Champion ideas for a gold-medal party
You may not be able to swim a 400 IM or complete a decathlon, but you can throw a pretty good party.
If you plan to invite family and friends over to cheer on our Olympians, here are a few fun and easy tips from th eBlue Bunny ice cream folks for a celebration that will earn you the Gold.
• Set up your banquet table Olympics style by placing three tall, medium, and short boxes under a tablecloth to look like a winner's platform. Place corresponding tags marked "1, 2 and 3" on each box. Sit a different dish on each platform.
• String colorful Chinese paper lanterns around the house. Save money by checking your local craft store for Chinese New Year decorations or reuse Fourth of July materials!
• Use the official Olympics pictograms or different international flags as place mats and décor background. Templates can be printed off online or purchased at your local craft store.
• For a fun drink an Olympics flair try Bomb Pop Bubble Tea. First, make the tapioca pearls: Bring 7 cups water to a boil and add 1 cup tapioca pearls. Boil for 30 minutes covered. Remove from heat and let sit for 30 minutes. Drain off water and mix tapioca balls in a tall glass with 2 with melted Bomb Pops.
Build it better: The deadline is approaching for Sutter Home's Build a Better Burger recipe contest. Through Aug. 18, Sutter Home will accept original recipes for unique burgers.
Last year's winning burger, Sweet-Hot Thai Burger, had spicy chips as the surprise ingredient. Besides bragging rights, $50,000 prize money is on the line.
For contest rules, visit www.sutterhome.com. Ten finalists will be flown to the Napa Valley to compete in a burger grilling cookoff on Sept. 27, which will be judged by a renowned panel of chefs and food industry experts.
Dinner help: The age-old question of "What's for dinner?" has become easier to answer and less expensive to prepare, thanks to an innovative new program from Meijer.
The Meijer Mealbox, www.mealbox.meijer.com, is a micro-site (or widget), that lets busy families plan a week's worth of meals in minutes while also offering coupons straight from the site. Thousands of recipes can be accessed by ingredient, lifestyle or diet, and coupons can be printed for various recipe items.
As more and more shoppers look to spend less and less time walking the grocery aisles, retailers are seeking ways to make the experience easier, smarter and more affordable.
The widget technology allows shoppers to put Meijer Mealbox on their personal home page (such as iGoogle, Facebook, etc.). Once the widget has been placed, it will continue to update automatically on all locations. Once a shopper selects a meal or dish for a given day, the program automatically offers coupons or Meijer sale items that are relevant to specific recipes. Nutrition information also is provided, as is a shopping list for what has been chosen.
- Daily Herald News Services