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COMMENTS HAVE BEEN DISABLED

Because of spam, I personally moderate all comments left on my blog. However, because of health issues, I will not be able to do so in the future.

If you have a personal question about LI or any related topic you can send me an email at stevecarper@cs.com. I will try to respond.

Otherwise, this blog is now a legacy site, meaning that I am not updating it any longer. The basic information about LI is still sound. However, product information and weblinks may be out of date.

In addition, my old website, Planet Lactose, has been taken down because of the age of the information. Unfortunately, that means links to the site on this blog will no longer work.

For quick offline reference, you can purchase Planet Lactose: The Best of the Blog as an ebook on Amazon.com or BarnesandNoble.com. Almost 100,000 words on LI, allergies, milk products, milk-free products, and the genetics of intolerance, along with large helpings of the weirdness that is the Net.

Thursday, November 08, 2007

Specialty Gift Baskets

I can always tell when the Christmas season is upon us by the thickness of the pile of catalogs in the mail. Several zillion of those catalogs sell food of all types and varieties, and at prices that are high, ridiculous, and absurd. Yet, the contents are sometimes wonderful and the cost, well, it's a gift, after all.

But how many of those gourmet foods are edible by those of us with special diets?

Julie Wiener of the Associated Press did some investigating. Some of what she found should be of interest.

- Allison's Gourmet (http://www.allisonsgourmet.com)

Allison Rivers Samson specializes in vegan sweets (no animal products, including dairy and eggs) such as cookies, brownies, fudge, chocolates, caramels and coffee. Everything also is organic. She also offers cookie- and brownie-of-the-month clubs. From $27.95 to $115.80.

- Carriage House Gifts (http://www.gluten-free-gifts.com)

Twenty years of catering to her husband's gluten-free diet has armed Kay Crow with plenty of experience for assembling specialty baskets for those with wheat and gluten allergies. Among the eight baskets she offers (as well as a build-your-own option) are Pasta Lover's Basket, Kids' Zone (featuring gluten-free mac and cheese) and The Sweeter Side (with muffins, cookies and candy). From $15.95 to $39.95. [Note that while gluten-free, not all the baskets are dairy-free.]

- Divvie's (http://www.divvies.com)

Frustrated that her severely allergic son, Benjamin, always had to bring his own nut-free, dairy-free and egg-free goodies to birthday parties, Lori Sandler, of South Salem, New York, developed a line of food allergy-friendly baked goods and treats. Gift baskets featuring cookies, brownies and a variety of flavored popcorns range from $28 to $72.

- KosherGiftBaskets.com (http://www.koshergiftbaskets.com)

Whether it's Hanukkah or a bar mitzvah, this company has a gift basket for the occasion. Basket choices include smoked salmon, bagels and baked goods, as well as numerous healthy and organic packages. From $16.95 to $259.95.

- Well Baskets (http://www.wellbaskets.com)

In addition to low-fat, sugar-free, gluten-free and other healthy food gifts, the site sells packages designed for folks with Alzheimer's, cancer, insomnia, even depression, anxiety and fertility issues. The fertility basket includes plenty of folate-rich foods such as broccoli soup, lentil soup and spinach pasta, as well as chamomile tea for relaxing.

Founder Tamara Doherty assembles her baskets based on research and consultations with dietitians. From $19.99 to $125.

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1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Just want to say that we send Divvies to friends and family all the time. They are the most thoughtful gift -- not only taste delicious and are packaged beautifully...everyone loves Divvies whether they have food allergies or not!