WASHINGTON Forced to pay for once-free sandwich toppings and twice as much for some steak cuts, shoppers are wondering whether higher grocery bills and restaurant tabs truly reflect the trickle down of a global rise in food prices.

MILWAUKEE Cheeseheads don't need to be bleu: Experts say predictions that California will soon overtake Wisconsin as the nation's top cheese producer are unlikely to come true.

When I first got married, I read a lot of magazines about how to keep the romance going. One such article said to serve pasta in a single large bowl with two forks and eat it on the couch. My persnickety Canadian husband asked, "Why are we doing this?"

It's shower season - but not of the umbrella sort. It's the time of year where you seem to be attending (and hosting!) an endless parade of bridal and baby showers.

The domestic goddess, Martha Stewart, has made it easier (once again!) to be a little more like her even while juggling the hectic schedule of the average American. This month Martha Stewart Occasions hits stores and the Web just in time for the dawn of graduation-wedding-family reunion season.

There's nothing like casual summertime entertaining. Good friends, cold beer, steak hot off the grill ... and some avocados.

I love the arts almost as much as I love to party. Classical music, dance, modern art - you name it. If it lives in a museum, I can't wait to see it.

My friend Julie insists that the perfect summer drink is a simple gin-and-tonic with a twist of lime.

"Margarita Mama: Mocktails for Moms-to-Be"