Smart Planet Donut Maker, $29.95 at Cooking.com

I love Donuts, but several years ago I was diagnosed with celiac disease, which means I can’t eat anything made with wheat flour (rice flour and corn flour are ok).  Since pretty much every commercially-made snack has wheat flour in it, this means I have to do a lot of my baking at home.  It hasn’t been too hard to find delicious gluten free substitutions for things like brownies (I prefer the Gluten Free Pantry Brownie Mix) and cookies (King Arthur Flour Gluten Free Mixes).

But Donuts are pretty hard to make any home, especially since you need to fry them.  Except that now there is a way to make baked donuts at home, and to bake them instead of frying them means they will be much healthier!  It’s because of the Smart Planet Donut Maker.  You can bake donuts in it in 4 minutes.  Four minutes!  Isn’t that incredible???  One of the reviews I read of this product recommended using muffin mix to make the donuts.  I’ll probably experiment a bit to get the mix just right, but for $29.95 this seems like a terrific way for me to get my donut fix.   

The donuts are smaller than average donut size, but since these are healthier then regular donuts because they are baked and not fried, you could always eat two!  Although this is a very exciting product to those of us who are gluten free, this is also a terrific product for moms and dads looking to give their kids healthier snack alternatives.

The toaster oven is one of the most versatile appliances to have in the kitchen. In college, I would use my toaster oven for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and pizza bagels were always a favorite and easy recipe–bagels, marinara sauce and cheese, it really didn’t get any easier than that. Blogger Bellpeppers & Bokchoy has taken that simple idea up a couple of notches by making Spinach, Prosciutto and Garlic Pizza Bagels in the toaster oven! How perfect for a portable picnic!

Bellpeppers & Bokchoy says: “My suggestion is to toast the bagels once before you put the toppings & sauce on, otherwise it gets kinda soggy. after that, roughly chop a couple of cloves of garlic, and the prosciutto. Throw the garlic in a hot pan with a bit of olive oil in it and let it saute for a few minutes. Then add the prosciutto and let it get crispy. Add the spinach at the very end, as it cooks really quickly. If you notice the mixture getting dry, rinse the spinach right before you throw it in the pan to add some moisture.”

Black and Decker 4 Slice Stainless Steel Toaster Oven

Oster Inspire Convection Stainless Steel Toaster Oven

Make your appliances work for you–make cookies in your waffle maker! Don’t want to turn on the oven? Feeling like you need cookies, right-this-instant-or-you’ll-explode? We’ve all been there. Paula Patton’s photo of Waffled Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies stopped me cold. The blog Dishing Out the Good Stuff really knows how to dish it out!

Waffled Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies  (makes 24+ cookies)
(from The Wafflizer)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp. packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soada
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup quick-cook oats
3/4 cup semi-sweet mini-chocolate chips (regular size are too big to work well)

Method:
1. Preheat waffle iron.
2. In a large bowl, mix the butter and sugar until smooth.  Add the eggs and vanilla, mixing well.
3. Stir in all remaining ingredients, mixing well.
4. Spray the waffle iron grids with nonstick spray or brush with oil.
5. Using a small scoop place a small amount of dough onto each waffle section (some waffle makers have only one section, some have two and others have four.)
6. Close the waffle iron and cook until the dough is set and just beginning to brown. (Mine took 1 minute and 10 seconds — some may take 2-3 minutes)
7. Remove carefully from the grids. Cookies will be soft. (I used wooden bagel tongs and a flexible spatula.) Transfer to wire racks.
8. If desired, drizzle with ganache or light mix of chocolate frosting.

Applica / Grill and Waffle Maker / G48TD

Waring Pro Professional Stainless Steel Belgian Waffle Maker

Cuisinart 6-Slice Waffle Maker

I just got over being super sick; I wish I knew about this Green Smoothie recipe beforehand. Golubka calls it a “Glass of Emerald” and vouches for it’s cold-fighting ability and the drink itself is so beautiful!

Per Golubka’s instructions: “Take some familiar greens, or better yet, be adventurous and pick the brightest leaves with the strangest name. A bunch usually serves about three people. Add a banana per person, the riper the better. Stop here for a classic combination, or go on to add some kiwi, apple, grapes, mango, or berries for a more fruity flavour. Add about 1/2 cup of water per person and blend well until smooth and bubbly. Generally, this kind of smoothie tastes like fruit, but some greens overpower the sweetness. Those include collard greens, Swiss chard, and, the mightiest of all, arugula – nothing can mask its presence.”

Oster Classic Beehive Blender – Blue, Chrome, Copper, Red

Oster 14 Speed Blender

Magic Bullet Express

It sounds unconventional, but Panini Press Brownies are an awesome idea! I saw this recipe on Panini Happy and flipped, because it gives me a reason for the homemade blueberry syrup I wrote about earlier, too! Panini Happy’s picture alone makes my mouth water.

Panini Happy’s Directions:

Brownies:

1/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon water
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup flour
1/8 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat panini grill to 300 degrees.

Try, Cuisinart Griddler Panini Maker

Cook sugar, butter and water in a medium saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils.  Remove from heat.  Immediately stir in chocolate chips, stirring until melted.  Stir in egg and vanilla until blended.  Combine flour and baking soda; add to chocolate mixture.

Spoon brownie batter onto the panini grill in 8 equal portions (depending on the size of your grill, you may need to do this in batches).  Close the lid of the grill, leaving about 1/4″ of space between the brownies and the upper grates.  Grill for 5 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a brownie comes out clean.  Carefully remove brownies from the grill (they will be a bit soft).

To assemble each sundae sandwich: Scoop frozen yogurt on top of one brownie.  Sprinkle nuts on top of the frozen yogurt.  Close sandwich with another brownie.  Drizzle blueberry balsamic syrup over the top and finish with a dollop of whipped cream.

You can buy a tea kettle anywhere from Walmart to Bloomingdales, but discerning tea drinkers know that not every tea kettle is created equal.  I have come across a tea kettle that I think would make the perfect gift for the most devoted tea drinker you know.

The Adagio Tea Kettle has a sophisticated stainless steel design, but it’s the temperature adjustment feature that makes this tea kettle a real standout.  Not being a major tea drinker myself, I wasn’t aware that teas shouldn’t all brew at the same temperature. Apparently, black tea (the most common type) heats up the right temperature in a regular teapot.  But those who like to drink green or white teas often find that standard tea kettles just don’t do them justice.  Here’s where the Adagio comes in handy.  You can set it to a pre-boil temperature that is right for teas that need less heating.  What’s nice is that the kettle is able to maintain this mid level temperature without eventually spiking to a boil, so no worry about turning it down or having to add cool water to slow the process. 

The Adagio isn’t the only variable temperature tea kettle on the market, but it has great reviews on Amazon.com and About.com and is well priced, at $48.  Buy it for the tea lover in your life!

I was looking at some counter-top wine racks for my elegant two-buck Chuck, but when I queried “Wine Racks,” some really expansive ones came up. I am no wine aficionado, but wine racks like this Vintage View 234 Bottle Island Display Wine Rack is a full on commitment!

Vintage View 234 Bottle Island Display Wine Rack

What does one do with 234 bottles of wine? Drink them, of course!  Here are a couple of wine racks that are more my speed:

Umbra Grapevine Wine Rack Clear

Oggi 3 Tier Stainless Steel Wine Rack

While cookies and milk were the quintessential snacks of our youth, I much more prefer espresso (from my favorite Breville Cafe Modena Espresso Machine) and cookies as an adult. Blogger Buns in My Oven posted this perfectly sweet recipe on her website and I cannot wait to bite into my own homemade oatmeal pie cookie.

Oatmeal Cream Pies
recipe from Honey & Jam

* 1 cup butter, softened
* 3/4 cup brown sugar
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 1 tsp vanilla
* 2 eggs
* 1 1/2 cups flour
* 1/2 tsp salt
* 1 tsp baking soda
* 1/4 tsp cinnamon
* 1 tbsp cocoa powder
* 1 1/2 cups quick oats

In the bowl of a mixer, cream together the butter and sugars. Beat in vanilla and the eggs, one at a time until well incorporated. Whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, cocoa powder, and oats. Beat into the cream mixture. Refrigerate cookie dough for 15 minutes.

Drop about 1 tbsp of dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. The centers should still be slightly underdone when you remove them from the oven. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Spread about 1 tbsp of cream filling (recipe below) on the bottom of one cookie and then top with another cookie.

Cream Filling

* 1/2 cup vegetable shortening (I imagine butter would work just fine)
* 1 1/2 cups marshmallow cream
* 2 cups powdered sugar
* 1 tsp vanilla
* 1-2 tbsp milk, as needed

Cream together the shortening and marshmallow cream. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla, beat well. Thin with milk until you get the right consistency. The mixture should be thick and creamy, but easily spreadable.

Here is the Breville ESP6SXL Cafe Modena Espresso Machine. Beauty!

If you really want to make me jealous…(drumroll) presenting, the

Breville BES820XL Espresso Machine!

And fresh ground coffee to go with. I need to try this :

Breville iKON Conical Burr Grinder

Have you ever used a corkscrew to open a bottle of wine and thought to yourself that there has got to be a better way?

Check out the Waring Pro Cordless Wine Opener.  Made of rubber and stainless steel, this cordless wine opener can remove up to 80 corks in one charge.  A nice feature is that has a removable foil cutter, and also unlike some other wine openers it can open both natural and synthetic corks.  The design is very sleek, although it does remind me a little bit of an electric razor.  However, I think that is outweighed by it being such a cool modern way to open a bottle of wine!

This cordless wine opener would make a great gift as it’s only $39.95 and a neat gadget. For wine lovers, I recommend pairing it with another wine-related gift, like a decanter or a great bottle of wine (I recommend Ultimate Wine Shop for its huge selection).

Have you ever been in someone’s kitchen and seen something that you’ve never seen before?  Check out this item below:

Can you tell what it is?  A silver donut?  A trivet?  An ultra modern light?  A mirror?  Well, it’s actually a WMF Vino Foil Cutter.  Maybe big wine drinkers would have guessed that this item was a Wine Bottle Foil Cutter, but me, not so much! 

If you check out other wine bottle foil Cutters, you’ll see that the WMF is the sexiest in the bunch.  A lot of the others are much bigger and more bulky, and look like you’re using construction tools on your wine bottle .

The WMF is stainless steel with a mirrored finish and has a substantial weight that makes it easy to handle.  According to reviews of it on Amazon.com it sounds like it is super easy to use and looks stylish and sexy on any table or bar.