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Big Love, The New Season Sundays at 9PM on HBO

Sponsor — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 21:16:28 -0800

Everyone has something to hide. Big Love, the new season Sundays at 9pm. Only on HBO.

Big Love, The new season premieres Sunday at 9PM on HBO

Sponsor — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 05:45:00 -0800

Everyone has something to hide. Big Love, the new season returns Sunday January 18, 9pm. Only on HBO.

Big Love, The new season premieres Sunday at 9PM on HBO

Sponsor — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 11:26:51 -0800

Everyone has something to hide. Big Love, the new season, returns Sunday, Jan. 18, 9 p.m. Only on HBO.

New Season of Damages Starts Tonight on FX

Sponsor — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 12:47:37 -0800

FX’s Damages,starring Emmy-Award Winner Glenn Close and Rose Byrne, Premieres Tonight at 10PM ET/PT. Watch this exclusive scene from the upcoming season.

Come Party With Me: Heroes Season Premiere - The Look

partysugar — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 09:15:51 -0700

I am so excited for Monday night's season premiere of Heroes! As with any TV-watching party, make sure your viewing room is clean and comfortable.

Before the show starts offer the grilled cheese appetizers on a large, black platter. The tomato soup looks scrumptious in Heroes shot glasses. Pour the cocktail into classic Tom Collins glasses.

Let guests eat on individual folding tables and serve the meal in foil TV dinner trays.

Light black candles and fold a couple of throw blankets over the back of a sofa. Place simple but chic plant arrangements around the space. A Heroes poster on the fridge is a delightful last detail.

Photos courtesy of NBC

Come Party With Me: Heroes Season Premiere - Drinks

partysugar — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 12:30:17 -0700

What cocktail pairs perfectly with a traditional meat and mashed potato TV dinner? A classic gin and tonic served in a chilled glass. It's a simple, no-fuss drink that will nicely complement the menu for my Heroes season premiere party.

I'll also have a couple bottles of red wine on hand to enjoy with dinner. Water, beer, and sodas are a must for those who dislike gin. To look at the recipe for this uncomplicated cocktail, read more.

Gin and Tonic
From MSNBC

Ingredients

2 oz. London dry gin
Tonic water (from a fresh bottle)
1-2 ample wedges of lime
Plenty of cold ice cubes
Highball glass

Directions

Chill the glass. You may want to fill it with ice, then empty it and refill, as some bartenders do with a martini glass.
Fill the glass with whole ice cubes. If you wish, take a wedge of lime and moisten the rim the glass with it.
Pour the gin over the ice, which should be cold enough that it crackles when the liquor hits it.
Fill glass almost to the top with tonic.
Squeeze one wedge of lime into the glass. Drop the squeezed lime into the drink as a garnish if you like; it’s not necessary, but can add a bit of extra flavor. Serve.

Makes 1 cocktail.

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Come Party With Me: Heroes Season Premiere - Dessert

partysugar — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 15:00:29 -0700

No dessert says TV dinner more than a dish that features warm fruit and cool ice cream. While a pie or cobbler are delicious selections, wow guests at a season premiere party (or any party for that matter!) with this to-die-for apple cake.

Complete with toffee crust, fresh apple filling, and rich butterscotch sauce, it's luxurious and comforting - sort of like a glam, grown-up sister to apple pie. Although the recipe requires patience and a bit of skill, the finished cake is a worthy reward of the time and work put into it. To look at the steps involved, read more.

Apple Cake with Toffee Crust
From Food and Wine magazine

Ingredients

For cake
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
2 large Granny Smith apples-peeled, cored and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 stick unsalted butter
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For butterscotch sauce
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon brandy
For caramelized apples
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
3 large Granny Smith apples-peeled, cored and cut into 8 wedges each
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons water
Vanilla ice cream, for serving

Directions

Make the cake: preheat the oven to 325°. Butter and flour a 9-inch springform tube pan.
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour with the salt and baking soda.
In a large bowl, whisk the oil with the granulated sugar. Whisk in the eggs one at a time. Add the dry ingredients and whisk until smooth.
Fold in the diced apples with a rubber spatula. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake in the lower third of the oven for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool slightly.
Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, combine the butter, cream and brown sugar and bring to a boil over moderate heat, stirring. Remove the toffee glaze from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
Place the warm cake (still in its pan) on a rimmed baking sheet. Pour the hot glaze over the cake and let it seep into the cake, poking lightly with a toothpick. Let the cake cool completely, about 2 hours.
Invert the cake onto a plate, and invert again onto another plate, right side up.
Meanwhile, make the butterscotch sauce: in a medium saucepan, combine the sugar and water and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Using a moistened pastry brush, wash down any sugar crystals on the side of the pan. Cook without stirring until a medium-amber caramel forms, about 5 minutes.
Remove from the heat and quickly but carefully stir in the cream and butter. Simmer the sauce over moderate heat for 2 minutes, then remove from the heat and stir in the brandy. Pour the butterscotch sauce into a pitcher.
Make the caramelized apples: in a large skillet, melt the butter and the brown sugar. Add the apples and cinnamon and cook over moderately high heat, turning the apples once or twice, until they are tender and caramelized, about 10 minutes. Add the water to dissolve the caramel in the skillet, then transfer the caramelized apples to a plate.
Slice the cake and serve with the caramelized apples, butterscotch sauce and vanilla ice cream.

Serves 10-12.

Make ahead: the unmolded cake can be stored in an airtight container overnight at room temperature. The butterscotch sauce can be refrigerated for up to 1 week; reheat gently before serving. The apples can be made up to 2 hours ahead and kept at room temperature.

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Come Party With Me: Heroes Season Premiere - Menu

partysugar — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 09:00:05 -0700

When hosting a viewing party of any sort, there are two options for planning a menu. You can serve foods inspired by the show or popular dishes classic to the TV dinner. For my Heroes season premiere party, I've decided to do the latter and offer friends a tasty re-interpretation of the 1950s TV dinner. Guests will be greeted with shot glasses of spicy tomato soup. Mini grilled cheese sandwiches are an excellent companion. Beef, mashed potatoes, peas, and caramelized onions make up the main course that looks scrumptious served on a TV dinner tray. To get these comforting, delicious, timeless recipes, read more.

Spicy Tomato Soup
From Gourmet magazine

Ingredients

2 (28- to 32-oz) cans whole tomatoes in juice (preferably organic)
1 large onion, coarsely chopped (2 1/4 cups)
2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh jalapeño chile including seeds
2 teaspoons finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 1/4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (18 fl oz)
1 tablespoon sugar, or to taste
2 teaspoons salt, or to taste

Directions

Drain 1 can tomatoes, discarding juice, then purée with remaining can tomatoes (including juice) in a blender.
Cook onion, garlic, chile, and ginger in oil in a 4- to 5-quart heavy nonreactive pot over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until onion is softened, about 8 minutes.
Add cumin and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in puréed tomatoes, broth, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 2 teaspoons salt and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 20 minutes.
Working in 3 or 4 batches, blend soup in blender until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids). Transfer soup as blended to a sieve set over a large bowl and force through sieve, discarding seeds.
Stir in sugar and salt to taste. Reheat in cleaned saucepan if necessary.

Serves 4.

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Grilled Mozzarella Sandwiches
From Martha Stewart

Ingredients

1 pound fresh buffalo mozzarella, cut into 4 equal pieces about 3-inches by 4-inches
8 1/2-inch thick firm white sandwich bread
2 large eggs
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon coarse salt
A grating of nutmeg
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Directions

Place the mozzarella on 4 slices of the bread. Cover with the remaining slices to form sandwiches. Trim the crusts off to make perfect 4-inch squares.
In a wide shallow bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the cream, thyme leaves, salt, and nutmeg. Whisk until well blended.
In a 10 to 12-inch nonstick saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat until smoking. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter and cook until the sizzling subsides.
Dip 2 of the sandwiches into the egg mixture, turning to coat, place in the pan, and cook until golden brown on the first side, about 2 minutes.
Flip over and brown on the other side. Transfer the sandwiches to individual plates and repeat the process with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon butter, and 2 sandwiches. Cut in half, and serve immediately.

Makes 4 sandwiches or 16 triangles.

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Beef, Potatoes, and Peas
From Everyday with Rachael Ray magazine

Ingredients

2 large baking potatoes (about 1 1/4 pounds total)-peeled, quartered lengthwise and sliced 1/2 inch thick
3/4 cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper
1 pound ground beef sirloin
1 tablespoon flour
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 onions, thinly sliced
1 cup beef broth
3 tablespoons steak sauce, such as A.1.
One 10-ounce box frozen petite peas

Directions

In a small saucepan, combine the potatoes and enough salted cold water to cover. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain, return to the pot and mash with 6 tablespoons cream, 1 teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper. Set aside.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the ground sirloin with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Shape into 4 oval patties about 1/2 inch thick. Coat with the flour.
In a large, heavy skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the ground sirloin patties and cook until browned, about 2 minutes on each side for medium-rare. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
Add the onions to the skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring, until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Pour in the beef broth, steak sauce and remaining 6 tablespoons cream and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens, about 4 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook the peas according to package directions.
Return the meat patties to the skillet and let simmer in the sauce for about 4 minutes.
Arrange the patties on plates and spoon the sauce on top. Serve the mashed potatoes and peas alongside.

Serves 4.

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Come Party With Me: Heroes Season Premiere - Invite

partysugar — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 10:22:41 -0700

Finally, the third season of Heroes is almost here! The show debuts next Monday, Sept. 22, and to celebrate I'm inviting friends over to watch the premiere. All this week I'll be providing tips and recipes for the perfect viewing party. If Heroes isn't your thing, take my ideas and use them to host a premiere party for your favorite show, be it Ugly Betty or Grey's Anatomy. To get things started, let's make invitations. To learn how I made the collage invites seen here, read more.

To make a similar invite you will need the following supplies:

black cardstock
images from Heroes (I found all of mine on BuzzSugar!)
scissors
glue
computer and printer

To assemble the invite:

Start by creating a new Word document in Microsoft. Insert a large circle. Inside the circle, write out the details of the party. For mine I used the font Bank Gothic in size 12 bold to write the following message: Finally Heroes Is Back!

To celebrate you’re invited to watch the season premiere
at my house.

Monday, September 22, 2008
7:45 pm

PartySugar’s House
San Francisco, CA

Please RSVP: 415.555.5555

Print out and check for spelling and grammar mistakes. Once satisfied with the text print out on nice paper.
Cut out the circle.
Cut out the images from Heroes. You want to get creative, think of it like a collage.

Place the circle text on the black cardstock. Arrange the Heroes images around the text in a circle.
Glue the images to the cardstock.

Cut out the invite. Slide into an envelope and send.

View 18 Photos ›

Come Party With Me: Season Premiere - The Look

partysugar — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 06:03:15 -0700

Putting together the decor for my Ugly Betty Season Premiere party was super fun! Look for an eclectic mix of Mexican, dorky, colorful, and fashionable pieces. Turn your living room into a fun haven, perfect for watching the television show.

Make sure there is plenty of seating for everyone to comfortably watch the premiere. Add bright cushions and throws for a homey, warm atmosphere. Stack old issues of Vogue magazines next to the couches to serve as make shift end tables. Light authentic Our Lady of Guadalupe candles to create a theater like glow.

Instead of buying fresh flowers arrange vibrant paper flowerbuds around the party space. Put the chips into a woven Mexican basket on black TV trays. A sombrero shaped tortilla warmer keeps the snacks warm and doubles as a conversation starter. Serve the dinner in classic cafeteria style trays and the wine in tinted glasses.