Ingredients

• 5 no-cook lasagna noodles
• 2 envelopes (1-1/4 ounces each) white sauce mix
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 3 cups fat-free milk
• 1 cup (8 ounces) fat-free ricotta cheese
• 1 cup frozen California-blend vegetables, thawed
• 1/2 cup nonfat Parmesan cheese topping
• 2 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream
• 1/2 cup seeded chopped fresh tomato

Directions

• Break the noodles in half widthwise; set aside. In a saucepan, combine sauce mix, Italian seasoning and garlic powder. Gradually stir in milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened and bubbly. In an 8-in. x 4-in. loaf pan coated with cooking spray, layer 1/2 cup sauce, two noodle pieces, 1/4 cup ricotta cheese, 1/4 cup vegetables and about 1-1/2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese topping. Repeat layers three times. Top with remaining noodles, sour cream, 1/2 cup sauce, tomato and remaining Parmesan cheese topping. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until bubbly and noodles are tender. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Reheat remaining sauce; serve with lasagna.

Yield: 4 servings.

Diabetic Exchanges: 3 starch, 2 meat, 1 vegetable.

Vegetarian Lasagna Loaf Recipe is a post from: Tea Party MN

If you are having a traditional It’s a Girl” baby shower or a baby shower that emphasizes femininity, this article will give you some great do it yourself ideas for party favors that all your guests will enjoy to take home with them.

Items like fragrant potpourri sachets, pink candy-filled baby bottles, and cute personalized tea bags in a teacup all make wonderful party favors for girl baby showers. Achieving top quality homemade party favors will not be difficult at all if you follow the step by step instructions offered in this article.

The potpourri sachets are probably the most classic party favors for girls of all time. All women love fresh scents and flowers, and potpourri combines both of these to create an aromatic keepsake that can freshen up any bedroom, bathroom, drawer, or closet. Begin by purchasing pretty little sachets for potpourri and matching ribbon. Then, you will have to mix a combination of flowers, herbs, spices and oils to achieve the desired fragrance.

One popular combination whose aroma is exquisite combines 4 cups of lavender flowers, 3 cups of patchouli herb, 1 cup deerstongue leaves, 1/2 cup of ground allspice, 1/4 cup of orrisroot, and 1/4 cup of ground cloves. To this mixture, add 10 drops of rose oil, 10 drops of lavender oil, 12 drops of neroli oil, and 1/4 teaspoon of sandalwood oil. Mix all of the ingredients together and distribute the mixture between the sachets. Tie the sachets with ribbon and embellish or personalize if desired.

A cute party favor that your guests will probably enjoy at the very moment that they receive them are the pink candy-filled baby bottles. For this, buy solid pink or patterned pink baby bottles, candy or chocolates, and ribbon. Hershey’s kisses, M & M’s, and miniature size chocolates or hard candy, are all perfect for this party favor.

Fill each baby bottle with a combination of the different types of candy. Seal the lid onto the baby bottle, and tie a pretty ribbon around the neck of the baby bottle. If you want to add something extra, decorate the baby bottles with fine stickers or embellishments, or, you can personalize the ribbon with the name and date of your baby shower.

Today, tea sets are very accessible and inexpensive; you can sometimes even find some at the dollar store. Most department or toy stores offer a variety of tea sets for great prices. If you decide to theme your girl baby shower a Pink Tea,” this baby shower party favor is perfect for you. If your theme is generally feminine and girly, this party favor will work for you, too.

For this you will need your favorite tea bags, teacups, and items to personalize or decorate with. Alter each tea cover by placing a personalized sticker on the front of the tea cover; you can also choose to decorate it with a baby themed sticker. Decorate the teacups with embellishments or ceramic paint, if desired. Put each tea bag inside of a teacup and place on the tables. They are tea-rrific!

Baby Shower Party Favor Ideas – How About a "Girls Only" Do it Yourself is a post from: Tea Party MN

If you want to design your party invitation cards, you will need to look for the best online printing company. It will have a team of artful and professional designers. These artists will present you eye catching masterpiece with free designing as well as free unlimited revisions according to your requirements. All you have to do is be consistent with your chosen designers so that you can easily be able to grasp attractive masterpiece.

There are some key ideas to make a good design. Remember to make use of templates in your cards designing as this will beautify your cards beyond your thinking. Don’t forget to employ your aesthetic sense as this will make you able to produce graceful models. Company is proposing cheap party invitation cards printing to its affable customers worldwide in a cost effective manner.

If you want to catch the attention of your clients, you will need to make use of colorful images. For the most part, it will include the images of animals, flowers, plants, mountains, streams, sky, landscapes and all related symbols. Bear in mind to exercise a wide variety of colors while cards designing. These will be consisted of yellow, cyan, magenta, black, green, blue and all possible colors.

Remember to use fonts as this will bold the text. This will play a very vital role in your designing. If you want to raise the surface of your cards, you will need to employ the technique of embossing. Then if you want to recess the image on the paper, you will require de-bossing. Company is proposing discounted party invitation cards printing to its worthy clients all over the world. What’s more, it is pressing on cheap bumper stickers printing.

If you want to further enhance the image of your cards printing, you can choose foil stamping. It is a decorate method using dies, pressure, colorful foil and heat. Last but not least, bear in mind the layout prescribed by the client as this will make you able to develop inspiring masterpiece.

How to Design Party Invitation Cards is a post from: Tea Party MN

With the temps skyrocketing and summer in full swing, what better way to dish up a scrumptious wedding menu than with cuisine that celebrates the season? For a mouth-watering menu that’s sure to wow guests and infuse all the flavors of summer, opt for one of these delicious ideas.

Icy Drinks

Let your guests satisfy their thirst and get the party started with a selection of icy, refreshing drinks. Keep the cocktails light – think mojitos, daquiris, and anything with a fruit liqueur. For the kids and the non-alcoholic crowd? Lemonade and iced tea bars are popular during the hot, summer months. Serve in oversized glass jugs garnished with fresh, cut fruit.

Cool Appetizers

Think cool when it comes to hot and tasty appetizers for the cocktail hour or reception. Opt for crisp, fresh veggies with dip that guests can nibble on or shrimp cocktail garnished with lemons served over ice. Anything miniature or akin to finger-foods is also a hot trend for summer weddings, so instead of a shrimp cocktail bar, serve individual shrimp on cups of shaved ice. Other ideas include serving mini salads, shots of gazpacho, or gourmet sliders (mini hamburgers).

Sizzling Entrees

Summer is the ultimate season for barbeque and grilling so instead of the traditional heavy entr?e (e.g. steak or pork), why not try a lighter meat such as grilled chicken or fish? You can also bring in fruity flavors to add a more seasonal flair, such as grilled salmon topped with a pineapple mango sauce or tequila lime chicken. If you’re having an outdoor wedding, try an upscale picnic-style menu with your favorite foods dressed up. The possibilities are endless!

Culinary Crafts is a premier Utah catering company specializing in weddings and corporate events.

Summer Wedding Menu Ideas is a post from: Tea Party MN

I decided to take an extended weekend trip to Costa Rica. It was one of my dreams to explore a rainforest! This trip was done on my own, using local tour companies I found on the web and booked prior to arrival. My B&B and base was in San Jose, the capital. Although rainy season can cause problems for travel to the mountainous rainforest regions, my week was blessed with good, mainly sunny weather. Upon late arrival at the B&B, I dined on my vegan travel supply of trail mix and fruit purchased at home and at the airport. Time for sleep.

Early the next morning, I chose to first visit the Tortuguero Rainforest in northeastern Costa Rica with a local tour company. We lucked out with good weather..no blocked roads! On the way there, my tour stopped at an animal reserve in the woods. We saw poisonous, red-eyed frogs up close, multi-color toucan birds, gorgeously vibrant flowers, and indigenous fruit. Well worth the stop! When we arrived at the tour’s starting point, we got onto a small boat with an awning and slowly cruised along the waterway to our destination. During our journey, there were many sights to behold..sloths among the trees, horses and flamingos along the water’s edge, birds on the grassy shoreline, and many indigenous plants. Why there was even a family of crocodiles in the water. One of them jumped, spread its jaw wide open and snapped its mouth shut before it could come over and eat us!

Finally, we arrived at Tortuguero Rainforest. We got off the boat and preceded to walk into the forest. I was fortunate enough to see several white-faced, capuchin monkeys scurrying among the treetops! That was the absolute, high point of the trip! After walking along the beach, we got back into the boat and headed to a nearby small island stop to fuel up the tank. We were given coconuts with a straw and were grateful to have this soothing beverage to replenish us as we cruised back in the tropical heat.

It was a late evening arrival back in San Jose. Prior to my trip, I had found a couple of vegetarian restaurants on happycow.net but they were closed when my tour arrived back in town. Instead, I found small cafe where I had a salad and side order of veggies. Vegans do not despair! I was on a mission to do a lot of sightseeing at many destinations, during a brief, weekend trip. There was not much time for me to dine..not my goal. I enjoy spending my long weekend trips running around like the energizer bunny, soaking up as many sightseeing tours as I can!

I will be honest. Costa Rica is not the easiest place to find vegan cafes in the small villages. However, there ARE vegan-friendly dining establishments in town. San Jose has about a dozen or so vegan-friendly or vegetarian restaurants. Some examples are Comida Para Sentir, Nirvana, Mantras Veggie Cafe and Tea House (Costa Rican cuisine), and Soda Amitabha.

The next day, I hopped on another tour bus, this time for a private tour of the Monteverde Cloud Forest. A cloud forest is at a higher elevation than a typical rainforest. Private tours, though a bit expensive are nice because you learn alot about the people and the culture through your private tour guide. The roads to Monteverde were bumpy as the elevation got higher. It was very breathtaking, however. We arrived in good weather again. Now Monteverde was EXACTLY what I had dreamed that a rainforest would be, gigantic, enormous trees with gargantuan leaves in a thick, wooded landscape that went on and on.

First sight, a large ape up in the trees holding its baby! So precious! There were various colorful flowers and plants along the way. Instead of a quick zip lining, I decided to walk on the treetop hanging bridge so I could see more and really soak it in as you could on a slower pace. From the bridge, I could look down onto the ancient, giant trees and pathways in the jungle. We saw the spongy moss that is used in manger scenes. There were dozens of species of vibrantly-colored birds in the trees.I stood at the sign which signifies the continental divide! We noticed beautiful butterflies, large colorful beetles, and caterpillars.

After the tour, we stopped at the rainforest’s cafe for lunch. Vegans need not starve! There were vegetable options. In fact, Monteverde town has a vegan-friendly restaurant called Cafe Flor de Vida.

At this point we proceeded to head back to town. Along the way, we stopped for beverages and snacks at an outdoor cafe. It happened to be adjacent to coffee-growing plantations. Very scenic. Costa Rican coffee is known to be of good quality. I purchased a cashew Britt snack, chocolate covered cashews. The Cafe Britt company makes coffee and dark chocolate covered nut snacks which are very popular all over the country and can even be purchased at the airport. Its a great snack for vegans as they travel on a long journey to the rainforests in tour buses.

I saved the last two days of my long weekend to go sightseeing around San Jose itself and the nearby village. At this point in my journey, I already got to see some gorgeous scenery and adorable wildlife so now it was time to explore the cultural side of the country. I first found a taxi driver who was willing to drive me to an artisan village 20 minutes away and waited for me to do my browsing. I purchased the typical touristy souvenirs of rainforest animal statues and indigenous peoples statutues. After a few hours of shopping at these artisan shops, it was time to head back to San Jose.

My final day was spent exploring the past and present at the local museums in San Jose. I joined a tour of San Jose’s beautifully ornate National Theater. My stops for the rest of the day included the Gold Museum and Art Museum. The locals were surprised at how much activity I was able to cram into a long weekend vacation. After just a short trip, I feel like I know Costa Rica’s landscape, peoples, and culture! Plus..vegans can indeed go to this jungled, remote country and find enough food options to satisfy them.

Costa Rica Adventure! is a post from: Tea Party MN

Ingredients

• 9 uncooked lasagna noodles
• 2 cans (10-3/4 ounces each) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
• 2/3 cup milk
• 2-1/2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
• 2 cups cubed cooked chicken
• 18 slices process American cheese

Directions

• Cook noodles according to package directions; drain. In a large saucepan, combine soup and milk. Cook and stir over low heat until blended. Remove from the heat; stir in vegetables and chicken.
• In a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish, layer three noodles, a third of the soup mixture and six cheese slices. Repeat layers twice.
• Cover and bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Uncover; bake 5-10 minutes longer or until bubbly. Let stand for 15 minutes before cutting.

Yield: 9-12 servings.

Chicken Lasagna Recipe is a post from: Tea Party MN

Few things are more enjoyable than sharing a delicious meal with friends. Why not add to the fun with eye-catching decorations, cleverly themed meals and even costumes? Throwing a dinner party is a great way to show off your creative abilities and your culinary skills all at the same time. Just think of a theme you enjoy – the ocean, eighties movies, haunted houses – decorate your home and call some friends over. If you need a little inspiration before getting started, consider some of these ideas:

Princess Party. No, you’re not too old. Dig out your grandmother’s old tea set, or assemble one from the elegant cups and saucers you can find at thrift stores or antique shops. Serve finger sandwiches, tea and petite fours. And, of course, dress to the nines – 19th century style. If you’re not sure what to wear, check websites or history books for old dress designs and hairstyles. Hit the costume shops and used clothing stores until you and your friends have your costumes together. You’re now ready extend your pinkies and politely discuss Victorian poetry (or not). If you want to go all out (and don’t want to cook), see if your town has a local tea room. High tea (usually served around four or five in the afternoon) at a nice restaurant can be tons of fun.

Traveling Dinner. This can be a lot of fun with a larger crowd, especially if some of your guests don’t know each other well yet. After each course you serve, require your guests (or at least gently encourage them) to move around the table. No one should end up sitting next to the same people they ate the last course with. This can be a great way to help your guests mingle and make sure no one feels excluded. Someone people even take this basic idea one step (or a short drive) further: if you and your friends want to co-host a dinner, you can serve each course at a different house. This gets people moving around instead of sitting in one place, speaking to the same neighbors all evening – and it adds a sense of adventure to the whole party.

Evening Picnic. If you have a large enough backyard to entertain, or live near a nice park, you should be taking advantage of it. Serve a light, summery meal (lots of fruit and cold dishes) outside close to sunset. Try to time it so people with be able to watch the sunset as they enjoy their meal. If the season is right, you can even add a Midsummer Night’s Dream theme – glitter and costumes for all! Hooray! If possible, light candles or torches as the night gets darker.

These are just a few suggestions to get you started. Anything that holds your interest or makes you laugh can be the basis for a wonderful party.

Fun Dinner Party Ideas is a post from: Tea Party MN

Relaxing for a weekend with time in a sauna, spa, steam room and other similar facilities can be a wonderful way to unwind after a hard week, and to refresh oneself ready for the following week. Below we look at a few saunas and heath clubs you might want to visit in the UK and then also how you can find other additional options for unwinding in an area near to where you live.

1. The Relaxation centre in the heart of Bristol, England, in the popular area of Cifton and it has excellent facilities and is popular amongst the sauna and massage crowd. The Relaxation Centre do offer a number of massage and other therapy style classes regularly, in addition to having its own sauna and spa facilities. You can enjoy experiencing using a floatation tank, infrared sauna, outdoor saunas and Jacuzzi. The prices are quite reasonable and the venue well run and clean.

2. In Warwickshire in the UK, the Wildmoor Spa and Health Club is a wonderful venue which also has great facilities and although a little more on the expensive side, it is an excellent health clubs and which excellent facilities. There is a large number of treatments you can choose from covering a wide range of prices. You can choose simple facial or get an all over body wrap, or choose to get a lengthy massage. Wildmoor Spa also has its own gym for keeping fit and working out and you can also stay at the centre.

3. The Ragdale Hall Health Spa in the country of Leicestershire, England is one luxury venue which is well-worth considering for a weekend of recovery. Relax, get a massage, have a pedicure, spend some time in the hot tub and sauna, have a herbal tea in the caf?, have a hot stone massage or try an infrared massage. However you like to unwind, Ragdale is not a bad place to choose. Ragdale have a number of choices in terms of packages and they include one day packages, weekend packages and other choices. This centre has won many awards and is classy place to relax and to stay

There are dozens of excellent spars in the UK and you can find other options and ones closer to your location with a web search i.e. by searching on words such as health clubs, health spas and spa weekends. Everyone needs to relax, unwind and be treated well so a weekend of relaxation might be for you.

Top Saunas And Health Clubs Worth Visiting In The UK is a post from: Tea Party MN

Your 25th birthday should be celebrated in style, denoting a quarter century milestone. Steal a page from the anniversary playbook and make silver your signature color.

Why Choose Precious Metal Party Invitations?

Silver is a versatile metal that is used on casual jewelry, as well as formal serving ware and picture frames. For these reasons, it is also a versatile color that can signify a formal or casual gathering, making it a perfect choice for 25th birthday party invitations.

Your quarter-century anniversary of your birth should be celebrated, and stretching the precious metal’s anniversary theme to include this important day puts a fun twist on the theme.

Selecting Party Invitations

If you decide to have a precious metal-inspired celebration, it’s essential that you prominently display this on the party invitation. This will allow guests to dress appropriately, as well as bring themed presents for your celebration.

Silver party invitations do exist apart from ones designated for anniversaries, ensuring that your choices will not be limited. You could choose to print your party announcements on shiny paper with black lettering, mailed in a black envelope with foil lining, especially for a more formal gathering like a cocktail party. A casual party invitation could have a colored background, such as light turquoise or dark green, combined with silvery lettering and accents like a striped border.

Planning a Quarter Century Birthday Bash

If you want to host a large party, you might consider an outdoor party or renting a venue to hold a large group. If you choose to host your party outdoors, this doesn’t mean the party must be casual, depending on time of day and the setting you create. You could set up a sheer tent, either renting one or draping metallic fabric over poles secured in the ground. Then set up tables beneath with metallic tablecloths and candelabras holding ivory tapers. The party time should be in the evening, creating an elegant ambiance and the perfect setting for a delicious dinner beneath the stars.

If you decide to rent a venue, lay metallic tablecloths, whether you’ll have a sit-down meal, buffet, or drinks and dessert only, and use silver urns to house flower arrangements. If you’ll have the party catered, request metal-rimmed plates to match your theme. To set the tone before the party, you could send a tri-fold 25th birthday party invitation with a glittering champagne glass on the front and words “quarter century birthday party” embossed across the front.

If you want to host a fun party and your birthday takes place during a warm month, consider a pool party. You could sport a silvery bathing suit, and if you’ll play water games, could buy a metallic volleyball to tie in with your theme. Your party invitations could be aqua or light blue and have “pool festivities” printed in bold metallic lettering.

Don’t think you have to wait for your 25th anniversary to host an inspired party! Go ahead and apply it to your quarter century birthday and send silver birthday party invitations to announce a stylish party guaranteed to shine.

Choosing Silver For Your 25th Birthday Party Invitations is a post from: Tea Party MN

Bring the mystery of the orient into your living room with a creative tea party that will have your guests begging for more. Possibilities are endless when you host an Asian themed tea party, from presenting an overview of Asian teas to replicating a Japanese tea ceremony.

Your presentation can vary depending on your guests and how formal or informal you would like the party to be. Either way, an Asian tea party is a great way to introduce many exotic Asian teas.

Activities

Depending on the overall feel of the party, choose among a variety of possible activities. Hosting a traditional Japanese tea ceremony can be fun and educational for your guests. If you don’t want to do something quite so formal, you can teach your guests various Asian customs regarding tea, such as traditional preparation methods, types of teas, how to pour and present teas, and Asian tea etiquette.

This approach can be unusual, lively, and memorable. It’s also a great opportunity to use different teapots and cups that are Asian inspired. If you are hosting a Japanese inspired party, you could include origami as one of the activities.

It’s fun, inexpensive, and does not require a lot of space. Like fortune cookies? Why not order a batch for your guests and share your fortunes round the table.

Decorations

Decorations can be simple yet elegant. To set the mood, purchase a variety of paper lanterns to create a warm ambiance. Use a lot of red and black, as these are customary colors and pair them with dragons and hanging wall fans.

Find some small parasols to place on each table, or use the small ones for decoration in your teacups. For added elegance, use specialty porcelain dishes and China as well as designer chopsticks. Look for cards that have “friendship” or other sayings printed using the authentic symbols to use for added ambiance.

Decorate the room and tables with flowers such as orchids and lotuses. Bamboo is an easy, inexpensive, and authentic decoration option.

In addition, if you already have them or are able to borrow or rent them, incorporate small water fountains, bonsai trees, or small rock gardens.

Music

Having a variety of Asian music playing the background is perfect for setting the tone of the party.

Visit the local music store for suggestions. You may want to use some type of compilation, or choose music from a specific region or country, such as Japan, Thailand, or China. If your theme is based on a specific country, choose music accordingly.

Invitation Ideas

You can really get creative with invitations, from purchasing ones that are shaped like a fan to using an origami invitation that guests can unfold to read.

Alternatively, you may be interested in invitations that have an Asian picture or symbol on them.

If you are hosting a formal party, invitations on specialty paper make a beautiful work of art. Your budget will influence the style of invitation you choose to use.

The good news is that there are many options available for all price ranges. Start with a local gift or party shop. There are lots of great companies available online as well.

Foods

The food choices for an Asian tea party are almost unlimited! For starters, offer a variety of sushi, which can be made to suit any taste, including mild, spicy, and vegetarian.

Stir-fry is easy to make for larger groups of people, and you could even prepare the food in a central area so your guests can observe. It’s entertaining and educational!

Asian foods rely heavily on rice and noodles, and there are many recipes to find that incorporate these, from soups to main dishes and deserts. Of course, you’ll still want to offer fortune cookies!

Whichever foods you choose, offer lighter food choices, as those that are too heavy can take away from the tea experience.

Teas

This event would be perfect with a delicate Oolong like Monkey Pick or a mystical Tung Ting. You might also wish to consider “display teas” which actually bloom when steeped in water.

These hand tied extravaganzas are sure to impress your guests. Order from www.numi.com.

If you are looking to impress your guests invite them to experience tea and its birthplace. You will have them begging for more.

Asian Splendor "Hosting a Traditional Asian Themed Tea Party" is a post from: Tea Party MN