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21st Edition                                                   February 2009

 
In This Issue:
  1. A Letter From The Editor >>>
  2. Latest News >>>
  3. It’s Bunco Time >>>
  4. *Ask Babs >>>
  5. Bunco Recipes >>>
  6. Featured Group >>>
  7. Going Green tip of the Month >>>
  8. Print a Copy >>> ( pdf- 8 pages - 415kb)

A note from the Editor:

Here we are, already into the second month of the year and it’s that time again where we begin to think “where is the time going”? January has come & gone & before we know it, winter is behind us, spring is approaching and then “it’s summer & the kids are out of school.” However, with all that’s happening with our economy, our country’s new administration, & how this is affecting all of us, is foremost on our minds. The WBA would like to help. Please let us know if there is a family you know who has been severely affected by our diminished economy. We are fundraising with “Bunco” to help. We will be choosing one family to be the beneficiary of a community World Bunco Fundraiser. Please send us your story of a family you think would be deserving of this opportunity & why. We will be choosing one of your stories & that family to be a part of our “Bunco Family Fundraiser”.  Please send all stories to the World Bunco Association, via US mail or via email; please include your contact information.  All entries must be postmarked by March 30, 2009. The winning family will be chosen May 01, 2009. Thank you & we look forward to hearing from you.

May the months to come be hopeful & heartwarming for all.

WBA

Latest News:

“Come Roll the Dice & Win”              

Registration for the WORLD BUNCO CHAMPIONSHIPS will close on February 15th. If you have not reserved your seat, do it now so you don’t miss out! We look forward to seeing you March in Las Vegas! And remember we are there to have “Fun” & for a good cause.

Hurry & get your seat now. The World Bunco Championship Tournament registration closes on the 15th of February.

"Registration for the 2009 World Bunco Association Championship Tournament”

 

Leslie Crouch

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It's Bunco Time:


Come join us and help raise money for . Everyone wins in helping us to get closer to a cure for cancer through research. Come be a part of our journey. Go to www.worldbunco.com and sign up today. Seats are filling up quickly. Don’t miss out on all the fun. Get your seat now before they are all gone.

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*Ask Babs:

For any game questions I can be reached at: babs@worldbunco.com

Dear Babs,

We are all wondering what the theme is for the Bunco Championships? We want to plan what our costumes will be and would like to know. Please help.

Thank you,

Marta Sussman & Group

Dear Pauline,

We truly appreciate you sharing your information with us. We know there are other groups in the UK. Let’s see if we can get some of them to contact you and your group. It would be fun if you were close enough that you might have a large bunco game with another group at one of your Bunco nights.

Best for the New Year,

BABS

Dear Marta,

Jungle/Safari is this year’s tournament theme!   

Be a “Bunco” party Animal

Dress as an animal, a roaring lion, a fierce tiger, be a funny monkey, dress as Jane or Tarzan, for that matter, or be a tourist on a safari, make your inner jungle come to life…….

Whatever you choose………….remember, prizes given to the best costumes

Welcome to the Jungle Everyone!

Best, Babs

Monkeys, Tigers, Lions, Jane, Tarzan, Elephants, Birds, Reptiles, Panthers…

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

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Let the Good Times Roll:

Please share your Bunco game night recipes or party ideas with us
Your recipe might even be published here or in our new upcoming
It’s Bunco Time Cookbook!

mac@ebunco.com


February
RECIPES

It’s Valentine’s Day, so celebrate and make that “special someone” a “yummy” treat.

White Chocolate Valentines Cookies:                                

The Kids will love helping you make these delicious cookies.

Ingredients for 1 recipe Sugar Cookie Dough, at room temperature, or you may use pre-made sugar cookie dough from your grocery store refrigerator section

1 teaspoon red gel paste food coloring
4 ounces white chocolate, melted
Pink gel paste food coloring.  If gel paste food colorings are not available, add liquid food coloring until you achieve desired color. For pink, simply use a little red.

2 1/2-by-3-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Place butter and sugar in the bowl of a standing mixer and beat until light in color. Add the red food coloring, egg and milk and beat to combine. Proceed with recipe and chill for 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Sprinkle a work surface and rolling pin with confectioner's sugar and roll out dough to 1/4-inch thick. Move dough frequently to prevent it from sticking and add more confectioners sugar to the work surface and rolling pin as needed. With a 2 1/2-by-3-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut 36 hearts, re-rolling dough as needed. Place at least 1 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets, and bake until cookies are set but not brown, about 7-8 minutes. Let cool on the pan slightly before transferring to a rack to cool completely.

To make striped Valentine hearts, transfer half of the melted chocolate to a disposable pastry bag, twist the end closed, and using scissors, snip a very small opening in the tip. Starting at the bottom of the cookie, apply gentle pressure to the pastry bag and drizzle lines of chocolate back and forth over the cookie, moving up as the chocolate flows. Allow chocolate to set before eating or packaging.

To make polka-dot Valentine hearts, color the remaining chocolate with pink food coloring to the desired shade of pink. Transfer to a disposable pastry bag, twist the end closed, and using scissors, snip a very small opening in the tip. Hold the pastry bag perpendicular to the cookie and apply gentle pressure to pipe a dot of chocolate. Release the pressure on the bag until the flow stops, and continue over the surface of the cookie, piping different sized dots, if desired. Gently tap the cookie to settle the chocolate and allow to set before eating. You can also package these up Wrap several cookies with clear or pink cellophane, tie at the top with pink, red, or white ribbon and give as a Valentine treat to a special person. Courtesy of Food Network.


RED VELVET CUPCAKES

Ingredients:                                                      

  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
  • 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
  • 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons red food coloring
  • 1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Frosting:

  • 1 pound cream cheese, softened
  • 2 sticks butter, softened
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
  • Chopped pecans and fresh raspberries or strawberries, for garnish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 (12-cup) muffin pans with cupcake papers.

In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In a large bowl gently beat together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla with a handheld electric mixer. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet and mix until smooth and thoroughly combined.

Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake tins about 2/3 filled. Bake in oven for about 20 to 22 minutes, turning the pans once, half way through. Test the cupcakes with a toothpick for doneness. Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla together until smooth. Add the sugar and on low speed, beat until incorporated. Increase the speed to high and mix until very light and fluffy.

Frost cupcakes & garnish with a heart candy, red & pink sprinkles or a strawberry or raspberry.

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Featured Bunco Group(s):

Featured Group of the Month: “Lady Lushes”, Houston, TX

We wanted to submit our Bunco Christmas Party picture for the WBA newsletter.  We are the “Lady Lushes” from Houston, Tx. We’ve been playing together for three years & we really enjoy getting together once a month for some “girl-time”.  Sometimes, we laugh so hard our jaws hurt!         

(Left to Right) Cindy, Linda, Marcy, Robin, Theresa, ChaCha, Gay (behind ChaCha), Cheryl, Vilma, Rochelle, & Annie.  (Jody was unable to attend the Christmas party.) 

*Photo sent in by Rochelle Petersen

Going green tip of the Month:

Trim Those Packaging Pounds

Packaging makes up a third of all garbage tossed in the U.S.

What Can You Do?

Here are a few ways to cut down on waste:

    • Cut back on single-serving foods and beverages. Instead, buy items in bulk and portion them out into reusable containers.
    • Tone down the take-out. Cooking just one more dinner and packing just one more lunch a week will have a big impact on unnecessary waste and will save you money.
    • Buy household items, like detergent and cleaning supplies, in concentrated forms so that you get more product per package.
    • Whenever possible, look for packaging made from recycled materials, and always check the plastic code to make sure the package is recyclable.

Insulate Your Water Heater

In most homes, heating water stands among the top energy expenses, accounting for 13 percent of the utility bill.

What Can You Do?

Because water is constantly being heated regardless of whether a hot water tap is actually running, a good portion of energy is wasted when heat is lost to the surrounding air, which is known as standby heat loss. Insulating the water heater and accessible hot water pipes reduces energy losses by between 4 and 9 percent and keeps more than 300 pounds of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere each year. Most hardware stores carry water heater insulation kits for about $20, a price that repays itself in energy savings in just a few months.

For a detailed how-to, see the U.S. Department of Energy's Consumer Guide to Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.

Please send us your Green Tips so we can share them with all our readers. Send to goinggreen@worldbunco.com   


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