Just when you think there’s nothing new to say about blenders, enter Blendtec. Actually, enter the Blendtec videosWill it Blend?. Call it a publicity stunt, but it’s a good one. Blendtec, which sells commercial-grade blenders akin to those you see in coffee shops, has entered the home-blender arena with their Total Blender and a series of short videos showing a lab-coated, safety-glasses wearing man blending outrageous things. He blends an iPhone, a video camera, glow-sticks, an iPod, golf balls, marbles and on and on and on. Call us gullible, but this blender reduces everything from cubic zirconia, a stuffed toy, a stun gun, a Rubik’s cube, a DVD and a hearing aid to tiny bits and pieces. Warnings of “Don’t do this at home” pepper the Web site. Of course there are plenty of videos and information about blending edibles such as smoothies, bread dough, peanut butter, hot soup, salsa, ice cream, etc. The blender is good-looking, with a digital display and lots of functions. It’s heavy and solid. The Total Blender isn’t cheap at $400, but will draw ooohs and ahhs from your party guests, even if you’re just blending a margarita, not a cell phone.
What do partially hydrogenated oil, sugar and caffeine have in common? At least one appears in almost all popular kids€™ snacks. And while we adults may love our afternoon M&Ms, Frito€™s and Coke, we are allegedly wise enough to know that a little is enough. (Plus, we€™re too far-gone already to be saved.) The kids are another story, thanks to the wide availability of junk food wherever they go. At Sunbird Snacks, there are healthy alternatives you can send your kids to school with, such as raw almonds (12 three-ounce packs for $18). Yes, nuts are quite high in fat but it€™s the kind that€™s generally good for you. And instead of potato chips, check out these brown rice crackers in 2.5 ounce bags (12 for $18). They€™re fat free (and that means no trans fat) and contain no artificial colors or flavors. They do contain sugar. Crispy Green®Crispy Fruit snacks are freeze-dried using fresh frozen fruit and a vacuum method that aims to retain the fruit€™s essence. Choose from apples, apricots, peaches, pineapple and pears (pictured). Buy at the online store ($8 for six packs) or click on the store locator page to find the product in your town. And be sure to check out the Healthy Snack Store€™s Single Serve Snacks. Here you€™ll find individual portions of Kay€™s gluten-free Kruncheeze (12 bags for $16), Protein Chips, cinnamon toast, jalapeno honey mustard or wasabi pretzels and protein cereals. All are $12 for 12 bags.
Cast-iron pans are beloved by many chefs, for good reasons: They can go from stove to oven, they are ideal heat conductors, and when properly cared for, they can last decades. Two basic skillets are the Keilen 11.5-inch cast iron skillet at Sears ($9) and Williams-Sonoma’s sturdy 12-inch Lodge skillet ($27). A more sophisticated version can be found at Ginny€™s, which carries Paula Deen€™s Swirled cast-iron skillet ($50) and matching Dutch oven ($90), with a red enamel exterior and a white enamel interior (pictured). The enamel lining makes it easy to clean and doesn€™t necessitate the seasoning and oiling required by more traditional pans. Cabela€™s has a cast-iron starter set with three skillets, a Dutch oven with lid and heavy gloves, perfect for cooking over a campfire ($80). Lodge Pro Grid’s cast-iron griddle has a ridged side designed for cooking chops, and even vegetables; its smooth reverse side is ideal for making pancakes ($45). For Dutch ovens, look no farther than the big sale at DutchOvenPro.com, where you’ll find the Ultimate Turkey Roaster set, complete with roasting rack (on sale for $78). What€™s Cooking America offers a useful guide to using and caring for your cast-iron cookware — it’s best to wipe off and oil them rather than scrubbing with soap and water. Once you have your pan, you can make skillet cornbread or recipes from Crate & Barrel’s Cast Iron Skillet Cookbook ($17).
Cupcakes have grown past their status as a fixture at third-grade parties. They’re becoming the artful stars of the bakery world. Cupcake-only bakeries are hot in big cities, and tiers of beautifully frosted cupcakes are replacing the traditional three-layer cake at weddings. Actress Katie Holmes kept herself and the crew of her movie Mad Money stuffed with cupcakes. Chicago Cupcakes has been featured on The Food Network and Ellen Degeneres’ show. This bakery will ship 24 freshly baked cupcakes (quick-frozen, packed in insulated boxes with dry ice, and delivered via FedEX) for $150. Chicago Cupcakes€™ flavors include almond joy, orange poppyseed, tiramisu and pineapple cherry. L.A.’s Famous Cupcakes delivers to all 50 states. Their €œcupcake bouquets,€ about $60 each, are fun for birthdays, baby showers, anniversaries, Thanksgiving, etc. If you can’t stomach designer cupcakes, make them yourself with Crate & Barrel’s €œ500 Cupcake€ cookbook ($15.95). After you’re finished, display them on their pretty three-tier cupcake stand ($37). Bed Bath & Beyond has the €œHello Cupcake€ cookbook ($16) and the very fun Wilton Silly Feet Baking Cups (little cupcake holders with colored feet), $10 for a set of four. And now that you’re hooked on the little confections, what better gift to give the baker in your life than a cupcake charm bracelet ($60) decorated with 20 tiny cupcake charms and small crystals.
Mayo, ketchup, mustard, salsa. There is so much more you can do to give your food some extra zing. The taste buds come alive with pleasure when the right flavors collide on your tongue, and we€™ve gathered some truly exotic jams, jellies and chutneys to make your eating more adventurous and enjoyable. First, get an 11 ounce jar of Branston Pickle ($3.75 each; case of 12 for $36), a favorite condiment in the United Kingdom, where more than 28 million jars are sold each year. The sweet and tangy stuff is made from €œvegetables in variable proportions€ (carrots, rutabaga, onions, cauliflower, marrows, gherkins), sugar, vinegar, chopped dates, apples, tomato paste and more. It absolutely enhances a fish and rice or meat and potatoes meal. Just put a spoonful on your plate and take a little with each bite. Another UK delight is Piccalilli ($4.25 for 10 oz.), a yellow relish of chopped pickled cucumbers, green peppers and onion with tumeric and mustard. In the jams and jellies department, we wanted to know what lay beyond strawberry preserves and orange marmalade. Thus it was exciting to find Mrs. Miller€™s Noodles, a Web site featuring the low-priced, beyond-the-ordinary products of a Ohio-based Amish family, the Millers. The family makes dandelion jelly, pineapple jam, mint jelly, hot pepper jelly, red pepper jam, tomato jam and sassafras jelly. All are $2.25 for 8 oz., except the hot pepper jelly, which is $3.50 for 18 ounces. At the Exotic Jam Factory, each season supplies its own selection of jams and jellies. Right now the pickings are great. Get some strawberry and cracked pepper jam ($9) to go with your cheese and crackers or cold meats. Or try the Jaboticaba jam ($9), which is made from a luscious Queensland fruit similar to the cranberry. Other offerings include nectarine and ginger jam, and a berry blend from their orchard which mixes Queensland Mulberry, Brazilian cherry, cherry guava and Jaboticaba. In the marmalade department, there€™s orange and lemongrass and orange and whiskey.
Clarissa Dickson Wright (left), the portly women of the title, traveled around Britain in a Triumph Thunderbird motorcycle and sidecar to prepare old-fashioned British meals for different sets of guests. The setting for each dinner was nearly as interesting as the food — Westminster Cathedral, an Irish convent and a safari park — and the ladies always made a point of collecting fresh ingredients from local farmers, fishermen, butchers and bakers. They often broke into song, glorified “streaky bacon” and cream, and joked about vegetarians. The series ended when Paterson died of lung cancer in 1999. All 24 episodes are now available on 
