While at a woodworking expo a few years ago with my father … (ok, get your laughs out now, yes, the Woodcocks were at a woodworking show, he he!), I was amazed to learn all of what was really out there with regards to high end and low end tools.  There were booths there of everything you could imagine needing for your woodshop.  From random junk, to superior lathes, to high end table saws, you name it, it was there.  We took a class on turning and now I have my own handmade honey stick – another random thing to keep around the house.  “Look, honey, I made my own honey-stick!”

We weren’t looking for anything in particular, mostly just browsing, sitting in on lectures and taking our hand at turning.  While walking through the labyrinth of booths and hearing shouts of folks selling their wares, my eyes caught a glimpse of some very interesting looking tools unlike any other design I’ve yet to see.  What had caught my eye was the sleek engineering design of the FESTOOL line of power tools.

I stepped up to the booth and immediately began playing with each of what they offered that day.  One item in particular was a cordless drill.  Mine had (depending on how you look at it, fortunately, or unfortunately) broken shortly before.  I was on the hunt for one that would last a long time and stand up to whatever tasks I may encounter, in- and outside my shop.  After speaking with the FESTOOL rep for quite some time about the company, its process and its design concepts, I settled on the FESTOOL TDK 15.6 cordless drill.

Before raving about the drill, let me explain some of what attracted me to FESTOOL…  They’ve adopted a very systematic approach and design that is the underlying foundation of all their tools.  Each tool takes into consideration those functions that are integral to this core system approach.  All their products work together to eliminate redundancy, to increase reusability and to increase efficiency within your shop.  For example, one item in particular is the Systainers®.  Each of these portable containers latches together with the other to make it easier to carry items from site to site or from your truck to your shop.  As we all know, it’s difficult carrying many items at once or having to make multiple trips – this design allows for those trips to be reduced and for an easy way to carry many things at once. (And, of course, freeing the other hand for carrying the ever-so-precious cup of morning coffee!)

As for the drill – it’s really the best drill I’ve had yet.  My wife has even gotten used to using it.  It’s perfectly balanced and is easily gripped.  The keyless chuck system allows for you to snap on a quick Phillips-head drill bit in a moment and swap back to a ¼” wood bit in no time.  It’s very easy to use.  There are two speed settings, with up to 42 separate torque settings – this is for all of us who easily drive those drywall screws in way too far!  In addition, you can replace the carbon bushings at anytime which will make the drill last longer.

I’ve used this drill for heavy projects where I’m boring through a 6×6 piece of oak to lighter items like hanging pictures or drywall.  It’s a very versatile tool and I recommend it to everyone.  I walked away from the FESTOOL booth with the drill itself, the Systainer®that it comes in,  a centrotec chuck, right angle chuck, the regular chuck, 2 batteries and the charger. (And a big smile on my face!)

You don’t have to go to a woodworking show (although I recommend them for the experience) to buy this tool, you can go to FESTOOL’s website and select ‘Where to Buy’, they are glad to tell you.  Another FESTOOL site/blog is FESTOOLJunkie – you can read much more about FESTOOL products and buy directly from there site.

A large selection of FESTOOL products is available online at ToolKing.com

On the other side of my family, my great-grandmother had a different take on donuts – she preferred to make them herself, and so did anyone who had one of hers.  The smell from the kitchen was intoxicating and your mouth just watered waiting for them to be done.

While browsing my local health food store this past weekend, searching for GF muffins for breakfast, my eyes scanned the frozen food section, and there, like a beacon of light, was a box of vanilla glazed GF donuts.  I was like a kid in the candy shop.  My long time craving would soon be met, and they’d better not disappoint.  I reached in and grabbed the box of Kinnikinnick Vanilla Glazed Donuts that had caught my eye.  I couldn’t wait to get home and brew a pot of coffee.

Anxiously, I awaited the microwave as it warmed up the donuts, and I heard the coffee pot end its brew cycle.  As I patiently waited for the donuts to cool, my wife kept shouting, ‘try them already!’  The stickiness of the glaze was all over my fingers as I took my first bite and my watering mouth waited for that familiar taste.  What an amazing discovery!  My mouth was saying “where have you been so long.”  (I think I may have said it out loud to the donut itself!)

The Kinnikinnick donuts had captured the familiar flavor my great grandmother had perfected.  These are not those light and fluffy ones from Krispy Kreme; these are “dunkers.”  These donuts are the kind that hold up to a cup of coffee.  The texture is a little heavy, yet smooth, and they melt in your mouth. There’s no grittiness to these at all, unlike many other GF products.   The moisture, the flavor and the overall texture is just right.  I took a sip of my cup of coffee and I was in heaven, and knew (since I had heated 2 donuts), I was on my way to feeling qwow’d more that I have in a long time!

You can find Kinnikinnick products at your local health food store or at Amazon.com.  Visit Kinnikinnick.com for more information and to learn more about their other products.

While I have tried most of their products, I must say that my favorites are the Snickerdoodle and Gingerbread Spice cookies.  They are heavenly.  Put them up against a similar batch loaded with wheat, eggs and the traditional ingredients, and I’m sure you’ll find that these will most certainly come out on top.  Most GF cookies are lacking in moisture, they have no lift (due to lack of wheat), and the texture tends to be grainy – they just miss the mark and leave your mouth wondering “where’s the wheat?”  Enjoy Life’s cookies in no way fall into this category.  Through a fascinating (how did you think of using that?) blend of fruit pastes, fruit juices, and sorghum flour, the folks at Enjoy Life have truly made a cookie that lives up to its distant wheat-filled relative; it reminds me that I can have cookies again.

No longer do I long for a good GF cookie … I just buy some of these and my cravings are satisfied.  Although, I have to admit, when I first found them, I ate so many, I was completely qwow’d!!  It passes though … and a good follow up of milk washed it right down.

You can find the Snickerdoodle and Gingerbread Spice cookies, as well as other Enjoy Life products on Amazon.com, or in your local health food market.  Visit Enjoy Life for more information.

One of my most recent discoveries was a loaf of Premium Fiber Bread by Glutino.  As all of us gluten-free folks know, it’s very difficult to find sandwich bread that’s not soggy, moist, and heavy, and one that doesn’t stick to the top of your mouth.  This loaf, however, breaks the mold.  I’ve used it for sandwiches, toast, bread stuffing and several others.  It was really great to be able to heat up a bowl of tomato soup and dip into it with a grilled cheese sandwich – all gluten free.  Yum!

I’ve also put the bread out at brunch for toast with company (bread and non-bread eaters alike) and everyone comments on the heartiness of the bread and they are rarely qwowed by it.  The texture of the bread is not overly heavy like some homemade or other brands, its lighter.  A light toasting definitely helps to draw some of the moisture out that is holding everything together – the replacement for the gluten.  It is truly unlike other breads I’ve tried to make myself and have purchased in the past.

Another benefit to those of us that are gluten-free is the increased amount of fiber in the bread.  Although we all know you can get fiber from vegetables and beans, sometimes we want to know we can get it from more traditional food sources such as bread and grains.  I’m not a nutrition expert, but we all know that fiber is always good for your diet.

So, if you, too, find yourself hunting and searching for a good gluten-free bread, search no more.

Glutino products can be found at amazon.com. For more information and for a look at other Glutino products visit their website at www.glutino.com.