<p>Already stressing about “The Season.” What kinds of food gifts do you like to give or get? I need some new ideas.</p>
<p>I like preserves and different coffees and teas; even different kinds of honey in the mix. My kids like gourmet jelly beans, chocolates (I do too), and fresh baked cookies. Sorry that none of these are new ideas. Honestly, I would love it if I got the fruit of the month (esp. grapefruit and oranges during winter).</p>
<p>Harry and David seems to be popular with my friends. Their pears are awesome.</p>
<p>Peanuts…almost everybody loves them (unless someone in your family is allergic). They keep well for a long time too so the recipient doesn’t feel like they have to eat them right away on top of all the other yummy holiday foods. There are lots of varieties sure to please everyone on your list. Check out this website <a href=“http://www.pnut.net%5B/url%5D”>www.pnut.net</a></p>
<p>We ordered several different kinds last year for friends and family (and ourselves). All were great. If you’ve never had blister fried peanuts, beware, they’re addictive.</p>
<p>The best “gift basket” I received was small with a bottle of real maple syrup, a bottle of real boysenberry syrup and 2 packages of pancake mix, buttermilk & pumpkin. </p>
<p>It lasted awhile, and each time I made the pancakes was able to re-live the gift-giving process and in turn re-thank the giver for a great meal!</p>
<p>We have received the Harry and David stuff before. The problem is you get a huge box of pears and they are great but how many pears can a small family eat?<br>
The basket mentioned above sounds great. You could even go the cheap route and make your own…</p>
<p>ebeeeee, I tend to agree with you, but my BIL ordered grapefruit from a different company last year. He found that they lasted long enough to enjoy them. He said that they were so delicious that he was going to order from them again. Sorry, I don’t know the name of the company that he ordered from, but if he remembers the name, I cold find out if anyone is interested. I don’t think that a different company had anything to do with how long they lasted. I think that grapefruit are more hardy than some other fruit.</p>
<p>I love coffee–and i get my coffee online or in person at A southern season in Chapel HIll, NC. They have specials every month and gift boxes. They are a gift basket based company besides there incredible gourmet food, coffee, wine etc. emporium. </p>
<p>Peterbrooke Chocolates are delicious too.</p>
<p>To foreigners we often give stuff made out of maple sugar. To my husband I like to give exotic honey. I gave him truffle honey for his birthday - it is seriously weird - not for breakfast! But it’s quite good on cheese or prosciutto. My mother usually gives my husband a mixed case of wine. My aunt gives me smoked fish which I love. (Trout is my favorite.) I also like the ethnic holidaysweet breads like Stollen and panettone.</p>
<p>Favorite food to give or receive: L.A.Burdick’s chocolate, nuts, or dried fruit- google them</p>
<p>Fine quality vanilla or olive oil or balsamic vinegar- not original but useful and welcome.</p>
<p>If shipping to a frozen locale, avoid fruit or liquids. If giving in person, avoid frozen, refrigerated, or perishable foods that need special storage which is a nuisance at a gathering. If shipping, give something sturdy and not huge or weird to pack. If carrying many gifts to a family party, go with smaller boxes. If bringing one big gift ta-da, go premium gift basket. If gifting seniors or very small households, Harry & David’s towers or samplers offer a variety of fruits but just a couple of each. </p>
<p>Popcorn tins for students at school.</p>
<p>Some of the gift basket companies offer theme baskets that have big impact and a little something for everyone in the family. Then again, I’m a sucker for a basket with a big bow! </p>
<p>Regional theme gifts are cool: maple syrup and pancake mix as mentioned, cheddar cheeses, etc. </p>
<p>Check out King Arthur Flour for mixes and baking ingredients.</p>
<p>Rossi pasta.</p>
<p>I like creating food “baskets”. I’ve done a breakfast one (like above…maple syrup, pancake mixes, jelly), an Italian dinner one (sauce, pasta, breadsticks, cheese, bagged salad and dressing), a spa one (candles, CD of nice music, bubble bath, body wash, scrungie…oops…that’s not food), ice cream sundae (gift cert for Friendly’s ice cream, hot fudge sauce, caramel sauce, marischino cherries, sprinkles, and a nice ice cream scoop), “movies” (a couple of good DVDs, popcorn to pop, several kinds of candy, soda), a beer basket (nice beer mug or stein and a variety of beers…does that count as food?), Jellies (just a variety of jellies), mustards (I gave this to DH last year…a bunch of different kinds of mustards). Honestly I find it fun to put them together.</p>
<p>I love all the ideas above! One holiday season, a neighbor gave us a small crate of clementines. She just tied a bow around the crate and voila!</p>
<p>Ruby red grapefruits (from Texas) are also delicious!</p>
<p>And yes, all foreigners LOVE maple syrup (who doesn’t?), but beware of carrying it on an airplane. I had mine confiscated! 
(it’s a “liquid”…I wasn’t thinking!)</p>
<p>pumpkin cookies and cranberry/cinnamon bread</p>
<p>thumper, some really nice ideas. I would add pretzels to the mustards.</p>
<p>I feel I am a pro at gift baskets. Favorites that I have found throughout the years: LA Burdick chocolate, Harry & David (the pears are always a hit at our house and everyone else’s house). Wolferman’s is great for english muffins, crumpets and jellies. Omaha Steaks have packages you can make too. Live Maine Lobster dinners (but have to make sure the recipient will be around to accept package! They do have gift certificates though that the recipient can then order their dinner when they want it)</p>
<p>Sometimes I make up the gift baskets. I like to give homemade breads, fudge, and different candies (buckeyes, peanut brittle, turtles). A basket with hot chocolate, teas, coffees and a couple of big mugs.-that’s always a big hit. If you’re giving nuts, a nice touch is to add a nut cracker to the basket.</p>
<p>A treat that knocks everyone’s socks off with a college connection:</p>
<p>Cashew Brittle
<a href=“http://www.hilliardscandy.com/detail.asp?Cat_ID=226&Prod_ID=64[/url]”>http://www.hilliardscandy.com/detail.asp?Cat_ID=226&Prod_ID=64</a></p>
<p>The store is next to Stonehill College.</p>
<p>If you travel, it’s always nice to pick up a lot of a local specialty, for gifts or just personal use. We’ve gotten large amounts of coffee from Mexico and Costa Rica, for example, and olive oil from Tuscany. They’re normal food items but generally superior quality to what’s commonly found in the US, and the gifts come across as more special and personal than they otherwise would.</p>
<p>mom2boys…I also like the vendors you mentioned…for IDEAS. To be honest, with two kids in college, I find their prices a bit more than I can deal with. SO I shop around and make my own.</p>
<p>Oh, I agree, some of those vendors are pricey. I have only ordered the lobsters once (a big birthday for an in-law). But I do like Wolfermans- they are fairly reasonable, comparable to Harry and David’s and a change of pace from the usual fruit basket. We have found Omaha Steak to be a great gift for the parents- never know what to get them since they don’t need/want anything and they do enjoy a great steak now and then. They look forward to those steaks every year.</p>
<p>For pre-made food gifts, Costco has some very tempting-looking gift baskets. The prices are reasonable, too. And check their on-line catalog, they sell some of that H&D stuff.</p>
<p>I like the idea of pancake mix and syrups baskets. Yum! Also, some flavored hot chocolate mixes with a box of nice cookies will cheer up a gloomy winter day :)</p>