Gourmet Gift of the Day Blog

I love this time of year!  The apples are abundant, the leaves are turning and the kids are looking forward to Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas!  To celebrate this time of year, Holiday Gifts & Gift Baskets is offering a Fall Snack Chest that showcases rustic colors and a great mix of gourmet treats.

My mom’s birthday was a couple weeks ago, and we sent her this snack basket since we weren’t able to deliver a gift in person.  She called to thank us and explained that she wasn’t able to try everything in the basket since dad hid the snack mix and butter cookies from her – apparently they were so good that he didn’t want to share!  She did enjoy the fruit candies, chips and dip.  She was even able to sit down and relax with a cup of the Vanilla Spice Tea while she controlled the remote for the night (dad’s birthday gift to her).

We visited mom and dad house last week-end and I was pleased that the gift chest was being used to store her scarves. It was nice to see that the gift was not only tasty but also contained a practical item!

Perfect for graduation, retirement, a new home or new job, this gift basket conveys best wishes to your recipient and provides them with a bevy of gourmet foods.  The large gift box is tied with a “Best Wishes” ribbon, sells for $62 and includes:

• Chocolate Mints
• Assorted Fruit Bonbons
• Chocolate Truffle Cookies
• Sweet Butter Cookies
• Fruit N Nut Snack Mix
• Cashew Roca
• Smoked Almonds
• Bavarian Dill Pretzels
• Dutch Gouda Cheese Biscuits
• Classic Water Crackers
• Fontina Cheese Dip
• Artichoke Spinach Cheese Spread
• House Blend Coffee
• Sparkling Apple Cider

My sister’s birthday is coming soon – she will be 31 on August 1st.  Since last year was a bit of a milestone birthday and I wasn’t able to celebrate with her, I sent a special gift instead.  I started by searching for a delicious cookie bouquet, but stumbled upon the chocolate covered strawberries available at Gourmet Cookie Bouquets.  Since strawberries are my sister’s favorite fruit, I knew it was fate so I ordered them to be shipped to my sister’s office via FedEx Overnight Air.  The plump, juicy strawberries were dipped in gourmet Belgian Chocolate, then fancifully decorated with birthday edibles and edible pastel confetti.  One dozen of these decadent fruits arrived packaged in a golden gift tray and were shipped with a cold pack to ensure that they arrived in perfect condition.  I paid $50 for the strawberries, which my sister said were the largest and most flavorful berries she had ever eaten, and I was pleased to see that the price has not changed in the past year.  Overnight shipping is $34.95, which can seem a bit expensive but the cost is worth it for a very special occasion!

I fell in love with Krispy Kreme donuts on a visit to Las Vegas, and was thrilled when they opened a store within 20 miles of my house!  Unfortunately, the downturn in the economy forced my favorite shop to close, but luckily I found an even better replacement – Holey Donuts!  The decadent doughnuts are moist, flavorful and delicious, and the best part is that they are low in fat!  The owner of Holey Donuts was raised in the back of a donut shoppe owned by his father, and he continued the tradition but modified his store to fit today’s internet shopper.  The tasty donuts pictured here are just a sampling of the more than 20 flavors – all of them with less than half the fat of a standard donut – and delivered right to your door!

The reduced fat pastries are baked fresh daily, flash frozen and shipped across the country via 2nd Day Air delivery.  I ordered Sampler Favorites A, B and C (18 donuts in all) for $35.85 plus $18.81 for shipping.  Although they were more expensive then what I could have picked up at the local bakery, the flavor was more pronounced and the calorie count was about a third of the local varieties, so I will be ordering again soon!

Growing up on a dairy farm in the midwest, I’m no stranger to fresh milk, butter and cheese.  Although it wasn’t until I was older and moved to “the city” that I experienced fresh cheese curds.  Cheese curds may sound a bit unappetizing, but they are very tasty!  A “curd” is made when the whey (liquid part) separates from the curds (solid part).  In a standard cheesemaking process the curds and whey would be pressed together to form a block of cheese, but in this instance the whey is not used and only the curds are utlized.  Because of this process, curds are more firm and in many instances they “squeak” when you bite into them!  Cheese curds are also best enjoyed when fresh, as opposed to cheese – which is considered fine if aged for a number of days.

Squeaky fresh cheddar cheese curds can be ordered from the Wisconsin Cheese Mart for your snacking pleasure.  If you order a 3 lb combo you will receive a mix of white and orange cheddars, both with a rich flavor and sqeaky bite.  The curds will vary in size but are usually the perfect bite!  The first time we ordered these curds I served them with a variety of deli meats and crackers, only to find that the cheese was the first component to disappear!  The second time I got smart and served them on a pretty tray with no “accessories”.  The third time I ordered them specifically for my husband and sons’ lunchboxes and after school snacks.  We’re now awaiting our fourth order to arrive in less than 4 months, so you could say we’re a bit addicted!  The combo sells for $23 and we live close enough that we can utilize ground shipping, but if you live closer to either coast you will have to ship via air so they freshness isn’t wasted on shipping time.

Fitting for a somber occasion or a large celebration, this handsome wicker basket holds more than 20 gourmet food items and four delicious drink options.  We found this basket while searching for a sympathy gift for our colleague whose mother passed away recently.  Food is a great way to provide comfort to grieving family and to offer your condolences to people you may not know very well.  We were told the gift was well received and our colleague’s family appreciated our thoughtfulness, so in our opinion it was a good investment.  The large gift basket sells for $104 at All About Gifts & Baskets.

A great gift for soldiers returning from service or for someone traveling over the 4th of July, this patriotic gift box is packed with snack-time favorites and an inspirational book entitled “I Pledge Allegiance”.  The box retails for $50 and includes the following All-American snacks:

• Chex Mix
• Chips Ahoy Cookies
• Twizzlers
• Microwave Popcorn
• M&Ms (Plain and Peanut
• Skittles
• Starburst
• Oreos
• Cheez-Its
• Peanuts
• SweetTarts
• Cracker Jacks

My dad loves to share treats with his 14 grandchildren!  That’s why this goodie tin is a great choice for him – not only can he enjoy some favorite snacks while we sit around a bonfire, he’ll have plenty to share with everyone.  The large 3 1/2 gallon tin contains 4 popcorn flavors, pretzels and a fiesta party mix.  After the tin is empty it will be a great place to store our campfire necessities – marshmallows, candy bars and graham crackers!  The white tin with a fun Father’s Day logo sells for $50 at Holiday Gifts & Gift Baskets.

If you want a something more out of your peanut butter, try this Gourmet Sampler offered by P.B. Loco.  Not only does this company own some of the most unique PB&J Restaurants, they also sell 10 flavors of refined, “grown up” peanut butter.  Their Team Morale Booster Kit contains a jar of each flavor with a box of tasting spoons for $60.55.  Flavors include:

• Dreamy Creamy
• Munchy Crunchy
• PB with Asian Curry Spice
• PB with Sumatra Cinnamon and Raisin
• PB with Raspberry White Chocolate
• Jungle Banana Peanut Butter
• Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate Duo
• CoCo Banana Peanut Butter
• PB with Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
• Caramel Apple Peanut Butter

We have found that this golden gift bucket is a great way to thank our clients for their business.  It has a great mix of snack items and a reasonable price.  The bucket retails for $37, and has become so popular that some of our clients have asked for the website information and they have ordered it themselves.  The bucket features star cut-outs along the upper edge and is filled with:

• Gourmet Cookies
• Roasted Peanuts
• Hard Candy
• Popcorn
• Pretzels
• Chocolates
• Sparkling Cider
• Gourmet Coffee