Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies

Posted on June 6, 2012 by Cheri

Two questions for you:

1. Do you know someone who has a gluten intolerance or has Celiac disease?

2. Are you ready for the easiest recipe in the world?

We have quite a few friends who cannot eat gluten and many don’t have good recipes for yummy foods, so they feel consigned to a life of eating things that taste like cardboard. No need with a recipe like this!

GLUTEN FREE PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

  • 2 cups peanut butter
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 eggs

Seriously. That’s it. Combine the ingredients and drop by tablespoonfuls onto a cookie sheet. You can press them down with the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar or press them with a fork, since they don’t spread a ton. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes and enjoy them with a glass of milk!

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Posted in All Writers, Allergy Free, Cheri, Cooking Tips and Tricks, Food, Gluten Free, Recipes, The Moms, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Building Memories WILL last a lifetime

Posted on June 5, 2012 by Heidi

I just returned from visiting some friends. Some old friends who, through the years of life have acquired many, many experiences, met hundreds of people, and seen hundreds of events They are both in their ’80’s and both on the teetering edge of life. He is losing a battle with cancer and she has alzheimers.

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My beautiful, wise friends

As he and I spoke, there was only one thing he wanted to talk about, and that was his family. He spoke about the time when he was young and the principles his parents taught him. He talked about how he and his 16 siblings all took care of each other, and how his parents taught them to help others, and they’ll help you.

A few years ago my girls and I visited “Sister Wu”. Besides sharing her ailing woes, she talked about her family, her husband in particular.

And of course there are my own grandparents whose minds also reflect back to their families.

Because in the end, isn’t family all that matters? A friend shared with me the reason she and her husband take their kids camping, read stories, play games, and just have fun together. She said it’s because a big part of parenting is to give your kids good memories to rely on when they get older.

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Building Memories

So go on, make a memory today with your kids. They just might still be talking about it when they’re old!

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Money Bookkeeping for Kids

Posted on June 4, 2012 by Sunny

When I was small, my parents gave me a ledger book and taught me how to use it. In it I tracked the money I received or earned and where it went. I learned to save and could see what I had to spend and what I had accumulated to donate to charity. Now when my kids receive their first few dollars, usually as a gift long before they know what money is, I go and get them their own ledger book and write it in.

money ledger to help kids learn money skills

I like the 6 column book, you’ll see how I use all the columns below. I got my last ledger at Staples for $9.29, though I see one on Amazon for just $8.79. One book is all they’ll ever need.

The 6 columns are really 3 split in half. We have our income split into three categories, 10% goes to charity (tithing), 40% goes into savings, and 50% is for spending. The kids sometimes complain that in order to earn enough to buy something for $20, they have to earn $40! But the real world is even tougher than that, so they might as well get used to it. The total received or spent is written under “amount”, with a minus sign if money is going out. Then under each category is the breakdown for that exchange and then a running total. When the child is ready to pay their tithing or take the savings to the bank, it is written in as negative and that total goes back to zero. This book is a record of the money they have at home. If they have a bank account, that money would be kept track of somewhere else.

teaching kids money responsibility by using a ledger book

My kids don’t always enjoy having to write in each dollar they earn. Nor when they find something they want to buy and I say, “Okay, when we get home, let’s see if you have that much in ‘spending’ in your money book, and if you can afford it and still want it, you can buy it.” When money in their jar doesn’t add up to what’s written in the book, the missing money must come out of spending, also not pleasant. But I’m glad that they are learning about the value of money and the responsibility of having it. And there is security in knowing what you’ve got and realizing you can make choices that affect your financial situation.

There are other perks, too. Like when my son’s scoutmaster said they were going to get the Personal Management merit badge and would need to keep track of the money they earned and spent. He brought his book and showed it to him, and that requirement was signed off quick. Now he keeps track of his money on the computer and I can’t check up on him, but hopefully he doesn’t need me too because he learned what he needed to early on.

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Summer Piano (or any instrument) Program

Posted on June 1, 2012 by Janae

My kids take piano lessons and I teach piano lessons. But, as our school year is coming to a close, all of us are becoming less motivated to have piano lessons over the summer. Together, we came up with a great solution: A Summer Piano Program copied from the library’s Summer Reading Program.

Both my students and my kids are going to use this program over the summer instead of formal piano lessons. Here’s how it works.

Each child will independently choose a song they want to learn. They can choose from books or the internet (Check out this link for a great website with free sheet music for all levels and lots of different instruments). When they feel like they’ve mastered that song, they ask their parent to listen to it and sign it off for them. Once they’ve passed, they write the name of the song they learned on one of the 10 white keys on the piano chart. Once they’ve filled in all 10 keys, they qualify for a reward.

You and the kids can come up with a fun reward. Maybe an outing to their favorite play area, bowling, a movie, pizza night, a pool party, or some other fun event would be enough to excite them. Or perhaps, a trip to the store for a prize at the end.

Since my kids seem really excited about this program, I’m trusting it will work to keep them practicing and keep their piano skills up while giving me the freedom of not having to stop my summer days to take my kids to piano. Hope it’s helpful for you!

For a printout of the Summer Program Chart, click here:

Summer Piano Program

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Posted in All Writers, Challenges, Finding a Balance, Fun, Hobbies, Janae, Learning, Money Saving Tips, The Moms | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A “Dry”, but Great Product

Posted on May 25, 2012 by Janae

Perhaps you’ve started seeing them around…Microfiber Super Absorbent, Washable Dish Mats. I was skeptical. The dish towels I use seem to end up soaking wet and inevitably smell like mildew very soon after using them to dry things. My dish rack seems to drain water all over my counter, not to mention the hard water stains it is collecting.

So, I bought a microfiber mat…it didn’t cost much and I crossed my fingers it would solve my dish washing woes. I’m happy to report that I love it. It easily absorbs the water from my drying dishes. I have absolutely no excess water collecting on the counter. Not only that, but it resists mildew, so now mildew smells are a thing of the past. Best yet, it’s simple to clean. Simply throw it in the washer. And, it’s super simple to store. Once the dishes are dry, just roll it up, and toss it under the sink or in a drawer. I highly recommend it and since I’d seen them but couldn’t believe they’d actually be great, I figured I’d pass my review on to you. Happy dish washing.

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Healthier AND Easier Mashed Potatoes–No Butter, Milk, Sour Cream, Cream Cheese

Posted on May 23, 2012 by Cheri

My husband’s grandfather was raised in France and had a very ecclectic flair about him. One thing he loved to do was to make and eat good food. My sister in law will never forget the day she was making dinner and her grandfather came over, tasted the dish, spit in it, and then declared it done. Not exactly my cooking style, but hey, who am I to judge?

Unlike spitting in food, there was one thing Grandpa D taught us to do that we’ve usedever since. Something that sounds a little odd, but makes the world of difference. And that is to add a raw egg to piping hot potatoes right before mashing them. Eggs are emulsifiers which means they help bind things together. Adding an egg makes for very creamy mashed potatoes.

A little while ago, we were having company over for dinner and I was making mashed potatoes. Being on a dairy free diet, I knew I couldn’t use my typical butter, sour cream, and heavy cream to make the mashed potatoes amazing. I planned on just using my Smart Balance with Flax butter and some rice milk. They don’t make for the best mashed potatoes, but it was better than nothing.

Imagine my dismay when I opened the fridge and discovered that we had none of my butter! The company was already in our home so we couldn’t run to the store to get more. Plus, the potatoes were hot and would be cold by the time we got back. In a moment of desperation, we decided to just go with the egg trick and some rice milk and hope that they were at least edible.

What we discovered was our new favorite way to make mashed potatoes! I threw the egg into the hot potatoes, whipped them together and found that they were instantly the perfect consistency. Better than with butter and all the other stuff. We added salt and pepper and absolutely loved dinner.

Since that night, we don’t make mashed potatoes any other way. We add one or two eggs, depending on how many potatoes we are using. Our basic rule of thumb is that if it isn’t amazingly creamy, add another one.

Not only does this trick make really yummy mashed potatoes, but it is better for you too (less calories, fat, sodium, though a little higher in cholesterol)! Check out the facts.

8 potatoes 8 potatoes
¼ cup butter 2 eggs
¼ cup sour cream VS Salt
2 Tbs heavy cream Pepper
Salt
Pepper

If you try it, I hope you enjoy it!

**You may be wondering about the raw egg part. Of course do what you feel comfortable with. However, when you put the egg into the potatoes right after you drained them, they are still really, really hot so the egg gets pretty cooked. What I’ve read is that the likelihood of consuming a contaminated egg (when bought from the store) is extremely low, so I don’t worry about it. Also, this method doesn’t hold up well for leftovers. They’re a little dry. All you need to do is add a little milk the next day before warming up the leftovers and they’ll be nice and creamy again.**

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Super fun, jammin’ Songs the Whole Family Will Dance Along To

Posted on May 22, 2012 by Heidi

Ziggy Marley’s Family Time album still remains one of our favorite family music albums. Mostly because his music is fun for the kids and for adults! You know when you have to listen to kids’ music and it drives you up the wall? Not this one. It’s made with the parent in mind. It is so fun to listen to.

And what a great, cool man Ziggy is. Ziggy is the son of the legendary Bob Marley and is so down to earth and personable. A few years ago we got to see him perform in a real small concert for the kids — just a real small concert in the corner courtyard of a building, and all for free. It was amazing to be so close to him and his band and be just dancing and feeling free with only about 100 other people — all gathered in families.

ziggy concert
ziggy concert
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A family dance party at Ziggy’s concert

His jive and feel-good tones shine through on this CD. Bet you’ll find yourself diggin’ it along with your kids! It’s good for the soul.

ziggy marley
Pick up a copy or download it using the link below, then have a family dance party!

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A High School Grad
Don’t You Wish You Were ‘1 2 ?!

Posted on May 21, 2012 by Sunny

high school seniors walk onto field for graduation

I’ve been seeing that around lately. I can honestly say I do not wish I were a 2012 high school graduate, but I am really happy with the fact that I have one. Can you pick him out? That’s my firstborn walking onto the field for his high school graduation last Thursday.

He leaves for college in less than a month. It’s over, basically. I’m talking about for me. Not that there is ever a definite end (or beginning either, when I think about it) to raising a child, but you know what I mean.

Part of me wishes I could have made it to every swim meet, field day, concert, poetry celebration, etc. he was part of in the last 14 years. And scrapbooked it all. (I’m pretty sure I made it to all of those the years before that, when he was in preschool. I might have scrapbooked it all, too.) I suppose it was a mercy that I didn’t even find out about a lot of them until it was too late. Because it just wasn’t physically possible. I’m so glad I got to go (and his Dad and siblings) to many of them.

I’m glad I read to him. I don’t remember which picture books he insisted I read over and over, but I’m sure he did. I’m glad I read them again. At least some of the time. I’m glad he enjoyed reading the whole Narnia series out loud together and the first Harry Potter books, before he took off on his own with them.

I’m sorry we didn’t connect positively more often. He didn’t really seem to want the heart-to-heart talks. He always seemed so self-confident. I wish I would have built him up more anyway. I know he’s always been a competent person, but I shouldn’t have let his self-confidence mislead me into thinking he didn’t need my words of encouragement and support. (Though I admit it wasn’t always clear that I should support certain endeavors–I certainly don’t have 20/20 hindsight yet.)

Mostly, I’m so grateful that I got to be part of his life growing up. I’m glad I was there when he pulled the fire alarm, even if I had to admit it to the fire crew when they arrived. I’m glad I got to be the one to hold him during the drive to his grandpa’s orthodontist office after he knocked out his front tooth, even if I got light headed watching what followed. I’m pleased that he asks for back massages when he’s been working out hard and his muscles are in knots, even if it is after bedtime. I’m delighted that he made sure I got to know his girlfriend before she became his girlfriend, and that he let me help with his prom.

I’ve made a lot of mistakes mothering him, and I didn’t really have an easy time of it. But regardless, he’s turned out to be a pretty great person. And I’m honored, and so happy, that I could be his mom.

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Keeping Up With Scrapbooking

Posted on May 18, 2012 by Janae

If there’s one thing that most people find they can’t keep up with, it’s scrapbooking. How many of us have drawers full of developed photos or hard drives full to capacity of photos we rarely look at but wish we could?

Here’s an idea that works: Give your kids a scrapbook for their birthday. I started that tradition almost 6 years ago. While it takes some effort a few weeks before each birthday, it’s nothing compared to the years it would take to catch up if I had left the photos untouched. Believe it or not, one year of photos isn’t too hard to scrapbook.

My kids absolutely love their scrapbooks. It’s rare when a day goes by and no one has looked through their scrapbook. They are, by far, the most popular books in the house. And, believe it or not, they are the most coveted and anticipated gift.

There are so many ways to scrapbook. You can do it manually and create amazing pages. If this is your style, check out websites and craft stores for ideas. I won’t be much help there. If digital is more your style, there are great sites like shutterfly.com or snapfish.com. Just type in photo book in google and you’ll find tons.

My personal favorite is lulu.com. I like to mix journaling with scrapbooking. I fill each page with not only pictures but with the stories, events, and memories that go with them. Lulu lets me use Microsoft Word to organize my pictures and write my story and then publish the book one at a time. It is more time consuming than creating a photo book (which generally lets you just drag photos into the book…lulu has that type of book, too). But, preserving the story is worth it to me. Now my kids not only have their pictures but their memories preserved for them as well.

However you do it, try giving your scrapbook as a birthday gift to keep those photos from falling into the abyss of the hard drive and photo drawers.

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The Cost of Childhood: A Lesson in Perspective

Posted on May 16, 2012 by Cheri

Has this ever happened in your home? Your child does something they are SO proud of and you respond with “How could you use all the ______?” or “Honey, you just wasted all those ______.” or “Please be more careful! You just made a mess!” It has happened a hundred times in our home. My four year old is particularly creative and uses quite a few resources for her projects. It has become a weekly and sometimes daily issue.

However, as one day I sat thinking about it, I realized that the cost of the materials is so insignificant, especially when seen in comparison to the cost of shattering her excitement at her accomplishments.

To help us all with a little perspective, here’s a breakdown of what the true cost of childhood is:

Unrolling an entire roll of toilet paper–$0.47 per roll

Coloring on computer paper–$.006 per sheet

Using up the crayons–$0.04 per crayon

Spilling the milk as she pours it herself–$

Blowing up and popping the balloons just for fun–$.16 a balloon

Spilling the brand new bottle of bubbles that she was trying to blow for her sisters–$.10

Using up every single piece of sidewalk chalk on a full driveway of drawings–$1

Emptying a roll of tape over the course of several days to create all sorts of clothing creations, wrapped presents, and paper displays–$.50 a roll of tape

Needing a bandaid for every owie, even ones inside her mouth or on her eye–$.09 per bandaid

Her satisfaction at her creativity, her pride with trying something new, her comfort and happiness, her display of pure childhood genius–Priceless

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