Holiday Gift Guide: Wine and Entertaining Must Haves

I love hosting company all year round and especially during the holidays. I shared on the blog a few weeks ago my tips for easy entertaining, which includes an easy formula of 1- set the mood, 2- serve the food, and 3- drink the wine. I’ve curated a gift guide designed to share a few of my favorites items I use on repeat or items I have on the top of my wish list to make hosting guests easy to do at any time. Use this guide to help find the perfect gift for the hard to shop for someone in your life and gift them with a thoughtful and useful item to use all year round.

If you have a foodie in your life, a cookbook is a great gift. My personal favorites are the Barefoot Contessa and Ina Garten cookbooks. A cookbook is a gift which keeps on giving so buy one today for the chef on your list!

Cookbooks

Barefoot Contessa Family Style $28 This cookbook has many great recipes and I am still finding new ones to incorporate into our meals. We had family over for dinner last night and tried the sautéed carrots recipe from this book for our side dish. The recipe turned out delicious!
Barefoot in Paris $24 I recently purchased this cookbook and have already flagged a few recipes to try over the holidays. I’m excited to see if I can recreate my favorite salad, the warm goat cheese salad, which I order any time I am at a French restaurant. Yum!
Go To Dinners $20 This was my first Barefoot Contessa cookbook, which built my confidence for being able to follow Ina’s advice to plan and create a great meal. My favorite recipe (so far) is the croissants with smoked salmon.

I love cooking on Sunday’s when we often stay home to enjoy an afternoon of football (Go Chiefs!) and having these cookbooks on hand is a great way to continue to test my skills around the kitchen. if you find yourself loving Ina Garten’s cookbooks, I recommend buying her recently released Ina Garten a memoir book to hear more of her story. I laughed, I was inspired and I was encouraged to keep moving forward with cooking and with chasing my dreams!

A few basic versatile serving dishes is all you need to be ready to host guests on short notice. Consider one of these items as a holiday gift for the host or hostess in your life as a simple way to give them a classic piece to be used for many years.

Serveware

Modular Serving Set $35 This set is shamelessly on repeat at our house and one of my favorite ways to serve appetizers. I like the versatility of this set, which makes having a variety of finger foods in a nice display, easy to do. I have given this set as a gift on several occasions and it’s always a hit!
Dip Set $19 I love a set of 3 bowls on a wood tray to place out on the table. I rarely use it for dip and more often use this to have several quick snacks out such as nuts, cheese and crackers. My daughter also enjoys filling these with her favorite snacks, which is usually Goldfish, Cheez-its and Dots pretzels (unless I can sneak in some apple slices!)
Rectangle Platter $15 This platter is great when you want to set out a small amount of food such as a cheese dip with crackers or to serve up a side dish for a nice meal. The size works well for a variety of dishes and is easy to set out without taking up much space on the table.

What you eat and how you serve the food are two important components to hosting a fun evening with friends or family. It doesn’t need to be a complicated or an elaborate affair and often the best times are laid back and low key. Simple is more on most occasions and these serving dishes check all the boxes for me!

I gravitate to a simple tablescape, which feels both inviting and accessible to guests to sit down and engage in conversation. There are few key items to help set the mood for any gathering and I’ve shared below my favorites around our house.

Tableware and Accessories

Fringe Napkins (Set of 4) $40 I love Crate&Barrel napkins! I have a few styles and they wash up great. My favorite are the fringe napkins and I like the added detail when the napkin is set out in the table setting. These come in a variety of colors and new seasonal options come out each year to mix and match.
Taper Candle Holders – Set of 3 $52 and White Taper Candles – Set of 2 $7 These candle holders are a classic must have item. They look great with or without candles and go with any decor style. A quick change of the candle allows you to reflect the season and use throughout the year.
Wine Coaster $20 I mentioned in this post how this item is used every time we serve wine. We have collected several over the years and I have on my wish list the marble wine coaster to add to the collection. This is a great gift for the wine lover on your list. Pair with a bottle of their favorite wine and your gift is done!

I love giving gifts centered around someone’s passion. If you have someone in your life who enjoys cooking and hosting gatherings with family or friends, these items are the must haves in my opinion. Now that your shopping is done, it’s time for wine!