YumSugar

Be the Life of the Party This St. Patrick's Day

Katie Sweeney — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 03:22:59 PDT

Have plans to hit up the bars this evening in celebration of St. Patrick's Day? Don't forget your green food coloring! Wrap the little bottle in a napkin and place in your purse. Then when you get to the bar, use it to dye beers or cocktails green. Not only is it a fun way to get in a festive frame of mind, but it's also a great conversation starter.

Source: Flickr User Fatback[Dale]

Festively Colored Food: Love It or Hate It?

YumSugar — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 04:00:47 PST

The month of March brings St. Patrick's Day to the forefront, and that means lots of green coming your way soon, from Green River soda to brightly hued chocolate chip cookies to green beer. It's unlikely that these colors come from nature, yet they're so fun and festive, I don't mind getting a little green on my tongue. How do you feel about foods that have been colored?

Source: Flickr User slgckgc

Casa Quickie: Food Coloring for Your Flowers

CasaSugar — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 13:00:28 PST

If you add a few drops of food coloring to a vase of white flowers, their petals will change colors accordingly. It's a fun way to brighten up your Love Shack if you happen to have some pale blossoms around. Yes, I did first try this project as a kid, but the petals are certainly elegant enough for my very mature décor. Bad Fortune Cookie tried the experiment, and wound up with subtle yet successful results. To see her finished product,

Source

Simple Tip: Color Your Drinks With a Drop of Food Coloring

YumSugar — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 14:24:38 PDT

This past 4th of July, my gal TeamSugar really wowed me with a fantastic party trick. In order to create a display of red, white and blue bubbly, she used a rose champagne, regular champagne and a tiny drop of blue food coloring in regular champagne. She also said the the amount of dye was so minimal that it didn't change the flavor at all. Personally I think it's one of those "Doh! I can't believe I didn't think of that!" sort of tips. It really adds a bit of fun and completes the visual package. Oh and since today is Embrace Your Geekiness Day, I should also point out that Team's brother thought the blue concoction was similar to Romulan Ale. If you don't believe me, you can even check out a clip of the Enterprise crew partaking in some booze.

Annatto: It's in My Food, But What is it?

FitSugar — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 15:13:00 PST

Since I am a major health nut, I always read labels before I buy food. I often see the ingredient Annatto listed on packages, so what is it?

It's a natural food coloring made from the ground up seed pods of - surprise, surprise - the annatto tree, which grows in Central and South America. It is also called the Achiote tree. After this tree flowers, it produces hairy pods that turn blackish-brown when ripe.

Annatto adds color to cheese, butter, margarine, rice, smoked fish, and microwave popcorn. It is often used as a substitute for the expensive herb saffron.

It also has antioxidants. I guess that doesn't really matter since you only ingest a small amount, but hey, it's better than nothing.

Well now I feel much better knowing Annatto really is an all natural food coloring. Much better than Red 40.

Would You Eat Gray Cheetos?

Katie Sweeney — Tue, 17 May 2011 10:32:13 PDT

Earlier today I watched an interesting clip on Good Morning America about how a food's color affects perception of taste. In the video, children and adults are given the same flavor of jello and chocolate pudding, but it's been dyed several different colors. Both the tots and grown-ups assume each color is a different flavor.

Most food is artificially colored in some way and at the end of the segment they point out that showing the natural color of certain junk foods, like Cheetos, might get more people to stop eating them. Cheetos are naturally gray and they're given a bright orange artificial color. Would you eat them, and other junk foods, in their natural state? How do you feel about artificially colored foods?

Source: Flickr User jeffeaton

Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Breckin Meyer on Modern Dating and the '90s

Annie Scudder — Wed, 23 May 2012 02:00:50 PDT

Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Breckin Meyer are gearing up for the June 5 season-two premiere of Franklin & Bash on TNT. The guys hold a special place in our '90s girl hearts, so when we got a chance to chat with them, we had to get their straightforward dating advice. And, of course, we brought up the '90s. How could we resist while talking to Saved by the Bell's Zack Morris and Clueless's Travis Birkenstock? Read more to find out what we learned.

Savory Sight: A Brightly Colored Meal

Yum Community — Wed, 09 May 2012 03:25:40 PDT

We can tell that Summer is on its way based on all the brightly colored Instagram food photos we're seeing, like this spinach omelet from idafrosk.

Be sure to tag your Instagram food photos with the hashtag #savorysight so we can find them and feature them here. Also, don't forget to participate in our National Burger Month challenge.

In Season: Avocados

Lizzie Fuhr — Mon, 07 May 2012 11:37:18 PDT

There is little that compares to the beauty and simplicity of a creamy, ripe avocado. And lucky for us, they're currently in season! Early Spanish explorers discovered the Aztecs enjoying all the benefits of avocados - both as a food and an aphrodisiac. Except for the few states where they commonly grow, most states of the country shied away from this racy fruit until the 1950s. There are tons of varieties of this tasty fruit, and ever since they've entered the market, they're a fruit that people are passionate about - especially Californians.

When choosing avocados, remember that avocado color does not always tell the whole story of ripeness. To judge ripeness, give the fruit a gentle squeeze; ripe and ready avocados will be firm but yield to gentle pressure (be sure not to use your fingertips, otherwise you could bruise the fruit). Look for skin to darken and the "blossom" end to soften as an avocado becomes ripe. If an avocado is ready, it will only be good for a day or two; refrigeration will help the fruit keep for another day or so. If you plan to serve or use avocados in a few days, stock up on hard, unripened fruit, and store it at room temperature.

Want to go beyond the basics of guacamole and get some inspiration for how to use avocados now? Keep reading for a few fun avocado recipes.

Tips For Entertaining Your Kids at a Wedding

Kate Stahl — Fri, 04 May 2012 11:34:00 PDT

Kids and weddings don't always make the most natural partners. Brides often dislike pint-size guests' affinity for screaming out at inappropriate times and their tendency to hog the spotlight (don't they know she's the star!?), while kids can find the hours-long events mind-numbingly boring. Finding a way to make everybody happy can be tough, but follow our advice and odds are, the whole family will enjoy your next wedding - and the bride won't regret adding your children to the invite.

Before you go, communicate! Prepare your child for the day's events. Will the reception be short or long, and will they be expected to sit quietly and pay attention? How long do you plan on staying at the reception and is it outdoors or in? Let your kids know in advance what's coming, and they'll be more likely to be on good behavior.
Bring along quiet activities for the reception. Soft books for young children or a noise-free, inconspicuous hand-held video game for older ones can be a lifesaver for ceremonies, especially if they include lengthy religious services.
Think food. Hopefully the couple has thought ahead to order kid-friendly meals, but just in case, pack extra snacks for kids who might not like the steak or chicken options, or prepare for your kids to fill up on wedding cake.

Keep reading for more ways to entertain pint-size wedding guests.