YumSugar

Congrats to Top Commenter aimeeb!

partysugar — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 09:00:57 -0700

Let's all give a special high five to reader aimeeb! She was the top talker here on Yum for the month of May. Aimeeb isn't afraid to express her likes - animal crackers and Thai steak salad - and dislikes - coffee and clams. This isn't the first time she has been our top talker, she left the most comments last November as well. Thanks for being such a fabulous participant Aimeeb! Since she already has a YumSugar T-shirt, we're giving her a YumSugar apron.

Want your own YumSugar swag? Then come out of hiding and start leaving comments! The person who leaves the most comments during May will also be rewarded a YumSugar apron, so start talking! You must be a TeamSugar member to comment, so if you're not a member, please register here for an account.

If you're feeling a bit shy you can always order your own. I've put some of my favorites - like the apron and bib - below, but there are lots more to choose from.

Sonnabobble Is Getting a YumSugar Apron!

partysugar — Tue, 06 May 2008 13:16:15 -0700

Let's all give a round of applause to April's top commenter on YumSugar, TeamSugar member sonnabobble. Congrats sonnabobble! You'll be receiving a YumSugar apron in the mail soon. When dealing with kitchen disasters she suggests keeping first-aid supplies in the kitchen:

I always burn myself getting things out of the oven . . . or flipping things like tortillas with my hands (i know it's stupid, but that's how my mom and grandma do it).That's why i keep the burn salve in the kitchen cabinet.

She loves to cook and won't change her shopping habits just because food costs more:

I buy stuff on sale, and use coupons when the store puts them next to items, but i buy what i want!! i love to cook and i'm not gonna stop . . . plus, it's still cheaper than eating out.

Thanks for being our top talker sonnabobble!

If you're feeling a bit shy you can always order your own. I've put some of my favorites - like the apron and bib - below, but there's lots more to choose from.

Reader Poll: How Many Chances Do You Give a Restaurant?

YumSugar — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 13:01:38 -0700

TeamSugar member MotoLinz wants to know how many chances you give a restaurant. Most professional restaurant reviewers visit twice, if not three times before making their judgment call, but how about you? How many times do you give it before you make your decision?

Image Source

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

YumSugar — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 14:24:38 -0700

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.

Better Know a Group: Cake Decorators Unite!

YumSugar — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 03:18:30 -0700

If you guys haven't been checking out TeamSugar lately you may have missed a relatively new group called Cake Decorators Unite! In it you can share your masterpieces, as well as any cake decorating tips you may have acquired. Right now most of the posts are from TeamSugar member ashleyk4214, but if she keeps posting creations as cute as this cake she made for her brother-in-law, then I'm okay with that! Check out the group and be sure to sign up and submit your cake decorating tips.

Share Your Party Pics With PartySugar

partysugar — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 01:08:31 -0700

Calling all you crazy partyers, hostesses with the mostess, and anyone else who loves to party as much as I do! Join my Super Special Occasions group on TeamSugar and share pictures of the parties you planned, hosted, or attended. There are tons of members but few are showing us their pictures, what's up with that? I started this group so we could all get inspiration from the parties we've been to. I love looking at party pics for new ideas on centerpieces, tablecloths, and food spreads. For example how chic is this for an invitation?? It's the invite that illogicaldee sent out for her sweet 16 birthday party! Browse the images of her bash in the Super Special Occasions group and share photos of your fabulous fetes.

Wear Your Cupcake On Your Sleeve... or Clutch!

YumSugar — Tue, 22 May 2007 11:15:21 -0700

I was looking through the bookmarks on TeamSugar and noticed that one thing seems clear: cupcakes are awesome. Or perhaps it was actually: cupcakes are damn cute. Either way one thing is clear, you guys have done a great job hunting down fantastic cupcake finds. First up is this way too cute cupcake wristlet. It's simple, cute and has an anthropomorphic cupcake on the outside, what's not to love! Available for $25. Great find eruntale!

Next up is the Hello Kitty Cupcake Tote found by anti curl. This tote features cupcakes with Hello Kitty's face on them and we all know that cupcake + kitty = super cute! Available for $19.99.

Three more cupcake finds you can wear, so read more

TeamSugar member jendudley found these great cupcake cufflinks ($135). I think they'd make any suit look just a bit snazzier.

Although the weather is getting warmer, I couldn't resist sharing these adorable lavendar cupcake rain boots. Available for $19.99. Thanks for another great find anti curl.

Finally, I get to the shirt that started me on my cupcake hunt to begin with. This Make Cupcakes Not War shirt is so cute, I definitely had to share it with all of you. It can be yours for $38.99.

Know of a cute cupcake item? Share them with us all in the Yum Market! To learn how to do so, read geeksugar's guide.

Reader Recipe: Asian Stroganoff/Drunken Noodle Combo

YumSugar — Tue, 22 May 2007 06:58:32 -0700

I love looking through my pantry and "inventing" recipes with the resources at my fingertips. Sometimes you end up with a fantastic creation that you might not have tried before. Over in the Lite'n it Up recipe group, TeamSugar member mymaria posted a pantry creation that she calls Asian Stroganoff/Drunken Noodle Combo - and from the looks of it, it looks like a pantry hit! It's a hearty egg noodle dish full of ground turkey, sautéed veggies inside of a sweetened soy flavoring. I can't wait to try this one at home and suggest you do the same! To check out the recipe, read more

Asian Stroganoff/Drunken Noodle Combo
Recipe Submitted by mymaria

I played around with a combination of recipes I already had lying around and what I had hanging around in my fridge and pantry and came up with this recipe. It's a cross between a stroganoff and drunken noodles I would say:

cooking spray
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/2 red pepper, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1/2 lb ground turkey
1 egg
1 cup chicken stock*
2 tbs cup low sodium soy sauce
3 tbs mirin
1 tbs brown sugar
broad egg noodles, cooked according to package directions**
1/2 nori sheet, diced
2 tbs sesame seeds, toasted

Cook noodles according to package instructions. While noodles are cooking, saute onion and peppers over medium high heat until onions are soft. Add ground turkey and continue cooking until it is no longer pink. Once it almost cooked all the way, add egg and scramble and mix into mixture until thoroughly cooked. Meanwhile, combine sauce ingredients (chicken stock through brown sugar). For each serving, use large bowl and place noodles, then meat/vegetable mixture, then pour sauce and then sprinkle with sesame seed/nori mixture. Ratio of noodle/meat to sauce is so there is liquid but it's not really soup like, but of course, serve according to taste. Enjoy!

* I always use Better than BouillonTM products to make my stock. Highly recommend using this product if you don't already use it.
** I always use the No Yolk noodles, great taste and less choleterol and fat than regular egg noodles.

Happy Hour: Fruji

YumSugar — Thu, 10 May 2007 13:29:46 -0700

I've admitted it before, and I'll admit it again, I'm not really a fancy-drink kind of girl. All I need is vodka and tonic and I'm set. However, with that said, I'm trying to expand my drink options and so I always love checking out different recipes online. I found this one over in the Let's Have a Drink group. It's called a Fruji and it was posted by TeamSugar member Shiloh Jolie Pitt. She likes it because it tastes like a pineapple ice block found in New Zealand. Tastes like pineapple and contains vodka? Count me in! To check out the recipe, read more

Recipe from TeamSugar member Shiloh Jolie Pitt

Booze
1 part Vodka
1 part Orange liqueur

Mixers
1 part Energy Drink

Directions
Prepare a tall glass full of ice then add the Orange liqueur or Cointreau, next add the Vodka, next add the Energy Drink.

Tastes exactly like a Pineapple ice block that you can only get in New Zealand called Friju, enjoy.

Print recipe with images | without images

Yummy Link: Chinese Tea Eggs

YumSugar — Thu, 10 May 2007 08:28:51 -0700

As you might know, I love eggs. I grew up eating a lot of tea & "soy sauce" eggs, and was really thrilled to see that I'm not the only one who thinks they are as beautiful as they are tasty. TeamSugar member haze1nut has cooked up some tea eggs that are almost too pretty to eat. - TeamSugar