Gifts for Foodies

Are you stumped on what to get a foodie on your list for Christmas this year? I have found some really tasty options that I know will be received with lip smacking delight! 

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Foodies naturally love to sip on tasty beverages while they munch on all of the goodies. This Christmas give a gift that is stylish, eco friendly and travels easily with a Verdelix collapsible stainless steel drinking straw. These are awesome for on the go sips and will drastically reduce your plastic straw consumption. 

Give a coffee lover in your life a new way to indulge. These tasty  Eat Your Coffee bars are like a cup of good coffee to go, that never gets cold! Find them in an assortment of flavors, priced about $15 for 6 online.

Give the gift of flavor with an assortment of tasty K Pops sauces. Foodies will love the range that these sauces can bring to sandwiches and assorted dishes in the kitchen. I loved the Honey Glaze sauce which complimented stir fry wonderfully. Find it online for about $9 a bottle.

Alpine Start makes having a great cup of coffee possible, no matter where your favorite foodie might be this holiday season. With flavors like original, dirty chai lattee and coconut cream latte, there is a flavor for every foodie waiting to be discovered. Find it online for about $9 a box.

Subarz make for  tasty treat worthy of sharing this holiday season. These are bar cookies at their finest with flavors like Lemon Thyme and Chocolate Chip. They are like a cookie and a biscotti combined for a one of a kind, totally craveable goodie. Get them online for about $6 a box.

I like wine, but I can't always drink a bottle when I want to open one. That is why I love ICan Wine. Available in Rose and Chardonnay, this is a surprisingly good wine for something from a can. Add a few cans to a gift basket for a great gift anyone will appreciate. It is perfectly sized portions for adding a glass to dinner.

Protein Puffs by Shrewd Food  make a great way to snack without adding lots of carbs to the diet. Available in flavor from savor cheddar or nacho cheese or pepperoni pizza, to sweet cookies and cream, any foodie will dig these protein packed puffs for guilt free snacking.

I love the gift of healthier treats during the holidays when it is so easy to overindulge at your every whim. Burl Barley Granola offers some good for you granola that taste amazing. Gift a few bags of this made with barley goodness now to make turning over a new leaf easier at the first of the year or to add a crunchy bit of cheer to any holiday moment. Find it at select health food stores or online.

This holiday season add a handy gadget to the home bar with Drink Perfection. This contraption works with wine, tea, coffee, alcohol and more to make drinks the ideal temperature for consumption. Simply add ice and your favorite drink. Let the Drink Perfection work its magic and you can enjoy the flavors of your drink at the intended temperature. Get it online for under $50

Looking for a one of a kind gift this year for a pickle fanatic? Pickle Sips gives the flavors you crave save the indignity of sipping out of the pickle jar. This is interesting and a fun gift for a foodie or a unique addition to the home bar. Retailing at $6 a bottle and available in Sweet Heat and Dill varieties, this is sure to be an unforgettable gift for a foodie. Find it on Amazon or the Cin Chili online shop.

Winter is the best time to curl up with a cup of tea. Why not give your favorite foodie a subscription to excellent brewing opportunities with Free Your Tea. This subscription box starts at about $20 a month and gives a user influenced experience complete with adorable little empty tea bags for steeping. Order online 

Add a sweet and savory touch to a variety of dishes with Persian Gulf Baharat Spice Blend. This is so versatile it can go from a stew, to a chicken dish to a stone fruit based cobbler. Get this generous size bottle for serious foodies who love spices from Rumi for only $10.

Ice Cream Lovers rejoice at this gift idea. Get perfectly portioned cups of amazing ice cream delivered to their door in a delicious advent style countdown to the holidays with eCreamery. Get personalized options of gourmet ice cream starting at about $90. 

My favorite gifts are always the ones I can eat. Passion Pickles by Cin Chili are a great snack, or hostess gift this holiday season. Available in 2 varieties; Ghost Pepper and Habanero, these offer the ideal blend of crisp, sweet and heat. Add them to a relish tray, or just snack on them right out of the jar. Find them online for $6.

Foodies love to snack, so offer them something new to satisfy the palette this holiday season. Moziacs are popped chips that are made with so much more than potato. Each bite has bits of veggies in it for a wholesome snack that satisies. I love how these look like stained glass windows. Order online from Moziacs or Amazon.

If you want to give a simple gift with global flair, let me tell you about Loacker Quadratini Cookies. These are decadent little cubes of wafer cookie that are perfect for a foodie who loves coffee and sweets. Not into coffee? No worries, you can enjoy numerous other flavors like lemon coconut of vanilla. Order them online and spread a little Italian decadence with your holiday cheer.

Going to an event and want to spread a little cheer without straining your budget? Grab a dozen of these perfect for fall and winter flavors from Pure Ice. I love the Crisp Apple as a booze free option to toast this year. Find it at major retailers like Walmart, Kroger or Target.

Appetizers are always worth celebrating. This 8 pack of simply adorable plates from the Corelle Celebrations line features simple messages in cute script like "enjoy", "love", "share" and "gather". These make a perfect addition to the holiday table. Gift them to your favorite foodie for $30. Find them online.

Let your favorite foodie go green with these compostable utensils. No more guilt over throwing out single use plastics with a few of these from Twenty Fifty Fork. Get 4 boxes of 12 for under $50 online from Twenty Fifty Fork.

Shopping for an adventurous eater? These mini kicker cricket snacks are the way to go. in favors like cotton candy and Italian Lasagna, who could resist trying one? Get a few tubes from EntoLife online for about $6 each.

 Add a brain teaser to the house with these one of a kind puzzle coasters. These are perfect for adding something different to the coffee table or the home bar.

These aren't just glasses, they are maps too. Get these unique glasses as well as a number of other items like water bottles from Well Told and tell a unique story with each sip. Get a map of your town, or a special place that you have visited together.  Glasses come in an assortment of styles starting at $16.

Gummy Burgers make for a fun gift for foodies of all ages. These massive gummy burgers are made with an assortment of other gummy candies. Get these from Wicked Uncle Gifts for under $7 to add a sweet fruity smile to someone you loves face this holiday season.

Foodies like to be precise with their favorite recipes. This battery free kitchen scale helps them to find the perfect amount of seasonings, spices, veggies and more without dealing with dead batteries.  Find this model from Elessi for under $26. Get it from amazon for a green approach to precision in the kitchen.

Whipping up a batch of chili has never been easier with this chili cook off winning spice blend. Add this to your ingredients and take the wow factor up a notch with this mix from Cin Chili. Get it online for under $6.

Shopping for a coffee fanatic? Give them the gift of on the go indulgence for those mornings that they don't have time to hit the drive thru. Get all three flavors of McCafe Frappe's for about $3 a bottle at retailers nationwide.

Encourage celebration this holiday season with a fragrant, fruity and floral extra dry rose by Mionetto. This is a beautiful rose that has the ideal blend of fragrance and flavor. Find it at retailers for about $15 a bottle.

If you need a gift for a mushroom lover, this Mushroom Jerky is the way to go. It is distinctly unique and has a ton of flavor.  Find numerous varieties at the Pan's Mushroom site for $9 a bag.

Give a gift worthy of toasting this holiday season with another fab for any foodie offering from Mionetto. The DOC Processo is bubbly, brilliant and pairs beautifully with so many dishes. Find it retailers for about $15 a bottle. You will be delighted by the wonderful quality of this brand.

Anya's Real Fruit Licorice are a really tasty and healthy snack to gift a foodie this year. These are chewy yet soft, packed with real fruit and a hit with kids young and old. Get it online at the Anya's site in 20 packs for $36

The Chocolate Chip of the Month Club is the ideal gift for any chocolate chip cookie fan. Send a box of comfort with a delectable twist right to their door. Prices start at $12 a month and feature great flavors and the cookies are HUGE! Order from the Chocolate Chip of the Month Club website.

Offer a little assortment to someone you love that loves chili flakes on their food or in their recipes. This trip from The Chili Lab has 3 different chili flake blends that are sure to tickle the tastebuds. Find this trip for under $25 at the Chili Lab site.

Got a condiment craver to find a great gift for? Why not gift the new greatest condiment ever, Must Ketch? This blends the two flavors we love on sadwiches, burgers, dogs and more. Get it from Amazon in great bold flavors that everyone will want to try,

Give the foodie in your life a special flavor for all their foods with this beautiful hand harvested french sea salt. Available in 4 flavors, this is truly a unique gift! Get all 4 online for $48 from Louis Sel.

If you need a gift for a Italian food fan, then this all occasion collection from Cookies Con Amore is the way to go. Featuring delectable treats like a jelly filled cookie and biscotti, this gift box has something for everyone. Get it for under $20 for a flavorful gift with global flair.

Wouldn't everyone be happy to score some dough on Christmas? With Eastern Standard Provisions Pretzels you can give the gift of some incredible pretzels, pretzel rolls and delectable salts for those goodies, which technically all come from dough, so your favorite foodie will delight in their gift! Order online, and let me know which offering you found irresistible!

The holidays are definitely a time of over indulgence, so why not try to balance things out with Mom's Best Granola? They have some tasty flavor options and granola is always a good snack. Visit the site for info on where to find your favorite flavors in stores for under $5 a bag.

If you want a simple gift for a foodie that you can feel good about, knowing it is going to be snacked away in no time, check out these really good cheese puffs from Barbara's.  They are about $2.50 a bag and are quite addictive! Use the store locator on the Barbara's website to find near you.

A true foodie has a fondness for fresh, so wrapping up a box of Food Vacbags for the holidays is like giving the gift of fresh for months to come.  Get a 100' roll of food storage bags that work with all vacuum sealers for about $24 online from the Food Vacbags website.

Need a gift that keeps on giving? Why not order a 6 month subscription to Bean Box? Your favorite foodie can get 4 sampler bags of excellent coffee for $19 a month. This is the best way to spread holiday cheer all year long for coffee lovers. Order online and explore the blends.

Give a of legal drinking age chick in your life a cocktail that is perfect for popping open to share. Two Chicks makes some really delicious options that get the conversation flowing! Find your favorite flavor and where to buy near you online.

If you need a little something for someone who loves craft salts, the salts from Mason's Market are the way to go. Starting at about $9 a tin, they have some awesome flavors and several grains. These are a welcome to any pantry and the tins are perfect for easy storage. Order online for adding some flavor and variety to dishes and dinners.

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7 Hidden Gems Of New York City

New York may not be the capital city of the United States of America, but it's certainly the American city that captures imaginations right across the globe, including in its neighbouring country of Canada. Walking the streets of New York can take the breath away, and it can seem that at every turn you're confronted by an iconic building or location. The Empire State Building, Times Square, Central Park; these are among the most famous tourist destinations in the world, but whilst these are all great places to see, there's more to New York City than just the cliched images of a thousand movies. By exploring the hidden or lesser known gems of New York City, you can get a true picture of this incredible, vibrant and diverse city, and have a vacation you'll never forget.

How to Get to New York City

One of the things that makes New York so popular is that it's incredibly easy to get to, with a fantastic infrastructure and three airports within its metropolitan area. As it's in the north of the United States it's particularly quick and easy to reach from Canada, which is why over three million Canadians visit the state of New York every year. Porter Airlines are the specialists in great value flights to New York from Toronto, as well as to locations across Canada. They not only provide quick and regular flights to New York at a great price, but they also pride themselves on providing a high-quality flight experience to all their passengers, including the provision of free beer, wine and snacks during the flight. That means you can touch down in New York City relaxed and refreshed, and ready to explore these seven delightful attractions.

The Whispering Gallery

New York has to be one of the most romantic cities in the world, so it's a perfect place for a honeymoon or anniversary vacation, or as a place to propose to the one you love. It's such a popular and bustling city, however, that you may not get the chance to whisper in your beloved's ear, and you can't easily shout romantic words. Fear not, for the Whispering Gallery allows you to utter words of love that only your significant other can hear. The whispering gallery is in the magnificent Grand Central Station, adjacent to the Oyster Bar, a fantastic place for travelers to dine. Simply stand at opposite ends of the archway and whisper, and by the magic of architecture and acoustics the person at the other end of the archway will be able to hear what you whisper perfectly. It's a lot of fun that can lead to a lifetime of memories.

The Flatiron Building

New York is famous for its skyscrapers, so of course we have to mention the Ground Zero memorial here - it's an incredibly moving sight. If we look further back at the history of skyscrapers however, our thoughts probably turn to the Empire State Building, with or without King Kong at its summit. There's another skyscraper which in our opinion is even more beautiful and which should be just as iconic, but you won't find the same crowds around it: The Flatiron Building, or to give it its official name, the Fuller Building. Dating from 1902, this 22-story building is one of the world's oldest skyscrapers and it's certainly one of its most beautiful high-rise structures. Once seen up close, its unique wedge shape will stay in your memory forever.

Off-Broadway

Broadway has become synonymous with high quality, large cast, expensive production musicals, and you'll certainly enjoy a night watching just about any show there. Watching a blockbuster production can be highly entertaining, but New York City also does some of the best radical theater in the world, and you can find something to suit all tastes at Off-Broadway theaters. These intimate theaters allow you to get closer to the action, not to mention having tickets that provide exceptional value for money. You'll find everything here from classics of world theater to brand new productions from tomorrow's stars, so you never know who you might see on an Off-Broadway stage.

The Elevated Acre

We all know of Central Park - wherever we live, it's the green urban space that our park aspires to, but whilst any trip to New York simply has to include a sojourn there, for something excitingly different and yet relaxing at the same time, it's hard to beat the Elevated Acre. It's an acre of green and pleasant land that's perfectly cultivated, but as its name suggests, it's high up in the sky. Located on Walter Street in the heart of Manhattan's financial district, it's suspended between two skyscrapers and that means that it provides incredible views over the Hudson River, Brooklyn Bridge and more. It's a great place to lie back and pass an hour or two, and if you feel a little thirsty, it even has its own beer garden area featuring some of New York's finest craft beers.

The Smallpox Hospital

You may not think that seeing a smallpox hospital could be the highlight of a visit to the United States' most exciting city, but once you've visited the Smallpox Hospital on Roosevelt Island, you'll see what all the fuss is about. It's a shell today that nature is beginning to take possession of once more, but what a marvelous ruin it is. This is a historically significant building, as it was at the forefront of New York's battle against smallpox until it closed in 1956, exactly a hundred years after it opened. This is unlike any other building you'll see in New York, and it resembles a cross between a medieval European castle and the kind of Gothic house of horror you'd see in a movie. Above all, it's a fantastic location to take some unique shots to impress your friends on social media with.

The Museum of Ice Cream

New York is a city of contrasts temperature wise, so whilst you'll need to wrap up warm in winter, you're sure to find warm, sunny days in summer. It doesn't matter how old we are, when the heat rises, we all want an ice cream, so why not head to the Museum of Ice Cream in Soho? It's one of New York's newest attractions, and it's sure to be popular for years to come. Don't expect a boring istory lesson, but do expect lots of interactive exhibitions that encourage you to get right to the heart of the ice cream fun. This is a museum that really does make learning cool, and there are plenty of gorgeous ice cream treats to enjoy as well.

The Berlin Wall

No single structure came to symbolise the second half of the 20th century as much as the Berlin Wall. It divided east from west, capitalism from communism, and when it was finally torn down in 1989 the world would never be the same again. You don't have to go to Germany to see remnants of this once fearsome wall, because there's a section of it to be found on New York's Madison Avenue. It's an art installation comprised of slabs from the Berlin Wall, but they've been transformed into an exhilarating mural by Kiddy Citny and Thierry Noir, two of Germany's leading contemporary urban artists.

From the Berlin Wall to a sky-high park and a spooky abandoned smallpox hospital, you'll be amazed what you can find in New York City when you head off the beaten track.With best luggage brands to get you there in style and thanks to airlines like Porter, it's never been easier to reach the big apple, so make this the year you enjoy a big New York vacation.