Food & Drink Gifts

You can never go wrong with fresh fruit.

Craft one of your culinary specialties, find a new recipe or buy gourmet food and beverages for a friend or family member. These gifts satisfy a fundamental need and introduce food lovers to new tastes. Give the recipient favored foods or new treats along with appliances, baskets or other items that might go well with a food and drink gift.

Teas and Gourmet Sodas

Give someone special a basket filled with custom teas and gourmet sodas. You can also place these items in a new cooler if you want to keep the drinks cold until delivery. Buy these teas and drinks or make some of them yourself. "Midwest Living" magazine recommends giving someone winter orange pomegranate iced tea. Other gourmet sodas that your friend might enjoy are various flavors of Italian cream soda, root beer and orange soda. Buy gourmet organic sodas at natural health stores or order online.

Elk Steaks, Chicken and Fish

Buy a meat lover a combination of various favorites such as elk steaks, buffalo, chicken and salmon. You can find these food items from companies online or go to a market and buy the meat individually. Just make sure to the deliver the meat right after buying it or freeze it. Place these items in a new cooler. Include a basket filled with a variety of steak sauces, tartar sauce and other seasonings.

Wine, Grape Juice and Apple Cider

Give a beverage lover a combination of standard and elegant drinks. Fill a basket full of gourmet or organic grape juice and apple cider along with two bottles of wine. Avoid buying cheap grape juice or other drinks in plastic containers. Buy organic or gourmet juices in glass containers to display a more sophisticated presentation. Include other items in this basket such as a wine opener, wrapped wine glasses and a few snacks such as nuts and cheese.

Homemade Baked Foods

If you would rather keep things simple, fill a basket full of blueberry muffins rather than several types of baked goods.

Use your skills in the kitchen to bake homemade foods for loved ones. Buy a brown wicker basket and tie a red or blue bow around the handle. Bake a variety of foods such as sugar cookies, banana bread, zucchini bread and blueberry muffins. If the recipient has a sweet tooth you might want to include brownies and chocolate chip cookies. You can also bake a few items and fill the basket with a variety of packaged cookie and bread mixes.

References

• Midwest Living: 34 Heavenly Homemade Food Gifts
• Real Simple: 14 Simple, Beautiful Homemade Holiday Gifts
• The Joy of Baking: Banana Bread
• Midwest Living: Winter Orange Pomegranate Iced Tea

Resources

• Cowboy Free Range Meat: Buffalo and Elk Meat