Gourmet Gift of the Day Blog

Morning break time has been much tastier in the office lately, thanks to the addition of this delicious gift crate we ordered from Persimmon Hill Farm.  Specializing in homemade jams and butters, the company offers a gift crate where you can choose 6 of their gourmet fruit spreads for $39.25.  They are shipped with two bags of buttermilk biscuit mix, which is the perfect base to try the wide variety of flavors.  We chose some of the more exotic sounding spreads for our gift crate – Nutty Blue Goose Jam, Elderberry Preserves, Persimmon Butter, Gooseberry Walnut Jam, Sugar Free Plum Blackberry Fruit Spread and Apple Butter.  I brought the biscuit mix home to bake, and the next morning we indulged on these spreads.  My favorite turned out to be the Sugar Free Plum Blackberry spread, partially because it was sugar-free so I felt I could have a little more than I normally would have!  The spread was thick, rich and full of flavor, which was surprising to me since it was also sugar free!  My boss took the Persimmon Butter and hid in his office – not to be seen again until the jar was almost gone!  He did finally share with the rest of us, and I found that the persimmon taste was light and crisp.

Overall the gift crate earned 5 stars in our office, and the website has made our list to “try more of these products”.  We love that the spreads are made in small batches, just like homemade, and each batch is carefully tested to ensure perfect flavor every time.  We all agree that these products would be great as a housewarming or retirement gift, and we look forward to sampling more great flavors from Persimmon Hill Farm!

My girlfriend is a big fan of pepper jellies.  She loves the sweet apricot pepper jelly mixed with cream cheese on a bagel, and enjoys the kick of a jalapeno pepper jelly as a dip for pretzels.  She especially loves to grill with all flavors of pepper jelly.  The sweet components form a glaze on chicken or ribs, and the pepper component adds a bit of kick to the mix.  She is preparing for summer grilling season this year by ordering a 3 pack of her favorites, entitled – apropriately enough – Pepper Jelly All Time Favorites Three Pack.  She will receive three 10 ounce jars for $26.95 – one each of Apricot, Jalapeno and Pomegranate Pepper Jellies.  Along with each order, Aloha From Oregon also sends a number of great recipe ideas in case you want to try something new!

Just north of Juneau, in a tiny little village on the Chilkoot Inlet, is a hidden gourmet syrup company that ships their tasty products worldwide.  The Birch Boy Gourmet Alaskan Birch Syrup Company harvests native fruits and berries, then turns them into unique and flavorful syrups.  One such tasty combination is their Cranberry Cherry syrup, with just a hint of the cranberry tartness and a smooth, cherry finish.  For her birthday last month, my grandma received a bottle of this syrup from her brother that lives in Juneau, and she is looking forward to trying another flavor on her birthday next year!  An 8 ounce bottle of this syrup sells for $10.00.

Five years ago, my husband and I took a trip that included an overnight stay at the Comfort Inn & Suites in Rapid City, SD.  What I remember most about the entire trip was the flavor of the Belgian Waffles that we had for breakfast at the hotel!  The waffles had a crisp outside and fluffy inside, with a rich malted flavor and a sweet maple syrup sprinkled with toasted pecans.  I have never been able to reproduce this recipe exactly, but the waffle mix and syrup I found online are the closest I have come.

Robert Rothschild Farm sells a terrific Pancake and Waffle Mix that produces sweet and thick waffles.  The recipe also says it can be used for crepes, but I haven’t tried it because a flavor this rich needs to be in a fluffy pastry!  I also liked the additional recipes sent in the package – including sweet breads and cookies.  The Roasted Pecan Syrup that we purchased to go with the Waffle Mix has a great maple base, then adds a deep layer of Pecan flavor – so tasty that you may want to order 2 jars right away!  The syrup also comes with recipe suggestions, but we have enjoyed the syrup so much with our pancakes, waffles, and ice cream that we haven’t had a chance to try any of the recipes yet.

You can get a 32 ounce box of Waffle Mix for $13.49, and a 12 ounce jar of Roasted Pecan Syrup for $9.49.   If you like to order in bulk, you will get a 10% case discount.

The taste of this jam is very smooth and fresh, which makes the name appear to be deceiving.  Nothing was “bumbled” when this recipe was created – Steve Cory of Cory’s Kitchen has put together a divinely sweet topping for bread, muffins, even ice cream!  With a myriad of fruits added to the mixture, if you taste carefully you can taste each flavor – farm fresh strawberries, rhubarb, peaches, blueberries and raspberries.  I loved the jam with cornbread, and my son said it makes a yummy PB&J sandwich!

An 8oz jar of this delicious topping is available directly from Sweet Berry Farm in Rhode Island for $8.50.  But hurry, because quantities are limited and berry season is over for the year!

When my sister’s best friend was pregnant last year, we found some adorable honey jars to get as baby shower favors!  We didn’t know if the baby was going to be a boy or a girl, so we used a “Mommy To Bee” theme and found these favors at Baby Gifts & Gift Baskets.  The jars fit perfectly into our theme (of course), and we were able to add Alyssa’s name and shower date to the jars to make them more personal.  We ordered 30 jars for a total of $79.45 (which included ground shipping), and they arrived in less than 2 weeks in perfect condition!  The honey was delicious, and we had a few extra jars to use in the guests’ tea during the shower.

My favorite Sunday Morning breakfast is homemade – fluffy buttermilk pancakes, warm maple syrup and thick-sliced bacon with a tall glass of orange juice.  So I really hit the jackpot when I found this Bacon Gift Basket!  Shipped straight to you from the self-proclaimed Bacon Freak, his gourmet choices make a perfect housewarming gift, get well gift or thank you basket.  The handsome wicker basket is filled with 2 pounds of gourmet bacon, bacon salt, pancake mix and an assortment of jams and jellies.  The bacon we received was thick-cut, flavored perfectly and cooked up crisp and delicious!  It was a perfect compliment to the pancakes and jelly in the basket.  The Bacon Freak sells this basket for $82.95, which includes free shipping.

Before finding Ames Farms’ single-source honey, I had no idea that honey had so many distinguishable flavors!  We ordered a 5-jar variety pack, and were pleasantly surprised at the huge difference in the honey flavors, simply because the bees gathered pollen from different types of flowers.  Our family had so much fun trying the honey with different foods (cornbread, oatmeal, toast, tea, even cereal) that we devoured the 5 – 2 ounce jars in very short order.  I considered this a great deal at $20.75, plus a minimal $4.50 for shipping.

Based in Southern Minnesota, Ames Honey Farm specializes in raw, single source honey.  Most honey available for sale is processed – that is, heated and filtered so it will remain liquid for many years.  By heating and filtering the honey, a number of beneficial vitamins and enzymes are lost.  Both types of honey are still 100% pure, but raw honey, like that available at Ames Honey Farm, still contains these beneficial nutrients.  The drawback to raw honey is that it will solidify after a few months (if it’s not consumed by then).  But it’s easy to re-liquefy, just gently heat it to about 100 degrees and it will again flow freely!  Not only does this site offer amazing honey flavors, but I found the information about honey very interesting and educational.

If you are looking for a new flavor on your toast in the morning, Rowena’s Inc makes a deliciously sweet carrot jam. That’s right – carrot jam. I was also leery at first, but now we always have a jar of this in our house! The carrot taste is not overpowering, and the sweet flavor is great with a bagel and cream cheese, on a bran muffin, or with toast and peanut butter. The thick jam has a color resembling marmalade, with a smooth texture and uniquely sweet flavor. Try a jar for only $6.50 and I bet you will be back for more.

Give a sweet and healthy organic gift straight from the Hawaiian Islands.  This unique gift box contains three honey varietals each with their own exquisite flavor and smooth texture.  According to Big Island Bees website, there are three main Hawaiian honey flows that bloom at different times of the year: ‘Ohi’a Lehua, Wilelaiki and Macadamia Nut.  So three times a year, the Big Island Bee company moves the bee hives to where the particular flowers are in bloom. The honey sampler contains one jar from each of the 3 bloom areas – 1 Lehua with its light golden color, delicate flavor, and thick creamy texture; 1Macadamia with its light amber color, slightly spicy flavor, and flowing viscous texture; and 1 Wilelaiki with its amber color, velvety texture and  floral nutty flavor.

A great addition to a cup of tea, a favorite recipe, or on some warm toast! The organic honey sampler includes 3 jars of honey for $27 plus shipping to your door direct from Hawaii.