Part of my job as a cookbook magazine editor is to participate in Taste Panels. A panel tester makes five or six recipes and Andi and I (and sometimes a few other people) go downstairs to the Betty Crocker Kitchens to taste each one. If we agree that a recipe performs well, or if we like the taste of it for the most part and it just needs a few minor adjustments, it is accepted. If a recipe fails, it's rejected and goes back to the drawing board.

For many, this is a dream come true: To sit and eat for your job. When I first tell people what I do for a living they almost always say, "Let me know if you need extra food tasters." While I do enjoy Taste Panel (it's a nice break from sitting in my cube) I get overwhelmed by all the food and a little embarrassed by my pickiness. Obviously I don't eat whole slices of cake and full portions--I just try a bite or two of each recipe, but it's still a lot of food to take in. For me, the best part about Taste Panel is the camaraderie and laughs between all the panelists. Here are just a few quotes from our latest Panels:

"An oat crumb just fell out of my hair." (Kristen, panel tester)

"I'm not a big fan of [insert ingredient from just about every recipe here]." (Me)

"This is straw food. It's so good you want to suck it up with a straw." (Andi, food editor)

"Circus peanuts taste like bananas." (Sharon, copy editor)

"So, tell me about this moustache..." (Andi, food editor)

"This is scary, but in a good way." (Me)

"Then you stab the cake and pour the frosting over it." (Kristen, panel tester)