I love the holidays, but this year seems more stressful than past years. It’s getting down to the wire and I need a quick, thoughtful gift. I think I’ve got it – a personal gift from the heart that is useful, fun, and perfect for the new year! I’m a foodie at heart, so why not share my passion with all of the people I love?

Gift baskets have taken on a modern, fun twist in recent years. Here is my plan: take five flavorful and festive items, grab a basket or pretty bag, combine, and dress it up! My personalized gift looks like this: two or three comice, forelle, or red Bartlett pears, a fine wedge of cheese (I like bleu), a mini jar of jalapeno jelly, sesame crackers, and a bag of dried apricots, almonds, or walnuts. Try red and green pears for a festive centerpiece! The combination of items is purely enticing, and is one gift surely to be enjoyed through the end of the year; the bonus is that this gift doubles as a healthy appetizer or new year’s eve party dish! To save a few bucks I buy in bulk, and dress it up with tissue paper, ribbon, and fresh rosemary sprigs. But the best part of this gift is that it comes from the heart, full of things I want to share with my loved ones.

Not into these items? Change it up to suit your personality; make it unique! Throw in your favorite kitchen tool, dried herbs, an apron, candle, bottle of wine, or a beloved book or recipe. If you love it, it’s sure to make your loved ones smile. Or if you’re drawing a blank, kitchen or finer food stores have varieties of fun items and delicacies to mix and match with pears as the festive focal point. For some ideas on foodie items to pair with pears, visit the pear, wine, and cheese pairing section of this website. Merry gifting and happy holidays!