Gourmet Goodness ... and a Giveaway!

Warning do not read on an empty stomach! Our latest gourmet picks will surely have your mouth watering. This edition of Gourmet Goodness includes several treasures we had never heard of before. Whether your preference is healthy eating or you're looking for a gift idea or a decadent dessert, we hope you'll find a new favorite. After visiting the featured websites, be sure to send us an email to win the prize of your choice from our gift closet, details below.

The Savory Snack Basket from The Fruit Company is a gift basket the recipient won't soon forget. Ya'll know by now how I much I adore the element of surprise in giving and receiving gift baskets. It's so many gifts in one...and foodie baskets are my fave. This one is chock full of just picked from the orchard apples and pears as well as cheese, crackers, dried fruit, sweet and hot pepper relish {LOVE} and summer sausage. Everything you need to have yourself a little party...yes, I recommend ordering one for yourself as well. Impeccable packaging and arrives in a reuseable basket. $59.95 at thefruitcompany.com

The Virgin Diet Cookbook is chock-full of delicious recipes that are free of soy, sugar, dairy, gluten, dairy, eggs, artificial sweeteners, corn and peanuts. If you struggle with losing weight, food sensitivities, and allergies, I highly recommend this book. JJ Virgin suggests eliminating these known allergens for 3 weeks to zero in on the culprit and replacing them with anti-inflammatory foods that will boost your metabolism. Delicious recipes include Butternut Squash "Fries", Chicken Marsala and many more. As someone who as struggled with food allergies for years, this is the best cookbook I have found for creative recipes free of allergy-prone ingredients. $28 at virgindietcookbook.com. 

For a refreshing pick-me-up try Nescafe's Dolce Gusto Peach Iced Tea. It's a perfectly frothy blend of sweet tea with a hint of juicy peaches. Perfect for relaxing on the front porch, afternoon tea, garden parties, or anytime you want a special treat. It whips up in less than a minute in the must-have Dolce Gusto machine. Be sure to try the cappuccino ice too, hot or cold, it's fantastic. $9.49 for a box of 16 capsules at dolce-gusto.us 

I searched high and low for CedarLane Natural Foods' all-natural frozen meals at several local groceries and they were definitely worth the chase. The Garden Vegetable Lasagna is made with organic pasta, spinach, and mozzarella in a delicious sauce, it has 8 grams of protein and is only 140 calories for a 10-oz. serving!! I also tried the Gluten Free Eggplant Parmesan with Roasted Vegetables and Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce which was the best frozen meal I've ever tasted and better than a lot of restaurant's Eggplant Parmigiana. Impressive! SRP: $4.00, {$5.19 at Lowes Foods}. A store locator is available at cedarlanefoods.com.

Better hide the cookie jar if it's filled with Amazing Clubs Cookie of the Month Club. A bright red logo tin is filled with 2-lbs. of sweetly delicious cookies that taste like they just came out of Grandma's oven. We tried Oatmeal Raisin and White Chocolate Chip...as fresh and scrumptious as homemade. Makes the perfect gift and guaranteed to please. Seasonal, 3, 6, and 12-month subscriptions available starting at $27.95 per month. AmazingClubs.com. 

For those who prefer baking their own cookies, Scratch and Grain's Cookie Mixes include pre-measured ingredients, just add butter and an egg. These fun cookie kits make baking easy and are a great rainy day activity with the kiddies. Yummy flavors include Oatmeal Raisin, Chocolate Chip, Classic Sugar Cookie, Gluten-Free Snickerdoodle, Gluten Free Chewy Peanut Butter, and Gluten-Free Chocolate Truffle. $7.49 per box, multi-packs also available at scratchandgrain.com.

Calling all Bacon Lovers, yes you..and you...and you!! Bacon Freak's Bacon of the Month Club will have you saying we-we- weeeeee all the way home! Monthly subscriptions include 2 different packages of bacon hand-rubbed with flavors and spices, and a "Bacon is Meat Candy" t-shirt packed in a cute little piggy box. We tried the good ol' Hickory Smoked and the Sun-dried Tomato. So flavorful, what a difference vs. store-bought bacon. 3, 6, and 12-month subscriptions are available. Prices start at $145.95 for a 3-month subscription. To enter hog heaven, visit baconfreak.com.

NAR Natural Early Harvest Extra Virgin Olive Oil is crafted from a single type of olives in the NAR gardens. The olives are cold pressed the same day they are collected by hand never touching the soil or falling to the ground. It has an exceptionally smooth fruity taste, perfect for dipping just baked bread. NAR offers a variety of gourmet products including jams, honey, teas, condiments, spices, and vinegars. We also tried the Apricot Marmalade, totally delish! A 6.9 oz. bottle of Natural Early Harvest Extra Virgin Olive Oil retails for $12.90 on Amazon.

Make sure Magnolia Milkbars are on your grocery list. Flavors include Mango, Thai Tea, Halo Halo, Azuki Red Bean and our new obsession, Coconut. Decadently creamy, they're made with all-natural California dairy and real sweet young coconut. Tropically delicious. SRP: $4.49 for a box of 4 milkbars. A store locator is available on MagnoliaPlease.com.

Potato, Cheddar and Jalepeno Pierogi are Polana's newest flavor and are sure to be a best-seller. Made with freshly whipped Idaho potatoes, freshly grated cheddar cheese and spicy jalepeno peppers, they have just the right "kick" to them to spice up a side or main dish. Saute in melted butter and a little water on low heat until brown on both sides, serve with a dollop of sour cream. 12 Pierogi retail for $8.99 at Polana.com. 

For a healthy alternative to soda and sugary juices, try Dei Fratelli Truly Veggie Juice. Every 33.8 oz. recloseable carton contains approximately 12 tomatoes...yes, 12! Plus celery, carrots, beets, green pepper, sea salt, onions, and garlic. It's absolutely delicious and even the kids will love it. Makes a fantastic "Virgin Mary" too, just add a celery stalk, a dash of tabasco or Worcestershire sauce and sprinkle with pepper. Checkout their all-natural, gluten-free Truly Tomatoes too. $19.99 for a 6 pack at deifratelli.com.

If you haven't tried Anastasia Confections Classic Original Coconut Patties, you don't know what you're missing! They're even available in special packaging for Spring. Deliciously decadent and made fresh daily in Orlando, Florida. Other flavors include key lime, pina colada, mango, almond, orange and run. A box of 9 retails for $5.99 at anastasiaconfections.com.

Chic Giveaway! ~ One reader will win the prize of their choice from our gift closet.

To Enter, Email chicgiveaway@gmail.com and include the following: {we will not clog your inbox with emails nor do we share your email with sponsors, we only email giveaway winners}.

• "Gourmet Goodness" in the subject line
• your first and last name
• complete mailing address
• twitter id 
• facebook name 

If you're entering our giveaways, we ask that you follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest as well as our sponsors. 

If you wish to tweet about this giveaway, here's a sample tweet for your convenience ~

Gourmet Goodness #Giveaway #Win the prize of your choice from @ChicLuxuries' gift closet. EASY entry: ow.ly/w8t2V

Giveaway ends 11:59 PM ET June 1, 2014. Limit one entry per person and email address. Winner will be notified by email and announced on our Winner's page. Winner will have 48 hours to claim prize. Open to US Residents 18 years of age and older.

Many thanks to each of the brands featured for providing products and/or photos for this editorial.