Food: Holiday Gifts for the Individual Who Has Everything

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Holiday Gifts for the Individual Who Has Everything
Wednesday, November 01, 2006

The holiday season is rapidly approaching. Christmas decorations are already in stores and the local nativity scene was erected weeks ago. It is time to think of holiday gifts for our friends and family. If your gift list includes individuals who are difficult to buy for, you know how challenging holiday shopping can be. My gift list ( names have been changed to protect the author) includes Aunt Sue, who is very particular and prefers to pick her own gifts. Grandma Sally really does have everything and what she still wants costs thousands of dollars . Uncle Joe has no sense of humor, is in the retail industry, and there is almost nothing you can buy that will bring a holiday smile to his face. Aunt Jane lives across the country and shipping and returns are always a problem. Cousin Bret only uses " the right brand" from "the right store" and the nieces and nephews really want large cash gifts. The challenges of shopping for holiday gifts for this crowd slowly drains the joy from the season of giving.

If my shopping list is anything like yours, you know how stressful the holidays can be, especially on a budget. For several years I was reduced to buying gift cards and nothing else. These gift cards are wonderful and always fit; perfect for Aunt Sue who would really rather do her own shopping and Blockbuster gift cards give the nieces and nephews an evening of entertainment. Gift cards ship easily and the right size is always assured. Buying for Grandma Sally was still a problem, but shopping for the rest of the family could be finished with a trip to a national video or department store . My entire holiday shopping was finished in two hours giving gift cards and it was reasonably cost effective. It also became increasingly boring when repeated year after year. While the gift always fits, holiday shopping became a joyless routine.

Surprisingly, the solution came when choosing a gift for the almost impossible to buy for, Grandma Sally. Grandma loves fine dining and often has large gatherings during the holidays. A gourmet gift basket seemed to be a perfect gift. It was. Grandma loved the assortment of gourmet goodies and she was able to share her gift with her holiday guests. We finally found the perfect gift for the person who had everything without having to spend thousands of dollars. The " thank you" was sincere and the gift got rave reviews. The holidays seemed a little merrier and we tucked the gourmet gift basket idea in the back of our minds for a repeat performance during the next holiday season.

The following year we began to get gourmet gift catalogs in November. I perused these catalogs with more interest since my gift giving experience had been so positive the year before. I knew from experience the food was delicious even after being shipped. I have to admit to having a case of nerves over the quality of food sent through the mail, but these nerves had been calmed when we were assured everything was fresh and delectable. The basket was delivered to the door in the time frame requested, and delivery was confirmed via email by the gift company. I no longer had concerns over shipping food, so I began to look through the catalogs for solutions for the other difficult people on my gift list.

There are numerous gift companies that specialize in food products, ranging from popcorn to steaks. A search for " gift baskets" on Google will result in more than nineteen million listings. With numerous companies in this business, you will be able to find a food gift for everyone on your holiday gift list. I obviously have not ordered from every company that provides gourmet food gifts, so I would recommend you get a reference before ordering from an unknown company. Accurate delivery times and product freshness are extremely important when sending the gift of food; a perfect gift is less than perfect if it does not arrive in time or is spoiled when delivered. A reputable company protects its reputation on these matters and will immediately correct delivery or product problems. It is worth sticking with an established gift company unless you can find a recommendation as to the reliability of the new company you have found on the web. If you are adventurous, and willing to try new things, just make sure your gift recipient has that same sense of adventure. It is fun finding new, emerging companies, as long as you are prepared to find a few bad apples in the basket.

It also makes sense to have the gift shipped from the retailer rather than trying to ship it yourself. A bad experience shipping a Starbucks gift to relatives in South Carolina resulted in the UPS staff having a very merry Christmas compliments of this author. Part of the gift was delivered and the " Thank you" from our family was for this portion of the gift. The rest of the gift never made the trip and due to lack of communication, we were not aware of this mishap until several months after the holiday. Even though we paid a premium to have our gift delivered in time for the holidays, due to the length of time between shipping and our complaint, our local UPS store would not correct its mistake. I wish I knew then that Starbucks shipped directly. Have your retailer ship their product directly and then shipping errors can be immediately rectified. If you ship your gift yourself, have your gift recipients list the contents of the packages they receive when they open the package. This way you can ensure the right individual buys a latte or brews a cup of joe with your holiday Starbucks gift.

An excellent source for gift baskets is Harry and David. Their pears are fantastic and are a worthy gift by themselves. A Tower of Treats gift provides a little of everything including pears, nuts and chocolates. The Tower of Treats can be purchased for as little as thirty dollars or cost almost three hundred dollars. The most recent catalog features over fifty gifts priced under fifty dollars. Harry and David does charge for shipping. A thirty dollar basket will cost around nine dollars to ship, standard delivery. There are dates by which you need to place your order if you want it delivered in time for a certain holiday. Harry and David can accommodate last minute gifts, in some cases offering same day delivery, but be prepared to pay extra shipping charges . Your order can be tracked on line and this company is service driven. Both the quality of the food and the delivery track record are excellent. The company is reputable, tasty, and highly recommended.

The Swiss Colony also receives rave reviews. It has been around for eighty years and there is a reason it has succeeded for so long. It offers a selection of sweets, cheeses, and meats in assortments starting at twenty dollars. Highly recommended as a gift for others or for yourself, is the 27 Favorites, priced at twenty-nine dollars and ninety-five cents. It includes sausages, cheeses, nuts, fruit spreads, cookies, cakes and more. I am sure that the mere process of shipping removes any calories from these truly tasty treats. Plus, if it just happens to show up at your house what are you going to do but eat it?

Swiss Colony offers several postage included gift items such as its Butter Toffee, priced under seventeen dollars. This company also offers incentives such as a free box of chocolates with your first purchase. The incentives can be sent with your gift order or shipped to your home as a gift to yourself. The food and shipping services from this company are excellent and I highly recommend it. It offers a gift for every price range.

Omaha Steaks are also a quality product and for the steak lover they make a delightful gift. The steaks come frozen and stay frozen due to the shipping methods used by Omaha Steaks. The steaks are of top quality and for the steak and potato man on your list, this is a good gift. The products are expensive and do not come in the festive holiday containers that other companies use. Shipping services are excellent. I only recommend the steaks since all of Omaha Steaks' products do not all produce the same rave reviews from me.

I recently found Stew Leonards ships gifts. Stew Leonards is an east coast grocery store that is worth the shopping experience. I seem to remember live animals and cows but what I really remember is the excellent food. Worth particular note are the Traditional European Ruggalach, priced at twenty-one dollars and ninety-five cents. Stew Leonards makes the best ruggalach I have ever tasted. Ruggalach are cookie sized pastries filled with walnut raisin , chocolate, or fruit fillings. If you want to send the best, Stew Leonards' ruggalach are the best. I have never utilized their shipping services, though from its web site it appears free shipping is sometimes offered. This is an upscale grocery store and its products are excellent. The ruggalach is to die for.

Chocolate always thrills and receiving a gift basket of Godiva is sure to bring a smile to even the most finicky relative. Gift baskets begin at sixty-five dollars . A four piece signature truffle assortment can be purchased for under ten dollars and sugar free products are available. Shipping is extra and Monday deliveries cannot be guaranteed since weekend shipping affects the product quality. ( this condition is actually on the web site) For a gift with style, you cannot go wrong with Godiva.

As mentioned earlier, Starbucks offers direct shipping on selected products. I have not utilized Starbucks' shipping services. Their products make wonderful gifts, and any type of sampler allows for taste testing at home. The gift cards make great stocking stuffers for any teens or young adults on your list. Shipping is free on all orders over fifty-nine dollars.

If you have the ability to hand deliver your gift, a tin of freshly baked cookies or a homemade pie are always pleasant during the holidays. A house warming gift I will always remember was a pound cake in a simple basket. What made this gift memorable was it was one of the best pound cakes I have ever eaten and the recipe was included. The recipe I treasure to this day, the cake was gone in twenty-four hours. If you have friends or family who truly love food, and appreciate the skill and talent needed to create exceptional cuisine, create and give both the recipe and your creation for the holidays. If your circle is filled with Cousin Brets, buy a box of Godiva and save the homemade creations for those who really do appreciate a gift of excellence.

All right, so now I do not need to go to any stores, now I can do my holiday shopping from my home computer. The excitement is the number of retailers I can now shop to complete my holiday gift list. I know my gifts will arrive on time and in good shape, because these companies make their living providing these services and they take their business seriously. I know my gift will be appreciated, and bring a smile even to Uncle Joe's dour face. For those difficult individuals on your gift list I recommend the gift of food. ( see also http://www.ifoodgifts.com/2006/08/give-gift-of-food.html and http://www.ifoodgifts.com/2006/09/harney-sons-fine-teas.html) A gourmet gift basket brings delectable treats right to your family's door and leaves a sweet aftertaste in everyone's memory.

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