With just two shopping days left until Christmas, chances are you’ve got most of your friends and family crossed off your holiday shopping lists. However, a select few of you may be scratching your head trying to come up with a gift for neighbours, your boss – or family and friends that you’ll drop in on over the holidays. And so I’m here to say worry not; when all else fails, give the gift of good food.
Need some inspiration? The following gift ideas are readily available, and won’t break the bank either!
1. Metro Irresistibles – I had the sweet opportunity to try Metro Irresistibles for the first time this holiday season, and I daresay I was impressed with the products I sampled. I’m normally not a fan of fruitcake (who is, right?) but O-M-G I can’t believe I finished every crumb of Metro’s macerated fruit loaf. Covered in candied pecans, it’s to die for. I sent along a few small pieces with my mom, and she told me the next day that my dad and her fought over the last slice. Yum!
Based on the success of the fruitcake, I picked up Irresistibles Chocolate Cream Fudge to add to our dessert spread, and also for friends/family who pop by during the holidays. The next time you’re at Metro, take a look at their lineup of Irresistibles – I’m sure you’ll be pleasantly surprised!
2. Shop Home Grown – For my friends in Ontario, consider this: the average Ontario shopper intends to spend almost $700 on holiday gifting this year. If just $70 (or 10%) of this was spent on edible gifts crafted from Ontario artisan producers, the economic impact would equate to $500 million extra dollars in our Ontario food system, supporting up to 10,000 food sector jobs. The moral of the story: pick up some delicious home grown bites for those special people in your life.
Suggestions: Bringing a bottle of wine to your festive gatherings? Try Southbrook Vineyards, from Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON. Named Winery of the Year at InterVin (a wine competition), Southbrook Vineyards is also the maker of Bioflavia (seen on Dragon’s Den), the grape skin powder with incredible health properties that can be used for cooking or on its own.
Don’t have time to venture out to find the perfect locally-grown gift? Help a friend buy local all year round with Chef Lynn Ogryzlo’s book The Ontario Table. In it, you’ll find:
– 320 full-colour pages plus 109 recipes, each with stories of growers and regions
– Pictures of dishes and agricultural landscapes; Ontario wine pairings with recipes
– An Ontario pantry so consumers can identify local food products
– Over 90 culinary websites helping consumers find local food
– $10 a week message; the Billion Dollar Impact and why we should buy local
This holiday season, give the gift of good food. It’s the perfect way to a person’s heart… and tummy!