FitSugar

Cooler Keeps Drinks Cold, MP3s Pumping

GeekSugar — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 04:00:20 PDT

Sure, the solar powered beach bag is an August must have, but what if you'd rather cool your drinks and play music instead of just charge your gadgets? Uncommon Goods is selling a bag that plays tunes - it gets AM and FM and hooks up to any iPod or MP3 player - all while keeping your brews cool. While the exterior of the bag was inspired by wooden-paneling, it's supposedly lightweight and it's got a padded shoulder strap so you'll never want to put it down. It costs $45. Beer, MP3 player and sunblock not included.

Source

Food Tips for Your Road Trip

FitSugar — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 02:30:00 PDT

Staying healthy on a road trip can be a serious challenge. Don't worry - Diet.com has got your back. Here are a few of their suggestions to make sure your diet can stay on track while you are on the road.

Plan ahead just as you do at home. Consider where you are going and what your best choices are and plan regular meals. A good game plan will prevent you from making bad choices.
Pack healthier fare in your car. Bring a cooler and pack it with cut-up fresh fruit and veggies, string cheese, yogurt, sandwiches and water. Stop at a rest stop along the way and enjoy!
Use Google maps to search restaurants along the way or at your destination. This will help you identify healthier places before you settle on the first restaurant you see.

There are more tips to help you hold your own when dining at a fast food joint. So

Do some research and check fast food restaurant websites, many have full nutrition information available to help you make better decisions. Check out these FitSugar nutritional breakdowns to help you.
Save 100’s of calories by skipping the mayo or special sauce. Order mustard instead.
Choose fresh veggies whenever possible and opt for a side salad (with fat-free or low-fat dressing on the side) instead of fries.
Choose a grilled or broiled chicken sandwich over crispy or fried items. Really, you should avoid fried food in general.
Limit sodas and juices and choose water instead.
Order a kids meal for instant portion control! You too can enjoy a Happy Meal and keep the prize!
Choose whole wheat bread when available for sandwiches.
Order dressing and sauce on the side so you can moderate how much to use. Avoid cream based dressings they are considerably more fattening than vinaigrettes.

Hope these help and have fun on the road. Drive safely and buckle up! Source

Plan the Perfect Picnic!

YumSugar — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 15:40:11 PDT

Now that you've got all the items needed for a great picnic, I thought I'd help you out with a few picnic tips.

When packing a picnic, keep non-perishable foods (potato chips, fruit, etc.) separate from perishable ones. This way you'll save cooler space & ice for items that need it. Remember, the more stuff you pack in the cooler, the less cold it will be. An ideal ratio is 75% food and 25% ice, although I think 50/50 is even better!
Pack your cooler in reverse order. Put your dessert in first, the main course second and the appetizers third. This way you won't have to dig around in your cooler to find the items you need. This will save you time, effort and will help keep the cooler cold longer.
Freeze drinks (unless they're in cans) the night before. This will help them stay cool, as well as act as supplement ice in your pack. If you're worried about messy condensation, wrap them in aluminum foil (which may keep them frozen longer) or store in ziploc bags. Even if you don't freeze them, make sure they're already cool. It'll keep the cooler colder longer if the items are already cold.

To read the rest of my picnic tips,

If you've got the tupperware, pack things in individual servings. This way you won't have to worry about serving spoons and you'll save time when dishing out the food.
If you're packing a cook-out picnic, be sure to keep the raw foods away from the cooked foods. Ideally they would be in separate coolers. You don't want to worry about cross contamination.
Thanks to the picnic pack list, you'll never forget your blanket again. But what happens if the ground is wet? To ensure a nice dry spot, consider bringing along a tarp as well.
When looking for the perfect picnic spot, find one that fits the weather. If it's hot, look for one in the shade (keep the cooler there too!), if it's windy consider one tucked on the side of a hill (preferably the side without the wind!), and if it's cool find one that is nice and bright (don't forget the sunscreen!).
Picnic baskets are very chic, but consider bringing a cooler since it can keep food cold and double as a table.
If your food will be exposed, keep flies away by keeping it covered when not in use. Consider napkins with weights (such as small rocks) placed on each corner.
Even if it was delectable, throw away any perishable food that has been left out for more than a few hours.

Got a great picnic tip? Share it with us below!

Off To Market: Beer Bucket

partysugar — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 03:18:01 PDT

I'm planning on doing a lot of outdoor entertaining in the next few weeks. Instead of putting bottles of beer in a boring old everyday cooler, I desperately need a chic little beer bucket. I'm always writing about them when I plan the look for my parties, and yet I do not own one of my own. The time has come for me to buy one and I want you to help me find it. I want the bucket to be versatile (one party it may hold beer and the next party it may hold mini champagne), durable (it should last all summer holding the weight of ice and bottles), and fabulous (no corny designs or beer logos please). Bookmark the beer buckets you find in the Yum Market on TeamSugar tagging them with the keyword Beer Bucket.

To learn how to bookmark cool stuff read geeksugar's easy to understand explanation.

Omega Chocolate Truffles

FitSugar — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 17:30:00 PST

Always forgetting to take your supplements? Me too. But it's a rare day when I forget dessert.

Now you can kill two birds with one stone. Flora makes Bija Omega Truffles, which are made with a rich blend of premium organic ingredients and 8 grams of omega-3 & omega-6 fatty acids (the good ones).

There is increasing evidence that chocolate contains surprising amounts of minerals, potent antioxidants and other phytonutrients. And adding healthy fats to your diet can help reduce your cholesterol and your risk of coronary disease.

Dessert that's good for you? Count me in. They're available in three mouthwatering flavors: Dark Chocolate, Milk Chocolate Hazelnut, and White Maple.

Each package comes with four truffles so you can really indulge and feel good doing it. Look for them in the cooler at your favorite natural food store.

Style Out Plush Fur and Leather Like This Cool Celebrity Crew

Hannah Weil — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 12:40:45 PST

Thanks in large part to this fashionable set of celebs, we've taken notice of a new way to layer up. This crew proves that the only thing cooler than a leather jacket may just be one topped with a furry vest. The two luxe finishes play off each other with perfect street-chic style quality - one that's just as easy to finish with jeans and sneakers as it is to style up with slick bottoms and heels. Kate Moss, Alessandra Ambrosio, and Poppy Delevigne show off the look's casual capabilities, while Olivia Palermo and Mary-Kate Olsen outfit two dressier versions. Take a moment to study the celebrity gang, then read on to get our styling tips as we take the look from day to night.

To style it out day to night and shop our picks, just read more.

Savory Sight: Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

Yum Community — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 03:15:49 PST

At first glance, we were really excited to see this cool shot of chocolate peanut butter cupcakes from wee eatz. But upon further investigation, we realized these cupcakes are actually chocolate-dipped, which is just so much cooler.

Chocolate-dipped "hi-hat" cupcakes

For the recipe, visit her blog, and share your awesome food photos and recipes in our YumSugar Community. Also don't forget to play along in our #savorysights Instagram challenge!

5 Reasons Not to Skip Winter Farmers Markets

Lizzie Fuhr — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 05:24:23 PST

I know, it's really cold outside. But the shift in weather is no excuse to shift your diet away from local, sustainable, fresh food! You may not get to wear shorts and a tank, but making a trip to a farmers market is just as productive an excursion in the cooler months as it is in the hot Summer sun. Are you picking up what I'm putting down? Here are five reasons you shouldn't skip farmers markets in the Winter.

A little green goes a long way. While the chilly weather and lack of sunshine is bound to affect your mood, you'll be feeling recharged after you head to a farmers market, in all of its colorful Winter splendor. As I've said to myself: a little green goes a long way amid all the gray.
Try out new fruits and veggies. Even if the farmers market doesn't have what I'm looking for, it always proves to be a great experience: you're forced to think outside your typical box and pull for fruits and vegetables you might not have been exposed to before. If you've moved to a new city or are living in a different climate, getting to a farmers market is an awesome way to see what your new region has to offer your taste buds. Who knows? Maybe you'll find your new favorite nosh.

Keep reading for three more reasons why you shouldn't skip Winter markets.

Italian Dishes For Cozy Winter Meals

YumSugar — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 05:20:30 PST

If cooler temperatures leave you craving cozy comfort food, try cooking one of these delicious Italian dishes. We've got you covered with everything from fast and easy appetizers to entrées worthy of a dinner party.

In Season: Carrots

YumSugar — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 10:29:21 PST

You eat carrots regularly - but how much do you know about them? Although they can be grown year-round, all root vegetables thrive during the Winter season, protected from cooler temperatures by the earth. Carrots are known for their vibrant orange color, but there are also purple, red, yellow, and white varieties - mostly grown as novelty crops. The root itself is crunchy and sweet, while the leafy greens tend to be on the bitter side.

To learn more about carrots and discover new dishes, just keep reading