1//Tex Mex Cookbook $20
I can’t say enough great things about this cookbook. If you like Mexican and Tex Mex food, just buy it. Everything in it is so delicious.
2//Half Baked Harvest Super Simple Cookbook $18
This is the second cookbook recently released by my favorite food blogger. I’ve marked almost every single recipe in this book as something I want to try. The few I’ve made already were winners with every member of the family. It’s a great cookbook.
3//Presto Salad Shooter $40
This is one of my favorite kitchen gadgets! It’s called a salad shooter, but I actually use it for cheese. Freshly shredded or grated cheese is going to taste ten times better than the bagged variety with added chemicals. You can shred an entire block of cheese in just seconds. I love it!
4//Mezzetta Habanero Hot Sauce $15 for 3
I’ve probably tried hundreds of hot sauces in my adult life and over and over again I come back to this one. If you love spicy food, this hot sauce is THE BEST.
5//Dirty Dick’s Hot Sauce $7
It took me awhile to come around to liking the sweet and spicy combination on a taco and now I can’t have enough of it! I especially love this sauce on regular beef tacos.
6//Maldon Sea Salt Flakes $6
If you don’t have a bowl of Maldon sea salt flakes permanently out on your counter, you are not truly living. I’m serious, these incredible salty flakes enrich literally everything you eat. My favorite way to use them is sprinkled on desserts, but they’re also perfect for finishing off meat, french fries, and more.
7//Salt Cellar $14
You obviously also need a salt cellar to store your sea salt flakes. I prefer these wood ones with a swivel top, guaranteeing they can always easily be covered, but they’re also very easy to open.
8//Victorinox 6 Inch Chef Knife $39
This is my tried and true knife that I use every single day for cutting meat. I do sharpen it with a cheap hand sharpener every once in awhile just to make the chore go more smoothly, but it’s the perfect size for my hands and always works so well.
9//Victorinox Paring Knife $17
Of all the knives I’ve ever bought, this has been my favorite and stood the test of time. It’s the absolute perfect size for basically all your non-meat cutting needs. It’s perfect.
10//Reusable Grocery Bags $15 for 5
Buying a couple sets of these particular reusable grocery bags has been life saving for me this year when I go on bigger grocery runs. I always use them in stores that require you to bag your own items – it saves so much time when you don’t need to fight with those ridiculous plastic bags. They’re also incredibly strong and can hold a massive amount of food.
11//Better Than Everything Bagel Spice $9
Not all spice companies are created equally. I love experimenting with blends from various companies and can very quickly tell the difference from something cheap and something of quality. This is a fabulous blend of everything bagel seasoning (with a few surprise ingredients!), but be sure to check out all the rest of their spices too.
12//Mini Whisk $8
Other than my tongs and my garlic press, this is probably the most used – yet totally random – kitchen gadget I own. My favorite thing to use it for is mixing up lumpless glazes and sauces, but it’s also perfect for eggs or anything else that needs a quick stir.
13//Zyliss Tongs $15
Not all tongs are created equal! I’ve had two sets of these tongs and they’ve lasted at least ten years! I use them almost every day.
14//Dulcey Blonde Chocolate Baking Feves and Crunch Pearls $32
This is quite possibly the best chocolate treat I’ve ever eaten in my life. If you can get your hands on it – DO IT. The downside is that buying directly from their website comes with an enormous shipping fee (because it’s the most reliable, they say), but I love them so much I needed to share.
15//Smokin T’s Smoked Tomato Sauce $8
I first tried this at the State Fair and loved its unique smoky richness. You can use it as a sauce, marinade, or dressing, but my favorite way is to simply eat it with tortilla chips. I love the “With a Kick” version, but there’s a non spicy variety as well.
16//Glitterati Eleganza $18
For the person who loves having just a tiny sweet treat here and there, this is the perfect solution. I purchase these to add as little thank you gifts to all my Heartstring Annie orders. The Eleganza mix is my favorite, particularly the amaretti flavor (you can also buy just a bag of those!).
17//Instant Read Meat Thermometer $22
Everyone needs a good instant read thermometer. I love mine for quickly checking the temp on meat. This particular one comes in many different colors!
