You can make the one in the photo, just by adding tree ornaments to a glass bowl.

For a food theme, substitute some of the ornaments with pomegranates and lemons. Push some cloves into the lemons for more visual interest and aroma.

You can also visit the produce department of a fine supermarket (or a produce store) to see what looks good. Look for:

For accents, consider:

 
Arrange in a glass bowl or a basket, and you’ve got your centerpiece. Tie a ribbon around the bowl or basket for more festiveness.
  

Not just good-looking: These brownies and
blondies rock the taste buds, too. Photo
courtesy Sugardaddy’s.

In addition to overall deliciousness, Sugardaddy’s brownies and blondies are different: round and individually boxed in reusable acrylic containers

They’ve got the delectable factor, the novelty factor and the memorability factor. They make great gifts, whether it’s just one brownie or ten.

Choose your flavors from luscious “Brunettes” (brownies) and “Blondes” (blondies). Get ready to drool over:

Chocolate Brownie Flavors

 
Brown Sugar Blondie Flavors

 
How can you resist?
 

We’ll buy the least expensive brands of commodity products, such as ammonia, bleach and white vinegar—products that are essentially chemical compounds with no performance enhancers. But we never skimp on paper towels (or facial and bathroom tissue, either). We find big performance differences.

If you’ve bought both inexpensive and premium paper towels, you know that the bargains are often no bargain. You can use twice as much, if not more, of most bargain paper towels to do the same job as Bounty. We spill a lot, so it‘s no surprise that we’re a Bounty loyalist.

Our experience is confirmed by a study in the January 2012 issue of Consumer Reports. It put 23 different paper towels through their paces, testing for absorption, scrubbing and wet strength.

Plain Bounty took top honors with a score of 90 (cost: $2.38 per 100 square feet). Bounty Extra Soft took second place, with a score of 84 ($2.82 per 100 square feet). It didn’t fare as well on wet strength, which measures the force required to pull apart a wet paper towel. Their sibling Bounty Basic, performed far less well, with just 66 points ($1.90 per 100 square feet).

But the third place winner proved that you don’t have to pay big bucks for good paper towels: Target’s Up & Up, Eastern version: 81 points and $2.15 per 100 square feet. The Western version, made by a different supplier, did not perform as well, scoring 69 points.

Just off the podium was Brawny at 80 points; but it’s one of the costlier brands, at $3.20 per 100 square feet.

Prices for paper towels range widely, notes the report, which is available to Consumer Reports subscribers. You can pay as little as $1.46 or as much as $5.12 per 100 square feet.

For example, Walmart’s Great Value paper towels cost $1.82 per 100 square feet and were very good at 75 points. Also with 75 points, Costco’s Kirkland Signature paper towels performed well and were the cheapest brand reviewed, at $1.47 per 100 square feet. (Here again, the eastern version outranked the Signature West, which scored 71 points.)

Higher Price Doesn’t Mean Higher Performance

Proving that higher price doesn’t equate to higher performance. Earth Friendly Products, made from 100% recycled paper and the lowest rated, with a score of 26, was the second the costliest, at $4.75 per 100 square feet. The costliest: Kleenex Viva, with a 76 rating and a price of $5.12 per 100 square feet.

A final note from the report: There are currently few or no governmental regulations for many of the “green” claims on paper towels. But “recycled” claims do have some merit, so if you prefer a green product, look for a high percentage of post-consumer recycled content. Just remember: If it takes twice as many towels to mop up, it’s not helping the environment.

To see the full report, subscribe to Consumer Reports.
  

A gift basket with enough ham for a party! Photo courtesy TommyMoloneys.com.

A Hickory Valley Farms ham gift basket from Tommy Moloney’s might be just what they’d like to dig a fork into.

We received one as a gift. The generously sized boneless ham, between 12 and 15 pounds, was especially appreciated by THE NIBBLE staff because the salt content is noticeably less than with many other hams—we often find that other hams are significantly over-salted.

Tommy Moloney’s processes the ham with a sherry and maple cure and applewood smoke. It even has a charming skin pattern, a “quilted” look that is made by the netting in which the ham is smoked. Fully trimmed, there’s no fat to score. It’s 100% meat for eating.

The ham arrived in a nice, reusable basket (which we immediately repurposed to hold mail and magazines). It’s ready to heat and eat (or enjoy cold), and is packaged with all the necessary garnishes: a jar of Colman’s English Mustard; bottles of cloves, cinnamon and sea salt (not needed!); a packet of honey ham glaze; and, for those who want gravy, a box of Bisto gravy granules.

How Much Ham Per Person?

General guidelines cite 1/4 pound (4 ounces) to 1/3 pound (5.3 ounces) per serving. Splitting the difference, you’ll get at least 38 portions of ham—which we can aver, as we’ve been enjoying the ham for the past week. (See our tips for using leftover ham.)

And now the good news: The ham gift basket is on sale through the end of the holiday season for $98.00, a 30% discount off the regular price of $140.00.

Hungering for ham? Head to TommyMoloneys.com.

Find more of our favorite hams, recipes, and the different types of hams in our Pork Section.

Whatever your holiday cocktail or soft drink, a garnish of bright yellow starfruit is an easy way to make it festive.

Larger starfruit slices can be notched and set on the rim of the glass (see photo). Smaller slices can be threaded onto a cocktail pick—alone, or with a red raspberry and green mint leaf.

There are two types of starfruit—one sweet and one tart. You can’t tell them apart by looking, so ask the produce manager. Sweet starfruit makes for better eating—and is a far tastier garnish for dinner plates, platters, salad plates and desserts. Stand a slice upright on a cupcake!

How To Eat A Starfruit
Just wash, dry and slice. The peel and seeds are meant to be eaten. As with an apple, you can take a big bite from the whole fruit, but eating star-shaped fruit slices is a much niftier experience.

Here are more tips on starfruit, also known as carambola.

Find more of our favorite fruits in our Gourmet Fruits Section.