Ramshackle Glam A lifestyle blog by Jordan Reid.

OK, so at Quaker Steak & Lube – the wings chain that we stop into every time we drive to Ohio – there’s a huge menu of hot wings arranged according to something called “Scoville Units” (hotness. basically). The ones I would consider eating hover around ninety units, because I am a weenie and I don’t understand why a person would want to eat things that incur pain.

Triple Atomic wings – the hottest ones on the menu – contain something called “ghost peppers” and have FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND units.

FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND. That is a lot of thousands.

And if you want to eat them, you first must sign a waiver. And if you eat six, you get a t-shirt. Obviously I was not interested in doing this, but for whatever reason Kendrick (and the Man Vs. Food guy, apparently) was.

Here is what happened.

Q. What ingredients/cooking tools would you recommend for a beginner, mid-level and advanced-level cook?

- Jeannine

A. I’m going to answer this question from the perspective of someone who’s firmly in that middle category: a decent-ish cook who’s interested in moving slightly beyond the basics and experimenting a little. My feeling about cooking – beginner or no – is that it should be fun, not fussy…so I honestly don’t think you just don’t really need a ton in order to create delicious meals, regardless of how proficient you are in the kitchen.

That said, it’s definitely nice to have a few little toys to play with.

Here are the things I use (and love) all the time:

1. One thing you really do need to have is a good butcher’s knife. It’s worth the investment. (The other knife that I use all the time is a serrated paring knife.)

2. When it comes to pots, there are two that I think are absolute essentials: a large, decent-quality soup pot (go for one with a relatively thick bottom) and a smaller saucepan. It’s nice to have a tiny saucepan for things like melting butter, as well, but if you just have those first two you should be good for almost anything.

3. Assorted mixing bowls are a total must, but make sure they’re 1) a nesting set, to save space, and 2) cute, because cute bowls are fun.

4. I keep two chopping boards – one for meats, one for vegetables – handy at all times.

5. A nice, long-handled spoon comes in handy for pretty much everything.

6. Here’s where we start getting into the “fun toys” category. Can you roast in a casserole pan? Sure. But a roasting pan with a rack will turn out results that are vastly improved – since the meat isn’t sitting the juices but rather above them, you end up with nicely crisped skin all over.

7. Busy people must own slow-cookers. It’s a law. (Click here for a bunch of my slow-cooker recipes.)

8. Once I figured out how to make my fresh bread not-terrible, I started using my bread machine all the time…mostly because it makes my house smell amazing, and because nothing impresses company quite like the announcement that you baked that bread yourself.

9. One really nice thing to own is a super high-quality braiser. I own this Le Creuset, and have been blown away both by how much I make in it and how awesome it is – I don’t know whether it’s the way that the heat distributes in the pot, but meals come out perfectly every time.

10. New convert to the KitchenAid Stand Mixer over here, but within two days it climbed straight up to Must Status. I cannot believe I’ve been creaming butter and sugar by hand all these years when I could have just had an adorable pistachio-green machine doing it for me.

11. Microplanes seem fancy and not terribly useful, but I can’t tell you how often I call mine into action when I need some finely grated hard cheese, chocolate or citrus zest. It’s such a great thing to own.

12. Maldon sea salt is the best, and finishes off everything from chocolate-chip cookies to meats to salads beautifully.

13. Finally, a crepe pan is another of those seemingly fussy things that are actually incredibly handy: I use mine for making Saturday morning crepes, but also for quickly sauteing smaller amounts of vegetables and scrambling eggs.

Hope that helps! If you have questions about any particular cooking supplies, Alejandra would probably be a good one to ask.

Is me watching the Kanye West/Kim Kardashian music video for the first time.

And this is Kendrick:

It’s like the 2013 version of Two Girls, One Cup, except with a slightly lower production value.

(Nicole made us do it.)

Alright, last batch of gift ideas!

If you have a preteen, I’m going to be exactly zero help here…but if you have a toddler?! Got it.

We’re getting our son one of those crazy Thomas the Train train tables because despite the fact that the thing is approximately the size of the second floor of our house, he’s going to freak out over it. If you’d like to go the same route (large, expensive toy), may I suggest CraigsList? There are so many people whose kids have aged out of those big, pricey items and are desperate to get rid of them (we found a used version and it was worlds more affordable than it would have otherwise been).

But that’s just what we’re doing.

If you have a little one to buy for, some more suggestions for you:

1. Crewcuts sweatpants. Crewcuts stuff is generally a little too pricey for me, but I was in there the other day and stumbled upon the most adorable pair of colorblock sweatpants on sale – they’re cozy and well-made, have a cute little contrasting pocket, and can be rolled up if you want to buy them a little big and make them last longer. (I also bought them in the Camo print, which is backordered to April so won’t work for Christmas, but is recommended nevertheless, because it’s just so cute.)

2. A retro ride-on. The biplane might be my favorite, but this site has lots and lots of adorable options that you will love for the stylish throwback feel, and that your child will love because…it’s a ride-on. And all children love ride-ons. (P.S. I also spotted some awesome versions in T.J.Maxx not too long ago.)

3. A ukelele. Basically because it’s a kid-sized guitar, and there’s nothing cuter than a toddler playing a kid-sized guitar.

4. Penguins. Morgan bought my son this penguin slide toy for his birthday, and he has literally not stopped obsessing over it since, despite the fact that two of the penguins have been divested of the part of their bodies required to make the toy function, and the third one is either living under our couch or has been eaten by Virgil. It makes a crazy-annoying sound, and I don’t get it…but I don’t have to get it. He loves it. I think your child will love it, too.

5. Dinosaurs. The “How Do Dinosaurs” series (How Do Dinosaurs Say I Love You, How Do Dinosaurs Go To Sleep, How Do Dinosaurs Eat Their Food, et cetera) is great. Add one of the book’s stars in toy form, and you have a surefire hit.

Teacher Gift Ideas…Straight From A Teacher (these ideas also work for Secret Santa gifts and colleagues)

Kendrick’s Gift Guide For Guys

Gift Guide For The Girls (And For You)

I get a lot of questions about finding the perfect everyday bag.

This is mine.

Now, granted: I own a lot of bags. It’s sort of my thing: I like that the right one instantly makes even a t-shirt and jeans look like an actual “outfit” and that they make excellent long-term investments, because unless they’re white (which is not a bag color that I should ever own) you don’t have to worry too much about them. As opposed to, say, shoes, which I destroy instantly.

But even given my fairly extensive handbag collection, the Botkier pictured above (which, by the way, I found majorly discounted online) is the one I use for everyday grab-and-go purposes, and it’s a pretty good example of what I think an investment bag should be:

- Between $150 and $500: any less than that and I think you sacrifice some quality; any more than that is just unnecessary when there are so many gorgeous bags in that range (I make an exception for Chanel, which I don’t own but would very much like to).

- Either black or dark grey (in my opinion, red and leopard are also excellent picks for an investment bag, since they go with much, much more than you might think).

- Classic enough to go with everything, but with a few unique details to make it stand out (I love the zippers and the hot-pink interior of my bag).

- Small enough to tote around everywhere without hurting your neck, but big enough to carry what you realistically need (I need something large-ish because I carry a pretty big wallet, a DSLR camera, and about ten thousand toy cars at all times).

- Made of a sturdy (and easy-to-clean) fabric.

If you prefer something slightly more casual, the Ellington Mia Tote (pictured above) is kind of amazing. It’s excellently priced, has a great shape and cute brushed gold details…and is nylon twill, so it’s both easy-to-clean and really lightweight – you can barely feel the thing on when it’s not filled.

I also absolutely love Foley & Corinna’s Mid-City Tote: I own it in emerald green, but if you buy it in a dark solid (or this amazing black-and-gold plated style) it would be perfect for everyday. It’s made of a gorgeous leather that feels stiff when it first arrives but quickly softens up into a beautiful, slouchy foldover shape, holds more than you’d think, and perfectly toes the line between “fancy” and “casual”, making it an excellent day-to-night option.

And just in case none of those work for you, here are more options that I haven’t tried out personally, but that I very much love the look of: