Need gift ideas? Here are some of my favorite gadgets

Don't you love giving and getting holiday presents? I know I do.

For almost 15 years, my favorite gift to give was plates filled to overflowing with assorted, scratch-made, holiday cookies made from Grandmother Mauer's time-tested recipes.

But not everyone has the time to make holiday gifts, so we head to the store to find thoughtful gifts. If on your list there's a special someone who can't seem to get enough kitchen time, here are suggestions based on what I use in my kitchen.

Braun PowerMax blender: I've been using my blender almost daily for nearly two years. Even though it's currently ranked sixth on Consumer Reports ratings, my Braun PowerMax blender's still considered a "Best Buy." When CR's two top-ranked blenders each cost $400, who wouldn't be happy they paid less than $50 for a blender this reliable? The blender takes hands-full of ice and frozen fruit in stride and makes preparing a smooth and creamy hummus as easy as turning it on. When this one wears out, would I buy another just like it? Absolutely.

Swivel peeler: For years I used the same old-fashioned, inexpensive but fairly sharp vegetable peeler to clean up carrots, potatoes and cucumbers. If my old peeler cost more than $1 I'd have been surprised. Since there's no way to sharpen vegetable peelers, when I finally needed a new one, I turned to Cook's Illustrated magazine for its recommendation. They liked Oxo's Good Grips i-Series Swivel Peeler ($9.99). With an easily replaced blade, it'll always be sharp and ready to go. I've never used a peeler that feels as good in my hand and works as effortlessly as Oxo's.

Cook's Illustrated also liked the Messermeister Pro-Touch Swivel Peeler ($7.99), a peeler so deft it easily peels tomatoes and peaches. Either makes a great small gift.

Pizza stone: A few years ago I admitted that the tasty little pita pizzas I made at home didn't have the kind of crisp bottom crust I wanted. Nor did my pizza made with homemade dough fair any better. Lean and lovin' it readers to the rescue: "Use a pizza stone," they wrote. I did; they were right. I love my pizza stone and now make pizza that comes close to those made in professional brick ovens. My round stone cost less than $20.

Cuisinart Party Pop Popcorn Maker: A movie, even one I watch at home, isn't as good without popcorn. I've stopped buying popcorn in movie theaters because even though it doesn't come with extra butter, it's still high in fat (and sometimes not such good fat) and calories since they use so much oil.

A stove-top popper (less than $30) that, using a crank attached to the handle, swirls the popping corn around the bottom of the pan, produces movie theater-quality popped corn (even when I use generic popcorn). I use 1 teaspoon of olive oil (tastes buttery) to produce 5 quarts of popped corn.

If that sounds like too much work, Cuisinart now has a popcorn maker ($60), that whirls the kernels and popping corn around -- all you have to do is load it and let it do its thing. Either way, using the least amount of oil produces a great lower-calorie, low-fat snack.

Try this recipe: Some soups can be time-consuming; this one isn't. Your kitchen will fill with great aromas and a bowl of this soup with some warm, whole-grain bread makes a hearty and satisfying meal. Plus, the leftovers taste even better the next day. That's tough to beat.

Potato, Spinach and Sausage Soup

4 leeks, about 3 pounds

1 bunch, about 12 ounces, spinach

2 pounds red potatoes, about 4 medium

6 cups fat-free, reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 bay leaf

1 tablespoon light olive oil

12 ounces low-fat smoked sausage, cut into Ø-inch pieces

Fresh ground black pepper

Trim the roots and tough greens from the leeks to reveal the white and pale green parts. Cut in half lengthwise and rinse under cold water to remove the grit. Pat dry then thinly slice crosswise for 3 to 4 cups.

Rinse and trim ends from spinach and coarsely chop for about 4 packed cups. Peel potatoes and cut into ½-inch cubes.

Place a large saucepan over medium high heat; add broth, potatoes and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Remove and discard bay leaf. Break up some of the potatoes by pressing them against the side of the pan, leaving some chunks.

While potatoes cook, place a Dutch oven or large saucepan over medium heat and add olive oil. When oil is hot, add sausage and cook, stirring frequently, until lightly browned in spots, about 4 minutes. Add leeks and cook until soft, 3-5 minutes.

Add potato mixture and spinach to Dutch oven (or saucepan) and simmer about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Serves six.

Nutrition values per serving: 238 calories (16 percent from fat), 4.2 g fat (0.8 g saturated), 37.6 g carbohydrate, 4.1 g fiber, 15.5 g protein, 25 mg cholesterol, 926 mg sodium.

SaltSense: 95 percent of the sodium in this soup comes from two sources: the broth and sausage, with the majority of that coming from the sausage. Using sodium-free broth reduces the sodium per serving to a reasonable 529 milligrams per serving. Using less sausage will reduce the sodium further.