of them are made of plastic, which is something we absolutely try to avoid. And the silicone popsicle molds I tried in the past were the push-pop type, which none of us liked. How is it a popsicle without a stick?

I recently got one of the Simpler Treats silicone popsicle molds and it seems like a great alternative! The silicone seems sturdy and the quality seems good.

It does have plastic popsicle sticks, so keep that in mind. But you could technically use wooden sticks if you wanted to completely avoid plastic.

Get your own silicone popsicle mold here.

Sneaky Blends

So many Americans don’t eat enough vegetables! It blows my mind how many adults (as well as children) claim that they don’t like vegetables.

If your family falls into that category (or you know one that does), then I suggest checking out the new Sneaky Blends book. Authored by Missy Chase Lapine, Sneaky Blends shows you how to supercharge your health with 100 recipes using the power of purees.

This book is targeted at adults rather than children. The message is that you can cut calories, eliminate unhealthy sugars and fats and slim down by “sneaking” nutritious – and delicious – blends into favorite recipes.

Did you know you can 350 calories a day or 2500 calories per week from your diets without sacrificing flavor? Sneaky Blends will show you how.

Get your very own copy of the Sneaky Blends book here.

Just Spices

It’s no secret that I love making my own spice blends. It’s something I have a bit of a passion and knack for, or so I’ve been told. That doesn’t mean I don’t love trying other spice blends, though.

Just Spices sent us 3 of their spices to try out for this Gift Guide for foodies.

The Murray River Salt is delicious and flaky. So, so good. The Extra Spicy Seasoning is EXTRA SPICY. It takes a lot for me to say that, so take heed. If you have a heat lover, then you’ll have a hit. I haven’t tried the smoothie boost in a smoothie yet, but I have a feeling it will be tasty.

Just Spices’ currently offers 20 spice blends in the United States, including BBQ Popcorn Seasoning, BBQ Seasoning, Extra Spicy Seasoning, Flavors of Italy Seasoning, Flavors of Mexico Seasoning, Guacamole Seasoning, Hickory Rub, Oatmeal Spice Blend, Pancake Blend, Pizza Seasoning, Pork Rub, Savory Eggs Blend, Seafood Rub, Smoothie Boost, Spicy Garlic Blend, Spicy Popcorn Seasoning, Steak Rub, Sweet Potato Seasoning, Texas BBQ Dip Seasoning and Vegetable Broth Seasoning.

Just Spices is headquartered in Dusseldorf, Germany, with newly opened offices in Los Angeles. Learn more about Just Spices here.

What would you add to this gift guide for foodies and wine lovers?

If you’re a brand that would like to get your product added to this gift guide, please contact me for details.

The post Holiday Gift Guide for Foodies + Wine Lovers appeared first on Happy Mothering.