Your guide to the best holiday gifts this season
I cannot believe it is almost Christmas.
Even though I live in sunny Florida and will not experience a traditional white winter season, Christmas will always be the most wonderful time of the year!
During this time of year, I get so excited about giving presents to my friends and family. This gift guide is not like the others you will receive in your inbox – these are not suggestions but must-haves. I am telling you, all five gifts are complete game changers!
The Gift of Fermentation |
Fermentation is not scary, fermentation is not intimidating, and it is not dangerous. On the contrary, culturing is one of the safest ways of preserving foods, and it is easy to do with minimal equipment – you need to start somewhere.
Naturally and wildly fermented foods have been a part of our culture for centuries, and we did not buy laboratory-made probiotics at grocery stores or pharmacies. We ate food that contained naturally occurring, beneficial bacteria and never had to worry about gut health.
If you care about your friends and want to empower them to take health into their own hands, these five gifts will be so unusual and shocking that you will see an unanticipated smile on their faces saying, I want to ferment things NOW!
Here are my five ridiculously awesome gifts:
Our modern world loves convenience. Our busy lifestyles tend to trade homemade and good quality food and drinks for store-bought fast food and junk food. Today, we prefer to spend the remainder of our days with family and friends instead of in the kitchen, cooking or fermenting food.
If this is your friend’s case, don’t worry, we got you covered! It happens that I like fermenting, and over the years I have learned how to make it for others. I can ship a fresh supply of these better for you bevies tomorrow, and it will get your friend just in time for Christmas!
IYKYK. This is for my fellows FERMENTARIANS, or wanna-be fermentarians. There is nothing finer in the world than this handcrafted sourdough crock. I ordered this fermentation vase from the Goblin Pottery for my friend Erin. She always admires my cuisine and wants to be a fermentarian like me. I loved it so much that after receiving it, I immediately placed another order but this time for myself. Seriously, a masterpiece. I can guarantee your friend will be sharing her/his first loaf of homemade bread on Instagram before 2023.
“Fermenting and baking is both physical and mental therapy,” my grandma would say.
This woman possessed so much natural wisdom and her grasp on human nature was out of this world. Today, in this modern world we are constantly seeking new ways to unwind and relax, usually indulging in and chasing doing nothing. Paradoxically, my grandma taught us the opposite. Homemaking, cooking, and fermenting were considered relaxation for her.
If you are looking for a gift for a stressed and overworked friend, these books propose the best form of active relaxation. I know this concept sounds paradoxical but trust me, it works! Don’t forget to tell your buddy to post his first kombucha or loaf of bread.
My grandma always said that life is happier with room-temperature butter. This cultured butter dish is the only hyper-specific kitchen item worth buying as a gift. Real, cultured butter is the ultimate treat, and deserves a royal treatment. I found this beauty online at Goblin Pottery as well. I love supporting these small businesses. I always think small first. The artist creates functional pieces of art using clay. All of her pieces are uniquely beautiful and interesting. Items like these are always a little more money than the box store choices, but at least I know that this purchase supports real people.
I hope some of you are going to take this email very seriously.
Happy holidays from my family to yours!
Aneta & Team 221BC
