Gift Baskets Ideas

(From the kitchen of Susan Merrick at cajun-country-foods.com)

What is a gift basket anyway?

Gift baskets are gifts a person gives that are unique, personalized, hand-made and tend to be a better choice than a store bought item. They are not just a box of chocolates anymore. They are usually an assortment of theme-based treasures all wrapped up into one gift and given in a 'basket', 'bucket', or 'gift bag'. Gift baskets are more personalized than a store bought gift and are given 'from the heart'. Since they are theme-based, each item in a gift basket compliments each other. Each item is connected to each other, whether one item goes with the other, or it takes two or more items in the basket to complete a set. They go hand in hand.

For an example, a 'coffee basket', could be a small basket with one or more different kinds of one pound bags of gourmet coffee beans. Then you could add a can of special blend of cream, sugar, or spice to compliment the coffee. Add coffee filters, a coffee cup and a coffee bean grinder and sha-zaam, you have just created a gift basket complete with everything a coffee drinker would need to enjoy a hot cup of coffee. As you can see the types of gift baskets are endless. Anyone can go to the store and just buy a gift. But someone who can create a gift basket that has an assorted variety of theme-based items all wrapped up into one gift, is the person who will give the gift that people will desire and cherish the most. That is because the gift basket will be full of essential single items that all fit into a theme, like 'coffee', or 'golf', or 'teacher'.

When do you send a gift basket?

They can be given for any occasion like birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, and seasonal. They make a great house-warming gift for a party, football game, or outside barbeque. Gift baskets are also a great choice to give when a special event in someone's life happens. For example, the arrival of a new baby, moving into a new house, getting a new job or a job promotion. There is really no end to the wide varieties of types of gift baskets or why they are given. The choice to give a gift basket lies in how well the recipient is known. For example, a 'new baby gift basket', will have all the essentials a new born plus new mother will need or want for the first few days as they arrive home.

Personalized with a touch of character

A gift basket comes from the heart and soul of the giver. It is personalized by what types of treasures are included in the basket. What better way to show someone just how important they are to you, than by giving them a gift of not just one or two items, but a whole basket full of wonderful gifts! The better you know a person's likes, dislikes, favorite foods, drinks or hobbies, the better and more personalized the gift basket will be. It can even be full of things that represent a special event in the past that hold memories only the giver and recipient will know about. Pictures, art projects, drawings, old toys, books, or souvenirs are many things that will spark their memory into remembering a certain place in time.

What about a special recipe for fudge, cookies or candy? It can include all the ingredients of this special treat, the recipe on how to mix, prepare and cook it. It can also include a bowl or dish to mix the ingredients in, or a pan to cook it in. This makes a great gift basket for housewives, newlyweds, as well as for children of all ages. For the more advanced people in the kitchen where baking is their expertise, why not some kitchen tools, gadgets or innovative cake decorating kits for their baking pleasures. Not only will this gift be welcomed and adored, but another benefit may be after they use this gift, you may even get invited over to sample some of their creations.

Christmas-Eve Treats

Back when I was younger and my children were small, I made all of them some Christmas Eve treats. I made their treats all by hand, plus they were 100% eatable. I looked for and found three of the smallest paper bags that I could find. This is what I did:

• I sprayed each paper bag with cooking spray, like Pam or another brand.
• I melted some chocolate bark. (Or you can use Hershey's chocolate chips)
• I used a small pastry brush and painted the inside of each bag with the melted chocolate.
• I placed each bag into the freezer until chocolate hardened.
• I continued to paint more chocolate, layer after layer, until I had it as thick as I wanted it.
• Then I carefully cut the paper bag off of the chocolate. (With the cooking spray the paper bag removed easily).
• Then I took some treats and put them into the new created 'chocolate basket'.

These are just a few of the hundreds and hundreds of unique, one of a kind, gift baskets that anyone can easily make all on their own. These special 'from the heart' gifts are unique because they are customized for each individual person they were designed for. In these times of recession where money is sometimes very tight, a gift basket doesn't have to cost a lot. Since they are customized or designed, that makes them more treasured because it becomes more personal. More personalized, the more unique. The more unique, the more treasured.

For more tips and ideas on gift baskets, visit me at http://www.cajun-country-foods.com. I look forward to helping you with any gift, recipe, or idea that you may want or need. Not to mention I will have an assortment of special, one of a kind, food gift baskets and baking kits ready for your enjoyment or fulfillment in the very near future.