Santa's Hungry

That's my guess, anyway, based on what's usually under the tree. Here's a list of gifts from Christmases past:

Pasta maker
Kitchen Aid mixer with pasta attachments (Santa really likes pasta)
Two Le Creuset dutch ovens
Marble rolling pin
Chopper
Cuisinart food processor
Electric citrus juicer
Cast iron panini pan
Silpats
Cookware

His favorite? Whichever one I happen to be using at the time. Most recently, the mixer and the Silpats while I was making cookies.

Some of them are gathering dust, sadly, like the rolling pin. It's sooo much easier to buy a pie crust than to make one. But I love my dutch ovens, Silpats, and mixer. It's a good thing that Santa brings me these things because I would never buy them for myself. I think they're too expensive but I do love to cook and eat good food so I would never think of returning them.

What's your favorite kitchen tool? Mine is a Hamilton Beach knife. I bought it in one of those discount kitchen stores for something like $10 but that's the knife I reach for whenever I'm cooking instead of one from my Chicago Cutlery set. It's lightweight and always sharp, and fits in my hand nicely. I have a paring knife that I like - don't know the brand but I bought it at Fred Myer. The blade is green and it cuts nicely.

It's a good thing Santa also got me a Food Saver.

I never know what to get Santa. He likes cookies (and pasta). But every year we agree not to buy anything for each other. We have everything we truly need. Yet every year, he sneaks something under the tree. I guess that's the advantage to having a staff of elves on hand.

I imagine he'd like me to buy some ridiculously priced underwear from Victoria's Secret. For myself, if you were wondering. It would certainly look better on me than on the elves. Or the reindeer. It just seems so - well, skimpy - for the North Pole, you know? Chilly.

Maybe something for the sleigh. Like GPS? Naw, I think Rudolf has that covered. CB radio? Air traffic control has that covered. Harmon Kardon speakers? I don't think so. It's hard enough to make a sneak landing on a rooftop without AC/DC blaring at 100 decibels.

Maybe a copy of Prep & Landing or A Charlie Brown Christmas to start building our holiday movie library. Yeah, that sounds good. Cuddle up on the couch, watch a movie and eat cookies. That sounds about right.

Right after he eats his broccoli.