Each holiday season I start off with a sincere plan to make tasty care packages for family and friends. But my plans are often sidelined by other distractions—a baby on the way, my mom in town, and a book about to be published—and there doesn’t appear to be a spare moment in sight.
The good news is that there’s an abundance of really delicious, healthy treats that can be scooped up and sent off to loved ones with the click of a mouse. And in light of the belt-tightening times, all of these are under $100.
For earth-conscious chocolate lovers, the Bento Goodie Box ($79) from Viva Terra is a home run. Not only are all the decadent chocolates organic, but the bento boxes can be reused for holding jewelry or cuff links, or for post-holiday portion-sizing. The beautiful box contains cranberry-ginger bark, peanut-butter cups, roasted-almond bark, and festive foil-covered chocolate balls.
For healthy cooks, a high-quality olive oil is a welcome gift. Hand-harvesting of olives (as opposed to machine harvesting, which can be damaging to the fruit) makes all the difference in the quality of olive oil. That’s why Round Pond’s Italian Varietal ($26) is so fantastic. It has a wonderful, fresh, intense flavor and is fantastic in salad dressings, drizzled over grilled fish, or in dips and tapenades.
For those trying to be virtuous (we all know a few), you can’t go wrong with organic fruit. A basket of seasonal fruit won’t lead anyone down the gilded path to naughtiness, and it’s nice to have on hand with guests popping by. Filled with USDA-certified organic pears, apples, oranges, grapefruit, and a bonus seasonal fruit, the Organic Fruit Banquet ($65) comes in a lovely reusable basket.
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