• If your plate is larger than 9 inches across, you're probably eating too much.
• Many Kansans are quick to turn their noses up at turnips, but it seems everyone wants locally grown sweet potatoes.
• A small-town barbecue-joint bartender made it all the way to the big time -- sort of. He went before Judge Judy in a carding case.
• A mom on a budget hits three grocery stores to find the best deals.
• One writer says the numbers don't lie when it comes to determining our national sandwich -- and he believes the clear winner is peanut butter & jelly.

FINGERFOOD Party Plates are sure to be a smash this holiday season - a tiny, little smash.

The Party Plates are actually small platters affixed to rings which, as you can see, you can wear while you hold your drink.

These are perfect for hors d'oeuvres (and hand-feeding your cats, and dinner parties thrown by Barbie). My only concern is that they look a little unwieldy, like you might have to master the art of the FINGERFOOD Party Plate, certainly before attempting it while drinking.

Ten reusable plates are just $9.95 from The Spoon Sisters, and they actually recommend bringing your own to a party as a "conversation starter." That would require a level of bravery I don't have, but I would think it fun to pass these out to guests at a party of my own!

Just not over the carpet, naturally.

Last week, in preparation for my first houseguest since moving back home to Atlanta, I took myself on a mini shopping spree at a local housewares boutique called Heliotrope. First thing, I found what I came for. Diffuser of fragrance reminiscent of Tuscan herbs? Check. White ceramic pitcher to use as vase in guest bathroom? Check. Set of silicone coasters? Check. Thrilled to find what I wanted, I nevertheless couldn't yet leave the adorable and treasure-rich shop. So I browsed.

And browsed. And coveted. The apple of my eye? All things Charley Harper. A Modernist and self-proclaimed "minimal realist," Harper is a favorite of design aficionados, beloved especially for his streamlined wildlife prints. At Heliotrope, his images appear not only on puzzles and calendars, but also on all manner of tableware: cocktail napkins, plates, dishtowels, and some particularly precious salt and pepper shakers.

My favorite motif in the collection is the red cardinal, with its fans of wings against a white background, pictured here on the appetizer plates. The colors would work for Christmas table settings, but the look would work any other time of year, too.

Tracy Porter is a tabletop hero.

Plugged by Horchow as "Not your grandmother's dinnerware," Tracy Porter's stunning pieces come in interesting shapes and eclectic patterns, drawing on nature, gothic architecture, retro prints, and her own whimsy.

The collection at right, the new Tracy Porter "Auguste Coq" Dinnerware collection, lends your table an intelligent sense of fantasy. In the gallery below, see the exotic kaleidescope "Katsina" collection, the French paisley and peacock "Artesian" teapot set, and more.

Tracy Porter has an extensive line of lifestyle products, including purses, lighting, jewelry and more. Check it out here on her website, which is dedicated to the idea of "enchanted living." I can totally get behind that.



Purchase everything here at Horchow.

At every major meal event, I have to limit my mother to one "food in a food" -- meaning one dish where the plate/bowl is also edible. It's true that serving food this way can make for a killer presentation, but there's a fine line between killer and overkill, so I try to limit her to one dish. That said, here are some fabulous for serving food inside of food this fall...

1. Fall yams served in orange cups, from Epicurious.

2. Pumpkin souffles inside pumpkins, from Martha Stewart

3. Roasted butternut squash pastina served inside a pumpkin (or inside winter squash, perhaps?) from Food Network

4. Clam chowder in a bread bowl from yumsugar

5. Cappuccino Mousse in chocolate cups from All Recipes

6. Stuffed bell peppers from Simply Recipes (this counts because the recipe just looks so good!)

7. Lemon sorbet in frozen lemon shells from Homemade Ice Cream Desserts

8. Fruit salad served in melon from Fine Living

Have a beautiful serving idea of your own? Please share!

I have a love/hate relationship with the city in which I live -- Los Angeles. You can't beat the balmy weather (did I mention that I was wearing shorts and a t-shirt all day today?), but you also can't beat traffic, no matter how carefully you listen to the traffic report, time your driving with "rush hour" or opt for surface streets.

But in the end, I love Los Angeles, which is why I love these dinner plates from notNeutral. The dishwasher-safe porcelain plates are 12" in diameter, feature the downtown core printed on a black background, highlight key buildings in red, and indicate rivers and public spaces. While I favor Los Angeles, the plates also come printed with Shanghai, Cairo, Berlin (part of Collection 1) and New Orleans, Washington, D.C., Las Vegas and Dubai (part of Collection 2).

Each plate is $50.

These unusual ceramic plates have a couple of different uses and are so visually interesting that it's almost a surprise that they're not in any high-end restaurants, especially one where they deal with less traditional foods and presentations. The Dish It Up dishes come in three sizes that can be fit together along their "cut" edge. They could be used for portion control, if you're looking for a practical purpose to justify buying them and more artistic platings are not your goal. One other interesting feature of the dishes is that they can be stored vertically, resting on their straight edge, which minimizes the amount of cabinet space they take up. They are sold in sets that include one each of the small, medium and large sizes.

An alternative lifestyle deserves alternative dinnerware and the Piercing Collection of dinnerware certainly qualifies. Not only do the pieces feature black-and-white tattoo-inspired designs, but the cups and bowls are actually pierced with small metal rings. The overall look is edgy and getting dishes with tattoos or piercings is certainly easier (and probably cheaper) than doing either to your own body. The dishes were designed by Barbara Schmidt, are made in Germany and are dishwasher safe.

Only the mugs and bowls seem to be available right now and both are sold separately. You can buy several and make a matching set, or just use one mug at the office to surprise your coworkers. Just make sure there's a good coffee machine wherever you intended to use the mug because, due to the piercing, it cannot be put into the microwave.

A bowl of soup and a sandwich make a classic, comforting lunch pairing - especially if it is some kind of tomato soup and a cheese sandwich. In summer, this could mean gazpacho and cream cheese on toast for dipping, or a spicy tomato soup and hot, melting grilled cheese sandwich in winter. Either way, it is a satisfying meal. The soup and sandwich plate ($15) is the perfect setup for serving the pair, with a bowl set into one side of the plate and a rectangular, sandwich-shaped indentation on the other. The ceramic is oven, dishwasher and microwave safe, too.

Granted, you can't really say that you need a set like this one unless you have no other tableware, but there is nothing wrong with wanting it. And you know you'd use it if you had it.

Bodo Sperlein products do not come cheap - but you can't deny the quality and desirability of their creations.

Bodo's designs are described as "subtle and clean, capturing the essence of the modern with the substance and beauty of the classic". Which basically means they look damn good! ". Handmade china is never cheap and these, from the UK, join a range of products including lighting, furniture, gift and tableware.

For such high quality products the website fails to display them in the most advantageous way. I mean these plates - with a black berry design - are boringly photographed on a dull grey background. A small plate costs £30, the larger £59. Complete the set with napkins holders, vases, salt and pepper sets etc etc. (I hate the flower light though)

Pop Ink is a design company that has created this adorable set of "Fashion Plate" dinnerware. Each set has four different saturated color designs and are molded into heavy-duty 10" Melamine plastic plates. The plates are dishwasher safe, though not microwavable. In addition to the fashion plates, Pop Ink has sets called Lovesick and Wallpaper.

The set of four is $40 and is available from Elsewares. 

It's no doubt that the problem of obesity has to be addressed from multiple angles, and education sure seems to be a good place to put some emphasis. Nutriplates are designed with the intent of educating the diner about portion sizes, caloric intake, and fitness levels. Each plate has a different "theme," this one with calorie information on various sources of protein. Other plates have fruits, vegetables, grains, and even physical activities.

 

A woman in Michigan has created a line of flavored candy plates meant to be broken at wedding ceremonies, celebrations or if you're just pissed off. Judy Cerano, 57, debuted her Sweet Madness Plate to Break line this month at a candy store in White Lake, Michigan, according to an AP story in the Lansing State Journal. Flavors include banana cream, mint, root beer, piña colada, wintergreen and cherry. Each plate sells for around $10.