Looking for a hit for the next family gathering or maybe a kid's party? This is it. It's a mooey, gooey chocolate pudding cake with a touch of peanut butter just to make it richer. Because this is rich and chocolatey, this goes best with a scoop of ice cream or whipped cream-hence the sundae. Anyone that likes chocolate will love this.

This is in on our "must have" kitchen tool list. It is a small diameter (3 inch) stainless steel strainer. And it's yours free with a $25 purchase.

You'll use this for straining and draining. You'll also use it for dusting flour on breads and powdered sugar on cakes. You'll find a thousand uses.

This is a sturdy, professional quality strainer from Norpro who makes quality kitchen equipment. It is made of 18/10 stainless steel and will last a lifetime. Compare at $7.95 to $15.95 You'll be proud to add this to your kitchen equipment.

We want you to get your freebies. We usually include freebies in our weekly specials. We change them weekly when we publish the newsletter. But you have to put them in your cart. We have orders coming from many different sources (including our free baking lessons which have their own freebies). The guys in the warehouse can't keep up with all the special offers and select your freebie for you. You must put it in your cart so that it is listed on your order.

If you think you were shorted a freebie that you should have received, please contact us.

We live in a high desert valley in Eastern Idaho where it's still hot in the early evening. So we like to slip off into the mountains to enjoy the evening. Yes, we sometimes take a grill but often make do with sandwiches.

Our favorite picnic sandwiches are Italian sandwiches made with Onion and Herb Focaccia. This focaccia is quick and easy (even if you are not a yeast baker). We cut the bread into wedges, split the wedges open, and make the sandwiches before we leave home. Provolone and deli meat works fine. We like sprouts instead of lettuce for the taste and because sprouts stay crisp so well. We drizzle the sandwiches with a bit of olive oil and vinegar mixed with oregano and basil.

Use a good quality, extra-virgin olive oil and red wine vinegar. Use twice as much olive oil as vinegar and maybe just a touch of dry mustard. We think you will love these sandwiches as much as we do.

We have extended our special on Onion and Herb Focaccia. For one more week, buy Onion and Herb Focaccia for only $1.79 per mix.

Every picnic needs a cookie. These chocolate chip cookies are quick and easy to make and everyone loves them. If you have not tried these cookies yet, you should. Folks rave about them. They have lots of chips, almonds, and a wonderful almond flavor. Add these to your pantry at a reduced price.

It's a beautiful summer evening-perfect for a picnic. But after a challenging day at the office, you just don't have the energy to pull it off. There's an easier way.

In the summertime, we keep two large plastic tubs with everything (non-perishable) that you might need on a picnic-from paper supplies, to a first aid kit, to matches, to seasonings. Grab your checklist (or our picnic checklist) and check off everything that is not perishable that you might use. Stick it all in plastic tub or two. Now all you have to after that hectic day at the office is grab the perishables from the refrigerator and you're ready to go.

Our daughter and son-in-law go one step further. They keep a small barbeque grill in the back of their pickup. They also have binoculars for watching game or birds. Be sure to have jackets stashed somewhere for those evenings when the weather changes or cools off unexpectedly.

Last summer, we put together a list of picnic tips. We just added more tips. You can see the expanded picnic tips list here.

We included a chess pie recipe in our free baking lessons. A chess pie is a type of pie--rather than one specific recipe--made with eggs and butter and dairy. (Catch the recipe for chess pie here.) Since chess pie is a type of pie, lots of goodies are added to chess pies--nuts, fruit, and bourbon are the most common. We tinkered around and made a walnut chess pie with lots of walnuts and maple syrup as the sweetener. It was very good.

Only $2.95 each!

We love testimonials. And we know this is really good jam. But this testimonial is in a class by itself. It deserves an award. You be the judge:

"I just had your Pioneer Valley Bodacious Berry Jam for the first time. I will never be the same. It is beyond superb. It has changed my life. I will now forever after look upon my life in two parts: before Bodacious Berry and after Bodacious Berry. It is as if the sun is brighter, the sky bluer, people are nicer, and the grand meaning of life has been laid bare before me. My eternal and undying thanks to you. Bravo !"

Yes, someone really did write that.

If you are not receiving our free weekly baking lessons--American Baking Essentials, Course 201--you can still enroll. There is no cost or obligation and you will receive a free lesson every week for eight weeks.

In the heat of the summer, it's important to drink plenty of liquids. That's especially so for children as they play in the sun. Here are some ideas:

• Puree fruits and freeze them into ice cubes. Use the ice cubes in lemonade or other drinks. Peaches, raspberries, and cherries work well. Strain the fruit puree before freezing to make it smooth. (ah-ha, one more use for that free stainless strainer.)

What size eggs should I use in my grandmother's recipes? Will the chlorine in my tap water kill yeast? Can I use butter instead or shortening in my pie crusts?

We regularly field questions like these from readers. If these questions are of general interest, we share the answers with you.