I was privileged recently to sit down to a juicy roast for dinner that was served with fresh steamed veggies followed by a tasty baked banana for dessert. When I asked how the meal was prepared I found out they had cooked everything in their clay cookware. Most of us will roast our poultry or bake our fish or cook fish, soup, and vegetables in the standard pots and pans - cookware made of copper, aluminum, glass, ceramic or stainless steel, aluminum. But around the globe there are populations who commonly cook in clay vessels. There are many in U.S. who have become big fans of cooking in clay as well and can't imagine not have clay cookware in their kitchens.

At our home many of our traditions and sentimental memories revolve around food. Seems the desserts especially get people quite excited and quite a few are attached to their particular favorite that must be on the table. It may be fruitcake, pecan or pumpkin pie, or Christmas tree sugar cookies. This year seems like a good time to freshen up these long-time favorites and try some great new recipes to liven up some classic holiday desserts.

When it comes to decorations, Christmas is my favorite time of year - and cupcake decorations are no exception! Let's face it - we all tend to indulge a bit more around the holidays, and everyone loves cupcakes - so why not make it fun and creative by trying some of the following Christmas cupcake ideas?

The summer is a great time of year for baking. The natural response to the warmer weather would be to enjoy the outdoors rather than baking in your kitchen, but it is quite the opposite.

If you are used to baking with sugar, it may take a little getting used to stocking your pantry for a low-sugar or sugar-free lifestyle. Once you realize that your sweet life is not over just because you are cutting back on sugar, you will be just fine. Here are some tips to help you stock a pantry with baking supplies needed to make sugar-free desserts.