A friend of mine brought over a catalog from Brocade Home the other day and asked, no actually make that demanded, that I help her figure out where the plates in the background came from. I was a little stumped, they reminded me a bit of the ones from Working Class Studios, only each one looked unique. I was pretty sure I had seen them before, only I wasn't sure exactly where. So I told her to sit tight and that I would get back to her soon.

After a little bit of searching I discovered that these plates are Rehabilitated Dishware by Sarah Cihat. These plates, I actually remembered seeing in a bunch of magazines over the last few years, are all unique and are made from dishes bought at thrift stores. They are then reglazed and refired, resulting in a fun piece that is both spectacular to look at and a great use for old possible-landfill-fodder dishes. I totally love them, especially how they all look similar, and yet are very different. And I love how Brocade used them all lined up on the wall like that. There's more info on where to buy the dishware on Sarah Cihat's website and Clio has the 7" salad plates for $44.

Now that I've tracked down these dishes, do you have anything you need me to track down? Let me know and I'll do my best to find it for you!

You know I am a fan of specialty cocktails served in specialty glasses. Like the right outfit for a certain occasion, the right glass is necessary for a certain drink. Not just for aesthetic appeal, but because the drink actually tastes different, better. With that said, I ran across some pretty cool cocktail glasses recently in the Yum Market on TeamSugar. Take this beautiful blue champagne glass for example. I take one look at it and I instantly crave a bellini or mimosa. I wonder if atkoester thought the same thing when she found this flute?

Two more distinctive glasses so read more

Now before you go and wonder why today's happy hour is a regular old rum and coke, let me explain... a cuba libre is not a regular old rum and coke, it's a classic cocktail that could even be considered sophisticated. The drink originated after the Spanish-American War in which the Americans fought to liberate Cuba from Spain's reign (which is kind of ironic bearing in mind the US-Cuban relations in the years to come). The soldiers who were aiding in the fight mixed Cuba's rum with America's coca-cola, topped it with a squirt of lime and saluted to the country's freedom. Cuba Libre in Spanish actually means free Cuba. So the next time you are thinking of ordering a rum and coke, order a cuba libre instead, it's what I always do. To take it to the next level, read more

Mark your calendars, there is free stuff next week on both Monday and Tuesday. On Monday, April 16th, Chipotle is giving away a free burrito (well free as long as you bring a receipt from a burrito purchased on April 14th or 15th) as part of their "EZing Your Tax Day Pain" campaign. So buy a burrito, get a burrito for free.

The next free day is even better and there are no strings attached. On Tuesday, April 17th, from 12pm-8pm, you'll be able to receive a free cone from all participating Ben & Jerry's scoop shops. But you better get there early, from what I hear (I always miss it) the line can get quite long!

Over in the Kitchen Goddess Group, Twinkle brought up a really interesting question (one that I'm having a really hard time deciding on). She wanted to know what everyone's last meal would be. I personally can not answer that question. I think my meal would be more of a feast than a single meal. There's too many great things, I'd want to eat them all at once.

So how about you, what would your last meal be? Head over to the Kitchen Goddess and let everyone know - and be sure to check out what other people have said. Or if you're too lazy, just post your answer in the comments below.

Hrmmm... sushi or homemade potstickers? Chocolate chip cookies or a banh mi? Mimosas or a bloody mary? Oh god, I can't decide...

A little while ago I purchased a set of beautiful new red wine glasses on sale. When guests would come to dinner I hated how all we had was a bunch of mismatched glasses - the remnants of wine glass sets given to my parents many many years ago. Now that the weather has turned warmer, I'm craving chilled white wine like crazy. I want a new set of white wine glasses and I need you to help me find them. The glasses should be chic, sophisticated, and uniform. Please save your stemware in the Yum Market on TeamSugar with the keyword tag White Wine Glasses. I know you will do an amazing job searching the web for cool and interesting finds!

Have no clue what the Yum Market is? It's fun - you can bookmark stuff you find on the web! Learn how to by reading geeksugar's explanation.

When I was in high school, one of the cool things to do during lunch time was head over to the China Dragon across the street from the public library and get a teriyaki chicken and rice bowl for lunch. My most popular friend, Cameron, introduced me to the scrumptiously simple secret that was the rice bowl. Last night, as I was driving down the street, I looked up to see the familiar faded red dragon and suddenly, an uncontrollable craving for a chicken teriyaki bowl took over my entire being. I came to work this morning and immediately knew I had to recreate that sweetly glazed sticky chicken and rice in my very own kitchen. To check out the more grown up recipe - this is more than just chicken and rice drowned in teriyaki - read more

Remember back in February when the Food Network held its first annual Food Network Awards? Well set your Tivos, the Emeril hosted awards are finally airing this Sunday at 9pm/8c. When I heard about these awards, I thought it would be one big Food Network self-pat on the back love-fest. However, judging by these categories, the show is completely different than my initial impression. Instead of being self-congratulatory (there are no categories like Best Iron Chef, Best Travel Show, etc), the categories are things like Delicious Destination of the Year, Edible Entrepreneur of the Year, and Favorite Food Combo. What I want to know is, if Grilled Cheese and tomato soup wins the Favorite Food Combo Award, who's going to accept the award on its behalf? I guess we'll find out Sunday. Oh and spoiler alert, we hear that the first Food Network Hall of Fame award will be a posthumous one for Julia Child.

Check out Food Network's website for a full list of categories and nominees.
Or check out pictures of all your Food Network faves on the red carpet.

PopSugar has reported that the Friends gals, Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox (plus her adorable daughter), and Lisa Kudrow love eating out at Sunset Boulevard's hot spot Il Sole. Now, thanks to our fabulous friends over at Life & Style magazine, you and me can too! Il Sole is a cozy little Italian restaurant whose specialty is authentic contemporary cuisine, with an extensive wine list of bottles from Italy's top regions. You could make reservations for the next time you are in LA or you could make the same shrimp linguine that Jen and Courteney eat in the comfort of your own home. Pick up a bottle of Fiano at your local wine shop and you'll be eating like the stars in no time flat... for the recipe, read more

Babies are on my mind this week and while KatieSugar is growing up right before our eyes, Naomi Watts still has a bun in the oven... which means she totally needs a baby shower! All week I've been giving you my best ideas and tips to host a cute, yet sophisticated baby shower by planning a virtual shower for Naomi Watts. I covered every element of the party from the invitations to the luncheon menu to the drinks (non alcoholic and alcoholic) to the decor. Pink and blue have become the underlying theme of this event, so the pastel colors run throughout all aspects of the party. I always end up creating my playlists last because they can be thrown together at the last minute (especially with the help of the iTunes music store). To see my playlist suggestions, read more