Gourmet Gift of the Day Blog

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!

Many years ago, our family continued to grow and my grandpa and grandma were running out of Christmas gift ideas for us.  They were very strict about spending the same amount of money on each grandchild, and had even resorted to giving all the money to the parents and having them buy something to put under the tree at Grandma’s house for Christmas morning.  The most memorable gift I got from them was the year that Grandma put Grandpa in charge of presents.  He gave each of his 11 grandchildren the same thing - a king-sized candy bar with a $20 bill wrapped around it.  At first we were skeptical, because there were 11 identical gifts under the tree.  But after we opened them, everyone was jumping for joy!

Borrow my Grandpa’s idea for your hard-to-buy-for recipients this year.  Instead of a standard chocolate bar, order a case of gourmet milk chocolate bars adorned with a dark chocolate Santa and engraved with snowflakes and a Merry Christmas logo.  Purchase a 5 lb case for $60 from Christmas Gifts & Gift Baskets.

A baby’s baptism or christening is a memorable occasion, and many people like to mark the day with a favor for their invited guests.  Baby Gifts & Gift Baskets offers a variety of baptism/christening favors - both personalized and not.  One of my favorites is the personalized chocolate bars like the one pictured below:

Available in 2 sizes (standard size chocolate bar or king size bar), the personalization of your child’s name and baptism date makes this a unique favor.  And chocolate is always a great gift idea, especially to celebrate such a sweet occasion!  With the option to purchase the wrapper and silver foil separately (you can supply the chocolate yourself), the cost is very reasonable and shipping is minimal.

My dad turned 60 this summer and we threw a big party for him.  Months of planning went into it, and over 100 guests were invited.  On a tight budget, we wanted an inexpensive but thoughtful favor for everyone.  After tossing around a few ideas my sister suggested mints.  I like the custom mint tins that Wedding Favors Unlimited offers, but we were looking for something a bit less expensive.  While browsing I found these Personalized Mint Rolls, and immediately knew that was the favor for us!  We purchased 100 mint rolls with a personalized caption on the back, and were very happy with the price of $200 (including shipping).

For approximately $2 per person, we were able to send each guest home with a useful and tasty memory of the day.  Not only were the mints a hit with the guests, but we were able to stay within our budget as well.  Dad was so happy with the taste of the mints that he wanted me to order some for mom’s birthday this fall!

My mom is always sad that we don’t live close enough for the boys to go trick-or-treating at her house, so every year she sends them a special Halloween gift.  This year she is sending them a plastic Jack O’ Lantern gift filled with a huge variety of candy.  I recommended All About Gifts & Baskets to mom because I have had such great experiences with them, making them one of my favorite online retailers!

Mom is not very internet-savvy, so she was very happy that she was able to call in and order this gift for her grandsons.  She told me the customer service representative was courteous and helpful, and together they created a cute gift message for the boys.  Mom wanted to order this gift immediately but not have it deliver until closer to Halloween, and was told that wasn’t a problem.  She was also very happy with the price of $36 plus a very reasonable shipping charge of $8.95.

The impressive variety of candy means that I may even get to sneak a few pieces without the boys noticing!  Candy includes:  Hershey’s Marshmallow Cream Pumpkin, Skittles, Nerds Candies, Plain M&M’s, Peanut M&M’s, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Kit Kat Bar, Starburst, 6 Hershey Assorted Miniatures, Twizzlers Licorice Whips, 2 Twix Candy Bars, Payday Candy Bar, Reese’s pieces, 2 Tootsie Rolls Miniatures boxes, Hershey’s Special Dark Candy Bar and a bag of Goldfish crackers.

When you can’t be there in person to nurse someone back to good health, send the next best thing - candy!!  This adorable stuffed Nurse Bee is surrounded by delicious candy treats arranged in a bouquet.  The impressive display is available at Cookie Gift Baskets for $43 plus a minimal $9.95 for shipping.

Perfect for a patient of any age - the 8″ Nurse Bee became my nephew’s favorite after I sent him this gift when he was recovering from minor surgery.  He carried it with him everywhere for many weeks, so luckily it is machine washable!

This snack combines two of my favorite indulgences - coffee and chocolate!  The roasted Costa Rican espresso beans are slightly crunchy, with a heavenly aroma - especially when combined with the deep dark chocolate coating.  I hid this bag from the boys so I could indulge in them all my myself.

Just a few of these beans are enough to perk me up from the mid-afternoon doldrums - especially if I’m having a long day at work.   And don’t forget that dark chocolate is good for you!  The 8 oz bag of dark chocolate covered beans are available from Cafe’ Britt for $8.95.

Here is a unique idea for wedding favors, a formal birthday party, or any fall-themed gathering!  Wedding Favors Unlimited takes a petite, crisp apple and dips it in layers of chocolate (you choose milk, white or dark chocolate).  For a finishing touch, they will monogram each apple with either the couple’s new monogram or the monogram of the guest of honor in Belgian White Chocolate.  The apples are finished with white chocolate designs and individually wrapped.  To preserve freshness, Wedding Favors Unlimited only offers overnight air shipping and will not ship over a week-end.  Each taste-tempting chocolate apple is $18, with a minimum order of 4.

Brides are always looking for a unique wedding favor that will set their day apart from any other wedding their guests have attended.  When my cousin was married last year, she spent the week leading up to her wedding dipping pretzel wands in chocolate and covering them with sprinkles to match her wedding colors.  The result was phenomenal - her guests raved about the delicious treat that they were able to enjoy before the meal was served!  She had found a wedding favor that both young and old loved and delighted in the sweet and salty combination - so her mission was successful.  However, she could have saved herself a lot of time if she had found Wedding Favors Unlimited first!  For as little as $1.55 apiece, they will send you freshly-made and individually wrapped chocolate covered pretzel wands - drizzled in white chocolate, dipped in caramel, nuts and sprinkes.  While she wouldn’t have been able to match her wedding colors with these favors, my cousin would have been able to conserve time and ensure that an important piece of her receiption was taken care of by a professional!

I like to add seasonal decorations to my home, but also don’t have a lot of time so the decorations are limited.  I found a great autumn centerpiece - that doubles as a snack holder - at Holiday Gifts & Gift Baskets.  The cute scarecrow is perched next to a wicker basket that is filled with candies on stems.  It came exactly as pictured - with colorful curling ribbon and silk flowers tucked in between the candy.  For $46 I was able to get a reusable container filled with nearly 60 candy pieces - which didn’t last long in our house!  This new little scarecrow will become part of my fall decorating every year.