Christmas Gifts for New Moms That Need No Cooking
A new mom's first Christmas with a baby runs on odd hours, short naps and one free hand. The gifts that help most in those weeks are the ones that ask nothing of her: no cooking, no fridge space, no instructions. Something to eat with one hand while the baby sleeps on the other arm, and a cup of something warm at three in the afternoon or three in the morning.
This guide builds Christmas gifts for new moms on two tests. Can she eat it with one hand? Can it sit on a counter for a few weeks? The gifts below are grouped into three boxes at about $30, $60 and $125.
Ask one question first
Ask her partner or a close friend what she is eating and drinking right now. Some new moms are avoiding certain foods or caffeine, and some households have allergies. Mariage Frères lists the three teas below as naturally caffeine-free, and the product notes list milk and wheat where the details mention them; the package label is the final word.
One-handed snacks
Rustic Bakery's vanilla shortbread is a traditional buttery shortbread flavored with Madagascar vanilla bean; it contains milk and wheat (shop Rustic Bakery vanilla shortbread, $7.00). Makabi & Sons' Kriti cookies are shortbread butter cookies with rosemary and Maldon sea salt, six to a 3.6-ounce box (shop Makabi & Sons Kriti cookies, $8.00). For something savory, Rustic Bakery's sel gris flatbread is a sourdough cracker made with olive oil and French grey sea salt in Marin County, California (shop Rustic Bakery sel gris flatbread, $9.00).
For a small sweet, Mayana's Strawberry Rose mini bar layers strawberry marshmallow and caramel in dark chocolate with crystallized rose on top, made in small batches in Spooner, Wisconsin (shop the Mayana Strawberry Rose mini, $4.99).
Caffeine-free tea
Mariage Frères lists these three teas as naturally caffeine-free. Rouge Bourbon is a South African rooibos scented with vanilla, mellow and softly sweet in aroma, in a sealed 100 g canister (shop Mariage Frères Rouge Bourbon, $36.00). Nil Rouge is a rooibos scented with citrus, spices and marigold, in the same sealed canister (shop Mariage Frères Nil Rouge, $36.00). Mentha Piperita is a pure peppermint-leaf infusion in 30 cotton muslin sachets, so there is nothing to measure (shop Mariage Frères Mentha Piperita, $33.00). For more teas by drinker, see gifts for tea lovers.
A jar for toast
BRINS's strawberry lemongrass preserve is made with strawberries, cane sugar, lemon and lime juice, Thai lemongrass and ginger root, and the maker gives it a minimum shelf life of 12 months (shop BRINS strawberry lemongrass preserve, $8.50). With the sel gris flatbread, it is a snack that needs a knife and nothing else.
Food that waits
The USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service calls foods that can be stored safely at room temperature "shelf stable," and advises keeping them in a cool, dry place, below 85°F. That is the whole idea of this gift: a box that can sit on the counter until there is a free minute, with no clock running. Put the box somewhere away from the radiator and the sunny window.
Three boxes
About $30, the toast-and-tea shelf. Sel gris flatbread, the BRINS preserve, Kriti cookies and a card: $29.50.
About $60, the afternoon cup. Rouge Bourbon, vanilla shortbread, Kriti cookies, the Strawberry Rose mini and a card: $59.99.
About $125, the full box. A navy gift box with a magnetic flap, 14 by 9 by 4.3 inches (shop the navy magnetic gift box, $13.00), holding Nil Rouge, Mentha Piperita, vanilla shortbread, Kriti cookies, sel gris flatbread, the BRINS preserve, the Strawberry Rose mini and a card: $123.49.
| Box | What goes in | Listed price |
|---|---|---|
| Toast-and-tea shelf | Sel gris flatbread, BRINS strawberry lemongrass, Kriti cookies, card | $29.50 |
| Afternoon cup | Rouge Bourbon, vanilla shortbread, Kriti cookies, Strawberry Rose mini, card | $59.99 |
| Full box | Navy box, Nil Rouge, Mentha Piperita, vanilla shortbread, Kriti cookies, sel gris flatbread, BRINS preserve, Strawberry Rose mini, card | $123.49 |
Prices follow the listed price on each product page. Products ship across the continental U.S. from theambrosianpantry.com.
The card
Ginger P. Designs' baby card is a gender-neutral folded card with floral and animal illustrations, blank inside (shop the Ginger P. Designs baby card, $4.00). Keep the message short and ask for no reply: "For the next quiet hour. No thank-you note needed."
What to leave out
- Anything that needs cooking. A box of ingredients is a project, and this is a season with no time for one.
- Anything that needs the fridge. Fridge space goes fast with a new baby, and a gift that must be eaten this week adds a deadline.
- Honey meant for the baby. The CDC advises never feeding honey to a child younger than one year. If honey goes in the box, it is for the adults.
For a gift that goes in the mail to someone recovering or far away, the care package that keeps covers four foods that travel well.
Short answers
What is a good Christmas gift for a new mom? Food she can eat with one hand and store on the counter, such as shortbread and crackers, with a caffeine-free tea and a short card.
Which of these teas are caffeine-free? Mariage Frères lists Rouge Bourbon, Nil Rouge and Mentha Piperita as naturally caffeine-free.
How long will the box keep? Shelf-stable foods keep at room temperature; follow the date on each package, and keep the box cool and dry.
The shop is at 263 Josephine Street in Cherry Creek, Denver.
