Oprah’s Chocolate Set by Godiva
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Oprah’s signature is one of the only set pieces not made of edible chocolate.
Dedicated designers created this wall mosaic using a variety of chocolates, and chocolate is the glue that holds it all together.
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This one-of-a-kind chess set, is hand carved out of white, milk and dark chocolate
To make logs for the fireplace, Godiva designers filled mailing tubes with milk chocolate. Then, once hardened, they peeled the mailing tube away and carved the chocolate tube into a log of wood
Intricate white chocolate flowers sprout from an equally indulgent vase.
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Designers worked for more than 20 hours to create this chocolate chandelier. They strung each strand using a needle and wax thread.
To create pieces like this clock, designers used heated knives, to melt the chocolate. That way, they could create any shape they wanted!
Oprah gives away a bottle filled with chocolate candies to a lucky audience member.
Visit our website thesweetbasket.com today for great Godiva chocolate gifts and gift baskets with free Canada-wide shipping.
Chocolate Corporate Gift Baskets
Proven to make people feel happy by releasing serotonin, chocolate has become the gift to give for birthdays, holidays, or any day. When a gift giver wants to make a person really appreciate a gift, the best thing to send is a chocolate gift basket. Chocolate gift baskets are literally baskets of happiness.
Godiva’s chocolate gift basket line will please even the most discerning chocolate connoisseur. Truffles, chocolates filled with caramel and creme, hazelnut pralines as well as some decadent surprises are very simply and elegantly tucked into a wicker basket, adorned with a ribbon. This little wonder of a chocolate gift basket will guarantee smiles.
To be the life of any party or to make it the perfect date, arrive with a happy bubbly gift, known widely as a chocolate wine gift basket. The chocolate wine gift basket is the little black dress of the chocolate gift basket world because it works for any occasion and is always a huge hit. Whether for a romantic picnic or a gift for a housewarming, the pop of a wine cork and the smell of chocolate are synonymous with indulgence.
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Any extras in the chocolate gift basket are a plus. Many housewarming gifts never include the one thing that seems to be forgotten on the first day in a new place: food. A bottle of California Syrah, a tin of chocolate squares, and other sustenance like havarti cheese, nuts, and crackers nested in a rectangular basket will be the welcome gift for any occasion. For around $100, it may seem a little steep, but the return on investment for a chocolate gift basket like this will go far.
Corporate gifts usually don’t hit the mark with everyone. Who really needs an engraved picture frame touting the anniversary of their company or another company-logo hat, t-shirt or sweatshirt? Not many people require more than one gift, but everyone will welcome a chocolate corporate gift basket with open arms and rumbling stomachs. Chocolate corporate gift baskets will lift the spirits of employees, clients, vendors, and friends. Chocolate gift basket pros all have corporate purchase programs that provide discounts on an increasing scale – the more money spent, the better the discounts. Any chocolate gift basket that for sale is available with the corporate program.
There is no going wrong with a chocolate gift basket. The little wicker and chocolate concoctions bring smiles everywhere they go. For very little money, a lasting impression can be made on friends, loved ones, or employees. No wrapping paper, already perfectly decorated, very little guesswork or shopping, assured happiness by the receiver – all of these things define a chocolate gift basket. Everyone needs a little sweetness in their life, and with a chocolate gift basket they are being given a gift to indulge and enjoy.
Visit us online today at www.thesweetbasket.com and discover our vast selection of rich decadent chocolate gift baskets perfect for any occasion!
Fruit Gift Baskets
Dried Fruit, Crisp Nuts, Chocolate Covered Fruit And Fresh Fruit
From what is on the bottom of your yogurt to the apple that Eve ate, fruit has seeds planted throughout our culture. The meaning of the word fruit can be a thousand different things depending on context, but when it is presented as a gift, it shows elegance and thoughtfulness. Fruit gift baskets are the easiest gifts to give, with no assembly, wrapping, or boxing required.
Fruit gift baskets are also the ideal ready to present gift that is perfect for the busy gift giver.
Perfect for housewarmings and hostess gifts, fruit gift baskets come with a variety of fresh fruit and other items. Fruit gift baskets can focus on a specific region and have specialty items or baked goods. Fruit gift baskets arrive perfectly presented in baskets overflowing with bounty, and the baskets can be used long after the contents of the basket disappear to hungry holiday crowds or famished homebuyers who forgot to buy food on the first night in the new place.
Fruit gift baskets are filled with the finest pears, apples, oranges, cheese, and various treats. For less than $60, the home of friends and family can be warmed with the red, orange, and green tones of the shiny, hearty fruit.
Fresh fruit gift baskets come in a variety of prices and sizes. Their Deluxe Fruit Basket include fruit from the world’s best orchards high in the mountains to tropical groves.
Papayas, pears, pineapple, kiwi, and bananas burst from the brown wicker basket – for less than $100.00, the world’s most fabulous fruits will make any gift receiver elated.
Nearly everyone loves chocolate. Adding chocolate to fruit gift baskets, making them the ideal gift for any sweet lover – the perfect fall back gift for any occasion. Nestled crisp apples and pears, cheese, and their chocolate truffles and other chocolate munchies into a wicker basket adorned with ribbon. For as little as $70, the chocolate fruit wonder of a gift will live up to its name and be the favorite.
Dried fruit isn’t just for campers anymore. Dried fruit gift baskets are a perfect holiday gift – they can go from being a gift to a luscious snack by just unwrapping the package. The perfect anytime snack that doesn’t require peeling or washing, dried fruit baskets of mixed dried fruit make perfect snack gifts.
For more of a mix, fruit and nut gift baskets offer even more choices. For a sweet, salty, healthy gift stuffed with crunchy pears and apples and a generous amount of snacks including mixed nuts, the Deluxe Fruit Basket is more luxurious and expertly package that any fruitcake on the planet.This beauty of a gift is easy to give and easier to enjoy.
Plentiful and always welcome, fruit gift baskets are an ideal gift the family and friends who have everything. There is never such a thing as having too much beautiful, fresh fruit and snacks, so fruit gift baskets will be welcomed with smiles everywhere they go.
Visit us online today to order your fresh fruit gift baskets for that upcoming occasion!
Wedding Etiquette & Superstitions
The Wedding Toast
Toasts to the Bride and Groom-The bride and groom should not raise their glasses like everyone else. Since they are the ones being honored, it is not considered polite to toast themselves.
Why do they call it a ‘toast’? It comes from the French custom of putting a piece of bread at the bottom of a wine goblet. The goblet was passed around to honored guests and the guest who got it last would eat the bread.
The Receiving Line
It was believed in ancient times that the bride and groom were blessed, and those who touched them would receive good luck and fortune.
The Garter
Tossing the garter is much like the bouquet toss, but for the single men. The single man who catches the garter is believed to be the next to marry. This custom originated in the 14th century when it was believed lucky to have a piece of the newlyweds’ clothing. Many times, the bride’s dress would be destroyed by the eager and drunken guests in their attempt to gain a lucky charm. In order to prevent this from happening, the bride’s garters were removed and thrown to the unruly crowd to distract them. Today, the tradition of tossing the wedding garter is much tamer.
Why on the Left?
Have you ever wondered why the bride’s family is seated on the left side of the church and the groom’s side is seated on the right? The tradition stems from Medieval times when men wore swords on their right side. It is said they needed that side free in order to draw their sword and protect his bride.
The Wedding Kiss
The wedding kiss symbolizes more than just an endearment. In Roman times, a legal bond or contract was always sealed with a kiss. Therefore, when newlyweds kiss, it represents an agreement to enter into a life-long binding contract with each other. Some believe the wedding kiss symbolizes and exchange of one’s soul with another. When the bride and groom kiss, their souls mingle together.
The Garter
Tossing the garter is much like the bouquet toss, but for the single men. The single man who catches the garter is believed to be the next to marry. This custom originated in the 14th century when it was believed lucky to have a piece of the newlyweds’ clothing. Many times, the bride’s dress would be destroyed by the eager and drunken guests in their attempt to gain a lucky charm. In order to prevent this from happening, the bride’s garters were removed and thrown to the unruly crowd to distract them. Today, the tradition of tossing the wedding garter is much tamer.
History of Wedding Favors
Wedding favors have become an important part of marriage celebrations around the world. The tradition dates back thousands of years. Favors were given to guests in appreciation for sharing in the newlyweds’ special day.
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Favors are considered among the most important wedding accessory. Some couples like to use unique favors, while others like to give more practical gifts to their guests. Chocolates, picture frames, candles and candleholders are some of the most popular wedding favors. Brides seek to make a statement with their favors. Personalized wedding favors provide an especially effective way to display a brief message to the reception guests.Wedding favors are as diverse as the cultures surrounding them. Different cultures have various traditional wedding favors that they use. There are some similarities among many of the traditions. For example, it is quite common for many cultures to provide each guest with a wedding favor that contains five candies. Each piece represents one of the five common wedding wishes: health, wealth, happiness, long life and fertility.
Historically favors were initially given in the form of sugar, which was a costly commodity and only given by the wealthy. These sugary treats were fancily packaged and presented to guests at celebrations such as nuptial celebrations, birthdays, christenings, by only the wealthy. When sugar became more accessible, this custom was no longer limited to the wealthy. The most common sugared treat was the almond. Almonds represent the bitter aspects of life and the sugar represents the sweetness of life. Today, the tradition of giving five sugared almonds is still practiced. Many brides package them in netting, favor boxes, tins and gift bags.
Bridal Showers
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Some believe the tradition began in Holland when a poor couple was denied the bridal dowry because of the groom’s lowly status as a miller. The groom’s friends showered the bride with gifts to help them set up housekeeping.Wedding showers derived from the time when men would prove their intent by bringing gifts to the bride’s father. Livestock, food, land and cloth were given to the bride’s family as “payment” for the bride. Eventually, this ritual evolved into men giving gifts of enticement to the daughter to show he was a man of good intentions. Fabrics for clothes, the finest dishes and jewelry would prove that he could provide a good home for her.
Today, friends of the bride and groom ‘shower’ the bride (and sometimes the groom) with gifts to start their new lives together. It is believed to be good luck if the first gift the bride opens at her shower is the first gift she uses after the wedding.
Bachelor Parties
Bachelor parties originated with the soldiers of ancient Sparta. The groom feasted with his male friends the night before the wedding, pledging his loyalty and friendship to them. The soldiers provided the loose women, food, drinks and good times for true male bonding. The function of this rite of passage was simply to say good-bye to the wild escapades of bachelorhood while swearing the groom’s continued allegiance to his comrades.
Visit us online or call us today at www.thesweetbasket.com to order your party or bridal favors by Godiva! Enjoy free Canada-wide ground delivery everyday!
Wine Gift Basket Ideas
A fine combination of food and drink, a wine gift basket is appreciated even by those who never indulge. Looking for that great Bordeaux in a special setting? Wracking your brain to think of the best way to present that perfect port? A wine gift basket is the answer.
A wine gift basket may hold just the vintage you’ve been seeking. Everything from a creative Cabernet to a zingy Zinfandel can be found nestled among a dozen other delightful treats.
A wine gift basket can hold that precious Syrah you’ve been dying for months to try. Or the centerpiece may be a quirky new item you heard about at a party yesterday.
Bottle sizes range from miniature hotel-type samples to a magnum of champagne. A wine gift basket could be filled out with a dozen small bottles of a favorite variety. Or, it might be a breathtaking variety that allows you to sample a new wine every month. A giant bottle from your favorite region in France or Italy can form the centerpiece of an outstanding package.
But the wine itself is only the beginning. A wine gift basket is filled with traditional and creative items. Delicious gourmet crackers sit beside irresistible truffles. Chocolates go well with a fine Sangria. Dried apricots and other fruits are the perfect companion to a stellar Chardonnay.
Wine gift baskets are among the finest of an already elite set of options. Filled with fresh fruits, cookies, nuts, and more they make for a gift that will be remembered long after the outstanding Chablis is gone.
Brut champagne might be more to your taste. Surrounded by a fine set of gourmet cheeses, a wine gift basket of champagne will make for a memorable afternoon that can go on late into the evening.
Even the container itself is part of a great wine gift basket offering. It can be a traditional dark wicker that reminds you of old Italy. Or it can be a contemporary computer age metal. You may like a sentimental porcelain, or you could go for an all-business gray made from Stealth jet composite plastics. The designs are endless.
Wine gift baskets are appropriate for any occasion. An anniversary is the perfect time to deliver a great vintage. Celebrate with a glass while you munch on a gourmet cracker. There’s no better time than a promotion at work to deliver that great Rose partnered with a fine garlic bread stick.
Whether for a personal celebration or a corporate event, a wine gift basket is the finest possible choice. Appreciated by everyone, they’ll be treasured for years.
Call us today at 1.866.683.3885 to order a wine gift for that special occasion!
A Sweet Gift For Any Time of the Year
Many different types of chocolate are available for consumption, but what is the real difference between dark, milk and white chocolates? Chocolates are classified by the percentage of cocoa in the mix and the other ingredients that are included. The exact percentages are outlined in the Nodeworks online encyclopedia and are summarized here:
Unsweetened Chocolate (also known as “Baking” or “Bitter” Chocolate) – Chocolate liquor is purely made from roasted chocolate beans and unsweetened chocolate is simply the solid form of this chocolate liquor. The center of the cocoa bean is literally ground into liquor. Nothing is added yielding a rich, deep and strong straight-from-the-bean chocolate flavor. Unsweetened chocolate is primarily used in recipes and in baking desserts such as brownies and cakes. Since it has no sugar, it isn’t normally eaten.
Bittersweet Chocolate – Take unsweetened chocolate (chocolate liquor) and mix in some sugar, cocoa butter, lecithin, and vanilla and you’ll have delicious bittersweet chocolate. To be defined as bittersweet, the mix must contain at least 50% chocolate liquor.
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Semi-Sweet Chocolate – Like bittersweet chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate has sugar, cocoa butter, lecithin and vanilla mixed in. The difference is that semi-sweet has more sugar and less pure chocolate liquor (minimum of 35%) than its bittersweet counterpart.
Dark Chocolate (also known as “Plain” or “Sweet” chocolate) – The rules regarding classification of chocolate in this category vary throughout the world. However, the one constant is that this type of chocolate contains no milk solids, but has sweeteners and cocoa butter added to the mix. In Europe, dark chocolate must consist of at least 35% cocoa solids while in the U.S., it must have a 15% concentration of chocolate liquor.
Milk Chocolate – Like you’d guess from the name, milk chocolate is made with condensed or powdered milk. In Europe, milk chocolate must consist of at least 25% cocoa solids, while in the US, it must have a 10% concentration of chocolate liquor and a minimum of 12% milk solids. Milk chocolate is primarily used for eating and is the most popular form of chocolate in the U.S.
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Couverture Chocolate – Chocolates under this classification are true gourmet chocolates that are rich in cocoa butter (upwards of 35%) which creates an extremely high fat content. Cocoa butter is the fat extracted from chocolate liquor. These chocolates contain a very high percentage of cocoa which is the solid powder left after the cocoa butter is extracted from the chocolate liquor. Most of the world’s finest gourmet chocolatiers such as Lindt, Scharfenberger and Guittard fall into this category.
White Chocolate – The name given to white chocolate is a misnomer because it isn’t really chocolate at all. Strictly speaking, chocolate is defined as any product 100% based on cocoa solid. White “chocolate” doesn’t contain any cocoa solids and is made from cocoa butter, milk solids and sugar.
Which version is your favorite? There are so many different variations and brands of chocolate, it would be hard to try them all.
Order your favorite chocolate gift basket today or for that special someone! Call us at 1.866.683.3885 today!
Corporate and Business Gift Giving Etiquette
The Do’s and Don’t of Corporate Gift Giving
In the corporate and business world it is customary for companies and businesses to give clients, customers, suppliers and employees a gift at Christmas or other special occasion. Corporate or business gifts are a great way to thank your customers and develop goodwill, which in turn develops your business! Giving gifts to employees is very effective for recognizing their contribution to your success as well as promoting loyalty and good performance. Whether an employee or client, everyone appreciates being recognized with a special gift, but what is the correct etiquette when giving a corporate gift?
Some Do’s and Don’ts in Corporate Gift Giving
There are some do’s and don’t in corporate and business gift giving etiquette though. It is important to make sure that your gift is not of a personal nature unless that client or employee happens to also be a very close friend. If you are choosing different individual gifts for each recipient then be careful in giving gifts of alcohol which could be inappropriate for that particular person. As well, make sure that the client to whom you are giving a basket of smoked meats to is not a vegetarian.
Be careful when considering using your logo
Some companies will have their logo placed on jackets, vests, or other articles of clothing to be used as corporate gifts. This is an area that requires some caution too. While some employees may not mind wearing a jacket that has the name of their employer on it, you may find that clients, suppliers and customers are insulted by the idea of advertising your business on their clothing! If you do decide to put your logo on a gift, make sure that it is small, subtle and tasteful. That will go much further at promoting you than something large or garish.
Be consistent in gift giving to employees
When giving gifts to employees, try to be consistent from year to year. If it has been a company tradition to give a certain type of gift to each employee, consider carefully before discontinuing or changing the tradition. Instead of being grateful, employees can sometimes grumble about the gift they got this year when compared to the years that came before. If you are cutting back on the expense of employee gifts for financial reasons, make sure this is communicated to your employees so that they won’t feel you are not appreciating them. Then try to find other ways to show your appreciation to them. Perhaps you could suggest the whole company put money towards sponsoring a child somewhere for that year.
Ever wonder how National Boss’s day got started? The history of Bosses’ day is quite recent. In 1958 in Deerfield, Illinois a secretary by the name of Patricia Bays Haroski wanted to honor her boss – her white-collar father, who helped his children with good advice throughout their careers.Remember that corporate and business gifts are a excellent way to promote your business and and services, and choosing the right gift will go a long way in making your clients and employees know that you value them.
History of Boss’s Day
His daughter Patricia registered the day – October 16th – with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Four years later, Bosses’ Day was backed by Illinois Governor Otto Kerner who officially proclaimed the day in 1962.
Although it is not an official holiday, Boss’s Day is a great opportunity to tell your boss that he or she is doing a great job and you appreciate them!
National Bosses Day is traditionally celebrated with greeting cards, gifts and a few extra smiles in honor of the big Boss Man or Lady.
