RECIPES
Biscuit Burgers with Cheese and Bacon "Country Style"
4 Bakersfield Biscuits
4 five ounce beef patties
1 tomato
1 cup shredded Iceberg lettuce
2 tsp. mayonnaise
4 slices of cheddar cheese
8 slices of smoked bacon
Prep time 10 min.
Open biscuit; place on grill to keep warm
Cook burger and bacon.
Place mayo, lettuce, tomato, beef bacon and cheese on the top like a
traditional hamburger.
Makes 4 servings
ENTERTAINING
Garden Party Fun
Summer has finally arrived! It’s a time of
sunshine and flowers, and even if you haven’t started already, you
still have time to make your garden look magnificent for the summer
months!
A great way to get started is to plan a “Garden Party” for adults
and kids. Penny Warner has these ideas from her book, "Kids' Outdoor
Parties.” You might even get the kids to help you in the garden!
Invitations:
Buy seed packets and write party details in permanent felt-tip pen
on the back.
Attach a card with party details to a bunch of artificial flowers.
Ask kids to dress in gardening clothes, or decorate their clothes
with leaves and flowers.
Decorations:
Tie paper flowers around the yard.
Hang posters of fruits and vegetables.
Set out real or plastic fruits and vegetables.
Games:
Buy unusual foods and flowers. Have guests guess the names by look,
smell or taste.
Give each kid a garden glove and materials such as small pompoms,
wiggly eyes, felt, puffy paints, felt-tip pens, etc. Have kids
decorate the fingers to make Garden Glove Puppets.
Give each guest a flat metal tray filled with a layer of potting
soil. Have the kids "write" their names in the soil with grass
seeds. Spray the dirt lightly with water and set the tray in
indirect sunlight. After the party, send the trays home with the
guests and in a few days, their names will start to grow.
Have a variety of small vegetables and fruits on the table. Ask kids
to create a Veggie Monster by using toothpicks to attach the
different pieces of fruits and vegetables.
Refreshments:
Frost a sheet or round cake with white icing and sprinkle on
green-tinted coconut. Top with edible or candy flowers.
Put cut-up fruits and vegetables on a skewer stick.
Have bowls of nuts and seeds.
Decorate sandwiches with fruits and vegetables to make funny faces.
Favors:
Packets of seeds
Children's gardening books
Small gardening kits, including gloves, a trowel, a sprayer, seeds,
etc.
For more fun ideas, check out Penny Warner's complete book, "Kids'
Outdoor Parties.”
PARENTING
Prepare yourself for summer vacation travel
That time of the year is upon us once again. Even
as the spring semester just barely starts to wind down, children’s
minds are already turning to their favorite time of year—summer
vacation. Summer vacations and trips, however, often cause undue
anxiety for parents. Trips are stressful and exhausting—expenses,
cooped-up conditions, and often rigid schedules are enough to scare
parents into staying home, no matter what the potential destination.
Don’t let it scare you! Traveling with your kids can be done
smoothly and successfully. Penny Warner’s book, “365 Toddler Tips”
offers some advice on how to make traveling with school aged kids
and their younger siblings a little bit easier.
Regardless of how far you are traveling or by what method, there are
several steps you can take to ensure that things go smoothly.
Allow plenty of time for packing and preparation.
Make sure that the car is well stocked. But don't
get so caught up in packing for the kids that you forget your own
needs. Bring along snacks for everyone, and dress yourself and your
kids appropriately for the conditions.
When you're ready to leave, take along some toys
or stuffed animals to keep your kids entertained.
Traveling by Air
Ask for bulkhead seating because that area tends to be roomier. If
possible, travel with another adult who can help you with your
children's needs during the flight.
During takeoff, give your kids something to suck
on to normalize the pressure in their ears.
Fill a small backpack with a variety of things
for your children to do on the trip—think coloring books, crayons,
picture books, or games.
Getting up and moving around (when it is safe to
do so) will break up the monotony. In addition, your fellow
passengers will appreciate seeing an adorable, well-behaved child
among them.
Traveling by Car
The most vital thing to remember is seatbelts and
to strap your younger ones into an age-appropriate,
government-approved car seat. Always wear a seatbelt yourself as
well.
Make sure that all fingers are out of doorways.
After closing the doors, lock them and check to see that children
cannot open them without your permission.
Before you hit the road, verify that objects in
your car are secure and won't fly around if you have to make a
sudden stop. When you're driving, keep your eyes on the road. If
your kids need attention, pull over rather than try to fix the
problem while driving.
Play some of your kids’ favorite songs and sing
along together. Make up songs about things you see along the way.
The goal is to make travel as easy on your child as possible. And
you will certainly appreciate less drama along the way, to say
nothing of the relief of any fellow passengers.
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