If you're looking for a caffeine boost, a blast from the past (stop, collaborate and listen), good reads or an easier way to cook, read on to hear our staff's favorite things this week.
Chef's Choice Professional Sharpening Station 130 – I've been struggling at home to find a good knife sharpener for a while. Though not all our steak knives are awesome, we do have some pretty good chef's knives and kitchen shears. But time has dulled them. Being an economical fellow in some ways, I've been trying to keep up with sharpening using a knife steel. That wasn't working so I went with a manual knife sharpener, but that was so work intensive that I knew it was an unrealistic solution. Then I got this motorized version for about $150 and if you're a serious cook, or serious about not losing a finger while making dinner, it's a bargain. Three guided slots allow you to sharpen a completely dull knife in just a few strokes and it takes little more than a single stroke to touch up a slightly tired blade. The sharpener plugs into an outlet, so it does all the work, and the guides ensure that you use the correct angle every time. You can sharpen serrated knives, santoku and other Asian knives, too. Of course, outdoorsmen can also use it to hone sporting and pocket knives, too. Cooking just got a whole lot easier at our house. – Bobby Tanzilo
Cinnamon Sugar Biscotti coffee - The Door County Coffee and Tea Company has long been my favorite caffeine dealer. The quality is there and the prices aren’t bad at all – plus, you can grind the beans yourself at its retail space in Sturgeon Bay. I discovered its limited-time-only spring flavor, cinnamon sugar biscotti, on a recent trip north, and after a few days of drinking it at home I realized I couldn’t do without and ordered another 8-ounce bag online (standard shipping was around $8, but it did arrive 48 hours later). If you "like" it on Facebook, you can watch for specials and discounts. – Colleen Jurkiewicz
Vanilla Ice at the Bucks Game – Go ninja go ninja go! How could you miss Vanilla Ice performing at halftime of Saturday's Milwaukee Bucks game against Oklahoma City on '90s night?! Break out your best IOU or Z Cavaricci – heck, even the Zubaz – and relive the glory days when MTV played music and Boyz II Men lent some credibility to the term "boy band." – Jim Owczarski
"Mary Nohl: A Lifetime In Art" – This book, a biography about local artist Mary Nohl whose Fox Point estate is often referred to as "The Witch's House" – is part of the Badger Biography series aimed at young readers. It is 115 pages long, with lots of photos, big text, an easy and interesting story and suggested discussion points. It also asks kids their opinions throughout. Nohl's playful, imaginative art with so many fun, distorted faces is very appealing to young people. My kids loved this book (it's a good one to read aloud) and are asking every day when we can drive by "the witch's" heavily-sculptured yard again. – Molly Snyder
