Hi folks. Hope you are gearing up for the holidays. Today I want to talk about selecting unique gifts for people. Personally, I like to give gifts based on the recipients’ personal interests and hobbies.

The problem starts when you have to figure out what to give someone who has everything. What do you get for a certified foodie? Someone who not only loves to eat, but is always on the lookout for new and challenging recipes to prepare?

Real foodies have superb culinary skills and are also always on the lookout for gadgets and tech to make cooking easier and more fun. From convection ovens to good old stainless steel pot sets, they are ready to take on any cooking challenge. There is no separating a foodie from their favorite gadgets, no matter how bad other people think they are.

An argument I had with a fellow foodie, gave me an idea for this post. I like to think of myself as a  kind of ‘purist’. I believe most things; be it clothes or gadgets are generally made to fit one purpose. Don’t get me wrong, I know that there are gadgets with multiple uses, but I always have this nagging feeling that a tool works best when it is used solely for what it is made for.

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Yaaay, folks, Christmas is here again. The family dinners, kids home for the holidays, loved ones travel home to be with you. The food is really one thing we also look forward to.

Statistically, December is the month people tend to pig out the most. Can you blame us? From roast turkey and crackling pig at Thanksgiving, to the mulled wine and brandy toddies after Christmas dinner, its no wonder we pile on the pounds in December.

We all have our favorite Christmas dinners. I am partial to any meal that has roast pork and tenderloin included, and of course, dessert has to be butter pecan toffee flavored ice cream. I have to keep coming up with new ways to eat it every year, but I don’t mind, I have 364 days to think of a recipe.

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Whether you call it Giant Sandwich, Vanilla Slice, Monaco Bar or the Maxibon Cookie, an ice cream sandwich is a delicious treat every single time, the world over. The different flavors and combinations that you can have are simply awesome.

My personal favourite is a chocolate chip and caramel toffee ice cream mix. It is simply heavenly. You are free to mix and match any of the ingredients to achieve your best possible taste.

This is a treat that I think is best made at home. This is because like I said before, you can make exactly what you like. You can pile the ice cream as much as you want between the cookies. You can make it as healthy or decadent as you like. There are many ways to make ice cream sandwiches. Most involve spreading as much ice cream as you can get on two cookies, mashing them together and scraping off the excess ice cream round the sides with a knife.

Nice and straight to the point, right? I don’t agree because of one thing. My kids are always underfoot at home and being the curious bunch they are, they always want to help out with my kitchen adventures. There is NO WAY I am letting my kids get close to a sharp kitchen knife just to scrape the edges of the cookies.

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Making ice cream is fun, no doubt. From making a cozy pint laced with your favorite toppings to whipping up 6 quarts to host a dinner party, the aim is to feed people with a delicious frozen treat.

When you are eating by yourself, you can usually get away with eating it out of the ice cream bowl or any old container you can, but what happens though when you have to serve it up for guests? Especially when it is a large party and you have run out of finger bowls or china saucers?

What happens when you make just too much ice cream at a time? You are left with either eating it all (and end up feeling bloated), or storing it in your freezer for next time. The problem with this is that because this is home made ice cream, there are no preservatives in it. This will lead to the ice cream freezing solid and unfit to eat. It will stick to the sides of the steel or plastic bowls, leading to formation of ice crystals in your dessert, and ultimately that batch ends up in the bin.

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If you love homemade ice cream but hate the mess caused by rock salt and ice or the muscle power needed to crank, a freezer bowl ice cream maker may be just the answer you are looking for. To use one of these devices, you will have to pre-freeze the freezer bowl, add the preferred ingredients and turn on the machine.

In just a few minutes, it is possible to enjoy your favorite treat. These devices are also much easier to use and clean than old fashioned ice cream makers. Many are able to have the dessert ready to serve in less than half the time of a rock salt and ice machine.

Here are the top 5 freezer bowl ice cream maker models available today:-

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