THE SAVVY SHOPPER
Life ... curated and with purpose. First a dreamer, then a realist!
Tuesday, February 24, 2026
The Story Hybrid: A Suitcase in a Backpack
Sunday, February 22, 2026
Breakfast Oatmeal Carrot Apple Cake
| We violated this cake before I knew I’d post a photo of it. |
Breakfast Oatmeal Carrot Apple Cake
Thursday, February 19, 2026
Oreck Elevate Command Vacuum
Monday, February 16, 2026
How Do You Use Glycerin?
I ordered 4 ounces of anise oil to make springerle for Christmas next year. Instead, a pharmacy sent me 6 ounces of glycerin. I hate to waste it. Although I know it is often an ingredient in soap and moisturizers, I don’t know how to use it. So I looked it up.
Suffice it to say, glycerin is a humectant (a substance that retains moisture, meaning it stops the loss of moisture), so it's often added to skincare as a moisturizer.
As a powerful moisturizer, glycerin needs to be diluted with water, rosewater, or mixed into lotions to prevent irritation and stickiness on the skin.
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| Photo: musimmas |
Safety tips for using pure glycerin include: (1) Always dilute, (2) apply to damp skin, and (3) avoid excess. Too much of a good thing is rarely a good thing!
Frankly, I don’t think I’d go out of my way to buy pure glycerin, but now I know more about it, and sometimes we do have lotions or moisturizers that work well in warm seasons, but need an extra boost to work better in drier, colder seasons. In such cases, it sounds like a few drops of glycerin could enrich an already sitting-at-home moisturizer, turning it into the ultra winter moisturizer!
Thursday, February 12, 2026
Godiva Chocolate Truffles on Valentine’s Day
Godiva Chocolate Truffles are the best! A bite sits on your tongue and scrumptiously melts in your mouth. In Manhattan, I’ve often stepped into a Godiva shop, bought 2 truffles, and slowly eaten them on my walk home. With rich, select dark chocolate, two truffles are all it takes to be ultra satisfying. Unfortunately, Godiva closed all of its physical retail stores in North America, including those in Manhattan, in 2021, voiding our chances of passing one. So if we want to continue savoring the retailer's delicious truffles, we’ll have to try making them at home. The following recipe is ideal for Valentine’s Day:
Copycat Godiva Chocolate Truffles
Although I’ve always bought, not made, Godiva Chocolate Truffles, times and circumstances change. The cost of all candy has skyrocketed! What's more, it's good to know how our treats are made and what ingredients go into them.
🍫🍬Happy Valentine’s Day! ♥♥♥
Monday, February 9, 2026
Harry Winston’s Sunflower Collection
Brrr, Manhattan is experiencing a deep freeze, forcing us to stay indoors. So today, let’s get our sunshine in an indirect way.🌞 Without leaving your home, come with me to Harry Winston to admire his Sunflower Collection. It’s for diamond lovers, although a customer could select the pieces set with several colored gemstones that feature rubies, emeralds, sapphires, or yellow diamonds!
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| 17 round brilliant diamonds weighing a total of 1.72 carats, with a center stone of 0.70 carats conprise the small, set in platinum |
Thursday, February 5, 2026
Milk Street’s Stir-Fried Cumin Tofu
| Photo: Milk Street |
So how thrilling to come across another fast meal that uses totu! Cumin is a strong spice, but when used in the right amount, it’s super tasty. I love cumin on roasted carrots, among other foods. In this dish, we’ll use cumin and red pepper flakes to spice what is, on its own, flavorless tofu.
The recipe featured on a 2022 episode of Milk Street was shared with Katu here. Check out both websites. I love watching Milk Street episodes. For our convenience, I’ll also put the recipe below. If only linking, it might disappear one day, and as a reader of online content myself, I appreciate not having to click, click, click just to see a recipe:
Milk Street’s Stir-Fried Cumin Tofu2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, divided
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
14-ounce container firm OR extra-firm tofu, drained, patted dry, halved lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick planks
1/4 cup cornstarch
3 tablespoons grapeseed or other neutral oil, divided
1 medium yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
4 teaspoons cumin seeds, lightly crushed OR 2 teaspoons ground cumin
4 medium garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Directions:
In a pie plate or shallow bowl, stir together 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of the vinegar, and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and black pepper. Add the tofu and toss to coat. Let stand at room temperature for at least 15 minutes or up to 1 hour. Pat the tofu dry in the pie plate. Sprinkle with the cornstarch and toss to coat, gently pressing to adhere.
In a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil until shimmering. Add the tofu, distributing it in an even layer, and cook until golden brown and crisp on the bottom, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip the tofu and cook until golden brown on the second side, another 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate; set aside. Wipe out the skillet.
In the same skillet over medium-high, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil until barely smoking. Add the onion and cumin; cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is charred in spots and slightly softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and pepper flakes, then cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 to 60 seconds. Add the tofu, remaining 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, remaining 1 tablespoon of vinegar, and 2 tablespoons of water. Cook, stirring often, until the liquid has evaporated, about 1 minute. Off heat, taste and season with salt and black pepper.
Debra’s Tweaks:
Monday, February 2, 2026
High Jewelry Sapphires & Diamonds
| Chopard from the Red Carpet Collection |
The top👆Sapphire and Diamond Necklace, resembling a crown, features oval-shaped sapphires and round, pear, and marquise-cut diamonds set in 18-carat white gold. It is available in several carat sizes of sapphires and diamonds (e.g, there’s a 97.46-carat version with over 100 carats in diamonds). Oh, I’ll take that one! Dream big!!😝
Friday, January 30, 2026
A Fire Blanket For Your Home
A very inexpensive safety tool to consider for your kitchen, fireplace, or grill area is a fire-retardant blanket. In the event of an accidental fire, you toss the blanket over the flame to smother it out before it spreads to the rest of your home. It’s a safety precaution you could prepare every member of your family to know how to handle in such an emergency.
The fire-retardant blanket sells for as low as $5 on online retailer Temu, and it is available at Walmart and Amazon.
Made from 100% flame-resistant fiberglass, it forms an airtight seal to quickly cut off oxygen and suffocate the flames. It has a 6 year shelf life, so there’s no need to replace it often. I have no idea what elements go bad in the blanket, but time seems to spoil many material things.Wednesday, January 28, 2026
Milk Street’s Three-Seeded Beer Pretzels
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| Photo: Milk Street |
¾ cup amber ale or lager
⅔ cup water
2 tbsp salted butter, cubed and softened
1½ tbsp barley malt syrup (or molasses)
Monday, January 26, 2026
Fanyil We The People 250 Bottle
When I saw this 250 Anniversary Bourbon Bottle, I immediately thought of long-time blog reader and journalist, Barry, who has an interest in following the bourbon industry. Barry is a casual expert on all things bourbon. Some bourbon enthusiasts say, "The bottle matters almost as much as the spirit inside.”
The Fanyil We The People 250 bottle is a collectible for bourbon aficionados, patriots, and history buffs alike. It has a Liberty Bell airtight vacuum stopper to preserve the complex notes of a favorite bourbon you put inside it. The bottle is created from thick, lead-free crystal with a weighted base, and its 1776 - 2026 stamp, commemorating the nation’s birthday, could make the decanter a historic relic in future years.



