Health Food Gift Baskets
|
The subject of health food gift baskets came to mind after visiting with some distant cousins who served fried squirrel plus pork gravy last Sunday afternoon. The idea that this meal wouldn't have been welcomed by their more suburban kin did not cross the cousins' minds. In fact, statements were made from the children that this Sunday meal was better than the last Thanksgiving meal when all that was offered was some unidentified animal that Uncle Fred had shot three years earlier then kept in the freezer. When arriving home, the more health conscious distant cousins decided for the well being of not only the adults but the children who had been visited, the selection of one of many health food gifts baskets that could be purchased online would be sent as a thank you for the gracious hospitality. After much discussion around the dinner table, it was decided that such a present would not be misinterpreted, but rather welcomed by the cousins who did have a rather different idea of good food.
The first issue to be decided was the type of basket to be sent. The husband preferred sending one of the many dried fruit and nut gift baskets that had recently been looked at on the web. A search began to reveal that the price of this type of present could be in the range of forty to two hundred dollars. The price, of course depended not so much on what was in the thank you offering, but rather how much in terms of quantity was included. Another long discussion occurred with the more menu enlightened family and the result was the conclusion that while the forty dollar basket included six ten ounce bags of assorted nuts plus five four ounce bags of dried prunes, this would probably not make a big impression on changing the long term eating habits of the relatives. It would have to be a more substantial bequest. Following more discussion, it was agreed that dried fruit and nut gift baskets would have to be in the two hundred dollar range to have much of a long term effect on their extended family's eating habits.
The choice of dried fruit and nut gift baskets that the family thought might make the biggest impact was a huge ten pound assortment of dried pears, peaches, apricots, prunes, almonds, pistachios plus cashews. The family knew that while nuts are considered nutritious and beneficial, they would have to include a measuring cup to show the members of their extended family the correct amount to eat in a daily serving, plus a reminder that dried fruit often has sugar included. The family felt very excited about this idea until the mother began thinking out loud about the effectiveness of dried fruit and nut baskets on her second cousin's family. After all, the agenda for this thank you present was not only the thank you aspect, but also giving the relatives a taste of healthy food that could be eaten every day, not just as a snack. The other members of the enlightened family sadly agreed that the clan council meeting was going to continue for a while longer while other options were considered. "Better is a dry morsel and quietness within, than an house full of sacrifices and strife." (Proverbs 17:1)
The discussion turned strictly to health food. It was a given in the enlightened home that a more vegetarian diet was the standard fare, with limited human contact with fish and chickens. So the search was on around the family computer to choose one of the many choices of health food gift baskets available. The first stop was at a site that offered an offering of five bottles of liquid nourishment, including Noni, Goji, Mangosteen and Acai. It was discussed that if that present were ever given, it would go the neighbor next door with the three very loud dogs. In fact, the next website stop was at a health food site for dogs, but memories of the cousin's cur wearing a smile while eating the leftover deep fried squirrel ended any consideration, so the search continued.
The thank you present with the two fold purpose would have to include enough food to feed the cousin's family for a couple of days, just to whet their appetite for a different diet. Again, quantity plus the types of food would have to be considered. There was a five hundred dollar basket to make fruit smoothies for a week that included a world class blender, but that was thought to be too metropolitan for the relatives. After viewing dozens of health food gift baskets, the family decided to put together a custom ordered thank you present for the cousins, in hope that it might spur on some ideas to be more health conscious. The custom order included the following items: Fresh halibut, salmon, buffalo steaks, venison burgers, almond butter, cashews, walnuts and pistachios, protein bars, oatmeal, whole wheat pasta, dried cherries, pears and apricots, green tea, olive oil, black bean chili plus blue corn chips, as well as an assortment of low fat brownies in addition to cookies. The items, purchased on a shopping excursion that included the whole family, were bought at a local health food store, consequently placed inside a beautiful gift box that had separate storage for dry ice items.
The entire family's wants plus their desires for this thank you offering were met. The hours of looking for health food gift baskets and dried fruit and nut gift baskets were fulfilled in one custom order. The entire order and shipping cost the family almost six hundred dollars. But all seemed worth the expense three weeks later. The cousins wrote to tell them they had never tasted so many new types of food, with the caveat that the buffalo barbequed on a grill was tastier than deep fried squirrel. But the poor old dog had died after trying to chew through a tin of smoked salmon.
|
|
|
|
