My Favorite Things: Magnetic Paint Primer

Back in 2011, I was inspired by Oprah's "Favorite Things" episode to do my own version highlighting some of my favorite kitchen and cooking-related items that make great gifts during the holdays.  This year, I've decided to expand the idea to include some general household and organizing items that I find useful or indispensable.  Happy Holidays!

Today's favorite thing is kind of crafty.  It's called magnetic primer for painted walls.

Photo borrowed from The Interwebs since our project isn't done yet ;-)

Awhile back, my wife and I decided to renovate a small nook in our dining room into a "Family Central" with a small writing desk, a laptop, and some sort of wall-mounted paper-hanging device to keep track of the various bits of paper and things we need to track the family's activities and obligations.  We didn't really want a chalkboard wall, a whiteboard, or a cork board, so what could we use?

I'd remembered seening a Rustoleum product used on This Old House that was a primer filled with iron shavings.  You simply paint several coats on the wall and then go over it with your regular latex paint.  The end result is a section of wall that looks entirely normal except magnets will stick to it.  Brilliant!

It turns out the Rustoleum product has pretty bad reviews.  People report it is hard to work with, requires paint thinner cleanup, and magnets don't stick very well.  I found another product by MagnaMagic that's much more expensive but had much better reviews and cleans-up with water.  Win-win!

Unfortunately, we haven't finished the project yet, so I can't show you a photo.  But I did put a little on a paint stirrer and I was impressed by its magnetic power after only a single coat dried.  I think it's going to work really well!

You could really get creative with this stuff.  Paint small sections of it on objects and you can stick magnets to them.  Make children's toys and learning devices with little sheets of wood.  I've considered putting it on a couple of doors at kid height so my daughter will stop putting scotch tape all over the woodwork.  I've also thought that a few carefully-placed stripes of it horizontally all the way around a teenager's bedroom or a classroom might make it easier and less-damaging to hang posters and artwork without thumbtacks or tape.  Every wall would be a hidden gallery wall.

Disclaimer:  All opinions on these products are my own and I've purchased these items myself or received them as gifts from friends and family.  I don't even receive a kickback from Amazon for the links, so feel free to buy from your favorite local kitchen supplier.  They'll appreciate the business!

My Favorite Things: Joy Tea

Back in 2011, I was inspired by Oprah's "Favorite Things" episode to do my own version highlighting some of my favorite kitchen and cooking-related items that make great gifts during the holdays.  This year, I've decided to expand the idea to include some general household and organizing items that I find useful or indispensable.  Happy Holidays!

I'm a daily tea drinker and I go through phases where I'll drink fancy or flavored teas and then revert back to plain old supermarket black tea for awhile.  I generally don't like fruit or herbal teas that have no real green or black tea in them.  One thing I seem to never tire of, however, is a blend called "Joy" that is available at Starbucks every holiday season.

Joy is not your typical Christmas blend of cinnamon and spices.  Instead, it's a blend of Black, Green, and Oolong teas with a hint of apricot essence.  I absolutely love this as an everyday drinking tea.  Unfortunately, when it first came out, it was made by Tazo (owned by Starbucks) and was only available in Starbucks and only during the holiday season.  When Starbucks bought Teavana about two years ago, they had Teavana re-blend it (it tastes even better) and sold it for a higher price-point under the Teavana brand, still only at Starbucks and occasionally, you could find it on Amazon.

I fully admit to splurging and stocking-up on this stuff every year so I could drink it well into the summer before I'd run out (it makes a great iced tea, as well!).  Then, I'd have to wait till it showed-up in stores again.

As it happens, I'm not the only one who loves Joy, so Teavana took the same recipe, renamed it "Rev Up Wellness Tea" and started selling it by the ounce in their retail shops year-round!  It also appears they're selling it under the Joy moniker in Teavana stores and online this holiday season.

Disclaimer:  All opinions on these products are my own and I've purchased these items myself or received them as gifts from friends and family.  I don't even receive a kickback from Amazon for the links, so feel free to buy from your favorite local kitchen supplier.  They'll appreciate the business!

My Favorite Things: Bar Mops

Back in 2011, I was inspired by Oprah's "Favorite Things" episode to do my own version highlighting some of my favorite kitchen and cooking-related items that make great gifts during the holdays.  This year, I've decided to expand the idea to include some general household and organizing items that I find useful or indispensable.  Happy Holidays!

When I worked in the restaurant industry, one of the things I got to really appreciate were "Bar Mops."  They're simple white terrycloth towels that are used to wipe-up all manner of spills and kitchen messes, clean countertops, and even serve as makeshift potholders (albeit not as safe).

Bar mops are really a workhorse in the commercial kitchen and replace most of what paper towels usually do in a home kitchen.  The reason they're able to do this is because they're usually provided by a linen company that drops-off a few bundles each week and picks-up the dirty grimy greasy ones to be commercially cleaned so they're as good as new.

It turns out that Bar Mops are easy to get for your home kitchen.  They're usually sold by the stack (6 or more per package) as "Automotive Detailing Towels" in the automotive section of your favorite box store or wholesale warehouse.  At less than 50 cents each, even if they only last a handful of uses, they're still a better bargain than blowing through rolls of paper towels.  Also, they keep the grease out of your good kitchen towels so they stay absorbent for drying dishes.

There is one caveat.  It's difficult to reproduce the cleaning power of a commercial linen laundry when trying to clean your bar mops at home.  I've found that a heavy-duty degreaser detergent like this extremely effective, natural orange oil one from PurePro or less espensive but smellier Simple Green Citrus work pretty well and extend the life of your bar mops.  Just add a quarter cup of the PurePro in place of detergent or a quarter cup of Simple Green in addition to detergent and a half-cup of bleach in the bleach dispensor of your washer.  Wash on warm, not cold or hot.  I typically keep a bucket or a basket in the kitchen just for bar mops and cloth napkins and I do a batch of bar mops when I've accumulated enough.

Disclaimer:  All opinions on these products are my own and I've purchased these items myself or received them as gifts from friends and family.  I don't even receive a kickback from Amazon for the links, so feel free to buy from your favorite local kitchen supplier.  They'll appreciate the business!

Favorite Things: Gallon and Half-Gallon Mason Jars

Back in 2011, I was inspired by Oprah's "Favorite Things" episode to do my own version highlighting some of my favorite kitchen and cooking-related items that make great gifts during the holdays.  This year, I've decided to expand the idea to include some general household and organizing items that I find useful or indispensable.  Happy Holidays!

When you get into canning, you very quickly find other uses for the dozens of canning jars you always have lying around the house and you start to realize how truly versatile, eco-friendly, and air-tight a good glass jar can be.

Today's Favorite Things are large gallon and half-gallon storage jars.

One of my favorite uses for these is to keep dry goods fresh and organized in the pantry.  I'll often buy 2 or 3 packages of our favorite crackers or cookies at a time when they're on sale and as soon as the package gets moved from the bulk storage closet to the everyday pantry or kitchen shelves, it gets opened and dumped into a clean jar.  Same goes for beans, cereal, baking supplies, and other dry items that need to be air-tight.  No more miscellaneous-sized boxes, bags, and bag clips!

If you happen to shop in the Whole Foods bulk aisle, these are indispensable.  If your state laws permit it, you can even bring the jars with you to the market and fill them directly from the bins.  Just be sure to stop by the service desk to have them weighed first so you don't pay for the weight of the jar.

I also use them for storing juices, stocks, and liquids in the refrigerator and for organizing and storing candy around the holidays.  My daughter has a huge gallon jar filled with her Halloween stash stored on a shelf within easy reach and out of the way.

Disclaimer:  All opinions on these products are my own and I've purchased these items myself or received them as gifts from friends and family.  I don't even receive a kickback from Amazon for the links, so feel free to buy from your favorite local kitchen supplier.  They'll appreciate the business!

My Favorite Things: Electric Kettle

Back in 2011, I was inspired by Oprah's "Favorite Things" episode to do my own version highlighting some of my favorite kitchen and cooking-related items that make great gifts during the holdays.  This year, I've decided to expand the idea to include some general household and organizing items that I find useful or indispensable.  Happy Holidays!

Today's Favorite Thing is a cordless electric kettle.  I like this Hamilton Beach model for its clear glass carafe, affordable price point, and the convenient and easy-to-use design of the switch (which turns-off when the water hits the boiling point).

I don't just use this thing for tea.  It's so fast at heating-up water that I often use it to pre-heat water I plan to boil for cooking (such as pasta), extra water for risotto, and even hot water to top-off the canning kettle.  It's great for making instant oatmeal, softening noodles, preparing instant noodle dishes like Ramen or Easy Mac, or heating water for a pour-over coffee maker like a Chemex.

Disclaimer:  All opinions on these products are my own and I've purchased these items myself or received them as gifts from friends and family.  I don't even receive a kickback from Amazon for the links, so feel free to buy from your favorite local kitchen supplier.  They'll appreciate the business!

My Favorite Things: Meat Grinder

 Back in 2011, I was inspired by Oprah's "Favorite Things" episode to do my own version highlighting some of my favorite kitchen and cooking-related items that make great gifts during the holdays.  This year, I've decided to expand the idea to include some general household and organizing items that I find useful or indispensable.  Happy Holidays!

Ground meat used to be a thrifty cut to feed your family, but not anymore.  Most supermarkets now charge extra for pre-ground meat and you can save up to three dollars a pound if you're willing to buy whole chunks of meat and grind it yourself.  At Whole Foods, for example, it's usually $5.99 per pound for ground dark-meat turkey, but if you ask for whole boneless skinless turkey thighs (which they have in the backroom), they're just $3.99 per pound.

It's for this reason that today's Favorite Thing is the food-grinder attachment for my KitchenAid Stand Mixer.

If you don't own a KitchenAid mixer, there are stand-alone grinder appliances that are comparable in price.  If you don't grind often, you may even consider finding an old hand-crank cast metal model in a consignment shop or antique store.


Disclaimer:  All opinions on these products are my own and I've purchased these items myself or received them as gifts from friends and family.  I don't even receive a kickback from Amazon for the links, so feel free to buy from your favorite local kitchen supplier.  They'll appreciate the business!

My Favorite Things: Inexpensive Stamped-Blade Knives

Back in 2011, I was inspired by Oprah's "Favorite Things" episode to do my own version highlighting some of my favorite kitchen and cooking-related items that make great gifts during the holdays.  This year, I've decided to expand the idea to include some general household and organizing items that I find useful or indispensable.  Happy Holidays!
 
Today's favorite thing is actually a collection of things.  And those things are inexpensive stamped-blade knives.

The best knife for anyone is the knife you're comfortable using every day.  There's no sense in spending hundreds of dollars on a German-made forged knife if it's not a comfortable extension of your hand.  I've been using inexpensive Rada Cutlery knives for years and every time I try to upgrade to a better (read: more expensive) knife, I find myself gravitating back to my old stamped-blade knife.

And why not?  They're cheap, lightweight, slice nice and thinly, and many of them hold their sharpness better than the best Wustoff carving knife.  Plus, you can get away with using inexpensive manual sharpening devices that take just a little of the soft metal off and bend your blade back to a true point instead of spending money on expensive electric sharpeners or professional sharpening services.

Here are some of my favorites:

Rada Cutlery
My family discovered these at a flea market in Pennsylvania some years ago.  Now, they're thankfully available online.  These are my go-to knives for just about everything.  They also make one of the sharpest vegetable peelers you'll ever own.

The one downside of the Rada knives is that they traditionally came with a "silver" handle that tarnishes easily when exposed to acids.  If you put it in the dishwasher, expect the handle to be permanently black within 2-3 washings.  I left one in a salad bowl once exposed to salad dressing and it also discolored.  They make most of their knives with black plastic handles now, so I recommend buying those when you can find them.

• Rada Regular Paring Knife
• Rada  8" French Chef's Knife
• Rada 10" Bread Knife - This thing is so sharp it'll slice right through your finger and bone before you feel it.  Be careful!
• Rada Bagel Knife - A great all-purpose bread knife for smaller loaves.
• Rada Large Vegetable Peeler

Wustoff Stamped Paring Knives
I happened upon these at Sur La Table as I was at the checkout counter.   They were marked something like 3 for $20.  One thing about paring knives is that they come in a variety of lengths and shapes and you really need to find the shape and length that's comfortable in your hand.  I like a spear-point stamped knife, which is hard to come by.  This one fits the bill and is awesome

• Wustoff 3" Spear-Point Paring Knife

Victorinox Stamped Cutlery
Victorinox is world-famous for creating the "Real" Swiss Army Knife, but they also make some pretty darned good kitchen knives, too.  Their commercial-grade stamped knives with plastic handles may not look pretty, but they continually hold their own against $200 knives in product reviews and tests from Cook's Illustrated and other publications.

• Victorinox 3.25" Paring Knife
• Victorinox Fibrox 8" Chef's Knife
• Victorinox Fibrox 7" Granton-Edged Santoku (Japanese-style Chef's Knife)

Manual Sharpener
This sharpener from Rada works excellent on any stamped blade.  It may not look like much, but a few quick swipes every few times you use your knife and it'll slice through a tomato like its nobody's business.  No need for an electric sharpener or a silly honing steel.

• Rada Knife Sharpener

Disclaimer:  All opinions on these products are my own and I've purchased these items myself or received them as gifts from friends and family.  I don't even receive a kickback from Amazon for the links, so feel free to buy from your favorite local kitchen supplier.  They'll appreciate the business!

My Favorite Things: Dashboard Mount for Phone

Back in 2011, I was inspired by Oprah's "Favorite Things" episode to do my own version highlighting some of my favorite kitchen and cooking-related items that make great gifts during the holdays.  This year, I've decided to expand the idea to include some general household and organizing items that I find useful or indispensable.  Happy Holidays!


Today's favorite thing is the iOttie Car Mount Holder for Smartphones.

I have an older vehicle that is equipped with a USB port to play music through the radio but it doesn't handle other smartphone functions like voice dialing and GPS the way modern bluetooth-enabled cars do.

Enter the iOttie dash-mount.  This is a great little gadget.  It comes with a crank-to-tighten suction cup that's assisted by a washable reusable sticky membrane so that it adheres even to the most textured dashboards without damaging it (aside from possible fade spots).  It can also be mounted from the windshield as shown.  It has spring-loaded clips that let you snap your phone in quickly and be on your way.  The arm is adjustable in several directions to accommodate different angled dashes that are close or far away from the driver.

I have this installed in my Honda Fit, which has an awkwardly shaped dash.  When I get in, I snap my phone into the mount, plug-in the USB cable, and head off on my way.  Since it's an iPhone, I can use the hands-free "Hey, Siri," feature to dial, ask for GPS directions, send or have text messages read to me, and use it as a speaker phone.  It's close enough to my face that I can hear the caller through the phone's speaker and the microphone can pick-up my voice beautifully.  No extra gadgets!

I highly recommend everyone have one of these, even if you have a bluetooth-enabled car.  It's a great low-tech way to get some hands-free features out of your phone and keep your hands on the wheel and your eyes on the road.

Disclaimer:  All opinions on these products are my own and I've purchased these items myself or received them as gifts from friends and family.  I don't even receive a kickback from Amazon for the links, so feel free to buy from your favorite local kitchen supplier.  They'll appreciate the business!

My Favorite Things: Sandwich Knife

Back in 2011, I was inspired by Oprah's "Favorite Things" episode to do my own version highlighting some of my favorite kitchen and cooking-related items that make great gifts during the holdays.  This year, I've decided to expand the idea to include some general household and organizing items that I find useful or indispensable.  Happy Holidays!

My first favorite thing is something I admit to having a love-fear relationship with.  It's the Kuhn Rikon Sandwich Knife.

I ordered this knife after seeing it demonstrated, of all places, on QVC.

Remember those 1980's infomercials for Ginsu knives where they saw through everything including aluminum cans with the knife and then slice a tomato cleanly with the same knife?  This knife is the Ginsu's crazy cousin who invents things in the basement.

I love how this knife has a large paddle shape on one side that just begs to be dipped into a jar of mayo to spread on your bread and a nice sharp blade for not only slicing the sandwich in half when you're done but also for prepping vegetables and fixings that will go in your sandwich.

I need to caution you, though.  This knife is EXTREMELY SHARP.  I'm talking wicked sharp.  I sliced my finger open just trying to put the knife back in its holder (always point the blade away from you when doing this, by the way).  But it's an awesome knife if you treat it with respect and care.  No fancy Martin Yan moves with this one, okay?  Okay.  :-)

Disclaimer:  All opinions on these products are my own and I've purchased these items myself or received them as gifts from friends and family.  I don't even receive a kickback from Amazon for the links, so feel free to buy from your favorite local kitchen supplier.  They'll appreciate the business!

My Favorite Things: A Dishwasher Basket for Canning Lids and Rings

Last year, I was inspired by Oprah's "Favorite Things" to do a series of posts with some of my favorite food and cooking-related gift items.  Since the posts were pretty popular last year, I thought I'd continue the tradition.  Of course, I can't hand out free items like Oprah can, but hopefully I can inspire a few gifts for the foodies and entertainers in your life.  Enjoy!

Recently, we purchased this dishwasher basket to allow us to wash the various small parts of the baby's bottles in the dishwasher.  As soon as I unpacked the thing, I immediately realized that it was a multi-tasker, waiting and at the ready.  I had FINALLY found the solution to washing canning jar lids and rings in the dishwasher without having them float down to the heating element and being ruined.

At around $4 to $6, it really can't be beat for washing any small items you might have from small parts for water bottles to tiny utensils, sippy cup parts, etc.

My Favorite Things: My Bread Cookbook

Last year, I was inspired by Oprah's "Favorite Things" to do a series of posts with some of my favorite food and cooking-related gift items.  Since the posts were pretty popular last year, I thought I'd continue the tradition.  Of course, I can't hand out free items like Oprah can, but hopefully I can inspire a few gifts for the foodies and entertainers in your life.  Enjoy!

Awhile ago, I acquired the book, My Bread by Jim Lahey.  For those not in the know, Jim is the guy that pioneered the No-Knead Bread movement when his original recipe was published by the New York Times.  The recipe, which turns out a crusty chewy artisan loaf with the minimum of work, was an instant sensation.  There have been hundreds of new recipes produced by others based on the method since then.

This book is great for someone who already likes to cook or bake who may not have thought they could produce a great loaf of yeast bread.  You'll surprise yourself with Jim's no-knead recipe and your friends and family will be in awe.  My personal favorite is his No-Knead Ciabatta variation.

Incidentally, this book would be great paired with a Lodge Cast Iron Dutch Oven, which is the secret to getting that perfect crackling crust.

My Favorite Things: Reusable Tote Bags as Gift Bags

Last year, I was inspired by Oprah's "Favorite Things" to do a series of posts with some of my favorite food and cooking-related gift items.  Since the posts were pretty popular last year, I thought I'd continue the tradition.  Of course, I can't hand out free items like Oprah can, but hopefully I can inspire a few gifts for the foodies and entertainers in your life.  Enjoy!

I'll admit, I'm a sucker for a thoughtfully-wrapped gift.  If I had my way, the gifts under my Christmas Tree would be color coordinated in no more than three complementary wrapping papers with coordinated bows.  Alas, lots of people like the convenience of gift bags.  The problem with gift bags is that they're quite expensive and, for the most part, are bad for the environment (they usually can't be recycled).  Sure, you can try to reuse them, but I know I never seem to have one that's for the right holiday, is the right color, or the right size when I need it.

I recently received the holiday Oriental Trading catalog and ran across these reusable tote bags.  They're nearly identical to the ones sold at the grocery store except they have no logos on them.  At $30 for 50 bags, they're a fraction of the cost of paper gift bags and your friend or family member will be able to re-use them for shopping, re-gifting, or just about anything.  It's the gift that carries a gift!  I suppose if you're crafty, you could bedazzle them with fabric paint and other items and really dress them up and personalize them.

My Favorite Things: Canning Discovery Kit

Inspired by Oprah's "Favorite Things" and the holiday season, I thought I'd do a series of posts with some of my favorite food and cooking-related gift items.  Of course, I can't hand out free items like Oprah can, but hopefully I can inspire a few gifts for the foodies and entertainers in your life.  Enjoy!

I've spoken to a lot of people who would love to try their hand at canning but don't want to shell out the cash for a full boiling water canner and a case of jars.  This year, Ball came out with a new product:  The Ball Canning Discovery Kit.

This neat little kit is under $20.  It includes three jars, a plastic basket designed to lift jars in and out of a standard stock pot or pasta pot, instructions, and coupons for more jars.  It's a great way to try it out to see if you like it--maybe produce a couple jars of homemade jam or some pickles.  Plus, if you do become an avid canner, you'll have a ready-made "small batch" canning setup.

This kit makes a great Christmas gift for anyone who likes to cook and try out new things.

My Favorite Things: Inexpensive Stand Mixer

Inspired by Oprah's "Favorite Things" and the holiday season, I thought I'd do a series of posts with some of my favorite food and cooking-related gift items.  Of course, I can't hand out free items like Oprah can, but hopefully I can inspire a few gifts for the foodies and entertainers in your life.  Enjoy!

Want the power of a real stand mixer without the $300+ price tag of a real KitchenAid?  Check-out JCPenny's "Cooks" store brand stand mixer.

I haven't personally used one, but the machine has most of the same features of the brand name at nearly half the cost.  It usually garners 5 stars on JCP's website and the user comments are pretty good, barring those who have unrealistic expectations (like being able to scrape the sides without lifting the head--even the KitchenAid won't do that, or getting repair parts for a store brand product).

For your average everyday cook, I'd say this is definitely the way to go.  If you tend to beat on things, maybe the brand-name is a better choice for you.

My Favorite Things: Edibles From Etsy (Preserves, Hand-made Candies, etc.)

Inspired by Oprah's "Favorite Things" and the holiday season, I thought I'd do a series of posts with some of my favorite food and cooking-related gift items.  Of course, I can't hand out free items like Oprah can, but hopefully I can inspire a few gifts for the foodies and entertainers in your life.  Enjoy!

Do you often give gourmet food gifts made by some corporation?  Instead of throwing money at Harry and David or Dancing Deer this holiday season, support the homemade movement and true "small businesses" (the smallest kind) by purchasing gifts from an Etsy seller.

Etsy is a wonderful collection of artisans and their Plants and Edibles category now has sub-categories like Jam, Marmalade, Candy, Coffee, and others so you can quickly find the type of gift you're looking for.  As a former Etsy seller, I can testify to the amazing quality of most of the items for sale and the sincere and excellent care given by the sellers.

Even if you can't make homemade gifts yourself, you can still give homemade gifts this holiday season.

Incidentally, the image above was "borrowed" from Orange MammaMade. I haven't personally purchased from this seller but they have some really interesting flavors.

My Favorite Things: An Enamel-Coated Cast Iron Dutch Oven

Inspired by Oprah's "Favorite Things" and the holiday season, I thought I'd do a series of posts with some of my favorite food and cooking-related gift items.  Of course, I can't hand out free items like Oprah can, but hopefully I can inspire a few gifts for the foodies and entertainers in your life.  Enjoy!

Lots of people would love to have a Le Creuset 7qt Enamel Dutch Oven, but few of us can afford the $250 price tag that goes with it.  Thankfully, Cook's Illustrated has tested just about every knockoff that's come out over the past few years and nearly all of them can hold-up to their French counterparts with one exception--none of them come in a 7 quart size so you have to brown meat in two batches.  To that, I say, "Big deal!"  At a quarter of the price, I'll take it and deal with the hardship, thank you very much.

My personal favorite is the Lodge Cookware Enameled Cast-Iron 6-Quart Dutch Oven, which comes in a variety of beautiful colors.  A recent addition to the line-up at Lodge, which is traditionally known for durable uncoated pots and pans, these are the best bargain and the closest-match to the Le Creuset ones for the following reasons:

• Size - At 6 quarts, they're nearly as big as the LC ones.  You'll have no problem fitting a whole chicken in there (my favorite recipe) but it's not so darned heavy that you can't lift it when it's full of liquid--or just to wash it.
• Price - They average around $65 or less--a quarter of the price of the LC model.
• Availability - Nearly everyone sells them and Amazon offers free shipping--something necessary for such a heavy item.
• The Lodge Name - Lodge is no newcomer to the cast iron pot industry.  They're one of the oldest manufacturers of cast iron cookware in the world and one of the only ones left in this country.
• Made In the USA - I believe Lodge still makes all of its cookware here.  Support local jobs!

If you shop around, you may even find a better deal.  Just make sure the pot is at least 5 quarts in size or it won't be able to handle most recipes.  In fact, the TJX stores (Marshalls, Homegoods, TJMax, etc.) often have great deals on them.

My Favorite Things: The Sno Brum

Inspired by Oprah's "Favorite Things" and the holiday season, I thought I'd do a series of posts with some of my favorite food and cooking-related gift items.  Of course, I can't hand out free items like Oprah can, but hopefully I can inspire a few gifts for the foodies and entertainers in your life.  Enjoy!

Okay, this one is not exactly cooking or food related, but it's just too good to go without mentioning and it makes one of the best impulse gifts I've ever seen.  I'm serious.  In fact, this one's worthy of the office gift swap.  Don't worry--the guy who gets stuck with it will thank you later.  Presenting, The SNO BRUM!
Okay, it may not look like much but trust me...anyone cleaning off their car beside you during or after a storm will be green with envy.  These are the things the car dealers use to clean off hundreds of cars in their lot after a big storm.  Instead of brushing, and brushing, and brushing, this baby acts like a shovel, pushing six-inch deep snow off your car in one big swoop.  You'll be done in seconds--not minutes.

The Brum sports a telescoping handle, letting you reach the entire roof of a sedan from one side of the car and letting you actually be able to clear the top of your SUV.  The head is made of soft plastic-foam material that won't scratch any paint job (if it did, the dealers wouldn't use it).

At about $20, it's one of the best gifts you can give someone who lives in a chilly climate.

My Favorite Things: A Good All-Purpose Cookbook

Inspired by Oprah's "Favorite Things" and the holiday season, I thought I'd do a series of posts with some of my favorite food and cooking-related gift items.  Of course, I can't hand out free items like Oprah can, but hopefully I can inspire a few gifts for the foodies and entertainers in your life.  Enjoy!

If you know someone who just bought a home, just moved out on their own, or someone who just needs a little help in the dinner department, a good all-purpose cookbook makes a wonderful gift.  If you're looking for something more, give it alongside a quality nonstick skillet or a set of nested mixing bowls.

Here are a few of my favorites...

The Better Homes Cookbook - This is the cookbook I had around when I was learning to cook (my Mom's 1970's edition).  This book is made for the everyday home cook.  The recipes are no-frills, require very few special ingredients, and they're simple and easy.  This book will show you how to make everything from a basic egg to pancakes to pies, cakes, and classic meals.  Definitely spring for the binder version over the paperback.  It lays flat, making it easier to read the recipe while your hands are otherwise occupied.

The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook - This book is more or less a knockoff of the Better Homes book and it's a great collection of basic recipes that work every time (that's the ATK promise).  Its only flaw is that, typical of most ATK recipes, it often uses ingredients that your average person just doesn't keep on hand (like buttermilk).  If you're not afraid of trips to the store for recipe extras or you like to know your recipes are going to taste the best, this book is for you.

The Joy of Cooking - This is the classic tome that should be in everyone's kitchen.  It's a bit more advanced in some ways than the two books above but it's handy to have around when you need a very specific recipe (chances are, it's in there) or you want to know about certain ingredients.

The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook - This is my go-to book for entertaining.  All of Ina Garten's recipes are simple to make and she gives tips for making ahead when planning a party.  She truly is the diva of simple entertaining and her first book is the most valuable in her collection...in my opinion, of course.

My Favorite Things: Make-Your-Own Gourmet Tea Sampler

Inspired by Oprah's "Favorite Things" and the holiday season, I thought I'd do a series of posts with some of my favorite food and cooking-related gift items.  Of course, I can't hand out free items like Oprah can, but hopefully I can inspire a few gifts for the foodies and entertainers in your life.  Enjoy!

Know any avid tea drinkers?  SpecialTeas.com is an awesome online loose tea retailer that sells small sample packages of most of their teas for $1 and $2 each.  Plus, they ship from Connecticut, making standard shipping more or less overnight for those of us in Southern New England.  That makes it easy for you to put together a "Tea Sampler" for someone special.

 Just choose 4 to 6 flavors of tea that you know your recipient will love and add a couple of great items like these:

• A Reusable Tea Filter for mugs
• An interesting and functional teapot for sharing with friends

 Pack everything in a decorative gift bag with a package of shortbread cookies and you have yourself a thoughtful, personalized gift.

My Favorite Things: Uncoated Commercial Half Sheet Pan

Inspired by Oprah's "Favorite Things" and the holiday season, I thought I'd do a series of posts with some of my favorite food and cooking-related gift items.  Of course, I can't hand out free items like Oprah can, but hopefully I can inspire a few gifts for the foodies and entertainers in your life.  Enjoy!

One of the most used items in my kitchen is the Uncoated Commercial Sheet Pan (about $10-15) like this one...

...I have at least 5 of them.  :-)  I like them for the following reasons:

• They're larger and sturdier than any home cookie sheet you can buy.  They rarely warp under high heat and you can fit a full 12 cookies on them.
• Because I buy only the uncoated kind, cookies don't burn as easily.  Most people think that nonstick surfaces are better but they actually enhance browning (aka burning if you're not careful).
• Again, because they're uncoated, I can scrub away baked-on gunk with abrasive cleaning pads like Brillo or SOS.  Try that with a coated pan and all you'll succeed in doing is ruining it and sometimes, the stuff is just permanently baked on.
• They make great trays for prepping ingredients, freezing items loose for later storage in a zip-top bag, drying chocolates, and carrying things around the kitchen.

Cook's Illustrated calls these, "The workhorses of the test kitchen," and I couldn't agree more.  You'll never buy a home kitchen cookie sheet ever again.

Incidentally, Walmart usually has these in stock in the store, so you don't even have to wait for it to ship.