Imagine going trick-or-treating and coming home with apples, nuts, homemade cookies and a few pennies.

No Snickers. No Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. Not even a lousy Tootsie Roll.

Kids today would lead a Halloween insurrection. 

Candy wasn’t always the main attraction on October 31. The holiday existed long before anyone thought to distribute individually wrapped chocolate bars to children dressed as Power Rangers.

So, how did Halloween become an annual sugar extravaganza?

Halloween Before the Sugar Rush

Halloween’s roots go back centuries, with traditions involving costumes, bonfires, spirits and community celebrations.

In parts of Europe, people went door-to-door asking for food or performing songs in exchange for treats. These customs eventually helped inspire modern trick-or-treating.

When Halloween celebrations became popular in America, the emphasis was largely on parties, costumes, games and neighborhood gatherings.

Bobbing for apples was considered entertainment.

Try suggesting that to a group of 10-year-olds today.

When Tricks Were Actually Tricks

Before trick-or-treating became widespread, Halloween had a reputation for mischief.

Pranks ranged from harmless activities to vandalism, and communities looked for ways to make the holiday less destructive.

Organized parties and neighborhood trick-or-treating helped redirect that energy.

Children went door-to-door, and homeowners handed out whatever they had available, including fruit (lame), nuts (also lame), coins (not so lame), cookies (not lame) and homemade treats (it depends).

Candy was around, but it hadn’t yet claimed ownership of the holiday.

Enter the Candy Companies

By the 1950s, trick-or-treating was becoming an established American tradition, and candy manufacturers recognized a golden opportunity.

Small, individually wrapped candies were convenient, inexpensive and easy to distribute.

Advertising reinforced the connection between Halloween and candy.

By the 1970s, commercially packaged candy had become the preferred handout in many neighborhoods, helped by growing concerns about accepting homemade treats from strangers.

Along the way, miniature chocolate bars became the official currency of childhood happiness.

The Great Halloween Candy Hierarchy

Of course, not all candy is created equal.

Every trick-or-treater develops a ranking system.

Full-size chocolate bars occupy the penthouse. Reese’s, Snickers and Kit Kats enjoy prime real estate.

Then come the respectable supporting players.

Finally, there’s that mysterious assortment of candies nobody remembers purchasing, yet somehow they appear in Halloween bowls every year.

After trick-or-treating comes the sorting, trading and negotiating.

A miniature bag of candy corn for a Reese’s?

Nice try.

Halloween Has Become Big Candy Business

Today, Americans spend billions annually on Halloween candy. Grocery stores devote entire aisles to it, and seasonal varieties appear weeks before the holiday.

We buy bags for trick-or-treaters, bags for parties and bags supposedly for trick-or-treaters that somehow disappear before October 31.

Nobody knows how that happens.

Halloween survived for centuries without miniature candy bars.

Personally, I’m glad we moved beyond bobbing for apples.

🎃 SHAMELESS PLUG ALERT 🎃 

We would never whet your candy appetite and leave you hanging. Check out our Haunted Halloween Gift Basket, packed in a gift box and howling with a mix of classic candy, including Reece’s peanut butter cups, Fun Dip, Pop Rocks, Mary Janes, Necco Wafers, Caramels, Hard candy, and more.

About BasketWorks

BasketWorks is a woman-owned gift basket company located in the north suburbs of Chicago (specifically Northbrook, IL) since 1997. We are proud to offer a variety of gifts and gift baskets appropriate for all occasions. Each of our packages is built to order, allowing for customization at no additional cost to our clients. Contact us today!

Please subscribe to our blog, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and LinkedIn.

If your lentil knowledge begins and ends with “small round things that go in soup,” you’re not alone.

But spend a little time in the dried-bean aisle and you’ll discover lentils have been holding out on us. They’re brown, green, red, yellow and even black. And unlike a bowl of M&M’s, the colors actually make a difference.

Different lentils have different flavors, textures and talents. Here’s what separates them.

Brown Lentils

These are probably the lentils you’re most likely to encounter at the grocery store. 

Brown lentils have an earthy, mild flavor and work well in soups, stews, casseroles and other hearty dishes.

They soften as they cook but usually hold their shape reasonably well.

If lentils had a default setting, this would probably be it.

Green Lentils

Green lentils are a little firmer and have a slightly peppery flavor. 

Because they hold their shape particularly well after cooking, they’re a good choice for salads and side dishes.

French green lentils, sometimes called Puy lentils (grown in the Le Puy region of France), are smaller and known for their firm texture.

Yes, even lentils have a fancy French division.

Red and Yellow Lentils

Get ready. Here’s where things change.

Red and yellow lentils cook faster than their brown and green relatives and tend to break down as they cook. That makes them perfect for dishes where you want a softer, creamier texture.

They’re widely used in Indian, Middle Eastern, and other cuisines, particularly in dals, soups and curries.

They’re also proof that falling apart isn’t always a bad thing.

Black Lentils

Black lentils are sometimes called beluga lentils because the small, shiny legumes resemble beluga caviar.

We’ll allow you a moment to absorb the fact that someone once looked at lentils and thought, “Caviar.”

They have an earthy flavor and firm texture that holds up nicely in salads, grain bowls and side dishes. 

Their dramatic color also makes them look considerably more sophisticated than something that comes dried in a bag.

So Which Lentil Should You Use?

That depends on what you’re making.

Want something hearty for soup? Brown is a safe bet. Making a salad? Try green or black. Looking for something creamy for a curry or dal? Reach for red or yellow.

Here’s another reason to appreciate them: lentils are packed with plant-based protein, fiber and other nutrients while being inexpensive and easy to keep in the pantry. Not bad for something we’ve been walking past in the grocery store without giving much thought.

Unlike M&M’s, you probably shouldn’t just pick your favorite color.

🫘 SHAMELESS PLUG ALERT 🫘 

All this lentil talk must mean we have a basket up our sleeves with said food item. We do! Our Fall Fiesta Gift Basket, built in a seasonal basket accented with colorful fall leaves, features: 

• Roasted Lentils
• Anna’s cinnamon cookies
• Cranberry trail mix
• Maple cookies
• Kettle or caramel popcorn
• Wine Cheese
• Water crackers

Order today!

ONE MORE THING

You are most cordially invited to our 🧙‍♂️ GNOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS OPEN HOUSE at our digs on October 15. It’s your opportunity to check out new designs, sample products, and take advantage of early order pricing. Not only that, but there’s a special gift for RSVP #10, 20, 30, and 40! RSVP here 

About BasketWorks

BasketWorks is a woman-owned gift basket company located in the north suburbs of Chicago (specifically Northbrook, IL) since 1997. We are proud to offer a variety of gifts and gift baskets appropriate for all occasions. Each of our packages is built to order, allowing for customization at no additional cost to our clients. Contact us today!

Please subscribe to our blog, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and LinkedIn.

Ginger may be one of the hardest-working ingredients in the kitchen.

It can be sweet, savory, or spicy. You can grate it, slice it, pickle it (if you must), bake with it, brew it and turn it into candy.

This odd-looking root has been used in cooking for thousands of years, and today it shows up in foods and drinks around the world. 

Here are five ways ginger demonstrates just how versatile it is.

1. It Brings the Heat

Fresh ginger has a distinctive bite that can wake up an entire dish.

Grate it into a stir-fry, add it to a marinade or combine it with garlic, soy sauce and other ingredients, and ginger brings warmth without overwhelming everything around it.

It’s spicy, but not “I hate you” spicy.

2. It Has a Sweet Side

Move from the stovetop to the bakery and things change considerably.

Hello gingerbread, ginger snaps, ginger cookies, cakes, muffins and candied ginger.

Pair it with cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves or molasses, and you’ve got a well-functioning spice family.  

Not many ingredients can pull that off. 

3. You Can Drink It

Tea is just the beginning.

Ginger ale and ginger beer can range from mild and refreshing to surprisingly spicy. More importantly, it’s also a natural fit for cocktails, including the Moscow Mule and the Dark and Stormy. 

Ginger gets top billing in beverages. 

4. It’s Part of the Sushi Experience

Order sushi and you know the drill. 

The rolls arrive looking almost too good to eat, accompanied by soy sauce, a small mound of wasabi and those thin slices of pink or pale-yellow pickled ginger.

The ginger isn’t just there to make the plate look pretty. Traditionally, it’s eaten between different types of sushi to refresh your palate so the flavors from one don’t carry over to the next.

Of course, some of us just eat the ginger because we like it.

No judgment.

5. It Has a Long History Beyond Flavor

Ginger hasn’t only been valued because it tastes good. 

It has a long history of traditional use for digestive discomfort, including nausea, and modern research has examined some of those uses.

So this odd-looking root can bring heat to dinner, flavor dessert, perk up a drink, refresh your palate and offer benefits beyond the kitchen.

Not bad for something that looks a little like a potato designed by Dr. Seuss.

🚨 SHAMELESS PLUG ALERT 🚨

Ginger pairs well with fall. To that end, we’ve got something very exciting: our Flavors of Fall Gift Basket, featuring:

• Triple ginger cookies
• Divinity bar
• Candied pecans
• Brownie Brittle (salted caramel shown)
• Sour apple candy
• Damn Good Cherries

Happy fall!

About BasketWorks

BasketWorks is a woman-owned gift basket company located in the north suburbs of Chicago (specifically Northbrook, IL) since 1997. We are proud to offer a variety of gifts and gift baskets appropriate for all occasions. Each of our packages is built to order, allowing for customization at no additional cost to our clients. Contact us today!

Please subscribe to our blog, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and LinkedIn.

There was a time when buying soap required approximately four seconds.

You went to the store, you found a white bar, and you bought it.

Perhaps you were feeling adventurous and selected a different white bar.

Soap wasn’t expected to transport you to a lavender field in Provence or make your bathroom smell like a coconut grove. Its job was straightforward: remove dirt, produce some bubbles and try not to dissolve into a mysterious blob in the soap dish.

And your job was to not get it in your eyes—especially the sharp and sterile Ivory bar—or in your mouth for uttering curse words. 

Those were simpler times.

Clean Was the Scent

For generations, household soap choices were relatively limited compared with what we have today. 

Brands such as Ivory became bathroom staples, and “clean” was essentially its own fragrance category.

Nobody picked up a bar and detected subtle notes of bergamot, sandalwood and Madagascar vanilla.

It smelled like soap, and we were perfectly fine with that.

Then Soap Discovered Fragrance

Eventually, somebody decided getting clean wasn’t enough.

Floral scents expanded. Not to be outdone, fruit joined the party, and then herbs arrived. 

Next came combinations nobody standing at a bathroom sink in 1957 could possibly have anticipated: lavender and vanilla, coconut lime, eucalyptus mint, cucumber melon, rosemary lemon, or all of those packed into one bar. 

Today, selecting soap can require the kind of contemplation once reserved for choosing wallpaper (yes, I’m aging myself). 

Do I want to smell refreshing? Relaxing? Tropical? Woodsy?

Who am I today?

The Humble Bar Got a Makeover

The transformation didn’t stop with fragrance.

Soap started appearing in different colors, shapes and textures. Handmade and artisan varieties became popular. Ingredients such as shea butter, oatmeal, goat’s milk, honey and essential oils moved onto labels.

Then liquid soaps, foaming soaps, exfoliating soaps and decorative soaps joined our sinks and showers.

At some point, soap stopped being something we hid in the bathroom and became something we displayed.

Some bars are now so attractive that using them feels vaguely destructive.

And Naturally, We Made It Seasonal

Humans cannot resist assigning fragrances to months.

Fall brings pumpkin, apple, cinnamon and spice. Winter ushers in peppermint and evergreen. Spring smells like flowers. Summer heads straight for citrus, coconut and anything suggesting we’re currently sitting near an ocean.

We don’t simply wash our hands anymore.

We observe the calendar.

Soap Became a Gift

Perhaps that’s the biggest transformation.

A plain bar of soap once ranked somewhere between toothpaste and paper towels on the gift-giving spectrum. Today, a beautifully made, wonderfully scented soap can feel indulgent, personal and genuinely fun to receive.

🫧 SHAMELESS PLUG ALERT 🫧

Which brings us to our Break from Reality Gift Basket. 

I know we’re coming off an extended weekend, but now we’re thrust back into a busy week, and when you’re done cramming everything into it, you’ll have earned some R&R. 

This basket starts with a reusable soft-sided makeup case and features soap, hand lotion, a scented candle, macaroons, and tea. 

Soap has good company. Enjoy!

About BasketWorks

BasketWorks is a woman-owned gift basket company located in the north suburbs of Chicago (specifically Northbrook, IL) since 1997. We are proud to offer a variety of gifts and gift baskets appropriate for all occasions. Each of our packages is built to order, allowing for customization at no additional cost to our clients. Contact us today!

Please subscribe to our blog, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and LinkedIn.

Pasta may be the greatest overachiever in the food world.

It starts as a mess of flour, water and sometimes eggs, yet somehow ends up as spaghetti, lasagna, ravioli, tortellini, fettuccine, baked ziti, macaroni salad and approximately 400 other things that make us loosen our belts.

That is serious range, or as the kids say, “aura.”

So, what makes pasta so ridiculously versatile?

It Gets Along With Everybody

Pasta is remarkably nonjudgmental.

Red sauce? Absolutely. Cream sauce? Of course. Pesto? Bring it on and your lovely green color. 

It works with meat, seafood, vegetables, cheese and whatever random assortment of ingredients is currently residing in your refrigerator.

There are very few foods this accommodating.

The Shape Actually Changes the Experience

Yes, technically, spaghetti and rigatoni are made from essentially the same stuff.

But tell that to someone who has strong feelings about penne.

Some shapes are made to grab thick sauces. Others are better suited for lighter ones. Tubes catch bits of meat and vegetables, and long noodles twirl dramatically around a fork.

And stuffed pasta? That’s basically pasta deciding it wasn’t doing enough already.

It Can Be Casual or Fancy

Mac and cheese on Tuesday night?

Pasta.

Handmade lobster ravioli at a restaurant where the waiter folds your napkin while you’re in the restroom?

Also pasta.

Few foods can move this effortlessly between paper plates and white tablecloths.

Pasta can feed four hungry kids after soccer practice or anchor a romantic anniversary dinner.

Try doing that with oatmeal.

Hot? Cold? Pasta Doesn’t Care

Most foods pick a temperature and stick with it.

Pasta refuses to be boxed in.

Serve it piping hot with Bolognese, bake it under a blanket of melted cheese, or chill it and toss it with vegetables and vinaigrette for a summer pasta salad.

Somehow, all three feel completely legitimate.

Pasta Comes in a Rainbow of Colors 

Pasta apparently decided shape wasn’t enough.

Walk down the pasta aisle and you’ll find noodles in shades of red, green, black, orange and just about everything in between. Some get their color from spinach, tomatoes, beets, squid ink or other ingredients.

Colored pasta changes the mood of a dish. Spinach pasta brings a little earthiness. Tomato-based pasta adds warmth. Squid ink pasta shows up looking dramatic enough to deserve its own entrance music.

When several colors are combined in one bowl, even a simple pasta dish starts to look like someone put in considerably more effort than they actually did.

Leftovers Are Rarely a Problem

Another underrated talent: pasta usually tastes pretty darn good the next day.

Sometimes even better.

That lasagna that was excellent on Sunday can become Monday lunch with almost no effort beyond locating a fork.

Versatility and laziness occasionally make wonderful partners.

🍝 SHAMELESS PLUG ALERT 🍝

You’ll never guess what this shameless plug alert gift basket has. 

If you said bowling ball pins, you’re wrong! 

Our Lotsa Pasta Gift Basket is built in a colander and twirling with Pappardelle pasta, Pasta sauce, Italian cookies, Pasta spoon, Dish towel, and of course a”Kiss the Cook” Swedish dishcloth. 

Make it a pasta night to remember!

About BasketWorks

BasketWorks is a woman-owned gift basket company located in the north suburbs of Chicago (specifically Northbrook, IL) since 1997. We are proud to offer a variety of gifts and gift baskets appropriate for all occasions. Each of our packages is built to order, allowing for customization at no additional cost to our clients. Contact us today!

Please subscribe to our blog, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and LinkedIn.

Think about tailgating objectively for a moment.

We voluntarily arrive several hours early for an event so we can stand around a parking lot, eat food from folding tables, occasionally toss beanbags into a hole, and watch some people who can’t handle their liquor. 

And we absolutely love it.

Football season is almost here, which means parking lots will soon transform into temporary neighborhoods filled with grills, coolers, folding chairs, team flags, and people who have been awake far too long for a Sunday morning.

So, why exactly do we love tailgating so much?

The Game Becomes an All-Day Affair

A football game lasts about three hours and 15 minutes. 

For serious tailgaters, that’s simply not enough.

Tailgating stretches game day into something much bigger. There’s the packing, drive, setup, food, games, conversations and, eventually, the actual football game.

Food Tastes Better in a Parking Lot

I can’t prove this scientifically, but I’m comfortable standing behind it.

A burger at your kitchen table is a burger. A burger eaten outside a stadium with charcoal essence while wearing your lucky jersey and discussing whether this is finally the year is an experience.

Tailgating food doesn’t need to be fancy. In fact, if you prepare foie gras, you’ll get run out of town in many cities. 

Burgers, brats, chili, dips, sandwiches, chips, cookies and plenty of snacks all work beautifully. The important thing is having enough.

If you have extra wings, you can throw them at the opposing team. 

Everyone Has a Role

Every tailgate has its own cast of characters.

There’s the Grill Master, who guards the cooking area with the intensity of a surgeon. There’s the Organizer, who somehow remembered napkins, utensils, garbage bags and the bottle opener. There’s the Superfan, already analyzing playoff scenarios in September.

Then there’s the person who brought nothing but has strong opinions about the doneness of meat.

You know who you are.

Tradition Is a Powerful Thing

Tailgaters return to the same spots, prepare the same foods and gather with many of the same people year after year.

Those rituals become part of football season. You remember freezing tailgates, rainy tailgates, glorious September afternoons and games you’d prefer never to discuss again.

The traditions keep bringing everyone back.

And Then There’s the Optimism

The secret ingredient.

Before kickoff, anything is possible. Your team is undefeated for the day. The questionable offseason decisions suddenly seem brilliant. That rookie could be a superstar. The playoffs? Practically inevitable.

Ultimately, tailgating gives us an excuse to eat, laugh, reconnect and spend a few hours with people we enjoy (and interlopers we tolerate) before turning our attention to the field.

If the game doesn’t go our way, at least you ate well.

🏈 SHAMELESS PLUG ALERT 🏈 

Who knows where the Bears will actually be playing their home games in a few season. What’s certain is that kickoff for their home-opener (at Soldier Field) is noon on September 20th. The other certainty is that we have a fabulous treat for Bears fans. Our Bear Down Football Gift Basket features: 100 Things Bears Fans Should Know And Do Before They Die book; Bears mug; Bears ticket desk sign; Bears chip clips; Bears pens; Bears notepads; cookies; Dipping pretzels; and Honey mustard. 

May this be the Bears’ year. 

About BasketWorks

BasketWorks is a woman-owned gift basket company located in the north suburbs of Chicago (specifically Northbrook, IL) since 1997. We are proud to offer a variety of gifts and gift baskets appropriate for all occasions. Each of our packages is built to order, allowing for customization at no additional cost to our clients. Contact us today!

Please subscribe to our blog, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and LinkedIn.

Nobody hands you a rulebook when you plant your first garden.

There isn’t a certification exam, a secret handshake, or an official membership card. Yet somewhere between your first packet of seeds and your first successful harvest, you begin following a set of unwritten rules that gardeners everywhere seem to understand.

If you’ve spent any time digging, planting, watering, or wondering why the squirrels find your backyard so fascinating, these rules may sound familiar.

Rule #1: Check on Your Plants…Frequently

Unlike humans, plants aren’t very demanding. 

They just need to be watered and photosynthesized (I sometimes wonder if I’d be better off as a plant). 

Right, anyway, most gardeners don’t simply water their plants and move on with their day. They inspect them.

Morning, afternoon, and evening all seem like perfectly reasonable times to see whether the tomatoes have grown another quarter inch or if that stubborn pepper plant has finally decided to cooperate. 

Has anything changed since breakfast? Probably not, but it’s worth checking anyway.

Rule #2: Take Weeds Personally

Weeds are jerks. 

They appear overnight, usually in the exact spot you cleared yesterday.

What begins as a quick five-minute weeding session somehow turns into an hour of determined persistence. Before long, you’re carrying a bucket full of dandelions and wondering where they all came from. 

The garden may not be weed-free, but you’ve certainly made your point.

Rule #3: Never Give Up on a Plant Too Soon

A struggling plant isn’t giving up on you; it’s having a rough week. 

Gardeners are eternal optimists. They’ll move a plant to a sunnier location, add water, trim a few leaves, adjust the soil, and offer a few encouraging words for good measure. Sometimes that extra attention pays off. 

Other times…well, every garden teaches a lesson.

Rule #4: Defend Your Garden With Honor

To rabbits, squirrels, chipmunks, and deer, a carefully planted garden looks remarkably similar to an all-you-can-eat buffet.

Gardeners respond with fencing, netting, creative deterrents, and the occasional dramatic wave from the back porch. It’s an ongoing contest, and while the score isn’t always in the gardener’s favor, hope springs eternal every growing season.

A word on chipmunks: they are the opposite of sheepish. At least a rabbit will look at you when you bust it eating your chives. Chipmunks, on the other hand, scurry away as if saying, “Nothing to see here.” 

They take no ownership for their actions. 

Rule #5: Share the Harvest

Every gardener dreams of a productive season. 

Then August arrives, and suddenly there are enough tomatoes, zucchini, herbs, or cucumbers to feed the neighborhood.

That’s when the sharing begins. Friends stop by and leave with vegetables, neighbors receive surprise deliveries, and family members quickly learn that declining fresh produce is rarely accepted as a final answer.

🌷  SHAMELESS PLUG ALERT 🌷 

And you thought we’d yammer on about gardening without having something to show for it. Did you think that? Maybe it’s just my imagination. 

Anyway, check out our awesome Gardner’s Delight Gift Basket, built in a garden-themed tin and blooming with: Seed & Sprout garden set (including a colorful half apron; hand spade and hand trowel); Garden Notes books; cookies; Davidson tea; almond or cashews; and a mini honey jar.

As Voltaire wrote, “We must cultivate our garden.” 

Go on and order this and start cultivating!

About BasketWorks

BasketWorks is a woman-owned gift basket company located in the north suburbs of Chicago (specifically Northbrook, IL) since 1997. We are proud to offer a variety of gifts and gift baskets appropriate for all occasions. Each of our packages is built to order, allowing for customization at no additional cost to our clients. Contact us today!

Please subscribe to our blog, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and LinkedIn.

When the forecast starts with “hot” and ends with “even hotter,” you know we’re in the Dog Days of Summer. 

In addition to shameless perspiration, this time is the perfect excuse to enjoy fresh food, cool drinks, and meals that don’t require turning your kitchen into a sauna. 

Whether you’re relaxing on the patio, gathering with family, or spending a quiet morning by the lake, here are five delicious ways to make the most of summer’s tastiest season.

1. Fresh Farmers Market Salads

If you’ve wandered through a farmers market lately, you’ve probably noticed that everything looks too good to pass up. 

Tomatoes are actually red, peaches smell like peaches, and rhubarb is rhubarbing.

Build a colorful salad with fresh greens, cucumbers, tomatoes, berries, or grilled corn. Add grilled chicken, shrimp, or fresh mozzarella, then drizzle on a simple homemade vinaigrette. 

It’s light, refreshing, and won’t leave you looking for a nap before the day’s over.

2. Fresh Catch on the Grill

Summer and grilling go together like sunshine and sunscreen. 

Whether you reeled in dinner yourself or made a quick stop at the local fish market, fresh fish is hard to beat this time of year.

Walleye, trout, salmon, and perch pair beautifully with grilled vegetables, fresh herbs, and a squeeze of lemon. If you spent the morning casting a line and actually caught something, congratulations—you’ve earned bragging rights along with dinner. 

If not, that’s what the fish market is for.

It’s possible that we may have a basket to plug related to fishing. 

3. Cool Treats Beyond Traditional Ice Cream

Ice cream will always have a place in summer (and fall, winter, and spring), but it’s not the only way to endure the heat.

Fruit sorbets, frozen yogurt, homemade popsicles, and smoothie bowls topped with fresh berries offer lighter options that are every bit as refreshing. They’re also a perfectly acceptable excuse to eat fruit for dessert. 

That’s called balance.

4. Refreshing Summer Beverages

Water and electrolytes—I know. 

Fresh lemonade, iced herbal tea, sparkling water infused with citrus or berries, and fruit smoothies all deliver plenty of flavor without weighing you down. 

If the day calls for something a little more celebratory (and it certainly should!) a crisp white wine or light sangria enjoyed responsibly on the patio is a nice way to toast another beautiful summer evening.

5. Patio Dining at Local Restaurants

Sometimes the best summer meal is the one someone else cooks.

Take advantage of patio season while it lasts by visiting your favorite local restaurant. Seasonal menus feature fresh seafood, grilled specialties, and produce sourced from nearby farms. 

Stay a little longer than you planned, enjoy another glass of iced tea and/or your favorite cocktail, and soak up one of those perfect summer evenings that always seem to fly by.

Summer has a funny way of disappearing just when you’ve figured out how to enjoy it. Before the calendar turns to fall, make time for a few memorable meals. 

🎣 SHAMLESS PLUG ALERT 🎣 

So, while you’re fishing, wouldn’t it be great if you had some nice treats to keep you company, along with your catches? 

Our Gone Fishing Gift Basket is awesome, if we may say so ourselves. Built in a creel shaped willow basket, it’s got: Fishing theme picture frame; Think Jerky; Realm Veggie Crisps, nuts, and other yummy snacks. 

Good luck on the lake!

About BasketWorks

BasketWorks is a woman-owned gift basket company located in the north suburbs of Chicago (specifically Northbrook, IL) since 1997. We are proud to offer a variety of gifts and gift baskets appropriate for all occasions. Each of our packages is built to order, allowing for customization at no additional cost to our clients. Contact us today!

Please subscribe to our blog, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and LinkedIn.

Granola bars are one of the few foods that can live in a purse, backpack, desk drawer, glove compartment, gym bag, or kitchen pantry and still get invited to the party.

They’re convenient, portable, and require exactly zero preparation, though you do have to figure out what to do with the crumbs that always gather at the bottom of the wrapper.

Better yet, many granola bars bring real nutritional benefits to the table, making them a smart choice when hunger strikes between meals.

Here are five reasons granola bars have earned their place in the healthy-snacking conversation.

1. They Provide Convenient Energy

Life moves fast. 

Between work, school, errands, workouts, and doom-scrolling, there isn’t always time to prepare a perfectly balanced snack.

Granola bars offer a quick source of carbohydrates, which the body converts into energy. Whether you’re heading to the gym, powering through an afternoon meeting, or trying to avoid becoming cranky while running errands, a granola bar can help bridge the gap until your next meal.

2. Many Contain Fiber

Oats are a common ingredient in granola bars, and oats are well known for their fiber content.

Fiber supports digestive health and can help you feel satisfied longer after eating. That means you’re less likely to find yourself standing in front of the pantry 30 minutes later wondering if cookies somehow count as lunch (pro tip: don’t keep cookies in the house).

Not all granola bars contain the same amount of fiber, so it’s worth checking the nutrition label when choosing one.

3. They Can Support Heart Health

These pressed, coarse foodstuffs come with impressive credentials. 

Many granola bars contain whole grains, nuts, and seeds, ingredients often associated with heart-healthy eating patterns.

Oats, almonds, walnuts, and flaxseed are commonly used in granola bars and provide nutrients that may support cardiovascular health when consumed as part of a balanced diet.

4. They Offer Important Nutrients

Depending on the ingredients, granola bars can provide vitamins, minerals, healthy fats, and protein.

Nuts and seeds contribute nutrients such as magnesium and vitamin E, while dried fruits may add antioxidants and other beneficial compounds. Some bars are also fortified with additional vitamins and minerals.

In other words, there can be a lot more happening inside a granola bar than meets the eye.

5. They Help Promote Portion Awareness

Not to give them more reasons to grow a big head, but granola bars come in pre-portioned servings, making it easier to enjoy a snack without turning it into an unofficial meal. 

That built-in portion control can be helpful for people looking to maintain healthy eating habits while still satisfying hunger between meals.

A Smart Snack Worth Keeping Around

Granola bars aren’t a magic food, and not every granola bar is created equal. Some contain more sugar than others, while some emphasize fiber, protein, or whole-food ingredients.

Still, when chosen thoughtfully, granola bars offer a convenient combination of nutrition, portability, and satisfaction that makes healthy snacking easier.

🚨 SHAMELESS PLUG ALERT 🚨

All this talk about granola bars must mean we’re up to something, and that something is our Sweet Sampler Gift Box. This one is brand-spanking new, built in a reusable sectioned wood tray, and features: Granola Bars; Stuffed Dates; Effie’s Biscuits; Dolcetto Wafer Rolls; Gummi Bears; Mixed Nuts; Chocolate Covered Cherries; Chocolate Dipped Pretzels; and more. 

Place that order!

About BasketWorks

BasketWorks is a woman-owned gift basket company located in the north suburbs of Chicago (specifically Northbrook, IL) since 1997. We are proud to offer a variety of gifts and gift baskets appropriate for all occasions. Each of our packages is built to order, allowing for customization at no additional cost to our clients. Contact us today!

Please subscribe to our blog, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and LinkedIn.

Father’s Day is coming, which means families everywhere are preparing to ask the most difficult seasonal question known to humankind:

What do you get for the guy who claims he doesn’t want anything?

This is not helpful, Dad.

Of course, “nothing” rarely means nothing. It usually means he doesn’t want anyone making a huge fuss, spending too much money, or buying him another gadget that requires an app, a firmware update, and three hours of emotional patience.

So before we get to the part where you panic-buy something vaguely grill-adjacent, let’s talk about how Father’s Day became a thing in the first place.

A Daughter Had the Idea

The story of Father’s Day traces back to Sonora Smart Dodd of Spokane, Washington.

After hearing a Mother’s Day sermon in 1909, she wondered why fathers didn’t have a day of their own. Her father, William Jackson Smart, was a Civil War veteran and widower who raised six children, which is impressive under any circumstances and especially impressive before the invention of grocery delivery, group texts, and noise-canceling headphones.

Dodd believed fathers deserved recognition too, so she started pushing for a dedicated holiday.

The first Father’s Day celebration took place in Spokane in 1910. It was local, heartfelt, and probably involved fewer novelty aprons than we have today.

The Holiday Took Its Sweet Time

Father’s Day didn’t become official overnight.

Mother’s Day was recognized nationally in 1914, but Father’s Day spent decades trying to convince the country that dads were also worth putting on the calendar. There were proclamations, campaigns, supporters, skeptics, and probably at least one person arguing that dads already had enough attention because they controlled the thermostat.

Eventually, the holiday gained momentum. In 1966, President Lyndon B. Johnson issued a proclamation recognizing the third Sunday in June as Father’s Day. In 1972, President Richard Nixon made it a permanent national holiday.

That is a very long waiting period for a holiday honoring people who already think five minutes is too long to leave the garage light on.

Then Came the Stuff

Once Father’s Day became more familiar, the gift industry did what the gift industry does.

It looked at dads and apparently decided they were interested in four things: ties, tools, golf, and meat.

To be fair, this was not completely wrong.

Still, the holiday developed a certain reputation. Mother’s Day got flowers, brunch, heartfelt cards, and emotional television commercials. Father’s Day got a rack of barbecue accessories and a card involving bodily functions.

Not exactly a balanced portfolio.

The Point Is Paying Attention

At its best, Father’s Day doesn’t involve searching high and low for the most dad-coded object in the store.

It’s about giving a little appreciation to the fathers, grandfathers, stepfathers, uncles, mentors, and father figures who have shown up in ways large and small. The people who gave rides, offered advice, fixed things, carried boxes, checked the weather, stood over the grill, told the same story again, and somehow always knew the “better way” to load the car.

Some of them are sentimental. Some would rather eat a live battery than admit it.

Either way, they like knowing someone thought of them.

🚨 SHAMELESS PLUG ALERT 🚨

If you really want to let Dad know, “You’re my guy,” then you’ll present him with our Guy Food Gift Basket. Oh yeah! This Dad-pleaser features dipping pretzels, mustard, beer cheese, sausage, nuts, cookies, and salsa. 

Father’s Day is June 21st, so get those orders in!

About BasketWorks

BasketWorks is a woman-owned gift basket company located in the north suburbs of Chicago (specifically Northbrook, IL) since 1997. We are proud to offer a variety of gifts and gift baskets appropriate for all occasions. Each of our packages is built to order, allowing for customization at no additional cost to our clients. Contact us today!

Please subscribe to our blog, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and LinkedIn.