OK, so it's December 24th, and you completely forgot to buy a gift for your Aunt Loretta or your girlfriend's sister, who you weren't really thinking of buying anything for but you just found out that she's buying something for you so now you feel like you have to get something for her but all of the stores are closing and the only thing open is the local supermarket. What can you do?
Luckily, even supermarkets can yield some Christmas gifts you wouldn't be ashamed of giving to someone. Here are a few suggestions.
Meats and Cheeses: Really, this is a classy gift whether you get it at a supermarket or cheese shop. Get a good mixture of different cheeses and various meats, put them in a nicely adorned basket or Christmas box, and you have yourself a really nice gift. And if you add a bottle of wine and some nice crackers to the package, that's even better.
Wine: Speaking of wine, it really can be the perfect gift. Just make sure you make a quick phone call to find out from another family member or friend what this person likes (red or white) and even if they drink wine at all. Or maybe play it safe and buy one bottle of red and one bottle of white. If they don't like one of them they can always save it and crack it open when they have guests.
Fruit Baskets: Yeah, some people think this is a cliched gift, but if you make it look really great, with a nice basket and bows and really put some time and thought into it, this will be really loved. A lot of people actually don't get fruit baskets for gifts nowadays, and this will be appreciated.
Chocolate: I can remember when my local supermarket sold only the most basic of chocolate (Hershey's, Nestle, bags of candy), but now most of them also sell higher end chocolate like Lindt and Ghirardelli. Get a bunch of them together and put them in a nice box and it will look like a special set you ordered direct from the company. Mixing it up with milk chocolate, dark, and white will really make it look great.
Coffees and Teas: I did this for my older sister one year when I was a kid. I knew she liked coffee and tea, so I bought her various boxes of teas from the store, along with crackers and chocolate, and put them in a nice box with that green grass stuff lined on the bottom. She loved it. It's really a gift they'll remember, since they'll probably use it every single day for the next two or three months.
Grocery Gift Cards: I got one of these one year several years ago when I was out of a job and eating pasta every single night, so I really appreciated it. I think I bought more pasta with it, but I also bought other things.
A Magazine Subscription: I would love to get this for Christmas. Most supermarkets have a magazine section, so if you have someone on your list who loves to cook, buy a copy of Gourmet or Bon Appetit or Every Day with Rachael Ray and a card announcing that you've bought them a year's subscription. It's a gift they'll get every single month until next Christmas.














