Archive for the 'Father's Day' Category

Strange, Strange Delicacies

Posted by giftguy, Mar 28th, 2008

Think you know an adventurous eater? Give them a true test with these exotic, epicurean delights from Edible.com

croc_curry.jpg Green Crocodile Curry - This curry has been made in Bangkok especially for Edible to a traditional Thai recipe. It contains fresh farm raised Crocodile meat and fragrant vegetables, herbs and spices. It is cooked so all you need to do is open the can, heat and it is best served with steamed jasmine rice.The sale of this product helps the conservation of Wild Siamese Crocodiles in South East Asia which are critically endangered!
hornet_honey.jpg Giant Hornet Honey - This honey is collected in a farm on a remote Island in Southern Japan, from Giant Japanese Hornets. The hornet is placed on a needle to enable the enzymes in its body to be released into the honey. The honey is very fluid and tastes delicious, somewhat like honey that has been mixed with port or brandy. The Giant Japanese Hornet is the largest species of wasp in the world, and it contains special enzymes in its body which are reputed to increase strength and energy levels. Giant Japanese Hornets have one of the most incredible stamina’s of any living creature and this stamina can be temporarily passed into the system of those who consume it.
lizard_wine.jpg Lizard Wine - This Brandy like liquor is produced by steeping Rice Wine in a clay vat full of Tokay Gecko Lizards and Ginseng. After a 12 month fermentation process has taken place, the liquor is then strained resulting in this green colored drink. Consumption of Lizard Wine is said to ward off evil and to improve vision!
mopani_worms.jpg Mopani Worms - Mopane’s are a staple part of the diet in Southern Africa, they are harvested twice a year and sold in the local markets.The mopane worm is the brightly colored caterpillar of the Emperor Moth. It gets its name from living on the leaves of the mopane tree.The worms are hand picked or shaken off the trees.The local collector’s squeeze the Caterpillars to remove their bright green ‘guts’ and then they are cooked in a cauldron of salty water until the water has evaporated, they are then dried in the Hot African Sun. Their protein content is three times that of beef, weight for weight, and they are traditionally cooked in a stew containing tomatoes and onions.The biggest worms have the best flavor as they contain more fat ; the texture is similar to tofu or soya meat and they taste a little like dried fish, but they seem to soak up the flavor of whatever they are cooked with. Mopane’s can also be eaten as they are as a snack like, ‘jerky’.
scorpians.jpg Detoxified Uncooked Scorpions - Just rinse in cold water then they can be either fried in oil for 15-20 seconds till crisp and served with a sweet chili dip.Or you can bake them in the oven on 170 degrees till dry and crisp then toss them in salt and pepper as an interesting movie snack or party appetizer!

If you’re lucky, your gift recipient will share!


Outdoor Home TheaterWhat would make you the perfect wife, girlfriend or kid?  Well I am no expert but I am pretty sure it would involve giving the man in your life an “Outdoor Home Theater System.” 

I don’t know how well it works or how feasible it is but it looks really awesome.  And for $999 it seems like a good deal. 

Here is part of the description from Amazon:

“Inflatable home theater screen and your own projector let you create a ‘drive-in’ experience right in your own backyard. Big, weatherproof 8-ft. screen inflates in just 4 minutes with the powered air pump. Connect the two weatherized outdoor amplified speakers with full range sound and you’re ready to watch a movie or the big game with your family or friends.”

Just think…A beautiful spring day, grilling outside, drinking a few beverages and watching a baseball game on your outdoor theater.  Now that sounds like a day any guy would like…and MsGift too.


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eBay Gift Certificates Overview

I hope it’s a good idea because I just gave one to MsGift for her birthday!

But, I thought about it a bit before I went ahead and purchased it. First, while I know MsGift very well, I don’t actually think she uses eBay all that often. At least it hasn’t come up in the last year and a half (and we talk Internet stuff every day).

So, why would I decide on that as a gift?

  • It’s a unique gift
  • If she doesn’t use eBay now, she might enjoy exploring it a bit (knowing she has some $$ to spend for free)
  • You can buy almost anything there
  • An eBay gift certificate can help you buy some pretty cool stuff that you wouldn’t see on Amazon or other shopping sites (like some of the items I talked about in my post about helping someone start a collection)
  • Honestly, it was quick & easy (and I think I would have had a hard time figuring out what store to go to - although I bet I could have gone to someplace local and “funky” to get a fun/funny present)

The downside to giving an eBay gift certificate:

  • The recipient might find it a bit of a pain in the… to buy something on eBay if they are not used to shopping there
  • Like any gift certificate, it could just go unused
  • Invariably, the $$ amount will likely either cause the recipient to pony up more of their own money, or there will be an unused remnant that will just sit there in limbo

I’m hoping that MsGift will someday share her experience on this site about receiving and using this little B-day present…


Help Someone Start a Collection

Posted by giftguy, Mar 07th, 2008

Here’s a unique gift idea - help someone start a collection of some kind.

I got this idea initially because I saw that a friend of mine had a really cool collection he was building for himself. He started collecting stock certificates of companies that had either gone bankrupt or were no longer in existence:

stock_enron.jpg stock_pennsylvania_railroad.jpg stock_gray_manufacturing.jpg
Enron Penn. Railroad Company Gray Manufacturing Co.

He would buy them on eBay and then frame them. This collection made sense for him because he is a portfolio manager at a financial services firm.

(A train fan might also like this idea if all of the stock certificates were for railroad companies of yesteryear.)

My former brother-in-law had a collection of antique fans:

american_electric_fan_1925.jpg emerson_brass_fan_1909.jpg victor_fan_1933.jpg

I have a small collection of antique mini oil lamps. I prefer the copper/brass bottom and glass top, but there are many, many varieties to choose from:

blue_glass_mini_lamps.jpg pink_glass_mini_lamps.jpg 3_mini_oil_lamps.jpg

Here are some other ideas for collections:

Feel free to share other kinds of collections that would make good gifts…


Stainless Steel Playing Cards

Posted by giftguy, Jan 16th, 2008

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The FreshTrend gift blog provided this cool suggestion for Stainless Steel Cards.

So, while it’s not our idea, it seemed like a pretty cool gift for someone who enjoys playing cards and/or someone who has everything.

Anyone for a game of poker, blackjack, cribbage, war, or go fish? 


  

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