Here’s a quick and easy breakfast idea for Valentine’s Day that’s healthy too!  I saw a picture of this recipe in a magazine many years ago (I can’t remember which one).  My Rooster and I were both working full-time and this caught my eye as a nice way to surprise him with a cute Valentine’s breakfast that fit into our early morning schedule.  I’ve made it every year since and it’s a hit with our kids who also love oatmeal and yogurt.  I use old-fashioned oats, but instant will work too.  The same goes for the yogurt – pick your sweethearts favorite; and the oil – use what you have on hand.  You may need to adjust the amount of oatmeal and yogurt depending on the size dish and cookie cutter that you use.  Read the rest of the story...

Last year our projection screen television died.  It was quite exciting.  What sounded like static during a TiVo show quickly escalated into electrical zapping and smoke coming from inside the big box.  After many phone calls, we learned that our model was not worth repairing and we had to get rid of an enormous and heavy TV.  We decided to take as much out of the inside of the TV as we could to make it lighter and easier to move.  As soon as we took out the inner components, my Rooster and I both had the same idea – with minimal effort we could turn this empty frame into a beautiful puppet theater!  Read the rest of the story...

Here’s a sweet Valentine’s Day dessert that’s so easy your kids can make it.  It seemed that everyone knew about this recipe when I was growing up, it’s a great side dish for summer potlucks too.  Although I omit the crushed pineapple (my family prefers a smoother fluff), many are fans of adding not only pineapple but some chopped walnuts or pecans for additional flavor and texture.

Cherry Fluff

12 oz. whipped topping

20 oz. cherry pie filling

20 oz. crushed pineapple, drained (optional)

• Mix ingredients.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

For our kids, picking the theme of their birthday party is a very important decision.  And of course the cake is a big part of the celebration.  At first, I considered myself lucky if our party theme was included in selections offered by our local supermarket bakery.  I found out pretty quick that what was shown in the picture is often not what ends up on your cake (I guess that falls under artistic license).  Although the kids initially loved the little plastic trinkets that were scattered on the top of the cake, they were old news by the end of the week and they would get tossed in the trash.  What was getting the decorations, the cake or the landfill?  The next year I began to customize the cakes myself and the decorations were either edible or they were useable.  Here are a few options for decorating your child’s birthday cake:  Read the rest of the story...