By Candace Byington, Kendra Bills, and Chris Watson
Who says Easter baskets are for kids? Only people who don’t like Easter baskets. Whether given for the religious holiday or simply to celebrate spring, baskets at this time of year can be more than just your black jelly beans and robins eggs (obviously Chris’s favorites). Spring baskets can brighten up any day, week, or simply celebrating the emergence from the long, dark evenings of winter. And they don’t have to be candy (although we list some of our favorite candy places as well). Check out some of these inovative and intreresting places to construct a basket for friends, coworkers, partners, friends and family. No egg hunting, coloring, or eating is required…
Walt Churchill’s Market
Who says Easter Baskets are just for children? Who says Easter Baskets need to be filled with plastic grass, jellybeans and chocolate molded into eggs and rabbits? We do not play by these rules! Surprise and delight an adult this Easter with a basket full of their favorite barbecue or hot sauce! Offer someone special a delicious tour of Italy in a festive basket. Walt Churchill’s Market in Maumee is an ideal one stop to create one of these non-traditional baskets. They have a variety of barbecue and pasta sauces that are locally made. Their available hot sauces come from Louisiana and Mexico. Pasta choices can even be enjoyed by followers of the gluten free diet. You can even find a small size of nopalitos ideal for cooking a meal for a single or a pair. Think outside of the egg this Easter and gift someone a unique basket!
In Bloom Flowers, Maumee
Kendra from In Bloom Flowers Recomends: “In keeping with the essential oil trend our first basket or container would be made with a variety of succulent plants finished with moss or lava rock, something porous. Then add a bottle of their favorite essential oil/oils for them to pour on the rocks or moss. You will then have a natural living diffuser to enjoy in your home or office.
Do you have a gardner in you life? Maybe a basket filled with seed packets, new gardening gloves, sunscreen, a new pair of clippers or hand shovel would please them to no end!
Know a fisherman? A tackle box filled with lures, bobbers, fishing line and hooks, a bag of gummy worms and a box of Swedish fish with a gift card to the local tackle and bait shop might be just the thing!
A new trend we’ve seen for guys is a throw back to the gentlemanly grooming accoutrements such as shaving soap, lathering brushes, razors, shaving lotions and beard balms, etc.. If you have a guy that loves to be perfectly groomed all the time, this would certainly please!
Grounds for Thought
Well worth a drive to Bowling Green, Grounds for Thought in downtown is a perfect blend of used book store and coffee shop. They specialize in small batch roasting and because they don’t make mass quantities they have a really excellent selection of flavored coffees and specialty roasts, perfect for anyone who wants to experiment with different coffees but not commit to whole pounds. Plus they have records and comic books. A cool place to hang out, a great place to build a spring or Easter basket for the reader and coffee drinker in your life (or just treat yourself).
Christies Candies and Mints
If you decide to create an Easter basket for the chocolate lover in your life, look no further than Christie’s Candy and Mints. Candace shopped the Glendale location and was amazed by the selection of chocolate eggs and molded bunnies. This locally owned store offers more than just these sweet traditional treats. There are dark and milk chocolate eggs filled with coconut, fudge and raspberry to name a few! These tasty eggs are decorated in colorful pastel flowers. It’s more than filled eggs though! There are cordials (including one in margarita flavor) as well as chocolate covered espresso beans. In addition you will find chocolate bark and pretzels, chocolate molded into roses, crayons and bunnies as well as nests. Get your order in soon! Peter Cottontail is hippity hopping on the bunny trail!
Ben Franklin
The Ben Franklin store in Bowling Green has that classic, general store mash up of toys, collectables, art supplies, crafts, and fudge. Yes, the handmade fudge is a draw but so is the bulk jelly beans, classic candies, and some cool old fashioned candies that are hard to find anywhere else.
