It's a Matter of a Fun and Healthy Halloween Dinner....

Yes, the day is finally here!  Little ghosts and goblins are excitedly anticipating the candy haul of the year!  Caring parents want to keep a balance between sugar, excitement, and spooky characters!  

So, how about sending our family off right with a Halloween inspired dinner before they go door knocking tonight?  Many of these items came from my Pantry and my refrigerator.  You may be surprised about how many of these items you actually have on hand!

Halloween entrees from your Pantry and Fridge!

I used Garbanzo beans and Tahini from my Pantry to make some delicious hummus!  I had a particularly dark colored Tahini, so it made things look particularly haunting!

Next I put grapes on scewers.  Then I added mini chocolate chips as eyes (using cream cheese as the 'glue').  These became delicious caterpillars!

Using some of the hummus I put dollops on grape tomatoes or small cucumber slices topped with olive slices to make...

A Spooky-eyed Salad!

Instead of traditional breadsticks, cut the ends and shape the bread into bones! They sure tasted great with Pumpkin Soup that I made from my canned Pumpkin chunks!

What is Halloween without some spooky ghosts!  I put Rooster Senior in charge of making these.  He was asked to cut the bananas in half and use mini chips for the eyes and a big chip (pushed in backwards) for the mouth.  Let's just say we got some free form ghosts.  I also put some mini-chocolate chips on the plate for people to dip their ghosts in if they wished.  (See the cute caterpillars above?)

I added peeled Clementines and inserted a piece of celery as the stem. The hummus above has 'witches fingers' (made from celery sticks and an almond fingernail tacked on with a bit of hummus) sticking out from the bowl of Hummus.  Fun, easy, and healthy!

Fill up your Trick-or-Treaters on this delicious, quick and healthy meal before they head out of your Front door!

Have happy and Safe Halloween!

It's A Matter of the South Carolina Flooding Relief Efforts.

How would you react to your street filling up with water....very quickly.

Would you know what to do as the flood waters moved closer to your front door?

Would you be thinking of how you are going to get to work as damns and bridges begin to give way?

What would your thoughts be to see the road you took your children to school on after it had become a river?

These, and a lot of other questions are being addressed in the wake of the flooding in the Columbia South Carolina Area.   Literally dozens of roads have been washed away or closed, many damns have been breached, and the mighty flood gates of the Lake Murray Damn have been opened to attempt to manage the inundated low country.  

In the early part of October, torrential rains fell quickly.  People found that they had to move quickly to either protect their homes, or evacuate.  Many lost homes, some lost their livelihood.  So what did the good people of South Carolina do?  They jumped in and began to work.

Volunteers began to gather needed items for those who had been displaced.

A command center was placed in one of the effected neighborhoods.

Volunteers from several denominations and businesses began to arrive. Initially they were from the local area, but within days people from other states began to arrive to assist in the clean up.

The Media came and went.

But the volunteers kept coming, the supplies keep coming, and the folks keep moving forward. There is no rioting or angry protests.  Instead, there is calm, gracious service.  There is care and concern and willingness to help at a moments notice.

A friend and resident of the area wrote a very beautiful summary of how things currently are.  My thanks to Janie S for her eloquence:

News From the Flood Front

Well, all the national media have taken their super star announcers and their bright lights and cameras and gone home. Moving on to the next story. And here in South Carolina, we carry on, with neighbors helping neighbors. Here’s what’s going on in my part of the world: 

Everywhere you see work trucks and workmen from all over the southeast, fixing our roads and bridges, keeping us from traveling on unsafe travel routes. Me, when stopped yet again by another new roadblock: “If this road is closed, can I go that way?” Answer: “Ma’am, I don’t know. I’m from Tennessee.” 

I drive through previously beautiful , prosperous neighborhoods, and see houses cleaned out to the studs, daylight visible from one side through to the others. And the owners precious belongs (pictures, rocking chairs, books, china cabinets) all piled on the side of the road in a huge, broken mass as giant trucks with huge claws scrape up the debris, crush it and dump it into the waiting maw of the truck. 

I’ve volunteered in a neighborhood disaster relief center, set up on a street corner by a lawyer who felt she needed to do something. It has grown into a vital hub of the relief effort, staffed by volunteers from all walks of life, serviced with meals from all sorts of organizations, and offering food, clothing, cleaning supplies and tools to whoever needs them. 

I spent the afternoon today in a small trailer in Eastover SC, packing up the entire insides of this home. FEMA said the entire floor and duct work had to be ripped out and replaced because the water had lapped the bottom of the trailer and mold was starting to grow. Mold is the enemy here in SC. And other friends will be there tomorrow to do the ripping out. 

Over 400 roads and more than 150 bridges were washed out during the 20+ inches of rain in two days. Interstates were closed, dams failed, homes and businesses were washed away or flooded to the roof, and 19 people lost their lives. Lost lives can never be replaced. About half of the roads and bridges have been repaired, with a target date of after Thanksgiving for the majority remaining. There are detours everywhere, and it takes twice as long to get anywhere. Rush hour traffic is a nightmare. 

School in Richland One is on a one-hour delay for the foreseeable future, as it takes so long for the buses to navigate the winding, circuitous routes they must now take, avoiding closed roads. 

The boil water advisory has finally been lifted. The dam above the canal that supplied water to most of Columbia was breached, and it took almost two weeks to repair it. Some wells in outlying areas are still compromised. 

And so much, much more that I have not mentioned – the churches, the civic groups, the individuals, the companies – all just pitching in and working together, with no thought of recognition or reward. 

Everyone is helping everyone. I really have not heard much complaining. We are just getting through this. No looting to speak of, no anti-government tirades. Just facing forward, looking for that tired, weary, “I don’t know what to do now” face in the crowd and offering a helping hand in whatever way is needed. “And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” Matthew 12:40

South Carolina knows how to serve their neighbor.  It is our tremendous opportunity to observe, learn and apply their powerful lesson.  Please take note....class is in session.

(For the next few posts, I will share with you the things that are going 'right' in this Flood Relief effort.  I hope you will share the ride with me.  I am so thankful to these good folks for letting me observe and see their goodness in the face of great trial).

Words of Wisdom from the Sunday Sessions of the October 2015 General Conference

Yesterday was awesome and today did not disappoint.  Here are my favorite quotes from the Sunday sessions:

Words of Wisdom from the Saturday Sessions of the October 2015 General Conference

As a Member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I look forward to the Semi-Annual General Conference.  I appreciate the opportunity to hear from the Prophet and Apostles who have been called to lead and guide.  I wanted to share some of the nuggets that I have gleaned so far today....

So much to learn....so little time! General Conference is open to all.  

We invite you to come listen to a Prophet's voice by following this link. 

5 Things New Moms Can Do to Prepare for Disasters from Preparedness Momma. Another post from the 30 days of Preparedness

As stated before, September is National Preparedness Month.  The Prepared Bloggers are sharing vital information with all of us.  Here is another post from a talented blogger that any Mother, or parent for that matter, could benefit from.  I encourage you to read this and think about your current situation.

I lived through a Category 5 Hurricane with 4 children.  I can tell you that you are either ready in the moment or you are not....and there is nothing you can really do about it.  Your children need calm and comfort during any stressful situation whether it be a natural disaster or man made such as a layoffs, illness or the like.

Best wishes to you as you make your efforts to be prepared.  Please read this post and other vital information from PreparednessMama.

5 Things New Moms Can Do to Prepare for Disasters

 

As an adult you have the right to make choices for yourself. That means you can even bury your head in the sand and pretend that disasters will not affect you personally. Once you become a parent things change. Now you have a little bundle of joy to look out for. All of a sudden those disasters you’ve been ignoring seem real – and more likely to occur.

Let me assure you, the first step to overcoming overwhelm is preparedness. New moms prepare for disasters long before they happen. When the disaster strikes (and it surely will), these 5 tips will help you have confidence with an infant in a disaster.

This post is part of the National Preparedness Month Challenge. Be sure and check out the links below. #30DaysofPrep

Be Aware.

It’s that simple. I know I say this a lot, but you can’t prepare for a disaster if you don’t know what you’re facing.  You have got to understand how the chemicals in the industrial park half a mile away will affect your family if there is a fire in the warehouse. You need to know if there are any hazardous materials being transported on the train that passes through town, and you need to know if you live in hurricane, earthquake, or wildfire country. See 9 Steps to Finding Your Local Disasters for a checklist to use.

Make a Plan.

I don’t know about you, but for me planning brings calm into my life. While it may not be possible to plan for every disaster, you sure can get a good jump on it. Winging it is not an emergency plan!

Your plan for surviving a disaster with an infant will include these strategies:

• // An emergency kit for everyone in the house. Including the baby (see below)
• // A communication plan so you can check in with loved ones during and after a disaster.
• // An evacuation plan from your home. Where will you meet if there is a fire? Talk about who will get baby if there’s a fire and include that in your fire escape plan.
• // Plans for meeting up with your family if you are separated when the disaster hits. What will you do if the older kids are at school, your husband is at work, you are out shopping and there is an earthquake or tornado? Who gets baby from daycare or who’s coming to help you?
• // Share your plans with everyone; helper, spouse, grandparents, daycare and school. Each needs to be in the loop and have a printed copy along with out of state contact information.

Family Communication Plan | PreparednessMama

Find a disaster buddy.

You need someone who can help you evacuate, especially if you have other small children. Look for someone close by that can stay with you for moral and emotional support after a disaster. Neighbor or close by family? It’s great to think hubby will be there, but if he’s at work, that could be difficult for him to do. Form your alliances now!

Make a plan links for Ready.gov and Red Cross

Make a simple emergency kit for your infant.

Dont be afraid to start small. Even this small kit will give you one up in an emergency. The minimum that you decide to pack will depend on your climate and personal preference, but consider these ideas:

• // Disposable Diapers – enough for 5 days, just to be safe
• // Baby wipes
• // 96 ounces of bottled water and powdered formula
• // OR ready made formula
• // Bottles and nipples
• // Extra change of clothing
• // Emergency blanket
• // Receiving blanket
• // Baby carrier so you can be hands free
• // Pacifier

If you are breastfeeding, make sure you have enough water to be properly hydrated. You also need to have extra protein in your personal emergency kit. Consider almonds or other good for you protein bars. You will have covered the basic necessities with this minimalist kit – food, water, cleanliness, and warmth. All these items can be stored in your own emergency kit until you are ready to put together a bigger kit.

Remember to rotate this infant kit more frequently than a regular kit. Babies grow fast and the clothing you packed today will be outgrown in a few months.

Infant 72-hour kit | PreparednessMama

Take Baby Steps on the rest.

I’m a big proponent of putting your kits together frugally. The other items listed in the infant 72-hour kit post are good to have and will certainly make surviving a disaster with a baby easier. These should be added as you have the time, energy, and budget. You may want to add them gradually to your own kit or make another one just for baby.

Remember you only have two arms, so plan now for how you will carry baby, your kit and the infant kit. Maybe a roller suitcase is a good fit?

Join the conversation with other moms and don’t miss #Prep4Moms!

September is National Preparedness Month and I’m participating in the #Prep4Moms twitter chat that is scheduled for September 3rd from 1-2pm Eastern Time. It’s sponsored by PHE.gov*. I hope you’ll join us and find some other ways that new moms can prepare for disasters.

The topics we’ll be discussing include:

• How can I keep my baby and I safe and healthy during a disaster?
• How do I know if something is wrong while pregnant and I need a doctor? What risks increase during a disaster?
• How can I plan to feed my baby safely during a disaster? Does breastfeeding make a difference?
• How can I best plan to cope with a chronic condition, pregnancy complications or the special needs of my child in a disaster?
• Disasters can be particularly stressful for pregnant women and new moms. How can they cope?

Please come and share your ideas to help moms prepare for a disaster with infants. If you find this post after the event is finished, I will post a link to the ideas we discussed here.

*PHE.gov  provides information on public health emergency preparedness, response & recovery.