Offbeat Food Baskets For Christmas

Still sending baskets of pasteurized cheese and dusty sausage for the holidays? Shame on you. With a little thought — and less money than you might spend on mundane, ready-made selections — you can create unique baskets filled with thoughtful South Florida treats that capture the individual tastes of those fussy foodie friends.

Where to start? Thrift shops — they’re gift-basket treasure chests. Shelves overflow with classic and unusual shapes — fish, ducks, sailboats, wine presses — in straw, bamboo, wrought iron and wood. They’re usually in great condition, and they’re super cheap. (The ones we used, from North Miami’s Red, White & Blue thrift shop, were $3 or less.)

What to put inside? Listen to your friends. Observe what they eat (and don’t eat). Then be creative. Here are four ideas to get you started.

GREEN BASKET

For downward-dogging locavore, the key is to rusticate, recycle and reinvent. We lined this basket with a thrift-shop sari ($5) and loaded it with earthy, artsy goodies:

• Brushes & Bottles gift certificate: The Fort Myers-based company

There are so many WONDERFUL ideas in this article, you won’t want to miss it. >> Read the rest of Offbeat Food Baskets here >> Jazz up your gift-giving with offbeat food baskets – Living – MiamiHerald.com.