Cooking with soda? Yes, we're serious. Next time open a bottle or can, we hope the quintessentially fizzing sound reminds you try one of these clever (but yummy) ideas.

Replace some or all of the liquid in pancake batter with carbonated soda like ginger ale, lemon-lime soda or seltzer for incredibly light and fluffy flapjacks.

Whip up a tangy sauce by simmering a can of orange or cherry soda with 1/2 cup light brown sugar, 1/4 cup white vinegar, 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a small saucepan until thick and glossy, 10 to 15 minutes. Toss the syrup with a pound of cooked chicken. A sprinkle of fresh cilantro is a nice finishing touch.

Stuck with flat soda? Fill an ice cube tray with it, freeze until solid, and you'll never suffer from a watered-down Coke again.

Mix confectioners' sugar with grated lemon zest and enough Mountain Dew, 7Up, Sprite, or Ginger Ale to make a spoonable sauce that's adds zip to your favorite cake loaf.

Cook down a can of classic soda like Coke or Pepsi with 1/4 cup light brown sugar to a thick syrup, 10 to 12 minutes. Then stir in 1/3 cup heavy cream and a stick of butter to make a sauce that's good drizzled on everything — think cherry ice cream, apple pie or even a simple bowl of sliced bananas.

Orange soda, plus red wine plus sliced mixed fruit (ok, a sliced orange is enough) equals a down-and-dirty sangria punch for one.

Replace the liquid in your turkey chili recipe (like the chicken stock or juices from canned tomatoes) with soda for added warmth and a kick of sweetness that nobody will be able to put their finger on.