1. Compact Swivel Cheese Board with Knives
Compact Swivel Cheese Board with Knives – $64 Buy Now »
Maker Stories
This Just In-spiration: Meet Unicorn Cupcake Entrepreneur Jillian Donaldson
April 3, 2018
Photo by Inspired Life Photography
It doesn’t take too much to please us here at UncommonGoods. Give us a creative handmade good or a heartwarming story and we’re more or less set. Throw in a unicorn or a sweet treat and we’re even better than set—we’re stoked. So perhaps it’s little wonder that pastry chef Jillian Donaldson and her Unicorn Cupcake Kit so readily caught our attention. I mean, vegan-friendly fondant alicorns, anyone? It’s hard to say no to something so cute… and so tasty.
Unicorn Cupcake Kit | UncommonGoods
If Jillian’s—a.k.a. Jill’s—sparkling sprinkles haven’t enchanted you yet, we don’t know what will. If they have, sit tight, ’cause you’re in for a treat. For the latest installment in our This Just In-spiration series, we spoke with Jill about family, the joy of baking, and sturdy mixers that double as special trinkets. Read on for more. Continue Reading…
Busy foodies: This one’s for you. We put together our favorite time-saving kitchen gadgets so you can chop, infuse, grate and get to the noshing sooner. Are you crazy about cheese? Do you dig empanadas? Scroll to reveal your full-bellied future.
1. Toaster bags that make gooey grilled cheese in a pop.
Melty comfort food without the mess? Slide bread and cheese (that’s all you need!) into the clever pouches, place in the toaster, and boom: a delectable treat.
Toaster Grilled Cheese Bags – $9.99 Buy Now »
2. Sheer kale and herbs in seconds.
Eating well feels so good but can be so hard to do. Don’t waste another second debating it. Have your greens and herbs prepped in seconds with this clever steel tool.
Kale & Herb Razor – $15 Buy Now »
3. An all-in-one chopper for lightning fast prep.
You don’t need super sharp knives or TV chef level skills to dice, chop, and mince like a pro. Press down and voila!: Ingredients are ready to sizzle.
3-in-1 Produce Chopper – $49.99 Buy Now »
Product
Research
I love to cook, but I don’t love to chop. Not only am I slow, but my knife skills (or lack thereof) tend to mutilate veggies into useless blobs. I saw this gadget on the UncommonGoods website, and I knew I had to test it out.
Hypothesis
With my new produce chopper, I’ll be able to churn out delicious dishes much faster than I could with my old chef’s knife.
Does this face look familiar? It’s not just you. Loyal readers may recognize Lori Sandoval as one-third of the WomenMadeLA team we spotlighted back in December last year. For those who aren’t already in the know, Lori recently teamed up with fellow makers Sashee Chandran and Debbie Mullin, both of whom sell their wares here at UncommonGoods, to form a collective of lady entrepreneurs taking the City of Angels by storm. And now it’s her turn to take a dip in the limelight.
Mexican Cooking Sauces | UncommonGoods
Like Debbie and Sashee, Lori’s creations are edible—sauces inspired by the diverse culinary landscape of Mexico, her parents’ home country, and ever-so-aptly dubbed “Mexican Cooking Sauces.” We’ll let you in on a secret here… they’re amazing. Like, “Where have you been all my life?” grade amazing. So it’s only natural that we had to ask her about them, just like we asked Sashee all about Tea Drops and Debbie about her delectable pour overs.
Read on for a full account of our conversation with flavor guru Lori, including talk of art history, sauce-loving kids, and wise words from the mouth—er, pen?—of Ralph Waldo Emerson, transcendentalist extraordinaire.
Construction Plate & Utensils – $14.95-$17.50 Buy Now »
Your kid has yet to discover that broccoli is delicious and they won’t touch anything that isn’t an unnatural color with a ten-foot fork. It’s going to be OK. While letting your kiddo live on gummy bears and microwaved mac ‘n cheese alone certainly isn’t an option, sneaking some healthy good stuff in their favorite meals is. These tips make breakfast, lunch, and dinner dishes healthier, but they’re still completely kid-friendly. Serve up each meal with our Construction Plate & Utensils and your little one might even ask for seconds.
Breakfast: Kid-Approved Baked Goods
As the old saying goes, it’s the “most important meal of the day.” But if that meal is packed with sugar, your kiddo will crash before lunch. Start the day right by replacing the refined sugar in baked goods like mini muffins or waffle bites with a fruity alternative.
- 1 cup of no-sugar-added applesauce easily replaces 1 cup of white sugar
-or-
- Mash 3 medium bananas and add a splash of water to get the equivalent of 1 cup of sugar
Gift Guides
Gift Lab: Will Our Dairy Free Cheesemaking Kit Impress this Curd Connoisseur?
December 15, 2017
Beloved Marketing Analyst Morgan warms up to vegan cheese… or so it seems.
Product
Dairy Free Cheddar, Mozzarella and Ricotta Kit
Research
As a self-proclaimed cheese connoisseur, I knew the moment I saw the Dairy Free Cheddar, Mozzarella and Ricotta Kit that it had to be mine. Melty mozzarella, creamy ricotta, tangy cheddar: say no more, you had me at melty. (Editor’s note: Morgan loves the Fondoodler, so her predilection for meltiness comes as no surprise to us.) I’ve dabbled in the realm of vegan cheese before, but as a non-vegan, I’m much more familiar with the dairy varieties of my favorite delicious treat. I decided to go to my local grocery store and sample their vegan wares and I was a little disappointed. The consistency and flavor just didn’t meet my exceptionally high cheese standards. Alas.
This is when I decided I was up for the challenge of creating a vegan cheese even the most dairy-loving person could enjoy.
Hypothesis
As a former research scientist, I hypothesized that my laboratory skills could help me concoct this vegan cheese masterpiece. I knew there were challenges, based on my prior vegan cheese sampling and dislike for its odd texture, but the images on the box of this kit looked delightful and I decided to judge a book by its cover.
Pretty much everyone appreciates good food, but “foodies,” as they’re known, are another breed entirely. We all know at least one spice hoarder that fits the bill, and finding a gift to please their palate can be daunting, especially when you’ve seen them tackle ingredients out of one of Chopped’s crueler episodes. Thankfully, we’ve selected 15 of our favorite food-themed treats to make your life—and your holiday shopping—easier. Whether you’re on the hunt for something wearable, hangable, or, of course, edible, our well-seasoned selection of gifts for foodies has something just for you.