Most lids were combined with a ceramic mug, but Mug Hug can be purchased as a solo unit. It:

• Keeps the beverage warmer.
• Prevents spilling for mugs in transit.
• Reduces the use of disposable plastic lids that are filling up landfills around the globe. Bring your “green” lid to the coffee shop and tell them to hold the disposable one.

Mug Hug is flexible and fits mugs and larger-size paper cups. It fits snugly on both our jumbo 12-ounce mugs and our 8-ounce cups that have a 3-1/4-inch-wide mouth, as well as on large paper coffee cups.

At $6.99, the Mug Hug may become one of the year’s most popular stocking stuffers. Find it at Mug-Hug.com.

See more of our favorite kitchen gadgets.

Keep coffee or tea hot with a Mug Hug. Photo courtesy Mug Hug.

[1] What’s better than one hot dog topping? Lots of options! Here, here, pimento cheese and pickled jalapeños (photo © Birdie’s Pimento Cheese).

[2] Our dream condiment spread (photo © Shared Appetite—read the full article).

[3] On the other hand, if you want to serve potato salad, how about a garnish of brats? Make a German potato salad recipe, with bacon, onions, and a creamy vinegar-based dressing, and a garnish of sliced brats. Here’s a recipe (photo by Mister Pitt | Pixabay).

Make your cook-out something special with a gourmet hot dog bar or bratwurst bar—a great idea anytime, but especially on National Bratwurst Day, August 16th.

Tips follow, but first:

> The differences between hot dogs and bratwurst.

> The history of hot dogs.

> The history of bratwurst, and how it evolved from artisan sausage to the uber-processed frankfurter.

> Great condiment pairings.

> The year’s 10 sausage holidays.

> The difference between rolls and buns (the ones for hot dogs and brats are rolls).

> The different types of mustard, a photo glossary.
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5 EASY STEPS TO A PERFECT PARTY

1. In addition to—or instead of—standard franks, offer gourmet sausage or bratwurst. Our supermarket has bison, salmon, lamb, chicken with wild rice, chicken with feta and sundried tomato, chicken with apples, Thai and Indian chicken sausages, smoked andouille sausage and lots more.

2. Provide a variety of regular and flavored mustard and ketchup. Enable guests to customize their franks with a choice of ball park, Dijon, honey mustard and horseradish mustard and flavored ketchups from bacon and curry to dill pickle.

3. Relish more toppings. In addition to the traditional sweet green pickle relish, options include corn relish, jalapeño relish, and chow chow (also called piccalilli, a mustard base with chopped tomatoes, cabbage, onions, hot and sweet peppers and vinegar) or giardiniera, a relish of mixed pickled vegetables.

Not to mention, an assortment of different cucumber pickles (bread and butter, dill, half sour) and olives.

In addition to sauerkraut, consider chili, chopped onions, shredded cheese, even guacamole and salsa.

4. Use a better roll. Make those bread carbs count! Try whole grain or whole wheat buns (we’ve even seen buttery brioche buns). Provide lettuce leaf “wraps” for the carb counters.

5. Sides. With so many condiments, you don’t need the usual cole slaw and potato salad (but see photo #3). Perhaps some crunchy corn or tortilla chips (the difference) and guacamole?

But if your group likes vegetables, serve a crudités plate with dip. It’s easier to serve and eat than a green salad.

5. Beverage bar. You know what your guests will want, from soft drinks and lemonade to beer, wine, even a summer sangria.

Plus lots of water, still and sparkling.

6. Dessert. After heavy food like brats, we hesitate to recommend cookies and brownies, but you know best. What we like to serve are ice pops: cool, refreshing, and easy to serve from an ice chest.

We use a cooler with dry ice. The caveat is that it’s extremely cold (-109.3°F!) and can’t be touched with bare hands. Add a layer of protection between the dry ice and the ice pops: a towel, quilted place mats, or whatever you have—even a newspaper works.
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A FINAL TIP: PLATES

Please don’t get thin paper plates that will buckle and leak with this type of food. They’re a bummer. Instead:

CHECK OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING ON OUR HOME PAGE, THENIBBLE.COM.

Almost 30 items are on sale, including:

• Godiva Mixed Chocolate Assortments
• Ice Cream Parlor Truffles and Bars (we enjoyed these truffles and chocolate bars inspired by traditional ice cream parlor flavors such as Mint Chocolate Chip, Pecan Sundae, Neapolitan, Hazelnut and Oranges and Creme)
• Godiva’s Signature Biscuits (another favorite—cookies topped with chocolate bars, a gourmet version of the Le Petit L’Ecolier cookie)
• Chocolate-covered fruit, nuts and snacks

For a “protein snack,“ there are chocolate-covered cashews. If you’re on a diet or cutting back on sugar, there’s Godiva coffee.

Save 25% on chocolate dessert cups. Fill
with your favorite pudding, mousse, ice
cream or fruit. Photo courtesy Godiva.

Find more of our favorite chocolate—and learn all about chocolate—in our Gourmet Chocolate Section.

[1] A special-occasion bagel with smoked salmon and caviar (photos © California Caviar Company).

[2] A great breakfast with a great view.

For a special-occasion bagel, serve the bagel with affordable salmon caviar:

It’s a no-brainer to put smoked salmon on a bagel.

But how about salmon caviar?

Try salmon caviar instead (or in addition to) the smoked salmon. It’s available at specialty food stores and online.

The bakery Divvies—the name evokes divvying up the goodies—was founded when Lori Sandler learned that her young son had several allergies. She wanted to make baked goods and candy that the entire family and friends would enjoy.

Divvies bakery was born, turning out sweets made without peanuts, tree nuts, eggs or milk (they are not wheat-free). Despite the absence of these key baking ingredients, the treats are delicious. They were a NIBBLE Top Pick Of The Week.

The fame of Divvies has grown, and now there’s The Divvies Bakery Cookbook: No Nuts. No Eggs. No Dairy. Just Delicious! (A quote from THE NIBBLE’s review is on the book jacket.)

The book is divided into occasions for serving baked goods: At home, at school, on the road and parties.

The Divvies Cookbook has more than 130
pages of allergy-free recipes.

So, jump into Divvies’ blondies, brownies, carrot cake with “cream cheese” frosting, chocolate chip cookies, cupcakes, cinnamon buns, layer cake, muffins and fun specialties such as wafflewiches. Everyone will beat a path to your kitchen door.