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JUST FOR KIDS FOR THE 4th...by Dave Collins
Thursday 07-03-2008 9:52am ET
 Since it's inevitable that the kids will be taking your space on the computer this weekend, why not give them something "patriotic" to look up. I found a list of fun 4th of July websites that will keep them entertained for hours (ok, for a little while until you kick them outside to go play...as you should!)
Fourth of July fun Web sites for kids:
Grandma's recipe...and we LOVED grandma!!!...By Dave Collins
Wednesday 07-02-2008 10:05am ET
We discussed our favorite 4th of July recipes on the show this morning and agreed that each of us would submit our childhood favorites!
Every 4th, we always had the same routine...all the family would get together, Dad would cook out, Mom would spend the morning in the kitchen making beans, rolls, etc...while we kids tried to keep from losing our fingers lighting M-80's in the field behind the house! One of the highlights of getting together as a family on Independance Day was that Grandma would always bring her famous 4th of July Jello cake over ...and it was all we kids could do to keep from sticking our intact fingers in the Cool Whip on the top! Then we all loaded into the station wagon for a trip to the edge of Lincoln (Il) where we waited with much anticipation for the "show of fireworks" to begin.
So in honor of 'Grandma', I have submitted my favorite 4th of July recipe...
GRANDMA'S 4TH OF JULY JELLO CAKE!
Ingredients
Margarine
Flour
1 package (2-layer size) white cake mix (plus ingredients to make cake-listed on box)
1 package (4-serving size) JELL-O brand gelatin, any red flavor
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup cold water
3 1/2 cups (8-ounce container) Cool Whip brand whipped topping, thawed
1 pint strawberries, washed and sliced
1 cup blueberries, washed
1 cup Kraft miniature marshmallows
Directions
Grease 13 x 9 pan with margarine and dust lightly with flour. Prepare, mix and bake cake mix according to package directions. Cool cake for 15 minutes. With large fork, make holes in cake about every 1/2 inch. Pour gelatin into mixing bowl. Add cup of boiling water and use scraper to mix thoroughly until gelatin is completely dissolved. Use measuring cup to pour gelatin over cake. (It will run down into holes, making sliced cake have red stripes.) Chill cake in refrigerator 3 to 4 hours. Cover tray with aluminum foil. Put about one inch of warm water in kitchen sink. Take pan out of refrigerator and dip bottom (don't let water come up over sides) into water for about 10 seconds. Put large tray on top of cake, and invert. Frost sides and top with whipped topping. Arrange strawberries and marshmallows in alternating rows for stripes, leaving upper left for field of blueberries. Chill again until time to serve.
Plan on no leftovers with this as it's always the best snack for after fireworks too!!!
A couple of tips for tough economic times...by Dave Collins
Wednesday 07-02-2008 9:47am ET
It comes as no surpise that times are definitely changing in our daily budgeting , especially in the past couple of months. From outragious gas prices to food prices that daily seem to be skyrocketing it's definetly getting harder to make ends meet. I have talked to so many people that are "making changes" in their normal routines.
I recently ran across an article that gives some really useful tips on how to "cut back" on our daily expenses without making too many drastic changes in our daily lives.
Here are couple of very useful tips that might take the sting out of those monthly expenditures:
• Instead of buying a new car, buy a used one with a manufacturer's warranty. • Shop the dollar stores, especially for staples like cleaning supplies. • Pick one category that you regularly spend money on (for example, clothes, hobbies, movies) and reduce your monthly expenditures on that category by a certain amount or percentage; then keep track of your spending on that category. • Go back to school so you can qualify for a job with a higher salary. Some education expenses may be tax deductible. • Use newspaper or Internet coupons for purchases of food and other items you normally buy. • Drink only tap water when eating out and avoid coffee, sodas, wine and other beverages that cost money. • Clean out your house and hold a garage sale. • Collect spare change in a coffee can or piggy bank. You likely will have several hundred dollars saved within a few months. • Negotiate a reduced price on major items such as appliances. • Check with your mortgage company to see if you can skip a payment or pay less; if so, use the reprieve to pay off another recurring debt.
Are you doing anything "special" that we can share with everyone reading this?...simply e-mail me with your tips!
Dave@magic107.com
Starbuck's closing nearly 600 stores
Wednesday 07-02-2008 7:25am ET
From OrlandoSentinel.com
SAN FRANCISCO - Starbucks Corp., dragged down by a slowing U.S. economy, is pulling the plug on 600 of its underperforming U.S. coffee shops and trimming the number of stores it had planned to open over the coming year. 
The shutdowns are far more than the coffee-shop chain had originally planned. In January, Starbucks said it planned to close 100 U.S. stores as part of the transformation plan set in motion by Howard Schultz shortly after he returned as CEO.
It was unclear Tuesday whether any of the affected stores would be in Central Florida. Starbucks wouldn't comment on specific locations of "underperforming stores," but officials said closures will spread across the company's U.S. market starting now, and continuing through March 2009.
Starbucks also said it now expects to open less than 200 new U.S. stores in fiscal 2009, which begins in October.
*****start poll*****
Poll: Have you changed your coffee habits? *****end poll***** Do ladies like the beards?
Tuesday 07-01-2008 6:47am ET
When a guy is ready to settle down, the London Telegraph suggests that he get a little stubble on his face. Northumbria University studied what women want, and discovered ladies think men with stubble are best suited for marriage.  Don't let those short hairs turn into all-out beards though. Men with beards were rated "least attractive" and seen as ideal fellas to start relationships with. Clean-shaven guys came in second-to-last place on the attractive meter. Bald-faced dudes are also perceived to be less masculine than the rest, and immature.
*****start poll*****
Poll: How do you prefer your man's facial hair? *****end poll***** 6th annual Wine Festival a HUGE success! by Dave Collins
Monday 06-30-2008 10:13am ET
I had a fantastic time at the Daytona Beach Shores Resort and Spa this past weekend hosting the 6th Annual Wine Festival. Although not my first year hosting this event, it always seems to get better and better every year!
From staying a the Shores, where "1st Class" is the unspoken motto to meeting tons of new people (and making some new friends) to sampling some of the most exotic and wonderful wines from around the country it was a weekend to remember.
Even though I had several "events" to attend throughout the weekend, I found plenty of time to catch a few rays, hang with friends at the tiki bar and yes, even got caught up on some much needed rest. (I think for me, the latter was the key!)
I have a ton of pictures being sent to me from different friends and will post them as soon as they get into my inbox...unfortunately I brought my camera, my memory card and completly forgot my camera battery which enjoyed a quiet weekend at home on it's charger!! I included a couple of "generic" pics of the resort to give you the superb ambiance of where I spent my weekend...I know, kinda rough but someone had to take it for the team!!!
More pics coming soon!
American Idol Auditions!
Friday 06-27-2008 7:07am ET
 Auditions for the eighth season of American Idol begin Thursday, July 17, at the Cow Palace in San Francisco, CA, and will continue in seven other cities. Once again, auditioners will have an extraordinary opportunity to perform before millions of TV viewers and become household names, with one winning the coveted American Idol title and a major recording contract.
Florida Auditions will be held as follows:
Wednesday, August 13 Jacksonville, FL Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena
For more information visit the American Idol Website here
Weekend Movies
Friday 06-27-2008 7:44am ET
This weekends storms make it a great chance to catch a movie. New releases include: Wanted  WALL-E  Chrysler to turn vehicles into wireless hotspots
Friday 06-27-2008 7:10am ET
 In the not too distant future, Chrysler owners will be able to surf from their cars. The automaker says one of the new options that'll be available on 2009 Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep cars and trucks is a feature it calls the "uconnect" system. It will effectively turn the vehicle into a wireless Internet hotspot. The company says people will be able to use laptop computers in their cars and trucks just as if they were in an office or home.
It will also link cellular telephones and personal music players to the car's onboard electronics. The system also has navigation and real-time traffic features, controlled by voice recognition or a touch screen. And, it includes an in-car 30-gigabyte hard drive, with options for three-channel satellite television and satellite radio.
A Chrysler spokesman says the wireless system can be used by passengers, and the automaker expects that drivers will obey all safety laws.
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© 2008