When my children were young (around 8-10 years old) I would give them each a few dollars and let them go shopping for their own goodies at the Farmers market.
We usually set a few ground rules like they had to get at least enough of one item to share with every one else, and they had to ask questions when they made their purchases to find out something new about whatever they were buying, like suggestions for ways to prepare it or the best way to tell if it is ripe, how long will it keep in the fridge etc.
They enjoyed learning about the foods they eat, it made them feel important to share the things they had learned with their siblings, they seemed to be more willing to try new things if they got to make the decision about what it would be by themself. They usually got at least a few items that they could stash in one of the crisper drawers in a bag with their name on it for their own personal snacking.But also they got to where they got a big kick out of planning surprise dishes to try out on their Dad and Me!
They learned quickly that if they pooled the money they could sometimes get better deals and before too long decided that it was more fun to get a whole bushel of something and put things up in the freezer to keep longer. They enjoyed reminicing in January about the strawberries we were eating, that baby sis had bargained for with her winsom ways from a usually gruff farmer that she made friends with!
My "babies" are 25, 26, 28 & 30 now but they still talk about how they learned the best way to pick out corn on the cob or which melon is going to be the sweetest. We often had a garden in the yard when they were growing up but never had enough room to grow everything we wanted to, so they learned just how useful the Farmers Markets always are.
Each of their sugnificant others has mentioned to me at one time or other that they are so impressed with my kids knowledge of cooking, gardening, bargain shopping or the like. I always have to say they didn't learn it from me, I just tried to teach them how to go about finding the answers for their questions, even when sometimes they didn't know they had a question! I'm a strong believer in the notion that every experience in life is a learning opportunity and I always try to get the most out of every opportunity that I possibly can. If my kids learned that then I feel they learned a lot! ... View related article.
When my son was in 9th grade they had a spring dance that had a beach theme. One of the mom's brought in a bunch of her own houseplants (Caladiums, a rubber tree and several different kinds of palms) We arranged these in one corner of the room on a fairly large tarp.(This will help when it comes time to clean up!) We left a little room behind it so we could place a small kiddie pool with about 2" of water in it. On either side if the pool we placed an old milk crate, on one we put a small fan pointed at the surface of the water. On the other crate we placed one of those old fashioned light wheels they used to use for aluminum christmas trees, also pointed down at the water. In front of the plants, to help camoflage all this stuff, we got a couple of yards of burlap, in a sandy beige color and drapped it around the pots to sort of resemble a sand dune. Then just to finish it off we emptied about 5 or 6 bags of play sand over the edges of the burlap and out a little way, making our own little beach! You can usually find a lot of things like sea shells, little fishermans nets, bucket & shovel sets to embellish your beach, at places like Hobby Lobby, Michael's, even sometimes at Walmart, possibly even at the Dollar stores. The coolest thing is when the lights are lowered a bit and you turn on the "special effects" You get all these rippling, reflections on the walls and ceiling just like the ocean was just outside! It's wowed our kids to no end and ended up being the one part of the decor that every one wanted their picture taken with! Sometimes if you just ask, some stores will donate or at least reduce prices for you when you are buying things for these type of events. Also if you can't find one of the color wheel lights you could use one of those clamp-on spot lights, you just won't get all the pretty changing colors, still a cool effect though. We also used some of the other suggestions ,already given to decorate the rest of the room. I might add if you are having a band or DJ or simply a sound system you might want to set it up next to your beach to add to the beach party effect. ... View related article.
Have you thought about dyeing the leather to match your new finish? Clean it with saddle soap, make sure its dry, then rub on some shoe dye or even just a darker shade of an old fashioned paste type shoe polish might do it. Buff it really well with a soft cloth and it should look like a brand new piece! Good Luck and have fun with it! ... View related article.
Fennel is one of the main spices used when making Italian sausage, it gives it that distinctive sweet flavor associated with Italian Sausage. I would think if you added it to a simple sauce it would give it a more well rounded Italian flavor. I usually use Italian sausage in mine so I don't add extra fennel, but if you were using other meat or making a vegetarian sauce I think a little fennel would give a more authentic flavor. Just my opinion of course! ... View related article.
Try this website for Hancock Fabrics ( a fabric chain store here in the states)
www.hancockfabrics.com
If you register with their homepage then you can download free patterns and craft ideas. I think they may have what you are looking for, or at least something adaptable. Good luck! ... View related article.
I agree with checking out the Community College, they should have a test he can take that will help identify his true apptitudes and interests. My son took one of these when he was a senior in high school (actually at the Vocational school that is adjacent to his high school).Anyway the deduction from it was that he would probably work out best in an apprentice program rather than trying to go on to college. Of course at first he said they were nuts! He agreed he didn't think college was for him but got caught up in several deadend jobs that took him nowhere for a couple of years. Met a nice girl and got married, she was wise enough to convince him to take a few computer classes at the community school and he was hired by a telecomunications company 6 years ago and has been happy ever since. Just because people tell your son he should be a salesman doesn't mean thats the only way to go. Sometimes you need to "sell"an idea rather than a product. He could have an aptitude for counseling or teaching. Explore the options! ... View related article.
Love Your Kitchen!!!! You really did a good job, it looks very professional. Have you figured out already that the tines of the forks on your upper cabinets will hold a recipe card out of the way but in plain sight? Did you plan it that way or was that just one of those happy accidents? Either way ENJOY it, you deserve it!! ... View related article.
