(Part 2) Reddit mentions: The best food & beverage gifts

Happy Cake Day!

Imma hook you up! First off, meeting people is not hard, but I'm gonna roll with the idea that you just aren't comfortable striking up a conversation with strangers. That's ok, but i find that people are generally friendlier than you expect.

Anyway, first things first, head over to Amazon and buy THIS I have the same one. If you reseal the bags well, they will last FOREVER. Open the box, smell them all (waft, DON'T stick your nose directly over an open bag of fine powder! ;-) As you use the various spices, you can get a feel for what you like and what you don't and restock on the stuff you like.

Once you have the spices, head out to your favorite cooking website like allrecipies.com or food.com and look for something that looks good to you, and is highly rated. Here's a good starter curry that will use some of the spices from your magic box. Also you can search subreddits like /r/FoodPorn/ /r/Cooking/ or /r/IndianFood/

Lastly you can check you local community collage or institution of learning to see if weekend cooking courses are offered. These are super fun, you meet people, and come away with new ideas.

THEN, when YOU are the one making things smell awesome, you can knock on the door of your neighbors and ask them if they can spare a teaspoon of turmeric! Boom, introduction succeeded, segue into a discussion of favorite curries!

Anyone can cook!

My mom is the best. She's a breast cancer survivor, wife for 34 years to my Dad who is also a cancer survivor. She worked 3 jobs when my 3 siblings and I were kids so that we could afford my dad's chemo and other cancer treatments. Because of this, I don't remember her that much from my childhood, which is both sad and wonderful - to be shown such responsibility, selflessness and love is wonderful.

A mother of 4, she also watched her youngest daughter, my sister K, go through a year of chemo for her rare cancer when she was 15. We were all a bit older when this happened, but my mom was the same awesome lady - putting on a brave face and showing us all the confidence we needed to believe everything was going to be ok. Not only did K beat her cancer, she is graduating with her Master's Degree and getting married in August - and both of my parents are still around to see it.

Now my mom is 55 and just bought her first house ever with my Dad. They finally get to retire and enjoy life - and grandchildren! My son is the first grandkid and my older sister is now pregnant with a little girl, who is due 4 days after K's wedding. haha!

Here's a great pic of my family (I'm on the left) and here's another with my mom and my son. :D

I heart Mom's! This is what I'd like to get my Mom. :)

I'll go in a few random directions, here.

• 1950s nostalgia snack box. If it doesn't bother him to acknowledge his age, this might remind him of some favorite childhood snack staples for less than $40.
  
• If he might like a gadget toy, this SmartPlane can fly via your smartphone through a free app, and responds to your hand movements in real time, for about $70.
  
• Or this techy golf toy, the Swingbyte 2 . It's a bit of a splurge at $169, but it's pretty nifty, and chances are relatively good that he might not have it.
  
• Here is a molecular gastronomy kit that gets the creativity flowing with science. Some sites have it at around $50.
  
  
  Maybe this list can help narrow it down for you, or spark a new idea that you like. Good luck!

I have mixed feelings about the Costco tri-tips. For one, they are blade tenderized, which I generally avoid. There is increased risk of food contamination with blade tenderization, however I consider it an acceptable risk (similarly, I am willing to cook burgers medium to medium rare). Your mileage may vary, and I would not recommend it if cooking for young children, the elderly, or immunocompromised.

I also had to trim a decent amount of silverskin from one of them.

That said, these did reinforce Costco's reputation for selling Choice beef that approaches Prime quality. These were well-marbled, silky tender, and tasted great.

Next time for the Santa Maria seasoning I will ditch the onion flakes and parsley, as I don't think they did anything of note. Instead I will incorporate a small amount of onion powder, switch to granulated garlic, and finish with fresh chopped parsley after I slice up the meat. I also ordered up some Siberian Porcini Mushroom Powder which I will add for an even deeper umami profile.

The Cindy Lou's Black Label Dry Rub was actually recommended to me for pork chops by John Fuelling at Corner Butcher Shop in La Verne, CA. Not only is it a great butcher shop and grilling depot, but they have a BBQ joint that cooks up good stuff and an exceptionally well-stocked beer fridge. If you're ever in the area, stop by and have some brisket and an IPA.

I tried the Black Label on the tri-tip on a hunch, and it is phenomenal. The only thing I will change next time is to use more rub. I was worried about over salting, but the salt content is low enough that I left a lot of headroom on the table.

Mo's Smoking Pouches are the best thing to happen to gas grills in a long time. The level of versatility you gain with these things will elevate your grill game massively. I am still working on fine tuning the smoke output - They tend to put out a thicker, whiter smoke rather than that thin blue stuff "real" smokers put out when you get them dialed in. Oddly, the flavor is more in line with the real deal than the acrid, bitter notes I expect from whiter smoke. I am not sure why this is, it may be a function of the lean fuel/air mix you get in the bags. More experiments are needed. Long burning, thin blue smoke IS possible with these, I have achieved it a few times. Once I get all the variables figured out you can expect a follow up post with a guide. At this point it's my white whale.

I source all my smoking woods from J.C.'s Smoking Wood Products. He has an excellent selection and the wood is always high quality, consistently sized, and properly dried. I have also had some above and beyond customer service from Jay. He is a good dude and backs his products up. I especially recommend trying out the Wild Black Cherry wood. If you've never messed around with cherrywood the flavor from this stuff is mind blowing.

I think that about sums it up. My hope is that there's enough info here to get folks cooking with woodsmoke on their gasser with nothing more than this guide. Please let me know if you have any questions or comments, and happy grilling!

We had some official and some less official traditions. Officially the only traditions we had were

1. presents were opened Christmas morning (I couldn’t wake my parents before 6 and then progressively later as I got older). We were allowed to open stockings prior to parents getting up but nothing else. I’m sure part of that was to keep me occupied at the horrible morning hour I would wake.
   
2. we would have a turkey dinner which my dad would be cooking all day
   
3. at dinner we would have Christmas crackers because my dad is British. We would wear the paper crown during the dessert and read off the little joke to one another. After eating was done I could play with the cheap little toy that came with it. You open it by holding one end and another person holding the other. Then you pull and they make a popping noise and inside traditionally there is at least a tissue paper crown and a joke.
   
4. when I was little we would sit down as a family and write wishlists to Santa. Once we were done, we would burn the lists. It was to send them to Santa. All the wishes were carried on the wind to him. After all, Santa is magic, so why couldn’t he hear wishes sent in the wind?
   
5. my grandmum would send us advent calendars so that each night leading up to Christmas we’d get a small piece of chocolate and get to count down to Christmas. There are really expensive calendars (not what we had) or some much more affordable options like this.
   
   Unofficially I would decorate the tree with my mom. When I was younger my mom would give me non-delicate/non-sentimental ornaments to hang. When I was older she would direct me to hang those important ones near the top of the tree (away from the cats).
   
   
   All my important memories about Christmas were about the time spent with my parents. Yes, I remember how delicious the meal was, but I also remember sitting in the kitchen with my dad while he cooked. I remember the magic of making Christmas lists with my parents and the thought of Santa getting my list with it materializing for him at his home. I remember the paper crowns because I felt like a princess and we’d go around trying to make people laugh with the corny included jokes. Everything came down to spending time with family and doing something that didn’t happen every day of the year. That’s literally all it took to make my Christmas and Christmas-time magic.

> https://wikileaks.org/podesta-emails/emailid/30613 - “tempting assortment of cheeses”, “do you think I’ll do better playing dominos on cheese than on pasta?”

This one is so fucking easy to explain if you're willing to listen. It is referenced so much too.

Let's start:

This email was sent on christmas eve this is very important to most of the context


>I think you should give notice when changing strategies which have been
> long in place. I immediately realized something was different by the shape
> of the box and I contemplated who would be sending me something in the
> square shaped box.

John sent a present in the mail, the present was different from what he normally sends

>Lo and behold, instead of pasta and wonderful sauces, it
> was a lovely, tempting assortment of cheeses, Yummy.

John sent cheese, now i'm guessing you're not old, but sending cheeses is pretty common, apparently he used to send pasta which while not as common, is still a gift

>I am awaiting the
> return of my children and grandchildren from their holiday travels so that
> we can demolish them.

Herb Sandler here is very old, it's easy to believe he has children coming to visit soon for christmas and bringing thier children.

>Thank you so much. I hope you and your gang are well.
>
> I miss you both
>
> Best wishes fro a merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Old guy ending, nothing odd

> Ps. Do you think I’ll do better playing dominos on cheese than on pasta?

Old people play dominos, you see any teens crazy to play that? He rhetorically asking if he'd do better playing that filled with cheese(the gift he was just given) or with the pasta he used to get as a gift when playing.

I want you to right now read over it and think if it was sent by your own grandfather to a friend who had just sent assorted cheese to him

https://wikileaks.org/podesta-emails/emailid/43113 is related, it's the pasta he got for christmas the year before this

https://wikileaks.org/podesta-emails/emailid/40312 also about the pasta he sent, pasta lasts a long time so 4 months is nothing for pasta

>https://wikileaks.org/podesta-emails/emailid/26263 - person selling their “enormous collection of beanie babies”, selling 480 “beanie babies” at $20 each, but you have to buy all of them

No one like to sell a large number of anything one at a time, I don't see the big deal here.

That sounds like so much fun! My friend threw her birthday party with a similar theme. We played "top hits of ___" where she played a song and you had to guess which year it was in the top song. She also had props from famous movies. So, she had a blow up boom box for photos so you could hold it over your head in "Say Anything". My favorite was the '90s props - she had chokers, butterfly clips, and things like that for people to wear throughout the party. Throw in some crazy wigs from the costume store, disco balls, and some snacks and you're good!

You could probably find tons of ideas on pinterest just going by each decade. Search "'90s party ideas", etc. for each decade. And maybe Amazon! They have decade themed candy boxes that could be fun to have out. Something like this.

My SO and I have now been together for a year as our anniversary was the first of this month. We hung out, ate at an Italian deli, walked along the beach, (he) ate a deep-fried twinky, watched the new Star Trek movie, had sexy times, gave each other presents (he got me sonic screwdriver (Tenant) earrings and two video games!) and just generally had an amazing time hanging out with one another. It is definitely a memory I am going to cherish, and I am happy just thinking about it.

This, this or this from my snacks wishlist would be amazing. I might even share it with my love. ;)

Assuming they are not grinding themselves and just using the old Mr. Coffee, I'd get one of those "gourmet" flavored coffee gift sets. Most grocery stores sell these during the holidays. Here is an example

For ground grocery store coffee, Cafe Bustelo has a surprising amount of flavor.

Some specialty shops will pregrind coffee for you. Personally I like Starbucks and think their coffee is good if you're looking for something in between the grocery store and small time roasters. I've been drinking their Christmas blend since it came out this year and quite like it. It's a dark roast sumatra blend.

I recommend against getting something premium, especially whole bean, because a basic drip maker isn't really going to bring out the flavor of these beans and they probably won't be worth the added cost over just putting something like Cafe Bustelo in your maker.

However, Mistobox is a pretty good online vendor that sells gift subscriptions and carries coffee from a wide variety of specialty roasters. You can browse by roast and find a dark roast that you think will sound good to them.

When I was recovering from cancer in the hospital and rehab, I met a woman on Animal Crossing. Every day I would look forward to chatting and playing. She became my best friend and motivated me. We are still good friends after 20 years! When I have income, I send her little gifts on holidays as a reminder how much she means to me. I'm glad she has stayed in my life, because those friends are truly hard to find. This is to her. Her favorite chocolates.

I am obsessed with the eggplant garlic spread https://www.amazon.com/Trader-Joes-Eggplant-Garlic-Peppers/dp/B01DUV6YB4 Don't worry, that's not the actual price at Trader Joe's.

I also love the 0% mango greek yogurt (120 calories) and very rich/creamy.

I love brie, but have a hard time with portion control, so I get their Brie Bites. I think each circle has 70 calories and a decent amount of fat (which I need to increase in my diet).

Finally, because I'm super weird, I buy their sardines in water. 130 calories, plenty of protein and super easy to eat. You may want to squeeze some lemon juice on top.

Here’s some stuff on Amazon:

Mexican Candy Assortment Snacks (64 Count), Variety Of Spicy, Sweet, Sour Bulk Candies Dulces Mexicanos, Includes Lucas Candy, Pelon, Vero Lollipop, Pulparindo Makes A Great Gift By MTC. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07J5BCZPQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_BeKYDbM5YP4PJ

Assorted Russian Candy (Alenka, Grilyazh, Batonchik, Korovka, Romashka, Honey Mishka Grilyazh) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B018RNJOJ4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_hgKYDbH0JKQ3H

KINDER Mix Medium Chocolate Sweet Selection Gift Box Present Treat https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DY3ZX2D/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_KiKYDbC4PVJNB

Or if you have a Cost Plus World Market nearby, they sell a lot of otherwise hard-to-find international treats.

Hey there! Happy early anniversary! I know more about Germany (lived there twice), than I do about relationships, so here are some fun cheap German-y ideas:

• A fun book to get things started ;)
  
  
• The best candy in the entire world
  
  
• Traditional Lebkuchen
  
  
• I think this pick would be perfect
  
  And now I'm homesick for Deutschland! Hope you enjoy some of the ideas!

ungrinch

Ok something contest winning worthy

I stepped on a wana (Sea urchin) Proof

bonus points

Not sure on what you mean by "dark films" but THIS is one of the most brutal movies I have ever seen. you can get it HERE.

And I am also a gamer. and I just got some new stuff for PC gaming.

Razer Kraken 7.1 Chroma Sound USB Gaming Headset

Razer DeathAdder Chroma

Razer BlackWidow Chroma Mechanical Gaming Keyboard

I dont know what your budget is but the Keyboard Is so good! Its back lit and you can change the color of each key if you wanted too. HERE is a better look at it. and I know the headset you can use with a PS4 but I don't know about 3.The mouse is nice too! but if she is more of a console gamer that plays PC games I would look in to Razer Sabertooth (I know Im a razer fan boy) but there stuff works great! Im going to be looking it to getting me a Sabertooth soon too.

OR you can combined 2 things Like Russian shit + candy = THIS

Hope this helps! and thanks for the contest

Bittersweet is easy! Many teas are naturally a little bitter, and there's a reason why it's common to add sugar (or honey). I'd stay away from the darker teas here, but a basic oolong tea is going to be light and a little bitter. I drink this one regularly, but there's plenty of other alternatives. Green teas are also going to be a good choice here, though I don't know them well. If you want something with a little extra body, try a Genmai Cha, which is a green tea with toasted rice added.

Fruity is also easy, but I may be the wrong person to ask here; the only fruity teas I get into tend to be tangy. That said, virtually any fruit or berry can be turned into a tea, and I'd wager all of them have. In my experience you can find fruit teas in two major categories, standard teas with fruit added and teas that are literally just fruit; the former generally include caffeine, the latter don't.

(Caffeine rule of thumb: black teas have caffeine, green teas have a little caffeine, if it doesn't actually have tea leaves in it, it contains no caffeine.)

Most tea vendors online have a "sample" option that gives you enough tea for half a dozen cups at a very low price. If you're just experimenting with teas, picking up half a dozen to a dozen samples is a pretty good way to start. I'm linking to Upton because I buy most of my teas from them and I know their samples are good - they often include a free sample or two in the box just for fun, in fact - but there's plenty of other good tea vendors online.

Finally, here's the tea snob in me; you know teabags? Teabags suck. They're more expensive and lower quality and have less variety. You get the absolute lowest-quality tea in them, pay a premium for the bag, and your options are sharply limited. I strongly recommend picking up a tea infuser which makes looseleaf teas both easy and convenient to brew. If you're just experimenting with teas and don't want to put out the money for the infuser, there's cheaper solutions, but IMO they're more awkward and annoying and also don't provide as good of a result if you're dealing with a tea that seriously rehydrates.

And note that looseleaf teas have to be kept in a reasonably airtight and opaque container. Most vendors will sell you teas either in a competently-made tea tin or at least a resealable pouch - everything Upton sells you will show up sensibly packed - but you can't always guarantee that. I bought this set a while back and the first thing I did was move them into resealable tea tins (sold by Upton, natch.)

Now you know more than you wanted to about tea :)

It sounds like you are still using your baby taste buds. As children, we use condiments to make things more palatable to our developing taste buds. This is why kids don't like vegetables, their taste buds are still developing and broccoli actually tastes super bitter to them. Is it possible you haven't given unsauced food a solid shot? Experience the flavors of the food itself.

That being said, I'm a BBQ sauce addict. I can't eat french fries or chicken nuggets without using half a bottle of Sweet Baby Ray's. It's just so good. So instead of cutting back on my sauce, in order to keep my meals lower calorie and all around better for me, I cut back on how often I eat french fries and chicken nuggets. Most ready made food isn't good on it's own, and they are loaded with unnecessary calories. Topping your hot pockets with ranch is just adding to the fattening factors of your meal.

So all that included, here are my suggestions for snacks. Vegetables dipped in hummus (a little goes a long way). Looking for something sweet? Fruit. There is fat free caramel sauce you can dip apples into, sprinkle a bit of sugar on some berries, etc. If you need something more filling, make some pasta. Learn to make a basic cheese sauce and a basic marinara sauce. Buy yourself a set of spices like these and start trying different combinations. Find what tastes good to you.

I love this mug and pot set
Cookie Monster
Little Miss Sunshine Mug
Labyrinth Door Knocker Mug
Sock Monkey!
My favorite drink is TEA. All tea. I have so much of it. There is a tea for every emotion and every day. Green tea when I need a pick-me-up, black tea to sip between meals, white tea when I want some dessert, and roobios tea at night.
Tea is always a good idea
Thank you!! :)

on my food and drink list

I want to nominate my grand daughter's adoptive mom.

My granddaughter was the community baby that no one wanted. Not only did her adoptive mother take her in, she did the right things to make sure the baby was adopted so she would have a forever home.

As a grandmother I could not ask for a better home for her. She is happy, healthy, loved, sheltered, spoiled, etc. Plus, once I found her, she has allowed me to be a part of their lives.

I heart Mom's!

I don't think sending them to the USA is a problem for the person sending them. just be aware that for the US person receiving them, this can technically be considered "smuggling/importing of illegal content" and the official fine is set at 2.500 USD per egg. (which is just so mind boggling its funny again).

Choco Treasure Eggs should be on sale since Easter this year but you can't order them online anymore due to summer (heat) (just to point it out though, they aren't actually Kinder Eggs, different company, different chocolate, Kinder Eggs are still illegal). additionally they look nothing like Kinder Eggs, looks more like a hobo version of them (wrinkled aluminium foil etc.)

Though I doubt the kid would care looks like an egg, is made of chocolate and has a toy inside.

here's an Amazon link for em: choco treasure mix $14.77 for a 12 pack

(thats actually cheaper than Kinder Eggs)

You could try this

It's what I own and use, although I don't need to keep anything out of sight. It's not a small fridge though. They are pretty good for the price. It's very smell proof, and the whole thing is about as big as a large pasta jar.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01BXE7GGW/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1467466641&sr=8-4&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=cookies+sf&dpPl=1&dpID=41eAny9xaeL&ref=plSrch

Search for "cookies sf". You can screw multiple jars together (I bought a red and a purple) and each jar has dividers. It also works really well to cure your grow.