Classic Host Gifts

You’d ordinarily just grab a bottle of whatever you found at the corner market, but this time your dinner hosts are wine snobs. Searching out the perfect bottle as a host gift is too exhausting to contemplate. Here are some classic alternatives from the Mighty Goods archives. All of these are great options to keep on hand for the people who care enough to make you dinner.

Kirtsy This | Posted: 25 Feb, 2008 by Margaret Mason

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Shea Butter Extra Gentle Soap - Verbena

A generous bar of moisturizing soap with a light lemon scent and clean packaging. The best host gifts come pre-wrapped.

$10 at L' Occitane

Kirtsy This | Posted 25 Feb, 2008 by Margaret Mason
Linen Cocktail Napkins

You can have these hemstitched, linen cocktail napkins monogrammed for free, or keep a few blank stacks in your gift closet.

$15 at Horchow

(For a set of twelve.)

Kirtsy This | Posted 25 Feb, 2008 by Margaret Mason
PB TAPER CANDLES

You come bearing flattering light.

$10 at Pottery Barn

Kirtsy This | Posted 22 Feb, 2008 by Margaret Mason
Poco Dolce Bittersweet Tiles

Friends of ours included these in hotel baskets for members of their wedding party, and they’re one of those perfect things. The packaging is impeccable, each “tile” is just the right amount of chocolate, and the crunchy sea salt sprinkled on top brings out the savory notes in the burnt caramel. I wish I had one right now.

$18 at Poco Dolce

Kirtsy This | Posted 22 Feb, 2008 by Margaret Mason
Laguiole Spreaders

We received a set of these for our wedding, and now they’re among my favorite things. We use them constantly on cheese boards, in the jam dish, with all sorts of spreads. They feel great in the hand, and look attractive with almost any serving vessel.

$39 at Williams Sonoma

Kirtsy This | Posted 21 Feb, 2008 by Margaret Mason
Regent Blue Bordered Ecruwhite Letter Sheets

Clean, classic social stationery with a hand-painted blue border. Exactly right for thank you notes, congratulations, get wells, and catching up.

$15 at Crane Stationery

Kirtsy This | Posted 21 Feb, 2008 by Margaret Mason
Lavande “Tea Bags”

An excellent host gift to keep on hand, these sachets keep drawers smelling sweet.

via Decor8

$12 at Handmade by Moi

(Set of three.)

Kirtsy This | Posted 07 Feb, 2008 by Margaret Mason
Lavender or Rosemary Salt

So, technically, you have to order this by phone, but it’s worth it. A perfect host gift, this salt and the rosemary salt are amazing sprinkled over tomatoes, scrambled eggs, breakfast potatoes.

$8 at Lavender Farm

Kirtsy This | Posted 12 Nov, 2007 by Margaret Mason
Nigella Lawson Salt Cellar

So much more civilized than the shaker.

$22 at Kugler's Home Fashions

Kirtsy This | Posted 30 Apr, 2007 by Margaret Mason
Ribbon Bottle Opener

$20 at Uncommon Goods

Kirtsy This | Posted 11 Apr, 2007 by Margaret Mason
Earl Grey Lavender Tea

This Earl Grey with a hint of sweet lavender is a nice update on a classic. Ideal between bites of shortbread, the tea comes in cute little boxes that make you feel like you’re opening a present for yourself every time you make a cup of tea.

$8 at Revolution Tea

(For twenty servings.)

Kirtsy This | Posted 05 Sep, 2006 by Margaret Mason
Lisbon Lemon Olive Oil

Yum! This is my new favorite host gift. It’s about the same as a cheap bottle of wine, but so much more unique and thoughtful. Plus, it’s lemony delicious – fantastic in mashed potatoes, pasta salads, or as a light dressing for veggies or white fish.

$11 at Stonehouse

(7.61 oz)

Kirtsy This | Posted 07 Aug, 2006 by Margaret Mason
Vintage Days-of-the-Week Kitchen Towels

Lose the tree-killing paper towels and get yourself a fresh hand towel for every day of the week.

$10 at KMart

Kirtsy This | Posted 17 Jul, 2006 by Margaret Mason
June Taylor Jams

Heather can’t stop raving about June Taylor Jams. She mentions them whenever we see each other, and she sent me this note: “June Taylor has a booth on Saturday morning down at the farmers market where you can taste them all… Heaven in a spoon. I have three jars at home that you’re welcome to sample: Apricot, Pluot and Lavender and Rhubarb. All so good you might want to skip the toast and butter.” She’s right. So good, they make your tastebuds hurt.

$11 at June Taylor Jams

(Prices vary, $25 minimum.)

Kirtsy This | Posted 10 Mar, 2005 by Margaret Mason
Amarena Wild Cherries

I tried these for the first time at a friend’s wedding. The groom was a bartender, and these were the cherries they used as drink garnishes. They are nothing like maraschino cherries. The texture is dense, and the cherries have a rich, fruity flavor. They’re preserved in thick syrup, and are fantastic as an ice cream or cheesecake topping. Or drop a single cherry into a fizzing glass of prosecco or your evening Manhattan. They’re incredibly hard to come by online (in fact the site I’m sending you to doesn’t even have a photo of the product), but you can pick them up at Italian grocers, and Beverages and More carries them on occasion. Such a treat.

$15 at A Taste of Italy Foods

(18 oz. jar)

Kirtsy This | Posted 08 Nov, 2004 by Margaret Mason
Moravian Cookies

A delicate afternoon treat with your tea, these crisp, wafer-thin cookies have been made with the same techniques since about 1766. They’re from a Moravian settlement “living museum” in Winston Salem, North Carolina. You can order the large tins in flavorful ginger or lemon, or order a variety pack that includes black walnut and sugar cookies.

$17 at Old Salem Online

Kirtsy This | Posted 18 Oct, 2004 by Margaret Mason
Junipero Gin

Junipero is a beautiful gin. It’s a pet project of the brewmaster at Anchor Steam in San Francisco, and is made by hand in a small, copper-pot still. Martini Republic’s description hits it on the head: “Clean but not light like Plymouth. It is smooth but not the least bit tame, the spices shining through and the finish leaving a bit of a tang in the nose. The aroma is not as strong as Sapphire, nor as mediciny as Bombay.” Pour it over some crisp ice, give a brief stir, and ease it into your martini glass. A breath of vermouth is all you’ll need. Now find someplace to put your feet up.

$32 at BevMo

Kirtsy This | Posted 19 Sep, 2004 by Margaret Mason

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