Delivering Food to a Family afterwards the Death of a Loved One
I have delivered food to grieving families and you probably have, too. Once I delivered a large casserole of beef stew with burgundy, something I would not do now. For after having two family members die on the same weekend I have a different slant on food deliveries. Food is appreciated, but I think we need to update the custom, and here are my suggestions.
1. CALL FIRST. You don’t know how much food has already been delivered. The refrigerator and freezer may be full and additional food will cause problems. Before you make anything call and see if the family needs food. When a church friend called I turned down her offer of food. “It’s all we can do to eat a scrambled egg,” I explained.
2. FIX FAMILIAR FOODS. My husband and I were so overcome with grief that we had upset stomachs. We hardly ate anything and when we did it was simple stuff like tomato soup. Spicy food may not be the best choice at this time. Rather, deliver familiar foods — clear soups, custard, fresh fruit — things that go down easily.
3. CONSIDER PORTION SIZES. Some family members appreciated food deliveries, but others were overwhelmed by the portion sizes . Dividing food into small portions encourages family members to eat. Packaging food in small freezer containers is also helpful.
4. OFFER TO SHOP. Going to the grocery store after my daughter was killed in a car crash took all the courage I had. I would meet friends at the store and burst into tears when they expressed sympathy. Offer to pick up some groceries for the family the next time you shop. Tell them when you will deliver the groceries.
5. CHECK BACK LATER. After the death of a loved one family members are overwhelmed with legal and financial tasks. They may run out of milk or find they are short of basic supplies like toilet paper. Contact the family again and see if they need anything.
6. NO THANKS NECESSARY. Years ago, when our family was in crisis, a church friend gave us some soup. A note was taped to the top of the bowl and it said, “No thanks are necessary. I wanted to do this for you.” This is a stressful time for all family members. Telling them that no thanks are necessary helps to relieve their stress.
Delivering food is a time-honored custom and one worthy of continuing. The best food you can provide is food for the soul and the words, “I’m so sorry.”
Copyright 2007 by Harriet Hodgson
Best Fresh Salsa Recipe
Here is the best salsa recipe I have ever made.
My family does not even like regular jar or store bought salsa anymore. I use to make salsa and cook the ingredients on the stove but once was in a hurry and just used everything straight from the garden, after a little washing. The result was a flavor burst in my mouth with all the wonderful flavors that were not toned down by cooking them away.
Hope you enjoy and give me your comments.
8 tomatoes
3 green peppers
4 jalapeno peppers (you can remove some or add some depending on your taste)
1 small onion
Garlic cloves or minced garlic
salt
Olive Oil
Parsley
Lemon or lime juice
Cut off the tops of the green peppers and remove seeds. Cut off the tops of the jalapenos but do not remove seeds. Cut the outer skin off the onion and cut in four sections.
Place these items in a food processor and run until everything is small. I usually do not leave big chunks of the jalapeno as small chopped bits blend better and give flavor throughout the salsa.
Drop in 1 teaspoon on minced garlic. You can use the stuff out of the jar from the store or put in 2 whole cloves.
Wash the tomatoes and cut off the tops and cut them in half our fourths and put them in the food processor on top of the already chopped up peppers and onions.
Process these until the tomatoes are well chopped. Open the food process and remove the container and put a strainer in your sink and pour the mixture from the processor into the strainer and let strain all the excess liquid from the tomatoes. I usually use my well washed hand in their to stir up the salsa and speed up the process but you can use a big spoon. When Most of the excess liquid is gone dump the strainer mixture into a bowl or container.
Add 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon dried parsley, 3 to 4 tablespoons lemon or lime juice. I prefer lime juice but once ran out and used lemon juice and it worked just as well. I use the bottled juice but it you have fresh it would be even better. Add 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.
Stir everything together with a spoon and quickly get out your chips and get some because as soon as your family knows you have homemade salsa made it will not be around for very long.
Does He Like Me? How To Tell If A Guy Is Attracted To You
“Does he like me? I really want to know!”
…so there’s this guy…
He’s perfect. It seems like he might, but you are dying to know, “Does he like me?” So many people get lost on the very first step of dating. You both think the other is into you, but sometimes it’s hard to tell. He sends so many confusing and conflicting messages, you don’t know what to do.
You think he’s great. You like the way he makes you feel (sometimes!). He’s even in your dreams, but you’re afraid of embarrassing yourself by pursuing that guy because he’s so hard to figure out.
Chances are, if you’re this confused, he really is attracted to you. The whole “dating ritual between man and women is full of confusing undertones and bizarre rituals that neither one of you are even aware you are doing. So many loves get lost in the confusion…
The key is to take charge and figure this out so you can stop torturing yourself and get on with the smooching.
Does he treat you differently then other women?
Some guys are just incurable flirts. He’ll chat up any girl he sees. Most guys only flirt with the one they are interested in. Pay attention to how he acts around other women. Does he say the same things to them as he does to you? Does he have the same kind of nervous shyness around them too? If not, you can bet he’s attracted to you.
Men change around someone they like. Think of gorillas thumping their chest to impress a hot lady gorilla. Does he try to show off around you? Does he do weird things around you that he doesn’t do around other girls? On the “Does He Like Me Scale” this is as close to a ten as you can get.
Is he super nice or super mean to you?
Compliments are obvious signs of attraction, but being mean?!! How does being mean show that he’s attracted to you? It seems impossible, but watch any TV show about the mating rituals of mammals and you’ll often see the male being a jerk to the female. It’s a very primal instinct that men have.
Does he insult you, but then always try to be around you? Is it obvious that he’s interested in you, but then he says something mean to you? You can guarantee that most guys don’t even realize they do this. But think about what this accomplishes in your mind: you can’t stop thinking about him! You spend your days adding up all the nice things he does and then you’re stuck analyzing the mean things.
Mission accomplished! He has you confused and crazy. Does He Like Me Scale: 7.5
Is he always around?
You avoid people that you don’t like. You hang out with your friends. You go out of your way to spend time with people you’re attracted to. Same goes with the fellas. If he always seems to be around wherever you are, you can bet he likes you. If it seems like a big inconvenience for him to always “swing by,” it’s a great sign he’s attracted to you.
Check his body language
We gravitate towards people we are interested in. Does he get a little too far into your personal space? Is he always leaning towards you? Does he touch you? Not that kind of touch! Does he bump into you or touch your back or arm when he sees you? This includes the mean touch like playfully trying to trip you or pushing you away.
Think about this: when someone pushes you, it’s usually in anger. If he’s not angry then he’s obviously doing it for some other reason.
Men are not the masters of body language that women are. They aren’t very subtle. Any time he touches you are takes a “forward posture” is a great sign of attraction.
Eye contact
This can go in one of two possible directions. If he’s shy he might avoid eye contact at all costs if he really likes you. If he’s not shy, he will do his best to catch your eye. Try to get the shy guy to look you in the eyes. He’ll give away his feelings for you faster than anything. If he’s not the shy type, stare him down. Sometimes it’s those small awkward moments that send you both into each other’s arms.
Try leaning towards him during one of these stare downs. If he leans in with you, you’re in. Go for the kiss if you’re really feeling it! Which brings us to…
Mirroring
When we develop a closeness to someone, we unconsciously start to “mirror” their actions. As you talk to him, touch your ear (or hair or some part of your body) and if he repeats this action within a few minutes, he’s showing his interest in you. It could be as simple as him always taking a drink soon after you do.
So he’s doing most if not all of the signs of attraction and the readings on the Does He Like Me Scale are through the roof. How do you get him to make the first move? The answer is that he NEVER makes the first move. Sure, he might one day come up to you and ask you out, but you made all the little first moves up until that point.
Show interest in him. Ask him questions about his interests. Touch him back. Compliment him for something and yes, be mean back to him! If all else fails to bring that boy to action, you have to come right out and call him on it:
“I think it’s weird that you haven’t asked me out on a date.”
Whoa girl! No one has ever said that to him before! Even if he was on the fence about you, now he’s impressed. Not only that, you’re not really putting yourself that far out there for embarrassment. Even if he counters with, “Because I don’t wanna,” you can answer with “Hmmm, interesting.” And he’s still in the hot seat!
If you make enough “observations” even the shyest guys will break down and ask you out. You no longer have to worry, “Does he like me?” and get on with what you’ve wanted all along: an awesome relationship.
Ham Soup Recipes – 5 Delicious Ways To Use That Hambone
Do you have a ham bone in your freezer but you’re not sure what to do with it? Here’s a fun assortment of five recipes with crock pot and stovetop instructions. These range from the traditional split pea to the creative wild rice and ham chowder.
Lentil Soup
Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: see below
Pams-hams bone
½ pound dried lentils
6 cups water
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small can V8 juice
¼ cup oil
1 t. basil (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
Rinse lentils thoroughly. Combine all ingredients.
In crock pot, cook on low 8-10 hours, Remove bone from soup. Cut up ham, return chopped ham to soup
On stove top: Combine ingredients and bring to a boil. Then cover and simmer for 2 hours or until beans are tender. Remove bone from soup. Cut up ham, return chopped ham to soup
Split Pea Soup or Navy Bean Soup
Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: see below
Pams-hams bone
2 cups dried split peas or dried navy beans
6 cups water
2 chopped carrots
1 large onion, chopped
1 t. thyme (optional)
1 t. basil (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
Rinse peas thoroughly. Combine all ingredients
Recommended: In crock pot, cook on low 8-10 hours. Remove bone from soup. Cut up ham, return chopped ham to soup.
On stove top:
Soak beans overnight with ¼ t. baking soda if possible.
Combine ingredients and bring to a boil.
Then cover and simmer for 2 hours or until beans are tender.
Remove bone from soup.
Cut up ham, return chopped ham to soup
Mixed Bean Soup
Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: see below
Pams-hams bone
1 pound dried mixed beans
1 can crushed tomatoes
1 large onion, chopped
4 cups of water
2 stalks celery – chopped
2 carrots – chopped
3 cloves garlic
1 t. basil (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
Rinse beans thoroughly. Combine all ingredients
Recommended: In crock pot, cook on low 8-10 hours. Remove bone from soup. Cut up ham, return chopped ham to soup.
On stove top: Soak beans overnight with ¼ t. baking soda if possible. Combine ingredients and bring to a boil. Then cover and simmer for 2 hours or until beans are tender. Remove bone from soup. Cut up ham, return chopped ham to soup
Broccoli cheese soup
Prep time: 20 minutes, Cook time: 30 minutes
Pams-hams bone
1 bunch broccoli, chopped (I use tops mainly)
1 – ½ cup milk
1 (14 oz.) can chicken broth
1 cup water
1 lb. Shredded cheddar cheese or Velveeta
5 T. butter
4 T. flour
salt and pepper to taste
Steam the broccoli in the microwave.
(1/2 inch of water in casserole dish, cook about 3 minutes or until you just start to smell it)
In large soup pot, melt butter and stir in flour. Slowly add remaining ingredients, stirring constantly. Add ham bone last. Cook on low 30 minutes or more. If it is thicker than your desired consistency, add more milk. Remove bone from soup. Cut up ham, return chopped ham to soup
Wild Rice and Ham Chowder
Pre Time: 30 minutes, Cook time: 45 minutes
A. 1 ½ cups water, ¾ cup wild rice
B. ¼ cup butter or margarine, ½ cup chopped onion, 3 cloves garlic, minced, ½ cup flour, 4 cups of water and 4 chicken bouillon cubes
C. 1 ½ cup peeled, cubed potatoes, ½ cup chopped carrots, ½ t. thyme, ½ t. nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste
D. 1 (17 oz.) can whole kernel corn, undrained, 2 cups half n half (or milk), pams-hams bone
Cook A. Set aside. B. Combine butter, onion and garlic. Cook until onion is crisp-tender. Stir in the flour. Cook 1 minute stirring constantly. Add water and bouillon.
Add C. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 15-30 minutes. Add D and simmer 20 more minutes. Remove bone from soup. Cut up ham, return chopped ham to soup
For more of my recipes and cooking tips, go to [http://www.pams-hams.com]. An inviting place for sugar and honey glazed baked ham, dinners, gifts and clever conversation.
Mexican Fiesta Party To Learn About Mexico
Fiesta means festival, party or a holiday. If you are thinking of throwing a fiesta, just think of Mexican Fiesta. The theme of your party would be Mexico and the aim of it would be to learn as much as you can about Mexico through this party. You can celebrate the Mexican Fiesta at your home, a park or that can also be arranged at a local restaurant. You need to make a list of your guests and it would be cool if you get all your kids’ friends come and play and learn about a country.
Mexican fiesta is not only going to serve as an awesome party, but it will also serve as a time where everyone is going to learn a lot of different things. The invitations that you are going to send to your guests can have a background of Mexican flag, sombrero shape or a photo of Chihuahua dog. When you are planning to decorate for the fiesta, you can use a map of Mexico, Mexican Flag, sombreros, piñatas, cactus etc. so that you are making a complete environment of Mexico in your home.
The Mexican Fiesta cannot be complete without Mariachi music. It would be awesome to get Mexican hats for all your guests, which will make them feel a part of the rich Mexican culture. When you are planning everything out, just do not forget to add the games such as Spanish word games, treasure hunt etc., kids would just love every single bit of it. Your party will rock with Mexican food and you can serve tortillas, salsa, churros, Mexican pastries etc. Believe me with your perfect planning you will be able to make your party rock and everyone will be so excited throughout.
How to Draw People – Cartoon and Realistic
Drawing people be it realistic or cartoon-like can be challenging. But the pure joy you can have from creating drawings of people is really awesome. Here in this article you will find some tips that will help you to create drawings of people that are not only beautiful but also full of life.
Pay attention to various proportions: To draw a realistic human body you must have clear understanding about the sizes and proportions of various body parts. Things like: a man is around 7 head high, width of human body at the waist is little more than one and half times of his face and things like that. A good anatomy book meant for figure artists can be very useful for this purpose.
When drawing cartoon characters you can override many of these guidelines, but to break rules in style you first have to be aware of them.
Draw eyes to express the state of mind: Eyes express the state of mind so be careful while you are drawing eyes. Eyebrows and lips are equally important. Make a habit of observing people and how they express their emotion through their facial expression. This practice is very useful and will enrich your character-creation-toolkit.
Hands are not too difficult; you just need to practice more: When drawing your character do not avoid drawing hands. Properly drawn hands separate a good figure artist from mediocre ones so practice drawing hands diligently. Use your own hand as a model and draw from various angles, this will give you a very good practice.
While drawing cartoons you can reduce the complexities by drawing four fingered –three plus thumb — hands. Or you can make your character wear gloves that will make your work even easier.
Why shadows are important: Shadows can add depth to your scene. But drawing elaborate and accurate shadow takes time; instead add some shadowy patch near the feet of your character. If you do not add shadow at all your character may appear to be floating in mid air.
Practice drawing from real life: Initially when you start drawing it is easier and natural that you will be drawing from other’s sketches or photos, but as you start becoming good at your job you must start drawing from real life. Real life gives you the freedom of choice and rich variety.
Negative space drawing will make your work easier: Negative space drawing is drawing space that is not part of your intended drawing subject. Or in other terms it is basically nothing but drawing the out line of your subject. You may find this approach useful because it lets you concentrate on the overall form without getting bogged down into the details of the subject.
Camping Meals – 4-Day Family Menu Plan
A family camping menu should be:
Easy and quick to prepare.
Requires only a few ingredients and
Those ingredients are easy to store at camp (not prone to spilling, spoiling, space-hogging).
Here is our family’s 4-Day Camping menu plan. We have tweaked it over the years and I’m sure you will tweak it some more for your family’s style and needs.
4-Day Camping Food Menu Plan
1st Night: Lloyds BBQ Ribs, corn, coleslaw and potato salad
Wrap ribs in heavy-duty foil, heat, open a can of corn and serve with ready-made coleslaw and potato salad. First night is celebration night. You’ve put up the tent, you’ve build a campfire, you’ve unpacked your gear. So kick back and relax. By the way, Costco is my favorite place to get a big tub of potato salad and coleslaw.
DAY 1 ==========
Breakfast: Blueberry Pancakes, sausage and eggs
Lunch: Chili dog and leftover coleslaw/potato salad
Dinner: Grilled marinated steak tips, baked potatoes & camping onions. If no grill: Easy Pork Chops and bread rolls
Dessert: S’mores
DAY 2 ==========
Breakfast: Cereal and fruit, corny cakes
Lunch: Tortellini and tomato sauce
Dinner: Meat loaf sandwich & Italian Wedding Soup (canned)
Dessert: Mini Camping Pies
DAY 3 ==========
Breakfast: French Toast, sausage and eggs
Lunch: Chowder in bread bowl or grill burgers and hot dogs
Dinner: Ham, beans and baked sweet potatoes
Dessert: Peach Mallows
DAY 4 ==========
Breakfast: Pancakes, sausage and eggs
Lunch: Foil-wrapped Surprise (Whatever’s left in camp kitchen)
Do we stick religiously to this menu plan? Of course not. But being prepared gives me the freedom to be more creative and flexible.
The recipes are pretty easy to guess. If you need the camping recipes, tips and shortcuts for this 4-day family camping menu, email us at camping_menu@aweber.com and it will be sent out to you automatically.
The menu does require a camping stove. If you don’t own a camping stove, watch our video on the 4 criteria to look for in a camping stove [http://www.joyofcamping.com/camping-gear/camping-stoves/camping-stove-criteria/].
Wall Decorating Ideas
If you want to avoid having the rooms in your home look cold and without personality, make sure you do not have any stark spaces in them. When you want to add some life to a room and give it character, you have to add some wall decor to relieve that monotony of blank walls. Here are some great ideas to bring this kind of life to your walls.
One of the best and easiest way is to add texture to the wall. There are so many wallpapers that have texture, and it is a simple task to paper the wall or walls with a wallpaper that has a raised design, or is made to look like bamboo or linen. Of course, this can be brought to an extreme, and there have been avant garde decorators who adhered straw or paper bags to a wall to achieve texture, but this is not a solution that is for everyone.
Wallpaper is still the tried and true way to add texture as well as color to your walls, and if you start to look at some of the wallpaper books in a decorating store, you will be amazed at the variety of styles you can achieve, and leave the straw out in the barn for the animals!
You may also consider wall hangings to remedy a bland wall. A beautiful old quilt adds a lovely touch of texture and color, and also spotlights a unique family heirloom. This is one of the nicest ways to add texture, since it is done in such a personalized way.
Another very personalized way to add texture is to display a collection on a wall. For example, a gentleman who collects antique tools might consider hanging them on a wall in a family room in an interesting pattern. Now they are serving a function, and he has also succeeded in removing some clutter from his garage.
How about using old doll clothes or dresses to perk up the walls in a girl’s room? Here you are sure to have plenty of color, and the textures of old dresses are usually materials such as tulle or organza, which would be very eye catching. The colors of dresses such as this are perfect for a little girl’s room.
Just using your imagination and the materials around you will yield a lot of ideas for adding texture to a dull wall.
Help! I Don’t Have Any… Cooking Options To Help When You Can’t Get to the Store
For many cooks, there are times when we do not have the proper ingredients on hand to make our desired dish. If you find yourself in this situation, don’t despair, many common ingredients can be used to replace recipes standards, saving the cook a drive to the store. Here are some hints.
Milk
A lot of recipes require milk. If you realize yourself out of milk or short on the amount necessary to finish a specific recipe, make sure you keep a supply of evaporated milk on hand. Evaporated milk or reconstituted milk can be kept for a long time and once mixed with water and many times a bit of butter, can easily taste just as good as regular milk.
Baking Powder
If you do not have baking powder readily available, use baking soda and a dash of buttermilk. For a tablespoon of double acting baking powder, substitute 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda and a 1/2 cup of buttermilk.
Self Rising Flour
Self rising flour is easy to make from scratch, just combine one cup of all purpose flour with 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of baking powder.
Butter Milk
Out of butter milk? You can simply create your own. You can substitute 1 cup of butter milk with 1 cup whole milk and a tablespoon of vinegar. You can also substitute 1 cup of butter milk with 2/3 cup of plain yogurt and 1/3 cup whole milk.
Garlic
Ran out of garlic? Substitute garlic powder instead. About 1 clove of garlic equals 1/8 of a teaspoon of garlic powder.
Honey
You can easily replace honey with sugar and water. 1 cup of honey equals about 1 and 1/4 cup of sugar and a 1/4 cup of water.
Substituting Sugar
If you are short on sugar on hand or would like to replace it due to health issues, here are some hints to substitute sugar:
Sugar can be exchanged with with maple syrup, corn syrup, brown sugar, honey, stevia, and molasses. Although, some recipes will call for sugar or a granular sweetener and not syrup due to baking and texture requirements.
If you striving to decrease the amount of sugar you eat due to health issues, consider the many sweeteners, sometimes called sugar replacements at the supermarket. They include, Sweet and Low, Splenda, Equal, and plant based Stevia.
Grilled Nachos
GRILLED NACHOS
Ingredients:
6-cups Nacho flavored tortilla chips
1-cup Salsa
1½-cups Fajita chicken, frozen
½-cup Fresh roasted green chili’s or frozen & drained
8-ounces (2-cups) Mexican cheese blend, shredded
2-cups Lettuce, shredded
½-cup Sour Cream
½-cup Guacamole
½-cup Black olives, sliced
½-cup Cashews, chopped
Instructions:
Heat up grill. Cut foil to make about a 20×20-inch sheet of heavy-duty foil; make double layer and form sides and corners. Spray foil on the inside with cooking spray and place on large platter or cookie sheet to move to grill. Spread chips on foil; top with chicken, chilies and cheese.
Place foil on grill over medium heat; cover grill. Cook 10 to 15 minutes; moving foil around until heated thoroughly and cheese is melted. Remove from grill and place back on cookie sheet or large platter.
Top nachos with lettuce, sour cream, guacamole, black olive slices, chopped cashews, and salsa; serve right away while warm.
Serves 6
Note: Sometimes for a change I substitute the green chili’s with jalapenos and it gives a little different taste, but they are both good.
You can find this recipe and many more at Cristie’s Cookin. Don’t forget to submit your favorite recipe at Cristie’s Cookin for a chance to win a free “Gotcha Covered” apron.