Gourmet Gift of the Day Blog

The holiday season gets to be quite hectic for many people – whether you are expecting a number of guests in your home or you will be traveling to celebrate with family, there is always a long to-do list and never enough time to get it done!

During this busy time, I make sure to have plenty of quick and easy meal options on hand – which includes a 4-pack of New York Neapolitan pizzas.  Offered by New York Flying Pizza, these award winning pies start with homemade Neapolitan sauce and are topped with a signature mix of imported cheeses.  My family prefers the all cheese pizza, but there are over 15 topping options that can be added – from anchovies to ricotta.  The case of four pizza pies can be shipped to you from Pappdelles NY Pizza Restaurant in Bethpage, Long Island for $73.49 plus shipping.

My chocolate addiction has been curbed – at least for the moment – by this decadent dessert basket.  My co-workers and I adore all flavors of chocolate, so these chocolate-covered desserts made an excellent choice for my office!  Each of my colleagues had their favorite – my boss loved the chocolate covered Rice Krispie treats, while his secretary was crazy about the chocolate dipped fortune cookies.  My co-worker (also a chocoholic) adored the chocolate covered brownies, but my personal favorite was the white chocolate dipped oreo cookies with snowflake sprinkles.

With a total of 30 treats filling the pretty wicker basket, I found this to be an excellent value at $52.  The artisans at Cookie Gift Baskets dip each confection by hand, and decorate them with cheery winter-themed edibles.  I wanted to sample this item before sending it to faraway relatives, and I was not disappointed.  I’m sure that I will satisfy everyone’s sweet tooth with this fun and cheery winter treat!

More than 20 years ago, Captain Tom started his lobster adventure as a part-time summer job.  After the first day he was captivated.  In time, he was able to start his own business – with a unique twist.  During the summer months Captain Tom charters lobster excursions, where customers accompany the captain on his boat and are able to haul in their very own live lobsters from the traps!

So many vacationers have enjoyed this once-in-a-lifetime lobster excursion that Captain Tom has been able to start an online business shipping live lobsters across the country – mostly to repeat customers.  With some of the most reasonable prices I have found online, 2 jumbo lobsters (weighing between 2 and 2 1/2 lbs apiece) will arrive at your doorstep for $99 (including shipping).  The informative website also offers suggestions on how to cook your lobsters, as well as various lobster recipes and instructions on how to shuck a lobster.

My extended family celebrates Christmas at a resort every year.  Grandma and Grandpa had 16 children, so our close relatives number over 100 – which is difficult to fit into any single family home!  There is no shortage of food at these celebrations, and certain family members are asked to bring their “signature dish” each year.  My aunt Lesley makes homemade crescent rolls, aunt Renee brings along her special recipe “Good N Rich” potatoes, and uncle John supplies the ham.  The dessert table is also plentiful, and each year my mom brings a different flavor of cheesecake to add to the array.

Last year mom didn’t have as much time to bake as she would have liked, so I turned her on to another of my favorite food websites – Holiday Gifts & Gift Baskets.  She ordered two of these Cranberry Chocolate Chip Cheesecakes, and was surprised at how quickly they disappeared!  Many relatives asked for her recipe, and she admitted that the delicious dessert was actually made by someone else and shipped to her.  If it wasn’t for the spendy overnight shipping cost ($34.95) she would have broke with tradition and brought the same flavor two years in a row.  The cost of the 3 lb cheesecake (which provides 12 generous servings) is $39.

My boss’s family has a tradition of serving Beef Wellington for Christmas Eve dinner.  This year, dinner will be hosted at his house and he has chosen to change things up a bit.  He wanted to prepare a different entree but still include the traditional family dish, so he has ordered these Beef Wellington En Croute appetizers to include in this year’s holiday dinner.  He ordered this item in advance so we could taste-test them at the office.  Much to everyone’s delight, the appetizers were moist and delicious, and the beef was perfectly cooked.  These gourmet bites are precooked, then flash frozen and shipped via FedEx overnight delivery to ensure freshness.  We received 50 pieces for $108.99, and shipping costs were free (since my boss ordered 3 or more items).  They were simple to prepare as well – we popped some into our toaster oven for 20 minutes and were rewarded with a tender, flaky crust and a moist beef tenderloin inside.

Besides getting a flu shot, my doctor has recommended plenty of fluids and extra vitamins to combat the flu season this year – specifically Vitamin C and the B-complex Vitamins.  I have found a way to get all of these in one tasty drink – the Organic Rose Sherbet Juice offered by Elite Naturel.

The juice is made from all organic rose petals and apple juice, which may seem like a strange combination but it actually tastes very refreshing.  And of course it smells good too!  This juice is Kosher approved, and can be found in most whole food stores across the country.  If you are having trouble finding it locally, you can also purchase it online – a case of 24, 8 oz bottles is $71.76.

After trying this juice, I have found a delicious beverage that will give me 15 grams of Vitamins B1, B2 and C per serving with only 150 calories and zero fat.  I feel more energized and I’m confident that the flu won’t slow me down this year!

If you have faraway loved ones that you can’t be with this Christmas, start a new tradition by sending them this Santa Plate filled with cookies!  Gourmet Cookie Bouquets offers a beautiful golden ceramic plate, decorated with the Jolly Old Elf himself, along with a cute saying around the plate announcing “I’ve Been Good”.  You can even choose what variety of cookies you want to send.  If the cookies don’t make it until Christmas Eve, your loved ones will have fun making another batch for Santa – and next year they can fill the plate and send it over to you!  The oval shaped platter, complete with a dozen jumbo cookies, sells for $42 plus $9.95 shipping.

Have a little fun with your holiday party this year with this red and green striped tortelloni!  Offered by Alfonso’s Gourmet Pasta, the stripes are actually made from dough that has been infused with fresh spinach and tomatoes.  No artificial coloring is needed to make this festive pasta, which is stuffed with a savory combination of parmesan, romano, ricotta, mozzarella and provolone cheeses along with Alfonso’s secret mixture of herbs and spices.  A 5 lb package of this flash-frozen pasta can be overnighted to you for $34.95 plus the cost of shipping (which will vary depending on your proximity to their location in Miami).

My brother-in-law LOVES peanut butter.  Every morning since I’ve known him, he has peanut butter toast for breakfast.  In true Elvis fashion, he also eats peanut butter and banana sandwiches for a snack.  He buys peanut butter by the gallon, and uses it for nearly every meal.  His wife contributes to his addiction by baking peanut butter cookies weekly, blending up peanut butter milkshakes for a late night snack, even incorporating peanut butter into a number of their gourmet dinner parties.

When I found this peanut butter popcorn tin online, I knew it was the perfect gift for my brother-in-law’s 50th birthday last week.  He called us immediately after it arrived, and claimed that he had never tried peanut butter popcorn before (which was surprising to me), but he was going to try to make it himself after the tin was empty.  He also loved the autumn-themed tin, and remarked that it reminded him of a time that he and his buddies skipped school to go canoeing down the river.  I couldn’t have been more pleased with his reaction, and I have bookmarked this item so I can order it again for his birthday next year!  The 3 1/2 gallon decorative tin, filled with peanut butter and white chocolate-covered popcorn, is available from another of my favorite websites – All About Gifts & Baskets – for $50 plus $10.95 shipping.

After watching a documentary on The Food Network of how these gourmet treats are made, my curiousity was piqued. I had to see what fans were raving about so I ordered a case of Molasses Chips to find out for myself (anything that’s covered in chocolate can’t be all bad, so I decided that a case was the way to go).  My first assumption was that the taste would be heavy, similar to molasses itself.  I was pleasantly surprised to find that these bite-sized nuggets actually have a light and crunchy taste, making them quite addictive!  I ordered the assorted boxes – which contain milk and dark chocolate – and was pleasantly surprised to find that I like the dark chocolate ones better.  I can convince myself that these little goodies are good for me too, since dark chocolate contains powerful anti-oxidants that boost your immune system.

The case of 36 – 8 ounce boxes was on sale for $198, and I wrapped some of them for gifts at our “girls night out” while still having plenty left for myself.  None of the girls had ever tried Molasses Chips either, but they all were quick to ask where I found these delicious treats!