I used to do a similar torn-paper trick in grade school, but it didn’t look nearly as tidy as the result of this staple free stapler at ThinkGeek. “This handy (and might we add — environmentally friendly) device cuts a tiny flap in the corner of your paper, and folds it in on itself, tucked in a tiny paper pocket,” they write. It only holds together five sheets of paper, but it could be a nice alternative to lots of tiny pieces of metal. –Mary T.

I’ve mentioned that ice cream is my favorite food. Even though it’s my obsession, making it is something I’ve left to the pros — especially after my first two attempts at home ice cream making failed so miserably. My first batch of coffee ice cream (using Mark Bittman’s recipe from How to Cook Everything) turned out icy and bitter, not nearly sweet enough. The second time, I followed Christopher Kimball’s coffee gelato recipe from The Dessert Bible and was devastated by the greasy mouthfeel and weak coffee flavor. So it’s my goal this summer to make a successful batch of ice cream, come hell or high water! I’ve been wanting to try this recipe for peanut butter ice cream with chocolate covered peanut butter crackers at The Kitchn, but before I go through all the effort, I thought I’d poll our fabulous readers. Do you have a foolproof, sinfully perfect ice cream recipe you love? –Megan B.

Have you ever come up with a great idea at work and shared it with your boss, only to have him or her turn around and take credit for it? I know I’ve been there, and I’m sure many of you have, too. This poster by Anthony Burrill could be his reaction to any number of situations, but for me it was the perfect response for an office idea-thief. Each poster is produced using the traditional woodblock letterpress process, and is signed by Anthony himself. Purchase one at Concrete Hermit before they’re all gone! –Erica P.

The government’s Cash for Clunkers program may have hit a bump or two, but a new program from Laura’s Lean Beef is just getting up to speed. Now through September 8, you have a chance to replace your outdated, rusted charcoal or propane grill through the Grill Replacement Initiative from Laura’s Lean (G.R.I.L.L.). Simply share a photo of your grotty grill at Laura’s Lean Beef, then follow results through Facebook or Twitter. You could win one of three new stainless-steel, propane-powered replacements, along with a load of Laura’s Lean products. Visit Laura’s Lean Beef for the official G.R.I.L.L rules.

Fancy cupcake shops are all the rage — instead of waning, the trend just seems to keep growing. Just seeing the word “cupcake” on so many store fronts can work on my brain until I have an insatiable craving for them. But this time, instead of paying $3 for one sweet treat, I decided to see how I’d do baking up some of my own. The results may not be half as pretty as a cupcake from Trophy, but wow were they delicious!

I had a pint of cherries I wanted to use, so I went in search of a cherry cupcake recipe. I landed on this one from Good Housekeeping because I liked that it called for fresh, rather than canned, cherries. I ended up using fat free half-and-half because we were out of milk (What can I say — I was literally making these at 9 p.m. when the mood hit, and really didn’t feel like a grocery run) but the cupcakes still turned out wonderfully moist and delicious, if maybe a tad denser than they would be otherwise.

The GH recipe is structured a little more like a muffin, with instructions to top the cupcake with almonds and sugar. I skipped that step and used Bake Chocolate Cake’s best vanilla frosting instead. There’s nothing extraordinary about the frosting ingredients — just butter, sugar, milk, and vanilla — but by following her instructions to beat the ingredients together for four minutes at a time, I ended up with some of the creamiest, most perfect frosting I’d ever made. All in all, these are shop-worthy cupcakes. But they may not last long enough to make it to the shelf. –Mary T.

I listen to the weekly podcast of American Public Media’s The Splendid Table while cleaning the house, and was excited to hear two features from Lynne Rosetto Kasper on how to cold brew iced tea and coffee. The technique is basically the same: add coffee or tea to a large amount of water and let sit at least eight hours. Strain, then refrigerate for up to two weeks. Easy! During a recent crazy heat wave we suffered in the Pacific Northwest, it was too hot to even have my coffee maker on in the kitchen — this would have saved my life. The flavors are said to be improved as well, with less bitter and acidic compounds released into the brew. Can’t wait to try it out! –Megan B.

Photo by Flickr user House of Sims

I’ve written before about discovering that not only was I able to cook, I enjoyed doing it. Since then, my husband and I have put together some meals that would probably be ho-hum occurrences to kitchen regulars, but to me felt like revelations. I feel like a switch went on recently that allowed me to substitute ingredients and still get good results — something I never would have tried before. For instance, I recently made Megan’s curried pasta salad, only I used rotini and shaved carrots, skipped the cilantro and radish, and added grilled chicken. And it was still delicious! My most recent triumph is the cioppino you see above. You could say I took some real liberties with this recipe, using what I had readily available in our kitchen. My “recipe” started with the butter, onion, and garlic from All Recipes, but then I diverged, adding a large can of plain tomato sauce, a jar of marinara from Trader Joe’s, two cups of water, a sprinkling of crushed red pepper, a bit of leftover fresh salsa, a cup of frozen mustard greens, razor clams, and a package of seasoned mahi-mahi, also from Trader Joe’s. I served the whole thing over some basmati rice, and the reviews were stellar. Have any similar substitution victories to share? –Mary T.

They’re not reusable, but they are amusing. These paper sacks printed by Etsy seller sammo (also known as illustrator and designer Sam Morrison) add some punch to your lunch while potentially discouraging theft — after all, will that hungry coworker really help himself to your braaaains? With a variety of fun illustrations, they’d be great as quick wrapping paper, too. Five for $3.49 at sammo’s shop. –Mary T.

These photos we received from Haus Interior, a new Manhattan boutique, have us dreaming about redecorating. Haus Interior began as Nina Freudenberger’s interior design business, and was opened as a retail store in June. The boutique showcases Freudenberger’s “German hunting lodge chic” aesthetic, which includes both new and vintage pieces, none more than $300. Among the housewares and furnishings are kitchen items from Japanese company Fog Linen, which Haus Interior carries exclusively in the US. Drool for yourself at the Haus Interior site, or stop by the Elizabeth Street store for a look in person.

As someone who spends a lot of time in the kitchen, I feel completely irresponsible (and sorta stupid) for not having a fire extinguisher. After spotting these super-cute extinguishers at swissmiss, I can now add “lustful” to those emotions. According to Tina, they’re currently only available at two stores in Paris. I’m gonna keep my eye on these and snag one as soon as they come stateside. For now, I’ll just enjoy practicing my high school french as I browse the different colors and graphics on the Fire Design site. –Erica P.