You can dance the minuet, and you can nibble on some Menuet, one of numerous small batch, farmhouse cheeses found in the countryside of Normandy, a region in the north of France that hugs the south of the English Channel and is known for its great dairy products: fine cows grazing on fine pasture. Factoid: Normandy is actually divided between French and British sovereignty. The continental territory belongs to France, and the Channel Islands, Guernsey and Jersey, are under British rule. Both areas were part of the former the former Duchy of Normandy. If the names sound familiar, Guernsey and Jersey are known for their great milk cows, which leads us back to cheese.
The Academy Of Motion Picture Arts And Sciences has your Oscar Party planned for you, from cocktails to food to pre-broadcast fun. Celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck is the official chef of the Academy Awards’ official dinner. Get his recipes for a formal dinner of:
– Smoked Salmon Blinis
– Butter Lettuce Salad with Mandarin Oranges
– Slow Braised Short Ribs
– Pan-Roasted Chicken with Whole-Grain Mustard and Port
– Spring Risotto
– Molten Lava Chocolate Cake
For cocktail hour, offer guests:
– The Red Carpet Fizz
– The Ultimate Accolade
– The Golden Rush
– Plus Non-Alcoholic Beverages
And, there are party planning tips, shopping lists and games, Oscar ballots, Oscar Trivia and other games. Oscar Bingo, anyone? http://www.oscars.org/partykit
A superfood is a natural food source that is highly concentrated with a complex supply of quality nutrients. Several fruits in this group have gotten big play over the last few years as superfruits (read an in-depth explanation of superfoods and superfruits).
Yoplait Original yogurt has just launched three new 99% fat free superfruit-flavored yogurts: Cherry Pomegranate, Blackberry Pomegranate and Blueberry Acai. To celebrate, here’s a $1.00 coupon off on any Yoplait yogurt cups: http://tinyurl.com/ad44ky.
– Yoplait is the only leading yogurt brand with calcium and vitamin D in every cup.
– Suggested Retail Price: $0.72 per 6-ounce cup.
Is there a whole lot of antioxidant benefits in a cup of superfruit yogurt? No—the major benefit comes from eating the concentrated nutrients and fiber in the fruit or its juice (where you lose most of the fiber), not in a secondary food flavored with it (think of eating an orange, versus an orange-flavored yogurt). But every little bit counts.
– Read our article on antioxidants to get a better understanding of how they work.
– Here’s a chart on the ORAC values (antioxidant values) of different foods.
Starbucks introduces VIA Ready Brew. It’s “our amazing new way to make a truly great cup of coffee, just by adding water,” says the company promotional material. “This isn’t like instant coffee you’ve ever tasted before. This is rich, flavorful, aromatic Starbucks coffee—in an instant.”
Made with the highest-quality, ethically-sourced Arabica beans, Starbucks claims to have “found a way to microgrind them in a way that preserves all their essential oils and flavor–trust us, you won’t find anything like VIA Ready Brew anywhere else.” “We have been working on this project for more than 20 years,” Starbucks said, “and have a patent pending on the technology that delivers Starbucks coffee in an instant form.”
You don’t have to trust them on this point: You can send for a free sample and try it for yourself: http://www.starbucksstore.com/products/via/freesample.asp. The instant coffee is available in Columbian and Italian Roast. VIA will be sold online and in Starbucks stores in packs of three for $2.95 or packs of 12 for $9.95—a cup of instant Starbucks for under $1.00.
Love Jelly Belly jelly beans? From today through Sunday, February 22, you can buy the “irregulars,” called Belly Flops, regularly half the price, at an even deeper discount: buy 3 bags of Belly Flops and receive 2 bags free of charge.*
Just place a minimum of 5 bags of Belly Flops in your shopping cart at JellyBelly.com and you will automatically receive an $18 discount (the cost of two bags). You can also buy a 12-count case of Belly Flops for only $50 (regular price $97.20). There’s free shipping for any order over $50**.
Belly on, dudes!
*Discount only applies to the first five Belly Flops 2 lb. bags and/or the first 12-count Belly Flops case in your shopping cart. All additional bags or cases will be charged at full price. Offers may be used together–five Belly Flops 2 lb. bags and one Belly Flops case in one order will activate both discounts simultaneously. Offer good until February 22, 2009 at 11:59pm PT, or while supplies last. No rain checks.
**Merchandise total must equal or exceed $50 for free shipping to apply. Shipping cost is added before discount is applied–ordering six or more Belly Flops 2 lb. bags during the discount period will activate the free shipping option as well as the $18 discount. Applies to UPS Standard Shipping (excludes heat-sensitive items and other items requiring expedited shipping). Offer is valid only on JellyBelly.com, and may not be valid with any other offer. Orders shipping to multiple addresses must amount to at least $50 per address to qualify for free shipping. There are no returns, refunds or exchanges on outlet product. Other restrictions may apply.
