DIY Life

Think you're handy with a knife? Fiercely competitive? Sounds like you'd fit right in with this crowd of entrants in the Salon of Culinary Art, an annual fruit and vegetable carving competition held in New York. It's sort of like the Olympics...but with lots of produce and sharp cutting implements. And less exposure of gleaming, muscular flesh.

Saxton Freymann's books, especially Play with your Food, helped popularize this hobby/art-form. Freymann is known particularly for his fetching broccoli poodles and Brussels sprouts pigs. That's the kind of cutesie stuff that even I could probably master.

Leaders in the field, however, don't play around with such whimsies. Check out this New York Times slideshow to view the most intricately carved entries in this year's competition. Golden beet butterflies and rearing taro root stallions, anyone?

Want to add a whimsical touch to your Thanksgiving table? Enjoy carving jack-o-lanterns? This idea may be just right for you! Yes, folks, it's the Banana Squash Mayflower: a recreation of the famous vessel and its intrepid Pilgrim passengers, constructed entirely from winter squash and an assortment of other vegetable friends.

This centerpiece has it all -- A) a little humor, B) carving with a sharp knife to satisfy your crafting instincts and impress your friends and family, C) winter root vegetables, which evoke the seasonal and agrarian feel of Thanksgiving, all the while D) paying tribute to American history. I know I'm feeling thankful just thinking about it!

Squash Mayflower-assembly instructions and photos can be found on DIY Network's website. Let me boil it down to the essentials for you.

Step 1: Take a large banana squash and carve out a section in the middle. The squash is your Mayflower. The carved out section is the deck.

It's time to ditch the excessive supplements and energy drinks and start using natural foods to increase energy and elevate mood. It doesn't take much, and you'll be feeling better and have more energy to take on your next project. Kick-start your day with these 11 mood-lifting foods:

1. Milk
2. Chocolate
3. Whole grain rice or pasta
4. Mackerel
5. Broccoli
6. Coffee
7. Turkey
8. Liver
9. Blueberries
10. Brazil nuts
11. Any food that tastes good

Check out the full article for details on these foods and reasons why they are each beneficial. Add some of these to your daily diet and you'll immediately notice an improvement. These incredible stress busters will have the added benefit of tasting great. After the break I'll point you to some meal ideas that easily include these 11 mood lifting foods into your diet.