Graduation Parties Simpler This Year

I've discovered that this year, more graduation parties are "home made." Rather than having them catered or purchasing platters of food, parents and relatives are purchasing the indgredients and making the refreshments themselves.

• They may serve cold cuts, cheese and rolls. But they purchase specific amounts of sliced meats at the deli and arrange them on platters.
• They purchase ground beef and franks and hold a barbecue.
• Instead of buying ready made salads, they are making potato, pasta, and cabbage salads.

In our household, with a granddaughter graduating from high school, we're serving hamburgers and franks from the grill. My husband cooked a chicken in the smoker yesterday and we're slicing it on another platter. The other grandmother made salads yesterday. Our daughter did purchase a decorated cake with Kara's name written on it.

As I looked around and asked around, I found more people were doing this and better keeping within their budgets. Yes, a few, because of a time crunch, are purchasing ready made, but many must watch the outflow of cash more carefully this year.

What are you doing for graduation parties?

Refreshing Party Pizzazz

I'm refreshing this blog as I help a friend research party material for her party planning business. She had so much fun planning her daughter's wedding that she didn't want all that research and experience to go to waste.

Why not share it with others to make their parties and weddings memorable and enjoyable occasions?

So many resources are available online, she found. Thus, she didn't have to go traveling around town or to other nearby locations to find much of what she and her daughter needed.

What has been your experience in party planning? Do you use online resources?

Mary Emma Allen Published in Anthology

Party Pizzazz blogger, Mary Emma Allen has stories featured in the new release, Eternally Yours, an anthology of poetry, light essays, devotions and meditations, edited by Mary Ellen Grisham and published by Xulon Press.

Featuring some of the best Christian writers on the Internet, this book represents work that has appeared in the Eternal Ink E-zine since it’s inception in 1999.

In addition, Mary gives presentations and teaches workshops at schools, libraries, writers’ conferences, and for other groups. Some of her talks include topics such as Alzheimer's and caregiving, quilt history and quiltmaking, New Hampshire history, and writing.

I was pleased when Ms. Grisham selected some of my stories for inclusion in this anthology. It's exciting to encourage and inspire others with my writing.

Tea Parties Resembling the Boston Type

Tea parties take on many aspects as we learn tea can be a beverage for drinking or one that denotes a protest. Tea has been used both ways in American history...an actual beverage or a symbolic one.

Today, tea parties are brewing as a protest against President Obama's policies, reminiscent of the Boston Tea Party, when colonists rebelled against British rule and taxation without representation. Tea parties are cropping up all over the U.S.A. as citizens speak out against policies that will lead to greater taxation.

The power of tea! A calming beverage when you're stressed, a social beverage for gatherings among friends or a symbolic one with overtures of protest as exhibited by the American colonists and citizens today.

Groundswell of Obama Opposition Called a "Tea Party"

More Tea Parties Are Brewing Along with Investigations into Obama's Birth

Party Fare from the Food Bloggers

The Food Bloggers are a group of us who write about food, recipes and related topics. I hope you enjoy our selection this week. Some of these might work for party fare.

A Homemade Fruit and Yogurt Parfait Use fresh or frozen fruit to make a midwinter healthy treat.

Busy Family Meals The best chocolate cookies Cyndi has ever had. Ever!

Butterfinger Buzz A review of Nestle's new caffeinated candy bar -- a twist on an old favorite!

Cooking Gadgets Cyndi has two Smith's Edge knife sharpeners to give away this weekend!

Mardi Gras Cocktail Recipe A delicious recipe for your Mardi Gras celebration

Quilled Pastry Hearts with Key Lime Curd You can make quilled hearts out of paper or get really creative and make them from frozen puff pastry.

School Lunch Variations Mary Emma at Country Kitchen chats about school lunches past and present and gives you a recipe for Mayonnaise Cake.

Happy Valentine's Day from Party Pizzazz

Happy Valentine's Day!

May this be a special day for you.

We have been enjoying Valentine's Day flowers, cards and candy. This was a fun day at school yesterday with the Valentine parties.

Today the children in our household are enjoying it, too.

As far as tea...I've been drinking Assam tea today.

Obama Popularizes Tea

Apparently Obama prefers tea, hot and cold, to other beverages. Will this increase tea drinking and tea sales? Will it popularize tea parties or the serving of this beverage at other parties and events?

According to the Bigelow Tea blog, President Obama Favors Organic Tea, especially chilled Berry Teas. So they and other tea companies apparently are introducing new organics.

Now I have questions...How are organic teas different? What's so special? Where are they raised? How are they processed?

If you have answers, let me know.