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Happy Hour: Apple Cidercar

YumSugar — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:00:42 -0800

After declaring I'd discovered the perfect Fall cocktail last week, I was worried I'd have nothing to look forward to. But surprisingly, my success had the opposite effect: I was inspired to go in search of other tipples that glorify the season's bounty.

Right now, it's impossible to wander the farmers market without being smitten by frosty jugs of freshly pressed apple cider. The apple cidercar - a riff on the time-honored sidecar cocktail - is a fun way to incorporate Autumn's quintessential beverage into a spirited libation. Check out the recipe when you read more.

Cognac 101: A Very Special Guide

YumSugar — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 14:30:36 -0700

Ever since "Hennessey" was first name-dropped in hip-hop lyrics and Tim Meadows's Ladies Man started sipping Courvosier, I've been curious about cognac. With all the VSOPs and XOs, cognac can be intimidating. So if you're also wondering what all those letters on the labels mean, I've put together a little primer.

Cognac is a brandy, but not all brandies are cognacs. The name refers to brandies produced in the Cognac region of France, made from white wine grapes that are first fermented, and then double distilled.
From this distillation, you get a liquid called eau de vie, which is aged in oak barrels to become cognac.

All those different letters refer to how long a cognac is aged. Find out what they mean.

Which Celebrity Hairstyle Do You Prefer?

BellaSugar — Mon, 18 May 2009 09:00:22 -0700

One thing that's constant? Change. And celebrities are the masters of it. Over the past few weeks, I've taken note of different stars who have made some type of hair transformation, whether it's a switch in color or a visit to the hairstylist for a few inches taken off - or on, in the cases of our extensions-loving stars. Vote for your favorites now! Source

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Rihanna, David, Kanye and More Jingle All the Way

Molly — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 06:00:00 -0800

Madison Square Garden got a little more festive - or just plain hot as in the case with Rihanna and Chris Brown - at this year's Jingle Ball on Friday night. Rih and Chris weren't the only exciting act as acts from Leona Lewis to Katy Perry to the Veronicas took the stage as well. Busy Kanye found a moment to write about being impressed by his own outfit before performing the following night on SNL. David Archuleta surely made the crowd of teenage girls swoon and is dominating Buzz's pop album of the year poll. It was quite a night of music for the packed house as they danced their way though performances from some of the year's biggest acts.

To see over 60 more photos from the concert including Ashley Tisdale, Brody Jenner, Nick Lachey and others just read more.

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Images include: Ashley Tisdale, Brody Jenner, David Archuleta, Jesse McCartney, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Leona Lewis, Natasha Bedingfield, Ne-Yo, Nick Lachey, Rihanna, The Veronicas, Brandy, Chris Brown, Kanye West, Katie Couric, Christian Siriano

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Sugar Bits - Gwyneth Having Marriage Problems With Chris?

PopSugar — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 09:30:00 -0800

Gwyneth Paltrow is rumored to be avoiding spending time with husband Chris Martin, because the two are having marriage trouble. - Page Six
Diane Sawyer's interview with Ashley Dupre about her affair with former NY Governor Eliot Spitzer will air this Friday on 20/20. - CitizenSugar
Chuck Norris wrote a heated article about all of the Proposition 8 protesters, saying they have resorted to "anarchy" in response to a law that is protecting the "boundaries of marriage." - Town Hall
Kelly Osbourne is engaged to her boyfriend of six months, Luke Worrall, according to his Facebook page. - The Cut
Joaquin Phoenix is filming a documentary about his transition from acting to music now that he has decided to retire. - E! Online
Hannah Montana star Cody Linley was kicked off of Dancing With the Stars last night, leaving three teams to compete in next week's finale. - AP
Tyrese denied recent rumors that he is dating Brandy, saying she is his best friend and that would be like "dating his sister." - Us Weekly

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Happy Hour: Pisco Sour

YumSugar — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 14:00:46 -0700

The other night I found myself at Nopa, a San Francisco restaurant known for its great food and equally respectable drinks. My drink of choice was the pisco sour, the slightly sweet, tart, frothy lemon cocktail made with pisco, a regional South American brandy. This is a wonderful concoction and I'm excited to re-create it at home.If you don't own pisco, you can find it at a well-stocked liquor store or online. The pisco sour and its namesake spirit have been at the center of a centuries-old battle between Chile and Peru, with both countries claiming it their own.

Note that this recipe calls for Chilean pisco, which is sweeter, with slightly lower alcohol content than Peruvian pisco. If you substitute Peruvian pisco, increase the amount of simple syrup and lemon juice according to your taste. To get the recipe to this lovely Latin libation, read more.

Pisco Sour
From Epicurious; inspired by a cocktail consumed at Nopa

Ingredients

1 egg white
2 1/2 ounces Chilean Pisco Capel
1/2 ounce simple syrup
3/4 ounce fresh lemon juice
Angostura Bitters

Directions

In cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine egg white, Pisco, simple syrup, and lemon juice.
Cover, shake vigorously for 15 seconds, and strain into six-ounce cocktail glass.
Top with a few drops of bitters.

Makes 1.

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Greatest American Dog: Brandy Tells All to PetSugar!

PetSugar — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 09:15:47 -0700

Last week's episode of the Greatest American Dog saw Brandy and her Miniature Schnauzer, Beacon, leave the house. I had the chance to speak with Brandy about her time on the show, plus her plans now that she's home again, and I can't wait to share it all with you! Was Beacon really sad in the end? How about any drama behind-the-scenes? Read on and see!

PetSugar: So, I'll assume you're watching, how is Beacon's personality different on camera?
Brandy: Oh yeah, it's insane. My poor dog looks like the dumbest dog on the show. She's so smart, she's so cute, she did almost everything I asked her to but the editing doesn't really look like it at all. I definitely realized how much eye contact she makes with me and hadn't ever noticed it until I looked back. She looks up at me, waits for my command, and I just think she's the most precious thing ever. If anything, this is a really good home video of me and my dog that I can watch forever.

PetSugar: Did she have any special friends?
Brandy: She loved Elvis and she loved Presley. Those were her favorites. I don't know if it was because she had a crush on them, but she loved to play with those two.

PetSugar: And you?
Brandy: Travis and J.D. were definitely my favorites – they were fun. J.D. has a bad rap but he's really a good guy – he's just a little too experienced for the show. Those two guys were cool, country guys and it was fun hanging out with both of them.

PetSugar: Is there anything you hoped to see make it on air that hasn't?
Brandy: I was hoping to see more of Beacon doing things and the dogs interacting with each other because that's the whole reason we went on the show – I'd like to see more of her and less of me.

PetSugar: Were there any cute moments that pop into your head?
Brandy: I think Beacon hanging out with other dogs in general, especially Presley. If Travis would throw the Frisbee, Beacon and Presley would catch the Frisbee together. They never showed that and it was the cutest thing ever. Of course, Elvis did bite a few dogs or whatever, but Elvis and Beacon got along so well. Hmm, all the dogs swimming . . . that was adorable. Because we're all dog lovers, even though we're in a competition, watching all our dogs interact with each other was like watching toddlers who didn't know each other and that was so much fun. Our dogs brought us here and now our dogs are friends – it's awesome and that's the main thing I miss.

PetSugar: Have your training methods changed since participating on the show?
Brandy: When we're doing training at home, I always talk to her like a little baby. That's how I've always talked to her. Here, the very first competition was musical chairs and I knew it was a competition, so I was like 'Beacon, go' and she freaked out because I don't talk to her in a demanding voice like that ever. So I think I learned to keep the same mellow tone with training or talking and she'll respond more; I can't get too hyper, excited, angry, it has to have a tone that dogs can listen to without getting nervous. She doesn't respond to that other voice like 'You're going to talk to me like that, well then forget you.'"

PetSugar: I know! She was being so naughty, ignoring you on the last episode!
Brandy: She yawned! It was like 'are you kidding me, I'm your mother. Don't yawn at me when I'm trying to talk to you!' She was being so bad, I don't know why she did that. She wanted to go home, that's all I can say. She was done and wanted to leave.

I'd have to say that the editing of the episode did imply that Beacon wanted to go home . . . and what's happening now that they are home? See the rest of the interview and learn about Beacon's wardrobe and Brandy's wedding when you read more.

PetSugar: Have your opinions on dogs in clothes changed?
Brandy: Well my fiancé says she has more clothes than me. I think that when I have a child, I'm going to go broke. I don't know why I just love her wearing clothes. Believe it or not, I actually stopped buying her clothes after I went on the show. I feel really bad about a lot of the things the judges said to me or other people about dressing dogs and so, for now, I'm gonna stop buying clothes – she's totally being dressed at my wedding – but maybe I'll let her be a dog for a little while instead of a little model.

PetSugar: Was it hard to find clothes that fit her?
Brandy: Oh no, I find clothes for her everywhere. She's 20 pounds but we actually have the right size for her so my fiancé's mom and I could start making clothes to fit just her. There's actually a good selection if you go to Wal-Mart, (I love Wal-Mart cause I'm from the South) – they have a dog line, Lulu Pink, and tons of pet stuff. I know people like shopping at Target, but I think Wal-Mart has a better selection actually.

PetSugar: Are you still planning on involving animals in your wedding ceremony?
Brandy: Oh, of course. We're focusing on her outfit to match the bridesmaids' dresses and what she's going to do. She's walking down the aisle with flowers on the back of her dress. She's going to be the ring bearer of course as well, so on top of the flowers she's going to have the ring. We're also thinking about having a 'bone appetit' for the dogs that come at their table. We're actually doing a little set up for each little dog, we're going to have a photo shoot, and have bone appetit for them to eat, it's going to be so awesome.

PetSugar: So now that it's done, are you happy you participated?
Brandy: In the end, Beacon, who is a daddy's girl, for the show we had to bond more. Instead of just being the nurturing mother I became the fun mother, too, which she never had because my fiancé would always play with her and do all the fun stuff. So we walked away with a greater bond. And, after 45 days apart, I came back and I actually got a ring, and got engaged. He missed me so much, he was like 'let's stop talking about it, let's really get the ring' so I think that alone was enough to go on the entire show. Because we missed each other that much and he knew that he always wanted Beacon and me in his life . . . the knowing that we never wanted to be apart.

Awww, well even though Brandy and Beacon didn't win big (but did keep some swag like a Chrome Bones bed, Natural Balance dog food, and enough Nature's Specialties shampoo and conditioners to last forever), I'm glad that their full family is reunited once again! Don't forget to tune in tonight at 8 p.m. to the latest episode of Greatest American Dog on CBS!

"Photos courtesy of CBS

Happy Hour: Brandy Julep

YumSugar — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 14:28:33 -0700

The weather warmed up this weekend, and a wonderfully refreshing drink was definitely a must. Looking for inspiration, I flipped through the latest issue of Imbibe magazine and came across a Brandy Julep. With a Kentucky Derby Party just around the corner, I knew I had found my drink. It's a sweet treat for a hot day, and a nice twist on a classic cocktail. To get the recipe, read more.

Note: If the day is warm enough the ice will start to melt and dilute the drink a bit. At first I was worried that it would be a problem, but soon realized that the melting ice toned down the sweetness of the drink .

Brandy Julep
From Imbibe magazine, May/June 2008

Ingredients

1 1/2 oz. brandy
1/4 oz. Jamaican (dark) rum
1 oz. simple syrup
3-4 fresh mint sprigs*
crushed ice

Directions

Fill a highball glass halfway with crushed ice.
Add ingredients and stir, bruising the mint lightly with the spoon.
Garnish with season fruits.

*Note: My mint looks dark because it is a chocolate-mint variety. It just happens to be the one that is growing rampant in my back yard, and doesn't actually have much chocolate taste at all. Any mint variety should do.

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Celebrity Democrats Take Front Seat at the LA Debates

Molly — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 12:27:21 -0800

Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton faced off at the Kodak Theater in LA last night at the final Democratic debate before Super Tuesday and some of Hollywood's most famous faces were front and center. Leonardo DiCaprio looked deep in thought deciding between the two Democratic candidates left in the race while Pierce Brosnan and Christina Applegate were happy to pose on the red (blue) carpet. Yes, you read that correctly, there was a red carpet at the debate. Quentin Tarantino and Kerry Washington engaged in a little post-debate schmoozing, no doubt discussing all the issues of the evening. Were you watching last night? The two candidates kept things remarkably civil, I definitely enjoyed watching. Check out Citizen's morning after thoughts on the debate and let us know what you thought of Hillary and Barack.

To see more from the debates including Leo, Christina, Isaiah Washington, Steven Spielberg, Kate Capshaw, Brandy, Pierce Brosnan, Dr. Sanjay Gupta and others just read more

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Images include: Leonardo DiCaprio, Christina Applegate, Kerry Washington, Quentin Tarantino, Garry Shandling, Isaiah Washington, Jenisa Marie Washington, Steven Spielberg, Kate Capshaw, Brandy, Pierce Brosnan, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Bradley Whitford, Lauren Holly, Wolf Blitzer, Stevie Wonder, Rob Reiner, Brenda Strong, Fran Drescher, Kathy Najimy, Diane Keaton, Jimmy Jean-Louis, Jason Alexander

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Yummy Link: Brandied Cranberry, White Chocolate Chip Cookies

partysugar — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 05:03:33 -0800

For a grownup, gourmet version of the classic chocolate chip cookie, add brandied cranberries and white chocolate. It sounds so scrumptious! This recipe has definitely made it to my must-bake-for-the-holidays list! - Simply Recipes