I don't drink a lot of soda, but every now and then, the crisp bubbly beverage sounds great. Last week I broke down and decided to get one from the kitchen, my gal FabSugar was doing the same thing and we ended up chatting about sodas and straws. That's when Fab did something that totally blew my mind. When she opened up her soda, she pushed the tab forward and shoved the straw through the top tab opening. Voila! Instant straw holder. Although I love to use straws (especially with soda), I hate the way that they bob around, and sort of float when in a soda can. Well, with this ridiculous "gee, why didn't I think of that before?" trick, I don't have to worry about that anymore. I was so excited by it, that I rushed out of the kitchen and shared it with everyone who would listen. A few others (well mostly just geeksugar) were super excited too, and I figured hey if a few of us were interested in this tip, maybe a few of you might be too. So enjoy and pass it on!

No detail shall be overlooked as I prepare and plan a barbeque for 300 to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. The flyers vibrantly let the guests know it's a Mexican themed event that celebrates a good cause, The San Diego Center for Children & The Rose McGill Fund. As always, I want this party to be spectacular, memorable, and show stopping. The pressure is on because I have to create exactly what my sister envisions and make her barbeque go down in history as one of the best Kappa Kappa Gamma events. In order for me to feel like it's a success, the food has to be tasty and the atmosphere fun. The menu features chips and dip, fajitas and quesadillas, and a decadent Mexican inspired cupcake. Cupcakes are a divine dessert for a large fiesta because they are easily transportable, well loved by everyone, and too cute not to be eaten. Since making homemade cupcakes for 300 is an insane idea, I'm jazzing up a chocolate cake from a box with pumpkin and a homemade cinnamon-chocolate cream cheese frosting. Several of my sister's sorority sisters have signed up to make desserts and to keep everything uniform, everyone will be using this recipe. You can find it if you read more

This month the whisk-holding women who are the Daring Bakers have all taken a challenge to create Martha's crazy Chocolate Crepe Cake. Be sure to click on the links of "other daring bakers" to see their creations too. I am so impressed with everyone's dedication and hardwork. I want to play next time! - What's For Lunch Honey

I spent Saturday night at a friend's ranch down in Bakersfield and we all (20 of us) had a delicious dinner together. Before dinner my friend Maile set up a Mojito Factory Assembly Line so she could make mojitos for everyone at the Ranch. Several people picked the freshly cut mint from the stems, another person cut up the tiny Mexican limes, one person added the limes and sugar to the glasses and yet another added the mint and muddled. It was quite an operation and the end result was refreshingly wonderful. I had forgotten how much I love this summery, incredibly light cocktail and quickly powered through a glass. Unfortunately we didn't have enough ice to make everyone a second round, so I'll definitely be making up a batch of these for my sister to celebrate Cinco de Mayo this weekend. It's a great alternative if you don't like tequila margaritas, so check out the recipe and read more

We've had a few discussions about the sad state of airplane food, and we all know that first class customers usually get better meals than us lowly coach customers. The food in the front of the plane is usually nicer and presented better than that in the back of the plane, but Hawaiian Airlines isn't happy with just nicer & presented better. They've decided to take their first-clas menu to the next level by offering a three entree "tasting menu" complete with a specially made Pomegranate Passion beverage and mochi ice cream. Hawaiian Airline's President and CEO, Mark Dunkerley, stated:

"People want greater control over their travel experience. That's why we're giving customers more choices in every aspect of their travel on Hawaiian, from booking online to checking in for flights, and now with their dining in First Class."

I wish someone would send me first class to check it out... *sigh*

Since I know that's not happening anytime soon, I'll just have to talk about it instead. There are a total of 20 entrees designed for the tasting menu, but only 5 will be available at a time. For lunch and dinner, FC customers will select three of the five entrees to create their meal. For breakfast they will select two of three entrees as well as a plate of assorted fruit. What if they run out of your option? Oh don't worry, they won't since they bring along one of each per FC person. My theory is if you're really nice and since you've already paid enough to be in FC, they'll probably let you choose 4 (or all 5!) if you ask really nicely. To learn more about the entrees, read more

Cinco de Mayo is this Saturday and I'm excitedly gearing up to celebrate in true style: with a huge barbeque for 300 of my sister's closest friends. I'm hosting this event for my sister and the lovely ladies of the UCSD chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma. It's going to be a fabulous day-long fiesta that involves a charity soccer tournament and some delicious grilled Mexican food. Guests can munch on chips, guacamole, and salsa while they watch the games and wait for the main course. There are a lot of people coming, so food that can be prepped at least a day in advance is what will complete the menu. The invite displays a vibrant, colorful, Mexican fiesta theme that I hope to carry over into the menu. To see what delicious options (one meat and one veggie) I'll be masterfully grilling, read more

Who would have thought that little potatoes could look so glamorous? These delicious mini-potatoes are topped with wasabi-cream and caviar and I cannot wait to make these for a party someday. - Nami-Nami

Most food-oriented people eventually learn how to cook. They may not be the most amazing chefs, and they might actually only know one recipe really well, but they usually end up knowing enough about food to tell you how or why things work. But what about those people who just don't get it? You know the ones I'm talking about. The ones that end up cooking the cardboard along with their frozen pizza or the ones that use cornstarch instead of corn meal. You know the ones I'm talking about. Well if you know any of those folks, or if you are one of those folks - and hey, no shame if you are! we all have to start somewhere! - then this just might want to pass this on. The folks at the American Egg Board are on the Search for America's Worst Cook. Just send them your "you won't believe this really happened" story in 200 words or less (photos and video optional) and you just might win a free trip to New York City where you can take cooking classes at the Institute of Culinary Education. And if your lousy cook doesn't win, you should at least point out the Tips section of the Worst Cook website, their they can learn what the difference between scrambled eggs and poached ones.

I've said it once before and I'll say it again, Elise was put onto the internet in order to make us all drool. Have a look at this glorious Coffee Oreo Cookie Rum Ice Cream, oh man I can't wait for the summer to begin. - Simply Recipes