Ah, the holidays — they’re almost here, along with the glimmer of the lights, the distant sounds of holiday music, the hustle and bustle, and the frantic shopping! If you’ve set foot inside a shopping mall — or any other retail store — since Halloween, you know the rush is on. With so many people to buy for and so little time, we all want “one-stop shopping,” yet we still want to give creative and personalized gifts.

At this time of year, many people have turned to giving tasty treats as an alternative for hard to buy for people. After all, everyone eats! Carb, low-carb, or no-carb lifestyle be damned — the mere presence of food around the holidays is enough to tempt most people. Between decadently rich, chocolate truffles, bourbon balls, lemon bars, hand dipped cookies, and more, you have a gift fit for any business acquaintance with a sweet tooth.

Kitsap County has an abundance of businesses catering to those in search of fine, consumable gifts. And while sweets are the usual fare, another alternative could be a tasty HoneyBaked Ham. According to Kelly White, owner of the HoneyBaked Ham Company and Cafe in Silverdale, HoneyBaked Hams make great gifts for not only friends and relatives, but for employees as well as clients. They’re also great fare for those holiday office parties as well as get-togethers at home with friends and family.

The store, located at 10516 Silverdale Way, stocks a wide variety of the products that made HoneyBaked Ham a household name. To the surprise of many people, these include more than just the firm’s legendary hams. There’s also HoneyBaked turkey breast, which comes fully sliced for easy serving and coated with that crispy, sweet glaze. In addition, there are whole turkeys as well.

But for those holiday events, the HoneyBaked Ham Company and Café offers executive sandwich platters, which are an assortment of HoneyBaked sandwiches arranged on a platter and served with chips. And there’s also the company’s signature meat platter, which consists of ham, and a choice of turkey breast, roasted turkey breast or roast beef.

But that’s not all. To top off a great meal, there’s also sweet treats. If you fill up on ham and turkey, you may not have room for the creamy cheesecake, pecan pie, turtle cheesecake, Key Lime pie, or carrot cake that’s also available at the HoneyBaked Ham Company and Café. And don’t forget, the company also offers gift certificates.

Another local place that’s created a lot of buzz around Kitsap is the new Cold Stone Creamery located at the Harborside in downtown Bremerton. In addition to some of the best tasting ice cream you’ve ever put in your mouth, Cold Stone also offers scrumptious ice cream cakes and pies.

The best part is that you get to invent your own cake so it reflects your ultimate indulgence! Feel like freshly made coffee ice cream with Heath Bar fudge and caramel? Or how about your favorite ice cream layered with rich devil’s food, or yellow or red velvet cake, and topped with fudge ganache, fluffy white, or strawberry frosting? You can also add Oreo cookie, Snickers, Kit Kat, and cookie dough toppings and more. Getting the idea here?

According to Cold Stone Creamery owner Derek Louden, the ice cream cakes have been a huge hit for Cold Stone Creamery, which just opened last month. Can’t make up your mind? Gift certificates are available as well.

If your sweet tooth wins out, from Poulsbo to Port Orchard, Kitsap has no shortage of places to satisfy your craving. Downtown Poulsbo is known for Sluys Poulsbo Bakery and for Boehm’s Chocolates — conveniently located just a few doors from each other.

The lowly, and often maligned holiday fruit cake has become an art form at Sluys, which uses only sweet fruits, and soaks the loaf in a brandied butter. Owner Marion Sluys adds a marzipan topping made from a European recipe he’s had for 40 years.

It was W. Clement Stone, founder of Combined Insurance Co. and author of one of the best-selling motivational books of all time, Success Through A Positive Mental Attitude, who noted, “The fortune is made in the repeat business.” Boehm’s proves that to be true as people come back year after year — as well as in between — for the handmade chocolates and truffles. Boehm’s offers pre-filled containers ranging in size from the popular “truffle suitcase,” which contains two truffles, all the way up to three-pound boxes. There are also beautiful holiday tins that are pre-filled or can be custom filled with any combination of your choice of chocolates, truffles, sugar-free chocolates, and more. Any item can be custom wrapped, and gift baskets are also available.

Due to their popularity, it’s a good idea to call in large custom orders in advance to both Sluys and Boehm’s.

Baskets Unique at Kitsap Mall can be a lifesaver for the busy businessperson during the holidays. The shop offers custom gift baskets filled with any assortment of chocolates, snacks, wines, beer, and other gourmet products, and can deliver or ship your order. Baskets Unique can also accommodate any gift budget and offers baskets ranging from $25 - $350.

If candy is your passion — or you’re buying for someone with a sweet tooth — The Candy Shoppe in downtown Port Orchard is a popular venue. The Charbonneau family makes its own fudge, and welcomes custom orders. They’ll even put your business card on the top of the box. In addition to their scrumptious fudge, the store features an incredible variety of chocolates from around the world, including sweets that are sugar and lactose free. And any of their treats can be custom packaged and wrapped at your request.

Whether your friends and business associates celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah or Kwanzaa, or just the politically correct “holidays,” a “Season’s Greetings” poinsettia arrangement is always an appropriate gift. These are easy to find at this time of year at venues ranging from the grocery store to any of the many flower shops and nurseries in our area. So no matter what your taste — flowers, fudge, fruitcake, ice cream cake or HoneyBaked Ham — it’s all here. Enjoy!

(Editor’s Note: Lora-Jean Piper contributed to this article).