dami.moor: Holiday Gift Guide: Giada for Target Helps with Holiday Entertaining ...

Happy Thanksgiving!? How?s the cooking come along?

Holiday cooking and baking is one of my favorite things.? I love spending some quality bonding time in the kitchen with my mom and sisters; it?s the best time to talk about our families and all of the fun things that are going on during the holiday season.? It also makes all of the entertaining we have to do less stressful because we actually enjoy the time together!

I was ecstatic when I was asked to try some items from the Giada De Laurentiis for Target line.? Not only do I love to try new baking and cooking gear, but I just love Giada!? I was sure she was going to have some quality and user friendly items and I couldn?t wait to try them.

I received her bakeware and kitchen tool set, as well as some black olive tapenade and an herb foccacia bread kit.? It felt like Christmas came early!? Here is what it included:

Giada De Laurentiis for Target 5-piece Bakeware Set:

1 Baking sheet
1 ? 9? Springform pan
2 ? 9? baking rounds
1 ? 12-cup muffin pan

Giada De Laurentiis for Target 5-piece Gadget Set:

Stainless steel can opener
Stainless steel ice cream scoop
Stainless steel pizza wheel
Stainless steel peeler
Silicon whisk

And 2 boxes of Giada De Laurentiis? Herb Foccaccia Bread mix and Black Olive Tapenade.

Let the festivities begin!

Since I am in charge of the Brussels sprouts for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner in my family (I?m sorry for those of you who do not like them, you are really missing out!), I decided to first use the baking sheet for baking them.? Usually, I line my baking sheet with aluminum foil for an easy cleanup, but I wanted to test this baking sheet so I put everything directly on the cooking sheet.

The pan cooked my Brussels sprouts beautifully, the sheet never once tweaked in the oven (I have that issue a lot with my other sheets), and it was so easy to clean after ? I won?t ever use aluminum foil again!? I loved it.

I made some muffins for breakfast since my husband loves them so much and the muffin pan was easy to clean as well.? I didn?t use cupcake holders and they came out of the pan really easily.? I also used the ice cream scoop to put the mix in the muffin cups and it worked beautifully!? I loved how easily it came off the spoon with the lever feature.? I usually prefer the more simple gadgets, but I love this extra feature that makes scooping your baking treats so much easier and less messy!

I used the baking rounds to make Giada?s yummy Herb Foccaccia Bread and it was delicious!? So easy, too.? All I needed was a little bit of Olive Oil and the rest is already in the box! ?I used the pizza wheel to slice the bread and it was perfect.? I love the convenience of a good pizza wheel!? And once again, the round tin was another easy-to-clean item!? Can you tell what things are important to me?? My sister is the cheesecake baker in our family so I am bringing her the springform pan to use on Thanksgiving day.? Judging by the way the other items worked, I?m sure it will be great!

Her kitchen gadget set also comes with her delicious marinara sauce recipe, which I decided I had to try.? I got to use the peeler for the carrots and the can opener for the canned crushed tomatoes.? Both worked beautifully.? I loved how easily the peeler peeled the carrots ? very little pressure needed for a clean peel, and the can opener was super simple to use and had a really nice grip to it.? I think my old peeler and can opener are going to be moved to the camping box to make room for these new beautiful stainless steel gadgets in my kitchen for everyday use.

I not only used the pizza wheel for the bread, but also for making my first lattice pie!? It cut really nice and clean lines that allowed the dough to separate without ripping.? I had to beat an egg as well for it so I got to use the silicon whisk.? I love the fact that it is silicon because I have a few recipes that require whisking but you can?t use a wire whisk or a fork, so this is perfect and so much more versatile.

I have to hand it to my girl, Giada.? She knows her stuff in the kitchen and she has definitely made it better for us with her new line at Target.? It?s great that such respected chefs will make affordable products for everyone to use that work great!? I mean, if you watch food shows, I?m sure you know and love Giada, but even if you don?t, I?m sure you love Target!

Time to celebrate this cooking and baking season!? Happy entertaining!

Buy It:

Giada De Laurentiis for Target products can be purchased online here or at a Target store near you.

Win It:
1 lucky winner will receive a set of the Giada De Laurentiis for Target bakeware.

(1 Baking sheet, 1-9? springform pan, 2-9? baking rounds, 1-12-cup muffin pan)

Rules:
This giveaway ends on December 6, 2012 at 11:59 pm EST.
Open to the US only, ages 18+.
Click?here?for complete rules and disclosure.