Gourmet Gift of the Day Blog

If Thanksgiving is more of a scaled-down affair at your house, consider this delicious alternative to the standard turkey and stuffing feast.  Skinlesss, white meat chicken is wrapped around a tasty dried cherry and sage stuffing that mixes with the natural chicken juices when cooked.  This dish is simple to prepare, attractive to serve, and combines two of the main components of a traditional Thanksgiving meal in a modern way.  This Chicken Ballotine serves 4-6, and can still arrive in time for Thanksgiving for just $31.95 plus shipping.

Two years ago at the office holiday party, one of our vendors sent a 10 lb, spiral-sliced ham.  All we had to do was heat it and slice the tender pieces off the bone.  The Honey Baked Ham Company has a secret recipe glaze that they coat each ham in, so when we cooked it the glaze turned crunchy and soaked sweetness into each piece.

Started in 1957, the Honey Baked Ham Company has grown from a single Detroit store into a nationwide chain serving up holiday-style goodness to families year round.  The founder of the company developed a unique curing and cooking procedure that produces a tender, juicy selection every time.  He also was the first to spiral slice his ham, giving it a fancy appearance and making it easy to cut perfect servings for every member of your family.  For this year’s holiday gather, I suggest the 10 lb, spiral-sliced half ham, delivered anywhere in the continental U.S. for only $95.95.

Impress your significant other by preparing them a Parisian-inspired gourmet lamb dinner - featuring a juicy, tender lamb shank glazed with rosemary & mint sauce, and served with a side of creamy spinach & artichokes.  You can also choose the remaining parts of your four-course meal - including a bread, soup, dessert and a beverage (either coffee or tea).  They will never have to know that you didn’t spend hours making this yourself - the entire meal can be ready to eat in 30 short minutes!

For $89.95, Gourmet Station will help you create the perfect gourmet meal, will include floating candles to highlight your table, after dinner mints, even tips on the perfect wine to accompany your dinner.  I have saved this website to my favorites, and very carefully instructed my husband on the details of ordering so the next time we have a “date night” and it is his turn to cook, he will know what to get for dinner!  The choices and combinations on this website sound exquisite, and I can’t wait to try their Margarita Cheesecake.

The meal choices range from Parisian to Cajun to Americana, and you can mix and match with their simple ordering grid.  Shipping is a very reasonable $19.99, and the gourmet blog associated with this webpage offers great dinner party tips.

I will be the first to admit that my cooking skills are a little “hit or miss”.  I have to be in the right mood to cook, and even then the food doesn’t always cooperate with me.  So to still be able to serve a great meal on the nights that I would consider a “miss”, I signed up for the Twelve Month Dinner Sampler from Home Bistro.  We have only received the first 2 month’s meals so far, but I have been very pleased!  Each month centers around a different theme (poultry, pasta, seafood, New England, etc) and contains 8-10 generous servings of a gourmet meal that’s ready to heat and eat.  The first month we recieved 4 different poultry dishes, the second month had 5 of the Chef’s Favorite dishes, and next month we can expect 4 beef dishes.  We are billed $88 per month (plus $19.95 S&H), so for less than the price of eating at a gourmet restaurant we can enjoy gourmet quality meals in the comfort of our home!

Whether you’re hosting an elegant dinner party, an upcoming holiday meal or a plain old Saturday night, add these gourmet roasts to your table and watch everyone’s reaction!  Offering only the best Kansas corn-fed beef, Kansas City Steaks has long been a favorite of my extended family.  We have enjoyed this Prime Rib Roast and Chateaubriand for a number of get-togethers.  The site also gives tips to prepare each roast perfectly, and suggests a wine that will compliment the flavor of the meat.  For $139.95 plus shipping, you will receive a 4.5 lb Prime Rib Roast and two 2 lb Chateaubriand roasts (which is filet mignon in roast form), along with Kansas City Steaks prime rib rub and steak seasoning.

Growing up on a dairy farm, steak wasn’t really considered a delicacy.  Now that I have to purchase all our meat, steak is a rare dinner item - especially since the boys would rather have pizza rolls!  However, I splurged on these Boneless Strip Steaks for a special anniversary dinner and we weren’t disappointed.  We grilled these steaks to a perfect medium rare, and enjoyed them with a baked potato and some steamed vegetables.  The steaks had a rich flavor, with just enough marbling to make each bite tender and juicy.  Certified Angus Beef seems to have a stronger flavor than the steak I remember as a child, but I loved that the steak needed absolutely no seasoning.  In fact, it was almost a crime when my husband covered his with steak sauce!  Luckily, I ordered a pack of 8 - 8 oz. steaks (priced at $89.95) so we have a few more to enjoy later.

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.

Another one of my fall favorites is a warm stuffed chicken breast with the delicious aroma of baked apples!  These stuffed chicken breasts are filled with a mouth-watering combination of apples and almonds that combine perfectly with the juicy and tender chicken.  Compliment with fresh baby red potatoes and a steamed vegetable medley for an unforgettable evening meal!  A package of 10 - 8 ounce portions is available for $64.95 from Schaul’s Signature Gourmet Foods.

I look forward to snack time every day!  I’m a firm believer in the calming qualities of a well-scheduled snack break.  And when I’m bored with the same old foods, I surf the web to find new and delicious treats - which is exactly what I found here! Jerry’s Gourmet Jerky has a savory blend of spices in his beef jerky, which does not overpower the meat.  The jerky is not too difficult to chew, and is packed with protein, which makes a good pick me up for the mid-afternoon doldrums.  I tried Jerry’s 4 flavor sampler for $23, and found my favorite to be the Teriyaki.  The packaging is also trendy and colorful, and would make a great gift item for a college student or a snack-a-holic like myself!

Voted “The #1 Ribs in Chicago” year after year, raved about on the Food Network and in a number of nationwide publications, Carson’s Ribs are a BBQ delicacy! For $140 (which includes overnight shipping), you will receive four slabs of ribs, each weighing an impressive 1 3/4 lbs. You will also receive 2 lbs of Carson’s Signature Au Gratin potatoes, French Baguettes, an extra pint of their Secret Recipe BBQ sauce, Four Huge Chocolate Fudge Espresso Brownies and 8 Carson’s Bibs. Founded by Chris Carson in 1977, Carson’s has perfected their sweet rib sauce and slow cooks their meat on a low heat pit smoker, using indirect heat from hickory wood. The ribs are dunked in sauce before cooking, so the sweet flavor can mix with the smoky hickory and permeate the meat while cooking. With a “safe & sophisticated cooler” and overnight delivery, you can rest assured that your order will arrive in mouthwatering condition! The ribs can be reheated on a grill or broiled in the oven in a matter of minutes. Offering nationwide delivery since 1996, their website address simply says it all - www.ribs.com.