 So you've just arrived in Texas for your annual winter season getaway, the weather is perfect here, your days are consumed with leisurely bike rides, long strolls on the beach, fishing and birding adventures, as well as reuniting with old travel buddies - and you're loving it.
In the meantime, you know loved ones back home are fighting off old Jack Frost with a vengeance. There might be just a tinge of sympathy lurking in your mind for those you've left behind. So to soothe your guilt and make them feel better, why not send a bit of Texas back to them for the Holidays?
True, you might not be able to package sunshine and sandy beaches but it's pretty easy these days to send the taste, feel and sounds of Texas back to friends and family. They may even forgive you for having so much fun without them! Who knows, you may even inspire them to come to Texas with you next year. Or are you trying to keep Texas all to yourself?
Never fear, there is plenty of Texas to go around and a "perfect" bit of Texas to send to that someone special on your holiday list. Most companies take online orders and assure delivery of fresh products in a timely fashion with a product guarantee.
So get your list out and check it twice and send a bit of Texas to only those who are nice!
 1. Orange & Grapefruit Baskets - Probably the #1 export from Texas during the winter season and for good reason. Most winter visitors are already aware that Texas oranges and Ruby Red grapefruits are the best on the planet! This season in particular the fruit promises to be extra sweet due to late summer rains here in Texas. There are many orchards throughout the Rio Grande Valley of Texas who ship beautiful citrus baskets. Fortunately, the Association of growers under the TexaSweet brand have put together a nice list of shippers to choose from, check the list at http://www.texasweet.com/Shippers , or you can call their marketing office at (956) 580-8004 for shipper recommendations.
2. Texas Pecans - Besides being downright yummy...these little Texas nuts are really good for you, rumored to lower bad cholesterol and add fiber to your diet. We will not discuss here the nutritional downside of Texas Pecan Pie, that would almost be sack religious. Let's just say the nut itself deserves many accolades for taste and nutrition and would be a holiday gift to be treasured. Texas pecan shippers can be located at
3. Texas Salsa - Let's just say there are about as many salsa recipes in the Lone Star State as there are stars in the heavens. Finding one that will fit your amigos palette will be the hardest decision, from fiery atomic to fruity and sweet there's bound to be a salsa that's just right to send home. While there are many mass produced salsas on the market the most unique salsas are found throughout the state in specialty gift stores, small orchards and vineyards where salsas are infused with the local produce. Here's a few to check out: Winner of the Washington Post Award is Special Edition, D.L. Jardines, from Jardine Foods. You can order the salsa at this address: http://www.jardinefoods.com/store_products.html?id=59 . For a fruity taste you'll definitely love Burg's Peach Salsa, a homemade peach salsa with a hint of chipolte...yum! You can order on line at: Burgscorner.com, http://www.burgscorner.com/hill-country-peach-products.htm. Another great place to find a variety of salsas are the online "Texas" gift stores like Texasgifts.com or Texascrazy.com.
 4. Texas Tamales - It's Christmas Eve in Texas and if you aren't eating tamales or giving them away to family and friends than you just can't call yourself a Texan or even an adopted Texan. This old Mexican tradition was adopted by Texans hundreds of years ago when Mexican families would gather on Christmas Eve to make tamales and share their time together in a celebration of the season. The tamales were made for the Christmas Eve dinner and to give away as presents. Join the tradition this season, here's some great online resources for Texas tamales:
5. Texas Fruitcake - No, it is not a cruel joke to send someone a TEXAS fruit cake! While the poor fruit cake has been the brunt of many holiday snickers you can bet it was not a Texas fruit cake. In fact Collin Street Bakery of Corsicana, Texas has been lauded by People magazine and Texas Monthly as the epicenter of the best Fruitcake in the world! Filled with only the highest quality fruit and a full 27% by weight of Texas pecans it has been a delicacy and favorite recipe of native Texans since 1896. Check out Collin Street Bakery at www.collinstreet.com for more product and shipping information.
6. Tootie Pie - This wonderful Texas hill country pie company has recently made national headlines with it's famous pie recipes, the original tootie pie being the most delicious and beautiful apple pie you've ever had and probably the largest weighing in at a hefty 6 lbs! The story of the company is as sweet as the pies themselves and a gift of one of these heavenly pies will not soon be forgotten, in fact it may become a holiday gift giving tradition. People have been known to actually drive from out of state to pick up a Tootie Pie. Fortunately, the company now offers online ordering and delivery, check out Tootie Pies at http://www.tootiepieco.com/default.asp
7. Texas Magazine Subscriptions - Seeing is believing some say...and if you can't actually be in Texas to see how wonderful it is, the next best thing would be a constant reminder of how great it is and inspire your friends to visit. Nothing does that better than some of the states finest magazine publications like Texas Highways, Texas Monthly, or Texas State Parks & Wildlife magazine. Better yet you can enroll your friends for a free travel e-newsletter, TravelTexas Newsletter at www.wintertexansonline.com, texaslesstraveled.com, or gorvtexas.com. There's a free newsletter enrollment at the bottom of each home page! They'll enjoy the weekly articles and are welcome to discontinue the free newsletter at anytime.
 8. Texas Poinsettias - The true flower of the season, poinsettias are a major seasonal crop for Texas, ranking third in the nation behind California and North Carolina in production. However, Texas is the only state to lay claim to the infamous Texas size poinsettia which stands and impressive six foot by six foot. Besides the classic traditional red poinsettias there are many shades of colors to order from as growers have expanded their product line. There are over 700 growers within the state many of whom ship world wide, be sure to look for the Go Texan logo to ensure your poinsettia is a true Texan plant. A fine shipper is Ellison's Greenhouses in Brenham, Texas (http://www.ellisonsgreenhouses.com/). These greenhouses are ranked among the top 10 in the nation and is home to the annual Poinsettia festival each year in November.
9. Willie Nelson - No other artist in the world has been a better ambassador for the state of Texas than Willie Nelson. He is a legend in the music industry but to Texans he is a hero. While many of his older albums are great classics to give...I'd rather buy his latest album off his own label and make sure he gets his royalties and not the IRS! It's sure to be a classic in the years ahead and if your friends and family truly love REAL country outlaw music it's a must have. Willie joins up with fellow Texan Ray Price and longtime outlaw buddy Merle Haggard on this project, the album title says it all....Last of the Breed. You can order it on line at Lost Highway Records, (http://main.losthighwayrecords.com/). Also check out your ice cream aisle at the grocery store for the new Ben & Jerry's flavor, Willie Nelson's peach cobbler. If you don't see it in the store it can be ordered by mail and shipped to your friends and family off their main web site.
10. "Texas" Cookbooks - While your compadres back home are eating the usual local fare your enjoying Texas cuisine. Even the score for all your friends back home and send them a nice "Texas Cookbook". A good one to try is, " Cooking with Texas Highways", featuring great recipes like Lady Bird Johnson's homemade peach ice cream! You'll find the cookbook and other nice Texas gift items at www.texashighways.com.
Enjoy your holiday here in the Lone Star State and make sure your friends and family enjoy a bit of Texas Christmas too!
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Rio Grande Valley