Chat_Triv Newsletter
www.chat-trivia.com

December 1, 2003

Volume 1, Number 2

WELCOME NEW PLAYERS!

Pammylamb – Florida

`a – Slovenia

Aud – Australia

Bluebelle – Texas

Barb_j – Alaska

Carrie – Washington
PreciousLa – N.C.

If you have a birthday not listed on our Players Birthday page, please let us know!

Congratulations:

November Weekly Top Players!

11-1: Sealion – 100,001

11-8: AbbyNormal – 56,793

11-15: Tricia – 80,178

11-22: AbbyNormal – 70,682

11-29: Kaysue – 68107

Monthly Top Players:

Sept: WarmJade – 294,275

Oct: Sealion – 494,113

Nov: AbbyNormal – 257,303

Staying in Touch with Players

This is the second edition of our e-mail Newsletter. I appreciate all the input received this month. Keep the ideas coming – help is always appreciated.

Sprout43 has been ill and I’m sure she could use some cheering up. You can send cards/messages to greenggiants_sprout@yahoo.com.

Kaysue is having some tests run on December 1^st. We sure wish her well!

SteveTalk has been undergoing some new treatment for his back. We all hope these treatments are successful.

Claire and Glen celebrated 7 years of marriage on November 12^th! Congratulations!

Player Birthdays

December 10 – MsSalty 12 – Kath 16 – Betty

January 21 – TwoHams 23 - AeroCop

February 2 – Cheshy7 5 - Chatholic

March 7 – Jackie 17 – Claire 18 – MtnMouse 24 – Bu||s

Player News

From Mule2: Mule2 has created a cute website with little stories about her “hare”, Hare-iette. Site is appropriate for children. Really a cute site: http://mule2.com/hare.html

From Summermoon: Summermoon is taking a painting class called “One-Stroke Painting”. This is the new tole painting method created by Donna Dewberry, which some of you may have seen on PBS. See lesson postings at: http://moonrealm.home.comcast.net

From Redwood: Redwood is going to be a GRANDPA again!!!! His lovely daughter just found out she is pregnant and she is due late June or early July! He is sooooooo excited! He’s going to be building a nursery for the new baby in the near future.

From So-Belle: Check out her websites – they are great!
I Believe in Buttons!
The Bruised Rose

From MsSalty: MsSalty just returned to Arizona for the winter from Michigan. She is glad to be back out of the cold into the nice warm weather and blue skies.

From Momof6: The holidays will be busy (what can you expect…she’s momof6)! They have a traditional Christmas Eve cookout (only in TEXAS). Her activities for the holidays include a “baking party”, lots of family activities, and extended family gatherings.

The most precious
gift you give another
is your time
and attention.

NEW PLAYERS!

Send in your picture and a short bio and be included in our “Channel Friends”

Page on the Website!

If you have questions or comments, please contact the channel founder - Summermoon

E-mail:

chat_tivia@comcast.net

We’re on the Web!

www.chat-trivia.com

Don’t forget –

Send your favorite recipes for inclusion in our website “Recipes” page!

Check out the “Holiday Recipes”

Send to:

chat_triv@comcast.net

Life is full of
simple pleasures--
long walks,
good books,
soft kisses,
and delicious
chocolates!

Featured Players

Welcome to So-Belle! (Ruth)

I am a 49 year old single gal, whose passion is people. Blessed to be a member of the illustrious “Chat_Trivia” gang, I have found the diversified and often humor laden “roomies” are now much a part of my life. Ordained outside of traditional religion because of my divorce, I rarely use the title except for legal aspects, although I did spend almost three years with the Assembly of God as a woman’s pastor. Having been a battered wife and being called into the service of Jesus Christ, I am blessed to be a leader of a ministry founded and headed by God, called “The Bruised Rose”. My love for youth is reflected in “The Rosebud’s” which is a young woman’s program using an arts and crafts forum that instills confidence, compassion and awareness. I pray to keep them safe from becoming victims of domestic violence. Because I love to quilt, there is also a quilting ministry called Proverbs 31:13 for all ages.

I am not a saint, was a wild child being raised in the 50’s and 60’s. I hope and pray to earn enough to get my degree in theology and sociology so that I can someday develop a program to detect and prevent domestic violence from becoming generational.

“Smiles” and thank you very much for making me a part of your group.

Welcome to Redwood! (Fred)

I was born just outside of Vienna, Austria on June 18, 1952. My family came to Victoria, on Vancouver Island in 1957 (I couldn’t speak English when I started school)!

I married my wife in 1972 and moved to Alberta in the early 80’s for about 5 years, and then returned to Victoria. After a failed business, I now run my own company that does commercial building renovations and mostly commercial painting, not a huge company (I have two employees as well as myself).

I have a son that has three kids (they tend to come in small herds around here I think)…. And a daughter that is expecting her first child in June/July.

My wife, Lynn, is a manager for Pizza Hut … she runs a store as well as training new managers and doing audits for other stores on the island. She…like me…is a workaholic I suppose.

Redwood is a welcome addition to our “family”!

Take time to welcome all new players to our game channel!

“Channel Rules”

I’ve been asked several times if the channel has “rules”. Although we are very tolerant (except for bad language), there are some rules. Go to the website at http://chat_trivia.home.comcast.net/rules.htm and review the general rules for our game channel. If anyone is ever made to feel uncomfortable in the room because of someone’s behavior, please report the indiscretion to Summermoon or another room Op.

Web Links

Here are a few links that might be of interest to you. If you would like your website featured in the newsletter, or if you have a favorite that people might find useful, please let me know and I’ll put them here.

Starlink-IRC: http://www.starlink-irc.org/

Online Dictionary: http://www.webster.com/

Online Encyclopedia: http://www.britannica.com/

Download mIRC: http://www.mirc.com/

Free Firewall Software: http://www.zonelabs.com/store/content/company/products/znalm/freeDownload.jsp

Virus Protection

Please remember to keep your virus protection current and updated. There’s been a lot of new “worms” out there causing a lot of headaches. Your virus protection program can only protect you if you have the current viruses listed in your program. Updating daily – or weekly – can save you a lot of problems.

Recipes – Holiday Cooking

With “HOLIDAYS” now in site, here’s some recipes that were submitted by our “gang”!

Stuffed Jalapenos, San Angelo Style
Submitted by Betty

Cut jalapeno in half (you may want to wear gloves! If you don’t, the oil in the peppers will burn for days each time you get your hands wet).
Scoop out all the seeds and throw them away. The seeds are what make the peppers hot, so this will not be a “hot” appetizer, you will be pleasantly surprised. You can leave the stems on if you want and it makes them prettier.
Fill the jalapeno halves with cream cheese missed with a bit of milk until creamy and spreadable … or use French onion dip. Top each stuffed pepper half with a sprinkling of chopped pecans.

Stuffed Pears
Submitted by Betty

My mom always made these for Christmas and colored half the number of pears in a large can green and half red.
Mix cream cheese in 2 separate bowls with a small bit of milk till creamy. Color mixture in one bowl red and the other green. Fill the green pears with red filling and the red pears with green filling. Top with chopped nuts.
For other occasions you could leave out the coloring!

Swiss Creamed Peas
Submitted by AbbyNormal

3 cups frozen peas
1 cup sliced green onion
2 tbsp. butter or margarine
1 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 cup whipping cream
½ tsp. finely shredded lemon peel
¾ cup shredded swiss cheese (3 ounces)

In a saucepan, cook peas according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, cook onion in butter till tender but not brown. Blend in the flour and ½ txp salt. Add cream and lemon peel. Cook and stir till thickened and bubbly. Add cheese; cook and stir till cheese is melted. DO NOT BOIL! Drain peas. Add to sauce; stir to coat. Makes 6 servings.

Glazed Pecans
Submitted by Lorellei`

(Note: Substitute cashews for a delightful taste)

Preheat over to 275 degrees F.
Coating Mix:
1 cup brown sugar; 1 tsp. ground cinnamon, ½ tsp. salt, ¼ tsp. ground mace (or nutmeg), ¼ tsp. ground allspice, ¼ tsp. ground cloves, 1 egg white, 2 ½ tbls. Water, ½ tbls. Vanilla, ¼ tsp. cardamom

Two – 1-pound packages of Pecan Halves (or salted cashews)

Combine all coating mix ingredients in a large bowl; sitr well. Add pecan halves, stir till all are evenly coated. Spread in a lightly greased, foil-lined 15 x 10” jellyroll pan. Bake at 275 degrees, stirring occasionally, for 55-60 minutes.

Remove from pan, cool on wax paper. Store in air tight container if any are left over!

You can also sprinkle them with edible gold powder which adds a nice holiday sparkle. You can get it from Beryl’s Cake Decorating Equipment, PO Box 1584, North Springfield, VA 22151; phone 1-800-488-2749.

Saffron Rice
Submitted by Lorellei`

This is a good recipe for yummy rice for after the holidays when everyone is (once again) trying to shed a pound or two. If you like Indian foods, this is sooooo tasty!

1/8 teas. Saffron (loosely packed)
1 teas. Cumin seeds
1 cup basmati rice
3 cups water
½ teas. Sea salt
Wash rice, dry roast the saffron and cumin in the bottom of a heavy medium saucepan for 2-3 minutes; add the rice, water and salt, bring to a boil, cover; cook on low heat until done – about 15 mintues.

Honey Spice Oatmeal Cookie Mix
Submitted by Summermoon

Here’s a great gift for a special person, teacher or friend on your list. Put the mix in a special decorated jar and include the recipe, along with a dozen of the cookies wrapped up!

Gift Mix:
2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon EACH ground cloves and nutmeg
1-1/2 cups Quaker Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)

Ingredients to complete cookies:
½ pound (2 sticks) buter, softened (no substitutions)
¾ cup honey
1 large egg

Preparation:
TO MAKE MIX: In large bowl, combine flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, cloves and nutmeg; mix well. Add oats; mix well. Transfer to resealable plastic bag, an unbreakable decorative jar with lid or other airtight container. Store in cool dry place.
INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS WITH YOUR GIFT:
TO PREPARE COOKIES: In large bowl, beat butter and honey with electric mixer until creamy. Add egg; beat well. Add half of cookie mix; beat well. Add remaining cookie mix; beat well. Divide dough into thirds; place each on a piece of plastic wrap and flatter to 1/2 –inch thickness. Wrap tightly; chill at least 4 hours.
Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Remove one portion of dough from refrigerator. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Flatten to 1/8-inch thickness with bottom of glass dipped in granulated sugar. Repeat with remaining dough.
Bake 5 to 7 minutes, just until centers are set. (Cookies will feel soft. Do not overbake.) Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; remove to wire rack. Cool completely. Store tightly covered.

Makes about 6 Dozen Cookies.

Variations:
DECORATED COOKIES – Decorate cooled cookies with melted Nestle Tool House Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels, melted Nestle Toll House Premier White Morsels, ready-to-spread frosting, decorator frosting in tubes, assorted small candies or candy sprinkles.
THUMBPRINT COOKIES – Use thumb to make a deep indentation in center of each cookie dough ball. Bake 6 to 8 minutes or until very light golden brown. Remove cookies from oven; press small dark or white chocolate candy into indentation or fill with ½ teaspoon of preserves. Cool and store as directed.

HELPFUL HINTS
Submitted by AbbyNormal

Quick-clean your coffee grinder….Grind ½ cup of uncooked rice through your coffee grinder for a quick clean.
Cutting and slicing….Before cutting fresh, moist cake, run a thin-bladed knife under hot water and dry. Slices without crumbling.
Sticking….To remove a cake that is stuck in the cake pan, invert the pan over the cooling rack. Take a hot steam iron and place it on the underside of the cake pan for a few seconds. You should find you can now lift the pan off the cake.
Crusts….Eliminate soggy crusts when baking fruit pies by brushing the bottom crust with egg white before adding fruit. This helps prevent the juice from soaking through.
Crusts….For the flakiest upper crust on pies, brush lightly with cold water just before popping in the oven. Melts in your mouth!
Bread….When your bread has turn stale, take a cookie cutter and cut the bread into shapes. Place in a plastic bag and freeze. When company arrives, top them with cheese spread and pop them under the broiler. Instant snacks!
Crackers….Store leftover soda crackers in their wax wrap sleeves, in a cylindrical potato chip container.
Crackers…Crackers, pretzels and potato chips that have lost their crunch can be revived by placing on a cookie sheet and broiling for just a minute.
Crackers…For a new look for plain salted crackers, brush some melted butter or egg white on the crackers. Sprinkle with caraway, sesame, or poppy seeds, perhaps som garlic or onion salt and toast in the oven. Yummy!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

LAUGHTER IS THE BEST MEDICINE!

THE PARROT
Submitted by Saltwater

A young man named John received a parrot as a gift. The parrot proved to have a bad attitude and an even worse vocabulary. Every word out of his mouth was rude, obnoxious and profane.
John tried and tried to change the bird’s attitude by consistently saying only polite things, playing soft music and doing everything else he could think of to do to “clean up” the bird’s speech.
Finally, John got fed up and yelled at the parrot. The parrot yelled back. John shook the parrot and the parrot got angrier and even ruder.
In desperation, John stuck the parrot in the freezer. For a few minutes he could hear the parrot squawking and kicking. Then suddenly there was total quiet. Not a peep for over a minute. Fearing that he’d hurt the parrot, John opened the freezer.
The parrot calmly stepped out and said “I believe I may have offended you with my rude language and actions. I’m sincerely remorseful for my transgressions and I fully intend to do everything I can to correct my unforgivably inappropriate behavior.”
John was stunned at the change in the bird’s attitude. As he was about to ask what had caused it, the parrot continued, “MAY I ASK WHAT THE TURKEY DID?”

HOW TO CLEAN THE TOILET
Submitted by Foggy59

1. Add the required amount of shampoo to the toilet water, and put both lids up.
2. Pick up the cat and sooth him while you carry him towards the bathroom.
3. In one smooth movement, put the cat in the toilet and close both lids. (You may need to stand on the lid.) The cat will self agitate and make ample suds. (Never mind the noises that come from the toilet, the cat is actually enjoying this.)
4. Flush the toilet three or four times. (This provides a “power-wash” and “rinse”.)
5. Have someone open the door to the outside. (Be sure that there are no people between the toilet and the outside door.)
6. Stand behind the toilet as far as you can, and quickly lift both lids.
7. The now clean cat will rocket out of the toilet, and run outside where he will dry himself off. The toilet will be sparkling clean!

Pictures:

	EMMAH, THE WITCH AT HALLOWEEN!
	DEER NEXT TO SATTELITE AT LORELLEI’S HOME.
	SUMMERMOON’S CAT, OREO, TAKING A NAP WITH HIS WOLF FRIEND!

SUBMIT YOUR PICTURES TO SUMMERMOON FOR THE NEWSLETTER.
SEND TO summermoon@comcast.net

T'was an ole fashioned Christmas
Blessed with lots of Christmas snow
Sleigh rides for the kid at heart
And hanging mistletoe.

As a child, I do remember
Gathering 'round the tree
Grandpa's old time stories
Filled every face with glee.

Now my heart fills up with gladness
As the season brings its cheer
When these thoughts of mine go back in time
To recapture yesteryear.

I hope the season treats you right
As you rush by on the go
Make warm memories everyday
With loved ones that you know

Merry Christmas
Have A Magical Holiday