Have you ever tried to get a gift for someone who has everything?  Or worse yet, for someone you don't know very well.  To avoid any awkward gift giving, the Spice House offers a multitude of excellent options, enough to meet the needs of just about anyone.  I have used box sets from the Spice House as gifts for weddings, for Father's Day, for anniversaries and birthdays. 

If you know someone who loves to grill, get them the barbecue set.  If you know someone who loves hot teas, chocolate or coffee, there's a beverage set.  You can mix and match, pick your own, or let the company prepackage something for you -- the freshest spices from around the world, shipped to your front door. I've even gotten this as a gift for myself -- and all of my family and friends reap the benefits!

~ starting under $20

What's a Super Bowl without chips and salsa?  Not much.  It's a generally accepted fact that eating whatever you want, and as much of it as you want, is the best part of watching the big game.  It's also generally accepted that in addition to wings, pizza, whatever you choose to barbecue, and beer, chips and salsa are a necessity. 

I've lived in New Mexico (in the 505 area code) most of my life, and I've tasted a LOT of different salsas in said life.  505 Organic Salsa is right up there with the best of the best.  Coupled with the 505 Organic Green Chile Sauce, you've encountered a staple of my diet that might make any lesser human cringe.  I put this stuff on and in almost everything, from eggs to tuna casserole (and if you're thinking yuck, try throwing some 505 Green Chile Sauce into the next one you make...). 

For good old fashioned chips and salsa, there's nothing better than 505 Organic Salsa.  Its signature green chile flavor keeps every bite scrumptious and saliva-inducing.  There are multiple levels of spiciness, if you can't handle the heat (medium is pretty rowdy and hot is scorching).  

The best part of all?  You can enjoy the game knowing that you're benefiting not just yourself, but mother earth as well, as all 505 products are organic.  505 has a flavor for everyone, from their Green Chile Sauce to their Chipotle Honey Roasted Green Chile.  The even make handy packets of their Roasted Green Chile (perfect for camping).  Their salsas come in the regular and chunky variety.  So feel good about yourself AND give your mouth something to rejoice about with 505 Organic Salsa.

Find 505 Salsas at a store near you, or order online.

As a vegetarian, or pseudo-vegetarian as I like to call myself (I eat fish, eggs and cheese), I've run across few foods that are as wonderfully complete and as wonderfully yummy as quinoa.  Quinoa seeds look suspiciously like a grain, but the crop is a closer relative to leafy green vegetables.  I prefer to think of it like a yummier, better-for-you version of rice or couscous.

Quinoa is rich in protein (complete protein, I might add) and relatively low in fat.  It has balanced essential aminos, is high in fiber, phosphorous, magnesium and iron.  And, bumbumbum... it's gluten FREE!

My favorite quinoa recipe and a few additional resources can be found after the jump:

You can buy quinoa at your local Coop or most places that sell bulk organic foods. You can also order Bob's Red Mill Organic Quinoa Online.

Maybe it's on account of the upcoming weekend, or perhaps I woke up feeling nostalgic, but I'm inclined to offer a recommendation for a bottle of reasonably priced Italian wine. This bottle brings back memories of a bicycle touring trip I made to Italy a few years ago. Occasionally we'd meet local cyclists in the long empty stretches of countryside. With a sharp "Andiamo Americanos" an impromptu race would begin, proving the Italians' love of sport and competition in intermittent bursts of fiercely passionate cadence.

Perhaps it was a few isolated groups of cyclists, or maybe the countryside itself is steeped in that special joi de vivé. Whatever the case, the excitement, camaraderie, and joy of those bursts of pedaling are brought back every time I open a bottle of Da Vinci Chianti.

The rich history, lush flora, and old-world charm of the Tuscan countryside is embodied in every sip. Invoking my inner Sommelier: If you like a full bodied, ruby wine with notes of cherry and blackberry, this Chianti won't disappoint.

Da Vinci is one of only 24 wines allowed to carry the DOCG certification label awarded by the Italian Government. Speaking of awards: their traditional Chianti routinely scores above an 86 from Wine Spectator. (the 2005 was an 87)

When it was released, you could pick up a bottle well bellow the $10 mark. These days, expect to find it hovering closer to still very appropriate $15. Drink it tonight; saving it too long will ruin the bottle.

For more offerings visit Da Vinci. Find it at your local adult beverage specialty store.

Rice Chex are now Gluten Free!
Why is this Terifik? Reinventing a staple like Rice Chex without rebranding it makes for a huge gesture on the part of General Mills.

For years, I've been unable to buy these tasty morsels of main-stream goodness due to a household barley allergy. "Why barley?" I'd say to myself, as I passed them by to pick up the much more expensive gluten-free alternative.

Thanks General Mills; and extra props for going all the way and not pulling a "New Coke" on us.

More info at Chex.com, along with some helpful gluten-free Chex recipes.

Available ABSOLUTELY EVERYWHERE for about $3.00

For someone who doesn't cook, I sure do love good bowls.  I buy a lot of them for serving food my husband makes, holding fruit and veggies, and for basic organizing. If you think a bowl is hardly ideal for organization, think again. When the bowl is made from durable recycled melamine, and it's super good looking you'll find yourself using it everywhere.

Meet the Zak Confetti Bowls.  With many shapes and sizes, and a great price you will find a place for one of these in every area of your life.  I have them all over my studio holding anything from paperclips to side release buckles.  They make the room a little bit brighter and leave me feeling a bit more eco-friendly.
You can find them on Amazon for around $32 or at Urban Outfitters, Target and every hip little shop in your town. Yes, the Zak bowl is catching on.

Marshmallows may be today's culinary equivalent of designer denim. If that's true, Muth's Modjeskas are the Levi's of Mallow. Louisville's oldest candy maker, the recipe for this remarkably unique and heavenly nugget of gooey-caramel-covered mallow dates to the 1800's. Like the jeans, these treats have stood the test of time, and will continue to long after the trend passes.
 

Made from the original recipe of Anton Busath, then passed to the Muth family, four generations of care and excellence echo through the understated waxed paper packaging. The texture is somewhere between sponge cake and summer rain cloud, and the caramel coating will blow you away.

Originally named for a polish actress, Helena Modjeska, the candy's exact origins are debated (many confectioners claim the recipe as their own). I can't be certain, but I have it on good authority that Muth's is the real deal. And, I've had some of the imitators. Muth's Modjeskas are second to none.

Modjeskas should be on everyone's list of "foods you should eat before you die." If you are passing through Kentucky, be sure to stop in and pick up a box or six.  Or, get them from Muth's directly.  $11.75 for 15 of the most perfect mouthfuls of artisan candy you'll ever taste.

Here's another fabulous addition to our growing tea cup collection:

It's hard to read in this photo, but the Sumo Wrestlers are sculpted in a subtle relief around the cup. The tactile effect of dozens of folds of sumo-flesh under your finger pads is something to experience.

These came from Japan, and we found them on eBay for ~ $3 each. Best used with slimming teas.

I haven't found their exact match yet, but I'll update this post when I do. If Sumo is your favorite motif: Uncommon Goods has an emotive Sumo cup you'll like.

If you're an avid backpacker you may be familiar with the Swedish design firm Light My Fire. Their Spork is part of their cleverly designed "Outdoor MealKit". Alone, it's a respectable piece of gear worthy of adventures near and far.

3 tools in one, the Light My Fire Spork is all things cutlery. Dishwasher safe, heat tolerant polycarbonate, the spork won't sratch your teflon pots and pans. At less than half an ounce, it's easy to carry (in your backpack, laptop case, or purse). 

Form, function, and best of all: affordability.

Get your own Light My Fire Spork from Amazon for $3. Set of 4 for under $10.

Looking to splurg or stuff a stocking? Get the NEW indestructible Spork Titanium for ~$20.