My family has been exchanging gifts with our neighbors for years and it has become difficult to think of a unique and interesting gift. A perfect gift for anybody is one of the lovely wine and cheese gift baskets that are available at many retail stores. They make great gifts for friends, family, co-workers and neighbors. If you find the pre-made baskets unappealing it is fun and easy to assemble your own selections to make a very personalized gift.
The pre-made cheese gift baskets included processed cheese spreads. We were concerned about how long some of the baskets had been sitting around. We thought that if we made our own baskets the cheese would be of higher quality and we could choose varieties that we knew our friends liked.
We went to an import store and found wicker baskets to place the cheese in. The store had inexpensive cheese cutters so we purchased one to place in each of the cheese gift baskets. We then went to a local deli. This deli wraps the meat and cheeses in paper. We did not want this for the gift basket. We decided to go to the supermarket and purchase large rounds of four cheeses. We were making four cheese gift baskets so we would quarter each round and wrap the wedges in clear plastic wrap. We also purchased boxes of specialty crackers to place in the baskets. We went to a paper supply store and bought shredded paper to use in the bottom of the baskets as filler. We also bought curling ribbon to decorate the handles of the baskets.
Once the cheese is wrapped, put the filler in the basket and arrange all the items. Use the filler to cushion the bottle of wine and make the basket look nice and full. You can wrap the entire basket in cellophane wrap, but it is not absolutely necessary. Finish it off with some curling ribbon and you are ready to go. Keep in mind that you will have to keep it refrigerated. This is one of the main reasons that the ready made wine and cheese gift baskets incorporate the processed cheeses.
Wine and cheese gift baskets make a lovely gift for anybody. The recipients can use them when entertaining during the holiday season or save them for their own use. You can either pick up of the ready made baskets or get creative and assemble your own. If you make your own you can pre-wrap the cheese and just assemble them right before you give the gift. This makes storage easier. Whether you buy one of the pre-made wine and cheese baskets or assemble your own, it will be a gift that is loved by the recipient. - 15359
The pre-made cheese gift baskets included processed cheese spreads. We were concerned about how long some of the baskets had been sitting around. We thought that if we made our own baskets the cheese would be of higher quality and we could choose varieties that we knew our friends liked.
We went to an import store and found wicker baskets to place the cheese in. The store had inexpensive cheese cutters so we purchased one to place in each of the cheese gift baskets. We then went to a local deli. This deli wraps the meat and cheeses in paper. We did not want this for the gift basket. We decided to go to the supermarket and purchase large rounds of four cheeses. We were making four cheese gift baskets so we would quarter each round and wrap the wedges in clear plastic wrap. We also purchased boxes of specialty crackers to place in the baskets. We went to a paper supply store and bought shredded paper to use in the bottom of the baskets as filler. We also bought curling ribbon to decorate the handles of the baskets.
Once the cheese is wrapped, put the filler in the basket and arrange all the items. Use the filler to cushion the bottle of wine and make the basket look nice and full. You can wrap the entire basket in cellophane wrap, but it is not absolutely necessary. Finish it off with some curling ribbon and you are ready to go. Keep in mind that you will have to keep it refrigerated. This is one of the main reasons that the ready made wine and cheese gift baskets incorporate the processed cheeses.
Wine and cheese gift baskets make a lovely gift for anybody. The recipients can use them when entertaining during the holiday season or save them for their own use. You can either pick up of the ready made baskets or get creative and assemble your own. If you make your own you can pre-wrap the cheese and just assemble them right before you give the gift. This makes storage easier. Whether you buy one of the pre-made wine and cheese baskets or assemble your own, it will be a gift that is loved by the recipient. - 15359
About the Author:
Vina Zevigny writes for http://www.gourmetfoodgiftsusa.com, where she shares product reviews and articles for food and entertainment aficionados. Visit her for her often unique point of view and your gift 'Zevigny Food Features Ezine
