Melissa of Alotta Errata is trying hard to live a good, green life, including pondering the packaging on organic foods that makes it just as tough to recycle as any processed food. She’s also discovered something simple, smart, and delicious: Hodgson Mills European Cheese and Herb Bread Mix as the key to the world’s greatest breadsticks. “I use the bread maker on the dough cycle, and then simply make breadsticks from the dough and bake them at 350 for about 12 minutes. The whole box yields nearly 20 breadsticks so you can imagine the joy and temptation of a kitchen filled with breadsticks. What we don’t eat I freeze in packets of 4, though a request was put in that the packets have more than four, because really 2 breadsticks per person is just not enough. Really. what was I thinking?

Dark chocolate with crunchy, salty bits of bread. What could be better than 3400 Phinney’s Bread and Chocolate Bar? Well, we suppose the only thing that could improve upon it is if it were to be reproduced in …

… gelato form.  Yes, that would do very nicely indeed. Props to Cookbook 411 for taking a nearly perfect thing and just going that extra mile. Spoons up!

Here at ThisNext, we’re all about the little touches that turn the dull into delicious. Case in point: Nic at bakingsheet showed us how a scant drop or two of food coloring can turn even boring old white bread into a kaleidoscopic treat. OK, so we’re maybe a little late getting this technicolor treat to you, but look on the bright side: Bastille Day is still over a week away.

Remember a few years ago when every kitchen was adorned with cutesy Alessi accessories? Teapots, napkin rings, trivets, you name it, all in shiny chrome and candy colors. Well, Danish design brand Eva Solo is the kitchen accessory line to beat. Check out these culinary must-haves:

• Tabletop grill (pictured, via Mighty Foods)
• Barrel grill (via Urban Zeigeist)
• Bread bin (via In the Kitchen)
• Magnetic kitchen timer (via The Green Head)
• Milk and sugar pourers (via Hometone)
• Kitchen scale (via Slashfood)
• Vacuum jug (via Charles & Marie)
• Coffee flask (via BIGperk)

Remember, what you make is only slightly more important than what you make it with. We’re thrilled that so many bloggers are out there helping make sure our kitchens are functional and cute.

As many as one in seven people may have some form of gluten intolerance. But if you are so afflicted, your culinary horizons need not be narrowed, even if you are a bread whore (like me). Shauna James shares her experiences and, more importantly, recipes for living well and deliciously without gluten in her comprehensive and engaging blog, Gluten-Free Girl. Heck, you won’t even have to give up your Sunday morning bagels and lox. We sense a kindred spirit — someone who’s out there to make life better for the entire community.