A strict, post-holiday money diet is the only reason that I haven't already plunked down $24 for some of these adorable silicone muffin cups.

Never mind that I already have a couple of perfectly fine muffin tins, purchased way back when for around $4 apiece. Never mind that I hardly ever bake muffins.

I want these sili-cups because my boring old metal muffin pans don't have the same pizzazz as these chic, rainbow-hued muffin cups. These look more like they belong in Barbie's spring collection, not the oven.

I'm not the only one who's fallen for silicone kitchen gadgets. The New York Times just ran an interesting story about their growing popularity -- and the many different types of kitchenware that are on the market. From potholders to splatter screens to vegetable steamers, silicone stuff is everywhere.

So far, I've only acquired a pot holder, a spatula, and a very cool pastry brush, but I like them all. Bakers also seem to love their silicone products.

What makes me nervous, though, is that the lack of information on whether this is a safe cooking substance, especially over a period of several years. Maybe there's nothing to worry about; after all, no problems have been reported to date.

But the Food and Drug Administration told the Times that silicone has to adhere to the “same safety standards as food additives like aspartame, monosodium glutamate.”

Not terribly reassuring, right? Especially now that we known that Teflon -- which is still used on nonstick pans -- is made with carcinogens, kills parakeets and can give us something called the Teflon flu.

Maybe I'll skip the silicone bake-ware this time. Cute as they are, I can live without those muffin cups. For now.