On the thirteenth day of Christmas...
We've all gotten them at one time or another-food gifts that were perhaps misguided or disappointing, or at the very least--comical. Sometimes it isn't the food gift itself that didn't work so much as the match between the food gift and the gift recipient.
A few of the examples below have actually happened to me over the years. Like in example number seven below? I was the goofball that, with all the best of intentions, gave a Starbucks gift card to a music teacher at my daughter's school. It didn't occur to me that he might be Mormon. And in the number six example, I was the person who was given dark chocolate as a gift, when anyone that knows me well, knows I prefer milk chocolate. Do you know who it was that gave me the dark chocolate? It happened to be my mother. And as someone who has Irritable Bowel Syndrome, I came up with the first example below based on a rather unfortunate personal experience.
So, with some tongue in cheek reflections of food gifts from Christmas past and some personal experiences from people I know, here is a list of 13 food gifts NOT to give:
1. Don't give sugar-free candies or chocolates to someone with IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) or other intestinal issues.
2. Don't give a tin of tea with special properties to someone whom it might offend. The Republic of Tea, for example, makes "Get Lost" tea (described as "herb tea for weight control") and "Get it Going" tea (herb tea for regularity) or "Get Gorgeous" tea (herb tea for clear skin).
3. Don't give alcohol to someone who doesn't (or shouldn't) drink.
4. Don't give those stale popcorn tins to pretty much anyone because if it isn't fresh, it isn't worth the calories.
5. Don't give fruit cake as a food gift because all of the fruit cake jokes known to man are bound to ensue mere moments after it is unwrapped.
6. Don't give a dark chocolate gift assortement to someone who is passionate about milk chocolate (or visa versa). Take it from a milk chocolate enthusiast... if they knew you well, they would know your chocolate preference! The same goes for giving cream-filled chocolates to someone who is rabid about "nuts and chews."
7. Don't give alcohol or anything with caffeine to a Mormon (someone who attends the Church of Latter-Day Saints) because these food items are not in line with their beliefs.
8. Don't give those holiday processed meat gift packs (ie. Hickory Farms or other gourmet catalogue companies) to someone who prefers to eat natural or believes strongly in eating vegetarian.
9. Don't give foods gifts that feature chocolate, peppermint/spearmint, garlic & onions, coffee, caffeinated tea, citrus, tomato products, and chili peppers, to someone who tends to suffer from acid reflux. These are some of the worst heartburn triggers discussed in my book, TELL ME WHAT TO EAT IF I HAVE ACID REFLUX).
10. Don't give any food that contains pork or pork products (or that combine dairy with meat products) to someone who is keeping kosher or observing Muslim dietary laws.
11. Don't give peanut brittle, caramel apples, and candy canes to people with braces. According to Dr. H. Dixon Taylor, an orthodontist in Concord, California, these are the three worst food gifts for someone with braces. (And about twenty percent of Dr. Taylor's clients happen to be grown ups.)
12. And to that friend of yours that is working really hard to lose extra pounds... Don't give them a gift card to The Cheesecake Factory. "That's just cruel," advises Kate Royston, a Senior Producer with WebMD.
13. Don't give chocolate covered insects to people who might be "bugged" by it. This actually happened to a WebMD moderator's mom and she was definitely not amused. While it's true I love chocolate, I'm not personally willing to choke down some bug juice along with it. You can find chocolate covered insects for purchase at science museums or candy websites such as candywarehouse.com. I found myself wondering what types of insects are used to make chocolate covered bugs (not that it would make me any less repulsed). They seem to use mealworms and crickets, which "give the treats a definite crunch," notes one company that sells them. Frankly, that pretty much says it all.
~~Elaine
Related Topics: Why Our Loved Ones Hate Our Gifts, Emotional Survival Guide for the Holidays
Technorati Tags: holidays, holidayshopping, giftguide, foodgifts, fruitcake
A few of the examples below have actually happened to me over the years. Like in example number seven below? I was the goofball that, with all the best of intentions, gave a Starbucks gift card to a music teacher at my daughter's school. It didn't occur to me that he might be Mormon. And in the number six example, I was the person who was given dark chocolate as a gift, when anyone that knows me well, knows I prefer milk chocolate. Do you know who it was that gave me the dark chocolate? It happened to be my mother. And as someone who has Irritable Bowel Syndrome, I came up with the first example below based on a rather unfortunate personal experience.
So, with some tongue in cheek reflections of food gifts from Christmas past and some personal experiences from people I know, here is a list of 13 food gifts NOT to give:
1. Don't give sugar-free candies or chocolates to someone with IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) or other intestinal issues.
2. Don't give a tin of tea with special properties to someone whom it might offend. The Republic of Tea, for example, makes "Get Lost" tea (described as "herb tea for weight control") and "Get it Going" tea (herb tea for regularity) or "Get Gorgeous" tea (herb tea for clear skin).
3. Don't give alcohol to someone who doesn't (or shouldn't) drink.
4. Don't give those stale popcorn tins to pretty much anyone because if it isn't fresh, it isn't worth the calories.
5. Don't give fruit cake as a food gift because all of the fruit cake jokes known to man are bound to ensue mere moments after it is unwrapped.
6. Don't give a dark chocolate gift assortement to someone who is passionate about milk chocolate (or visa versa). Take it from a milk chocolate enthusiast... if they knew you well, they would know your chocolate preference! The same goes for giving cream-filled chocolates to someone who is rabid about "nuts and chews."
7. Don't give alcohol or anything with caffeine to a Mormon (someone who attends the Church of Latter-Day Saints) because these food items are not in line with their beliefs.
8. Don't give those holiday processed meat gift packs (ie. Hickory Farms or other gourmet catalogue companies) to someone who prefers to eat natural or believes strongly in eating vegetarian.
9. Don't give foods gifts that feature chocolate, peppermint/spearmint, garlic & onions, coffee, caffeinated tea, citrus, tomato products, and chili peppers, to someone who tends to suffer from acid reflux. These are some of the worst heartburn triggers discussed in my book, TELL ME WHAT TO EAT IF I HAVE ACID REFLUX).
10. Don't give any food that contains pork or pork products (or that combine dairy with meat products) to someone who is keeping kosher or observing Muslim dietary laws.
11. Don't give peanut brittle, caramel apples, and candy canes to people with braces. According to Dr. H. Dixon Taylor, an orthodontist in Concord, California, these are the three worst food gifts for someone with braces. (And about twenty percent of Dr. Taylor's clients happen to be grown ups.)
12. And to that friend of yours that is working really hard to lose extra pounds... Don't give them a gift card to The Cheesecake Factory. "That's just cruel," advises Kate Royston, a Senior Producer with WebMD.
13. Don't give chocolate covered insects to people who might be "bugged" by it. This actually happened to a WebMD moderator's mom and she was definitely not amused. While it's true I love chocolate, I'm not personally willing to choke down some bug juice along with it. You can find chocolate covered insects for purchase at science museums or candy websites such as candywarehouse.com. I found myself wondering what types of insects are used to make chocolate covered bugs (not that it would make me any less repulsed). They seem to use mealworms and crickets, which "give the treats a definite crunch," notes one company that sells them. Frankly, that pretty much says it all.
~~Elaine
Related Topics: Why Our Loved Ones Hate Our Gifts, Emotional Survival Guide for the Holidays
Technorati Tags: holidays, holidayshopping, giftguide, foodgifts, fruitcake
8 Comments:
well duh!!!!!!!!
I found your list quite helpful. I for one suffer acid reflux and I get the darndest gifts I can't eat or drink. I posted you list on our chruch builiten board. Had several people that like it so much the put it in the chruch announcement page. How's that for advertizing. Much thanks from all of us to you MERRY CHRISTMAS.
all of that is pretty obvious - i didn't find the list helpful at all.
For anyone who has experienced some of the situations you describe, or who have had close friends or relatives with the problems, the list might seem quite obvious. BUT there are many, many people who just don't think to begin with or have no experience with these situations, so your list might at least prompt them to "use their noggin" a bit.
Personally, I am a good cook and love to share baked goods with others at any time of year. That would be my preferred gift to give co-workers, but because of various issues (allergies to nuts or other ingredients, weight-loss diets, diabetes, etc.), I don't give those homemade goodies.
Consequently, I almost feel deprived in not being able to give what I would like to these co-workers, but I am trying to be considerate of them.
If everyone would just walk through the return department after Christmas you kind of get the idea this whole gift idea is getting way out of hand.
The meaning of Christmas is lost in the piles of stuff that is brought back to these stores.
It would break my heart to think that I put so much thought ,time, love and money into my gifts just to be brought back and piled up on these carts.
I have never done that. I am so grateful for anything I get.
I can see it if it is the wrong size or if it is damaged but nothing else. A gift is suppose to be from the heart.
i hope this is not a faux pas, but i'm giving a relative or two, grocery store gift certificates. up to them to buy what they like.
Unless you know them well and can give them things they want, or need...gift cards to their favorite places is the way to go. One year we gave Barnes and Noble gift cards and the children LOVED it!!! Imagine going into a huge store of books and picking out a book for yourself. We spent several hrs there while they choose their books, but it was worth it!
Anyone who wants to send me a fruitcake, feel free. Money is so much nicerthough. Many gift cards go unused because of the inconvenience.
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