#108 The perfect gift?

$$$

Gifts are tough. You know how it feels when you receive something you’re not really into. You have to feign a smile, pretending like it’s something you genuinely love. It’s not that you blame the person, it’s just a shame that what they got you is either something you already have, or something you’ll never use.

Then there are times when you get a gift so good you can’t help but smile. “How did you even know…?”

And when you’re the one who nails it with a perfect gift, you can’t help but feel good about yourself. There’s something special about gifting someone a present they truly love and appreciate.

Over the past few weeks, we’ve made a few posts about gift ideas. Some have been pretty outrageous, and others have been obvious. I figured it would be handy to pull the best ideas here and ramble a little about them.

FOR HIM (STANDOUT FAVORITES):

1. Personalized leather journals
   You can’t go wrong with a beautiful leather journal. You could get someone on Etsy to do this for you and choose exactly how you’d like to build your journal (or planner), or get something more modern at Moleskin. Always get custom debossing done!

2. An entire bison
   Yes. Quality meat in general always makes an excellent gift. We’re easy to please. Remember, the bigger the portion you buy, the greater the deal you get.

3. Japanese chef’s knife
   A well crafted knife is a gift every man would appreciate, even if he doesn’t cook. Trust me, he’ll find a reason to use it. Get something that feels good in the hand, with something like a nice mahogany handle that’s cool to the touch. You could also get a pocket or hunting knife.

4. Merino wool sweater
   A quality quarter zip merino wool sweater will go a long way. Or just quality clothing in general. Natural materials are always preferred.

FOR HER (STANDOUT FAVORITES):

1. Cheese
   It’s amazing how many of you agreed that cheese makes the BEST gift and that’s because it’s true. There are so many varieties to choose from that you literally can’t get it wrong. Parmigiano reggiano. Pecorino romano. Good gouda. A nice aged cheddar. Blue if she’s feeling adventurous.

You may fascinate a woman by giving her a piece of cheese

2. Floral butter mold
   Butter molds are SO IN. It’s so easy to make your own butter these days and what better way to keep them than in a fancy beautiful mold? You could even use this to shape your compound butters as well.

3. End grain cutting board
   If she’s still using a plastic cutting board, you must save her. With every cut, she’s injecting MACRO bits of plastic as an added ingredient. Nobody wants that. Get a quality end grain cutting board. Edge grain is also a good option.

4. Embroidered sleepwear

   There’s nothing quite like taking a warm bath and getting ready to bed after a long day. Now imagine getting into some soft, silk sleepwear? Perhaps even get a pair for the both of you with embroidered initials. 10/10 gift.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Please also feel free to share some of what you’ve bought this holiday season in the comments :)

What’s your favorite supplement?

Supplements spark endless debate. Sometimes it feels almost religious. Some people get so invested in their supplements they won’t question anything.

If you’ve followed us for a while, you know where we stand. Supplements are there to supplement. That’s all they should be. They can’t fix a bad diet and never will. They’re meant to fill in the gaps.

That said, plenty of supplements these days don’t move the needle at all. Sometimes they even cause imbalances and make things worse.

Here are a few words on a few chosen supplements from the chart. This is not medical advice, just opinion.

Fish oil: A majority of fish oils are already rancid in the bottle. This applies to generic fish oil and cod liver oil. If you have a reputable brand that you’re using and you feel great, keep doing you. But personally? I’d never consume fish oil. I’d much rather consume some real seafood in my diet a few times a week. Oysters. Wild salmon. Sardines. Cod liver. It’s more bioavailable as well.

Melatonin: Sure, there might be scenarios where supplemental melatonin works, but I wouldn’t recommend it, especially not daily. You want your body to produce melatonin naturally. Instead of melatonin, use something like glycine and chamomile for deeper, more restful sleep.

Potassium: Over 90% of people find themselves potassium deficient. But would I recommend someone to start taking potassium supplements? Not at all. With potassium, it’s incredibly easy for you to take too much and your kidneys are not going to handle it. You’ll get hyperkalemia. Just consume more coconut water and russet potatoes.

Black seed oil: An incredible natural prophylaxis. I personally take 1/2 a tbsp per day and I increase the dosage whenever I feel under the weather. Pound for pound one of the greatest supplements in my arsenal.

Real dessert

Real dessert is a joy. Real dessert is timeless.

Thank a farmer

Farmers are the most important people in the world. They get up at the crack of dawn, every day and the grow the food so many of us take for granted. So many of them lead incredibly humble lives with very little to show for it, yet they are the bedrock of society. We need to do more as a society to thank our farmers. We need to make their jobs as easy as possible. What's happened to Dutch and English farmers over the past few years is criminal. We should not threaten the livelihoods of hardworking farmers under the guise of climate change. We should instead help them improve farming practices and begin the gradual shift towards a regenerative agricultural future. We should not increase inheritance tax on family farms, we should instead not have such a tax at all — it's simply robbery. Family farms are already an endangered species. Farmers are our past, present and future. Everyone needs a farmer. Three times a day. 365 days a year. If you ate today, thank a farmer.

❋ HOW TO AUTHENTICATE VINTAGE CLOTHES: RALPH LAUREN EXPLAINED

As the market for online vintage clothing continues to grow, so too does the challenge of ensuring that the items you’re buying are the genuine article. With the explosion of online marketplaces and digital thrift shops, it’s never been easier to find vintage clothing from top brands like Ralph Lauren. However, it’s also never been more difficult to verify the authenticity of these items. This guide will provide you with tips and resources to help you authenticate vintage clothing online, and unpacks how to tell if your Ralph Lauren clothes are real.

❋ 5 PESTO RECIPES: BASIC BASIL TO MINTY DESSERT

Minty Dessert Pesto

This is an adventurous one! It’s sweet, minty, and fresh–three things you don’t expect with a pesto. But it is delicious and unique and worthy of your extra mint.

• 1 cup loosely packed mint leaves

• 1/4 cup blanched, sliced almonds

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil

• 1/4 cup honey

❋ EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT ENGLISH COUNTRY STYLE

Because we are talking about the English countryside, after all, a decorative canine or equestrian accent is a must. Whether personal or purely for show, there are actually a lot of different ways we can work our four-legged friends into our home decor. In the absence of a real-life furry friend, try an antique painting, vintage statuette, or an animal-print textile.

❋ Read our latest WARKITCHEN magazines:

A New Renaissance...

Issue 29 is LIVE!

#093 Nectarine Bruschetta. Martial Arts. Zabaglione. And more...

#089 What is a woman?

#085 ISSUE 26 🦬

❋ Get your copy of Optimal Fuel: Your Nutrition Playbook here. It's a cookbook and nutrition guide — all in one. All proceeds goes towards an outrageous amount of hearty ribeyes and raw honey!

❋ If you’d like to contribute an article or sponsor a future issue, please send us your pitch to rocky@warkitchen.net.

❋ We release a digital magazine issue every month. Explore the full archive here.

❋ Adding us (rocky@warkitchen.net) to your contacts, or moving us to primary will make sure you continue receiving these emails. Connect with us on all our socials.

Hope you had a beautiful weekend ladies & gents,
Godspeed!