Mushroom Mania!!!

Do you love those exotic varieties such as maitake, oyster, shiitake, and portabello? Guess what? Not only are they almost double the price but they are not as healthy as the generic white button ones sold in your local grocery store! These provide more immunity-boosting antioxidants and nutrients! Take that!

Tips From Our Test Kitchen In Colchester!

Strap on your... apron (get your mind out of the gutter) honey it's time for us to get down with some klever kitchen kitsch!

-Slippery cutting board? Save your digits and your counter tops by placing a damp towel under your cutting board. This helps to prevent it from sliding all over your work surface!

-Are your lemons to firm? Try popping them in the microwave for 10 second increments. This will help to break down the fruit's cells making them easier to juice! Also don't forget the old tip of rolling them on the counter before slicing them to help release the juices.

-Unruly herbs? Try using a rubber band to bunch herbs such as chives or parsley together when chopping. Try using a pair of kitchen shears to chop them instead of a chef's knife. It's easier, faster, and you won't be cleaning up herb debris for days!

Spring Has Sprung!

This week we had to decide between Spring cleaning (yawn) or Spring parties (woohoo), so we decided to have some fun, take on party tips, and leave the cleaning for the hired help!

Go Old Spool!

Add interest and a touch a fun to your next table-scape with this great idea. Try elevating serving dishes and platters using stacks of brightly colored ribbon. Stack three or four spools from largest at the bottom to the smallest at top. Try using glass plates to help show off this bright spring tip!

Save The Stamps!

Save your stamps and your guests the hassle of keeping track of paper invitations. Send them online directly to their cell phone using the website http://www.socializr.com/. These digital invites can be saved to their cell phone's calender. You can event add festive songs and video too!

How Much Is Enough?

Hors d'oeuvres: Plan on people eating between 4 to 8 if your cheap and not serving dessert after the meal. If you decide to be Daddy Warbucks and splurge on dessert, then plan on about 4 per person.

Drinks (the stronger the better): Plan on 3 to 4 drinks in a 2 to 3 hour time frame, that is, of course, if you aren't attending a kegger at your local frat house!

Glasses: Plan on approximately 3 to 4 glasses per person. People get lazy or just too drunk and loose track of where they put their damn glass! You can imagine you could spend all night washing glasses or you can come up with some creative ways for each of your guests to identify his or her glass. For example, hand each person a sticker as they arrive and ask them to stick it on their glass.

Ice: Plan on 1 pound per person. You'll need keep bottles chilled and guest will need it in their glasses.

Is Your Gloss A Loss?

Lip gloss is notorious for disappearing quicker than an appletini on a Friday night! What can you do to keep it from wiping away so quickly? Try applying two coats. Apply the first coat and blot if off. Then apply a second generous coat. The first coat will color your lips; the second will seal the deal!