We had a fabulous weekend in NYC with MZ’s sister, bil and nephew! Mike now has a new title of the Godfather… he really likes that!

Not time to finish out the post, but wanted to get a picture or two up!

  Add Another Place Setting

Need a unique Mother’s Day, Wedding, or Graduation gift to show how much you care? I recommend Add Another Place Setting; a quality, award-winning cookbook with more than 200 of the best recipes from the Junior League of Northwest Arkansas. This book tells the story of Northwest Arkansas through full-color, professional photographs, recipes and interesting sidebars.
The title (as explained on the back cover) is based on the incredible growth and thriving economy of our area. Our response to this growth is one of timeless Southern tradition and hospitality. When someone comes to the door at dinnertime, we Add Another Place Setting.
Cookbooks are also available at the following fine retail locations:

So Inviting, Fiesta Square, Fayetteville 

Party House, Fayetteville
Richard’s Meat Market, Fayetteville
Barnes & Noble, NW Arkansas Locations
Signed, Sealed & Delivered, Rogers
Borders Books, Rogers
XNA Gift Shop, Bentonville
B Larue, Bentonville
Occasions, Siloam Springs
Smith Drug/The Corner, Gentry
Shelby’s Gifts, Harrison
Betsy’s Antiques & Gifts, Fort Smith
Inscriptions, Fort Smith
Creative Kitchen, Fort Smith
Millynn’s, Dardanelle
Copper Pig, Russellville
Catering To You, Little Rock
The Full Moon, Little Rock
WPR Auxiliary Gift Shop, Little Rock
Vintage Cargo, Eureka Springs
Slaughter House Gifts, El Dorado
Wooden Spoon Restaurant, Gentry
Jepson Drug, Siloam Springs
Washington Regional Hospital Gift Shop
Melody’s Choices, Fayetteville

B&J Jewelers, Pine Bluff

Break out your hard hats and get ready for another great time at Touch a Truck 2009! Kids of all ages can climb, discover and explore vehicles of all types including helicopters, construction vehicles, emergency vehicles, motorcycles and big rigs. Kids can build items with the Home Depot crew or talk with SpongeBob Square Pants and Strike with the Northwest Arkansas Naturals too. Attendees can win great prizes including bicycles, a family campsite set and gift certificates. Touch a Truck is Saturday, May 2, from 10a.m. to 2p.m. at the John Q. Hammons Center in Rogers.  Admission is $5/person or $20/family and can be purchased at JuniorLeagueNWA.org, by calling 479.751.7054, or at the gate the day of the event. Proceeds from this event will help fund various projects sponsored by the Junior League of Northwest Arkansas.

According to the World Bunco Association[1], Bunco began as a progressive dice game in England, later being imported to the American West as a gambling activity. It was not until after the Civil War that it evolved to a popular parlor game. The Association states that during Prohibition, Bunco as a gambling game was re-popularized and the term “Bunco-Squad” was born, referring to law-enforcement groups that busted up Bunco Gaming. Bunco as a family game saw a resurgence in popularity in the 1980s. Although re-released in 2005 with a tagline reading “The game that’s sweeping the nation,” sales were initially low though senior citizens and young adults alike have found interest in the game[
In recent years, the game has seen a resurgence in popularity in America, particularly among suburban women. As it is played today, Bunco is a social dice game involving 100% luck and no skill (there are no decisions to be made)[2], scoring and a simple set of rules. Women who are part of a Bunco club take turns as the Bunco hostess, providing snacks, refreshments and the tables to set up the games. The hostess may also provide a door prize. Small amounts of money can be involved as well. The object of the game is to accumulate points and to roll certain combinations. The winners get prizes (provided by the hostess or pooled from the club resources) for accomplishments such as the highest score, the lowest score, or the most buncos. Prizes frequently center on themes associated with the game such as fancy dice, dice embedded in soap, t-shirts featuring illustrations of dice, etc. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bunco

• I’d now like to address a few etiquette “by-laws” if you will:
  It’s always polite to “pass the dice” to the next person in succession at your table. This is a pretty subtle move, but a gesture to let the next person know “hey, it’s ok to grab the dice” otherwise you’ll probably get your hand slapped. It’s very much similar to the black jack dealer showing that all bets are in and the next portion of the game is beginning – if that makes sense… it does to me.
• Another politeness is that the other 3 at the table should count along {out loud} the number of rolls/points the roller is up to – and it helps to do it in a sing-song fashion, the cadence helps when Bunco becomes Drunko. We’ve also determined to that this will come in handy if we ever have to teach a toddler to count… to about 6 – we’ve got that covered!

{thanks to AB for highlighting these “rules”}

I love going to Bunco each month, it’s fun and relaxing and as you read in the definition, there is no skill nor thinking involved which is great! My mom played Bunco when I was little {like 3 and 4}, it was a huge ordeal when she hosted, she always made perfect little party treats and I always got to taste them! The highlight of the evening was that my dad and I got to go out to eat Chinese food which NEVER happened since my parents were pretty poor back then. In hindsight, however, Chinese food in Southeast Arkansas probably wasn’t such a treat, might should have been scared of that…