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Gretchen's table: Lemon-ricotta pancakes
Sweet treats, such as the Polish doughnuts paczki, New Orleans-style beignets and Mardi Gras king cake, tend to draw most of the attention on Fat Tuesday, celebrated on the day before Ash Wednesday. It's a last chance to indulge before the fasting days of Lent, and if you're going to live it up with something full of fat and sugar, you might as ...Read more

Super healthy and delish dip for the Super Bowl
Here's a tasty alternative to pork rinds and queso for your game-watching feast.
With the Super Bowl and parties nearly here, we certainly hope you're thinking more about watching the game than how many calories you'll be consuming.
But calorie-watcher or not, this Mediterranean Dip from Whole Foods Market sounds pretty darn luscious. Sure, ...Read more

3 easy sides to complement your Super Bowl chili
When it comes to Super Bowl parties, perhaps nothing pleases football fans more than a big pot of chili, especially if you're the one who's hosting.
However you concoct it, you're sure to score extra points if you trade the accompanying bowl of saltines or oyster crackers for some sides that are a bit more inspired. It's the Super Bowl, guys. ...Read more

Substitution time: 7 Super Bowl party alternatives
Image: https://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photo-football-fans-family-watchiing-game-together-their-home-image33357070
According to the NFL, last year's Super Bowl LVI amassed a viewing audience of around 208 million. But for all the millions of households that tune into one of the nation’s most popular televised events, some of us are simply ...Read more

Gretchen's table: A Valentine's Day cupcake recipe, with extra flavor from coffee
Valentine's Day is so intertwined with chocolate that the two are almost synonymous. Yet it doesn't have to come in a red, heart-shaped box to make your special someone(s) feel the love on Feb. 14. A really good chocolate cake hits the sweet spot on V Day too.
These moist and tender cupcakes should satisfy even the pickiest chocolate lover's ...Read more

Chocolate makes Valentine's Day saucy
Forget flowers. This Valentine’s Day, say it with chocolate sauce.
What could be a better expression of love, affection or even romantic interest than serving a dessert topped with a chocolate sauce you made yourself?
The stuff that comes out of a bottle or a can just does not have the same impact.
“I love you so much that I twisted the ...Read more

It's time to hop on the butter board bandwagon
All you need to make the easiest appetizer of the season is already in your fridge.
It's an idea so simple that it's hard to believe nobody has thought of it before. Butter boards are without question the best way to welcome guests to a party with low effort and high impact.
Imagine seeing a stick of butter, a knife and a sleeve of crackers on...Read more

How to throw cocktail expert’s 'extra-easy' Italian-themed holiday party
André Darlington was just a kid when he experienced his first cocktail parties. This being the 1980s — and Darlington having a concert violinist for a father — these were fussy, formal affairs with chafing dishes, too many canapes and enough onion dip to feed an orchestra. Today, as one of the country’s most respected spirits writers, ...Read more

7 no-regret New Year’s resolution parties
Some people call them resolutions, others goals, and there are even those who may refer to them as a little pointless. But regardless of semantics, New Year’s fill-in-the-blanks offer an opportunity for a clean slate.
In celebration of new beginnings and shaking the dust off another year in the rearview, take a look at seven ways to ring in ...Read more

Colorado Springs wine experts give tips for buying budget-friendly bubblies and nibbles
(Editor's Note: This story was originally published Dec. 29, 2021.)
Popping a cork on New Year's Eve doesn't have to pop the budget. Wines with bubbles range wildly in price: a bottle of 1998 Krug Clos d'Ambonnay will set you back about $2,000, while a bottle of André Cold Duck will damage your finances to the tune of $4.50 or so.
So, to make...Read more