Please stop besmirching the good name of my favorite gift category–food gifts.  Quit sending the boxes filled with processed cheese spreads that are mostly chemicals and the unidentifiable tubes labeled as some sort of sausage.  Quit giving away those fruit baskets that are cushioned with tissue paper in an ugly box that takes up all that space in my recycle bin.  Those of us who live in the north can get apples and pears with real flavor every fall.

Despite my heretical words, above, I love good food gifts.  I love giving them and receiving them.  But when I send a food gift, it is given with thought and is always high quality; please return the favor.  Oh, and by the way, high quality is not the same as easy to buy from a temporary, seasonal kiosk in the mall.  Food gifts require the same thought as any other gift category.

Instead of the mostly chemical box from the mall stand, think about a selection of gourmet cheese from some cheesemaker who actually understands what cheese is and what it can be.  Join me in endorsing the thankless labor of goats and cows rather than joining the chemical additive bandwagon.  I would love even a small gift such as that more than the biggest box of the fake stuff that your mall displays.

A beautiful wine giftbasket

See?  If you give a little thought to a food gift, you can avoid the line at the mall kiosk and save the heavy fruitcakes and fake cheese boxes for other shoppers.  Join me at home some evening, shopping from the Internet.  Just remember that you’ll have to bring your own wine, but I’ll supply the real cheese.

Giftbaskets are soooo last year!  Or is it last century?  Actually, I hope the correct response is neither.  You see, I make my living by selling gift baskets (among other food gifts).  While I agree that it’s not quite the same as being a test pilot or a neurosurgeon, it’s an honest way to pay for tuition for my grandson.  Or at least it would be a good way to do so if more of you bought my products.

I know what you’re thinking: “All of his gift problems are solved; year in and year out everybody on his list gets stuck with another gift basket.”  How dare you think about me in that way!  I actually have the same problems you have in deciding what gift is best for everyone on my list.

I do not give food filled bundles of joy to my entire gift list.  (Well, maybe most it.)  However, even if I did, the choice would still not be easy.  At my store, we offer scores of fruit baskets, gourmet meals, wine gift baskets and far more than that, even.  (I can hear you right now, begging me to tell you where this wonderful store is.  Please be patient.)

Before you bribe me (or threaten me) to share my store location with you, I want to tell you about my own decision making approach.

My first step is to decide on the appropriate category of gift from the many choices.  If Uncle Milton really has managed to eliminate his drinking problem after a decade of trying, then the wine gift baskets are out of the running.  Instead, I’ll opt for a fruit basket with something seasonal.  After years of ignoring the nutritional value of what he consumed, he could use a few extra servings of fruit in solid form.

Dear, dear Aunt Mildred is a great wine talker.  I don’t think she truly enjoys sipping her wine, but she loves to try to impress everyone with what she knows about it.  She loves to let everyone know the best vintage years, the kinds of grapes that are used in various blends and, most of all, how much she spent on the wine you just spilled all over her new carpeting ($95 a square yard).  She’ll get a simple wine gift basket, but I’m not going to spring for the champagne!  (I’m also not going to pay for the carpet cleaning; not after what that cat of hers did to my new coat.)

Everyone in our family, except me, says that my nephew Alfred finally made his girlfriend an honest woman.  I, on the other hand, never doubted his girlfriend’s honesty, but I have some reasons to suspect Alfred.  In any case, they finally got married.  Frankly, it’s about time.  It took him eight years to decide that she was worth parting with enough money to pay for a diamond and another five when he found out that it is customary to pay the minister who performs the ceremony.  What he wants is a check.  There’s no way that I’m satisfying that desire.  His wife wouldn’t get a dime of it.  I’m sending them a delicious lobster dinner for two.  I figure it’s the only way to get that cheap guy’s new bride out of the kitchen for an evening.  (They honeymooned by visiting me!)

My second step, after choosing a category is to select a price range that I’m willing to spend on these people.  Then my wife makes me double that amount.

My grandson is getting the latest video game system.  Let’s face it; he is truly special.

Many of us are faced with a time in which some of our close friends and family are enduring tough economic times. Especially in those types of cases, we want to be sure that the gifts we give them for special occasions are put to good use, needed and enjoyed. I have a few suggestions:

A fruit basket is healthy, beautiful, yummy and always enjoyed. If you live near your gift recipient, you can find a lovely basket or other attractive container and fill it with fruit that is in season in your region of the country, obtained at a farmers market, and then fill it out with a few exotic fruits picked up at your neighborhood specialty store. If your loved one is farther away, you can arrange for any of a large range of beautiful fruit gift baskets to be delivered directly to the person’s home. It will help them to reduce their grocery bill that month.

A special meal is another way to remember a special occasion or holiday. One possibility might be to take the friend or family member to a popular local restaurant. If price is no object to you, be sure to recommend a couple of the more expensive entrees on the menu, so that your guests know that they should not worry about ordering what they want. For example, you might say something like, “The crab legs are wonderful here, but, if you don’t like seafood, try the tender and tasty filet mignon.” If they live too far away for that, you can actually find delicious, gourmet, chef-prepared meals online that arrive frozen and can be heated in almost no time. (I actually keep my freezer stocked with these.)

You might also consider a tasty dessert. No person should have too many desserts, but on a birthday, anniversary or holiday, everyone deserves an opportunity to indulge a sweet tooth. Bake cookies, if that is a skill of yours, and hand deliver or have them delivered. For something a little more special consider giving them a freshly baked pie or turtle cheesecake. Whether you make it yourself or have others do the work for you doesn’t matter. It will be appreciated and definitely enjoyed either way.

You’ll notice a common feature in these suggestions. They all involve food. Someone who is going through a difficult time may not want to accept charity, but nobody can reject a genuinely special gift. If it reduces the grocery bill by a bit, so much the better.

Many of us are faced with a time in which some of our close friends and family are enduring tough economic times. Especially in those types of cases, we want to be sure that the gifts we give them for special occasions are put to good use, needed and enjoyed. I have a few suggestions:

A beautiful fruit basket is healthy, beautiful, delicious and always enjoyed. If you live near your gift recipient, you can find a lovely basket or other attractive container and fill it with fruit that is in season in your region of the country, obtained at a farmers market, and fill it out with a few exotic fruits picked up at your local super market. If your loved one is farther away, you can arrange for any of a large range of beautiful fruit gift baskets to be delivered to the recipient’s home. It will help them to reduce their grocery bill on their next trip to the super market.

A special meal is another way to remember a birthday or holiday. One possibility might be to take the friend or family member to a popular local restaurant. If price is no object to you, be sure to recommend a couple of the more expensive entrees on the menu, so that your guests know that they should not worry about ordering what they want. For example, you might say something like, “The crab legs are wonderful here, but, if you don’t like seafood, try the tender and tasty filet mignon.” If they live too far away for that, you can actually find delicious, gourmet, chef-prepared meals online that arrive frozen and can be heated in almost no time. (I actually keep my freezer stocked with these.)

You might also consider a tasty dessert. No person should have too many desserts, but on a birthday, anniversary or holiday, everyone deserves an opportunity to indulge a sweet tooth. Bake cookies, if that is a skill of yours, and hand deliver or have them delivered. For something a little more special consider giving them a freshly baked pie or turtle cheesecake. Whether you make it yourself or have others do the work for you doesn’t matter. It will be appreciated and definitely enjoyed either way.

You may observe that all my recommendationinvolve food. Someone who is going through a difficult time may not want to accept charity, but nobody can reject a genuinely special gift. If it reduces the grocery bill by a bit, that’s just a bonus. To make it even most festive, invite yourself to share in the delights with them!

Everyone loves a basket of fruit so giving a fruit basket is just a great idea and perfect for just about any time of the year and for any person. This is a gift that is good for the kids teachers, neighbors, family and friends, Christmas, Valentine’s Day and event the Forth of July. Creating your own basket is pretty simple.

There are just a few simple supplies you will need to put together your git of fruit. You will want to have the container, scissors, colored shredded paper, heat-sealable plastic wrap, a blow dryer, ribbons and bows and yes, the fruit.

The fruit needs to be very colorful and of course as perfect as possible. No big blemishes or bruises. Try to find colorful fruit and besides the usually things like apples, oranges, bananas and pears you might add things like kiwi, mangoes and pineapple.

The container is usually a wicker basket but it does not have to be a basket. It can be something more creative or specific to the person who is receiving the gift. When building your basket put the biggest pieces on the bottom so you can add the other fruit in around it and build layers. Use the colored shredded paper as a kind of nest to hold the fruit.

To seal the gift basket and protect the fruit you need to use a heat-sealable plastic. Plastic gift wrapping comes in different designs and colors but you should be sure it says that it is approved for use with food products. The gift wrap should be cut three times larger than the basket.

Lay out the gift wrapping and put the basket in the middle of the wrapping. Then you ease the sides up to the center and at the top secure the plastic wrapping. When the paper is sealed you have created a gift bag.

Now it is time to decorate your gift with anything you think the person receiving the gift will enjoy. You can add candies, flowers, bows, ribbons, or anything that is decorative. Gift baskets with fruit a yummy and healthy and always something that lights up the face of the person who receives the gift. In fact, it is so good that giving the same gift to the same person more than once is a good thing. The will actually begin to anticipate your special gift of fruit which is always an enjoyable thing.

If you do decide to give this gift often you will want to change it up some. You can use nuts, flowers or even a special item as the center of the basket that the person who get the present will enjoy. The special item can be surrounded with nuts and fruits and maybe some flowers or chocolates. There are really any number of variations that will work well with this kind of gift.

We all know people who when you pass by the vitamin store in the mall, we’re not surprised to see them browsing the shelves.  They are the health conscious one in the neighborhood, the one we all unsuccessfully aspire to be.  Or, perhaps they’re new to the whole health scene.  Or maybe they represent those among us who are trying to lose those extra pounds…for the third year in a row.  No matter what, we all know someone who is “carb conscious.”  So, when their birthday comes around, it can be challenging to get them a gift that meets their healthy living. But, at least you have a good starting point.  Get your friend something that they’ll actually use and appreciate, or support your newly dieting friend by helping them along their way to a healthier and leaner lifestyle.

One great gift idea, especially for new comers to the fitness world, is to get them a membership to a local health club or gym.  Here you can find up to date work-out equipment that your friend can choose from.  They’ll also find a supportive and well trained staff.  Many health clubs will also offer trainers to guide customers in a work out regime that best suits them.  Getting a friend a membership is a great way to motivate someone to get out of the house and get started on shedding the pounds.  If your friend is already a health nut, chances are they already have a membership, but that doesn’t mean you can’t give them a free month or two at their club of choice.

If a club membership is too expensive, you might think about getting them something else that will aid them in their quest for fitness.  Visit your local sporting goods shop to find inspiration for other appropriate gifts.  Health stores offer loads of ideas that can suit almost anyone’s interests.  You might get them a health guide on the latest exercise trend.  

Just because they want to lose weight doesn’t mean they can’t eat.  Many sports shops will have cook books for the health conscious.    In the same locations, you can also find useful gadgets such as pedometers that can be worn throughout the day to encourage walking instead of riding or the stairs instead of the elevator.

If you’re looking for a more personal gift, one of the best healthy gift ideas you can get is a fruit basket. Fruit can become an extremely healthy habit.  We’ve been learning it since grade school when we first saw the food pyramid.  Fruit is just plain healthy; it is totally cholesterol-free and provides many of the essential vitamins that we all require.  There’s no question that a fruit basket would be loved by your health conscious friend.  There are all sorts of fruit baskets from which to choose, one of which will fit your budget as well as delighting your health-conscious friend.  One exception to keep in mind, however, often people who are just beginning a low carb diet are not permitted fruit.

So regardless of whether your friend is a newcomer to the health and fitness lifestyle or has been active for many years, be certain that your gift is supportive of their decision to get healthy or stay healthy.

Do you happen to know anyone who has been feeling ill for a while? Why not cheer up their day with a beautiful and tasty fruit basket?

Fruit giftbaskets are typically made with various fruits organized with ribbons and  bows to decorate them. Customizing a fruit basket can be easy! Make the gift of a  fruit basket mean more by decorating it with things they like and the fruit they love!

If you know the type of fruit that someone loves, why not fill their basket with that!  Whether it is strawberries and kiwi or oranges and apples, they are sure to love it.  Chose ribbons and bows of their favorite colors or decorate it with small objects that  represent the things that they love in life. Personalization is easy if you know what  they like!

The gift of flowers is a very common gift. Flowers usually set on a desk or counter and look beautiful until the petals begin to wither. While they are beautiful to look at, they will not get the reaction that a fruit basket will. A fruit basket will really be a surprise.

As a gift for someone recovering from an illness, fruit can not only make them feel better by lifting their spirits. Fruit is full of essential vitamins that can aid them in feeling better and recovering more quickly from their illness.

If you are looking for a gift for one of your coworkers, the fruit basket will be a wonderful idea. They can do so many things with the fruit basket that wouldn’t be possible with flowers. They could share the fruit with the office workers, take it home to their families, or even keep it at their desk and have a healthy snack whenever they want one.

Getting a gift for a male boss can be a very tricky thing to do. If you don’t know for  sure what sports team he routes for or what he collects or likes a lot, what do you  get him? A fruit basket is a great idea! He is sure to like it and will appreciate it  a lot more than a nice flower arrangement.

The fruit giftbasket is a very versatile gift and will be appreciated and enjoyed by anyone who receives one. When you are considering gifts for that special someone or for that person that you do not know so well, consider the fruit basket. A fruit basket designed particularly for someone is a very unique gift or just simply make it a collaboration of fruit. Either way, it is sure to be enjoyed!