Fresh Hostess Gifts: Olives and an Olive Dish (And a Costco Cash Giveaway)

Growing up, I was always taught that you never arrive at anyone’s house without a small token of appreciation. So, when it comes to holiday parties, hostess gifts — or small thank you gifts — are a must.

In the past, I have gifted everything from fancy soaps to homemade gift baskets. But if you are looking for a new take on the traditional hostess gifts, you are going to love this Fresh Hostess Gifts series this holiday season on Sassy Closet.

Fresh Hostess Gift Idea #1: Olives and an Olive Dish

It wasn’t until I was setting the table with several types of olives in two olive dishes that I realized how fabulous a gift this makes. Olives are a holiday-must in my house and always have been. From standard black olives to fancy olive bar ones, we love ‘em all.

When gifting, fancy olives are a great way to go. Choose ones that you love, along with a dish perfect for serving them. Then, wrap it up in a pretty holiday gift bag (extra padding recommended!).

One option for the olives are new Verdi olives, which I recently tried and loved. Verdi olives are new to the US and being sold in Costco Wholesale Clubs in the Midwest. The variety I tried was Verdi Castelvetrano olives, which come in a 35 oz. tray.

The light green olives are more buttery than briny. Their mild flavor makes them a perfect appetizer for any party table. I served them at two recent parties and was pleasantly surprised to see how fast they were gobbled up — definitely a crowd favorite. Actually, a personal favorite too. I found that it was hard to eat just one of these beautiful unpitted olives.

Don’t have Verdi olives in your area? Choose another unique  and well-crafted variety (a can of black olives isn’t the way to go). Check specialty stores or even the olive bar at your favorite market for great olives that will be a special treat for a hostess gift.

Once you have your olives, you just need to choose an olive dish to go with your hostess gift. Where can you find one? Here are a few fabulous olive dish ideas: 

• Three Olives Vodka Bottle Olive Dish by Annapolis Glass Art (Etsy) – This fabulous olive serving dish is made from an upcycled vodka bottle through a process called slumping (basically, the bottle is melted down in a kiln until it forms a dish shape). It’s totally unique (no two are alike!), and a great conversation piece. ($29.00)
• Handpainted Olive Serving Dish from LaTienda.com – With space for olives, toothpicks and those pesky pits, this serving dish has a beautiful handpainted design. ($23.90)
• Library Oak Olive Dish from JR Potter (Etsy) – Love this skinny olive serving tray with a pretty oak leaf design. The soothing colors and soft design will make it a favorite. It comes with a little matching plate for pits too. ($23.00)
• Kitchen Supply White Olive Boat (Amazon) – Sleek and streamlined, this all-white olive boat is durable and will stand up to use. Also, it’s dishwasher and oven safe. It’s also the most budget-friendly of choices. ($7.02)

Looking for one locally? Cost Plus World Market and Target sometimes carry olive boats.

Check back regularly for more Fresh Hostess Gifts ideas!

Verdi Olives $50 Costco Cash Card Giveaway

Verdi Olives has generously provided one (1) $50 Costco Cash Card for a giveaway.

Contest closed. Congrats to Commenter #4 – Steff, who was chosen via random.org.

Disclosure: This giveaway is being provided by Verdi Olives. I have not been compensated for this post or for hosting this giveaway but I was provided with an olive sample and other tasting goods for the purposes of trying the olives. This didn’t influence my post — all opinions expressed are my own. Also, I am not a member of any affiliate programs for the companies linked to in this post.