Tuxedo donation benefits local hospice

Barbara Elaine’s Formal Wear has been donating the tuxedos to the Allegan Cabaret Band for the last several years.  Proceeds of this great variety show go to benefit the Wings of Hope Hospice.   Catch the Cabaret Band Show in March of 2012!

Crossword puzzle marriage proposal – The Washington Post

How to Make “Engagement Chicken”

First comes chicken, then comes marriage? Be skeptical if you must, but this recipe may be charmed. It all began 26 years ago, when then-Glamour fashion editor Kim Bonnell gave the recipe to her assistant, Kathy Suder, who made the chicken for her boyfriend, who, a month later, asked her to marry him. “It’s a meal your wife would make. It got me thinking,” says Jon Suder, who now has three children with Kathy. Details of the simple dish passed from assistant to assistant like a culinary chain letter. When Bonnell heard that her recipe had inspired three weddings, she dubbed it Engagement Chicken. Try the recipe, give it to a friend—oh, and let us know when it works!

Engagement Chicken
Serves 2 to 4

Ingredients:

• 1 whole chicken (approximately 4 pounds)
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice, plus 3 whole lemons—including 1 sliced for garnish
• 1 tablespoon kosher or coarse sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• Fresh herbs for garnish (4 rosemary sprigs, 4 sage sprigs, 8 thyme sprigs, and 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley)

1Position an oven rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F.Remove the giblets from the chicken, wash the chicken inside and out with cold water,then let the chicken drain, cavity down, in a colander for 2 minutes.

2Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Place the chicken breast-side down in amedium roasting pan fitted with a rack and pour the lemon juice all over the chicken,both inside and out. Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper inside and out.

3Prick 2 whole lemons three times each in three different places with a fork and placethem deep inside the cavity. Chicken cavity size may vary, so if one lemon is partlysticking out, that’s fine. (Tip: If the lemons are stiff, roll them on the countertop withyour palm before pricking to get the juices flowing.)

4Put the chicken in the oven, lower the oven temperature to 350°F, and roast,uncovered, for 15 minutes.

5Remove the roasting pan from the oven. Using tongs or two wooden spoons, turnthe chicken breast- side up. Insert a meat thermometer in the thigh, and return thechicken to the oven and roast for about 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes or until themeat thermometer reads 180°F and the juices run clear when the thigh is pricked with afork. Continue roasting if necessary. Keep in mind that cooking times in different ovensvary; roasting a chicken at 350°F takes approximately 18-20 minutes per pound, plus anadditional 15 minutes.

6Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before carving. And here’s the secret: Pour thejuices from the roasting pan on top of the sliced chicken— this is the “marry me juice.”Garnish with fresh herbs and lemon slices.

7Come to Barbara Elaine’s Formal Wear to begin shopping for your bridal gown.

Great prom proposal stories

Haven’t asked your dream date to prom yet? Try getting creative. If you do something that’s fun and memorable, you’ll not only have a good time asking, your date just might say yes! If you need some inspiration check out these unique prom proposal stories.

“When I was in high school I had a girlfriend that lived in a big house with a deck overlooking the beach. It was beautiful. So one night I took 246 white candles and lit them. I arranged them so that they spelled ‘PROM?’ really big. I then called her on her phone and told her to step out on her deck. Of course she said yes!”
–Weston, North Carolina

“I have a friend who asked her boyfriend in a different way. I don’t know how she knew this cop, but she had him pull her boyfriend over and instead of handing him a ticket, it was an invitation to prom from his girlfriend. He was freaking out. It was funny.”
–Louise, California

“My sophomore year in high school a friend of mine asked me to go on an afternoon hike. He took me to one of the less-traveled mountain trails in the Arizona desert. It was a warm day so I was wearing shorts, and as we climbed my legs kept getting scratched on desert brush and spiny plants. It didn’t hurt, so I tried to subtly wipe away some of the traces of blood so I wouldn’t ruin the mood. Despite the scratches, the hike was fun and the view at the top was great. As we sat down to rest on a rock at the top of the mountain — the sunset painting the sky orange, pink and red — he asked me to prom (I said yes). If only I had worn pants, it would have been a picture-perfect prom proposal.”
–Natasha, California

Creative ways to ask that special someone to prom

Here are some unique ways to ask that special someone to be your date for prom. Everything from how to give gifts to lawn decoration.

Asking someone to prom can be absolutely terrifying, but it helps to have a plan. When you ask that special someone, you want to make him or her feel good about the idea of being your date. If you make it fun and memorable, your chances of being refused are very slim. Ladies, do not fear! Times have changed, and it is perfectly acceptable for you to do the asking, too. Here are some unique ideas for both guys and gals to make that prom date proposal the best ever.

Tried and True with a Twist:

Gifts are always appreciated, whether store-bought or homemade. Instead of just giving the standard bouquet or box of chocolates, spice up your offering by making it unique to your potential date.

1A stuffed animal that reminds you of your special someone is good, but even better if it is wearing a collar with a prom ticket or a poem attached. You could even give the stuffed animal with a CD you make with a song. Tell your date (or put in a note inside the case) that you hope you get to dance together to that song at the prom.

2If you know your potential date fairly well, you probably know if he or she is addicted to a particular baked good. If your potential date is a brownieholic or can’t get enough peanut butter cookies, make them! Package your offering in something with a prom theme. Make cutout tuxedoes or dresses for the wrapping, or use your prom’s particular theme for ideas. You can tell your potential date that he or she would be as sweet person to escort to prom as a box of brownies.

3A cheap but fun way to ask your date is with toys from gumball machines. You can find cheap plastic gumball machine toys almost anywhere. You should obviously try to find toys that you think your date will like. Buy several to put in a bag. Before presenting your date with the toys, pop open the plastic bubbles and insert notes with reasons why you should attend prom together.

The great thing about gift giving is that if you aren’t brave, you can give your potential date the gift and walk away. Or you could leave it at your potential date’s locker or car. If you feel confident, consider these interesting ideas for the less faint of heart.

For the Brave:

Warning: these ideas are not for everyone, and you should never attempt anything illegal or frightening to woo your potential date.

1Set up a mystery date. Buy the tickets, arrange the transportation, and choose your dress/tux. Then leave your potential date clues about the evening you will have together. Write a note with letters and words cut out of magazines requesting the company of your date at prom. Do not reveal your identity. Over a few weeks time, leave your date a ticket, photos of the car and your outfit (without your face, of course!), and when and where you are going to pick up your date on the big day. Before you launch this plan, though, make sure your potential date is not already going with someone else.

2Serenade your potential date. If you are comfortable singing, write a song asking your potential date to prom. If you have friends in a band or are in a band, enlist their help. To eliminate the risk of wasting effort or getting yourself in trouble, talk to your potential date’s parents if you are planning on doing this at his/her home.

3Everyone has seen a toilet-papered house, or those goofy pink birthday flamingoes in someone’s lawn. You can do something like this as long as your idea is not destructive or insulting. Use crepe paper flowers, streamers, or make a large lawn banner to ask your date to prom. How elaborate you want to get is up to you. However, you might want to talk to your date’s parents to ask permission first. It would be very embarrassing for you if your date’s parents called the police because they caught you lurking on their property in the middle of the night, and it could ruin your chance to even ask.

Wanting to take the initiative and ask someone to prom is wonderful. Hopefully, these ideas will enable you to escort the person of your dreams. Remember, creativity is key! Good luck.