There is an old adage that one should not buy a woman a gift that plugs in or that she can't wear in public. Well that might be true for some women, but there are some things that are exceptions that prove the rule. Luxury items, things that are out of the day to day budget or represent the best of the best are that for me. My husband will tell you that some of my favorite gifts are my Dyson vacuum, and my Wagner steamer(I know that sounds lame!), and my Bahama blue LG front-loading washer and dryer.

As a foodie, and a mom, I cook a lot and have a lot of food on hand, and we have had an old fridge in our garage that holds our waters, and extra perishables since it seems our fridge is always bursting at the seams. Finally, the poor thing died, and after looking at possible replacements, I talked my husband into getting a new fridge for the kitchen and moving our current fridge which works great but is over ten years old to the garage... and so the search began. We agreed that we would get what we want, rather than just what we needed and it would count as my birthday present - I was cool with that since I had my eye on one of the new french door models to replace my existing side by side.

What were the features I was looking for? I wanted space and shelving that is flexible to hold extra tall things as well as jugs of tea, and juice, and milk that we never have room for. Probably like a lot of you - my fridge seems to be overrun with condiments and ethnic ingredients that must be refrigerated- 4 kinds of mustard, kim chee, 3 kinds of olives, plus assorted cheeses, salad dressings, pickles, black bean sauce, marinated artichokes and sundried tomatoes in oil from Costco-leaving no room for actual fresh food !! While it is a luxury, ice and water on the door was a feature we wanted because my family is a bunch of ice fiends, and we save money by using filtered water instead of bottled. I want spillproof shelves (because someone is always spilling something), and I want shelves and bins that are strong and supported from underneath since we are always filling our bins full of lettuce, cabbage, or 20 containers of yogurt that I got on sale, which caused the plastic tracks of our current fridge to crack and break,and cost $30 per track to replace. The other thing that Iwas looking for was the accessibilityof the water filter, since our existing fridge had to be moved in order to change the filter.

I love my LG washer and dryer and so we started there, but my husband wanted to look at the Samsungs since we had heard a lot of good things about them. Seriously, when we opened the new Samsung, I thought a choir of angels should sing- the energy-saving LED lights came on gradually just like stage lights in a theatre. It had all the features we wanted...and and extra ice maker in the bottom freezer to boot!! We were sold... but our new fridge is backordered, so I have to wait between 7 and 21 days to out it to the test. Happy birthday to me!!

What do you think? What about your fridge do you love... or hate?

Many of you may have visited Cookware.com in shopping for your own kitchen or perhaps in selecting gifts. They carry everything from the smallest kitchen gadget to professional-caliber equipment. An online discussion between one of their writers and kitchen experts, Jamie Sward, and I focused on trends that we had both noticed as more and more people are affected by the economic downturn, and are trying to economize to make the most of the holidays. This post is the result of that exchange and includes Jamie's input as well as my own take on the return to comfort food.
Since times are tough and the economy isn't looking so good, the effects of the deteriorating economic situation can be seen everywhere, including in the kitchen! To save money, people are dining in rather than going out, buying their groceries in bulk, and looking for ways to maximize more expensive ingredients such as meat and seafood. In times like these, comfort foods play a dual role - they help stretch the food dollar and they have a tendency to lift spirits. When it comes to making these time-honored and comforting food classics - having the essential kitchenware helps by cooking your dish properly and even cooking your dinner for you while you are at work! Crockpots and casserole dishes allow you to make and store larger quantities of food, helping you save money and time by making food for a few days at a time. Just about any stew, soup, chili or pasta dish can be made as a casserole or in a crockpot. You can start with some simple dishes, and then get more adventurous as you become comfortable. Here are some of our favorites:

Macaroni & Cheese
Jamie and I agreed that regardless of whether we're talking about the orange stuff (for kids, not foodies) or the homemade variety - mac & cheese is a quintessential comfort food. The is nothing to make your mouth water more than a delicious homemade macaroni & cheese with a breadcrumb topping. I have to say that mac and cheese is a dish that my kids agree is best made by my mother! The best thing about mac & cheese is how customizable it is. The ingredients are so basic that they leave plenty of room for individuality and personality. Throw in some bacon, sausage, veggies, and use gourmet cheeses - whatever you want! You can keep it simple and purist, or make it a gourmet delight. Bake it up in a big glass casserole dish and you've got a nice hot meal for the entire family! (Just watch out for the "cheese hogs" in your family who try to take more than their share of the cheesy top!)

Homemade Chili

These are just three universal examples of comfort foods that Jamie and I had in common. In our family, turkey pot pie made from our holiday turkey is comfort food, as is shepherd's pie with its mashed potato crust, and slow-cooked pot roast. Casseroles and slow cookers are great tools for home cooks who are short both time and money. Start with a few core basic ingredients that your family likes, and don't be afraid to try something new or experiment a bit with a recipe to make your own comfort food favorites. By using a crockpot or casserole to make your favorite comfort food, you can even cook once and eat twice (or more). Some newer crockpots offer features such as a delayed timer, removable crocks and even locking lids that let you take your comfort food to share. For meals that save you both time and money, you just can’t beat that!

What about family's favorite casseroles or comfort foods? Is there a family soup or stew recipe, or a casserole that everyone always asks you to bring to the office potluck? Is there a special casserole dish that holds not only food, but memories for you? Let us know what equals comfort food to you.