A Tisket, A Tasket

Some gifts warm the heart and others appease the stomach. Gifts of food and drink baskets are sure to please even those hard-to-buy-for folks on your gift list. 

First, stop by Sundance Natural Foods to create a delicious mulled cider gift basket. Start with a 3-quart jug of R.W. Knudsen organic apple juice for $9.99. To make the distinctive, spiced flavor, head over to the bulk section and pick up Mountain Rose Herbs’ whole cloves for $1.97 an ounce and a few Red Ape cinnamon sticks for $1.19 an ounce. Finally, grab an organic navel orange for $2.49 a pound. Place the ingredients in a punch bowl with your best recipe, add a ladle and your cider kit is complete.

Sundance also has a great variety of loose-leaf teas, and as any tea snob will tell you, loose-leaf is the only way to properly enjoy a hot cup of tea. Pick up a tea-diffuser spoon for $2.50 and then choose your favorite tea blends. Rose black tea by Two Hills Tea makes a delicious breakfast treat at $2.53 per ounce, while Frontier Natural Products’ organic green chai tea at $1.85 per ounce provides a unique twist to a classic flavor. Arrange all these products in a teapot and give this kit to your favorite tea addict.

For tasty holiday treats, make your way to Market of Choice, where you can find supplies to build a caramel-corn kit. You’ll need a bag of popcorn kernels, so try Natural Value’s two-pound bag of organic yellow popcorn for $3.99. Add some C&H dark brown cane sugar for $2.39 and Frontier all-natural vanilla extract for $4.39. Put the ingredients in a popcorn bowl for sharing, include a reminder to add butter to the recipe and your caramel-corn kit is ready to go. 

Quick breakfasts are always appreciated, so you can also use Market of Choice to put together a pancake kit. Start with Pamela’s Baking and Pancake mix for $6.99, along with some indulgent Spring Tree maple syrup for $8.59 and a bag of Ghirardelli chocolate chips for $3.59. Stick these all in a mixing bowl and your task is complete.