Thanksgiving hangovers are no fun. However, you can prevent the post-Turkey Day pain by being prepared. I’m not referring to an aspirin run; rather, I prefer hair of the dog treatments. If you gobbled til you wobbled on Thanksgiving Day, then get right back up on Black Friday and do it again, but with fun-filled, kicked-up turkey recipes like these: SPICY TURKEY SKILLET Ingredients: 2 pounds of leftover turkey, shredded or sliced 1 package taco seasoning mix 1/4 cup water 1 cup chunky salsa 2 cups corn 1 can (15-ounce) black beans, drained 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend 3 … Continue reading →

You know what’s fun? Not wasting the $15 you spent on apples at the u-pick farm. Apparently, my 8-year-old doesn’t see the f-u-n in consuming the pounds and pounds and pounds of apples she picked during our latest seasonal adventure. She sure looked like she was having fun plucking the red, yellow and green orbs from their branches and tossing them into the bright blue basket we brought from home. However, when it came time to eat the fruits of her labor, she shut down after day two. Cue the creativity; because I will not let those fall apples go … Continue reading →

The intoxicating aroma, the mouthwatering flavors and the dancing flames of an outdoor cookout; is there anything more fun than firing up the grill on a summer weekend? I know. Having Bobby Flay do the grilling for you. Okay, maybe’s that just my idea of fun. Whether you are grilling and chilling for Pops on Father’s Day or you’re celebrating graduation day with family and friends, the following simple recipes are sure to bring a smile to your face: CITRUS SHRIMP SKEWERS Ingredients: 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice 1/4 cup freshly chopped cilantro … Continue reading →

According to food safety experts, if you have any leftover hard-boiled eggs from Easter in your refrigerator, you should consume them by the end of today. However, if you peeled your eggs on Easter and let them sit in the fridge since then, you need to toss them in the trash, regardless of how they look or smell. The folks at the Egg Nutrition Center also warn against eating hard-boiled eggs that you may have used in outdoor hunts that lasted more than two hours. In other words, if it took your kids more than a couple of hours to … Continue reading →

Today is the first Sunday of Lent—-the season of self-reflection and self-denial. Not exactly fun stuff, right? Compared to the raucous revelry and face-stuffing silliness associated with Mardi Gras, the solemn season can appear downright depressing. However, it doesn’t have to be. This Lent, I am trying to teach my young daughter that the season should be marked with anticipation. The 40-day period that begins on Ash Wednesday and runs through Holy Thursday is typically a time when people give up bad habits and participate in prayer, penance and repentance. It’s also a time Christians are mandated to abstain from … Continue reading →

So this isn’t really a craft per se, but food can be fun and crafty as well! Everyone has things they like to make for holidays or get togethers. Here are two that I’ve recently made that are just fun, to make, to eat and to look at! First, we celebrated National Jello Week at work with, what else, a Jello potluck. You would be amazed at the number of things people can do with Jello. I took the easy route and made something easy and pretty to  look at, It’s called broken glass jello cake and it’s really simple. … Continue reading →

If these back-to-school fun facts were not enough to get your kids revved up for the first day of class, then consider making the transition a bit easier by heading to the… kitchen. Kids love to eat and often they are more likely to consume healthy meals if they have a hand at making them and the foods are fun to eat. Before the first day of school rolls around, try out these fun recipes for nutritious back-to-school snacks that can be packed in a lunch box or eaten when class is over for the day. MUNCHY MOUTH Ingredients: 1/4 … Continue reading →

My mother banned kids from the kitchen during holiday parties. While I understand why she made the area off limits during Thanksgiving and Christmas (when hot dishes were being removed from even hotter ovens and sharp knives were out in full force carving turkeys and hams), it’s not a tradition I continue in my own home. My 5-year-old daughter loves to cook and I would never rob her of the chance to contribute to our holiday meals by booting her from the kitchen. I impose a set of safety rules, but other than that I allow my budding chef to … Continue reading →