This colorful and cool Joseph & Joseph Salt and Pepper Mill, Y Grinder is quite unlike anything I’ve ever seen. And I love it for that.
This beauty is available on Macy’s website. Click through for more information. You could wax all kinds of brilliant by ordering two of these: One for you and one for you-know-who as a Mother’s Day gift.
My youngest daughter, Stephany, and I are obsessed with baking. Sometimes the urge to bake will hit both of us at once and we’ll end up with so many sweets in our kitchen you’d swear it was a bakery. Steph’s favorite thing to bake is probably cupcakes and the ones she made for Valentine’s Day were as delicious as they were adorable.
In addition to cookies (which I’m obsessed with), I’m all about baking cakes. Most of my cakes are from scratch, but I’m happy to report that there are some very, very good cake mixes on the market.
I’ve started collecting different cake pans because they add a lot to the fun of making, serving, and eating cakes. Whether it’s a birthday, wedding, holiday, or simply the opening day of baseball (believe me, that’s a holiday in our house) – the right cake pans can transform your cake into a masterpiece that people take pictures of before they dive in.
You know you’ve created something memorable when they break out the cameras.
The highly unique and adorable Round Topsy Turvy Cake Pans Set shown above creates a cake that everyone will photograph. I’ve seen these showstoppers used as wedding cakes as well as birthday cakes. I’ve always thought they’d be IDEAL for Halloween and Easter.
Made from heavy duty anonized aluminum. U.S. Patent Pending. *Please note, our set only consist of 4 tiers. 6, 8, 10 & 12″ in diameter. We have discontinued the 14″ diameter because of the size of the pan, the cake does not bake in the middle even with the use of a 2 or 4 inch heating core.
Click here for a closer look.
1 piece star anise
2 cinnamon sticks, broken into pieces
8 whole cloves
4 cardamom pods
1 small piece ginger, peeled (1 tablespoon of the piece grated)
1 orange (half of the orange slice, half grated for zest)
1/2 cup vodka
2 1/2 cups dry red wine
2 1/2 cups ruby port or Madeira
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup blanched whole almonds
1/2 cup dark raisins
Instructions:
1. Crush the cinnamon and cardamom using a mortar and pestle (or put them on a cutting board and crush them with the bottom of a heavy pot). Put them in a small glass jar and add the ginger, orange zest, cloves, and vodka. Let stand for 24 hours.
2. Strain the vodka through a fine sieve into a large saucepan; discard the spices. Add the red wine, port or Madeira, sugar, almonds, raisins, and star anise, and heat over medium heat just until bubbles start to form around the edges.
3. Serve the wine hot in mugs, with a few almonds and raisins in each glass; keep any remaining wine warm over very low heat until ready to serve – do not let boil!
The above recipe was graciously shared with our readers by the super cool people at A Bullseye View. Visit their wonderful site for more decorating tips, recipes, beauty, and shopping. Lots and lots of shopping fun!
You can find more Marcus Samuelsson recipes, on Food Network’s website. There’s a recipe for Swedish Meatballs with Spicy Plum Sauce that I’ve bookmarked. How delicious does that sound?!?!
Fellow foodies and kitchen gadget junkies, I’ve given you tons of recommendations on this humble little food blog. I’ve recommended great cookbooks, delicious food, and kitchen gadgets, appliances, and cooking tools you have to see to believe. But today… today I present to you two kitchen essentials you must order today. The sooner you have them in your possession, the brighter your world will be Why haven’t I told you about these world-altering, life-changing essentials before? I only just got my hands on them myself!
My wonderful husband recently ordered me the two lovelies you see here: The Aerolatte Deluxe Edition Milk Frother with Stand, Stainless Steel
Allow me to tell you why you need these babies: You can, in the safety and comfort of your own home recreate the pricey, exotic, fancy pants drinks you love in coffeehouses and restaurants. It’s cheaper, funner, and potentially healthier to make these lattes, milkshakes, fraps, and hot chocolates at home. Heck you can even do it in your pajamas if you want to. Been there, done that.
Thus far, I’ve made:
The Frother and Stand Product Features:
I LOVE that the Frother comes with its own stand. You don’t have to worry about finding a place for it in your gadgets drawer or a spot for it in your utensils holder. You’ll always know exactly where it is – standing near your coffee pot looking fabulous. Click HERE for more information about the Frother and stand.
Espresso Coffee Milk Frothing Pitcher
Click HERE for more information about the Espresso Stainless Steel Pitcher. I absolutely love mine.
Trust me, you just saw the next two kitchen gadgets (make that essentials) you should buy. As in NOW!
A few nights ago, I saw a really cool recipe on one of my favorite shows – Good Eats with Alton Brown. Alton made an amazing looking French Onion soup in an electric skillet. The soup looked so delicious I could practically smell it through the television. It made me anxious to try his recipe (all Alton Brown recipes are great) AND it reminded me that it’s time… way past time, that is.. to replace my electric skillet. I think it’s pretty safe to say that if anything in your kitchen looks like something Alice would use to whip up something for the Brady kids, it’s time to upgrade.
The Electric Skillet shown here is a great-looking alternative. It’s from Anna’s Linens and is available online only.
Features:
Use the link (Electric Skillet) or the picture to take a closer look at this first rate electric skillet and be sure you check out Alton Brown’s French Onion Soup Recipe, it’s also first rate.
Yes! Now that’s what I call a popcorn maker! The Sunbeam FPSBPP7310-000 Theatre-Style Popcorn Maker, Red
Click through the link or picture for a closer look. This one’s a beauty!
I have to confess, every time I see a beautiful, colorful Rachael Ray dish, kitchen gadget or cooking tool, I automatically think two words, “Need that.” So when I saw the Rachael Ray 2-Piece Lil’ Huggers Tong Set Cookware Sets (in blue or orange)
Except this time they were followed by exclamation marks because, this time, it isn’t just a strong want – it is a certifiable need.
My husband was cooking pork chops a few nights ago (and, boy, were they delicious!) and he asked me where my tongs were. Sheepishly, I drug them out of the kitchen tool drawer. They’ve become pretty homely over the years. I made a point, then, to shop for a new pair. My first move was to search for a pair on Amazon, along with the name Rachael Ray. I was certain she had some in her collection.
Success! I found that she didn’t just have one, but had a thongs set (the ones you see here).
I have never bought or received anything from the Rachael Ray collection that wasn’t’ absolute perfection. Anything she puts her name on is first class and anything she puts her name on will, eventually, wind up in my kitchen. I take a lot of pride and care in my cooking, so I only want the best of the best in my kitchen. Rachael Ray casserole dishes, pans, cooking tools, towels, cookbooks, and kitchen gadgets are the very essence of best of the best.
Her Oval Bubble & Brown Baker Set is just one of the things I wonder how I ever lived without.
Product Description: The 2-Piece Lil’ Huggers Tong Set is a must-have when using nonstick cookware. 2-Piece set includes: 1 x 9 Lil’ Hugger 1 x 12 Lil’ Hugger ; Grippy 
spoon-shaped ends are great for stir frying, grabbing corn cobs, tossing salad and turning hot chicken wings. Locking hinge makes grasping varying sizes of food easy. Silicone heads and handles are heat safe to 500°F. Dishwasher safe.
I LOVE that the heads and handles are silicone! I just can’t make up my mind if I want blue or orange. Oh, decisions… decisions….
See Rachael Ray 2-Piece Lil’ Huggers Tong Set Cookware Sets – Blue
More Rachael Ray Cooking Tools, Kitchen Gadgets, Pans, and Casserole Dishes:
I’ve said it a million and one times, but the truth is always worth repeating: A cook is only as good as his/her tools. If you want to be the best cook you can possibly be and want your food to taste as delicious as it should, you must arm yourself with the best kitchen gadgets and tools. That doesn’t mean spending an arm and a leg, of course, it simply means having good equipment at your disposal for a multitude of cooking tasks.
A rice cooker is certainly what’d I’d call a necessary kitchen tool. Why would anyone want the headache of cooking rice on the stove when they can let a great rice cooker do all the work? Best of all, the rice tastes better!
The Panasonic Rice Cooker
Cook rice in one step with the Panasonic 6 Cup Rice Cooker. This automatic electric rice cooker can prepare up to six cups of cooked rice with just the press of a button, then keep it warm for use later. A cooking light indicates when cooking is in progress and automatically extinguishes when cook time is complete. This advanced cooker then automatically switches to Warm Mode to maintain your rice at the perfect temperature. A see-through tempered glass lid allows you to easily and safely monitor cooking progress.
Easy to clean and use, a non-stick aluminum inner cooking pan makes for easy clean-up and helps prevent cooked rice from sticking. A rice scoop and measuring cup are included to help you serve rice.
With just the press of a button, this automatic rice cooker prepares your rice to perfection
When cooking is complete, this advanced rice cooker automatically switches to Keep Warm mode, maintaining rice temperature
A rice scoop and measuring cup are included to help you serve rice
Take a closer look: Panasonic 6 Cup Rice Cooker
I’m pretty much obsessed with cupcakes and muffins – okay, more than pretty much, I’m obsessed to the core. Obsessed enough for 10 people. If I had a dime for every package of paper cupcake and muffin liners I’ve bought I’d buy a Hummer for my husband, a Corvette for each daughter and son-in-law (present and future), and a lifetime supply of Whiska’s for my cats. For myself? I’d buy all the chinchillas in the world so they could always keep their own fur.
Reasonable, right?
I’ve (obviously) spent oodles of money on paper liners and, each time, wished for a better way. I have to admit, I get a twinge of green guilt each time I buy paper products. That’s why I’m so excited about the Wilton 415-9400 Easy Flex Silicone 3-Inch Reusable Baking Cups, 12 Count
An ingenious and eco-friendly alternative to buying hundreds of disposable paper muffin liners, these guys can be used again and again and again – saving you money and the earth another headache.
Amazon Description:
The 3-by-3-by-1-1/2-inch cups fit in the cavities of standard metal or glass muffin pans, or they can be placed individually on a flat cookie sheet or jelly-roll pan for stability. Constructed of food-grade silicone that resists stains and odors, they deliver exceptional baking performance and even cooking for a variety of delicious treats–everything from birthday cupcakes and fresh breakfast muffins to individual brownies, mini cheesecakes, and more. In addition, the flexible cups ensure easy removal of baked goods or molded gelatins, and their crinkled edges impart that traditional muffin edging so popular in coffee shops and bakeries. While safe for use in the freezer, microwave, or conventional oven (up to 500 degrees F), the versatile baking cups can also be used to hold colorful candies, individual party favors, or multi-colored sprinkles and edible glitter while hosting a cookie-making party or decorating cakes. Best of all, they feature convenient fill lines that take the guesswork out of baking. Stackable for compact storage, the set of 12 baking cups (6 red and 6 blue) cleans up easily by hand or in the dishwasher and carries a limited lifetime warranty.
If you’ve ever used silicone pans or kitchen tools, you’re familiar with their fabulousness. A few days ago, while using a silicone pastry brush, I told my cat that I wished every kitchen tool I had was silicone. She seemed to agree – either that or she was humoring me in hopes of another bite of tuna.
See Wilton 415-9400 Easy Flex Silicone 3-Inch Reusable Baking Cups, 12 Count
My family is fanatical for cornbread, so I try to have it as often as possible. It seems, for some reason that I make it more often in the fall and winter than I do the spring and summer. I guess that’s because my favorite meals to serve it with are chili and beans, which we have far more often in cooler weather.
Here are a few of my favorite ways to enjoy leftover cornbread:
A few other tips about cornbread:
Adding a little chopped jalapeno to your cornbread batter adds a lot of flavor – and it looks pretty cool too… especially when you make cactus-shaped cornbread, courtesy of the Lodge Logic Pre-Seasoned Saguaro Cactus Pan
Southern chefs will tell you that nothing bakes cornbread like a good cast-iron pan, and this Lodge Logic cactus pan is among the best. The vessel features a series of five saguaro cactus impressions, each measuring 4-1/4 inches long and 2-1/2 inches wide. The cactus shapes are clever and precise, with a pair of arms that extend out and up in the traditional saguaro manner. Meanwhile, the batter cooks beautifully thanks to the cast-iron material, which heats slowly but evenly and holds its heat far longer than stainless and aluminum rivals. The resulting cornbread cakes and muffins are cooked to the peak of perfection, with slightly crisp exteriors and moist, flavorful insides. It’s the perfect way to add a Southwestern touch to your chili and black-eyed pea recipes.
NOTE: Yesterday, I told you I’d be making the Cucumber Salad recipe for supper. It was beyond delicious. My youngest daughter, Stephany, helped me in the kitchen last night and that’s always a special treat. We actually wound up doubling the recipe because we kept sampling so much as we went along! The dill adds such a wonderful flavor to the fresh, crisp cucumbers. Outstanding.
