The Cheese Course

Enroll mom in a cheesy course for Mother's Day.

Mother's Day is this Sunday and if you've been procrastinating, you'd better get up off the couch and figure out a gift. Luckily for you, we have a great idea that goes way beyond the usual bouquet of carnations that you picked up from some guy on the I-95 off-ramp.

Since mom spent all that money putting your unworthy self through school, we suggest you shell out some of your hard-earned dollars for a little tuition money...for mom.

No, we're not suggesting sending her away to law school. We're suggesting enrolling mom in one of the fantastic classes we're picked out. Mom can learn to bake the perfect cake, appreciate wine, or create the perfect cheese platter. Best of all? Each class is less than three hours long, and all are well under $100.

Read also:
- Mother's Day in South Florida: Budget Options for Mom in Broward and Palm Beach County

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Come Sunday morning, what's the first thing you'll be guaranteed to stuff your face with after an exhausting Easter basket hunt? Will it be fruit-flavored jelly beans, a block of rabbit-shaped chocolate or an entire box of florescent pink Peeps?

Guess again. Before you reach for that basket of sugar the Easter Bunny left you, chances are you'll probably be cracking open a semi-cold, dye-stained hard boiled egg. Stinky and unappealing as it may seem, we all know it's coming. But it doesn't have to be this way -- especially not if your eggs are filled with something a little more appetizing.

Say, something like vanilla cake? Stefani Pollack -- editor, photographer and official taste-tester for her blog dubbed the Cupcake Project -- shares with us her method and recipe for baking cupcakes inside egg shells for an extra-special holiday treat.

"You can bake any cupcake recipe in cleaned-out egg shells, and when you are ready to eat the cake, you just crack the egg and dig in," Pollack explains. "Ah-mazing!"

See also:
- South Florida Easter Brunch and Dinner Guide

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IKEA

Maybe the Easter bunny should hide meatballs?

When you think of Easter, you probably think of a giant bunny hiding colorful eggs, followed by a big ham dinner... unless you're Swedish. Then you're picturing a table overflowing with herring and meatballs.

IKEA, the giant blue-and-yellow warehouse filled with impossible-to-assemble/impossible-to-pronounce furniture, is hosting its annual Swedish Easter Smorgasbord this Friday, March 22, and the menu is pretty expansive... and awesome.

The all-you-can-eat event is based on a traditional Påskbord dinner and includes a selection of different herrings, smoked salmon, dill potatoes, strudel, ham, Swedish meatballs, lingonberry preserves, potatoes au gratin, breads, desserts, and salmon fillets.

Read also: IKEA U.S. Meatballs Do Not Contain Horse Meat

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B Ocean Fort Lauderdale Hotel

Real (Irish)men eat Ruben quiche.

This St. Patrick's Day, the B Ocean Fort Lauderdale Hotel is asking you to drink (and eat) outside the box.

Sure you could go anywhere and have some green beer and corned beef and cabbage, but have you ever asked yourself, "why on earth would I want to consume cheap beer laced with green dye?"

Instead, how about starting your St. Paddy partying with an innovative, yet still appropriately-themed brunch?

Read Also: Top Ten Irish Bars

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Swank Farms

Dine at the farm. Forget the green beer.

If your version of a great Sunday afternoon is more about eating green than drinking green (as in food coloring in your beer), then we suggest heading out to Swank Farms on Saint Patrick's Day to celebrate the Wearin' o' the Green... Salad.

This adults-only lunch features some of South Florida's best chefs each pitching in to prepare Irish-themed courses paired with fine wines.

The event, which benefits the Red Cross, will be held at Swank Farms on Sunday, March 17, from noon to 4 p.m. Tickets cost $150 each and available by wait list only by calling 561-202-5648.

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Krispy Kreme

We heart doughnuts!

This Valentine's Day forget the heart shaped box full of bon bons and get a sweet treat that you know everyone will actually love -- a dozen Krispy Kreme doughnuts all dressed up for the special day.

The doughnut bakery that drives us wild whenever their"hot now" light is turned on, is featuring a selection of  holiday goodies, available now through February 14.

The doughnuts are 99 cents each, $8.99 for a dozen.

Plus, if you buy a dozen, you'll get a dozen cut little V-Day cards -- each redeemable for a free doughnut!



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TimesSquareNYC.org

The Times Square ball drop is the most famous -- but it's not the weirdest by far.

Tonight, millions of people around the world will gather around their televisions to see a big lighted ball drop from One Times Square in New York City at midnight. Since 1907, the New Year's Eve ball has dropped at 11:59 p.m., traveling 77 feet in 60 seconds to signify the start of another year.

Though the most famous celebration, the Times Square ball is not the only item to drop at New Year's Eve. Many cities have their own unique celebrations, many of them representing foods they're famous for. Miami, for instance, drops an orange at midnight, while Georgia drops a peach. In fact in the 1980s the famous Times Square ball was replaced by an apple (to mixed reviews).

While those are pretty normal ways to celebrate the new year and home town spirit, some cities get a little carried away and take a trip to crazy-town this time of year. Forget apples and oranges -- here are the ten weirdest food-related things to drop on New Year's Eve.

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No need to bust out the waffle iron when someone else can do the work for you.

Merry Christmas! Clean Plate Charlie hopes that you and yours got everything your little hearts desired, whether it was a six-pack of $85 beer or a gender-neutral Easy-Bake Oven.

Now that the gifts have been unwrapped and the living room is buried in a sea of ribbon and shredded paper, it's time to fortify with a hearty meal and post-present cocktails. Before everyone gets sucked into setting up their new iPads, gather the crew and head to Mizner Park for some brunch. In the spirit of the holidays, Tanzy has decided to sweeten its Christmas Day offerings.

See Also:
- Christmas 2012 in a Restaurant: Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Palm Beach County Restaurants Open on Christmas
- Christmas 2012 in a Restaurant: Fort Lauderdale, Broward Restaurants Open on Christmas
- The Best Eggnog Martini Recipe, Plus Five More Christmas Cocktails

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TRF_Mr_hyde via Flickr Creative Commons

Nothing like a little quality family time around the holidays.

If you're reading this now, it likely means you're running down the clock at work, sipping from a Thermos of spiked eggnog and counting the moments until sweet, holiday vacation time is yours. Those who are sticking around town this week will find there's not a whole lot going on. Clean Plate Charlie did manage to snag a few food and drink related happenings, including ideas on how to keep the kids occupied during the holiday break. Find some Broward and Palm Beach events after the jump.

See Also:
- South Florida New Year's Eve 2013 Dinners: Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, Delray Beach, and Beyond
- Make and Give This Easy Peppermint Bark For Christmas
- Dave & Buster's Hosts Christmas Dinner for Local Veterans

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Shauna Young Dessert Tables

Ring in 2013 with a little bit of sugar shock.

Kimberly Hale has the kind of job that every kid (and sugar-addict adult) would fantasize about. She spends her days playing with candy. Or rather, carefully arranging well thought-out, highly customized candy buffets for weddings, showers, parties, and other special events as coordinated by her Florida-based business Extraordinary Sweets. So, basically playing with candy. Clean Plate Charlie reached out to Hale for some tips on how to put together a kick-ass candy buffet for your New Year's Eve party.

See Also:
- Meet Extraordinary Sweets: Their Custom Candy Buffet Will Be at This Weekend's Sweet Dreams Festival
- Recap of Sixth Annual Sweet Dreams at Seminole Casino Coconut Creek (Photos)
- South Florida New Year's Eve 2013 Dinners: Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, Delray Beach, and Beyond

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