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What Color Is Your KitchenAid?

partysugar — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 07:00:10 -0800

Do You Own a Standing Mixer?

partysugar — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 10:15:45 -0700

Who Should Become the Next Iron Chef?

YumSugar — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 04:01:33 -0800

If you've been watching, then you know the competition has been pretty fierce. The finale is tomorrow night, and I want to know, who should become the next Iron Chef?

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The Ultimate Kitchen: Mixer

YumSugar — Sat, 03 Feb 2007 11:50:39 -0800

This week's ultimate kitchen item is a great mixer. I know, it's a bit of a splurge, and not everyone is going to use it. However, if you bake a lot (or plan on becoming a better baker), then you might really want to consider one. And, if you're building a registry, it's a great item for people to chip-in and get for you, so go for it!

My personal favorite (the one I have and love love love) is a KitchenAid Pro 600. It's a little pricey (list price: $500, but most places sell it for less than $400), but it will do everything you want it to and more. It comes with a flat beater, a wire whip, dough hook and a clear plastic pouring shield. You also have the option of purchasing other attachments such as a meat grinder, pasta maker or ice-cream machine. If the Pro is too pricey, KitchenAid also has an Artisan model that has a bit less power and capacity.

Three more mixers, including one you can use even if you don't have the counter space, so read more

Growing up, my mom had a trusty goldenrod colored Sunbeam mixer. In fact, she still has it now. Assuming that Sunbeam's quality standards haven't declined in the last 25 years, then I'd have to say that for $99.99, this shiny red Sunbeam Stand Mixer is quite the bargain. It's available in other colors as well.

Another great mixer splurge is the DeLonghi Stand Mixer. Made from brushed aluminum, it can hold up to 7 quarts, has 6 power speeds and comes with a 10 year warranty. It's similar to the KitchenAid in that you can purchase many attachments and accessories and it comes with a high-ticket price. $440, is not an easy price to swallow, however these things are built to last.

Finally, if you don't have room for a full stand mixer, or can't see yourself using it often enough to justify the purchase, then be sure to get a small hand mixer. This small appliance can be stored in the cupboard and will really help out for things like beating eggs or whipping cream. Hamilton Beach has a 6 Speed Mixer that retails for about $30, but is on sale for $16.97. It also comes with a handy storage case.

Which of these foodie gifts do you want for Christmas?

YumSugar — Tue, 19 Dec 2006 15:08:24 -0800

Happy Hour: Modmix Organic Cocktail Mixers

partysugar — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 16:00:00 -0800

Move over Stirrings, there's a new cocktail mixer on the market and it's made with 100 percent organic fruit juice. Meet Modmix ($9.99), the mixer for the luxury spirit. I was lucky enough to speak with one of the founders, Tricia McCracken, at the Fancy Foods Show. She explained that the mixers pair well with all types of liquor, including bubbly. For a non-alcoholic drink, she suggests diluting the mixer with sparkling water. Modmix comes in six flavors: citrus margarita, French martini, lavender lemon drop, mojito, pomegranate cosmopolitan, and wasabi bloody Mary. Unlike most mixers, Modmix is neither too artificial or too sweet - they taste surprisingly like fresh juice. I loved the French martini, a subtle blend of pineapple juice with a vibrant raspberry color, and the wasabi bloody Mary, a thick tomato juice that packs a spicy punch. The best thing about Modmix is that they have a very pure, intense, authentic fruit flavor. Have you tried Modmix? Did you think it was a step above other cocktail mixers?

View 8 Photos ›

Win a KitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixer!

YumSugar — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 11:47:56 -0700

Everyone knows that I love my KitchenAid Mixer (you can often see it in the background of my 52 Weeks of Baking posts). And I know there's been some coveting, so to make it up to you, we thought we would give one away! The KitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixer is designed with enough power to prepare large batches of cake batter or cookie dough, but will also look super stylish on your counter.

All you have to do to enter is leave a comment below and we'll do a random drawing on Monday, July 23 at 5:00 pm, Pacific Time. Don't forget to email this to friends and family who may be interested in winning.

Click here for Official Rules. One entry per person - all repeat comments will be ignored. Also, you must be a TeamSugar member to comment, so if you're not a member, please register here for an account.

Good luck!

2007 Winter Fancy Food Show - Part 3 (Alcohols & Mixers)

YumSugar — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 13:48:48 -0800

DSC_8290.JPGBelieve it or not, we're not finished with all of our Fancy Foods coverage. There are still a few trends that I wanted to discuss in a little more depth, so expect a few more posts throughout the week. Today it's the all things alcohol trend. Okay, so this isn't exactly a new thing, but it was definitely something I noticed a lot of. There were organic mixers, regular mixers; hand bottled infused alcohols, organic alcohols, new flavors and so much more.

One of my favorite things at the entire show was the Tamborine Mountain Distillery booth. At first I was just wild for founder Michael Ward (when you watch the video you'll find out why, he's so amazingly charismatic and fun!), but after tasting several of the infused liqueurs as well as the Australian Vodka Company vodkas, I was wild for their product too. They were all deliciously smooth (seriously, the Lemon Myrtle vodka was amazing) and beautiful (the liqueur bottles are all hand-painted). Besides, he's a great storyteller and like I said, I was wild for him too. To check out their history in Michael Ward's own words, watch the video (more show highlights below the video, so scroll down).

Two more products I liked, plus a gallery of others, read more

Another really interesting product was from 267 Infusions. Their hand-bottled "premium" spirits (which have been at all the latest celebrity parties) contain actual pieces of fruit inside of a perfectly pretty bottle. As they said, "their trick is how they get the fruit in, your trick is how you get it out." Normally, I would find something like this to be rather gimmicky. However their product stands up to the hype. Available in eight flavors (including olives & pearl onion vodka, and mango infused rum), a bottle of 267 will definitely bring a zing to your party.

Aside from flavored and infused liqueurs, there were several different mixer companies. One of the ones that stood out was Mixerz (which actually launched the first day of the show). I had an opportunity to speak with one of the founders (Al Williams) and he told me that the company was born due to the resurgence of retro cocktails and that he wanted to make a product that was "bar-chef quality - something that would be easy to make in the home or in the bars." Personally I enjoyed their Sour Apple mixer, it was nice and crisp and lacked the awful sweetness found in most apple mixers (also, it wasn't bright green). After the apple, I tasted the Bloody Mary mixer, and thought it was okay, but a tiny bit thick. Based on some of the things I overheard, it seems that fruit is the way to go.

Stirrings was also around. I've been a fan of their company for a while now. In addition to mixers, they now offer bar ingredients (grenadine, bitters, triple sec, etc.), as well as cocktail essences (rose martini, rosemary martini, etc.).

To go along with your mixers, there were also several organic alcohols. Most of the ones we saw were imported from England (such as Juniper Green and UK 5 Vodka). Both PartySugar and I found these to go down easily and both lacked a weird aftertaste. I definitely think I'd hunt these down again.

Overall there were many mixers (even Jelly Belly had some new slushy options) and many alcohols to taste. The biggest trend was definitely more all natural and organic products. And if you ask me, if all natural and organic means tastier and easier to drink, then I'm all for it.

Check out some pictures of the alcohols and mixers:

View 17 Photos ›

Yummy Links: From Padma's Commercial to Beef Stew

partysugar — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 06:50:06 -0800

Padma Lakshmi will appear in an upcoming Hardee's hamburger commercial.- A Hamburger Today
The childhood game Operation goes porky in this fun recipe guide. - Woman's Day
Enter to win a Cuisinart standing mixer! - Al Dente
Use manzanita branches to create a stunning, but simple centerpiece. - Simply Stated
Got leftover pasta? Turn it into a filling frittata. - The Kitchn
Dear Bravo, please improve next season's Top Chef. - The Epi-Log
Hearty beef stew is an easy belly warmer. - Chow

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Happy Hour: Tangerini

partysugar — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 14:13:31 -0800

While I'm all for making delicious cocktails with 100 percent fresh ingredients, sometimes certain occasions call for a little help from the grocery store. For example, at my Big Game cocktailgate, I bought my favorite mixer, Stirrings, to make these delicious Tangerinis. Stirrings has tons of different flavors that aren't too sweet or overpowering. I prefer the tangerine because it's tart and a teeny bit fizzy. To see how I made these cocktails, read more.

Tangerini
From Stirrings

2 ounces of vodka
2 ounces of Tangerini Mixer
ice
cocktail shaker
fun plastic glasses

In a cocktail shaker, combine 2 ounces of vodka, 2 ounces of Tangerini Mixer and a glass of ice.
Shake well and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Makes 1 cocktail.

Print recipe with images | without images