June 2012

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Fourth of July Party Planning (or Tom Hanks Movie Marathon Day)

June 28, 2012

Welcome back readers,

LOVED all of your suggestions and stories in the comments! Fourth of July parties are always so fun because it’s summer and easy to plan, plus there are fireworks! Five of you lucky readers will be able to celebrate deliciously with our chocolate covered strawberries. Congratulations to Lisa Dion (June 22, 2012 at 8:17 am), Natalie J Vandenberghe (June 22, 2012 at 10:44 am), Serena Adkins (June 22, 2012 at 9:33 pm), Renee Adams (June 24, 2012 at 12:42 pm), and Maddy (June 25, 2012 at 3:44 pm)! Please email your info to me at amariscal@1800flowers.com and I can send out your strawberries!

I’ve been living on Pinterest this last week looking at all the cute 4^th of July recipes and patriotic decorations on there, so I’m definitely not done talking about Fourth of July party ideas!

Let’s talk about more Fourth of July decorations first. This Red, White and Blue garland on Etsy is so adorable and could definitely be used for further year round décor. Made with natural hemp rope, felt and string, it’s very lightweight and can be simply placed anywhere. Keep it up longer to celebrate the Olympics this year, for a primary color birthday bash, or Labor Day!

Other Independence Day Decoration Tips:

Use a solid color cloth for your table or displays and sprinkle red, white, blue and silver star confetti
Fill small vases, glasses or buckets with sand and stick sparklers inside as a “fireworks bouquet”

Now that we have the decoration ideas out of the way, we can move onto more Fourth of July recipes! These “Flag Favors” are so adorable and easy to make. Just a few candy straws, round candies or M&Ms and a rectangle bag, and you have a patriotic party favor ready to go. If you want to show off your culinary skills, try out this truffle cake pop recipe at MyJuiceCup.com! (Also send some to me!)

For an incredibly simple and delicious summer treat, try out this idea we found on Pinterest! All you need are a box of ice-cream sandwiches, sprinkles, Popsicle sticks (optional), and cupcake liners (also optional). Skewer sandwiches with Popsicle sticks, press sprinkles to ice cream sides, and serve on cupcake liners to reduce mess!

No Fourth of July party would be complete without some fun games to play! Some of our favorite Fourth of July party games:

Sack Race
Three-legged Race
Egg & Spoon Relay
Water Balloon Fight (it’s going to be a hot day!)
American History Bingo

If you’re looking forward to a small gathering or need to move the party indoors to avoid the heat, rent and watch these Fourth of July favorites:

Forrest Gump: I refuse to believe there is a person alive who hasn’t cried once during this movie.
Independence Day: It says it all in the name, also Will Smith!
The Music Man: Everyone loves a good musical!
Miracle: Americans winning at Hockey, come on.
Apollo 13: Tom Hanks the most likeable man alive again, need I say more?
Saving Private Ryan: Obviously there is a theme other than America here.

There will be no blog next week because a certain blog writer will be road tripping for this holiday week! But I hope you all have a wonderful and safe Fourth of July (or Tom Hanks movie marathon). Blog will resume Thursday July 12.

Of course I’d love to hear from you in the comments or on Facebook! What are your plans for Fourth of July?

chocolate covered strawberries, Customer Appreciation, Feedback, Party!, Summer Time Gift

Stars & Stripes Chocolate Covered Strawberries

June 26, 2012

fourth of july chocolate covered strawberries

Everyone loves chocolate covered strawberries, especially when they’re so seasonally decorated in the good red, white and blue!

Our Stars & Stripes Chocolate Covered Strawberries are an absolutely decadent treat that will have you feeling more patriotic with every sweet bite. Fresh-picked and ripe strawberries are hand-dipped in and festively decorated to perfection. You’ll receive six strawberries hand-dipped in dark chocolate and decorated with red, white and blue candy stars. As well as six large strawberries hand-dipped in white confection and drizzled with patriotic red, white and blue confectionary designs.

I loved these decadent berries and felt a lot less guilty eating so many of the dark chocolate covered strawberries, convincing myself that since it’s dark chocolate it would be okay! I have no excuse for the white confection strawberries other than they were too delicious to resist and I wish I had about 20 more of them. I currently have a few freezing to enjoy later, they end up tasting like a strawberry chocolate smoothie.

With Fourth of July coming up soon, these chocolate covered strawberries would be perfect for a Fourth of July party dessert or a great party prize. Be sure to send these to any military relatives and families you know to celebrate the season, or just order some as a great treat to snack on with you and your family on your way to see 4^th of July fireworks!

Orders come in 6 or 12 chocolate covered strawberries and require overnight delivery.

Party!, Summer Time Gift

Patriotic Caramel Apple with Candy Stars

June 26, 2012

This Patriotic Caramel Apple from 1800Baskets.com is one of my absolute favorite summertime gifts to share with you all! With Fourth of July just around the corner, you need something festive and delicious to display at your patriotic bash. This candy apple gift screams red, white, and blue in a delicious way!

Every order comes with a large and tart Granny Smith apple which is hand dipped in rich, gooey caramel and covered with dark chocolate; if that weren’t enough, it’s sprinkled with red, white and blue star sprinkles and then tied with a festive red bow for finish.

These candy caramel apples would be great to use for a table centerpiece or to give out as a party game prize for your patriotic guests. I could see this as a cute “just because gift” for a friend or coworker.

If you have a sharp knife, you could cut this apple to be more shareable. I was sharing this with family and sliced into more bite size pieces for easier enjoyment of this super rich tasting dessert. I would have put pictures, but I couldn’t keep everyone away from it fast enough!

Whichever way you decide, I know you’ll enjoy this great summer gift!

chocolate covered strawberries, Customer Appreciation, Feedback, Fruit Club, Gift Baskets, Party!, Summer Time Gift

Fourth of July Party Ideas

June 21, 2012

Welcome back readers,

I promise I’ll hold off on the picnic blogs for a while now, I think I got it all out of my system (at least until I try all of your suggestions out). But please let me know if any of you try out your own picnic ideas or the delicious recipes featured last week, and send pictures! We have some winners to announce who can be our first to try out the picnic ideas. Congratulations to Jean C (June 14, 2012 at 8:18 pm), bessie burnsed (June 15, 2012 at 11:05 am), Ashley (June 16, 2012 at 5:19 pm), Kristen eby (June 18, 2012 at 1:11 am), and Jessica Beard (June 18, 2012 at 2:56 pm)! Please email your info to me at amariscal@1800flowers.com and I can send out your prize!

We’re so close to July, which is crazy to me because I feel like May was just yesterday! July is the month for camping, barbeques, and tons of outdoor summer parties. And we have our biggest summer party coming up: Fourth of July! What could be better than some fun in the sun, celebrating with red, white, and blue? Also a Fourth of July party means one of my favorite things about summer: Fireworks. There is something very right about enjoying something off the grill, a patriotic dessert and colorful fireworks against the night sky. So let’s get planning with some awesome Fourth of July party ideas!

Our sister brand Celebrations has a great piece on decoration for a 4^th of July brunch here. I think there are so many fun ways to incorporate the festive patriotic colors into your designs, like checkered table cloths with solid colored plates. Or utilize this fun and festive stars and lantern lights at your Fourth of July bash! (Both found at Target). Even better is this party gear kit with fun patriotic hats and décor!

This is going to be a very short post, because sometimes certain bloggers get very busy and also want to get more ideas from their very gracious readers!

In the comments section below (1-2 paragraphs) tell me how you would incorporate the following products (and the previous decor if you want!) in your own Fourth of July party! Five winners will receive the chocolate covered strawberries!

Have a great weekend of planning!

cupcakes, Father's Day, Feedback, Fruit Club, Gift Baskets, Gift Baskets Catalog, Party!, Summer Time Gift

Celebrating Summer Fun Picnic Ideas

June 14, 2012

Welcome back readers,

Father’s Day weekend is here, and I spent the last few weeks drumming up gifts for Father’s Day, so I hope you have yours picked out by now! If not, you can always check back on our posts for some great ideas here, here, and here. Don’t forget the comments section for some really great ideas for Dad! For now I’ll announce our weekly winners and we’ll move on to one of my favorite topics: picnics! Congratulations to Pamela Hansen (June 8, 2012 at 8:23 am), Stacey Ellis (June 8, 2012 at 10:23 am), Jean C (June 8, 2012 at 10:28 am), Melissa (June 14, 2012 at 10:39 am), and Tiffany (June 14, 2012 at 3:24 pm)! Please send your shipping information to me at amariscal@1800flowers.com and I’ll send out your Crabtree & Evelyn® Nomad Traveler for Men.

My love of picnics is no secret, especially on here when we always have so many amazing gourmet gift baskets and food gifts to use for fun summer outings. Summer is in full force right now and I can’t imagine not wanting to enjoy the great outdoors, even if it’s just your local park or backyard and a basket of food. These days of nice weather will only be here for so long, and I’m dedicated to making the most of them. We’ve already talked about essentials to bring on your next picnic and a few fun dishes, but our sister brand Celebrations.com has so many delicious recipes for quick and easy finger foods as well as downright decadent desserts that I need to share with all of you!

Picnics should be about easy fun on the go. There’s no need to get super complicated with the meals you prepare or how much stuff you need to bring. Of course, that doesn’t mean that you can’t make them fun or seasonal. Which is why I’m currently obsessed with Celebration.com’s finger sandwiches collection.

You better believe that the Mini Grilled Cheese sandwiches will be a key player at all my summertime functions. Asiago, Parmesan, Fontina, Provolone, arugula, and truffle oil! I am in culinary heaven right now. I just bought a new bottle of truffle oil that I’ve been cooking everything in lately, so this is definitely my favorite sandwich of the set. Their Avocado and Tomato Finger Sandwiches are a close runner-up, because I have a lifetime commitment to all things avocado. It’s so simple, fresh, and you’ll never feel any guilt with eating your fair share of these delicate treats!

Check out more of their Tea Time and Finger Sandwich recipes here, and don’t miss out on their Top 10 Picnic Food Ideas here!

For a cute and creative dessert that I am definitely trying out this weekend, are Celebration’s Blueberry Cupcakes in a Jar. It looks decadent but also incredibly easy to make. I have a feeling I’ll be trying out all of their Cupcake Ideas here.

Going back to the simplicity of picnics, you can always find something you love with our collection of gourmet gift baskets. Every gift basket is packed with gourmet foods, sides, and fun treats inside for you to try out. And all items complement each other perfectly. Everything is there waiting for you to pick it up and go! Since it’s summertime, I’m leaning towards some fresh orchard fruit and cheese gift baskets, or flavorful and hearty meat and cheese gift baskets, and of course some very tasty wine gift baskets. Take any of these out for a gourmet getaway one afternoon:

In the comments section (1-2 paragraphs) tell me which of these gifts you would pick for your picnic and things you would pair with them! FIVE lucky and random winners will receive the Lucca & Sons™ Deluxe Meat & Cheese Box!

Have a safe and happy Father’s Day weekend!

Feedback, Fruit Club, Summer Time Gift, Thank You Gifts

Mendocino Fruit & Nut Crate

June 12, 2012

A rich and flavorful gift for every health-nut in need! Another one of our healthier gift selections, the Mendocino Fruit & Nut Crate makes the perfect summertime or anytime gift to give.

It arrives in perfect presentation, a clean sleek wooden box tray with four sections filled to the brim with delicious goods. My tray came with dried fruits such as apricots and plums, freshly roasted pistachios, and a dried fruit and nut mix. The burst of bright yellow, orange and red hues from the fruit livens up this nutritious gift and makes it very appealing to the eye. I almost did not want to disturb it, but who am I to turn away amazingly delicious snacks?

The dried fruits are packed with flavor and easy to devour. The pistachios are roasted to perfection and pair perfectly with variety of fruits they came with. 1800Baskets.com partners with Torn Ranch to bring this absolutely stunning and delicious gift. Healthy, tasty and kosher, it really will please anyone lucky enough to receive it!

I sampled some of the treats upon arrival, but have since saved these to bring with me to work, for lunch or snacking, and as a great post-workout snack to build back some energy. The fruit and nut combination is a great way to snack healthy while getting in some much needed vitamins and minerals, from lowering cholesterol to providing much needed protein.

Did you know that you can even recycle pistachio shells? Empty pistachio shells can be used as fire starter for kindling, or you can place them on the bottom of pots for your houseplants to be used as drainage and soil retention for up to two years. You can use the shells as mulch for shrubs and plants that require acid soils, particularly plants that grow blue or purple hued flowers, to retain that pigment.

Get this gift for any health-conscious friend or someone you want to say hello to! It’s perfect for summer, to enjoy with friends out in the sun. Or even during the colder months as a sweet and nutritious treat in between large holiday celebrations!

Father's Day, Feedback, Fruit Club, Summer Time Gift, Thank You Gifts

Sweet & Succulent Summer Bing Cherry Gift Box

June 12, 2012

A 1800Baskets.com exclusive gift, our bright and succulent Bing cherries are the perfect gift for Summer! Keep a healthy gift in mind without compromising on great taste.

The Sweet & Succulent Summer Bing Cherry Gift Box was definitely a delicious surprise to receive. The box was still cold when it was delivered and inside was the largest, most flavorful farmer’s market cherries I’d seen this summer. Varying in hues of bright red to deep maroon, all cherries were packed with decadent juicy flavor. Obviously I needed to sample a handful of the cherries as soon as I opened the box. They were too good to pass up. And you’re all lucky I stopped myself in time to grab at least one picture.

This makes such a great gift for any health-minded friend and leaves them with endless possibilities to use their gift. They can be enjoyed as is, benefitting from the high antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. You can bake them in a pie, cobbler, or in any of your everyday cooking. Add them to any dessert for an additional treat; dipped in chocolate or with whipped cream, they’re bound to please!

I’ve never been one for cherry pies, but this cherry cobbler recipe looked too good to not share!

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup milk
2 cups pitted sour cherries
3/4 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the butter in a 9×13 inch baking dish, and place in the oven to melt while the oven is preheating. Remove as soon as butter has melted, about 5 minutes.
In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup of flour, 1 cup of sugar, and baking powder. Mix in the milk until well blended, then pour the batter into the pan over the butter. Do not stir.
Rinse out the bowl from the batter, and dry. Place cherries into the bowl, and toss with the remaining 3/4 cup of sugar and 1 tablespoon of flour. Distribute the cherry mixture evenly over the batter. Do not stir.
Bake for 50 to 60 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown. A toothpick inserted into the cobber should come out clean.

Father's Day

Vintage Pressed Glass Jar with Jumbo Cashews

June 12, 2012

Of course our name is 1800Baskets.com but being the gifting experts that we are, we know the importance of gift variety! Our premium cashew gift may not be a gift basket, but it’s definitely one of our favorites for Father’s Day or any day! One of our healthier gifts, this Vintage Pressed Glass Jar with Jumbo Cashews is sure to please anyone lucky to receive it.

This cashew gift carries a great presentation, arriving in a sturdy pressed glass jar and tied with a brown and tan plaid ribbon for decor. The pressed glass jar is definitely reusable with a stay fresh seal in the lid, making the jar easy to refill and reuse. And I’m sure it will be reused very soon, because the cashews inside are beyond delicious. These plump, jumbo cashews are roasted and salted to perfection and make a great snack throughout your day. There are so many health benefits to cashews whether they’ve been roasted, salted, left raw or even dipped in chocolate, making them one incredible nut.

I’m sure me just saying cashews are great won’t convince you, so I’ll let the facts speak for themselves.

Cashew Facts

Cashew nuts are actually seeds. They’re found growing on the end of the cashew apple in South American that is too fragile to export out of country!
Cashews are close relatives of mangos, pistachios, poison ivy and poison oak.
Cashews are packed with nutritional content like: 5 grams of protein per ounce and high levels of the essential minerals iron, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, copper and manganese.
They have a fatty acid profile that contributes to lowering the risk of heart disease, combined with the nut’s zero percent cholesterol content.
Even with the relatively high fat content, cashew nuts are considered to be a “low-fat” nut. In fact, cashew nuts contain less fat per serving than many other popular nuts commonly found in grocery stores and health food stores, including almonds, walnuts, peanuts and pecans.
Cashews have high dietary fiber.
They are filled with antioxidents! Cashew consumption helps the body utilize iron, eliminate free radicals, develop bone and connective tissue, and produce the skin and hair pigment melanin.

Customer Appreciation, Father's Day, Gift Baskets, Gift Baskets Catalog, Summer Time Gift

Pampering Gift Ideas for Father’s Day

June 7, 2012

Welcome back baskets readers,

I hope you all enjoyed taking my silly father’s day quiz last week and maybe even felt inspired in what to do for your own dad! I have some more fun gifts for Dad to talk about today, but before we get to that, let’s announce winners! Congratulations to Carmen Guajardo (May 31, 2012 at 6:18 pm), Kirby D. (June 1, 2012 at 8:49 pm), Lucy (June 2, 2012 at 12:51 pm), Will (June 6, 2012 at 4:42 am), and Ben G (June 7, 2012 at 12:47 pm)! Send your shipping information to me at amariscal@1800flowers.com and I can send out your delicious Father’s Day tool kit prize! Now on with the show…

So, who would have thought I would have so much to talk about all these weeks for Father’s Day? (Certainly not me) Father’s Day gifts are usually the hardest for me to decide on because I think Dads are pretty hard to read. We have this one holiday and maybe a few sporting events that are really marketed towards gifts for Dad and the rest of the year we’re left floundering on our own! Do Dad’s really enjoy whacky ties and comical coffee mugs? Or is that what we all established because no one could think of anything better to get for Father’s Day?

This week’s collection of Father’s Day gift ideas will center on pampering Pop! Maybe Dad doesn’t like to admit it, but we bet a day of relaxation and pampering is exactly what he’s looking for. Sports, candy and electronics are nice gifts for Dad, but we think that he’s certain to love some of our more indulgent gifting suggestions.

A certain blogger recently went for a professional massage as a pre-birthday thing and is now obsessed. I will recommend these to anyone and everyone I can. However, you can make the gift more special when you put your own personal touch to it. Write a great card for Dad that he can hang on to and read over and over again. Up the comfort level and include a cozy robe or house shoes. Or, get a massage gift card and attach it to another relaxing gift like our Crabtree & Evelyn® Nomad Traveler for Men or Muir Woods Triple French-milled Soaps for Him, so that he can continue his spa treatment at home!

If his favorite Father’s Day gifts have always been the edible kind, get him a gift with real excellent taste. Pamper his taste buds with a little bit of wine tasting and fresh gourmet treats. We have complementing wine sets and fruit gift baskets galore! You’ll find farm-fresh fruits like oranges, apples, pears and more in our organic and fresh fruit gift baskets. Accompanying these delightful fruits are fresh gourmet cheeses, nuts, and more nutritiously delicious treats! It’s a refreshing delight for summer and one that won’t require an intense workout after consumption.

Our picks:

Cabernet & Chardonnay Silver Wine Gift Tote
Red Wine Pairing in Burgundy Wine Tote
Father’s Day Farmstand Finest Fruit Gift Basket
Mendocino Fruit & Nut Crate

We’ve already talked about gift suggestions and gifts you’d like for Father’s Day, so let’s try something new! In the comments section (1-2 paragraphs), tell me about the most unusual or unique Father’s Day gift you’ve seen or heard of! FIVE lucky winners will receive the Crabtree & Evelyn® Nomad Traveler for Men!

Happy Father’s Day!

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