We at I-ShopTheWorld.com are what you might call “party people,” so we have some party idea suggestions that will add variety and spice up your party: host a saucy chili cook-off.

Compile your guest list so you can create teams of 3-6 cooks. On your invitation let your guests know they’ll be participating in a chili cook-off and who’ll be on their team (have some extra fun and mix up couples). Ask them to bring any special ingredients they like to use in their chili, but let them know that every thing they could possibly will likely be provided and everyone will be starting with a basic batch of chili you will prepare in advance. Then they can spice it up. Be sure to arrange for enough pots and utensils for each team to have their own. Tell them to BYOA (bring your own apron).

Here’s how it works: The day before your party prepare a big batch of chili starter sauce using your choice of basic ingredients. Here’s one recipe. We suggest you multiply the ingredients to accommodate the number of teams you’ve organized with a hefty batch of starter sauce.

Basic chili sauce recipe to serve 6
•    1 pound lean ground beef or steak chopped into bite-size pieces
•    1/2 cup chopped onion
•    2 chopped garlic cloves
•    1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes or tomato puree
•    1/2 teaspoon chili powder
•    1 teaspoon salt (regular or garlic)
Preparation:
Spray the skillet with nonstick cooking spray or a light coating of an oil, such as olive oil. Brown the ground beef or chopped steak with the onion. Add the remaining ingredients stirring as you go. Note, you are not adding beans at this point; your guest cooks get to do that. Cover and simmer for at least 20 minutes. Refrigerate till party time.

On the day of the party, scoop up an equal amount of the basic chili sauce for each team, then invite them to complete the cook-off by adding any of the following ingredients you’ll have available in whatever quantities they prefer:

•    cooked, browned ground pork
•    pre-cooked sausage
•    cans of beans, including kidney, chili, black, cannelloni, and pinto
•    cans of vegetarian refried beans with chilies
•    cans of tomato sauce or whole tomatoes with and without chilies
•    cans of whole kernel corn
•    fresh tomatoes
•    fresh red, green, and yellow sweet peppers
•    fresh jalapeno peppers
•    fresh squash and zucchini
•    garlic powder
•    paprika
•    fresh natural black pepper, white pepper, dried chili spice, and India long pepper spice
•    an assortment of gourmet Tortuga sauces, such as Sweet Heat Carib, Mango & Ginger Stir Fry, Hot Caribbean Pepper, and Hell Fire Hot Pepper Sauce.
•    jars of Tortuga Gourmet Wildflower and Citrus Honey

Give each team a couple of hours to finish the cook-off, then conduct the taste contest and let your guests vote on the best. If you get a wow! Winner, consider having the team try it again for charity, presuming they have kept track of their ingredients and can repeat the taste (check out those opportunities at http://www.chilicookoff.com).

Consider serving other I-ShopTheWorld products like Thai coffee and tea. Treat your guest cooks to beverages made with Tortuga Rum Punch Mix. And, don’t forget the dessert; you’ll be so busy making the basic chili and organizing teams and ingredients, you may want to serve a variety tray of Tortuga Gourmet Fudge, rum balls, or rum cakes.

Go ahead, just do it.

Tell everyone to “pen” in the date, start arranging the details, and place your order online.

Let I-ShopTheWorld.com help you concoct the sauciest party your family and friends have ever had.

- Your Saucy Party Ideas?

- Your Best Favorite Chili Recipes?

- Your Favorite / the Best Chili Ingredients?

- How Hot / “How Many Alarms” do You like Your Chili?

- Where do you stand on the “Bean” or “No Beans” “Great Chili Debate”?

- How about Meats in Your Chili?

— Do You prefer Your Chili with or without meat(s)?

— Which meat(s) do You like Best in Your Chili? / makes the Best Chili?

- Your other ideas do You have to Share for Great Parties?

Again, Please Reply and Post All of Your Comments HERE regarding all of this and anything other Great Party Ideas can think of for the Mutual Benefit of Everyone Around The World, ok?!

This one is important, as some shoppers might get confused about it and make a mistake. You should verify the weave of the fabric. Thai silk will have small flaws in the thread, since it is handmade and nothing can be perfect. While a silk made from polyester is made by machine, so there will be no flaws, it will look perfect. Many people get confused that way and think that real silk would be perfect; it is not in fact it’s the fake that will look perfect.

Next is the luster of the material. The way real Thai silk is made is to ensure it has unique colors and blends. If you hold real Thai silk to the light, it will always look different according to the angle you hold it. Meanwhile imitation silk will always look white when you hold it in the light.

Finally, you can look at the print to find out any fake silk. You will see that the pattern is printed only on one side. The other side you will see the outline of the print. When you test the luster of the silk by putting it in the light, only the side where it is printed will change color, not the other side. With polyester, you will find that both sides are different; one side has the printed pattern, while the other has plain colors. When in the light, both sides will be white.

So it is very easy to find out if the silk you intend to buy is fake or real. But if you plan on buying from the Internet, make your research well before purchasing to make sure the company is honest, since you cannot see the Thai silk in person. You can look for reviews of the site, ask them some questions about their source of Thai silk and look for customer feedback. So now you won’t get tricked anymore into buying fake Thai silk, as you know how to recognize the real one.

“How to Recognize Real Thai Silk” is another Original Article written by:

Alexis Castonguay
Staff Writer,
I-ShopTheWorld.com
“Meet” Alexis and Read More of his Great Writing at: http://www.ghostwriteracademy.com

http://i-shoptheworld.com/2008/09/12/how-to-take-care-of-your-thai-silk/

CLICK HERE and/or Go To: http://i-shoptheworld.com/thai-silk/ for More Information About 100% Real Handcrafted Thai Silk.

CLICK HERE and/or Go To: http://i-shoptheworld.com/products-page/clothing/thai-silk/ to see All of the 100% Real Handcrafted Thai Silk products currently available to You here at I-ShopTheWorld.com.

Please Feel Free to Post Your Comments regarding Alexis’s Article on “How to Recognize Real Thai Silk” and/or about Any and All of Your Experiences with Real Thai Silk HERE for the Mutual Benefit of Everyone Around The World, ok?!

When you first get your Thai silkand it hasn’t been washed, you should soak the fabric in water, that way it will not shrink after a first wash. If it is a very colorful silk, it would be better to soak it in salty water, as it will help keep the colors the way they are.

You can wash Thai silk in two ways; the first is dry cleaning and second is to hand wash it. It is recommended to use dry cleaning, because it will ensure that your Thai silk keeps its original shape and colors. Of course it will be more expensive, but you will put your silk in good hands and the laundry shop will take good care of it.

If you do decide to hand wash, it is not a big deal, but you should make sure you wash it properly. The next steps will then concern you, since if you get it dry cleaned, you won’t need to take care of washing it, except for ironing it if you don’t take that option.

The best way is to use a mild soap, just in little quantity, and wash it in cold water by hand. Wash it until it is clean. You should never wash Thai silk in a washing machine as it will completely ruin the fabric. After paying a good amount for your Thai silk, since 100% Thai silk is expensive, you wouldn’t want to ruin it from a simple mistake such as putting it in a washing machine.

After washing your silk, now you need to take the water out of it. Use mild water first to get rid of all the soap in the fabric. You should take the water out of the fabric by hand and delicately after. You should never wring the silk, as it will lose its shape.

For the drying process, it is simple, just hang it outside in the shade, as the sun will make the colors fade. If it is in light sun, it will be fine, but a strong sun will damage the colors.

Finally for ironing your Thai silk, you should iron it on the wrong side and your iron shouldn’t be too hot. Since silk is delicate, you don’t want to put too much heat on it, as it will damage the fabric. You should put another fabric over the silk, such as a cloth. That way the iron won’t be in direct contact with the silk.

Taking care of your Thai silk can seem like hard work, but it is well worth it, as you will make sure that it keeps its beautiful texture and colors for a very long time. Don’t be intimidated by the process, as it is not so hard and after a few times to wash it, you will be very good at it.

“How to Take Care of Your Thai Silk” is another  Original Article written by:

Alexis Castonguay
Staff Writer,
I-ShopTheWorld.com
“Meet” Alexis and Read More of his Great Writing at: http://www.ghostwriteracademy.com

CLICK HERE and/or Go To: http://i-shoptheworld.com/products-page/clothing/thai-silk/ to see All of the 100% Real Handcrafted Thai Silk products currently available to You here at I-ShopTheWorld.com.

Please Feel Free to Post Your Comments regarding Alexis’s Article on “How to Take Care of Your Thai Silk” and/or about Any and All of Your Experiences with Thai Silk HERE for the Mutual Benefit of Everyone Around The World, ok?!