Sunshine + Microbes' 2020 Holiday Gift Guide! 🎁
Issue No. 62
31 gifts — from simple spices to fancy frying pans — to satiate friends and family this holiday season!
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I find giving gifts to be a stressful endeavor, which is why I mostly don’t do it. If I stumble upon something I know a loved one will cherish, I scoop it up. But when it comes to birthdays and Christmas, I can be a bit of a Scrooge.
However I did love curating this Holiday Gift Guide! We even found an alluring model ✨ to show off some of our favorite products. There is something fun and fabulous at every price point and for every discerning weirdo in your life. I sincerely hope this guide will make your holiday gift-giving more joyful and less stressful. And don’t forget to treat yourself to a little something too!
If you want to give Sunshine + Microbes a little present, please share this gift guide on social media or forward it to a foodie friend or five. 🎉
love,
Jackie
P.S. Nobody paid us to promote any of these products. These are just some cool things that I think you might like!
On the first week of December my true love gave to me, this nifty gift guide👇
Choice Stocking Stuffers
🍯Hani Honey Co. Chai Spice Honey | $6 | Infused raw honey from my favorite beekeepers. Drizzle it on vanilla ice cream, sweeten that morning chai, or stir into a homemade curry.
Skoy Reusable Scrubber | $7.59 | A washable dish scrubber that actually works! I’ve had mine for years and it still gets the gross stuff off my pots and pans, especially with the help of a little baking soda and vinegar. I throw it in the washing machine and it comes out like new.
Tajin! | $2.99 | This ubiquitous chile-lime seasoning is a condiment with its own cult following.
🌱Hudson Valley Seed Co. Seeds | $3.95 | Organic heirloom seeds for your garden wrapped in beautiful packs created by different artists.
Palm + Oak Kitchen Towels | $20 | These extra large indigo-dyed towels are a multi-purpose superstar in the kitchen.
Sunhouse Craft Hand Broom | $15+ | Sweep up messes in style with these handmade brooms.
Homemade Granola | Sure, you can bake cookies, but this granola is really something special. A mason jar of this luxe granola will take pride of place in any pantry. (See recipe)
For the Serious Cook
🍕The Original Baking Steel Co Baking Steel | $89 | The secret to making crispy-bottom pizza is a super hot cooking surface. This steel pan produces restaurant-quality pizzas in a home oven.
Keepwell Vinegar | $10+ | Small batch vinegar in a variety of intriguing flavors like chantarelle, celery leaf, and sorghum molasses.
Fresh Bread Education with Sarah Owens | $10/month | Join author Sarah Owens' Patreon for exclusive baking recipes and video tutorials. Owens champions whole grains and sourdough in her cooking, with a classy-yet-nourishing style.
🍳Crane Cast Iron Frying Pan | $192 | These beautifully designed pans made in the U.K. are sure to become a new family heirloom.
Carr's Ciderhouse Cider Syrup | $16 | The condiment I didn't know existed, and now can't live without. Adds wonderful depth of flavor to roasted veggies, marinades, and salad dressings.
For the Not-So-Basic Bro
♨️Grill Armor Heat Gloves | $27.95 | Level up from those clumsy oven mitts.
Homemade Mustard | A jar of homemade mustard classes up any meal, from a roast pork loin to a turkey sandwich to a summer grill out. (See recipe)
Uncle Nearest Whiskey | $49+ | An award-winning BIPOC-owned Tennessee Whiskey company. Based on the recipe from Nathan Green, a former slave and the “godfather of Tennessee whiskey.”
🌶️Shaquanda Hot Sauce | $10 | "Be the queen of your kitchen" with this hot sauce that got its start as part of a drag performance art piece!
Ferment Works Fermentation School | $15 - $119 | A variety of in-depth fermentation courses, including tempeh, hot sauce, charcuterie, and veggies. Classes taught by renowned fermentation educators Kirsten Shockey and Meredith Leigh.
For the World Traveler Stuck at Home
Loisa Sazon y Adobo | $15.98 | Sustainably produced spice blends. Perfect for making the chicken and rice of your dreams or for spicing up a special mofongo.
Avakaya Annam | $9.99 | Indian roasted garlic and coriander pickle for marinades, salsas, and curries. Made in Miami.
Basbaas Tamarind Date Sauce | $9.99 | A smokey, fruity, spicy Somali flavor paste.
Diaspora Spice Co Single Origin Turmeric | $12 | Gold standard turmeric.
For the Discerning Gourmand
🍷🍷Primal Wine Natural Wine Club | $85+/month | Get real fancy with this fabulous curated selection of natural wines, delivered monthly to your door.
Seka Hills Olive Oil | $28 | Sustainable olive oil produced by the Yocha Dehe Wintun tribe in the Capay Valley, Calif.
Homemade Garlic Honey | A luxury condiment that’s super simple to make. (See recipe)
🥖💡🥐Pampshade Bread Lamp | $75+ | A whimsical LED light made from an actual baked good! Shapes include dinner rolls, croissants, and baguettes.
Whetstone Magazine | $90 | A food culture magazine with a mission of "championing food to expand human empathy."
For the Climate Conscious
Stasher Reusable Storage Bags | $23.99+ | With the aid of the Stasher bag, I've finally kicked my dependence on ziplock bags in the kitchen.
Congaree and Penn Mayhaw Jelly | $12 | Made in north Florida with the quirky, climate-friendly mayhaw fruit.
♻️All We Can Save, Edited by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and Katharine K. Wilkinson | $29 | A collection of essays from women on the forefront of the climate movement.
Geobin Composter | $38.99 | A super simple, extra large composter to turn kitchen trash into treasure.
Surviving the Future: Conversations for Our Time | $99 | This virtual course from Sterling College will focus on solutions aimed at building resilient communities.
Talk to Us
Send in your comments, mailbag questions, recipe mishaps, or cooking tips: sunshineandmicrobes@gmail.com. Also do us a favor and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Visit our website and cook yourself something nice.
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Sunshine + Microbes team
Jackie Vitale is a cook and kitchen educator based in Stuart, Fla. She is co-founder of the Florida Ferment Fest. Her newsletter explores the intersection of food, culture, environment and community.
Matt Levin is a communications specialist at the ACLU of Texas. He edits Sunshine + Microbes and contributes other scraps to each issue.