And I guess I should clarify by what I mean by "fat-free foods." I'm not talking about foods that are naturally fat-free, such as celery or water (those are the first two examples that come to mind). I mean foods that usually have a fat version but also have a fat-free version. On to the list (and yes, I'm well aware that fat-free doesn't necessarily mean healthy and can often be higher in sugar).

1. Fat-Free Milk: If you had asked me ten years ago that today I'd be drinking fat-free milk instead of whole milk, I would have thought you were crazy. But I love it, and in fact, can't even drink whole milk anymore. Tastes too thick and heavy for me.

Jam and honey are the new orange - orange marmalade, that is. The slightly sweet preserve is rapidly falling out of fashion in England. It first gained popularity in England in the 17th century, when citrus fruits became common and the preservation technique used for cooking quinces was applied to them. Since that time the spread has only grown in popularity and, for at least the past several decades, could be considered to be a breakfast staple in many homes. In the last year, however, 440,000 households in Britain stopped buying marmalade. Statistics indicate that the reason for the decline may be younger consumers, as most in the under 45 age group consider it to not be sweet enough. 81% of marmalade is eaten by those over 45.

With the decline of marmalade comes the rise of jam and honey, which grow more popular every year, despite reports last year that indicated that jam, too, was falling from favor. Honey is up almost 5%, while jam is up 1.5%.

Retailers and manufacturers alike are now trying to find ways to draw more children to marmalade

When it comes to afternoon coffee or tea, scones are a classic accompaniment. Rather than the heavy and dry creations that so many American coffee shops like to sell to unsuspecting consumers, a real British scone is a bit more like a (US) biscuit, light and somewhat fluffy. They are not particularly sweet, hence the need for jam and cream to be served with them, but they do have a worryingly addictive buttery flavor that will make you reach for a second or third if they are on the small side. These scones were baked up by UK food blogger Jam Faced. They have currants and a bit of orange zest in them, which really provides flavor boost, and they were served with clotted cream and black cherry jam.

Read on for a recipe if you want to try making these at home.

For once, it's nice to see that we have a world record in something that doesn't involve a giant hamburger or someone eating their weight in brats. The British company Duerrs is celebrating their 125th anniversary with the release of world's most expensive marmalade. The special edition preserve is a one-off product, made with Seville oranges, 62-year-old Dalmore whisky, vintage Pol Roger champagne and enough edible gold to give it a tantalizing gleam. It tastes "more tangy than usual and distinctly boozier." The 1 kg of the marmalade has been packed in a crystal jar, specially designed to hold the product and will be auctioned online to benefit the Manchester Kids charity. The estimated value of the product is at least $9,500.

And if you're going to eat marmalade - the most expensive or even an everyday brand, Duerr's has a bit of advice on hot to properly enjoy it: (1)it must be on white bread, not brown (2) and spread with butter, not margarine.

Last month, the worldwide food blogging event Sugar High Friday took it to the extreme with frozen and chilled desserts. This month, host Delicious Days chose the theme of Jams and Jellies, just in time for preserving the fruity (and veggie) goodness of summer's produce. There were almost 60 participants, with recipes, stories, and best of all, photos, of jams and jellies made with everything from apricots to jalapeno peppers. If you're trying to figure out what to do with that basket of late-season peaches you picked up at the farmers' market, take a peek!

Jam does not have to be sweet, though it is most often defined as a preserved mixture of cooked fruit and sugar that is quite sweet. David Lebovitz kept in some of the fruit and sugar elements of a traditional jam, but added some less traditional elements to make his Shallot, Beer, Prune, and Cocoa Nib Jam. It might not be the perfect complement for your morning scone or muffin, but the sweet and savory relish makes a nice hors d'oeuvre spread with cheese and crackers or counterpart to meaty dishes, such as lamb or, as David suggests, foie gras. And even f you don't want it on a scone, it would probably still make a lovely addition to breakfast with eggs and sausage.

Something I have never attempted is making jam or other forms of preserving the summer bounty. But if you have all the gubbins and are a dab hand at getting the temperature to the correct level for setting or just fancy giving it a go then head over to Delicious Days and get your creations listed for Sugar High Friday.

SHF is one of the longer running and most popular blog-events and has reached round 22 with this jam making theme. The host is the superbly designed and entertaining read that is Delicious Days. Full details of how to enter are on the website.

Those of us who have not attempted to make jam before might need a pointer to some decent instructions. Anyone recommend a decent recipe/instruction book or blog post on the subject; I'll be most greatful.

Jam is falling out of fashion. The sweet treat, a cooked combination of sugar and fruit, seems to be being shunned for health reasons. It's not the fruit that's the problem, of course. It's the sugar.

Sugar has been villainized by the health-craze and rising carb-consciousness of recent years and, as jams are often half sugar, it might make sense that consumers could be concerned. Of course, jam is hardly a major source of sugar in people's diets, though the fruity spreads often have much more sugar than fruit, very few people are eating jam by the jarful. More than likely, candy and sodas are far exceeding the consumption of sugar from jam, but the preserves industry is taking a hit because it is something people feel they are willing to go without.

The trend is very noticeable in England, where jam or marmalade was served with toast and scones at both breakfast and tea on most days. I am certain that I'm not the only one who has noticed the proliferation of sugar-free "jams" on this side of the Atlantic, too.

I don't want to see jam go the way of other, once beloved, foods. Jam is delicious and far from the worst thing you can eat. Perhaps a campaign to spread awareness is in order.

When I was little and made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich every day to take in my lunch, I hated it when peanut butter would get in to the jar with the jam, or vice versa. I also didn't want to have to wipe off or wash the knife halfway through making my sandwich because it seemed inefficient and, to maximize my sleeping time, I wanted a fast sandwich. As a result, I tried to use the exact amount of peanut butter or jelly, so as to have none left on the knife. At 8 years old, I thought this seemed pretty clever, but  having one of these dual-sided peanut butter and jelly spreaders would have solved my problems completely. The color-coded sides enable you to dip to your heart's content without mixing the contents of the jars. They're $11.99 and, to justify the expense on the silicone kitchen tool, you can use them for anything from buttering toast to spreading frosting on cupcakes.

Petit fours are classic party treats. True, they are seen more often on a plate of pastries at an elegant hotel then they are at an at-home party, but that shouldn't be the case. They are easy to make. You can see that I left one of mine only half covered in chocolate so that it would be easier to see the components.

Start with a store-bought pound cake or sponge cake. Cut it into one-inch cubes and then cut those in half lengthwise. Spread a thin layer of jam in between the cake slices and stack them back up. Melt down some white chocolate and dip the cake square into it. Place the dipped petit fours onto a sheet of wax or parchment paper to dry, topping them with sprinkles or other small decorations while they are still sticky. This is a great activity for kids because the chocolate can be melted in the microwave and they definitely won't mind getting their fingers sticky in the chocolate!

[Photo by Nicole Weston]

The Greedy Goose is a Singaporan food blog with commentary as beautiful as the photos. And it's not quite as hard to get those breath-taking shots when you have someone who just happens to be a professional photographer in the same house. Lamenting the fact that it is that photographer who doesn't like fancied up desserts, Eggy whipped up something very simple and very delicious for dessert, in the form of this cake. Sometimes the best desserts are the simplest: a scoop of ice cream, a slice of pound cake, strawberries topped with whipped cream. This layered butter cake is no exception. The recipe is from Baking Illustrated and clearly turned out perfectly, equally appealing to those who like fancy desserts and those whose tastes run more simply.