Read more: http://www.drinkoftheweek.com/blog/mothers-day-blackberry-champagne-cocktail/#ixzz0n6yepKGx

"Live music." That common saying may contain some truth, but these
days the word "live" is having less and less to do with music. For many
people, a dj is their form of live music. Despite what dj's would like
to have you believe, musicians make excellent entertainment.

In the first place, people enjoy human performance. Many musicians
like great athletes are multi-talented. They will croon on the tenor
saxophone right to your soul, then turn around and chunk out a funky
rhythm on a Fender Stratocaster. Can a dj play a turntable behind his
head or with his teeth? Professional musicians love to sing and groove
on just about any style of music from a Frank Sinatra to Outkast. They
especially enjoy playing when the audience is responding to their
performance.

In the second place, musicians are students of the arts. Musicians
do not merely "push buttons." They've had years of practice in their
homes, and they do their thing on stage. Unlike dj's musicians do not
try to sing over or add other loud or strange noises to program music.
Once a song starts it flows to the end and in the unfortunate event of
a power shortage musicians can continue to entertain acoustically until
power is restored. Even non-professional musicians usually understand
"the show must go on" concept.

Lastly, one of the most attractive features of bands as
entertainment is the affinity between them and their audience. Watching
a great drummer is never boring because they're constantly
moving...feeling. An animated solo violinist playing an old wooden
Stradivarius violin has a much greater chance of reaching into your
soul and stirring your emotions than a dj with an array of magnetic
speakers and digital amplifiers no matter how great his system sounds.
It's an apple trying to be an orange. It's the difference between human
blood and electricity.

Contrary to popular opinion, bands can be affordable. Just like with
a dj, finding a band well in advance and securing them with a low down
payment, the price can be negotiated to avoid costly or inadequate
entertainment. Bands will even throw in a free cocktail hour or an
extra half hour at the end to secure a date! Many bands are now
offering "dj time." This is when the musician hat comes off and the dj
hat is put on to play the Techno, House, Hip-Hop, etc...Genres of
today. People who have small parties should appreciate these
characteristics of bands. However, many people who have large parties
opt to have bands because they love the musician personality. In many
ways, musicians are the ideal entertainers.

Candido Bretto
PartyBands.com

Partybands.com is home to over 200+ bands from all around the USA.

Snow in Charleston South Carolina is rare. Many don't have traditional sleds and skis, so for all of you creative parents here is a quick and fun way to enjoy a rare snow on the coast. Snow painting is easy, requires very little preparation  It's also an activity that the whole family can do together.

Gather Necessary Items
. At the very least you need yellow, red, and blue food coloring, and three spray bottles.
If the kids want to do more than paint with spray colors, you may also want to gather some plastic bowls and brushes.

Prepare the Spray Bottles
Fill the spray bottles with cold water. (Hot and even warm water could melt the snow too much.)
Add a few drops of food coloring to the bottles so that you have one bottle of red, one of blue, and one of yellow water.
Be sure that the bottles have enough coloring in them to make the colors visible once they are sprayed on the snow.
(You may need to test the colors the first time you mix them.)
Although you need only three colors, you can have more if you want them (see tips #1 and #4).

Send the Kids Out to Paint!
 All the kids need are their spray bottles -- and their imaginations and creativity. You can show them how the spray bottles work and have them test the way the colors mix to create other colors. They may end up doing nothing but experimenting with the colors! They may also want to create artistic abstract designs or they might want to create simple drawings.

Take Pictures!
This is really an optional step, but you're sure to want pictures of the paintings the kids created as well as some pictures of them as they are creating the paintings. (You might even want to put pictures of some of their creations in a portfolio of their work.)

Tips:
1.Buying Food Coloring
. Food coloring is available at most, if not all, grocery stores. Nothing more than the basic, primary colors are needed. If your kids are older and more artistic, you might consider getting food coloring from stores that sell cake decorating needs. You can find a much wider array of colors, including red and black that are impossible to create with the typical food coloring found in grocery stores.
2.Spray Bottles
.The spray bottles you need are nothing more than the kinds of spray bottles that contain window cleaning liquid. These kinds of bottles are available at discount department stores like Target, Wal-Mart, or K-Mart. You can also often find them at many drug stores. They are made of plastic and are quite inexpensive. The more you get, the more colors your kids can work with, but only three are necessary.
3.Brushes
. Brushes are completely optional for snow painting. You might not want the younger children to use brushes since they need to dip the brushes in bowls of water and the water could spill on them, getting them wet and cold. Another thing to consider with the brushes is their size. Brushes used for painting in water colors on paper are probably too small. Small paint brushes used for painting around trim on walls is probably a good size. You could go a little smaller, but if they're too small, it will be hard to see what was painted.
4.Mixing Colors
. When kids spray the primary colors on top of one another on the snow, they should see how the colors mix to create other colors (red and yellow make orange, for example). However, the kids can mix the colors ahead of time and even have spray bottles with the extra colors they mix. Just be sure to buy enough spray bottles if you want to do that. Alternatively, the kids can experiment more with the colors when they come back inside -- assuming they have any colored water left in the bottles!

Use an oval French or Italian loaf -- day old is ideal - - so that the bread slices are substantial enough to stuff.

•4 slices French or Italian loaf (not a baguette) -- 1-inch (2 cm) thick
•1/4 cup  cream cheese
•1/4 cup  semisweet chocolate chips
•1/4 cup  strawberry jam
•2 eggs
•1/4 cup  milk
•2 tbsp. granulated sugar
•1 tsp.  vanilla extract
•2 tbsp. butter
•icing sugar for dusting
•maple syrup and fresh strawberries as accompaniment

With a sharp knife, cut a pocket into the side of each slice of bread -- cutting almost, but not quite all the way, to the edges.
Spread the inside of each pocket with 1 tbsp. of the cream cheese, stuff with 1 tbsp.  of the chocolate chips and spoon in 1 tbsp.  of the strawberry jam. Depending on the size of the pocket and the slice of bread, you may not be able to use the full amount of stuffing ingredients -- just play it by ear and use as much as will fit inside. Squash the bread closed to enclose the filling.

In a bowl, beat together the eggs, milk, sugar and vanilla. Dip the stuffed bread slices into the egg mixture, turning to soak both sides evenly. Arrange on a plate.
In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the stuffed bread to the pan and cook, turning each slice over several times to let it brown evenly and allow the heat to penetrate and melt the chocolate -- about 5 or 6 minutes total. Dust lightly with icing sugar and serve with sliced fresh strawberries and maple syrup.
Makes 2 servings.

How kids can help:
• Help stuff the bread slices with chocolate, strawberries and cream cheeese Dip the stuffed bread into the egg mixture.

Wine tasting kits are a fun way to...
...help the novice wine enthusiast experience many different wines and to learn the qualities of each wine. Different wine tasting kits are found depending on what types of wine you want to taste. There are differences between red wine tasting kits and white wine tasting kits They come with all the wine bottles and accessories needed. You can even get kits that are made for multiple tasters. These wine tasting kits come with as many as eight glasses so that the experience can be shared.

This kit would be a great base to throwing a wine tasting party in your area.Wine tasting is an art and much more complicated than simply drinking a glass of wine. You will incorporate the senses of sight and smell, along with your sense of taste. This is not an experience to be rushed. You must savor and linger over each sip.To properly use the wine tasting kit, there are some basics that you should be aware of. First of all, the wine glass should be clear with a rim that is turned slightly inward. This will allow you to see the color and clarity of the wine. The special rim is designed to concentrate the aroma and bouquet of the wine and prevent it from spilling when it is swirled.Holding the bowl of the wine glass can allow the heat of your hand to warm the wine so you should always hold the stem of the glass to experience the truest flavors. You would start with a small amount of wine, no more than about an inch in the bowl.

If you are tasting several wines during the evening, you will want to start with the lightest wines and work your way to the more complex wines. This will ensure that your taste buds remain sensitive to all the delicate nuances of each wine. Expert consensus is to have a sip of water between tastings to cleanse the palate, leaving a clean slate for the next wine.I'm sure you've seen experts swirling their glasses by their noses and looking mysterious. There are good reasons for this behavior. When the wine is held up to the light you can see the color and clarity of the wine. White and red wines both have color variations as they age and clarity is also desirable.The mysterious swirling of the wine is not just to make the experts look wise. By swirling the wine gently for a few seconds, the wine becomes aerated. This releases all the fullness of the wine's bouquet. If a person has a sensitive enough nose, they will often be able to distinguish several of the individual elements of the wine.

Once you've done these first two steps, you can move on to the much anticipated tasting stage. Take a sip of the wine and swirl it around a bit in your mouth to warm it. Savor the multitude of flavors that explode on your tongue. If you plan on tasting several wines, it is perfectly acceptable wine tasting etiquette to spit the wine out instead of swallowing.


About the AuthorWoodworking Websites have become a lot more than a hobby, I now have a very successful and stress free life by helping others build and own their own Website Businesses.
My ebook "Chewing Bread for Ducks" has become very popular with people who want their website on Page One on Google. (and other Search Engines of course).
Happy Days

Can you hear the drum roll, tire rubber burning and grills cooking in the infield Race Fans?????? Yep, the first tracks through the grass of the infield have been made by what I like to call the “warm up weekend”…aka, ARCA race and Bud Shoot Out! Don’t know about you but I am on the hook and can NOT wait to see what “putting it back in to the driver’s hands” will look like.

Here’s what this Chick hope it looks like…

*Juan Paublo gets wrecked or spins out on Lap 2 so that the rest of the field is immune to his crazy ass Columbia driving style!
*Dale Jr. at least gets five minutes of fame racing up front when the checkered flag drop ( I hope the guy wins and gets his MOJO back!)
*I would like to see Kyle Busch and Jimmie Johnson dual for the checkered flag…and see if Kyle would wreck a 4 time champ~ sure he would! Then we could    love  to hate him more!!!!!
*I would like to see David Ruetimann and Martin Truex, Jr give Michael Waldrop a strong finish respectively!
*Blue sky wish in my world is Carl Edwards will pull a Dale, Sr. and come sling shooting from 12th to 1st on the last lap and make it to the hospital to see his daughter being born…but that’s just me!!!
*Tony Stewart, Ryan Newman, Jamie McMurray and The Bif all mix it up and finish strong!


Now as much as I would love to see the good guys win, ya’ll I think it going to be some door beating and banging racing. I predict many multiple car crashes just from what we have learned about a restrictor plate size change, the double yellow line and good grief…it’s the Daytona 500!

One other thing I can’t wait to see is the FOX broadcast team! My sweet friend, Jeff Hammond, you know how to work that suit and you make your partners in crime look good!

The rocket is on the launch pad and the count down had begun! Tell me who you love, your predictions, you favorites! I wanna know so I can pull for them for ya!!!!

Drop the green flag and let’s go racing….

The South Beach Diet is one of the most popular diets in decades. All over the world, people are taking off weight by stripping carbs and, in the
process, learning to eat healthier meals. One of the true beauties of South Beach is that it teaches you a whole new way of eating for a healthier,
happier lifestyle. Eating healthy the South Beach way requires an adjustment in your cooking styles, too, though. Once you learn to cook low-carb,
you'll find it easier to maintain your new weight and your new healthier lifestyle. Here are some tips to help you put it all together.
1. Invest in a good cookbook.
The third phase of the South Beach diet is a lifetime maintenance plan that lets you eat a wide variety of healthy foods. If your recipe repertoire was
based on high-fat meals with creamy sauces and processed foods, you'll need to build up a stock of new recipes. The South Beach Diet book is a
good start. It contains a lot of easy to cook recipes that will get you started on building a new repertoire of healthy meals. You'll also find dozens of
South Beach cookbooks on the market that will give you some ideas on the best ways to put your new-found food savvy to use.
2. Think fresh!
Processed foods are the very antithesis of healthy low-carb eating. Even processed meats are packed with fillers that add in carbs and calories without
offering anything in the way of nutrition. Try to shop the outside aisles of the supermarket - fresh fruits and veggies, meats and dairy - and avoid all the
filler meals in between.
3. Learn simple cooking methods.
Learning to cook the South Beach way is surprisingly simple - a lot simpler than the techniques you probably use for cooking now. Steaming,
poaching, braising, roasting and grilling involve very little prep time. If a recipe calls for dredging in flour or dusting with breadcrumbs, throw it out.
You'll learn a whole new appreciation for real, whole foods when you cook them simply.
4. Color your plate pretty.
A healthy plate is full of vibrant, brilliant colors. When you prepare a plate for yourself, think in color. Deep green, dark orange and bright red
vegetables are low in healthy carbohydrates, minerals and vegetables. White potatoes, rice and breads are not. Your best bet is to eat your veggies
when they're at their peak of color - before overcooking robs them of their minerals and vitamins.
5. Spice it up!
Spices are a great way to brighten up flavors in your foods. There's a whole world of spices at your fingertips, and learning to use them can really
wake up your plate and your palate. Learning about the spices used in various regional cuisines can help you turn a meal from bland to POW with just
a few shakes of the spice bottle. Some spices and spice combinations to try are:
Curry isn't just for Indian food anymore. A sprinkle of curry (use a light hand!) can really wake up the flavor in a fresh fruit salad, especially when you
add a dab of vanilla.
Cinnamon is an unusual and delicious spice addition to chicken dishes.
Lemon grass oil adds a tart edge to salads and vegetables. Just a dash added to the olive oil when you sauté chicken also brightens the flavor and
really wakes up your taste buds.
Rosemary gives everything an earthy, sharp flavor that is the perfect foil for poultry and pork.
6. Add a little garnish to your life.
Garnishes are more than just pretty things on your plate. Fresh herbs, slices of fruit and strips of raw vegetable are more than a treat for your eyes.
They add a healthy balance to your diet as well. Choose edible garnishes - a slice of lemon can be squeezed over fish or chicken to brighten flavors,
for instance.
The most important things to remember about cooking low-carb for the long term are these:
Skip the white foods. They're almost always processed
Cook simply. Cooking low carb is usually quick, easy and uncomplicated.
Use olive oil for dressings and sautéing.
Get colorful. The more color there is on your plate, the healthier your meal will be.

About the author:

Stephanie Larkin is a freelance writer who writes about topics involving health and healthy living similar to what consumers read in Cooking Light Magazine

Author: Steve I Roulette

Learn how to easily unlock thousands of wii games. The wii console has so much more to offer once you unlock it. How do you unlock wii games you ask? Well the process use to be very expensive and complicated, because you would have to install a wii modchip by opening the wii console and soldering the chip in the right place. Doing this would also void your wii's warranty. Those days are over you can now unlock your wii with a simple 5 minute online download to your SD card (very very easy!).
Once the software is on your SD card you simply plug it into your wii console and there you have it, a fully upgraded wii console without voiding your precious wii warranty! Thanks to this new wii unlock software you can now experience all these new features while playing your wii console. Your going to be totally shocked, I bet you did not know a fully upgraded wii could do all this...http://tinyurl.com/UpgradeWiiConsoleSome of the best unlocked wii features include...- Turning your Wii into a home media center with support for many popular music and video formats including MP3, AVI, MP4,DVD,CD etc. That's right your wii console has a fully functional dvd player built in! Many people had no idea so don't feel so bad!- You can play over 2000 imported and regular wii games from all regions including USA,Canada and Europe.- No more paying rediculous prices of $50-$90 per wii game, get hundreds free!- Play your personal stash of backed up games. If you dont have any don't worry we show you how to easily backup any Wii game- Also one of my favorites, you can now play games from Nintendo 64, Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis and other classic consoles right from your Wii. This is a pretty cool feature!At last you can unlock any Wii console worldwide without risky hardware modifications or expensive wii modchips. The process of upgrading your Wii used to be complicated and risked not only breaking your Wii but also voiding the warranty. Now with the right software you can unlock your wii quickly, safely, and easily, with no risk to your console or your warranty.To get your hands on the best wii unlock software click here...http://tinyurl.com/UpgradeWiiConsoleOr look for the link in my Author's Bio Box Below. Experience your wii console on steroids! I know your itching to see what a fully unlocked wii can DO! Give it a try I bet you will absolutely love it.Hope you enjoy!

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/video-games-articles/how-do-you-unlock-wii-games--1829249.html

About the AuthorClick Here For BreWii simple step by step videos! Feel free to share this article in any way just include my resource links so people can upgrade there wii consoles!http://tinyurl.com/UpgradeWiiConsole

Speaking as an original resident of Northeastern Ohio, when spring and summer finally arrived after the long and cold winter, plans were made for the yearly visit to America's premier roller coaster park, Cedar Point in Sandusky. It was about a two hour drive from where I lived. Year after year I watched Cedar Point's collection of roller coasters grow into what is advertised today as "America's Roller Coast", and that is no exaggeration. Each new addition got higher and faster with more flips and spins, stretching the limits of what our senses can handle.

I remember when the Gemini was the new coaster on the block and the first time I took my son on it. He was terrified, hanging over the side like he was going to be sick as we made the slow journey up the hill to the summit, but when it was all over the first words he said to me were, "Let's go again." It was a full day of fun for everyone in the family. Packing the cooler with drinks and food, sitting at the picnic tables on the edge of the park, and then going for another round of being flipped, spun, stretched and compressed by g-forces, and in a matter of seconds going from zero to 120 mph rocketing upward reaching heights of 420 ft, the Top Thrill Dragster. I can't leave out mentioning the Dodgem and Cedar Creek Mine Ride, two of my kids all-time favorites.

Cedar Point is more than just the capital of roller coasters, it is an amazement park. It is home of the Millennium Force, Magnum XL-200, Raptor, Mantis, Iron Dragon, Gemini, Mean Streak, Wicked Twister, and already mentioned, Top Thrill Dragster. The Blue Streak is the oldest coaster at 45 yrs. There are water rides to soak you. The latest addition, Shoot The Rapids, opens this year. There is a train ride, boat rides, and attractions galore. When you get hot cool off at Soak City, a collection of water slides and lazy rivers. The landscaping is beautiful, the scenery surrounding the park is striking. All located right on the shores of Lake Erie.

An abundance of places to stay and plenty of recreational activity to choose from all packed into the Sandusky area. So, if you are a roller coaster enthusiast, you haven't done it until you have experienced Cedar Point. If you are looking for family fun, then make plans to visit this playground capital by Lake Erie. You will not be dissappointed. Park opens May 15. For more history and a small video sampling of roller coasters go to Vacation Rick Travel Cedar Point.

Article by Rick Dunbar published on travel blog Vacation Rick. Your patronage is appreciated. Become a follower and a fan.

It was a beautiful sunny day in the Historic District of Charleston. We were sitting at a table outside of the Southend Brewery and Smokehouse absorbing the festive atmosphere and the happy people parading past us along the busy sidewalk. A gentleman sporting a very unusual bushy mustache walked past. My daughter couldn't pass up the opportunity to take a picture of this individual who politely obliged.

The waitress brought out the menus and asked us what we would like to drink. My daughters suggested I should try the brewery's sampler of the eight different microbrews it offers, to which I agreed. They each ordered a Bloody Mary. We took our turns posing for some quick family pictures and a few moments later the waitress returned with our drinks. While we waited for our orders we sipped our drinks and shared some laughs. My nineteen year old son snuck a few of my samplers. A good start to a delightful lunch.

The Southend Brewery and smokehouse is located in the historic Wagener Building downtown on East Bay Street close to the famous Rainbow Row and Waterfront Park. The first thing you notice upon entering the brewery is a distintive three story atrium housing large copper and stainless steel brew tanks. The presense of the tanks and open atmoshere heightens your dining experience. There is not just one, but three floors of dining space accessed by Charleston's only indoor glass elevator.

The indoor glass elevator will wisk you up to the third floor Southend Harborview Bar where you can have a brew, play pool, shoot darts, or watch sports. If Charleston's nightlife is your thing, Southend Brewery is the place for after-hours entertainment. All attire is appropriate and perfect for bringing the family or a date. Southend offers a diverse menu of regional American lowcountry cuisine. A full description of the menu offering oak-smoked and grilled dishes can be viewed by clicking on this link. Oh, just one more thing. While sitting at your table you might be surprised to find a stranger has joined your dining party. The building has a long fascinating history and is now featured on local ghosts tours. Enough said, come and see for yourself.