Have you ever cooked using foil? We're not just talking about lining a pan, but rather a method of cooking where you place all your meats, herbs and vegetables inside and seal it tight before tossing it in the oven? This is hands down one of the easiest ways to ensure your food is all done at the same time. It's an old campfire trick that can be used for stress-free entertaining.

I recently reviewed a store-bought sparkling herbal water, which I loved, but it also got me thinking: why not make herb-infused fizzy water at home? 

I found a surprising note on the new nonstick pan I purchased. While the instructions noted that the pan had been fully seasoned and was ready for use, it suggested seasoning the pan twice a year to maintain its finish. Hold on a minute, we're supposed to season nonstick pans?  

With their bright colors and futuristic appeal, Dippin' Dots are a kid favorite at carnivals and beyond, but we're much more interested in this adult-friendly update: alcoholic Dippin' Dots! Gizmodo has the full step-by-step instructions for making your own version at home.

Talk about summer living! This bicycle has been outfitted with a custom-fit box to stash a few bar basics. The box also doubles as a table, so you can have your own outdoor cocktail hour. Just pick a park, or a field, or the side of the road! 

There are certain skills a parent should teach a child. Proper teeth brushing. Basic courtesy. The Electric Slide. How to safely shuck an oyster. The only way to master important skills is by practicing early and often, so we like to roast oysters at home, and doing it over an open fire isn't an easy option. I've learned to roast them in the oven, so we can enjoy mollusk madness any night of the week.

The price of silver keeps rising. What's a southern girl to do if her pattern will never be completed? Go to eBay, of course. Sterling looks better with age, like you've had it for a while and you know how to use it. But the prices on eBay aren't really any better than anywhere else... unless you aren't afraid of monograms.

My sister-in-law is a genius, one of those mothers who always knows how to have a good time while maintaining decent parenting technique. She started "F Friday." The children think the "F" stands for "fun." Their parents know it stands for the chance to slack off, not worry about making dinner, and hang with their friends. This is how it works.

You know what's great? Bringing home an armful of fruits and vegetables from the market, all bright, fresh, and ready to be tossed into salads, soups, and stir fries. You know what's not so great? Having a busy week and realizing later that the produce is wilting and rotting in your refrigerator. Properly storing fruits and vegetables is key to extending their shelf life, yes, but even that only goes so far. 

So when the editor-in-chief of The Cooking Lab, the culinary research team behind the Modernist Cuisine books, said he'd found a better way to preserve fruits and vegetables, we knew we had to listen. (Hint: it doesn't involve any chlorine, irradiation or peroxide baths, and it's not blanching.)

When I was on a food tour in Israel last summer, I attended a Sabbath dinner hosted by three young architects/designers. These Friday night dinners with friends were weekly affairs for them, a nod to the tradition of their culture but more about celebrating food and friendship. The dinner was held in a stone-walled courtyard outside their apartment in Tel Aviv, and when we arrived, the first thing we saw was the menu for that night's dinner written in chalk on the courtyard wall!