When I heard there was a Pippa Middleton party book I got all excited. Finally, the secret to getting into debauched costumed bacchanalias with French millionaires and dwarfs revealed! OUI. But non. It is not that kind of party book. I put down my powdered wig and sequined thong with a sigh.

No, Pippa Middleton's new party book is a respectable tome called Celebrate: A Year of Festivities for Families and Friends. No mention of strippers anywhere on the cover. Instead, it's "a comprehensive guide to simple and creative entertaining." BuzzFeed says the cover looks like a Pinterest board and they're right. But what else is in the book?

I'm here to tell you about the tea party. No, not The Tea Party! This is the food section, people. Tea parties. Nothing to do with Republicans. Unless you want to invite some Tea Partiers to your tea party. Which is totally up to you. I mean, it's a free country. Anyway, back to tea parties. They can be fun. Right? They sound fun anyway. Who doesn't like tea parties? Tea, scones, little sandwiches, the whole kit-n-kaboodle. You can't go wrong. And kids love to play with tea sets. So, you know, break out your tea set, and the kids' tea set, and invite some Tea Partiers, or not, and let's get down to what makes an excellent tea party that kids will love too.

The weather is getting warmer, and when it comes to food, that means one thing: Picnics! And, let's face it, there are certain foods that a picnic is just not a picnic without. Would you do a pizza without cheese? Of course not. And no picnic is complete, at least in my world, without certain staples.

Add these items into a wicker basket, unfurl your red-and-white checkered tablecloth, pick a prime grassy spot, and gorge! Here are the 7 classic picnic ingredients and some good recipes for them.

Happy National Tortilla Day! I didn't realize this existed, and you'll be forgiven for not knowing either. Yet, it makes sense. After all, there is no chip more crispy, more versatile, than the tortilla chip. And there is no bread-like food that can wrap itself around so many different things than the tortilla. Ever tried to make a taco with wheat bread? Yet, you can put turkey and cheese inside a tortilla, wrap it up, and have a delicious lunch.

For more proof that tortillas really do rule, and deserve their own national holiday, check out these three amazing tortilla recipes.

In an amazing reversal this Mother's Day, the First Lady told a group of moms to eat as many cookies as they want and announced that today was a Don't Let's Move day.

Was this a joke? Was Michelle O caving to the jeers of Sarah Palin?

Mrs. Obama's audience was actually an audience of military moms, guests of a White House Mother's Day tea party. The menu had plenty of fruit and veggies, of course. But there were also scones, tarts, and financiers (little French sponge cakes, and okay, none of these are actually cookies). With this invitation to indulge in dessert, the First Lady presented one of the simplest yet most radical ideas Americans currently face when it comes to food: balance.

Cosmos, margaritas, and of course, straight-up champagne are always delicious, go-to celebratory libations. But this is no ordinary celebration we are talking about here. Tomorrow, March 15, The Stir is celebrating our First Birthday! So we wanted to do something a little jazzier and unique.

That's why we tasked authors of the new book DIY Cocktails: A Simple Guide to Creating Your Own Signature Drinks Marcia Simmons and Jonas Halpren of DrinkoftheWeek.com with dreaming up a signature sip in honor of our big day and our readers!

So, without further ado, the recipe for The Stir Tropical Sparkler, a cocktail that will taste like you're celebrating a birthday on an island vacation, without ever having to leave home ...  

The Chinese New Year begins Thursday (February 3). How about celebrating with an easy, flavorful Chinese dish? These lettuce wraps, which use ground turkey flavored with Chinese-style spices, is probably more "American Chinese restaurant" than an actual authentic dish that would be eaten in China. But they're still delicious-sounding, easy to make, and healthy.

This would make a fun Chinese New Year meal to share with kids, too. They'd love making their own lettuce wraps, and finger foods are always a hit. And if you're pressed for time, they can be made ahead and even served cold -- no reheating needed.

Plentiful? Yes. Clean enough to eat? Hm...I don't know about your part of the world, but the Mid-Atlantic states are starting to look like the Planet Hoth, we're getting so much snow. I've considered expanding my apartment's square footage by building an igloo on the roof. I just wish all this excess snow could be useful in some way. Isn't there something we could do with it all besides shovel it, throw it, and turn it into sculpture?

Oh wait, we could make food with it! Keep reading for six recipes using snow.