Unique Serving Platter

Accidents, illnesses and surgery can all leave a person feeling weak. Recuperation time is necessary when you are feeling under the weather. It’s always a lovely gesture to send flowers and a card to someone to wish them a speedy recovery, but there’s something else you can do that is certain to brighten their day. Sending or taking muffin baskets to a sick friend will show them how much you care.

Local bakeries are seeing the potential in putting together gift baskets for their customers who want to give something outside the box. Most of us have seen flower and fruit baskets. Even fine chocolate gift baskets are becoming more common place. Ordering muffin baskets from a bakery is both easy and convenient. Typically you’ll be able to request a variety of different muffins and when presented in a big wicker basket it’s a thoughtful gift to give.

Allergies are something that needs to be taken into consideration before you place an order for one of these delicious gifts. Many people are highly allergic to nuts, so it’s important to mention this to the bakery beforehand. If they can’t guarantee that their muffin baskets are completely nut-free you should either look elsewhere or make the basket yourself.

It may seem a bit daunting to imagine baking different varieties of muffins and then arranging them in a basket, but it’s much easier than it looks. The best approach to this if you do decide to put on an apron, roll up your sleeves and do it yourself, is to prepare a base muffin mix. Make enough for a dozen large muffins. From there you can add flavorings to the mix to create different types of muffins.

The recipient’s tastes do need to be considered. You may love chocolate and decide to make three or four different variations of the cocoa theme for your muffin baskets only to discover the person getting it, isn’t fond of the dark, rich delight. If you really aren’t sure what they prefer, a safe route to take is to make fruit flavored muffins. Blueberry, cranberry, orange and banana muffins are all easy to make and appeal to almost everyone.

After they’ve cooled, place them all in a large wicker basket. If your friend likes coffee or tea, adding a packet or two of that is a nice addition too. The all you need to do is wrap the muffin baskets up in clear cellophane, put a large ribbon around the top and all that is left is the delivery.

One little tip that will serve you well when you are preparing this type of unique and always appreciated gift is to make a few extra muffins for yourself. It’s almost impossible to spend time baking something and then not take at least a little taste. The best part about muffins is that they are actually healthy so you won’t feel as bad enjoying these delicious snacks.

Ever wonder what a unique gift for someone who owns a pet might be? One of the nicest and most welcome items you can give to a friend who has just adopted a new puppy is dog gift baskets. Not only does this provide all the essentials they’ll need to begin caring for their furry friend, but it also shows how happy you are for them as they take this new step in their lives.

You can purchase these already made or if you are imaginative and have a creative flair, you can put dog gift baskets together yourself. If you know the breed of the dog this is incredibly helpful as it allows you the opportunity to purchase items for the dog gift baskets that will fit both the personality and physical size of the dog it’s intended for.

One quick trip to any local pet store will yield literally hundreds of different items that can all go into dog gift baskets. Obviously you are going to want to limit it to just a few choice items. First decide on the size of the dog gift baskets you want to give. This will help you determine just what you can fit into the basket. If you are going for a larger gift, consider a big wicker basket filled with several chewable toys, a bone or two and maybe even a personalized food dish for the puppy.

If your budget isn’t that large consider making a smaller version of this unique gift. You can still fill a smaller basket with many useful items that a dog owner, along with a dog will enjoy. A few ideas for things to put in small dog gift baskets are a new collar and leash, a stuffed animal for the dog to sleep with and some puppy vitamins. All of these things will be put to great use.

The dog owner will no doubt love this unusual offering, so why not place something in there just for them? Almost every pet store has an aisle devoted strictly to information for dog owners. Here you are likely to find small booklets that contain information on each individual breed of dogs. You will also find pamphlets or books that offer suggestions on training a new dog. When added to dog gift baskets, these small books give the dog owner some much needed information.

Of course there are many other ideas for things to add to this type of gift. One is a coupon for obedience training while another is a pass to visit the local dog show. Some booties or a doggie coat also fit in dog gift baskets well. Just remember that your gift is going to go to great use and it’s going to make both the dog and their owner very happy.