ARTICLE: Your children, your biggest reward!

As mothers, we cherish our children, the moments we spend together, their different milestones, their achievements. But, sometimes I wonder: do we actually realize the marvelous position we are in? Here we have one or two or more human beings, depending on us to grow up. From feeding them as babies, to helping them become all they can be, these children are giving us the opportunity to watch them thrive from up close. We are there when they reach their goals, we are there when they need a hug, we are there for advice. If you think about it, we never feel more needed in our lives than when our children call out that special: "Mom!" From the baby who needs a diaper change, the toddler who holds our hand for that big jump, the child who needs more help with that tough project to the teen who needs to have that talk, being a mother makes our whole life have a meaning. With the various stories we hear everyday on the news, such as the balloon boy fiasco, I am left but wondering: are mothers aware that life can´t get more rewarding than having that special child reach out for us to make us a part of their life?

DAILY RECIPE: Slow Cooker Sweet and Sour Pork Tenderloin

1 small pork tenderloin
1 cup barbecue sauce
2 oranges
Salt and pepper

Season pork. Place carefully in slow cooker. Add barbecue sauce and the juice from the two oranges. Cook overnight. Take pork out, place in a deep pan, slice and cover with remaining sauce. Serve with mashed potatoes.

TIP OF THE DAY

Keep classmates emails stored in your computer. Play dates, homework checks or team projects can be easily resolved.

DAILY RECIPE: Banana Mousse Dessert

1 can evaporated milk
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon Knox
1/4 cup water
1 banana


Place can of milk in the freezer for 30 minutes. Meanwhile blend banana. Set aside. Blend milk and sugar until double its original volume. Dissolve Knox in hot water and add. Add banana and fold everything together. Pour in cups and refrigerate.

TIP OF THE DAY

Chop 1/2 an onion and keep in an air tight container in the fridge. When in a hurry, it will be ready for cooking.

HALLOWEEN CRAFT: Beware signs!

Old carboard boxes

Colored paper

Glue

Hot glue

Long lawn sticks

Cut wide strips from the carboard boxes. Cover with colored paper. Cut out letters from paper and glue to the sign. Some ideas: BEWARE, DO NOT ENTER, ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK, TRICK OR TREAT, HAPPY HALLOWEEN, WATCH OUT FOR GHOSTS, BEWARE OF GOBLINS, etc. Hot glue a lawn stick to each sign and decorate your front yard for trick or treaters.

DAILY RECIPE: Easy tomato noodle soup

1 tomato

4 cups chicken broth

1 small bag noodles

salt

butter

Blend tomato with salt and 1 cup of the chicken stock. In a little butter sauteé noodles in a large pot. Add tomato mixture and mix until all noodles are coated well and liquid has evaporated a bit. Add remaining chicken broth and bring to a boil. Lower heat, and continue to cook until noodles are tender.

TIP OF THE DAY

When cleaning out your child´s bedroom, take 3 plastic bags with you. In one toss anything that´s trash, in another anything you no longer want and in the third one anything that belongs in another room of the house. When you´re done simply toss one out, donate the second and empty the third one placing any objects in their correct rooms.

DAILY RECIPE: Zuchinni Cream Soup

3 tbsp butter

1.5 tbsp flour

2 tbsp chopped onion

4 zuchinni

1 can evaporated milk

3 cups water

croutons

Sauteé flour and onion in butter. Blend zuchinni, evaporated milk and water. Add to flour and onion and mix well. Stir constantly until thick and bubbly. Check for salt and serve with croutons. Great for chilly weather.

TIP OF THE DAY

In a moment of free time, thread a couple of needles with white and black thread. Save in your dresser drawer. Whenever someone loses a button or rips a hem, you´ll be ready to repair.