Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Take a Family Picnic

There are few better ways to enjoy the nice weather than to pack a basket of food and head out to a pleasant shady spot, and picnics on green lawns and sandy beaches are some of the true highlights of summer. To make this season's outings special for your family, try putting some new and inventive twists on all your favorite classic picnic recipes and ideas.
Californian Janice Morrow spent six years learning from talented chefs at various culinary schools across the US. Today she runs the White Apron School of Culinary Design for children, and has taught creative and healthy cooking to over 500 students, ranging in age from 4 to 16. She also teaches adults by request. Here Morrow offers some fun ideas for your next family picnic:

Try a colorful presentation.
A nice presentation always adds to the fun of a picnic. One great idea is to take little plastic containers and line them with different colors of lettuce. Try putting red lettuce on one side, green lettuce on the other side and then a big helping of pasta salad, or another favorite cold dish, in the middle.

Have fun with shapes.
Let your child have some fun by choosing his or her favorite cookie cutters and forming their sandwiches into shapes.

Make place setting kits.
Another idea is to individually wrap up plates with napkins, forks, knives, and spoons. Get the kids involved by letting them make creative nametags for each of your family members or friends, and use these to tie up the bundles of plates and utensils.

Choose healthy snacks.
Instead of filling your picnic basket with sweets for the end of that special afternoon, try something a little bit different, like homemade granola bars. The kids will love the flavor and you'll love the fact that it's a healthy, nutritious dessert.

Source : http://www.fineliving.com

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Seven Tips for Successful Family Picnics


by Lynn Fredericks, author of Cooking Time is Family Time

School's out and the kids have more free time and no homework to boot. Why not steer their creative energies into spontaneous family picnics? The destination is secondary to the enjoyment of an informal meal, outdoors, with opportunities for family sports activities (soccer, baseball, simple game of catch) or playtime with the family pet! The backyard or a neighborhood park is fine -- it's not necessary to plan a long-distance trip.

1. First, announce that you're going to have a picnic-style dinner and you want their help and suggestions.
2. Let them choose from the following list of responsibilities:
Menu
Assembling ingredients and preparing the food
Beverages
Blanket(s)
Baskets, bags, shopping cart for transporting the meal
Plastic or paper plates, cups, cutlery, etc.
Extracurricular activities: sports equipment, dog toys, titles for charades
3. Don't give each child more than two jobs.
4. Decide on a time when all duties must be completed.
5. If you're a working mom, plan the picnic a day ahead, giving extra time for shopping and preparing food. There's no need to do everything from scratch -- a combination of prepared salads and some homemade sandwiches is very easy. Bean salads are especially good for picnics as their flavor improves with time and they can sit out at room temperature
6. Make sure one or more kids are involved in the actual food preparation and encourage them to be a little adventurous, taking advantage of some seasonal produce that they may not be familiar with, e.g. watercress or arugula for the salad, fava beans in the pasta salad, tofu in the egg salad, etc.
7. Keep your cool -- remind everyone that the idea is to have fun!

source : http://parenting.ivillage.com

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Company Picnic Ideas and Planning Tips

It's an opportunity for employees to mingle and "let down their hair."

A well organized company picnic with planned activities can help integrate
employees with each other. This is particularly important if the company has
undergone recent reorganization. As such it functions as a "team bonding"
mechanism.

A company picnic can be held for an entire firm of thousands or for a single
department of 30.

In my role of party entertainer (and prior to that corporate employee), I have
attended countless such events.
Here are some observations, tips, and ideas I picked up along the way.

General Considerations
Like any other type of event, you need to decide what you want your picnic to be
like and how much you want to spend.
As with any event, it is important to keep the needs and tastes of your attendees
paramount.
Allow yourself sufficient time to book your venue if the picnic is offsite. Demand for
some venues is at a premium during peak periods. It is not uncommon to make
reservations several months or more in advance of a given date.
You'll need to plan food and beverages, and activities and entertainment and, in
some cases, transportation to the picnic site.
Allow enough time so you can give your employees sufficient advance notice to
include the picnic into their plans. This is especially important if you'll be inviting
family members or if it is held on a weekend.
Company picnics and company picnic ideas can range from the very simple to a
pull-out-all-stops extravaganza. My observation is that people have a good time at
both.
Do you want to have a theme? A theme is fun! Plus it makes it easier to organize
food and activities.

WHEN do you want to hold you company's picnic?
In the Philadelphia area, companies hold their picnics beginning in June
through early October.
Considerations such as your company's workflow, availability of a desired venue,
etc., will help you determine the date. Employees are less apt to be away on vacation
in June or September, but they will really enjoy the chance to kick back in July or
August.
There are pros and cons to weekday picnics versus weekend picnics.
Company picnics held during a workday will ensure a greater attendance for
employees when they would normally be in the office. And, they don't cut into
precious personal time.
But spouses and children are generally more available for a weekend date.

WHOM do you want to invite?
Staff only? Members of the employee's immediate family? What about significant
others, friends? Decide where to draw the line.
Family picnics are a great way for employees to meet co-workers’ families. It
humanizes co-workers by allowing them to relax their at-work personas.
On the other hand, single or divorced employees can feel like the odd wheel at a
very family oriented event. That can be overcome by planning activities suitable for
people of all ages.
Activities that require participants to form groups can help integrate the attendees.
And it keeps your guests occupied.

WHERE do you want to have your company picnic?
While many picnics take place under a tent in the company's parking lot, offsite
venues can make people feel more relaxed. If you're on a strict budget, one option
is a nearby state park. Many have large pavilions ideally suited for such events.
I've also been to company picnics given at the home of the firm's CEO or owner. This
kind of setting adds a homey touch to the festivities. In some instances, facilities
were set up so that the guests attend to their needs without entering the host's
private home.
An excellent option to consider is a venue that is set up especially for hosting the
company picnic. Generally these picnic parks come complete with in-house catering
and lots of games and activities for kids both big and small. Some day camps rent
out their facilities on weekends when they are otherwise not in use.

Amusement parks and river cruises are other options.

Tip: Have a Plan B in the case of rain.
Some Plan B options include:
• A tent with walls or access to an on-site building
• Event insurance
• A rain date
Keep in mind that if you opt for a rain date, your vendors and entertainers may
require additional payment to reserve the second date. That is because they have to
turn down other clients during the busy summer season to keep that time open for
you.

Food and Beverages
If you choose to have the food catered, you don't have to worry about preparation or
cleanup. Many venues such as picnic parks have in-house catering. And many
caterers specialize in handling company picnics.
The best part of picnic fare is that it is simple and satisfying. Hot dogs and
hamburgers are extremely popular at picnics. But they are not compulsory and
caterers will cater to your every whim.
Keep the menu flexible enough to accommodate those with special needs and
preferences. These days you’ll find many meat eaters and vegans, not to mention
devotees of Atkins, South Beach, and other diets. Muslims and Jews may not wish to
eat pork.
So having at least one non-pork and non-meat option is an excellent idea. If your
picnic has a theme, your menu can reflect that.
Decide whether you want to permit alcoholic beverages. If so, make sure there is a
way to ensure that anyone who drinks a bit too much makes it home safely.
Have age appropriate activities and games
Some venues such as picnic parks make it a point to supply many activities.
Nonetheless, you may want to supplement them. Entertainers such as DJs, caricature
artists, Tarot card readers, magicians, face painters, clowns are some popular
additions.
Door prizes are a cherished company picnic idea at many firms. Door prizes work
both as employee appreciation and an incentive for the employees to linger.
Examples of some prizes I've seen include certificate good for a dinner for two at a
local restaurant, gift certificate at a local department store, a day off with pay, even
a free vacation complete with round trip airline tickets.
These are some company picnic ideas and planning tips to get you started.
But the most important tip is the one I save for last.
After you've worked so hard to organize and plan your event, be sure to go and
enjoy the festivities yourself!

About the Author
Ellen M. Zucker has used her skills as a caricature artist and astrologer to entertain at company picnics for over 10 years. Her company, Faces & Fortunes, http://www.facesandfortunes.com, provides caricature artists and psychic readers to entertain at parties and special events throughout Greater Philadelphia and surrounding areas.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ellen_Zucker

Monday, April 20, 2009

Unique Summer Picnic Ideas


Summer picnic game ideas are the perfect way to keep those little hands and feet busy this summer. Rather than just packing the usual fried chicken, potato salad, blanket, and Frisbee, why not spruce up your summer picnics with these fun game ideas.

We have all kinds of fun games and activities for summer picnics-

Water Games- Like the water slide, slip and slide- or even the classic dunk tank which has been a fun picnic standby for decades.

Bounce House- For the Kids, a bounce house is a great way to get some energy out and have a good time!

Entertainers- Picnics are a great place to offer everything from clowns, to magicians, balloon artists, caricature artists and more.

Carnival Games and Rides- There is no end to the selection of carnival offerings which will spruce up your summer picnic. A simple game of ring toss with carnival prizes can do a lot. Or a ferriw wheel can offer your guests a memorable ride!

Inflatable Games - From inflatable slides, to joust games, bungee runs, and even some of the hottest, newest interactive inflatables on the market! The inflatable industry is always growing, and these games are most often found out there at summer picnics

Summer Picnic Game Ideas can make the most typical picnic into a memorable event- for more information contact our office today!

Food

No summer picnic is complete without a basket full of food. Instead of throwing in the usual picnic staples, you can turn preparing and eating picnic foods into a game. Kida love finger foods. Your local library most likely has a huge selection of cookbooks for kid-friendly meals.

These recipes can include rose petal radishes, fruit on a stick, and animal shaped macaroni salad. The ever-popular dirt and worms sundae with crumbled chocolate cookies for dirt and gummy worms for toppings is always a hit. Let the little ones help prepare the food to add to the fun. They will be willing to try new foods when they have helped shape them into miniature animals and fun designs.

Another great way to turn food into a game is to prepare food that correlates with a special story about your family or a beloved fairy tale. You can also include a blindfold and some interesting foods for kids to feel while blindfolded. Another fun game is to let kids feed each other while blindfolded. Since everyone is eating outside, a quick shake of the blanket is all that is required for clean up.

Educational Activities

Keeping little minds engaged in educational activities over the summer can be a real challenge. Packing a picnic full of learning games is a terrific way to stimulate learning.
Even a simple picnic game like finding pictures in clouds can be an educational experience with a little planning. While kids look for pictures in the clouds, you can provide a mini lesson on weather, clouds, and the water cycle.

Bird watching is a natural picnic event. Bring along a bird identification book and a few pairs of binoculars and create a contest to see who can identify the most species of birds. For younger children, the game can be adapted to see who can find the highest number of blue, black, or red birds.

Bug collecting is favorite picnic activity for many children. Bring along a magnifying glass and a few books about insects to create a learning environment for your little explorers.
Incorporating math into the everyday lives of your little ones takes ingenuity.

One way to include math in your summer picnic is to place a price tag on each food item in the picnic basket. Bring along some play money and let little ones purchase foods they want to eat during the picnic. Older children can play cashier and count back change for each guest at the picnic.

Unique summer picnic game ideas keep your little ones engaged and happy during the lazy days of summer. Incorporating fun and educational activities into your summer picnic makes summer outings enjoyable for every member of the family.

source : http://clownsunlimited.com

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Picnic Food Ideas for Summer Outings

Are you looking for new picnic food ideas for your summer outing? Picnic foods need to be tasty, portable, and resistant to spoiling, and finding recipes that meet these requirements is challenging.

Finger foods are always a good choice for your picnic menu, but may not provide enough variety for more mature tastes. To keep you picnic food ideas fresh and healthy, try out a few of these picnic food ideas for your next summer outing.

Picnic Food Ideas

*Try packing fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole chesses for a fresher picnic menu. You can tuck a small cutting board and a sharp knife to prepare your foods on the spot.
*Avoid packing any picnic foods that contain mayonnaise, eggs, or dairy products to avoid the risk of food poisoning. Meats and fish should also be used with caution. If you include meat on your picnic menu, be sure to keep it cool and out of the sun.
*Instead of coleslaw, try shredded broccoli with carrots and a light salad dressing.
*Mixed nuts make great alternative picnic finger foods.
*Salsa and tortilla chips are safer, and healthier, than dairy-based dips.
*A few alternatives to the traditional sliced bread sandwich are wraps, bread pouches, croissants, bagels, and crackers. You can stuff these sliced bread alternatives with your favorite veggies or sandwich ingredients.
*Summer fruits and vegetables are great picnic items. Zucchini, squash, tomatoes, watermelon, strawberries, peaches, pears, and grapes are perfect for picnic totes.
*For a lighter picnic menu, replace that traditional fried chicken with cold chicken strips tossed in Italian dressing or your favorite barbeque sauce. You can serve the chicken on bread, pita wraps, or over cold pasta.
*Picnic beverages should be refreshing if you plan to spend time in the sun. Be sure to check if alcoholic beverages are prohibited near your chosen picnic destination before packing a bottle of wine or your favorite beer. Always include bottled water for extra hydration during your outdoor activities.
*For a little added twist, include fresh lemon slices, lime wedges, and peppermint sprigs to flavor your iced tea or water.
* Picnic food ideas for a romantic picnic could include finger foods, like whole strawberries, cheese chunks, and sliced French bread. Avoid recipes that call for broccoli, beans, garlic, or onions to reduce unpleasant odors during your romantic picnic. Include your sweetheart’s favorite foods and don’t forget to pack something sweet for dessert.
*For a picnic with kids, pack individual ingredients and allow kids to prepare their own picnic creations. Sandwich ingredients, mix-your-own fruit and veggie salads, individual cold pizzas, and decorated deserts are always a hit with kids.

Creating your own picnic food ideas allows you to incorporate your favorite foods into your picnic menu. Picnic food ideas should be fun, tasty, and easy to transport without spoiling.

Be sure to pack a few plastic bags to cart home the leftovers, and pack a few extra crackers to feed the ducks, birds, and squirrels that are may invite themselves to your picnic.

source : http://clownsunlimited.com

Saturday, April 11, 2009

Easter Egg Decorating Ideas

part 2

7. Sponge Painted Eggs
Cut a sponge into small pieces. Pour some acrylic paint into a shallow dish or onto wax paper.
Clip the sponge pieces onto clothes pins, one for each color of paint. Dip the sponge into the paint and dab the egg with it. Start with your darker colors first for the best effect.Put the egg in an egg cup to dry.
Do NOT eat eggs that have been painted!

8. Waxing Easter Eggs
Drip wax from a lit taper candle onto the egg.After the wax is set, drop the egg into food coloring dye.
Remove from dye and pat dry. You can scrape the wax off and dip into another dye, or leave the wax on if you wish.

9. Painted Eggs
Use undiluted food coloring and a cotton swab to paint on hard boiled eggs. Let the eggs sit in egg cups until dry. You can also use acrylic paints in place of food coloring.
Do NOT eat eggs that have been painted!

10. Face Eggs
Use craft supplies such as yarn, ribbon and fabric scraps to create the members of your family. Attach with craft glue. Add facial features using permanent markers for the mouth, nose and eyes. Then cut a paper towel tube into different heights for Mom, Dad, sister etc. Decorate the tube with construction paper for clothing. Place the painted egg onto the holder. You can also add the individual's name to the tube. These make an entertaining name card for the Easter table.

11. Easter Bunny Eggs
Use food coloring dye or natural dyes to dye eggs in solid colors. Dry with paper towel. For each bunny egg, cut two oval shaped ears from colored paper. Glue the ears to the top of the egg. Add plastic "google" eyes. Use markers to add a small triangle for a nose and some whiskers. Glue on a cotton ball for a tail.

source : www.amazingmoms.com

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Easter Egg Decorating Ideas

part 1
Preparing your Easter eggs for dyeing...
Before decorating your eggs, you need to hard-boil them.
Place the eggs in a large saucepan. Add cold water; enough to
completely cover the eggs. Place on medium-high heat and bring
water to a gentle boil. Reduce heat and simmer eggs for 9 minutes.
Remove from heat and fill with cold water. The eggs must be completely cool and dry, to decorate successfully.

A Dozen ways to decorate your Easter Eggs

1. Make your own food color dye.
Combine 1/2 to 1 Tablespoon of food coloring with 2 tsp. vinegar in a
cup that is deep enough for the eggs. Add water to about the half way point. Gently place the eggs into the cups. I use a soup spoon to place my eggs in the cups, to avoid cracking. The longer they are left in the dye, the darker the color shade. Experiment with different combinations of colors When you remove the egg from the dye, pat dry with a paper towel and place in a holder.

2. Crayon Resist Easter Eggs
Color on the Easter eggs before placing in the dye.
Simple Dots, lines shapes swirls...The wax will resist the dye and your picture will show through. If you are dying Easter eggs with little ones and do not want to use dye...The children can simply color the eggs with crayons and leave it at that.

3. Rubber Band Designs
Wrap elastic bands around hard cooked eggs, then drop them in food-coloring dye. Remove eggs, pat dry with paper towel and remove rubber bands. The parts of the egg covered with rubber bands will not be colored. Once the rubber bands are removed, you can drop the egg into a different color dye.

4. Marbled Eggs
In a mug or jar large enough to contain one egg, place 1 Tablespoon of oil, 1 Tablespoon of vinegar and 1 Tablespoon of food coloring. Add enough water to cover egg, stir quickly with a spoon and drop in hard boiled egg. Pull egg out quickly and pat dry with paper towel.

5. Collage Easter Eggs
Adorn your eggs with miscellaneous craft supplies; using white or craft glue to attach the materials. Items to try: sequins, buttons, glitter, or beads. stickers or even color with markers. Get wild!

6. Natural Easter Egg Dye
Try using natural dyes. Combine the dye source with 1/2 Tablespoon of vinegar with some cold water in a saucepan. Add raw eggs (make sure there's enough water to cover the eggs) and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10 to 15 minutes. The longer you simmer, the darker the color will be, but simmer at least 8 minutes so that the eggs cook thoroughly.
Another Natural Method...
This will create a beautiful marbled effect. Wrap the uncooked eggs in onion skins both white an purple, spinach, or fresh saffron. Use white string to secure the wrap and then place the eggs in the foot of an old nylon stocking and tie a knot. Then gently boil the whole shebang, using the cooking time above...don't forget the vinegar. Leave the eggs in the wrap for awhile. When you unwrap them they will all look different.

source : http://www.amazingmoms.com

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Easter Celebration

Easter is a grand festival of Christians and is celebrated to honor the resurrection of Lord Jesus, the son of mother Mary. It is a festivity of happiness and joy, as it was in the Easter springtime when people had witnessed Jesus' return to life. Thus, it becomes all the more obvious to have a bumper Easter celebration. It is interesting to learn as to how is Easter celebrated all over. Read further to gather information about celebrating Easter festival…

Here are some ideas regarding Easter celebration: -

* To commemorate this special festival Easter, candles are lit.
* In the morning time, men and women dressed up in their special Easter outfits go to the church and offer prayers.
* Houses are decorated with beautiful lilies.
* Easter bunnies make a place for themselves in splendid Easter baskets.
* Special dishes are prepared in the honor of Lord Jesus. Easter lamb occupies a commanding position on the dining table.
* At certain places, carnivals take place, where parades form the major attraction. In these parades, people wearing special costumes can be spotted. Mardi Gras parade held in North America is famous.
* As a part of Easter customs, Easter egg painting competitions are held. Beautifully ornamented Easter eggs are stocked in the gift galleries. Also Easter eggs sail smoothly in the yummy Easter menu. Easter egg hunt is the favorite kids' fun time activity.
* There is a trend of having bonfire arrangement on the Easter eve in Europe.
* As a part of special Easter Sunday feast, people eat hot cross buns and kids enjoy their jellybeans.

source : www.indobase.com

Monday, April 6, 2009

How to Observe Lent

The old Teutonic word "lent" meant simply the spring season. Since Anglo-Saxon times, though, it's been used to denote the 40-day period of fasting and purification leading up to Easter. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Easter Sunday.

Step1
Decorate your church and/or home in purple, symbolizing both suffering and death, but also royalty and thus hope for the resurrection.
Step2
Spend the Lent season in prayer, reflection and repentance. Lent is a time for soul-searching, facing great challenges and overcoming mistakes.
Step3
Follow the tradition of Lent by fasting, done in honor of Christ's own 40-day fast in the desert. You can do this in whatever way seems appropriate to you - its intensity has varied from total abstinence to refraining from eating meat. Note that some churches focus less on fasting and encourage charitable deeds. For example, visit elderly people, baby-sit for young mothers or visit prisoners.
Step4
Give up something you love for the 40-day period, symbolizing the Lenten season's return to simplicity and purity. It doesn't matter what you give up - cigarettes, chocolate, television, surfing the Internet - as long as the meaning of its absence holds significant value to you.
Step5
Banish the gloom of winter and make room for Easter and the new life of spring. While this season might be tinged with solemnity, it should also be a time of looking forward to renewal and triumph.

http://www.ehow.com/how_12835_observe-lent.html

Saturday, April 4, 2009

Tips and Ideas for the Lent

Lent Points to Easter
It seems almost easy to "do" the season of Lent in our homes. We give up some things we like and resolve to do some things we usually avoid; we may avoid meat on Fridays in Lent. Without some thought, though, it's easy to let Lent stop there. To create an atmosphere that shows to our children the meaning of Lent, we need to keep in mind that Lent always points to Easter.
Lent isn't an end in itself; its purpose is to make way in our hearts and our lives for the great events of Holy Week and Easter, and the full 50 days of Easter celebration afterward. This is a great story arc that begins with Ash Wednesday, peaks with the events upon which our faith rests - Jesus's passion, death, and resurrection - and eventually comes to rest at Pentecost.
In addition to the typical Lenten activities, which young children will probably not understand fully, enrich your family life during Lent in other ways. Choose activities, stories, and play that highlight things coming to life, or the spareness and simplicity of the season, or themes of Easter to come.
A twig's green wood underneath a scraped-away outer layer. Budding and blooming plants. A simplified home decor. Quiet evenings enjoying each others' company without the television. Delicious, simple meals of good soup and bread.
Finally, begin to look ahead, in your storytelling, playtime, books, and more, to the great stories of Palm Sunday, Holy Week, and Easter.

Creativity
Set out art supplies. Tell a shepherd-oriented Bible story very simply or read the Good Shepherd story (Psalm 23 & John 10) from a book such as Tomie dePaola's Parables of Jesus.
Suggest that your children use any of the art materials to make something about the story on the paper or with clay or whatever the supplies are. Enjoy what they create.
Outdoors
Cut a twig or two from a spring-blooming shrub that is starting to show buds. Put it in a vase of water indoors so it will bloom early.
Play
Create or adapt a play set of a shepherd, some sheep, and a sheepfold. Tell, and then act out the Good Shepherd parable (Psalm 23 & John 10). Leave the play set available for this. After a few weeks, add a sheep that is the lost sheep of the parable.

source : www.faith-at-home.com

Thursday, April 2, 2009

How to Observe Palm Sunday

Palm Sunday is the sixth and final Sunday of Lent and the beginning of Holy Week, the most solemn period in the Christian church.

Step1
Go to church. Even if you're not religious in a formal way, the Palm Sunday service ' particularly the Catholic Mass ' is worth seeing.
Step2
Listen as the celebrant of the Mass says five prayers asking God to bless the palm branches; he then sprinkles them with holy water, infuses them with incense and, after another prayer, distributes them to the congregation as the choir sings "Pueri Hebraeorum." Clergy and congregation form a procession and, carrying the blessed palms, march out of the church.
Step3
While everyone else waits outside, two or four chanters enter the church and sing the hymn "Gloria, laus," which those outside repeat.
Step4
At the end of the hymn, the subdeacon knocks at the church door with the staff of the cross, the door is opened and everyone enters singing "Ingrediente Domino."
Step5
Stay for the subsequent Mass, the highlight being the singing of the Passion according to St. Matthew, during which everyone holds their palm branches.
Step6
Keep in mind that, traditionally, the faithful took their blessed palms home and used them as protective charms in the house, barn or fields.

source : http://www.ehow.com/how_12836_observe-palm-sunday.html