How To Keep Your Family Together For Healthy Meals & Win $3000

Last month Kenmore asked for my biggest household challenge. This month, I'm sharing my Genius Tip on how I overcame that challenge! Kenmore is on the search for everyday genius and each month they are giving away $3,000 in Kenmore gift certificates and a chance to have the best idea turned into an ad! Enter your Genius Tip Today!

Also, for every entry in the Kenmore Contest in May, BlogFrog is going to donate $5 to the Red Cross Relief Fund!

Do you remember my dilemma?

No?

Let me refresh your memory...

Hectic schedules lead to the family eating unhealthy fast food from take-out establishments or boxed food in my own kitchen. On top of that, everyone eats meals at different times, so there is no social interaction with each other either. How do I get everyone eating healthy food together?

Let's remember rule #1

I'm the Mom and Cook, so what I say is the law.

Do you believe me?

Well, then you are the only one!!!

So I am supposed to share my GENIUS TIP with you about how I get everyone eating healthy meals together to offer good conversation and grow the bonds of love and understanding in the family.

Sounds like a tall order doesn't it?

It is a huge responsibility, but also a joy.

The key to making this work is:

PREPARATION: Saturday cooking and freezing of meals in individual servings

FLEXIBILITY: Different meal time each day

SACRIFICE: Even if two people have eaten already, they sit at the table with the other members of the family after they get home and start eating. Everyone has the opportunity to talk and share.

What is your Genius Tip? Kenmore wants to know, and is giving away up to $3,000 in Gift Certificates and a chance to have the best Genius Tip turned into a TV Ad! Visit their Facebook page and enter today!

Share your quick genius tip with us:

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Kenmore. The opinions and text are all mine.

What is my Genius Tip for having healthy meals and conversation together?

In order to have the family eat healthy meals and engage in meaningful conversation, I must do the work. I know you probably didn't want to hear that, but I'm the cook and the mother, so it is unavoidable. Besides, I really enjoy being of service to my family since the end result is worth my efforts.

1. Preparation
2. Flexibility
3. Sacrifice
   

Step 1 - Preparation

Let's start with the most labor intensive...

PREPARATION: I am employed full time outside the home (Monday through Friday), full time inside the home with my own businesses (Monday-Sunday) and I'm a mother twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Saturday is a busy day because I cook many of the main dishes and desserts that we will eat during the week. For instance, I may cook spaghetti sauce, roast beef, a large pot of dried beans, massaged potatoes, Garlic-Lime Cornish Game Hens, apple pie and chocolate cupcakes.

After everything cools, I separate each into one serving size containers. When Monday rolls around, I can rush home, make a large tossed salad, boil some fresh corn on the cob and warm one of the hens for me. If my daughter is in the mood for roast beef, then I can warm the roast beef for her. We both will have the same side dishes, but we don't have to eat the same main dish. As a matter of fact, if the freezer remains stocked with lots of different main dishes, we might not eat the same main course for a week.

I'm always able to serve dinner in 30 minutes, but most of the time it only takes 15 minutes and everything is made from scratch.

So Step 1 is being prepared by engaging in Saturday cooking and freezing of meals in individual servings.

Step 2 - Flexibility

This step isn't hard to do once you convince your brain that it is okay not to have everything your way just because you're "The Mom."

FLEXIBILITY: The days of Leave It To Beaver when dinner lands on the table at 5:00 p.m. every day is over. Let me change that a little bit...For MOST people today dinner does not get served every day at 5:00 p.m. Everyone's hectic schedules makes it impossible for dinner to be at the same time...football, gymnastics, cheerleading, baseball, long distance business trips, etc.

Meals do not have to be at the same time every day. Also, if the children are starving and getting too grumpy to wait for the last person to get home, go ahead and eat dinner without the last person because Step 3 takes care of this dilemma.

Just remember that Step 2 is to stay flexible and don't worry about having a different meal time each day

Step 3 - Sacrifice

Everyone is going to get fed, so there isn't any reason to panic. The main thing is that the experience is pleasant and that the family shares love along with the food.

SACRIFICE: Even if two people have eaten already, the sacrifice is that when the other family members come home, everyone stops what they are doing so that they can all sit at the table while the stragglers are dining. That is the sacrifice part of the whole experience. Everyone has the opportunity to talk and share no matter what time they get home to have the meal. Is it always convenient...no, but sacrifice for those we love is what being part of a family is all about.

If you have small children sitting in the tub and Daddy comes home, then the sacrifice for him is that he either waits until their bath time is over or he grabs his plate of food and everyone chats in the bathroom. Granted, you don't do this when you have teenagers, but with small children, the rules can be a little different. Imagination and sacrifice are the keys.

Step 3 is learning to be unselfish and sacrifice for the better good of the family in order to have conversations together each day while dining.

Is It Worth The Effort To Have Healthy Meals and Good Conversation Together?

Now that my daughter is eighteen years old, I am so glad that we have always made a point of eating our meals together. We have talked about every subject and have shared our lives during conversations at meal time. Those moments are priceless. Looking back, it doesn't even feel like I ever sacrificed anything. Instead, I feel privileged to have shared so much of life with her.

Would I do it the same way again? I sure would do it all over again! Would I still cook from scratch so that the food was more nutritious? Yes again! Learning how to cook meals quickly and in an organized manner provided us with delicious, healthy food for every meal. Sharing meals, good company and great conversation satisfies some of our basic human needs.

How did/do I keep the family eating healthy meals together while sharing wonderful conversations?

Prepare most of the time consuming food ahead of time.
Remain flexible with the time we choose to dine.
Be willing to interrupt my schedule in order to converse with family members who arrive home late.

It's not hard to do because I love my family more than anything else. That is why I wanted to be a mother and I find the rewards extremely satisfying!



So jump over and Enter your Genius Tip Today! It is much easier than the widget thingy last month. (wink) $3,000 would look good in your wallet don't you think?

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Vile Language Weeds

After thinking it all the way through, I knew it wasn't a good idea, so I just kept my mouth shut. However, there have been many times, especially in my youth where I said it anyway.

I stepped outside the other day and noticed that the plants in the flower bed were really starting to grow proving that Spring had sprung. They had shot up pretty much in the same neat rows that they were planted, but each year brings about more shoots from each plant. I'm sure that eventually, unless thinned, the entire bed will be covered with green shoots and when fully grown will be a massive bed of leafy plants.

Now, however, they remain nice clumps of multiple green shoots like a family. There are individual members, but each have their own unique qualities. If they do things together, they will grow together toward the same end goal.

It takes a lot of sunshine, water and nutrients to keep the plants green and to enable them to grow thick and healthy. The same can be said about people. The fresh air, good food, clean water and vitamins enable our bodies and minds to grow or to remain healthy.

These plants, due to their close proximity to each other, experience everything together whether it be rain, clouds, hail, tornadoes, sunshine, snow, flood or drought. Families are individual members being pulled in all directions, but with a little effort and planning, can spend quality time together. Going through experiences together provides a foundation to build upon and later it can provide support during the rough patches.

Working through the good and bad times is important because we learn how to help those we love in a way that is comfortable to them. Happy, supportive families appear beautiful just as do the well tended plants in the garden. Everything runs smoothly when actions are unselfish, words are soft and support is given with love.

It isn't always easy, but in order to have solid relationships, it is totally necessary. Plus, the family is the place where children learn to become great companions and friends.

Each plant counts and each member adds value to the family. Since we are all unique, our differences can enhance our commonalities and bring interest to our every day lives.

However, sometimes the words that come out of our mouths are toxic, harsh and cause us to emanate qualities that are undesirable. The adage that "sticks and stones can break my bones, but words can never hurt me," is simply not true.

Words can pierce the very depths of our soul with searing pain.

The ugliness changes our appearance and begins to grow like a weed. If we do not rid ourselves of the undesirable trait, the weed of ugliness will take over. I don't know why, but ugliness always grows twice as fast as love and kindness. Before you know it, weeds of despair, discontent and depression rule life's flower bed.

Eventually, the whole family is engulfed in unhappiness and vile language which is evident even in their appearance in the community.

Teachers hold conferences with parents about the children's misbehaviors or inability to learn at the same rate as the rest of the class.

The parent(s) employment can be compromised because of the volatile feelings that flow over to co-workers.

It seems hopeless and the seeds of disharmony can spread to other families in the community.

With recognition of the problem, a steadfast effort to pluck the offending behaviors from their every day actions, the family can survive and also thrive.

Is this easy?

No.

Once plucked, will selfish, ugliness in actions or speech ever return to either one individual or the collective family?

Maybe, yes.

The important thing to remember is that together, as a family, there can be success if the individual members are committed.

So the next time you want to say the horrible cutting remark or lash out in anger with vicious and vile language, remember the weed. The green weed that sucks the nutrients from the plant. The big weed that blocks the suns rays from getting to the plant. The ugly green weed that destroys the plant and eventually kills it.

The death of a plant isn't a pretty sight, but neither is the dissolution of a family unit that was once filled with happiness and love.

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The Duck That Thinks She's Mariah Carey

I've always been fascinated by Mariah Carey's five-octave vocal range. She can pierce the eardrums with the high notes and yet still sing the lower, husky and warm notes. Even if you don't like her style of music, it is easy to appreciate her beautiful singing voice. Since I sound like a dying cow when I sing, I really appreciate the talent she has shared with the rest of the world.

The other day this average looking duck waddled around some plants on the way to a little pond not too far down the road. It was cute enough, I thought, as long as it didn't leave anything behind...if you are following my train of thought.

I watched this feathery creature duck (pun intended) in and out while quacking loudly. This brown duck didn't just quack once or twice, it continuously quacked in a range of voices. At first it was the middle notes which were followed by deeper, longer quacks, but that wasn't enough for this duck. She also felt the need to produce a high pitch screaming quack.


The next thing I knew, she was waddling away out of sight and had stopped quacking. That started my wheels turning as I compared this duck to Mariah Carey and life.

Mariah Carey came into the public eye in 1989 and after numerous awards and top hits, disappeared for a few years and then made a big comeback in 2005 with the release of her album The Emancipation of Mimi.

Many people or life events also follow this same path. We experience births, deaths, parties, jobs, anniversaries, homes, cars and the list goes on and on. These things come into our lives and then time happens, changes occur and the experiences pass.

So often we are not "in" the moment. We do not see and appreciate the people and possessions we already have in our lives. Often, "I want more, more, more" becomes the guiding theme. More is not always better. New is not always better. Old stuff isn't simply old, it is often comforting and enjoyable.

I want to be like that when I'm "old stuff"...comforting and enjoyable. I also do not want to take any experience for granted. Living each day to the fullest requires constantly remembering to notice the little things and remain in the moment.

As thrilling as it was when Mariah Carey made her returning debut, it was equally unexciting when the duck returned quacking in a huge voice and leaving things behind for me to remember her.


I wonder if we cultivate relationships in such a manner that people are happy with our return and grateful for being part of the experiences we leave behind.

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Daddy Cecil's Juicy Fruit Gum

With shiny black patent leather shoes and wearing a starched dress, I tiptoed between chicken poop from the car to the worn wooden steps. I was filled with excitement at the activities that stretched before me.

At the age of four, I was short. Not any shorter than other children my age, but short in comparison to my surroundings. When we visited with my great grandparents, it was always an adventure in the country at the farm especially from a young child's perspective.

As I walked down the hallway, I could hear Daddy Cecil breathing heavily above the sound of the creaking boards beneath my shoes.The top of his balding head leaned against the arm of the couch. He was stretched out like so many times before with one arm behind his head.

Daddy Cecil was thin with a very wrinkled face. He was the most wrinkled person I had ever seen and yet, those deep craggy lines across his face intrigued me. Smelling of tobacco and musty armpit, he reached out and gave me a huge hug and kissed my cheek.

"I like my manly armpits," he would always say as I scrunched my nose and told him that he stunk. Daddy Cecil would just laugh and his bright blue eyes would twinkle. His eyes were beautiful.

"Do you want a piece of Juicy Fruit?" he asked as he reached into the front pocket of his well worn plaid shirt. There was a never ending supply of Juicy Fruit gum in his front shirt pocket.

I never declined.

My little red painted fingernails carefully tore off the distinctive yellow wrapping and opened the silver foil liner. Then taking the powdery sugar coated gum, I tried to fit the whole piece in my mouth. It always felt like such a large piece! Crushing the paper, I would finally look back at him.

I didn't recognize that look when I was four years old, but now I know it was love and amazement that flashed across his face. From the moment I walked up to the couch beside him until I left to explore the kitchen with my great grandmother, I was the focus of all his attention.

I loved him and I think he is the reason that I find blue eyes so attractive and mesmerizing.

A simple farmer.

Crops.

Chickens.

Tractors.

Barns.

A huge Gum Ball tree.

Kitties everywhere.

Indelible memories.

Then one day, all dressed up, my parents took me to a strange place. Everyone was dressed up and crying. Mom said, "Daddy Cecil died. He has gone to Heaven to live with Jesus."

I was confused. I could see him laying in front of us with his hand at my eye level. He didn't move. His face wasn't smiling.

I reached up and touched his hand only to find it cold and unmoving.

I let go and kept my arms by my side and stared at the hand that once touch my bouncy curls and gave me Juicy Fruit gum with twinkling blue eyes.

I felt overwhelming sadness.

Jesus can't take Daddy Cecil.

I don't want him to be dead.

I want him back.

It has been more than forty years since that day.

I still miss him and think of him every time I see a pack of Juicy Fruit gum.

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Leather Meets Stitch

We have a worn, brown leather desk chair. While I was dusting and polishing it, I looked close to ensure that all the stitches were still intact. In spite of the chair's age or the number of times it has been occupied with a sitting or standing person, the stitches still are holding strong.

Each stitch begins in a hole and ends in a hole to be immediately followed by another stitch that looks the same as the one before. If I were to pull without breaking the thread that forms the stitch,I would have one piece of thread although the leather wouldn't be held tightly to the chair any longer.

Let's leave the chair for a moment and talk about relationships and specifically families. There are different members in our families - mother, father, sister, brother, aunt, uncle, cousin, husband, wife, grandmother, grandfather, in-laws. Every family is unique because there are different members and every member is an individual.

When family members (stitches) have a common goal of increasing the bonds of love (holding leather together on the chair), then their actions also speak of attaining that goal through love and respect (staying stuck in the leather without fraying). If by chance something happens catastrophic, the loving family will not fall apart. Instead, each member rallies together and holds on tight to each other making a unified family (the stitches turn into one strong thread).

However, sometimes the threads get cut making not only the leather separate from the chair, but also the stitches turn into more than one thread. The same thing happens in families. Every day the members of a family have the choice to either strengthen or weaken the family bond. Members who exhibit selfishness, disrespect, quick tempers, narrow mindedness, and a lack of forgiveness cause a weakness in the relationships of the family.

Life is not easy.

Catastrophes will happen.

During the times of peace, families should make a concerted effort to grow in love so that during times of pain and sorrow, they can hold each other together and make it through the difficult times.

Is this easy?

No.

What is the adage? "Power is knowledge." If you've read this post, you now have the knowledge that YOU can make a difference in the family. That YOU can decide to work with the family towards a mutual goal thus finding happiness together. YOU have the choice to put aside the weakness of humanity and focus on exhibiting the good thus strengthening each member of the family.

Simple information that we already knew before reading this analogy.

Do you need to change some undesirable traits to ensure that the stitches in your family stay sewn together in the leather?


"There is no doubt that it is around the family and the home that all the greatest virtues, the most dominating virtues of human society, are created, strengthened and maintained."~Winston Churchill~

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Frayed On The Edges

Sometimes life comes at you too fast...

• a loved one dies
• an unexpected pregnancy
• job loss
• house burns down
• involved in a car crash
• health crisis and surgery
• depression
• diagnosed with a disease

When life experiences are overwhelming, it is necessary to gravitate to your base. Everything else is unnecessary, frivolous and only tends to add to the stress.

I have an armoire that encases my computer, office supplies, the camera, books, pictures of my family and attached to the back behind the monitor, a giant Mother's Day card can be found. It is a mammoth piece of furniture held together by wooden and metal pegs and a few metal screws. Unless I get down on my hands and knees, stick my head under it and look up, it is impossible to see any screws. Even then, I can only see a couple that are placed in strategic locations.

The metal screws play a vital role in sustaining the solidity of my armoire. The wooden edges around the hole are a bit rough, but that doesn't deter the screw from staying put and doing its job. The frayed edges are just the by product of a sure and sturdy beginning.

During trials, tribulations, and catastrophes, it is necessary to remember our foundation...our beginning...the screws that hold us together. We have learned and gathered information that will help us through anything life presents, and we also have people in our lives that keep us grounded to the truth. These same people have the ability to show us the light at the end of the tunnel. They help us to hold on to the hope that all things pass no matter how awful it currently feels.

However, as a Christian, the gospel of Christ is the ultimate foundation in my life and for you, it may be a different belief of a Higher Being. When my soul aches because life is fraying at the edges, I know that I can cry in prayer for His comfort. Sometimes all the information and loving people can not provide the needed relief. Granted, I do not actually see Christ standing in front of me nor do I hear His voice speaking my name, but I can feel peace within my soul.

There are times that I have not felt His comfort or knew the right choices, but I know it is necessary to persevere and remain steadfast in the foundation of knowledge and faith accumulated throughout my life. Just because I can't find peace, doesn't mean that He isn't there guiding my life. I need to hold it together because just like a sunny day, the night will come and so will another sunny day. It is up to me not to let these experiences unscrew my faith or all my hope.


"Permanence, perseverance and persistence
in spite of all obstacles,
discouragement, and impossibilities:
It is this, that in all things
distinguishes the strong soul
from the weak."~Thomas Carlyle~

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Lick Your Lips

When you bake a yummy dessert and friends or family come over to visit, being a good hostess includes offering the brood a piece of the masterpiece. I'm a "giver" by nature, so this type of hostess behavior comes to me naturally.

People visit.

I feed them.

They ooohh and aaahh.

I feel happy.

Nothing strange about that scenario at all. My family can attest to the fact that I love to cook for them. Watching other people consume the ingredients that have been precisely cut, measured and baked into a creation from heaven is fulfilling, exciting and a great boost to my ego which takes its share of hard knocks.

Last night, while still being the attentive mother to my sick child, I wanted the house to smell...like home. The kind of comforting place that you would kick your red ruby slippers three times to get back to in a hurry.

Having the country farm life in my DNA, I open the pantry and spy the pure extract vanilla bottle. Perfect! Turning around with the bottle in hand I see three loaves of wheat bread. That's all it took. I new exactly what I needed to bake.

Something simple.

Basic.

Comforting.

Carb-filled.

Sweet.

Warm.

Most of all, it had the ability to fill the house with the smells of home as it baked for seventy minutes.

Bread pudding with the flair of The Redhead Riter, but not too exotic for Alyssa's taste.

After the brief measuring, shaking, stirring and pouring, the pans were placed in the oven and the timer set. That gave me plenty of time to have a nice chat with my Facebook world. Of course, I had to tell everyone of the fantastic smells that were wafting past my nose.

Needless to say, there was an outcry for bread pudding. I invited them over, but everyone lives so far away they had to just live through the experience of the delicious smells and flavors vicariously. It really was such a shame that I couldn't share. Even this morning I had messages that many had bread pudding dreams.

As promised, I am providing photos of the now non-existent and much enjoyed bread pudding. Be sure to take advantage of the scratch and sniff photos to enhance your viewing pleasure.

Before Cooking


After Cooking







If you would like to duplicate this yummy dessert, I am also providing the simple version of the recipe.

Bread Pudding

4 slices of bread (white or wheat, fresh or stale)
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup raisins (white is my favorite)
3/4 cup water or orange juice
3 eggs
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Dash of salt
2-1/3 cup milk

Heat the oven to 350°.

Put 1/2 cup raisins in orange juice or water. Place in microwave for 2-4 minutes or until very hot. Set aside until plump.

Toast the bread slices lightly. On both sides of toast, butter, sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon. Cut eat slice into four pieces. Arrange in a 1-1/2 quart casserole dish. Drain liquid off raisins. Sprinkle bread with raisins. Mix eggs, granulated sugar, vanilla and salt. Slowly stir milk into egg mixture. When completely mixed, pour over bread gently.

Place casserole in square pan (about 9x9x2 inches) on over rack. Pour very hot water (1 inch deep)into pan being careful not to pour into bread mixture. Bake until knife inserted halfway between center and edge comes out clean - approximately 60-70 minutes. Remove casserole from hot water. Ice with cream cheese drizzle.


Cream Cheese Drizzle

4 ounces cream cheese (warmed approximately 20 seconds in microwave until it begins to liquefy)
1-1/2 to 2 cups confectioners sugar

Stir slowly and then vigorously until mixture is smooth and slightly loose. If too thick, add 1/2 teaspoon milk at a time stirring after each, until loose. If to runny, add 1/4 confectioners sugar at a time stirring after each, until thicker.

Spread on top of hot bread pudding.

Serve warm.

When you're finished eating, don't use a napkin to wipe your mouth...just lick your lips.

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Remember Me

There's always so many things to do, places to go and people to see. Often it is just a rat race. Our lives are filled with "things" that are not important and that cause us to be endlessly busy.

I do not want that type of life.

I do not have that type of life.

My life has been narrowed down to the basics. Part of the reason was to be sure I was focusing my attention on the activities that added value. For instance, I stopped shopping just for the thrill of it a long time ago. I no longer get a high from purchasing items I don't need and end up regretting later anyway. I just don't get caught up in the purchase. I also prefer getting homemade gifts because it tells me that the person loved me enough to take the time to put together something with their own hands. They thought about me.

My calendar does not have every minute of every day planned with an activity. As a matter of fact, it is mostly blank because it allows for carefree timelessness. I want to spend the rest of my life in activities with my family, doing things that will also add value to their lives. I don't want to die and be forgotten.

I want to be remembered.

Don't we all have that desire?

That isn't a morbid thought, but just a simple reality. I want to have mattered. I want to be remembered as someone whose heart was filled with love, compassion, tenderness and found joy in helping others. Just as I overlook everyone's faults and weaknesses, I want others to do the same for me.

Aren't we all just trying to live a happy life?

I was talking to Mom on the phone this week and she randomly said, "I was looking at all my pictures and realized how old they looked."

Since we had just been talking about Alyssa turning 17, I assumed she meant my daughter, Alyssa and my niece, Brittany. "Yes," I said, they have really grown into beautiful young women."

Much to my astonishment, she said, "No, I mean you and Audrey."

"What?!"

"I can't believe you and your sister look so old now," she said rather calmly and somewhat bewildered.

She even sounded distressed by it.

I wasn't offended. Actually, it just reiterated the fact that I do not want to have a frivolous life because even my mother realizes that time is truly slipping by us all. The rest of the day I kept thinking, "Am I wasting my life? Is my life filled with the important things? Can I stand at the feet of my Savior and not be ashamed?"

I am even more dedicated to leaving behind a legacy of good memories. For the record, I feel forgiveness for everyone who has hurt me. My heart no longer carries hatred for the wrongs done against me. Believe me when I say that was a huge undertaking. There are still scars and the memories creep in to make me sad, but hate is gone. It is such a relief to have let it all go.


I also want Alyssa to know that I have forgiven everyone, whether they asked me to or not. This is an important thing we each need to do. Hatred wears us down and cankers the soul. It's just not worth harboring negativity.

I love Alyssa with all my heart and every fiber of my being. She is and always will be the sunshine of my morning. She is the fulfillment of the best of motherhood. Alyssa is forgiveness, love, fun, perfume, shoes, electronics and big brown eyes under silky blond hair.

I love my mother beyond words. She gave me life, love and beliefs that shaped everything about me. She is compassion, lace, fabric, sewing needles, chocolate fudge, big hair, self-consciousness, sacrifice, love and long prayers.

I love my dad because he's my dad no matter which way you look at it. He will always be Old Spice, Elvis' hairstyle, fuzzy socks, crisp shirts, and a heart that aches to be loved.

I love my sister who I begged my parents to give me. I have more memories with her than all the words written on the internet. She is underwater tea parties, Barbies in the bathtub, brownies, a bird's nest, and static filled blond hair tickling my nose when we jumped in the bed to sleep together.

I love my niece, Brittany, who is the child of my heart with flaming red hair. She is library books, a tender heart, quick tears, red fingernails, lots of love and a quick, intelligent mind.

And I love the three T's...Terry (Audrey's husband), Tom (Mom's husband) and the other Tom (my husband). Each have their own talents, strengths and a specialness that has made us all love them. Each has touched my life and brought me comfort when my soul has cried out in pain. For that I can not thank them enough and I love them more than they really could possibly know.

So in this somewhat rambling, stream of consciousness type posting, I hope that you can walk away with at least one thing...love.

Love your family.

Hold them close and tight.

Fill your lives with activities to cultivate the loving bond.

I'm feeling more like the song Brooks and Dunn sings called Believe,

I raise my hands, bow my head
I'm finding more and more truth
in the words written in red
They tell me that there's more to life
than just what i can see
Oh i believe

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The Little Red Hen (The Redhead Riter)

Do you know the story of the Little Red Hen? It is an old folk tale that was turned into a children's book by Little Golden Books in the 1940's and is one of my all time favorite books. Well, if you haven't heard it, the brief version with its application to me today follows:

There was a Little Red Hen (The Redhead Riter) who found a grain of wheat (dust bunnies and clutter) and wanted to bake bread (clean the house spotlessly), but she knew she couldn't do it all alone so she asked her animal friends (family) to help.

At each stage of harvesting, threshing, milling the wheat into flour, and baking the flour into bread (cleaning the windows, baseboards, air conditioning vents, kitchen counters, polishing the kitchen cabinets, polishing the wood furniture, keeping the washer and dryer going, vacuuming, scrubbing the floors) the hen asks for help from the other animal friends (family), but each time she doesn't get any assistance (Tom put in a light bulb and then took a nap. Alyssa stayed with the puppy who threw up because we think she ate carpet and then took a nap).

Finally when the little Little Red Hen (The Redhead Riter) completes all the tasks and bakes delicious bread (homemade spaghetti), she asks if anyone will help her eat it.

"I will!" said the cow.
"I will!" said the pig (Tom).
"I will!" said the goat.
"I will!" said the teenage Moose (Alyssa).
"I will!" said the duck.

"No you won't!" said the Little Red Hen.

"I will!" And she did.

Well, that is where the story is different because I did let Tom and Alyssa eat my delicious dinner.



I was the lucky one to get the bay leaf. Don't you hate it when that happens?!


In spite of my uncommon lethargy, I was determined to accomplish all my tasks today. "And I did!" said The Redhead Riter.

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Steaming Hot Chocolate Moments

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Click image above to see the entire photo
Oft times the propensity for a particular color car, style of clothing, or the things we eat and drink are influenced by our childhood. When I'm sick with a cold, the only thing I want to eat is hot chicken noodle soup. When I'm super depressed, I want ice cream and chocolate. On the flip side, when I am cold and snuggled down for the evening, I want a mug of hot chocolate.

Click image above to see the entire photo
I don't know exactly why, but the steaming cup of sweet chocolate aroma makes the world feel "right" for just a little while. Alyssa and I have always loved sitting together in our pajamas, hot mugs of liquid chocolaty goodness between us, and either watching a good movie or talking about everything and anything.

I attribute our hot chocolate moments as life enhancing and bonding times. All worries stop and there was just Alyssa, me, memorable exchanges and steaming mugs of hot chocolate.

Although we make hot chocolate more in the winter, we also enjoy it during the hot months by simply turning the air condition down. Have I ever said how thankful I am for an air conditioner that works efficiently?

Click image above to see the entire photo
So as the winter is fast approaching and the hot chocolate is beginning to flow freely, I wanted to encourage everyone to stop frequently, let the day disappear and focus on the most important people in your life. Center your attention on the things they want do or talk about and step out of the "I have to worry about everything because I am your mother" or "I have laundry to do and need to iron your shirts because I am your wife" attitudes.

Enjoy the people in your life and share more hot chocolate moments.

Click image above to see the entire photo

"Love is like swallowing hot chocolate
before it has cooled off.
It takes you by surprise at first,
but keeps you warm for a long time."


Click here to for printable recipe cardClick here for story behind recipe cards and the family recipe box

Check out the short posts on my other blogs.
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Safety - Is It An Illusion?

This is very important. Don't hide your eyes pretending this doesn't happen and won't happen to you or your family. Don't be ignorant. Instead choose to be aware. This is real.

I believe that we see and hear about violence so often on the news that we become somewhat immune to the fact that it happens every day to normal people living in nice, non-violent neighborhoods...or is there really such a place? This is heartbreaking and almost unbearable to imagine the pain that these families have suffered.


This happens so fast you don't even realize the information just gathered about your child...

• 15% of students are being bullied on a daily basis
• 160,000 kids miss school everyday due to bullying
• Half of all students report being bullied at some time

Tips to help keep your children safe:

• Have open conversations with your children about every topic including the fact that they can tell you anything, any time.
• Ensure that your children know that you WILL believe them when they tell you something is wrong.
• Teach your child not to keep secrets from you.
• Do not tell the child to "ignore" it. It will make them wonder why they even bothered telling you.
• It is okay to break the rules in order to remain safe i.e. break windows to escape, scream, yell, bite, etc.
• Do not blame the victim of any crime.
• Get all the facts pertaining to the incident including witnesses names.
• Report the incident to the police.
• Have the school act as a go between for contact with the bullies parents unless otherwise advised by the police.
• Teach your children to be assertive. Children who are NOT bullied know how to assert themselves during a confrontation. They have the conflict resolution skills that enables them to solve problems without being aggressive.
• Role play...seriously.

When my niece Brittany was around the age of six, the schools began to really push "Stranger Danger" and encouraged role playing at home. One afternoon, we decided to role play in the front yard. We told her that Evan, my ex-husband, would walk down the street towards the house and he would pretend to be a stranger. She was to just play in the front yard and when he approached, follow the things she had been taught about safety. I want to interject that the kids NEVER played outside without me sitting and watching them. "Approximately one-third of abductions occurr within one-half block of the victim’s home."

Brittany stood in the middle of the yard and just watched as Evan slowly walked down the street towards our house. When he was about two feet from the edge of the yard, he started running towards Brittany.

I was sitting and observing on the porch holding Alyssa.

Brittany took off running and screaming towards me with terror on her face. Upon reaching me, she collapsed in my arms a sobbing mess. Evan and I held and comforted her. When she was finally able to speak, Brittany said that she was terrified because for a minute it felt real. All she could think about was that someone was trying to get her.

It wasn't our intention to scare her so badly. We just wanted to practice safety and give her tips for her protection. Obviously, besides being a very intelligent child, she also had a very vivid imagination. Now that Brittany has gotten older, she said that deep down she knew it was just Evan, but that it felt so real at the time that he had become just a faceless man out to get her.

We were careful after that not to traumatize her, but the impression had been made forever. I can't say enough about the value of role playing every situation with your children. Role play everything from strangers to being honest enough to return an overpayment to the person at the cash register. Practice until it becomes second nature to them because in a crisis, you don't really have time to think.

Somer Thompson (7 years old) - All 161 sex offenders within the five mile radius of her home have been questioned. 161 within 5 miles?!!!! Somer vanished on her one-mile walk home from school Monday. 7 years old walking a mile alone? The latest story of how police found Somer Thompson here.

Man Killed Virginia Family, Ransacked Home, Ate Their Food read here - That was the second family within a week that this man killed. The first family had been bound, beaten with a hammer and stabbed, their throats cut and their bodies set ablaze."

Gangs "will get worse because they are getting more structured."



Feinstein-Hatch-Schumer Gang Deterrence and Community Protection Act of 2007 found here



Why? It is just so horrible.

2006 Child Abduction Murder Study found here.

"In 76 percent of the missing children homicide cases studied, the child was dead within three hours of the abduction–and in 88.5 percent of the cases the child was dead within 24 hours."
"In 74 percent of the missing children homicide cases studied, the child murder victim was female and the average age was 11 years old."

The National Organization of Parents of Murdered Children, Inc.®
Justice for Murdered Children
KlaasKids Foundation
America's Most Wanted - Missing Children
America's Most Wanted Safety Center
Psychology Today - When My Child Was Murdered

When Bad Things Happen to Good People (Mass Market Paperback)

Christians believe that one answer can be found in the Bible (Romans 8:18) "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." Adversity, opposition and trials are part of the plan which gives us "choice" and "free agency" which in turns also brings about "consequences" for those actions. Christians also believe that there is the existence of evil which persuades people to choose actions which bring about pain and unhappiness to others. If God intervened each time someone chose to do evil to an undeserving person, the entire plan of giving humans the freedom to make decisions or morally choose goodness would be thwarted.

"Making the decision to have a child -
it's momentous.
It is to decide forever
to have your heart
go walking outside your body."
~Elizabeth Stone~
♥

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