homemade holiday gift basket for the kitchenista in your life

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treat the kitchenista in your life (you know, the trendy food-lover on your christmas list) with a homemade kitchenista gift basket this holiday season with the plays well with butter holiday gift  basket series! pair chrissy teigen’s cookbook with the makings for an easy & elegant signature cocktail & tie it together with some on-trend barware & you’ll totally knock the socks off…
homemade holiday gift basket for the kitchenista in your life | a plays well with butter holiday gift basket series | a homemade gift basket perfect for the young & trendy person who is just starting to take interest in food & dining. this gift basket features some prosecco for a festive holiday cocktail, on-trend bar gadgets, & chrissy teigen's cookbook.

treat the kitchenista in your life (you know, the trendy food-lover on your christmas list) with a homemade kitchenista gift basket this holiday season with the plays well with butter holiday gift  basket series! pair chrissy teigen’s cookbook with the makings for an easy & elegant signature cocktail & tie it together with some on-trend barware & you’ll totally knock the socks off of any kitchenista!

’tis the season for holiday parties at work, secret santas, family gatherings, & one-too-many wintery cocktails with friends.

& along with these many joyous reasons to get together & celebrate with friends & loved ones during the holiday season comes the need to pull together thoughtful gifts to show gratitude & appreciation for the special people in your life.

i am SO very excited to help ease away some of the gift-giving stress this holiday season with a plays well with butter holiday gift basket series, which continues today with a kitchenista gift basket that is the perfect treat for any young & trend-conscious person in your life who is just getting their bearings in the kitchen!

in case you missed the first post in this series, “how to build the ultimate holiday gift basket for your favorite foodie”, you should totally check it out here.  i talk about some of my gift basket essentials, as well as the overall approach i take to building a gift basket – which can be boiled down into a few simple components:

#1. think about your gift basket recipient: what does your recipient LOVE?  you don’t have to know their life story, but think about some of the things you know that they appreciate & really hone in on them as a theme central to your gift basket.

#2. start with something store-bought: it’s the holidays, we’re all busy, & we definitely don’t need to over-complicate our lives by setting out to diy everything.  think about your gift basket’s theme & choose a couple of things that you know you can simply grab at the store. the key here is choosing a couple of easy things that will tie into the theme perfectly.  keep it simple!

#3. add in something with local or artisanal flare: think about your favorite local treats & how they could tie into your gift basket’s theme.  a couple of hand-selected favorites from your favorite local spots will not only be a great conversation starter when you give your gift basket to your recipient, but will also give your favorite small businesses some great business this holiday season.

today we’re talking a kitchenista gift basket – the ultimate holiday gift for any young & trend-conscious food lover in your life.homemade holiday kitchenista gift basket | a plays well with butter holiday gift basket series | a homemade gift basket perfect for the young & trendy person who is just starting to take interest in food & dining. this gift basket features some prosecco for a festive holiday cocktail, on-trend bar gadgets, & chrissy teigen's cookbook.

we all have at least one on our holiday list this year:  the cool kid.  that elusive young & trendy younger brother/sister/cousin who seems to speak a different language & somehow makes the clothes you wore when you were in elementary school look fashionable.  (high-waisted jeans with choker necklaces?? talk about middle school flashbacks!)

& while the cool kids in my life inevitably make me feel older & older, there is always one period in their life that i always find so very relatable: when they fall in love with food & entertaining.  their “kitchenista” phase, if you will.

to me, a kitchenista is any young-at-heart person who is exploring a love for food & home entertaining.  you can count on a kitchenista to always blow you away when you go over to their house for a meal.  not only is their food great, but their home is sooo cute too!

my love for food truly took off in my late teens.  i was a single college student & worked long hours in restaurants & bars in order to be able to pay for textbooks (& rounds at the bar!!!).  the food & the people to whom the restaurant scene opened my eyes was, in every way, intoxicating.  (plus, the fact that cute & charismatic boys that worked in restaurant kitchens did not hurt one bit either!)

& at that point in my life, i don’t think i could have imagined a better gift for myself than a bottle of nice booze & some cute things to fancy up my teeny tiny apartment kitchen or home bar.

& this kitchenista gift basket totally delivers on that wish.

is your boyfriend’s younger sister just learning how to cook & entertain?  do you have a younger cousin who is settling into her first apartment?  are you spending new year’s at a dinner party at your fun & fashionable best friend’s house? this kitchenista gift basket is perfect for you.

this kitchenista gift basket starts off with a cookbook by the kitchenista herself, the ultimate cool girl, chrissy teigen’s cravingshomemade holiday kitchenista gift basket essential #1: chrissy teigen's cookbook | a homemade gift basket perfect for the young & trendy person who is just starting to take interest in food & dining. this gift basket also features some prosecco for a festive holiday cocktail, on-trend bar gadgets.

cravings is hands-down one of my favorite cookbooks of 2016.  not only is chrissy tiegen the ultimate cool girl, (i mean, c’mon – a drop-dead gorgeous swimsuit model who also seems totally down to earth & so funny?!), but her recipes are all to. die. for.

my favorite part cravings, though, is the fact that chrissy teigen’s voice is so present & relatable.  reading through it will not only give your kitchenista major meal prep inso, but it will also feel like catching up with your hilarious long-lost friend.

the next elements of a kitchenista gift basket are ingredients for a simple yet elegant signature cocktail. homemade holiday kitchenista gift basket essential #2: prosecco & a floral liqueur for an easy signature cocktail | a homemade gift basket perfect for the young & trendy person who is just starting to take interest in food & dining. this gift basket also features chrissy teigen's cookbook & on-trend bar gadgets.

i envision a kitchenista always having a girlfriend on the way over & needing something elegant to serve.  prepping her with a couple of great cocktail ideas & ingredients is a great way to add some artisanal flare into your kitchenista gift basket.

prosecco always fits the bill.  light, crisp, & effervescent, prosecco is italy’s champagne-style sparkling white wine.  a total bonus is also the fact that prosecco is also more affordable & more readily available than champagne.

my personal favorite prosecco is from adami.  adami is one of the longest standing prosecco producers in italy & their proseccos are always lovely. homemade holiday kitchenista gift basket essential #2: prosecco & a floral liqueur for an easy signature cocktail | a homemade gift basket perfect for the young & trendy person who is just starting to take interest in food & dining. this gift basket also features chrissy teigen's cookbook & on-trend bar gadgets.

prosecco is also a perfect base to an easy on-the-fly cocktail when paired with a splash of a light & floral liqueur & the tiniest bit of honey.

i found this rose liqueur at a hole-in-the wall shop in madison, wisconsin.  it is fragrant, but not overly perfumey, & is the perfect feminine touch to a get-together with girlfriends. homemade holiday kitchenista gift basket essential #2: prosecco & a floral liqueur for an easy signature cocktail | a homemade gift basket perfect for the young & trendy person who is just starting to take interest in food & dining. this gift basket also features chrissy teigen's cookbook & on-trend bar gadgets.

you could also always gift an elderflower liqueur, such as st. germaine.  the objective here is something light & floral.

with a floral liqueur & a bottle of bubbly, you’ll be setting your kitchenista up with an easy, yet impressive, go-to signature cocktail that her friends will go crazy for.

hashtag winning!

& last, a couple of on-trend gadgets to add to your kitchenista’s kitchen or bar. homemade holiday kitchenista gift basket essential #3: on-trend copper bar gadgets & simple marble coasters | a homemade gift basket perfect for the young & trendy person who is just starting to take interest in food & dining. this gift basket also features chrissy teigen's cookbook & the makings for a festive prosecco cocktail.

chances are, if your kitchenista was anything like me in college, she ogles over the cute kitchen & dining gadgets at west elm or anthropology but can’t quite afford them on her own.

here’s where you, with your big cool paycheck, get to step in and save the day.  choose a couple of essential kitchen or bar gadgets that have some trendy elements & they’ll be the perfect store-bought pieces that will tie your gift basket together & totally impress your kitchenista.

shop around at anthro, west elm, cb2, or even target, & choose a couple of small things that catch your eye.  they don’t have to be expensive or big, but make sure they’re useful.  after all, your kitchenista probably lives in a small space without much room for unnecessary equipment.

i went with some beautiful hammered copper handled bar gadgets (warm metals are super on-trend right now!) & some simple marble coasters with a touch of copper.

homemade holiday kitchenista gift basket essential #3: on-trend copper bar gadgets & simple marble coasters | a homemade gift basket perfect for the young & trendy person who is just starting to take interest in food & dining. this gift basket also features chrissy teigen's cookbook & the makings for a festive prosecco cocktail.homemade holiday kitchenista gift basket essential #3: on-trend copper bar gadgets & simple marble coasters | a homemade gift basket perfect for the young & trendy person who is just starting to take interest in food & dining. this gift basket also features chrissy teigen's cookbook & the makings for a festive prosecco cocktail.
pull all of the elements together for the ultimate kitchenista gift basket, sure to please even the coolest cool kid in your life. homemade holiday kitchenista gift basket | a plays well with butter holiday gift basket series | a homemade gift basket perfect for the young & trendy person who is just starting to take interest in food & dining. this gift basket features some prosecco for a festive holiday cocktail, on-trend bar gadgets, & chrissy teigen's cookbook.
who is the cool kid in your life?  what other recommendations would you make for a kitchenista gift basket?  let me know in the comments below – i’d LOVE to chat!!homemade holiday kitchenista gift basket | a plays well with butter holiday gift basket series | a homemade gift basket perfect for the young & trendy person who is just starting to take interest in food & dining. this gift basket features some prosecco for a festive holiday cocktail, on-trend bar gadgets, & chrissy teigen's cookbook.homemade holiday kitchenista gift basket| a plays well with butter holiday gift basket series | a homemade gift basket perfect for the young & trendy person who is just starting to take interest in food & dining. this gift basket features some prosecco for a festive holiday cocktail, on-trend bar gadgets, & chrissy teigen's cookbook.

afraid you’ll miss a recipe or entertaining idea?  be sure to follow along with plays well with butter on bloglovin, & for daily foodie musings & tips, follow along with @playswellwithbutter on instagram & facebook!

Hi there, I'm Jess!

If there’s 1 thing to know about me, it’s this: I am head-over-heels in love with food. I’m on a mission to make weeknight cooking flavorful, fast, & fun for other foodies, & PWWB is where I share foolproof recipes that deliver major flavor with minimal effort. Other true loves: pretty shoes, puppies, Grey’s Anatomy, & my cozy kitchen in Minneapolis, MN.

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Comments

  1. 12.19.16

    I love this! I’m actually sending this to my college girlfriends in our group text! I feel like this describes like 12 people in my life, including me (but I’m not cool and I can’t rock a choker). You are literally so thoughtful.

    • 12.19.16
      jess said:

      girl, i bet you could totally rock a choker 😉 i hope they LOVE it. let me know how it goes!! xx

  2. 12.19.16

    I think this is my favorite gift basket so far! I have been dyyyying to get my hands on that book. And those coasters are so dreamy!

    • 12.19.16
      jess said:

      secretly, it’s mine too, ellie. i loooooooove this cookbook, i cannot even begin to tell you! she’s hilarious & everything is just so dang swoon-worthy. & the coasters are from target!