Christmas Ideas » Food & Drink

The Wine Gift Basket – A Holiday Staple

david — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 02:43:22 +0000

Chances are you will receive a wine gift basket this year at either your home or office. The wine gift basket is one of the most popular executive office gifts of the season and since they come in so many sizes and with such a wide range of wines, the prices can fit into most budgets. They also make great gifts for gourmet lovers. The premiums cheeses and chocolates will make any foodie’s mouth water.

This year, have some fun with the wine basket by chooses some unique options or creating your own.

Ditch the Basket

The basket often gets discarded or sent to the back of the kitchen cabinet to collect dust. Instead of the traditional “basket”, why not go with something like the Weekend in Tuscany Pasta & Wine Basket that actually comes in a colander and features everything you need to cook a delicious Italian meal.

I love the Wine & Cheese Party Tray that comes attached to a very usable cutting board and cheese tray. Some even come with unique cheese cutting knives.

Know a chef with a flair for international cuisine? Why not send a wine and food gift that comes in a traditional steel paella pan. Combine the consumable with the reusable and you’ve got a winner every time.

Your Own Creation

You also have the option of starting from scratch and creating your own unique and personal basket of favorite wines and goodies. Here are some unique and fun ideas that I hope will inspire your own creativity.

The Theme: Is this your favorite wine and dessert pairing or your simply your favorite reds? Do you want to prepare a basket for a single use such as a picnic or trip to an outdoor concert in the park? Is this for a young adult? You could make a gag gift basket of all the cheepies such as Thunderbird and Andre pink champagne.

The Container: Choosing something fun and unique as the container. Think of things like old milk crates, vegetable crates, a painted wooden box, a pretty flowerpot, a window box or even a reusable green grocery bag.

The Wine: Use all your favorites as long as your favorite isn’t $2 a bottle. Go for unique wines that you find at specialty wine shops. Make the basket all about reds or whites. Go with a country theme or a dessert wine theme.

The Mix: If you know it will be sent right away, add some colorful fresh fruit or vegetables. I love adding pomegranates, dried cherries, bright red peppers or even fresh flowers. Enclose a mini photo album of you and the recipient at a recent party or event. Include an antique toy, a monogrammed wine glass, some fancy wine stoppers or any other unique and special gift.

In any case, think outside the basket this holiday season and add a little spark to your holiday gifting. Enjoy.

Discover Turducken!

sheila — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 22:48:32 +0000

Only a few years ago, most people would have thought you were crazy if you suggested preparing a holiday meal consisting of a turkey stuffed with a duck that’s been stuffed with a chicken. But thankfully, the Turducken has captured the tastebuds of the nation, and is now considered a mainstream holiday meal. Although this unusual Cajun delicacy has been produced commercially since 1985, it’s popularity has exploded in recent years and the Turducken has transcended its southern roots to become a national treasure.

Not up for such an ambitious undertaking in the kitchen? Fear not; these gourmet birds can be ordered online and delivered to your door, just in time for Christmas dinner. Or give one as a gourmet Christmas gift and then sit back and let the feasting begin!

The Gift of Good Taste

sheila — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 23:27:26 +0000

Looking for a sweet treat to give to your sweetie this Christmas? Even if you’re not a whiz in the kitchen, there are plenty of gourmet goodies available online that make great Christmas Gifts for just about anyone. Take these Mrs. Prindable’s Snowman Suprise Christmas Gift Baskets. These friendly Frosty’s come complete with gourmet chocolate dipped apples, candy-covered pretzels, carmel confections, and even a keepsake holiday gift bag. It also makes a perfect Christmas gift for in-laws, neighbors, grandparents, or anyone else who likes to indulge in a little chocolatey holiday goodness. Besides, everyone knows that calories don’t count again until after New Years!

Favorite Holiday Cake Pans

david — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 00:00:23 +0000

Have fun baking exciting holiday cakes and baked goods with these Christmas cake molds. Central to any holiday party or event is the food. And one of the most exciting things to make and to eat are the desserts. Along with the Yule log and Bundt cake, this year go one step further and take advantage of the fun cake pan molds available. Here is a list of our favorites.

The Giant Cupcake

Imagine a huge cupcake decorated to look like a Christmas tree or a scene from the North Pole with Santa and his reindeer. This giant cupcake pan features durable cast aluminum and a non-stick interior for easy baking. With a 10-cup capacity, it will bake a large enough cake for any small party. The fun is in the baking and decorating so you’ll want to make more than one anyway. Bake one for each member of the family to decorate. The giant cupcake baking pan is made by Wilton and available from multiple stores including Target, SurLaTable and Cooking.com. The best price we’ve seen is Amazon for $23.23.

See all Giant Cupcake Baking Pans

The Huge Cookie Cake

Williams-Sonoma offers cleverly designed cookie cake baking pans that you can use to make a giant sandwich cookie in your choice of flavors and colors. Go with holiday colors and flavors by using red velvet cake and tinting the whipped cream filling. Or use angel food cake for a new take on strawberry shortcake. The cake pans are sold as a set that includes two 9-inch nonstick baking pans that will create cakes embossed with the word “cookie”. This is a Williams-Sonoma exclusive and is available for $29.95.

Cookie Cake Baking Pan
See all Williams-Sonoma Cake Pans

The Essential Christmas Cookie Cutter

Nordicware is celebrating 60 years in the kitchenware business and offers all the classics for holiday baking. One item that we think is essential for any holiday kitchen is the reversible Christmas cookie-cutter plaque with 8 classic cookie shapes. Make your favorite cookies in the shapes of Christmas trees, gingerbread men, mini-gift boxes and more. Simply roll out your dough, press the cookie plaque down to create the shapes, place your cookie shapes into the oven and you’re done!

Christmas Morning Pancakes

Go all out this year with fun pancake pans, also from our friends at Nordicware. These cooking pans are complete with fun holiday shapes which perfectly form your pancakes. Make your pancakes in the form of Santa Claus, Christmas trees, snowmen and more and Nordicware has a few options to choose from.

Get the Christmas Pancake Pan

Santa-Worthy Cookies

sheila — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 23:35:34 +0000

Even if you don’t set foot in the kitchen for the rest of the year, holiday baking is a tradition that shouldn’t be missed. But if you aren’t culinarily-inclined, even a simple Christmas cookie can leave you feeling like a real Grinch. Enter the Cuisipro Holiday Tree Shape Cookie Cutters – these Christmas Tree -shaped cutters are easy to use and even easier to wash and store. You’ll be whipping up professional looking sugar cookies for Santa in no time. Plus, at just $14.95, they make a great Christmas gift for the holiday party hostess!

Party Time

sheila — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 21:23:21 +0000

Planning the perfect Christmas party is an art. You have to consider the guest list, the hors d’oeuvres, the beverage selection, the music, and the venue. But this year, one thing you won’t have to consider is the post-party mess. These Wine Glass Top Appetizer plates make it easy for your guests to mingle while they munch, without the threat of dropping the shrimp cocktail all over your new carpets. These acacia wood “plates” fit right on top of standard size wine glasses, leaving your other hand free to meet and greet. What’s more? Acacia wood is non-endagered, and harvested in an eco-friendly fashion, making these perfect Christmas gifts for hostesses, or anyone trying to go a little greener in the new year. And at just under $17 for a set of four, you’ll be saving a little green as well.

Christmas Cookies that Wow!

sheila — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 21:40:48 +0000

Looking for a fun way to make unforgettable Christmas cookies? Check out this neat snowflake-patterned electric Pizzelle iron. Pizzelles are a little like italian waffles, only thin, crispy and cookie-like. They can also be rolled up to form waffle cones for ice cream or gelato. The best part is, the batter for these delectable treats is a cinch to make, requiring ingredients you probably already have laying around the pantry. (Think flour, sugar, eggs and shortening).

If you have a gourmet chef in the family, these Pizzelle irons also make fantastic Christmas Gifts Christmas gifts. Take it a step further by bundling a festive recipe card in a small basket filled with dry ingredients for the batter. Then once a fresh batch is made up, you’ll see why this is the Christmas Gift that keeps on giving!