After buying a 25-pound box of pears from a fundraiser recently, I found myself with piles of pears and only a few days of perfect ripeness in which to eat them. We were doing pretty well snacking on pears—each of us eating about 4 a day—but enthusiasm was waning.

Usually, I’m all about the sheet cake. But for birthdays or special occasions, layer cakes aren’t that much more work and the ‘wow’ factor is certainly higher! We had friends visiting and their daughter was turning seven. It was a predicted to be a hot day, so I wanted a cake that was light. I had made the Orange Cream Layer Cake once before and was dying to make it again.

Visiting Italy has been on my "bucket list" since grade school. I've always wanted to experience the art, the beautiful landscapes, the history and the food. So, last fall when I had the opportunity to travel there with my whole family, I was thrilled! We saw the Mediterranean Sea, The David, real gondolas and more. Tiramisu quickly became our favorite Italian food (as you can see, we practically licked our plates clean). So, at each stop along the way we sampled the delicious tiramisu that region of the country had to offer.  

My kids' school recently had a work day before a big fundraising event, and I decided to surprise all the volunteers with a fun afternoon treat. I needed something casual enough to eat off a napkin, and, of course, it needed to be irresistible enough to get people to take a break! Since I'm working on the event non-stop, too, I needed something quick to make.

My dad grew up on a farm in rural Minnesota. And though he's spent the last 35 years living in the cities with his wife and four children (most of whom you couldn't pay to go camping) - as the saying goes, you can take the man out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the man. My dad still loves working with his hands, itches to be outside regardless of the weather and is delighted by fresh produce. So, when I was considering tackling this Rhubarb Cookie Cake recipe - it is the season, after all! - he was the person I wanted to bake it for.

What's more popular than cupcakes?  They're everywhere you look!  They're the hot new trend.  Who needs a cake when cupcakes are so fun and easy to eat?  It's all the rage with celebrities.  Recently, Miranda Cosgrove (iCarly on Nickelodeon) celebrated her birthday, and rather than a beautiful cake, she posed next to her cool cupcakes. So fun!  My girls just love her!