We here at I-ShopTheWorld.com like to party and honestly can’t say we have this problem so we evaluated our own style and gave some thought to what we are hearing and saying at parties this year to make for lively conversation.

Of course, favorite TV shows, movies, and books are always solid standby topics, and this time of year, “Are you ready for Christmas?” is getting a bit stale since we hear it even from store cashiers.

So we came up with a list of other possible questions and comments that avoid those taboo topics of politics and religion and create good food for thought and talk.

When you feel stuck and dull, don’t sit it out in a corner alone, approach someone and try these (the idea is to get the other person talking and let the conversation flow from  here):

•    What is your favorite holiday of the year? When they answer, be sure to follow up by asking why it’s their favorite and what’s their favorite memory of something that happened on that holiday.

•    How do you like to spend your birthday: with friends; with family; or alone?

•    What would you most like for someone to give you but are afraid to ask for? Use an example of something you’d like such as a piece of our gemstone jewelry.  Volunteering something personal like that warms up the other person to be more personable with you.

•    Do you have a collection? How long have you been collecting and do you buy collectibles for yourself or just receive them as gifts from others? How many do you have and where do you display or store them? If you don’t have a collection, tell them that you are starting one, for instance, collecting different sauces, like our Tortuga Rum sauces. Ask them “Have you ever tried to create a sauce from scratch? What ingredients did you start with and how did it turn out?” Tell them you are thinking about hosting a sauce tasting and ask if they’d be interested in attending.

•    Have you ever had a night-time dream that changed your life; like six winning lottery ticket numbers or the questions that were going to be on a test the next day?

•    Do you like to cook? What are your favorite spices? Do you like to try new flavors? Have you tried any of the unusual spices like dried kaffir lime leaf, galangal, boesenbergia rotunda, or krachaidum?

•    Have you ever just sat and watched a bee gather nectar and marveled at the contribution bees make to the food cycle, along with how that nectar gets converted to honey? You don’t happen to have ever been a beekeeper, do you?

•    What’s your favorite food to take to covered dish parties? What do you look forward to someone else bringing?

•    Did you ever go to a party just because you know they’d be serving something special, like gourmet coffee or other gourmet snacks and you needed comfort good at the time?

•    How did you come to know the host/hostess?

•    Have you traveled much? Where have you been? Where is your favorite place?

•    Do you buy local merchandise when you travel? How do you get it home; through customs, etc.?

•    Do you prefer to shop online or at the mall and why?

•    Have you ever visited I-ShopTheWorld.com? What’s your favorite item to order from them? Was the service good? Are you pleased with your purchase?

If you ask that last question, Please share the answers with us, at:

http://i-shoptheworld.com/2008/07/31/please-reply-with-your-feedback/

We’d love to have that conversation with you.

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which makes us all thinks of all kinds of Candy and Sweets, Right?!

… and in addition to all of Your Halloween Parties …

It is also the Season for All kinds of other Parties, e.g. Football Parties – to watch Your Favorite College and/or Professional Football Teams play and Your Tailgate Parties before the Big Games; Halloween Parties, Wine and Harvest Parties, Fall Parties, Oktoberfest Parties, and All the upcoming Holiday Parties – for Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, and All the other World Holidays this Holiday Season!, Right?!

In our previous “Perfect for Your Football, etc. Parties! ” posting at:

http://i-shoptheworld.com/2008/10/10/perfect-for-your-football-etc-parties/

We shared with you some Great Ideas for all Your “pre-game / -party” snacks, including All kinds of Delicious Flavors of Gourmet Popcorn and Pretzels, to help You get Your Party started off Right!

And …

In our previous “Don’t let Your Party Guests go Hungry!” posting at:

http://i-shoptheworld.com/2008/10/18/dont-let-your-party-guests-go-hungry/

We shared with you some Great Ideas including the Recipes for Tasty Caribbean Jerk Burgers, Delicious Caribbean style Jerk Chicken, turn Your Party in to and/or enjoy the results of Your own Chili Cook-Off to insure All of Your Party Guests get Plenty of Delicious Foods and Drinks so they Definitely won’t leave any of Your Parties hungry!

So …

Now it is time for us to also Help You with How To Top Off Your Parties with something Sweet! Right?

So …

Here are some Great Party Ideas on How To put a Sweet Ending to All of Your Fall, Football and Holiday Parties:

Why not start off the Sweet Finale to Your Party with a nice assortment of different types and flavors of Candies spread all around Your Party with something for Everyone’s “Sweet Tooth”?, including:

• A wide assortment of different flavors of Salt Water Taffy from the Cayman Taffy company directly from the Cayman. Islands.
• Tortuga Gourmet CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT RUM TRUFFLES for All of Your “High Class” Holiday Parties
• Tortuga Gourmet CHOCOLATE RUM BALLS

• A nice wide selection of All of the Delicious Flavors of Tortuga Gourmet FLORIDA RUM FUDGEs

Then for the “coup de’ resistance” encore for the Sweet Ending to Your Party …

A nice assortment of All different sizes and Mouth Watering Flavors of Tortuga Rum Cakes topped with Your Guests favorite toppings like:

• Fresh fruits, e.g. strawberries, kiwi, raspberries, warm apples, and/or Your Favorite Fresh Fruits.
• Honey, e.g.  Tortuga Gourmet WILDFLOWER HONEY and/or Tortuga Gourmet CITRUS HONEY
• Chocolate, Hot Fudge, Caramel and/or Butterscotch toppings.
• Creme, Creme Anglais’ and/or Ice Cream – You pick Your Favorite Flavors to go with All of the different Mouth Watering Flavors of Tortuga Rum Cakes You are serving Your Party Guests!
• and how about some Maraschino cherries and whip cream to top it all off?

Your Creative Possibilities of All the different ways in which you may culmunate the Sweet Finale to each of Your Holiday Parties with All All of the different Mouth Watering Flavors of Tortuga Rum Cakes are virtually endless! …

You may serve some of them warm, e.g. with ice cream.

Some people prefer them chilled or frozen.

You may serve a platter(s) with All the Six (6) different Mouth Watering Flavors of the 4 oz. Tortuga Rum Cakes for Your Party Guests to sample and decide which of these Delicious Flavors they like Best!

You could set up a “Sweet Buffet” with All the Eleven (11) different Mouth Watering Flavors of the 16 oz. Tortuga Rum Cakes and a smorgasbord of Sweet Toppings and let Your Party Guests concoct their own Irresistible Dessert!

and/or …

You could slice up one or more of each of the Eight (8) different Mouth Watering Flavors of the 33 oz. Tortuga Rum Cakes and either put them back together for a multi-colored, multi-flavored Rum Cake Bouquet and/or decoratively lay out the slices on platters for Your Party Guests to select and sample from All of these Delicious Rum Cakes!

And Just Think …

You can “Mix and Match” Any and All of these Sweet Ideas to give Your Party Guests the kind of Sweet Finale to All of Your Parties that will keep them talking about Your Parties all year long and looking forward to the next one! Right?

And You could also use Any and All of these Delicious Dessert Ideas to just put the Perfect Sweet Ending on any of Your Dinner Parties with just a few friends and/or family Any Time too! you know?

Now it is Your Turn! …

We would All LOVE to hear and we hope You will Please Share Your Great Party Ideas and Recipes for Delicious, New and Different Desserts and Sweets to serve at any kinds of Halloween, Oktoberfest, Fall, Football, Tailgate Parties and Holiday Parties with All of Your Friends all over the world!, so …

Please Reply and Post Your Great Party Ideas and Recipes for Delicious, New and Different Desserts and Sweets to serve at any kinds of Halloween, Oktoberfest, Fall, Football, Tailgate Parties and Holiday Parties with and for the Benefit of All of Your Friends all over the world! ok?

including Football Parties – to watch Your Favorite College and/or Professional Football Teams play and Your Tailgate Parties before the Big Games; Halloween Parties, Wine and Harvest Parties, Fall Parties, Oktoberfest Parties, and All the upcoming Holiday Parties – for Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, and All the other World Holidays this Holiday Season!

And You certainly don’t want to run out of any Great Foods and Drinks such that any of Your Party Guests go hungry at any of Your Parties, Right?! …

In our previous “Perfect for Your Football, etc. Parties! ” posting at:

http://i-shoptheworld.com/2008/10/10/perfect-for-your-football-etc-parties/

We shared with you some Great Ideas for all Your “pre-game / -party” snacks, including All kinds of Delicious Flavors of Gourmet Popcorn and Pretzels, to help You get Your Party started off Right!

Now, Let’s Really get Your Party “in the swing” of things! …

with some Great Party Ideas to insure All of Your Party Guests get Plenty of Delicious Foods and Drinks so they Definitely won’t leave any of Your Parties hungry …

and so they will be talking about All the Delicious Foods and Drinks you serve at Your Parties until next year’s Fall Parties! ok? )

So …

Do Your Party Guests like Great Burgers?

If so then why not give them something different for a change?

by barbecuing some Tasty Caribbean Jerk Burgers for Your Party.

You may find the complete Recipe for barbecuing Your Tasty Caribbean Jerk Burgers Right Now at:

http://i-shoptheworld.com/2008/08/24/delicious-caribbean-recipes-give-your-family-a-taste-of-the-the-islands-tonight#Jerk_Burgers

These Tasty Caribbean Jerk Burgers are Great for All of Your Tailgate Parties, Football Parties, and/or for a Last “Taste of Summer” / Cookout Party, you know?

Or …

Is Your Party a little too “formal” for Burgers?

Then why not Try a Delicious Caribbean style Jerk Steak and/or Juicy, Spicy Jerk Pork Chops?

You may find the complete Recipe for preparing All of Your Delicious Caribbean style Jerk Steak and Your  Juicy, Spicy Jerk Pork Chops Right Now at:

http://i-shoptheworld.com/2008/10/04/save-gas-and-money-by-eating-in#Jerk_Pork_Chops_Steak

And/or …

Do some of Your Party Guests prefer chicken to beef or pork?

Well, you can give them what they want and like too!

… with some Delicious Caribbean style Jerk Chicken …

for which You may find the complete Recipe for preparing All of Your Delicious Caribbean style Jerk Chicken Right Now at:

http://i-shoptheworld.com/2008/10/04/save-gas-and-money-by-eating-in#Caribbean_Jerk_Chicken

And Just Think …

Not only would this Delicious Caribbean style Jerk Chicken make a Great Entree! …

but you could also cook up any number of Delicious Caribbean style Jerk Chicken breasts and cut them into strips for some Unique, Tasty, Chicken strips / fingers too, you know?

and/or you could use this Recipe for to make Your own Unique Jerk Style Chicken Wings too!, Right?

and you may serve any of these Delicious Caribbean style Jerk Chicken dishes with a nice variety of “dipping sauces” with something for everyone’s taste, like:

• Some More Tortuga Gourmet Jerk Sauce to Spice up your chicken dishes even more!
• Tortuga Gourmet HOT CARIBBEAN PEPPER SAUCE for those like a Hot Caribbean Flavor.
• Tortuga Gourmet SWEET HEAT CARIB PEPPER Sauce for those like a little Heat and a little Sweet.
• TORTUGA HELL FIRE HOT SAUCE for those who Like’em Really Hot, Hot, Hot!!!
• Tortuga Gourmet MANGO & GINGER for those who prefer a Sweet and Sour Flavor
• Etc.

Finally, with the cold weather starting to come in ;( …

Maybe you want to serve Chili(s) at Your Parties?

and …

Why Not Have some Fun with it and turn Your Party in to Your own Chili Cook-Off?

You may Everything You Need to turn Your Party in to Your own Chili Cook-Off Right Now at:

http://i-shoptheworld.com/2008/09/27/how-to-concoct-a-saucy-party/

You could even have one Chili Cook-Off Party where Your Guests cook their favorite Chili Recipes …

and then another Party where Your Guests “Judge” and Enjoy the results of your previous Chili Cook-Off Party …

that way You get two Fun Parties with just cooking once!, Right?!

You may find Many More New and Exciting Recipes for More Great Food and Drink Ideas for All of Your Parties in he New TORTUGA RUM FEVER Caribbean Cookbook, – a celebration of Caribbean Food, Flavors, & Fun. Written by Grand Cayman author, Barbara Currie Dailey, now available from the Tortuga Rum Co.

Check out the TORTUGA RUM FEVER Caribbean Cookbook Now!, below, and at:http://i-shoptheworld.com/products-page/books/cookbooks/tortuga-rum-fever-cook-book/

TORTUGA RUM FEVER COOK BOOK

for More Delicious Caribbean Recipes and More Great Food and Drink Ideas for All of Your Parties !

And Just Think …

All of these Great Food and Drink Party Ideas are also Fabulous for All of your Poker Parties, Card Nights, Game Nights, House Parties and for all the other get togethers you have with Your Family and Friends, Right?!

Hopefully these are enough Good Party Ideas for some New and Different Foods and Drinks You may serve at All of Your Fall, Football and Holiday Parties to insure None of Your Guests go away hungry, yes?

Next we will focus on some Great Party Ideas for Desserts for a Sweet Ending to All of Your Fall, Football and Holiday Parties!

However, in the meantime …

We would All LOVE to hear and we hope You will Please Share Your Great Party Ideas and Recipes for Delicious, New and Different Foods and Drinks to serve at any kinds of Fall, Football and Holiday Parties with All of Your Friends all over the world!, so …

Please Reply and Post Your Great Party Ideas and Recipes for Delicious, New and Different Foods and Drinks to serve at any kinds of Fall, Football and Holiday Parties with for the Benefit of All of Your Friends all over the world! ok?

Are You sure you are going to have plenty of snacks, food & drinks, and desserts for Everyone?

… for All of Your upcoming Parties.

You sure don’t want to run out of food before you run out of Fun at Your Parties, Right?!

Well we are More than Happy to Help You insure that All of Your Parties are well stocked and an Overwhelming Success with All of Your Family and Friends!

Let’s start out with all the “pre-game / -party” snacks …

To help You get Your Party started off Right!

so …

Why serve just the same boring old chips?

Wouldn’t Your Party goers rather be munching on Gourmet Popcorn and Pretzels of All kinds of Delicious Flavors?

And with a wide variety of different flavors and types Gourmet Popcorn, including:
Kettle Korn Golden Butter Nut GOURMET POPCORN
Macadamia Crunch GOURMET POPCORN
Cashew Almond GOURMET POPCORN
White on White Cheddar GOURMET POPCORN
Toffee Almond GOURMET POPCORN
Peanut Butter Nut GOURMET POPCORN
Peanut Butter & Chocolate Chip GOURMET POPCORN
Confetti Fruit Flavor GOURMET POPCORN
Coconut Vanilla GOURMET POPCORN
Chocolate Nut GOURMET POPCORN
Cheddar Cheese GOURMET POPCORN
Butter Toffee Nut GOURMET POPCORN

And even with the following Gourmet Popcorn Flavors that Taste like various Flavors of Your Favorite Cookies!

Cookie Puffs Oatmeal Raisin GOURMET POPCORN
Cookie Puffs Chocolate Chip GOURMET POPCORN

… Everyone can find one or more Gourmet Popcorn Flavors that they just Love!

Right?

And for those that Prefer Salty over Sweet!

… we also have Gourmet Flavored Pretzels!

Chipotle Pretzel Gourmet Flavored Pretzels GOURMET PRETZELS

Just Think …

You could have bowls strategically placed all over Your Party Venue each with a Different Flavor of Gourmet Snacks

Won’t that help both Impress Your Guests …

And Help with the Party “Mixing and Mingling”?

and isn’t that a lot More Exciting this just a big bowl of old chips?

Each of these Gourmet Snacks is individually vacuum packaged in relatively small packages so that you can open and serve the Right Amounts of Each of the Delicious Flavors that Your Guests Like Best and consume at Your Party …

which makes them Perfect for All of Your Tailgate Parties, Right?

and whatever you have left will keep nicely and stay Fresh for Your Next Party, you know?

Just make sure You have plenty of Each of the Delicious Flavors of All of these Gourmet Snacks on hand so you are sure you won’t run out, when Your Party Goers find out How Good they are, Right?!

Ok, hopefully we have Helped You with some Better, More Exciting “pre-game / -party” snacks …

To help You get Your Party started off Right!

In subsequent “installments” on this Topic …

We will try and also Help You with some More Interesting and Exciting Ideas for Good Food and Drinks You may serve during Your Party and then some Fabulous Dessert Ideas to “Top Off” Your Parties with a “Bang”!, ok?

In the meantime …

We Hope this All Helps!

and …

What other Great Party Starter and Snack Ideas do You All Have for all of Your Football, Halloween, Fall, Tailgate, etc. Parties?

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?!