Earlier this month Teri Hatcher and her lovely daughter Emerson found a few minutes to enjoy tasty, tasty cupcakes from the world famous Magnolia Bakery in New York. Since most of us just can't pop down to Magnolia whenever we feel like, I've decided to treat you with the official recipe for Magnolia Bakery Vanilla Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream. To check out the recipe and see more pics of Teri and her daughter, read more

Holy... what the... oh my good golly... seriously what happened last night!? I can NOT believe the outcome. Warning there are big time spoilers and shockers here, so if you've got it waiting at home, then go watch it and come back tomorrow with your comments, because believe me, you're going to have some!

For the rest of you, let me just start by saying were you as surprised as I was? I totally thought I knew who was going to be eliminated, I even thought I knew who was going to win, looks like I was WRONG.

To read the full recap for the Hawaiian themed Finale Part 1, read more

PopSugar reported about Carmen Electra hosting last night's launch of Absolut Pears (the latest flavored vodka installment from Absolut) and I, PartySugar, am here to report the fabulous details surrounding the atmosphere and decor of the party. The party was sort of a take on the Adam and Eve theme with young good looking guys and gals dressed in scantily clad nude body suits with strategically placed leaves. One of the girls performed with a live large boa constructor above the bar. The color scheme was (not surprisingly) pear and ivy green, with hundreds of real pears stacked around the locale and draped ivy all over the bar and walls. The lighting was moody and low with tons of pearly white candles. My personal favorite were the pear tree topiaries that adorned each side of the bar. To see all of the pictures of the decor at the Absolut Pears launch, read more

Last weekend, I headed over to 'wichcraft (Tom Colicchio's casual sandwich spot) for a tasty fried egg sandwich (which was yummy, if not a bit too heavy on the frisée). I was originally going to grab a nice refreshing bottle of water to accompany my meal when out of the corner of my eye I spotted this lovely little soda bottle. Upon inspection I saw that it was called Vignette Wine Country Soda, and well, I can't explain it, but just looking at it made my mouth start drooling like one of Pavlov's dogs.

So naturally, I put down the bottle of water and grabbed a bottle of the Chardonnay flavored soda instead. Now I assumed it would be a refreshing addition to my lunch, but I was not expecting it to be as delicious as it was. It was a crisp, bubbly kick in the tastebuds - not too sweet and with a subtle fruit flavor. I only wish all Chardonnay could taste this nice.

Also, while I was at the Fancy Food Show I had the opportunity to talk to founder Patrick Galvin. He let me know that Vignette is the first carbonated soft drink completely sweetened with the juice from Californian varietal wine grapes and is completely natural. While there, I took a taste test of the Pinot Noir flavor. Although it was also tasty, it just didn't seem to have the crisp, freshness that the Chardonnay had. But then again, regular Pinot doesn't really have the same crispness as real Chardonnay either.

Order yourself a bottle at Hello Delicious, but be warned, it's $4 a bottle. I'd like to say it's worth the price (it is delicious), but I'm pretty cheap and know that I purchased it for much less than that. Unfortunately it's slowly rolling out into stores, so unless you live near a store that carries Vignette, you'll have to pony up and pay the price.

January 26 UPDATE: Patrick Galvin just informed me that the price is now back to $2.50 a bottle at Hello Delicious. Now that's a price I can handle.

He also wanted to let me know that at the show, the "preference for the Chardonnay or Pinot Noir has consistently been split 50/50."

Last Monday I asked you to help me plan a cocktail party for my super smart friends, Elena and Sean, by placing your best cocktail party recipes in the recipe database with the tag Cocktail Party Menu. I told you I needed the following:

• 4-5 hors d'oeuvre recipes
• the recipes had to be cold and hot
• two sweet treat options
• specialty cocktail

When I went to plan the menu I was super excited to see what you guys had come up with and was utterly and totally disappointed to find that nobody had left me any recipes! Seriously, I was so sad I almost cried. Luckily the database is full of recipes that you have posted and I read through them all and came up with some that I think I can make for this cocktail party.

Lindsb posted her recipe for Spicy Chinese Five-Spice-Rubbed Chicken Wings with Creamy Cilantro Dipping Sauce. It sounds mouth watering and sophisticated at the same time perfect for the older, more serious crowd I'll be catering to.

Three more, so read more

Oh my, oh my.
What can I say about last night's Top Chef other than we've got a lot to talk about, now don't we?

Join us in the Live Chat at 11am PT / 2pm ET. We'll be there until around 11:30am.

And if you don't watch Top Chef, don't worry. We can chat about upcoming Super Bowl party ideas, your favorite recipes, or anything else you want to chat about.

To join us, just click here. We'll see you at 11am PT / 2pm ET!

Source: Bravo TV

Isn't chicken a wonderful meat? Almost everyone eats chicken and almost anything can be done to chicken, how could you not love it? Chicken can be cooked hundreds of different ways and seasoned with hundreds more flavorings. However there are those people who get themselves into a chicken rut. You know who I'm talking about, those people who have one chicken dish that is their staple that they make over and over again until their special chicken dish becomes boring and tasteless. If you are one of these people, I have the recipe for you. It's time to break away from the hum-drum dullness of your lemon pepper chicken with pasta and it's time for a new technique (breading), a new pairing (bell peppers, almonds, and raisins), and a new flavor (balsamic vinegar). Roll up those sleeves, tie on that apron, and prepare yourself for a whole new taste experience. For the recipe, read more

In the Savory Sights group KWM posted an awesome picture of her New Year's Eve dinner. It's a shot of the buffet and everything looks YUMMY! Especially the prime rib and the potatoes (and the green beans and the salad). She even writes about the event saying that she and her friends throw a roving dinner party. Each month it's hosted by a different couple, but all of the couples supply the meal potluck style. And if you find your mouth watering and your lips smacking KWM was kind enough to post the links to the recipes for the salad and potatoes, so you can create these dishes in your kitchen. Looks like it's a great party idea that's sure to succeed every-time. Just one question, KWM, what did you guys have for dessert???

Please, please, please continue to post pictures of your delicious dinners, luscious lunches, and beautiful breakfasts in the Savory Sights group on TeamSugar!