Showing posts with label Family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Family. Show all posts

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Summer Recipes for Grilling: Drunken Peach Grill Recipe for Family Fun and Grill Dessert

You can try out some great summer recipes over the grill. Fruit is very interesting to grill. There are some great things that you can do with fruit over the grill for summer recipes. If you have an indoor grill, you can grill these summer recipes inside all winter long. For this recipe you can substitute rum flavoring with mixed with water if you want it non-alcoholic for your summer grilling.


One of my favorite parts about this summer recipe is that it is simple to fix. You can prepare drunken peach grill recipe very quickly and with virtually no work. This is a quick and very tasty grill dessert that your family is sure to enjoy.


This summer recipe serves 6.


Drunken Peach Grill Recipe: Ingredients

2 tablespoons of unsalted, low-fat margarine

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

¼ cup dark rum (or ¼ cup of water with strong rum flavoring added)

6 ripe peaches

1 pint of butter pecan ice cream


Drunken Peach Grill Recipe: Peach Preparation


Cut the six firm, ripe peaches in half. Pit them. Do not peel the peaches.


Drunken Peach Grill Recipe: Drunken Sauce


Combine rum or rum water with butter in a metal sauce pan and heat over the grill until
bubbling slightly.


Remove the sauce pan from the grill. Add the brown sugar to the drunken sauce mix and stir until dissolved.


Drunken Peach Grill Recipe: Grilling the Peaches


Dip the peach halves in the drunken sauce. Coat each peach individually very well. Place on the grill with the flat side up. Grill until the peach skin has light grill marks on it. Turn and repeat for the flat side. Remove from the heat and serve the drunken peaches with a heaping scoop of butter pecan ice cream.


If you enjoyed this recipe you might also like:


Virtually Sugar Free Banana Delight Grill Recipe for Summer Family Fun


Grilled Cantaloupe on a Stick for Summer Grill Family Fun


Enjoy Summer Grilling with a Great Summer Grill Dessert: Sweet Pink Grilled Honey Pineapple Recipe

Monday, July 14, 2008

Grilled Cantaloupe on a Stick for Summer Grill Family Fun

Cantaloupe is readily available during June to August for summer fun and enjoyment. You can often find cantaloupe year round to enjoy for eating as well. However, it typically is most abundant during the middle summer month periods.


Cantaloupe is extremely healthy to eat and to enjoy. It is a very rich source of Vitamin A and Vitamin C. With only around 56 calories per cupful, cantaloupe provides a complete daily serving of both Vitamin A and Vitamin C.


The other good news about cantaloupe is that it is also rich in other important nutrients that our bodies crave. You will find potassium, Vitamin B6, dietary fiber, folate and niacin all in cantaloupe as well to give great energy boost to your body and help to metabolize carbohydrates.


Here is a fun summer grill recipe to use with cantaloupe. It is quick and easy to fix on the grill. The family is sure to enjoy this cantaloupe grill recipe as a perfect grill salad to serve for grill eating.


Grilled Cantaloupe on a Stick for Summer Grill Family Fun: Ingredients

1 fresh medium to large cantaloupe

¼ fat free margine

½ cup of all natural honey

1/3 cup of freshly picked mint leaves

Wooden Skewer Sticks


Grilled Cantaloupe on a Stick for Summer Grill Family Fun: Sauce Preparation


Combine the butter, honey and mint leaves in a small metal pan. Place on hot grill until the mixture is melted and smooth together. Stir frequently. It normally takes about three minutes on the grill to mix the sauce. Remove the pan from the heated section of the grill.


Grilled Cantaloupe on a Stick for Summer Grill Family Fun: Cantaloupe Preparation


Cut the cantaloupe into bite size chunks. Thread the cantaloupe onto the wooden skewer sticks. Lightly coat with the sauce you prepared on the grill.


Grilled Cantaloupe on a Stick for Summer Grill Family Fun: Cooking

Place the cantaloupe skewer sticks on the grill. Cook on the grill over medium heat for approximately 2 minutes. Turn the sticks. Baste again with the cantaloupe grill sauce. Cook over the medium heated grill for another couple of minutes, turning frequently.


Grilled Cantaloupe on a Stick for Summer Grill Family Fun: Serving

Serve as a side dish for your family grill fun. You can prepare extra sauce and use for dipping.

Serves 4

Sweet Pink Grilled Honey Pineapple Recipe to Enjoy on the Summer Grill

Pineapple is a great fruit to enjoy year round. You will find that pineapple is very versatile and you can do many different things with pineapple. One of the things that I enjoy with pineapple is to grill it during the summer. It is a great dessert to grill for the family grill times. It is a lot of fun to grill pineapple and very little work to it at all.

Here is a pineapple grill recipe that is easy to make.

Sweet Pink Grilled Honey Pineapple Ingredients

12 cut slices of fresh bought pineapple

3 heaping tablespoons of fresh honey

3 heaping tablespoons of cherry brandy

2 regular teaspoon of lemon juice

4 tablespoons of fresh cherries sliced in half

4 slices of Angel Food Cake

Sweet Pink Grilled Honey Pineapple Marinade

Combine honey, lemon juice and cherry brandy together in a glass mixing bowl. Place the fresh cut pineapple slices in the marinade mixture. Marinate one to three hours prior to grilling.

Sweet Pink Grilled Honey Pineapple Grilling

Lightly oil the grill. Heat the summer grill to a medium heat. Place marinated pineapple slices over the grill. Grill the first side until caramelized. Turn. Cover with sliced cherries and grill the remaining side until caramelized.

Serving Sweet Pink Grilled Honey Pineapple Dessert

Place the sweet pink grilled honey pineapple that you grilled over a slice of angel food cake and serve warm for a nice grill dessert during the summer fun.

Serves 4

Saturday, July 12, 2008

Foot Blood Bat: Crocs Shoes Can Cause Permanent Injury on Escalators to Children

Winston-Salem, North Carolina is an average mid-sized southern town. The most popular place to shop is Hanes Mall for kids, teens, parents and others. A local resident of Lexington, North Carolina was with his Mom shopping at Hanes Mall on July 11th. The nine-year old boy had his Crocs sandals catch in the escalator at the mall and barely was able to jerk his foot out.

According to MSNBC local news, the mother, Becky Simmons initially thought that her nine-year old son was simply playing around on the escalator. The boy’s Crocs caught in the escalator and were burned and torn before the nine-year old boy was able to jerk his foot free.

Also according to MSNBC local news, this is not the first incident of the Crocs causing injury on escalators. The rubber shoes catch on the side and heat up. There have been amputations and other serious injuries reported because of the popular shoes catching in the gaps on escalators.

The popular mall is now considering placing signs of warning about rubber shoes at the escalators. Crocs has stated that they have placed a warning tag on their new shoes. “The Consumer Product Safety Commission said nearly 10,000 Americans are treated each year after accidents on escalators. About 2,000 of those injuries involve shoes, feet or hands becoming trapped in the moving stairs.” (Resource: MSNBC News: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25627783/)


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How to Work With a Disability: Family and Medical Leave Act and the Unemployment Disability Option

How to Turn Your Child's Bedroom into a TinkerBell Disney Retreat: The Magic of Neverland


Hope you enjoyed this blog post

Friday, July 11, 2008

Child Slavery is Legal In United States: Right to Beat, Emotionally Abuse and Brain Wash Children in the US

Parents have the right to beat; emotionally abuse and brain wash children in the US. If you have a tender heart this is not the article you want to read. Not many people like to hear the hard ugly facts about child slavery in the United States today. Yet, child slavery is happening in virtually every neighborhood, regardless of race, economic status or educational background.

Child Slavery: Emotional Abuse

There are some homes that children are screamed at and told all sorts of things on a daily basis. These children truly believe that the emotional abuse they endure is not abuse at all. The yelling is because they misbehaved and deserved it. They have such low self-esteem that it is frightening.

But can you have someone intervene? For older children that have endured years of emotional abuse and been emotional slaves to parents, the answer is no. If an older child states that they will not talk in a therapy session (court ordered or not) there is nothing that a therapist can do to help the child.

In the rare instance that someone intervenes to help the emotionally abused child, the child is still in the presence of the abuser daily. The child slave owner doesn’t want a healthy child. They want a slave that is going to listen to every command and order. The slave owner parent will continue to emotionally abuse the child. Some will even threaten older children that if they speak out in therapy sessions, they will be severely punished.

Who is the child to believe? It is only natural that they are going to believe the lies and threats of the child slave owner. After all, no-one has been able to stop these monsters earlier in the child’s life. The child or teen then listens to the child slave owner, who is their parent, and refuses to allow the therapy to work for them.

Yet, in the United States it is perfectly legal for you to call your child or teen any name that you want. You can threaten them with anything that you want. Why not? After all, children are not people. They are simply property in the United States.

How many people hear children being screamed at across the street or next door? How many people will see an enraged Mom or Dad cuss their child in public? We glare. We frown. Yet, many of us do not step in to help these kids. The ones that do step in find that the system in the United States permits this type of emotional abuse and accepts it.

If a child communicates that they are being threatened and emotionally traumatized, it still does not matter. Child Protective Services is so over-burdened with “real” cases that they cannot intervene in emotional abuse from a child slave owner. These children are suffering in silence.
Some children make it to a therapist. They exhibit all the signs of an emotionally abused child. Yet, their slave owners are slick and careful and know the laws. As long as they are not leaving physical marks and are not sexually abusing the children and teens, guess what? The child slave owner parents can get away with whatever they want emotionally abusive in the United States.

Child Slavery: Unlimited Nannies

The United States outlawed unlimited child labor and even put in child labor laws. These of course are only for the business groups. As a parent, you can work your child a great deal in virtually any type of work without paying them or even thanking them.
There is a teen that gets up in the middle of the night to answer the cry on the baby monitor and change a baby diaper. There is a small elementary child helping a younger sibling with a bottle. All of these types of helping the parents out are in the name of just older siblings helping younger ones. After all it teaches responsibility.

Yet, I beg to differ. Irresponsible parents know that they can have all the children that they want because the other kids will bear the burden of physical and emotional care. Parents don’t even have to have the money to afford kids because the government will step in with WIC and Medicaid, free lunches, utility assistance and so forth. A woman with too many kids can just have the government pay for more kids. The kids can then be used to take care of one another.
Siblings are becoming the unlimited nannies. It doesn’t matter that there sleep routines are interrupted. It doesn’t matter that they are deprived social time with peers. It doesn’t even matter that they don’t have time to complete their homework and are falling asleep on buses and at their school desks.

Child Slavery: Brain Washed Child Slaves

Brain washed child slaves are the hardest to help in the United States. First, the child slave owners teach these children to lie about the events going on in their homes. At a very early age, they are taught to keep secrets and not tell the rest of the world what is happening. They exhibit all the signs of an abused child but there is no way to prove the brain washing and torture are happening in the home. When questioned, the child slaves will lie repeatedly to protect their child slave owners.

Intervention is almost impossible. The children believe that this type of behavior and chaos in life is perfectly normal. When challenged, it really bothers them. If they get to the point that they realize that it is not acceptable, they are torn with bonds that they have for their child slave owners. It takes years of deprogramming someone that has been so thoroughly brainwashed from the cradle.

Child Slavery: Unlimited Yard Labor

One of the laws is that children cannot operate certain types of machinery in the paid labor force. This was to reduce the number of child injuries in work related accidents. Yet, today parents can legally have child slavery with young children and teens operating yard equipment that is dangerous. How many times have you driven through neighborhoods and seen young children behind push mowers, weed edgers and even riding lawn mowers? I’ve even seen kids spraying chemicals and pesticides on yards to keep them healthy and green!

Some will say that this is not dangerous. Children learn responsibility by raking the yard, using leaf blowers and so forth. The truth of the matter is that parents can get out of their responsibility of doing the yard work by having child slaves. They don’t have to pay them or even thank them for this type of work.

Child Slaves: Beating is Allowed

In the United States if you do not put your child into a doctor’s office or emergency room, the majority of the time there is not going to be intervention. A slap across the face or a spanking with whatever object is handy is permissible in the United States.

You can beat the crap out of your child and if no-one sees the marks, you are home free. Of course the child slave owners tell these children no-one will believe them. If they tell, they will get even worse. A lot of the time they do get worse if they speak out. They learn at an early age that the physical abuse is part of life and to survive secrets and lies are to be told to the rest of the world.

The attitude that parents can do anything they want to their child as far as corporal punishment is accepted by our society. Also, you can jerk a child away from a display case in a store and the majority of times, no-one is going to intervene and tell you to calm down or be more gentle with your child. A toddler can be slapped on the rear and knocked off his feet, while people stand by and glare.

Is it alright to slap a kid across the face? Is it alright to take a spanking board to them? Can you whip and threaten a teen? You will be surprised at how many teens are given corporal punishment, slapped, jerked around, pushed and shoved on regular basis. Yet, our society allows this.

Parenting Tips Baby Bottles and More for Parents to Read

Being a new parent is a very exciting time. The Internet is a great place to find parenting tips. Glancing through my Associated Content publications, I decided to put together a compilation of parenting tips that I have written for parents since I joined. Just click on the parenting article title that you would like to read. It will then take you to the parenting article on Associated Content. Feel free to comment on the parenting articles as well.

Beginners Guide to Selecting a Baby Bottle : Choosing a baby bottle can seem a little confusing at first. Use this article to learn all about choosing a baby bottle. Selecting a bottle is important whether you are nursing or using baby formula.

Parenting: Stay at Home Decision: The decision to stay at home is determined by the special needs of the child; breastfeeding issues; costs and quality of alternative care.

Tips for the Family Wash : Family wash can be made simpler by having separate hampers, pinning socks together and other tips.

Entrepreneurship and Businesses for Teens: Pets, thank you cards, lawn service and many other opportunities are available for entrepreneurships and businesses for teens.


How to Encourage Good Public Behavior in Children: Giving positive rewards and setting a good example encourages good public behavior in children.


How to Clean Crayon Marks Off of Walls: How to get rid of those work of arts in crayon.

FluMist is Having a Better Response in Children Then Traditional Shots: New England Journal of Medicine report shows that FluMist is effective and safe for children in reducing flu.

How to Be a Parent and a Writer: For those that freelance learning how to be a parent and a writer can be quite a challenge. The good news is that you can find the balance to be a parent and a writer.

How to Help Teens Avoid Bad Food Habits: More then ever, it is important for parents to take an active part in helping to avoid bad food habits that many teens are adopting today.

Little Child Poem

Little child is a poem that is written in free verse poem style. There is a rhyme in the poem though. However, there is no meter for each stanza of the poem. I hope that those that read this poem will enjoy it.

Little Child
Little child of the night,
So powerful,
Yet full of fright.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Little child of the wind,
So mighty and strong,
Fitting in to blend.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Little child of the day,
Your voice silent,
But.. you do have a say.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Little child of the star,
Looking to heaven,
Knowing I’m not far.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Little child of the moon,
Sharing time with friends,
Talking midnight til noon.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Little child of the water,
Whispering secrets to the sea,
Nothing left to barter.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Little child of God,
He hears your prayers,
You are loved by me and by God.

How to Build a Birdhouse for Chickadees

How to Build a Birdhouse for Titmouse Birds

How to Connect Daily Life to Career Goals

How to Research Business Ideas

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Easy DIY Home Improvement Party Tips Throw a DIY Party to Get Help with Big Home Improvement Projects

Are there repairs to your home that you are putting off because the task is just too big? Think about it for a moment. Perhaps, you need a new paint job on your home? One of the best ways to get motivated is through a DIY home improvement party. You can have the help of friends and family help you with these big projects. Here are some easy DIY home improvement party tips to get you started.

Easy DIY Home Improvement Party Tips: Select the Project

Think about the type of home improvement project that you would like to do that requires the help of others. You can paint the exterior of your home. You could put up a storage building on your property. Perhaps you would like to install an outdoor water pond and water fountain?

Select the home improvement project that you would like help with. A DIY home improvement party is a great way to get help with these type of projects.

Easy DIY Home Improvement Party Tips: Pick a Date and Send Invitations

You will need to select a date and send invitations to family and friends that you would like to attend the DIY home improvement party. Ask for an RSVP so that you can have a rough idea of how many people will be arriving to help out.

You can create invitations online to print and mail. The other option is to send people an invite through the email or even just telephone them. Make certain everyone knows that there is plenty to do, even if they have no experience with the particular DIY home improvement project you are going to be doing during the party.

Easy DIY Home Improvement Party Tips: Organize Materials

Organize your materials in one central location. You should make certain to purchase everything that you will need for the DIY project prior to the actual party. Ask your friends and family members that are coming to work to bring along some of their tools. This will make it easier to get the DIY project done and save on expenses.

Have a designated area for the tools. Guests can share tools and supplies as they are helping you with the DIY project.

Easy DIY Home Improvement Party Tips: Crank up the Music

Pick some great music that you think everyone will enjoy. You can play virtually anything. Music that is upbeat and has a strong tempo will keep everyone motivated and moving while they are helping with the DIY home improvement project. The end product will come about faster if you have some great tunes already selected.

Easy DIY Home Improvement Party Tips: Make a List of Tasks

Prior to the DIY home improvement party, make a list of tasks for the project. Have some that are easy so the kids can get involved. Teen help and younger children help are valuable. It is a good way for them to learn and to have fun. Have guests select which tasks they would like to work on the most.

Easy DIY Home Improvement Party Tips: Great Food and Relaxation Time

Have easy and simple foods prepared your guests. You will need a cooler with ice and some drinks that everyone can enjoy. If the party is going to extend over a meal time, have everything already made so that you can quickly serve and get everyone back to work on your DIY project.

Easy DIY Home Improvement Party Tips: Plan to Have Fun

Even if the DIY home improvement does not get completed, you should have fun. You can socialize and really have a good time with your family and friends. Don’t become so focused on the DIY home improvement project that you forget to have fun. After all, a fun party like this can be repeated often.

Sunday, June 8, 2008

What food is on the menu tonight?

What wines do you drink with what food?

It wasn’t too long ago that that particular question was easily answered.

If your meal is based on red meat you drink a red wine. If your meal is based on white meat – you drink a white wine.

It is all to do with conditioning your palette to enhance the flavor of the food you eat.

That sounds simple enough doesn’t it? To accompany a meal consisting of steak or lamb, you choose a red wine. To accompany a meal of pork, chicken or fish, you choose a white wine. So off you go to the liquor outlet and get confronted with innumerable red wines and innumerable white wines – which red or white wine, still or sparkling? Merlot or Claret? Moselle or a Chardonnay? The choices are endless or so it would seem.

If you are just buying a bottle of wine for yourself and/or partner to drink with your meal – depending on your age and taste in wines, the choice is going to be easy.

I am sure that everybody has their own unique favorite when it comes to wine, both in red and white and sparkling and still.

If you are the adventurous type and are willing to give anything a go, you are still going to purchase a wine that is very close in character to your preferred wine of choice. Maybe you would be prepared to purchase a sparkling wine instead of a still wine for a refreshing change.

Wine and wine drinking is synonymous with special events and celebrations.

So you have a very special occasion coming up where you would like to take along some good quality wine to share with your hosts, guests or friends.

Where do you start? You know your tastes in wine and if you are a very observant guest at any special function you can associate different wines with different people – to a point!

Where do you go from here? It is mind boggling when you think of all the wines that are now available on the market, which makes your choice so much harder. Do you purchase still wine or sparkling wine? How do you go middle-of-the-road where wine is concerned when everybody has their own individual taste?

Have you ever noticed at celebratory events that involve wine and wine drinking that, after partaking in a couple of glasses of wine and the atmosphere is relaxed and friendly, people will drink wine that is not necessarily their chosen blend.

If this special event is associated with a meal, maybe the meal will dictate the nature of the wine you take along and will assist you with your choice of either a white wine or a red wine. A dry wine or a sweet wine? The majority of women will partake in a glass of moselle – light to medium and fruity. Men on the other hand may prefer a bolder, dry tasting red wine or a milder, somewhat fruitier middle of the road red wine like Mateus.

Naturally, you are going to purchase a wine that both you and your partner enjoy, even if the embodiment of those particular wines are poles apart in themselves. Wine drinking is an individual thing – you are not going to please everyone, so you may as well please yourself.

Top Things Not To Do In Tornadoes

With this crazy weather, there have been lots of tornadoes in many parts of the world. It is important to consider your safety in tornadoes. This piece is written with humor and is not at all recommended that you actually follow these suggestions when tornadoes are around. Having said that; I hope that you enjoy this humor piece and feel free to add your own suggestions as well in the comment section.

My heartfelt prayers go out to people that have been in tornadoes or suffered from the damage of tornadoes. I hope that this humor piece does not offend anyone since tornadoes are a serious threat and very dangerous.

Top Things Not To Do In Tornadoes: Finish Making Your Drinks or Guzzle a Six Pack

When tornadoes are around, you really won’t have time to go to the bathroom. Don’t finish making your drinks or guzzle down the last six pack in the refrigerator.

Top Things Not To Do In Tornadoes: Wait to Put Clothes in the Dryer

Ok, you know that when tornadoes are around there is going to be a lot of dirt, grime and general filth. Wait until after the tornadoes pass to put your last load of clothes on the rinse cycle and then toss in the dryer. If you stand there waiting on the rinse cycle with tornadoes around you really are just wasting your time.

Top Things Not To Do In Tornadoes: Walk the Dog

One of the worst places for you or your dog during tornadoes is out in the open. If there are tornadoes in the area, it probably won’t matter much if your dog goes potty in the house. Besides, one of the safest places in many homes is the bathroom. You and your family pooch can both be in the bathroom and if he accidently goes it is a breeze to quickly clean up.

Top Things Not To Do In Tornadoes: Get on MySpace and Message All Your MySpace Friends

When the tornadoes are out of the area, then you can get on MySpace and tell all your MySpace friends how you survived a tornado. Most likely, your computer is near a window or in a very open room. Windows are very dangerous during tornadoes because of all the glass. Just text message your MySpace friends regular emails from your cell phone while you sit safely in a closet or bathroom in your home.

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Annoying Habits of Restaraunt Patrons

I do not eat out a whole lot and like to enjoy my restaurant experience. However, there are some people that have some very annoying eating habits that you can’t help but notice. Then their annoying eating habits end up virtually ruining the entire restaurant experience. Do people really forget that they are in a public restaurant? Do they not know how annoying they are?

Annoying Habit of Blowing Nose at the Table
Oh my word. I have seen so many nasty people blow their nose at the table. Come on now. If you got snot running out of your nose, you can at least go to the bathroom to blow it. Even more annoying, is the rude person that feels they must use the napkin at the table and then put it back in their lap. I can really lose my appetite when I see this annoying habit. What makes this habit so annoying is that these restaurant patrons are so obnoxiously loud about the entire process.

Annoying Habit of Slurping Drinks
You know there is a reason for a straw and a reason for free drink refills. If you simply put your glass at the edge of the table, the server will notice that you need a refill. It is a very annoying habit for others to have to listen to you slurp your drinks. People that have this annoying habit, really do it so loudly. You can’t but help hear them. I want so badly to go over to their table and dump their ice on their head.

Annoying Habit of Chomping Their Cud
If I can hear you chewing your food two tables away, you can bet that no-one at your table can hear you talk. It is so annoying to not only see someone chewing with their mouth open but to be able to hear them chomping their cud and smacking their lips.

Annoying Habit of Laughing Really Loudly
Oh my word, I can’t count the times that some restaurant patron laughed so loudly that everyone turned their head to see. Worse yet, is the person that not only laughs incredibly loud but has an annoying laughter. It’s the kind that sends chills down your spine like running your finger nails up and down a chalk board. Really these annoying laughter people should never go out in public to eat or at least everyone be kind and keep the conversation extremely serious.

Annoying Habit of Sticking Your Head Under the Sneeze Guard
This probably the most annoying habit that I’ve seen of restaurant patrons. They actually stick their heads under the sneeze guard on salad bars and buffet tables. Don’t you think that guard is there for a reason? I really don’t want you breathing all over my food.

Favorite Summer Fun Recipe: Dale Earnhardt's Fish and Vegetable Rolls recipe

I love summer time because Nascar is always around. The speed of the cars and the amazing wrecks are really something to enjoy on the weekends during the summer. In fact, I feel like summer is only really here when Nascar officially begins. Dale Earnhardt was one of my favorite drivers to watch. Earnhardt was amazing and a very skilled driver. I had to share this favorite summer recipe for fish and vegetables. The summer recipe is very delicious and easy to make. Your family will love the taste of this summer recipe. I hope that you enjoy it as much as we do.
Source: NASCAR Cooks with Tabasco Brand Pepper Sauce
12 asparagus spears
2 carrots, peeled and cut into thin strips
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons seasoned dry bread crumbs
2 tablespoons country-style Dijon mustard
1 tablespoons chopped fresh dill or 1 teaspoon dried
1 teaspoon Tabasco brand Pepper Sauce
4 flounder or sole fillets
In a 12-inch skillet over high heat, combine asparagus, carrots, and enough water to cover vegetables; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 2 to 3 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender; drain.
Heat oven to 450 degrees F.
In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, bread crumbs, mustard, dill and TABASCO Sauce. Spread half of mixture on top sides of fish fillets. Top each fillet with one-fourth of cooked asparagus and carrots. Roll fish around vegetables and place seam side down in a greased 12 x 8 x 2-inch baking dish. Spread remaining mustard mixture on tops of fish rolls. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.
Makes 4 servings.

How to Make Garden Buckets with Teens and Kids for a Fun Summer Project

There are many wonderful gardening projects that you can do with teens and kids when warm weather hits. The key to gardening with teens is to make the project fun enough that they will not think that it's stupid. At the same time, you want it easy but not too easy. There is a fine balance. I came across a gardening project called garden buckets that work well with teens and with kids that are school age. The great thing is that this project can be done as a family and does not cost a great deal. With warm weather you can get all of the supplies needed for the garden buckets without spending a fortune. It is fun to do flowers and plants in these little family gardens.

Have Fun with the Buckets

Allow the teen or child to select the bucket that they want to use for the garden buckets project that they will plant their flowers and plants in. Once you have the bucket in tow, you can go to the local craft supply store and select items to decorate the bucket with. Keep it simple and easy depending on the child's crafting skill level.

Garden buckets should be fun and a great way to show off flowers. A teen can decorate with bling, markers, stickers, paint, nail polish or whatever they think of. Younger children can decorate with markers and stickers. You can even surprise spray painting the garden buckets. The key is to have fun with the project and enjoy some family time together.

Putting the Garden Buckets Together

Once your teen or child has decorated their garden bucket, it is time to get the plants, flowers, soil and fertilizer pellets. In the bottom of the bucket drill a few drain holes. Line the bottom of the bucket with leftover Styrofoam peanuts or rocks to keep the flowers and plants drained. Mix a small amount of the time released fertilizer pellets in with the soil. Dig a small hole and plant several plants or flowers in the garden buckets. Water thoroughly.

Did you know that with younger children you can do edible plants such as flowering pansies, cute and pretty nasturiums and adorable little gem marigolds. You can also do cherry tomatoes and other blooming vegetables. This way if the younger child decides to eat the plants, they will not get sick.

Show off the Garden Buckets

Part of the family fun of a garden bucket is getting to show it off to friends and relatives. Kids and teens love to show off their projects and will be proud of their new flowers and plants in the garden buckets. The buckets are so easy to put together, that you might end up with several of them. Your teen or child can take them to friend's houses, get together and to the grandparents to show up what they made and their personal garden.

Great Gift Idea

Garden buckets are so easy to make that they make a great gift idea. Your child and teen get the fun of making the new gardens and can decorate the bucket with the gift recipient in mind. For example, for Father's Day you could decorate the bucket with a theme that fits something your Dad likes to do. Gift recipients will love that your child or teen took the time to make the garden buckets and enjoy taking care of the flowers and plants after they receive it. You can centerpiece the garden bucket with a tomato plant and then put the smaller plants around the bucket. This is a great way to give someone special a tomato garden and flower garden combined.

Pet Owners Relieved When African Grey Parrot Tells Where Home Is

A family pet is very precious and important to pet owners. In fact, many family pets are treated as children or actual members of the family. How many times have you heard someone say that their pet thinks that they are human? African Grey parrots are extremely intelligent and live a long time. The African Grey parrot is an expensive pet bird that many people have the pleasure of having as part of their family. You can teach this parrot simple tricks, to talk, to sing and some can even do simple math problems if you have the patience to work with them. According to Associated Press, a Japanese family lost their African Grey parrot and all the training that they had done really paid off.

In a city near Tokyo, Japan a lovely African Grey parrot named Yosuke flew out of his cage and ended up on the roof. Police were dispatched to rescue Yosuke. According to the report, the African Grey decided to stay mute when he was at the police station. He would not speak or do anything. If you know these birds, it is probably that Yosuke felt nervous around the police and the all of the commotion that is normally in a police station.

The police decided the following day to transport Yosuke to a vet office. Once he relaxed some, Yosuke decided to open up to the vet. According to Associated Press, the African Grey had been taught for the past two years to say his name and recite his address. While at the vet station, the African Grey parrot did just this for the vet. The information that the parrot gave turned out to be correct. His thorough training ended up saving his life and having him rejoin his human family.

Sunday, May 18, 2008

MySpace is Turning into a Teen Playground

I have noticed that MySpace is turning into a teen playground. The more and more that I look around on MySpace, the more teens I see than any other group of people. Perhaps, I am looking in the wrong places? I think that it is discouraging that social networking sites are turning all to teens. What happened to talking to your teen friends on the phone? What happened to writing letters by hand?

Teens spend way too much time on MySpace. They have to comment on each other. They have to put up pictures. And look at all the horror stories you read in the news about teens and MySpace. These don't even account for all the other horrible events that happen probably by the minute on MySpace.

I let my teen talk some on MySpace but there is frustration that I am constantly monitoring the page and reviewing the picts and comments. I was absolutely shocked at some of the comments and suggestions that are made by teens on MySpace. I'm not any goody hoot person. I have been exposed to a lot. But the amount of profanity and sexual suggestions and flat out disgusting things that teens are putting up on MySpace really makes me wonder about the future of our country.

YouTube Review of Exploding Volcano Cake

I was browsing around YouTube and just relaxing for the day when I came across this YouTube video by accident. It looks like a lot of family fun. The parents of a young child had built an edible, exploding volcano cake. I can tell you by the size of the thing and the real lava that it must not be easy to make. But the family and friends at the party seemed to have a really good time. I'm sure that everyone was in love with the idea. I thought it was absolutely fascinating to watch. Can you imagine how much science a kid can learn at the birthday party and afterwards when parents talk about volcanoes? What a neat idea!

If you want to see this YouTube video, you can go to this link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5gFhfR_HjY

Make sure to turn up your volume. At the end, the birthday kid tells his family that he doesn't want to eat his cake! It was too cute. I had to watch it a couple times to hear all the different things that were being said.

So take a break from your day and check out the video. It is pretty fun to watch and not very long.