Assembling Your Own Italian Food Gift Basket

Italian food baskets are the perfect gifts for any occasion, such as a housewarming present, a birthday gift, a baby shower gift for the hungry mother-to-be or for a sudden surprise. It is best to know if your recipient has any food allergies, so that you can avoid those foods that they cant eat. But even if you arent sure, there are still a lot of choices in Italian cooking to make an attractive and delicious Italian food gift basket.

Olive Oil

The centerpiece of any Italian food gift basket should be olive oil. It should be the best olive oil that you can afford. Splurge on olive oil like you would a fine wine. It’s much better for your lucky gift recipient than fine wine and so far, no one is allergic to it. It can be used for vegetarians, vegans, diabetics as well as the plain old omnivore. It is the basis for most Italian cooking.

There are many grades of olive oil. Dont get what is labeled “olive oil”. Italians use that for lighting lamps. You want to aim for extra-virgin olive oil. If you cant afford that, then go for virgin olive oil. You can get flavored extra-virgin olive oil, but the safest bet for an Italian food gift basket is to keep it plain. Imported oils from Greece and Italy will cost more (and taste fabulous).

Spices And Sides

If you are not sure if your gift recipient can eat wheat, then skip pasta and use rice instead. Either that or skip a side dish altogether. You can put in a head of fresh garlic (also essential to Italian cooking) and other spices and dried herbs in the place of pasta. Pasta is relatively inexpensive and easy to get. However, people to tend to forget about how important spices are to cooking. With Italian food gift baskets, get basil, oregano and parsley.

Cheeses

You will be hailed as magnanimous if you can also include some authentic wedges of Italian cheeses such as Parmesan or Formaggio. Ideally, you dont want anything for your Italian food gift basket that needs to be refrigerated, but if the travel distance is small and it’s the dead of winter, then you can get things that need to be refrigerated.

As an extra special touch, choose organic products. That way, you’ll not only give an Italian organic food gift basket, but you’ll be helping to promote eco-friendly farming practices. Although most eco-friendly experts say that you should only get local cheese and produce, that can be impossible with Italian foods.

Used Audio Books On CD Are Great Alternatives To Paying

Used Audio Books On CD Are Great Alternatives To Paying Full Price

If you like to listen to your audio books on CD multiple times but you do not like the large price tags that typically come with an audio book, consider purchasing a used audio book on CD instead. The advantage of a used audio book on CD is that you can listen to them repeatedly over the course of several years without having to return the audio books to the library or rental store. Renting requires that each time you want to listen to the audio book again you would need to take a trip back to the library in order to check out the book.

Things To Watch Out For When Purchasing A Used Audio Book On CD

When purchasing used audio books on CD make sure you examine the surface of both sides of each of the discs that make up the book. Look for any cracks or scratches that could have damaged the discs. The last thing anyone wants is to have the last disc of their book ruined leaving you in suspense as to how the book actually ends.

Also make sure that each disc that makes up the book is in the container. While this is almost as bad as the disc being ruined it is certainly bound to be frustrating and inconvenient for the buyer.

Some people prefer to keep their audio books CDs in mp3 format so that they can have a backup on their computer. This alleviates having to worry about your used audio books on CD getting banged up in the car. Having a backup also ensures that if you misplace one disc in the series your audio book is not ruined. All you need to do is create another copy of the missing disc to fill the void in your collection.

What If A CD In The Series Is Dirty

If you purchase a used audio book on CD and realize when you get home that one of the discs is dirty try washing it with warm and liquid soap. Use caution while you clean your used audio book on CD to prevent additional damage. Make sure when you clean you start from the center of the disc and pull straight outwards. Do not run your fingers around the CD to avoid putting scratches on the disc. Once your CD is cleaned let it air dry and then test it out to make sure it works properly.