What would Wedding Season be without wedding cake coverage? I mean hello! When I think of weddings, my mind immediately races to images of gorgeous cakes. Each year it seems like the cakes get more and more intricate and more and more amazing. All next week I'll be highlighting lots of different kinds of cakes (groom's cakes, cupcakes, weird cakes, what to look for in a cake, and so on), but to kick things off, I thought it would be cool to find out what the latest wedding cake trends are.

I was lucky enough to speak to three of America's hottest wedding cake bakers - you've seen these ladies on TV and in magazines - and they gave me the lowdown on what's new, what's hot, and what's important. From left to right, the cakes were created by FoodTV favorite Colette Peters, Susan Morgan of the beautiful Elegant Cheese Cakes, and organic cake specialist Edith Meyer.

The first trend on the list is personalized cakes. Edith Meyer said that "Cakes for 2007 seem to be much more personal and less I-saw-this-in-a-magazine." She's even had clients bring in handpainted heirloom china to create on the cake. Another personalized trend is the introduction of the initial monogramming, as well as the return of the personalized cake topper.

This particular cake was made by Edith Meyer from sugar flowers meticulously cut to match the detail of the bride's dress.

To see a few more amazing cakes and learn some more wedding cake trends,
 read more

This Sunday is Earth Day and I think it's a very important holiday that should not be overlooked. Being respectful of the world we live in is crucial to the survival of the human race and although I'm just one girl who likes to party, I do like to do my part every now and then. As I was looking through the Yum Market I was excited to see that you care about the environment as well, and I felt inspired by your ideas. For example just because you live in an apartment doesn't mean you can't plant a tree. Atkoester suggests purchasing a dwarf meyer lemon tree and I totally plan to take her up on the suggestion! Imagine picking the lemons right off the tree the next time your recipe calls for a little juice or zest, talk about local produce.

Two more green ideas that you submitted so read more

In honor of today being 420, and this weekend being Earth Day, I thought it would be fun to create my own green cocktail. I was brainstorming ingredients and wanted something that was healthy and alcoholic. If tomato juice and orange juice are mixed with vodka to make super tasty drinks, why not mix together Naked Juice's (which, in case you haven't noticed, is all the rage now... and seriously while the best mimosas are made with fresh OJ, when you're in a pinch, Odwalla's OJ is the next best thing to freshly squeezed) Green Machine with my favorite liquor? Not for the fair-of-heart, Green Machine is a fruit juice blend of apple and kiwi that is supposed to help you detox, revive, and energize. So yesterday afternoon I transformed into Mad Scientist PartySugar and came up with an interesting mix of green machine, vodka (Level had recently sent me a bottle and I was anxious to try it), lemon juice, and Sprite. Raise your glass to celebrate mother nature and read more

Since Earth Day is right around the corner and we're still riding the Wedding Planning train here at the Sugar Network, I decided to go out and find some environmentally sound wedding favors. Personally, I'm not really into wedding favors - I'm a pack rat and keep everything, so things just sort of sit around collecting dust and taking up space in my small house - making me a little irritated. However, when I saw these wedding favors that you can plant, I thought they were fantastic. You get to give a great, environment-friendly wedding favor that the person can plant in their backyard, pot, etc! There are a lot of great designs (birds, butterflies, flowers, hearts, cakes, etc) in the plantable seed paper category, and there are quite a few options in the "cards that come with a seed packet" too. However, my favorite ones are the plantable love tag - which also doubles as a placecard setting ($2.50 each) and this "Love Blooms" personalized seed packet (set of 24 for $32).

In her editor's letter in the April issue of Gourmet magazine, Ruth Reichl announces the arrival of a new feature devoted to hearty vegetarian recipes. With more and more restaurants offering a variety of vegetarian and even vegan dishes on their menus, in combination with the growing concern for environmentally-friendly living, the appeal of fresh, locally-grown, seasonal vegetables and legumes is suddenly extremely important in the food world. I recently decided I had better give in to the trend and veg out. Okay, it wasn't a conscious decision - I was on my second date with the boyishly charming Mr. I'minlikewithyou and he invited me to dinner at his favorite vegan place in San Francisco, Millennium. He promised me it was haute vegan cuisine with not even the slightest hint of hippie and an atmosphere that was chic, sophisticated, and elegant; boy was he right.

For the rest of my vegan escapade and all of the images of the scrumptious food, read more

English food is not a joke because...
Any cuisine that combines meat with ale gets gold stars in my book.

That's the answer I'm giving for Sam's Fish & Quips challenge. She's asked food lovers everywhere to help her prove that English food does not have to be a joke. After reading about it, I immediately wanted to participate. I lived there for almost a year and had plenty of amazing food (I have crazy fond memories of the cheese guy in my local outdoor market), however I couldn't come up with one dish that I wanted to make. So I called in the brigades - actually I just IM'd my friend Johnny and asked what he thought I should make:

me: What is your favorite British meal - like quintessential British?

Johnny: Meat pie! Like steak and onion pie!!!
I think this is a nice idea, a nice project - British food has a huge inferiority complex for a few reasons.

me: So what should i make?

Johnny: You should try steak and ale pie if you can manage it. I think it is pretty easy really and tastesome.

me: Why'd you choose that dish?

Johnny: It is the thing I like best that is "English"
Make a nice round pie - with leaves on the top of course.

me: Of course

Hrmm... a steak and ale pie. Funny, I never actually had one of those while I was out there - but I figured it was the time to start. So I hunted down a few recipes and cobbled together a pretty decent pie. I cheated and used puff pastry, but I didn't forget the leaves on top.The end result was pretty tasty, like a stew with an added pastry crust - and it was definitely not a joke. To see what recipe I used, and to see a bunch of step by step pictures, read more

Hefty portobello mushrooms are an excellent substitute for meat. The earthy, hearty mushroom adds protein and flavor to any meal, and is great for grilling, sauteing, or roasting. In tonight's case, the mushrooms act as the base of an open faced sandwich topped with a delicious vegetarian friendly mixture of cheese and herbs. The feta and fresh oregano give the mushrooms a Greek twist, and the grape tomato bites, added after baking, give it a salad like quality that is light and tasty. The creamy ricotta and tangy feta pair nicely with a bottle of Pinot Noir so why not invite your boy over for an impromptu dinner date? These sandwiches would make an intimate informal meal when concluded with fresh oranges and vanilla cookies. Happy Friday! Check out the recipe and read more

Although I'm no BuzzSugar I do know that the music at a wedding can make or break the party. You have to walk a fine line at a wedding and choose music that will have everyone dancing, both the young and the old. Generally it's best to start with oldies but goodies to get the guests out on the dance floor and moving. As the night wears on and people are drinking more and their inhibitions are slipping away the music can switch to more current hits. The older family members usually get a kick out of trying to dance to songs like Fergie's Glamorous or Beyonce's Crazy In Love-or at least this is what has happened at all of the weddings I've ever attended. All this week I have been giving Julie my ideas and suggestions for the most fabulous wedding. I made a template for her invitations and came up with a delicious menu that reflected the location of their wedding (Philadelphia) and their specific dietary needs (Julie is a vegetarian and Scott is not). Next I came up with a few signature cocktails for them to serve their guests during the cocktail hour and provided ideas for beautiful floral centerpieces and the look of the reception. Today I'm offering my tips on the music and taking some help from Buzz so read more

This Sunday, April 22, marks the 38th annual Earth Day and one of the tips that FitSugar recommends to be healthy and green at the same time is to "eat local fruits and vegetables." I'm all for eating locally, but I don't think it gets much more local than your own backyard. I personally don't have much of a green thumb and need all the help I can get (although I actually brought an almost dead tree back to life last summer!). However, I think I've found something that even the blackest of thumbs can manage. This miniature edible indoor garden is just the perfect size and needs little maintenance (just some water). I think it will look so cute on my desk (which is a bonus, because if it's on my desk I probably won't forget to water it). It comes with the interesting structure, four reusable felt pads with seed packets (clover, cress, lettuce and mustard) and a packet refill. All you have to do is provide the water and you're in business. Oh and it'll look adorable next to these little egglings. Happy Earth Day!

Source: Outblush