By Jimese Orange
Take pride in where you spend your dollars this holiday season with our gift guide that makes supporting local and minority-owned businesses easy, tasty, stylish and fun.
Cafe Ganache Kronuts
When 100 layers of pastry dough and butter come together, you get a sweet, deep-fried marriage of a doughnut and croissant known as a kronut. Cafe Ganache’s Chef Sadruddin Abdullah creates a delicious pastry and other mouthwatering treats. Order them for your office party or to enjoy after a delicious holiday meal. Holiday flavors include pumpkin spice, eggnog and strawberry champagne.
Ella B. Candles
Rep your hood with a luxurious candle. There are 27 fragrances, which denote lovely scents from 27 neighborhoods in Charlotte and beyond. The candles are pure soy and the line includes private label candles, plus a line of Greek sorority and fraternity candles and diffusers. You can even create a custom order branded to your business or for special occasions. Holiday scents include cinnamon and nutmeg, cranberry and mandarin and clove.
Fjord 13 belt buckles
instagram.com/fjord13specimen/
If it’s all about details for the most stylish person on your gift list, then these lapidary, one-of-a-kind belt buckles handcrafted from semiprecious stones, dinosaur bones and petrified woods sourced from all over the world are sure to be a hit! The designs are stunning works of art. Check out the collection on Fjord 13’s Instagram page or order by emailing fjord13specimen@gmail.com. Use promo code PRIDE2016 for a 10 percent discount during the holidays.
The Hillman College Bookstore
The merchandise in this online store will have you in the throes of nostalgia, with apparel representing Hillman College from the wildly popular ‘80’s-‘90’s sitcom, “A Different World.” And remember the show “Living Single?” Well, the character Maxine Shaw has a shirt, ya’ll! Everybody loved the character Eddie Shaw in the movie, “The Five Heartbeats” and yep, there’s a tee for his one-night-only appearance. And who didn’t wish they could have been in the audience of Harpo’s shack when the character Shug Avery from the movie “The Color Purple” tore the roof off? There are nostalgic Black pop culture themed T-shirts, sweatshirts and dope items galore that are sure to make you the coolest gift-giver ever.
Iva Jean’s Fudge
With melt-in-your-mouth flavors such as brown sugar bourbon, chocolate chili bacon, honey lemon ginger and mojito this ain’t your mama’s basic fudge. Iva Jean’s Fudge is elevating the game, with its smooth and creamy, homemade, small-batch fudge. Owner and baker Debra Hanks has a sweet hit on her hands, thanks to her mother Iva Jean’s tried-and-true family recipe, modernized in 22 flavors crafted from mostly locally sourced ingredients. Holiday gift-wrapped options are available online.
Kustom Klutch
Your favorite fashionista will be smitten with the vibrant colors, fun patterns and unique details of these handmade clutches. Clutches come with a variety of contrast-colored zippers, whimsical tassels and fabric, leather, suede and calf hair. Every month, Kustom Klutch highlights a charity, and 10 percent of every purchase goes to uplifting its cause. You’ve gotta love and support a local company that gives back, not just during the holidays but all year round. Use coupon code: PRIDEMAG15 for 15 percent off through the holidays.
A Song So Sweet Children’s Book
Author Kimberly Dixon was inspired by her son and husband to write this story, about an endearing day filled with loving interaction between a father and son, and a special melodic moment they share. As a social worker, mother and wife, Dixon wanted to pen a story that highlighted the African-American family unit. This book is a perfect for the five-and-under crowd.
Vegan Comfort Food Cookbook
The recipe for the greens alone in this cookbook will change your life! With one flavor-packed bite, you’ll put away every notion that vegan cooking compromises taste. As you scan the recipes and see how simple the steps are to follow, and how easy the ingredients are to find, you’ll understand how accessible and delicious Chef Dee has presented homemade vegan cooking. She nails it with every recipe, from those aforementioned greens (there are three recipes for greens in the book) to the “Sock It to Me Cake.” Helpful hints about cooking in general, suggestions for vegan substitutes that don’t taste like substitutes and healthful food knowledge accompany the recipes, making this a gift that truly keeps on giving.