Snacky things for Oscar

I just returned from vacation and I’m still on Club Med time, but since the Oscars are tonight I thought I’d be as uncreative as traditional media and do a quickie post about snacky things you can serve to guests while watching the big show.

Leafing through past blog posts, I had almost forgotten about my new favourite olives, while these lemony mushrooms have been part of my regular repertoire for a decade.

Feta red pepper dip? So easy! (Tip: Why not make some hummus while you’re at it?)

Shrimp are both tasty and fancy.

And everyone loves homemade caramel corn.

Meanwhile, a party can only be improved upon with the inclusion of Ritz Bits.

Oh, and offering something sweet is a must.

So, that's it. Good luck on your Oscar pools, and here’s hoping that the big show won’t be as lame as this blog post! (But seriously, there's a lot of good info tucked in here.)

On eating with a cold

This week it finally hit: I got a cold. But not just any old cold. This one woke me from a deep sleep at 3:30 a.m., filling my sinuses, ears and throat with such pressure that I thought my head would pop off. It was the most sudden cold onset ever! I hopped out of bed, popped an Advil, blew my nose and it was game on. About four days, 1.5 boxes of Kleenex and a few envelopes of delicious NeoCitran later, the cold is basically gone. But with a busy schedule this past week, what with a food shoot and finishing up at one job before starting another tomorrow, I had to push on through.

I tried to sneeze into the crook of my elbow while trying to enjoy my nights out, and along the way devised some tips on how to eat with a cold. Here they are:

1. THINK TEXTURE. I was invited to dinner at Colborne Lane at the height of my cold and it was too late to cancel. So on the one hand, I couldn’t taste a damn thing -- what a waste. But on the other hand, I took more notice of the gorgeous-looking dishes being served and reveled in all of the amazing textures. Crunchy, airy, smooth, cold and warm, my tastebuds may have been dead but my tongue was alive! At home if you feel like snacking, think apples, celery, popcorn, whole grain cereal and other good-for-you foods that will fight hunger and boost your system without you caring whether or not they taste great. Because you can’t taste them anyway!

2. EAT ORANGES. I had been expecting this cold for about a month. Everyone at work had been sick and I was convinced that my seasonal mandarin orange habit was keeping the cold at bay. Sure enough, the day after my third crate ran out my cold stormed in. I honestly feel if you OD on vitamin C you will not get a cold. If you don’t want to eat them, juice ‘em.

3. NO FINGER FOODS. Now is not the time for sharing. Keep your mitts off the chips and M&Ms at get-togethers and don’t indulge in shared fries or finger foods because you’ll just lick your fingers, then on spreads the virus. Ask your host for your own plate and fork even if none are being offered, then keep your food and germs to yourself. No hugs or air-kissing either. Don’t even clink wine glasses. Wash your hands often, with soap. Try to be thoughtful and soon enough your cold will be gone -- and your friends won’t blame you for passing it on to them.

And that’s what I learned this week. I’m heading off to sunnier climes next weekend so I’ll report back in two weeks time. Adios amigos!

Snacksapalooza

One of the things I like about working at Canadian House & Home magazine, is that over in the wee editorial section we have what's called Snack Thursdays, and it’s fairly serious stuff. There’s a schedule for it and everything, and god forbid you forget it’s your turn and show up empty handed, everyone will ignore you and Katie G. will tear you a new one.

I think Kimberley B. is the unofficial snack queen, as she’s a great baker and usually finds a way to swirl cream cheese into her treats (always a good idea.) Gwen usually dials it in (Timbits, Gwen. Really?) But all in all it’s always enjoyable and breaks up the Thursday doldrums.

And now for some late-breaking news about a totally new, snacky site: The girls over in design also enjoy their afternoon treats, so much so that Leslie and Jenn have just launched a handy blog that I’m sure is going to take the snack-loving Internet by storm.

As for the National Nosh, I’ve blogged about snacks many times before, such as here, here, here and here. Here too. And lest we forget, here? That said, I’m always open to new snack discoveries, and look forward to visiting the gals in design, both a few steps away in the office, and now freshly minted, on the Internet at Work Snacks.

Finally, Passover, that most unleavened of Jewish holidays, starts on Monday, so please be kind to your Jewish friends all next week, even if they're acting more grumpy than usual. (They're probably a little constipated.) Or, go one step further and bring a smile to their punims by making this totally tasty Passover snack.