Welcome to another weekend, and a special gift guide edition of Saturday Sun! Folks expressed interest in a few little edible/cooking gift ideas, so we’ve expanded the “5 Things I’m Enjoying” section to 10 gift ideas that will hopefully inspire. I’m also sharing a recipe that is perfect for gifting next week!

I hope that you’ve been taking care as the holiday season ramps up. This weekend, I’m doing the outdoor decorating, we’re having a little date night, and also attending our friends annual Friendsgiving celebration (I’m bringing a citrusy brussels sprouts salad). Hopefully we can squeeze in a cozy fire and a Christmas movie (leave your faves in the comments!).

I really lean into my little routines this time of year to bring as much daily calm and quiet as possible. Hoping you’ve been able to do this as well! Catch you here next week xoxo

5 Things I’m Reading:

1. Four Ways to Be Grateful—And Happier
2. How to Avoid Family Drama This Holiday Season
3. I DIDN’T FOLLOW THE RECIPE, AND I’M APPALLED IT TURNED OUT SO AWFUL
4. 99 Things Money Can’t Buy
5. Forest or Nature Bathing: Ancient Practices, Modern Uses, and the Science of Relaxation

Things I’m Enjoying:
🎀 SPECIAL GIFT GUIDE EDITION! 🎀

1. Acid League’s All The Alliums
   This sauce is legitimately a cheat code for instant flavour in sauces, dressings, soups, stews, basically anything I’m cooking. It has Dijon vinegar, black garlic, shallots, and a hint of sweetness. Acid League initially sent this to me as a gift, but now I don’t like to be without it. 
2. Fly By Jing Sichuan Chili Crisp
   For the person in your life that loves the spice! I put this stuff on everything and love so many other items in their product range. It’s obviously hot, but also has deep umami characteristics that amplify whatever you’re applying it to. They have lots of great gift sets too!
3. Logan Petit Lot nut butters
   I’m a huge fan of this Canadian brand. Their maple peanut butter is one of my favourite things in general. The cashew coffee nibs flavour smells like the most incredible breakfast cereal. I also just got their seasonal flavours and the après huit is calling to me!
4. Beans! And freshly milled flour
   For the bakers and bean enthusiasts in your life! As someone who cooks constantly, it’s so nice to receive an unusual bean variety or freshly milled flour for bread baking. I love Primary Beans and Flourist for assembling cute gift bundles like this. Dry goods, but make them special and fun! 😉
5. Benriner Mandoline
   It’s not a super fancy/glamorous gift, but I use it all the time! For the person in your life that loves playing with vegetables and making pretty salads in general, a sharp mandoline is key. Mine has just the essential features and has stayed sharp over 10 years of consistent use.
6. Bench scraper
   Again, not the most glamorous gift, but an excellent stocking stuffer! I use this every day to transfer chopped veg from my cutting board to the pot/baking sheet/bowl etc. It’s also wonderful for dividing up bread dough and, yes, scraping down the bench/board when you’re cleaning up.
7. Microplane
   Another thing that I use constantly for super finely minced garlic and ginger, citrus zest, nutmeg, and more! The fine holes of a box grater just do not cut it! 
8. Earlywood Flat Sauté Spatulas
   There’s just something about these that I enjoy so much more than using a wooden spoon. I feature them in my photos and videos all the time because I truly use them every day! Great for stirring obviously, but also flipping foods over, breaking up bits of veggie sausage, and even using as salad tongs in a pinch. 
9. Atelier Trema Oil Dispenser
   I get so many questions about these! I have one for avocado oil and one for olive, and they look so nice next to the stove. They really do make great gifts for the cooks in your life.
10. Cookbooks! Here are some faves of mine that came out this year:
    ♥️ BrED by Ed Tatton: Stunning plant-based sourdough and sweets baking inspiration
    ♥️ Farmhouse Vegetables by Michael Smith: I watched a lot of Michael Smith on Food Network when I was in my late teens. This veg-forward offering from him is beautiful!
    ♥️ Plantcakes by Lyndsay Sung: The most incredible vegan cakes and so much excellent vegan baking advice in general in this book.
    ♥️ Polish’d by Michał Korkosz: I love the international influences in this modern vegetarian cookbook that is broken down by cooking method.
    ♥️ Vegetable Revelations by Steven Satterfield: Chapters are arranged by botanical family in this beauty! An abundance of vegetable cooking inspiration that is a little bit restauranty, which I enjoy sometimes.
    ♥️ Veg-Table by Nik Sharma: I had been waiting for this book with such anticipation! This book is all about vegetable-focused mains with lots of fascinating food science tidbits to up your cooking game in general.

5 Questions:

1. Tips on not getting irritable when nobody accommodates vegan needs at holiday dinners?
   I answered this question on Instagram, but think that it fits here as well. I have been in this position before! I think the first thing to be mindful of is how much work hosting is. There’s so much to buy, cook, clean, and manage. It’s possible that the host is not 100% aware of what your dietary needs are and what they entail. I always recommend checking in at least a week ahead of time to a) let them know that you’re vegan, and b) ask what you can bring to the dinner to help out. I always try to bring a recipe that eats like a side dish, but will still be super satiating for me if it’s one of the only options at the table that’s totally plant-based. My go-to is a farro salad with French lentils, roasted pieces of squash, pomegranate, chopped herbs, toasted nuts, and a shallot dressing (let me know if I should post the recipe!). Communication, empathy, and a willingness to help go a long way. When all else fails, I grab a veggie burger combo from Harvey’s (frings on the side thanks) on the way home haha.
2. I think you have a nut/seed/oat milk machine? What brand is it and do you like it?
   I had an Almond Cow, but to be honest I didn’t love it. Prior to getting the almond cow, I would make nut milk in my Vitamix blender and just use a nut milk bag to fine strain it. When I saw ads for the Almond Cow, it seemed like it could make the milk without the need for the straining step. This was so appealing to me, so I took the plunge. Unfortunately, there were still bits in the finished milks that needed straining (it felt like there was nut pulp at the bottom of my lattes sometimes), and I also did not find the milks to be as creamy as the ones I had been making in the Vitamix. Overall, a high power blender is a much more versatile machine and it does a better job of making nut/seed/oat milks in my opinion.
3. Best set of pots and pans when you’re starting from scratch?
   If I was starting over, I would probably get a GreenPan set for nonstick (there’s a great deal on a set at Ontario Costco warehouses right now). And while it is a bit pricey, I still love my stainless 10-piece All-Clad D5 set so much.
4. How did you transition to working for yourself?
   Very slowly! I started my blog in 2011 and began to pursue it full time in 2017. Leading up to that point, I worked part time in restaurants and did some freelance jobs in food photography while I worked on my site and eventually my cookbook. When my book came out in 2017, I felt secure enough to try working for myself full time.
5. What benefits have you noticed from juicing?
   I mostly do it for the sheer enjoyment! I see it as an extension of my creativity with food recipes. Of course the juices are hydrating and energizing to an extent, but I mostly just find it fun to throw them together. I will say that juicing has been excellent for dodging food waste, making the best mocktails, and overall increasing the variety of fruits and vegetables in our diet. My juicer is the Nama J2 and I love it! You can load it up with produce and walk away, which is the best part. My code: TFM10 gets you 10% off any juicer in their lineup.