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General Information

Word Games:  Live trivia at various times and places throughout the week.

#International: We hope to bring together folks from all nations and languages .. come join us for chat, good friends, and if you can volunteer to translate, all the better. Even a smattering of another language is welcome!

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Your BIRTHDAY TREE

April: gemstone is Diamond, the symbol of Fidelity; flower is the Sweet pea.
May's gemstone is Emerald, the symbol of Hope, flower is the Lilly of the Valley

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EVENTS

In an attempt to get more of our chatters involved in our newsletter and to make it more interesting, we are adding several new columns.  The recipe column has been very popular!  I hear tell there is a movie critic's corner starting soon.  That's exciting!!  I'd love to see a gardening column if that's an area of expertice for any of you.  Maybe even a book review column would be nice?  Please get together with me if you have other ideas or if you're willing to do a column for our newsletter!

COOKING ON THE WILD SIDE Recipes and more    ...by Wildchild.

Hope that you all are doing well. I still need all the recipes  or household hints and tricks you have and want to send in and share.  Thanks to Lorellei` of  #Trivia_Dreams. These Indian dishes sounds great!
Can't wait till I can try them. How about sending in some of your favorite  Easter Dishes *yes I know by time this comes out its past that time but we can always use them and add them to our favorites.*  Until next time lets keep cookingonthewildside.

Fifteen-Minute Vegetable Curry 1-cup raw carrots (about 2 medium carrots) 1-cup fresh or frozen green peas (1 lb.) 2 tablespoons sunflower oil 1/8-teaspoon hing ½ teaspoon black mustard seeds 1-teaspoon whole cumin seeds ½ teaspoon sea salt 1-pound tofu (optional) (you could use chicken here -  cooked & cubed) 1-teaspoon curry powder 1-teaspoon colander powder ¼ cup water 2 teaspoons brown rice syrup ¼ of a HOT green pepper, chopped ¼-1 cup plain yogurt Heat oil in heavy skillet. Add mustard and cumin seeds. When mustard seeks pop, add curry powder, salt, tofu and vegetables. Cook uncovered for 5 minutes on medium heat, stirring occasionally. Add water and cover. Cook another five minutes (until veggies are tender) on low heat. Shake pan occasionally to prevent sticking. Add remaining ingredients, mix well and serve. 4 servings This is good with Indian rice (recipe below) ; also you can fold this into a piece of flat bread. You can also take a piece of flat bread, spread this on and add a little low-fat cheese on top. INDIAN RICE: 1-cup basmati rice, uncooked 1 teaspoon sunflower oil ½ teaspoon mustard seeds ½ teaspoon cumin seeds 3-1/2 cups water 1 teaspoon sea salt ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper (You can add a cup of frozen or fresh green peas if you like - when you add the rice) In medium saucepan, heat oil and add mustard and cumin seeds. When the mustard seeds pop, add water, rice and salt. Boil. Cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for 15 minutes. Add black pepper.  Mix and serve.  4 servings

Curried Chicken Salad 1-1/2 cups cubed cooked chicken breast ¼-cup frozen peas, thawed ¼-cup scraped and shredded carrot 1/8-teaspoon celery seed 1 tablespoon golden raisins 1 cup shredded red cabbage ¼- cup chopped green apple ¼-cup chopped scallion (green, or spring, onions) (2-3 onions) Dressing: 1-cup plain nonfat yogurt 1-tablespoon nonfat mayonnaise 3 teaspoons curry powder 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice freshly ground black pepper to taste 1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard 2 tablespoons minced shallot (1 small shallot) 4 large red cabbage leaves 4 cherry tomatoes, halved 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley Combine the chicken, peas, carrot, celery seed, raisins, shredded cabbage, apple, scallions and celery in a salad bowl. Put all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and whisk to blend. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well; cover; refrigerate for an hour. Place a cabbage leaf, curved side down, on each salad plate; mound salad into the leaves and garnish with cherry tomatoes and parsley. Serves 4 - fat per serving is 2.8 grams; calories per serving 200

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MAYBE MABEL KNOWS?     Gossip

So far, we have not had any submissions to our Mabye Mable Knows? desk.  Are any of you seeking advice?  If so, just send in your question and put "Maybe Mable Knows?" in the subject line!

MOVIES                 Movie Reviews - by Zadi of #Lupuschat

Starring Ashton Kutcher as a college-aged guy who can't remember key periods of his life until he begins to read his journals. When he looks at the pages, he finds himself transported back in time, where he finds the terrifying events in his life that he had blocked out. He also sees the destruction that those events caused in other people's lives around him. Can he go back and change the past? What effect would that have on the future?
 
This movie will keep you on the edge of your seat with a combination of suspense, tasteful special effects, and changing relationships between the characters that keeps you guessing right 'til the end.
 
Jude Law plays a confederate soldier trying to get home after being wounded in battle. The story documents his long, diffcult journey and his loyalty to the sweetheart, played by Nicole Kidman, to whom he is trying so hard to return. While he has been away, she has had struggles of her own, and met up with a drifter in the form of Renee Zellweger.
 
This movie is touted as having a soundtrack with Allison Krauss, so we expected plenty of good bluegrass along the way, but were sorely disappointed in that regard, and the plot tends to drag on. Not one that I'd sit through twice. I felt like I was tired and wounded by the time it was over.
 
 
I must admit, I went to see this movie to enjoy Russell Crowe, who plays the captain of this Navy ship in Napoleon's time, and found instead a gem in Paul Bettany, his ship's surgeon. However, back to the plot, the two characters are longtime friends and the ship is merely on patrol, allowing them the leisure to enjoy their travels and explorations. Suddenly, they are attacked by an enemy ship, matched in strategy and wit, and Russell Crowe's character must decide whether to risk his ship and crew to chase this new foe to the death.
 
Russell Crowe portrays the kind of leader we all want, human, but in the end, made of integrity and authority. The scenery and interaction in the course of their journey is rich and inspiring, and I highly recommend this one.
 
 
You may like this movie, you may not, but you will not leave it unaffected. This movie made me notice Sean Penn. I have never seen such acting from a male actor. Now I am watching all of his movies.
 
Mystic River starts out with three boys, one of which gets abducted by two strange men, and the boys' lives are changed forever. They grow up into characters played by Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, and Kevin Bacon. The daughter of Sean Penn's character is brutally murdered, Tim Robbins appears suspect, and Kevin Bacon is the cop assigned to investigate the murder. Sean Penn's character is driven by his grief to find his daughter's murderer and circumvents the police, causing conflict with Kevin Bacon's character. Did Tim Robbins' character do the deed? How will this affect them all?
 
I tell you, this movie is one that will touch you, disturb you, affect you. It's intense.

PETS AND PESTS         Critters   by Momma

If you have questions, interesting facts or suggestions, other notable news concerning pets and pests, please submit them to the newsletter with Pets and Pests in the subject line.

Well...Spring has sprung in most of our chatters regions. And with spring comes birds.
Most of us feed the birds through the winter months, offering them a buffet of tasty seeds and dried fruits and suet. However, alot of people feel that once spring arrives, they no longer need to help our feathered friends. This is not true. Many birds are returning from their summer homes, and they have travelled far. Now, more then ever they need a dietary boost. Feed stores are a great place to find out what is needed to attract certain birds in your area. Wal-Mart and other large chain stores also carry wild bird feed. However, many of the less expensive brands, while appealing costwise, have grains that are not appealing, or may be harmful to our feathered friends. A prime example is cracked corn. High quantities of corn in a birds diet is not a good thing, it is concidered too "hot". It is not easily digested and can cause some complications healthwise. So when looking to buy birdfeed, look for the lowest concentration of corn.

Hummingbirds are also returning in many areas. We here in Ontario, look forward to their return nearer the end of May. Hummingbirds and gold finches are probably my most favorite of the birds that hang around Momma's yard. The finches enjoy Niger seed and I have many feeders hanging on my back deck. I also have several Humminbird feeders that I place on the shepard hooks throughout my yard.
As late May draws closer I dig out my hummingbird feeders and check them for leaks. I also clean them well. If any of the hanging feeders look as if they have residue that is unable to be cleaned out, the offending feeder is tossed and I go buy another one. They are reasonably priced and a clean feeder means healthy birds. I seldom buy the processed food mix. It is easier to make my own. Traditionally the mix is 1 part sugar to 4 parts water, brought to a boil until sugar is dissolved. Then cool and fill feeders. Refrigerate any left overs for future feedings.
Since the little guys have flown such a long ways to come and visit, I increase the sugar by 1/2 cup. So now I have 1 1/2 cups of sugar to 4 cups of water. They seem to enjoy this, and it helps increase their strength for the breeding season ahead. DO NOT use red food colouring in your mixture. Research shows that the dyes in red food colouring have been known to produce blind young. Birds are colour blind, so the colour is not what attracts them to your feeders. If you must have the red colour, then buy a red feeder.

If you have never had hummingbirds in your yard or garden and wish to attract them, place feeders nearer to sweet smelling flowers such as honeysuckle. Your local gardening centre can recommend something suitable. If you have had hummingbirds in the past, they will return and bring their friends and family. So don't disappoint them and get your feeders up in time.
I have had the males actually come to my patio door and scream at me to get my feeders hung!

Now for the PEST part. ANTS! Not long after you hang your sugary feed you may find ants climbing up the poles. An easy solution is oil. I have a spray bottle with vegetable oil in it that I spray on the shepard hooks. This makes the hooks slippery and difficult for the varmits to climb. This however is NOT a one time fix. As you refill your feeders, (which should be done every couple of days) re-oil the poles. My daughter-in-law Kathy once told me that she watched the ants lick their little feet, then take a step, and stop to lick their feet. Industrious little beggers that they are, they will take hours to get to the sugar water! Another easy fix is chalk dust. I have no idea why this seems to work, but I once read that ants will NOT cross a chalk line. Sprinkle chalk dust around the base of the pole as well as useing the oil. Once again, this will need to be done often as the dew and rain will wash the dust away.
Taking care of nature's gifts, like our tiny feathered friends will make your time in your yard that much more enjoyable. Yours truly sits on the deck each morning with a cup of coffee, and listens to the sounds of happy birds singing. Its very relaxing!

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Easter Greeting