PopSugar

Go Ahead - Play With Your Food!

LilSugar — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 05:00:08 -0700

Parents may not be keen on their kids playing with food at the dinner table, but when it comes to tykes setting up a little restaurant or grocery store, things are more hands on. Food play encourages creativity and the more realistic the food looks, the better.

San Francisco-based Sweet Meats creates plush "pillows" designed to look like popular cuts of meat, including T-bones, pork chops and ham bones ($65 for the set). The adorable fleece toys are made from 100 percent recycled materials and colored with recycled AZO-free dyes. Ideal for carnivorous families wanting to encourage their kids to try new foods, the company also plans to introduce a plush bacon line this Summer.

Toy Box: Haba Biofino Soft Foods

LilSugar — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 12:00:01 -0800

We've already told you about our love for Haba's wooden toy food line, but I'm now taken with their Biofino line of soft, international toy foods. The felt-based toys are a perfect way to introduce your lil one to the colors and diversity of foods found abroad and just may encourage them to try the real thing. The Ravioli set ($12) comes with a dozen felt pasta pockets and felt sauce packaged in a tin can, while the Doner Kebab set ($12) includes felt fixings for the perfect wrap that is magnetically closed. The most colorful among the bunch, the Weiner Schnitzel With French Fries ($13) even comes with a felt ketchup packet from which they can pretend to push out their favorite condiment.

Toy Box: Quiet Hours Knit Play Food

babysugar — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 10:00:19 -0700

Tea and hand knit cookies anyone? I recently came across an online shop that sells some of the most darling toys I have seen in a while. Selling only artisan-crafted items, Quiet Hours Toys features an array of classically designed items that do not require batteries, screwdrivers or instruction manuals to operate.

I was particularly taken with the shop's knit play food. The collection includes everything from produce items and sweets - like sandwich cookies to sushi and each item is hand-knit. A welcome change from the crates of plastic food with fake labels, I can see my daughter and I sitting down for an elegant tea party featuring these delectable items. To see the entire knit food collection, read more.

View 8 Photos ›

The Road: A Bleak Journey That Will Haunt You

BuzzSugar — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 07:00:00 -0800

It's not that I was expecting a film adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's The Road to be happy sunshine - I just wasn't expecting it to seem so possible.

The apocalyptic tale takes place in a wasteland in the future after most humans are gone. It's desolate, the sky is a brownish-gray, and the land seems to be covered with ash. Unlike showy 2012, this is an end-of-the-world tale stripped down, which makes it all the more realistic and chilling.

To see what I mean, just read more.

We meet Man (Viggo Mortensen) and Boy (Kodi Smit-McPhee), a father and son making their way down south because they can't survive another Winter in this ominous setting. (Charlize Theron plays their wife and mother through a series of flashbacks). With a meager amount of food left on the planet, the select few people remaining (and there aren't many) will basically kill for supplies - or turn to cannibalism for sustenance. If this sounds like a horror film, it's because it pretty much is one. In fact, it's the worst, most plausible kind: one that explores the evils of humanity.

I'm sure many viewers won't be able to (or won't want to) stomach the subject matter, but the film is worth seeing thanks to the relationship between the father and son. In terms of plot, there isn't a ton that happens, and most of the action involves bumping into new strangers, like an elderly man (Robert Duvall) and a threatening gang. Some may find the lack of events monotonous, but this is why father and son are so important. Man is an average Joe who questions how far he'll go to keep Boy safe and what that means for his conscience; Boy is an innocent who still looks for good in people. The film obviously raises questions about the nature of who we are when tested - but the story is ultimately about their relationship.

As Man, Viggo Mortensen gives a mesmerizing performance that should bring his name up around awards season, and Smit-McPhee as his son is a great child actor, especially given the dark subject matter.

If you're a McCarthy fan or even just a fan of great acting, you'll want to check this one out. But, I'd suggest saving it for next week - after you find your Thanksgiving warm fuzzies somewhere else.

If you'd like to review a movie you've seen recently, check out the Movie Reviews Group in community. I may even feature your critique on the site!

Melissa d'Arabian's Helpful Hints For Feasting on a Budget

YumSugar — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:00:31 -0800

Of all the year's celebrations, Thanksgiving often is the most expensive. In 2008, roughly a quarter of you said you were spending $150 or more. This year, to help you stay well within your budget, we've enlisted the help of Melissa d'Arabian, winner of the Next Food Network Star and host of Ten Dollar Dinners With Melissa d'Arabian.

On her Food Network show, Melissa makes dinner for four for under $10 - and her Thanksgiving is no different. She's partnered with Walmart to come up with a turkey day feast that's only $20, and plans to serve it to her own family this holiday. "My family is really getting the $20 thanksgiving!" she says. Regardless of how much you've got in your wallet, she has some pointers to help you stay under budget. See them when you read more.

Ashley Greene's New Moon Diet

FitSugar — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:00:19 -0800

If you were part of New Moon fever this weekend, I’m sure you were transfixed as I was watching the epic battle scene between the Cullen family and the Volturi. The young actors demonstrated dynamic moves coupled with super human strength that were spectacular to watch on the big screen.

Moves like that don’t come easy, Twilight actress Ashley Greene told Us Magazine. Greene, who plays Alice Cullen in the films, said that prepping for the role involved a lot of training - up to four hours a day! In addition to working out with a personal trainer every day, she also had an intense week of fight training with the rest of the New Moon cast. No wonder all the actors look ripped.

To find out how else Greene stays in shape, read more.

Greene was pretty candid in admitting another reason she’s looking so svelte - 12 hour workdays don't "leave too much time to eat." Before dismissing Greene as an actress who starves herself to look good, the star did say that she ate well and stuck to healthy foods during filming. As for her day-to-day off the set she does Pilates six times a week.

"I do it early in the morning. It wakes you up, and it's kind of refreshing," said Greene, who is headed to London in a few months to begin filming the thriller The Apparition. "And that is basically it. Sometimes cardio. I am not a big weight person because when I do weights I build muscle mass."

What's the Diff: Omega-3s vs. Omega-6s

FitSugar — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:00:10 -0800

Omegas are all the buzz right now, and it seems like everywhere you turn, new foods are being enhanced with this essential fatty acid, or labeled as an excellent source. What people don't know is that there are different types of omegas, and eating too much of one kind can actually be harmful to your body.

Omega-3s are found in flax seeds, walnuts, cod liver oil, and fatty fish like mackerel, lake trout, albacore tuna, and salmon. Fish are the best sources because they are high in two particular fatty acids that are crucial to good health, DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid).

Then there are omega-6s. These fats are found in eggs, nuts, chicken, and vegetable oils such as corn, soy, safflower, and sunflower oil. Omega-6s are high in LA (linoleic acid), which is converted by the body into GLA (gamma-linolenic acid), and then further broken down to AA (arachidonic acid).

Do you know which type of omega fatty acid we should be eating more of? To find out, keep reading

Are You a Fast Food Junkie?

YumSugar — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 05:50:07 -0800

In case you haven't been looped in, yesterday wasn't just Monday. It was also what some might argue to be the biggest food holiday of the year. No, not Thanksgiving; I'm talking about National Fast Food Day!

To celebrate the momentous occasion, I thought I'd test your knowledge of the drive-thru world. Have you been able to keep up with all of the newest offerings at your favorite fried franchises? Start playing to find out.

Question 1 of 8

Bacon & Cheese Angus Third Pounder

Amazing Bento Boxes

GiggleSugar — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 12:00:00 -0700

Now these folks know how to play with their food! Lunch is one of my favorite parts of the day. It doesn't matter if I'm eating takeout, or if I brought a modest sandwich in the office to toast in our panini maker (mmmm, toasted sandwich!). The point is, lunch rules. Imagine if you made your lunch in the shape of cute animals and funny faces? I don't know if I can get behind blue rice, but mushrooms in the shape of birds flying into an egg yolk sunset? A sandwich with angry red bell pepper eyebrows? Sign me up!

View 10 Photos ›

Source

Daily Dose of Food

YumSugar — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 06:18:31 -0800

Every year, my family always gives me a new calendar to adorn my walls. This year they surprised me with one made from my own photographs, however I would've been just as happy with one of the many foodie-friendly calendars out there. I love the Play with your Food calendar, as well as Salut! - a weekly planner that features vintage wine posters. Also, who could look past this daily cupcake calendar? You can have a new treat every day or every month, you decide! There are a lot of great photos to choose from, as well as some fantastic vintage ads. I've picked out a few of my favorites, you can see them by scrolling through the list below.

Play With Your Food 2008 Wall Calendar	2008 Cupcake Box Calendar ($6.49)
Food Ads from the 50's 2008 Wall Calendar	Cheese 2008 Wall Calendar
The Ultimate Bar 2008 Desk Calendar	Kitchen Kitsch 2008 Wall Calendar
2008 Salut! Engagement Calendar ($6.95)	Coffee 2008 Wall Calendar ($14.95)	Kitchen Calendar 2008 Deluxe Wall