Oh boy, oh boy.
Actually I should probably make that oh girl, oh girl - because it looks like everyone's favorite sleazeball Joe Francis (of Girls Gone Wild fame) is planning on opening up a string of restaurants. The restaurant chain will be part of the Girls Gone Wild name and will encompass everything about youth and fun.

"This is going to be about fun, lifestyle, youth, sun. It's about everything 'Girls Gone Wild,'" Francis said. "It's going to be sexy without being sexual."

The first two restaurants are planning to open this summer in Cancun and Cabo San Lucas. However Francis imagines that there will be franchises in many college towns in the future.

However don't expect anything too wild. According to Francis there will be no stripping, topless waitresses or filming in the restaurants.

Now where's the fun in that?

Source: Reuters
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I know that blackberries aren't in season quite yet (they're more of a summer fruit, beginning around May), but I found this non-alcoholic drink that I just can't wait to share. It starts up with fresh blackberries mixed with sugar and lemon juice. Then topped off with soda. Personally I think it sounds refreshing - it's like my favorite after work treat (sparkling water with a splash of juice) - and they even recommend that you serve it with a straw. To check out the recipe, read more

Next Monday night marks the first night of the eight day Jewish celebration, Passover (or Pesach as it is referred to in Hebrew). The traditional dinner known as the Seder usually takes place the first two evenings. DearSugar's lovely mom gave me a crash course in the strictly followed rules of the feast which celebrates the Exodus and freedom of the Israelite Jews from ancient Egypt. The Seder is similar to Thanksgiving with its importance of family custom and generations of tradition and one is supposed to walk away feeling as if they've been brought out of bondage and into freedom. Eating leavened foods (those that contain yeast or baking soda) is severely forbidden while foods that represent the bounty of spring (lamb, herbs, wine, egg, fruit, nuts, honey) are considered sacred. The meal begins with a reading from the Haggadah which is the narration of the Exodus and continues with the Seder plate. To see my invitation suggestions and the significance of each portion of the Seder, read more

• Discover the difference between Hershey's Kisses and Hershey's Chocolate Truffle Kisses. - Candyblog
• The Discovery Health channel is giving Nathan Lyon, from last year's The Next Food Network Star, his own show: A Lyon in the Kitchen (oh and it starts tonight). - Serious Eats
• I've recently discovered that I really enjoy parsnips and now I have a new recipe to try: parsnips boiled in sap. - Cookthink
• I love lamb. I love tagines. I especially love lamb tagines - Spiceblog



• Maybe I'll skip the baking this week and make some tasty, tasty salted butter and chocolate caramels instead. - Tartelette
• Now you can take your drink wherever you go, introducing liquor flask sandals from Reef. - Liquor Snob
• Unless you're a vegetarian, you're probably going to want a drool guard before looking at these German Beef Roulades. - What's For Lunch Honey
• Learn how to make Hot Cross Buns just in time for Easter. - Becks & Posh
• And finally, for weeks I've been meaning to point out the bacon alarm clock - now you can wake up to the smell of cooking bacon. - Daily Olive

What with the arrival of spring and the wedding season, I thought it was the perfect time to start my new weekly recurring feature, Flowers 101. Many brides and hostesses even have the perfect flower in mind for a wedding or centerpiece, but are heartbroken to find out that it is not in season. Imported flowers can be super expensive and I hope to help you avoid this mistake by educating you on various flower types. Let's start with a flower that just bloomed in my backyard: the daffodil. An early bloomer, daffodils herald the arrival of Spring in late February and early March. Also known as narcissus, there are over 25 various daffodil species. In your garden monitor the soil moisture and feed with all purpose bulb fertilizer. In an arrangement, place the stems in tepid water for a few hours to ensure they will live a long life. Daffodils pair nicely with tulips, grape hyacinths, and foliage plants. Quite tolerant of cold, daffodils grow in the full sun/part shade throughout most of the US with the exception of Florida. Their bulbs are quite durable and contain poisonous crystals that protect the flowers from being eaten by squirrels or rodents. They come in every hue of yellow (from lemon to goldenrod), snowy whites, rich creams, mandarin oranges, spring greens, apricots, and pinks - all of which would be beautiful in any bouquet.

Toot! Toot!
That, my friends, is the sound of me tooting my own horn. A few weeks ago I bought some of the amazing goat butter from the folks at Meyenberg and loved it so much that I wanted to use it for everything. I had eaten it on toast, over pasta and on crackers, but at some point I decided, actually make that knew that I had to make shortbread cookies with it. Nevermind the fact that I had never actually made shortbread cookies, nor actually even liked them that much, neither of those things were going to stop me - I was going to make goatbread cookies (aka shortbread cookies made with goat butter)! To see how they turned out (toot! toot! I freaking loved them) and see the recipe that I more-or-less concocted on my own, read more

FitSugar would be so proud of tonight's all vegetable dinner recipe. Basically it's 2 healthy salads in 1. Healthy is emphasized because the veggies are tossed in a light evoo (yes I know that it is a Rachael Ray-ism, but come on, it's also a very handy abbreviation and I've been abbreviating long before Ms. Ray came along), vinegar, and mustard emulsion - instead of a heavy mayonnaise buttermilk based dressing. Three types of roasted mushrooms make the salad hearty, filling, and figure friendly. When we consume foods packed with various flavors - as in this dish - the mind gets tricked into believing we are eating more than we really are. To pile this salad on your plate, read more

So we've gone through what you need to look for when choosing dinnerware, drinkware and flatware, so today I thought we'd cover the fun stuff: appliances!

Now every couple is going to be different. If you don't drink coffee, there's no need to register for a coffee pot or espresso machine. Also, since so many couples tend to live together before getting married, they've probably already accumulated quite a few great items, so look at what you have, what you need to replace and what you want. To check out the appliances you might want to consider and some tips on what to look for, read more

One reason to choose a long engagement after your man pops the big question is so you can have an engagement party. This week I'm planning one for julieulie and her fiancé Scott who recently got engaged, but aren't getting married until Memorial Day 2008. I thought it would be fabulously fun and original to throw a dessert party instead of a typical dinner or cocktail party. Desserts as meals are an up and coming trend, and more and more restaurants that are devoted to only desserts are showing up all over the place.

Julie & Scott's close friends and family have received their invitations to the fiesta that will start on a Saturday night at 8:30. The menu will consist of a dazzling array of divine desserts including brownie cupcakes, strawberry shortcakes, and a cheese and fruit plate. The champagne will flow like water as the invitees toast Julie and Scott's eternal love. I've painted a pretty picture of this party, but what about the decor? To see my romantic, chic, and elegant ideas, read more