The Unexpected Holiday Host Gift Martha Stewart Describes As 'Failsafe'

As any seasoned partygoer knows, having good etiquette at a fabulous holiday function this year may just help lock in a coveted invitation for next year's event. So, if the opportunity presented itself to ask the one-and-only Martha Stewart all the pressing questions about holiday decorum, who wouldn't seize it? Television host Andy Cohen did exactly that when he recently had Stewart as a guest on "Watch What Happens Live."

In an effort to help viewers prevent what he referred to as "holiday holi-don'ts," Cohen asked Stewart a series of etiquette questions in a segment called "Martha May I?" centered on the art of avoiding social snafus (via YouTube). A couple of those questions concerned a potential anxiety-inducing topic: gift-giving. One such question Cohen asked was, "If someone says no gifts, is it then rude to still bring a gift?" Stewart replied, "Absolutely not, you must take a gift." Sounds like sage advice, but just what kind of gift does Stewart recommend for a host?

Unfortunately, Martha Stewart's preferred present to offer a host may not be achievable for the masses. When Andy Cohen asked her "What is your failsafe host gift to bring to a party?" Stewart replied, "A dozen eggs from my own chicken coop" (via YouTube). "Okay, that's fairly relatable," Cohen joked. Sounds like a perfect plan for a poulterer, but, sadly, for those of us who don't own chickens, we just don't think a carton of store-bought, Grade As has quite the same personal touch.

According to the Martha Stewart website, Stewart owned more than 200 chickens as of 2019, including some varieties that lay colorful eggs. She has Cream Legbars that lay "pale-blue" eggs and Cuckoo Marans that lay "dark chocolate-colored" eggs, according to the publication. Undoubtedly, these colorful eggs would make a lovely host gift, but if you don't have a Cuckoo Maran laying eggs around your place, there is no need to fret. You could always just make a last-minute run to a store like Aldi – we've rounded up a whole host of appropriate hostess gifts to choose from.