How to Create Cookie Gift Baskets

It’s often a nice gesture to give your neighbor, co-worker, teacher, or boss a goodie basket. It lets that person know he or she is appreciated and gives them something yummy to munch on. Cookies by Design gift baskets and other cookie baskets are something a whole family can enjoy. Cookies are small, subtle, and sweet, so unless you’re diabetic or on a diet, you can enjoy them to your heart’s content. You can order a gift basket of cookies, or you can make cookies to put in a basket you decorate yourself.

Displaying the Cookies

First, make your cookies. You can buy cookies, but homemade treats often taste better and add a more personal touch. Cater your recipe to the tastes of your recipient, or go with a popular recipe if you’re unsure what he or she likes. Then take out a basket that you are sure will accommodate all the cookies you wish to store. Wrap each cookie or a set of cookies in cellophane or plastic baggies. Next, add to the basket filler paper made out of shredded construction paper or tissue paper. Add a centerpiece if you so choose. This can be a toy, figurine, book, or a decoration that will remain after all the cookies are consumed. Line the cookies one stack at a time starting in the back and build on one another. Try to layer and angle the cookies so they are facing the viewer in the front. Another way to display cookies is to put them on a stick or around a foam ball. It’s all a matter of preference and creativity when setting up these cookies. Just be sure that your cookies are lined up and look neat and orderly. Otherwise, they may crumble and may not be so enticing to eat.

Wrapping the Basket

Now that your cookies are securely placed in the basket, you may wrap the package. Cut out colored cellophane so that it will wrap entirely around the basket. You will secure the top part with a ribbon. Feel free to add a bow or any other decorative elements. You can attach a tag to the ribbon to let the recipient know who the basket is from. For more ideas, go online to learn more about Cookies by Design gift baskets.

This is a sponsored post in part by Bucks2Blog

Everybody Needs Great Relationships and Love

Everybody agrees there is not enough love in the world. The problem is obvious, but what is the solution? Relationships are what make love possible. The functions of society seem to keep some people’s thoughts far away from their relationships. Many people are extremely busy with work and taking care of their home. Some people are too busy to even make time for relationships. People are too busy to call old friends, relatives, even parents. When a break comes along, busy people feel such a need for peace and stillness that they decline doing anything social. Staying home and relaxing is all they can think about after so much busy activity and hard work. Sadly, this type of lifestyle can lead to depression and feelings of loneliness. Fortunately, companies like Cookies by Design help people send messages of love without much hassle or time commitment. People need relationships in order to fill their need for friendship and love. Making time for relationships can help anyone improve their outlook on life. Even if it is just a few minutes, a portion of every day should be devoted to relationships and the love that comes from having them.

Too Much Stress and Not Enough Love

Living a lifestyle where your focus is too far away from relationships is less than ideal. So how can you tell if you have a problem? You may notice that you care more about your home or other material things than your own friends and family. For example, you may decline having company over because it always makes the house a mess and you don’t have time to clean. You might frequently forget special events like holidays, birthdays, and generally avoid going out to see people. You might feel a bit depressed because your lifestyle allows little to no time for fun with friends and gives you tons of stress.

Change and Progress with Your Relationships

Fortunately, there is always a way towards change and progression. You will start to feel better, even with a small amount of time devoted to relationships every day. Your friends and family will always forgive you for being antisocial. If you’re afraid of jumping back into the mix of your relationships, you could start with a kind gesture. Have Cookies by Design or some flowers shipped out to all of the friends you’ve been missing and start filling up your love bucket today.

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post in part by Bucks2Blog

Almondina Cookies Review & Giveaway

Summer time snacking has begun!! Today I went outside and mowed the entire lawn. By the time I was finished, I seriously needed a snack. I wasn't starving, but I was craving something and having just mown our entire lawn, I needed something semi-healthy. With the warmer weather comes many opportunities to sit out on the back deck in my lawn chair with an ice cold lemonade, the iPad and something to snack on. My children love to play outside and I love to sit and watch them from the comfort of my deck. I am a crunchy-snack lover and will take just about anything that is sweet, crunchy and satisfying. 

Recently, I was introduced to a company that makes gourmet cookies that are crunchy, all-natural free of cholesterol and no added fat or salt. Oh, and these cookies are only 30 calories each! Almondina is owned and operated by Yuval Zaliouk, a world renowned musical conductor and his company has been in business for the past 20 years. Here is a bit more about Almondina...

Almondina® is the inspiring success story of a man whose great loves include both music and wonderful food. For generations his family loved his grandmother Dina’s most secret cookie, which she called Petit Gateau Sec. Yuval Zaliouk, an internationally known symphony conductor and gourmet chef, always had a special place in his heart (and stomach) for this exquisite, crispy wafer with the delicate flavor of roasted almonds and the natural sweetness of plump raisins.This all-natural, crispy almond cookie has no cholesterol and no added fat, salt, or preservatives. It is wonderfully crunchy and does not have to be dipped. It is a delightful accompaniment for coffee, tea, soft cheeses and fine light wines. The rush to eliminate fat from gourmet foods too often has also eliminated most of the flavor, a fact which is in sharp contrast to this enticingly delicious cookie.

Since the introduction of the classic Original flavor, eight more distinctive variations have been introduced, all of which continue to be packed with roasted almonds. A recent innovation, Chocolate Cherry, combines the almonds with dark chocolate and plump cherries.

I love stories like these because it shows the timeless treasure of loved recipes and traditions. Not only that but those recipes are shared with us so we too can enjoy the taste and love of generations gone by.

So, for this review I was sent 7 packages of Almondina Cookies to try and when they arrived, I was SO excited! I wasn't sure what to expect and this was certainly a pleasant surprise!! The flavors I received were:
Choconut, Sesame, Gingerspice, Cinnaroma, Chocolate Cherry and two packages of the Original flavor.

Each tray is 4 oz and contains quite a few cookies. I was expecting thicker cookies but these are very thin.

As you can see, these cookies are very thin but to me, that is what makes them unique and adds to the deliciousness of them. If you are looking for a small treat, these are the cookies for you! Just enough flavor and crunch to hold you over until your next snack attack.

Oh goodness...don't they look heavenly?? I did try each and every flavor that I was sent and my oh my...they are divine. I love how you can break them apart or keep them whole. They are super easy to eat and I guarantee you that once you eat one, you will be eating more. My favorite flavors were the Gingerspice  as it tasted just like gingerbread and also I loved the Chocolate Cherry. Cherries taste so good with chocolate and these were wonderful!!

The other "perk" of having these around are that they are FANTASTIC for my teething one year old!! :) I would give him a cookie and 20 minutes later, he was still chewing on it. Now, you do need to watch your child with these are they are super crunchy and break off into small pieces but if your child is an independent, whole foods eater than you should be good to go. My Isaac LOVES these cookies and they keep him busy and quite for a long time. Ahhhh, works great for me!

To purchase Almondina cookies you can buy them online directly from Almondina's website or you can find a store near you. Simply click on their Store Finder to find a retailer near you. Almondina is also on Facebook and Twitter so be sure you stop by there and keep up with their promotions, news and announcements.

So, in my opinion...Almondina Cookies are such a delightful way to unwind at the end of a busy day or simply to snack on throughout the day. Each cookie is crunchy, sweet and totally good for you...it is hard to eat just one! I would definitely recommend this company to anyone who is looking to satisfy a craving for something sweet. Like I said before, you will not be able to put the package down once you have tried them!

Almondina has offered to giveaway 7 packages of cookies to one of you! The winner will receive the same sampler I received. Here are your entry options...
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: I received no monetary compensation for this post. However, I did receive a free Almondina Cookies for review purposes. All quotes and stock photos are from the Almondina website and email. Prize is provided and shipped by the sponsor. This blog is not responsible for lost, stolen or damaged prizes. All thoughts and opinions are 100% mine.

Sweet Andy's Cookies Review & Giveaway

 

I think the hardest part of being on a diet is having to pass up sweets when I would normally devour them. However, just because I am on a diet doesn't mean I can splurge once in a while. I am a firm believer that you don't need to totally eliminate foods in order to lose weight, you just have to limit some foods or just enjoy them occasionally. I have tried elimination diets before and they just don't work for me simply because I want to enjoy a dish of ice cream or a steak once in awhile. Since I have been on my diet I have still been able to enjoy cookies, pie, cake and donuts...just not on a daily basis and I LOVE the freedom I have to do that.

Today, I am going to introduce you to a lovely company that is located near Long Island, New York and this company specializes in making some tasty TASTY cookies! Sweet Andy's Cookies is a family owned and operated bakery that was started three years ago by a man named...well...Andrew! Here is his story...

In 2009, Andrew (Sweet Andy) found himself in a position like so many others at that time in our past; the economy was quickly spiraling downward and he had left his job in the financial services industry. Although Andy had an MBA in Banking and Finance and had even written a book entitled, “A Guide to Taking Control of Your Investments”, he found himself to be disenchanted with the financial industry and left to pursue “other work.”  The “other work” that Andrew pursued was with the Church and did not provide financial support for the family.  During this time Andy and his wife, Lissa, struggled to find other forms of income. They did what they could for themselves and their five children but often it was not enough. But there were many family and church friends who did help in many ways. Andrew and Lissa’s Church Friends and Family helped them by fixing things around the house that needed repair (such as a faulty furnace); some people kept getting the family car running when it seemed to have already run its course and others even filled their cupboards with food.

It was a very difficult time for Andrew and Lissa but yet they felt blessed to have such wonderful friends. In Andy’s words, “ I wanted desperately to give back to everyone for all that they were doing for me and my family, but I didn’t really know how to do it seeing that we didn’t have much money. Andrew was a bit of a cookie monster himself and began making cookies for the kids. One day he felt as though he should start baking cookies as “Thank You’s” for all of those people who had helped them during this time.

Andy worked for many weeks trying to create a unique and perfect chocolate chip cookie that he could be proud of; proud enough of them that he could give back to those who were helping him and his family in so many ways. It was his way of saying, “thank you.”  He and Lissa started handing out platters of cookies to those friends and family who had helped them. Everyone had the same shocked reaction; first, that Andy had actually baked the cookies himself, and second, that they were so delicious and different than any other cookie they had tasted. Andrew’s friend Brian Kraus owned the Sunset Deli in Westhampton Beach.  Brian and Andrew sat down and Brian offered suggestions and advice on how to begin selling these cookies to stores. After Brian’s advice, Sweet Andy’s Cookies were placed in his store for sale.  He quickly sold out, asked for more and the start of a new business, Sweet Andy’s Cookies, was born.

I put the entire history in this post so you could see exactly where Sweet Andy's has come from...a desire for extra income to a popular cookie company that is now a picture of success. I love how their story can apply to anyone...have a vision to make some extra money on the side and go for it!

So, for this review I was graciously sent a WONDERFUL box of assorted Sweet Andy's Cookies and I have to tell you, these cookies are being devoured. :) I received six bags containing 5 cookies each and the flavors I received were: Triple Chip, Sugar, Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal Raisin, Chocolate and Peanut-Butter Chip. Wow...I knew which bag I was digging into first - Triple Chip!!!

First and foremost, these cookies are huge. I chose to taste the Triple Chip cookies first. I am a huge fan of white chocolate and of peanut butter.

These particular cookies contain chocolate chips, white chocolate chips and peanut butter chips. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm...what a combination!! I could not believe how delicious they were...soft, chewy and oh so sweet, I had a hard time eating just one!

Of course, I could not eat all of these cookies myself or I would be big as a house. Soo, I decided to share. :) After dinner that evening, I gave each of my children a cookie and you should have seen their eyes! They just lit up and were so thankful for the chance to try a cookie. As you can see, my two boys LOVED the cookies. Because they are large cookies, I split them in half and mixed and matched them for the kids. I love the Oatmeal Raisin too...raisins are a huge favorite and all of my children love them so this was a great tasting cookie, especially for my littlest son!

I was also really impressed by the price of these cookies....SO reasonable! You can order either a 4-pack box (5 cookies in each bag) or a 6-pack box (5 cookies in each pack). Get this...the price for 6 bags of cookies is only $35.95 with FREE shipping! Woo hoo! Just think of who you could send these cookies to! Sweet Andy's Cookies would make a fantastic gift to send if you want to say "Thank You", "Congratulations" or "I Miss You". You could also send some of these cookies to just say hi to someone you haven't seen in awhile.

Not only can you get the six flavors I was sent, but you can also get cookies in these flavors: Lemon, Pumpkin, Mint Chip, Cinnamon Sugar, Chocolate with Peanut Butter (OH YEAH!!!!) and White Chocolate w/ Macadamia Nuts! You can also mix and match when choosing your cookies, which is a nice option as well. If you would like to keep up with Sweet Andy's Cookies on their social media sites, be sure to check them out on Facebook and also on Twitter.

So, in my opinion...It is no wonder I gained a pound last week. :) Sweet Andy's Cookies are some of the best cookies I have eaten in a long time. Chock full of chips, soft and chewy, these cookies are amazing. Simply decadent! I would DEFINITELY recommend this company to anyone. Buy some cookies to share or eat them all yourself. :)

Sweet Andy's has offered to giveaway a box identical to the one I received to one of you! That's 6 bags of cookies! :) Here are your entry options...(YUM)
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: I received no monetary compensation for this post. I did receive free Sweet Andy's Cookies for review purposes. All quotes and stock photos are from the Sweet Andy's website and email. Prize is being provided by the sponsor. This blog is not responsible for lost, stolen or damaged prizes. All thoughts and opinions are 100% mine.