Yesterday, on TeamSugar's food and entertaining channel, reader krys786 sent out a cry for help by asking for a tried and true choco-mint dessert. Apparently that combination is her boyfriend's fave and like a good girlfriend, she wants to make him a sweet treat. Always one to please, I thought I'd help a girl out by providing my favorite chocolate mint layer bars recipe. It's simple and easy to make consisting of a chocolate cake layer topped with a green mint glazed layer and a chocolate glaze layer. Think jazzed up minty brownies, think mouth watering, think absolutely to die for. Think you want the recipe? Well please read more

Guess who was seen probing a chicken on The Today Show? To find out, read more

The rehearsal dinner is a dinner party held the night before the wedding. Usually it occurs after the wedding party has gathered, in order to have a practice run at the ceremony location. Like the wedding and everything else involved, the bride and groom have full creative liability for the rehearsal dinner. Traditionally it's hosted by the groom's parents, but nowadays anyone can host. It can be an intimate dinner at home or a big bash at a restaurant. For my ideas on the rehearsal dinner, read more

If you're lucky enough to have a Sonic Drive-In in your neighborhood, then be sure to stop by tomorrow, Thursday, June 7 between 8pm and midnight for a free root beer float (thanks for the tip GirlC). For those of you that can't make it to a Sonic, grab some simple ingredients and treat yourself at home! I found a great recipe for a root beer float with a kick, to check it out just read more

Even though I've actually thought I could OD on gummi bears, the phrase "death by gummi bears" sounds a bit ridiculous. However artist Daniela Edburg has made it look amazing, don't you think? In her series Drop Dead Gorgeous, Edburg features beautiful girls (all of whom are her friends, not professional models) dying from food related obsessions. There's a girl getting attacked by flying bananas, one smothered in oreos and another being chased down by a tornado of pink cotton candy. When asked about why food has such a sinister effect on the women in her photos, Edburg replied:

I guess I am pretty compulsive. That which gives me pleasure one minute, causes guilt the next. I am surprised at how much I like the products I consume, but, if you stop for one second to think about it, it’s absurd. Yet, you can’t stop.

The rest of the pictures are absolutely gorgeous (we love the M&M one and the banana one too), plus be sure to read the interview with the artist. Also if you live in the Miami area, you can actually go see the photos at the Kunsthaus Miami.

• Looking for the next restaurant trend? How about communal dining tables. - San Francisco Chronicle
• Want another trend? Try meatballs. Granted these aren't your grandma's meatballs... - New York Times
• Speaking of grandma's recipes, make sure you capture family recipes while you can. - Chicago Tribune



• Remember the junior high math joke of "pi R squared, no they aren't they're round"? Well what if I told, actually pie are squared, at least that's the trend right now. - Los Angeles Times
• As I've mentioned before, wedding cakes are getting more personal and custom. - Boston Globe
• Texas is giving the south a run for their money with sweet succulent peaches. - Houston Chronicle
• Still thinking about culinary school? Several students, former grads and former administrators speak up about why culinary school is a sham. - SF Weekly

Father's Day is just around the corner and I promised my mom I would help her find a present for my grandpa Al. My aunt is sending him a bushel of fresh crabs from his home state, Maryland, and I am in charge of getting all the necessary tools to enjoy the crab. Let's head off to market in search of crab crackers, crab forks, and fun napkins. Any extras, such as small personal bowls for butter, are welcome as well. Bookmark all utensils in the Yum Market on TeamSugar with the keyword tag Crab Tools. Thanks for your help, happy hunting!

To learn more about the bookmarking feature of TeamSugar please read geeksugar's explanation.

You guys seemed pretty excited when I shared a simple tip to keep your iced coffee from getting watered down. Well, if you thought that one was good, here's one that the folks at Seattle's Best Coffee emailed to me. Instead of brewing their coffee like normal, they cold brew it overnight, resulting in an iced coffee that can stay fresh for up to seven days.

So what is cold brewing? It's essentially letting coffee grounds soak in room temperature overnight. You'll need a cold brew concentrator, or you could rig one up yourself with some jars and filters. If you're not interested in going the diy route, the Toddy Maker Cold Brew Coffee System is available for $28.

And if cold brew sounds too complicated (although it looks really quite simple), you can always brew up a batch of coffee, bring it to room temperature and then refrigerate to use the next day.

If you'd like to learn more about cold brewing, here's a step by step tutorial.

Wanna impress your husband with a deceptively simple meal that he is bound to lovingly devour? Make him this delicious open faced sandwich for dinner! When he comes home from work, the house will be filled with such a scrumptious smell of roasting meat that he'll think you spent all afternoon slaving over the stove. Little does he know you just threw the meat in the oven, whisked together a sour cream and horseradish sauce, and stopped by the bakery for the best crusty bread in town. Pour him a glass of your favorite wine and listen as he praises your culinary prowess. You know you need the recipe, so read more