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It should come as no surprise that every time we round up the things Team Epicurious is shopping for, we end up with a list primarily comprised of cookbooks, kitchen supplies, and fun things to eat. Food is, after all, kind of our whole thing. But there are also always a few out-of-left-field purchases, like today's fleece-lined Crocs (don't knock ’em til you try ’em!) and a device for measuring the humidity inside one's apartment (turns out doing the dishes helps more than you'd think). Scroll down for the full rundown, and stay warm!
Cookbooks and supplies for using them
I finally bought Bryant Terry's Vegetable Kingdom. No idea what I was waiting for. I've already put the cauliflower steaks on repeat, and I'm putting together a batch of of the habanero vinegar as I type this. —David Tamarkin, digital director
One joyful set of purchases: Barley flour and a crank sifter that doesn't require endless handle-squeezing, both of which I need for delving deeper into Epi contributor Roxana Jullapat's soon-to-be-released book, Mother Grains. —Maggie Hoffman, senior editor
I got this mini Bundt pan for a recipe I've been testing for work. Buy it now; you're going to want to use it when our spring baking package hits! —Joe Sevier, associate editor
Snacks and speciality ingredients
I stocked up on these creamy, tart, truly just delicious jam and nut butter duos—they're really better for on-the-go times (desk snacks, commute snacks, travel snacks), but if you have kids, they'd make an excellent playground snack. My two favorites are the cashew butter and sour cherry jam and the almond butter and raspberry jam. —Lauren Joseph, commerce editor
I went on a shopping spree at Nuts.com to get raw cashews (for a Sri Lankan curry), dry-roasted peanuts (for cocktail hour), and jarred sour cherries for a recipe I've been working on. When I found out they also carry things like rice flour, dried fruit, and candy, I couldn't believe I hadn't started shopping there sooner. — J.S.
Cold-weather things
I have been vehemently anti-Crocs my entire adult life for reasons I can no longer remember. I guess because they're “ugly,” but I wear plenty of ugly stuff? In any case, none of that matters anymore because I decided to spend $50 on a pair of fleece-lined white Crocs to complement my WFH/indoor cat wardrobe and they are perfect—so snuggly and cozy and bafflingly lightweight. Once the snow melts I think I'll need a second pair to designate as cold weather outdoor cat/run to the bodega shoes.
— Kendra Vaculin, staff writer
I bought this indoor thermometer. It's added a new dimension to my morning routine where, as I make coffee, I can lament the state of the world and also wonder how, yet again, the air humidity has dipped below 30 percent overnight. With this new addition to my apartment also comes the insight that washing dishes by hand provides more moisture than our humidifier.— Travis Rainey, associate photo editor
Life improvements
To be honest, my purchases this month were...mostly sad? But life-improving? Like an upgraded space heater for my truly freezing dining room/home office. And Swiffer refills to clean the disgusting floors of said dining room/home office.
— M.H.
I dropped my favorite platter a few months ago, which was so much more devastating than it should have been. It was just a plate, but in my house it was The Plate: slightly oversize and round, very flat (making it perfect for cakes and tarts), with a little lip around the edge to corral sauces and splatters (making it perfect for everything else too). Plus, I'd gotten it for free from an old job giveaway. This month I finally pulled myself together and bought an identical replacement. Not free, but at least now I have someplace to put cake!
— K.V.
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