Men In The Kitchen: It Doesn't Always Have To Be A Nightmare

I think one of the things that attracted me to my husband 17 years ago was his ability to cook. I mean cook in the kitchen, of course!

It's such a nice thing for men to be able to have a few dishes they are able to prepare. Because let's face it -- every now and then the wife will get sick. It's nice to be able to rely on your husband to feed the kids without going to McDonald's or some other fast food joint.

Now I'm not saying my husband can cook everything, but he can hold his own in the kitchen. He makes a mean stir fry. He also makes a wonderful dill pickle soup. Now I know that sounds awful, but it is one of the best soups you will ever have!

In fact, I am half Polish and my husband, who isn't Polish, made this soup for me when we were dating. I never heard of this soup before he mentioned it to me. Greg had seen the recipe in the newspaper, kept it and had the guts and ability to make it. What a brave guy! I thought I would hate it, but to my amazement it was just terrific. I was so sure I would have to come up with some kind of little white lie so I wouldn't hurt his feelings. To my astonishment I absolutely loved it!

Well, it's been over 17 years and we're still eating and enjoying it! Our daughter, Nicole, has been eating and loving it since she was very small. In fact, she bugs her dad to make it as often as he can. You see, even men can start traditions. I give full credit for this recipe to my husband, Greg. I'm sure he doesn't realize how special he makes us feel when he makes this soup for us.

The following recipe is a little more involved than my previous ones, but it is well worth it. This one you may want to make on the weekends when you aren't too busy.

Glorified Polish Dill Pickle Soup

11 cups water
1 pound fresh kielbasa (NOT smoked)
1 cup cold water
3 medium potatoes -- washed, peeled, and finely chopped
3 carrots -- scrubbed, finely chopped
1 medium onion -- peeled, ends removed and finely chopped
2 ribs celery -- finely chopped, including leaves
1 large dill pickle, chopped
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon seasoned pepper
1 Tablespoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup quick cooking barley
1 cup dill pickle juice
2 cups sour cream (16 ounces)

In a large soup pot, bring 11 cups of water to a boil. Reduce heat and add the kielbasa. Cover and simmer for one hour, skimming foam as necessary. Remove kielbasa and coarsely chop; return to pot. Add potatoes, carrots, onion, celery, pickle, bay leaf, seasoned salt, garlic salt, seasoned pepper, parsley, Worcestershire sauce, and barley. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and add the pickle juice. Simmer 15 to 20 minutes more.

Just before serving, pour one cup (8 ounces) of the broth into a small bowl. Scoop sour cream into a separate small bowl. Temper the sour cream by stirring in one tablespoon of broth at a time until the cup of broth is gone. Now add the tempered sour cream into the soup pot and heat; do NOT let the soup boil or it will curdle. Makes 8 to 10 large servings.

Now ladies, your kitchen may look like WWII just happened there, but let your husbands in the kitchen too. My daughter will have many happy memories of not just my home-cooked meals, but also her dad's. What a nice thing for a man to do for the people he loves the most. Flowers are nice, but there is nothing like a home-cooked meal and a night off for the special ladies in their lives. It comes from the heart and what could be better than that?

So come on guys -- roll up your sleeves and get in the kitchen! My husband is the perfect example of a man's ability to make a wonderful meal for his family. Why does it always have to be the wife? Give your wives or girlfriends a night off and see if she doesn't appreciate it!


Men: Don't be afraid of the kitchen!

Get yourself a nice big loaf of crusty bread and a big bowl of Dill Pickle Soup. It's nice on a cold blustery day!

Enjoy the soup -- we sure do!!!

Thanks Greg!

Don't Forget Grandparents When It Comes To Family Foundation

My mornings are usually very hectic. I hardly have time to breathe. My time has to be spent well and I have to multi-task.

After that, however, I take a half hour or so to just sit and relax. For instance, right after I add a new entry to my blog I sit and have a cup of tea. Sometimes it's coffee. The point is, I just sit and relax.

This time of the morning our dogs have already been outside and are back inside sleeping somewhere in the house. We have a cockatiel who is still covered and sleeping also. Now time for a little needed R&R for about half an hour. It re-energizes me and that's the best thing for my family.

Today's very crazy because on top of my usual chores this morning I started a load of laundry between my daughter's breakfast and driving her to school. She has a half day of school today -- so instead of making her lunch I decided to fill the time with some laundry.

Fridays are extra busy for me because I usually scrub my floor and vacuum for the weekend. I like my family to come home to a very clean house on Fridays. Plus, when I get all my cleaning done on Friday, I have more time to devote to them on the weekend.

I also want to e-mail my mother-in-law. I want to send her pictures of Nicole and her friends in their Halloween costumes. My mother-in-law lives 45 minutes away from us. E-mail is a great way to keep her up to date on what is happening around here. I want her to know that she's a very special part of our family, despite our distances apart. Keeping her up-to-date is a great way to let her know we are thinking about her.

I also need to take time to see my mom and spend some time with her. For instance, I had to take her to the doctor this past week. Her hearing isn't very good anymore. I like to go to all her appointments so I make sure I know what's going with her medications and I can get her to understand. My mom has always been there for me and I want to be there for her now that she is getting up in age (she's 82).

My dad and father-in-law both have passed away so it's up to me and my husband to do what we can for our moms. I try to be a good daughter and daughter-in-law and I hope that I am.

I also think this sets a good example for Nicole. She loves both her grandmothers and I make sure when they are here she spends time with them. I'm pretty proud of her because she doesn't even have to be told; she loves spending time with both of them.

In fact, my mother-in-law was over for dinner last weekend and one of her friends wanted to get together with her on Saturday. She told her friend no because her grandma was coming over. She did this all on her own -- she didn't have to be told. Sometimes you wonder as a parent if you're getting things across to your kids. This was a perfect example of, yes I have!

I think it's very important for kids to spend time with their grandparents. It teaches them to respect older people and makes your family whole. It's very important for kids to not only have a good relationship with their parents, but also their grandparents. It's also up to us as parents to make sure that happens.



Having a happy and close family is the best and most important foundation we can give our kids. It's important for children to be able to maintain a relationship with older people as well as younger people.

Make sure your kids have a great relationship with their grandparents. That won't happen unless you have a great relationship with not only your children, but also your parents.

A good and healthy family is the best thing we can give our kids. With all the pressure out there they need a good foundation. A close relationship with kids and grandparents is important and is only a phone call away.

Have a great weekend!!

Halloween: One of My Favorites, And Here's Why

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

I love Halloween! It's a fun night. It gives children and parents a chance to do something together.

I love the smell in the air and the laughter I hear from kids running up to my porch and yelling "Trick or treat!" It's one more reason to have fun as a family.

When I was growing up, the decorations for Halloween used to be a couple of cute or spooky cardboard cutouts that you had to Scotch tape to your windows or door.

Today the decorations are so elaborate. From the inflatables on the front lawn to the flashing lights in the windows. I'm one of those people that like to celebrate everything and try to put my own special and personal touch on it. Any excuse to have fun with my child and enjoy life.

This morning started out great! My daughter jumped out of bed and was very excited. She couldn't wait to put on her make-up and costume. Today was one of those mornings for just cereal and juice, which she hardly touched. All she wanted to do is get ready and go to school. Fortunately her school allows the children to go in their Halloween costumes.

Last evening we had fun putting together little candy bags for her friends at school. They are cute little bags we picked up at Target that say "You've been booed". Last evening was another reason for me to spend time with my daughter by putting together bags of candy for her friends. We laughed and talked. These are the kind of moments you can make happen all the time.

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Trust is the kind of payback you get from spending quality time with your children.
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After school this afternoon she has to look forward to carving two pumpkins with her dad. A reason for them to have fun and talk together too.

A fun and easy thing you can do is get out a crockpot and put it on Low. Add apple cider to it and a few cinnamon sticks and let it simmer. When your children return they will have some nice warm cider to come home to and enjoy. This is easy and requires very little clean up. Just another way to make tonight just a little more special. While my husband and daughter carve the pumpkins, I will be making this little treat for them.
















Our Jack Russell, Scamp, is the cutest witch ever!



This evening will also be time for her and her friends to go out and be together. This is the first year she will be going out with just her friends. I know my daughter and her friends and am positive they will be well behaved and careful. Trust is the kind of payback you get from spending quality time with your children.

As parents we should all find any reason to make things as fun and enjoyable for our children as we can. It's another way we can become close as a family unit.

Halloween is just another excuse to have fun with your kids. Try to make every moment count! They'll be grown up before we know it.

Please remember if you are driving tonight to be extra careful. Children get very excited and can just dash into the street without thinking. So please think for them for just one evening.

Have a safe and happy Halloween! Enjoy your kids and most of all have fun with them!

Tired of Today's Network Programming? Pick Up A Game

When I was growing up television shows used to be geared toward more family programming.

I used to love Saturday nights and the lineup on television. I remember watching The Bob Newhart Show and Mary Tyler Moore with my parents. My mom and dad would order pizza or some other fun thing to eat. Sometimes we would even make homemade pizza or bake fresh bread. It was our time together as a family. The shows back in the 1970s were funny and entertaining and something you could watch with the whole family.

The shows today aren't geared toward families. Nothing makes you laugh and it seems like the networks aren't even interested in family programming. All I see is violence and a whole lot of blood and guts.


"Umm, TV networks? Where are all the shows like mine, today?"

Is it any wonder why we have a breakdown of the family? Nothing is geared toward families today. You would think that there would be a market for some type of family entertainment.

If you have a family, most likely you are home on Saturday evenings. Most families can't afford to take the kids to the movies. It is just too expensive. What can you do?

What we have started is family game night. We turn off the television and pick some games to play. Our daughter loves Scrabble. It's something we do together and it is educational as well. It also gives us time to talk and laugh together.

What I do is make a special snack. Last week I made fresh veggies and dip and we snacked and played games. I try to make it special by making some sort of treat. One time we made S'mores together. It's fun and brings you closer with your kids.


Scrabble: Fun, easy family time that's also educational

What you can also do is have your kids pick a special treat they like, and all make it together. If you make things special and fun children usually love to get involved. I really do believe that children love family time and need it on a regular basis.

So here's a note to the networks. If you can't make programming for families, at least on Saturday night, then you get turned off. We can all have our own Saturday night lineup with our families. It will bring everyone closer.

So turn off the television on Saturday night and give it a try. I think you will be amazed how much your family will enjoy being together without television.

Have fun!!!

Today's Homework: Book Sense Outweighs Common Sense

I can't say this any simpler: there is just too much homework for our kids! Someone has got to do something about this.

Yes, they should have some homework, but there is such a thing as overload. I think the amount of homework my child comes home with is completely unacceptable.

On top of all the homework is the weight of the books they bring home in their backpacks. I am so worried about my child's back. I'm afraid she's going to do damage to it. I told her, that if a book is too heavy, to carry it in her arms to more evenly distribute the weight.

You would think someone would use common sense when they're making these text books. Remember, these are children carrying these books. Can't someone use their heads and maybe break up the book in sections? Instead of one book for the whole year, maybe there should be three or four smaller ones. Am I the only person who thinks of these things?



I know everyone is always worried about cost. Do they ever think, What about the cost to our children's well being and health? Isn't that worth anything anymore?

The stress our kids are under is simply too much. Someone has got to say enough is enough. Not to mention the stress the parents feel -- especially responsible parents who work with their children and make sure they have good work habits.

The kids need a little downtime and also time for outside activities. They need balance in their lives. They need family time.

Also, think of the parents. We work outside the home, as well as inside it. We have to make dinner and be able to have time to sit and eat. We need time with our kids; it's important for our family. They need time with us as well.

We're multi-tasking all the time, so why do we have to multi-task time spent with our children? Then people wonder why there is a breakdown of the family. This sure doesn't help!

Another excuse I've heard for all the homework is kids have to be able to deal with stress. Well, maybe that's true, but isn't it our job as adults to protect them from stress -- not cause more? When the kids become adults they'll have enough stress. Why do we have to intoduce it to them sooner than necessary?

Here is another thing I've heard: "We have to be able to compete with other countries." This is a lot of nonsense. Why put our kids through all this stress to compete only to have the CEOs of this country outsource American jobs anyway? All they care about is the cheap labor they can get in other countries. They don't care about the American worker or the American family.

All I know is, Halloween is this Wednesday and I'm sure there will be a heavy load of homework. For one day can't they ease the load a bit? Let these kids enjoy going out without being worried about homework.

Also, let the parents be able to enjoy our kids for at least one night. We have to cook dinner, clean up and get the costumes on them, which includes makeup most of the time. Have a little pity on all of us this Wednesday!

Have a wonderful and spooky Halloween!!!! BOO!

A Dying Breed: People With Manners, Morals

Other than my immediate family, does anyone today have manners? Is there someone who just does something for someone else without an agenda? If these people exist I'd sure like to know who they are.

You see it every day and it seems to be happening more and more. I'd like to think I'm one of the few people who have manners and actually care about others.

I speak from experience. This is where it all began for me. Many years ago, when my daughter was in first grade, her school was looking for a parent to be Treasurer of the PTO. I was at the meeting and thought it would be something nice for me to do. After the meeting was over one of my neighbors pulled me aside and said, "Are you nuts?!" I had no idea what she meant at the time. Well, I found out pretty quickly. This is when my eyes were opened.

After I became Treasurer, it all began. Some of the women in the PTO started talking behind my back. Keep in mind, I was a new parent in this school and had never been involved in PTO. The reason I know they were talking behind my back is because they did it right in front of me without realizing. These two women were talking about me and it so happened I was walking right behind them. Unfortunately, my daughter and husband happened to be with me and heard everything they said. The funny thing about this incident was the reaction when these two particular women realized I was walking right behind them. The expressions on their faces were priceless. I thought they would both die of embarrassment. By rights they should have. The most heartbreaking thing for me however was when my child looked up at me with her big brown eyes and said; "Mommy why are they talking like that about you?" I was honest and said the only thing I could at the time and that was "I'm not sure."

They had been talking about something they thought I hadn't been doing, like the previous treasurer. Instead of coming to me and speaking to me about it like adults should, they chose to talk behind my back, and make fun of me. Well, thats fine I'm an adult and I can handle it, but what made me so mad was my child happened to hear also.

People like this are cowardly and gutless. After only one year as treasurer I stepped down. It wasn't just this incident, but one of many. It also just wasn't me; they would talk about other moms behind their backs too. I am just not into talking and gossiping behind people's backs. Mainly because it sets a rotten example for my child, but also because that is just not the kind of person I am.

I thought this kind of stuff just happened with women, but over the years I have come to realize it happens to men too. Maybe not in the same way, but it has manifested in our lives over the last seven months twice.

My husband has been stabbed in the back by men he thought he could trust. The problem is not only did they hurt him, but they hurt me and my daughter in the process. One of the individuals, we had treated exremely nicely. We had him over for dinner many times, and my daughter looked up to him. We treated him like a member of the family, but all he did was use my husband and toss him aside. My husband was hurt, I was hurt and the most heartbreaking thing for me was my daughter was hurt. As a parent, nothing makes you more mad than when your child is hurt.

The strange thing is these people seem to be able to live with themselves without any remorse. They also seem to be able to justify themselves. Well, I guess they think if they convince themselves they were justified everyone else will see it the same way. Well that's just not so. Just ask my daughter.

Well, I guess if you can live with yourself more power to you. I, however, am glad I don't hurt or use people. I happen to be the kind of person who can't live with herself if I hurt or use someone on purpose.

Yes, I'm sure I've hurt people, but it wasn't intentional. If I do hurt someone it bothers me, and yes I am a big enough person to apologize. The one thing I don't do is talk behind people's backs. You know the old saying, "If you don't have anything nice to say don't say anything at all." Why would you want to hurt or use someone intentionally? I can't figure that out.


If you do nothing else this weekend, try to do something nice for someone. Whether it's as simple as letting someone in during heavy traffic or simply holding a door open for someone. That little gesture can make someone's outlook and day just a little happier. Don't we at least owe that to each other? Just show some human kindness; it may have a trickle down effect.

Have a great weekend!

Idle Hands Truly Can Be Devil's Workshop

I believe one of the best things we can do for our kids is to keep them involved in activities. Whether it is in school or after school.

My daughter is in band and will continue in high school. My husband and I encourage her all the time, and she has become quite a good clarinet player.

Like most parents, I'm worried about her transition from middle school to high school. I worry about her getting in with the wrong crowd, or into drugs, alcohol, smoking, sex -- and anything else that may get her into trouble.

I do, however, believe in my child and know that my husband and I did the very best to bring her up with good moral values. I hope we have set a good example for her. We aren't perfect, but I hope making sacrifices throughout her life and just plain being there for her has made the difference.

I don't think you can be your child's best friend. They have that at school. I think that parents must be anchors for their kids. Keep them grounded. Make sure you know who they are hanging around with and where they are all the time. It's not an easy job, but is very important to their well being.

My daughter and I are very close, but I found myself not listening to her other day. She came home from school and I was in the kitchen getting ready to start dinner. I found myself not really listening to her. So I just stopped what I was doing and sat at the table and listened to what she had to say. It was nothing earth shattering, but the fact is she wanted to come to me and talk about it.

As parents, we are all busy and there just are not enough hours in the day. Later I thought about taking the time to listen to her and I realized, what happened as a result? We ate 15 minutes later. What's so terrible about that?

I'm so glad I realized what I was doing and took the time to sit down with her. Nobody likes not being heard. Children are no different. They are worth every bit of love and attention we can give them.

The stress our kids are under in school is much worse than we ever experienced. It's so important for them to have a safe haven. They need to express their opinions and we need to be able to guide them in the right direction.


Taking a walk with your kids as a family -- even in the rain -- can be considered quality time

The most important thing is to have open communication with kids. It's definitely not easy in this day and age. I think the more you listen and spend time with your kids the closer you will become.

Schedules are hectic and life is crazy, but I think keeping children active helps. Most cities have community centers now. Kids can swim or do other positive and healthy activities. The cost is minimal, and will keep them out of trouble. It's a nice thing parents and kids can do together. It also gets everyone out of the house. They can also meet up with their friends while you swim or do other activities. The old saying, "Idle hands are the devil's workshop," truly does apply -- especially nowadays.

So spend time with your kids. Take time to talk to them. Get to know their friends. The best thing for our children is to know that someone cares. If their parents don't, who will?