dates

Bacon-wrapped dates are like morsels of salty-sweet magnificence. Thus, it's tragic that our vegetarian friends can't enjoy them. I've found the next best thing: this vegetarian appetizer for goat cheese- and pistachio-stuffed dates.

Capitalizing on the magical combination of dessert-worthy dates and a salty sidekick (in the form of pistachio-whipped goat cheese), this recipe packs so much flavor into every bite you'll forget about your bacon-wrapped past. But the biggest revelation are the chives; the herb combines with the creamy cheese for an effect that's like a high-end sour cream and chive potato chip. It's sophistication and childhood nostalgia all in one.

Though pitting and halving the dates is time-consuming — especially if you're doubling or tripling the recipe for a party — these apps are super-easy to make ahead. They are just as delicious after a few days in the fridge, though best served at room temperature. Get this vegetarian appetizer recipe.

Ah, the prom. Such a cultural institution. Such a rite of passage. And often a major disappointment.

After seeing this outrageous ad for Orbit gum featuring every father's worst prom-date nightmare, I wondered if you had any nightmarish or dreamy prom date stories of your own. Not surprisingly, TrèsSugar readers did not disappoint. Read on for some of the most shocking tales and some pretty sweet ones too.

• "Senior year the guy was awful — we had been dating but broke up (amicably) a few weeks before prom, so the atmosphere was a little tense. Then he tripped and fell running hurdles just a few days before prom and had a giant scab all the way up one side of his face — obviously ideal for those memorable prom photos. Worse, he decided to "pre-game" the night of prom without me. He came to get me very, very drunk while I was 100 percent sober. it was not exactly the most romantic evening ever." — Cotedazur
• "So my friend Judez finally found me a single dude in her Hebrew class. He was hot, but he was also two years younger than me and was really into anime. It was a really awkward night. Looking back, I wish I had just taken one of my girlfriends. Sure, everyone would think I was gay, but ya know what, probably would have helped with the popularity thing." — imLissy

For three more prom stories, read more

Ylia needs our help! She recently turned to the Kitchen Goddesses in the YumSugar Community for cooking advice. She's planning a special dinner for her boyfriend, but there are some complicated limitations. She explains:

I want a simple yet sophisticated menu... but there's a few limitations such as: no oven in my boyfriend's apartment and I'm a vegetarian. Although I don't want to make it into a whole vegetarian thing, I would like to have something to eat other than just salad and also cook something carnivore for him! To make things even harder I live in Venezuela, a third world country where you don't exactly have the biggest variety of vegetables and other goodies — I've never even seen a shiitake mushroom or ready-to-go chicken or beef broth. Help!

There you have it readers. Ylia needs a basic vegetarian and meat-friendly meal that can be cooked on a stove with simple ingredients. What should she make?!

Reader Subie needs our help! She's got a new man in her life and has plans to make him dinner for the first time. She used our new ask feature in the YumSugar Community and proposed the following question:

Cooking dinner for a new beau this week and I need to plan the menu! Any good date meals to suggest? He is not a picky eater. I'll have about an hour for prep time.

Now I'm asking you: what's a good quick meal for a first date? Roast chicken? Pasta carbonara? What was the first meal you made for your loved one?

Latkes, Russian tea cakes, and plenty of other treats remind me of the holidays — but nothing feels more like Christmas than making my mother's date balls. Every year for as long as I can remember, my mother has given friends, neighbors, and co-workers her date balls. When I was a child and my main role was that of date-ball-roller, I thought the whole process was a big production.

But once I grew up and learned to make them, I realized that these no-bake crispy confections actually aren't that hard to put together — which explains why they became a regular part of our holiday cookie circuit. If you're pressed for time to make an edible gift, or you want to set yourself apart at a cookie exchange, then wow your loved ones with these festive date balls. Get my mother's recipe when you read more.

Everything tastes better with bacon, and dates are no exception! I recently went to an end-of-Summer barbecue and couldn't stop eating these crispy bacon-wrapped dates. Of course, I had to ask the hostess for the simple recipe to share with you. This appetizer is super easy to make and can be prepared before the party, so your guests will be munching on the salty, sweet, and oh-so-satisfying bite-sized, bacon-wrapped dates the second they arrive at your home. Straight from the oven these apps are molten hot — be sure to allow time for them to cool. If you want to serve this addicting appetizer at your next party, keep reading.

Parents often use date nights as a way to connect to each other and keep the sparks flying, but let's turn the clocks back a few hours. While dinner and a movie can make for a fun night together, folks can take advantage of the daytime, too. Drop the kids off with grandma or hire a sitter and head for the hills, literally. Take a break from all mom and dad duties and go for a hike!

If dusty trails don't arch the eyebrows, maybe a picnic basket full of crackers, cheese and wine will do the trick. Go to a matinee, play a round of golf, go back to the engagement spot, take a long bike ride or just go sit by the pool and read a book. When the day is gone and the sun is done, the romantically refueled pair can return home in time to tuck the kids in, then let their alone time continue. Dine on pizza by candlelight and pop in a movie as a way to end the perfect date day and night.