Newest Cooking Tips

Spring and summer are perfect times to make a baseball cake for your favorite baseball fan. This cake is very simple to decorate and is sure to be a big hit. All that is needed is red shoe-string licorice and chocolate shapes for decorations. This baseball cake is perfect for birthdays or to celebrate the win of a special game!

This is a very simple frosting design pattern but should be used with a thicker type of frosting, such as cream cheese frosting. The pattern would not hold up very well on a light fluffy frosting. The design makes for a simple background that is nice for other decorating to be added. It can also be used as a simple finish on its own.

Meringue Frosting is made by whipping egg whites and sugar together to create a light and fluffy frosting. The meringue frosting is used to frost cakes and cupcakes but is also used as a piping to decorate desserts. A pastry bag is used with a star, fluted, or plain nozzle to create rosettes, strips of piping, nests, and other decorative designs on cakes, cupcakes, and many other types of desserts. Meringue frosting can also be added to pies and tarts and then cooked in a hot oven for a short period of time to give it a browned, crisp outer surface with a soft fluffy inside.

Ganache Frosting is a type of frosting that does not require any additional decorating unless desired. It provides an elegant finish to the cake on its own. It is typically used as a glaze, which is poured over a single layer chocolate cake, providing a shiny, delightfully rich looking cake. If desired, you can add an additional decorative touch by drizzling with chocolate, adding chocolate curls, topping with strawberries or raspberries or whatever you feel is appropriate for the occasion.

Asparagus may help reduce the risks of some cancers. When faced with the potential of cancer, asparagus is most likely not be the first thing that comes to mind. However, some research indicates that consuming asparagus can help reduce the risk of certain types of cancer.

Steamed asparagus is easy to make. Steamed asparagus is quick and extremely simple to make, and is a delicious and healthful seasonal vegetable. Lightly steaming asparagus leaves it tender but not mushy, and with all its nutrients intact.

Grilling asparagus is fast, easy and delicious, requiring very little oil and just a sprinkle of salt to bring out the full flavor. Even people who dislike asparagus when it's been steamed often like it quite a bit when it's grilled.

Baking asparagus is quick and easy; oven-roasting brings out the natural sweetness of vegetables and asparagus has a lot of sweetness to highlight. You can have a fantastic side dish in about 15 minutes, counting prep time.

Cooking with asparagus can range from recipes prepared in the oven, on the stove top, on the grill or even in the microwave. Utilizing various cooking methods can offer diverse and appetizing flavors all from the same bunch of asparagus.

White asparagus is sweeter and milder than green asparagus. White asparagus is popular in Europe; in the U.S., it's a more of a specialty item. Look for it at farmer's markets or the produce section of gourmet grocery stores.

Fresh organic asparagus grown from an asparagus crown   Growing asparagus from asparagus crowns can be an easy and fun way to harvest your own fresh and organic varieties of this healthy green vegetable.

Once established, asparagus will produce delicious spears year after year. Plant once, harvest forever: growing asparagus gives you a perennial vegetable that can provide you with a bounty of delicious stalks for many years, once it's established.

Buying, planting and growing fresh organic asparagus is not a task for only the greenest of green thumbs. With the right know how and start up, any level of gardener can be a successful asparagus grower.

From fresh salads to sautéed side dishes, spinach makes a nutritious addition to any meal and cooking spinach is easy to do. Look for creative ways to use this leafy green vegetable in pasta, soup, casserole or other main dishes.

Fresh spinach leaves should be green in color with no brown spots. Spinach leaves are an incredibly versatile vegetable with many delicious uses. Selecting, preparing, and even growing your own fresh spinach leaves can be a simple task that results in a healthy nutritious addition to any meal.

Water Bugs and Roaches Water Bugs Ingredients: Makes 5 Bugs 5 Kalamata olives 30 long fresh rosemary leaves   10 short fresh rosemary leaves These have just enough zippy flavor that you might stick out your tongue and hope for more.

Eerie Floating Hand Ingredients: Makes 16 cups of lemonade and 1 stone-cold hand 1 (32 oz.) bottle dark blue sports drink or other bottled beverage 2 (.

Zombie Eyes EERIE!!Keep watching them - they NEVER blink! Ingredients: Makes 12 eggs that will watch your every move 6 eggs 1/4 C. mayonnaise 1/4tsp.

Dough Toes Hideous!They're short and stubby, crusty and disgusting - they're dough toes! Ingredients: Makes about 64 unmanicured toes 1 (11 oz.) roll refrigerated breadstick dough - the toes 32 sliced almonds - the ugly toe nails 1 egg white Step #1: Preheat the oven to 350°.

Creepy Eyeballs Aagghh!!It's eerie when your food can watch you eat. Ingredients: Makes 20 look-me-in-the-eye-when-I'm-talking-to-you cookies 3 (1 oz.

Brittle Bones Bone Chilling!!No bones about it-they're creepy andspine-tingling, and they crunch when you bite 'em. Ingredients: Makes 20 crunchy bones 5 large pretzel rods 10 thin pretzel sticks 20 regular marshmallows 20 mini marshmallows 12-14 oz.

Gnarly Fingers finger-lickin' goodFragile fingernails and gnarled knuckles - what could be better? Ingredients: Makes 30-40 twisted fingers 2 - 3 tbsp.

Putrid Piranha Vicious!Do NOT - I repeat - do NOT put your fingers in its mouth!It's a meat eater, you know. Ingredients: Makes 1 outrageously dangerous fish 1 (1.

Don't be afraid to get your hands dirty . . . Shrunken Heads Halloween Decorations Ingredients: Makes 8 Shrunken Heads 4 large apples 1 cup lemon juice 1 tablespoon coarse salt Remove most of the peel from 4 large apples.

Eyeball Ice Cubes Ingredients: Makes a tray full of eyeballs Blueberries Ice cube trays Place 1 blueberry in each compartment of an ice cube or ice ball tray.