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Good morning, friends. T.G.I.F. Friday's are always good aren't they? Even if you are preparing a party where possibly 40 teenagers will attend. Actually, preparing for it is the easy task. Even cooking the food is fun. I may want to seek psychiatric help while they're here, though. Or afterwards. My daughter, Angela, is now officially sixteen. And we are having a party! Today's issue contains a little something off the beaten path but fun. I am sharing with you our menu for tonight. I will, in some instances, be preparing double batches of recipes listed. I believe you may find one or two worth whipping up for your next party. I hope so, any way. There are other goodies for you including a special Ramblings, a great Did You Know? section, and a hilarious piece in the Crazy Corner section. Thanks to all who helped in the issue.

Just a reminder: today is the deadline for our current theme of Special Valentine's Day Recipes. If you haven't done so, please send those recipes my way. Our theme issue will be posted on Sunday, February 6th, just in time for one of my favorite days of the year.

Have a great weekend. I'll meet you here again on Sunday, God willing.

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Did You Know?...

Sleepover Party Crafts
by Abigail Beal

Sleepovers are always so much fun because you get to see all of your friends at once. You get to stay up late and play games. But sometimes sleepover parties are a time for kids to cause mischief ??“ and they do so because they are simply given a little too much free time. Here are some fun crafts that are great for sleepover parties that involve the fun of working as a group, but also creating something special that you get to take home. The kids will have fun making the projects but also will have fun knowing they have made a special memento. My niece has a message & doodle pillowcase that is now five years old that she absolutely treasures ??“ and she's not a "crafter". You may also spark a bit of creativity in someone that night by offering a craft project ??“ you never know!

Message & Doodle Pillowcases

You will need:

Pillowcases ??“ any color
Permanent markers
Cardboard

Give each child a pillowcase and a piece of cardboard. On each pillowcase they will write their name and a special message to that person. This craft works best if the children begin by writing their own names on their pillowcases, then you can help keep track of whose pillowcases are whose. Have the children write their names all in the same place ??“ such as in the right corner.

Also have some pads of paper handy because some children may want to practice drawing their message or a special doodle that they like to draw, to be sure they get it right. It may also be a good idea to purchase several extra pillowcases in case someone does make a large drawing error, because with permanent markers there is no way to erase your mistakes.

While drawing their name or a message on the pillowcase, have the child place the cardboard in the pillowcase to keep the message from coming through on the other side. You can also use a bunch of sheets of paper; at least five sheets of paper should work. Have each child work on a flat surface like a table, hardwood floor or even the seat part of a chair.

Permanent markers now come in a rainbow of colors ??“ no longer are we stuck with just red, black, blue and green. You can write your message in permanent marker in pink, orange, purple, silver, gold, light green, lavender, deep purple ??“ pretty much any color. Be sure to use permanent markers because the design will remain on the pillowcase through repeated launderings.

Once every child has drawn a message on the pillowcases they are done. The children can then use the pillowcases at the sleepover party they are attending, and they can also take them home.

Design & Doodle Nightshirts

This is a great craft to do in the beginning of the sleepover party. Make sure to do these at least three hours before the children will actually wear them, so that they have ample time to dry. (Hanging them in a warm and dry room will speed this process up also).

For this project you will need:

Large white or colored t-shirts
Fabric paint
Fabric stamps
Permanent markers
Cardboard

This project the children will have their name in large letters on the front with a stamped design and then autographs and messages from their friends on the back. You may also want to put on the top of the back of the shirt the date and the occasion "Jamie's 10th birthday party July 11th".

Give each child a t-shirt and some permanent markers. Have them write their name on the front of their shirt ??“ in a special and fancy way. This will also help to keep track of whose shirt is whose. Then have each child write a message and a doodle to each other on all of the shirts. Put cardboard between the shirt so that the message does not seep through.

Once the children have completed the back, it is time to stamp a design on the front. Put fabric paint out on large paper plates and give each child a fabric stamp. Designs that circle the name are probably best.

After the shirts are completed, lay them to dry flat or hang them as long as the fabric paint does not drip.

Sleepovers are always so much fun. These projects may lead you to create others, or may inspire other projects for your children to enjoy.

Abigail Beal a.k.a. "the Gift-wrap Goddess" teaches gift wrap in suburban New York. She is the author of 2 ezines: GiftWrapGoddessWraps and CreativeCraftsTeachers. To subscribe: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CreativeCraftsTeachers/, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/GiftWrapGoddessWraps/.

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Next Monthly Theme...

Special Valentine's Day Recipes

Here's the scoop on the current theme:

Pillsbury says it best when they tout: "Nothin' says lovin' like something from the oven". So, what do you prepare for your loved ones for Valentine's Day? We have had this as a February theme topic before but it is such a great one that it bears repeating. Please share your favorite "love recipes" with us, won't you? Is it a special steak and potato dinner? Perhaps it is a fabulous dessert after a scrumptious main-course salad meal? Whatever it is you prepare for that special someone, we would love to hear from you. At my house it is Fettuccine Alfredo, Chicken Kiev, a Lettuce and Vegetable Salad and Brownie Sundaes for dessert. OMG this is making me hungry!

Please use this link: Special Valentine's Day Recipes

A to Z Recipes continues with its popular Theme Issues. We will share theme recipes and post them on the first Sunday of each month. Send your recipes no later than the last Friday of each month to have them posted in the next monthly theme issue. You may send in your favorite theme recipes in ONE email. If the number of recipes exceeds those needed in the issue, the publisher will post as many from every submitter as possible and save the remaining recipes for the following Sundays of that month. The rules for recipe submissions for the monthly theme issues are the same as ALL recipes submitted for posting.

The rules are as follows:

As a service to your fellow readers, please send only recipes that are in a form that others could easily copy and save for their own use. Recipes that would require a lot of editing or cleaning up or use non-standard measurements should not be submitted. Recipes without a name and location of sender may NOT be posted or posted without any credit given. There will be NO recipes posted that are from other recipe-zines. A to Z Recipes protects the privacy of its readers and does NOT publish email addresses. There will be no exceptions.

See the A to Z Recipes Theme Issues collection here:

A to Z Recipes Theme Issues

The theme issue for Special Valentine's Day Recipes has a deadline of January 28, 2005, and will be posted on February 6, 2005.

Please use this link: Special Valentine's Day Recipes.

As usual, only recipes are to be sent to: A to Z Recipes Inbox.

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Special Occasions: Holiday Entertaining All Year R 37876/67143_image-1219304-10273808 age-1219304-10273808" height="1" width="1" border="0">

Crazy Corner...

They just don't have shows like this any more...

Shared by Don G., GA

From the Original Hollywood Squares TV Show, these are jokes from the days when game show responses were spontaneous and not scripted like they are now.

Q: If you're going to make a parachute jump, you should be at least how high?
A: Charley Weaver: Three days of steady drinking should do it.

Q: True or false...a pea can last as long as 5,000 years.
A: George Gobel: Boy, it sure seems that way sometimes...

Q: You've been having trouble going to sleep. Are you probably a man or a woman?
A: Don Knotts: That's what's been keeping me awake.

Q: According to Cosmo, if you meet a stranger at a party and you think he's really attractive, is it okay to come out directly and ask him if he's married?
A: Rose Marie: No, wait until morning.

Q: Which of your five senses tends to diminish as you get older?
A: Charley Weaver: My sense of decency.

Q: In Hawaiian, does it take more than three words to say "I love you"?
A: Vincent Price: No, you can say it with a pineapple and a twenty.

Q: What are "Do It," "I Can Help" and "Can't Get Enough"?
A: George Gobel: I don't know, but it's coming from the next apartment.

Q: As you grow older, do you tend to gesture more or less with your hands while you are talking?
A: Rose Marie: You ask me one more growing older question, Peter...and I'll give you a gesture you'll never forget!

Q: Paul, why do Hell's Angels wear leather?
A: Paul Lynde: Because chiffon wrinkles too easily.

Q: Charley, you've just decided to grow strawberries. Are you going to get any during your first year?
A: Charley Weaver: Of course not, Peter. I'm too busy growing strawberries!

Q: In bowling, what's a perfect score?
A: Rose Marie: Ralph, the pin boy.

Q: It is considered in bad taste to discuss two subjects at nudist camps. One is politics. What is the other?
A: Paul Lynde: Tape measures.

Q: During a tornado, are you safer in the bedroom or in the closet?
A: Rose Marie: Unfortunately, Peter, I'm always safe in the bedroom.

Q: Can boys join the Camp Fire Girls?
A: Marty Allen: Only after lights out.

Q: When you pat a dog on its head he will usually wag his tail. What will a goose do?
A: Paul Lynde: Make him bark.

Q: If you were pregnant for two years, what would you give birth to?
A: Paul Lynde: Whatever it is, it would never be afraid of the dark.

Q: According to Ann Landers, is there anything wrong with getting into the habit of kissing a lot of people?
A: Charley Weaver: It got me out of the army!

Q: Is it possible for the puppies in a litter to have more than one daddy?
A: Paul Lynde: Why, that bitch!

Q: While visiting China, your tour guide starts shouting "Poo! Poo! Poo!" What does that mean?
A: George Goebel: Cattle crossing.

Q: It is the most abused and neglected part of your body - what is it?
A: Paul Lynde: Mine may be abused, but it certainly isn't neglected!

Q: Back in the old days, when Great Grandpa put horseradish on his head, what was he trying to do?
A: George Gobel: Get it in his mouth.

Q: Dennis Weaver, Debbie Reynolds, and Shelley Winters star in the movie "What's The Matter With Helen?" Who plays Helen?
A: Charley Weaver: Dennis Weaver - that's why they asked the question.

Q: Who stays pregnant for a longer period of time, your wife or your elephant?
A: Paul Lynde: Who told you about my elephant?

Q: When a couple have a baby, who is responsible for it's sex?
A: Charley Weaver: I'll lend him the car. The rest is up to him.

Q: James Stewart did it over twenty years ago when he was forty-one years old. Now he says it was "one of the best things I ever did." What was it?
A: Marty Allen: Rhonda Fleming.

Q: Jackie Gleason recently revealed that he firmly believes in them and has actually seen them on at least two occasions. What are they?
A: Charley Weaver: His feet.

Q: Do female frogs croak?
A: Paul Lynde: If you hold their little heads under water long enough.

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SWEET 16 BIRTHDAY PARTY MENU

BLACK OLIVE PINWHEELS
DEVILED EGGS
ANGELA'S FAVORITE CHEESE BALL
MARINATED PASTA SALAD
COCKTAIL MEATBALLS
BACON-WRAPPED WATER CHESTNUTS
FRUIT TRAY WITH WHIPPED DIP
HOT FUDGE BROWNIE SUNDAES


BLACK OLIVE PINWHEELS

8 - 12 flour tortillas
2 (8 oz.) block cream cheese
1 pkg. Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix
1 sm. can black olives, chopped
1 sm. can diced green chilies
Dash Tabasco sauce

Cream together cream cheese, dressing mix, olives, chilies, and Tabasco sauce. Spread approximately 2 tablespoons onto a tortilla and roll jelly-roll fashion and roll in plastic wrap and chill. Before serving cut into 3/8 inch wide pieces and serve with salsa for dipping.


DEVILED EGGS

2 dozen eggs
Prepared Sandwich Spread* (in jar, found in mayonnaise aisle)
Paprika

Boil eggs; drain. Cool. Peel and then slice eggs in half; remove yolks to mixing bowl. Place whites, cut side up, on serving platter. To yolks, add as much prepared sandwich spread to reach desired moistness. Mix well, mashing yolks. Place mixture in zipper bag; snip corner off bag with scissors. Pipe the filling into the whites. Sprinkle tops with paprika. Refrigerate until serving time.

*Sandwich Spread is commercial, sold in jars, which contains mayonnaise, pickle relish, and Lord knows what else, that is used to dress sandwiches and salads.


ANGELA'S FAVORITE CHEESE BALL

2 pkgs. cream cheese
2 green onions, chopped
2 pkg. Buttig pastrami, diced
1 pkg. powdered Ranch dressing
Chopped pecans

Mix first 4 ingredients together and into a ball. (Can make two smaller balls, reserving one for later; they keep very well in refrigerator.) Roll in chopped pecans. Best if made a day earlier than needed. Great served on Wheat Thins.


MARINATED PASTA SALAD

2 bell peppers, diced (I use one red; one green)
2 purple onions, diced
2 cucumbers, diced
1 sm. can diced black olives
2 tomatoes, diced
1 sm. jar artichoke hearts, diced
16 oz. thin spaghetti, broken into pieces
1 lg. bottle Italian dressing
1 jar McCormick Salad Supreme

Cook spaghetti. Drain. Combine all other ingredients together. Place in refrigerator. (Better prepared a day ahead.)


COCKTAIL MEATBALLS

1 lb. ground beef
1/2 c. dry bread crumbs
1/3 c. minced onion
1/4 c. milk
1 egg
1 tbsp. parsley
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 bottle chili sauce
1 (10 oz.) jar grape jelly

Mix first 8 ingredients. Shape into 3/4-inch balls. Place in shallow baking pan (13 x 9 x 2 inches). Broil until browned; turn once. Spoon off fat. Meanwhile, in saucepan, heat chili sauce and jelly. Add meatballs and simmer for 20 minutes. Pour in chafing dish or fondue pot to serve hot. Makes 4 dozen.


BACON-WRAPPED WATER CHESTNUTS

1 (8 oz.) can whole water chestnuts
1/2 to 3/4 lb. bacon
1 c. ketchup
1 c. brown sugar, not packed

Cut bacon strips into thirds. Cut larger water chestnuts in half. Wrap each chestnut with a piece of bacon and hold with a toothpick. Place in 9x9 inch Pyrex pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes (or until bacon is crisp). Pour off excess fat. Mix ketchup and brown sugar and pour over the wrapped chestnuts (avoid getting the sauce on the toothpicks). Return to oven for another 20 to 30 minutes.


FRUIT TRAY WITH WHIPPED DIP

Green grapes
Red grapes
Strawberries (sliced in half)
Pineapple chunks (reserve juice from can)

WHIPPED DIP:

1 pt. sour cream
1 pkg. vanilla instant pudding
Pineapple juice from canned pineapple

Place ingredients in mixing bowl and whip. Refrigerate well before serving. Serve dip centered on fruit tray with plenty of toothpicks.


HOT FUDGE BROWNIE SUNDAES

Brownies (we'll get them from the bakery)
Vanilla ice cream
Prepared fudge sauce (Smucker's is tops)
Whipped cream
Pecans, chopped
Maraschino cherries

Heat fudge sauce. Place a brownie on a dessert plate. Heat for 30 seconds in microwave. Place a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top, followed by a drizzle of hot fudge sauce, whipped cream, and pecans. Top with a cherry. Birthday girl gets 2 cherries!

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