Welcome to another issue of Around the Kitchen Table!

Today is June 1st! Summer is almost here. Boggles my mind how fast time seems to pass. Get out there and enjoy yourself. Cherish the moments you spend with your family and friends. Plan a special get together, outing, or vacation today.

Recipes this issue include Caramelized Beef Skewers, Grilled Garlic Chicken, Sweet-Sour Deviled Eggs, Strawberry Truffle Pie, Hawaiian Strawberry Pie, Apple Dump Cake.

Find out who won May's newletter contest and enter June's contest now.

Read the health tip about teaching your kids to develop healthy eating habits.

See the picture of a Junco that visits our backyard bird feeders. This little bird looks like he is lord of his domain.

If you are interested in starting your own Watkins Home Business get all the details at: Watkins Business Details Join for the discount, for part time income, or a full time career!

Build your own home business so you can stay home with your family, save for your children's college fund, retire early, pay off bills, or save for retirement. With consistent effort you can build a thriving business! Let me help you.

I love to hear from you. Any suggestions to make this newsletter more informative and helpful are appreciated.

Make your house a Watkins home.

Until next issue,

Eleisia
eleisiawhitney@watkinsonline.com

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01013 Butterscotch
01014 Chocolate
01016 Lemon
01019 Vanilla

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01015 Coconut
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01018 Tapioca

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Gourmet Extracts and Flavors
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21371 Butter Pecan
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21368 Mango
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21387 Orange
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01930 Garlic Flakes
01931 Garlic Granules
01933 Lemon Peel
01935 Minced Green Onion
01938 Onion Flakes
01939 Onion Granules 01940 Orange Peel
01944 Red Pepper Flakes

Fresh Wash Spray
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Many other products are featured in the June Highlights Catalog and June Specials Online.

Things To Think About

1. The nicest thing about the future is that it always starts tomorrow.
2. Money will buy a fine dog, but only kindness will make him wag his tail.
3. If you don't have a sense of humor, you probably don't have any sense at all.
4. Seat belts are not as confining as wheelchairs.
5. A good time to keep your mouth shut is when you're in deep water.
6. How come it takes so little time for a child who is afraid of the dark to become a teenager who wants to stay out all night?
7. Business conventions are important because they demonstrate how many people a company can operate without.
8. Why is it that at class reunions you feel younger than everyone else looks?
9. Scratch a dog and you'll find a permanent job.
10. No one has more driving ambition than the boy who wants to buy a car.
11. There are no new sins; the old ones just get more publicity.
12. There are worse things than getting a call for a wrong number at 4 AM. It could be a right number.
13. Think about this ... No one ever says "It's only a game" when his team is winning.
14. I've reached the age where the happy hour is a nap.
15. Be careful reading the fine print. There's no way you're going to like it.
16. The trouble with bucket seats is that not everybody has the same size bucket.
17. Do you realize that in about 40 years, we'll have thousands of old ladies running around with tattoos? (And RAP music will be the Golden Oldies!)
18. Money can't buy happiness but somehow it's more comfortable to cry in a Corvette than in a Yugo.
19. After a certain age, if you don't wake up aching in every joint, you are probably dead.

ENTER JUNE CONTEST

Thanks for reading my newsletter and entering each month. Please don't quit; you might be next month's winner!

  Lorraine from Wisconsin is the winner of May's newsletter contest.   She will receive jars of Italian Pepper, Garlic Salt, Seasoning Salt,   and Sour Cream and Onion Salt to add delicious flavor to summer   grilling. Use on vegetables, meat, fish, and chicken.

  Lorraine's description of her favorite food cooked on the grill had   my mouth watering!

"By far, my favorite food to cook on the grill has to be fresh trout! First, you spend the day on the banks of the local pond fishing with your family! (ok, maybe that's my favorite part ) Then clean the trout and stuff it with fresh mushrooms (we like morels) and precooked wild rice. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and lemon pepper. Seal in aluminum foil and cook with indirect heat on the grill."

The winner of June's newsletter contest will receive a jar of Fajita Seasoning and a jar of Coleslaw Seasoning.

Last night was a blue moon ! What is something that you believe only happens once in "a blue moon".! Email your answer to enter this month's contest.

Please include your name and address eleisiawhitney@watkinsonline.com with "June Contest - Blue Moon" in the subject line.

Make your life the best it can be. Eat nutritious foods, exercise, love, and laugh!

Packing a hot dish for a picnic or potluck? Keep it hot by wrapping first in aluminum foil, then in layers of newspaper and place in a box so it won't spill.

Grilling Tips

• When cooking skewered meat or vegetables, cut your food into equal-sized pieces to ensure even cooking. It's also helpful to make sure that the pieces are too big to fall through the cracks in the grill.

• If you choose to marinate your meat, do so for two or three hours prior to cooking. Marinating tenderizes the meat and reduces cooking time. Marinating too long will start curing the meat and turn it a gray color.

• Brush sauces onto the food only during the last 20 minutes of grilling. Applying sauces earlier can lead to overbrowning or burning.

• Don't put cooked meat on the same plate used to carry raw meat. This can cause bacterial contamination. The same rule applies to cooking utensils. Use one set of tongs to pick up raw meat and a separate set of tongs to pick up cooked meat.

Teach Your Kids to Eat Healthy

Instead of passing on bad eating habits, aim to teach your kids how to eat right with this advice from the National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases:

• Eat breakfast every day. Don't let your child learn the habit of skipping meals, which leads to overeating later in the day.
• Reduce the amount of fast food you eat as a family. When you do eat fast food, stick to the healthier options available.
• Don't promise dessert if a child eats their vegetables. Using one food as a reward for eating another sends the message that some foods are more valuable than others, causing kids to favor the "valuable" foods.
• Instead of loading up their plate, start with small servings and encourage your kids to ask for more if they are still hungry. This helps them recognize their natural hunger cues.
• Allow your child to choose how much he or she eats from the healthy, balanced options you provide at mealtime. Don't focus on getting children to "clean their plate."

Caramelized Beef Skewers

1 lb. beef sirloin steak, thinly sliced
1/4 cup Watkins Steak Sauce, divided
1/4 cup Watkins Barbecue Sauce, prepared
1 tsp. Dijon Mustard

Toss steak with 2 Tbsp. of the steak sauce; let stand 10 min. to marinate. Meanwhile, combine remaining 2 Tbsp. steak sauce, the barbecue sauce and mustard; set aside.

Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Thread steak onto eight long soaked wooden or metal skewers.

Grill skewers 6 minutes or until steak is cooked through, turning after 3 minutes and brushing generously with the barbecue sauce mixture. Serves 4; 2 skewers each.

Grilled Garlic Chicken

2 chickens, cut up
1 bunch scallions, minced
6 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
2 cups orange juice
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 teaspoons Watkins Oregano
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon Watkins Red Pepper Flakes, crushed

Mix all ingredients except chicken. Place the chicken pieces in 1 or 2 large resealable plastic bags and pour mixture over chicken pieces. Shake to mix. Refrigerate 1 or more hours. Fire up a grill to medium heat or until the coals are lightly covered with ash. Cook the chicken skin-side up for 20 minutes. Turn and cook an additional 15 to 20 minutes or until the juices run clear when a thigh is pricked with a fork; it should register 180 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer.

Alternatively, roast the chicken uncovered in a preheated 400 degree F oven for 35 to 45 minutes. Makes 10 to 12 servings.

Sweet-Sour Deviled Eggs

12 hard-cooked eggs
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
5 teaspoons sugar
5 teaspoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon Watkins Granulated Pepper
Watkins Paprika

Slice eggs in half lengthwise; remove yolks and set whites aside. In a small bowl, mash yolks with a fork. Add the mayonnaise, sugar, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper. Stuff or pipe into egg whites. Garnish with paprika. Yield: 2 dozen.

Strawberry Truffle Pie

1 6-ounce package (1 cup) semisweet chocolate pieces
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, cubed and softened
1 teaspon Watkins Vanilla
2 tablespoons orange juice
1/4 cup sifted powdered sugar
1 9 inch Baked Pastry Shell
1 pound whole strawberries, rinsed and stems removed
1/4 cup red currant jelly
1/2 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons sifted powdered sugar
1 teaspoon Watkins Vanilla
1/2 teaspoon finely shredded orange peel

1. In saucepan combine chocolate, butter, and cream cheese. Heat and stir constantly over low heat until melted. Add vanilla, and orange juice. Heat and stir until combined.

2. Remove from heat. Stir in the 1/4 cup powdered sugar. Spread in bottom of Baked Pastry Shell. Arrange berries, stem ends down, in chocolate. Melt jelly; brush over berries. Cover; chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.

3. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving. In chilled medium bowl, combine whipping cream, the 2 tablespoons powdered sugar, vanilla, and orange peel; beat with chilled beaters of an electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form. Dollop over pie. Makes 8 servings.

Hawaiian Strawberry Pie

I made the Hawaiian Strawberry Pie and the blend of crunch and flavors is out of this world! I used instant vanilla pudding mix and a little more milk because if called for a large package of pudding mix and the pie came out too soupy (should have followed the recipe). The crushed pineapple added to the liquid consistency. I recommend using the cooked pudding mix or Watkins Vanilla Pudding Mix (recipe for pies). They should make for a thicker consistency. You could also add a little unflavored gelatin. Please let me know if you try this recipe and how it turns out.

1 graham cracker pie crust or baked pastry shell
2 1/2 cups sliced fresh strawberries, divided
1 large pkg vanilla cook and serve pudding mix or Watkins Vanilla Pudding Mix (recipe on container)
1 to 1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup pineapple juice from canned pineapple
1 cup (8 oz can) canned crushed pineapple, packed in its own juice, well drained and reserve liquid
1/2 cup chopped pecans or macadamia nuts
1 teaspoon Watkins Coconut Extract
3/4 cup water
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup Cool Whip or real whipped cream
2 tablespoons flaked coconut
2 tablespoons chopped pecans or macadamia nuts

In a medium saucepan combine dry pudding mix, milk, and pineapple juice. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens. Chill by placing pan with pudding mixture in a bowl of ice water, stirring occasionally. Then add crushed pineapple, 1/2 cup of sliced strawberries, nuts, and coconut extract. Mix gently. Pour into pie crust. Refrigerate 2 hours. Make sure pineapple is drained or the pie filling will not be thick because of the extra juice. Never use fresh pineapple with gelatin or pudding as they will interfer with the thickening agent.

Make strawberry glaze. Crush 1 cup strawberries. Place in saucepan. Mix cornstarch with sugar. Add water, cornstarch and sugar mixture to strawberries in sauce pan and cook, stirring constantly. Cook and stir until mixture is thick and clear. Cool to room temperature. Place 1 cup sliced strawberries on top of pudding mixture in pie shell. Pour glaze over strawberries. Chill in refrigerator.

When ready to serve, slice pie and place a spoonful of Cool Whip or whipped cream on top of each slice. Sprinkle with flaked coconut and chopped nuts. Makes 8 servings.

Apple Dump Cake

1 21-ounce can apple pie filling
2 eggs
1 cup oil
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons Watkins Vanilla
2 teaspoons Watkins Cinnamon
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1 cup raisins

Dump all ingredients into a bowl and stir until well-mixed. Pour into a greased 9-inch-by-13-inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 50 minutes.

During the winter months many Dark-Eyed Juncos visited our backyard feeders. Most of them have moved north into Canada and Alaska to breed. A few remain year-round in our area.

There appear to be a pair of juncos, male and female, that frequent our backyard. I see them hoping and flying around our yard several times a day. They rely heavily on small seeds in the wild but also eat seeds at feeders particularly millet, hulled sunflower, and cracked corn.

The male junco, (pictured above) identified by its dark hood or head feathers, spends a great deal of time fighting with its reflection in our gazing ball. Each time it passes the gazing ball it stops to fly at and peck at its reflection. Some days this bird spends an hour or more trying to fight off that persistent bird in the ball! When the female junco comes near the male, he chases her away by lunging at her and flicking his tail to show his outer white tail feathers.

I’m not sure if the male junco is protecting the female by chasing her away from a perceived enemy or subordinate or if he is acting territorial.

Top 25 bird lists by state and region for the 2005-2006 season are now online.
View lists of the most common feeder birds in each state or province.

Map of FeederWatch Count Sites

rightbird.com
for information about familiar and unfamiliar birds. Instantly see illustrations of birds that match the attributes you select. The more characteristics you know, the narrower the search is for the "right bird." Includes audible bird call samples.

Project FeederWatch

CUSTOMER REWARDS

I'd like to reward my Watkins customers.

Become a Member of my Watkins $100 Club!

Each time your product total reaches $100.00 in one year, you will receive a gift certificate for $10.00 off your next Watkins order. (Total does not include shipping and sales tax.) This total is accumulative - you do not have to order $100 worth of Watkins products in one order. I keep a total of the products you purchase and when your total reaches $100 I will send you a $10 gift certificate! January 1 begins a new year.

Ask your family and friends if they would like to order Watkins products with you. If your order is $99 US or $125 CDN your shipping is free!

Order Online:
Watkins

Order by Phone:
Toll-Free Ordering at:
US 1-800-247-5907
Canada 1-800-665-5756
Please give them my ID# 335001 when ordering.

Order by Mail:
Mail your order with check or money order to:
US Orders
Watkins Incorporated
P.O. Box 5570
Winona, MN 55987-0570
Please give them my ID# 335001 when ordering.

Canadian Orders
Watkins Incorporated
277 Hutchings Street
Winnipeg, MB R2X2R4
Please give them my ID# 335001 when ordering.

Get FREE SHIPPING on orders over:
$99.00 in US
$125.00 in Canada

The Watkins Business Opportunity

Start your own home-based business with Watkins. We offer several assortments to join Watkins and the Summit Group.

1. The Good Tastings Starter Kit - $99.00 US; $125.00 Canada (plus tax and shipping)
   
2. The Business Introduction Package - $59.95; $69.00 Canada (plus tax and shipping)
   Assortment details, pdf file Assortments

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The Watkins Company is beginning its 139th year of providing outstanding products that people use every day. What other company has such a history of experience, success, and integrity?

Get all the details today! Watkins Home Business

Or contact me at: eleisiawhitney@watkinsonline.com

DID YOU KNOW THAT WATKINS:

• Offered the first known money-back guarantee?
  
• Had two leaders presented in Success Magazines We Create Millionaires article on MLM?
  
• Is 139 years old?
  
• Was rated as one of 5 Hot Home Based Companies in Executive Female Magazine?
  
• Was listed in the A list of Top Network Marketing Companies in Downline News Magazine?

Dont let the fear of the time it will take to accomplish something stand in the way of your doing it. The time will pass anyway. We might just as well put that passing time to the best possible use. - Earl Nightingale

If anything in this newsletter has added a little spice to your life tell me about it. If you have any other helpful hints for using spices and herbs, share them with our readers. Email me at: eleisiawhitney@watkinsonline.com

If you would like to receive a Watkins Monthly Highlights catalog, our Watkins Mainline catalog, and a FREE sample please send your request to eleisiawhitney@watkinsonline.com

Hope to see you next month!
Eleisia Whitney
Independent Watkins Associate, ID# 335001
23 Oak Ridge Lane
Danville, CA 94506

Watkinize Your Life

Copyright 2002-2007
Around the Kitchen Table

The statements made and opinions expressed in this newsletter are those of the Independent Watkins Associate who is the publisher of this document, and are not to be construed as the statements or opinions of Watkins Incorporated. Sponsoring or selling Watkins products outside U.S.,U.S.Territories and Canada is strictly prohibited. Contests and prizes are provided by Eleisia Whitney and not Watkins, Inc. or other Independent Associates.

Please give my name and email address if you decide to join.

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