As parents we have all been exposed to the ‘Parent Teacher Interview’. I remember as a child dreading the return of my parents following their interview with my teachers. I knew they would hear the standard, which was always: 1) Susan’s grades are good ~ 2) Susan talks to much in class ~ 3) Susan socializes to much in class. Needless to say, I was a busy student and the social side of school was very important to me.

Today I’m having a tough day. I just had a phone call telling me that a woman who goes to our church is in the fight for her life. She is fighting cancer and has been a valiant soldier. My heart breaks as I think about her journey and the thought of not seeing her in her regular seat at church.
Her name is Hazel and strangely we are not close but Hazel has impacted my life greatly. At best, we are acquaintances and members of the same church who great each other each week with a smile and a brief conversation. My husband is one of the main singers at our church and Hazel has made a point of telling me how much she enjoys it when he sings at church. We’ve talked about my children and life in general and she is always masterful at bringing joy into the conversation and seeing the bright side of every situation.

When I first met Hazel I didn’t know she was in the fight of her life. I thought she was one of most attractive older women I had ever met. Her smile told a story that I craved to hear, her eyes drew me in like a good book on a warm summers day, her voice was soothing and every word seemed to be seasoned with wisdom. Hazel was one of the reasons I looked forward to Sunday mornings, seeing her in her regular seat and engaging with a smile made the world feel okay.

She may never know the impact she has had on my life. She may never know how I longed for our brief interactions, our smiles across the isle and how I enjoyed watching her soak up the music and the words as my husband sang. Yet most important, for me, was how she gave me this gentle nod that spoke of acceptance, that told this mother of three that it’s all going to be okay and you’re doing a good job. All in a glance, a sweet smile and a gentle nod. Hazel was a true communicator and someone who I will remember for a lifetime.

I wish she could know the things she taught me on these Sunday mornings. Through her life I have seen strength, perseverance, courage, determination, kindness, gentleness, sweetness and love. So today, I simply pray, I believe and I thank God for a life well lived and in these prayers I ask God to teach me to be a woman like Hazel.

Susan xo

The countdown to Christmas is here and from what I witnessed this weekend, the shopping frenzy has started. The malls are bursting with people and the hum of conversation almost drowns out the carols that are being played through the internal sound system. The parking lots have become more like scenes from movies like ‘Gone in 60 Seconds’ or perhaps ‘Smash Up Derby’. Finding the perfect spot and securing it, before someone else squeezes in without a nod is quickly becoming the norm. Everyone seems to be in a rush to get the perfect gift for that special someone. Others have lists as long as their arm with names scratched out and check marks in the appropriate columns. Simply put, it’s a crazy situation out there.

Gift buying is such a beautiful thing, especially when it’s well thought out and not just a quick pick off the shelf. For many of us, we have been racking our brains for the perfect gift for our children or perhaps grandchildren. Advertisers are busy sharing their messages about their product through television, flyers and email notifications. They definitely influence us and sometimes help us with our purchasing decisions. Whatever the case may be, there is a message to ‘buy now’ and that without specific products both your child/grandchild and ourselves will be less of a human being if we don’t have or purchase the product of the season.

We recently read or heard about the chaos surrounding Black Friday shopping in the USA. One 61 year old man was trampled to death during a rush to buy. Another woman sprayed a fellow shopper with pepper spray, all in an effort to secure the product she wanted. This is where I question need versus want. Whenever buying, whether it be during the Christmas season or not, I ask myself and my children to determine whether the decision to purchase is based on a need or a want. I ask this just to give us a moment to pause and to consider.

A few Christmas’ ago my youngest (at the time she was 3.5 yrs old) was still at that tender age when the boxes and wrapping paper (post gift opening) were the most exciting part of Christmas morning. My husband and I had wondered what to give her, we considered the season’s popular Princess Barbie but knew that wasn’t really what made her smile. I think we considered it because advertisers were telling us to, yet it didn’t fit her personality, so what was the point of buying a $40.00 Barbie just because we felt obliged to.

As Christmas day approached and the excitement in the house grew with the impending arrival of Santa Claus, my little one found herself drawn to the tree. She simply couldn’t resist the shiny paper, the well-wrapped gifts shouting ‘tear me open’. She joyfully shook every gift and tried her hardest to peek, without tearing the paper. She kept track of the days through her chocolate advent calendar and would check the fireplace (on a regular basis) to make sure Santa’s landing place was acceptable. She was the picture of excitement and a beautiful example of what Christmas can bring to a heart, whether young or old.

Finally, the morning arrived and it was time to find out what was hidden beneath the shiny paper. Our designated Santa handed out each gift with a HO, HO, HO. The excitement in the room could have been bottled and sold for a hefty price. My youngest ripped and tore and unwrapped like a wild child. She squealed with delight when she saw ‘Darla’ the doll she had been hoping and praying for. There were a few barbies to add to her collection, however not the expensive and very popular Princess Barbie, yet even these caused her to jump for joy and giggle with excitement. In that moment, as we watched our three children unwrap their gifts, every line-up we had stood in, every wintery road we had driven on, every hour of wrapping felt so good and was worth it. Thankfully, we hadn’t gone overboard, we didn’t break our budget yet our kids didn’t miss out on any of the excitement of Christmas.

Finally, a few last little gifts were distributed. My little one was handed a flimsy gift that was wrapped in the ‘left over’ pieces of paper because this gift was mostly an after thought. Mustering the same enthusiasm as she had when opening her doll ‘Darla’ she tore open this seemingly lesser gift and much to her surprise and overwhelming pleasure it contained a pack of four Hilroy scribblers that cost a total of $1.49. You see, our little one loved (in her words) to do homework. From the time she could hold a pencil she would write, draw and scribble on any piece of paper she could find. So, in an effort to keep her homework and art together we bought her a set of scribblers.

After the lines, the consideration and the conversations about what to get her, our little girl stood in the middle of the room, surrounded by her new doll, her Barbies, some candies and a few other gifts and exclaimed for all to hear, “This is the bestest present I ever gotted”.

I share this with you to help take the pressure off. We are so conditioned, for a number of reasons, to think that our children need the latest and greatest in every area of life. The pressure can be overwhelming and at times crippling. Through this little story and the words of a 3.5-year-old may I encourage you to be creative and know that your children, like mine, will not suffer, nor will they be forever damaged if they don’t have exactly what they want, when they want it. Sometimes the greatest gifts cost the least.

Use kind words, your arms of love and hearts of compassion and see your family go from strength to strength.
Susan ~

Well friends, we are three weeks from Christmas. It’s hard to believe that we’re already listening to carols, buying gifts and wrapping paper and our ovens seem to be constantly churning out some of our family favourites.

Last week, my mother came to Calgary to teach me how to make her Christmas Cakes. She has been making them for years, she learned from her mother, my Grandmother and then adopted a few of my Nana’s (my dad’s mum) cake ideas and eventually developed her own flavour. So this week, I have been given what feels like the holy grail. The coveted Christmas Cake recipe has been entrusted into my hands, not only the recipe but time spent together creating, teaching, learning, loving. This week will be with me for a lifetime.

As Christmas draws near and as I learn these new skills, I always seem to find myself thinking about the importance of Tradition and how cultures and people groups across the globe crave tradition. Tradition proves itself to be important simply through how we all gravitate towards the things that make us feel right, the things that occur year after year and the things that we know will always exist. In my life Christmas without my mum’s Christmas Cake just wouldn’t be right. It’s like Turkey without the stuffing, if that were to happen it would feel like the world if off kilter. Tradition anchors us to our centre, it warms the soul and regardless of circumstance or situation, tradition allows us to feel a sense of peace.

So as you prepare for Christmas, make sure you keep your traditions. Perhaps, like me, baking with your mother with your children watching on and taking part is something you do each year or decorating the tree on a particular night or, like in my case, anxiously awaiting the arrival of your Aunt’s famous almond crunch. Again, a tradition outside the immediate but oh so necessary, this tradition allows you to sneak away and steal a moment alone during this busy season tosavour the goodness of life and to reflect.

Tradition in our house, as you can imagine, is very important. If flows through everything, especially at Christmas time. I spoke about baking with my mum and we also have our Christmas Tree Decorating Night complete with appetizers, much laughter a few broken baubles, countless burnt out lights and friends who drop in just because they know they can and it’s always a fun night in our home. Additionally, my children know that Christmas is not Christmas in our house without Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton’s Christmas Album on repeat from the end of November until after New Years.

Enjoy the next few weeks and remember this season is busy and if you fail to plan, plan to fail. Make lists, check them twice and create a wonderful Christmas for your family and friends. Let the countdown begin…..

Stay tuned for our famous familyroom Christmas Plan which designed to help keep you on track, on time, on budget and allow you to enter Christmas day relaxed and organized. This years revised plan will be released December 1st so make sure you check back. Take care friends and smile because this is a magical time of year.

Well friends I finally GOT it…. The famous Chicken Burgers from my friend Barry Crocker (see below for his Red Thai Chicken Curry recipe it is totally YUM!)

These Chicken Burgers are a ‘must have’ for our family when we are in LA, visiting our friends, the Crockers. It’s taken years for me get this recipe from Barry and I’m so excited that not only do I now have the recipe but I’m sharing it with all of you. For my Aussie friends, this is a perfect option for a lovely summer BBQ by the pool. Add a quick salad to the mix and you have a perfect lunch.

In the video, Barry indulges in his burger with very little added. My suggestion would be some Asiago Cheese, some pickles, whole grain mustard and some crunchy garden lettuce. Seriously YUM!

Susan. Enjoy ~

Okay, for all of you who follow us regularly and who LOVE our ‘tried & true’ familyroom recipes, this one will NOT disappoint.

Barry Crocker Jr. and his lovely family are some of our closest friends and whenever we are together one thing is for sure…. we will EAT! We love getting together and it’s always a food explosion, whether it be Philip’s famous Seafood Nights complete with freshly shucked oysters, Crab and Lobster and usually a bucket o’ clams, Barry’s delicious Chicken Burgers (I promise I will get that recipe from him….) or our familyroom fav Bill Grangers Caramel Chicken food when we are together NEVER disappoints. This coupled with years of family memories, kids growing up, challenges in life, the highs and the lows and then, of course, everything in between. With all of this, we consider the Crocker family one of our nearest and dearest and a safe place for all of us.

So, without much more I want to share this video with you, Barry has not only shared the recipe but he’s taken the time to share it via video for our family, friends, readers, listeners and followers to enjoy. I promise that once you have this, you won’t regret it and you (like myself) will crave it. Also, your kids will enjoy it and the moment the scent begins to travel through your home, your kitchen will have a gravitational pull that simply can’t be denied. It’s perfect to serve guests as well and you will dazzle them with your culinary brilliance. Additionally, it keeps well so leftovers are perfect.

Enjoy friends and thanks Barry for doing this and believing in thefamilyroom. For those of you in LA if you want to see more of Barry, check out Hope Church Santa Monica where he and Suzie his wife and my friend for life) Pastor. His three gorgeous children are there as well and I they are some of the most beautiful influences in my children’s lives. Explaining that to you really sums up thefamilyroom ~ we are all about building extraordinary families, developing relationships and strengthening the communities we live in. Trust me LA friends, if we were there, we’d be at Hope Church Santa Monica.

Enjoy! Susan

Well friends, this is probably the second most requested recipe on our site. Additionally, it’s one that friends and family have enjoyed whilst dining at the ‘Sohn Kitchen’ on many occasion. Just last night I had another Facebook request for this delish dish. My friend Clare, who is the mother of three beautiful children (aged 3-10) made the request this time.

Interesting that this recipe, being Brussel Sprouts, is one that friends and family love. Brussel Sprouts is a vegetable that usually requires years of tastebuds maturing and developing, yet this recipe is loved my both young and old. My youngest, who is now 6, started requesting this recipe on a regular basis, after it first hit our table about 2 years ago. Cooked in this manner, the once bitter and shunned Brussel Sprout has become a family favorite and as I mentioned, one that is gobbled up and requested by many a guest.

I no longer hesitate preparing or sharing Brussel Sprouts, rather I head straight for them in supermarket and buy up big, especially around Thanks Giving, Christmas and Easter. I also buy when my kids and husband or guests request which is usually on a bi monthly basis.

So, thanks to my lovely friend, Andre Carthen, we can now enjoy this nutritious vegetable with confidence and pleasure.

Many or most of you know that my passion is family. I grew up in a great family and we lived in a wonderful home. Our home was one that was created and specifically designed to grow strong family. With that goal in mind, my parents worked tirelessly to make sure our needs (physical, emotional and spiritual) were met. In meeting our needs they also made sure that fun was a huge component to our healthy living.

Susan xo