Holidays: Will They Be A Time of Joy - or Of Tragedy? 98

What do you want out of life? What do most people want out of life? Some kind of happiness --- whether that means finding the love of their life; having small attainable goals, or doing something meaningful in society - like working with the hungry and poor.

Throughout life there are a lessons learned and embedded into our psyche; Ones that leave a lasting impression and that shape us as individuals , dictating choices we make for the future.

These impressions come from a variety of sources - the neighborhood we lived in; people in our lives - from our parents, friends or teachers - to that stranger on a street corner. Each memory is a misshapen piece that indelibly will coincide and be interwoven with other pieces to complete the complex puzzle, of the self, in each of us.

Yet it isn't just impressions that shape us - it is more primal than that. Our makeup is derived by genes who are manipulated and tousled, surviving generations after generation. Where do these genes come from? From our descendants - passed down from our families.

For allot of us, even in the most dysfunctional of circumstances - family means allot. Having a need for family to gather around us in celebration is a need that is echoed across cities, states --- for that matter across the globe.

But it can be those same joyous occasions with the right conditions that can trigger a deadly domino effect. When you have a family, their safety is important. When tragedy strikes it can rock your world. No one wants to be affected by an intoxicated driver. Yet everyday in the United States 36 people die and 700 people are injured from alcohol related crashes¹. Those statistics are sobering.

I have first hand experience of a loved one being injured by a drunk driver - It doesn't matter the extent of injuries or there severity. Once an unknowing car is struck - whether broadsided, T-boned ,clipped or Rear-ended ---their lives and their families lives are changed forever.

The scary thing about alcohol is that teen drivers are the most vulnerable. Teens push the envelope when it comes to vehicle safety, there is a tendency to underestimate and not recognize dangerous situations⁴. When any alcohol is involved , teens risk of crash /fatalities is far greater than any older age groups². In 2005, 3 out of 4 teens who were killed in alcohol related crashes were not wearing their seatbelt³ . In 2005, male drivers aged 15-20 yrs old who were involved in fatal crashes %38 had been speeding and %24 had been drinking⁵,⁶.

Because of the importance of educating our teens, MADD - a non-profit organization aimed at giving needed support to DUI victims and preventing underage drinking, has stepped up to the plate this season, conveniently as this December is National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month to unveil their campaign entitled: The Power of Parents.

Did you know - %74 of teens turn to the parents for guidance on drinking? The Power of Parents campaign aims to give parents of teens tools, and access to resources which can help empower them when talking to teens about underage drinking.

You will find on The Power of Parents site: Expertly written videos, guides and pamphlets available via download. There is also "Ask an expert" section for all your questions, plus an online community where you can network with other parents and share experiences.

Right now as of the recent launch, there is a section specifically for parents of highschool aged teens. But check back soon because there are several sections planned for: Elementary parents , Middle School parents, and College parents.

The site is very user friendly and you can also participate in the conversation via Twitter: @maddparents, or Facebook: Power of Parents Fan Page .


If you have time, I have 2 pamphlets in pdf format, available for download from The Power of Parents campaign.

Download Page


Links for More Information:

CDC:

• Impaired Driving Fact Sheet


• Teen Driver Fact Sheet


• December: National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month


• Teen Driver Resources

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

• Traffic Safety Facts


• Teen Drivers Resources

MADD

• Underage Drinking Statistics


• Drunk Driving Statistics


• MADD Blog


• Highschool Safety Quiz


• Support 21 Survey

The words and opinions expressed here are my own. The facts and statistics all have sources (see below). I wrote this post while participating in a blog campaign (about the launch of The Power of Parents site) by Mom Central on behalf of MADD. A donation was made to MADD in my name to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Hopefully the statistics, and links I provided will help educate you, your family or friends. Be safe this holiday season!

Sources:
¹ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; National Center for Injury Prevention and Control
² Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Fatality facts: teenagers 2005. Arlington (VA): The Institute; 2006 [cited 2006 Dec 1].
³ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance—United States, 2005 [Online]. (2006b). National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (producer). Available from: URL: http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/yrbss/CategoryQuestions.asp?cat=1&desc=Unintentional.* [Cited 2006 Nov 28]
⁴ Jonah BA, Dawson NE. Youth and risk: age differences in risky driving, risk perception, and risk utility. Alcohol, Drugs and Driving 1987;3:13–29.
⁵ National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Dept. of Transportation (US). Traffic safety facts 2005: speeding. Washington (DC): NHTSA; 2006a [cited 2008 March 28]. Available from: URL: http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/pdf/nrd-30/NCSA/TSF2005/SpeedingTSF05.pdf.
⁶ National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Dept. of Transportation (US). Traffic safety facts 2005: young drivers. Washington (DC): NHTSA; 2006b [cited 2008 March 28]. Available from: URL: http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.govf.

Love Your Veggies Mom? Chef Art Smith Wants to Know! 13

Art Smith is a twice named James Beard Award winner, Executive Chef, co-owner of Table Fifty-Two restaurant based in Chicago, Ill. - an establishment dedicated to serving and highlighting seasonal organic, farm raised produce. His latest restaurant endeavor , opened in October 2008, hails from Washington D.C, Art and Soul, which lends a southern twist from his roots:

Art and Soul offers guests a chic setting in which to meet and connect, while enjoying “food for the soul” – food made with love and special attention. With celebrated two-time James Beard-Award winning Chef Art Smith as chef/owner and Culinary Institute of America-trained local Ryan Morgan as executive chef, this 221-seat dining destination serves up fresh and modern regional cuisine with southern accents.

Named for its nationally renowned chef and the genuine welcoming feeling guests experience when they walk through the doors, the cuisine will be presented with southern-style hospitality. - Art & Soul website

Chef Smith truly encompasses what most people
envision as a successful chef, with hosts of celebrity
clients, including Oprah, who he served as personal
chef 10 years, and still heads her special events;
Smith also served as a former special events chef
for Martha Stewart Living. Television appear-
ances on popular shows like Iron Chef America,
The Today Show and Oprah.

Among his literary accomplishments - Chef
Smith is contributing editor to O, The Oprah
Magazine, And author of three award-winning
cookbooks: Back to the Table; Kitchen Life Real
Food For Real Families ; and Back to the Family .

Art Smith is a true philanthropist, spreading the
wealth of not only funds to disadvantaged children,
but knowledge about food and helping them find
the joy within their selves and those around them.
His labor of love Common Threads started in
2003 and continues to touch children in Chicago.
In the spirit of his philanthropy, Chef Smith has partnered
with the makers of Hidden Valley® Salad Dressings to find
moms who are true vegetable advocates through the Love
Your Veggies™ Search for Veggie Champions Contest. For 10 lucky moms whose essays are selected, Chef Smith will lead a two-day all expense paid retreat ,aimed at learning and sharing tips and tools on planting, harvesting, cooking and eating vegetables with children. These moms will also receive $5,000 to start or maintain a community vegetable garden in their hometown. Follow this link for complete prize winnings : whole prize package.


What an awesome way to spend 2 days - a retreat with a celebrity chef who wants to share his passion for organic produce and encouraging children to enjoy them too! This is a great opportunity for your community - $5,000 in seed money to create a sustainable source of food for your neighbors, what a great way to offset the rising food costs and strengthen the bond you share with both people & the garden.




When you visit http://www.loveyourveggies.com, not only can you enter the contest for a chance to win by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time January 15, 2009, but you can also check out kid tested recipes from Chef Smith, and activities to do with children.

Sassy Sunflower Pops Cookies - Healthy & Fun 25

Baking with kids can sometimes be challenging. Creating something while keeping kids occupied or interested is no simple feat. Creating a healthier cookies is on not only on parents minds but also on the minds of many health conscience individuals. I would like to introduce you to a great website with some really fun recipes. Sure to please any kid, even that inner child of yours.

...this will
tempt anyone



with visions
of healthy
lovely treats
to decorate &
devour

I was so excited to be picked for
blogging about the Snackivate website.
It came with perks from Kellogg's company -
namely 2 full size boxes of Kellogg's
Frosted Mini Wheats used to experiment
with the recipes on the site, and a cool
little plastic gadget that you put into
the freezer (the cup has gel within the
walls of the cup,to insulate the milk and
to keep it cool),which once frozen will
hold your milk,while the top (it screws
into the bottom) holds your favorite cereal.
This is a nice little gadget for mom's or
dad's toting kids around. Or even college ,
students or teenagers on the go, in be-
ween classes, who haven't the time to
grab a decent breakfast (I think we've
all been there).

The Snacktivate website is a place for anyone looking for health conscience lot's of downloadable recipes, ranging from all different meals of the day to sweet treats, some samples are pictured above, that would be fun to make with children. There are nutrition tips and more for parents, relatives and teachers. Below is one of the featured recipes from Snackivate website.

Recipe: Sassy Sun Pops
I have added some notes on making this Veg/Vegan friendly. You will need to experiment with different ingredients to find the best formulation for Veg/Vegan style cookies using this recipe.

Prep time: 10 min.
Bake time: 12-14 min.
Servings: 33

These cookies are baked at 350 °F for 12 - 14 min.
Materials Needed:Candy sticks, that are oven proof (you can find at your favorite craft store, i.e Micheal's)
Almonds
Flaxseed
Cookie Sheet
Cookie Ingredients:

• 2 cups (AP) flour
• 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1/4 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 1 cup butter or margarine (soft) (supplement Earth's Balance stick for vegan cookies)
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs (if going veg/vegan there are many egg replacers out there, you may want to experiment with what works best in cookies for you - consider the extra dry ingredients by way of the cereal and try opting for something with more moisture content)
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla
• 60 frosted bite sized mini-wheats OR 60 un-frosted mini-wheats (unfrosted is the best vegan alternative due to the gelatin in the frosting) , crushed (pulse in a food processor, or put into a zip lock bag and beat w/ rolling pin)

Procedure:

1. Stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
2. In large mixing bowl, add peanut butter, Gran. Sugar, Brown sugar and mix on medium-high w/ electric mixer. Beat until light and fluffy.
3. Add eggs & vanilla. Beat well
4. Beat in crushed cereal and flour mixture. Mix until just incorporated.
5. Drop by spoonful onto a cookie sheet . While pressing down, use back of fork to make across hatch into cookie dough.
6. Add oven proof cookie sticks by pressing stick into one side of the dough of each cookie.
7. TO create sunflower: press flax seeds into the center of each cookie dough round. Press raw whole almonds into the outer edges of each round to form the petals of the sunflower design.
8. Bake at 350 °F for 12- 14 min. or until golden brown, remove baked cookies with spatula from cookie sheets immediately and let cookies cool on wire wracks.

This recipe is adapted from Crunchy Peanut Butter Cookies a recipe © of Kellogg's NA Co. 2008. All Rights Reserved.


Hope you can recreate the fun time I had creating these with my 5 yr old daughter. It was a blast. She loved adding the spoons of dough to the cookie sheets and making the "sunflower" designs. Enjoy!

Parents: 5 Tips for having a Safe and Enjoyable Summer 4

When you are a child, the summers seems to be an mystical time that taunts you throughout the school days, tempting your thoughts with daydreams of water ponds and Popsicles, and with so much daydreaming comes the literal jump for joy that school is done. The thought that a whole summer of possibilities remains waiting around the corner - all for you!

In time school days turn to responsibilities, and you grow into an adult - but there is still something amazing about summer, that makes you believe once again there is a sun filled fun town that may invigorate your hum-drum routine...

Eventually you have a family of your own, and your little ones watch the changing seasons and with eyes of wonder they too are alive with the joys of summer...

But with summer comes allot of responsibility - to keep you and your family safe from the sweltering heat, and UV rays.

Jamie A. Freishtat, M.D and Rachel L. Schreiber, M.D., FAAAAI, are two Doctors who are also parents and together they make up Mommy Docs - a website that provides pediatric info for moms and their colleagues.

Here are 5 tips they recommend for parents to make summer more fun an less about worry...

1. Have a Sun Protection Strategy: The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends sunscreen with a minimum Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 15. Look for products that provide "broad spectrum" coverage to protect against both UVA and UVB rays. Use this sunscreen routine with your child--daily application 30 minutes before going outside and reapplication every 2 hours (or sooner if swimming, toweling off, or sweating). Creating a routine will establish good habits for the future. In addition, don't forget a wide brim hat, sunglasses with 99-100% UVA/UVB protection, and sun protective clothing.
2. Keep Pests off Your Little One: In the summer, many insects can bite or sting your child. For pesky mosquitoes and ticks, consider a DEET containing insect repellent. Apply sparingly to exposed skin (avoid backs of hands and around the eyes and mouth) and/or to clothing once a day. As the percentage of DEET goes up, the duration of action increases. To prevent unnecessary exposure, always use the lowest percentage that will last for the planned length of time spent outdoors. Never go above 30% or use on children under 2 months old.
3. Keep the Pool Cool and Clean: Small yard pools provide a great way for kids to have fun and cool down when the temperature rises, but they can also harbor germs, such as bacteria. To keep the pool free from unwanted "swimmers," after each use disinfect it with bleach by cleaning with a solution of ¾ cup regular bleach to one gallon of water, then rinse well and dry thoroughly. Safety must: Always supervise children regardless of age when they are around any water; whether it's a bucket, a small backyard plastic pool, or the local community pool.
4. High Heat Means Hydrate: Excessive heat exposure may cause your child to experience a heat-related illness such as heat cramps, heat exhaustion, or even heat stroke. How to prevent this: take breaks in the shade, avoid playing outside during peak sun exposure hours, and drink, drink, drink! Make sure your child is taking in plenty of fluids before he become thirsty.
5. Rid Rashes and Relieve Itchies: Running through the yard in bare feet, taking a nature walk on a trail, and picnicking in the park are some of the joys of warmer weather. But all of this outdoor activity can expose your child to a host of plants including those which cause poison ivy, poison oak or poison sumac. If an allergic reaction occurs, ask the pediatrician about an oral antihistamine and/or a topical skin care product such as a steroid cream or calamine. If the rash is extensive, looks infected, or is not getting better, call your doctor right away