As much as I love going to the beach, sometimes the horrendous San Francisco fog prevents me from being able to enjoy a little sun and surf. When this happens I like to bring the beach, with the salty smell, windy waves and cool breezes to me. I do this by incorporating beachy themes into my everyday life by using things like these serving platter fish plates. According to crispet1, who found these bright babies, you can use them to serve up grilled goodies.

Want more beachy fun for your land-locked kitchen? Then read more

Last Thursday I was invited to an annual charity event hosted by the Guardsmen - a fraternity-like organization for young, professional men. Geeksugar and I made our way upstairs to the balcony bar and ordered Cosmopolitans. The Cosmos were free and flowing however, I was disappointed in the taste because it was obvious that they were made with Cosmo mix rather than refreshing cranberry juice cocktail and fresh squeezed lime. Making a Cosmo is super simple, it's one of the most basic drinks and should be in every hostess' repertoire. To get the recipe, along with a gallery of images from the event, just read more

Guess who was sharing a bottle with internationally acclaimed chef and restaurateur Jean-Georges Vongerichten? To find out, read more

I almost broke my 52 weeks of baking resolution this week, but a random office concoction saved me. I was internally debating on what I should do when I remembered that there was a toaster oven in the office kitchen, as well as a bunch of random ingredients. So in a last ditch effort to save my resolution, I threw everything together and created what I've dubbed "ghetto bread pudding." I call it this for three reasons: (1) it looks pretty ghetto, (2) there's no pudding in this bread pudding and (3) it seems like something you'd eat in college and everyone knows, you eat some pretty ghetto stuff in college.

However, no matter how bad it looks, this mixture of chocolate, peanut butter, bread and bananas tasted pretty great. If your office has those four ingredients and a toaster oven, then do yourself a favor and whip up an incredibly simple indulgent snack. To see what I came up with, read more

After the long week, who wants to jump right into the kitchen and cook? To lessen the stress of a hard week, make a super easy calzone for dinner. Store bought pizza dough makes it a perfect quick fox meal for a busy weeknight. Serve the calzones, which are filled with a quick spinach, cheese, and ham mixture, with warmed bottled marinara dipping sauce. Stock your freezer with frozen spinach and canned pizza dough crust and you'll be able to whip this up for you and the hubby any hectic time. I can't wait to make this for dinner tonight and if you can't either get the recipe, just read more

Summertime means summer fairs and fairs mean lots of eating! From the garlic festival in California to the blueberry festival in Maine, there's something for everyone to enjoy this summer. If you're looking for one in your area, be sure to check out this great list of summer food fests. - Zagat via Serious Eats

My big memorial day bbq is tomorrow and everything has fallen into place for a successful, fun, and memorable party. Earlier this week I started prepping and planning to ensure that no detail would be overlooked. From the easy invites to the grilled food, the cool drinks and the outdoor decor, all is ready for the bbq to begin. Not to be forgotten or overlooked is the music. Music is important at a bbq to encourage mingling, movement, and merriment amongst the crowd. Since this party is all about welcoming the start of summer, the songs will reflect this attitude. For my musical suggestions, read more

Is it too early in the morning to talk about a triple layer chocolate fudge cake with ganache frosting? Yah, I didn't think so either. This beautiful cake was posted in the Kitchen Goddess group by TeamSugar member crispet1, and if every morsel tastes as delectable as it looks, we are in for a treat. It's a three layer chocolate cake, with a layer of thick ganache between each one. To check out the recipe, read more

If an eggling herb garden is not your style, then I suggest you check out the clever matchstick garden instead. Available in two sets (herbs or wildflowers), each matchstick garden contains sticks that you plant tip first into the ground (or a cute container of your choice). Once you do that, you'll soon have a flower or herb garden of your very own! The herb set comes with basil, chives, parsley and thyme and the wildflower set comes with cornflower, shasta daisy, corn marigold and field poppy. If you like the idea, you can find one in a store near you or order 5 packs for $12.50.

Source: Daily Olive