lucky penny can still barbecue even when “it’s raining, it’s pouring, the old man is snoring”… because of her trusty all-clad double-burner grill pan.

here is her *favourite* recipe for lamb burgers and roasted vegetables:

1. mix all together… ground lamb, bread crumbs, one egg, crumbled feta cheese, parsley, salt, pepper and chopped sundried tomatoes.

2. brush the patties with olive oil… then fire up the grill.

3. as a topping, chop up parsley, chives and oregano. mix the fresh herbs with mayo and a splash of lemon juice… et voilá!

4. the perfect side salad is a trio of roasted zucchini, eggplant and peppers… lightly drizzle with olive oil, salt, pepper and balsamic. roast ‘em in a 400 degree oven for about an hour… until they are soft and caramelized.

bon appétit, darlings!

lucky penny is a firm believer in 8 glasses a day… maybe a few more after spin class, or too much bubbly!

when she needs hydration in a heatwave… meet her mavea pitcher. lucky penny loves the mod design, how the chamber can be refilled without lifting a lid (run tap water directly into peephole window), and more importantly the way the acqua tastes.

best of all, it has a microchip to monitor the filter and measure water hardness, time and volume… so tech-geek cute boyfriend loves it, too! the pitcher comes in white, black… and red, just in time for the holidays… isn’t it christmas in july?

***psst… take the mavea tea test challenge… cup of tea will be murky no more!

lucky penny is hot and bothered. this heatwave makes her want to eat ice cream all day and everyday… which pretty much contradicts bikini season.

her mind further wanders… rooftop infinity pool, and a tall glass of pimm’s. phone rings. lucky penny snaps out of her daze, and quickly realizes it is only half past nine in the morning. *reality bites*

working for the weekend, she pours herself a cold glass of water… into one of these adorable tumblers, a trio of nesting babushkups by fred & friends. (spotted at neat on queen west.) ideal for space-saving in cupboards.

only if that water was a mojito! tgif tomorrow.

lucky penny has another brilliant gift idea to share… this adorable red proctor silex slow cooker (also available in orange, yellow and green) is for the hostess with the mostest.

a delicious meal can be made (e.g. top secret chili recipe) in the morning, slow cooked for hours, and gifted to your new neighbours on wisteria lane at dinner o’clock.

rather than a predictably pretentious bottle of wine or fresh-cut fleurs, for just under $20, this petit appliance is a bargain… lucky penny saves the day, again!

for a chance to win one, visit it all starts with butter’s facebook fan page and answer this skill testing question… “what was your most absurdly priced meal?”. lucky penny will choose the winner! [contest now closed]

***psst… for more ideas, visit one of her favourite blogs called gifted.

lucky penny spent a thursday afternoon trying to wrap her head around search engine optimization, google alerts, blah-blah-blah… when her dear friend who pens channel 49 introduced her to these adorable little fellows.

meet salty and pep… best friends (or possibly even frenemies) in those charming adverts on television.

the very first in the series introduces an incredibly clever storyline starring salty. depressed and rejected, salty roams the rainy metropolitan streets to michael bolton’s “how am i supposed to live without you” because… knorr sidekicks uses 25% less sodium.

next few episodes feature him dating online, posing as pep in a mask, and injuring himself at a greasy spoon diner.

step aside, cute boyfriend… lucky penny is officially in love with this little guy. her obsession with french fries will sure win his heart.

in 16 to 20 weeks, her salty and pep shakers should arrive via snail mail. order now online!