fun for kids

2009-11-30T20:05:00.001+00:00

Family Hobbies: How to Play Together & Create a Lifetime Bond at the Same Time
By: Kristie McDonald

One of the best ways to strengthen family love is through friendship. And, one of the best ways to build friendship is through good old-fashioned play.

Now, of course, this may require some cozy conversation over the dinner table to remember what good old-fashioned fun was really like. But well worth the effort, according to a recent study that showed a strong correlation between love and play.

Families who bonded through shared recreational activities rated their family relationship satisfaction significantly higher than families who did not make the time to keep their feelings of being "best friends" alive. Furthermore, the study also revealed that this bond of friendship helped families weather both everyday stresses as well as unexpected life changing events with greater resiliency and less conflict.

How to Turn Your Family -- Even Fighting Brothers & Sisters -- into Best Friends

Looking back, I now realize that one of the smartest things my husband ever did was getting our children and myself involved in his hobbies. Fortunately, this occurred after he converted his love of drag racing into a safer expression of the sport - RC (radio-controlled nitro racing).

So now instead of squabbling over how much he's spending on his hobby, I'm behind him 100 percent because "racing" is no longer something he goes off and does by himself. We do it together as a family!

We. Race. We take excursions and explore new places with our radio-controlled toys. There's nothing like crunching through the leaves and fallen pine needles on a trail you newly discovered.

And although RC may not fit the bill for every family, it's a great example of how to reframe the experience of a solo sport that otherwise would commonly cause resentment in a family relationship.

3 Top Tips to Reframing the Solo Sport Experience to Keep Your Family Relationship Growing Strong

1. Make it a "no scoreboard zone." -- I'm sure there are myriad permutations and computations that a family could come up with so they could pursue a hobby or sport together. And it doesn't matter whether you're good at it or not. The objective of playing together is to just have fun.

2. Create an evening where you make a game out of talking to your spouse about some of your favorite childhood activities. Take turns describing how excited you felt every time you had a chance to play. Now see if you can come up with a family version that expresses similar qualities. If nothing strikes you, let loose and play "let's pretend" and make up an activity of your own.

3. Create an exciting atmosphere.

RC is our thing because I enjoy watching the excitement on the faces of both my husband and my children. It's endearing to see "the child" in the person you love. And most importantly, RC let's me get closer to them. Being inside the same world together creates a camaraderie that isn't possible when you just go out to the movies.

Spending time with family is important. We often get so wrapped up in the importance of money or other things in life that we sometimes forget about the most important little things.

How many times can we as adults remember when our parents or perhaps relatives were too busy to spend time with us?

We always remember those times during our childhood. Perhaps it made you sad from time to time.

What can we do about it?

We can make sure we don't make the same mistake with our own families. Follow my advice and you will create a memorable lifetime bond with your spouse and your children.

Author:
Kristie McDonald created a lifetime bond with her husband and her children. Now, she provides radio-controlled cars, trucks and helicopters to couples and families who want to end solo sport resentment with an exciting, trendy activity that will take you back to your childhood days. Go to: Nitro-Toyz.com/familytime.html to learn more about the sport of RC and get Kristie's latest FREE report, Making "Fun Time" with Radio Contro

Article Source: http://greatarticlesformoms.com

This article can be printed in it’s entirety as long the author's bio box is intact and all links are live and clickable. Author reserves sole ownership of the article.

2009-10-26T14:22:00.001+00:00

10 healthy snack choices you should reach for every week

By: Bizymoms.com Management
Quite often, people have incorrect views when it comes to healthy snacks or being on a healthy diet. Eating healthy does not mean that you are depriving yourself of food, it is being aware of what is good and bad for you, and taking precautions to avoid diseases and other health hazards, and living healthy and eating healthy.

In the past, snack foods has come under rap as it is associated with food that people go on a ‘binge’, as it is commonly termed. But research has revealed that eating four to five healthy snacks a day to the usual diet of three main meals per day, cuts cholesterol level by 8% and reduces the risk of heart disease by 16%.

Healthy snacking also helps prevent over-eating and also keeps the metabolism at work and thereby burning unwanted calories. It helps fight fatigue and keeps the blood sugar at a normal level.

The following healthy snack choices have been gathered for your benefit. It is important in selecting foods that contain the adequate nutrients and energy required for the body.·

Whole grain snacks are rich in fiber, and selecting low fat whole-grain crackers and whole grain crisp breads will give the required energy.

A 200 calorie Bagel contains the 11% of the recommended iron.

A Bran Muffin has three grams of fiber and 1.8 mg of iron, which is 10% of your daily intake.· Fruits –

Banana rich in potassium (11%) also contains 35% of daily intake of Vitamin B6.

Cantaloupe rich in vitamin C, gives you the required amounts of vitamin C required for the body. Fruits and vegetables will provide vitamins, minerals and other nutrients which are essentials for healthy living.·

Nuts and seeds are high in protein and calories. Eating in small quantities is advised.

Nuts are rich in fiber, phyto-nutrients and anti-toxidants.·

Raw vegetables, such as celery, carrots, green beans and cucumbers with a low fat dip are excellent healthy snacks.·

Fresh fruit juices and smoothies, unsweetened are a must with your daily breakfast.·

Yoghurt is a versatile food and a healthy snack. It also can be used as a dip, mixed with vegetables as a dressing. It is rich in potassium, protein and calcium. ·

Popcorn contains 93 calories and less than 1.5 grams of fat. It also contains Vitamin E, Vitamin B, Magnesium and Fiber.·

Greens and Salads are a must for the day. Farm fresh salads are a good substitute to your mid-day meal.·

Daily cereal and low fat milk, at the start of the day, will give you the required calcium and nutrients to keep you going.·

Toasted bread, with chicken, tuna and fish is not only a tasty snack but will also help you get your proteins and calcium requirement.

It is important that you know your limits and nutritional values of your snacks. Keeping in mind that snack calories too count in your total requirements of calories for the day is vital, for healthy living and life-style.
BizyMoms is bringing their visitors quality information on many topics of high interest to the mom community. Visit BizyMoms' Expert Corner today for help and advice from skilled professionals. BizyMoms is proud to partner with Diet and Weight Loss Expert Jonny Bowden.
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2009-10-05T18:25:00.003+01:00

Family Mission and Vision

By: Emily Bouchard

Mission and Vision Light the Path to Fulfillment

Anyone who chooses to blend two families is on a mission to have a healthy, happy, fulfilling family life experience. That's WHY you choose to become partners in your relationship. The ways that you go about creating and maintaining fulfillment may be with effective, tried and true strategies for success, or may be based in patterns and beliefs from the past, and not based in what really works. How you actively blend your families comes from each of your beliefs about the best ways to be parents and partners. When a person decides to start his or her own business, he or she makes a huge commitment of time, energy and money towards that business' success. Experts recommend that you start off the formulation of your business by creating a strong, powerful mission statement for your business. The more that mission statement resonates with your core values and what matters most to you in the world, the more likely your business will succeed. Once your mission is clear, the next step is to clarify your VISION - the ways in which you will successfully bring your mission into the world through your business. A businesswoman with a clear mission to, say, promote world peace with antiviolence education and materials would not succeed if she chose to open a gun shop and sell weapons. She would be approaching their mission from a place that is counterproductive and at odds with her values. Sounds silly, but many families do this very thing. People blend their families with the mission of having a peaceful and loving home, and they end up attacking each other with sarcasm, accusations, blame and shame. They want to have fulfillment and they focus on everything that's wrong in the home, what needs to be changed, and where they are most unhappy. By having a clear vision that supports your overall mission as a family, your likelihood of success greatly increases. If your mission is to truly have a peaceful, loving home, then your vision could be to: practice active gratitude towards each member of the family at least 5 times a day; show outward, genuine affection to every member of your family at least 3 times a day; say thank you and please as a regular habit to everyone in the family for even the littlest things; etc. By knowing your vision and acting from it daily, you will experience true fulfillment in your family. Action StepWhat is your Mission? What is your Vision? What is your partner's Mission? What is your partner's Vision? Do you know? If you don't - that's the place to start! Once you discover your joint mission for your family, then have fun exploring ways to "DO" you vision in your family. Come up with a clear and straightforward vision plan that you can begin to support each other in implementing in your home. For example, if you want more peace, and anger is an issue in your home, part of your vision could be to explore some anger-management programs. If you want more peace, and the defiance of the children is an issue, you might want to study and bring some proven parenting techniques into the home. You get the idea. NOTE: Use of this article requires links to be intact.
Emily Bouchard, has over 18 years of experience in working with children and families to deal with problems. Emily is also a loving stepmother to two young women who were teenagers when she entered their lives. She publishes a free Blended Families newsletter. Don't miss her Caring page.
Article Source: http://greatarticlesformoms.com
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2009-10-05T18:09:00.004+01:00

Family Hobbies: How to Play Together & Create a Lifetime Bond at the Same Time

By: Kristie McDonald

One of the best ways to strengthen family love is through friendship. And, one of the best ways to build friendship is through good old-fashioned play.

Now, of course, this may require some cozy conversation over the dinner table to remember what good old-fashioned fun was really like. But well worth the effort, according to a recent study that showed a strong correlation between love and play. Families who bonded through shared recreational activities rated their family relationship satisfaction significantly higher than families who did not make the time to keep their feelings of being "best friends" alive. Furthermore, the study also revealed that this bond of friendship helped families weather both everyday stresses as well as unexpected life changing events with greater resiliency and less conflict.

How to Turn Your Family -- Even Fighting Brothers & Sisters -- into Best Friends

Looking back, I now realize that one of the smartest things my husband ever did was getting our children and myself involved in his hobbies. Fortunately, this occurred after he converted his love of drag racing into a safer expression of the sport - RC (radio-controlled nitro racing).So now instead of squabbling over how much he's spending on his hobby, I'm behind him 100 percent because "racing" is no longer something he goes off and does by himself. We do it together as a family! We. Race. We take excursions and explore new places with our radio-controlled toys.

There's nothing like crunching through the leaves and fallen pine needles on a trail you newly discovered. And although RC may not fit the bill for every family, it's a great example of how to reframe the experience of a solo sport that otherwise would commonly cause resentment in a family relationship.

3 Top Tips to Reframing the Solo Sport Experience to Keep Your Family Relationship Growing Strong

1. Make it a "no scoreboard zone." -- I'm sure there are myriad permutations and computations that a family could come up with so they could pursue a hobby or sport together. And it doesn't matter whether you're good at it or not. The objective of playing together is to just have fun.

2. Create an evening where you make a game out of talking to your spouse about some of your favorite childhood activities. Take turns describing how excited you felt every time you had a chance to play. Now see if you can come up with a family version that expresses similar qualities. If nothing strikes you, let loose and play "let's pretend" and make up an activity of your own.

3. Create an exciting atmosphere.RC is our thing because I enjoy watching the excitement on the faces of both my husband and my children. It's endearing to see "the child" in the person you love.

And most importantly, RC let's me get closer to them. Being inside the same world together creates a camaraderie that isn't possible when you just go out to the movies. Spending time with family is important. We often get so wrapped up in the importance of money or other things in life that we sometimes forget about the most important little things. How many times can we as adults remember when our parents or perhaps relatives were too busy to spend time with us? We always remember those times during our childhood. Perhaps it made you sad from time to time. What can we do about it?

We can make sure we don't make the same mistake with our own families. Follow my advice and you will create a memorable lifetime bond with your spouse and your children.
Author:Kristie McDonald created a lifetime bond with her husband and her children. Now, she provides radio-controlled cars, trucks and helicopters to couples and families who want to end solo sport resentment with an exciting, trendy activity that will take you back to your childhood days. Go to: Nitro-Toyz.com/familytime.html to learn more about the sport of RC and get Kristie's latest FREE report, Making "Fun Time" with Radio Contro
Article Source: http://greatarticlesformoms.com
This article can be printed in it’s entirety as long the author's bio box is intact and all links are live and clickable. Author reserves sole ownership of the article.

2009-10-05T18:06:00.003+01:00

Ideas for Family Night Activities

By: Aurelia Williams

Family time is becoming an activity that is rarely seen these days with both parents working and not enough time to spend with the kids. In many homes these days, children are booked with activities spanning from school, to sports to church and parents are busy with work. It seems that it gets harder and harder to schedule valuable family time .Well, it’s time to change that. Even though life seems hectic and you may feel this just can’t be done; it is possible if you put your mind to it. Find at least one night a week where all of you can get together and do something fun as a family. If you’re new to the family night thing and don’t know what to do; here are some ideas to help you get started: Play a board game- Scrabble and Monopoly are popular board games that the whole family can play together. You can have fun teaching your kids new words or how to count money, while having fun. Let your kids win once in awhile. They would like nothing more than to be able to win against their own parents and have fun taunting you about it as well. This will help them want to look forward to the next family night, so they can beat you again.

Fly a Kite-If the weather is nice, try going to your Local Park and flying kites. It’s a nice fun activity that doesn’t cost much to do and keeps your kids active, instead of them sitting in front of a T.V. playing their video games. Play Sports- Spend some time outside and shoot some baskets or play catch with a baseball. Sports activities are a good way to get your kids and yourselves exercising. Sports make exercising more fun than doing a regular routine of walking or running.Baking- If the weather is bad outside and you need to find something to do inside, spend that time baking cookies or brownies. You could try out a new recipe or just have fun making an old favorite. The kids can get involved with decorating the cookies if their too young to do much else. While you’re waiting for the cookies or whatever you’re making to get done, you can play a game of charades and act out your favorite things to see if everyone else can guess. Scrapbooking- Have some fun photos of the family that you want to do something fun with? Scrapbooking is an excellent way for a family to get together and showcase those photos in a unique way. It’s a way for your children to use their creativity by creating the pages that the photos will be placed on.

There are many more activities a family could do together, but these will help you get started. Once you get into it, you’ll find your own activities to do. If you set aside the same night every week, for family time, such as Wednesday night; your family can plan a week ahead of time what you will do for the next family night. Make it a tradition and get the family back together again.
Aurelia Williams is a certified life coach and author of Real Life Guidance: Finding More Family Time. Take the 1st step to finding more family time today.
Article Source: http://greatarticlesformoms.com
This article can be printed in it’s entirety as long the author's bio box is intact and all links are live and clickable. Author reserves sole ownership of the article.

2009-10-05T18:05:00.005+01:00

Wii Fit "i like it"

By: davidj

I have had my wii fit board since the launch day in the UK and I am still happy with it,as for whether I am any fitter or any of my family, I dont think so, but I must say we are all better at balancing than we were before. Some of the activities are very strenuous especially the hula hoop and the heading game.

My personal favourite is the skiing game, although I must admit at first I was having all sorts of problems with it until I realised my son had turned the board round when I wasn’t looking so everything I was doing was opposite. What we do now is actually turn the board round just for fun, give it ago yourself and see how funny it can be.

On the personal stats like weight and BMI I cant really say I have seen any change, so as for making us fitter the jury is still out. I said before our balancing is far better especially getting those balls through the holes on the boards.

The only embarrasing thing we have found is when the females of the family get on and set up they don’t want us to look at the weight and especially when they do a check from a previous sessions. I have found that it can be tempermental on the bmi and wii fit ages are sometimes way out from previous sessions.After the first few days my legs and arms did start to ache a bit, I think that was more to do with the amount of exercise not the intencity.

We have only briefly looked at the Yoga and exercise activities as we like the balancing games most. The runniing is ok especially if you run against someone, the only problem I have is trying to stay in one place when running on the spot, I find myself almost in the TV screen. I have unlocked the longer run now and its ok but to be honest I would rather run outside than on the spot.

I find the wii fit board is best when there are a lot of you as watching others trying to balance is quite funny, especially when someone new tries. I set up a video camera behind the board and I have to say the results are hilarious, I have to say this is almost as entertaining as using the wii itself. I have been keeping an eye on Ebay and I am still amazed people are paying over the odds for the wii fit board, as my local Woolworths is always stocked up with them, so when I see bids over £100 I wonder whether some people every leave their houses!!

So if you havent got one yet by all means buy one off Ebay or Amazon but check your local store first as you might find they are sitting there waiting for you.So to sum up my first month of using the wii fit board I would say great fun, best used with others, but as for loosing weight on a serious basis, don’t give up on conventional methods. I will update again in another month or so. Good Luck
ConsolesMarket.com, has thousands of consoles & games listed on the site at amazing prices. Come and see whats on offer from a range of carefully selected merchants. http://www.consolesmarket.com/Article Source: http://greatarticlesformoms.com
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2009-09-13T18:07:00.003+01:00

last of funny wrong answers

Something you associate with the sea: "A coffin.."
A famous Arthur: "Shakespeare.."
A type of cut: "Skull.."
A weapon in the game of Cluedo: "Dice.."
Something people take to the beach: "Turkey.."
A reason someone digs a hole in the road: "Grave digger.."
An ingredient in chicken stuffing: "Chicken.."
Something a girl should know about a man before marrying him: "His name.."
A bird with a long neck: "A blackbird.."
A bird with a long neck (2): "Naomi Campbell.."
An item of clothing a woman might borrow from a man: "Underpants.."
Something taken from a hotel as a souvenir: "The lamps.."
Something you keep in a garden shed: "A gardener.."
A song with moon in the title: "Blue Suede Moon.."
A famous cowboy: "Buck Rogers.."
A famous Wild-West character: "Wild Bill Eacock.."
Something you'd associate with the three bears: "Red Riding Hood.."
Fruit used in fruit salad: "Cucumber.."
Something you wear on the beach: "A deckchair.."
A method of cooking fish: "Cod.."
Something you borrow from your partner: "Shoes.."
A part of the body beginning with N: "Knee.."
A famous Scotsman: "Vinnie Jones.."
A famous Scotsman (2): "Jock.."
Something red: "My cardigan.."
A kind of ache: "Fillet-o-fish.."
Something you open other than a door: "Your bowels.."
Something with a hole in it: "A window.."
Something you do in the bathroom: "Decorate.."
Something you put on walls: "Roofs.."
A domestic animal: "A leopard.."
Something that floats in the bath: "Water.."
Something in the garden that's green: "The shed.."
Something a blind man might use: "A sword.."
The last thing you take off before going to bed: "Your feet.."
Something that flies without an engine: "A bicycle with wings.."

even more funny wrong answers

2009-09-13T18:05:00.001+01:00

A nickname for a slim person: "Slimmy.."
A measurement of liquid: "Paint.."
Something that's nice to wear next to your skin: "Pants.."
A famous Dick: "Carrot.."
A wild animal that's native to Britain: "A bear.."
Something that Father Christmas does when he comes to your house: "Feeds your pets.."
Something that comes in 7's: "Fingers.."
A vocalist known by only one name: "Michael Jackson.."
A yellow fruit: "Orange.."
An animal beginning with B: "Bullfrog.."
Something associated with Liverpool: "The Yellow Brick Road.."
A boy mentioned in a nursery rhyme: "Little Red Riding Hood.."
Something associated with Queen Victoria: "Her husbands.."
Something you hide in your socks when you go swimming: "Your legs.."
A place you would keep a pen: "A zoo.."
Something you beat: "An apple.."
Something associated with rain: "Water.."
An animal that lives in the English countryside: "A lion.."
Something you make into a ball: "Eggs.."
A game that uses a black ball: "Darts.."
A popular TV soap: "Dove.."
Other than 'carrier', a type of bag: "Horse.."
Something you might find in a garage: "a grand piano.."
Something a Frenchman would say: "On Garde.."
A fast animal: "A hippo.."
Something you keep in the garden: "A cat.."
Something that gives you goosebumps: "Mumps.."
A character from Little Red Riding Hood: "Hansel and Gretel.."
Something that has a shell: "Batman.."
Any dance apart from the waltz: "The ball dance.."
Something a policeman might say: "Spread 'em.."
Something that frightens Dracula: "The King of the Vampires.."
A non-living object with legs: "A plant.."
A sign of the Zodiac: "April.."
An animal associated with a nursery rhyme: "Andy Pandy.."
A mode of transport that you can walk in: "Your shoes.."
An animal with big ears: "A bear.."

2009-09-13T18:03:00.001+01:00

more funny wrong answers
Something you do on water: "Wallpaper.."
A musical instrument you can play in the bath: "A drum kit.."
Something associated with Egypt: "Cigars.."
A part of your body you only have one of: "Your big toe.."
Something you pull: "A potato.."
An animal used as a form of transport: "A turtle.."
A famous Phil or Philip: "Phil Johnson.."
A habit people try to give up: "Spitting.."
A Thunderbirds character: "Doctor Spock.."
Another TV gameshow with the word 'family' in the title: "The Generation Game.."
A seaside resort on the south coast: " Rio de Janeiro.."
Something you open other than a door: "Your bowels.."
Something with a red light on it: "a Dalek.."
Something that makes you scream: "A squirrel.."
A food than can easily be eaten without chewing: "Chips.."
A type of record: "A floppy disk.."
A type of large cat: "Persian.."
A job that a working dog does: "A slave.."
Something people might be allergic to: "Skiing.."
An occupation where you need a torch: "A burglar.."
A well known superstition: "Running in front of a car.."
Something you use a microchip in: "A fish-fryer.."
A dangerous race: "The Arabs.."
A game played in the dark: "Charades.."
Some famous brothers: "Bonnie and Clyde.."
A jacket potato topping: "Jam.."
A part of the body you have more than two of: "Arms.."
Something you find on a fire engine: "Coal.."
A famous royal: "Mail.."
Something you do before going to bed: "Sleep.."
An item of clothing worn by the Three Muskateers: "A horse.."
An animal you see at the zoo: "Dog.."
Something you might do in a power cut: "Read a book.."
A famous Parisian landmark: "Hawaii.."
One of Harry Enfield's characters: "Sooty.."
A famous Irishman: "Disraeli.."
The first place detectives look for fingerprints: "The floor.."

2009-09-13T17:53:00.004+01:00

Funny wrong answers
A French ferry port: "Dover.."
Something you mount: "A mountain.."
Something you lose when you get older: "Your purse.."
A sport which involves throwing something: "Tennis.."
A type of bean: "Lesbian.."
Something you would play with in the bath: "A bazooka.."
Someone you wouldn't swear in front of: "Yourself.."
A country where Arabic is spoken: "Nigeria.."
Someone or something whose existence has never been proven: "Hitler.."
A number you might have to memorise: "Seven.."
Something that makes you close your eyes: "Dark.."
Something that comes in pairs: "Rabbits.."
A way of toasting someone: "Over a fire.."
A Boy's name beginning with the letter J: "Gerald.."
An instrument you can play while walking in the street: "A cello.."
A type of oil: "Sewing-machine oil.."
A word beginning with Z: "Xylophone.."
A slang word for a girl: "Slag.."
An animal with horns: "A bee..."
A medieval weapon: "Hand-grenade.."
Something made of wool: "A sheep.."
Something a bridegroom might wear: "A dress.."
Someone you wouldn't expect to see in a strip club: "Animals.."
An animal with a long tail: "A rabbit.."
Something a train-spotter would have in his pocket: "A magnifying glass.."
Something you put out for the birds: "Worms.."
A way to prevent snoring: "Put a pillow over his face.."
A word used to describe a very hot day: "A very hot day.."
A song from 'The Sound Of Music': "Dancing Queen.."
Someone who works early hours: "A burglar.."
Something made to be wheeled around: "A hammer.."
A reason for kneeling: "To be beheaded.."

2009-09-10T13:54:00.005+01:00

Simple snax
Basic Pancake Recipe
Ingredients:
2cups.flour 2cups..milk 2eggs(beaten)1/3.cupbutter.(melted)2tablespoons.sugar(optional)2teaspoons.baking.powder1/2 teaspoon salt
Directions:
In a large bowl combine flour, milk, beaten eggs, 1/3 cup melted butter, sugar, baking powder and salt until just blended. Preheat lightly greased griddle or frying pan. Pour about 1/4 cup of batter into pan per pancake. Cook until pancakes begin to bubble. Flip once and cook for 1 to 2 minutes longer. Serve with maple syrup, jam or fruit.
Any extra ingredients can be added to the above mixture for your own personal preference & taste.
WAFFLES
Ingredients:
3large.eggs 12/3cups.milk2cups.fall.baking.powder1tablespoon..sugar1teaspoonsalt¼ cup melted butter or margarine
Directions:
Beat the eggs well in a large bowl using an electric mixer. Add the milk. Combine all the dry ingredients in a separate bowl and add to the milk/egg mixture. Mix until just blended and add the melted butter, mix again. Heat the waffle iron. It will be ready once you a drop of water evaporates on it. Spoon the batter into the waffle iron compartments. Cover and cook until ready (your waffle iron may have a setting to let you know it’s finished) or watch for when it stops steaming. Remove waffle and keep covered until you finish cooking remaining waffle
Again you can add any fruit or sauces to suit personal tastes.
French Toast Sticks
Ingredients:
3eggs 3/4cup.milk 1teaspoon.vanilla 1tablespoon.butter 4slices.bread(each.cut.length.wise.into.4pieces)SugarCinnamonMaple syrup
Directions:
Melt butter in skillet. Mix eggs, milk and vanilla in bowl. Dip slices of bread into mixture until completed soaked. Brown the soaked bread in skillet on each side. Sprinkle with a little sugar and cinnamon and serve with maple syrup.
Banana Muffin Recipe
Ingredients:
2cups.all-purpose.flour1/2cup.sugar2teaspoons.baking.powder1/2teaspoon.baking.soda1/2teaspoon.salt2ripebananas.(mashed)1/2cup.milk1/3cup.oil1 egg, slightly beaten
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease muffin pan. In a large bowl combine dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt). Stir in milk, oil and egg until moistened. Gently fold in mashed banana taking care not to over mix batter. Spoon batter into muffin cups. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Immediately remove from pan. Serve warm or cool.
Change banana to fruit of own choice.
Honey Crunch Bars
Ingredients:
1/2cup.firmly.packed.brownsugar1/3cupvegetable.oil1/4cupp.ure.honey11/4cup.of.muesli.or.rolled.oats2tablespoon.bran.cereal1/4cup.dried.fruit.of.choice(raisins,apricots,fruit,etc.)Makes 12 bars
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9 inch by 13 inch pan, or two 8 inch by 8 inch pans. Put sugar, oil and honey into a large bowl and microwave on medium for 2 minutes. Stir in muesli, bran cereal and fruit. Mixture should be moist enough to form a ball, without extra liquid. Put mixture in prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cut into bars while still hot. Wait until bars cool before removing from pan.

2009-09-10T13:52:00.006+01:00

BREAKFAST IS THE MOST IMPORTANT MEAL OF THE DAY
By: DDunkerly
It is said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, after all, you have just starved yourself for up to 12 hours. It is important to give yourself a nutritious meal to start your day well and to refuel your body, but it's easy to get bored of breakfast if you have the same thing every day and many people skip it altogether.

Variety is the spice of life so don't eat the same breakfast every day. Use the ideas below to make breakfast more interesting, more appealing and healthy.

1. Porridge - Use porridge oats or instant oats to make yourself a satisfying breakfast which will keep those hunger pangs at bay. Oats are slow release energy and so will keep you going until lunchtime. Flavour your porridge with honey, fruit such as berries and seeds or nuts like almonds.

2. Wholegrain cereals - Look for cereals which are wholegrain and serve with skimmed milk or soya milk. Add interest by serving with sliced bananas or mix in berries. The fibre in the cereal will really help your digestive system and help you to feel full.

3. Scrambled eggs on wholegrain toast - A very nutritious meal and for a treat why not add some chopped smoked salmon to the eggs? Instead of eggs, you can use tofu - stir fry with some soy sauce, onions and peppers for a delicious breakfast.

4. Yogurt and muesli - Mix a low fat yogurt with some low sugar muesli and fruit for a tasty, quick breakfast. A perfect breakfast for when you are running late.

5. Muffins - Find a recipe for some healthy wholegrain muffins and serve with jam or nutritious peanut butter. Make sure you choose a natural peanut butter.

6. Cottage cheese - Mix low-fat cottage cheese with fruit for a quick but nutritious breakfast

.7. Fruit salad - Chop up your favourite fruits and enjoy. You can prepare this the night before if you add lemon juice to keep apples from going brown. Store in an airtight container.

8. Fruit smoothie or shake - Search online for some smoothie and shake recipes to use in your blender. Add protein powder to make a really nutritious breakfast.

9. Fruit, nuts and cheese - For breakfast on the run, grab and apple, chunk of cheese and a few walnuts, hazelnuts, brazil nuts or almonds.

10. Breakfast Pizza - Spread a slice of wholegrain bread with ricotta cheese, add slices of tomato or some chopped tomato, sprinkle with some olive oil and grill - delicious

!11. Tostada - This is a traditional Spanish breakfast. Skin some tomatoes by cutting a cross on the top and bottom and soaking in boiling water for a couple of minutes, whizz in your blender and spoon over a slice of French bread (baguette) which has been cut length ways and toasted lightly under the grill. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and a little salt.

12. Breakfast Sundae - layer chopped fruit or berries, low-fat yogurt and muesli in a sundae glass and drizzle honey over the top.

13. Homemade bread - If you have a breadmaker with a timer, you could time the breadmaker to finish at breakfast time - lovely fresh, warm bread to serve with preserves, honey or peanut butter.

14. Omelettes - Omelettes are quick to prepare and you can enjoy many different varieties. Mushroom omelette is great for breakfast.

15. French Toast (Eggy bread) - Soak slices of wholegrain bread in a mixture of egg and milk and cook on a griddle or in a frying pan for a few minutes. Serve sprinkled with cinnamon and brown sugar. You can also make a sandwich by spreading the bread with soft cheese and jam or pureed fruit and then dip the whole sandwich into the egg and milk mixture before cooking.

16. Pancakes - Mix up a batch of pancake batter the night before and make pancakes for breakfast or reheat a batch of pancakes. Experiment with different fillings or toppings.

17. Burrito - Serve scramled eggs and tomatoes or ham and cheese rolled up in a tortilla for a quick and tasty breakfast

18. Bacon sandwich - Grill lean bacon and serve on wholegrain bread.

19. Cooked breakfast - Grill bacon, a low-fat sausage, tomatoes and serve with scrambled eggs for a traditional English breakfast.

20. Breakfast bars - Search for recipes for healthy breakfast bars or flapjacks. These bars are a great standby when you need to eat on the run.
David provides content for the Recipe Collection site. If you are looking for a recipe collection which includes breakfast recipes, (amongst others), then the Recipe Collection site is right down your street. There is a breakfast recipe to suit every taste..
Article Source: http://greatarticlesformoms.com

2009-09-09T16:43:00.017+01:00

Using the least number of mathematical symbols make this formula correct:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 = 100

Answer: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ≠ 100
A slashed 'equals' sign is the mathematical symbol for 'does not equal'. If the above code does not display correctly it can alternatively be shown as: =/=

Other possible answers
1x(2+3)x4x5+(6x7x8x9x0) = 100
1(2+3)x4x5+(6x7x8x9x0) = 100
1x(2+3)x4x5+6x7x8x9x0 = 100
1+2+3+4+5+6+7+8x9+0 = 100
1x(2+3)x4x5+6789x0 = 100
1x2x3x4+5+6-7+8x9+0 = 100
123+45-67+8-9+0=100

paris in the spring
Quickly, what do the words in the underneath say?
paris
in the
the spring

Most people will say "Paris in the Spring".
People tend to make this error even without seeing the introductory heading.
This tendency demonstrates how we read: not by looking at each word separately, but by seeing and recognizing several words at a time, especially if the phrase is an understandable concept.
This unconscious quick processing by the brain is normally helpful because it saves time, but on occasions it can fool us.
The puzzle shows how vulnerable we are to false assumptions, and particularly that sometimes we lazily rely on our brain's ability to process information extremely quickly, when really we should be over-riding this unconscious processing by consciously focusing on the detail.
The exercise will work with phrases other than Paris in the Spring, provided you keep to the same pattern.

How many 'f's?
This puzzle has been fooling people for decades. You can use it to demonstrate how our mind sometimes plays tricks on what we believe. The puzzle can also be used to support themes of concentration, accuracy, assumptions, and creative or lateral thinking .
The layout is probably important in the way that it works. Show the box below to people and ask them to read the words and count the number of times the letter f (or F) appears. Most people get it wrong. Try it yourself, and then check your answer carefully. It's not a trick question - the trick is the way the mind works identifing the letters.

How many 'f's?
FINE POINT
It is easy to miss the finer
points in life. Folk are
frequently guilty of
falling into this trap.

The letter f appears eight times in the box. People commonly count seven, by failing to see the last but one f.
Did you?
And if you found that one too easy, try this one.
Again, how times does the letter f (or F) appear in the following item?

Finished files are the
result of years of scientific
study combined with the
experience of years.

Did you find all six?

2009-09-09T16:36:00.004+01:00

Mental maths trick
Do this sum in your head: Start with 1,000. Add 60. Add 2,000. Add 30. Add 1,000. Add 10.

Answer

5,000? Wrong. Try it again. The correct answer is 4,100. The mind knows that the final 10 will have a 'rounding-up' effect, and expects it to impact the 1,000's instead of the 100's. The mind fails to calculate the final figure properly because it's locked into an expectation.

Pool puzzler
Six friends visited their local club to play at a pool tournament. The competition entry fee was £10 per person. Prize money was £250 for the winner, £100 for the runner-up, and £50 for third-place. There were no other prizes. None of the friends won a single game. There were no disqualifications, and yet the friends came away collectively £150 in profit from having played. How?

Answer

They were the musicians in the band

Whodunnit?
Three of these statements are untrue, so whodunnit?
Mr Red: "Mr Blue did it."
Mr Blue: "Mr Red did it."
Mr Green: "Mr Blue's telling the truth."
Mr Yellow: "Mr Green's not lying."

Answer

Mr Blue done it

2009-09-09T16:31:00.007+01:00

The spotlight puzzle

A conference room contains three separate wall-mounted spotlights - right, left and front of stage. Each is controlled by its own on-off switch. These three switches are numbered 1, 2 and 3, but they are in a back-room which has no sight of the the spotlights or the conference room (and there are no reflections or shadows or mirrors, and you are alone). How do you identify each switch correctly - right, left, front - if you can only enter the back-room once?

Answer
Switch on number 1 and leave it on for 30 seconds, then switch it off. Switch on number 2 and leave it on. Enter the conference room. The spotlight that is on is obviously number 2. The spotlight that is warm is switch 1, and the other spotlight is number 3.

Utilities puzzle

Draw three houses in a horizontal row. Draw three utilities suppliers beneath them: Gas, Water, Electicity. You should now have six points or boxes on your sheet of paper or flip chart. The challenge is to connect each house to each utility supplier without any of the nine connection lines crossing.

Answer
This classic puzzle which has been around for hundreds of years, although it was obviously not known as the Utilities Puzzle until relatively recently. Strictly speaking it is impossible to solve the puzzle using two dimensions on flat piece of paper; there will always be a minimum of two crossed connections.

There are however two great lateral thinking solutions:
1. Take the final line (that would otherwise cross another) through the utilities and/or houses themselves, which unless specifically outlawed in the instructions would not constitute a cheat.
2. The puzzle can be solved without taking any lines through buildings, if the utilities and houses are on the outer surface of a ring torus (three-dimensional doughnut) shape. You can create the torus effect simply by making a hole in the paper centrally between all six connection points and folding flaps around the edges of the hole and the edges of the sheet, so as to take certain lines through the hole and around the back of the sheet to make the connections.

2009-09-09T16:28:00.003+01:00

FUN 4KIDS

The paintings puzzle
This is an excellent lateral-thinking and maths puzzle:
An art gallery features a modern work of 'moving art'. The artist stands by a stack of paintings, each featuring a different number. One of the paintings is displayed on the wall. At certain times the artist removes the painting from the wall and replaces it with a painting from the stack. At 11am, the artist hangs a painting of the number 30. At 4pm he hangs a painting of number 240. At 7.30pm he hangs a painting of number 315. What painting does the artist hang at 9.20pm?

ANSWER
The answer is 200. The explanation is that the painting number equates to the number of degrees between a clock's hour-hand and minute-hand (measured in a clockwise direction). The first three examples are easy if you sketch the clock hands on a clock face and plot the hours around the clock face (bear in mind there are 360 degrees around a circle; the 12 on the clock-face equates to 360 (or zero) degrees, and each hour equates to 30 degrees, being one-twelfth of 360). The puzzle question (9.20pm) is more difficult to calculate than the first three time examples.

Here are my two attempts to explain it:
method 1- Each hour on the clock face equates to 30 degrees (12 x 30 = 360). From 9 to 4 on the clockface moving clockwise is 210 degrees (7 hours x 30 degrees = 210 degrees). But the hour hand is not on the 9, it's one-third of the way to 10 (the time being 9.20, not 9.00). This one-third (being 20 minutes of a 60 minute hour) equates to 10 degrees (10 is a third of 30 degrees). Therefore the angle in degrees between the hour hand and the minute hand at 9.20 is 200 degrees (210 - 10).
method 2 - At 9:20 the minute hand is at the number 4 which is 120 degrees from zero (4 is a third of 12, hence a third of 360 degrees is 120 degrees). The hour hand is at a position equating to 560/720 minutes (there being 720 minutes in 12 hours, and 9hrs 20mins being 560 minutes). 560/720 equates to 280/360 (360 is half of 720, and half of 560 is 280), so the hour hand is at 280 degrees from zero (remember zero is 12 on the clock face). Measured in a clockwise direction, the number of degrees (or angle) between the hour hand and the minute hand is 80 degrees around to to the 12 (at zero degrees), plus 120 degrees from the 12 to the 4 (which we previously established). Then simply add: 80 + 120 = 200.

THINKING GAMES

2009-08-28T15:26:00.011+01:00

TV Tunes

tune One person hums the theme tune everyone else has to guess...who guesses right wins then its their turn to hum the next

Name Me

Write the name of someone famous on piece of paper...stick it on the person next to yours forehead so all can see apart from person stuck too...everyone has a different name on their head.. each person gets to ask one question at a time to try & guess who s name is on their head.. keep going around until all have guessed

Alphabet

Choose any subject i.e. animals, cars, name one for each letter of the alphabet..you can take turns or think together..endless fun
above can also be played using the last letter of i.e. animal said... so if dog was said the next person has to think of an animal starting with g......

Remember

I went on holiday & in my case I packed (any item ) next person says I went on holiday repeats the 1st item & adds another.. next person same & adds another item...keeps going round. when someone gets the order wrong or misses one they are out... can play this naming items in alphabetical order to make remembering a little easier...does not have to be a packed case can start with I went to the shops & bought..or anything you want .

Eye Spy

Don't forget eye spy with my little eye something beginning with any letter...others guess...can make rules to say it has to be seen by all or it has to be in a home or garden etc.

snax

2009-08-28T12:32:00.009+01:00

Mini Bagel Pizzas
Ingredients:
Bagel
Ketchup or Tomato Sauce
Grated Cheese
Directions:
Split bagel in half and cut each half into quarters. Add a little tomato sauce or ketchup on bagel segments. Top with grated cheese. Place in moderately hot oven (180) degrees until cheese melts and bubbles.

Homemade Tortilla Chips
ingredients:
Tortilla Wrap/chips
Butter
Directions:
Cut wrap into small triangular segments. Lightly grease a baking tray with a little butter. Place tortilla chips on baking tray and lightly brush with a little butter. Bake in a moderately hot oven (180) degrees for approximately 10 to 15 minutes or until tortilla chips are crispy and golden

Peanut Butter Banana Wraps

Ingredients:
Tortilla Wrap
Peanut Butter
Banana
Honey
Directions:
Spread wrap with peanut butter. Place banana slices on top of peanut butter. Drizzle with a little honey. Wrap and cut into segments

Frozen Yoghurt Shapes-
Blend a variety of fruit and yoghurt at high speed. Place in fun shaped ice cube trays (or plain ice cube trays). Freeze and enjoy healthy frozen yoghurt.

Rainbow Fruit Salad -

Layer fruit in a large flat serving plate in a rainbow shape. Yellow = pineapple, green = kiwi, red = strawberries, purple = grapes, blue = blueberries, and so on

Crackers, cheese and cucumbers or grapes or anything.

spice up your cheese n crackers with a variety of different toppings

Carrot sticks, cucumber rounds with favorite dip

peel carrots & cucumber cut into strips,place on a plate in a circle with fav dip in the middl

Cheesy toast sticks

toast one side of bread, butter the un toasted side & cover with chesse, place under grill until cheese is melted...cut into sticks