This little piggy went to market

This little piggy went to market
The Pig Tail Food Flipper's needlelike, sturdy stainless-steel point deftly picks up even thick steaks without gouging the meat. And though it is sharp, it helps that its point is nestled in the middle of a curlicue (but you still need to be careful). The Pig Tail has a wooden handle, so hand-washing is recommended. Two (12- and 19-inch) flippers are packaged in a fancy wooden box that would be a nice gift; it's $30 at Sur La Table stores or online at surlatable.com; the company (pigtailff.com or (866) 398-6617), also sells the box, as well as individual flippers for $10 and $20, respectively.
Sausage savvy
First, let's get past the name: Applegate Farms' organic Fire Roasted Red Pepper Chicken & amp; Turkey Sausage. Phew. Now to the taste: Most Chicago Tribune tasters enjoyed the layers of flavor in these links, though one complained about blandness. The fully cooked sausages just need to be reheated; they tasted good on their own, but also would work as part of a larger recipe. A 12-ounce package of four links is $5 in the refrigerator case at specialty grocers or online at www.applegatefarms.com.
Chips off the old block
Organic Kettle Chips come in a lot of flavors, but CT testers really liked the newest: Roasted Red Pepper with Goat Cheese. Sounds fancy, and it tastes fancy; the thick chips have a pleasant, crisp crunch. A 5-ounce bag costs $2-$2.20 at select grocers.
It fits to a tea
The Republic of Tea's ready-to-drink unsweetened iced teas, which previously were sold only in much larger bottles, are now available in 12-ounce versions. Nine flavors of green, black and red tea are available, as well as the newest, honeydew white tea (very subtle, and not enough to tear CT testers away from the fruitier ginger peach); additionally, these calorie-free teas have no added sugar -- or sugar substitute. Each bottle costs $1.30-$2.30 at grocery stores.
Cooking is one way for kids to earn bread
Has school vacation, with all its expensive activities, already gone on too long to suit your pocketbook? You can't make the kids sing for their supper, but you can put them to work cooking for a scholarship in the "Small Chef -- Big Mess" contest sponsored by the Food Network and "all" laundry detergent.
Children ages 6 to 18 are encouraged to submit their tastiest, messiest, most original recipes and photos for chances to win the grand prize of a $25,000 scholarship and an opportunity to meet and cook with Food Network chef Rachael Ray, the contest judge, on television.
Five finalists will travel to New York City to compete in a cook-off competition in November. Nonwinning finalists will receive $5,000 each.
Watch for more information on www.all-laundry.com.
Heat beaters
Cool off this summer by creating homemade treats with reusable Popsicle molds from Williams-Sonoma (Shooting Star or Space, $15.95 for six).
Experiment with ice cream, sorbet, sherbet, pureed fruit or fruit juices.
Or, make your own snow cones with a Snow Cone Maker, also from Williams-Sonoma ($30). The hand crank produces a flurry of light and airy ice, ready to soak up every drop of Snow Cone Syrup.