last minute love gift ideas
By annemarie on February 13, 2012 | Filed Under eco friendly, things
I must admit to a certain fondness for Whole Foods. Their fruit always looks juicier, their veggies crisper and their goodies more delicious. Admittedly their fruits and veggies really do beat the ones at my local grocery store pretty much hands down and so their goodies. Of course all that comes with a price tag, which is why I restrict myself (as much as possible) to only shopping for things I can’t find elsewhere – and lots of produce.
But I also find Whole Foods is a great spot to find little gifties, whether in their Whole Body department or some delicious cheese or a lovely bouquet. In fact as often as possible I try and walk through their floral department on my way into the Cambie location, as it sets my shopping off to delightfully scented start. It’s also a great spot to pick up a few tulips or other fresh blooms on the 14th!
So if you are looking for last minute gift ideas for anyone you love tomorrow we have some edible suggestions – some of which are items they sent us to test, others which are just items we already, well…love. It is almost Valentine’s Day after all.
We adore “real” hot chocolate. The kind where chocolate, not sugar, is the first ingredient. Allegro Coffee Company’s line of drinking chocolates (pictured above) fits the bill. We’re partial to their Dominican Republic 54, with chocolate sourced from the largest organic fair trade c0-op in the world. And just think, you could share a cup of this with someone grown up that you love once the kids are abed tomorrow night.
Though we’re longtime fans of Vancouver’s Butter Baked Goods we’ve never been big on marshmallows so we’ve stuck with their Chocolate Sandwich Cookie and Lemon Loaf and never ventured into fluffier territory. But when we were sent some to test we thought it only fair to try one. Suffice it to say our kids were pretty crazy about them – especially the pretty pink strawberry flavoured ones - and I suspect older marshmallow fans would like these light, fluffy treats too, but I’ll be sticking with chocolate!
Local baker Kreation Artisan Cake also makes heart-shaped cookie lollipops that little ones are bound to feel passionate about. We tested them on our tots who were instantly smitten but took a bite ourselves and the cookies were fresh, light and tasty, and very cute!
My stocking was stuff with Maisie Jane’s Chocolate Toffee Almonds this past Christmas and I hope I’m getting more for Valentine’s Day. I’m crazy about these roasted almonds combined with crunchy toffee and delicious chocolate. What could be better? Plus almonds are good for stabilizing your blood sugar so these are a healthy treat. Well, that’s what I tell myself anyhow…
Those are just a few of our faves but you’ll find lots more chocolatey (and more) treats there too. We also love Denman Island Chocolate – their dark chocolate red foil wrapped hearts make a lovely little gift, Alter Eco Fair Trade’s organic chocolate (try the Dark Chocolate Almond) and our love affair of Green & Black’s Organic Chocolate goes way back.
