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Archive for December, 2013

Valentine hampers: Love all around

December 30th, 2013

Valentine Day is indeed an important day for all lovers worldwide. As a matter of fact, this day is celebrated not only by young generation, but also by the aged since love has no boundary or age. This is the special day when the couples love to gift each other, and shower their love. Though gifts are a part of the tradition, it is not mandatory that they need to be expensive. Rather, gifts when given as presents can be of a less price but have intrinsic worth in it.

Showering valentine hampers

Manufacturers for the last few decades have been trying to bring innovative products and items that are sure to touch the heart of the receiver. Gifts for this special occasion could be anything ranging from chocolates, cuddly toys, flowers, good and interesting books, etc. Also, no lover would like to miss this important day since it does mean a lot to them. And the best way to reciprocate love is by presenting something that is special and unique. Gift hampers made for this occasion can be an interesting one.

Finding a wide range of valentine hampers

These days, it has become possible for the individual to get hampers online in UK from the internet. There are plenty of reputed sites that are known to keep a wonderful collection, one that is sure to win the heart of those, who receive it.

Favourite hampers among valentine shoppers

There are different types of valentine hampers easily available in the market.

•           The classic Haze gift pack comprises of an impressive choice of bath blasters, soaps and mallows. They are handmade and wrapped neatly in a package, which screams of love. This is indeed for the person who is special enough to relax and be comfortable in the tube.

•           Chocolates have always been an all time favourite among lovers. This special day is more or less synonymous with chocolates. As a matter of fact, giving chocolates on this special day has a vital meaning. Hence, chocolate hampers are the most sold item during this day. They are packed with popular and boutique chocolate delicacies that are in plenty and enough for 2 people to share them and enjoy the company of each other.

•           Champagne hamper: This special hamper is sure to impress everyone. It is filled up with miniature Champagne bottle along with fruit cake, truffles and other surprises. This is sure to set up the day for the lovers in a romantic way and make the occasion all the more interesting and special.

•           Presenting cuddly toys has been a wonderful way to impress the loved one. Every girl loves cuddly toys and keep them besides always. The cuddly gift box hamper comprises of a soft, cuddly toy that is sure to help the man to propose his love to the beloved one. Also present in the hamper are various types of delicious chocolates, including a bottle of wine that would make the day much more pleasant.

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How can a food hamper bring about the perfect Spring celebration?

December 25th, 2013

 

Food hampers make the perfect gift for establishing and strengthened business relationships. To increase the camaraderie between the employees and to please your corporate partners, a luxury food hamper can be very useful. Food hamper gifts are supplied by many services today, and they take a lot of care to ensure that the hamper has the perfect assortment of edibles. Spring is the time, when most celebrations take place. The weather is highly flattering with blooming flowers and chirping birds. So, the gifts should be planned in accordance with the flavour of the season and happy moods that the events bring.

Why is a luxury gift hamper perfect as a spring gift?

The top events in the Spring Calendar include St. Patrick’s Day, Passover, and Easter, St. Andrew’s day and Mothering Sunday. Thus, there is every cause for celebration. A luxury food hamper comprises of all the various stuffs, to indulge on. The best way of celebrating Mothering Sunday is by presenting your dear mother with a personal selection of edibles in the food hamper, which are all her favourite things. Since, it will be presented in front of everybody in the family, it is best that there are some special items for everyone there. Biscuits, chocolates, and chips can be placed for small children; while cured meat, oats biscuits and a fine selection of locally produced cheese can be great for all adults. Alcohol-free drinks can be chosen for the teetotallers and licensed drivers while mummy dear can enjoy her favourite bottle of champagne or wine. Thus, all these goodies form a Mother’s day special hamper, which has scope of indulgence for everybody.

How to present such a hamper on St. Patrick’s Day?

 

It is one of the most celebrated days in UK’s calendar. It is one of the most extensively celebrated patron saint days in the entire world. People who have knowledge about the Irish heritage celebrate this occasion in full bloom with high octane revelry. Parades are organized on the city streets and pubs brim with party people and revellers. The luxury food hamper is perfect for those who wish to celebrate this holy in a more Zen and sedate manner. This hamper is filled with a fine selection of imported beer and wine. So, call upon your friends at you place and have a nice warm party with this luxury hamper.

Which hamper would suit Easter?

The Easter celebration lasts for eight days, starting with Palm Sunday and ending with Easter Monday. Chocolate eggs are conventional goodies that people enjoy during this celebration. But, those who are having an urge to throw an extravagant party and celebrate the day with family and friends should order for a large family luxury hamper. There are approximately 25 food items inside the hamper, and they are highly delectable. Therefore, the entire party can enjoy something or the other. Therefore, if you are thinking of planning an Easter party, do order for such a hamper and have a complete blast.

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Baskets: Its history

December 13th, 2013

Baskets are considered to be a wonderful place for nestling everything right from fruits, wine, baby shower gifts and various other household items. They have a natural texture, charming look and an unbeatable durability. In this modern world, baskets have rather become the principal of home décor and gift giving. Also, they have been carrying with them a long history dating back to around thousands of years. The following ways explain how the baskets entered people’s home and hearts.

 

The initial baskets

It is somewhat tough to state exactly as to when the initial baskets were crafted. However, they were constructed from natural materials, which decayed easily over the years, such as grass, roots and wood. This is why historians did have a hard time to find baskets that were used long back. Some of the oldest basket remains were found at Faiyum, Egypt, and their ages are about 12,000 years. Other ancient baskets have been discovered in Middle East that age about 7,000 years. The dead were buried by the Sumerians in these hand-woven containers, and also several mentions were made in the ‘earlier Testament’ of the Bible.

Baskets: Their early uses

 Much before plastic storage containers, refrigerators, closets and pitchers, man always had a need to store water, food and their belongings. Hence, various kinds of baskets were invented for accommodating the different requirements. For instance, people living besides the ocean had designed tight woven baskets for holding water and fish. People residing in wooded areas crafted baskets for holding grains and harvested food.

Carrying fruits and flowers

Basket pieces in several parts of the globe have been found in gravesites. They are said to contain pollen traces, which meant that they were utilised in the ancient times for carrying fruits and flowers for the deceased ones. In short, fruit basket is not something new, and this proves to be an integral part of occasions throughout history.

Various types of baskets

With trade flourishing between countries across the globe, baskets were utilised for transporting goods and merchandise from one place to the other. This resulted in the creation of different types of basket weaving styles that spread across cultures and borders. For instance, baskets were once used to pack and deliver products at the time of the great industrial revolution in the factories. It was also utilised for transporting carrier pigeons, food, other supplies and ammunitions during the First World War and the Second World War by both parties involved.

With the passing time and with increased innovative techniques, baskets have become a unique and integral art form, including a practical necessity. In today’s world, they are collected not only just for their functionality as gift holders and storage containers, but also for its uniqueness and beauty. Manufacturers have been trying to come out with different types of baskets that are attractive and come in various shapes.

With such a beautiful history behind the baskets, people looking forward to presenting gifts to their beloved ones can do so by delivery of fruit basket or flower basket to let them know the extent of their love and affection.

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Fruit Baskets – the ultimate homemade gifts to impress everyone

December 6th, 2013

With the festive season around the corner, it has become important for people of all ages to ponder as to what gift should they give this year to their near and dear ones, so that this occasion becomes all the more special and memorable. Sometimes, people tend to get confused about the type of gifts that they would require to buy to gift their colleagues, relatives, friends or someone close to them. Fruit gift baskets are a wonderful way to express this festive season and to show their affection and fondness towards the very special people in their life. Also, fruit hampers are an innovative way to show the love along with the added bonus comprising of health benefits.

Fruit baskets for everyone

The fruit basket is considered to be a wonderful place to start with. One cannot make mistakes while selecting items to be included in the basket. However, when it comes to design the other theme based gift baskets, selection of sizes and colours of the gifts does become quite complicated, and the question remains if the receiver will be able to cherish it or not. But, the fruits when packed together in the basket do appear good and interesting.

One can easily get fruit baskets suited to anyone and everyone. There are plenty of websites that cater to the requirements of the individuals and ensure that the delivery is made on the specified time and date to the scheduled address. This means the individual can easily send the fruit baskets in fresh condition to any place without having to bother about its quality or getting it damaged. If the person lives at the other end of the city or in different country, these websites are sure to help the individuals to select the perfect choice of fruit baskets that can be sent without any hassle and earn their respect and love. In short, the fruit baskets supplied by some of the leading websites are as follows:

  • Birthday Fruit Baskets
  • Next Day Delivery Fruit Basket
  • Get Well Soon baskets
  • Anniversary Fruit baskets
  • Corporate Fruit Baskets
  • Thank You Fruit Baskets
  • Sympathy Fruit Baskets
  • Congratulations Fruit Baskets
  • Romance and Love Fruit Baskets
  • Thinking only of you baskets
  • New Baby fruit baskets
  • Just because fruit baskets
  • Mother’s Day fruit baskets
  • Christmas Fruit Baskets
  • Father’s Day Fruit Baskets
  • Eid Day Fruit Baskets
  • Easter Fruit Baskets

How to select the fruit baskets for the occasion?

The individuals can either prepare the fruit basket themselves or have it ordered through these websites. It would be better to take professional help, in case; the individual is interested to impress the receiver with the gift. These professionals try to understand the requirements, tastes and preferences of their clients, and accordingly suggest the type of fruit baskets that they should select. The fruit baskets supplied by them are decorated in a way that is sure to win the hearts of the receiver, while the fruits that are present in the basket are of the best quality and market fresh.

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RECIPES FOR CHOCOLATE PISTACHIO FUDGE

December 4th, 2013

Chocolate pistachio fudge is a real treat for those who love the rich flavour of chocolate and nutty flavour of pistachio nuts. Chocolate and Pistachio nuts are combined to make this winning dessert.

Here are some recipes for the dish from various sources:

•             From Nigella Lawson (BBC food):

Ingredients: 350 gm/12 oz dark chocolate, One 14 oz can of condensed milk, One oz  butter, Pinch of salt, 5 ¼ oz unsalted pistachios shells removed.

 

Method: Place the chopped chocolate, condensed milk, butter and salt in a heavy based pan over a low heat till properly blended. Place the nuts in a freezer bag and bash them with a rolling pin till you get small and large pieces. Add nuts to chocolate mixture and mix well. Pour the mix into 23 cm square tray smoothing the top with a wet palette knife. Let the fudge cool and refrigerate until set. Cut into small pieces around 3 cm x 2 cm. Once cut, the fudge can be kept in the freezer- there is no need to thaw-it can be eaten straight away.

•             Good Housekeeping:

Ingredients: 9 oz plain chocolate finely chopped, 3 ½ milk chocolate finely chopped, 12 oz condensed milk, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 50 gm pistachios roughly chopped.

Method: Line a 6 inches x 9 inches roasting tin with baking parchment. Put chocolates and condensed milk into a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Leave to melt, stirring occasionally until mix is smooth and shiny. Stir in vanilla and empty into prepared tin. Level surface and sprinkle on the pistachios. Cover and chill until firm, for about 3 hours. You can store in the fridge for about 3 months. Cut into1 inch squares and serve.

•             NDTV cooks:

Ingredients: 200 gm milk chocolate, 125 gm butter, 3 eggs, 3 egg yolks, 150 gm sugar, 75 gm chopped pistachios.

Method: Melt chocolate and butter in a double boiler. Whisk eggs, add egg yolks and sugar till you get a frothy mixture, pour the chocolate mix into it. Fold in the chopped pistachio and pour into a baking tray. Bake at 160 C-170 C for 25 to 30 minutes.

•             ABC DELICIOUS:

Ingredients: 2 cups caster sugar, 1 ½ cups thick cream, 125 gm white chocolate broken up, 2 tbsp liquid glucose, 30 gm butter, ½ cup shelled pistachio nuts, roughly chopped. Salt to taste.

Method: Grease a 20 cm square baking pan. Place all ingredients except nuts in a large pan and stir over low heat till sugar dissolves.  Increase heat and stir till golden colour. It must reach a soft ball stage such that when a teaspoon of syrup dropped into cold water forms a soft ball. Alternative is when sugar thermometer reaches 113 -118 degree Celsius. This may take up to 20 minutes. Remove from heat and add nuts. Beat with a wooden spoon until thick or for 5 minutes. Pour into dish. Cut and serve, when completely cool and set.

This is an improvised Nigella Lawson recipe except that white chocolate has been used instead of dark chocolate. Also remember to add enough salt. Another great way to sample chocolate is to order online for chocolate cake delivery.

 

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