AA Gifts & Baskets Idea Blog

Posts Tagged ‘thank you gifts’

If you’ve ever bitten into a decadent, molten, sweet and gooey truffle, you know how rich this favorite gourmet chocolate treat is. You may have thought you could only get them in specialty shops or at a fancy restaurant. But the truth is that you can make truffles at home very easily. In fact, it’s even simpler than some cookie recipes. You’ll start making them all the time and experimenting with flavors. You’ll give them as gifts and start dreaming about different toppings and versions.

Consider packing your truffles into Chinese takeout-type boxes that you can get in a craft store. They stand up straight and the sides will be stiff enough to ensure that they don’t get smashed on the way to the recipient. Anyone would love to receive these delicious dessert gifts!

Here are some recipes to try. You will laugh at how easy it is to make a treat that looks and tastes over-the-top gourmet.

Ghirardelli® Dark Chocolate Truffles (from allrecipes.com)

Prep Time: 5 Minutes

Cook Time: 10 Minutes

Ready In: 2 Hours 45 Minutes

Servings: 30

"These impressive candies are so easy to make, and are a stunning addition to a dessert tray."

INGREDIENTS:

1/3 cup heavy cream

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

2 cups Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Chips

1/3 cup Ghirardelli Unsweetened Cocoa

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a small saucepan, bring the cream to a simmer. Add the butter and stir until melted. Add the chocolate chips. Stir until completely melted and smooth. Remove from the heat and pour into a shallow bowl.

2. Cool, cover, and refrigerate the mixture until firm, at least 2 hours.

3. Using a melon baller or small spoon, roll the mixture into 1-inch balls. Roll each ball in the cocoa or nuts. Enjoy immediately or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Chocolate Truffle Recipe (from famousfrenchdesserts.com)

Truffes au Chocolat… Divine Pleasure Source!!! This is the basic recipe; you will find all variations at the end of the recipe.

Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients (for about 1.5 pounds):

1 cup Crème Fraîche (or heavy cream)

14 oz. Dark Chocolate (use very high quality, 70% cocoa, chocolate - or very high quality unsweetened baking chocolate)

8 oz. Additional Dark Chocolate

1 1/2 cups Cocoa Powder (the highest quality you can find)

3 tbsp. Butter (optional)

How to Make It:

Batter (Ganache):

1. Break chocolate into small pieces and put in a large bowl.

2. Bring cream slowly to a light boil.

3. Pour boiling cream over chocolate and keep stirring until all the chocolate has melted and the batter is homogenous.

4. If you want to add butter, do so now, before the batter cools, and thickens.

This batter is called ganache and is the base for all French truffle recipes!

When the ganache is warm, it is very creamy. You can thicken it

1. by whisking it (the oxygen causes it to thicken) or

2. by putting it in the refrigerator.

You want the ganache to be just thick enough to easily form the truffle balls…

Forming Truffles:

1. Using two spoons (or a baking sac) form even and round balls. Place them on parchment or wax paper.

2. Melt the rest of the chocolate in a bain-marie (double-boiler).

3. Dip each ball in the melted chocolate and then roll it in the cocoa powder.

Voilà!

Many people have never heard of the candy bar card idea, but it’s a cute one you might want to try for your next occasion. Say you have a friend with a special birthday coming up. You can create a giant sized card that includes real wrapped candy bars. People really enjoy receiving these unique candy gifts! The big idea is to write a message that includes the names of the candy bar. It’s a challenge. Are you up for it?

Start off with some poster board. The kind that has the foam on the back will work best as candy tends to get heavy once you glue it on. It will be easier and sturdier to transport this way. Use a festive color that will match with your theme.

Next, pick out a bunch of candies with fun names. You might choose Mounds, Nerds, Mars, etc. Get a whole bunch so you have lots to choose from. The idea is to create a message that will include the candy bar name in it. So, for instance, you might write, “I discovered I loved you Mounds more than the other boys on the playground when we first met.” It’s corny, but the whole idea comes out looking really festive and fun. The wackier the better. Try using Baby Ruth or Almond Joy in a sentence!

Once you have your candies in mind, begin composing a message. It can be a poem, a limerick, or just a paragraph. You can either type it out in large font on a computer or hand-write it onto your poster board. It’s easier to use a computer if you want to enlarge the words. But if you like your handwriting, that works well, too.

Start spacing out the words on the board. Make sure you leave a big space for where you’ll glue on the candy bar. So, for instance, in the example above, you’d write or type out, “I discovered I loved you (and then leave a big space to glue in the Mounds bar) more than the other boys on the playground.” Insert the candy in the space by gluing it. You might try glue dots, which you can find in a craft store. The beauty of these dots is that they don’t rip the paper off the back of the candy and they won’t seep through to ruin the chocolate.

When you’ve got your whole poem written or typed out and stuck on the board, make sure all your candy is secure in place. See if you like the design. It’s always a good idea to do a test placement first to see if it all will fit. You might write the message in pencil on the board or cut out strips of printed paper from your computer.

Decorate or embellish as you like. Use glitter around the edges or photos or just doodle to liven it up. You can present your card at the party and it will be the highlight of the night. People will love coming over and reading the funny message and seeing what the card is all about. Many will marvel that they’ve never seen a candy bar card before. You may start a new trend among family and friends! No one would expect to get one of these cards for their birthday gift!

Have you ever wondered why some parties just seem better than others? Maybe it has something to do with the décor. The decorations can really set the mood for a party. Whether it’s something you have brought in or you make it by hand, the possibilities are endless for what you can use to liven up a party and set the tone.

Consider that your centerpieces are what most people are going to be staring at while they sit at their tables to eat, talk, and relax. If you have fantastic centerpieces, you’ll really get everyone’s attention. If they’re fun, whimsical, and people are allowed to take them home, so much the better.

One way you can create centerpieces that really catch your guests’ eyes is to make candy bouquets. These fun little creations are easy to create, have a low cost, and people love them.

There are several ways to create these darling little candy treasures. One way is to gather them into a bunch and everyone can take home their own little bouquet at the end of the party. Another is to make them into free-standing bouquets that are placed in a mug, vase, votive holder, or other container. Either way, they’re festive and will serve their purpose well as a much admired centerpiece.

To make a candy bouquet that your guests can hold in their hands is easy. You’re going to need lots of candies. Hard candies, mini chocolates, lifesavers, and other small edibles in wrappers are the things that will work best. You need to leave them in the wrapper, so choose a candy that looks good while wrapped and also is recognizable and easy to work with. Nothing too gummy or gooshy, unless you want to use individually wrapped larger gummy bears.

Wrap some wooden skewers or lollipop sticks with floral tape. You can find this green tape in craft stores. You’ll also need some green felt to make leaves with. For each stem that you wrap, you’re going to need two leaves. You’ll want to adhere those leaves to the stem with a hot glue gun. Next, take one piece of candy for each stem and using hot glue, glue just the bottom of the candy to the stem. When you are done, it will look like a flower on a stem. The idea is to bunch up several of these to create a bouquet that guests can take home.

The other step you can do is to create each flower and then stick it into a piece of Styrofoam or floral oasis. The piece of Styrofoam should be anchored in a cup, mug, or votive holder. This is intended to be a takeaway for your guests exactly as they are (as opposed to taking a free standing bouquet).

Candy bouquets are ideal as they are easy to make. You can form a little assembly line and get them all done easily. If you have a friend or two to help you, set up stations. One person can do the leaves and stems, another the adhering of the candy, and the other can do the assembling of the bouquets.

Set them out on tables at your next party and just watch the smiles on your guests’ faces. Then watch those smiles get even bigger when they find out they can take home their own little thank you candy bouquet. It’s worth the effort to create these darling centerpieces.

The holidays are nearing and usually that means one of many things - but ultimately it's time to give gifts. When buying gifts for your family and friends, you usually have a good idea of what you want to give them. It's catered to their tastes and hobbies. So why should giving gifts to your employees be any different? It shouldn't be. Giving gifts to your employees is almost just as important as giving a holiday gift to your family. You see them or work with them every day.

When digging a little deeper on the subject, I took to Twitter. I wanted to know, what are employers giving to their employees to make them feel appreciated? There were a couple bad ideas, but quite a few great ideas. Does the fact that they tweeted about their gifts also stand out to you? It should. Employees were so grateful that their hard work was recognized, so much that they took to tweeting about it. That's pretty impressive, don't you think?

Great ideas that were discovered amongst the tweets:

@cdowell2 - Finally got to use my Starbucks gift card from my boss for the first time. #sleepdeprived #grateful

@Ryanh02 - Boss gave me a @Quiznos gift card for being awesome free lunch today!!!

@robyn_cook - I'm so lucky to have such a fabulous boss @MariaLocacciato! Thank you for my @DavidsTea gift card

@mattperry90 - Gift from my boss at work! Definitely brightened my day She knows how much I love my Starbucks

@RebeccaW2269 - Woo hoo! Got a $25 gift card from my boss today. Love it #workflow

@kRiSSY_kG - My boss is GREAT they bought me a gift set from Bath & Body works and gave me $50 in card for my B-Day Whoo - Hoo !!!!!!

@Facciabella14 - Got such a great bday gift....an ipad! From my boss! Loooooove my job

@garciadiana1 - Got an early birthday card and gift card from my boss and coworkers! How nice and sweet! )

@itcrashed - Surprised by a gift from my boss! (I was helping him out with his computer problems while on vacation). And yes, this is actual Champagne from Champagne

@GaltsGirl - Ribeyes as a belated birthday gift from the boss! Yay!

@Mdb1710 - Just got the book by Deepak Malhotra called I Moved Your Cheese. A gift from the boss and it's even signed.

Here's what not to do:

@Manicornn - My boss gave me a $50 gift card to Milestones. Went to pay and only $2.50 was on it. Thanks *thumbs up*

Moving On

With all this aside, it might also be important to also note that Boss's Day is coming up on October 17th when the tables will turn. Were you a good manager this year? Time will tell!

Do you have any ideas to add? Or maybe an idea that employers should stay away from? Leave your comments below!

Related Articles:

• Tips For Being a Great Boss
• Business Gift-Giving Etiquette
• The Dos and Don'ts of Corporate Gift Giving
• Corporate Gift Basket Ideas

What is a birthday candy cake? You may never have heard of this trend, but it’s a hot one. People love making and getting birthday candy cakes. And since they’re so easy to make, it’s no wonder why the trend continues to thrive.

A candy cake is simply a tiered “cake” shape that is really all made of candy instead of flour and butter. You build a set of tiers out of Styrofoam or other base material and then have fun getting creative with your candy decorations.

Want to try making a candy birthday cake for your next birthday party? It’s easy. You’ll need a few supplies. Get some Styrofoam. You can buy balls and cut them to have a flat side. Or you can buy squares, rectangles, or other slabs. Craft stores are great for having a range of Styrofoam options. Think of all the times you needed Styrofoam balls for your science project. Today’s kids have so much more of a range of choices in shapes and sizes than ever before. So you should have no trouble finding enough for three tiers.

Build your tiers when you get home. You’ll want to start with a cake plate. It can be a real plate if you are keeping the cake for a family member at home. But if you don’t want to give away your china, use a plastic plate. Paper will be too flimsy. Or go to Goodwill and get a festive cast-off plate and give that away with the cake.

Next, start cutting the Styrofoam to size. You’ll need one big layer the circumference of the bottom of the plate. Make it a wee bit smaller so that the candy won’t overlap the plate when added. Make a tier on top of that and then a final smaller one on top of that. Adhere with hot glue or Elmer’s white glue. When the tiers are dry, move on to the candy.

You’ll need several types of candy. Use whichever candy you like best, but bar candy will stick better to the form. Unevenly shaped hard candies will be harder to use. Although Hershey’s kisses would be awfully cute.

Start by assembling your lowest layer. You’re going to need glue dots for each candy bar or pins. You’re probably safest using glue dots as they won’t damage the candy. You’re going to leave all the candy wrapped, so make sure you don’t use glue that will seep through the wrapper. Pins are fine as long as you don’t stick them through the candy itself.

Work around the cake form placing candy so there is no white space showing. You can fill in with smaller hot balls or sour candies. Just make sure you don’t use any candy that’s not wrapped.

When you’ve made your way around the bottom tier, move up to the next tier. Then do the final third tier. The fun comes in the cake topper. Use something whimsical like a retro ornament or figurine. Or just use a silk flower or another big piece of candy.

If you’re using Hershey Kisses, go around the entire form of the cake using glue dots to secure the flat portions of the Kisses to the form. Just imagine the look on the recipient's face when they receive this edible candy arrangement!

If someone has just sent over a new client to your business, chances are you’re thrilled. You want to thank your business associate for the referral, but may not know how to do it. What’s appropriate? Should you send just a note? Is that too little?

It’s never a bad idea to say thank you in a number of ways. You may have thanked your colleague on the phone or in person, but another good way is to send a gift basket along with a note.

You need not go overboard. Depending on the situation, you’ll want to decide just how much to spend. If you can afford to do more, do it. But if you are just a start-up business with little working cash, it’s ok to go small and elegant.

What do you put in a thank you gift basket to a business associate? Think about the recipient. How do you know him or her? Is it purely business, or do you also know them from socializing outside of work?

If you know the recipient’s personal interests, tailor the basket contents to them. If he’s an avid golfer, include golf balls, a new set of golf gloves, tees and maybe a gift certificate to a meal at his country club. If she’s a high-level executive, give her a spa basket to relax with. Include a gift certificate to a spa for a manicure and massage. Include a terrycloth headband, face mask or nice soaps. You can include high-end items, but be sure not to get too personal. It’s all in the way you present it. If it looks like you just flung some items together, it may seem inappropriate. But if your gift looks like it came from another business, then it’s perfectly acceptable.

Remember, business people have personal lives too. So they love to receive items that are fun and perhaps they can share with their families. That’s when a tin of popcorn and some of the latest DVDs or a coupon for rentals is fine. If you know they have young children, tailor the gift to what they might enjoy doing as well like passes to a zoo. It will show you care about their family life as well as your work relationship.

Err on the side of caution. Anything liquor related should be left out as well as cigars or anything that could be considered in poor taste. This is not the time for gag gifts or off-color humor. Think high-end. If you’re at all uncertain, ask a store clerk to help you select items that are appropriate for business people and have her make the basket for you.

Order baskets premade online to be sure that you are selecting items that are meant to go together. Online gift basket sites have already done the work of collecting all the items for you. Select by category like coffee, candy, etc. It’s much easier to narrow your choice down and then just hit send than to run around looking for the contents yourself.

Be sure to include a sincere thank you note on nice stationery in your own handwriting. This is not the time to use a printer. Be short and sweet about it.