Get Cooking!

Recipes, Kitchen Gadgets, Cookbook Reviews, Gluten Free Recipes...

You are here: Home / Archives for Gift Ideas / Gift Ideas for Cooks

Gift Ideas for Cooks

T-Fal Signature Nonstick 12 Piece Cookware Set

By

When it comes to pots, pans, and kitchen appliances (big and small), I am as brand-loyal as it gets. I figure, if I’m going to spend money on something, I want to make certain it’s something that…

  • I’ll love
  • will serve me well
  • will last
  • won’t make me regret it!

T-fal is one of the names I go to again and again and again. I have never bought a T-fal product and regretted it for a second. In fact, each time I use a T-fal pan, I ask myself, “Why would anyone buy any other brand?”

A bit overly-dramatic and flowery, but true.

Oddly enough, I have never (yet) bought a T-fal collection of pans. I always buy them piece by piece which, if we’re being honest, doesn’t make a lot of sense because that’s a sure-fire way to spend more money than if you bought them in a great collection.

The T-fal Signature Nonstick Cookware Set  (12-Pieces) pictured  here is making me see the error of my ways and I can’t wait to add it to my already healthy T-fal collection. I love that this set includes a Dutch oven and griddle – I don’t have either one of these and can’t wait to cook pancakes to celebrate their arrival in their new forever home. I make pancakes, fried eggs, and French toast regularly and a griddle is absolutely the way to go.

T-fal Signature Nonstick Cookware Set Features

  • Set includes: 7.75 inch and 11 inch fry pans, 1 quart and 2 quart sauce pans with lids, a 5.5 quart Dutch oven with lid, a 10.25 inch griddle, and a spoon, ladle, and slotted spatula
  • Dishwasher safe: Easy to clean and dishwasher safe cookware set; Nonstick interior and exterior for low fat cooking and easy cleaning
  • Use and care: Safe for all cooking methods except induction; PFOA, Lead, and Cadmium free. Wash the frying pan in hot water and washing-up liquid to remove any dust. Dry it and rub a little cooking oil into the non-stick coating before using for the first time
  • Heats evenly: With our thermo spot indicator, know when our T fal pan is ready for use; Oven safe up to 350 Fahrenheit
  • Ergonomic heat resistant handles for a comfortable grip; Vented tempered glass lids trap in heat and moisture

The fact that T-fal is easy to clean and dishwasher safe make me love it even more.

See  T-fal Signature Nonstick Cookware Set  (Amazon link) for a lot more details, pictures, and a video explaining the brilliance of the T-fal Thermo Spot. As soon as my set arrives, I’ll post the review. I don’t have to tell you what an AMAZING Mother’s Day or Father’s Day gift this would make!


Summer Kitchen Towels, for that Summer State of Mind!

By

I told my youngest daughter, Stephany, recently that I don’t think I’ve ever looked so forward to spring and summer in my life as I did this past winter. I mean, for one thing, I absolutely love winter and everything about it (Christmas, snow, fuzzy sweaters, hot chocolate, soup, curling up under a warm throw while watching movies with my husband…)

And yet, all January and February, all I could think about was baseball, grilled hamburgers, my flower beds, trips to the lake, watermelon, butterflies, bees, and feeling the warm sun on my face.

Suffice to say, I am as happy as a cat in a bed of catnip now that the weather is warmer!

As I’ve often said on the food blog, I love to decorate seasonally – changing towels, knick-knacks, and so forth with the seasons and upcoming holidays. I’ve been looking on Amazon for more summerlicious kitchen towels and…. tada!… like any shopper who puts her heart into her work, I have had success.

I’m including a few of my favorite towel finds, here, in case you are as ready as I am to embrace summer like it’s never been embraced before!

Details for the Watermelon Towel Set Above:

  • Polyester
  • Imported
  • Soft Material : 100% High-quality durable fibers, machine washable & tumble dry, ultra-soft so they won’t scratch your delicate cookware, plates, pots, or pans
  • Highly Absorbent : Absorbent enough for drying, cleaning, scrubbing or achieving any other household task. Keep absorbent even after multiple machine cycles
  • Includes : Brand new set of 2 stylish dish towels/tea towels 18 X 28 Inches (45cm X 75cm), long-lasting durability and performance
  • Kitchen Decor : Add flair to your kitchen decor with Artoid Mode colorful kitchen dish towels. Perfect for all of your daily drying and cleaning kitchen jobs
  • Unique Cute Design : Printed with stylish, unique and cute patterns. It is the perfect combination of seasonal decor and daily cleaning

I also love the Hello, Summer towels pictured on the right. I’ve already ordered popsicle molds to make plenty of healthy popsicles for my grandbabies (as well as the grown-up family members who love them just as much). Not only can you use organic juice to make healthier popsicles, you can add bits of fruit and even use yogurt to make creamy popsicles. I’m pretty sure I’m as excited about them as anyone.

These towels will be perfect for a popsicle-filled summer!

These colorful polyester kitchen towels, like the ones above, come in a set of two and measure  18 X 28 Inches (45cm X 75cm).


Great New Obsession: Silicone Loaf Pans!

By

Silicone Pans

Silicone Loaf Pans

These Silicone Bread Loaf Pans are my newest obsession. Obviously, these silicone pans are available in many colors, from many different companies but these beauties happen to be from SILIVO, sold on Amazon. I’ve always been a huge Amazon shopper, but since the pandemic, I shop almost exclusively online and Amazon is the one I trust the most. They proved their reliability again this past Christmas – of the different online stores I ordered gifts from, they are the only one who had everything delivered in time to wrap and give for Christmas.

I’m still waiting on a few things (that I ordered in November) from Zulily! I know it’s a pandemic and things are slower… but dang.

These silicone pans are everything you hope for them to be when you buy them – they bake perfectly, nothing sticks (HATE STICKING!), cleanup is a breeze, and… to be perfectly honest.. they just look downright gorgeous in the cabinets.

Product Description from Amazon:

  • Set of 2：2 pack silicone bread&loaf pans
  • Multi-Purpose:Size:8.9×3.7×2.5 inches
  • Perfect for Bread, Cake, Brownies, Rice crispy treats, Meatloaf, Cobbler cake, Lasagna, Fruit cakes, Quiche, Pot Pies and more
  • 100% Food Grade Silicone: The silicone cake pan constructed of high-quality Eco-friendly 100 % pure food grade silicone, conforms to the American quality.
  • Non-stick Pan: The flexible silicone and non-stick finish allow for easy and quick release of baked goods and desserts, stain- and odor-resistant.
  • Easy Life: Fridge,Microwave & Oven safe
  • Operating temperature:-20℉~450℉(-30℃~230℃).
  • Easily hand wash by warm soapy or put in dishwasher.

While the Silicone Bread Loaf Pans are ideal for bread (lemon loaves, zucchini bread, banana nut bread, sourdough bread, cranberry orange bread..), my favorite uses may be meatloaf, brownies, and fudge. It may seem unusual to cook brownies in a loaf-size pan, but I had rather divide my brownie mix among two loaf pans than one 8×8 pan – you get more uniform cooking. Nothing messes with a chocoholic’s day quite like baking brownies that are smooshy in the middle and hard around the edges.

Silicone pans, by their very nature, make it all but impossible for brownies to pull off this trick.

I love the same approach to fudge and, again, the silicone beautifully keeps anything from sticking.

(Review Continued Below…)

Silicone Bread Loaf Pans

Silicone Loaf Pans

You can click through to take a closer look at the beautiful Silicone Bread Loaf Pans  shown here. While there, be sure to check out the other silicone cookware and kitchen tools. I am on a mission to cover my kitchen in silicone pans and gadgets – I love them that much.

Testing them out will give me something to do while waiting for my Zulily order!


An INGENIOUS Way to Prepare and Eat Chicken: Where Has this Method Been all My Life?!

By

Chopped Chicken Buffalo Burgers

Chopped Chicken Burgers, Topped with White Cheddar Cheese

I’ve become somewhat obsessed (make that pretty darn obsessed) with something lately that began as an experiment and ended with a full-on feeling of, “Why haven’t I been doing this forever?!”

Quick little backstory: I have a hiatal hernia which, while not a huge deal, can be annoying when it comes to certain foods – dense meats and bread in particular. Imagine trying to get a meatball through a coffee stirring straw… that’s how these foods can feel when you have a hiatal hernia that happens to be acting up at the time.

I had given chicken up entirely for quite a few months when I saw a cooking video on YouTube from one of my favorites, Sam the Cooking Guy (I’ll post this particular video below because I very much want you to see it). In the video, Sam took chicken and, using only his knife, cut it up exceptionally small, then formed patties with it in his hands and cooked it pretty much as you would a hamburger.

The first thing to hit my mind was that this process should make the chicken less “dense” and, since it’s the density that gives me problems, it may actually allow me to add chicken (which I love) back into my world.

I was so intrigued that I LITERALLY drove to the store and bought some chicken to try that very night. I was kind of holding my breath about a few things:

  • I found it hard to believe that it would stay together for me and actually make a chicken burger (it DID!).
  • I was afraid that my hernia would act up, even though the process made the chicken “feel” less dense (it DID NOT!)

I’ve used this process now about 7-8 times and come to love it even more each time. I normally make the patties and fry them in a little combination of butter and olive oil (my “go to” for cooking almost everything in the skillet), however today I used a combination of butter and avocado oil and they were amazing.

(Continued Below…)

Chopped Chicken

Seasoned Chopped Chicken, Ready to Party!

I’ve cooked chicken this way for…

  1. Chicken Parmesan – I add rosemary, basil, and thyme to the chicken and top it with marinara sauce and cheese. Delicious.
  2. Buffalo Chicken Burgers (Pictured Above) – Cooked as I normally do but topped the patties with buffalo sauce and blue cheese, and served, of course, with lots of celery.
  3. Regular Chicken burgers – cooked as it is in the video below. It makes outstanding chicken burgers.

Naturally, if you don’t have to eat gluten-free, like me, feel free to put your chicken burgers on buns. I imagine that would be crazy delicious!

(Continued Below….)

Chicken Thinly Sliced

Thinly Sliced Chicken will Cut Your Chopping Time in Half

A Few Tips:

  • If you’re able to buy thinly sliced chicken, doing so will cut your chopping time in half.
  • Most of the time, I chop in green bell pepper and onion (the combination is crazy good with these chopped chicken burgers) but they’re outrageously delicious without extras too.
  • When you’ve formed the balls, use a large spoon to “gently pat” them down, forming burgers (picture below).
  • When chopping my chicken, I season him on the chopping board- my reasoning is that, as I cut through him, the seasonings reach every nook and cranny.
  • Paprika is one of my favorite seasonings to use for chicken burgers – along with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, they turn out delicious each and every time.

Chicken Burgers

Use a Spoon to Flatten the Burgers Gently Into Place

While I use a plain old chopping board and sharp knife for making these chicken burgers, I’ve been researching meat grinders and found one on Amazon for under $40 (pictured below).

While I don’t at all mind using my knife and cutting board on the weekend, suppertime on weekdays need to be prepped and on the table fast. Last time I was cutting (and cutting and cutting!) the chicken, I reminded myself to check for meat grinders.  Because of the nature of raw chicken, I want one that’ll only be used for raw chicken. I think my food processor would probably do the trick, but frankly, I like keeping anything and everything I use for raw chicken separate from everything else.

Yes, I know it’s a ridiculous way to be – but it’s a mental wrinkle I can’t quite iron out.

So, I researched  meat grinders, price-checked, and all that jazz and have found the one I love (pictured on the right).

This is the Homeasy Meat Grinder (Amazon link) and should make food prep my weeknight chicken suppers quicker. This food grinder is equipped with 4 stainless steel blades and 2 modes to choose from.

You can chop or grind a variety of foods such as onions, meat, ham, garlic, onion, small herbs…

It’s equipped with a stainless steel bowl. The joint connection between blade and the main body is made of stainless steel unlike other plastic one thus the blade is not easy to break off.

While this is the one I have decided to go with, there are, of course, many different meat grinders on Amazon – different sizes, different prices, some manual/some electric. You can find exactly the one you’re looking for.

I look forward to giving this grinder a forever home in my kitchen – I promise it a steady diet of chicken.

Here’s the Sam the Cooking Guy Video:


2020 Gift Ideas for Cooks and Foodies: A Beautiful Handmade Ceramic Bowl

By

I’m a little behind with getting my 2020 Christmas Gift Ideas for Cooks category going here on the food blog but, hey, it’s 2020… all rules and norms have been thrown out the back door!

I actually only thought about the idea when I came across this gorgeous handmade ceramic bowl (Amazon link) on Amazon earlier. I was looking through their handmade items and threw some of the most adorable handmade soaps you’ve ever seen into my cart (they’re shaped like Christmas candy and they’re too cute to be believed). After I threw them into my cart without thinking twice, I saw a thumbnail of these gorgeous bowls and had to take a closer look.

From Amazon:

This beautiful handmade bowl is perfect for cereal, soup, ice cream and much, much more! During firing, the Floating Blue and Sapphire glazes react to the temperature and atmosphere in the kiln so that each bowl is unique. This bowl is just right for microwaving a single serving of hot cereal or soup and are equally good for cold foods as well.

This bowl is wheel-thrown stoneware clay. The bottom is ground smooth with a slight ring at the edge, sometimes known as a foot. It is microwave, oven and dishwasher safe.

  • Glazes are lead free and totally safe
  • Bowls are approximately 2 1/2″ tall, 5 1/2″ in diameter.
  • Capacity is approximately 15 oz.

Take a closer look at this beautiful handmade ceramic bowl (Amazon link). I absolutely love it!

Chili Tips of the Trade and a Kitchen Tool You Absolutely MUST Have

By

Chili with Fixings

Chili with the Fixin’s!

It’s that time of year again… Chili season!… and personally I couldn’t be happier. I love cool weather, crock-pot meals, homemade soup, and chili.

The more chili, the better.

The only problem one can run into, though, when you frequently make, serve, and eat chili is (if you aren’t careful) it’s easy to fall into a rut. I guess that’s true with any meal you make frequently, but in my experience, chili is the trickiest rut trap.

Below are some ideas I’ve accumulated over the years of being a raging chili fanatic. They’ll keep thing lively, tasty, and colorful while keeping you (and your chili bowl) out of a dreaded rut.

Meat Chopper Tool

Meat Chopper Tool Getting the Meat Chili-Ready

Chili Tips and Ideas

  1.  If you have chili as often as I do (especially during chili season), consider mixing up your recipe and/or ingredients fairly regularly – even if it’s ingredients you’ve ALWAYS used, try replacing it with something new OR simply add a new ingredient. Celery, bell peppers, onions, jalapenos, red pepper flakes, finely shredded carrot… mix and match. Basically, have fun and get creative.
  2. Change up your seasoning mix or spices. My personal favorite chili seasoning mix (and the one I use probably 75 percent of the time) is Carroll Shelby’s (link to the mix on Amazon, but they’re in most all stores) but ever so often, I’ll simply use a combination of my own spices or I’ll use a gluten-free packet of seasoning I find in the store. Each gives its own unique flavor to your chili.
  3. When browning your ground beef (I prefer using ground angus or chuck but will basically use whatever I have on hand!), use an inexpensive meat chopper (link to the one I use on Amazon). The one pictured above the Chili Tips is the one I use for soups and chilis and wouldn’t take anything for it! What makes this tool so perfect for chili (and soup for that matter)? My cooking philosophy has always been, “The more flavor combinations that fit on a spoon or fork, the better.” The smaller the meat…. and the smaller the vegetables… the more flavors will fit on your spoon. Simple as that.
  4. Don’t use water… use beef broth! Another one of my cooking philosophies is, “Water dilutes flavor… broths add flavor.” I use chicken broth (chicken chili, rice, boiling vegetables..) and beef broth almost daily, so we pretty much keep them stockpiled in the pantry. When making your chili, beef broth (or veggie broth when making vegetarian chili) is much better to use than plain old, flavor-diluting water.
  5. Have you ever set up a “taco bar” – complete with little dishes of tomatoes, cheese, onions, etc? Setting up a “Chili Bar” is every bit as fun and helpful. This way, everyone gets to add whatever floats their particular chili boat. Some ideas I love are: Fritos, freshly shredded cheddar (freshly shredded looks better than store bought, which looks like toy food), onions, green onion, scallions, sautéed onion, jalapenos, pickled jalapenos, rice, pasta noodles, diced chiles, red pepper flakes, sour cream, cornbread croutons (more about them in a minute)…. the options are almost endless. Corn dogs are also a fun, often unexpected item to include on a chili bar.
  6. Speaking of sour cream – I love it on chili all the time, but especially if it’s a little too spicy for my overly sensitive taste buds. Sour cream cools it down. A lot of people swear by adding a little peanut butter to their chili but, frankly…. well, I’d rather swear at it than by it!
  7. Using leftover chili for chili dogs is one of our favorite things to do. While warming the leftover chili, I use the meat chopper (link to the one I use on Amazon) mentioned above to give it more of a chili dog topping look. Sounds nuts, but, trust me, it’s darn good. Just be sure not to overdo it – you don’t want it looking like cat food pate.
  8. Using leftover chili is also perfect for chili burgers – simply top your burger with the chili (using the same technique for the chili dogs).
  9. Chili freezes very well – just warm it up with a little beef broth and it tastes freshly made.
  10. Cornbread croutons: Making cornbread, then cutting it into small squares is excellent on chili (especially if you add jalapenos to the cornbread). I also like to make fried cornbread (in the shapes of pancakes) and simply put them into the bottom of the bowl before adding the chili. Of course, you could always simply use regular cornbread to dip into your chili. The combination of chili and cornbread is outstanding – which is another reason corndogs are a perfect dinner guest for chili night.


The Duke’s Mayonnaise Cookbook: A Cookbook Deserving of the Name!

By

The Duke's Mayonnaise Cookbook

The Duke’s Mayonnaise Cookbook

My undying, unwavering passion for the following foods and drinks is legendary:

  • strawberry sundaes
  • fried catfish
  • chocolate
  • coffee
  • tea
  • cauliflower
  • shrimp tacos
  • coconut… on anything, in anything
  • big, take-up-the-entire-plate salads

But there’s only one condiment I’m associated with – Duke’s Mayonnaise (Amazon). Why? Easy – I’m as loyal as loyal gets when it comes to my mayonnaise. If I had little packets of it, I’d keep them in my purse to use at restaurants!

Yes, it IS that much better than any other mayonnaise or (yikes!) salad dressing in the world.

When I was contacted about reviewing the new cookbook, The Duke’s Mayonnaise Cookbook (amazon link), I thought, “Little do they realize they just contacted an absolute fanatic.”  I kept my composure… played it cool. Instead of all-cap yelling, “YES! I’LL REVIEW IT! HOW SOON WILL IT GET HERE?? DO YOU NEED ME TO COME GET IT?!” – I simply said I would be delighted to review the cookbook.

Screaming banshee inside, calm adult on the outside. I’ve mastered the performance.

Amazon’s Description:

Celebrate the South’s favorite mayonnaise and learn how to cook with it in new delicious ways with this cookbook from food writer and Duke’s lover Ashley Freeman.
Mayonnaise is one of those polarizing culinary debates akin to putting pineapple on pizza. Those who do love mayonnaise know that no mayonnaise is more beloved than Duke’s, a Southern staple with a cult following that is expanding its reach north.
The Duke’s Mayonnaise Cookbook will show you how to make the most delicious chicken salad or deviled eggs — and introduce new approaches to everyday recipes. Think of what mayonnaise actually is: a beautiful emulsification of eggs, oil, and a touch of lemon for acidity, which are all elements vital to cooking and baking. Adding mayonnaise can help you make the flakiest pie crust, the fluffiest scrambled eggs, and the most delicious chocolate cake.
The Duke’s Mayonnaise Cookbook is a compilation of recipes inspired by author Ashley Freeman’s travels across the country. From classic favorites like Tomato Pie to unexpected dishes like Miso-Glazed Salmon or Sticky Toffee Puddings, you’ll discover how versatile the South’s favorite mayonnaise really is. And with stories and testimonials from beloved well-known chefs and food writers, The Duke’s Mayonnaise Cookbook is a must-have book for loyal fans and newcomers alike.
While Duke’s Mayonnaise is absolutely the only mayonnaise I use on wraps and sandwiches, it’s been my experience that it’s just as important when using it in recipes. Early in the global pandemic, my grocery store did an abysmal job of keeping it in stock. While it made me ecstatic that so many people in my community had such excellent taste in condiments, when I had to use another brand in my chicken salad, tuna fish salad, potato salad, pimento cheese, and deviled eggs, I realized what I knew all along – Duke’s isn’t just better… it’s unimaginably better. I have zero idea how and I have zero idea why….. it tasted better and it makes everything you use it in better as well.
When I finally found a store that had a healthy stock of Duke’s Mayonnaise, I stocked up. In fact, each time I’ve made my “pick up” order since, I throw in another jar just to make sure I don’t run out again. The workers are going to think I bathe in the stuff.
Hmmm….

While the thing I love most about this cookbook is the fact it is packed with easy, creative, recipes I will use over and over again, I also love all of the big, beautiful photos. I get a lot of cookbooks to review (I love my not-a-real-job job!) and many don’t have full-page gorgeous photos lately. I want pictures! Maybe it’s because I’m a visual person… or maybe it’s because I want to see the presentations… or maybe I simply love pretty things.. but whatever the reasons…

I. Want. Pictures!!!

This beauty is filled with gorgeous photos accompanying the recipes and I am here for it.

The Duke's Mayonnaise Cookbook Review

A Few of the Wonderful Recipes in The Duke’s Mayonnaise Cookbook:
  • Secret Ingredient Scrambled Eggs
  • Chicken Salad Sandwiches
  • Ultimate Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with Tomato Soup
  • Overnight Churro Waffles
  • Coconut-Crusted Chicken Tenders
  • Lemon Shallot Tartar Sauce (excellent!)
  • Corn and Basil Hush Puppies with Creamy Lemon Dipping Sauce
  • Maple Cupcakes with Candied Bacon (!!!)
  • Shrimp Tacos with  Firecracker Sauce and Cilantro-Lime Slaw
  • Twice-Baked Potatoes
  • And many, many more just as creative and delicious recipes…

While The Duke’s Mayonnaise Cookbook (Amazon link) is not a gluten-free cookbook, all of the recipes can certainly be used simply by replacing ingredients with gluten with ingredients without gluten – easy peasy. You really only run into this with a couple of the recipes – and those of us who have to eat gluten-free are pretty well experts at substituting. This is absolutely a cookbook you will love and use whether you have to eat gluten-free or not.

The Duke's Mayonnaise Cookbook Review
Another thing I love about The Duke’s Mayonnaise Cookbook is something I always look for in a cookbook but can be pretty rare, if we’re being honest…. it has personality. I love the illustrations, the creative chapter openings, and the “Tasty Tips” throughout the book. These always feel kind of like the author, Ashley Strickland Freeman,  pops into your kitchen and shares her personal experiences. Love these little visits.

I love this cookbook and hope you’ll grab a copy for yourself.

Find The Duke’s Mayonnaise Cookbook on Amazon. I highly, highly recommend this one. You will use these recipes again and again.


The Way to this Rachael Ray Collector’s Heart….

By

Rachael Ray Measuring Cups and Dokkie

My husband went and did it again… he proved to me, for the billionth time, that I didn’t just marry a great guy, I married my hero. I wrote a post on my food blog a while back about a gorgeous set of Rachael Ray measuring cups. I wondered how in the word I didn’t already have them… given how I collect all things Rachael Ray and am in love with the colors.

Well, not only does he apparently read my food blog (awwwww), he takes hints even when they weren’t intended to be hints!

You guessed it.. I now own the gorgeous measuring cups and a ridiculously beautiful Purple Rachael Ray Moppine Towel as well.

In the pictures, here, the purple measuring cup looks more gray, but it is unmistakably a beautiful purple. One of our cats, sweet Dokkie, seems to be inspecting the colors above, doesn’t she??! When you’re a cat mom who is also a food blogger, you do not…. absolutely do NOT…. take photos of anything without help from at least one little Nosy Parker.

Some might would shoo the cat away and take professional-level pictures but not me. I simply take what I consider to be the cutest picture!

Rachael Ray Mopine and Measuring Cups

Rachael Ray Moppine Towel and Measuring Cups

As you can tell, the purple moppine towel is absolutely gorgeous – such a deep, bold shade of purple. I love the way Rachael Ray Moppine Towels (Amazon link) are made – you can put both of your hands into the hand pockets, allowing the rest of the moppine towel to cover your forearms, protecting you entirely from the hot deliciousness you’re removing from the oven. When you click through the link Rachael Ray Moppine Towels (Amazon link), you’ll see the WIDE array of colors available. I’ve had the red before as well and it’s also a beauty.

You can find the gorgeous Rachael Ray Measuring Cups on Amazon, too.

Rachael Ray Measuring Cups and Dokkie

Rachael Ray Measuring Cups and Dokkie

Fill Your Home (and Life!) with Colors You Love

By

Purple Placemats

Purple Placemats

The beautiful purple (“Eggplant”) placemats (Amazon link), above, are a recent gift from me to me. Purple is my favorite color and, since it makes me deliriously happy, I color as much of my world purple as I can.

I think of adding color to our worlds this way: If our life were a giant live-action coloring book, we would be able to choose many of the colors used on the pages. OUR coloring book… OUR rules! Sure… stores, nature, restaurants, and other people’s homes come pre-colored but we can darn well determine the colors we wear into them!

Our homes… our turf… is most definitely in our control. As you’d expect, purple is a recurring theme in our home and yard. I also love red (What is it with me and loud colors?? Don’t answer that…), so beautiful jewel tones of red an purple accompany one another frequently.

2020 has been a bust, to say the least, and it has all but drained me emotionally. As someone who is INSANELY empathetic, I cry as I see or read stories of sickness and loss. I’ve also been extra, extra worried about my family – 4 of us are in the “high risk” group (health conditions such as asthma) and one is pregnant! My third grandbaby is due any day and worrying about him and his mommy (my oldest daughter) has been a full-time job.

Recently, I ordered the gorgeous placemats, kind of as a mood lifter I suppose and they have brought so much happiness to me. Sounds crazy, I know, but each time I see them, I feel good. In a year like this one, we all need MORE of these kinds of things in our lives.

After I ordered these placemats, I saw the purple and white dish towels pictured below. I pointed them out to my husband and, because I married a sweetheart who just manages to get sweeter each year, he ordered them for me and surprised me with them a few days later.

 

Purple and White Kitchen Towels

Purple and White Dish Towels

The dish towels and placemats each come in a wide variety of colors and are very, very reasonably priced. I’m very, very impressed with the quality of each. You can mix and match the beautiful colors or do as I did, and simply go with your favorite color in the world.

Here’s the thing… while these are simple, simple purchases, the effects they have on your psyche are anything but simple. Every now and then it’s absolutely magical to do something out of the ordinary, completely self-serving, and fun. Not only does it make your world more colorful and fun, it lifts your mood and makes your psyche dance.

How are you going to beat that?!

See dish towels on Amazon.

See placemats on Amazon (The things I love the most about these placemats is the perfect size and the fact that they’re round! You can easily fit six on a table, without worrying about the edges touching… I’m just anal enough to be bothered by such things).


EDIT: I just found matching dishcloths on Amazon – and they’re available in even more colors than the beautiful towels are…. the yellow and red ones are just gorgeous!

Purple Placemats

Bamboo Pig Cutting Board…. Yes, Please!

By

I have always had a total, complete, and all-consuming love for pigs. If my cats (the one animal I have an even greater affection for) allowed it, I would have one – a female I’d name Patsy Swine. Come on, how could I not?

I often blog about pig collectibles and kitchen items on the food blog because I’ve heard from so many readers who love them almost as much as I do. I say almost because none of y’all have a name picked out for a pig you’ll never have.

This gorgeous bamboo pig cutting board is from Amazon and I am in love with it. It speaks to everything my own kitchen’s decor is about – a rustic/whimsical approach, heavy on pigs.

Here’s the thing – I have always loved pigs greatly. I even began “collecting” pigs for the kitchen over 12 years ago. Then something happened that made me fall even further in love with them and made me want to have them outside of the kitchen as well as inside of the kitchen…. this “something” that happened is a precious, lively, adorable 2 year old named Maddox and he (along with the rest of my family) makes my world go round.

Since he was about 6 months old, he has LOVED pigs and cats (I keep telling people he IS my spirit animal). While he loves all animals, there is a certain, palpable joy that comes over his face and into his voice when he sees a pig or cat (real, stuffed, drawing, figurine…). If it’s a cat, he laughs and meows. If it’s a pig, he laughs and oinks.

Why wouldn’t I want more of that in my life??!