For many families, the kitchen is the center of the house. After all, it’s where mom whips up all her delicious specialties! My mom didn’t cook a lot when I was younger, but my grandmother did! I think I spent more time in her kitchen as a child than I spent anywhere else. Now that she’s gone, my mom has finally found the cooking bug, carrying on her traditional foods so we don’t have to go without all our favorites.

I spend a lot of time in the kitchen too! Well, not cooking, but working. My home office is in a nook in the kitchen! I do enjoy baking sometimes, even if I’m not awesome at it. One thing I do love, though,  is my coffee and tea! I’m especially fond of loose teas, because I feel like they give you so much more flavor and a fresher experience.

I had the chance to try out a really pretty teapot- the Soleil Le Creuset to be exact- from Cooking.com. Isn’t the name beautiful? Drinking tea from a teapot with such a gorgeous name makes me feel fancy!

The color is actually a much more vibrant yellow throughout, my camera kept washing out the upper yellow shades. The view from above gives you a better idea of the true color.  It’s really charming! The best thing about this teapot, aside from the fact that it’s just so pretty to look at, is what’s inside. It comes with a diffuser chamber so you can use your favorite loose tea!

Just lift the lid and add your favorite tea to the infuser. I used one of my Plaisirs Purs blends, which I’ll be sharing in another post. I suggest pushing the tea down into the water to give it the weight it needs, otherwise it kind of floats. After that, just set it on your smallest burner, turn it on to around medium, and let it brew! I had an amazing cup of relaxing tea in about 10 minutes, because I like to let it steep longer. The dense stoneware prevents cracking, and it’s virtually non-stick, so it’s a piece of cake to clean up.

More amazing gifts for moms who love to cook

3-pc. Baking Set by Joseph

The 3-piece Baking Set by Joseph comes with the tools moms needs most to whip up a delicious cake or pie! I love the fun colors. It even comes packaged in a gorgeous gift box!

Turquoise Recipe Rock by Architec

Does mom store her recipes on little recipe cards? If so, she needs this adorable Recipe Rock! It not only holds her cards upright to avoid smudges and spills on those secret family recipes, it does it in amazing style.

Set of 6 Hawaiian Salt Collection by The Spice Lab

If mom enjoys experimenting with different seasonings, she’ll love this  Set of 6 Hawaiian Salts. It includes:Hawaiian Pink Passion (Fine) Sea Salt, Hawaiian Bamboo Jade Sea Salt (Fine) Sea Salt, Hawaiian Black Lava (Kilauea) (Fine) Sea Salt, Hawaiian Red Alaea (Fine) Sea Salt, Hawaiian White Papohaku (Fine) Sea Salt,Hawaiian Guava Wood Smoked Sea Salt all packaged in an attractive display case.

Lil’ Moo Cow Canister Set

I love these Lil’ Moo Cow canisters! They add  a whimsical element to the kitchen. Look at their happy little faces! The largest canister holds a full 5-pound bag of flour. If cows aren’t her thing, these containers also come in other animal varieties, including chickens and cats.

Do you enjoy spending time in the kitchen? What fun kitchen gadget is on your wish list?