10 Common Gift-Giving Mistakes and 10 Super-Easy Ways to Be a Great Gift Giver
Admit it. You’ve ransacked your kitchen cupboards for a last-minute hostess gift, desperately hoping that you aren’t about to regift something back to the person who gave it to you in the first place. Or maybe you’ve found yourself at 11 p.m. standing under the fluorescent lights at your local drugstore, wondering what the heck you can buy for a Mother’s Day gift. Would she like a box of cake mix? A padlock? How about dishtowels? Nothing says, “Thanks for giving birth to me, Mom!” quite like a...
Read MoreTop 10 BBQ Summer Party Gifts
It’s always correct to respond to a BBQ or summer party invitation with “what can I bring?” Make sure the host remembers your thoughtfulness long after you — and the tequila — are gone with one of these gifts. Also see below for low-cost and free gift ideas! Big Bob Gibson’s BBQ Book: Recipes and Secrets from a Legendary Barbecue Joint From dry rubs to glazes and from sauces to slathers, you’ll get the lowdown on Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q’s award-winning seasonings...
Read MoreInterview With A Writer: Receiving Appreciation Gifts
Shawn McAndrew is a freelance writer and editor living in El Cerrito, CA. Like many of us, Shawn has tried her hand in a variety of job environments, from project management/print buyer for a large biotech company to her own one-person business today. Contact her at lcastle101@comcast.net or (510) 527-1103. What are some of the corporate business gifts you’ve received over the years? The biotech company I worked for made testing and analysis devices for scientific applications....
Read MoreAugust Holidays & Celebrations
AUGUST CELEBRATIONSbrought to you by MouseAndFork.comThere’s ALWAYS a reason to celebrate! Is this a great nation or what? How many other countries celebrate catfish, cataracts, and going topless all in the same month? Only the United States, thank you very much. “Win With Civility” while you enjoy ripe peaches and Hot August Nights. Birthstone: Jade, Peridot Flower: Gladiolus Astrological Signs: Leo (July 23 – August 22) and Virgo (August 23 – September 22) ...
Read MoreInterview With An Architect: Gift Giving Helps to Build A Business
Rebecca Amato is the owner and principal architect at Amato Architecture in Oakland, CA. She specializes in residential, commercial, and restaurant design with a focus on green building principles. She’s been in business since 2001. Tell me about your business gift-giving philosophy. I think it’s important to give something special at the end of a design project, after the client has moved into the space. I want to see how I can enrich their new environment with accessories, after the...
Read MoreJuly Holidays
JULY CELEBRATIONS brought to you by MouseAndFork.comThere’s ALWAYS a reason to celebrate! While it’s no big surprise that July is National Grilling Month, did you know it’s also National Social Wellness Month AND you can celebrate Daiquiri Day (19th), Tequila Day (24th) and/or Scotch Whiskey Day (27th). Now you have four MORE reasons to throw a great summer BBQ and invite a few friends over! Here are a few more holidays (with links) to inspire your summer get-togethers — as...
Read MoreTop 10 Gifts for Ice Cream Lovers
In honor of National Ice Cream Month and the reviving American economy, here are some gift suggestions for the ice cream lover in your life. Or heck, buy yourself something sweet, Sweetie! Note: You can link directly to Mouse & Fork on Amazon for more gift ideas HERE. Cuisinart ICE-21 Frozen Yogurt-Ice Cream & Sorbet Maker, White. ($59.95) Rated 4-1/2 stars (out of 5) by over 500 buyers on Amazon. If you’ve never had homemade ice cream, prepare to be STUNNED by its awesomeness. If...
Read MoreSnipe Hunting, or The Myth of the Perfect Gift
What is the “perfect” gift? Some would tell you it’s a pair of diamond earrings, or a Lexus, or even a ham sandwich. Be wary, for these people are trying to sell you something. If you believe that suffering the punishment of endlessly trudging the shopping mall will somehow make you worthy of divine inspiration, I have bad news for you. Looking for the perfect gift is like snipe hunting — you’re searching for something that doesn’t exist. There is no such thing as the “perfect” gift....
Read MoreEat All The Ice Cream You Want!
Since July is National Ice Cream Month—and we here at Mouse & Fork love The Frozen Ambrosia in all of its diversity—we’ll be posting a few articles about artisan ice cream, ice cream makers, books and recipes, and even ways to have ice cream delivered right to your door! A Scoop of History, Nuts on the Side In 1984, President Ronald Reagan designated July as National Ice Cream Month, and the third Sunday of the month (July 15, 2012) as National Ice Cream Day. What does this mean for...
Read More“Trust Me” Peach-Blackberry Pie Recipe
Here is my peach pie recipe since y’all asked so nicely. First, git you a big bag of peaches. Store-bought are OK but stolen peaches taste better. Trust me. They don’t all have to be ripe but they should all smell good. Put the peaches into yer pie plate to see how many you need. Add three more. Take peaches out of pie plate. Ask Mrs. Pillsbury nice-like to make you a refrigerated piecrust. Unroll the bottom crust and place in pie plate, and put plate back in refrigerator. If it warn’t...
Read MoreSQUEAK Into Summer Savings at Mouse & Fork!
SQUEAK Into Summer Savings at Mouse & Fork! Big changes are coming to Mouse & Fork this summer, and we’re celebrating with a SALE! We’ve dropped prices on many of your favorite items including gift sets, table runners, aprons, and a wide variety of gourmet cooking accessories. Stock up on housewarming and hostess gifts for the summer party season! Dijon Apron and Pot Mitt Set $24 Cheese Board Gift Set $49 Red Berry Table Runner $28 Instant Oven Thermometer for Meat/Poultry $11 Cake...
Read MoreDoes Baking Powder Cause Global Warming?
In today’s Pastry Forum, we tackle the culinary conundrum of… Baking Powder vs. Baking Soda: What’s the Difference, and Why Should I Care If I Destroy The Planet Earth? For those of us who want a “basic” understanding of baking soda and baking powder (the science geeks are now tittering at my pH pun), both ingredients have an alkaline component. Mix an alkaline substance with an acidic one and you get gas bubbles; how these bubbles interact and travel through batters and doughs causes them to...
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