There they sit, in the dish, all innocent in yellow, orange and white, plotting. They have the power to ruin your dinner and send your diet over the cliff.  You know this, and yet your hand still creeps toward the tri-colored demons. The battle is lost. And for heaven’s sake, it isn’t even chocolate.

Resistance is futile when it comes to candy corn, and the candy’s time of year draws near. Did you realize that an estimated 20 million pounds of it is sold every year, (and that Oct. 30 is National Candy Corn Day)? Therefore, in an effort at diversion, we offer candy corn fanatics some alternatives to the evil little triangles of tubbiness made of corn syrup and sugar.

Juicy Couture is on the job with a pretty little candy corn charm that says, appropriately, “Live for Sugar” on one side ($42).

Proclaim your allegiance with an “I Love Candy Corn” T from Café Press ($20), or  hang your feelings on the door with Lillian Vernon’s candy corn wreath and garland, where giant candy corns are all dressed up in silk leaves and organza ribbon. Crate and Barrel creates candy corn cookies ($6), of all things, as well as a candy corn tray ($15) and candy corn mugs ($5-$9).

(more…)

Just when you think there’s nothing new to say about blenders, enter Blendtec. Actually, enter the Blendtec videosWill it Blend?. Call it a publicity stunt, but it’s a good one. Blendtec, which sells commercial-grade blenders akin to those you see in coffee shops, has entered the home-blender arena with their Total Blender and a series of short videos showing a lab-coated, safety-glasses wearing man blending outrageous things. He blends an iPhone, a video camera, glow-sticks, an iPod, golf balls, marbles and on and on and on. Call us gullible, but this blender reduces everything from cubic zirconia, a stuffed toy, a stun gun, a Rubik’s cube, a DVD and a hearing aid to tiny bits and pieces. Warnings of “Don’t do this at home” pepper the Web site. Of course there are plenty of videos and information about blending edibles such as smoothies, bread dough, peanut butter, hot soup, salsa, ice cream, etc. The blender is good-looking, with a digital display and lots of functions. It’s heavy and solid. The Total Blender isn’t cheap at $400, but will draw ooohs and ahhs from your party guests, even if you’re just blending a margarita, not a cell phone.

I’m an old-fashioned girl when it comes to recipes, and although I’ve printed out my share of instructions from FoodTV.com, I also treasure the recipes from my mother and mother-in-law handwritten on pieces of paper and given to me over many years. All good cooks should own a recipe box, filled with recipe cards for favorite family dishes, great-for-entertaining appetizers passed on by friends and special versions of classics (that unique oversized chocolate-chip-cookie, the yummy bread pudding). At Fine Stationery, the “Funky Chickens” recipe box ($18) is decorated with stylized art-deco chickens, and comes with dividers for appetizers, salads, main dishes and desserts. The Jasmine recipe cards from Fine Stationery (30 for $10) have a simple floral pattern on green paper and would match many different types of boxes. At Etsy, which sells handmade items from individual artists, there’s a treasure trove of recipe cards to be found, including these personalized ones from Your Picture Fixer (16 for $10). Buyers choose the colors and indicate what name they want on the card-for example, “Carolyn’s Creations” or “Rachel’s Recipes.” The available design themes include pitchers, ladybugs, utensils, and fruits and vegetables.  For a more avant-garde recipe box, Etsy sellers Christopher and Tia have an electric green “Cricket” box with matching cards, $31. The box is also available in other fluorescent colors, including electric pink, electric blue and hot orange. If you’re looking for something more sedate and classic, try a powder-blue box ($15) made of steel: very 1950s. It’s available at Macy’s and is part of the Martha Stewart line. At My Secret Pantry, their recipe box selection includes a roll-top wooden box, which holds 4-by-6 cards. Finally, to help your holiday recipes stand out from the others in the box, use these Christmas-themed cards from Kent Creative Ink (50 cards for $9) decorated with a drawing of a sprig of holly.

What do partially hydrogenated oil, sugar and caffeine have in common? At least one appears in almost all popular kids’ snacks. And while we adults may love our afternoon M&Ms, Frito’s and Coke, we are allegedly wise enough to know that a little is enough. (Plus, we’re too far-gone already to be saved.)  The kids are another story, thanks to the wide availability of junk food wherever they go. At Sunbird Snacks, there are healthy alternatives you can send your kids to school with, such as raw almonds (12 three-ounce packs for $18). Yes, nuts are quite high in fat but it’s the kind that’s generally good for you. And instead of potato chips, check out these brown rice crackers in 2.5 ounce bags (12 for $18). They’re fat free (and that means no trans fat) and contain no artificial colors or flavors. They do contain sugar. Crispy Green®Crispy Fruit snacks are freeze-dried using fresh frozen fruit and a vacuum method that aims to retain the fruit’s essence. Choose from apples, apricots, peaches, pineapple and pears (pictured). Buy at the online store ($8 for six packs) or click on the store locator page to find the product in your town. And be sure to check out the Healthy Snack Store’s Single Serve Snacks. Here you’ll find individual portions of Kay’s gluten-free Kruncheeze (12 bags for $16), Protein Chips, cinnamon toast, jalapeno honey mustard or wasabi pretzels and protein cereals. All are $12 for 12 bags.

Next time you plan to stir-fry some veggies, sauté a chicken breast or mix up a batch of salad dressing using olive oil, see what a difference flavor-infused oil can make. Perhaps you dunked your bread into some oil with a sprig or leaf in it last time you were at the yuppie Italian joint, but have you tasted a crisp green salad with ruby grapefruit-infused oil? Pearson Ranch has a line of citrus olive oils. For $16, you can get about eight ounces of orangic Meyer lemon, blood orange, Tahitian lime or organic jalapeno lime extra-virgin California olive oil. For guests, why not drizzle a bit of Japanese wasabi olive oil over the appetizers to give them an extra kick ($28 for 250 ml)? Or use an eye dropper of white truffle oil from Italy in the omelette pan (at $13.50 for .55 ml, you can’t afford to waste it). Both are available from Culinary Needs, as are hazelnut and walnut olive oil from France ($12 for 16.9 ounces). At Sotto Voce, each small batch of premium oil is infused, bottled and labeled by hand. Reading about the Olio Pomodoro, a garlic-flavored oil infused with sun-dried tomatoes, Greek oregano, and black and white peppercorns will get you salivating. The Olio Santo is a garlic oil blended with rosemary, thyme, bay leaves, peppercorns and a mild chili pepper. And the Olio Angelico is garlic oil with baby dill, wild ginger, pink peppercorns and fennel. All are $12.75 for 12.75 ounces. And if you really want to splurge, try the Urbani truffle oil gift set, with one bottle of white truffle oil and one of black truffle oil ($76; pictured). Earthy Delights has mushroom-flavored oils such as Da Rosario’s organic porcini oil ($25 for eight ounces) and a “finishing” oil, Moreloilla ($26 for 115 ml), flavored with real morel mushrooms, to be sprinkled right before serving foods.

When Two Fat Ladies aired on PBS and the Food Network from 1997 to 1999, it was an unusual, droll take on the cooking show. Jennifer Paterson (right) and Clarissa Dickson Wright (left), the portly women of the title, traveled around Britain in a Triumph Thunderbird motorcycle and sidecar to prepare old-fashioned British meals for different sets of guests. The setting for each dinner was nearly as interesting as the food — Westminster Cathedral, an Irish convent and a safari park — and the ladies always made a point of collecting fresh ingredients from local farmers, fishermen, butchers and bakers. They often broke into song, glorified “streaky bacon” and cream, and joked about vegetarians. The series ended when Paterson died of lung cancer in 1999. All 24 episodes are now available on Two Fat Ladies: The Complete Series ($38), a two-disc DVD set that includes a tribute to Paterson. As for the recipes, they’re available in the cookbooks Cooking with the Two Fat Ladies (from $10.36, used and new on Amazon), The Two Fat Ladies Ride Again (from $2.50, used and new, on Amazon) and The Two Fat Ladies Full Throttle (used and new from $5.20). Jennifer Paterson’s Seasonal Receipts (used and new from $4.74) contains recipes from Paterson’s weekly column in the British Spectator. Whether you try their recipes for chicken and ginger soup, sugar-browned potatoes or chocolate crème brulée, you’re in for a treat.

Cast-iron pans are beloved by many chefs, for good reasons: They can go from stove to oven, they are ideal heat conductors, and when properly cared for, they can last decades. Two basic skillets are the Keilen 11.5-inch cast iron skillet at Sears ($9) and Williams-Sonoma’s sturdy 12-inch Lodge skillet ($27). A more sophisticated version can be found at Ginny’s, which carries Paula Deen’s Swirled cast-iron skillet ($50) and matching Dutch oven ($90), with a red enamel exterior and a white enamel interior (pictured). The enamel lining makes it easy to clean and doesn’t necessitate the seasoning and oiling required by more traditional pans. Cabela’s has a cast-iron starter set with three skillets, a Dutch oven with lid and heavy gloves, perfect for cooking over a campfire ($80). Lodge Pro Grid’s cast-iron griddle has a ridged side designed for cooking chops, and even vegetables; its smooth reverse side is ideal for making pancakes ($45). For Dutch ovens, look no farther than the big sale at DutchOvenPro.com, where you’ll find the Ultimate Turkey Roaster set, complete with roasting rack (on sale for $78). What’s Cooking America offers a useful guide to using and caring for your cast-iron cookware — it’s best to wipe off and oil them rather than scrubbing with soap and water. Once you have your pan, you can make skillet cornbread or recipes from Crate & Barrel’s Cast Iron Skillet Cookbook ($17).

Cupcakes have grown past their status as a fixture at third-grade parties. They’re becoming the artful stars of the bakery world. Cupcake-only bakeries are hot in big cities, and tiers of beautifully frosted cupcakes are replacing the traditional three-layer cake at weddings. Actress Katie Holmes kept herself and the crew of her movie Mad Money stuffed with cupcakes. Chicago Cupcakes has been featured on The Food Network and Ellen Degeneres’ show. This bakery will ship 24 freshly baked cupcakes (quick-frozen, packed in insulated boxes with dry ice, and delivered via FedEX) for $150. Chicago Cupcakes’ flavors include almond joy, orange poppyseed, tiramisu and pineapple cherry. L.A.’s Famous Cupcakes delivers to all 50 states. Their “cupcake bouquets,” about $60 each, are fun for birthdays, baby showers, anniversaries, Thanksgiving, etc. If you can’t stomach designer cupcakes, make them yourself with Crate & Barrel’s “500 Cupcake” cookbook ($15.95). After you’re finished, display them on their pretty three-tier cupcake stand ($37). Bed Bath & Beyond has the “Hello Cupcake” cookbook ($16) and the very fun Wilton Silly Feet Baking Cups (little cupcake holders with colored feet), $10 for a set of four. And now that you’re hooked on the little confections, what better gift to give the baker in your life than a cupcake charm bracelet ($60) decorated with 20 tiny cupcake charms and small crystals.