Every year for our company holiday party, each member of management donates a gift basket that means something to them personally, and an employee is drawn at random to win the prize. For example, our CFO has donated a "basket of cash" for several years running, and another manager--an avid home brewer--donated a beer basket.
This year, I have enjoyed learning more about all the great things that are grown and made in Frederick County, Maryland, so I decided to do a "Made in Frederick" basket. I have been slowly gathering the items for my basket for about a month, thanks to some great suggestions from my Twitter friends. (I could have found more too, but the party's tomorrow!)
So, what might you find in a Made in Frederick basket? (Note: the actual basket, as far as I can tell, was not made in Frederick. It is recycled from a very nice gift of wine and dark chocolate I received last year from some people who obviously know me very well. The cat is not happy about this, as she rather enjoyed sleeping in this particular kitty-sized basket.)
- Elk Run Vineyard wine - I chose a chardonnay, since that's all the liquor store was offering, and I didn't have time to visit the vineyard. (Making this basket could really be a full-time job.)
- Flying Dog Double Dog Double Pale Ale - I sent my husband out for this one, with the request only that he didn't choose the Raging Bitch... this is a work party, after all.
- Dublin Roasters Guatelmalan Antigua artisan roasted coffee, hand-roasted in New Market, Md. I was hoping for some Highlander Grogg, but the selection is whatever's been recently roasted. I also picked up a couple other items for the basket in their cute little store, including:
- Local honey from Bill McGiffin's apiary in Mt. Airy, Md., and
- A selection of Seven Angels lotions, made in New Market. I think I've seen them at farmers markets too.
- While in New Market, I stopped at the New Market General Store, hoping for something small by a local artist. I found McCutcheon's Buttermilk Pancake and Waffle Mix, and some Swedish fish (for my husband, not the basket).
- And what basket would be complete without chocolate? First, a variety box from Perfect Truffle in Frederick's Shab Row.
- Finally, my personal favorite, a Raw Bar (with cocoa nibs) and an Espresso Bar from Zoe's Chocolate, a relatively new addition to downtown Frederick.
Here are some photos of my adventures along the way:
Dublin Roasters - very cute, but easy to miss if you aren't looking closely. (Their coffee is also available at the Common Market in Frederick.) It smells heavenly in there. If you think heaven must smell like freshly roasted coffee, which I do.
New Market General Store - it's like a trip back in time.
A sampling from Perfect Truffle (this was similar to the one in the basket, but was for, um, personal consumption). My husband loved the cayenne flavor (the red one).
And, finally, at Zoe's, where I had some assistance with my selections.
Now, I'm finally in the holiday spirit. (See, all it takes is chocolate...)
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