Thanks to our troops!

News Flash: this past Thursday, Iraq, U.S. Troops transitioned from a comabtive force to an advisory presence. In their new role U.S Troops should function mainly as a support and training resource to Iraqi operations..... After all of the uproar surrounding the war and withdraw, it is almost unreal that the withdraw has finally occurred.

I will not delve into political opinions, but instead want to appreciate the humanity that is invested across the world in the armed forces. The Bingham family has quite a few loved ones that served, serve, or will serve our country as a member of the United States Military. I truly commend those that endure the isolation, physical duress, mental challenges that are implicit to the duties of soldier. Really and truly its an accomplishment that few individuals can proclaim. To our armed forces! In all their strength and perseverance..

Econoimic Recovery? Corporate Parties in America

Hello Readers!!!!!

While reading Special Event Magazine this week I came across the following article:

Corporate Event Market Looking Up in 2010 and 2011, Special Events Survey Says: "The mood in the corporate special event community is definitely picking up, according to the annual Special Events Corporate Event Marketplace study, which will be released next month. The ninth edition shows growing event rosters, with 18 percent of respondents saying they expect to stage more events in 2010 than they did in 2009, and 35 percent predicting even more event work in 2011. This is a big improvement over last year's study, when a whopping 38 percent of respondents said they expected to stage fewer events in 2009 than they did in 2008.
A third of respondents predict that their company's budget allocation for special events will remain the same in 2011 as 2010. Forty-one percent predict their company will allocate more money to special events in 2011, while 19 percent say their company will likely allocate less to events.
Corporate events mean business, now more than ever. The percentage of respondents saying they attempt to measure the ROI of their events is up to 57 percent this year, the highest rate seen since the survey started in 2002. That year, only 28 percent said they attempt to measure event ROI."

Food for thought my good people..... Did your company cut back on corporate events in the last two years? If so, is your company planning something more elaborate for this year? Feel free to leave any and all feedback below!

Small Business Spotlight: Lynda.com

This past Sunday, D&E Casino Services was lucky enough to have the opportunity to provide entertainment at a 82nd Birthday party. Co-founder of Lynda.com. Lynda Weiman, requested a patient and compassionate dealer, for her father's poker-themed birthday celebration. One of our favorite poker dealers, Evan Davis, was an easy choice for the gig and was well-received by party-goers and the hostess. Obviously party-success is of vital importance, yet this blog is dedicated to the hostess, Lynda Weiman.

Along with her husband, Lynda Weiman is the co-founder of Lynda.com, which specializes in software-training. Lynda.com offers consumers a chance to master the technology that has remained elusive and past their comprehension. The site boasts a comprehensive breadth of products; which include applications such as graphic design, data analysis, and blogging...... Hmm perhaps i should take a course! Give the pervasive integration of technology into our society, it is imperative to understand and even excel at certain software applications.

Besides offering a relevant service at a reasonable price and convenient location, Lynda.com resonates with my emotional being. Similar to D&E Casino, Lynda.com was founded by a husband and wife team and provides service to a niche-market. I think it is so exciting to interact with a set of successful small-business owners that initially took a great risk in targeting a category-specific market, which has expanded to include most of society. True innovation in society does not arrive without risk, thus I personally hold great admiration for entrepreneurs. Individuals, such as Lynda Weiman, function as blood pressure in our world. they provide the force to pump blood which maintain and develops vitality.
This week I hope everyone will consider a means which will create pressure and movement in their life and in the remainder of society.     

Party Planning Checklist: Your Party Made Easy

Well all, we are half-way through summer party season. Which while fun can be a bit stressful!!

So I have simplified your party preparation with a detailed list of steps to make sure your next bash is an absolute hit.....



Party Planning Checklist



Make an invitation list.  Remeber that usually 70 percent of guests will show up. Decide on a theme, if desired. Send invitations via Mail, e-mail, even phone invites are all acceptable. Coordinate invitations and the food menu with your theme. Pre-plan with a shopping list and cooking timetable. 
2 weeks beforehand.....

Hire any waitstaff or party entertainment at least two weeks before. Remember that service people work on a as-needed basis and will need to schedule your event.


Clean your linens and glassware or purchase plastic utensils/tableclothes. Choose an upbeat and varied playlist of music that all of your guests will enjoy. Note that Itunes has compilation playlist that are grouped by theme.
Complete any advanced grocery shopping and cooking. Prepare any dishes that can be frozen.

One week beforehand.....


Early in the week, do a detailed cleaning job and arrange furniture to accomodate your expected guest count. Plan on touch ups for 15 minutes a day until the big event. Plan you bar: three bottles of wine for every four people, three to four cocktails per guest for a two- to three-hour cocktail party. Alcohol can be purchased at BevMo or Costco for very reeasonable prices.

Three days before...


Be considerate and tell your neighbors to expect extra noise and less parking on the day of your party. Typically, your best bet is to invite them as a guest. Make a detailed timeline of cooking preparation and doublecheck the ingredient list.

One Day Before

Set up tables or buffet and chairs. Place trash cans throughout the house to cut down on later cleanup. Anticipate spills and have plenty of paper towels, club soda, and other stain removers avilable. Buy and arrange flowers. Do all possible prep work for your food selections.

Day of...
Finish any last bits of cooking. Try to save yourself a headache and keep day-of-cooking to a minimum. the cooking ! .Display food. About two hours before guests arrive, set out appetizers and snacks that won’t perish at room temperature. Give yourself 30 minutes to relax and freshen up before guests arrive.... And lastly Enjoy!!!!!!!!

Wheel of Fortune Fun!

The wheel of fortune, as it is commonly called, has been to subject to increasing popularity in the United States within the last 8 years. In American casinos the wheel of fortune is more commonly known as the money wheel, in which symbols have dollar dominations: $1, $2, $5, $10, and $20. The payoff for each segment corresponds to the dollar amount—such as the $20 section pays 20:1. Players win these odds if the ticker at the top of wheel lands on the section that the player has bet on. Similar to slot machines, the wheel is need more on chance than anything else. The high gamble involved in securing winnings, makes the game that much more fun.

Similar to American casinos, D&E Casinos has recently a jump in money wheel rentals. We are very excited the rental market is reflecting modern gaming trends and have taken measures to meet the demands of our customers. We have revamped all of our wheel of fortunes and money wheels and regularly rent them out to fundraiser, grand-opening, convention, and special promotion events. We are happy to service this new niche in the gaming community. Feel free to come see our games or rent equipment for your event. Until then……………………. Happy gaming!!!!!!!!!

Celebration of Fathers

Woohoo!!!!!!! This Sunday I get to celebrate my favorite man in this world, who happens to be co-owner and of D&E casino Services. From the of its inception in 1924, Fathers' day has been a Holiday that revolves around a special dinner and thanksgiving for fathers. As such, I was inspired to share two recipes which i am sure my father and yours would enjoy:

Guinness-Braised Chuck Steak and Horseradish Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients

Steak:

1 1/2 pounds boneless chuck steak, trimmed

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped carrot

1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth, divided

1 teaspoon dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

1 (8-ounce) package presliced mushrooms

1 garlic clove, minced

2 bay leaves

1 (12-ounce) bottle Guinness Stout

Potatoes:

2 pounds peeled baking potatoes, quartered

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup fat-free milk

1/4 cup finely chopped green onions

1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream

2 tablespoons prepared horseradish

1/2 teaspoon salt

                                                                                                   

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1.To prepare steak, sprinkle steak with 1/2 teaspoon pepper and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add steak; cook 5 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove steak from pan; set aside. Add 1 1/2 cups onion, chopped carrot, 2 tablespoons broth, and sugar. Cover, reduce heat to medium, and cook 10 minutes. Stir in rosemary, mushrooms, and garlic. Cover and cook 2 minutes. Add bay leaves, stout, remaining broth, and steak; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour and 30 minutes or until steak is tender.
2.To prepare potatoes, place potatoes in a large saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil; simmer 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender; drain. Return potatoes to pan. Add butter; beat with a mixer at medium speed just until smooth. Stir in remaining ingredients. Keep warm.

3.Remove steak from pan; keep warm. Discard bay leaves. Increase heat to medium-high; cook 5 minutes or until slightly thickened. Spoon stout mixture over steak. Serve with potatoes.

However you spend it, I hope everyones Fathers' Day is fabulous and especially for the Fathers out there. To my Poppa Bear :)

Community Partners in Lakewood and Long Beach

I want to say thank you to some local businesses that Hold a special place in hearts at D&E casino Services


First up! I really want to say thanks to Cindy Hinsberger. She is always telling her customers, friends, and family about D&E Casino Services. She is such a great referral that she keeps her own stash of business cards. In addition to frequesnt referrals, Cindy happen to be a fabulous stylist that ensures Ellie always looks her best on event days. Thank you Cindy for making sure Momma B. always looks fly!!!!

We feel especially honored that our casino services were used at the engagement party of Hinsberger, Cindy’s daughter. We hope to spend many more years in the company of the Hinsbergers!

You can reach Cindy for stellar hair styling services at Panache Hair Design:

Panache Hair Design

(562) 429-1424 or (562) 925-6170

4146 Viking Way • Long Beach, CA 90808

Open 7 Days A Week

Another valuable community partner that provides D&E Casino with constant support and positive feedback, is the Grand of Long Beach. For the last ten years, we have worked as business comrades with the Grand. They are familiar with our broad variety of our services and exceptional customer services, and as such send their customers our way. Since the commencement of our liaison, we have done over 50 events at Grand by their direct suggestion. With the beautiful facilities and fabulous catering that The Grand and its other venues provide, we always send clients in the Long Beach area straight to the Grand special event office. You can check out their venues out at:

www.choura.us/thegrand and www.choura.us/blog

Our community partners play a vital role in the success and vitality of our company and as such I truly say thank you to Cindy and the Grand Management, for helping D&E Casino stay a prominent vendor of the Southern Californian event industry. We are eternally grateful.

Celebration of Mothers; the human population's cheerleaders

Firstly, i would like to apologize for the lapse in writing last week, I fell ill last week and was unable to channel my productive energies. But TADA!!!!!!!!! I am back baby.

Like many other people in this world, when I fall ill, my mother is most typically the person that takes estra care to ensure that I return to my healthy state. Mothers are characteristic for their impressive abilities to multi-task, think of everything (maybe too much), and above all take-care of their children. My mother is also D&E Casino Service's resident mother, Ellie Bingham. Ellie is known for bopping around the casino floor, checking in with dealers, sympathizing with the latest problem, distributing water, or finding ibuprofen. The company is extremely lucky to have her as is my family.

This Sunday, Mothers Day, the American population celebrates mothers everywhere, which I think is more than wonderful. Where would we be without them?............ Well technically speaking we wouldn't exist and figuratively we would be a sickly and grumpy.

 To Mothers Everywhere, THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!\

19th Anniversary!

Hello Readers!!!!

Today's post is especially exciting. This week D&E Casino Services celebrates its 19th anniversary.

Wow! Its unbelievable to me as the owners' daughter to process the company history is now 19 years long. I can honestly remember the very first events and major company expansions. Its amazing to think that our stock of table games has evolved from one blackjack table to 100 GAMES! From a dealing staff of a select family and friends, our roster now includes 140 dealers.

Logistically the company has dramatically changed. One of the largest factors that facilitated D&E Casino Service's current state is the internet. With the wide-availability of internet-use, D&E Casino was able to reach a large population of folks, who had no idea recreational casino gaming existed. Second most important input to the company's evolution occurred when my sister, Jennifer Bingham, stepped into full-time management with the company. Jen brought a fresh vision and stubborn refusal to compromise, which intersected my parents' same stubbornness, to produce a healthy flow of ideas and innovative business directions.

So, yes the breadth of D&E casino is far different than 19 years again, but no the basic direction and purpose has never altered. When it comes down to it, we are a family owned and operated production that values wellllllll, fun! Events are business, however our point is to put on a good party. And a good party is what we bring. Although, we arte now 140 independent contractors strong, many dealers began as or friends/family or quickly became so. We embrace our team and clients and treat them like our own. This familial attitude is an cornerstone of the company and it will never be compromised.

So cheers to D&E Casino Services and all those individuals that have aided in our progression and current success !!!!!!!!!!

New Crap Table!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Exciting news in D&E Casino Land.

Dan (shop manager) decided two weeks ago to make an addition to our gaming table fleet. Wait for it..............................................................................................................................................

A new and improved single dealer crap table.

This swanky piece of equipment is a smaller version of your standard crap table, which makes itr convenient for smaller parties or event spaces. Despite its reduced size, the table brings all the features of a standard craps game... well to the table. Including:

 -Padded arm rail

 -Drink ledge

 -Luxurious Appearance

 -Vibrant Felt

 -All the fun of Craps!

The game went out for the first time this weekend. In which many people raved about the red table skirting, socially-conducive size, and sleek aesthetic. We are really excited about our new toy and hope that many more will have the opportunity to enjoy it :)

      Until then, Yo yo winner on front line.........

Dal Jones Memorial Fundraiser

This past Sunday, all of us at D&E Casino, were pleased to contribute to the Dal Jones Memorial Poker Tournament Fundraiser. Mr. Jones passed away on Febuary 16, 2010 He left a wife and two children (ages 1 and 3) behind when he died from surgery complications. Mr. Jones was known to many becasue his involvement at Hollywood Park Race Track.

The Dal Jones IV Fund contracted D&E Casino Services for 30 poker tables at an event Hollywood Park Casino. the fund was established to give Mr. Jones' young family assistance. The party was a success and plenty of funds were raised for the cause. We were happy to showcase our new poker tables.


To Mr. Jones and his Family!

Cocktail Party Fun!

So yesterday D&E Casino hosted a cocktail party extravaganza with Night & Day Productions yesterday in Corona Del Mar. It was an awesome get together and we were happy to have many of our independent contractors, friends, and family enjoy an evening together. Stay posted for photos.....

Irish national card game: Twenty-Five

Given that this wednesday is St. Patricks Day, the Americanized "Irish" holiday, I would like to present the national card game of Ireland, twenty-Five..... Yes you read correctly 25----not 21.

So the basic rundown of 25:

25 is played by 2–8 persons, five being the best number. When three play at this game, it is still necessary that one of them should win the three tricks in order to make a Five, as the stakes must remain for the next game if two of the players get two tricks each, and the other one. If the party consists of four, they play in two partnerships, which are determined by cutting the cards, the two lowest playing against the two highest, or by agreement among the parties.



Each player starts with a pre-arranged amount of chips determined by the table.The pool is started with one chip from each and usually limited to a certain maximum, allthough each dealer is required to "tit-up" the pool



The deal



The turn to deal and play always passes to the left, and after the first hand, each player deals in rotation. Where the game is strictly played, the person who misdeals, or who departs from the order with which the game began, of dealing either the three or the two cards first, forfeits his stake. Stack the rest face down, turning the topmost card for trumps.



Robbing



If the turn-up is an Ace, the dealer may "rob" the trump, i.e. put out, face downwards, any card from his hand and take in the Ace, but the trump suit remains unaltered. If the holder of the trump Ace does not wish to rob, and does not announce the fact that he holds it before playing to the first trick, then, whenever he does play it, it counts as the lowest trump. Similarly a player who holds the Ace of trumps may himself rob the trump at any time before playing to the first trick, putting out any card and taking in the turn-up, but need not disclose the fact until it is his turn to play. A player who fails to rob cannot go out that hand. The card put out may not be seen. Robbing must take place before the first player on the dealers left, leads. Some players make "robbing" optional



The cards



Rand and Order of the Cards When Trumps:

Five of Trumps

Knave of Trumps

Ace of Hearts

In Red Suits When not Trumps:

♥♦ K Q J 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 A

In Black Suits When not Trumps:

♠♣ K Q J A 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

In Red Suits When not Trumps:

5 J A♥ A of trumps K Q 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2

In Black Suits When Trumps:

5 J A ♥ A of trumps K Q 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

So it will be seen that when the suit is not trump, the Ace of Diamonds is the worst card in the pack, when the suit is trump it is the fourth best card in the game. When Hearts are trumps, there is no Ace of trumps and whether trumps or not, the Deuce of Clubs or Spades is better than all plain cards in their respective suit.



The play



The player on the dealers left leads first. Players must follow suit whenever is possible and the highest card of the suit led or the highest trump, wins the trick. Each player must follow suit when trump is led, under the penalty of forfeiting his stake, except in the case of the three best trump cards, the Five, Knave and the Ace of Hearts, each of which is privileged to renounce. If a player takes three tricks he wins the game. If no one succeeds there is a spoil, and a fresh stake, smaller than the original one as a rule, is put into the pool for the next round.



Reneging



When trumps are led, the Five and the Knave of trumps, and the Ace ♥, need not be played. This is called reneging (colloquially, "renigging"). The Five may always renege: if it is led, no card can renege. The Knave may renege if the Five is played, not led. Only the Five can renege to the Knave led. The Ace ♥ can renege to any inferior card. If Hearts are not trumps and the Ace ♥ is led, a trump must be played if possible, if not, it is not necessary to play a Heart.



Jinking



At Spoil-five a player winning the first three tricks straight off may claim the pool without further play. If however, he leads to the fourth trick (described as "jinking"), he thereby is obliged to win all five. If he elects to jink and fails, he cannot score during that hand. A player who jinks, if jinking is agreed upon, receives an extra stake all around.



Pay-off



If no one wins the three tricks, or if a player jinked and failed to win all five, the game is said to have been "spoiled". Everyone then adds another chip to the pool, which is carried forward to the next deal. Otherwise, whoever took three tricks wins the pool, with an additional chip from each opponent if he took all five.

A Peek at Baccarat: Shhhhhh!

Baccarat is a lesser know casino game that originated in Italy and was later introduced into popularity in France during the 1400's.

Game Breakdown:
Each player is dealt 2 cards face down. Both cards are then turned over and added together in which the dealer calls out the total. The subsequent action depend on the cards' sum.


If either the Player or the Banker achieves a total of 8 or 9 on the initial deal (known as a 'natural'), no further cards are drawn. If not, play proceeds as follows.
If the Player has an initial total of 0-5, the Player draws a single card. If the Player has an initial total of 6 or 7, he stands.
The Banker's play depends on the Banker's initial hand, on whether the Player drew a card, and on what card the Player drew:
If the Player did not draw a card, the Banker draws if he has 0-5, and stands if he has 6-7.
If the Player drew a 2 or 3, the Banker draws if he has 0-4, and stands if he has 5-7.
If the Player drew a 4 or 5, the Banker draws if he has 0-5, and stands if he has 6-7.
If the Player drew a 6 or 7, the Banker draws if he has 0-6, and stands if he has 7.
If the Player drew an 8, the Banker draws if he has 0-2, and stands if he has 3-7.
If the Player drew an ace, 9, 10, or face-card, the Banker draws if he has 0-3, and stands if he has 4-7.

In Las Vegas baccarat is oftentimes separated from the main action, in a private room, and played by primarily "high-rollers". However for your private party, everyone is welcome to learn and play the game. Our dealers are pleased to help your guests become acquainted with game.


Bon Nuit!

Master Roulette Lingo!

One of the most frequently requested casino games at D&E Casino Services, is Roulette.

Roulette was invented and popularized in France. Thus, much of the roulette slang is also of French origin. This week's post is devoted to such jargon:

American wheel: This is a roulette wheel with 0 and 00.

Biased wheel: This is a wheel that favors particular sections of numbers out of proportion to probability, due to flaws in manufacture or replacement. Extremely rare and not recommended to be counted on.

Column bet: This is a wager that any one of the numbers in the 3 columns of 12 numbers will come up.

Corner bet: This is a single wager that is made on 4 numbers at a time by placing a bet on the point where the boxes of 4 numbers meet.

Croupier: European name for a dealer. Also commonly used when playing baccarat.

Dozen: This is a wager on either the first dozen numbers (1-12), the second dozen (13-24), or the third dozen (25-36). This bet pays 2 to 1.

En prison: This is an option only allowed when playing a European wheel when a 0 comes up. Even-money wagers are held over to the next roll instead of being lost.

European wheel: This is a roulette wheel where there are 37 pockets. It does not have the 00 that the American wheel has. This is the recommended type of wheel to play roulette on if you can find one online.

Inside: These are bets made on the individual numbers or combinations of these numbers on a layout closest to the dealer.

Line bet: When playing roulette this is a 6 number wager covering 2 adjacent rows of numbers, placed on one of the outside lines at the intersection of 2 rows.

Outside: This is a wager made on the outer part of the layout, furthest from the dealer. This includes even-money wagers, column bets, and even dozen bets.

Pocket: This is simply the slot where the ball will rest - marked by numbers 00, 0-36.

Street: This is a bet placed on a set of 3 numbers.

Below, you will find a complete list of terms you are most likely due to hear at a European roulette casino game. Not every European wheel feature only French terms, but if you are playing this casino game at a French online casino or in say Monte Carlo, you will want familiarize yourself with these terms.

En plein - Straight-up bet.

A cheval - Split bet.

Transversale - Street bet.

Carre - Corner bet.

Sixaine - Line bet.

Rouge/noir - Red/black.

Impair/pair - Odd/even.

Passe/manque - High/low.

Douzaine - Dozen bet.

Colonne - Column bet.

Below, are a few bets that are typically available in European casinos:

Quatre premiers - The first 4 numbers (0, 1, 2, 3)

Quatre derniers - The final 4 numbers (33, 34, 35 and 36)

Voisins - A neighbor bet. A number and the 2 numbers on either side of it on the wheel.

So now all you need to do is take this newly learned slang at use at the table!

Guest Blogger and Profile on your Blogger Holly Bingham

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Love is in the Air!

In accordance with Valentine's Day, I want to write a post about love and one of our fabulous independent contractors, Miranda Hayman.

Miranda has worked with D&E Casino Services for the last two years, in which her hard-working spirit and positive demeanor has landed her a regular spot on the weekend line-up and special place in the heart's of all D&E Casino Service's Staff.

I could spend a whole entry detailing Miranda's awesomeness, however this week I would like to share news of Miranda's recent engagement!!!!!!!!!

Miranda and her fiance, Darryl Gunther, have been dating for the last 3 years, and as of yesterday are now engaged. The two met during their graduate studies in chemistry at USC. They have worked with each other in a small/cold chemistry lab and lived with each other for much of the time that have been together. Their relationship is testament to the idea that if you really love someone you can be with them constantly.

We are so excited for Miranda and Darryl. So excited that Ellie, co-CEO, jumped out of her chair when I informed her about this momentous news. Way to go Miranda and Darryl, we can't wait till the wedding :)

With love,

Your Blogger

Super Bowl Party Menu Extravaganza

This Sunday February 7th 2010 is the biggest day in football, the Super Bowl!

To help everyone out with game day prep, I have assembled an quick and easy watch-party menu that is still fun and flavorful.

Feta-Peppercorn Spread

Serves 10-12

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) feta cheese, crumbled
• 1 cup plain low-fat yogurt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1. Place ingredients in a food processor or blender; pulse until smooth.

Serve with Pita Chips, such as Stacy's Pita Chips

Onion Rings

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 2 medium yellow onions
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups fine dry breadcrumbs
• 1 tablespoon seasoning blend, such as Cajun, jerk or Old Bay
• Olive oil or canola oil cooking spray

Preparation

1. Position racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 450°F. Coat 2 large rimmed baking sheets with cooking spray.
2. Cut off both ends of each onion and peel. Slice into 1/2-inch-thick slices; separate into rings. (Discard the smallest rings or reserve for another use.) Place the rings in a medium bowl; cover with cold water.
3. Combine flour and baking powder in a shallow dish. Lightly beat eggs in another shallow dish. Combine breadcrumbs and seasoning in a third shallow dish. Working with one ring at time, remove from the water, letting any excess drip off. Coat in flour, shaking off any excess. Dip in egg and let any excess drip off. Then coat in the breadcrumb mixture, shaking off any excess. Place on the prepared baking sheets. Generously coat the onion rings with cooking spray.
4. Bake for 10 minutes. Turn each onion ring over and return to the oven, switching the positions of the baking sheets. Continue baking until brown and very crispy, 8 to 10 minutes more.

Lemon-drop Chicken Wings

Serves 8

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup vodka
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 1/2 pounds chicken wings, tips trimmed off

• Preparation

  1. In a large bowl or resealable plastic bag, combine vodka, lemon juice, sugar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Stir to dissolve sugar and salt. Add the chicken wings and mix to coat. Cover bowl or seal bag and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours.

  2. Preheat oven to 400°. Line a 9- by 13-in. baking pan with two layers of foil. Arrange the chicken wings in a single layer in the pan, and pour the marinade evenly over all. Bake until meat is well browned and pulling away from the bone, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Serve hot or warm.

  
  

  Roasted Pepper Pesto-Tomato Pizza

  Serves 6

  
  

  Ingredients

  • 1 large garlic clove, peeled
  • 1 cup basil leaves
  • 1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons water
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 (5.2-ounce) bottle roasted red bell peppers, drained
  • 1 (1-pound) Italian cheese-flavored pizza crust (such as Boboli)
  • 3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
  • 3 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced (about 6 ounces)
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

  Preparation

  Preheat oven to 450°.

  Drop garlic through food chute with food processor on; process until minced. Add basil and next 6 ingredients (basil through bell peppers), and process until smooth, scraping sides of bowl once.

  Place pizza crust on a baking sheet. Spread pepper mixture over pizza crust, leaving a 1/2-inch border; sprinkle with mozzarella. Arrange the tomato slices in a single layer on top of the cheese. Bake at 450° for 10 minutes. Sprinkle pizza with oregano.

  
  

  Bourbon Fudge Brownies

  Serves 20

  Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup bourbon
  • 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/3 cups sugar
  • 6 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs
  • Cooking spray

  • Preparation

    Preheat oven to 350°.

    Bring bourbon to a boil in a small saucepan; remove from heat. Add chocolate chips, stirring until smooth.

    Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt, stirring with a whisk.

    Combine sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well combined. Add vanilla and eggs; beat well. Add flour mixture and bourbon mixture to sugar mixture, beating at low speed just until combined.

    Spread batter into a 9-inch square baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack.

    
    

    Beer 'Garitas

    Serves 4

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup frozen limeade concentrate, thawed
    • 1 cup tequila
    • 1/2 cup orange liqueur
    • Crushed ice
    • 1/2 to 1 cup cold beer

    Preparation

    1. Stir together first 3 ingredients until well blended. Fill 4 medium glasses with crushed ice. Pour limeade mixture evenly into glasses. Add beer to taste.

    
    

    
    

    Hope this simplifies your party prep!

    
    

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