We're loving… CERAMIC BACON PLATES

Growing up in Indonesia, Nani Puspasari had never heard of bacon before she moved to Australia eight years ago. But it didn't take her long to fall in love with the stuff. A self-confessed "bacon addict", she not only eats it whenever she can but creates ceramic tributes as well. Our favourite are her bacon plates – the kind of present you end up keeping when Christmas shopping. Nani suggests serving bacon and eggs on the bacon plates every morning to feel "a double rainbow of happiness". designani.com/shop

We're eating... HOKKAIDO CHEESE TARTS

We're drinking… CHRISTMAS CHEER BEER

In a stroke of hoppy genius, 4 Pines Brewing has released The Before, During & After Christmas Beer Pack for a true Aussie celebration. It includes four 500-millilitre bottles of beer packaged up in a jolly box. There's a crisp Kolsch, a Christmas Saison with hints of Christmas pudding spices, their Pale Ale and a West Coast Red Rye – one of the most popular Keller Door small batch beer releases of 2016. At RRP $29.99, it makes a great gift for the thirsty. 4pinesbeer.com.au

We're cooking with… THE FIRST ELECTRIC SPIRALIZER

Until last week, we'd never met a vegetable spiralizer we liked. But Kenwood has released the first electric model available at Aussie retailers. It's easy to make "zoodles" (zucchini noodles) and "sweet patoodles" (that's sweet potato noodles, not a designer dog) and even easier to clean. It comes with four blades that churn out pappardelle, linguine, tagliatelle or spaghetti-shaped vegetables into a 0.5L bowl. Good for gluten-free diets, great for healthy New Year's resolutions. kenwoodworld.com/en-au/spiralizer

We're buying... ICE CREAM FOR CHRISTMAS

Gelato Messina is poking a candy cane at Mike Baird this year with their "Lock Out Claus" Christmas cake. Available to order at gelatomessina.com (pick up from Melbourne and Sydney stores), it's a spherical, salted caramel gelato Santa wedged in a chimney and accompanied by a bottle of vanilla brandy custard. Sydney's Cow and the Moon also has six gelato Chrissy cakes ranging from traditional Christmas pudding to festive logs, while Pidapipo in Melbourne has introduced three new gelato flavours for December, including Christmas pudding with chocolate chip, eggnog with fried panettone and ginger gelato with gingerbread (available in store or via UberEats).

We're obsessed with… WATERMELON KEG TAP

In this week's addition of kitchen novelties we want but don't need, this Winex tap attachment shoves into a hollowed-out watermelon and turns it into a keg. Fill a hollow watermelon with your punch or summer cocktail of choice (try fresh mint, soda, vodka and watermelon juice), then attach the shank and faucet. The kit also comes with a coring tool and faucet handle. Get them from kitchen and homeware retailers, or online at kitchenwarehouse.com.au, in time to entertain at Christmas or to stuff some stockings.

We're craving… SWEET MICKIE XMAS COOKIES

The original quote cookies have stepped it up in time for Christmas, offering two gift boxes depending on whether the recipient has been naughty or nice. Naughty cookies are stamped with phrases like, "SLAY LIKE SANTA" and "I'VE BEEN BAD", while the nice cookies wish eaters a "MERRY CHRISTMAS" and instruct you to "TREAT YO ELF". Packs of six are available online for $29.95 plus shipping (Australia wide), or contact Emma at hello@sweetmickie.com for where to buy them loose. sweetmickie.com

We're reading… KNIVES & INK

We've found the ultimate picture story cookbook. Knives & Ink by BuzzFeed books editor Isaac Fitzgerald and illustrator Wendy MacNaughton tells the tales behind the tattoos of 65 chefs from all over the world, alongside some of their signature recipes. Whether it's Danny Bowien of Mission Chinese Food remembering his mother with angel wings on his forearms or Dominique Crenn (two Michelin-starred Atelier Crenn) reminding herself to do "anything in life that you put your heart into" – ink always has a story.