Do any of you use Twitter? Because I love it and would like nothing more than to follow you. If you aren’t familiar with the Twitter phenomenon than please check out this fabulous video: Twitter in Plain English.

Engadget is reporting that HGTV and The Food Network will begin simulcasting in HD on March 31. Obviously this is great news for HD snobs like me (and probably you too). I hate that they only show reruns on the current Food Network HD Feed. Not that I don’t enjoy old Dave Lieberman episodes in high definition, but it would be nice if it mimicked the actual channel.

Kotaku has posted an early trailer for the upcoming Iron Chef America game that is being created for the Wii. Iron Chef America: Supreme Cuisine will be released this summer and will definitely include the voice talents of the “esteemed” chairman. Everyone keep your fingers crossed that Alton Brown will be included in some way as well.

Madeline discovered that Rachael Ray has released her own line of stocks. These cooking staples, cutely called “Stock-in-a-Box,” are available in both chicken and beef flavor.

Ned Batchelder made a rocking Doctor Who cake for his son Max’s 16th birthday. There are marshmallow Daleks and even a brownie K-9. So Ned, my birthday is in June…do I place my order with you now?

Hold the phone! Two of my favorite things, Nigella Lawson and Christmas, are being combined into one. Random House is scheduled to release “Nigella’s Christmas” in October. I think this year’s holiday party will definitely have to be an all Nigella affair.

Risa Green, author of the adorable book Notes from the Underbelly writes about a common problem that I’m sure a lot of moms have on a daily basis. How do you get your kid to eat something besides dessert? Risa apparently read some extremly helpful books and now she’s working on ways to “de-fetishize” sweets with her daughter. It sounds like she’s having good luck so far. Also, if you don’t already, than you should definitely be watching the ABC sitcom version of Notes from the Underbelly. Especially since it stars one of my favorite actresses, Jennifer Westfeldt.

Top 5 Recipes I’m Dying to Try this Week (If food didn’t have calories etc…)
Lauren’s Lasagna Rolls with Three Mushrooms, Four Cheeses and Sage Bechamel at Burghilicious
Allen’s Blond(e) Ambition Cookies at Eating Out Loud
Ashley’s Earl Grey White Chocolate Chunk Muffins at Eat Me Delicious
Rachel’s Chocolate-Mayonnaise Cupcakes with Butterscotch Buttercream Frosting at Rachel’s Bite. Even though CK thinks Mayonnaise baked goods are “gross.”
Amy’s Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits and Sausage Gravy at Nook & Pantry

During the holidays my uncle’s girlfriend makes these amazing brown sugar shortbread cookies that she rolls out and ices. Unfortunately, she wont give me the recipe. I have searched all over the place for a recipe that tastes like her cookies and I’ve never been able to find one. Perhaps this public plea will make her more sympathetic to my cause?

In the interim though I’ve found a substitute that almost tastes right, but not quite. I used an itty bitty shamrock cookie cutter to make cute shapes and drizzled the tops with green icing and sparkly sprinkles. In literally minutes you’ll have dozens of cookies to share with the little leprechauns in your life.

Shamrock Shortbread (Inspired by the Brown Sugar Shortbread recipe originally published in the April 2007 issue of Everyday with Rachael Ray)

1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup flour
1/3 cup brown sugar

Preheat the oven to 350°. Using an electric mixer, combine the flour, butter and sugar. Press the dough into a ball and roll out on a lightly floured counter. Use cookie cutters to cut the dough into shapes. Place the cookies onto a well greased baking sheet or silpat.

Bake until just slightly golden around the edges, 8-10 minutes. Note: Do not overcook or you’ll have mini shortbread hockey pucks. Let the shortbread cool and decorate as desired with your favorite icing and sugar sprinkles.

Over at io9 they’ve created a post detailing the top 10 Sci-fi Kitchen Gadgets including some of my personal favorites like the Replicator from Star Trek, Rosie the Robot Maid from The Jetsons, and Pee Wee’s breakfast machine in the movie Pee Wee’s Big Adventure. Does anyone remember what Mr. T cereal tasted like anymore?

Unclutter asked if cookbooks were becoming a thing of the past, and perhaps even unnecessary due to the sheer volume of recipes that you can now access online. Personally, I will never give up buying and collecting cookbooks. Ever. While I do use a lot of online sites to pick up recipes, I still love and cherish all of my cookbooks. You’d have to seriously force me to get rid of them. Believe me there are plenty more places and things to unclutter in the house besides my cookbook shelf.

Posie Gets Cozy designed a series of adorable kitchen themed embroidery patterns as a tribute to her grandmother. I have a whole bag full of embroidery materials which I have used exactly one time. Someone else will have to tackle this top notch project for me.

Snack or Die made some Cheddar Pacman Crackers that pretty much cracked me up. I bet kids would love these. Well maybe? Do kids these days even know who Pacman is? In case they don’t, you can make them a dozen Tom Nook cupcakes instead.

The Frantic Home Cook made some Roasted Garlic Paste to use in hummus that she claims is almost as delicious as George Clooney. I may have to test that theory. Too bad I can’t also use Mr. Clooney as my personal “control subject.”

And finally, I made Mark Bittman’s Quick Whole Wheat and Molasses Bread yesterday and it was really good.  Oddly enough, I think it tastes just like the B&M Brown Bread that comes in a can.  Talk about a blast from the past…

I saw these glasses in the Sur La Table catalog and now I’m physically holding myself back from purchasing them in hopes that Santa will perhaps bring them to me because I’ve been such a “nice” girl this year. We’ll see. Frankly I think they’d make a perfect hostess gift for those of you attending holiday parties.  Like for instance the one I’m throwing at our apartment next month (hint hint).

I’ve begun working out again and to numb myself from the inevitable boredom of the elliptical machine I’ve been watching some films from my vast collection of chick flicks. First up was The Holiday, and now I’ve settled on Sense and Sensibility. Yes, Kate Winslet is my hero. Jane Austen is also my hero and I get a huge kick out of the array of Austen related items that the Jane Austen Blog points out on a daily basis. One such post was a link to some fabulously decorated cookies complete with a silhouette likeness of Jane herself. You have to check these out! Seeing something like that makes me lust for a decorating class as my clumsy icing abilities definitely pale in comparison.

The other night Chris and I were watching TV on the couch when this infomercial came on for the Furi Ozitech knife sharpener and it totally sucked us in. Or maybe it was the presenters Australian accent. Either way I’m one of those people who has the orange handled Rachael Ray Furi knife and honestly I really like it and I rarely use the set of Henckels that I just had to have. But it’s been  dulling a little more quickly in between sharpening sessions so we decided to give this gadget a try, and believe it or not it actually works. I’m just as surprised as you! So since this item wasn’t a complete scam, should I trust in the wonder of the Magic Bullet as well? Hmm…probably better not push my luck.

Controversy abounds on who exactly invented the Whoopie Pie, but having grown up in Maine I’m going to take a local stance and declare that they were invented in my home state. Of course if you’re from Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, or any other New England region you’re also welcome to proudly make this claim because Mr. Wizard probably couldn’t unravel this culinary mystery.

What I do know is that I grew up on chocolate Whoopie Pies with fluffy white filling and to this day my mother will honestly call me in order to specifically discuss a delicious dessert that she happened to pick up at a grocery store, bake sale, or farm stand. The absolute best Whoopie Pie that I ever tasted came from the Maine company, Wicked Whoopies. Wicked Whoopies was actually featured on Oprah’s “Great Gift” show back in November of 2003. My heart still resides with their blueberry Whoopie Pie, and I’ve yet to taste its equal. Unfortunately it doesn’t appear as though they make that flavor anymore, but trust me — it was to die for.

My second favorite flavor is pumpkin anything so when I came across the recipe for Pumpkin Whoopie Pies in Rachael Ray’s October issue I promptly added the ingredients I needed to my grocery list. Of course my mother called me to make sure I’d seen it too. She was just as excited as me to try it! Fortunately, this recipe is ridiculously easy. I suggest you make a batch for everyone that you know, or at least your office mates. These pumpkin treats will win anyone over and than they’ll owe you favors forever.

Making Whoopie	Scoop & Bake
Collectively Cool	Mmm…Cream Cheese Frosting
Edible Bribes

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies (Originally Published in the October 2007 Issue of Every Day with Rachael Ray)

1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter, 1 stick melted, 1/2 stick softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
1 cup canned pure pumpkin puree
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon plus 2 pinches salt
1 2/3 cups flour
4 ounces cream cheese, chilled
1 cup confectioners’ sugar

Preheat the oven to 350°. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter and brown sugar until smooth. Whisk in the eggs, pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, 1 teaspoon vanilla, the baking powder, the baking soda and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the flour.

Using an ice cream scoop or tablespoon, drop 12 generous mounds of batter, spaced evenly, onto each baking sheet. Bake until springy to the touch, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Meanwhile, using an electric mixer, cream the softened butter with the cream cheese. Add the confectioners’ sugar and the remaining 2 pinches salt and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla; mix on low speed until blended, then beat on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes.

Spread the flat side of 12 cakes with the cream cheese frosting. Top each with another cake.

I was happily flipping through my October Rachael Ray magazine when I came across a product that definitely made my eyebrows raise. Rachael was promoting BLT Candles. Yes, you read that correctly: bacon, lettuce, and tomato scented wax. For the “bargain price” of $33.95 your house can smell like a cheap diner. I could see purchasing this item as a gag gift or maybe for a crummy office Secret Santa, but I’d never buy it on purpose. What’s next? Will steak and eggs with a side of buttered toast be the November fragrance of the month at Yankee Candles?

We continue our foray into the the strange and bizarre world of foodie land with the news that Martha Stewart (or her gigantic team of advisors) has decided to break into the wine business. The wine will be known as Martha Stewart Vintage, and will retail for $15 a bottle. Now Martha & her minions will have official Stepford Wives chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon, and merlot to down with their afternoon Xanax. I hope Gary Vaynerchuk reviews it. Now that would be an extremely entertaining podcast. The sad thing is that I’ll still totally buy it. Just like I bought Sophia Coppola Champagne in a can. No one can resist the lure of Martha, but unfortunately some of you will have to go without since she’s only releasing the wines initially in the following cities: Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, North Carolina, Denver, Phoenix and Portland, Oregon.

If you live in Boston or one of it’s surrounding cities, or even if you just visit on occasion for a Red Sox game than you’ve probably ridden on the “loveliness” that is the “T.” The “T” – as the subway is referred to in our abbreviated East Coast way has now been immortalized locally by Cold Stone Creamery. The (T)errific Charlie sundae (Charlie is the mascot for the MBTA) is now being served in Cold Stone locations all over the city. It consists of Cake Batter ice cream mixed with Snickers, M&Ms and Kit Kat bars. I figure the color of all that sugary junk swirled into a cup should just about equal the shade of grease that gets on the hem of any dry clean only pants I wear riding to work.