Blog Posts by YumSugar

YumSugarSource: City Dwellers: Try These Space-Saving Kitchen Gadgets

If the show Hoarders has taught me anything, it's that a cluttered home is the antithesis of chic. Regardless, my petite city kitchen has limited storage space, making for an ongoing struggle. Luckily, I've come across a handful of smart space-saving kitchen gadgets that are sure to aid organization no matter your square footage.

• Folding Colander: This petite colander ($19) folds flat for storage, then easily clicks into place when it's time to drain pasta or potatoes.
• Magnetic Measuring Spoons: Dual-ended magnetic measuring spoons ($14) are like having two sets of measuring spoons in one. Additionally, the magnetic feature keeps them organized, a boon in cluttered kitchen drawers.
• Magnetic Knife Strip: While this magnetic knife strip ($28) excels at its intended purpose, it's also an ideal home for other metal tools, such as kitchen shears, vegetable peelers, and offset spatulas.
• File

Source: Know Your Techniques: Deep-Frying

Consider yourself a fan of deep-fried food? Before you try deep-frying at home, check out these tips for a safe, efficient cooking process. No matter what you're frying, it's smart to refresh yourself on all the basics. We've outlined everything from which pan to use to which oils are best to how you can avoid any accidents. If you're planning to fry up some foods this Fall, follow these simple steps for a tasty, perfectly cooked dish:

• Choose a safe skillet. Since you're using a good amount of oil and plan to cook at high heats, you want your pan to be deep and sturdy. If you're not sure which skillet to try, there's another, beginner-friendly option: an electric deep fryer. With the electric version, you can control temperature settings and use an automatic timer.
• Pick the appropriate cooking oil. Selections will vary from recipe to recipe, but be sure to choose an oil with a high smoke point - an oil that won't break down at

Source: Why Egg Wash Rocks, and How to Use It

If you've ever dabbled in baking, then chances are you've encountered egg wash in recipes before. Simply put, egg wash is a term that refers to the emulsion of egg and a liquid - for a basic version, whisk a large egg with one tablespoon of water until smooth - and it's used for a couple of reasons and a multitude of recipes.

Egg can either be employed as a glue-like substance to seal homemade ravioli, wontons, or dumplings or brushed on the surface of rich breads (think brioche and challah), biscuits, and scones to make them more visually enticing by enhancing browning and adding a glossy sheen. It can also be brushed atop lattice and double-crust pies, as well as sugar cookies, to help adhere a sprinkling of coarse sugar and enhance browning.

While egg wash can be versatile, it can also seem a bit wasteful, as few recipes use more than a tablespoon or so. Luckily, leftovers can be repurposed in a couple ways:

• Freeze in a resealable

Source: Taste Test: Candy Corn Oreos and M&M's

The flavors of Fall always have us (and our taste buds) waiting in anticipation of its arrival. And now that Fall is finally here, so too are seasonal flavors and new combinations of traditional favorites. Take candy corn - the sweet treat making its debut in more than our candy dish this Fall! Mixing with treats like Oreos and M&Ms, we couldn't wait to kick-start the season and try these food fusions for ourselves!

M&Ms Candy Corn White Chocolate Candies

The promise: While the information is not available on M&M's website and the candies are exclusive to Walmart, the packaging itself says it all. The red M&M is smugly decked out in his Halloween ensemble as candy corn, ready for the spotlight. It's no mystery to candy lovers, that these two delicious candies are making a special appearance together - after all, it was only a matter of time. On the packaging, tasters are promised a combination of white chocolate M&M's and their

YumSugarSource: Taste-Off! Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte and Via Ready Brew

The signs of Fall are certainly approaching as Starbucks has reintroduced its seasonal Pumpkin Spice lattes. The crowds are flocking for a taste of this sweet, pumpkin-pie-like beverage, but the demand is high, the price is steep, and the lines are long. To bring the Fall flavors home (and at a more reasonable price), Starbucks Via Ready Brew has introduced a Pumpkin Spice instant coffee ($8 for six cups), and it only seemed natural that we would taste the two side by side to compare the flavors. Which one reigns supreme? The results may satisfy you or they may take you by complete surprise . . .

• The Promise: The store-made latte contains espresso, pumpkin-flavored syrup, steamed milk, and pumpkin pie spices, but the at-home mix contains a slightly different set of ingredients. The actual powdered mix contains instant Arabica coffee, cane sugar, and natural pumpkin and spice flavors. According to the back of the

Source: 6 Ways to Perk Up Bland and Boring Trail Mix

While I certainly enjoy digging into a store-bought bag of trail mix from time to time, more often than not, I find myself compelled to tweak and tinker in order to find the exact flavor profile I'm after. Experimentation is key, but I generally stick to a few essential guidelines when compiling a new signature blend.

• Roast your nuts and seeds: Nuts and seeds shine when roasted briefly; simply preheat your oven to 350ºF, lay the nuts out on a sheet pan in a single layer, and toast for 6-10 minutes, or until fragrant and lightly golden. Alternatively, buy them pre-roasted, or toast them on the stove.
• Don't forget the salt! Sweet flavors perk up when enhanced with a pinch of salt. Consider including at least one salty element to your trail mix, such as roasted salted peanuts, almonds, shelled pistachios, or cashews; peanut-butter-stuffed pretzel bites; pretzel M&M's; or yogurt-covered pretzels. If none of those flavors

Source: Taste Test: Vlasic Farmer's Garden Pickles

Looking to ramp up your pickle game? While our first suggestion would be to make your own, jarred pickles can be a great alternative in a pinch. So when we received a shipment of two varieties from Vlasic's new Farmer's Garden pickle line ($4 for a 26-ounce jar), we were mighty intrigued.

The promise: These pickles "are made with the finest U.S.-grown cucumbers harvested at the peak of freshness, married with specially selected ingredients and hand-packed within days to bring you the perfect premium pickle. Delivered from the farm to the pickle aisle at your local store, Farmer's Garden by Vlasic artisanal-quality pickles are for anyone who enjoys honest ingredients and bold fresh taste."

Deli Style Halves

What our tasters thought: Most of our tasters felt that these thicker than usual pickles were "good, but not great," with much of the fault lying in their "watered down," not quite tart enough pickling liquid. We also

Source: In Season: Purslane

If you're a fan of leafy greens like arugula, keep an eye out for purslane. It's reasonably priced, with a creamy consistency and spinach-like flavor, and it's available at farmers markets between April and November. Never heard of the plant? It has roots in Middle Eastern, Asian, Mediterranean, and Mexican cuisine, which is proof that the flavor is versatile enough to use in a myriad of foods.

Purslane's stalks have clusters of rounded, jade-green leaves, making it easily distinguishable from other greens. When selecting purslane (which is also sometimes known as verdolaga), look for bright green and plump leaves. While some farmers may choose to bunch the stalks like basil or fresh spinach, more than likely you'll see a heap of purslane, loosely tangled and stacked high in a basket to bag yourself.

Like other delicate salad greens, purslane tastes best when it's raw.

A few more suggestions how to cook with it:

• For a simple incorporation, toss purslane