YumSugar

Welcome New DearSugar!!

DearSugar — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 06:01:58 -0800

Hey Everyone!

We just wanted to let you know that the new DearSugar has arrived!

The new DearSugar will offer you more choices, more ideas, and more fantastic features about life, love, and being happy. Rest assured, though, she'll still have your old favorites, like DearSugar's advice column, the daily horoscope, super fun polls, and Group Therapy.

Beginning today, you can click on Pillow Talk for relationship tips and stories, or use the Venting Machine, a safe place to let off a little steam. Enter the Mood Gallery and post a picture about how you feel, or dish at Do Tell, where we'll get to know each other better. Through Wise Guide, she hopes you'll feel inspired and encouraged a little more every day. Your comments always impress and move her, so DearSugar will highlight three of your remarkable posts every Friday! And because we should all feel free to be ourselves, she'll try to help embolden you with You Don't Need Permission to. . . .

Visit DearSugar now to see for yourself!

Does It Annoy You When a Restaurant's Menu Is Not Online?

partysugar — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 06:50:49 -0700

The other day DearSugar was complaining because she couldn't find a restaurant's menu online. While I prefer not to check out a menu before eating out, sometimes it's nice to look at the price range. And if the menu is not online, it can be annoying. How do you feel about the matter?

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How to Tell When Lunch Meats Are Bad

partysugar — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 08:00:05 -0700

The other day DearSugar dragged me to the kitchen and asked me to inspect her sliced deli turkey. It had been sitting in the fridge for more than a couple of days and she wasn't sure if the turkey was still edible or not. I explained that there are several ways to tell when cold cuts have gone bad:

Start by looking at the sell by date. All lunch meats (whether they are prepackaged or fresh cut from the deli) have a sell by date. It's best to consume the meat within seven to 10 days after the sell by date.
Generally speaking, once it's been opened, eat within three to five days.
If the meat is extremely slimy with a film on the outside, throw it away.
Any odd or off smells of vinegar, ammonia, or yeast mean it's time to throw the turkey, pastrami, or ham out.
This goes without saying, but if there's any mold or growths on the meat or package, dispose of it immediately.

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Let's Dish: What Are Your Culinary Routines?

partysugar — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 08:00:20 -0700

Every Monday through Friday, at 11:30 in the morning, I like to eat a banana. I've been performing this culinary ritual for at least the past two years. I know I'm not the only one who has a food routine: for as long as I can remember, I've watched DearSugar eat a salad every day for lunch. And my brother enjoys a homemade smoothie each morning. As much as I love trying exciting new dishes, I find my daily banana a necessary comfort. How about you? Do you have a culinary routine? What is it?

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Come Party With Me: 30th Birthday - Invite

partysugar — Mon, 05 May 2008 09:45:59 -0700

Whether you dread or embrace it, turning 30 is definitely a milestone worth celebrating. Later this month it's DearSugar's 30th birthday. To ensure she commemorates the occasion in style, I'm helping her plan the party. These ideas can easily be applied to any important birthday so take my tips and make them your own. DearSugar requested a simple, classic invitation in her favorite color: purple. To see how I made the one shown here, read more.

To make an invite similar to the one seen here you will need the following supplies:

colored cardstock
colored paper
decorative paper
scissors
glue
pretty ribbon
computer and printer

To assemble the invite:

Start by creating a new document in Microsoft word. Choose a festive font and write out the details of the party. For Dear's invite, I used Monotype Corsiva in size 16 to write the following message:

You are cordially invited to a birthday celebration
in honor of
DearSugar

Le Colonial
Saturday, May 24, 2008
8:00 pm

appetizers, cocktails, and dancing

Please RSVP 415.555.5555

Print out on plain paper. Check for grammar or spelling mistakes. Once satisfied with the text, print out on colored paper. Cut down to size and set aside.
Cut the colored cardstock down to size - 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch larger than the text sheet.
Glue the decorative paper to the colored cardstock. You are creating a border of decorative paper.

Glue the ribbon to the decorative paper, down the middle of the invite and trim any excess ribbon off.

Mount the text sheet to the cardstock covered with decorative paper.
Slide into envelopes, addressed with your best handwriting and send.

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What Are You Drinking With Your Thanksgiving Meal?

YumSugar — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 12:30:21 -0800

PartySugar and I have already planned our Thanksgiving menus, and now we're just eagerly awaiting the big day. To distract our giddy selves, we had a discussion about what we're serving to drink at Thanksgiving dinner. She'll be serving a citrus spritzer, Champagne, and Beaujolais, while DearSugar will be drinking red, white, and bubbly. As for me, I haven't decided yet - I'll serve either a Gewurtztraminer or a Pinot Noir.

What will you and your guests be drinking? Once you've made your selection below, tell me in the comments exactly what you'll be pouring!

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Gravy: Love It or Hate It?

partysugar — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 04:00:47 -0800

I have a love/hate relationship with gravy. I love the rich, creamy flavor of it and enjoy pouring it over the entire Thanksgiving meal (minus the cranberry, of course), but I hate making it.

As you can tell from this snapshot taken at Thanksgiving last year, for some reason, making gravy seriously stresses me out!

DearSugar dislikes gravy altogether - she hates how it makes the food soggy - while Yum is like me: she thinks gravy is delicious but tricky.

So how do you feel about gravy?

Off to Market Recap: Immersion Blender

partysugar — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 04:30:54 -0800

The immersion blender is a great kitchen gadget that's especially useful in cooler months when soup making is a frequent activity. Although I have an immersion blender I love, DearSugar does not.

I asked you to help me find her the perfect immersion blender. You headed off to market in search of practical, functional blenders with strong blades. You saved the sticks in the Yum Market on TeamSugar with the keyword tag, Immersion Blender.

W swears by her Bamix Swissline blender. With its "powerful motor, easy-to-clean attachments that work very well and effectively, and stretchy cord," she refers to it as a "godsend." For more immersion blenders - ideal for making pumpkin soup - browse the selection below.

Do or Don't: Putting Your Napkin on the Plate?

partysugar — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 09:00:00 -0700

Yesterday DearSugar and I got into a debate about what you should do with your napkin when finished eating a meal. She said it was tacky and rude to put your napkin on the plate, but I told her I've done it before. What do you think? Is it bad manners to put your napkin on the plate when finished eating?

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What Would You Do?

partysugar — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 11:15:03 -0700

We've all been in crazy situations, and I want to know how you handle entertaining fiascoes and bad restaurant behavior. I'll present a situation and you tell me what you would do. Here's today's scenario:

You're out at a popular luxury hotel's bar. You and some friends decide to get bottle service at a table. When the waitress delivers the juices, she accidentally dumps an entire carafe of cranberry juice all over you and your brand new (literally you cut the tags off of it that night!) white Prada sweater. What would you do?

To find out what I would do - this very thing happened to DearSugar - read more.

While trying my best not to get upset, I would ask the waitress to come with me to speak with the manager. I would politely explain that the waitress spilled wine on a new sweater and ask for them to cover the dry-cleaning bill. If the stain did not come out, I would hope they got me a replacement sweater.

How would you handle the situation?

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