Happy Monday to you!  Let me first off say that I love Costco!  That was kind of random but I just needed to get that off my chest.  We were there yesterday and I was leaving I just said, the title of today’s post should be I LOVE COSTCO“.  It is such a great store and I had a great round of samples yesterday.

OK, the moment you have all been waiting for over the past couple of weeks.  I am about to announce the makeover winner but before I do  – I just wanted to go over some stats about the makeover.

Giveaway Stats

• Comments – 267
• Tweets – 99
• Trackbacks/Links – 41
• Blake Make Entries – 33

For a Grand Total of 440 Entries

And The Winner Is….

Kristen from IowaGirlEats.  Comment 177 and she wrote:

Here is a look at what her current blog looks like.

Kristin, contact me anytime and we can get started on your blog makeover.  I look forward to working with you.  For all of you that entered I want to thank you – it was a lot of fun.  If you still want a makeover feel free to check out Zesty Blog Consulting for more details.

Slice It Up

Ever spend a lot of time making a gorgeous dessert and then when you go to cut it… it looks like poo.  It has happened to me and if it happened to you, your not alone.  The key to rectifying this problem is using the proper style knife for the job.  Below I will go ahead and try to explain a few tips so that your desserts slice as good as they taste.

Slice cakes, tarts and pies like a pro.

1. For cheesecake and squares, keep a glass of hot water and a clean dish towel handy.  Before cutting each slice, dip the knife into the water and wipe clean.  The hot knife will slide right through the cake.
2. For pound or sponge cakes, use a serrated knife and a sawing motion to cut through without squishing or tearing the cake.
3. Use un-waxed dental floss to slice through the cake (great for the gooey or sticky cakes)
4. Lining your baking dish or spring form pan with parchment paper before baking squares and cheesecakes will help you pick up each slice cleanly.

So there you have it, a few cake slicing techniques and a fun makeover winner.  I hope you have a fabulous Monday where ever you may be today and I will talk to you on Wednesday.

Take care

zesty

Well Surprise Surprise and Happy Friday!  I was thinking Wednesday night as I watched Team Canada wipe out Russia in Men’s hockey and now last night the Woman’s hockey Team capturing Gold that a fun post would be to chatter about TV snacks – specifically Olympic TV snacks.

For me TV snacks are what I think about the whole day.  Lately I have been devouring chips into as if I had just heard a break news story on CNN that come the end of February all potato chips will be ceased and no longer allowed to be sold.  Enough of me and the chips…. Here are some other tasty snacks I really enjoy while sitting in front of the Olympics.

1. Cashews - I love the crunch and I find these way to addictive.  I can quickly find myself at the bottom of the bag or tin before I even realize.  These are dangerous!



2. Licorice Babies – Anything black licorice I am all over like a plump kid on a rolo bar.  I cannot get enough of these.  And lately Ganong has not been letting me down.  The bags are super fresh and almost melt in your mouth like.  I also love the black Ju Jubes as well.



3. Chicken Wings ( I know not technically a snack but it is for me ) – One of my all time fav foods.  Chicken wings RULE!  Love Love Love them.



4. Ice Cream Sandwiches – Me and ice cream are not super close friends but sometimes we have little sessions where we feel inseparable.  I definitely go through phases with Ice cream.  Lately I just love these Ice cream sandwiches



5. Chocolate - Enough said!

Open Sky Exclusive: An Open Sky Dinner Party

Two weeks ago I was contacted by the great folks at Open Sky to be part of the 8 person team assembled to pull off a Dinner Party Exclusive: The expert guide to throwing a dinner party.  Of course I jumped at the opportunity because it involved food.  They asked me to come up with a salad course for the dinner party – I was happy to oblige.

So you may ask yourself, What the heck is he talking about.  It’s OK – sometimes I struggle at explaining stuff in full detail just ask Mrs. Zesty.

Throwing a successful and memorable dinner party is no easy undertaking. Table settings, recipes, food prep and more…Where does one even begin?

OpenSky has assembled a team of experts who know just how to throw the perfect dinner event. We’re calling them the Dinner Party Dream Team!

With combined knowledge and experience, we guarantee your next party is a success. Whether you’re entertaining close family or greeting new friends, this is your ultimate dinner party guide!

So, how do you join the party!?

• Check out the promo page

• Buy ANY product featured below from their OpenSky Shop and you will receive “Dinner Parties: The Complete Expert Guide for FREE.

This guide provides tips and recipes for a complete and impressive dinner party. A complete list of our experts, recipes, and featured products below:

1. Hors d’oeuvre – Hummus and Crudités Provided by Denise Hazime of Dede Med
2. Butternut Squash Soup From Alison and Shannon of Cooking With Friends
3. Whole Lotta Avocado and Orange Salad From Cory of Zesty Cook ( That’s Me)
4. Pinot Braised Short Ribs From Michael Ruhlman
5. Vegetarian Entrée – Sundried Tomato and Feta Frittata From Lori of Finding Radiance
6. Creamy Potato Mustard Gratin From Greg of Sippity Sup
7. Grapefruit Panna Cotta From Michael Laiskonis

I do not want to give away too many details as it is a MUST SEE!  Go check out the promo page, peek your interest and grab the dinner party exclusive.

Enjoy your weekend and have fun!

Take care

zesty