Are you planning on hosting a New Year's brunch this year? Well, why not wow your guests with a festive twist on a few classic brunch cocktail recipes? Substitute Champagne for Vodka to make a Bubbly Mary or use Vodka instead of gin in a Blended Citrus Fizz. Both can be made in batches which allows you more time with your guests. Don't forget to offer a few nonalcoholic treats-you never know who will waltz in with a nasty hangover. And as always a good espresso is a must.
Today marks the end of a year and that means it's time for New Year's Resolutions (be sure to put yours in FitSugar's Declare IT group). For many of us, one of those resolutions will be to "cool it with the guilty pleasure food," but before you do that, fess up and let us know about your dirty little 2006 secret.
What was your 2006 guilty pleasure food?
I'm talking about the food that you try and hide from your friends and family!
I can't deny it, I love champagne. It's just one of those things, like painted nails, Marc Jacobs handbags, and vanilla cupcakes, that I wholeheartedly love. I find myself inventing reasons to pop open a bottle of bubbly and my desire to know more about champagne extends beyond the usual mmm-this-tastes-yummy interest.
I've decided that champagne, or any sparkling wine really, is a drink of glamorous sophistication and simplistic elegance and should be treated as such. Basically in order for me to truly appreciate champagne, I need to fully understand it. For my lesson on sparklers, read more
A quintessential side dish, especially during this time of year, good old mashed potatoes are the inevitable go-to side for anything roasted.
How come mashed potatoes are so popular? Perhaps it's because they're a comforting reminder of Thanksgiving, their baby food like consistency, or possibly because virtually any flavor can enhance their taste and texture. Whatever the reason, mashed potatoes are a great side for any upcoming roast dinner you may be planning. For a variation that includes buttermilk and the subtle onion flavoring found in leeks and chives, read more
A good dinner is of great importance to good talk. One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.
To round out my celebration of National Chocolate Day (really, who does make these things up?), I've decided to share with you a great, light chocolate treat. I found this in a book I picked up at a garage sale called 365 Delicious Low-Fat Recipes. Now, I'm usually not one to count my calories (I've decided if it tastes good I'll eat it, now if I could only learn moderation...), but this recipe is so simple and tasty, that you won't even realize it's low-fat. To learn how to make yummy Chocolate Ice, read more
You're working on your latest baking project and you've headed to the baking aisle to pick up all of your ingredients. You look at the chocolates and see semisweet, bittersweet, milk, white, unsweetened. The choices can be overwhelming, but what's the difference? Is bittersweet sweeter than semisweet? Is white chocolate even chocolate? How can chocolate be unsweetened? If any of these questions have ever crossed your mind, you're not alone. To check out my mini-chocolate primer, read more
Since today is National Chocolate day I decided to overdose on all things chocolate. If I don't have a drink before dinner or a glass of wine during, I like to treat myself to a dessert cocktail. Yes, you know what I'm talking about...a chocolate martini! It's like heaven in liquid form. Drinking these consecutively is definitely not a good idea (and a sure bet for a hangover the following morning) but here's what makes them so worthwhile: you can have one for dessert and allow yourself to enjoy it to the absolute fullest. To make this divine drinkable dessert, read more
Truffle: An underground, irregular shaped fungus that is very similar to a mushroom. It has a thick skin that varies in color from a creamy white to black. Found mostly in Italy and France, they grow near roots of oak and beech trees and usually located by trained pigs and dogs. They are used sparingly in cooking due to their pungent taste and high cost.
Chocolate Truffle: A chocolate confection traditionally made with melted chocolate, butter, cream, sugar and various flavorings. They are often dipped in melted chocolate or coated in cocoa powder. They are called truffles due to their resemblance to the truffle fungus.
