5 great Mother’s Day gifts foodie moms will crave

Lots of moms love to cook (and eat). The problem? With so many kitchen-related gifts for Mother's Day to pick from it's tough to choose. If your mom is a bona fide foodie who loves being in the kitchen, here are five gift ideas she’ll relish. [Image credit: iStock.com/Petar Chernaev]

Everyone who's passionate about cooking knows how useful olive oil can be in the kitchen. After all, it can be used for cooking, dipping and even for making delicious sauces and dressings. If your mom is a true blue foodie who loves olive oil, consider giving her a special, gourmet brand this Mother's Day.

• Many companies sell gourmet, infused olive oils that are flavoured with different spices or ingredients, such as basil, jalapeño peppers or even truffles.

If you want to make your own infused olive oil, buy a nice brand of oil and allow the ingredient you want to infuse sit in the bottle for several weeks before giving it as a gift to Mom. She'll be delighted and surprised when you present her with your own "exclusive" flavour of olive oil!

If your mom loves devising new recipes and cooking old family ones, a great gift for her is a make-your-own cookbook kit.

• Available online from many retailers, these cookbook kits allow Mom to type, print and insert her own special recipes into a book.  What's more, some kits allow you to insert photos, stickers, tags, labels, recipes cards and other such things as you'd expect in a cookbook to accompany the recipes.

The kits often also allow moms to create a digital archive of the recipes and burn them onto a CD to share with family and friends. It's an excellent way for Mom to pass along some of the cherished recipes she received from her mother.

Moms who appreciate experiencing new flavours and exquisite food will love a membership to a cheese of the month club.

• These types of clubs will allow your mom to receive each month a new type of cheese delivered right to her door. They often include more than one variety of cheese per monthly delivery and offer a wide selection of cheeses, from hard to soft to crumbly.

Cheese of the month clubs offer your mom a convenient way to experiment with exotic new foods that might not otherwise be available to her locally. What's more, it's a great gift that you might consider pairing with a bottle or two of wine.

If your mom enjoys shopping at the local farmers' market where only the freshest produce is on sale, get her a nice, large bag in which to carry her groceries. The usual canvas bags sold at grocery stores can only carry so much, the handles are uncomfortable, and they tend to rip after a little while.

• Many companies make shopping bags that are sturdy, waterproof or even insulated – but fashionable on the outside. You can even get some with handy pockets for stashing keys and phones while you shop.

Consider getting a shopping bag that is also easy to carry and not hard on the back.

• One that converts into a backpack is a good solution because it distributes weight evenly on both shoulders.

For a mom who likes to eat, there's nothing better than a delicious home-cooked meal. So gather a few of her favourite breakfast recipes, then surprise her with breakfast in bed on Mother's Day morning!

• Consider looking in some of her favourite gourmet cookbooks and whip up something that will both delight and impress her.
• Serve your homemade breakfast on a nice tray with fine cutlery, a cloth napkin and some cut flowers to make it extra special.