CK bought me a purple shuffle for running as I’m a brat and declared my video iPod too heavy an accessory to deal with. The new teeny tiny iPod came with these adorable baby apple stickers. As soon as I saw them I knew just where they were going. Some people add flames to their mixers. I declare my love for all things Mac.

Recently on a brief trip to Portland, Maine to celebrate my friend Holly’s graduation from Grad School (and also to thoroughly scope out the layout of her house so that I can covertly sneak in and “borrow” her brand new Corgi puppy) CK and I decided to make a quick stop in Freeport. Now for any of you that have had the pleasure of visiting Freeport, you know that it’s impossible for the time you spend there to ever be brief. Freeport is not only home to the Flagship L.L. Bean store, but it’s also packed with fabulous small boutiques and outlets. When I was little I loved visiting so I could check out the in-store open aquarium at L..L. Bean and watch the trout swimming at the base of the spiral staircase, and when I got older I loved having the chance to refresh my wardrobe. Therefore it’s been one of my favorite spots in Maine for most of my life.

CK had never been to Freeport, so I made sure to give him the full touristy tour and while we were checking out the large “Home” section at L.L. Bean I lost my mind, apparently forgot momentarily that I actually was from Maine, and bought a New England Maple Baked Beans gift set. I don’t know what I was thinking. I guess I was seduced by that mini bottle of Maple Syrup and the cute red bow. In case you aren’t aware, Baked Beans are the traditional Saturday night fare in New England and my grandparents always served them with hot dogs and B&M Brown Bread. Yes that’s the bread that comes in a can. Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it!

Honestly, growing up, I hated homemade baked beans, and would avoid them at all cost in favor of the one’s that came in a can. But this little gift set has changed my tune. After following the directions for sorting, soaking, prepping, and baking I was rewarded with the most delicious bowl of baked beans I’ve ever had. It probably didn’t hurt that they were full of brown sugar, tart green apple bites, Vermont maple syrup, and a really obscene amount of thick cut bacon. I served my bean “supper” with ridiculously overpriced hot dogs from Whole Foods and whipped up a loaf of Mark Bitman’s Quick Whole Wheat and Molasses Bread, which tastes eerily similar to that bread in a can I have such fond memories of.

So in the Fall, if you’re looking for something hearty to serve a small army than definitely consider trying out this set or whipping up your own homemade batch of baked beans. If you do order the online kit just keep in mind that they’re calling it “Vermont Maple Baked Beans.” In addition, that cute little bottle of amber colored syrup is only a third of the amount that you actually use in the dish so be sure to stock up on your favorite real maple syrup before you begin the time consuming, but definitely worthwhile, cooking process.

I know that people have very strong feelings about brands like Apple and Starbucks, inevitably you either love them or hate them. Personally I’m a lover not a hater and I’m not entirely sure if I could survive my work day without frequent white mocha and passion fruit iced tea excursions.

Now Apple and Starbucks have partnered to offer you an even bigger incentive to stop by for a latte. Coming soon to a Starbucks near you, you’ll be able to receive free Wi-Fi access to the iTunes Store and the Starbucks “Now Playing” content via your iPod touch, an iPhone, or a computer with the latest version of iTunes installed on it. This means you can shop for music while you wait in line. In addition, if you happen to love the song currently playing in the store you’ll be able to access the title and artist info, as well as purchase it on the spot via a nifty Starbucks button that will appear on your particular device. This feature will also offer a detail of the last 10 songs played in the store and a special section dedicated to music from the Starbucks collections. I’ve got my iPhone poised and ready to download? How about you?!

This feature rolls out in the following cities and will be available in most major metropolitan areas in the U.S. by the end of 2008.

New York — October 2, 2007
Seattle — October 2, 2007
San Francisco Bay Area — November 7, 2007
Los Angeles — February 2008
Chicago — March 2008

Don’t worry, if you don’t own a wireless device you aren’t going to be left out of the fun. Starbucks and Apple will be offering numerous promotions to kick off their new wireless venture. Including, according to The Unofficial Apple Weblog (tuaw.com), 1.5 million “Song of the day” cards to be distributed across 10,000 locations. Each card will provide a free single from predetermined artists such as Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, and Dave Matthews for you to use on iTunes.

So I guess now you can get your coffee buzz and download it too.

(Originally posted on the Well Fed Network’s blog A Nice Cuppa)

I love my iPhone. Honestly, if Apple designed and released a toaster I’d be first in line, but in all seriousness this phone is a fantastic gadget with countless uses beyond making phone calls and listening to Mandy Moore’s fabulous new album while I’m walking to the T. Surprisingly, a lot of the functionality of the iPhone is very kitchen and cooking friendly. For instance the “Notes” application allows me to make grocery or ingredient lists on the fly. You can keep the list on your phone or email it to someone else so that they can do the shopping. This is a great feature for me since I tend to make elaborate lists and then leave them tacked to the magnetic pad on the refrigerator (a habit I seem to have inherited from my mother).

Since the iPhone comes with Safari you can actually search the internet for recipe ideas. I like to google randomly for ingredients I have on hand i.e. sweet potatoes, tomatoes, and chicken and see what turns up. You also have full access to all of your favorite food websites, or even the option of shopping for your groceries online. I’m an avid Peapod user (because getting things delivered makes me giddy with happiness). Now instead of reading old Glamour magazines at the dentist office I can get my groceries ordered and scheduled for delivery or plan the menu for the week. I’d like to see you do that on your Blackberry.

Some food blogs have even begun creating iPhone optimized editions. One of the best examples of this is located at the 101 Cookbooks blog. There’s also a free magazine portal at Texterity.com that allows you to read full versions of popular titles on your phone. So far they have Rachael Ray and Taste of Home available in the cooking category. I’m pretty excited about this since unfortunately when I moved last month my copy of the June/July issue of Rachael Ray didn’t follow me.

Pretty brilliant, right?! I suggest you put the iPhone on your wishlist immediately. It really is as fantastic as everyone says.