living cookbook

Having made some delicious muffins last night, I only went and 'forgot' to bring some into the office for everyone, much to the anger of the rest of the insideTonic team. Following my tasty (and I do mean REALLY tasty, guys) creation I decided I would start compiling my own cookbook. However, I'm no TV chef and don't have the time nor the money to invest in sitting down and writing one from scratch.

So I decided to investigate the world of cookery software and was surprised by exactly how useful these programs can be. I started out by using My Favorite Recipes to document my ingenious muffin formula as well as some other top secret recipes that had been passed down through my family (my Mum does a great jam sandwich). I liked the way the app let me enter very precise instructions before allowing me to search through my new database by names, titles or ingredients.

After exhausting all my own recipe ideas I decided to start pinching other people's. So I installed Recipe4Win, which provided me with thousands of ideas through an easy-to-browse interface. One of the great things about this one is that you can browse recipes by geography - great for hosting themed dinner parties, I thought. In terms of an all-in-one cookery solution, however, I reckon Living Cookbook really takes the biscuit. Besides being able to search recipes and add your own, the software lets you create shopping lists, check nutritional information, and even publish cookbooks. Yum.

Well, tomorrow is the big day and if you've decided to organise a last-minute Halloween party you needn't fear (well, only about the freaks that are going to show up). That's because there's plenty of PC software around that can help you make sure your bash is a real scream. The best place to start is FunParty Make-Over, which will help you create a costume that will make your friends wish they'd stayed at home. Simply load a picture of yourself then play around with different fancy dress objects in the program to create the perfect grizzly look.

Unless your guests have already dined on flesh and bats before they arrive, you're going to need to put on a spread of food for them. A quick way of coming up with some tasty Halloween treats is to delve into the huge recipe database within Living Cookbook, which presents cooking instructions in a very simple manner. Of course, with all that food inside them, your victims guests are going to get thirsty. Introduce some gruesome spirits to the proceedings by mixing you own cocktails using Professional Bartender.

Right, that's the food and drink taken care of, now to sort out the music for the night. A great way of queuing up haunting classics like The Monster Mash, Ghostbusters and Thriller (which are all compulsory Halloween tracks, by the way) is to download PartyDJ, which contains powerful commands for altering the song order, searching and filtering music. Another interesting app that might come in handy is Snap, which lets you convert your webcam into a virtual photo-booth, ideal for taking snaps of the all the horrific party scenes as they unfold.

If you want to really make the most of this year's Fourth of July celebrations then why not deck your PC out with a set of programs that help you embrace the spirit of the day? We've compiled a complete Independence Day toolkit that pays tribute to all things American and will help you get the party started on your PC.

Voyage of Columbus 3D Screensaver - Recapture the spirit of Columbus' historic trip

BarGenie - Ensure that no one goes thirsty at your Fourth of July party

Fireworks Wallpaper - Make sure your celebrations go off with a bang

Nostalgia Baseball - Guide your own baseball team to glory

Living Cookbook - Get those hot dogs and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches ready

Black History Screensaver - Play out the path to black America's freedom on your PC

Wild West Ransom - Send Pacman back to the Old West to munch ghostly varmints

Travel USA - Discover America using your cellphone