I Scream, You Scream for Customized Ice Cream

Item: Customized Ice Cream

Price: $49.99 (half gallon)

Where to Buy: eCreamery

Review: I began to appreciate gourmet ice cream only after a trip to the Ben & Jerry's factory in Vermont earlier this year. After I sampled the strawberry cheesecake ice cream at the end of the tour, generic five-gallon ice cream tubs were never the same again.

So it was with interest that I watched a rerun of the Food Network's "Unwrapped" focused on ice cream. One of the featured items: eCreamery's customized ice cream.

You not only choose from more than 60 flavors like avocado, saffron, cheesecake and all of the classics, but you also pick the percentage of cream (8, 12 or 14 percent) and and design of the packaging. You even get to name your own concoction.

Your sweet, personalized treat is delivered in 5 to 10 days.

The ice cream does come in under 50 bucks for a half gallon, but shipping is a pricey $30. Full gallons are $79.99, and mix-ins are $5 each, with a limit of two. Another option: Choosing two flavors intermixed for an extra $10. Blueberry Mocha anyone?

A Gift Full of Shiitake

Item: Shiitake Mushroom Log

Price: $43.95 (includes shipping & handling)

Where to Buy: ShiitakeMushroomLog.com

Review: I can guarantee with, oh, 99% accuracy that the person you are buying a gift for does not have a mushroom log. Go ahead-- be the person who changes that.

Surprisingly, the mushroom log doesn't have any special lighting or temperature requirements. You get your first mushrooms 6 to 10 days after soaking the log in cold water.

The kit also comes with an 8-recipe booklet. Bonus!

My husband got a mushroom log as a gift several years ago (not from this company, I believe), and admittedly it didn't work well. I'm not sure we ever got more than a handful of mushrooms. But I will also admit that we kinda forgot about it and I'm sure we never watered it as we should have.

Anyway, a mushroom log is the epitome of a gift that keeps on giving. The receiver gets shiitakes for four years besides an excellent topic of conversation at all future potlucks.

Image from: ShiitakeMushroomLog.com

Moon Globe

Item: Moon Globe

Price: $49.95

Where to Buy: Scientifics

Review: I have no less than five globes.

OK, two of them are banks the size of softballs, but that's still a lot of globes for a small Brooklyn apartment.

In addition to two normal-sized replicas of Earth: A moon globe. Until I met my now-husband, I never even knew such a thing existed. The moon globe was one of the few things I was truly excited about merging with my own stuff when we got married. (I wasn't quite as thrilled about the old Nintendo magazines he insisted could not be stored in the trash can, but that's another story.)

With only different shades gray, the moon globe certainly isn't as colorful as it's Earth counterparts. But it is surprisingly detailed and a thoughtful gift for a cartography-minded friend or relative.

Image from: scientificsonline.com

Pet Psychic Reading

Item: Pet Psychic Reading

Price: $50 for a half hour

Where to Buy: Hom Bay Ridge, Sunday, Jan. 18 only!

Review: OK, so a pet psychic session may not be the thriftiest gift I've ever recommended, but if you're looking for a unique present for a pet lover, I'm not sure it gets any better than this.

Funny thing is, your pet doesn't even have to be present at the session. Just bring a photo of man's best friend (or your parakeet, or your iguana, or your rabbit or ...) along with a description that includes your pet's name, age, breed and gender.

Then you can find out what you've always wanted to know-- is your sweet kitty cat plotting to kill you? Or, if you prefer, ask some of the questions Hom suggests: What would make your pet happier? How does your pet feel about a specific person? What does your deceased pet want you to know?

I'm not sure I even want to know the answer to the last one.

But if you want to know and you'll be in the New York City area between 1 and 7 p.m. Sunday, get thee to Hom for a pet psychic reading. Reservations are required: Call 718-238-4466.