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Can You Identify the Bean?

YumSugar — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 03:00:08 -0800

You might think that since New Year's is over, there are no more holidays to celebrate for a while, but you're wrong: today is National Bean Day! For thousands of years, legumes have served as a staple ingredient to virtually every culture in the world because they're nutritious, healthy, and affordable.

As Americans become increasingly conscious of their waistlines and their spending, I predict that the country's obsession with beans will continue to grow.

The real question is, how do you fare when it comes to identifying them? Find out when you take our quiz.

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Happy (Repeal Day) Hour: Le Coup de Jarnac

partysugar — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 13:07:08 -0800

Listen up, party people: Today is a big day in the world of drinking. It's the 75th anniversary of the repeal of the 18th amendment. On this day in 1933, the 21st amendment was ratified and the celebratory right of drinking was given back to Americans. To commemorate the occasion, I worked with my favorite drinking website, Nirvino, and one of San Francisco's most adorable bartenders, Buffalo, at the Alembic, to bring you this amazing cocktail recipe. Buffalo originally created the concoction for Nirvino's monthly cocktail competition, which I attended at Level III in San Francisco. The drink is made with Canton, apple brandy, and lavender honey. The honey adds subtle body without making it overly sweet. To get the recipe of the le coup de jarnac — which won the people's choice award at the contest — and check out a video of the beloved Buffalo making it,

Subject From Iconic Great Depression Photo Recounts Impact

CitizenSugar — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 13:30:25 -0800

This picture is in just about every American history book and has become an iconic image of the Great Depression. And while it reminds me of The Grapes of Wrath, it was intended to let Depression-era Americans understand they were not alone. Maybe now it can tell our 2008 recession woes that throwing a party with dollar-store finds is not the same thing?

Seventy-six-year-old Katherine McIntosh, the girl to our left in the photo, told CNN it brought shame and determination to her family. She now owns a home in central California and uses her obsession with cleanliness, a trait learned early on, to make a comfortable living cleaning homes. "I wanted to make sure," she said, "I never lived like that again."

Photographer Dorothea Lange took the photo late in the winter of 1936. She was on a photography assignment for the Resettlement Administration, a federal agency that relocated struggling families to government-planned communities. Katherine's mother, though embarrassed, agreed to have her photo taken on the condition of anonymity because it had the potential to help others. It ran in a local newspaper the next day, but the migrant family didn't see it, having already moved on.

After they inevitably learned of the photo, they worked their whole lives not to let it define them. Though "it was always talked about," Katherine said. To listen to her now,

Can You Identify These Classic Sandwiches?

partysugar — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 07:45:42 -0800

The first written record of the word "sandwich" occurred 246 years ago today. Apparently Edward Gibbons wrote about it in his journal. Since then the sandwich has come a long way! To celebrate the beloved lunch dish, I've put together a quiz. I'll list a bunch of ingredients and you tell me the name of the sandwich. Ready? Go!

Is Liberal Bias in Your History Book?

CitizenSugar — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 11:30:54 -0800

What did you learn in history class? That the Rosenbergs were innocent? Gorbachev, not Reagan, ended the Cold War? That FDR knew the Japanese were going to bomb Pearl Harbor but did nothing to stop it? Neither did I, which is why I am skeptical about the market for 48 Liberal Lies About American History (That You Probably Learned in School).

The author, a US history professor, reviewed 15 to 20 of the bestselling college US history textbooks and The People’s History of the United States and set out to prove that history books have become too politically correct and anti-American. What lies did he find? To find out,

Do You Know Your Nachos?

YumSugar — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 11:15:43 -0800

Today is National Nachos Day! As you probably know, PartySugar loves nachos so much that she came up with a new, innovative recipe for nachos every week in her series Not Your Regular Nachos. Think you know PartySugar's original nacho recipes? I'll be quizzing you to find out. Here's the drill: When I show you a picture of the ingredients, guess which nacho recipe they make. Are you ready? Let's dig in!

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Mozzarella, ketchup, and Lay's potato chips

Can You Identify American Breweries?

partysugar — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 03:00:49 -0700

Happy American Beer Day! To commemorate the many great American breweries, I put together another round of the popular American beer identification game. I'll list a brew and you tell me if it's American or not. Sound like fun? Get cracking!

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Is This the World's Oldest Chocolate?

YumSugar — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 08:00:21 -0700

Considering most people can barely leave chocolate untouched for a week, it's amazing that one set of chocolates has been around for over a century. This box of chocolates pictured above hails from St. Andrews, Scotland, and was made especially to commemorate the coronation day of King Edward VII on June 26, 1902. Although the king died just eight years later, the chocolates survived — 106 years, to be exact.

Martha Greig, the original recipient of the confections, passed down the chocolates to her daughter, who later gave it to her daughter, Freida McIntosh. McIntosh has turned the chocolate, along with its collectible box, in to the St. Andrews Preservation Trust. It is considered a contender for the title of world's oldest chocolate.

I'm amazed that someone had the willpower to preserve the chocolate's historical significance, rather than succumbing to immediate temptation. Do you consider this an amazing artifact, or do you think it ought to be headed for the wastebasket?

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Match the Nut Shell to the Nut!

YumSugar — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 05:30:29 -0700

Unless you have an adverse reaction to eating nuts, chances are they play a significant role in your regular diet. Nuts are not only satisfying, but they're also a natural source of protein. To honor the fact that today is National Nut Day, I'm going to see how well you know your nuts. Here's the deal: I'll flash a picture of a nut shell, and I want you to guess which type of nut it is. Are you ready to go nuts? Let's begin!
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What's this shelled nut? Source

A List Candidates Want to Avoid: Biggest Debate Blunders!

LibertySugar — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 06:00:26 -0700

Tonight is the last chance Barack Obama and John McCain have to show Americans how their visions for America differ.

That's swell, but we all know what tonight's debate is really about — it's the last chance either candidate has to make a major blunder and self-inflict a campaign crippling wound.

Esquire went back to the archives to find examples of how presidential campaigns destroyed years of campaigning during a few seconds of debate time. Here are some of the highlights (or low points). You can check out the videos on Esquire's site.

1960: Nixon vs. Kennedy: Richard Nixon made the horrid mistake of refusing to wear makeup. His pasty skin, five-o-clock shadow, and unfortunate weight loss due to hospitalization distracted viewers and helped shift the momentum to a tan JFK.
1988: Bush vs. Dukakis: When asked if his wife was raped and killed, would he want the death penalty for the killer, Dukakis said: "No, I don't, and I think you know that I've opposed the death penalty during all of my life.” His lack of emotion didn't fly.
2000: Gore vs. Bush: Gore's sighs and eye-rolling. Enough said.

Is there a good chance we'll add to the list tonight — or are the candidates going to play it safe?