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Kid Friendly Pizza Recipe

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Cooking with your children should always be a fun learning experience. I’ll never forget learning from my mother how to cook. Whether I was helping her prepare lunch or dinner, it was quality time with her that I will never forget.

As a mother myself, I remember also including my young children in the preparations of meals. We always had a great time. I was glad to pass on the tradition that my mother started with me all those years ago. After all, how else would they learn how to take care of themselves with delicious foods?

So I want share with the world my kids’ favorite childhood recipe for pizza. Trust me they devoured every piece! More importantly, they felt a sense of achievement because they made it themselves. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

4 Flour Tortillas
1 Cup Pizza Sauce
1 1/4 Cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
( You can add additional toppings such as pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms etc.. )

Directions

Tortilla_pizza
Example of what a Tortilla pizza looks like (courtesy wikimedia.org). It’s very yummy!

Preheat oven to 350*
Place Tortillas on a non stick baking sheet
Now let the kids make their own individual pizza
Use a large spoon to spread 2-3 tablespoons of pizza sauce on tortilla Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top
Add any desired topping(s)

Place in oven for 8-10 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Enjoy this Kid Friendly Pizza Recipe!!

Posted by Eve

Looking for My Loved One: the Top 3 Questions on Your Mind

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The top three things on your mind when you’re looking for someone you haven’t seen in years.

Thanks to Facebook and locator services, people all over the world are reunited with their long lost daughters, sons, sisters, moms, brothers, fathers and friends. It got me to thinking about what must be going through the minds of these family members as they are going through this heart wrenching process.

Here are the top three thoughts that are probably on your mind if you are looking for family or friends.

What Do They Look Like?

When you haven’t seen someone for a long while, or at all since birth in the case of a mother who gave her child away at birth, the top question on your mind will most likely be “What will they look like??” Will they be tall? Short? Brunette or blonde? Will they be in shape or will they be severely overweight?

But truth be told, it doesn’t really matter how they look when you are finally reunited with someone who you haven’t seen for years, decades or more. You are just happy to have them back in your life.

What Have They Been Doing with Their Life?

We all pray that our long lost family and friends are doing well for themselves. If you found out that they weren’t doing so well, you might start to blame yourself for that, even if your absence in their lives had absolutely nothing to do with their current circumstances. But regardless, we want to know how they’re doing, and if possible how we can help.

Will They Like Me?

The final question that is high on the minds of a person who is looking for a long lost family member or friends is “Will they like me?” Will I get along with this person who I haven’t seen for ten years (or have never seen in some cases).

I imagine that not every reunion turns out to be a match made in heaven. For example, some brothers and sisters are like oil and water — they just don’t go together. Some mothers may turn out to be the “judgmental” type and annoy the heck out of their newly found children. There is really nothing you can do to make someone get along with you. The tone of any relationship is usually established within the first few meetings.

If you are looking for family members and friends, or on the cusp of meeting a long lost family member, or even just fantasizing about what it would be like to see them again, try not drive yourself crazy with hypotheticals and don’t be disappointed if they don’t live up to your initial expectations. It takes time to get to know someone new — even if they are related to you.

Blessings to you in your search!

Posted by Jade

How to Convince Aging Parents that Assisted Living Can Be a Good Thing

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For years my siblings and I have been trying in vain to explain to our aging parents that they require assistance with their daily activities. We first had an in depth conversation with our parents on the benefits of assisted living. We explained that the most important factors are their safety and security. They are both currently experiencing major health issues, that makes it dangerous for them to venture out into their neighborhood.

We felt that it was dangerous for them to do the basics, such as: grocery shopping, banking, doctors appointments or just enjoying a beautiful day outside. For example, our dad’s vision has been steadily declining for years. He even shared a story of how he was harassed by a group of teens (or so he thought), while simply getting the mail. They had rummaged through his pant pockets in the hallway on the way to the mail box in his apartment building. Worst of all was that he could not identify his attackers to the police. Needless to say, we were all sad to hear that story. Our mom then shared an unfortunate story of how during one icy winter day, she had an issue of her own. She went out to purchase groceries and as she was about to step off the curb, she slipped on black ice falling to her knees. Keep in mind that she had just had reconstructive knee surgery two months prior. That fall had set her healing process back for weeks. We were extremely concerned after hearing both of their stories.

So with love and compassion, we began to explain how living in a senior-assisted living home would benefit them. First, we explained to them that they would have round the clock care from a nurse on duty. They would also have transportation available to take them to doctors appointments, purchase groceries, social outings etc. They would also have a dining hall to socialize with other seniors. We even told our dad that they would teach him how to navigate in and outside of his apartment with his walking stick.

At the end of the loving conversation our parents finally admitted that the senior living facility sounded like a good idea. Thankfully, they are now awaiting their move-in date and are excited to have a better quality of day to day life.

It takes patience and understanding, but with basic reasoning it’s possible to convince even a stubborn elderly parent that assisted living may be the way to go.

Posted by Eve

Teaching Your Child About Bullies in School

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Here are some tips for teaching your child about bullies in school.

Sadly, these are the days of extreme bullying in and out of school. Now there’s even “cyber bullying ” on the internet.

Teaching our youth how to recognize a bully is challenging. Yet, it can be done! It is a great concern to all parents who send their kids to school and hope that they are not a victim of a bully. However, you can instill in your child not to be a victim.

Educate Them

First, this can be accomplished by giving them a true definition of a bully. What I told my children is that a bully is a weak and troubled individual. Meaning, he/she can be experiencing some form of mental and/or physical abuse at home and that bullying is there way of “venting” those frustrations. It is totally inappropriate and inexcusable to be bullied by anyone.

Keep the Lines of Communication Open

Making sure that you keep the daily lines of communication with your child is the most important step. Just don’t ask how was your day and accept a generic answer. Ask questions about classroom friends, lunch room habits and their trips home. All of this is asked while looking the child directly in the eye. No one but a parent is going to know if the child is being truthful or not. Talk to your child about the signs of a bully so that they have a better comprehension and can recognize the characteristics. In my opinion, some of the signs of a bully are:

– lack of empathy for others

– opportunist behavior (strikes when an adult is not looking)

– refuses to accept responsibility for wrong behaviors (the other person always deserves it)

– will not see another persons point of view

– enjoys inflicting pain and embarrassment to others

– is overly concerned with others showing them “respect”

– wants to be feared

– a very sore loser

– gets pleasure from always being in control

Teach Them to Lead, Not Follow

When you think about, it all bullies need professional help. Unfortunately, you are not the one who can help them. Yet, what you can do is make sure that your child is a leader and not a follower. Also, ensure that your child knows his or her own self worth. Make sure that they know that no one has the right to disrupt their  day to day confidence while in or out of school.

Your child must always be comfortable when speaking with you about any topic. Communication, whether it be at dinner, before bed, at breakfast or while watching television is paramount to any parents day to day knowledge of their child’s well being in and out of school. My only wish is that I hope this advice about teaching your child about bullies in school can inspire and enlighten parents to be more involved with their children.

 

Posted by Eve

How to Give Your Child the Best Chance at Succeeding in School

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Here are some thoughts on how you can give your child the best chance at succeeding in school.

Your child’s performance in school now can have long-term effects on his or her adult life. There are a few ways to ensure that you and your child navigate the current school term with great success. Some of these tips may seem challenging at first, but with perseverance each day will become easier.

Make Sure Your Child is Well Rested

When you send your young one to school with an inadequate amount of sleep it can interfere with their learning process. The child will become frustrated, cranky and/or sleepy by days end. All of this will block and hamper what the teacher is attempting to teach your child. By making sure that your child has a minimum of 8-10 hours of sleep on school nights is the first vital key to their daily success. It is best to maintain a routine of bedtime hours for your child. You may get some resistance in the beginning. Although, children do thrive with consistent behaviors and habits. Once their nightly routine is set in stone you will soon see a difference in their attentiveness and attitude while at school. As a result your child’s teacher will notice the difference and appreciate your efforts.

Limit Sugar and Caffeine Intake

Credit: Flickr; chefranden
Credit: Flickr; chefranden

There has been plenty of research on the effects of sugar and caffeine when introduced into a child’s daily diet. So, if your child is ingesting high amounts of caffeine and sugar on a regular basis, you may want to switch to healthier alternatives. If you give it a thought, it seems to be normal to start your child’s day with milk, cereal and a bit of orange juice. Yet, when you break it down all of those products contain high amounts of sugar. This will make your child begin the day with a sugar “rush”. The child’s mood and attention span will soon change as the sugar “rush” wears off.

Instead, try making your child a breakfast consisting of eggs, a side of fresh fruit and a bottled water or a freshly-made smoothie. The eggs are loaded with protein, the fresh fruit contains natural sugars and the bottled water provides them with hydration.

As for their school lunch, many parents opt for the kids to purchase lunch at school. It is important to know the school menu to ensure that they are eating the healthiest lunch possible. If your child has food allergies or issues contact your school to discuss what can be done. For those parents who prepare lunch on a daily basis, try switching to a more filling and healthier food. For example, avoid giving your child a juice box or caffeine-filled soda — instead give them a bottled water or freshly pressed juice with no added sugar. This will again keep them hydrated through the day. Instead of white bread use a whole grain bread to prepare sandwiches. As for a snack, try giving them celery sticks and peanut butter. With just a few changes to your child’s daily eating habits you can give them the brain power and energy to make their learning easier.

Stay Involved with Class Work, Homework and Projects

Make it a daily habit to give assistance and review your child’s homework every day. Be sure that they are comprehending their home work and school work. Remember, to have patience with them. Show them understanding. They have extremely long school hours and tire easily. Besides, stressful situations affects them as they do us as parents. Encourage them to do their best and complete their homework with care, but don’t push them to the point where they’ll be overwhelmed and stressed out every day.

Start with these basic tips for how to give your child the best chance at succeeding in school. In my opinion, a child’s path to success begins at home. The parent who is actively involved with their child’s nutrition and efforts at school is the parent whose child will have a greater chance at success — not just in school but in life as well.

Posted by Eve

Are Families Not as Close as They Used to Be?

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Over the years, it seems that families are not as close as they used to be. Here is a brief discussion of the possible causes of this unfortunate trend.

Families Don’t Have Dinner Together Anymore

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Flickr; Joshin Yamada

There was a commercial campaign on TVLand/Nick@Nite touting the importance of families eating at the “dinner table.” The U.S. Chamber of Commerce initiated Family Day, a day to bring families together to eat dinner. This is because many families do not even eat together anymore. The TV and computer have become the most popular “dinner companions.” We tend to multi-task while eating instead of focusing on our loved ones.

I believe this is a big reason why families are not as close as they were in prior years. Family dinner is a major bonding time for families that’s supposed to happen each night. Forty years ago, it was almost unheard of for a family to eat dinner in separate rooms, but now it has become the norm.

Less Fathers in the Picture

Unfortunately, fathers have become less present and responsible in the lives of their families. According to statistics from the National Center for Health about 40 percent of children are born out of wedlock. It’s estimated that a third of children in America are living in fatherless homes.

In many cases, the father is the strong gel of the family — he keeps everyone together and feeling stable due to his role as head of the family. But when a mother is left to raise her family alone, she is faced with the dilemma of needing to work more, and at odder times to accommodate her family’s needs, even if she is receiving child support. Since the new head of household is home less, there is no one to “gel” the family and keep them bonded. Of course, this is also true for mothers who leave their families with a single father.

The Internet and Television

The Internet was created about thirty years ago. Since then, according to Internet World Stats, over 300 million Americans are active online as of 2014 (a saturation of about 85% of the population), and they spend an average of 23 hours per week using the internet. Most people are having a love affair with their computers that transcends the relationships they have with their families. Every free moment is spent surfing, working, or emailing friends. The ideal dinner for most people, due to their hectic, internet-ready lifestyle, is a frozen dinner and a plastic fork in front of their computer monitor or phone. Taking an hour out of their time to just sit with their family members is unheard of.

This is also the case with television. There has been an advent of more engaging television programs, such as reality television and serial prime-time programs, which have stories that continue from episode to episode. These programs leave people on edge and have them anxiously anticipating the next show, more so than they anticipate talking to and bonding with their families.

Family members, especially busy, working parents, and teenagers are spending less time with each other, due to computers, lifestyle and confused priorities. Let’s spend more time loving our families and less time consumed with other minor matters that won’t even really matter in the long-term.

Posted by Jade