Appliance-wise, the refrigerator invariably takes up the most space in our kitchens. And while we might be enamored with our sleek, stainless steel ice boxes, they might not be all that necessary, even causing some foods (especially produce) to spoil more quickly than if they weren't chilled.  

Treehugger, a website covering green news, recently spoke to Korean designer Jihyun Ryou whose project, Save Food From The Fridge, is inspired by centuries old, fridge-less food storage. Her wall-mounted storage solutions are sleek and modern but the ideas behind them were inspired by her grandmother and old-fashioned methods of food preservation. 

Root vegetables are stored roots-down in wet sand, mimicking the way that they grow. Potatoes are stored in a modern-day root cellar, an enclosed wooden box with holes on top where apples can be stored. According to Ryou, "Apples emit a lot of ethylene gas. It has the effect of speeding up the ripening process of fruits and vegetables kept together with apples. When combined with potatoes, apples prevent them from sprouting."

And eggs? While the USDA recommends storing eggs in the refrigerator to prevent the spread of salmonella, many people throughout the world store eggs at room temperature. Ryou's egg-holding shelf comes complete with a bowl of water used to check freshness -- if it sinks you're good to go, but if it floats you've got an old egg on your hands.

Aside from being pleasing to the eye and a welcome addition to any modern kitchen, these food storage shelves might keep your produce fresher, which will save you some serious dough on your grocery bill. And of course, if there are less items in your fridge, you can downsize to a smaller model, which will also reduce your energy costs.

Below, you'll find the story of a basic roast chicken recipe that promises a marriage proposal from your boyfriend. Sound crazy? Yes. But will women all over America try it anyway? Probably. We've done crazier things for love.

Glamour magazine editor Lindsey Unterberger, one of the many women who've become engaged after making this infamous dish, explains the phenomenon. Read her full story here and check out the recipe below.

[Ed. note: I made perfect roast chicken for my ex-boyfriend approximately 50 times, yet note the "ex." I'm not sure I'm a believer, but if enough of you subscribe to this theory I'll consider purchasing some stock in poultry farms.]

Recipe Success Story: “I Made Engagement Chicken and It Worked!”
By Lindsey Unterberger

Hi everyone! My name is Lindsey, but you can call me Engagement Chick. You see, back in 2009 I had been dating my boyfriend for seven year. Yes, seven years. To say I was itching for a ring would be an understatement. So I decided to take matters into my own hands, er oven mitts, and made Glamour magazine’s infamous Engagement Chicken. If you haven’t heard of it, Engagement Chicken is an easy roast chicken recipe that has been handed down from Glamour staffer to staffer, all of whom got engaged after making it for their men. Soon after making it, I was engaged. The bottom line is that this bird works.

And I’m not the only one; 70 other couples and counting have reported the same results! In fact, it became such a phenomenon that Glamour created a cookbook around it called 100 Recipes Every Woman Should Know: Engagement Chicken and 99 Other Fabulous Dishes to Get You Everything You Want in Life. From Forget the Mistake You Made at Work Margarita to Make New Friends Plum Cobbler, every recipe has its own bit of magic. But here's the recipe that started it all.

Roast Chicken With Lemon and Herbs
Serves 2 to 4

1 whole chicken (approximately 4 lbs)
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice, plus 3 whole lemons (including 1, sliced, for garnish)
1 tablespoon kosher or coarse sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Fresh herbs, for garnish (4 sprigs rosemary, 4 sprigs sage, 8 sprigs thyme and 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley)

1. Position an oven rack in the upper third of the oven, and preheat the oven to 400°F. Remove the giblets from the chicken, wash it inside and out with cold water, then let the chicken drain, cavity down, in a colander for 2 minutes.

2. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Place it breast-side down in a medium roasting pan fitted with a rack, and pour the lemon juice all over the chicken, both inside and out. Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper inside and out.

3. With a fork, prick 2 whole lemons three times each in three different places, and place them deep inside the chicken cavity. Cavity size may vary, so if one lemon is partially sticking out, that’s fine.

4. Put the chicken in the oven, lower the temperature to 350°F, and roast the chicken, uncovered, for 15 minutes.

5. Remove the roasting pan from the oven. Using tongs or two wooden spoons, turn the chicken breast-side up. Insert a meat thermometer into the thigh, and return the chicken to the oven. Roast for about 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the meat thermometer reads 180°F and the juices run clear when the thigh is pricked with a fork. Continue roasting if necessary. Keep in mind that cooking times vary in different ovens; roasting a chicken at 350°F takes approximately 18 to 20 minutes per pound, plus an additional 15 minutes.

6. Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before carving. And here’s the secret: Pour the juices from the roasting pan on top of the sliced chicken—this is the “marry me juice.” Garnish with lemon slices and fresh herbs.

During the winter months, there’s nothing better than sitting down to a warm, one-pot meal, especially if it’s your famous family chili recipe, or the perfect one-pot lasagna dinner. Whatever your dish du jour, it’s a safe bet that if you’re busy and strapped for time, on a budget but pride yourself on healthy cooking, or in search of easy recipes that you can prep the night before, you love your slow cooker (almost) as much as we do!

To celebrate slow cooker deliciousness and help us shake those winter blues, DinnerTool is holding its Slow Cooker Showdown, a recipe contest to determine the best slow cooker recipe from around the country. Find out if your creation has what it takes to win the grand prize, $1000 cash and a KitchenAid® 6-Quart Slow Cooker with Easy Serve Lid, by submitting your best, original slow cooker recipes.

From now through February 16, 2012, sign in (or sign up for an account) on DinnerTool.com and follow the steps for recipe submission. Judges will determine the final four recipes based on equal parts overall taste, originality and ease of re-creation. Enter now!

On February 23, four finalists will be announced and you’ll be asked to cast your vote for the recipe most deserving of $1000 until March 9. Don’t worry -- the three finalists who don’t win the grand prize will still receive $150 and one of KitchenAid’s slow cooker just for making it this far.

Find out how to enter your winning recipe into the 2012 Slow Cooker Showdown, discover more delicious slow cooker recipes, and read the official rules. Good luck, and may the best recipe win!

• Caviar appears to have qualities that nourish and enhance nerve cells, which can heighten our romantic feelings. Caviar's powers are reinforced with the addition of vodka, so indulge both passions at the same time and watch out for fireworks.
   
• A recent study showed that mussels, clams and oysters contain compounds that have been shown to release sexual hormones such as testosterone and estrogen.
   
• Figs not only have an erotic look, they have long been a symbol of fertility and love.
   
• Truffles contain a chemical that is similar to the male pig sex hormone. Now you know why they use sows to search out truffles: the scent drives the girls wild. The chemical in truffles is also similar to a human male sex hormone, which gives truffles their romantic reputation. It doesn't hurt that truffles are also expensive and hard to find.
   
• Chocolate contains mild central nervous system stimulants that help heighten mood. According to legend, Montezuma drank 50 cups of chocolate every day to boost his virility before visiting his harem of 600 women. Unless you have your own personal harem, I wouldn't advise that amount of chocolate; a small amount of really good chocolate should set the mood just as easily.
   
• According to a 17-century herbalist, asparagus "stirs up lust in man and woman."
   
• Coffee drinkers reportedly are more sexually active than non-coffee drinkers.
   
• Radishes worked for the ancient Egyptians.
   
• The heat in garlic supposedly fires the flames of passion. Just don't forget the breath mints!

While we're never going to say no to chocolate, especially on Valentine's Day, that yellow box of drugstore candy doesn't really do it for us. So we've rounded up 10 truly special chocolates sure to make your V-Day that much more magical.

1. John and Kira make some of the most adorable Valentine's Day chocolates around. We love a box called Bee My Lovebug (pictured above) filled with handpainted Valrhona yellow bees and ladybugs that are filled with honey and creamy ganache. Is your valentine a fruit- or nut-lover? Go for their Pistachio Toffee or Chocolate Figs.

2. San Francisco-based Droga Confections offers indulgent options that are not only organic but also gluten-free. Specialities include Rocky Road studded with handmade marshmallows and salted peanuts and Put Your Money On Your Honey, wildflower honey salted caramels covered in Guittard dark chocolate. Drool!

3. If your favorite chocolate lover has a taste for all things boozy, consider a box of Éclat truffles. The company offers truffle assortments for both beer- and wine-lovers with flavors like Victory Hop Whallop and Mollydooker Shiraz. We're also big fans of this Pennsylvania-based chocolatier's Pennsylvania Dutch Pretzel chocolate bars. 

4. For those looking for a bit of old-school romance, Mariebelle Sweets has a collection of chocolate bars packaged with glittery vintage photos of lovey dovey couples and saucy pin-up girls.

5. If exotic truffles are the way to your love's heart (or your own herat!), look no further than Marcie Blaine. Ingenious flavor combos like Grape-Balsamic, Banana-Tahini and Canela and Ancho Chile seem like something that would come out of a restaurant kitchen rather than a chocolate shop, but trust us, they are nothing short of thrilling.

6. Garrison Confections is another chocolatier who takes inspiration from unlikely places, namely coffee, tea, and other beverages. Truffles are filled with Chamomile and Lemon, Hazelnut Macchiato and even Mango Kombucha.

7. If you're going big this Valentine's Day, go for Amedei.  This producer, based in scenic Tuscany, is famous for making the world's most expensive chocolate, painstakingly sourcing their beans and crafting them into exquisite bars, squares, truffles and other treats that ring in at around $100 a pound.  

8. Everything from Switzerland's Teuscher is remarkable but their most decadent Valentine's Day treats are their Champagne Truffles, each one filled with a touch of Dom Perignon.

9. They don't call Jacques Torres Mr. Chocolate for nothing, and this master of all things chocolaty gets especially inspired around Valentine's Day. With bright red chocolate lips ("Bisous"), heart-shaped puzzles, and an "ooh la la" inspiring Love Tonic (fudge sauce), he might want to change his nickname to Mr. Valentine.

10. If your Valentine would prefer beer and pretzels to champagne and roses, Truffle Truffle has got your special day all figured out. Their Beer and Pretzel Tuffles made with Rouge Chocolate Stout are a match made in flavor heaven.

When first introduced nearly 10 years ago, supermarket self-service checkout lanes were intended to cut labor costs and get consumers in and out of the store quickly and efficiently. But according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, it seems their popularity is waning, with most customers opting for a cashier rather than a touch screen computer. According to a recent report by the Food Marketing Institute, about 16 percent of supermarket customers used self-service lanes last year, down from almost 20 percent in 2006.

Issues with scanning barcodes, coupons and finding produce codes as well as having to bag your own groceries all cause backups in self-service lanes, oftentimes resulting in a checkout experience that takes longer than having a cashier scan and bag your haul.

And that whole saving on labor costs thing? Well, the number of employees on hand to deal with these problems pretty much takes care of that.  Some supermarkets are eliminating self-check lanes entirely for that very reason.

The majority of those in favor of self-check are younger, more technologically savvy, and can breeze through the computerized process with no problem at all. They say that self-service is much quicker, especially when it comes to smaller orders.  

Whether or not self-checkout lanes are here to stay remains to be seen because, after all, a trip to the grocery store is all about choice, even when it comes time to decide how you'd like to be rung up.

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
New England encompasses Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Vermont and Rhode Island -- making for a diverse food scene. These Patriot-themed recipes include some of the region's most popular foods -- take your pick, or ask everyone to bring a New England-themed dish.

Lobster and Shrimp:
Lobster Mac and Cheese
Open-Faced Shrimp Rolls
New England Fried Shrimp

Clams:
New England Clam Chowder (pictured)
Grilled Clams with Garlic Bread and Lemon

Baked Beans:
Maple-Bacon Baked Beans
BBQ Baked Beans and Sausage

Cheddar Cheese:
White Cheddar and Scallion Cornbread
Potato Skins with Bacon and Cheddar

Blueberries:
Chicken-Apple Sausages with Blueberry Ketchup

Ice Cream:
Chocolate Ice Cream Cupcakes
Double Chocolate and Peanut Butter Ice Cream Sandwiches
White Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

Whoopie Pies:
Chocolate Whoopie Pies

NEW YORK GIANTS
From pizza to pretzels, New York has so many iconic foods. If you're a Giants fan, get inspired by the city's street foods, like pretzels, hot dogs, falafel and pizza. Whatever you serve, don't forget the New York-style cheesecake!

Pizza:
EatingWell's Pepperoni Pizza
Roasted Cherry Tomato and Rosemary Pizza
Pizza Margherita

Pretzels:
Soft Pretzels

Hot Dogs:
Bacon-Wrapped Hot Dogs
Chicken-Apple Sausages with Blueberry Ketchup

Falafel:
Falafel

Manhattan Cocktail:
Manhattan

Apples:
Apple and Cheese Dip
Apple Pie Bars

Cheesecake:
Junior's Famous Pure Cream Cheesecake
Caramel Apple Cheesecake

Plus, watch our exclusive interview with Baltimore Ravens coach's wife, Ingrid Harbaugh:

This year Zagat, the original go-to guide for restaurant reviews, released its first-ever Valentine's Day Dining Survey, which examined how we're planning to spend the holiday. More than 600 people throughout the U.S. were surveyed.

For restaurants, Valentine's Day is one of the biggest nights of the year, but according to responders only 44 percent of the people surveyed plan on dining out, with 38 percent preferring a quiet night in. (If you're planning to dine at home, check out our romantic dinner recipes.)

Those who do plan on dining at a restaurant are going to make it count with an average meal for two coming in at $147, nearly double what average diners spend on less romantic evenings. To help bolster that bill, 45 percent of those surveyed plan on dropping big bucks on a pricey bottle of wine to accompany the meal.

Even though prime Valentine's Day reservations are notoriously hard to score, only a piddling 17 percent of people had the foresight to book a month in advance. And when it comes to planning where to enjoy that special meal, food trumps ambiance with nearly half of the survey's respondents choosing a good menu over soft lighting and tuxedoed waiters.

Finally, those with old-fashioned sensibilities will be happy to know that when the check comes only 11 percent of couples opt to split the bill.

Right now, drugstore shelves and grocery aisles are practically bursting with Valentine's Day candy. It all looks festive, but we're wondering which brands of V-Day chocolate taste the best under all of that frilly packaging. So we turned to Cheapism, a website devoted to bargain shopping, which recently filed an extensive report on the best budget chocolate brands.

Judging on factors including mouthfeel, glossiness and, of course, great chocolate flavor, judges rated Cadbury Royal Dark the best for its deep chocolate flavor and hints of cinnamon. Smooth, velvety Lindt Lindor Truffles were tops when it came to boxed chocolates. Reviewers said, "The outer shell of these delights has a pleasant snap and the consistency of the ganache inside is smooth and velvety." Taking second place was Dove Silky Smooth Dark Chocolate ("more mellow than dark") and Trader Joe's Box of Chocolates ("the winning variety in this assortment is the through-and-through chocolate bonbons; the creams are incredibly sweet").

If you're wondering which chocolates are undeserving of your valentine, stay far away from the overly sweet and not very chocolaty CVS Absolutely Divine Belgian Milk Chocolate Bar and the old standby, the Whitman's Sampler. Tasters agreed that nostalgia was pretty much the only appealing aspect of that particular box of chocolates.