Dairy Council of Arizona offers last-minute gift ideas

Dairy Council of Arizona is a paid sponsor of Sonoran Living Live

Easy Last Minute Gift Ideas
It's the hectic holiday shopping season and you just remembered you need to bring a gift to the neighborhood party this weekend or to your child's coach or piano teacher, but you don't even want to think about stopping at the mall. Since you have to hit the grocery store anyway, why not pick up a few extra things that can easily be combined into a great gift.  Remember to refrigerate any gift that contains fresh dairy or other perishable foods - that way you'll make sure the gift stays safe and tasty.  

1.    Cheese Basket - Pick up several different types of cheeses, crackers, dried fruit, a bottle of wine, and some small candies and arrange them into a basket as a hostess gift.  Include Cheese Curds, available at the Milk N More Store at Broadway and Hardy in Tempe, to make a Midwesterner's day.   Or for a perfect potluck offering, arrange cheeses and vegetables into a Christmas tree shape to brighten up any buffet table.

2.    Breakfast Basket - Arrange a couple of breakfast bowls, some hot cereal packets and your favorite cold cereal in a basket or a backpack to make a student's morning meaningful and healthy.

3.    Pizza and Pasta Basket - Combine whole grain pasta, pizza crust mix, pasta sauce, mozzarella cheese and your favorite pizza toppings to provide your host with a quick, easy and healthful meal when things get too hectic.

4.    Everyone Loves Cookies - A variety of cookies along with flavored milks goes a long way to bring smiles to anyone who receives it.

5.    Warm Up with Hot Chocolate - Flavored hot chocolate packets or latte mixes make a marvelous gift idea to help warm up on a cold day.  Throw in a cute coffee cup or an insulated travel mug for a useful gift basket.  Plus, if skim milk is used to make the mixes, your friend or family member will get one of the 3 servings of dairy they need for the day.

6.    Chili Fixin's - A quick meal solution for a busy mom.  Pick up a stock pot and fill it with ingredients to make chili, including kidney beans, green chiles, tomato sauce or diced tomatoes, your favorite spice mix, shredded Cheddar cheese, oyster or goldfish crackers and a couple large soup bowls. A delicious, nutritious dinner is then quick and easy.

For great recipes and other nutrition tips, visit     www.dairycouncilofaz.org       And follow us on twitter: https://twitter.com/TerriVtheRD and https://twitter.com/AzMilkProducers.   

By Terri Verason, MS, RD
Director of Nutrition Education, Dairy Council of Arizona

Dairy Council of Arizona is a paid sponsor of Sonoran Living Live