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Here are some of our favorite game-day foods (these can all be prepared a day ahead, which will make things even easier).
Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches With Bleu Cheese Coleslaw
Ingredients Deli-style buns Boneless chicken breasts Frank's RedHot Buffalo Wings Sauce 1 (16-ounce) package shredded coleslaw mix 1/4 cup finely chopped sweet onion 1/2 cup cider vinegar 3 tablespoons white sugar 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup mayonnaise 1/2 cup sour cream 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
The night before the big game, prepare your coleslaw.
Toss together the coleslaw mix and onion in a bowl. In a saucepan, mix the vinegar, sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil. When sugar has dissolved, pour over the slaw mix and onion. Toss to coat, and let stand 15 minutes.
Drain the slaw mix in a colander, and return to the bowl. Toss with mayonnaise, sour cream, and blue cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and chill overnight for the best results, but if you forget, you?ll be fine as long as it has at least 1 hour in the refrigerator before serving.
On game day, coat your chicken breasts with a generous coating of wing sauce, and then grill until done. Place your piping hot chicken on your bun, top with coleslaw and bun top, and enjoy! This coleslaw is also awesome on hot dogs and hamburgers!
Chicken Stew This one is great for cold game days. Make it ahead, and put it in a Crock-Pot for game day to keep it warm.
Ingredients 1 whole chicken 1 large onion, chopped 1 small bag of peeled baby carrots 1 12-ounce container of fresh sliced mushrooms 2 teaspoons minced garlic 1 can of corn 1 can of chopped chiles (in the Mexican food section of a grocery store) 3/4 cup uncooked rice 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning Salt and pepper to taste
Prepare the chicken by removing the giblets and neck pieces.
Place the chicken in a stockpot with just enough water to cover the chicken, then add the garlic.
Cook covered on medium-low on the stove for 2 1/2 hours.
Remove the chicken and garlic from the stockpot with a strainer, leaving the stock in the pot.
Add chopped onion, carrots, and mushrooms to the stock, and cover and cook an additional 30 minutes.
While the vegetables are cooking, remove the meat from the chicken.
When the chicken is picked and shredded, add to the stock.
Add Cajun seasoning, rice, chiles, and corn.
Cover and cook an additional 20 minutes.
Serve with corn bread or saltines.
Beer Cheese Dip 2 blocks of cream cheese, softened 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese 1 packet of Ranch dressing 1/2 can of beer of your choosing
Mix all the ingredients together. Refrigerate overnight, and serve with Fritos Scoops.
I hope you enjoy the recipes and the excitement of game day as much as we do!
Post submitted by Jill from The Mommies Network's Content Team
Making and Keeping Friends at Different Stages of Life Friendships are often one of the most enjoyable and fulfilling parts of our lives. Not only do they provide us with company to engage in enjoyable activities, but they enrich our lives through shared meaning. Support systems have been linked to higher levels of happiness and improved overall health. While some friendships may only last for certain periods of time, others extend over a lifetime, and most of us recognize these relationships as some of the most important we will have. Even for people who generally feel they don't have trouble making friends, there are stages in life when this task may seem more difficult, leaving us feeling lonely or doubting our abilities to connect to others. If this feels like it is true for you, or you've noticed that this might be the case for your child, here are some ideas that might help in this process.
Children
With all the exciting activities that occur at this age, children may feel overwhelmed with the task of fitting in with their peers. Although you want their education to come first, making friends is most likely to be at the top of their agenda, and is also important to their development. Here are a few ways you can help your children establish relationships with their peers:
1. Teach your child important social skills that are essential to establishing and maintaining friendships such as sharing, listening, following rules, and playing fair. Allow your child to participate in events and activities that enable them to practice and implement these social skills. You can reinforce positive social interactions through verbal praise and, if this is something that is a real challenge for your child, through a structured reward system.
2. Provide opportunities for your child to play and socialize with other children their age such as play dates, sleepovers, car pooling, and extra-curricular activities. They should interact with their peers from school and in your neighborhood.
3. Read books with your children that teaches them about friendships and social skills.
4. It isn't uncommon for children to be timid or anxious about making friends. Be attentive to any red flags that your child may display that could indicate he or she is having trouble such as throwing tantrums, withdrawal from you more than is normal for them, or other changes in behavior or emotions.
Teenagers
During the teenage years, your son or daughter will encounter many possibilities to make friends such as participating in athletics, attending school events, and participating in extracurricular school activities. This is also a time when 'fitting in' and feeling connected to peers seems the most important to them, so not feeling part of a group or connected to people can feel especially difficult during these years. Here are some ways to help your teen navigate their social world:
1. Let your teen see how you interact with your friends. Because they are entering the young adult phase, it is important for them to see examples of mature, adult interactions. This can also help your teen better understand how positive friendships in adulthood look. If they are willing to go, take your teen to lunch with you and a friend.
2. Encourage your teen to partake in social activities that would enable him or her to meet other teens. This can include going to the movies, attending a dance, or eating dinner with a group of their peers. You can use your home as a 'safe' location for teens to hang out, yet still have adult supervision, by giving them a private area or room to spend time.
3. Talk to your teen about the meaning and importance of friendships. Discuss what makes someone a "good friend" and how to resolve conflicts and/or manage meaningful friendships they may have with others.
4. Monitor how your teen interacts with their friends. If you feel he or she is in an unhealthy relationship with one of their peers, attempt to provide guidance.
Post college-graduates
The college years provide young adults with numerous opportunities to meet new people as well as gain unique experiences. However, upon graduating, many people find it difficult or overwhelming with having to "start over" and meet new people, especially when relocating to a new town or city. Here are some ways that might help you connect to others after college:
1. Get involved in your local community. Join clubs, teams, or other extra-curricular and/or service based groups that allow you to meet and interact with others on a weekly basis. Working with others to reach a common goal is a great way to connect, and takes some of the pressure off this process, as you already share a common interest.
2. Invite people to engage in some sort of activity such as going to lunch, getting coffee or a drink, or hanging out at your place.
3. If you're shy or lacking in confidence, don't be discouraged because these feelings are not uncommon. Talk to someone else who has dealt with this stage of life, too.
Adulthood
As we enter adulthood, we often feel settled into patterns of making and maintaining friendships. However, many people feel dissatisfied with their outlets for social connection or the number of people to whom they truly feel close. When we are set in our ways, we can lack imagination regarding ways and places to connect to others. Here are some ideas about how to connect to new friends as adults:
1. Attend functions in your community that cater to something you are interested in but may not have tried before. This enables you to interact with people who you will begin to see on a regular basis. This could be joining a local charity with regular volunteer hours, or taking classes at a community center.
2. Join a group that involves doing something you enjoy yet keeps you active such as a yoga class or a golf club. This allows you to meet people with common interests, providing conversation starters that help take the pressure off the anxiety provoking introduction and connection process.
3. Invite family over for dinner. You can consider choosing members you feel most close or comfortable with or those who you want to get to know better, and set a theme for a dinner party. If you are in a relationship, consider having favorite members of both yours and your partner's family over together. This can deepen pre-existing relationships and lead to more regular family events and connections.
If you find your child or yourself having a little more difficulty making friends than you would like, speaking with a psychologist may help identify barriers and provide ideas for help moving past them.
Written by: Lepage Associates Solution-Based Psychological and Psychiatric Services, 5842 Fayetteville Road, Suite 106, Durham, NC 27713 www.lepageassociates.com
?Help! I?m getting so frustrated with the endless stream of advice I get from my mother-in-law and brother! No matter what I do, I?m doing it wrong. I love them both, but how do I get them to stop dispensing all this unwanted advice??
Just as your baby is an important part of your life, he is also important to others. People who care about your baby are bonded to you and your child in a special way that invites their counsel. Knowing this may give you a reason to handle the interference gently, in a way that leaves everyone?s feelings intact. Regardless of the advice, it is your baby, and in the end, you will raise your child the way that you think best.
So it?s rarely worth creating a war over a well-meaning person?s comments. You can respond to unwanted advice in a variety of ways:
Listen first
It?s natural to be defensive if you feel that someone is judging you; but chances are you are not being criticized; rather, the other person is sharing what they feel to be valuable insight. Try to listen - you may just learn something valuable. Disregard If you know that there is no convincing the other person to change her mind, simply smile, nod, and make a non-committal response, such as, ?Interesting!? Then go about your own business...your way.
Agree
You might find one part of the advice that you agree with. If you can, provide wholehearted agreement on that topic. Pick your battles If your mother-in-law insists that baby wear a hat on your walk to the park, go ahead and pop one on his head. This won?t have any long-term effects except that of placating her. However, don?t capitulate on issues that are important to you or the health or well-being of your child. Steer clear of the topic if your brother is pressuring you to let your baby cry to sleep, but you would never do that, then don?t complain to him about your baby getting you up five times the night before. If he brings up the topic, then distraction is definitely in order, such as, ?Would you like a cup of coffee??
Educate yourself
Knowledge is power; protect yourself and your sanity by reading up on your parenting choices. Rely on the confidence that you are doing your best for your baby. Educate the other person If your ?teacher? is imparting information that you know to be outdated or wrong, share what you?ve learned on the topic. You may be able to open the other person?s mind. Refer to a study, book, or report that you have read. Quote a doctor Many people accept a point of view if a professional has validated it. If your own pediatrician agrees with your position, say, ?My doctor said to wait until she?s at least six months before starting solids.? If your own doctor doesn?t back your view on that issue, then refer to another doctor - perhaps the author of a baby care book.
Be vague
You can avoid confrontation with an elusive response. For example, if your sister asks if you?ve started potty training yet (but you are many months away from even starting the process), you can answer with, ?We?re moving in that direction.?
Ask for advice!
Your friendly counselor is possibly an expert on a few issues that you can agree on. Search out these points and invite guidance. She?ll be happy that she is helping you, and you?ll be happy you have a way to avoid a showdown about topics that you don?t agree on.
Memorize a standard response
Here?s a comment that can be said in response to almost any piece of advice: ?This may not be the right way for you, but it?s the right way for me.?
Be honest
Try being honest about your feelings. Pick a time free of distractions and choose your words carefully, such as, ?I know how much you love Harry, and I?m glad you spend so much time with him. I know you think you?re helping me when you give me advice about this, but I?m comfortable with my own approach, and I?d really appreciate if you?d understand that.?
Find a mediator
If the situation is putting a strain on your relationship with the advice-giver, you may want to ask another person to step in for you. Search out like-minded friends Join a support group or on-line club with people who share your parenting philosophies. Talking with others who are raising their babies in a way that is similar to your own can give you the strength to face people who don?t understand your viewpoints.
Originally posted by The Mommies Network
Photo by David Castillo Dominici at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Do You Have Flower Power? Are you looking for some curb appeal? Do you need to beautify your backyard? Spring planting season may be a few months away, but there's no better time than now to grow with BaltimoreMommies! We've partnered with Flower Power to bring you a fabulous fundraiser to help you plan the garden of your dreams.
Flower Power sells quality flower bulbs with a 100 percent money-back guarantee. Gorgeous geraniums, tantalizing tiger lilies, and beautiful begonias are just a few of the many bulbs available and ready to be shipped to your door. This fundraiser runs Jan. 22?March 20, 2012, and your bulbs will arrive in April and May, just in time for beautiful summer blooms.
So save some gas and the trip to your local nursery or big-box store, and plan your perfect garden from the comfort of your computer. Visit http://www.flowerpowerfundraising.com/i/t/240177/0Qns064NE1q9 to view the enormous array of flower bulbs, and spring into Flower Power and BaltimoreMommies' fabulous fundraiser!
Special bonus: Spend $40 or more to receive a free bag of 10 Twilight gladiolus, a $10 value.
Grow with us!
Profits made through our fundraising link go toward our chapter's operating expenses.
I call this the not so Philly Cheese steak because there is no Velveeta or Cheez Whiz in it. That is also why the color is off, it's not your monitor. I have been craving cheese steaks for a few days and when I went to the grocery store yesterday there was a worker there handing out coupons for $1 off of cheese and cheese products. She had a ton and kept handing them out, I ended up with 10 eight ounce bags of shredded cheese (different varieties but all Kraft) for .25 cents each and cream cheese bricks that ended up being 9 cents each. So cheese steaks it was. I figured a cheese sauce with a roux was my best bet. Veggies meat were a no brainier. This is an easy peasy, lemon squeezy dish. (Diva says that. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy.) The girls and I shared the goodness pictured above, then Diva had another half. BTW- is it one word? or two words? Cheese steak?
Makes 4-6 sandwiches.
2 bell peppers- sliced into strips 1 medium onion- sliced into strips 1 pkg mushrooms sliced (8 ounces) 3-4 tablespoons of butter or olive oil 3/4-1 pound or sliced rib eye (you can use thin sliced round, sirloin or strip) 2 cloves of garlic minced kosher salt fresh cracked pepper 1/2 teaspoon onion powder 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/4- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 1 tablespoon oyster sauce (optional but flavorful)
When slicing the vegetables watch out for little girls who love raw onions (ewww) and she tried the mushrooms, just two pieces. She loves cooked peppers, not raw.
Prep the vegetables...
Slice the meat and mince the garlic. I seasoned the meat with the dry spices. Set them aside while you make the cheese sauce.
Melt the butter in a sauce pan on medium heat. Once the butter gets foamy add the garlic and let it cook until fragrant.
Sprinkle the flour into the pan and cook it until the flour no longer smells raw but nutty.
This is just a basic roux. Season with white pepper, and salt if you're adding salt.
Add about 1/2 cup milk. Whisk so there are no lumps of flour.
Whisk in the cream cheese until melted. Add remaining milk.
Whisk in shredded cheese a little at a time making sure it is incorporated and melted after each addition. If the sauce is too thick add a little milk.
You want to take this sauce to the point where it's a bit on the thin side because as it sits it will thicken some more. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.
In a frying pan add 1 tablespoon of butter or olive oil. Cook half of the minced garlic until fragrant.
Add the vegetables, season with salt and pepper and cook until tender or crisp/tender.
Set the cooked vegetables aside. Cover to keep warm.
In the same pan heat the remaining butter/oil and cook the garlic until fragrant. Make sure the pan is hot. Add the beef and cook, season with Worcestershire and oyster sauce.
To assemble, place meat and vegetables a steak roll and cover with cheese.
