Newsletters: November-December 2009
Holiday Gifts: Food Baskets & Jars
Natural Times November/December 2009
By Crystal Wakoa
’Tis the season for one of the holidays’ most celebrated and ancient traditions—the giving of gifts. Ideally, the act of giving is heart-felt and joyful, bringing as much or more happiness to the giver as the receiver. But in these times of rushed schedules and tight budgets, buying or making a present for a loved one can feel like a burden, draining all the joy from what could be a personal expression of generosity and friendship.
If you find yourself absorbing too much of the frenzy and pressure surrounding holiday gift giving, take refuge in New Leaf Market’s bulk section, a veritable treasure trove of gift ideas. All you need are clean, glass jars and a little imagination. Layer the bulk items in the jar so each layer is distinct. Use contrasting colors and textures. Tie a colorful ribbon around the jar and voila! You’ve created an attractive, nutritious, practical, Earth-friendly gift! Here are a few ideas to get you started.
- Nut and seed jar: layer brown almonds, green pumpkin seeds and yellow curried cashews.
- Bean jar: layer red lentils or kidney beans, white navy beans and green split peas or mung beans.
- Fruit jar: layer orange mango, brown figs and yellow crystallized ginger or orange papaya, yellow pineapple rings and red cherries.
- Kid’s candy jar: layer multi-colored chocolate sundrops, gummy cubs and lollipops or red licorice, black licorice and yogurt covered almonds.
- Adult candy jar: layer dark chocolate covered coffee beans, dark chocolate covered raisins and dark chocolate covered cherries. Separate layers with thin layer of red goji berries or red licorice.
- Time saver’s jar: layer tabouli mix, falafel mix and hummus mix. Separate layers with several layers of holiday wrapping paper, or leave the mixes in separate, clear plastic bags.
- Stand-alone jars: seven-bean and barley soup mix—beautiful all by itself, festively multi-colored vegetable chips, granola, fair-trade coffee.
- Herb jars: In a smaller glass jar layer parsley and red pepper flakes or pretty peppercorns with onion powder. (Keep herbs in their separate, clear plastic bags.)
Gift baskets are another way of sharing fabulous food with family, co-workers and friends. Baskets are plentiful and cheap at Goodwill and consignment shops. The variety of goodies you fill them with is only as limited as your imagination. Walk around the Co-op, keeping the recipient of your gift in mind, and your basket will be full in no time. Just a couple of ideas:
- A chocolate bar, box of tea or cocoa, and bag of coffee.
- Black beans, rice, a jar of salsa, a bag of chips, red pepper flakes, garlic and onion powders.
- Red lentils, basmati rice, and an assortment of Indian herbs: cumin, coriander and tumeric.
Tie a pretty bow on your gift basket. Include a hand-written recipe that combines the contents of your basket in a delectable dish.
Gift jars and baskets afford a degree of creativity while staying within your budget. For the well-thought out gift or the last-minute office present, New Leaf Market’s bulk section has everything you need for the practical present with the personal touch.
