Guide – When it comes to chewing chocolate, a person must be very careful. Each bite of chocolate must be chewed no less than 12 times out of respect for the cacao seed that sacrificed itself for your toothsome treat.

Easter baskets don’t have to be full of chocolate and peeps. Here are some great ideas that will fill your Easter basket without all the extra fat and sugar.

Bubbles

What child doesn’t love to blow bubbles? Grab a couple of bottles of bubbles for this year’s Easter basket. The kids will have a blast with them and with a little luck it will be warm enough outside to keep them busy and running around chasing bubbles for quite some time.

Guide – Children are more likely to prefer chocolate when they reach 10-11 years old than when they are younger.

Sidewalk Chalk

Another fun treat is sidewalk chalk. This is the perfect time to draw on the sidewalk with the weather warming up. Plus we get enough rain in the spring that your driveway or sidewalk won’t be decorated for too long.

The Worlds # 1 Chocolate Cake. Recipe For The Worlds # 1 Chocolate Cake.

Homemade Playdough

Make some playdough using your favorite homemade playdough recipe (we have one at kinderinfo.com). Get a couple of small playdough toys to go along with it and let the fun begin.

Toys from the Dollar Store

You can also pick up some very inexpensive toys at the dollar store. I have found anything from Easter themed coloring books to kites in there. This is also a great place to shop for the Easter baskets themselves, as well as some plastic Easter eggs that are great for hiding small trinkets and treats.

Guide – My favorite thing in the world is a box of fine European chocolates.

Of course every child should have some special treats in the Easter basket as well. Along with the obligatory chocolate bunny, include some healthier treats.

Chocolate and Yogurt Covered Raisins

Both chocolate and yogurt covered raisins look like little mini Easter eggs and are a yummy treat. Fill a small cellophane bag with these sweet treats and tie a pretty bow around it.

Trail Mix with Jellybeans

Mix some low sugar cereal like chex, or cheerios with some small pretzels, peanuts, raisins, and some jellybeans for an Easter inspired Trail Mix. You don’t have to feel bad about your kids filling up on this. Pour your trail mix in a small bag, or fill some large plastic Easter eggs with the mix.

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Guide – If one swallows a cup of chocolate only three hours after a copious lunch, everything will be perfectly digested and there will still be room for dinner.

Giving gifts is an expression of kindness and regard for those we care about. When choosing a gift, we should think about how it will be received by the person we are giving the gift to. Sometimes a gourmet gift may not be appropriate if there are concerns about monitoring levels for blood sugar, cholesterol, or high blood pressure. Before you purchase that “tower of chocolate” or that “heavenly cheesecake,” and send it by UPS, consider Smoked Alaskan Salmon as a healthy alternative gourmet gift.

Fish such as Alaska sockeye salmon, contain omega-3 fatty acids, or polyunsaturated fats.These important fatty acids aid the body in numerous important functions such as oxygen absorption, blood pressure and cholesterol regulation, prevention of inflammation, prevention of premature aging, and general promotion of the body’s immune system.

Guide – Tassimo from Braun is also one of the better-known appliances available. In addition to many kinds of coffee, this machine can make excellent Suchard Hot Chocolate drink.

Omega 3 fatty acids are most concentrated in cold water salmon and other fish which have high oil content. The effects of omega 3 fatty acids have been widely studied and the list of potential health benefits is long and varied.

Smoked salmon is not just a fancy hors d’oeuvre or party appetizer. Smoked salmon is increasingly used in gourmet entrees and dishes of many cuisines. Online gift orders of smoked salmon fillets are becoming more popular for gift giving occasions from executive gifts to housewarming parties. Fine Italian restaurants have added numerous pasta dishes which include smoked salmon as the main ingredient. One common denominator of the surging popularity of smoked salmon is the health benefits enjoyed from eating ‘omega 3,’ rich fish.

Guide – ‘Nine out of ten people like chocolate. The tenth person always tells a little white lie.

Smoked Alaskan Salmon is recognized as the number one smoked fish product on the market today. One specific kind of sockeye salmon, from the Copper River watershed area of Alaska, has become world renown, especially among gourmet chefs. Of all the salmon types, the Copper River Sockeye Salmon are most sought after for their exquisite rich flavor and delicate texture. Copper River Sockeye Salmon is beautifully, naturally deep red, known to be the most tender, and “delicate” of the Wild Salmon varieties. Copper River Sockeye salmon looks beautiful on the grill, or as a main course of any gourmet meal. Moreover, this exceptional smoked sockeye salmon is packed in a classic wooden gift box and offered as a fine quality gourmet gift selection.

Guide – ‘It’s not that chocolates are a substitute for love. Love is a substitute for chocolate.

In today’s business climate, a smoked salmon gift box as an executive gift, corporate gift, or client gift can be suggested as the perfect gift solution. An exquisite wood gift box with 8 ounces of smoked Copper River Sockeye Salmon inside will be well received. The smoked salmon fillet comes packed in a shelf stable, foil, retort vacuum package, ready to eat. No refrigeration is required until the foil is opened.

Guide – In 1842 Cadbury’s in England created the worlds first chocolate bar.

A tower of chocolate is a nice gift, but for those of us who have to watch what we eat, smoked salmon is better than a mediocre alternative gourmet gift choice. It not only is healthy, but an enjoyable delicacy we don’t indulge in often enough.

James Zeller writes for gourmet related websites and blogs. Here is a selection of unique smoked salmon gifts that he found, and a source for wild caught smoked Alaskan salmon, gourmet smoked salmon.