Instructables has, um, instructions for preparing a “Blooming Onion” of the sort you find at fine restaurant chains throughout the United States. I don’t know if this wonderful delicacy has crossed the pond yet, so maybe this will be a treat for our European readers.

Instructables: Blooming Onion.

Hey, it’s Thursday, and I’m hungry. You think I should be writing about something else? Tell us!

Do you not have enough clutter on your desk? Not quite badass enough for BattleBots? Solarbotics has posted instructions on how to create these rather adorable solar-powered symets, so you can battle the 20 other people who probably make this sort of thing.

[Instructables] via [Make: Online]

When I first saw this, I thought to myself, “Wow, that is wonderfully stupid.” But then after remembering my days working in an actual office, it doesn’t seem quite as insane. I mean, you’ve got a computer right there in your cube. And, what, you’re going to lug a big espresso machine into the office? No! Make this DIY latte foamer with $4 worth of parts.

You’ll need the following, according to Instructables:

• Cheap foamer
• USB cable
• Pliers (or a sharp knife)
• Soldering gun
• Drill

Then it’s basically some snipping, soldering, and drilling. It doesn’t sound like rocket science but, of course, let’s all be careful as we’re putting together our foamers this weekend. Of course, you could just by the “cheap foamer” piece and run it on batteries as it’s intended. That takes care of the extra work and the espresso-machine lugging.

$4 Usb Latte Foamer [Instructables]

I have what I consider to be a modest number of gadgets lying around the house. The exact number is usually in flux, depending on what I’m reviewing for CrunchGear. Nonetheless, there’s almost always something sitting in my living room plugged into an outlet to charge. My lovely wife just barely tolerates this, and regularly asks if I need to have all these things lying about. She would love to see me start using a hidden gadget charging station, like the one pictured here. Nestled under the lovely fake plant are a number of connectors to charge gadgets, while keeping them politely out of sight.

Full details are over at Instructables, should you decide to create a similar solution!

Via Hacked Gadgets.

Many of us prop laptops on blankets or pillows to avoid the heat, but these inevitably obstruct air circulation and cause overheating. This DIY stand made from a bistro tray and a bit of wood helps keep your computer—and legs—cool.

This step-by-step guide from DIY web site Instructables is far from difficult—all it requires is a few household tools, along with some thin pieces of wood and, of course, a stylish bistro tray. Plus, not only can you use the extra space to store flash drives, power cords, or other miscellaneous computer items below the laptop, but you can also still use the tray to carry drinks and such when it’s not holding your laptop—and where once the tray was stylish but prone to spillage, it is now a spill-free multitasker.

We had a tough time finding the exact tray used in the post, but it looks to be this one from CB2. IKEA has similar trays that could work, though, if you’re looking for something a bit different. If you find one that you like, feel free to share in the comments.