Is your pup a little piggy when it comes to chow time? Slow him down and help out his digestion, with the stainless steel Portion Pacer by Omega Paw. Place the ball into his food or water dish to prevent choking, vomiting and bloating — easy as pie. Available at PetSmart, 2550 Cherry Ave., Signal Hill. For medium-large size dogs, $14.99.


Stuffed and grilled Jalapeno peppers are so delicious, bet you can’t stop at just one. The great Chili Pepper Grill Rack will aid you when making large batches of them to enjoy. Brought to you by barbecue master Steven Raichlen, the rack holds 18 jalapeno peppers and comes with a pepper corer and recipes for stuffing chilis. Even more recipes can be found at his web site, bestofbarbecue.com. Available at Naples Gourmet Grocer, 5650 E. Second St. $23.95.


Vignette Wine Country Soda is more sophisticated than a regular bottle of soda, and available in Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Rosé varieties for a bit of wine-inspired flavorful fun. These are definitely healthier than a sugar-laden pop as well, as all are sweetened only with varietal grape juice from California vineyards. Available at Bristol Farms, 2080 N. Bellflower Blvd. and BevMo, 6521 E. Pacific Coast Highway. 16oz. bottle, $1.89. 4-pack, $7.99.


With this fun and ingenious Play and Freeze Ice Cream Maker you can play while you make dessert. Simply add ice and rock salt in one end and ice cream ingredients (typically cream, sugar and vanilla, but experiment with your own new recipes) in the other end, and shake it, roll it, toss it around! Dessert is served in under 20 minutes, and you’ll get to burn off some of the calories you’re about to ingest. Available at REI, 7777 Edinger Ave., Huntington Beach or rei.com. Regular, $21.95, Mega, $34.95.


Yogurt has become a trendy food category, and with good reason. Calcium aids in building strong bones, and good bacteria helps with digestion. YoBaby Drinkable Yogurt is a great addition to a new baby’s diet when transitioning to soft foods and beyond. Baby can drink straight from the bottle or from a sippy cup for nutrition. Available at Whole Foods at 6550 E. Pacific Coast Highway. 4 pack of 6oz. bottles in peach or banana, $3.69.


Red, White and Drunk All Over: A Wine- Soaked Journey from Grape to Glass was written by sommelier and wine writer Natalie MacLean. Described as ”A Year in Provence meets Kitchen Confidential then goes Sideways”, the book explores the history of wine and delves (sometimes undercover) into the international wine world. A great read for wine lovers and adventurers alike. Available for order from Borders Books, 101 S. Pine Ave., $14.95.


Do you not only love wine but also bottles, labels and other wine-inspired decor items? Kate Grenier Designs’ Wine Lover Bottle Cap Magnets are handy to use on a refrigerator or magnetic board, and they’ll advertise your obsession with the grape to the world, with messages like “wine snob”, “sommelier” and “aged to perfection”. Available at Fern’s Garden, 5308-B E. Second St. Set of 6, $19.95.


Debates rage around the subject of wine with at least two issues to take a side on: red or white, and cork or cap…however, one thing we can all agree on is that when you want to save a bottle of wine for later, you’ve got to preserve what is inside. And to that end, there IS no end to the variety of bottle stoppers you can choose from. But here is a line of stoppers that will satisfy oenophiles and design-lovers alike. Knobstoppers are beautiful repurposed vintage door knob wine stoppers. Available at knobstoppers.com, from $22.