Heavy lifting
Find it difficult to say no to that last piece of pie? Can't leave those final mouthfuls on your plate? Well, you might have to with this dumb-bell cutlery, as each utensil weighs enough to rival any gym equipment. You'll be eating yourself skinny in no time with these 1kg knives and forks and 2kg dessert spoons. Handmade and beautifully packaged, they'll make your wallet lighter, too.
Dumb Bell Cutlery, Dh588, www.thecheeky.com
The greatest thing since sliced bread
Lennie Payne overcame epilepsy, drugs, alcohol, prison and severe depression, and now he... creates portraits made of toast. Born in Hammersmith, west London, in 1964, he says he got the idea when he was entertaining his daughter at breakfast one day in 1986. His quirky works - the bread is blow-torched, scraped, laquered and soaked in resin - featuring A-list celebrities start at £275 (Dh1,618) for a limited edition print and run into the thousands of pounds for an original. A perfect conversation-starter for your hipster dining room, no?
Hidden gems: five quick and cool eateries
1. GRAND CENTRAL For the juiciest, freshest real burgers in town. Order with sweet potato fries if you're craving comfort food. Delivery available, 02 642 6499, near Al Mamoura Building in Abu Dhabi, www.grandcentral.ae.
2. NOLU'S In the heart of the booming Al Bandar area, this cafe is great for light meals and healthy salads. Delivery available, 02 557 9500, www.noluscafe.com.
3. SHISH SHAWARMA If you want to enjoy a hearty shawarma without feeling heavy afterwards, try this modern restaurant. We love the chicken shawarma sandwich and tzatziki salad. Delivery available, Khalidiyah, 02 650 5576.
4. CHTAURA PASTRIES For light manakeesh that don't make you feel bloated or overstuffed. We are obsessed with the meat manakeesh with pomegranate molasses. 02 658 7276, near Al Nahyan Camp.
5. DUBAI SPECIAL KABAB GRILLS One of Abu Dhabi's (yes, despite the name) best Iranian kebab shops tucked away near the municipality. Order by phone and pick up in half an hour. 02 642 5566, Al Dafrah area.
Homegrown
At last, we foodies in Abu Dhabi can rejoice as the organic food and craft market Ripe has opened in the capital. Since it began in Dubai over the summer, Ripe's organic food market has been a huge hit. Offering locally grown produce from farms around Al Ain and Abu Dhabi, it tempts your taste buds with organic fruit and vegetables, plus other delightful goodies such as eggs, yogurt, pastries, breads and cakes, jams, chutneys and oils from some of the UAE's leading food artisans. Going green never tasted so good.
Ripe food and craft market, 9.30am-1pm every Friday, Desert Garden Centre in Khalifa Park, www.ripeme.com
Groovy grinder
Liven up your kitchen with the fun Sergeant Pepper Mill. Made from beechwood and decorated in vibrant colours, it's sure to hit all the right notes.
Dh99, Lakeland, Mushrif Mall, 02 491 4149; Mirdif City Centre, 04 284 3460; Mall of the Emirates, 04 323 6081
Pop it open
Going out for a night on the town and want to carry the celebration around with you? Then what better than this bubbly bottle-top clutch? The pale pink leather will work with any outfit and the size isn't too bad either. The design is also a fresh new look for the Beirut-based brand Sarah's Bag, better known for its vintage prints.
Dh3,200, Boom & Mellow, Mall of the Emirates, 04 341 3993; Mirdif City Centre, 04 284 0609
Time for tea and beauty
Every now and then we give the regular beauty routine a shake-up. So this month M magazine is teaming with Silkor to host a beauty event. On Saturday, November 26, head to Abu Dhabi's Silkor salon with a copy of M, and while you sip your tea and enjoy a cupcake, you can benefit from beauty demonstrations, complimentary skin analysis, a raffle, vouchers and discounts on treatments, plus goodie bags for every M reader. See you there!
M magazine and Silkor afternoon tea, 4pm November 26, Silkor, Villa 1 Khalidiyah, Sheikh Zayed 1st Street, next to BMW showroom and The One, 02 681 6070
