I love find cookbooks I can actually use. A lot of cookbooks have recipes that I'll never make, so it's great to find one that has some useful, tasty recipes I can actually tackle.

The About.com Guide To Shortcut Cooking is such a book. It's a good first book for someone who wants something on the basics, and it covers everything from soups, salads, and desserts to pasta, side dishes, and appetizers (they have other guides as well, including Home Cooking and Southern Cooking). The author is Linda Larsen, and the recipe for Bacon Mac and Cheese Soup sounds great, just oozing with smoky cheesiness.

Remember yesterday when I told you that Cherries Jubilee was something I've never had, along with Baked Alaska, Pig's Feet, and Mutton? Well, I guess I have to add this to the list too.

It's National Crab Meat Newburg Day, proving once again that just about every food in the universe has its own food holiday. I'm not a fan of crab (or lobster for that matter), but here's a recipe from the folks at About.com, who say it's great over rice. This recipe from AllRecipes uses dry sherry and sour cream, and here's a recipe for Crab Meat Newburg Casserole.

Easter doesn't seem like one of the bigger drinking holidays. Christmas? Sure. Valentine's Day? Sure, especially if you're not with anyone. But Easter? Well, I guess any situation where you have to deal with your family is a situation where you might want to drink.

About.com has a variety of Easter-oriented cocktails, and, of course, they're a little sweeter than many cocktails, in keeping with the holiday. But they aren't for kids!

You said "One of my new year's resolutions is to 'be happier.'" Well, that's all well and good, but you can't just sit there and pout about not being able to figure out how to make yourself happy!

Maybe you should eat something, which is a real step toward resolution. About.com has put together a short list of five foods that will help elevate mood, and we're not just talking about happily diving head-first into a hot fudge brownie sundae. In fact, you could take About.com's picks and set a menu for an entire day! Start the day with a breakfast of oatmeal, topped with walnuts, have a lunch of poached salmon and a side of lentils, then drink a cup of tea in the afternoon. You'll be skipping to Happytown by dinner!

I have a confession to make (let it out Bob, confession is good for the soul). Two, actually. Not only have I never made my own eggnog for Christmas, I usually just buy the store bought stuff. Yeah, I know.

It's not that the store stuff is terrible. I wouldn't drink it every year if I didn't like it. It's an OK substitute for people like me who are lazy intimidated by eggnog recipes. I mean, making a drink with sugar and eggs that you have to separate? I've never wanted to do it (though if I did, this one sounds good).

While surfing around I found this recipe for an eggnog called a White Christmas. It sounds like a nice twist on the classic.

Here's a Christmas twist on a classic snack, caramel corn.

I got it from a the Busy Cooks section of About.com, where they have a bunch of recipes for food you can serve at your tree trimming party. Does anyone have tree trimming parties anymore? That sounds like a great thing to do, though I haven't had a bunch of people help me set up a tree in years. I'm not quite sure (except for the Gingerbread Caramel Corn) what makes these recipes - including Beer Cheese Soup, Asparagus Tarts, and Crockpot Artichoke Spinach Dip - tree trimming-ish, but they sound good nonetheless.

About.com says that this recipe for Cashew Brittle is perfect for Christmas, but I see no reason why we can't move it up on our schedule and make it for Thanksgiving, right? Though it does seem like a nice gift to give someone, in a cool tin with a ribbon around it, for Christmas.

But don't make it for Arbor Day. For God's sake, don't make it for Arbor Day!

That's not an editorial comment by me (though I guess it depends on the type of chocolate and/or the type of sex). It's actually a recipe I found at About.com. You know, while searching for "chocolate" and "sex."

This one is called Better Than Sex Cake, and has so many toppings and chocolate/caramel/butterscotch goodness that it might just live up to its name:

1 German chocolate (or other chocolate) cake, 13 x 9 x 2
3/4 cup fudge topping
3/4 cup caramel or butterscotch topping
3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
6 chocolate covered toffee bars
1 tub of whipped topping

It's the chocolate covered toffee bars that got my attention. I'm addicted to those.

Are your kids already requesting a trip to Disney World for their summer vacation, or maybe you haven't decided where to go for some rest and relaxation this year? There is no reason not to factor food into the equation and if you're looking for something really fun, the Disney Pop Century Resort in Florida may be just the ticket. Not only can you relive just about every trend of your childhood at the brightly colored complex, but the food is just as exciting as the architecture. Retro-chic classic comfort foods, like fried chicken and mashed potatoes are served in a TV tray, and tye-dyed colors swirl through timeless favorites like cheesecake and fluffernutter sandwiches. All the food is served in a casual, food court-style setting, which makes it perfect for families with small children, offering something for everyone.