FabSugar

Koolaburra by Kettle Black Ankle Fringe Boot: Love It or Hate It?

FabSugar — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 06:00:22 PDT

First there were UGGs and then there were all sorts of knock-offs. And they keep on coming. I adore fringe but not on these Koolaburra by Kettle Black Ankle Fringe Boots ($365). Since fringe is already a loud statement, it's too much with the chunkiness of the boot. I say UGGs should stay plain and simple. What do you think?

Take all of my Love It or Hate It Polls here! To post your selections go to the Love It or Hate It? group. And if you want to learn how to do a blog post click here.

Bring on the Borscht!

YumSugar — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 10:45:27 PST

Until I watched Anthony Bourdain order green borscht from a restaurant in Ukraine, I had only ever thought of the soup as bright purple and made of beets. Considering it's National Soup Month, I set off on a culinary mission to learn as much as I could (in a couple of hours) about borscht. Here's what I learned in a nutshell.

Borscht originated from the trimmings of Winter vegetables, particularly beets, which were stored in a kettle outside during the cold months. They were then cooked up and turned into borscht after the first Spring thaw. The most popular rendition of borscht is a purple, beet-based soup that hails from Ukraine, although it's quite popular in many Eastern European countries. There are, however, several variations on the soup, including recipes that don't include beets at all! Orange borscht is tomato-based, and green borscht's main ingredient is sorrel leaves.

Borscht can be served both hot and cold. Hot borscht can feature hearty vegetables, like potatoes and cabbage. Meat may or may not be added depending on preference. Cold borscht has a creamy appearance because it is mixed with sour cream or kefir during its preparation. It's traditionally served with black bread (also called rye bread).

Do you have a favorite type of borscht?

Source: Flickr User Istelleinad

In Praise of Zapp's Voodoo Chips

Susannah Chen — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 14:11:51 PST

From Cheerwine soda to Del's Lemonade, I'm a sucker for regional food products. For years now, I've been hearing about Zapp's Chips, the famous kettle-style chips that hail from Louisiana - and for years, they've eluded me.

That is, until yesterday, when I happened upon them at the bodega below our office. I stopped in to buy a pre-workout energy bar. There, amongst a sea of sallow yellow Lay's bags, was one single, lone package of Zapp's Chips - in the legendary Voodoo flavor, no less.

What is a bag of Voodoo chips, one might ask? Read on to find out.

Get in the Royal Wedding Spirit With a Sweet and Savory Afternoon Tea

Allie Merriam — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 04:36:06 PDT

The royal wedding is just three days away, and fans of the monarchy are busy prepping for Prince William and Kate Middleton's big day. For those planning to celebrate the nuptials in a British way, there are many options to choose between. One could indulge in something boisterous, like a fun pub crawl, or for the true Anglophile, a slightly more elegant afternoon tea is in order! We were able to sample the afternoon service at one of NYC's most storied hotels, the St. Regis, last week for a primer on how to have the perfect tea. Opting for a prix fixe experience is a real treat, but it would also be relatively simple to replicate at home. A few pointers on how to host the perfect tea, after the jump.

10 Workout Secrets (From Experts Who Learned the Hard Way!)

Self — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 05:12:19 PDT

We are pumped to share one of our fave stories from Self here on FitSugar!

Nobody is perfect. And neither are our workouts. From the fitness hangover solution to what not to wear at the gym and how to avoid being "that" girl at the gym, 10 fitness pros (and me) give us their "I wish I'd known sooner" secrets for having a better, more effective and enjoyable workout. So you don't have to learn the hard way!

Brynn Jinnett, Founder of the Refine Method
I was working out in a hotel gym and a man was trying to perform some strange acrobatics that involved a kettle bell and a wobble board. A guy walked by and said "KISS, man!" Keep it simple, Stupid. Eat clean, work out hard. Rinse, repeat.

Kristin McGee, Yoga and Fitness Expert
I usually never wear makeup if I work out at the gym, especially first thing in the morning, but I had my makeup on for a meeting at one of the gyms I teach at and stayed to do the moving stairs after for a quick session. I jumped off and ran to teach my next private yoga client and realized she kept staring at me funny the whole way through. After our private, I used her restroom and noticed I had total raccoon eyes! My mascara had run all down below my eyelids and I looked horrible! I told my makeup artist friend about this and here's the tip he gave me, "To avoid make up meltdown mascara under the eye, rub a little Vaseline under your eyes when you go for a run or do a heavy workout then use a q-tip to gently glide it off and reapply some concealer and you're good to go." It totally works and I realize many women have to sneak in their workouts midday or after work and this does the trick.