Shopping in Evansville, eating at Patti's and a Christmas Production are highlights of the trip. The bus will leave the Robinson Community Center parking lot at 8 a.m. on Friday, November 10, and return at 2-3 a.m. on November 11. The price is $80.00. Yes, it is a long day; but worth the fatigue! We will Christmas shop in Evansville, shop in Grand Rivers (the village between the lakes), eat a scrumptious meal at Patti's and enjoy a gospel group and the Christmas lights and finally enjoy a Christmas Spectacular at the Grand Rivers Village Playhouse until 10 p.m. Yes, we will wake you up when the bus is back in Robinson around 2-3 a.m. Call the Palestine Chamber office to register at 618/586-2222 or stop by their office at 103 S. Main Street in Palestine.

Pat Hildebrand will be here to give us the November lesson on "Schemes, Scams & Flim-Flam". She will begin at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, November 7. This program is free.

Mark your calendars! The HEA Bazaar is Friday, November 17, from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Robinson Community Center. Get busy baking and making craft items to fill up your tables! This is our biggest showing to the public and each year we SHOULD be getting better! We will once again be serving everyone's favorite chicken and noodles and homemade pies! Full details and the worker's schedule will be in November's newsletter.

HEA will again have a wide assortment of RADA knives on sale at Bazaar. They make GREAT Christmas gifts!

We would like the HEA Mailbox Membersto participate in the Bazaar this year! Nancy Fuller is going to set up tables for mailbox members to sell items. Please bring homemade crafts and baked goods. Call Nancy at 586-2463 to let her know if you are bringing items so she can have enough tables. You are responsible for setting up your items, having your items priced, and making your own change. We want to have LOTS of tables full of wonderful things!!!

• Save time preparing meals by cooking enough rice, pasta, chicken or fish for another meal another day. Example: Serve rice and baked chicken one night and make a chicken-rice main dish salad or chicken-vegetable-stir fry the next day.

• For a lean meat option, choose pork tenderloin. According to the most recent USDA analysis, it has just 3 grams of fat per 3-ounce serving, trimmed – the same as skinless chicken breast – and now qualifies as "extra lean" by government standards. Pork, in general, is 50% leaner than it was 25 years ago. Many pork chop cuts are also quite lean. However, cuts as ribs and bacon remain quite fatty.

• Craving chips? Try making your own potato chips. Leaving the skin on, cut small white or sweet potatoes into thin slices and place on a baking sheet in a single layer. Spray lightly with olive or vegetable cooking spray and sprinkle with garlic powder or a combination of your favorite herbs and spices. Bake at 350^o for 15-20 minutes or until crisp.

- Bev Combs, U of I Educator

- To get fried potatoes on the table fast, pop them in the microwave first for a few minutes before slicing them. This will cut your cooking time in almost half.

- If you drink soy milk as an alternative to dairy, be sure to shake the carton before drinking it so you don't miss out on calcium. Most soy milk is fortified with calcium (a good thing). Tests show that more than 80% of the mineral settles to the bottom of the carton when stored. Vigorous shaking redistributes most of the calcium.

- Not all bottled "waters" have zero calories. Many contain high-fructose corn syrup or other sources of sugar – ranging from 50 to 90 calories per 8 ounces.

- Bev Combs, U of I Educator

Does the thought of baking for the holidays have you frozen with fear? Instead of baking to a frazzle this holiday season, try chilling out! Bake ahead and freeze foods to avoid last-minute hassles.

Here are some guidelines to help you get started:

Quick Breads (coffeecake, fruit, nut breads) - Prepare and bake as usual. Cool. Package and freeze. Thaw at room temperature in original wrapping. Slice fruit and nut breads while partially frozen to prevent crumbling. Foil-wrapped coffeecakes may be preheated in foil in a 325° oven for 15-20 minutes or until hot. Suggested freezer storage time: 2-3 months.

Yeast Breads (rolls, sweet rolls, bread) - Make as usual. Cool. Package and freeze. Thaw in original wrapping at room temperature. To serve warm, reheat in foil wrapping at 300° for 15-20 minutes; 5-10 minutes for rolls. Suggested freezer storage time: 3-6 months

Cakes - If you freeze slices of cake, put a double layer of freezer paper between slices. Avoid cream-type fillings as these often decline in quality when frozen. Cakes may be frozen unfrosted or frosted.

CRAB BISQUE

1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of asparagus soup
1 soup-can of milk
1/2 pound King crabmeat
2 T. sherry
Cayenne pepper
Whipped cream, with a little salt added
Mix soups and milk in blender until smooth; combine with crabmeat, which has been cut into small pieces.Add sherry and cayenne; heat. Serve piping hot, topped with a spoonful of whipped cream and a sprig of parsley if desired. This soup takes only 5 minutes to prepare. Serves: 4 - 6

CHEESY WILD RICE SOUP

Ready in 30 minutes or less

1 package (6 ounces) quick-cooking long grain and wild rice mix

4 cups milk

1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of potato soup, undiluted

8 ounces process American cheese, cubed

1/2 pound sliced bacon, cooked and crumbled

In a large saucepan, prepare rice according to package directions. Stir in milk, soup and cheese; mix well. Cook and stir until cheese is melted. Garnish with bacon. Yield: 6-8 servings.

CHICKEN ENCHILADES

2 c. cooked chicken, cut into bite-size pieces

1 small can chopped green chilies

¼ c. chopped onions

1-1/2 c. sour cream

2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

3 c. Monterrey Jack cheese

16-18 corn tortillas

1 can green enchiladas sauce

Mix chicken, chilies, onions, sour cream, cheddar cheese and just 2 cups Monterrey cheese in a bowl. Pour ½-¾ of the can of green sauce into a wide bowl. To assemble, dip a tortilla into the sauce to coat, and then add 2 T. of filling. Roll and put seam-side down in a greased 9x13 dish. Shells will break. Cover with the rest of green sauce and Monterrey cheese. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until heated through. Note: You can fry the tortillas first in grease and drain on a paper towel before you dip them into the green sauce.

QUICKIE PIZZAS

Place 4 rice cakes on a baking sheet. Spread pizza sauce evenly on each cake, add sliced ripe olives, diced green peppers and sliced mushrooms and top with shredded mozzarella cheese.

Bake at 400° for 10 minutes.

SUBSTITUTE FOR DUMPLINGS

Cut flour tortillas into bite-size pieces or strips and drop into hot broth to cook for a couple of minutes or cut canned buttermilk biscuits into quarters and put into the broth. Both can substitute for homemade dumplings.

IMPOSSIBLY EASY COCONUT PIE

½ cup Bisquick mix

2 cups milk

1 cup flaked or shredded coconut

¾ cup sugar

¼ cup butter or margarine

1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla

4 eggs

Heat oven to 350º. Grease 9-inch pie plate. Stir all ingredients until blended. Pour into pie plate. Bake 50 to 55 minutes or until golden brown and knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cover and refrigerate any remaining pie.

EASY FRENCH APPLE PIE

3 c. sliced peeled apples (3 large)

1 t. cinnamon

¼ t. nutmeg

½ c. Bisquick mix

½ c. granulated sugar

½ c. milk

1 T. butter or margarine, softened

2 eggs

Streusel

½ c. Bisquick mix

¼ c. chopped nuts

¼ c. packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons firm butter or margarine

Grease 9-inch glass pie plate. In medium bowl, mix apples, cinnamon and nutmeg; place in pie plate. In medium bowl, stir remaining filling ingredients until well blended. Pour over apple mixture in pie plate. In small bowl, mix all streusel ingredients until crumbly; sprinkle over filling. Bake at 325° for 40-45 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes. Store in refrigerator.