GreatfulMoments.com | Meet the Family Behind the Business | Helping Santa Load the Sleigh — Christmas Gift Guide 2026
When Charlie was homeschooled, one of the things I wanted to make sure he learned was how to cook. I remember taking home economics when I was in high school, and I wanted Charlie to have some of those same experiences. After all, there was going to come a day when he would leave our home, have a kitchen of his own, and need to know how to prepare meals without Mom standing beside him telling him what to do.
Cooking became an important part of our homeschool days. It wasn’t just about following recipes or learning how to use the stove. It was about measuring ingredients, learning kitchen safety, trying new foods, and discovering that sometimes the best lessons happen outside a traditional classroom.
One of the ingredients Charlie was especially interested in exploring was olive oil. There are so many different ways to use olive oil in the kitchen, and I loved being able to turn something as simple as cooking dinner into another learning opportunity.
Fast-forward to today. Charlie is turning 19 years old, finished with school, and living with one foot in Fort Worth and the other in Hobart, Oklahoma. Before I know it, he’ll be moving into a home of his own and though if I have anything to say about that it will be in the far far future.
And although he’s growing up and becoming more independent, I still find myself thinking about the things I taught him when he was little and the things I hope he’ll carry with him. That’s one of the reasons I became so interested when Hesham and Layan from Jerusalem Olive Co. reached out to introduce their family’s extra-virgin olive oil.
As we’re helping Santa load the sleigh this Christmas, I started thinking about how a bottle of olive oil might make a wonderful stocking stuffer for Charlie. Now, I know what you’re thinking. Olive oil? In a Christmas stocking? Yes, olive oil! Because my family likes to eat.
Not every Christmas gift has to be a video game, a pair of shoes, or something electronic. Sometimes a practical gift can bring back memories, encourage someone to try something new, and remind them of the things they learned growing up. And I can almost guarantee Charlie wouldn’t be expecting to find olive oil among his Christmas presents!
But what really caught my attention about Jerusalem Olive Co. wasn’t just the olive oil. It was the family behind the business. Jerusalem Olive Co. is a family-run business offering extra-virgin Palestinian olive oil produced using traditional farming methods. Their 500 mL bottle, approximately 16.9 fluid ounces, has a listed retail price of $25.
When Hesham and Layan introduced their business to GreatfulMoments.com, I wanted to learn more about their family, their traditions, and the story behind their olive oil. They were kind enough to share their family’s background, explain how their olive oil is produced, and tell us their favorite way to enjoy it.
Rather than retelling their story for them, I want you to hear it in their own words.
Family Background and the Story Behind Jerusalem Olive Co.- The following was shared by Hesham and Layan of Jerusalem Olive Co.
Jerusalem Olive Co. is a family-run business rooted in a deep connection to Palestinian land and heritage. We come from generations of Palestinian farmers, and this brand is dedicated to the memory of Sido Allan, who nurtured the land through resistance and care.
Now we carry on our traditions and heritage, cultivating olive groves using the same traditional methods passed down in our family. Abu Allan carries on practices taught by generations of Palestinian farmers, nurturing trees thousands of years old while planting new ones for future generations. Despite continuous struggles, he cultivates the land using all-natural, traditional farming methods and hand-picks the olives.
Abu Allan says:
“The olive tree doesn’t care if its owner does not water it or pull its weeds, but it does care if the owner comes to visit it”
Farming in Palestine comes with struggles and challenges. We decided to start this brand after Abu Allan’s farm was stolen by Israeli settlers and confiscated in Umm Safa. Jerusalem Olive Co. offers Abu Allan’s olive oil to share his story and the stories of Palestinian farmers. Every year, the olive harvest in Palestine brings new struggles and renewed threats to the livelihood of the farmers and the trees. To Palestinians, olive oil is no longer a commodity, but a fight for freedom and resilience.
For Palestinians, olive oil is more than a commodity. It represents a connection to the land, a legacy passed down through generations, and a symbol of resilience, identity, and the ongoing fight for freedom. Through Jerusalem Olive Co., we hope to share that story, honor our family’s roots, and bring a piece of Palestinian heritage to homes around the world.
Olive Oil and Traditional Harvesting Methods– Hesham and Layan continue:
At Jerusalem Olive Co., our olive oil comes from our small family olive groves in Palestine. We nurture the land with traditional and all-natural farming methods, including plowing the land with mules, hand-picking each olive, and burying the stem of the olive tree so the roots grow deeper.
Throughout Palestine, stone walls and agricultural terraces have been used for centuries to cultivate the mountainous landscape. We continue to preserve and practice these traditional methods, honoring the agricultural knowledge and heritage passed down through generations.
These methods create an oil with a rich aroma, fruity taste, and various health benefits. We hold generations of knowledge in cultivating the land and have faced many struggles in harvesting the olives that are especially meaningful for consumers to learn about.
When asked about their favorite way to use their olive oil, Hesham and Layan shared: Our olive oil is a tribute to Palestine with its taste and its story, and the most authentic way to use our olive oil is with its complementary spice, zaatar. Zaatar is a Palestinian Spice mix made with thyme from the mountains of Palestine, dried Sumac (a wild berry indigenous to Palestine), sesame seeds, salt, and a small amount of Olive Oil. It is best eaten by dipping bread into olive oil, then dipping that same piece of bread into the zaatar.
Now, doesn’t that sound like something worth trying? I love learning about the different ways families prepare and enjoy food, especially when those recipes and traditions have been passed down through generations. And I have to admit, I’m looking forward to trying their suggestion of dipping bread into olive oil and then into zaatar.
It sounds like a simple activity that could bring the family together around the kitchen table. It also reminds me of those homeschool cooking lessons with Charlie. Back then, I wanted him to understand that cooking wasn’t just about putting something on the table because everyone was hungry. It was also about learning, experimenting, and discovering new things.
Even though Charlie has finished school, I don’t believe learning ever has to stop. And who knows? Maybe trying Jerusalem Olive Co.’s olive oil will introduce our family to another cooking tradition we’ll want to continue. As I’ve been putting together our Christmas Gift Guides, I’ve been thinking about gifts that are meaningful, practical, and a little different from what we usually find under the Christmas tree.
For Charlie, I think a bottle of olive oil could be one of those gifts. He’s getting older, becoming more independent, and preparing for the day when he’ll have his own home. I can picture putting together a little kitchen-themed Christmas gift with a bottle of olive oil, some seasonings, and perhaps a few other cooking essentials.
And because he enjoyed exploring olive oil during our homeschool years, it would have a personal connection that he might not expect. At $25 for a 500 mL bottle, Jerusalem Olive Co.’s olive oil could also make a thoughtful gift for someone who enjoys cooking, trying new recipes, or learning about foods from different cultures. It might not be the smallest stocking stuffer Santa has ever delivered, but I think he could make room in the sleigh!
Jerusalem Olive Co. has generously offered to send our family a complimentary bottle of their extra-virgin olive oil for review. We haven’t received or tasted the olive oil yet, so I’m not going to tell you how wonderful it tastes or how well it works in our recipes. Those are things we’ll discover for ourselves.
Once the bottle arrives, we’ll be trying it in our kitchen and sharing our honest thoughts about the flavor, quality, and ways our family enjoys using it. I’m especially interested in trying the bread and zaatar combination Hesham and Layan shared with us. And, of course, I want to see what Charlie thinks! We’ll return with our full hands-on review after we’ve had an opportunity to use the product.
One of the things I enjoy most about GreatfulMoments.com is having the opportunity to introduce our readers to family-owned businesses and the people behind them. Every business has a story, and sometimes those stories remind us of our own families, our traditions, and the memories we’re creating for future generations.
As we continue helping Santa load the sleigh this Christmas, we’d like to invite your family to discover Jerusalem Olive Co. Whether you’re shopping for someone who loves cooking, putting together a food-themed Christmas basket, or looking for a meaningful gift with a family story behind it, you might enjoy exploring what they have to offer.
Visit Jerusalem Olive Co.: Extra-Virgin Olive Oil — 500 mL:
Instagram: @jerusalemoliveco
And while you’re there, take a moment to learn about the family behind the olive oil. Because sometimes the story behind a Christmas gift is just as meaningful as the gift itself. Now I have a question for our Greatful Moments family. Do you use olive oil when you’re cooking? If so, what’s your favorite recipe to make with it, and why?
Do you use olive oil when cooking on the stove? Have you tried using it in your air fryer? Or do you have another favorite way to use it? Maybe you enjoy dipping bread into olive oil, making homemade salad dressings, roasting vegetables, or using it in a family recipe that’s been passed down through generations. I’d love to hear your ideas!
Leave a comment and tell us how your family uses olive oil. Who knows? Maybe we’ll discover a few new recipes to try when our bottle from Jerusalem Olive Co. arrives. Until next time, let’s keep making memories, sharing family traditions, and helping Santa load that sleigh!
Editorial disclosure: This article introduces Jerusalem Olive Co. using information and photographs provided by the company. Jerusalem Olive Co. has offered a complimentary product for a future honest review. We have not yet received or tested the olive oil. No firsthand product evaluation is presented in this feature.
Grateful. Thankful. Blessed.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
