Holiday Dinner Fundraiser

Last night 12/11/09 was the annual Holiday Dinner fundraiser at the Church.  There were 80 people in attendance.  The decorations and table settings, all of which were done by volunteers, were beautiful.  Red and green and gold lent a warm atmosphere to a joyous occasion.  The entertainment was also performed by volunteers; a reading of the classic story, T'was The Night Before Christmas;  songs ranging from Silent Night to Rockin Around the Christmas Tree!  The cost of this event was $8.00 per person.  Here is the menu:

• Shrimp cocktail
• Prime rib, twice baked potato and mixed vegetables
  
• Neapolitan ice cream with chocolate and raspberry sauces
• Coffee, tea and mixed fruit juice
  

Where else can you get a meal like that for $8.00?  We have a fundraiser dinner every month with a different theme and menu.  The entertaiment usually coordinates with the theme.  Next month is tentatively Chinese food.  The price is always $8.00 per person.  p.s. as usual, I was on kitchen duty.

Reindeer Food Recipe

On Christmas Eve, Santa Claus and his reindeer will be busy dropping off toys to boys and girls all over the world.  Yay!!  That is a lot of traveling.  Rudolph and all the other reindeer sometimes get hungry during the trip.  So here is a very special recipe for Reindeer Food.  When sprinkled on the ground outside, it sparkles in the glow of Rudolph's Red Nose and makes it easy for them to see your house!  

•  1/2 cup uncooked oatmeal
• 1 tsp. each - red and green decorating sugar
• 1 tsp. granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Be sure to sprinkle the Reindeer Food before going to bed!  Rudolph will be looking for it with his Red Nose.

Holiday Bazaar Fundraiser at the Church

This past Saturday (12/5) was the annual Holiday Bazaar fundraiser at the church. There were over 50 vendors selling their handmade crafts, and some not handmade. Some of the volunteers baked cakes, cookies, brownies and all sorts of goodies to add to the bake sale section.
I had offered to volunteer, so I was on kitchen duty. We served soup and sandwiches. The homemade soups were wonderful…..chicken noodle and vegetable.
Everything was going really well, there was quite a turnout. But then around 3 o’clock it started to snow. It wasn’t too bad because it was those big flakes that don’t stick to the ground. About an hour later it turned to sleet. People were leaving in droves and we weren’t getting any newcomers. Most of the vendors packed up early.
All in all it was a fun and profitable day!

Thanksgiving Wontons, They're Filled With Pumpkin!

Yes that's right!  Pumpkin Filled Wonton Dumplings.  Really easy to make too.  Just mix some ingredients in a bowl, drop a little of the mixture on a wonton wrapper, and fold over.  Cook in boiling water and you're done!  Follow the link for complete instructions, with photos.

I Went to The Martha Stewart Show Live in NYC

You can go to the live taping of the Martha Stewart Show in New York.  The tickets are free, but you have to request them in advance.  I went twice.  The first time that I went, everyone in the audience got a Cuisinart Panini Griddle as a gift.  That was fantastic!!  A bit cumbersome walking around New York carrying something that weighs about ten pounds.  But I'm not complaining.  The second time, we all got a box of Minute rice and a Cadbury chocolate bar.  Oh well.  Again....not complaining!
If you're going to be in the New York area, it's easy to get tickets.  It just takes some advance planning.
Here is the site for ticket requests:
Martha Stewart Show

Make Cranberry Jelly Using Bottled Juice

How to Make Cranberry Jelly The Easy Way eHow.com

Halloween On The Ninth Floor - Part Deux

It started to rain around 7 o'clock last night so everyone on my floor settled in kind of early. I smelled fresh coffee brewing in the hallway and by 9 o'clock all the cupcakes were gone! So I put a few more out and by 10 o'clock they were gone too. I guess they wanted a late night snack. I'll put more out today.

Make Your Own Pumpkin Butter

How to Make Pumpkin Butter | eHow.com

Strawberry Liqueur....Yummy!

How to Make Strawberry Liqueur | eHow.com

Mineral Oil Really Works

Wow, that mineral oil really works! I've been putting 3 drops in her food once a week. She actually likes mineral oil. Who knew? It clears out all that hair that she ingests. Her skin isn't as dry as it used to be either. There are no white flakes when I brush her hair.
It's inexpensive too! I got a 16 oz. bottle for $3.49 at the local 24-hour drug store.

You Can Help to Feed The Hungry

How to Organize a Feed The Hungry Dinner eHow.com
article written by cdorsey47 on 10/24/09

Suzanna Didn't Feel Well

On Saturday Suzanna had a very difficult time at the litter box. She was somewhat constipated to say the least. She would try to 'go' but nothing happened. Then she would scratch the litter and the surrounding area as though she was covering something up but there was nothing to cover. She went through that ritual several times. I gave her some store bought hairball remedy solution that I had on hand. Come Sunday morning, the problem still existed. And the ritual continued. I was planning on a trip to the vet for Monday morning. But, my wonderful brother-in-law who is a cat lover, told me to put a few drops of mineral oil in her food. So I made a mad dash for the drug store. First I put some on my finger then near her nose, just to see her reaction. She licked it right off my finger! I put 3 drops in her food. She ate it all up then couldn't get to the litter box fast enough. This time it was for real. I gave her the same amount the next day with the same results. It is now Tuesday and she is back to her normal, or should I say regular, self.

Strawberry's Bio Part I

This is Strawberry. Strawberry was born April, 1996 in Las Vegas, NV. In June 1996 the pet store at the mall was going out of business and giving away most of their animals. I saw Strawberry and picked him up to hold him. He scratched me, tried to bite me and wriggled out of my arms. I knew then that we were meant to be together.

Strawberry passed away November 21, 2008.

Cats On An Airplane

In 2006 we relocated from Las Vegas to New Jersey. My main concern was finding the right airline for Strawberry and Suzanna. I did a lot of research and settled on Continental. All the airlines that I researched will only allow one pet, per person, to be carried on the plane. Another option for most airlines is to check them as baggage. But with that option, you are restricted as to the season of the year because of extreme temperatures. I wanted to protect them from discomfort as much as possible. But, a five hour flight in a cat carrier well, it was challenging. A third option is to ship them as cargo. In the cargo hold they are not subjected to outside temperatures. Continental also has a policy that an animal in cargo cannot be left unattended for more than one hour while the plane is on the ground. (I liked that) As it happens, we were on the runway for an hour waiting to take-off when the pilot announced that an airport attendant will be entering the cargo area of the plane to tend to "two four-legged friends down below". The best part is that our plane was moved to the front of the line for take-off. We all arrived unharmed, Suzanna enjoyed the adventure, Strawberry never forgave me for putting him through such an ordeal!

Suzanna's Bio Part I

This is Suzanna. Born in 2003 in Las Vegas, NV, Suzanna relocated to New Jersey in 2006. She found us (Strawberry and me) when she was about 4 months old. We lived in Las Vegas at the time and I came home from work one day, got out of my car and there was this little kitty to greet me. She was way too skinny, had very little hair and had open wounds. Soooooooo, off to the vet we go. Needless to say, $400 later I'm introducing Strawberry to our new roommate. He was NOT happy.