Ugh! I'm stuck at home today. Woke up feeling under the weather and a bit nauseated.  Mr. S can attest to the fact that I'm a horrible patient. I start feeling quite grumpy when I'm regulated to the bed. Don't get me wrong, I love sleeping in but being forced to stay in bed is...well, it's like back in high school or college when you read a book of your own accord and you loved it, but take that same book and have it part of an assignment where you're obligated to read it? Fuggedaboutit, you hate the book. It's like that with me and sleeping/staying in bed when I'm sick.

Anyhow, being stuck in bed is giving me a chance to do a little bloggin'. This isn't really a food post but I suppose it is kitchen related.  If you know me, you know I'm a huge coffee drinker. It keeps me functional. It's also what keeps me from feeling stabby in the morning at work.  Anyhow, lately there's been a ton of cute coffee cups on the market.  If I had the cupboard space I'd buy them all.

Here are few of my favs. What mugs are you loving these days? Do you like fun ones? Cute ones? Plain ones?

I'm always swapping product recommendations with friends (and sometimes even strangers) and one brand often comes up in our conversation - Trader Joe's. Although, I'm not too big on their bread products (they tend to go bad quickly) and their produce (I prefer the farmers' market), I love a lot of their products. What are your favorites?

Here's a few of mine:


1. Fair Trade Organic Bolivian Blend Coffee - It's a medium roast with a mild nutty, caramel-like flavor. Both Mr. S and I like this coffee and have been buying it for a few years now. It's nice to have on hand for when we're out of coffee beans from Temple or Philz.








5. Candied Pecans - These are so versatile. I chop them up and use them in my wild rice salad, stuffings and baked goods. Don't get these confused with TJ's Sweet and Spicy Pecans though...which in my opinion taste pretty gross.



6. Canned Cannellini/White Kidney Beans - Great to have on hand for emergencies. I can grab a can or two from the cupboard and zap up some garlic-white bean dip for a potluck, BBQ or an unexpected guest.

Stumped on what to get your food-centric friends this holiday season? Here's some ideas:

1. Every year around the holidays, I have to watch A Christmas Story. I laugh my head off every time I see Flick's tongue gets stuck on the frozen pole, when Ralphie comes down the stairs in the hideous bunny outfit from his aunt and of course the scene with Ralphie's dad and the leg lamp-  "FRAGILE (FRA-GEE-LAY). It must be Italian!"  I love that scene so much Mr. S. got me a teeny tiny version of the leg lamp (that lights up) as a stocking stuffer last year. Anyhow when I saw these cookie cutters, I had to jump up and down in glee. Available at Amazon




2. An assortment of chocolates or macarons from Ginger Elizabeth is always appreciated.


3. A dwarf Meyer lemon tree. Mr.S. bought me one this fall and it's doing great. We're keeping ours outdoors on his patio but they grow just as well indoors. Pick one up along with a pretty pot at Green Acres Nursery.

BGH QUICK CHEF MUSIC CASE from brenocosta on Vimeo.

Saw a blurb about this gadg on Apartment Therapy's The Kitchn today and thought it was a joke so I did a little research. Turns out--nope, it's for reals. Argentinian company, BGH-Quickchef, has created a microwave that plays any music file you want instead of emitting that annoying beeping sound when your chow's done thanks to a USB slot. Kind of neat.

Here's some great food & kitchen-related gift ideas to help you get your holiday shopping done early so you can kick back, relax & start knocking back those hot toddies in front of the fireplace....

1. Big Paw's Hot Tuscan Extra Virgin Olive Oil - My friend Mig, in SF, introduced me to this oil a few years back and I've been addicted ever since. My favorite way to use it is to halve some Brussels sprouts, throw them on a baking sheet, drizzle some oil along the top, toss, pop the whole lot in the oven, toss again halfway through -- and you're done. Over the years every time I've used this oil, my dinner guests have asked me what it is. It's a winner every time. (Makes a great stocking stuffer!)


2. Silpat Baking Liner - I can't tell you how many times my Silpat has probably saved my cookies and appetizers from burning on the bottom. They don't take up much room (I roll mine up), they're easy to clean and they'll get used often. Pair it up with your favorite baked goods' recipe or some cute cookie cutters and you have a nice gift ready to go.


3. What's better than a great cup of coffee? Not much. How about surprising the coffee connoisseur in your life with a Aerobie Aeropress and a bag of yummy Temple coffee? Their Brazilian Boa Sorte is one of my favs.


4. Have friends that are into cheese making or just want to learn how? Pick them up this book by Mary Karlin- "Artisan Cheese Making at Home: Techniques & Recipes for Mastering World-Class Cheeses." Think of all the fun times you could have in the new year making (and eating) all the recipes together.


5. Looking to buy a locally grown gift? How about some Chocolate Infused Olive Oil from Lucero Olive Oil, grown right here in Northern California (in Corning, 25 miles northwest of Chico). Delicious in chocolate chip cookies, over ice cream or as a dipping sauce for biscotti.


6. Looking to gift something beautiful yet functional? Try one of these unique cutting boards from Sol Boards in West Sacramento. They come in two sizes- 10″ x 12″ and 10″ x 16″.


7. Got a half-pint that likes to cook? Well, if you're going to get them a kitchen set then get them one that's retro-looking and super adorbs, like this one made by KidKraft. It even comes with an old-fashioned looking wall phone and red and white gingham curtains...how cute is that?


8. The economy sucks and your wallet's a bit bare...need a present that's cool but not going to break the bank? Pick up some of these colorful French-inspired paring knives from Chefs Catalog. (A set of five 7" stainless steel knives- includes brown, red, yellow, blue and green handles.)


9. And don't forget homemade gifts are always awesome too! The holidays tend to get a bit harried but a jar of bourbon bacon jam or some fresh Meyer lemon curd is sure to be a big hit and will bring a smile to the lips of a loved one.



Happy Holidays!


(* Photos from product websites)

How cute is this? A wee little droid peeking out from your chamomile....
Available at ModCloth

This Saturday, Mr.S. and I celebrated our 2 year anniversary. Since the kidlets were spending the day playing with their cousins, we thought it would be fun to go on a guided tour of the historical Preston School of Industry (locally known as Preston Castle) in Ione. Lloyd, our tour guide, was very informative and explained how the land where the Preston Castle stands was purchased from the Ione Coal & Iron Company and how the building of the Preston School of Industry began.  The facility focused on rehabilitating, rather than simply imprisoning, juvenile offenders and only closed when the new facility was constructed next door. During our visit we were able to tour the first two floors and the basement of the old facility, which included the kitchen where the housekeeper, Anna Corbin, was supposedly bludgeoned to death there in the 1950's. The building, especially the interior is in extreme disrepair and decay, but the Romanesque Revival architecture is fascinating. Hopefully the Preston Castle Foundation will be able to preserve the historic site.




Afterwards, we had a quiet lunch in the town of Ione and chatted about the tour we went on. Then Mr S. had some beautiful flowers delivered to me for our anniversary and we closed out our evening with a romantic dinner at Ambience. It was probably one of the most fun anniversary dates I've gone on.  A little bit of history, suspense and romance...a perfect mix.

I was roaming through the back of Otos' on Thursday afternoon and came across these rice bowls adorned with a cute piggy matter-of-factly saying, "I am hungry." Smart piggy. Who hasn't been there before?

These bowls are seriously adorbs and super light on the wallet.

Sometimes you want things for no other reason than that they are just so cute.


Stoneware egg cups atop of tiny little duck feet. Set of 4. Dishwasher safe.
Waddle on over to West Elm's website. They are currently marked down from $20 to $6.97 plus free shipping.

I saw these gingerbread yogi cookie cutters by Baked Ideas recently on Apartment Therapy and thought how they would make such an unique holiday gift. You could give it as a stocking stuffer or pair it up with a gift card for a few yoga classes at a local studio. What a great way to say, "Namaste," to your favorite yoga lover.

Baked Ideas currently offers two sets: A Lotus Group and a Downward Group. Each set includes 5 tin cutters that measure approx 4 1/4" long and a gingerbread recipe. $32.50