Some readers out here on the west coast - even moreso if you’re in Southern California - probably remember eating Thrifty Ice Cream at some point or another. The award winning ice cream was sold at Thrifty Drug Stores before the chain was bought out by Rite-Aid and it was incredibly inexpensive for the quality. I clearly remember getting scoops for 25 or 50 cents each at the regular price.

I shouldn’t say “scoops,” however, because Thifty didn’t scoop. They stacked. Using a tool that is similar to (or possibly the same as) the Cuisipro Ice Cream Scoop & Stack, they pulled out cylindrical stacks of ice cream and loaded them into your cone that way. From a consumer point of view, it always seemed like I got more ice cream with one of these stacks and they were always much more neatly done than scoops. From a user’s perspective, these can be much easier to use than a regular scoop. The gadget is pressed straight down into the ice cream, twisted and pulled out with a perfect stack of ice cream. The top handle is pressed in to release the ice cream, pushing it out of the scoop and into your cone.

By the way, Thrifty Ice Cream is still carried at many Rite-Aids in So. Cal. I can even think of a couple of locations that will scoop it out into cones (although it’s more than 25 cents/scoop these days) from the ice cream bar. Others sell it by the gallon. My favorite flavors were black cherry, rocky road and mint chocolate chip. Yum!

Mother’s Day is this weekend and, while I already put together a gift guide to provide some ideas for Mom, we’re coming down to the wire and I know that not everyone has done their shopping. Fortunately, there are plenty of great last minute ideas out there - and this is one of them. The Adjust-A-Measure Set is a three-piece set of measuring tools that will come in handy in every kitchen because it does the work of many more tools.

Each of the pieces - two measuring spoons and a measuring cup - has adjustable measurements, so for instance one spoon can be used for a teaspoon and then have its stopper slid back to become a tablespoon measure. The cup adjusts vertically and anything you fill it with can be pushed out by raising the adjustable bottom. If you’re a fan of the Tv show Good Eats, you’ve probably seen Alton Brown using this gadget many times. It is ideal for sticky solids and liquids, from shortening to peanut butter to honey, because it s so easy to get everything out of it without fussing with a spatula or other tool.

These gadgets may not seem like the most exciting gifts, but they really come in handy in the kitchen. You don’t realize how quick and easy it is to use measuring spoons like these until you have tried it - and realized that you don’t have to even set the tool down before all your ingredients are measured. And if you can remember one time when you have struggled to scrap peanut butter out of a regular measuring cup, you’ll find value in the cup from this set. And Mom, assuming that she’s a cook or a baker, definitely will, too.

Back around Valentine’s Day, Williams-Sonoma was promoting a fantastic little pan that produced cupcakes and muffins with heart-shaped crowns. The trick to that pan was a shallow, heart-shaped depression in the pan’s surface around each of the muffin cavities. When the cups were filled up to the top, the batter would spread as they baked and form a heart top.

As much as I liked those, I think I have to give Chicago Metallic’s Daisy Cupcake Pan a nod for being even sweeter than the heart pan. The nonstick pan operates on much the same principle as the heart pan, but has more pronounced depressions for forming the petals of the daisies for a slightly better shape and a more dramatic - by which I mean “adorable,” in this case - effect. Plus, the pan makes a full batch of 12 muffins, rather than the 6 of the heart pan.

These would make really cute spring cupcakes and would really spruce up the presentation of some tasty bran muffins or banana muffins for a spring/summer brunch.

You sunk my battleship!This nifty Pirate Ship Cake Pan from Wilton reminds me of a piece from an old Battleship! board game I used to have. The small piece from the game and the cake pan have almost the exact same design on a much bigger, and much more edible, scale. The cake depicts the top few decks of a large ship and has a lot of detail, from the side boards on the hull to tiny little staircases on the top deck. While it is called a pirate ship, it looks like it could be easily made into any type of ship, provided that you don’t stick a large pirate flag in the top.

The cake holds 10 cups of batter, which is the same as many bundt cake pans and about the same as the volume of two 8-inch round cake pans. Because of the design of the pan, it will not be easy to simply run a knife around the edges to loosen it when you’re ready to turn your cake out. Be sure to grease the pan well with vegetable oil or cooking spray and, unless otherwise specified by the recipe you’re using, take the cake out while it is still hot so it does not have a chance to stick in the pan as it cools.

I am constantly traveling with baked goods. Cookies, cakes, muffins, pies - you name it and I’ve packed it up into my car and carried it off to be shared with friends. As you might expect, I have a number of different kinds of cake carriers and other assorted airtight containers for toting treats. I’m also always on the lookout for new ones. Much like bakeware and other cooking gear, I somehow find that I can never have enough containers in varying sizes and made of different materials.

One such carrier that recently caught my eye is the Cupcake Courier. The three-level tray can hold up to 36-cupcakes - a dozen more than my current largest carrier! Made of plastic so it is both durable and lightweight, the carrier consists of three stackable trays. Each one has extra-deep muffin cups to hold all the cupcakes (or muffins, etc.) in place very securely, which is great for giving you peace of mind if you’re transporting the cupcakes in your car on a bumpy road. The courier has a flat base on which the three trays stack and, when all the interlocking layers are removed, the courier can be used as a regular cake carrier for full-sized baked goods. Four simple snaps hold the airtight lid in place.

The Cupcake Courier comes in four colors, but I appreciate the fact that all are transparent so you can give your friends and family a sneak peek at the goodies when you arrive with your box of treats.

When I first saw Wilton’s Giant Cupcake Pan, I thought that the bakeware company had outdone themselves in the design department. A giant version of one of the cutest baked goods out there, and a specialty pan that isn’t tied to any particular season and can be used year round? A clear winner.

At least, until I got a look at Wilton’s new summery version of the giant cupcake pan: the Ice Cream Cone Cupcake Pan.

The cakes look just like up-sized versions of the cupcakes baked in ice cream cones that I enjoyed - and attempted (with varying degrees of success) to make on several occasions with boxed cake mixes - as a kid. The pan bakes four complete ice cream cones and is shaped like an ice cream cone/cupcake itself! The pan is nonstick and has a fair amount of detailing on the tops and cones of the cakes, so it shouldn’t take too much decorating work to get them looking their best. My best suggestion is to use a vanilla cake batter for the base and a chocolate cake for the tops so that you get a good contrast between ice cream and cone.