Now that you've got all the items needed for a great picnic, I thought I'd help you out with a few picnic tips.

• When packing a picnic, keep non-perishable foods (potato chips, fruit, etc.) separate from perishable ones. This way you'll save cooler space & ice for items that need it. Remember, the more stuff you pack in the cooler, the less cold it will be. An ideal ratio is 75% food and 25% ice, although I think 50/50 is even better!
• Pack your cooler in reverse order. Put your dessert in first, the main course second and the appetizers third. This way you won't have to dig around in your cooler to find the items you need. This will save you time, effort and will help keep the cooler cold longer.
• Freeze drinks (unless they're in cans) the night before. This will help them stay cool, as well as act as supplement ice in your pack. If you're worried about messy condensation, wrap them in aluminum foil (which may keep them frozen longer) or store in ziploc bags. Even if you don't freeze them, make sure they're already cool. It'll keep the cooler colder longer if the items are already cold.

To read the rest of my picnic tips, read more

When I was thinking of an ideal dessert for a picnic, blueberries kept coming to mind. Not only am I craving them, but they are also a quintessential summer berry. Super ripe, burst-in-your-mouth blueberries are wonderful on their own, but why not throw them into a creamy smooth cheesecake batter and cut them into divine little squares? This recipe for blueberry cheesecake bars travels well, is easy to make, and will please a crowd. What are you waiting for? Get the recipe, just read more

Every year, a big open air white dinner party is held in Paris. The location is kept secret until 15 minutes before the meal begins. How do I get invited to next year's?! - Paris Daily Photo

Plastic wrapped, large round balls of iceberg lettuce were always present in my childhood fridge. However as I got older my beloved iceberg was replaced by romaine, spinach, arugula and even bitter greens. Turns out I'm not the only who turned their back on iceberg. Although it is still the nation's most prominent lettuce, iceberg has taken a back seat to other varied greens instead.

In 2006, 174,600 acres of iceberg lettuce were harvested in the United States, down from 198,500 acres in 1998, the first year for which U.S. Department of Agriculture statistics were available.

During the same period, the amount of harvested romaine lettuce increased from 36,450 acres to 61,000 acres. Green and red leaf lettuce harvests increased from 46,220 acres to 71,100 acres.

So why the sad slide into lettuce oblivion? At one point, iceberg was the only lettuce robust enough to make the supermarket journey without being damaged by ice. In fact, it actually received its name from the ice-filled train cars which shipped lettuce out. However, now that transportation and farming technology has advanced, more delicate greens - which once had to be consumed closer to home - can make the journey as well.

To entice customers, the country's largest lettuce supplier (Tanimura and Antle) is packaging its iceberg lettuce in plastic patterned with baseball stitching and including recipes for wedge salads printed on baseball cards.

Source: Topix

Summer has arrived and with it my desire for all things blended and tropical. Margaritas, daiquiris, piña coladas... you name it and I'll make them at one of my parties this summer. The only catch is I don't have any fabulous glasses to serve these cool cocktails in. I already have red and white wine glasses, champagne flutes and saucers, water goblets, and martini glasses, but my collection lacks one for those summer cocktails. So I asked you to help me out and search the internet for frozen drink glasses. You bookmarked your finds in the Yum Market on TeamSugar with the keyword tag Frozen Drink Glasses.

You found such cool stuff that it's hard to decide which ones are my favorite! I really love the sleek chicness of these stainless steel margarita glasses. However I also love the clear hurricane lamp shaped glasses below. Thanks for making it so hard to decide mellie_608... I might have to get both! Take a look at all of the frozen drink glasses by scrolling to the right below.

Want to learn how to bookmark items? Read geeksugar's guide to bookmarking on TeamSugar to better understand how to use this fun feature.

Last night's episode of The Next Food Network Star saw the Food Network hopefuls prepping signature chocolate dishes for NBA royalty, as well as serving up courtside food for the fans. It also took us from eight chefs down to six. That's right, in one fell swoop we lost two contestants. So who went home and who got to stick around in hopes of becoming a star? To get my full recap, read more

Guess which fashionable foodie was recently hanging out with Maggie Grace, Emily Blunt, and fashion-maven Nicola Maramotti? To find out who it is, read more

I hope you've been enjoying National Candy Month as much as we have - in addition to eating our candy, we've been baking with it and drooling over it too! If you need an excuse to celebrate, don't forget our I Heart Candy challenge. All you have to do is write a blog post about candy (and let us know about it)! In your post you can talk about your favorite candy, come up with a recipe using your fave candy, make a drink that tastes like candy, whatever strikes your fancy! We've received some great submissions, but if you haven't turned yours in yet, there's still time! Be sure to check out all the submission details and come back this Friday, June 22, for a full candy roundup!

Yesterday I made Spice-Rubbed Grilled Salmon with Spicy Cucumber Salsa, and today I'm using the extra to whip up a delicious salmon salad pita pocket. Instead of serving the salad on bread, I decided to go for something a little more Mediterranean and slide the mixture into a pita. This is an excellent on the go meal that can be prepared ahead of time and kept cold in the fridge. The chunky salmon pairs divinely with the creamy goat cheese and silky avocado. To have dinner done in a flash, get the recipe and read more

In honor of International Picnic Day and the official start of summer, June 21st, I'm planning a kite flying picnic at the beach. Now I know not everyone has access to the beach, but this party can be hosted at a lake shore, a park, a vineyard, etc. All week I'll take you through the steps to host a successful, memorable afternoon-into-evening picnic. Let's start with the invitations. I'm making cute kite shaped invitations that are embellished with pretty satin ribbon. To see how I made my invitations and instructions on how to make them for your next party - these would also be adorable for a child's birthday party! - read more