The Gift Exchange

I recently spent time in the Middle East with friends who have relocated there. I saw some of the most beautiful sites my eyes have ever seen. Experienced heat comparable to being roasted in an oven, and tasted foods that made my pallet rejoice. Of all the things I took in over my long journey, what I miss most is the food. Sure we have local restaurants that claim to be the real thing- Trust me, once you have had the real thing, the local restaurants will never quench the hunger. I don’t know if it is because the ingredients were local, or if there was something in the water, what I do know is that nothing compares to falafel outside of the Damascus gate in Jerusalem. Kenifa in the Ballad, Hummus off of Rainbow Road in Amman,  even the soda was better overseas (this may be because… A) I don’t usually drink soda. B) that was one of the few cold beverage choices).

Since being home I have tried my hand at recreating the delicacies I can’t seem to find here….. My lebnah, a fresh cheese made from yogurt, is to die for.  Falafel, made with the special tool I picked up in the old part of Jerusalem, good, but could use work. Baklava – Well lets just say, in a blind tasting, I would win. But lets be honest, it takes forever to make! Layers upon layers of phyllo dough, butter, and just the right amount of the nut/cinnamon mixture. Repeated several dozen times to obtain the perfect ratio of filling to dough. Once that is  assembled it must be cut prior to baking. When the cut baklava is in the oven you need to start on your syrup mixture to ladle over the baklava after is as reached its radiant golden color. Standing at the stove top, stirring the sweet concoction waiting for the magic to happen, you can’t step away or the sugars will surely burn. Here comes the worst part. When the baking is done, after you soak the pastry in the syrup, you have to wait for it to set before you can eat it! Now trust me on this one. I have tasted the baklava in every phase of the process. I have gotten wicked sugar burns from being impatient. It is worth the wait.

If you don’t want to go through the hassle of making it yourself I suggest you just get this Holiday Baklava Assortment. Trust me – After all I am an expert.

The original meaning of word “wreath” is unity, circle of life, and eternity.  In the ancient Rome the civilians would decorate wreaths and hang them on doors to represent victory when solders would return home from war.  This is how the whole “hanging” wreaths began but the whole history started when new Christian Germanic people would make wreaths out of evergreen in December to calm their winter blue.   They also liked to light up the fires in hopes of upcoming spring and renewal.  It wasn’t until the 16th century when the Christians in Germany started to keep the tradition alive by practicing this symble in hopes of their new believe in Christ, the never ending light.  From then on this practice has spread to all the Christians in the word and now is practiced by all.
The traditional wreath actually had 5 candles lined up inside the wreath. The center candle stood higher then the other four.  Every week before Christmas, the family would give a prayer while lighting one candle every week.  By Christmas Eve, 5th candle (being the taller one) would be lightened which represented baby Jesus being born as a savior to us all.

I’m trying to expand my horizons as a self proclaimed wine enthusiast. Please, please understand that I regularly consume wine from a box, so in no way am I claiming to be an expert. But as I am now in the business of offering super luxury and high end wines, I feel that I have a real obligation to at least sound like I know what I am talking about. I am looking forward to the day when a “damaged” bottle of Opus one comes back to us, and we all get to whip out a glass of this exceptional wine, but until that day I am limited by my budget on which wines I can try.

I started with some of the local wines readily available in the supermarket. Some I have tried before, some I will gladly try again. As a true connoisseur, AKA “lush”, I have rarely met a wine I don’t like. But I am starting to see what everyone is talking about; the way a certain variety compliments a dish, or evokes a feeling that another wine doesn’t. One of my absolute favorites is the Chateau Ste. Michelle Indian Wells Chardonnay (if you get it with this Wine Tote, you’ll also get a bottle of Erath Pinot Noir which is amazing as well)  it tastes a lot better than dear old Carlos Rossi. Sorry Carlos, I think our relationship must come to an end- it’s been a crazy ride.

I guess my point is, you don’t have to spend a fortune to enjoy a decent bottle of wine. And I am comforted that the people who select the wines we carry have those exceptional palates, and can make the call for me on what is a good, and also what is truly exceptional. Still waiting on an expired bottle to pop through- oh wait, doesn’t wine get better with age? I guess I still have a lot to learn.

I believe in Santa Claus and I am not ashamed to say it. Well let me clarify. I don’t think a jolly fat man slides down the chimney and delivers presents to every child (and in reality I dont even have a chimney!). No, I believe more in the spirit of Santa. He represents something so magical and joyous finding the words to describe what I mean is difficult but I will try.
Santa was never really a huge deal in our house but he was’t hidden either. He only came to our house if our rooms were clean (not an easy task with 4 girls packed into one bedroom). I remember waiting for Santa to come, we put out the cookies and milk and went to bed… but didn’t really sleep.. .does anyone?  I am notoriously (still) the first awake in my family on any given day- Christmas morning was another story all together. Walking/running into the living room after my parents gave us the go ahead, my 3 sisters in tow – eyes wide with excitement, taking in all that was shining and new. Santa found us! We were not as bad as we thought! These are really Good presents!
I knew my parents got us presents, they were under the tree for weeks tempting me, even though they always used “code names” like Fe, Fi, Fo and Fum, and I was never sure which ones were really mine. I peeked every now and then and got pretty good about making sure the wrapping paper looked as good, if not better, after I had my fill. What can I say, surprises are hard for me. I also knew that he brought the really good presents that were to cool to be hindered by wrapping paper. In our house the presents left by Santa were on display so we could see them just as we rounded the corner into the living room. One of the best presents he brought us as children was a Super Nintendo. To this day I challenge anyone to a round at Super Mario World – I will destroy you.
I don’t remember when it changed from believing with my whole heart that he was real to coming to terms with the truth. I know I wasn’t sad, and I now know I will let my kids have the thrill of waiting for Santa to come. Although Santa isn’t the reason for the season, he adds a lot to our holiday celebrations both young and old.
In my opinion Santa is Magic and no one should be denied a good show.  Hearts and Ivy Handmade Santa or Byer’s Collectible Santa with Stone Cellars Wine would be good Santa gifts to add to your collection!

It’s always so hard to figure out what to send people who have been married for a long time. Chances are pretty good that they have already purchased every thing they want for themselves. If they are older, like my parents, they are trying to get rid of things and not trying to get more. I always have the hardest time finding an anniversary gift that will appeal to both of them. So, I was totally knocked out when I saw this Filet Feast & Maine Lobster Tail Dinner! What a perfect gift, not just for an anniversary, but a great housewarming gift too!
The dinner for two includes:
Maine Lobster Tails
Filet Mignon Steaks
New England Clam Chowder
Maryland-Style Crab Cakes
Clarified Butter
Lobster Bibs, Moist Towelettes
Recipe Booklet and instructions.
And for dessert:
White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake
and Colombian Supremo Coffee!

It’s the full meal delivered right to your door! This is a gift they won’t soon forget!!

When I was a child my mother used to host etiquette classes for my sisters, cousins & friends. Nothing beats a room full of giggly girls drinking with their pinkie’s up or figuring out the graceful way to eat your soup. It was wonderful. My dad would put on a tie and be our waiter and my mom would make crustless finger sandwiches and bite size cookies. If ever Prince William wanted to marry an American girl I would be ready (that of course was pre Kate days) One of the things that my mother along with Miss Manners taught me was to never go to a party empty handed. Usually I bake some of my famous sugar cookies or whip up a batch of baklava but really, who has time for that these days?! I know I don’t! With more Holiday parties on the calendar this year then ever before I really must plan this out.
Here are my top 5 Hostess gifts of this year. – If you have invited (or are going to invite) me to a party please stop reading now

1. Reindeer Nutcracker

2. Hand Blow Humming Bird Feeder

3. Mayan Hot Cocoa & Hand Carved Frother

4. Monogrammed VIP Silver Wine Opener

5. Champagne & Chocolate

These are just my top 5 – there are so many more to chose from.   What’s in your top 5?

One of the many request I usually receive around the holidays is to assist them in selecting a gift for their recipient.  One of the common statements I typically get is that they are not sure if the recipient celebrates Christmas, Hanukkah or other related holidays around that day.  I recommend the Many Thanks Gift Tower, it’s perfect to gift to your client that you don’t know much about, your new friend or even to that neighbor that waters your plants for you when you are out of town. This is a great gift to give when you don’t know much about the recipient, as the food items included fit every taste bud.  It also contains a strong “Thank you” message with a holiday theme that doesn’t scream “Merry Christmas” all over it.

The Original Coffee Block is the perfect gift for someone that you want to thank for being a good friend, nice co-worker or great neighbor! Or, if you just want to say “I thought of you today and wanted you to know how much I appreciate you”
The gift comes neatly packaged in 4 golden gift boxes and includes:

• First Colony Colombian Supremo Coffee
• White Ceramic Bistro Mug
• Snickerdoodle Cookies
• Seattle Milk Chocolate Espresso Truffles
• Merlino Black & White Cookie.

Everything a person needs to have a relaxing afternoon coffee break! And at this price, you can send this gift to everyone on your list!

As some of you my fellow readers already know this, I’m not from these part of the woods.  I was born and raised in Ukraine, Odessa to be more exact.  Unfortunately we don’t have Thanksgiving holiday established as a national holiday like we do here in the US or Canada.  I do come from a religious family and luckily I still get to participate in a similar holiday that was hosted by our church.  It is called harvest celebration (similar concept as Thanksgiving in US but is celebrated with the entire church rather then close family members).  There is no specific date but is typically celebrated after first harvest.  I was still little when we left Ukraine but happen to remember the entire process.  Right before service started every member attending would pick a fruit or a vegetable (it could be anything that is growing, even flowers) and set on the front stage at the church.  The whole service is based on thanking God for providing us with crop and everything else for our well being.  Often after the church service, everyone stays for a “harvest feast”.  At this time everyone helps themselves to all the food that was brought to the church and shares with others.  This is a great time to socialize with your friends and discuss plans for planting next year.  I am glad that we here in the US get to share this holiday with everybody and not just with your friends at church.  As I have observed living here as long as I have, different nationalities, religious or not, comes together and celebrate this wonderful holiday together.  I wish you all a happy and safe Thanksgiving and as my older brother likes to say “Happy Turkey Day”.

Before you want to make a decision on what centerpiece you would like to purchase or gift to others, you need to ask yourself this question: How long will you need your centerpiece for?  Will you be hosting more then one dinner on Thanksgiving week?  If you need a centerpiece just for the Thanksgiving day, selecting a centerpiece that is arranged low to the base (like the Family Gathering Centerpiece) with out a vase would work.  It is usually set on a low dish and arranged into the oasis.  It will probably last you up to 3 days if you check the oasis moisture regularly but will not work if you are hosting another dinner later on.  Nowadays, some families host multiple dinners in a week to ensure everyone is participating. If that is your case, I suggest selecting something that is in a vase or in a solid container with a good water supply.  The Country Pumpkin Bouquet that we carry comes in a ceramic container that will hold water and should be able to last you longer.  The other tip is, select a bouquet that contains longer lasting flowers such as alstroemeria, poms of any variety  and carnations.  Happy Holidays!