Blog Posts by Heather W. at Better Homes and Gardens

If you're single, travel for business, or just enjoy savoring a meal without small talk, you've probably had the experience of dining alone. This can be immensely pleasurable or incredibly daunting, depending on your temperament and overall approach. To ensure your next table-for-one adventure is as enjoyable as possible, BHG.com offers up these time-tested tips for dining alone.

For fine dining at home, try these delicious DIY bistro menu ideas from BHG.com.

1. Be Bookish. Always come armed with reading material. Having something to read not only keeps you from getting bored but also serves as a shield against waitstaff pity or unwanted conversational overtures from fellow patrons. Keep in mind that certain reading choices are better than others due to their portability and fold-ability (good: Sports Illustrated bad: War and Peace). In fact, frequent dining alone might be the real motivation for investing in a Kindle - although be wary of spilled beverages!

2. Try The

Some people are naturally cheerful and content, while others need a little help upping their happiness quotient, especially in the back-to-the-grind post-holiday months. BHG.com spoke with Marissa Lippert, a registered dietitian, nutrition consultant, and author of the forthcoming book The Cheater's Diet to get the lowdown on 8 healthy foods that can give you an instant mood lift. We've also included fresh and healthy recipes from BHG.com that you can whip up for a happiness boost at home. Did we miss any of your favorite feel-good foods? Dish with us!

It's better to give than to receive, but it's also a lot more complicated. What do you give the fussy mother-in-law, the too-cool 'tween, the buttoned-up co-worker? BHG.com has the answer: delicious homemade food gifts! Besides the personal touch, these tasty tokens of holiday goodwill are wallet-fr

It's crunch time. The holidays are upon us, and for every industrious host who has been busy baking, shopping, and planning, there's a panicked soul who has yet to bake a cookie, trim the tree, or plan the menu for the big family gathering. If you find yourself in the latter category, BHG.com has selected our favorite simple side dishes and easy desserts that you can cook up, fast and hassle-free, for your upcoming festivities. Happy cooking and happy holidays!

Most people don't equate airplane food with fine dining, but four-star meals can be had at 35,000 feet-at a hefty price, of course. With the holiday travel season in full swing, we decided to take you behind the curtain of the most elite first class cabins to see how the other half dines. We picked the top 5 most decadent in-flight meals, as well as some delicious (and considerably more wallet-friendly) recipes from BHG.com that you can whip up on the ground.

Lufthansa
Lufthansa partners with top toques from around the world for its "Connoisseurs on Board" program. Whether dining on a special sushi selection created by renowned sushi chef Hiroshi Akutsu (served in an authentic bento box) or savoring a roasted beef tenderloin with pommes fondants, baby asparagus and Bordelaise sauce (pictured above) courtesy of Chef Jacques Sorci, head chef at the Ritz-Carlton Battery Park, your palate will never be jet-lagged on Lufthansa's long-haul flights.

Price of a round-trip First Class fare

There's nothing wrong with a little competition -- especially when it comes to cookies! To ring in the season, we've rounded up the most popular holiday cookies submitted by MixingBowl.com and BHG.com members. View the slide show to see the winning recipes, as well as some tasty testimonials from users. Do you have a fave holiday sweet treat? Dish with us!

Can you seduce with a whisk? While some people are skeptical of so-called "aphrodisiac foods," it's hard to deny that cooking and romance go hand in hand. With this in mind, we devised a menu of BHG.com's most savory and enticing dishes, from hors d'oeuvres through dessert, to help you win over your would-be sweetie (or, at the very least, impress him or her with your culinary skills). Don't forget to set the tone with ambient music, fresh flowers, an impeccably set table and, of course, flattering candlelight.

What do you love to cook for a romantic night in? Share your thoughts here!

Most waiters and waitresses are hardworking, professional people, and many circumstances are out of their control, from food preparation to seating time. But there are always a few bad apples (or just bad days) in any industry, and we've all probably been on the receiving end of rude, indifferent, or just plain baffling waitstaff behavior. We asked BHG.com and MixingBowl.com members about their horror stories, and here are the best of their worst experiences.

Turnabout's fair play, of course: So if you're a waitperson with equally astounding tales about the people you've waited on, share your story, too!

The Tip-Off
"A waiter friend I knew in college got furious when a couple left him what he considered to be too paltry a tip. So he followed them out to the parking lot to tell them so, and to demand a better tip. But their 'tip' was to the restaurant manager, who promptly fired the waiter." Posted by Whiskercook on MixingBowl.com.

The Bacon Bandit
"Once, I ordered breakfast with