Hi bulldinkie I am sorry to hear that you are on dialysis right now - You might want to look at My Pet Chicken--they will let you order as little as three and will ship that way. Just e-mail them and they will respond and put you on a pre-order waiting list - they will then call/e-mail you when they start the hatching process-they do not start until 1st week of March I do believe. You would have more time to get better and prepare for your new peeps. Nelda

Sure, Ive got a few pups of an unknown banana to share. Drop me an email, and we can work it out. DD

Oh my gosh, banana splits bring back so many memories. When I was a kid (does every banana split story begin that way?), my family went to Ocean City NJ for a month each summer. My two friends and I would go to a little restaurant that served Banana Splits and order one to share. We sat in a booth and got into total giggling fits. We smeared ice cream everywhere. Then we got up from the table and walked out, leaving the mess for the waitress to clean. I'm sure it never occurred to us to leave a tip. One day we arrived for our banana split and giggling session and we were told we were no longer welcome there!! We were so embarrassed. We deserved to be banned, too! Later when my own family would head to Ocean City each summer, I always marked the last night of vacation and the end of summer with a banana split. I think that one came from Dairy Queen (why did I not get real ice cream??) It became a family tradition -- "Mom's banana split". I think I also had my annual cheesesteak during that vacation, too. Theresa, I was just reminiscing with someone about eating at the counter at Woolworth's and popping the balloons. I'm sure I never picked a white one. Are there any places left that have counter service? I guess there are diners, but no drugstores or "department" stores like Woolworth's. I loved going in there. I think the pet department was right next to the counter. Today the Board of Health would put an end to that, but I liked having lunch next to the parakeets and hamsters. I have to have one more full-on banana split before I die. For me it would be all vanilla ice cream (three scoops, no chocolate - I don't like it), chopped salty peanuts, chocolate sauce, whipped cream, a cherry and of course, a banana. Lars, I love this thread.

I can vouch for Sharon's stuffed mushrooms. They are the best. A few of my favourites. Mushrooms and Pimento in Puff Pastry The Foods and Wines of Spain 1 package puff pastry 1 Tablespoon olive oil 1 Tablespoon minced onion 1 clove garlic minced 2 Tablespoons minced pimiento preferably homemade 1/4 pound mushrooms, chopped fine 1/2 dried red chili crumbled or 1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes Salt and pepper to taste 2 Teaspoons grated parmesan cheese . Heat the oil in a skillet and saute the onion and garlic until onion is wilted. Add the pimiento and cook for a minute, then the mushrooms, chili pepper, salt, and pepper and saute until mushrooms are softened. Remove from the heat and stir in cheese. Roll the puff pastry to 1/8 inch. You can cut Cut into 1 3/4 inch circles and place 1 teaspoon of filling on half of the circles. Moisten the edges with water, cover with the remaining pastry circles, and press with the tines of a fork to seal. I prefer to make them triangle shape,by cutting the pastry into 2 1/2 inches squares, add filling on one half and then folding over corner to form a triangle. (May be prepared ahead and refrigerated) Place on a dampened cookie sheet and bake at 425 F on the upper rack of the oven for 7 to 10 minutes or until golden. ( To cut down on work you could make this appetizer in a larger size and Bake for about 20 minutes.) Then cut into wedges. ---------------------------------------------------------- Blue Cheese Tartlets Source: Williams-Somona 8 ounces tart pastry dough (or frozen puff pastry) 3 ounces spinach or Swiss Chard 1 egg 2/3 cup heavy cream 3/4 cup freshly grated Emmenthaler Cheese 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg Salt and pepper 3 ounces Blue Cheese (Roquefort, Gorgonzola, etc.) 2 tablespoons pine nuts . If using tart pastry, prepare the dough and refrigerator 30 minutes before you are ready to roll it out. If using commercial puff pastry defrost in the refrigerator or at room temperature. Preheat an oven to 425�F. Bring a large saucepan filled with water to a boil. Plunge the spinach or Swiss Chard into the boiling water and cook for 30 seconds. Immediately drain in a colander and rinse with cold water to halt the cooking. Drain again, pressing against the greens to force out as much water as possible; set aside. Break the egg into a bowl. Add the cream, Emmenthaler cheese, nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste and beat with a fork until completely blended. Coarsely chop the spinach or chard and add it to the bowl; stir well. On a lightly floured board, roll the dough out as thinly as possible. Sprinkle the Roquefort or other blue cheese evenly over the dough. With a fluted pastry cutter about 1 1/4 inches in diameter, cut out 18 dough rounds. Use the rounds to line 18 individual tartlet pans or wells in tartlet trays or miniature muffin pans. If using the former,arrange the lines pans on a large baking sheet. Fill each lined pan with some of the egg mixture and scatter a few pine nuts on top. Place the tarlets in the oven and bake until the filling sets and the crust is golden, about 15 minutes. Serve Warm. ---------------------------------------------------------- If you are looking for something easy, both of these are really simple and always well received. You can buy the focaccia instead of baking your own. And the mini cocktail toasts are easy to find in most grocery stores. All you need for this is mini toasts, toasted walnut halves and soft goat cheese and a drizzle of good quality olive oil. Focaccia with Warm Goat Cheese 1 focaccia, homemade or purchases 1 roasted red pepper, cut into strips and drizzled with olive oil. 1 recipe homemade Tapanade (or purchase all ready made) Chevre (Goat cheese) Cut the Focaccia into bite size squares Cut the roasted pepper into small strips Warm the Goat Cheese in the microwave to soften. Put a dollop of goat cheese on top of each square of focaccia. On half the focaccia place a few strips of pepper and on the other half place a small spoon of Tapanade.