Fun Finds for the Wine Lover

A couple of fun things for your favorite wine lover...or yourself. Happy Friday!

Ever dream of becoming a vintner? Crushpad has come out with a fabulous gift for the wine lover: Fusebox, a do-it-yourself wine blending kit that allows you to recreate tried & true Cabernet blends, or take a stab at creating your own custom blend. The kit comes with six bottles of Napa's finest blending wines, and a 'mystery' vino to liven up the party.

Take the guesswork out of decanting wine with the Vinturi Wine Aerator. Though pretty, aerating wine with a decanter can be a time consuming process, especially if you only need a glass or two of wine. Mixing the right amount of air with your wine, the Vinturi allows your wine to breathe instantly and provides for a smooth finish. We were first introduced to the Vinturi during our Napa Valley trip and have loved ours.



Lastly, we came back from Napa & Sonoma with more than just a couple extra pounds on our bodies from all the drinking and eating - a fortune's worth of wine to be exact! Our wine tower has run out space for all of our lovely wine, so short of drinking it all very quickly or constructing a wine cellar, I've been on the hunt for some nice wine racks. I found this one from Etsy seller anthony david oliver that I think is sleek, modern & simple.

Kitchen Goodies Wish List

These products belong in my kitchen:

File under - "why didn't I think of that?"
The crusty edge pieces of brownies are my absolute favorite...and most likely yours too. Too bad there's usually only four. Alas, this labyrinth shaped Brownie Edge Pan , ensures that each brownie piece has the perfect ratio of crust to gooey center that we all love. No more fighting for the corner pieces!

For the indecisive, the S-XL Cake Pan "produces 15 different cake servings to choose from. Half-portions for dieters, oversized portions for insatiables, and the rest for the undecided. Some would see this as the ultimate control, others as the most luxurious of options embedded in delight." ...hmm, I'd still probably choose the jumbo sized piece meant for the stout, fat man below. Lastly, I can never keep my measuring spoons in one place. I don't keep them connected to avoid having to wash the whole set because one spoon is dirty... especially the often neglected 1/8 teaspoon. These measuring spoons stay together by magnets, so you don't need to worry about separating them for the dishwasher. If you'll be using them frequently, think about sticking them on the refrigerator or a metal backsplash. Easy access, easy cleaning...what more could you want?

Jazz Up The Kitchen!

Check out these cool new gadgets for the kitchen and entertaining:

Saint & Sinner Wine Stoppers from wrapables.com. How cute are these? I must say, the stopper with the cork has a slight resemblence to a pig. Cute hostess gift in any case.

Ice Kebobs would be an absolutely delightful treat on a hot summer day with a cool cocktail. Ahh, summer. If you dream, does it make it come sooner?

Last, but not least...Todd Oldham has designer ziploc bags now. Love it.