Gourmet Gifts and Tasty Treats for the Holidays

By Madelyn Miller, the TravelLady

I get really popular around the holidays. Not because I give such great gifts, but because I am busy tasting all the most tempting treats to find the best ones for www.travellady.com readers. Here are some Delicious ideas I want to share with you

Help the Holidays Sparkle with bubbly from Izze

Pure fruit juice and sparkling water are the only ingredients in these delicious drinks. My favorites are Pear, Pomegranate and Blueberry. And not only are they a healthier alternative for the holidays, you can feel good about giving them and serving them because in partnership with Global Education Fund, the Izze Beverage Company funds and manages Project Reach, a program that provides educaton-based development for farm workers and their families in the communities where they buy their fruit.
To find out more www.izze.com/projectreach.com

Your Family and Friends will go nuts for this Gift

Why not give them Killer and Smokin Pecans and let them enjoy that addictive flavor you've grown to love, sweet and spicy with a little kick. They have holiday boxes and baskets that feature a pound of each flavor, or will customize a basket with the addition of some of our other seasonal delights.

For parties, snacks for the game or the perfect holiday gift. Made with the finest mammoth pecan halves harvested just down the road in San Saba, Texas. So crisp and delicious, you can't stop eatin' 'em.

Killer Pecans™ and Smokin' Pecans™ are the first products introduced from the kitchen of nationally acclaimed Chef George Brown.

214-366-9100
info@killerpecans.com
www.killerpecans.com

One Tea_riffic Gift

Harney & Sons Tea Chest
$39.99

Treat the tea drinker in your life to a delicious selection of Harney & Sons' phenomenal tea blends. Inside a keepsake two-tone brown linen tea chest, they'll receive 8 fantastic flavors of individually wrapped full-leaf teas, the master tea blenders' most convenient and consistent way to brew great teas. Included are four each of the following: Caribe (green and black tea), Paris (black tea), Pomegranate Oolong (oolong tea), White Vanilla Grapefruit (white tea), Mint Verbena (caffeine free herbal tea), Dragon Pearl Jasmine (floral tea), Rooibos Chai (caffeine free herbal tea) and Bangkok (green tea).

I have always love Harney & Son Teas and this Tea Chest makes it so easy to offer a guest their favorite tea (if you share). Made me feel like I was in a fancy restaurant.

The box is so nice, it is meant to be saved. But I can't think of a better thing to put in it than more Harney & Sons Tea. You can reorder from 1-800-FLOWERS.COM. (and you find some other great tea offerings there, too.)

Is there anything better than Chocolate?

Organic Chocolate. I just discovered Green & Blacks Organic Chocolate. If this story sounds inspired, it was. Inspired by bittersweet dark chocolate that is 70% Coca. I guess I am glad that it comes in 1.2 ounces—otherwise I would never stop eating it. They call these small treats Impulse Bars. They are smaller in size, but no less intense in flavor. A little indulgent delight to satisy your chocolate craving. www.greenandblacks.com

Retro Sweets bring back Sweet Memories

I went nuts for the Mr. Peanut's Sweet Shop Chocolate Almond Crunch. These giant almonds are coated in Toffee and dipped in Rich Milk Chocolate. Planters brings you a decadent tasting treat that is reminiscent of the old neighborhood candy shoppe where your sense were overwhelmed by the smell of warm chocolate.

Eating Toffee has never been so Sweet

Don't feel guilty about all the calories in Al & Paul's Butta-Bing Gourmet New York Toffee. The profits go to a good cause.So don't even worry about what goes to your hips.

Al & Paul's Butta-Bing!(TM) is unlike the typical "so hard it can crack a tooth English Toffee." This candy has a nice soft crunch due to its high " butta" (butter) content. California almonds are stirred into the candy and then the toffee is covered in dark chocolate on both sides. A final sprinkle of almonds on top of the chocolate makes this toffee irresistible.

After a sampling, all your troubles seem to melt away

Al & Paul's Candy, makers of the Original Al & Paul's Butta-Bing!(TM) New York Toffee, rolled out a sweet offering this holiday season. Earlier this year, partner Paul Rosenbaum, was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. Today, Paul is in remission and supporting others going through the same diagnosis and treatment

.

As a special thank you to two amazing non-profit groups who helped Paul fight his cancer battle and manage through many challenging

months of treatment, Al & Paul will generously donate $1 for every one-pound box of toffee to The Lymphoma Research Foundation and CaringBridge.org ($.50 each).The holiday selling season for Al & Paul's Butta-Bing!(TM) began November 1, 2007.

"Fighting cancer requires a tremendous amount of support," said Al Quattrocchi, founder of Al & Paul's Candy. "In appreciation for all of the support Paul and his wife Joy received from both the Lymphoma Research Foundation and CaringBridge, we wanted to raise awareness and some funds to keep organizations like these available to others. CaringBridge helped Paul be connected to his loved ones, who regularly posted words of encouragement to keep him positive during this difficult time."

Al & Paul have been friends for over 30 years. They started making and giving this highly addictive toffee to friends for the holiday season almost 20 years and have built a following - attributing their success to a special ingredient - love. Several years ago, they packaged their recipe and began "sharing the love" by selling Al & Paul's Butta-Bing! Now "sharing the love" takes on a whole new meaning, as donations will help other cancer patients and their loved ones.

Butta-Bing! Al & Paul's Butta-Bing!(TM) is an all-natural, gourmet toffee, made from the finest ingredients: semi-sweet chocolate, sugar, butter, California almonds and a touch of corn syrup. The secret ingredient in this 20-year old recipe is LOVE. An addictive concoction, this buttery, smooth, rich and crunchy toffee has no additives or preservatives to tarnish its harmony.

Available in two kinds of packages: www.butta-bing.com

info@butta-bing.com

A GIFT THAT BLOOMS IN ANY WEATHER

Blooming teas are the latest must-have gift for either a tea-lover or gardener on your list. Handcrafted tea bulbs that open to reveal real blooming flowers while the tea steeps, RariTeas blooming teas are made in China by skilled artisans who hand-sew white tea leaves around perfectly dried flower blossoms. Watch them
bloom at www.RariTeas.com . They produce a delicately aromatic, flavorful cup of tea that is beautiful to look at, warm and soothing to the touch, healthy for the body (white tea having more antioxidants than green or black tea), and a meaningful gift from the heart.

In addition to being a treat for all the senses, RariTeas blooming teas alsoconvey a heartfelt personal message. Fourteen different bulbs are available, each with its own flower-including jasmine, lilies, and marigold-and its own uplifting theme, such as Honesty, Serenity, Loyalty, and Generosity. The chosen theme personalizes the gift, adds to its special significance, and
heightens the heart connection between giver and receiver.

RariTeas founder Martha Humphreys belives, "I think people find the teas to be symbols of their heartfelt sentiments. As my mother says, 'It's not the lover's gift that counts so much as the giver's love.'"

RariTeas blooming white teas can be purchased online at www.RariTeas.com . A package of six bulbs in a choice of flowers and themes is available for $12.50. RariTeas is the only company to focus exclusively on white-tea-based blooming teas.

Harry and David Chocolates

Just the name makes my mouth water. Giving a gift from Harry and David is like giving something in a blue Tiffany box--you know something wonderful is inside. This year I tried festively frosted white squares that looked like little jewels.

.........AND A PARTRIDGE IN A PEAR TREE

Could there be anything more delicious than Cinnamon Pear Jelly? or Tomato Pear Chuntney? Or Pear Vinegar? or Tomato Cinnamon Clove Preserves? The judges at the California State Fair did not think so. These homemade tasting pear products are all-natural, made with organic ingredients and most are Kosher certified. Did I tell you about the Pear Fig Jam? Or the Ginger Pear Salad Dressing? or the Chocolate Pear Cabernet Sauce?

Owner Susan Knapp must love pears as much as I do. And I am totally happy to leave the cooking to her...just so I do the eating. I wanted to lick the catalogue everything looked so lucious. And it had simple recipes.
www.aperfectpear.net
800-553-5753

Madelyn Miller is a travel and food writer who loves gourmet goodies. Read her stories on www.travellady.com , www.carladynews.com , www.chocolateatlas.com , www.cocktailatlas.com , www.coffeeatlas.com , www.teaAtlas.com