Best Food Gifts

All of this gift giving in the air made me think about some of the best food gifts that I've received.

Gevalia coffee + coffee maker

I went to visit my friend Martene in Newark about nine years ago and she is not a coffee drinker which made the fresh Gevalia coffee even more special.

Half a Pomegranate

One of my aunts, unbeknown to me, still had a pomegranate post-season last year and I was going on and on about pomegranates and she came out of the kitchen with it. I was so happy when she shared with me.

Homemade Yogurt with 1% Milk

The person who made it for me does not like 1% milk.

Harry and David Pear

Several years ago, a coworker received a fruit basket and shared a pear. To this day, that was the most delicious pear that I've ever tasted.

Tomatoes

One of my coworkers left a handful of tiny tomatoes on my desk and they were delicious.

Vosges Barcelona and Woolloomooloo Bars

A friend included them in a care package when I needed some, well, extra care.

Amish Honey & Green Tea


I think this person, prone to ultra-hospitality, felt bad because I was not eating anything and finally found something that I would ingest.

Mint

On a regular basis, I would come to work and have mint from three rotating benefactors. I even got starter plants which I, sadly, couldn't get beyond the starting point.

Honorable Mention

Uncle Pop's Barley Wheat Sticks


This food gift was an office one. One of my colleagues said that they reminded him of Sugar Smacks. I like them. They're airy and not too sweet. I'm gonna have to find out where I can get the barley sticks because they've grown on me.

I love this article on wikiHow about How to Give Gifts Unconditionally.

Thought for Today

"What delights me most about the holiday season is that people are more open to giving and sharing. And actively thinking about how to spread more joy." —Oprah

Snow Day Workout

I checked my work voicemail hoping that we would be closed. There was a chance since St. Louis Public Schools canceled and they hardly ever close. No such luck. My place of work was open for business. However, we did get a two hour parole.

Once paroled, I had a bonus cup of coffee and watched "Oprah." Dr. Oz was giving support and advice to overweight teens and talking about nutrition. I then cooked some vegetarian chili. If you're like my Aunt Leatha, I know what you're thinking; it's not a meal unless there's some meat on the table but I really like this recipe:

http://www.muirglen.com/Recipes/RecipeView.aspx?RecipeId=21030&CategoryId=69

I rinsed, chopped and diced and put everything in the pot then I headed to the basement to find my wrist weights which took some time because I haven't worked out at home in awhile. Suze Orman is right about being disorganized. It costs you money among other things.

I finally located my weights and decided to exercise by committee. I did ten minutes of Fat Burning Kickboxing Workout for Dummies, ten minutes of Butt and Thigh Blaster from 10 Minute Solution: Tone Trouble Zones! and, for a finale, I did ten minutes of Arms and Shoulders from 10 Minute Solution: Fitness Ball Workouts. I was wondering if I would be able to pick up from where I left off. I strapped on my wrist weights to accompany my five pound dumbbells. For the most part, I was able to lift eight pounds during the various arm and shoulder exercises but I definitely struggled with the lateral raises. I'm glad that I resorted to my DVDs since you should vary your exercise routine anyway. Not only did I miss the fitness ball, I also missed some of the nice stretching segments in those videos because there's nothing more satisfying than a good stretch session.

After I worked out, I quickly shoveled some snow off the immediate walkway then came inside to have some nice warm chili. It was so good to have a few extra hours in the day.