Dear Just Be: Graduation parties are right around the corner. Any easy party recipe ideas?

You are thinking ahead-way to go! Yes, May is right around the corner and that can mean graduation parties, Mother's Day and the kick-off to summer. For all of your upcoming party needs here are some simple recipe ideas.

Baked Brie with Chutney
Ingredients:
1 - 2.2 pound wheel Brie cheese
1 - 12 ounce jar mango chutney (if you don't like mango chutney, it can be replaced with your favorite fruit preserve)
1 - cup chopped cashews

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place the Brie wheel in a large pie plate or oven proof dish. Spread a generous layer of chutney over the top, and evenly sprinkle with cashews. Bake 10 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cashews are slightly golden and cheese inside the rind is melted.

This dish needs to be served and eaten right away. So plan accordingly.

Kabobs
Ingredients:
1 package of small cocktail wieners
1 can of pineapple chunks drained
1 (5 ounce) jar small green olives
1 (8 ounce) package of cheese cubes
Toothpicks

Preparation:
Onto each toothpick, place one wiener, one pineapple, one olive and one cube of cheese. After the ingredients are placed on the skewers, cut off the sharp end so no one gets stabbed. Arrange them neatly on a plate. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Asparagus Appetizer
Ingredients:
1-lb. asparagus
1 frozen pie crust
1-tablespoon sesame seeds
3 slices prosciutto
1tablespoon melted butter or margarine.

Preparation:
Bring a pot of water to boil and blanch the asparagus. Drop into an ice bath to stop cooking. Roll out pie crust to 1/8 inch thickness. Slice the prosciutto into long thin strips. Starting at the top of the spear, wrap a strip of prosciutto around the asparagus, spiraling it down to the base. Do the same with the pie crust strips, overlaying the prosciutto. Lay each spear on a cookie sheet. When each one is wrapped, brush lightly with melted butter and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake at 350° for about 8 minutes, or until crust is golden.

Ham and Cheese Cups
Ingredients:
2 cups finely shredded cheddar cheese
2 packages (2-1/2 ounces each) thinly sliced deli ham, chopped
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup real bacon bits
2 to 3 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 tube of large refrigerated flaky biscuits

Preparation:
In a large bowl, combine the cheese, ham, mayonnaise, bacon and mustard. Split biscuits into thirds. Press into the bottom and up the sides of ungreased miniature muffin cups. Fill each with about 1 tablespoon of cheese mixture. Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes or until golden brown and the cheese is melted. Let stand for 2 minutes before removing from the pans.

Enjoy your parties now that you have these quick and easy party treats to make!

Dear Just Be: Isn't today Earth Day? What can I do to help out?

Its been forty years since the fist Earth Day was recognized and celebrated. There are many ways you can help save and protect our communities and our planet - and some are quite easy.

1. Offset the water that is used in your toilet by placing a small brick or similar object in the tank.

2. Plant a tree in your yard or in your community.

3. Turn off the lights when you are not using a particular room.

4. Shut off the water while brushing your teeth or while showering. Only use what you need.

5. Walk or bike to local markets, to work, to school versus using your car. (Or take public transportation.)

6. Start a garden at your home or a community garden in your area.

7. Support recycling efforts in your neighborhood.

8. Go see the movie "Oceans" which opens today- Disneynature will donate a portion of the movies proceeds from opening week to save the worlds coral reefs.

Remember, every small change can make a difference!

Dear Just Be: What are some gift ideas to honor the administrative professionals in my office?

Administrative Professionals (aka: secretaries, administrative assistants) week is all this week, so don’t fret if you haven’t recognized your secretary or administrative assistant yet. This occasion has been celebrated since 1952. Over the years, Administrative Professionals Week has become one of the largest workplace observances. Some gift ideas to honor your administrative professional with are:
• A desktop garden
• A coffee mug and gift card to the local coffee shop
• A gift card to your administrative professional’s favorite restaurant
• A gift card to for spa treatment (pedicures, manicures, facial, massage)
• A portfolio
• A business card holder
• A desk pen set
• An electronic chair massager

Better yet, why don’t you take him/her out for lunch, or breakfast? Or throw an afternoon party with sweets and goodies to honor them. Get creative, you could even go all out and have him/her picked up and taken to and from work by a town car service. Do a role reversal and you assist him/her with their job; this way you really get to see and appreciate what it is that they do for you and the rest of your office.

There are more than 4.1 million secretaries and administrative assistants working in the United States, so be sure to recognize your administrative professional this week and tell them just how much you appreciate them.

Dear Just Be: I need a quick & inexpensive face lift for the inside of my house this spring. Any ideas?

One fairly easy way we have found to give your rooms a face lift is to update your window treatments. Just a few pointers to think about when you are re-decorating:

1. Bring in the light as much as possible - especially in your kitchen. Pleated shades can give a room a new look that previously may have had drapes, and allows plenty of light to come in while still providing some privacy.

2. Do your rooms look a bit drab? Why not add some texture to your windows? Try out bamboo or rattan blinds - they roll up easy and add a different dimension and feel to a room.

3. Is your place looking a bit dated due to heavy drapes or big valances? Less is more now. Use a strip valance or attached a simple upholstered cornice.

4. What colors are currently in your home? You can get a new fresh and updated look by using the "in" colors - which are terra cotta shades mixed with greens, blacks and golds.

5. What size is the space you want to re-do? If it is small, change out the color scheme with cool colors, which can help a room look larger and brighter. If the same is large - use more warm colors to make it feel more cozy and inviting.

6. In a kitchen where due to cabinets and appliances the room can look boxy, try add some different lines, shapes and soft curves. Try a swag over the sink with pleated sides.

Dear Just Be: I am planning a family reunion for this summer. Any tips?

Planning a family reunion is a great way to see and catch up with family members that you haven't seen in years or for some, decades.

First tip: Be mentally prepared that not everyone is going to come or want to come. Focus your attention and fun on the people who can come and want to come. No sense in wasting your energy on someone and something that is out of your control.

Second tip: Create committees. Don't be the only one doing the planning because you won't be able to enjoy the event if you do this. Plus not having committees or even volunteers will lead to a disorganized event and unhappy family members create committees like food, activities, money, etc. There are software programs that you can purchase that will help keep you organized, but it is probably easier and less expensive to create your own checklist.

Third tip: Pick a location that is convenient. A location where majority of the family resides or is close to works best. Selecting a location that is hard to get to and expensive will cause more trouble than it is worth....trust me. It may sound fun to have a reunion in Rome, but there is more to discuss, organize and plan for than if you hold a reunion in your own backyard.

Fourth tip: Pick the right length of time for your reunion. If your family all lives in the same town or state having a one day activity is more than long enough. If your family members have to do some serious traveling to attend, then make the event a couple of days long.

Fifth tip: Plan and tell family members several months in advance so they can mark the event in their calendar and make arrangements to come.

Sixth tip: Don't plan too much. Let people have time to enjoy being with family not necessarily playing games or activities, but just enjoying their company. The other point with not planning too much again goes to people not wanting to do what you have planned. You will have gone to great lengths to plan fun activities and it will be for not. This can lead to you being resentful. Have ideas, and plan for a few things, but don't go much further than that.

Seventh tip: Enjoy the event. Take a moment or two to take it all in, the people, the food, the sights and sounds. This is the point of family reunions. To get to be with people you haven't been with for years and to appreciate that these people make up who you are and who your family is – for good or bad.