Start Your Weekend With A PUNCH!

It's National Punch Day!

Fruit punch & punch bowl

Yes, even that fruity beverage has a day of it's own. The word punch was thought to be derived from the Hindi word panch (meaning 'five') because of it's original five ingredients: liquor, sugar, lemon, water and tea. This beverage was sent to England from India, and eventually became widely popular across the globe.

Margarita punch & Alcoholic Hawaiian Punch

Most people enjoy nonalcoholic punch made with fruit and/or fruit juices, and is often served at gatherings in a punch bowl (go figure!). Nowadays, people add a little twist to their punches like adding ice cream for a creamier texture, or mixing soda for some carbonated goodness. And for those of you 21 and over, nothing puts a punch better than the perfect glass of margarita punch!

So grab a glass of your favorite punch and cheers to the weekend!

Nothing Like An Ice Cold Glass Of Tea

As if the whole month wasn't enough to celebrate National Iced Tea Month, we needed to dedicated one specific day for National Iced Tea Day! June 10 is National Iced Tea Day. Nothing feels more satisfying than a nice glass of iced tea on a sunny day.

Iced Tea is my coffee. I prefer it, and it doesn't give me the caffeine jitters. Just about everywhere I dine, I'm usually the one who orders iced tea (or Arnold Palmer, which is half tea/half lemonade).

For first timer's or new tea lovers, I'd like to share with you my tea criteria:
Real Tea Flavor - If I'm going to have some tea, iced or hot, I want to be able to taste the natural herb. I actually find tea to be a very satisfying taste. So the first thing I look for is the flavor.
Natural Sweetness - Before any added sugar or sweeteners, how sweet is the tea? I rarely add sugar to brewed tea so I would like to feel the boldness of the taste.
Added Sweetness - When I go for bottled or specialty flavors, I know that there will be added sweetness. Of course I wouldn't say no to a sweet tasting glass of iced tea, but I don't want my tea to be polluted by sugar... Unless it's sweet tea of course!
Additional Flavors - Raspberry iced tea seems to be the most popular flavored iced tea. I do love that a few restaurants and brands expand on their tea flavors. Even when it comes to Arnold Palmers, people experiment with the different lemonade and tea combinations.

What's your favorite iced tea flavor?

What's your iced tea preference? Super sweet or natural flavors?

What's your favorite bottled iced tea?

Have you ever made your own iced tea?

So many questions for just one simple drink! Whether you go to the market and pick out a bottle of your favorite brand, dine out tonight and order the fruity iced tea flavors, or steep a few tea packets in the comfort of your own kitchen, let's raise our glasses and toast to National Iced Tea Day! Now today's a Monday that's not so bad ;)

Happy National Wine Day!

May 25 is National Wine Day.

I'm raising my glass to all of you bloggers, foodies, friends and strangers out there who read our blog. Thank you!

When I turned 21, the first thing I wanted to ever taste was wine. I watched so many films when I was younger and noticed how sophisticating, social and just plain happy gatherings were when people were sipping wine and chatting merrily. So I figured something had to be up with wine. Even growing up and going to church on Sundays, wine was something sacred. So since my 21st birthday, I discovered, experienced and shared the wine I tasted and the foods I paired it with. I still can't ever remember what to pair the exact wine with the food I eat, but that's what my friend Matt is for - my personal wine aficionado. The only rules I ever remembered were to pair white wines with white meat, seafood and light food and pair red wines with red and dark meat or heavy meals. But when you're a wine enthusiast like my friend Matt, there are certain wines for every food. Here's a nice chart to refer to when you want to pair your wines this three day weekend.

For a larger view of this image click here

Whether you drink alone or with friends this National Wine Day and for the rest of the weekend, here's to you. Thanks for reading and have a great memorial weekend. Cheers!

What Free Food Can You Get On Your Birthday? DishClips and ChaCha are here to help!

What's the best gift you can ever receive on your birthday at any age??? Ok, well besides love...

Why, FREE FOOD of course!

A cake has been a symbol of celebration for birthdays, parties and big feasts usually associate with this every person holiday, and everyone loves it. Even restaurants.

Many people know that some restaurants will offer free dessert on a person's birthday and red robin gives you a free burger on your special day. Whenever I go to a restaurant with a celebrant, I just pass it by our waiter that it's someone's birthday and 70% of the time the restaurant has something in store for birthdays.

Thanks to ChaCha, here are some famous restaurants that know the importance of your special day and they want to celebrate with you if you come in to their eatery.

 From free drinks to even a $30 gift certificate, enjoy your special day whenever it is!

Free Birthday Food Restaurants: http://www.chacha.com/gallery/5795/what-free-food-can-you-get-on-your-birthday