BiG TeA PaRtY

LARGE PUBLIC ARTS PROJECT: MULTI-MEDIA, MULTI-WORKS

CALL FOR ARTISTS! Hear ye hear ye…..

I’m on the advisory board for a new and unique venture proposed by the Mural Arts Program.

 The Mural Arts Prgram (MAP) is one of the top public-arts programs in the country and has produced over 3,000 murals in Philadelphia. This particular project involves multiple works, in any media, to be executed in my own neighborhood — South Philly.  Following is MAP’s call for artists. If you have any questions you can ask me or contact MAP directly: Lindsey Rosenberg at (215)685-0729 or Lindsey.Rosenberg@muralarts.org

This is true community activism. Good luck! Love, Elizabeth Fiend

Below you’ll find all the information about how to apply for this unique opportunity. If you have additional questions leave comments or email me: elizabeth @ bigteaparty.com  (remove spaces to email)

Request for Qualifications for an exciting project with the

City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program

This project, entitled “Journeys South” seeks to produce multiple works of art that explore the history, struggles, and traditions of South Philadelphia in a public setting. The project will explore the theme of immigration and migration as told through the histories of the peoples who settled there and shaped its character over almost four hundred years.

Below you will find additional information about eligibility and necessary items for submission. Please note, artists of all disciplines are encouraged to apply (ie, visual artists, poets, writers, performance artists). Only those artists that are considered will be interviewed mid-December. Announcements of selected artists will be made by December 31, 2008.

Multiple artists or teams of artists will be chosen.
DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS: WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3rd at 5

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MaKE YR OWN RoSeMaRY ORaNGE BaTH SaLTS

BY ELIZABETH FIEND

Renew your skin. Take a bath to sooth the stiff muscles after a winter of inactivity.
Epsom salts = magnesium sulfate
Baking soda = sodium bicarbonate

makes enough for 4 Baths

Tip: USE RIGHT AWAY AS THE NATURAL SCENTS DON’T LAST FOREVER

Bath salts are simple to prepare and make great gifts, either for yourself or for your friends.

Homemade = better
Mass produced = chemical-laden products

The invigorating scents orange and rosemary, the herb of remembrance / memory star in this recipe.
But you can try any pleasing combination of scents.

BASIC MINERAL BATH RECIPE:
Mix in a plastic container:
3 parts Epson salts (3/4 cup)

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 HaPPy WoRlD VeGeTaRiAN DaY!!!
October First Kicks off a Month of
Vegetarian Awareness and FuN
and Don’t Forget — Lots of Great Food!

For more information:
North American Vegetarian Society

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ClOtHiNg SwAp

by VaLerie K

Guess what! BiG TeA PaRtY, always ahead of the curve, already has a video about clothing swaps on our compilation tape OOLONG. Click HERE to see “All Girls Clothes Swap”, hosted of course by ELIZABETH FIEND, shot by me, VaLerie K as guest cameraperson.

Check it: there are handy tips at the end of this article for having a successful clothing swap of your own. Host a swap and report back, ok? Now, on to the article….

Clothing swaps. Not to BRAG or anything, but I think I was the first to host a clothing swap in my crowd of girlfriends back in 1988 or so. 20 years later, we are still doing it. We just had a clothes swap last weekend. We do it, oh, about twice a year, usually when the one of us who has been itching to purge their closet the longest can’t stand it anymore.

What exactly is a clothing swap?

I searched Wikipedia for ‘clothing swap’ and sure enough, there was a definition right there. I surfed around and found many sites and posts, and though there are variations, the gist is the same everywhere.

A group of people gets together.

Everyone brings clothes, accessories and other items still in good shape that they are no longer using.

Everyone looks through everyone else’s stuff and takes what they want at no charge (some ambitious sorts have large-scale clothing swaps that are fundraisers with a cover charge that goes to a local shelter or something like that, but all items are still free for the takin).

Then whatever’s left at the end of the swap gets donated to a charitable org like Good Will, United Way or charity thrift stores, women’s shelters, places like that.

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Help me decide. Which photo do you like best? Tell me why.

Vote by typing a comment in the box below!!!

[Photos are numbered one to seven; left to right; starting at the top. ]

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Orange Creamsicle Cake

RECIPE BY ELIZABETH FIEND

A favorite childhood memory of mine was running outside when the ice cream truck came around my block. I would always get the Orange Creamsicle ice cream bar. Orange sherbet coating over a rich creamy vanilla ice cream bar, this treat always spelled carefree days to me! I’ve duplicates these flavors as a refreshing, fruit filled cake. Yes, there really are two pounds of fruit in this cake!!!

Quick and easy. Dress up a store bought cake or if you have a favorite recipe, make your own angel food cake. You’ll get raves, trust me!! Only takes 1/2 hour (with store bought cake).

THIS CAKE JUST SCREAMS SPRING!! MAKE THIS CAKE FOR YOUR NEXT PARTY.

Category: Vegetarian, Dessert Recipe

OK, a cake’s a cake. It’s dessert and there’s no denying it. But I’ve tried made this cake more healthful by incorporating two pounds of fruit into the recipe. (I must be a genius!) Plus I’ve lightened up the custard filling by using yogurt and mascarpone cheese, a soft, sweet Italian cheese with half the calories of butter. And — angel food cake contains less fat than most other cakes.

Special tools: Angel-food-cake cutter. This looks kinda like an Afro comb. You first slide it down thru the cake poking little holes in to the cake which will enable you to then slice the cake with a regular knife. (If you don’t have one, it will be a little harder to slice, but not the end of the world.)

Ingredients:
Use your favorite recipe for angel food cake. Or to save time use a store-bought cake.
8 oz mascarpone cheese
12 oz orange-cream yogurt
Two 15 oz cans mandarin oranges (drained)
8oz prepared whipped topping (if frozen, defrost) or fresh whipped cream
½ cup sliced almonds

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For one of the episodes of BiG TeA PaRtY the TV show, we took to the streets to test the general public’s knowledge of nutrition. It was a riot-fest of color and fun.

From the video Chew On This! Click to purchase video.

TAKE THE QUIZ NOW! (answers below)

1.) Which leads to guaranteed weight loss?
a. Eat only protein like meat and cheese
b. Burn more calories than you consume
c. Don’t eat bread or pasta

2.) How many grams of fat are in the fast food meal of a quarter-pound cheese burger and large fries?
a. 35 grams of fat / b. 51 grams of fat /
c. 5 zillion grams of fat

3.) How many pounds of pesticides do U.S. farmers use a year?
a. 5 pounds / b. 1 million pounds / c. 1.5 billion pounds

4.) According to a USDA study what percentage of kids 4 to 6 years old eat a balanced diet?
a. 16% / b. 35% / c. 58%

5.) Which food is not the name of a Beanie Baby?

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EVENT — Cool things other peeps are doing: Rock Camp for Girls

Campers needed, ages 8 - 18, sliding scale fee, full financial aid available
Volunteers needed, any level of musical experience, unpaid or limited stipend

“Founded in 2004, Willie Mae Rock Camp for Girls is a non-profit summer day camp serving girls aged 8-18 in New York City. The program offers girls the chance to learn how to play musical instruments, write songs, perform, learn about different types of music, and generally “rock out” in a supportive environment that fosters self-confidence, self-esteem, creativity, tolerance, and collaboration.

Rock camp is dedicated to youth empowerment through music. The program is founded on the proposition that music can serve as a powerful tool of self-expression and self-esteem-building for girls and young women, and can help combat racism and stereotypes by building bridges of communication and shared experience among girls from diverse communities.” Ciao, VaLerie K
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