The fine art of gift giving

I don’t know anyone that doesn’t like to receive gifts. I know I do, but I oftentimes find it more rewarding to be the giver than the receiver. Or is that the gifter than the giftee?  I don’t know but you get the point. Pressies are nice and we should all make an effort to share either by being a thoughtful gift giver or a grateful recipient as they are equally important.

Every now and then…..

I am the fortunate recipient of a thoughtful, unique and useful gift. One that the giver put some thought into about who I am what makes me tick. And that makes me smile. This Christmas I received just such an item. Olive oil. Yes, olive oil.

Being married to a man with Sicilian heritage you quickly learn that there are some important rules in the kitchen. Like making your own ravioli….by the hundreds of dozens or calling the spaghetti sauce “gravy” and never, ever take an Italian or a Sicilian out to eat at a restaurant chain with “Olive” in it’s name. But most important is that the men can cook and they know that the beginning of nearly every worthy Italian dish is quality olive oil. Whether you use it to saute’ onions and peppers, drizzle on your spinach or make chocolate cake, this golden green elixir is the essence of being Italian.

Presentation

The idea behind this wonderful gift from daughter “A” and her family is that you adopt an olive tree in Italy. The recipient is notified by mail of the adoption and then based on the choices at the time of the adoption you are then rewarded by one or more shipments of oil pressed from your tree. If you wish to purchase additional shipments or products they are available here. Organic farming practices are preserved along with family heritage and we get to revel in the delightful oil. The way I see it, it is a win-win for all involved.

First for the Christmas holiday we received the adoption papers for our olive tree with a booklet that explained how the program works and how it benefits those farming these groves. With the paperwork brings the anticipation of the arrival of the actual oil.

It’s Here!

I was so excited to see this sweet little box arrive in my mailbox. Nicely packaged in a heavy container with the Nudo logo.

The lovely and well thought out packaging is evident upon opening the box. Additional adoption information about my tree and the grove from which this oil came. Three nice tins of oil packed in a row with cheerful green, black and white olives on them. These tins with collapsible spouts are good to ship and even easier to recycle. They also help to preserve the color and flavor of the oil by not exposing it to light unlike the glass bottles of oil that you can purchase in the grocery.

 

There is also a nice label on the back of each tin that tells a bit more about the grove and the grower that produced the olive oil that now graces your table. It didn’t take very long for me to pull out a piece of nice crusty bread and dip it into this beautiful, earthy and very complex oil.

 

Bellisimo!