Ever since I spoke to Pat and Gina Neely, I've wanted to make their famous strawberry shortcut cake. Last weekend, I finally got around to making this divinely delicious dessert that combines vanilla cake with fresh strawberries, whipped cream, and strawberry gelatin.

Gina's recipe uses a store-bought cake mix, but I had extra time so I made a vanilla cake from scratch. Thanks to the strawberry jello, the cake is super moist and insanely luscious. If you need a Spring dessert to feed a crowd, I highly recommend this cake. To check out the recipe, read more

Congratulations to lucky TeamSugar member, nikkih! She was chosen as the winner to our Stirrings Summer Mixers and Macbeth Collection Party Bucket Giveaway. Not only will she receive a fun party bucket perfect for chilling beers and sodas, but she also gets 8 Stirrings mixers and 3 garnish rimmers.

According to her profile, one of nikkih's interests is bartending! She loves making drinks so I know she will truly enjoy this prize. Let's hope she shares pictures of her cool cocktails in the Super Special Occasion Group on TeamSugar. Until then, cheers to nikkih!

2008 is really shaping out to be a good year for the French macaroon. I mean, does it really get much better than Chocolate Macaroons with Caramel Cream?

Last Friday the Bush administration asked a federal appeals court to stop allowing meatpackers to test all animals for mad cow disease. That's right, the government wants companies to test fewer animals.

Currently, under Agriculture Department guidelines, less than 1 percent of slaughtered cows are tested for the disease. Yet due to a lower court ruling, Kansas-based Creekstone Farms Premium Beef has been granted the ability to more comprehensively test their beef. The government is hoping to stop Creekstone Farms by having the ruling overturned. They argue that widespread testing does not guarantee safety, and that companies are trying to create false assurances. They also stated that a false positive could scare consumers, and that testing would result in increased food prices.

Creekstone attorney Rusell Frye is not buying it and believes the government doesn't have the authority to stop companies from testing. He said:

This is the government telling the consumers, "You're not entitled to this information."

Call me crazy, but doesn't it seem like the more testing you do, the more likely you are to catch something wrong? The folks at Creekstone were supposed to begin testing last June, but because of this appeal the new testing process has been delayed.

So tell me, do you think companies should be allowed to test more cows? Or do you agree with the government and think that it causes false assurances?

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Isn't it fabulous how many parties are associated with a wedding? For my girlfriend Elena, I've already planned an engagement party and the reception. This week I'm planning her bridal shower. All week long I'll be featuring my tips and ideas for the most memorable bridal shower. To get things started, we have to send invitations.

Since many of you are planning bridal showers, I asked our designer to create a set of gorgeous downloadable party invites! The invites are free, all you have to do is download, print, and fill them in. They're pretty, sophisticated, and come in three — blue, green, and pink — lovely colors.

To take a look at all of our wedding coverage go to IDoSugar. To download and print the bridal shower invite seen here, read more

I was browsing MyRecipes.com trying to figure out what to do with leftover Asian style grilled chicken, when I found this tasty looking recipe. Chicken is coated with a fragrant miso, ginger, and garlic sauce before being tossed with brown rice and fresh vegetables. This recipe is incredibly adaptable so alter it to suit your liking. Green beans, bell peppers, and bean sprouts would be wonderful additions to this delicious rice dish. To look at the recipe, read more