williams sonoma

Much to this geek's delight, the sweet partnership between Star Wars and Williams-Sonoma continues to impress. This time, instead of molding cookies, forming pancakes, and cutting the crust off your sammies, the team is helping you surprise and delight your fellow Star Wars fans at your next (children's) party with the Cupcake Decorating Kit ($12).

Coming with styled cupcake wrappers and die-cut toppers, these sweet treats will definitely be a hit for your 5-year-old . . . or your 45-year-old. Let's face it — we're all kids at heart when it comes to Star Wars.

We wanted to know which kitchen store had you drooling over pots and pans, mixers and measuring cups, and one store clearly came out on top. You chose Williams-Sonoma as your fave one-stop-shop for all things kitchen! In addition to carrying food prep supplies and edible offerings, the chain provides us with seasonal recipes like lamb chops with mint-pistachio pesto and happy hour cocktails like this gin and lemon concoction. Don't forget to check out our other Best of 2010 polls and winners!

Source: Flickr User Tezzca

If you found yourself with leftover squash from last night's sumptuous meal, put it to good use in an easy weeknight pasta. Take a nod from a seasonal favorite — butternut squash ravioli — and serve up the same earthy flavors of sage, nuts, and browned butter with fresh store-bought or homemade pappardelle pasta. In contrast to its dried counterpart, it cooks up in only a couple of minutes. Want the recipe? Then keep reading.

It's the holiday season, and we're getting in the spirit with 15 days of amazing giveaways! Every day one of the PopSugar Network sites (plus our sister sites Fashionologie, ShopStyle, and PopSugar's FreshGuide) will feature a new giveaway. Bella is giving away 10 limited-edition Clarisonic Hope Mias; Pet is gifting $1,000 in pet items from PoshPuppy; Lil a new bugaboo stroller from Giggle; Fab is gifting a Jimmy Choo Sky patent leather and elaphe handbag; and Savvy a $1,000 Starbucks Card; and Casa is giving away two $500 gift cards to Design Within Reach.  Here on Yum, we're helping you complete your kitchen with a $1,000 gift card from our friends at Williams-Sonoma.

To enter, all you have to do is "Like" YumSugar and Williams-Sonoma on Facebook, and then comment on Yum's Facebook wall telling us what product from Williams-Sonoma would complete your kitchen. How easy is that? Check out the official rules here. The Yum Williams-Sonoma giveaway is only open for a week, so act now! Also, you won't want to miss any of our other fabulous giveaways, so stay tuned every day and enter them all. Good luck and happy holidays.

When hosting a holiday cocktail party, be it a tree-trimming or an ugly sweater celebration, don't forget about dessert. Your guests are going to want something sweet to nibble on. Select a treat that's special but can be made in advance and supplement with store bought truffles or chocolate gelt.

For Hanukkah, I recommend this orange cake with apricot glaze. It takes advantage of the flavors of fresh citrus, which is in season. The combination of whipped egg whites and olive oil results in a super moist and fluffy cake.

The fact that there's no frosting will make it easy to eat with just your fingers. It's also a great hostess gift, so be sure to check out the recipe after the break.

Couscous is quite possibly the world's quickest cooking grain. It takes literally five minutes to make — meaning it's an ideal ingredient for home cooks who are pressed for time. To create an entire meal with couscous, toss with sauteed vegetables, dried fruit, aromatic spices, and rotisserie chicken. Feel free to use the recipe loosely as a guide; onions and garlic aren't the only veggies that work with this dish. Butternut squash, red peppers, and broccoli would also be delicious. To look at the incredibly uncomplicated recipe, read more

San Francisco's recent heat wave has left me craving nothing but cold, crisp, bone-dry whites. My recent favorite? The 2009 vintage of Pedro Escudero's Valdelainos Verdejo. If you're a big Sauvignon Blanc drinker, give Spanish Verdejo a try. I promise you won't regret sipping the lesser-known varietal.

This particular wine had a pale yellow-green appearance that reinforced its lemony, flinty nature. The practically weightless wine had splendid aromas of citrus, cantaloupe, and honey. It paired wonderfully with a cup of briny red clam chowder, but was just as easy to enjoy alone. You can find this vintage at Spanish specialty stores, online, or through the Williams-Sonoma wine club. For $13.50, it's a tremendous steal. Have you tried Verdejo?

Even before his Emmy Award-winning show, Food Revolution, took America by storm, I was a fan of Jamie Oliver and his approachable recipes. So when I discovered he'd released a new line of pantry essentials, Jme, at Williams-Sonoma, I knew I had to find a way to get my hands on them.

With the new collection, the British chef aims to highlight the authentic food traditions of small-scale artisan producers. But are the pricey products actually any good? To find out, we tested the jams, jellies, preserves, and biscuits; see what we thought when you keep reading.

The antidote to a solemn Summer, I recently learned, is liberating oneself with a spur-of-the-moment trip someplace new. That, and finding ways to celebrate even the minor details in life.

Over the weekend, I popped open a bottle of bubbly to commemorate the small fact that we'd finally gotten around to revamping the apartment. (Casa would be proud.) To liven up our glasses, I tossed in some leftover blackberry Calvados, grenadine, and our fruit of the month, raspberries.

The cocktail's vibrant jewel tone and floral bouquet were the perfect accoutrement to an unusually warm afternoon.
Are you, too, hoping for your share of the splendor, regardless of the occasion? Then get your hands on the recipe.

This plum pie recipe was uploaded and shared by TJTalks in the Kitchen Goddess group in the YumSugar Community. With those bright red plums and and that flaky crust it looks mouthwatering!

To see more pictures and the recipe, keep reading.