Last-Minute Christmas Gift Tips For The Dallas Food-Lover

I'm not a fan of fruitcake and there are too many people on my list to bake cookies for. But I love culinary gifts. What I love even more than that is shopping local. So I got a teeny bit giddy when I heard that Green Grocer in Dallas is doing to do gift baskets for the food-lover.

You can create your own gift basket from modest to monumental with items including, Sterling Teas from Rockwall, hand-poured 100% soy candles from Deep Ellum's Dylan and Company, local craft brews, and wine.

If you find the choices too overwhelming (count me in), shoppers can choose from pre-designed baskets, like "The Best of Dallas" with handmade jellies from JJ&B, Texas Olive Ranch flavored olive oils, Community Beer Company's  Inspiration Ale, Chef Milton's Gourmet Seasoning, raw and unfiltered honey from Texas Honey Bee Guild, and Texas Pecan Granola or the "Green Grocer Relaxation Station" with a selection of bath products, candles and creams from Dylan and Company, Free Spirit Creations, Oak Cliff All-Natural Soaps, and Dorey Aroma Therapy. 

If you shopping list includes craft beer fans, you can even mix and match bombers from Saint Arnold, Community Brewing Company and Deep Ellum Brewery to name a few.

Green Grocer, started in January 2013, is a neighborhood staple these days, offering organically grown and locally produced food products and specialty items. Partnering with Arizone, the local online order and home delivery service, Green Grocer products are available for home delivery in the Dallas area. 

My top picks are Dr. Sue's Toasted Almond and Smoked Sea Salt Chocolate Bar; Jellies Jams & Butters Toasted Pecan-Pepper Jam; Chef Milton Smoked Atlantic Sea Salt and Genuine Hatch Chili Peppers; Texas Honeybee Guild Whipped Honey; Happy Tomato Fresh Salsa; and Noble Coyote Coffee Roaster.

Each item is yummy and fresh and enticingly unique. My favorite is the Dr. Sue's Chocolate Bar. The only problem was that it was impossible to stop eating. Impossible.

It's not too late to pop in for the holidays and grab a ready-made basket or create one of your own. The best news is, Green Grocer will be around long after the holidays at the ready with hostess gifts and staples alike.