February 18, 2010
Give the Gift of Love to a Hapless Bachelor
You know that guy in your life who never seems lucky in love or in life, in general. I’m sure that you have such a friend; it seems that all of us do.
I probably should tell you in advance that you better like this friend quite a bit, because the gift idea that I’m going to offer is a bit on the pricey side, although worth every penny. Maybe this guy is your son, or nephew, or uncle or your roommate who just refuses to leave.
Try giving him a truly romantic dinner for which he never has to leave the house or apartment. Hopefully he’ll be able to find an appropriate date with whom to share it. Let’s face it, nothing sweeps a potential partner off his or her feet quite like a private, romantic, dinner at the host’s home. I really do have a particular friend in mind as I write this, and he needs all the help I can provide, and I’m sure your similar friend does, too. You may need to be very specific when you give him your gift and the instructions to go with it. Remind him to light candles, choose the music for him and suggest he pick up his dirty socks.
He can begin the evening with the first part of your present, a selection of gourmet cheeses as the first course. Suggest that he consider serving the cheese with ripe apple slices or pear slices, but only if you trust him to handle a knife. This course can actually be a nice appetizer, before they are actually seated at the dining table.
The second course should be a delicious lobster dinner a different seafood dinner or perhaps a combination of steak and lobster, sometimes known as surf and turf. Since this man needs so much help, you will want to be certain that the lobster is as fresh as possible.
End the evening (at least the part of the evening you’re helping with) with a delicious, turtle cheesecake. Or, if he does not like chocolate, then select the more traditional New York cheesecake, decorated with a sprig of fresh mint.
If he drinks alcoholic beverages, do not trust him to choose the wine for the dinner. Lobster is very hearty fare, so don’t be afraid to suggest he pair it with a bold wine such as a Merlot or even a Burgundy.
Once you’ve done your part in the affair, relax until you receive the engagement announcement. If it doesn’t arrive within six months, just find another friend. That will be much easier.
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November 1, 2009
Food Gifts Simplify My Life
Fighting my way through a crowded store with my arms full of packages is not my cup of tea. My mother loves to shop, but I did not inherit those genes. The aspect that I despise the most, however, is trying to guess what presents everyone would actually appreciate. I used to have this inescapable fear that all of my shopping efforts usually resulted in a rushed trip back to the store or, worse, out to the garbage can. I could never feel confident about what to get my Grandma or Uncle Arthur. Now, I can enjoy the cute shops and the department stores, especially during the holidays, because I can walk through empty handed, unrushed, with all of my shopping already long finished. I do all my shopping online, now. Well almost all of it.
While online shopping keeps me from being pushed around in a busy department store or standing in line at a little boutique, it doesn’t keep me from the most dreaded part of any gift giving event; choosing the right gift for a birthday, a holiday, a sick friend or whomever. Then about five years ago, I discovered food.
That wasn’t very honestly phrased, because I discovered food when I was still an infant. But I didn’t discover food as a gift idea until recently. You see, at that time I received a gift basket full of hardly edible sausages, processed cheese spreads (mostly chemicals I think) and crackers that were about as crunchy as a rock. However, the poor quality of what passed as food in that gift turned out to be my inspiration. “What,” I thought, “If I had received genuinely good food?” How different that would have been, and how much I would have enjoyed it.
Since that moment of momentous insight on my part, I have been a dedicated sampler of a variety of food gifts that I buy for myself on the Internet. I have found that the online gift food stores handle everything from shipping to the accompanying gift cards. Yes, I actually send myself a gift card to test the store’s dedication to detail. The Internet boutiques are now the sources for all of my gifts, except those gifts of my loved ones who happen to live very nearby.
The wide selection of quality gift foods available is truly remarkable. It ranges from live lobster dinners to a fruit basket; from cookie bouquets to live lobsters; from wine gift baskets to imported caviar or fine Wisconsin cheeses.
For those on my gift list who live nearby, I usually assemble my own gift baskets. Even in those cases, the Internet comes to my rescue with helpful suggestions about how to make my self-assembled gift foods more interesting. The available articles also have great gift ideas for special people who often happen to be especially difficult when it comes to choosing a gift.
So join me in thanking the web for teaching me how to walk through an aisle of a store, empty handed, with a huge smile. I can do that, now, just to soak up the spirit of the season. I’m a tourist when I’m there instead of a frantic shopper.
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