Elizabeth Large
At this point if you haven't gotten your holiday shopping done and are a sane human being, you probably don't feel like going to the mall to finish up.
I vaguely remember a Ralph Waldo Emerson quote about only giving things that are transitory, like delicious food. (He probably didn't say "like delicious food.") At this point your best bet is to pick up the phone or get online and order something wonderful to eat for your ungifted friends and family.
I know you know about Harry & David. I sometimes think if we all just picked up the phone and ordered a box of Comice pears for ourselves, we would eliminate the circular giving and not have to write a thank you note. This list is different.
This Top 10 Tuesday of the best sites for gourmet goodies should give you some new ideas: ...
Amadeus Vanilla Beans: for the serious cook, gourmet vanilla beans from Uganda, plus all sorts of vanilla extract.
Avocado of the Month Club: If your friend loves avocados as much as I do, this is the perfect gift.
Cajun Grocer: Here you can order a turducken (not sure why you'd want to), but also crawfish, gumbo, boudin, sauces and marinades and sweets.
Great Alaska Seafood: Wild salmon, smoked salmon, king crab legs, shrimp and free shipping. (Of course, this isn't a budget gift.)
La Tienda: Spanish delicacies including cheeses, Serrano ham, chorizo, saffron, olives and sweets.
Liberty Ducks: This is one food gift I promise will not be duplicated: large, meaty ducks (the kind preferred by restaurant chefs) from a Sonoma County farmer.
Mackenzie Limited: A Baltimore company that ships all sorts of gourmet treats, some of them local, including Smith Island cake.
Spice House: An impressive selection of gift boxes with themes, like the Curry Lover's Gift Box, the Peppercorn Gift Box and the Salad Veggie Lover Box.
Sweet Maria's: Coffee aficionados should try roasting their own coffee beans, and this place has a huge selection of green coffee beans plus all the info and equipment you need.
Young Plantations: Pecan lovers will appreciate the variety on this site. You can send anything from premium pecans to pecan pies from this South Carolina company.
(Photo courtesy of Mackenzie Limited Web site)
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