Mix together:
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can red enchilada sauce
Spread 1/3 of this into a greased 9x13 pan. Lay 8-10 frozen burritos on top of the mixture and spread rest of the sauce mixture on top of burritos. Top with 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese. Garnish with sliced black olives (optional). Bake at 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes. Serve hot with sour cream.
by Mimi Cummins
Are you wondering if you have the time to bake homemade Christmas cookies
this year? Every year at about this time we all start to get a little
panicked that the holidays are coming up fast and we're not really ready
yet. Here are a few little-known tips and tricks, for almost every type of
cookie, to help you get the most out of the time you spend baking.
Cutout Cookies
Don't struggle with dough sticking to your rolling pin. Instead, roll out
your dough between two sheets of waxed paper. This will eliminate the
sticking problem.
Do your cutout cookies always seem to turn out dry, tough, and tasteless?
The trick with the waxed paper will help with this. Assuming that you
started with a good recipe, the problem is that you are overworking your
dough and working too much flour into it. Using the waxed paper will help
you to manipulate the dough less, and the dough won't pick up any extra
flour.
Refrigerator (Icebox) Cookies and Pinwheels
Ever notice how your roll of icebox or pinwheel cookies gets flat on one
side from sitting on the refrigerator shelf? Keep them nice and round by
standing them upright in a tall drinking glass while they're chilling.
Do your cookies flatten further when you try to slice them? Try rotating the
log 1/4 turn after each slice.
Having trouble with the cookies crumbling as you try to slice them? Start
with a log that has been frozen for several hours. Then use a very a very
sharp to slice through.
Cookie Press Cookies (Spritz)
Having trouble getting your cookies to form properly? When your dough
doesn't seem to stick properly, put your baking sheet in the freezer for an
hour or two, while keeping the dough at room temperature. Then when you
press out your cookies onto the frozen sheet, the dough will stick to it
just like your tongue sticks to a frozen metal pole when you lick it
(assuming you've ever been silly enough to try this).
Don't forget you can pick up your mistakes and put them back into the press.
Bar Cookies
When making bar cookies, create a liner for your baking pan by turning the
pan upside-down and covering it with aluminum foil, making sure to form the
corners and leaving an overhang of an inch or two. Then, remove the foil,
turn the pan right side up, turn the foil over and place it inside the pan.
It will make a perfect liner for your pan. If required by your recipe,
grease the liner. Then continue baking your bar cookies as directed. Once
baked, you can lift out the entire batch of bars and place it on a cooling
rack to cool completely. You can then immediately re-use your baking pan for
another batch without having to wait for the previous batch to cool, and you
won't have to wash the pan.
All Cookies
Eliminate the need to grease your baking sheets and wash them later by
lining them with parchment paper. Parchment paper can be re-used several
times and gives excellent results.
Do your cookies seem to brown too much, or cook too fast? Buy a dependable
oven thermometer and check your oven temperature. Your oven's internal
thermometer may not be accurate. Or, perhaps you are using a non-stick
baking sheet or pan. The dark color of the non-stick coating can make your
baked goods brown too fast. Try a shiny metal pan instead or lower your oven
temperature by 25 degrees.
Are your cookies not browned enough, or take too long to cook? Again, verify
the oven temperature. Or, perhaps you're using an insulated baking sheet or
pan. Insulated bakeware can prevent your cookies from reaching the desired
temperature in the right amount of time. Try using a non-insulated pan, or
raise your oven temperature by 25 degrees.
For more information on minimizing the work involved in holiday baking,
consult these articles:
Hassle-Free Holiday Baking: 6 Easy Days to Perfect Christmas Cookies (
http://www.christmascookiesareforgiving.com/hassle-free.php )
A Cookie Assembly Line: Efficient Cookie Baking for Busy Cooks (
http://www.christmascookiesareforgiving.com/assembly.php)
A pinch of know-how combined with a dash of preparation can make for
successful, easy, and stress-free cookie baking every Christmas!
Copyright 2004 Mimi Cummins. All Rights Reserved.
About the Author
Mimi Cummins is co-author of the book "Christmas Cookies Are for Giving:
Recipes, Stories, and Tips for Making Heartwarming Gifts." This book,
"enthusiastically recommended" by Midwest Book Review, is full of baking
tips and hints, including nearly 50 recipes each with a full-color photo.
For more information visit http://www.christmascookiesareforgiving.com/ or
order from your favorite online bookstore.
By Crystal Miller
Using bath teas are gaining popularity as a new enjoyable
bathing experience! The idea behind them is to combine
certain herbs that can be simmered and steeped for about 15
minutes and then add these to your bath water. The herbs can
be combined for better relaxation, or revitalization, or
even calming herbs, depending on what your goal is.
After you mix your herbs together you put them in a small
bag, made from cheesecloth and put them in a pan with a few
cups of water. Boil them for about 15 minutes, then cover
them and let them steep for awhile. This is then added to
your bath water.
To simplify you could also add the herb mixture right to the
pan of water and strain them through cheesecloth or a dish
towel. If you don’t want to spend the time boiling,
straining, waiting you can also put the herbs in a coffee
filter in your coffee maker and run water through them. They
don’t get quite the steeping time but the aromatic effects
would be very useful as well.
Here are some recipes for bath teas that you can prepare and
store in a container to use as often as you would like a
nice refreshing bath. You can look for the dry herbs at
health food stores or search for on-line sources.
Herb Tea for Relaxation
1 cup rosemary
1 cups lavender
1 cups rose petals
1 cup mint
Mix these ingredients together and store in a container.
When you want to use them, measure out ½ cup of them and
bring to a boil in 1 to 2 cups water. Turn off heat and
allow to sit and steep for about 15 minutes. Strain and add
to your bath water.
Here is another combination that will also provide
ingredients for skin softening.
Soft and Relaxing Bath Tea Mix
½ cup dried mint
½ cup dried chamomile
½ cup dried lavender
½ cup dried rosemary
½ cup dried rose petals
½ cup ground oatmeal (you can easily grind this up in your
blender)
½ cup powdered milk
This recipe also easily doubles or triples. Combine the
above ingredients and store in a container. When you want to
use them, simply put ½ to 1 cup in a pan and bring to a boil
with 1 to 2 cups of water. Turn off heat, cover and let sit
for 15 minutes to steep. Strain and add to your bath water.
Copyright: Crystal Miller, 2004
About the Author:
Crystal Miller ( mailto:crystal@thefamilyhomestead.com) is
a mother of 8 children and enjoys her God given role as
wife, homemaker and mother! She has a homemaking and
country living web site called The Family Homestead
http://www.thefamilyhomestead.com and has a free monthly
newsletter called Homestead Happenings. You will find
sign up information on her website.
Spaghetti squash is one of those foods that I thought was odd, and that I probably wouldn't like. But after watching it prepared and then eating it, I have fallen in love with this vegetable.
To prepare my spaghetti squash, I begin by cutting in half lengthwise. Cutting it is no easy task -- make sure you have a sharp knife. Remove the seeds you find inside and pierce the skin several times with a fork. To cook the squash, I prefer to bake it. I place each half of the squash, cut side down, in a large baking pan. I bake it at about 350 degrees F for 45 minutes or until skin is tender and strands may be loosened easily with a fork. Let the squash cool and then using a fork to loosen and remove the spaghetti-like strands.
I then cook some bacon in a frying pan. After the bacon is cooked and broken into bits and pieces, I discard most (if not all) of the bacon grease. I then add some butter to the pan, let it melt, and toss in the cooked spaghetti squash. When the squash, butter, and bacon are evenly distributed, I like to add some Parmesan cheese.
That's it! The result is a delicious dish that even my children love. If you have your own favorite ways of preparing spaghetti squash, or if you try my way, share your comments here at the HomeMade Living blog.
Chocolate Dipped Caramel Apples
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup honey
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups heavy cream
3 tablespoons heavy cream
3 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into chunks
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
up to 16 small apples, cold
1 1/4 pounds chocolate
5 to 6 ounces chopped toasted nuts (optional)
up to 16 Popsicle sticks
Combine the sugar, corn syrup, honey and salt in a heavy-bottomed 3-quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring with a spatula or spoon, until the mixture begins to simmer around the edges. Wash the sugar and syrup from inside the pot with wet pastry brush or a wad if paper towel dipped in water. Cover and continue to cook for about 3 minutes.
Meanwhile rinse the spatula or spoon before using it again later. Uncover the pot and wash the sides once more. Insert the candy thermometer without letting it touch the bottom of the pot. Cook, uncovered, without stirring, until the mixture reached 305° F., 5 to 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring the cream to a simmer and keep it hot until needed When the sugar mixture reached 305° F., turn the heat off. Stir in the butter chunks. Gradually stir in the hot cream; it will bubble up and steam dramatically, so be careful. Turn the heat back on under the pot so that the mixture boils energetically but not violently. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the temperature reaches 250°F., about 30 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the vanilla. Transfer the caramel into a smaller pot or heatproof bowl deep enough to dip the apples. Cool for 10 minutes.
Impale each apple on a stick. Holding the stick, dip and apple into the caramel, allowing the excess to flow back into the pot. Set the apple on a sheet of wax paper. If the caramel gets too cool it will slide entirely off the apples! If necessary, reheat gently (without simmering), then continue to dip. Repeat to coat each apple. Let the dipped apples set until the caramel is cool and firm, at least 30 minutes.
Melt 1 pound of chocolate. Dip each apple into the chocolate, allowing excess chocolate to flow back into the bowl. Sprinkle with nuts if desired. Set the dipped apples on a tray lined with wax paper. Apples coated with untempered chocolate must be refrigerated to prevent discoloration. Apples coated with tempered chocolate may be kept at room temperature.
By Amanda Formaro
http://familycorner.com
As the years have come and gone, parents and children have become
more and more creative in selecting costumes, from the adorable to
the unusual. Here are a few to choose from!
Check out our homemade face paint here!
http://www.thefamilycorner.com/cgi-bin/dir/jump.cgi?ID=4467
Flower
green or brown hooded sweatsuit
2 sheets yellow or white posterboard
green felt
2 plastic headbands
craft glue
small stuffed bumble bee
From posterboard, cut out petals. From green felt, cut out long leaves.
Glue petals to one headband and glue green felt leaves to the other headband.
Put petal headband on head and leaf headband around neck. Glue a small
stuffed bumble bee to sweatshirt. You can fashion one from felt or posterboard.
Fisherman
flannel shirt
blue jeans
lief jacket
rubber boots
fishing pole (real or made from a stick or branch)
floppy fishing hat
cardboard
silver spray paint
black marker
12" piece of yarn
hole punch
Cut four fish out of cardboard. Spray paint silver on both sides, let dry.
Use marker to draw an "X" in place of the fish's eyes. Punch hole near
mouth of each fish and string from a piece of yarn. Carry fishing pole in
hand and sling fish over shoulder.
Artist
red beret or other hat
cardboard
craft paint in several colors
cape or smock
paint brush
Have child wear hat tipped sideways. Draw on a black mustache with
eyeliner or face paint. Cut out an artist's paint palette from cardboard.
Paint five or six circles in different colors around palette. Hot glue paint
brush onto palette or hold in hand.
Firefighter
Yellow or red raincoat
rubber boots (yellow, red or basic black)
toy fire hat
cardboard
aluminum foil
stuffed Dalmatian toy
Make an axe out of cardboard and aluminum foil. Get dressed and carry puppy!
Farmer
flannel shirt
overalls
galoshes
straw hat or baseball cap
plastic pitchfork (or fashion from cardboard)
stuffed pig or chicken
Very simple, just get dressed! Carry pitchfork and stuffed farm animal.
Tired Woman
well-worn nightgown
well-worn terry bathrobe
big fuzzy slippers
curlers
plastic coffee mug
Get dressed. Put curlers in child's hair. Have her carry a coffee mug and
hang a sign around her neck that says "I'm Not a Morning Person!"
Pretzel
brown hooded sweatsuit
dark brown tights
cotton batting or old pillow stuffing
hot glue
white packing peanuts
Stuff tights with cotton batting or pillow stuffing. Fold into a pretzel shape
and hot glue in place. Use white packing peanuts as salt and hot glue on.
Teletubbies
red, blue, yellow or green hooded sweatsuit
2 matching colored chenille sticks
plastic headband
thin cardboard
silver spray paint
Twist chenille sticks onto headband for antennas. Paint child's face
same color as sweatsuit. Cut a tummy sized square of cardboard and
spray one side with silver paint, let dry. Glue to tummy of sweatsuit.
Pizza Slice
2 sheets of red, yellow or orange poster board
yellow, green, red, and brown construction paper OR craft paint
Cut the posterboard into 2 pie shapes (triangle). Then on one side of
each piece, glue on red circles for pepperoni, brown splotches for sausage,
green squares for green peppers, and yellow strips for cheese. You can use
pieces of posterboard or construction paper, or you can paint them on.
Then when you are done, use some more posterboard to connect the two
slices, by cutting two long strips and attaching them to the wide end of the
slice and draping them over the child's shoulders (imagine those signs that
people where in the city streets, the walking billboards of yesteryear). Pizza!
Patch of Dandelions
green sweatpants or leggings
light blue sweat shirt
yellow felt
big yellow buttons
green felt
white pompoms
cotton batting or cotton balls
Cut leaves out of green felt and glue or stitch onto green pants. Cut
yellow felt into circles, slitting them to make fringe around the edges.
Hand stitch on over green leaves with big yellow buttons. Hand sew
white pompoms on to make dandelions that have gone to seed. Glue
cotton batting or cotton balls onto blue shirt for clouds. Cut a large
yellow circle from felt for the sun.
Bubble Bath
white sweatsuit
small white balloons
shower cap
bath scrubby (with rope to hang from wrist)
rubber ducky
Pin small white balloons all over shirt. Put on shower cap, hang
bath scrubby from wrist and carry a rubber ducky or glue him to
the shoulder of the shirt.
Bag of Jelly Beans (or gumballs)
clear plastic bag (dry cleaning bags are great)
balloons, several different colors
bright colored scarf
white posterboard
black marker
craft glue
Have child step into bag to make holes for the legs and arms. Fill
bag with balloons use a bright scarf to tie around the top of the bag.
Cut a square of posterboard to create a sign that says "Jelly Beans 5¢".
Glue it to the front of the bag.
M&M
black sweatsuit
2 pieces of cardboard
craft or spray paint, any color of M&M's
black craft paint or markers
heavy duty string
Cut two large circles out of cardboard. Paint. Draw or paint on "m&m"
onto both circles. Use heavy duty string to attach the 2 pieces together
and hang over shoulders, sign style.
Table for One
cardboard
red checkerboard table cloth
play dishes
play food
silk flowers
plastic headband
Cut cardboard into a circle, cut out a hold for your head. Put head into
hole and rest on your shoulders. Cover with a red checkerboard tablecloth.
Make your head into a centerpiece by gluing silk flowers to the headband.
Glue play dishes and play food onto the table, add accessories (salt and
pepper shakers, napkins, menu, etc.).
Mr. Potato Head
black sweatsuit
burlap bag
old shirt or rags
white felt
black felt
red felt
peach felt
brown felt
Velcro fasteners
fiber fill
red clown shoes
white gloves
Fill the burlap bag with old shirts or rags. Using felt, cut out the eyes
(black and white), nose (peach), mouth (red), and mustache (brown).
Attach Velcro to the backs of the pieces of felt. Use fiberfill to stuff each
parts. Attach the Velcro backs to the suit.
King & Queen of Hearts
4 pieces of white posterboard
2 pieces of cardboard (from nylon package)
gold spray paint
red lipstick
Draw the King of Hearts face on one side of the white posterboard, then
just hearts on back side. Put a strap (scrap of material) stapling the two
posters to fit over child's head on to their shoulder. Make gold crown out
of nylon cardboard. Put a heart of lipstick on child's cheek. Repeat for the Queen.
Grapes
purple or green sweatsuit
purple or green balloons
double-sided tape or adhesive Velcro circles
chenille sticks or raffia
Stick balloons to clothing. If using tape, twist it around tied-off end of balloon
and crimp tightly onto clothing. Velcro circles come apart. Each half can be
attached to a balloon and the clothing. Make a "stem" by twisting together
brown and green pipe cleaners or raffia and attach to hat. This works best
as an indoor party outfit and should not be worn by children under five --
balloons are a choking hazard.
Grape Vine
brown sweatsuit
brown shoes
double sided tape
purple balloons
Cover your body with double sided sticky tape. Then fill up purple balloons
and attach the balloons to the double sided tape. You may use a garbage
bag tie to attach the balloon to the double sided tape. This is preferred if
you are going outside in the wind.
A Highway
black sweatsuit
yellow craft paint or yellow tape
small plastic toy cars
Paint two solid yellow lines down the middle of the shirt, or use 2 inch pieces
of yellow tape. Glue on plastic cars.
Laundry Basket
hooded sweatsuit, any color
small round laundry basket
string
odd socks
armful of clothing
empty detergent bottle
empty fabric softener bottle
Cut a hole in the bottom of the laundry basket to fit to child's body. Attach
twin strings to act as suspenders to hold the basket up. Fill it with clothes
and empty detergent bottles.
Static Cling
Mismatched clothes
safety pins
dryer sheets
socks
small towels
hair gel
Wear any kind of mismatched clothes, pin one pant leg up, pin dryer sheets on
you as well as socks, small towels, etc. Use hair gel to make your hair look like
it has static.
Punk rocker
black pants
leather jacket
colored hair spray
sunglasses
hair gel
hair spray
Use hair gel and hair spray to tease hair into crazy spikes. Color.
Priest
black pants
black button-down shirt
black shoes
white posterboard
rosary
bible
Create a priest's collar from white posterboard and insert into front collar
area of shirt. Works best if you use a shirt that has the same type of self-faced
collar as priests wear, or you could tuck under the collar points for a similar
effect. Add rosary and bible. Especially a cute costume for a boy who is
constantly in trouble!
Crayon
any color sweatsuit
matching color construction paper or posterboard
black marker
Paint the word "crayon" sideways in black, and use the same color construction
paper to make your pointed hat. Staple a string on it and tie it under your neck
to keep it secure, you can paint your face the same color too.
About the Author:
Amanda Formaro is the entrepreneurial mother of four children.
She is also the owner of FamilyCorner.com Magazine at http://familycorner.com
where you will find recipes, crafts, family activities, parenting
advice, home & garden, and plenty more. Be sure to visit
the bustling message board community to make some new friends!
"A handmade Halloween scrapbook is perfect to feature photos of their costumes and souvenirs like dried pumpkin seeds, wax teeth and candy bar wrappers."
Read the rest of the details here!
Painting and Decorating Tile
Copyright © 2004 Pamela Cole Harris
Home and Garden Makeover
http://www.homeandgardenmakeover.com/
Ceramic tile can be beautiful and elegant. But it can also be bland and uninspired. If you want to add a little color or creativity to your tile, here's how! Remember to clean your tile and let it dry before you begin any project.
1. Seal both tile and surrounding grout with a water-based floor varnish. Ask your home improvement retailer for suggestions about a good water-based floor varnish for your area.
2. Brush paint primer on both tile and grout. Let it dry for at least 12 hours before you begin painting.
3. With an artist's brush, paint your pattern with latex paint. Simple designs are best. You can use stencils or, if you are brave, try painting your own original design directly on the tile. Let the tile dry before sealing.
4. Seal the tiles with two coats of water-based varnish. Let the tile dry between coats.
Decorating your old tile can be easy and fun. Now, anyone have a great idea for rescuing an old bathtub? (Without making it a backyard planter, that is!)
About the Author:
Pamela Cole Harris has been a writer for over 35 years (Yikes! Has it been that long? Her fun, tongue-in-cheek approach to decorating has made http://www.homeandgardenmakeover.com one of the most popular décor sites on the net. She brings the same spirit of fun to cooking at http://www.thewellfedtraveler.com and running a home business at http://www.pajamabusinesses.com
From Monica at Homemaker's Journal:
Here's a delicious recipe that I found in the Ideals Hershey's Chocolate and
Cocoa Cookbook. It would be great to serve to guests during the holidays or
try it for your next special dessert.
Chocoberry Loaf
Makes 10 to 12 servings
Cookie Crumb Crust (below)
3, 3-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup Hershey's Chocolate Flavored Syrup
4 1/2 cups frozen nondairy whipped topping, thawed
3/4 cup sliced strawberries, pureed
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
Prepare Cookie Crumb Crust. Set aside.
Whip 2 of the packages of cream cheese in small bowl. Gradually blend in
chocolate syrup; beat until smooth. Fold in 3 cups of the whipped topping.
Spoon half of the chocolate mixture into the prepared crust. Sprinkle with 1/2
cup crumbs reserved from crust. Freeze about 15 minutes. Chill remaining
chocolate mixture.
Whip remaining package of cream cheese in small bowl. Blend in pureed
strawberries and corn syrup until smooth. Fold in remaining 1 1/2 cups whipped
topping. Spoon strawberry mixture onto chocolate layer in loaf pan. Sprinkle
with 1/2 cup crumb mixture; freeze about 15 minutes. Spoon remaining chocolate
filling onto strawberry layer. Top with remaining crumbs; pat down lightly.
Cover. Freeze several hours or overnight. Unmold about 10 minutes before
serving. Peel off foil before slicing.
Cookie Crumb Crust
3 cups chocolate creme-filled sandwich cookie crumbs
1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
Combine ingredients in a small bowl. Pat 1/2 cup crumb mixture onto the
bottom of a foil-lined 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan. Freeze. Reserve remaining crumbs
for between layers and top.
Get more recipes! Sign up for the FREE Homemaker's
Journal newsletter and get delicious recipes and informative
home and garden articles sent 3 times per week!
To subscribe, send a blank e-mail to:
HomemakersJournal-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Christmas--It's Never Too Early to Start!
by Cyndi Roberts
It's never too early to start getting ready for the holidays.
December can be such a busy month, it just makes sense
to spread the work and the expense out over a longer
period of time.
Without a bit of planning, the holidays can use up our time
and our money, making for a very stressful time.
Do you do a lot of cooking and baking at holiday time?
Does everyone always come to your home for Thanksgiving
and/or Christmas dinner? Obviously, it would be great if
the guests helped out with the cooking, but if that's not
possible, try doing as much as you can ahead of time.
For instance, if you plan to make cornbread dressing or stuffing,
make and crumble your cornbread in October and put it in a
zipper bag in the freezer.
Pie crusts and even some types of whole pies (apple pie, for one)
can be made ahead and frozen.
Even your turkey can be cooked ahead of time and put in the
freezer!
If you bake cookies, etc. for gifts, start early stocking up on the
ingredients and spread the cost out over several weeks.
Most cookie dough can be mixed and put in the freezer until you're
ready to bake. Or keep it in the fridge and bake a batch or two along
whenever you already have the oven on.
Love to send Christmas cards, but somehow don't find the time to
write as many as you'd like? Start now by addressing the envelopes
while you're watching your favorite TV show in the evening.
Then go ahead and write a little note inside one or two during your
morning break, or while you're waiting in line to pick up the kids
from
school. You'll have them all done before you know it!
Here's a way to save money on Christmas cards: Cut the fronts off the
cards you received last year and send them as postcards. (Assuming
the back is not written on, of course) Postage for postcards is
cheaper.
Last year's Christmas cards can also be cut up and used to make gift
tags. Give your older kids a pair of decorative scissors and tell
them to
get creative!
Make your Christmas gift list early and start saving a few dollars
every week,
so you don't need to use a credit card when you do your shopping.
Some folks even try to buy or make a gift every week or so all year
long
and by December all that's left to do is the wrapping!
The most important part of saving time and money at any time of year
is planning. Make your plan and stick to it and have a stress-free,
frugal holiday season!
Cyndi Roberts is the editor of the "1 Frugal Friend 2 Another"
bi-weekly newsletter and founder of the website of the same name.
Visit http://www.cynroberts.com to find creative tips, articles, and
a free e-cooking book. Subscribe to the newsletter and receive the
free e-course "Taming the Monster Grocery Bill".
In today's busy world, many parents have lost the
art of telling their stories to their kids. Here are
some reasons why these stories are so beneficial:
1. Use them to teach lessons about life.
Stories will stimulate conversations with your
kids more effectively than lecturing or 'trying to
get them to talk. There are a lot of issues happening
for your kids these days, and stories give them a
chance to reflect on them.
2. Stories connect your kids with previous
generations.
In a society that seems to have families spread
out all over, it's vitally important to have ways
to have your kids feel connected to their extended
families.
3. Stories stimulate your kids' imagination.
One of the best ways to prepare your kids for the
world is to engage them in vivid stories that stir
their imagination. Kids who are exposed to these
kinds of stories will be the creative
problem-solvers of the future.
4. Kids who are exposed to stories will continue
the tradition with their own families.
Knowing that your family traditions and stories
will be carried on by future generations is very
comforting.
5. Stories can encourage your kids when they're
discouraged
Childhood can get pretty discouraging sometimes.
Kids are encouraged by knowing that Mom or Dad
have gone through the same kinds of things and
have survived.
6. Telling your stories has you remembering your
own childhood.
Telling your kids about your childhood is a great
way for you to remember and reflect on what was
important about your younger years.
7. Telling stories helps to create depth and soul
in your kids.
In a TV and media-crazy culture, telling stories
can capture your kids' attention and convey real
meaning. It's a way to show your kids what's really
important in your life.
8. Telling stories to your kids tells them they're
worth the time.
Is there anything more important than conveying to
your kids that you want to spend intimate time
with them? They'll remember it forever.
9. Telling stories is a great chance to convey your
values.
Your kids will be getting quite a few messages
from their friends and from popular culture.
Stories are a great opportunity to sneak in a few
of your cherished values for your kids to hear.
10. Well-crafted stories create a wonderful
mind-set for your kids before they fall asleep.
Kids will fall asleep faster and with healthier
images when you tell them your stories.
Don't pass up the opportunity to connect with your
kids at the same time you tell them what's
important to you.
It will be a huge gift to your kids, and a huge
gift to you.
About the Author:
Mark Brandenburg MA, CPCC, coaches men to be better
fathers and husbands. He is the author of "25 Secrets
of Emotionally Intelligent Fathers"
http://www.markbrandenburg.com/father.htm
For a FREE ecourse and a FREE bi-weekly newsletter for
Dads, go to http://www.markbrandenburg.com
My family loves a *cooked* breakfast. I hate waking up in the morning. So, it's not uncommon for us to have breakfast for dinner. But I got this recipe off of Family-Recipes and thought this might be a really good one to make -- I set it all up the night before, cook on low for 10-12 hours and voila! a cooked breakfast while mom is still snug in her bed.
Crockpot Breakfast Casserole
1 (32 ounce) bag frozen hash brown potatoes
1 pound bacon diced, cooked and drained, or 1 pound cooked ham,
cubed, or 1 pound pork sausage cooked and crumbled
1 medium diced onion
1 green bell pepper diced
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese or any
combination
1 dozen eggs
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper (more or less to taste)
Place a layer of frozen potatoes on the bottom of the crockpot,
followed by a layer of bacon then onions, green pepper and cheese.
Repeat the layering process two or three more times, ending with a
layer of cheese.
Beat the eggs, milk and salt and pepper together. Pour over the
Crockpot mixture, cover and turn on LOW. Cook for 10 to 12 hours.
I really like cranberries and while most of my Thanksgiving meal is completely homemade, I still use canned cranberry sauce. I guess it's because that's what my mom always did...everything else was by scratch, but that one thing that most of the family didn't eat, was slid out onto a plate. I always ate the cranberry sauce though...loved it. But I am considering trying something new this year. How's this recipe sound?
Pineapple Cranberry Sauce
2 cans (15 oz. each) pineapple tidbits in juice
1 can (16 oz.) whole-berry cranberry sauce
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 tsp. grated orange peel (optional)
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
Directions:
Drain pineapple reserving 3/4 cup juice in saucepan.
Add cranberry sauce, cornstarch, orange peel,
cloves and nutmeg.
Stir to dissolve cornstarch.
Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened and
translucent.
Keep warm.
Stir in pineapple.
Serve sauce with sliced cooked turkey, chicken or ham.
2 Cans {1lb 13 oz.} Sweet potatoes or yams
1/2 Cup Butter
1 Tsp. Cinnamon
1/4 Cup Orange Juice
3 Eggs
1/4 Tsp Salt
1/2 Cup Southern Comfort {the alcohol bakes out, so this is safe for kids}
TOPPING
1/2 Cup Chopped Pecans or Walnuts
1/2 Cup Packed Light Brown Sugar
Drain yams or sweet potatoes, then beat till light and fluffy. Beat in remaining ingrediants. Put in 2 quart casserole dish. Mix nuts and brown sugar and sprinkle over top. Bake at 350 for 30 to 40 mins. This looks like pumpkin pie when cooked.
As shared on Family Recipes
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