Thinking green used to refer to money…but no more. Now "thinking green" is equated with ecology and being environmentally conscious. With that in mind, two recent products might be your ticket to saving our earth's resources.

PRESERVE Tableware looks like traditional paper plates and plastic silverware but what a difference! All pieces and made from recycled plastic such as yogurt cups and your plastics throw-aways but they are reusable dishwasher safe. Plates and matching cutlery come in 3 smashing colors, lilac, tulip red, pear green.

While they look like paper plates, you should warn your guests not to toss them away because they are not inexpensive. A package of eight 10 1/2-inch plates, lists for $84.00. The 7-inch size is $54.00. Cutlery is $33.00 for 24. See the whole line along with flavored toothpicks made from white birch, at www.recycline.com or call 888-354-7296.

The other product is furniture made from bamboo…not the type you used to see in people's back yards, but really outstanding designs and workmanship now made and marketed from ECOMINDED in San Marcos, California. Check them out at www.ecominded.net

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2. RECIPES IN SEASON

With the holidays bunched together, Christmas, Chanukah and Kwanza, it's a good time to break out new recipes with ethnic angles. From Daily's Fruit Mixes, at www.dailysfruitmixes.com, come these great party ideas and recipes. They underscore the new trend to making drinks with fruit… that are tasty, colorful and different.

Use Daily’s Fruit Mixers to create the following Caribbean Christmas drinks:

Piña Colada

3 fl. oz. Daily’s Piña Colada Mix

1 fl. oz. light or dark rum

1 cup crushed ice

Combine and blend until smooth. Garnish with a fresh pineapple slice.

Margarita

3 fl. oz. Daily’s Margarita Mix

1 fl. oz. tequila

¼ cup crushed ice

Combine all ingredients and shake well in a shaker, then pour and garnish with a fresh wedge of lime.

Strawberry Daiquiri

4 fl. oz. Daily’s Strawberry Daiquiri Mix

1 fl. oz. light rum

1 cup crushed ice

Combine and blend until smooth. Garnish with a fresh strawberry.

Holiday Brunch

A Holiday Brunch can be a fun twist on a traditional holiday party. Here are some great ideas!

For a simple, time-saving menu:

Pick up a selection of bagels, scones, muffins and croissants from your local bakery.
Select a fresh fruit tray from your local grocery store.
To achieve a just-baked oven-fresh smell, before your guests arrive pop some refrigerated biscuits and cinnamon rolls in the oven.
Whip up scrambled eggs and mix in any assortment of veggies; sprinkle with cheese.

To really brighten up the morning, mix up the following drinks from Daily’s Fruit Mixers:

Tequila Sunrise

1¼ fl. oz. tequila

3 fl. oz. orange juice

1 fl. oz. Daily’s Grenadine Syrup

Ice cubes

Mix tequila and orange juice in an ice filled glass. Pour Daily’s Grenadine Syrup into the center of the drink for the “sunrise” effect.

Bullseye (a twist on the traditional Bloody Mary)

5 oz. Daily’s Bloody Mary Mix (choose from Original, Thick & Spicy or Salsa flavors)

3 oz. Absolut® Peppar vodka

Dash of Worcestershire sauce

Splash of Tabasco®

Salt and pepper to taste

Combine ingredients in a 12 oz. tumbler filled with ice. Serve garnished with a grilled shrimp, a lemon wedge and a celery stalk. Upon delivery of drink, remove tail and drop shrimp into the bottom of glass to marinate, squeeze lemon wedge on top and stir with celery.

MaSmootherMixer (non-alcoholic)

1 cup Daily’s Strawberry Daiquiri Mix

1 banana

1 kiwi

6 oz. strawberry/banana yogurt

3 cups crushed ice

Combine ingredients in a blender. Blend until just pourable. Top with any fruit and enjoy.

Italian Holiday

The Italian Holiday theme is a simple and fun idea for party planners. Manja! Get in the Italian spirit by decorating your home with Italian flags – what better decoration is there for the holidays than red, white and green flags? Pick up some simple, inexpensive red and white carnations with green filler to use as centerpieces; use empty wine bottles as vases.

Use the traditional seven fishes theme for the evening by inviting seven couples to your home; make the party easy by asking each couple to bring a seafood dish with them. You might consider assigning dishes, such as:

Crab dip
Calamari
Shrimp and cocktail sauce
Lobster bisque
Spaghetti and clam sauce
Baked salmon
Anchovy pizza

Serve up some Italian-inspired drinks from Daily’s Fruit Mixers, such as:

Tiramisu Tutu

5 oz. Daily’s Mocha Mudslide Mix

½ oz. Tuaca®

½ oz. Irish Cream

1 oz. Amaretto

1½ oz. dark rum

Fill a shaker with crushed ice and all ingredients. Cover glass and shake vigorously. Mix together 1 teaspoon of sugar and a dash of cinnamon. Lightly moisten rim of glass and dip in sugar mixture. Strain liquid into glass and garnish with chocolate shavings and whipped cream.

Amaretto Sours

3 fl. oz. Daily’s Sweet & Sour Mix

1 ½ fl. oz. whiskey

2 ice cubes

Combine and shake well in a shaker. Garnish with a maraschino cherry and an orange slice.

Chilled Mudslide

5 fl. oz. 2% milk

3 ½ fl. oz. Daily’s Mocha Mudslide Mix

1 ½ fl. oz. white rum

2 ice cubes

Combine and shake well in a shaker. Garnish with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

Get creative and come up with your own holiday theme parties and drink recipes, and visit www.dailysfruitmixers.com for additional recipes or for more information.

That should be enough to keep your parties sparkling

3. OLLA PODRIDA

COASTING CONTESTS

Want to save gas? Try letting your car coast down hills or even short inclines such as freeway entry ramps. You'll be amazed and how far your car can go without stepping on the gas. To add a little more zest to the exercise, see how far you go each time you take the same route or hill. Of course, it won't work if you live in flat territory. And if you do take to the hills, be sure to check the traffic behind you.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

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4. BOOKS by Dona Z. Meilach for Yourself - For Gifts

Dona's Kitchen Kapers is an associate of Amazon Books. Using the link provided to one book, will take you to others when you request it by title or author. You will be returned to this page after checking their listings. There's a 20% to 30% saving per book for the following books or those mentioned in book reviews.

www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0764322141/donaskitchenkapeA/

THE BEST 50 PUDDINGS & SOUFFLES & KUGELS $5.95

THE BEST 50 MARGARITAS $5.95

THE BEST 50 BAR DRINKS $5.95

WRAPS AND ROLL-UPS $8.95

THE BEST 50 BRUSCHETTA $5.95

INCREDIBLE EDIBLES $8.95

THE BEST BAGELS ARE MADE AT HOME $8.95

THE BEST 50 MARINADES $5.95

THE BEST 50 HOMEMADE LIQUEURS $5.95

And…

TEAPOTS MAKERS & COLLECTORS NEW NEW NEW $49.95

WOOD ART TODAY $59.95

ART JEWELRY TODAY $49.95

ARCHITECTURAL IRONWORK $49.95

The CONTEMPORARY BLACKSMITH 255 pages, 550 photos, $49.95

DECORATIVE & SCULPTURAL IRONWORK 2^nd edition. 300 pages, over 700 photos. $34.95

DIRECT METAL SCULPTURE – Revised Edition. Over 350 pages, 425 photos. $39.95

CONTEMPORARY STONE SCULPTURE 2^nd Edition.. 224 page, over 350 photos. $24.95

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To subscribe or unsubscribe to Dona's Kitchen Kapers as an Ezine, send a request to DMeilach@msn.com for DKK. Ask your friends to subscribe, too.

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