A little while back I told you guys about this baby-shaped cake and most of you seemed pretty creeped out by the idea of eating something that looked so much like a real baby. So how about a cookie instead? The folks over at Mrs. Beasley's will put any photo, image or logo onto a shortbread cookie. The image is printed with an edible food dye on sugar paper that is then glazed (think decoupage) onto an iced vanilla cookie. They can also custom write anything. I'm personally thinking about putting cute babies and puppies with the words "Baby Killer." What do you think?

The cookies last 3 months, but the image will start to fade in 4 or 5 weeks. Cookie prices start at $42 for 12 cookies.

Source: Tastespotting

On Saturday night my friends shall be dining in with me before we head out together. I sent the invites yesterday and today is menu planning. I have been putting a lot of thought into my St. Patrick's Day dinner party menu and I've decided to start with corned beef and swiss appetizers followed by a smoked salmon salad, cottage pie, and Irish soda bread. Since Friday is my half birthday I am going to take advantage of the date and go all out by making a decadent dessert. To see my recipe for a layer cake with a definitive Irish twist - a Bailey's pudding filling - read more

• I obviously need to go to Japan, or have someone in Japan send me a package (hint hint!), because where else am I going to get Red Bean Kit Kat? - Candyblog
• Sorry that the rest of you are suffering through winter, but here in San Francisco we've got weather so warm that Shuna's Lemon Sherbet is going to hit the spot. - Bay Area Bites via Eggbeater
• Sam over at becks & posh, tackles one of Heidi Swanson's granola recipes. This one looks amazing and simple, give it a go you guys. - Becks & Posh
• Table Manners ponders whether or not vegetarians have the right to demand meat-free environments. Sorry veggies, in my opinion, if you demand meat-free environments, your friends are going to stop calling you. - Chow
• There's a motion to get more women involved in judging and testing, and since women do most of the buying shouldn't the industry know which wines women want? - Cheap Fun Wines
• Since commercial nut butters (like peanut butter) contain extra sugar, salt and shelf-sustainable chemicals, why not make your own homemade nut butter? - The Daily Tiffin
• Want better tasting coffee? Clean your coffee maker with vinegar every so often. - lifehacker

This week YumSugar and I are all about highlighting fabulous ways for you to enjoy St. Patrick's Day to the fullest. There are many people who believe you can't celebrate St. Patrick's Day without drinking a glass of Ireland's most famous beer, Guinness. However Guinness with its dark, creamy thickness is not a beer for everyone. Even after pouring countless glasses way back in my Irish pub working days, I never developed a taste for it. How will we, the non-Guinness drinkers, really truly celebrate St. Patty's (without having to down several Irish Car Bombs)? By drinking a black velvet! A black velvet is a seductive mix of equal parts Guinness and champagne. Don't be scared or disgusted, be adventurous and experimental. To make this for your pals at your St. P Day soirée, read more

Friday is my half birthday and Saturday is St. Patrick's Day, so I am celebrating 2-parties-in-1 with a pre going out dinner on Saturday night. I've invited my friends to join me for an Irish inspired meal before we head out to the bars for a wee bit of St. Patrick's Day shenanigans (I said that in my best Irish accent). Since the evening will most likely involve a lot of beer drinking, I'm serving up generously filling dishes. I'll have a corned beef and swiss appetizer just out of the oven for when my friends arrive. To see what we'll all be sitting down to eat together, read more

A few years ago I stopped buying store bought salad dressings in favor of making my own tasty little vinaigrettes. The flavor of my salads tremendously increased, instead of being all about the dressing, the ripe vegetables and crisp greens shine when lightly dressed with an emulsion of citrus, oils, vinegars, and condiments. Not only do they taste better, but dressings made from scratch are much healthier. Don't get overwhelmed, vinaigrettes are simple to make and usually involve throwing all of the ingredients into a processor or jar and blitzing or shaking away. To give homemade salad dressing a try and make this for dinner tonight, read more

This week's reader's recipe comes from the Kitchen Goddess herself, Twinkle. These divine looking meatballs are served with potatoes and lingonberry jam. I personally love the way sweet and savory go together and can't wait to taste that combination.

To check out her recipe for authentic Scandinavian Meatballs (she lives there, this is as authentic as it gets folks!), read more

St. Patrick's Day is this Saturday night and I've invited my friends over to have dinner with me before we all go out drinking at the bars. I'm pretty sure it's going to be a long and crazy night, so I want to make sure that we eat a delicious and hearty meal of Irish fare. Green is the theme and I already sent out shamrock shaped invitations, so my friends know about the event with plenty of time to rsvp. I've spent a few hours researching recipes (totally geeky-but so much fun!) and have come up with a wonderful menu. To see what tasty treats I'll have waiting for my guests when they arrive, read more