Teenagers

Two of my three kids are entering their teenage years, with number three nipping at their heals.  When they were going through confirmation a couple of years ago, the book Like Dew Your Youth, by Eugene Peterson, was recommended to me.  I really haven't picked it up until now.  It's a short little book, and I haven't gotten very far in it yet, but it is giving me a new way to look at adolescence.

ad·o·les·cence/ˌadlˈesəns/

Noun: The period following the onset of puberty during which a young person develops from a child into an adult.

Eugene Peterson says, "Adolescence is , by definition, maladjustment.  And getting adjusted is a strenuous and often noisy process."  The biggest point he makes in the very first chapter is that adolescence is a GIFT to the parents, God's gift.  "A time for parents to enjoy a deeper, richer relationship with their children and for both parents and young adults to grow spiritually."

I'll probably read the rest of the book quickly, hoping to glean what this gift from God, adolescence, really is.  Then I'll re-read it.  Then I'll get my dear husband to read it.  Maybe we will enjoy this gift more than we can ever imagine.

Monopoly

Tom started playing Monopoly with the kids when they were 5 years old or so.  (not Jr. Monopoly)  He very patiently played with them, requiring them to count, add, subtract etc. as they played.  It's amazing what the kids have learned from the simple game of Monopoly.  The Monopoly game would be on the table for days, as the game was played a few turns at a time.  Now that the kids are older, the games go much quicker, with much wheeling and dealing.  It's a great family game night game.

Birthday party- duct tape wallets

At Caroline's birthday pool party last year, we decided to have each guest make a duct tape wallet as the take home gift.  Why have a pool party and make duct tape wallets?  A) Having a pool party is the easiest kind of party to have.  The kids entertain themselves.  B) It's nice to have an activity at the "adult swim" time of each hour.  C) We made duct tape wallets at Hilton Head while on vacation and had a blast.  D) Duct tape wallets are very useful and water proof when completed.

First step is to go to Michael's or Target or wherever to buy duct tape.  If you don't know, duct tape just isn't silver any more.  It comes in a rainbow of colors and patterns. We bought several roles of duct tape.

Second step is to practice how to make the wallet at home and make a plan on how to show the kids how to make it.   This link gives you super easy directions and pictures. http://www.rpi-polymath.com/ducttape/duct_tape_wallet.html
OR try this website. http://www.instructables.com/id/quality-duct-tape-wallet/

Third step is (at the party) set up a big table so everyone can see the demonstrator and have extra folks to help make the wallets.  There are always those who need extra help.  The more hands the better.  Caroline's big sister was the super helper.

Fourth step is to pre-cut strips of duct tape.  (When the party guests arrived, I asked each to pick two colors of duct tape.)  Pre-cutting saves a bunch of time.  Hang the pre-cut strips on the side of the table at each person's spot.

Now you're ready to begin.  (Remember: practice at home before trying to get a group to make them.)  Good luck!

American Lasagna

My mom's American Lasagna is one of my absolute favorites.  My kids love it, too.  For some reason my dear husband doesn't love it as much.  It might be because the last time I made it I used ground turkey instead of beef.  He likes beef.

American Lasagna

Cook 8 oz. of old-fashioned egg noodles according to package.

Combine to make cheese mixture: 

• 6 oz. cream cheese

• 1 c. cottage cheese

• 1/4 c. sour cream

• 2 Tablespoons minced onion

• 2 Tablespoons minced green pepper

Combine to make meat mixture:

• 1 pound browned ground meat

• 2- 8 oz. tomato sauce 

Spray a 2 quart casserole dish with cooking spray.  Layer 1/2 noodles on bottom, followed by all the cheese mixture, then the last 1/2 of noodles, followed with all the meat mixture.  Sprinkle the top with Parmesan cheese.

Bake at 385 degrees 35 minutes or until bubbly.

385 degrees is what I have on my recipe card that I copied from my mom's.  Don't know why 385...I'm sure 375 degrees would be fine.

This is so easy and so yummy, and it freezes beautifully.

Free Bag of Salad

I love free stuff.  Go to Vocalpoint to get a coupon for a free bag of salad.  I've ordered mine.

Just follow this link vocalpoint.com/FreshSavings. 
Fresh Express^® has developed a breakthrough, eco-friendly produce wash called Fresh Rinse^™ that is 7x more effective in cleaning salads than traditional chlorine wash,¹ but is still gentle on lettuce.

If you're not a member of Vocalpoint, sign up right away.  Great free stuff.

Getting Paid for My Opinions

There are several marketing research firms in the area that will pay me for my opinions.  Tonight, Atlanta Out Loud is paying me $85 for 2 hours of my time to tell them what I think of a product/product idea/add...I'm not sure what it will be until I get there.  It will have to do with grocery shopping.

In the past, I've been paid to actually grocery shop.  I was met at my little Publix by 2 market researchers.  They watched me do my shopping.  Then we went over to the toilet paper aisle and they asked me questions about how I shop for TP.  I think I was paid $100.

One time I gave my opinion on crock-pots.  A group of us sat in a room and looked at and discussed and gave our opinions about different pictures of crock-pots.  I think I was paid $80 for that.

I've given my opinion about the pattern on paper towels! (15 minutes/$20)

I've done taste tests, too...granola bars, gravy (for biscuits), sandwiches....(no less than $75)

The surveys are usually fun and interesting.

Marketing Firms:
Atlanta Out Loud
Jackson & Associates
Delve
and many more

Just find the website and join.  You will get an occasional phone call to see if you qualify for a survey.

Blueberry Picking

Friday was Blueberry Picking Day.  I could only round up one child to go with me.  She brought a friend.  (Thanks, Collyn, for driving!)

We drove to Washington Farms just outside of Athens.  http://www.washingtonfarms.net/  Last year we went to Hard Labor Creek Blueberry Farm. http://sites.google.com/site/hlcblueberries/  I preferred the Hard Labor Creek farm.  It was really a family's back yard.  The blueberry bushes were huge.  The blueberries were huge.  They had several varieties of blueberries.  The Washington Farm blueberries are just fine and delicious, but they are smaller, only one variety, and the farm is not as charming.  Hard Labor is only blueberries.  Washington Farms has pumpkins and strawberries and corn maze and other seasonal activities.   I have not done those other activities.

Besides just eating the blueberries plain, we freeze them and make blueberry cobbler and blueberry muffins.  My girls prefer to eat them frozen.  The blueberry cobbler is a recipe my friend, Collyn, just gave me.  It is easy and super yummy, especially with vanilla icecream.

Blueberry Cobbler
1 2/3 cups sugar, divided
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened 
1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
3/4 cup half and half
4 cups fresh blueberries
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted

• Beat 1 cup sugar and softened butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy.  Add flour, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, and half and half, beating at low speed until blended

• Stir together berries, melted butter, remaining 2/3 cup sugar and remaining 1 tsp cinnamon.  Spread half of blueberry mixture in bottom of lightly greased 9x13 baking dish.  Spoon flour mixture in mounds over top.  Spoon remaining blueberry mixture over mounds.

• Bake at 400 degrees for 35-40 minutes.  Serve warm with vanilla ice cream if desired.  

• 8-10 servings.

Cow Appreciation Day Chick-Fil-A

Yesterday was our third year to participate in Cow Appreciation Day at Chick-Fil-A.  A free meal if you  dress head to toe like the Chick-Fil-A cows.  The Chick-Fil-A website even offers a "costume" to print and wear!!  This year I was in black pants, white shirt with black paper spots.  I wore an "Eat More Chicken" sign, taped on a tail and put paper ears on my sunglasses.  This year I put a little black spot on my nose.  The girls do some variation of that.  One year the girls were "rapper" cows.  Very cute.  Thomas chooses not to participate.  (The picture above is from 2009.)

Thank you Chick-Fil-A for the free, yummy food.

I do believe the second Friday in July is the usual Cow Appreciation day.  So I'm already looking forward to 2012!

Fun in Charlotte

I love the Queen City.  (Charlotte, NC)  The kids love visiting GranMary.

This last visit "home" I decided to take the kids to Carowinds.  I grew up going to Carowinds as a kid.  Mom would drop us off for the day.  We'd call her when we were ready to come home.  Carowinds has changed a bit.  It has a lot more roller coasters than it did when I was a kid.

http://www.carowinds.com/

I'm always looking for a deal on things, so before going to Carowinds I checked on-line.  I was able to find a discounted admission that included a meal for $43.99 per person.  The meal was all-you-can-eat BBQ that included bbq pork, fried chicken, baked beans, chips, potato salad, cole slaw, cookies and fountain drinks.  (Regular admission at the gate is $52.99 or so.  A discounted online ticket is $41.99.)  Since we stayed for about 12 hours at the park, I feel like we really got our money's worth.  The park was not at all crowded the day after the 4th of July holiday...no lines or barely a wait for everything!  And the BBQ linner (lunch/dinner) was quite yummy and filling.

Although I was able to get a discount for Carowinds, it was still quite expensive for the 4 of us.  So I tried to find some other fun in Charlotte that wouldn't cost so much.  I was able to find a free family movie at a local theater.  We were able to see Gulliver's Travels with Jack Black for free.  Then, we signed up for Kids Bowl Free at a local AMF bowling alley. They emailed us our free coupons within 24 hours. We only had to rent one pair of bowling shoes, so 6 games (2 per child) of bowling cost less than $5. 

Of course, we played card games (Spite and Malice, President), Scrabble, Trivial Pursuit and Phase 10.  GranMary is the best for game playing.

We did make it down to the pool for a bit of swimming.  GranMary and I got in a game of Scrabble while the kids swam.

Fourth of July Menu

Here's our menu from our cookout...

Grilled Chicken
BBQ Ribs
London Broil
Grapes
Watermellon
Canteloupe
Green Beans
Hash-Brown Potato Casserole
Buttered Bread w/herbs
Sweet Tea
White Sangria
Drumsticks (icecream)

Hash-Brown Potato Casserole
1 large bag (2lbs.) Ore-Ida frozen hash-brown potatoes
2 cans cream of potato soup
8 oz. graded Cheddar cheese
1 8-oz. carton sour cream
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Mix potatoes, soup, sour cream, Cheddar cheese and garlic salt together in a large mixing bowl.  Pour into a buttered 2 1/2 qt. casserole.  Dot with butter.  Sprinkle top with Parmesan cheese.  Bake uncovered 1 hour at 350 degrees.  

This casserole can be frozen before baking.  To serve, place frozen casserole in cold oven, set temperature to 350 degrees and cook covered 1 hour and uncovered an additional 30 minutes.  
Serves 8
 

Independance Day

We don't have any particular Fourth of July traditions, but we do seem to make it for a fireworks display where ever we may be.

Last year we headed over to the square in Decatur for fireworks.  Some of our "Summer Friends," folks we seem to only see in the summer down at the pool, staked out a good spot close to the fireworks action beside a low rise office building near the square.  Orange cones were put out in an office parking lot to claim our bit of real estate.  There was even a little outside dining area that we commandeered.  Adults sat around and talked.  Kids played ball in the parking lot.  Snacks and drinks were out for all to share.  We set up our chairs in the parking lot for best fireworks viewing when the appropriate time came.  Very enjoyable. 

Other pleasurable Independence Day celebrations... For a couple of years in a row, we managed an invitation to a friends beach front home near Tom's mom in Jacksonville.  Great house.  Great location.  Great fireworks.  One year we headed to Sawgrass to my sister's in-laws.  Great fireworks on the golf course that year.  We were at Hilton Head one fourth...my sister-in-law, Lisa, is the best at celebrating this holiday.  Everyone is in red, white and blue...flag decore...etc.  Did we make it to fireworks then?  Can't remember.

We bought bunting for the house a few years ago, so we hang it on the front porch now and around Memorial Day.  Very festive.  Tom likes to fly the American Flag year round.  I bought a fun Happy 4th of July banner a couple of years ago that I put up on the fireplace.  We're proud Americans.