Last weekend I went to a friend's house for a small birthday party. I told them not to worry about the cake because I would take care of it. (After all, I like baking and this will be a great excuse for my 52 weeks of baking.) So when I asked what the birthday boy's favorite cake was, I was expecting it to be something standard like chocolate, carrot, coconut, you know, a normal "cake" flavor. I was not expecting Boston Cream Pie! I wasn't even sure I'd actually ever eaten one before, and I knew I sure as heck hadn't made one before. But, since I'm always up for a challenge, I said, "That sounds fun! I'll make one!"

That, my dear friends, turned out to be not such a great idea. I was doomed from the beginning and it turned out disastrously. I even contemplated not sharing this recipe with you guys, but no one's perfect (and I certainly am not), so here it is. To read about my Boston Cream Disaster, read more

As you may know, winter is the season for citrus. Unfortunately, winter is also the season for big chills, winter storms and cold fronts. The severe weather that we in California are experiencing is expected to highly impact the fresh produce industry. In fact, over 70 percent of this season's citrus crop was ruined, which could lead to a total loss of over $1 billion. Other crops, such as lettuce, avocados, artichokes, strawberries and broccoli were also hit and will be in short supply.

So what's this mean for you? It means that you better get prepared for a shock at the supermarket. Wholesale prices for oranges have already tripled and artichokes have doubled.

Mike Kaprielian, produce buyer at Cal-Mart Supermarket in San Francisco's Pacific Heights neighborhood, said lettuce has started to edge up, and he expects more price rises.

"Last week I paid $17 for a box of leaf lettuce. Now that same box is up to $24," he said. "It probably will continue going up because the product they're picking now is what was out in the field" during the freezes.

"The additional cost I have to pay will be passed on to the customer," Kaprielian said. "That's just part of doing business."

However, on the bright side, stone fruits (like plums and cherries) actually enjoy a good cold snap. So maybe you could start with a glass of cherry juice in the morning instead?!

Source: San Francisco Chronicle - January 16 and January 18

If you haven't watched last night's episode, titled "Sense and Sensuality" then beware, there are big time spoilers ahead! Now, for those of you that did watch it, can I just say, "DRAMA!" - this is the kind of stuff that makes for good TV. I mean (spoilers begin now, so if you haven't watched and are still reading, well, I tried to warn you), how often do you get to see gorgeous food, shaved heads, and wrestling matches all in the same hour!?

Since this was the last elimination round before the chefs meet back up in Hawaii, the stakes were HIGH. I mean, who wants to make it this far, only to pack their knives at the last minute. Even better question: Who wants to get that far and then have to pack their knives because of their actions and not their food???

To check out my full recap, including winners, losers, drastic measures and more, read more

Sometimes your evening needs something a little bubbly and a little fun, but most of the time, your evening can't, make that shouldn't, involve something alcoholic. It's evenings like that when I like to treat myself to a nice chilled beverage, something like mock champagne. This beverage is perfect for celebrating or just hanging around the house.

Mock Champagne
From Mixed-Drink.com

2/3 cup Sugar
2/3 cup Water
1 cup Grapefruit juice
1/2 cup Orange juice
3 tablespoons Grenadine syrup
28 ounces Ginger ale -- chilled

Combine sugar and water in saucepan over low heat. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Bring to boil and boil 10 minutes. Cool. Add sugar syrup to grapefruit and orange juices. Chill thoroughly. Add grenadine and ginger ale just before serving.

I recently lost a bet to a friend and now I have to make his seven year old daughter a super tasty school lunch. He rarely makes her sack lunches so I wanted to make her a glamorous and tasty little kid meal that can be packed up and enjoyed on the school playground. You placed your best kid friendly recipes in the recipe database with the tag of School Lunch. I found her this cute lunch-box tote and will pack all of the goodies inside.

For snack-time, I'll make her feel elegantly grown up with a recipe found by crispet1 for fun fruit kabobs with a creamy dipping sauce. There's lots more to this little girl's lunch, so read more

Let's face it, I'm a big kid at heart and I'm probably never going to grow up. That's why when I found this ridiculously cute felt tiered cake (and I mean ridiculously cute), I immediately squealed... outloud... just like a pig... (don't try and tell me that you didn't do the same). This adorable interactive cake includes over 50 "fondant" decorations and is made of 100% wool felt from Holland and upholstery foam. It's available from Twinkle Kids and costs $45. It's a little pricey for a toy, but having this in your collection would push any tea party into a whole new realm!

Source: Poppy

Surprise! Looks like celebrities do eat chocolate! I knew it, I knew there was no way they could all be sitting around and starving themselves when they have all these great food options at their fingertips.

Turns out that stars like Jessica Biel love to choose chocolate as their treat. The folks at Life & Style Mag report:

Eating it in moderation can actually help stars stick to their diets, since a small splurge can offset the desire for a bigger binge later. Plus, chocolate with a high cocoa content — 70 percent or more — has heart-smart, anti-aging benefits.

“Dark chocolate is a healthy choice because it contains many antioxidants,” says chocolatier to the stars Max Brenner.

So if the celebrities can do it, so can I! Looks like I've just found a new excuse to head over to my local purveyor of fine chocolates.

Source: Life & Style

Mustard is my all time favorite condiment. I love it so much that I've been caught snacking on fresh French bread dipped in mustard. To me mustard is more than just a condiment for hot dogs and over sized pretzels, it's a delicious flavoring that can add depth and dimension to many dishes. Soups, salad dressings, sauces, can all be jazzed up with a little mustard. When I found this recipe, I knew I had to have it for dinner tonight. Mustard in pasta? That's one I have yet to try, with basil and sausage? Sounds too good to be true. For the recipe, read more

The Savory Sights group is a great source of cooking inspiration. You post all of your amazing food and entertaining pictures and make me so hungry I have to hunt down the recipes. Today's savory sight is a super scrumptious looking fall-off-the-bone lamb and mash from mandiesoh. I love how she titles her picture with a description of the texture and consistency of the dish, it makes it that much more mouth-watering! Thanks for sharing your lamb with us, mandiesoh.

If you see a food that looks so good it's to die for pull out your camera and snap a photo then save all of your pictures of tempting dishes and tantalizing fiestas in the Savory Sights group on TeamSugar. I may just feature your pic here!

simmer
To cook food in liquid over gentle heat, just below the boiling point, low enough so that tiny bubbles just begin to break the surface. When a recipe tells you to simmer it means to maintain the temperature of a liquid just below boiling (about 185°F).