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Come Party With Me: Election Night - The Look

partysugar — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 09:15:04 -0700

For election night, go patriotic with the decor. Serve the food on modern, red trays. Since Liberty and I are hosting our bash at a local bar, the napkins and plates will be paper and plastic. Tie red, white, and blue balloons to the bar ends. Serve the drinks in Obama or McCain cups. Arrange a bouquet of red, white, and blue flowers. Hang a stars and stripes banner above the door, so guests know they are at the right bar. Put white candles in red glass votives and place them on the bar tables. When guests arrive, offer them a metallic star necklace.

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Come Party With Me: Election Night - Drinks

partysugar — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 14:00:24 -0700

Elixir, the bar where LibertySugar and I are hosting our town-hall style election-night bash, is offering guests a selection of drinking specials for the party. With fabulous names like "Bye Bye Miss American Rye," the menu will feature only American brands like Bluecoat gin, Square One vodka, and Sam Adams brew. I plan on ordering the "Red, White, and Night" a potent, sangria-like concoction made with vodka, red wine, and lemonade. To serve up this slinger at your own election-night soirée, get the recipe and read more.

Red, White, and Night
Inspired by Elixir

Ingredients

3 ounces red wine
1 ounce simple syrup
1 ounce fresh lemon juice
1 ounce vodka

Directions

In a cocktail shaker filled with ice combine the wine with the simple syrup, lemon juice, and vodka.
Shake for 30-45 seconds.
Strain into another glass filled with ice and enjoy!

Makes 1 cocktail.

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Come Party With Me: Election Night - Dessert

partysugar — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 15:00:36 -0700

To keep things easy, serve a no-mess, no-utensil dessert on election night. At LibertySugar and my party, we'll be offering guests sugar cookies! Not just any sugar cookies, I plan on decorating the cookies to look like CitizenSugar's checked box symbol. I'll roll out Paula Deen's classic sugar cookie dough and cut out squares.

After baking the square-shaped cookies, they'll be covered with white frosting. Blue frosting will be used to outline a box shape and red frosting to make the check mark. Feel free to great creative and decorate with your favorite patriotic design! For the recipe, read more.

Sugar Cookies
From Paula Deen

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon pure almond extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
Granulated sugar
Royal Icing, recipe follows

Directions

In a bowl, cream together the sugar and butter, then mix in the egg and vanilla and almond extracts.
In another bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, and cream of tarter; mix the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture, then cover and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours, or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Divide the chilled dough in half and roll it out on a lightly floured pastry cloth to a 1/4-inch thickness.
Lightly grease some baking sheets.
Cut the dough with a floured cookie cutter; sprinkle with sugar.
Transfer the cookies to the prepared sheets and bake for 9 minutes.

Makes 5 dozen cookies.

Royal Icing:

3 egg whites
1 (1-pound) box confectioners' sugar
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
Food coloring, optional

In a medium bowl, combine egg whites, sugar, and cream of tarter. Beat at low speed with an electric mixer until blended.
Increase mixer speed to high, and beat 8 to 10 minutes, or until mixture holds a peak.
Cover with a damp cloth when not in use. Separate into bowls and add food coloring, if desired.

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Come Party With Me: Election Night - Menu

partysugar — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 09:00:42 -0700

Since the election night party starts around dinnertime, I plan on providing guests with some substantial snacking. However, the party is at Elixir, a bar with no kitchen, so all of the food has to be made in advance, and it must taste delicious served at room temperature.

To keep up with the patriotic theme, LibertySugar and I have come up with clever names for each of the dishes. Spicy buffalo chicken left-wings (or right! depending on your party) are cooled off with a scrumptious blue cheese dip. A campaign trail mix is crunchy and filling.

Lipstick pigs in a blanket are sure to be a crowd-pleasing favorite. Seven-layer dip with red, white, and blue tortilla chips rounds out the menu. To get the recipes to these festive election night eats, read more.

Buffalo Chicken Left-Wings
From Food and Wine

Ingredients

4 pounds chicken wings
3 tablespoons cooking oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 3/4 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne
2/3 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup sour cream
1/4 pound blue cheese, crumbled (about 1 cup)
2 scallions including green tops, chopped
5 teaspoons vinegar
1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon Tabasco sauce
8 ribs celery, cut into sticks

Directions

Heat the oven to 425°.
In a large bowl, combine the wings, oil, garlic, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the salt, and the cayenne.
Arrange the wings in a single layer on two large baking sheets. Bake until just done, about 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a medium glass or stainless-steel bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, blue cheese, scallions, 1 teaspoon of the vinegar, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and the black pepper.
In a large bowl, combine the ketchup, the remaining 4 teaspoons vinegar, and the Tabasco sauce. Add the wings and toss to coat. Serve the wings with the celery sticks and blue-cheese dressing alongside.

Serves 4.

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Campaign Trail Mix
From Gourmet

Ingredients

2 large egg whites
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons sweet paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne
9 cups freshly popped unsalted popcorn
2 cups miniature pretzels
1 1/2 cups salted roasted peanuts
1 1/2 cups whole almonds, toasted
1 1/2 cups pecans, toasted
1 1/2 cups salted roasted cashews

Directions

Preheat oven to 325°F.
Whisk together egg whites, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, paprika, and cayenne in a large bowl. Add popcorn, pretzels, nuts, and salt to taste and toss until thoroughly coated.
Spread evenly in 2 buttered large shallow baking pans (1 inch deep) and bake in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of pans halfway through baking, until coating is crisp, about 20 minutes total.
Spread mixture on 2 large sheets of parchment paper or oiled foil and cool completely.

Makes 14 cups.

Make ahead: Spiced party mix can be made 3 days ahead and kept in an airtight container at room temperature.

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Lipstick Pigs in a Blanket
From Rachael Ray

Ingredients

1 10-ounce jar apricot all-fruit preserve
1/3 cup honey
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
1 box puff pastry, defrosted and refrigerated until ready for use (recommended brand: Pepperidge Farms)
1 12-ounce package pre-cooked apple chicken sausage, or any kind you like (about 4-5 links)

Directions

Preheat oven to 450° F.
In a medium-size mixing bowl, combine the apricot preserves and honey. Reserve 1/3 of the apricot mixture for another use. Add the mustard to the remaining apricot for the dipping sauce.
In a small bowl, combine the sesame seeds and the poppy seeds and reserve for sprinkling later.
Cut each sausage into 2 even pieces.
Spread some of the apricot-honey mixture over puff pastry, reserving some for dipping later.
Cut the puff pastry sheet in half and then cut 5 equal rectangles out of each half, making 10 equal rectangles.
Lay 1 sausage chunk an inch from the edge of the puff pastry. From there, roll the puff pastry and sausage to the opposite edge of the square. Give it a quick pinch to close.
Lay the rolls out on a baking sheet with enough room to allow the puff pastry to rise. Brush a little more of the apricot mixture on top of each blanket, then sprinkle each one with a little of the sesame and poppy seed mixture.
Bake according to the puff pastry package directions, or until golden brown all over, about 12-15 minutes. Serve with dipping sauce.

Serves 4.

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Seven-Layer Dip With Patriotic Chips
From Better Homes and Garden

Ingredients

1 9-ounce can bean dip
1/4 cup picante or taco sauce
1 8-ounce container refrigerated guacamole
1 8-ounce carton dairy sour cream
1 cup shredded cheddar or taco cheese (4 ounces)
1/4 cup sliced green onion (2)
2 tablespoons sliced pitted ripe olives
2/3 cup chopped, seeded tomato (1 medium)
8 cups tortilla chips, a mixture of colors including white, blue, and red (regular corn, blue corn, and red corn tortilla chips)

Directions

Combine bean dip and picante sauce; spread into a rectangle about 9-by-5-inches on a serving platter making a layer about 1/4 inch thick.
Next carefully layer avocado dip and sour cream. Top with cheese, green onion, and olives. Cover and chill for 4 to 24 hours.
Before serving, sprinkle with chopped tomato. Serve with red, white, and blue tortilla chips.

Serves 16.

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Come Party With Me: Election Night - Invite

partysugar — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 09:00:09 -0700

November 4th, 2008 is possibly the most important day of the year. Since it's such a significant night, no one should sit at home nervously waiting for the next president to be announced. I've joined forces with LibertySugar and together we're hosting a party at a neighborhood saloon called Elixir. Owner and master mixologist H. Joseph Ehrmann has assured me election coverage will be aired. This week I'm sharing my party plan, so you can steal my ideas and host your own political party! The big day is only a week away: invites need to be sent as soon as possible. To see how I made these email-able invites, read more.

To make a similar invite you need the following supplies:

image of the American flag
computer

To assemble the invite:

Start by creating a new document in Microsoft word. Drop and drag the American flag image into the document.
Insert a text box. Write out the details of the party. I used the font American Typewriter in size 12 to write:

VOTE
For an awesome election night party!

Official Invitation
Join PartySugar and LibertySugar
as they Barack the Vote

Tuesday, November 4, 2008
6:30 p.m.
Elixir @ 16th and Guerrero, SF

Patriotic Attire Encouraged

Since I live in San Francisco, I know the majority of my guests are Obama supporters. If you and your friends are partial to McCain change the text to say, "Join us as we Mac-attack the Vote." If your crew is a mixture of both sides, write, "Join us as we celebrate America."
Save the document as a PDF, crop it down to size, and send in an email. Alternately, save the image in an evite or pingg message, and send. For a snail-mailable version, print on thick, white cardstock and send in an envelope closed with an election sticker.

Let's Dish: How Did You Ring in Election Night?

YumSugar — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 09:00:53 -0800

Regardless of who you voted for, last night was a monumental night in American history. I wasn't feeling so well, so I watched history unfold at home with a beer, although in any other capacity I would've attended PartySugar and LibertySugar's election night bash.

How did you ring in the election? Did you tune in at a sports bar, or throw your own party? What was your election night drink of choice?

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Come Party With Me: Inauguration - Menu

partysugar — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 09:00:46 -0800

Next week Barack Obama will make history when he is sworn in as president. Naturally, this momentous occasion deserves a party! The ceremony takes place on Tuesday, Jan. 20, at 11:30 a.m. EST. Since most people will be working, I've decided to host my party the Sunday before. HBO is airing a special live program, We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial, to kick off the festivities, and I've invited my friends over to watch it with me. While my election night menu featured patriotic dishes, this party will highlight dishes from Barack Obama's old hometown, Chicago.

For appetizers offer guests Garrett Gourmet Popcorn, flown in fresh from the Windy City. Make mini Italian beef sandwiches topped with giardiniera peppers. For the main course, serve two nontraditional (they're square shaped - no special circular pans necessary) deep dish pizzas. A pepperoni, onion, and mushroom pie is perfectly hearty while a spinach-artichoke pizza will satiate the vegetarians in attendance. To check out these tantalizing recipes, read more.

Mini Italian Beef Sandwiches
From Midwest Living

Ingredients

1 17-oz. pkg. refrigerated cooked beef roast au jus
2 cups frozen peppers (yellow, green, and red) and onion stir-fry vegetables
1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning, crushed
1/8 to 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
2 cups shredded cabbage with carrot (coleslaw mix)
1/2 cup pepperoncini salad peppers, stemmed and chopped, plus 2 tablespoons drained liquid
16 2- to 3-inch rolls, split
giardiniera peppers (optional, for serving)

Directions

Place beef mixture in a medium saucepan, breaking up any large pieces. Add peppers, 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning, and crushed red pepper. Heat through just to boiling.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl combine coleslaw mix, 1/2 cup chopped pepperoncini and liquid, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning.
To serve, use a slotted spoon to divide meat mixture among roll bottoms. Top each with coleslaw mixture; add roll tops.
Serve with giardiniera peppers, if you like.

Makes 16 sandwiches.

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Deep-Dish Pizzas
From Everyday Food

Ingredients

Olive oil, for pans
All-purpose flour, for work surface
2 balls (1 pound each) store-bought pizza dough, thawed if frozen
1 1/2 cups jarred tomato sauce
6 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella (1 1/2 pounds)
Coarse salt and ground pepper
For Pepperoni-Onion Topping:
4 ounces thinly sliced pepperoni
1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 pound thinly sliced button mushrooms, sauteed (optional)
For Spinach-Artichoke Topping
1 package (10 ounces) frozen leaf spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 can (14 ounces) artichoke hearts in water, drained, quartered, and squeezed dry

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Brush bottom and sides of two 13-by-9-inch metal baking pans with oil.
On a lightly floured work surface, stretch each ball of dough into a 10-by-14-inch oval (if dough isn't holding its shape, let rest a few minutes).
Transfer each oval to a prepared pan, pressing to fit into corners, and one inch up sides to form a rim.
Dividing evenly, spread sauce over each oval of dough.
Using 3 cups of cheese per pizza, spread three layers each of cheese and topping, ending with topping (layering with cheese helps to hold each pizza together). Season with salt and pepper. (If making ahead, cover and refrigerate, up to 1 day.)
Bake pizzas side by side until cheese and crusts are golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes, rotating once (if refrigerated, add 10 minutes).
Let rest in pans 10 minutes. To serve, use two wide spatulas to transfer pizzas to cutting boards.

Serves 8.

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Do You Know What's Cooking This Week?

YumSugar — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 14:33:27 -0800

Our week was off to a great start! We rang in election night with a celebration. Then we shifted gears to the next big holiday coming up: Thanksgiving. Nervous about planning your meal? Don't be - simply refer to our plentiful Thanksgiving tips.

Have you been following all of our savory stories? Find out when you take our quiz!

Take the quiz

Vote Tomorrow, Score Free Food

YumSugar — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 15:00:12 -0800

Tomorrow, I'll be finding several ways to celebrate being an American. Obviously, I'm hitting up PartySugar and LibertySugar's election-night bash, but beforehand I'll cash in on some free food.

Present your "I Voted" sticker at Krispy Kreme and receive a sprinkle-studded, star-shaped doughnut at no cost. For a nice breakfast pairing, head to Starbucks, tell them you voted, and you'll get a free 12-ounce cup of coffee. And for dessert, go to any Ben & Jerry's between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. to score a free scoop of ice cream.

Despite the fact that some are calling the promotions illegal, I think these freebies are a wonderful way to promote the vote. Plus, what better way to stay peeled to the results than with a delicious bargain?

Source, Source, and Source

What's Yummy This Week - YumSugar Weekly Recap

YumSugar — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 09:31:03 -0700

All the reasons why I love my ex-boyfriend (the sandwich, that is).
See if you can identify favorite candy classics!
Plan a festive election night party, courtesy of PartySugar.
My great uncle shows me the secret to his great gin fizz.
A New Zealand woman finds a mouse head in frozen beans.
It's perfectly fine to eat mussels that are still closed, one expert claims.
Competitive eating takes a dark turn when a student dies during an eating contest.
Table salt is mysteriously absent at restaurants.