I have been going through my stacks, and stacks of recipes in order to cull a good many. I came across this list that I must have found when my children were little. I hope it's 'helpful' to others with young children now.
Appetizing: Anything advertised on TV
Boil: The point a parent reaches hearing the automatic "yuck" before a food is even tasted.
Casserole: Combination of favourite foods that go uneaten because they are mixed together.
Chair: Spot left vacant by mid-meal bathroom visit.
Cookie (Last One): Item that must be eaten in front of a sibling.
Crust: Part of a sandwich saved for the starving children of China, India, Africa, or Europe (Check one).
Desserts: The reason for eating a meal.
Evaporate: Magic trick performed by children when it comes time to clear the table or wash dishes.
Fat: Microscopic substance detected visually by children on pieces of meat they do not wish to eat.
Floor: Place for all food not found on lap or chair.
Fork: Eating utensil made obsolete by the discovery of fingers.
Fried foods: Gourmet cooking.
Frozen: Condition of children's jaws when spinach is served.
Fruit: A natural sweet not to be confused with dessert.
Germs: The only thing children will share freely.
Kitchen: The only room not used when eating crumbly snacks.
Leftovers: Commonly described as "gross".
Liver: A food that affects genes, creating a hereditary dislike.
Lollipop: A snack provided by people who don't have to pay dental bills.
Macaroni: Material for a collage.
Measuring cup: A kitchen utensils that is stored in the sandbox.
Metric: A system of measurement that will be accepted only after forty years of wandering in the desert.
Napkin: Any worn cloth object, such as shirt (this includes sleeves) or pants.
Natural Food: Food eaten with unwashed hands.
Nutrition: Secret war waged by parents using direct commands, camouflage, and constant guard duty.
Plate: A breakable Frisbee.
Refrigerator: A very expensive and inefficient room air conditioner.
Saliva: A medium for blowing bubbles.
Soda pop: Shake 'n Spray.
Table: A place for storing gum.
Table Leg: Percussion instrument.
Thirsty: How your child feels after you've said your final "good-night".
Vegetable: A basic food known to satisfy kids' hunger - but only by sight.
Water: Popular beverage in undeveloped countries.
May 24, 2010
May 15, 2010
Birthdays
When my children were little we wold make 'countdowns' for many things. Whether it was for a school field trip that was coming up or for their birthday. Here are a couple of links for fun ideas for birthdays.
Fun ideas for Birthday fun
A fun Birthday Board
Fun ideas for Birthday fun
A fun Birthday Board
Dangerous things you should let your kids try.
I remember when my first child was born and a dear family came up to the hospital to visit. I let their children hold my baby while my mother-in-law looked on in horror, even to the point of trying to take my baby from me to prevent me from letting the children have a hold.
I remember watching new mothers not let other children anywhere near their precious babies for fear they'd give germs to their little one. Here I was telling kids to come see, touch, and even hold my baby.
I would also notice that when babies would drop their dummy/binky/pacifier, the new mothers would run to a hot water tap to sterilize it or have a clean one ready and waiting. Here I was picking up my babies binky, sucking it off and handing it right back.
I love seeing kids come in from play all covered in dirt. It means they've had fun. Let them pick up bugs...I've even retrieved a few from between teeth.
My husband hated when I'd let my children go outside to play without wearing shoes. When it came time for them to ride bikes he was even more mortified that I allowed them to ride shoeless. When the kids would come home with skinned toes he'd think that proved his point and couldn't believe I'd kiss them, wipe their wound and send them out again without shoes.
The point is...my kids survived. They don't remember the scrapes and the scars they do have my boys think are 'cool'. Here's a link to a blog that talks more about dangerous things we should let our kids do.
I remember watching new mothers not let other children anywhere near their precious babies for fear they'd give germs to their little one. Here I was telling kids to come see, touch, and even hold my baby.
I would also notice that when babies would drop their dummy/binky/pacifier, the new mothers would run to a hot water tap to sterilize it or have a clean one ready and waiting. Here I was picking up my babies binky, sucking it off and handing it right back.
I love seeing kids come in from play all covered in dirt. It means they've had fun. Let them pick up bugs...I've even retrieved a few from between teeth.
My husband hated when I'd let my children go outside to play without wearing shoes. When it came time for them to ride bikes he was even more mortified that I allowed them to ride shoeless. When the kids would come home with skinned toes he'd think that proved his point and couldn't believe I'd kiss them, wipe their wound and send them out again without shoes.
The point is...my kids survived. They don't remember the scrapes and the scars they do have my boys think are 'cool'. Here's a link to a blog that talks more about dangerous things we should let our kids do.
Happiness Machine
Here is a video clip of the Coco-Cola Happiness Machine. It just makes me smile every time I watch it. I would have loved to have been a part of something like this.
ENJOY
ENJOY
Hamburger in a can
Don't ask me how I found this. I don't know how I find half the things I find. I simply click on links that lead me from one thing to another. It is exactly how my mind works most of the time.
Anyway....here is a link to a HAMBURGER IN A CAN. Sure sounds yummy doesn't it. It does seem like the perfect gift to get the person who has 'everything'.
Anyway....here is a link to a HAMBURGER IN A CAN. Sure sounds yummy doesn't it. It does seem like the perfect gift to get the person who has 'everything'.
The Human Touch
Recently I had some surgery on my eye. I HATE needles. But more than just hating needles I hate that my surgery was to be performed under local anesthetic. This meant that I was going to be able to hear everything that was going on but worse than that was that because the doctor would have to open my eye from time to time, I was going to SEE things. Things like the scalpel coming at me etc. Things I didn't need or want to see. (Before the doctor started I quickly stopped him and told him that I didn't want to see any of this so he made that possible)
As I was getting prepped I had many nurses come up to me and ask me all the questions. I was sure to let everyone of them know of my fear. One nurse came up to me and introduced herself as Lee. She said her job was simply to hold my hand throughout the ordeal.
From the moment I was wheeled into the OR, Lee was there holding my hand. I was aware, though I couldn't see, of everything that was going on. The cutting, the talking/discussing, the stitching, etc. But the thing that was most important to me and what I actually focused on was Lee and her beautiful hand holding mine. To me, the most important thing happening in that operating room that day was that there was someone holding my hand.
As things would get a little more intense, I felt my hand gripping more tightly onto Lee's hand. When she would feel me squeeze she'd give my hand a reassuring little rub. After she would rub my hand a little...and we're talking a second or two....I was able to relax my grip on her hand.
I'm not sure how long the surgery took, maybe an hour maybe more, maybe less. But what I do know is that, even though I'm a 45 year old mother of 4, I learned that when someone asks "Do you want someone to go with you to hold your hand?", I really do!
As I was getting prepped I had many nurses come up to me and ask me all the questions. I was sure to let everyone of them know of my fear. One nurse came up to me and introduced herself as Lee. She said her job was simply to hold my hand throughout the ordeal.
From the moment I was wheeled into the OR, Lee was there holding my hand. I was aware, though I couldn't see, of everything that was going on. The cutting, the talking/discussing, the stitching, etc. But the thing that was most important to me and what I actually focused on was Lee and her beautiful hand holding mine. To me, the most important thing happening in that operating room that day was that there was someone holding my hand.
As things would get a little more intense, I felt my hand gripping more tightly onto Lee's hand. When she would feel me squeeze she'd give my hand a reassuring little rub. After she would rub my hand a little...and we're talking a second or two....I was able to relax my grip on her hand.
I'm not sure how long the surgery took, maybe an hour maybe more, maybe less. But what I do know is that, even though I'm a 45 year old mother of 4, I learned that when someone asks "Do you want someone to go with you to hold your hand?", I really do!
March 14, 2010
Relief Society Birthday
Last night we had our monthly activity and it just so happened it was to celebrate the organization of Relief Society. Relief Society, probably the largest and the oldest women's organization in the world, was organized on March 17th 1842.
Here's a bit of trivia for you: In WWI there were 50000 female members of the Red Cross in the USA. Of that number, over 47000 of them were also Relief Society members. I think the number was 47358. That's pretty incredible.
(before you read this, if there are any words that you have no clue about...like 'stake' or 'ward' then here's a link that will explain them. LDS Lingo for beginners.)
So we had the activity last night. It was a great success. How can you tell if it's a successful evening? Well when the tables and chairs are packed up and STILL the ladies are standing around chatting, dancing and LAUGHING for more than an hour.
In our ward we have monthly Relief Society activities/meetings. Yep, that's right, monthly. For years I've been suggesting to a president here and there that they need to get back to holding monthly activity rather than just the groups that were going on. If the groups are working in other places then that's great but around here, they weren't.
Here's a bit of trivia for you: In WWI there were 50000 female members of the Red Cross in the USA. Of that number, over 47000 of them were also Relief Society members. I think the number was 47358. That's pretty incredible.
(before you read this, if there are any words that you have no clue about...like 'stake' or 'ward' then here's a link that will explain them. LDS Lingo for beginners.)
So we had the activity last night. It was a great success. How can you tell if it's a successful evening? Well when the tables and chairs are packed up and STILL the ladies are standing around chatting, dancing and LAUGHING for more than an hour.
In our ward we have monthly Relief Society activities/meetings. Yep, that's right, monthly. For years I've been suggesting to a president here and there that they need to get back to holding monthly activity rather than just the groups that were going on. If the groups are working in other places then that's great but around here, they weren't.
When I was called as a counselor in stake I thought I had a better shot at moving them in that direction but nope. So the first thing I did when I got called as president in my own ward was start monthly activities. First one was a 'Chocolate appreciation evening'.
We started off with a few sisters attending. I think there were maybe 8 of us there that night. In the 5 or so months that I've been president the numbers have more than doubled AND I'm getting sisters coming up begging me to have it on a different day/time because it doesn't suit their job and they haven't been able to attend. Last night I even had one come on her lunch break just so she could come.
Last night I was asked by a few sisters what the activity is for next month and when is it. I couldn't remember so as they were talking amongst themselves THEY came up with what the activity will be. You beauty!!! No matter what the activity is that I had down for next month, I'm happy to postpone it because this is all about the other ladies and what they are interested in. MONTHLY WORKS!!!! So does not over planning, not having to decorate to any great degree AND you don't have to spend much money.
For example: Last month sisters started asking what our activity would be for this month. I said that it was going to be our 'quarterly' activity and would be the birthday/anniversary of RS. Questions like "What will we be doing?", "What do you want us to wear?", "What do we need to bring?" and "What do we need to do for it?" were the norm.
I've attended these evenings where it's been a beautiful sit down meal and there's been a big song and dance about Relief Society or I've been asked to be a part of the 'song and dance' which has involved scripts and practices. I've enjoyed those evenings but mostly due to sitting around laughing and talking to the other ladies. I wanted this year's activity to be more 'sitting around laughing and talking' than anything else.
So when the sisters would ask me the questions I already had the answers: "We're going to have a PARTY!", "It's a party, come comfortable", "Bring nothing" and "You don't need to do anything". The sisters were looking forward to it.
We had party foods...nothing flash. I think the only thing homemade was the b'day cake which was a yummy chocolate cake with chocolate frosting. It wasn't ordered from the store to have "Charity Never Faileth" on it and it didn't have different coloured frosting. It was a simple and YUMMY cake that had candles (that were never lit) in it.
The decorations were cheap party favours and some lollies wrapped in gold or silver foil down the middle of each table. There were some party hats as well.
I did splurge and bought this big cylinder thing that had confetti in. After we opened with prayer I popped the cylinder to a loud bang and streamers flying high in the air. "Let's Party!!"
We had a fun party game with inexpensive prizes. We would have had another game or two if I had brought white board markers instead of chalk but oh well...we still had fun. The game was just me asking questions like "When was RS organize?", "Who was the longest serving RS General President?" etc. The prizes were what really made the game fun. I didn't want to spend more than 60 cents for a prize so I went up and down each isle looking for things that would meet that criteria. Here's a list or what I found: a can of beetroot, a bag of pasta, a packet of french onion soup, a packet of jelly and half a chocolate bar. Each prize that was handed out brought on huge laughter especially the half chocolate bar. Well...it had to be half of one to equal the costs of the other prizes!!
If you're missing the monthly activities in your ward then be the squeaky wheel and get them back up and running because they WORK!!!
January 23, 2010
Why I hate Shopping for a Bathing Suit.
I was going through some files on my computer when I came across this one that I received in an email from a friend back in 2004. I loved it back then and love it just as much today. Read it and enjoy a good laugh.
**************************************************************
When I was a young woman in the 50's the bathing suite for the mature figure was boned, trussed and reinforced, not so much sewn as engineered. They were built to hold back and uplift and they did a good job. Today's stretch fabrics are designed for the prepubescent girl with a figure carved from a potato chip.
The mature woman has a choice--she can either go up front in the maternity department and try on a floral suit with a skirt, coming away looking like a hippopotamus who escaped from Disney's Fantasia, or she can wander around every run of the mill department store trying to make a sensible choice from what amounts to a designed range of florescent rubber bands.
What choice did I have? I wandered around, made my sensible choice and entered the chamber of horrors known as the fitting room.The first thing I noticed was the extraordinary tensile strength of the stretch material. The Lycra used in bathing costumes was developed, I believe, by NASA to launch small rockets from a slingshot, which gave the added bonus that if you manage to actually lever yourself into one, you are protected from shark attacks as any shark taking a swipe at your passing midriff would immediately suffer whiplash.
I fought my way into the bathing suit,but as I twanged the shoulder strap in place, I gasped in horror---my bosom had disappeared! Eventually, I found one bosom cowering under my left armpit. It took a while to find the other one. At last I located it, flattened beside my seventh rib.
The problem is that the modern bathing suits have no bra cups. The mature woman is meant to wear her bosom spread across her chest in a speed bump. realigned my speed bump and lurched toward the mirror to take a full view assessment.
The bathing suit fit all right, but unfortunately it only fit those bits of me willing to stay inside it. The rest of me oozed out rebelliously from top, bottom and sides. I looked like a lump of play dough wearing undersized cling wrap.
As I tried to work out where all those extra bits had come from, the prepubescent sales girl popped her head through the curtain, "Oh, there you are!", she said, admiring the bathing suit. I replied that I wasn't so sure and asked what else she had to show me.
I tried on a cream crinkled one that made me look like a lump of masking tape, and a floral two piece which gave the appearance of an oversized napkin in a serving ring. I struggled into a pair of leopard skin bathers with ragged frills and came out looking like Tarzan's Jane, pregnant with triplets and having a rough day. I tried on a black number with a midriff and looked like a jellyfish in mourning. I tried on a bright pink pair with such a high cut leg I thought I would have to wax my eyebrows to wear them.
Finally, I found a suit that fit....a two piece affair with a shorts style bottom and a loose blouse-type top. It was cheap, comfortable, and bulge-friendly, so I bought it. My ridiculous search had a successful outcome, I figured. When I got home, I found a label which read: "Material might become transparent in water."
**************************************************************
When I was a young woman in the 50's the bathing suite for the mature figure was boned, trussed and reinforced, not so much sewn as engineered. They were built to hold back and uplift and they did a good job. Today's stretch fabrics are designed for the prepubescent girl with a figure carved from a potato chip.
The mature woman has a choice--she can either go up front in the maternity department and try on a floral suit with a skirt, coming away looking like a hippopotamus who escaped from Disney's Fantasia, or she can wander around every run of the mill department store trying to make a sensible choice from what amounts to a designed range of florescent rubber bands.
What choice did I have? I wandered around, made my sensible choice and entered the chamber of horrors known as the fitting room.The first thing I noticed was the extraordinary tensile strength of the stretch material. The Lycra used in bathing costumes was developed, I believe, by NASA to launch small rockets from a slingshot, which gave the added bonus that if you manage to actually lever yourself into one, you are protected from shark attacks as any shark taking a swipe at your passing midriff would immediately suffer whiplash.
I fought my way into the bathing suit,but as I twanged the shoulder strap in place, I gasped in horror---my bosom had disappeared! Eventually, I found one bosom cowering under my left armpit. It took a while to find the other one. At last I located it, flattened beside my seventh rib.
The problem is that the modern bathing suits have no bra cups. The mature woman is meant to wear her bosom spread across her chest in a speed bump. realigned my speed bump and lurched toward the mirror to take a full view assessment.
The bathing suit fit all right, but unfortunately it only fit those bits of me willing to stay inside it. The rest of me oozed out rebelliously from top, bottom and sides. I looked like a lump of play dough wearing undersized cling wrap.
As I tried to work out where all those extra bits had come from, the prepubescent sales girl popped her head through the curtain, "Oh, there you are!", she said, admiring the bathing suit. I replied that I wasn't so sure and asked what else she had to show me.
I tried on a cream crinkled one that made me look like a lump of masking tape, and a floral two piece which gave the appearance of an oversized napkin in a serving ring. I struggled into a pair of leopard skin bathers with ragged frills and came out looking like Tarzan's Jane, pregnant with triplets and having a rough day. I tried on a black number with a midriff and looked like a jellyfish in mourning. I tried on a bright pink pair with such a high cut leg I thought I would have to wax my eyebrows to wear them.
Finally, I found a suit that fit....a two piece affair with a shorts style bottom and a loose blouse-type top. It was cheap, comfortable, and bulge-friendly, so I bought it. My ridiculous search had a successful outcome, I figured. When I got home, I found a label which read: "Material might become transparent in water."
December 31, 2009
Yummy Salad
Last night I was over at my mother's place for dinner. She has the incredible ability to throw things together and have it turn out delicious. Me? Well I don't have that ability. It might have skipped a generation.
Last night's dinner was certainly no exception. When I first arrive mum is still working in the kitchen so I offer to help her....I'm a good child. There's a bowl of sliced mangoes on the table (they have had a bumper crop of mangoes this year...YUMMO!!!).
Next thing I know mum is adding onion and celery to the mangoes!! My first thought was 'SACRILEGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!' Which lead to me making a comment about it. I sucked it up and remembered that mango can be used with other things besides desserts or by itself.
Of course the salad was one of the most divine things I've ever eaten in my life!! There is no way I'd ever be able to afford to eat something like it at a restaurant because it would be in such a swank restaurant I couldn't afford the free bread!!!
So here's what mum threw in the salad.
6-7 mangoes diced
2 small onions, finely diced
2 stalks of celery, finely diced
red capsicum (bell pepper) and green capsicum (bell pepper), finely diced (was just whatever was leftovers in the fridge so it wasn't much.)
2 carrots, finely chopped
cheese cubes
Seedless grapes, halved
dressing was some of Paul Newman's Ranch dressing...and a little cream
Try it...you'll like it I promise!!!!!!!!!!!
Last night's dinner was certainly no exception. When I first arrive mum is still working in the kitchen so I offer to help her....I'm a good child. There's a bowl of sliced mangoes on the table (they have had a bumper crop of mangoes this year...YUMMO!!!).
Next thing I know mum is adding onion and celery to the mangoes!! My first thought was 'SACRILEGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!' Which lead to me making a comment about it. I sucked it up and remembered that mango can be used with other things besides desserts or by itself.
Of course the salad was one of the most divine things I've ever eaten in my life!! There is no way I'd ever be able to afford to eat something like it at a restaurant because it would be in such a swank restaurant I couldn't afford the free bread!!!
So here's what mum threw in the salad.
6-7 mangoes diced
2 small onions, finely diced
2 stalks of celery, finely diced
red capsicum (bell pepper) and green capsicum (bell pepper), finely diced (was just whatever was leftovers in the fridge so it wasn't much.)
2 carrots, finely chopped
cheese cubes
Seedless grapes, halved
dressing was some of Paul Newman's Ranch dressing...and a little cream
Try it...you'll like it I promise!!!!!!!!!!!
December 26, 2009
Christmas 2009
It's boxing day now but oh what a lovely Christmas we had. The fact that money played a very little part made it even better.
You see, we couldn't afford to buy any presents for each other this year. Sometimes life is like that and that's OK. We've lived through this in the past and survived and I'm sure we'll live through it again sometime in the future. There's many things you can do without money. My clever niece made her husband and her brother a tie made out of duct tape. They looked really good. We could have made something for each other or we could have given coupons but I came up with an idea that was totally 'It's the thought that counts'.
I had the children go through the advertising catalogs and choose things for each other (and mum and dad) that if we had the money we would have bought.
My husband was feeling very bad about not being able to have gifts this year. I kept telling him that the kids are fine with it. He said that they were only fine with it because they had no other choice. I tried to reassure him that our children were not like that at all.
Anyway...Come Christmas morning there were lots of little white envelopes under the tree. There were even some for our guest we had come over for breakfast. As it turns out this will be one of the most memorable Christmases EVER. Aaron (14yrold) gave Michael (18yr old) a pork roast. Well we were in fits of laughter and that pretty much set the tone for the day. Not only did Michael get pork but Sarah (19yr old) gave our visitors pork as well and Michael gifted Sarah Bacon!!! Can you see a theme here?
I got given 'wooden flooring' from Sarah. My kids know how much I'd love to have wood floor instead of carpet. I also got a big screen TV...I mean a BIG screen...along with a new computer with a nice big monitor. All in all we ended up with three big screen TVs (mine was the biggest of course) and three computers. Someone got insect repellent while someone else got deodorant.
"It's the most wonderful time of the year...." and presents...although very nice....didn't make it 'wonderful' this year. It was so enjoyable I'd be happy enough to make this a new family tradition. Just think of the money we'd save.
May 2010 bring us all more harmony and love.
You see, we couldn't afford to buy any presents for each other this year. Sometimes life is like that and that's OK. We've lived through this in the past and survived and I'm sure we'll live through it again sometime in the future. There's many things you can do without money. My clever niece made her husband and her brother a tie made out of duct tape. They looked really good. We could have made something for each other or we could have given coupons but I came up with an idea that was totally 'It's the thought that counts'.
I had the children go through the advertising catalogs and choose things for each other (and mum and dad) that if we had the money we would have bought.
My husband was feeling very bad about not being able to have gifts this year. I kept telling him that the kids are fine with it. He said that they were only fine with it because they had no other choice. I tried to reassure him that our children were not like that at all.
Anyway...Come Christmas morning there were lots of little white envelopes under the tree. There were even some for our guest we had come over for breakfast. As it turns out this will be one of the most memorable Christmases EVER. Aaron (14yrold) gave Michael (18yr old) a pork roast. Well we were in fits of laughter and that pretty much set the tone for the day. Not only did Michael get pork but Sarah (19yr old) gave our visitors pork as well and Michael gifted Sarah Bacon!!! Can you see a theme here?
I got given 'wooden flooring' from Sarah. My kids know how much I'd love to have wood floor instead of carpet. I also got a big screen TV...I mean a BIG screen...along with a new computer with a nice big monitor. All in all we ended up with three big screen TVs (mine was the biggest of course) and three computers. Someone got insect repellent while someone else got deodorant.
"It's the most wonderful time of the year...." and presents...although very nice....didn't make it 'wonderful' this year. It was so enjoyable I'd be happy enough to make this a new family tradition. Just think of the money we'd save.
May 2010 bring us all more harmony and love.
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