So I have seen a couple of REALLY COOL kitchen gadgets lately that I just had to share with you. I love seeing what is the latest and greatest in cooking gear. It’s some sort of weird obsession for me I guess. Ha!

1. Olivator – Ok, so I broke down and bought this gadget awhile back. It is so cool! I also bought a cherry/olive pitter because this handy tool does not pit your olives, it just stuffs them. If you love olives as much as I do and can imagine the endless possibilities of stuffed (delicious) olives…this is the kitchen tool for you!!!

2. Corn Stripper – Brilliant! I have definitely had my share of experiences cutting the kernels off of corn and them going all over the kitchen. Yuck!! This little gadget would completely solve that annoying issue. It’s going on my gadget wishlist!

3. Apple Corer and Peeler – Ok, so this tool is really old school, but seeing it reminded me of how handy it is! There is nothing wrong with relying on the oldies-but-goodies that have come to be such reliable tools in the kitchen. An apple corer and peeler can make an apple pie extremely simple to make! That’s a good thing…maybe.

4. Muffin Top Pan – Another BRILLIANT invention! Everyone knows that the top of a muffin or cupcake is the best part! Now you don’t even have to bother making the bottom half of the muffin!! Amazing.

5. Herb Chopper – My mom got me this for Christmas last year and I LOVE IT! Makes chopping a whole bunch of herbs a total breeze. I meant it.

1. Slammin’ Salmon - LOVE the sounds of this recipe! Great flavor combos, plus cedar plank grilling is always fun and adventurous!

2. Grilled Soy Sesame Tofu – Ok, YUM! I love tofu. I have never grilled it, but to be honest I think it is a brilliant idea. I love to cook my tofu so that it is crispy-ish on the outside and soft on the inside. Delicious!

3. Grilled Artichokes with Red Pepper Aioli - Something amazing happens to the flavor of an artichoke when you grill it. I can’t explain it, but it’s tasty! You’ll have to check this recipe out to taste/see what I mean.

4. BBQ Dark Chocolate Stuffed Bananas – WOW! The pictures on this recipe are great. The one of the finished dish makes my mouth water like crazy. What a fun idea for a campfire!

5. Lamb Kebabs - I love kebabs! Who doesn’t!?! Food on a stick is a natural favorite. This recipe looks wonderful!

Happy Tuesday!

1. Guinness Cupcakes with Bailey’s Buttercream Frosting - Yum! This recipe screams St. Patty’s Day! It is what I will be using for my book club meeting. I’m so excited to check it out!

2. Guinness Corned Beef - This recipe looks delicious! The meat is actually braised in Guinness beer which would make it unbelievably tender and moist.

3. Lucky Basil – This is such a fun idea for dressing up your St. Patty’s Day dinner plate!! Very clever.

4. Irish Soda Bread – This bread is so traditional and so yummy! This is one of the easier recipes that I have seen for making it – a wonderful go-to recipe.

5. Steak and Guinness Pot Pies – There is almost nothing more delicious and comforting than a pot pie. This recipe looks fun to make and serve!

1. Ordinary to Extraordinary Salads – I wrote this article up quite awhile ago. I really love it and refer to it frequently when putting together a new salad. There are so many interesting ingredients that you can throw into a salad bowl. Delicious!

2. Broccoli Salad – Who ever said that salads had to be made of lettuce is lying! This salad uses a bunch of vitamin-packed broccoli to make sure it packed a nutritious punch. Then to add a little bit of mouth-watering goodness you toss in some crumbled bacon. Yumm!

3. Basil Caesar Salad Dressing – Brady and I love a good caesar salad! This recipe calls for a handful of ingredients and looks super easy to follow. And voila! You have your own homemade caesar dressing! It doesn’t get any better than that.

4. Hearts of Romaine Salad with Apples – Adding fruit into your salad is a wonderful way to add texture, depth of flavor, and variety. Apples are a fruit I have not used…not sure why. I have usually opted for strawberries, dried apricots, peaches, nectarines, blueberries, etc. But we’ll definitely give apples a try, they sound delicious!

5. Tortilla Salad Bowls – This recipe looks so fun!! Sort of like a tostada bowl I suppose, except not fried! You fill the tortilla bowl with any salad mix that you dream up. How neat!

Here are our lucky 7 articles with a ton of fabulous info! Enjoy!

1. Best 5-Minute Homemade Salad Dressing Recipes - This article features six of the easiest and most delicious looking salad dressings! It is so nice to be able to throw together a salad and not depend on having a bottle of the “store-bought stuff” in the fridge. With these recipes you can enjoy a fresh salad with a tasty homemade dressing anytime!

2. How to Cook All Cuts of Chicken – This wonderful article gives you suggestions for cooking various cuts of chicken (legs, wings, thighs, breasts, etc) as well as recommends recipes for each cut. Really a fabulous find from out there in cyberspace.

3. Pie Chart – This link will take you to a PDF file that is simply amazing. It is literally a PIE CHART. If you print it out and put it together (very simple assembly) you will have a chart with five separate pie recipes on it. So neat!! Check it out.

4. Cooler-Friendly Recipes - As we begin to get into some warmer weather (at least here where I live!!) I thought this article would be a great tool! In it are fourteen separate recipes that will store well in a cooler for your next picnic or beach bbq.

5. Time-Saving Foods to Keep in the Kitchen – This article has 37 items that you should think about keeping in your kitchen to save yourself time in your cooking adventures. For example, frozen cooked shrimp. Brady and I buy ours from Trader Joe’s. It is excellent quality and is already peeled and de-veined. Very cool!

6. How to Clean Crab – Yummy crab!! This article has great pictures and details so that you can learn exactly how to clean and prep your crab for eating. Next step, dip in butter!

7. Marinating Tips & Info – In this New in the Kitchen article I asked Brady some questions that I thought we all might have about marinating meats and such. It really has some wonderful info!

Valentine’s Day:
1. Chocolate Covered Cherry Martini – Wow, this looks like a tasty and fun drink to serve your sweetie on Valentine’s Day! It could really even work to serve it as a dessert.

2. Roasted Red Pepper & White Bean Dip – We love using white beans when cooking…they have a wonderful, smooth texture and can accommodate many flavors. This dip looks delicious and is the perfect color for a Valentine’s Day appetizer!

3. Romantic Date Night Dinner for Two – Three wonderful recipes that could be paired with your favorite wine or cocktail for a fun twist! Do you date night at home this Valentine’s Day!

4. My Foodie Valentine – I love this article and its recipe suggestions…there is something for everyone here, ranging from a tasty cocktail to full-blown main courses and such. A wonderful resource for your Valentine’s Day cooking!

5. Simple Stir-Fry – Since Chinese New Year happens to fall on Valentine’s Day this year I figured I would include a link to a healthy and scrumptious looking stir-fry. This one is full of veggies and other great flavors.

Mardi Gras:
1. Shrimp & Grits – Although I have never tried the two together, we love shrimp and you can never go wrong with grits so I figure that this recipe is a slam-dunk winner!! A perfect southern option to serve for a Mardi Gras get-together.

2. Shrimp and Crab Boil – A fun way to cook all sorts of seafood, sausage and corn together in one pot. We have seen where folks will basically dump all the food out on a newspaper-covered table and then everyone will dig right in and enjoy. It’s messy and fun!

3. Andouille Sausage and Chicken Gumbo – This recipe is a mix of my dad’s old gumbo recipe and my flavor additions. It is delicious and a New in the Kitchen original!

4. Ultimate Dungeness Crab Cakes with Chipotle Mayonnaise – There is nothing better than a crab cake with a delicious dipping sauce! This looks like a great recipe and I love the idea of incorporating chipotle. We love chipotle in almost anything!

5. Baked Hush Puppies – A yummy Southern staple with cornmeal and onion, this recipe looks fantastic! The directions are easy to follow and the Hush Puppies are baked (so a little bit healthier than the normal fried version!!).

** Stay Tuned!! – We are posting a guide to throwing a Mardi Gras party TOMORROW (2/10/10)!

** Remember that for any good chili you need a delicious and fresh chili powder. Check out our Homemade Chili Powder. It will take your chili to the next level of flavor…guaranteed!

1. Soyrizo & Veggie Chili – Our homemade chili. Yummm! If you have never used soyrizo you should really check it out. It is a fabulous product! Less greasy but similar flavor to regular chorizo.

2. Turkey Chili with White Beans – A healthier option than your average chili, this recipe uses lean ground turkey and plenty of other wonderful flavors. I am very intrigued by the use of unsweetened cocoa powder and cinnamon with a kick of chili powder!!

3. Halftime Chili – Loved the name of this chili so I had to include it! Oh, and the recipe looks great too!

4. Chipotle Chili – Ok YUM! We love chipotle peppers. This recipe also uses flavors such as tequila, orange juice, and cumin. It looks absolutely delicious!

5. The Best Chili You Will Ever Taste – The name of this chili gives it a lot to live up to! I’m curious and will probably have to try this recipe out…I consider my own chili to be pretty darn good so we shall see!

That said we are starting to think about snacks and such for Super Bowl parties. Super Bowl is officially on Sunday, February 7th.  Not so long ago we posted an idea for a “Guacamole Bowl“ party that would work well for the Super Bowl (or any game-day for that matter!!).  If you don’t want to do the Guacamole Bowl, check out our guide to throwing a Game-Day Party.  We have also posted a lot of dips, appetizers and other fun snacks over the last few months that would work well for your Super Bowl party. For this week’s edition of Cyber Tuesday, we dug up and dusted off a bunch of recipes that New in the Kitchen has in the archives. It’s always fun to look back and see what we’ve posted. Anyway, here are some ideas that we thought would work well for the Super Bowl! Enjoy!

Here are a few that come to mind:

DRINKS
- Beer Pairing Suggestions
- Kickoff Beer Margaritas
- Touchdown Chargers!
- The Tingly

DIPS
- First, check out ideas for dippers
-  Layered Basil & Cream Cheese Dip
-  Game Day Salsa Verde
-  Habanero & Avocado Salsa
- Creamy Chili Dip

APPETIZERS
- 10 Quick-and-Easy Game Day Appetizers
- Apple & Caramelized Onion Flatbread
- Bacon-Wrapped Lil’ Smokies
- Baked Brie
- Basil Marinated Mozzarella Balls
- Devilish Eggs
- Brie & Apple Quesadillas
- Stick-it-to-’em Game Day Sausage Snacks
- Sunday Fun-day Mac & Cheese Bites
- End-Zone Cheesy Chili Cups
- Hut-Hut-Hike! Mini Pizzas
- Touchdown! Potato Skins

SNACKS
- Spicy Almonds

OTHER STUFF
- Halftime Pumpkin & Sausage Lasagna
- Grown-Up Grilled Cheese
- Champion Chicken Piccata
- First-Down Burgers
- Soyrizo & Veggie Chili

Hope you enjoy all of our links!

1. 5 Ways to Cook a Sweet Potato – A sweet potato is so tasty just about any way that it is cooked, plus it is loaded with nutrients that are said to help you fight against major illness and diseases. If you don’t currently eat sweet potatoes you should definitely give them a try. We love them!!

2. Whole Body Action Plan – This website includes tips for healthy eating, recipes that will rid your body of toxins, etc.

3. What Healthy Eating Looks Like – Brady and I really like this article’s tip about “dividing your plate”. It’s a wonderful way to eat and plan your meals!!

4. All About Salt – Salt adds important flavor to many foods, but how much do you really need for food to taste good? Brady and I always try to use the least amount of salt possible in our cooking. This article is interesting in that it explains various types of salts and how you use them.

5. Bean and Barley Veggie Soup – Loaded with veggies and plenty of fiber, this soup is bound to be excellent for your body, mind and spirit! Yum-yum!!

1. Ancho Pork and Hominy Stew – This recipe looks similar to Posole… Mmmm! What a fun dish to serve for a New Year’s Eve party! It will keep guests warm and happy into the wee hours of the night.

2. Spinach and Feta Lasagna – Why not start the New Year off by eating a good portion of good-for-you greens! This recipe looks delicious and is jam-packed with spinach and flavor.

3. Big O Cocktail – A fun cocktail to be sipping when the clock strikes midnight!

4. Homemade Party Hats – These hats are SO cute and seem to be pretty darn easy to make. Good ol’ Martha Stewart thinks of everything.

5.  Mexican Hot Chocolate Pretzels – A perfect addition to a cup of joe…either for those party guests who are having trouble staying up until midnight or for those that end up sleeping the night and need some energy the next morning. Yum!