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Yummy Links: From Sandra Lee to TV Dinners

partysugar — Tue, 12 May 2009 07:50:59 -0700

Semi homemade be gone: Sandra Lee gets a seasonal fresh-ingredient makeover. - Eat Me Daily
Mustard manufacturer Grey Poupon wants Obama to pardon Dijon lovers. - Grubstreet
Ten food moments from The Office. - Chow
Be inspired: An adorable owl is a fun theme for a baby shower. - Hostess With the Mostess
Thomas Keller's casual Napa Valley eatery, Ad Hoc, is now serving breakfast. - Eater SF
Lemon and basil make a healthy and delicious pasta salad. - Serious Eats
Menus and party plans inspired by your favorite television shows. - The Epi-Log

TV Dinners: The Office's Nogasake Revisited

YumSugar — Fri, 22 Dec 2006 18:00:15 -0800

As BuzzSugar pointed out, NBC reran The Office's holiday special last night. To relive the big laughs and good times, the hubby and I decided we would suck it up and do what YumSugar reader Kjell suggested. Yes that's right, we decided to brave it and actually try a Nogasake.

So we picked up some of Bud's eggnog (one of my favorite brands - super rich and creamy) and a small bottle of Gekkeikan sake. Then we went home, waited for The Office to begin, and made ourselves a drink. To learn how my experience was, read more

I started by pouring 1 1/2 oz of sake into a glass and then topping it off with 1/2 oz of eggnog. Disgustingly, the liquids separated just like oil and vinegar (with the eggnog sinking below the sake). So I grabbed a spoon, stirred until the liquids were one, counted to three and took a sip.

It was horrible. As in just wrong, like bad milk. It was as if the sake somehow instantly soured the eggnog (and no, the nog was not bad already). It didn't curdle it, just soured it. The two ingredients just did not want to mix. I seriously do not recommend this drink, not even as a joke to impress your friends. But if you must insist, I've included the recipe below.

Nogasake
From NBC's The Office
3 parts sake
1 part eggnog

Would You Drink a Nogasake?

YumSugar — Sun, 17 Dec 2006 02:55:31 -0800

Did anyone catch The Office on Thursday night (if you missed it, BuzzSugar has a great recap for you)?

In the episode Andy, Jim, Dwight and Michael head over to Benihana for a cheering-up lunch. While there Andy ordered (brace yourself for this one) a Nogasake! When I heard this, I nearly spit out my drink because (A) it's pretty offensive (B) it's hysterical and (C) my goodness that sounds disgusting!

But, if you want to try it at home (and if you do let me know about it), it's one part eggnog, three parts sake. Drink up!

Also, since I'm on the topic of disgusting drinks, what's the worst holiday drink you've ever had? Let us all know in the comments below!

How to Host an Office Baby Shower

partysugar — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 10:15:01 -0700

On certain occasions, say when someone is getting married or having a baby, it's fun to throw them a small sendoff celebration in the office. With a few simple decorations, you can easily transform any conference room. Recently, a baby shower was hosted for Lisa Sugar, here at Sugar headquarters. In less than 15 minutes, the room was ready for a party. Here's how you can achieve a similar effect:

Spread a large pink paper tablecloth across the table.
Arrange plastic champagne glasses in neat rows and fill with three kinds of sparkling Martinelli's.
Add streamers, confetti, and a baby girl sign. Don't forget themed napkins.
Purchase cupcakes from a local bakery (ours were from Kara's Cupcakes) and take them out of the box. Place on plastic or glass cake stands.
A homemade diaper "cake" is a focal point and centerpiece for the tablescape.

Voila! Instant office baby shower. Have you hosted a party in your office? Share your tips and ideas below.

To check out a bunch more photos of the decor, read more.

View 19 Photos ›

Office Lunch Etiquette: Don't Bring Smelly Food

partysugar — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 10:43:12 -0800

I happen to sit right next to the kitchen at my office. While this has plenty of perks (I can easily refill my water bottle all day) it also has its downfalls. The biggest of which is the wide variety of stenches that come wafting towards me each afternoon around lunchtime. One of the girls I work with has an extremely sensitive stomach when it comes to odd smells (she swears she's not pregnant) and is always feeling nauseous due to people's stinky lunches. I'm all for packing a lunch and bringing it to work - it's healthier and cheaper (according to geeksugar you can save $5000 a year if you make your lunch... think about it: you could go on several luxurious vacations or buy 2.5 Chanel handbags!), but when you decide what to pack keep in mind the presence and noses of your coworkers. Foods with heavy smells such as curried fish with asparagus or spicy unusual dishes are NOT OKAY as they will fill the office with an unpleasant smell for the rest of the day. Sandwiches, salad, soups, and foods that have relatively little to no smell are acceptable and encouraged. If the kitchen in your office has a door (mine doesn't) this does not automatically mean you are free to bring super fragrant food. Remember that your coworkers will be eating in that kitchen and you should be respectful. The last thing you want is people at the office calling you Stinky Food Girl behind your back. So do yourself and your colleagues a favor, don't bring smelly food to work.

Let's Dish: What Kind of Turkey Are You Having This Year?

YumSugar — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:00:49 -0800

Right now at the office, there are few things that PartySugar and I can talk about besides our Thanksgiving menus. For the first time ever, Party's making a deep-fried turkey, and she can't stop obsessing about it! This year, for some reason, I'm not really feeling Thanksgiving traditions, so I'm mixing it up with a bacon-wrapped, mushroom-filled turkey roulade. And Sugar staffer Alexis is going the classic route, with a buttered, basted, stuffed roast turkey. What kind of bird are you having this year?

Off to Market Recap: Office Party Punch

YumSugar — Tue, 19 Dec 2006 12:23:13 -0800

Last week I told you that my office is getting ready for our holiday party and is placing me in charge of doing the drinks for the event. Instead of spending the whole night mixing up specialty cocktails, I plan on making a spiked punch and to serve it in this festive pitcher. Then I asked you to find a punch recipe and all the necessary extras for serving it. To view all of the scrumptious stuff found for this Off to Market mission check out the Office Party Punch section of the Yum Market

Learn how to put things in the Yum Market and how to submit recipes

Thanks to all of the readers who participated in the challenge! Here are my top picks:

Recipe: Rubialala found this fruity Champagne punch recipe that is the prettiest sunset color. For the recipe and to see the rest of my choices, read more

Champagne Punch
From Sandra Lee

1 can (20-ounce) crushed pineapple in heavy syrup
1 cup fresh lemon juice
1 cup maraschino cherry juice
1 cup dark rum
1/2 cup brandy
1 bottle (750 ml) chilled inexpensive Brut Champagne

In a large punch bowl or pitcher, stir pineapple, lemon juice, cherry juice, rum, and brandy to blend.

Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Add Champagne just before serving.

Print recipe with images | without images

Glasses: I love these tall skinny glasses that Sugar reader bjornwinner discovered. They are designed to stop condensation - making a coaster totally unnecessary. The condensation clings to the rounded underbelly of the glass and the beads of moisture create a delicate optical illusion perfect to highlight the attractive color of the punch.

Napkins: Plumparty is one of my go to sites for inexpensive yet fantastic party extras and that is where rubialala stumbled upon these candy cane colored napkins. I'll hand coworkers a napkin when I hand them their punch glass.

Off To Market! Office Party Punch

YumSugar — Fri, 15 Dec 2006 12:01:11 -0800

My office is getting ready for a fabulous holiday party and yours truly has been put in charge of the drinks! In order to make things tasty, but easy, I've decided that a delicious spiked punch would be the way to go.

I just found this beautiful Rudi pitcher from notNeutral ($22.40 on sale from $28!), but now I'll need to come up with a great spiked punch recipe, cups, garnishes, napkins, etc. So help me out and let's all go find some fantastic recipes and accessories! Be sure to come back and let us all know what you discover out there or just tag your recipes and Yum Market finds with "Office Party Punch."

Post your recipe ideas in our new recipe database.

To add things to the Yum Market (which is like Fab Finding), just add this link to your browser's favorites: Save to TeamSugar

For a more detailed explanation of bookmarks (thanks geeksugar!) click here.

Do You Ever Steal Food From the Office Fridge?

partysugar — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 06:50:52 -0700

Let's Dish: What Food Smells Do You Find Repulsive?

YumSugar — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 07:50:44 -0800

Yesterday in the office kitchen, TrèsSugar, Fab, and I got into a discussion about durian, the controversial-smelling Southeast Asian fruit. Très loves it, but Fab said she simply can't get over the smell. The whole discussion got me thinking about olfactory offenses in the kitchen. Personally, I can't stand the sulfurous smell of eggs. What odors can't you handle?