I live with a cheddar cheese addict. My son loves the stuff, and we always have a block of it in our refrigerator. And who can blame him? It's salty and tangy, and it melts like a dream as long as you don't overcook it. Needless to say, we eat a lot of quesadillas and grilled cheese sandwiches. But those are getting kind of old, so I'm looking for other ways to use cheddar. Here are eight recipes using cheddar cheese.

Hey, ladies, does ice cream get you in the mood? Not in the mood to stuff your pie hole, I mean in the mood for loooove? No? Well, it might after seeing Sexiest Man Alive Bradley Cooper in this new commercial for Haagen-Dazs. I don't eat dairy but watching hotness personified Bradley swirl ice cream into his perfect lips is almost enough to make me want to run out and grab a pint!

Snooki is feeling so domestic these days as a new mama. She just posted a photo of TWO fruit salads she made with the caption, "Made yummy fruit salad!!!! I'm such a mom." Aw, both salads really do look yummy. (One is all strawberries?) But wait a minute there, what's especially "mom" about making a fruit salad? Is this something Snooki never saw anyone in the Jersey Shore crew make?

And the answer is no, because there's no booze in fruit salad, silly! No, but seriously, does making certain foods make you "such a mom"? If so, what would those foods be?

Mmm. Mmm. Mmm. Comfort food. It never gets old. And it doesn't matter what time of year it is, there's really nothing better than a hot, steaming plate of goodness -- especially when it takes little to no effort to make.

And this awesome Crock Pot Macaroni and Cheese recipe from Food.com will probably wind up being a staple in your house once you try it and realize how easy it is to throw together.

It only takes about 10 minutes to put all of the ingredients into the slow cooker, then you turn it on, forget about it, and in a couple hours, you have a delicious classic that's sure to please the whole family.

Y'all, Southern Living has a new cookbook and it's all about frying! The Way to Fry is the new bible on frying food -- NOT THAT WE'RE DOING THAT ALL THE TIME. (Wink.) Just, you know, in case once every 300 years or so you want to fry your food, here's a handy guide.

One of the cookbook's authors, Southern Living editor Norman King, was on the radio program Hot Grease recently with his top tips for frying food. I ran for my pen to scribble them down -- then went looking for more deep frying wisdom. Here are 10 tips for frying golden deliciousness.

We know most kids love chicken nuggets. But what's exactly in those things? How do they get them into those dinosaur shapes? I'll let my son have some of those mystery meat nuggets every once in a while. But if you want the best of both worlds (fun kid-friendly food that's a little more wholesome), you've gotta make your own. Here's the good thing -- it's not really that hard! Even better, your kids will have fun making these with you. Here's a recipe for homemade chicken nuggets.

Look for panko bread crumbs in the international section of your grocery store. These Japanese-style crumbs make an especially light and crisp coating for your nuggets. But any other breadcrumbs will also work.

It's been an emotionally gruelling couple of days for many of us. When senseless violence like the bombings in Boston erupts I find myself grasping for comfort, for anything that makes my life feel safe, stable, and nurturing. Last night when I got home from work I hugged my son. And then I went right into the kitchen and made bean burritos. They were exactly what I needed.

Later that night I happened to see a video of a food writer I follow, Jennifer Perillo. Jennie talks about why she cooks -- to seek refuge, to inspire, and to remember. She's survived her own tragedy -- and she's found her comfort and resilience in her kitchen.

Back in the 1980s, there was this movie called Mr. Mom in which a full-grown man tends to his own children and maintains his own household. Hilarious high jinks ensue, because men caring for kids and doing housework LOLOLOL! It's a total gas -- if you're living in the stone age, as Hollywood apparently was in 1983. But anyway, one thing, besides the rampant gender stereotypes, stood out for me: The scene where the dad grills a cheese sandwich with an iron. (Out of laziness because the kids are hungry and he's busy ironing his wife's shirts.)

Ever since then I've wanted to try grilling a cheese sandwich with my iron.

Some of you may be asking, "Why on earth would you want to do that?!?" Ugh, why must you ask such boring questions? Because! Science. And because I'm curious. Have you never had a moment of curiosity in your life? It's a lot of fun. You should try it some time. And you should try grilling a sandwich with your iron. Here's how.