- Get PopSugar Shop's exclusive Lauren Merkin offer
- Cool festive manicures you can get in minutes
- Jason Segel and Emily Blunt get together in The Five-Year Engagement
- Be happy without spending a dime
- See the most gorgeous celebrity weddings of 2011!
- Unbearably cute guests cause panda-monium in Scotland
- Geek approved: best iPhone camera apps of 2011
- Let nature inspire your gift wrapping this year
- Holiday gifts for the next-level baker
- Gifts to give your sister this holiday
- Shutterbug: photo props help create beyond-adorable holiday pictures!
- Get a piece of Gossip Girl's covetable season five fashion!
- Take a tour through New York's Holiday House
- Moves to tone everything that LBD won't cover
Posts for December 7th 2011
Holiday Happy Hour: Candy Cane Cocktail
File this holiday cocktail recipe under "don't knock it till you've tried it." More often than not, when I offer this cocktail to guests, they will refuse it, then take a sip of someone else's and immediately demand one of their own.

Somehow, even though this cocktail is sweet, creamy, and minty, it doesn't taste like candy but instead like a refined and delicious drink. Garnished with a playful peppermint stick, the candy cane cocktail is a great holiday party-starter or an excellent after-dinner drink. I plan on making them at a cocktail party this weekend and I expect my arm will get a good workout. Get the recipe now.
In Season: Tangerines
Do you get as excited as I do when grocery stores start carrying those $5 to $6 bags of tangerines or clementines? I tend to go through one bag in less than a week.They're tangy, sweet, loaded with vitamin C, and they're easy to peel, making them the perfect snack for any time of day.
Like satsumas and clementines, tangerines are a type of mandarin. (Unlike tangerines, clementines have little to no seeds and easy-to-peel skin; satsumas hail from Japan.) The name "tangerine" comes from Tangier, Morocco, which was the port that the first batch of tangerines were shipped out of! For more on tangerines, keep reading.
YumSugar’s Win Your Holiday Wish List From Williams-Sonoma Giveaway Rules
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. MAKING A PURCHASE DOES NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. ODDS OF WINNING WILL DEPEND ON THE TOTAL NUMBER OF ENTRIES RECEIVED. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. ONLINE ENTRY ONLY AND INTERNET CONNECTION REQUIRED. AFFIDAVIT OF ELIGIBILITY AND RELEASE OF LIABILITY FORM MAY BE REQUIRED
YumSugar’s Win Your Holiday Wish List From Williams-Sonoma (the “Giveaway”) is sponsored by Sugar Publishing, Inc. (owner and operator of yumsugar.com) and having an address of 111 Sutter Street, Suite 850, San Francisco, CA 94104 (“Sponsor”).
ELIGIBILITY: Open only to U.S. citizens and permanent legal U.S. residents at least eighteen (18) years of age at the time of entry who physically reside in one of the fifty (50) United States of America or the District of Columbia, excluding Rhode Island, all U.S. territories and possessions and all overseas military installations. Employees of Sponsor, and their respective parents, affiliates, divisions, subsidiaries, advertising and promotion agencies and any other entity involved in the development or administration of this Giveaway (collectively, “Sweepstakes Entities”), and their immediate family members or household members (defined as spouses and biological, adoptive or step-parents, legal guardians, children, siblings, or grandparents, their respective spouses and any dependent under federal income tax law) are not eligible to participate in or win the Giveaway. The winner will be required to sign an Affidavit of Eligibility and complete relevant tax forms as a condition to the delivery of the applicable prize. Void where prohibited by law. All applicable federal, state and local laws apply.
HOW TO ENTER: No purchase is necessary to participate in the Giveaway. To enter you must navigate to the Giveaway entry post (http://www.yumsugar.com/TBD ) and submit your email between 6:00am PST on Thursday, December 8, 2011 and 11:59pm PST on Wednesday, December 14, 2011 (the “Entry Period”). By entering online, you will be agreeing to receive Sponsor emails and Williams-Sonoma emails.
There is only one (1) entry per person.
Normal time, toll, connection and usage rates, if any, charged by your Internet service provider will apply. All entries become the property of the Sponsor. Entries generated by script, macro or other automated means are void. By submitting your email in accordance with the entry process, you will be agreeing that your registration and any other information collected in connection with the Giveaway may be used by Sponsor in accordance with Sugar Inc. Privacy Policy, a current copy of which can be found here: http://www.sugarinc.com/privacy. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the foregoing, information collected from entrant will only be used for direct marketing purposes if entrant consents to use in such manner. Sponsor expressly reserves the right to disqualify any entries that it believes in good faith are generated by an automated program or via scripts. By participating, all entrants agree to abide by these Official Giveaway Rules.
PRIZE: At the end of the Entry Period, there will be one (1) drawing in which one (1) potential Grand Prize winner shall be selected from all eligible entries received during the Entry Period by employees or representatives of the Sponsor to each receive the Grand Prize of one (1) $1,000.00 Williams-Sonoma gift card (Retail Value: $1,000.00). If potential Grand Prize winner forfeits or does not claim the prize, prize will be re-awarded, in Sponsor’s sole discretion. Other restrictions may apply. Decisions of the Sponsor are final and binding with respect to all matters related to the Giveaway. All prizes will be awarded. In no event shall the Sponsor be obligated to award more prizes than the number of prizes stated in these Official Giveaway Rules. No substitutions (including for cash) are permitted, except that Sponsors reserve the right to substitute a prize of equal or greater monetary value for any prize. All prizes won by minors will be awarded to their parents or legal guardians on their behalf. Winners shall be responsible and liable for all federal, state and local taxes on the value of their prize. If required by Sponsor, the winner must complete and return to Sponsor an IRS Form W-9 that reflects winner’s taxpayer identification number or social security number. The winner will receive from Sponsors an IRS form 1099-MISC at the end of the calendar year, and a copy of such form will be filed with the IRS. To receive a complete list of winners or a copy of the Official Giveaway Rules, send a self-addressed stamped envelope to Prize Fulfillment, Sugar Inc., 111 Sutter Street, Suite 850, San Francisco, CA 94104. Specify winner's list or rules on your request. Please allow 6-8 weeks for prize delivery.
SELECTION: The winning entry will be chosen at random. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. In the event of a dispute regarding the identity of the person submitting the entry, the entry will be deemed to be submitted by the person in whose name the e-mail account is registered. The Giveaway will be conducted under the supervision of the Sponsor. The decisions of the Sponsor are final and binding in all matters relating to this Giveaway. Sponsor reserves the right to determine the method of notification. Winners must claim their prize within three (3) business days after the date of notification of such prize. A Giveaway winner's failure to respond to the prize notification within the specified three (3) business days will be considered such Giveaway winner's forfeiture of the prize and an alternate winner may be selected from the pool of eligible entries. If an entrant is found to be ineligible, an alternate winner may also be selected from the pool of eligible entries. Sponsor reserves the right to ship prizes directly to the email and/or mailing address provided by winners during their entry to the Giveaway. Each entry submitted in response to the Giveaway and in accordance with the rules will constitute an official entry. One (1) entry per person. Duplicate entries will be void. All entrants agree to abide by these Official Giveaway Rules. All entries become the property of the Sponsor.
GENERAL CONDITIONS AND RELEASES: An entrant or winner may be disqualified from the Sweepstakes if he or she fails to comply with each provision of these Official Rules, as determined in the sole discretion of the Sponsor. Participation in the Sweepstakes is at entrant’s own risk. By receipt of any prize, the applicable winner agrees to release and hold harmless Sweepstake Entities. Releasees shall not be liable for 1) failed, returned or misdirected notifications based on inaccurate information provided by the winner on the on the contest entry form) entries and responses to winner notifications which are lost, late, incomplete, illegible, unintelligible, postage-due, misdirected, damaged or otherwise not received by the intended recipient in whole or in part or for computer or technical error of any kind, 3) any electronic miscommunications or failures, technical hardware or software failures of any kind, lost or unavailable network connections, or failed incomplete, garbled or delayed computer transmissions which may limit an entrant's ability to participate in the Sweepstakes, 4) any technical malfunctions of the telephone network, computer on-line system, computer equipment, software, program malfunctions or other failures, delayed computer transactions or network connections that are human, mechanical or technical in nature, or any combination thereof, including any injury or damage to entrant's or any other person's computer related to or resulting from downloading any part of this Sweepstakes or 5) any warranty of fitness or merchantability of any prize or the function or operation thereof. Releasees do not make any, and hereby disclaims any and all, representations or warranties of any kind regarding any prize. Unless prohibited by applicable law, the acceptance of the Grand Prize by the winner constitutes his/her permission for the Sponsor to use his/her name, address (state) biographical information and testimonials for advertising and/or publicity purposes in connection with this Sweepstakes only, worldwide and in all forms of media now known or hereafter developed, in perpetuity, without further compensation. By entering or accepting a prize in the Sweepstakes, winner agrees to be bound by these Official Rules and to conform to all federal, state and local laws and regulations. The winner will be required to execute and return to Sponsor within five (5) business days an Affidavit of Eligibility and a Liability and (where imposing such condition is legal) and any additional documents required by Sponsor in connection with the possibility of receiving the Grand Prize. Winner may be required to furnish proof of identity, address and birth date in order to receive a prize. Any person attempting to defraud or in any way tamper with this Sweepstakes will be ineligible for prizes and may be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Sponsor reserves the right to modify these Official Rules in any way or at any time. Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to modify, cancel or suspend this Sweepstakes should viruses, bugs or other causes beyond Sponsor’s control corrupts the administration, security or proper play of the Sweepstakes, or for any reason that Sponsor believes in good faith would be fair to the entrants and the conduct of the Sweepstakes. In the event of cancellation or suspension, Sponsor shall promptly post a notice on the Contest entry page to such effect. This Sweepstakes shall be governed by California law. By participating in this Sweepstakes, entrants agree that California courts shall have jurisdiction over any dispute or litigation arising from or relating to this Sweepstakes and that venue shall be only in San Francisco, California.
MISCELLANEOUS: The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of these Official Rules will not affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision. In the event that any provision of the Official Rules is determined to be invalid or otherwise unenforceable or illegal, the other provisions will remain in effect and will be construed in accordance with their terms as if the invalid or illegal provision were not contained herein. Sponsor’s failure to enforce any term of these Official Rules will not constitute a waiver of that provision. When terms such as "may" are used in these Official Rules, Sponsor has sole and absolute discretion. Entrants agree to waive any rights to claim ambiguity of these Official Rules. Headings are solely for convenience of reference and will not be deemed to affect in any manner the meaning or intent of the documents or any provision hereof. In the event there is a discrepancy or inconsistency between disclosures or other statements contained in any Sweepstakes-related materials, privacy policy or terms of use on the Website and/or the terms and conditions of the Official Rules, the Official Rules shall prevail, govern and control and the discrepancy will be resolved in Sponsor’s sole and absolute discretion.
Facebook is not affiliated with this Giveaway.
12 Days of Edible Gifts: Ginger Pear Corn Muffins
Welcome back to the fourth annual 12 Days of Edible Gifts series. Today's treat: corn muffins with a seasonal twist of pear and candied ginger.

I'm crazy for corn muffins in general — I love the sweet, savory flavor and the hearty texture — but I especially love them as edible gifts because they're so versatile. Incorporating seasonal fruit and spiced with festive candied ginger, these muffins act as a sweet treat but aren't technically dessert. They'd make a yummy breakfast on Christmas morning or a grab-and-go snack for holiday house guests.
For a homey bakery vibe, pack a dozen or so muffins in a box lined with pretty napkins and tied with a bow. Get the corn muffin recipe now.
Global Pantry: Black Garlic
We are thrilled to announce our new partnership with Padma Lakshmi! The host of the Emmy-winning Top Chef, writer, and designer started Padma Lakshmi, a social networking site that celebrates our favorite topics, including food adventures, recipes, and party planning. She'll be dishing up goodies for us here on YumSugar monthly! Today, Padma offers her thoughts on the specialty ingredient known as black garlic.

Korean culture, famous for kimchi, has perfected the art of fermentation, patiently coaxing the flavors of everyday food to an entirely new level. Not surprisingly, the origin of black garlic is in Korea. After aging for at least 30 days, it possesses a caramelized, savory richness that has a mouth feel similar to eating a date. Because it’s sweet and mild, it’s hard to believe you’re eating garlic at all.
But it is indeed garlic — definitely less attractive, but with all the best assets intact and an umami sensation to boot. These smooth, smoky fermented cloves are irresistible and easy to eat on their own — minus the lingering, pungent breath.
Related: The 2011 Delicious Food Show, Toronto
I’ve seen it popping up more and more over the past few years in the states, and once again, it’s at the top of many seasonal, must-have ingredient lists for the best restaurants and now even pizza joints. Keep reading to learn how to cook with black garlic.
Link Time: Nigella Lawson Covered in Caramel
- Nigella Lawson covered in caramel. That is all — Eater
- Holiday traditions in the White House — The Daily Meal
- Burger King will be offering free Whoppers for the holidays — Nation's Restaurant News
- Two hangover cures to get you through the holidays — Grub Street SF
- Parisian dining-in-the-dark restaurant Dans Le Noir is coming to New York — Diner's Journal
- Doner kebab is always better in Europe — Food Republic
- Chicken Vesuvio is an Italian-American specialty found only in Chicago — Saveur
- Nigella Lawson covered in caramel. That is all — Eater
- Holiday traditions in the White House — The Daily Meal
- Burger King will be offering free Whoppers for the holidays — Nation's Restaurant News
- Two hangover cures to get you through the holidays — Grub Street SF
- Parisian dining-in-the-dark restaurant Dans Le Noir is coming to New York — Diner's Journal
- Doner kebab is always better in Europe — Food Republic
- Chicken Vesuvio is an Italian-American specialty found only in Chicago — Saveur
Enter Our Amazing 15 Days of Holiday Giveaways Now!

'Tis the holiday season, and we're getting in the spirit with our third annual 15 Days of Holiday Giveaways! Every day for the first 15 days of December, one of the PopSugar Network sites – plus our sister sites PopSugar Shop, Fashionologie, and ShopStyle – will be revealing a new amazing prize. Click on the unwrapped presents below to enter to win that site's fabulous prize and remember to check back every day to enter to win. Be sure to enter now so you don't miss out! Good luck!
Day 1: PopSugar – $2,500 to Bloomingdale's
Day 2: TrèsSugar – $1,500 to Victoria's Secret
Day 3: LilSugar – $1,300 Huggies Prize Package
Day 4: PopSugar Shop – $500 to PopSugar Shop and Pamela Love Necklace
Day 5: FabSugar – $2,500 to J.Crew
Day 6: FitSugar – Two Trek Bikes and Vella Bags
Day 7: ShopStyle – $2,500 to Barneys New York
Day 8: YumSugar
Day 9: SavvySugar