Parent's Time Out

Parent's Time Out
December 7, 2001

Time Out for the Week	What's for Dinner?
Just for You	Site of the Week

This weekly feature of the Online Exchange is committed to helping parents take back quality time and devote it more fully to spending it with their children. Here is where you can start to take a Time Out from the TV, computer, housework, and bills. It only takes a few minutes to do fun and memorable things with your children and we will lend a hand each week to get you started. Tune in here for encouragement, fun and easy things to do, and other tidbits, all geared just for you and your precious ones.

~ Time Out for the Week

Black & White Cookies

I am so happy to find this recipe on the internet! Try 'em, you'll love 'em!

What you need:

1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
4 large eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon lemon extract
2 1/2 cups cake flour
21/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder

Frosting

4 cups confectioners' sugar
1/3 to 1/2 cup boiling water
a teaspoon of oil ( not olive oil)
1 ounce bittersweet chocolate

What you do:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter 2 baking sheets and set aside.
Make the cookies: In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar and butter and mix by machine or hand until fluffy. Add the eggs, milk, and vanilla and lemon extracts and mix until smooth.
In a medium bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, and salt and stir until mixed. Add the dry ingredients to the wet in batches, stirring well to combine. using a soup spoon, drop spoonfuls of the dough 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake until the edges begin to brown, 20 to 30 minutes. Allow to cool completely.
Make the frosting: Place the confectioners' sugar in a large bowl. Gradually add enough of the boiling water to the sugar, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick and spreadable. Add oil.
Remove half of the frosting to the top half of a double boiler set over simmering water and add the chocolate. Warm the mixture, stirring, until the chocolate is melted and the frosting is smooth. Remove from the heat. With a brush, coat half the cookie with chocolate frosting and the other half with white frosting. Makes 2 dozen cookies.

~ What's for Dinner?

Believe It or Not Pork Chops

These three common ingredients seem like an unlikely trio, but they bake into a delicious main dish.

2 tablespoons oil
6 to 8 pork chops
1 cup ketchup
1 cup Coke (not diet)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Heat oil in a heavy skillet. Brown pork chops and place in a baking dish.
Mix ketchup and Coke together and pour over chops. Cover baking dish and bake for 45 minutes, until chops are tender.
Yield: 6 - 8 servings.

~ Just for You

Childhood Doesn't Wait

I was sitting on a bench
while in a nearby mall,
When I noticed a young mother
with two children who were small.

The youngest one was whining,
"Pick me up," I heard him beg
but the mother's face grew angry
as the child clung to her leg.

"Don't hang on to me," she shouted
as she pushed his hands away,
I wish I'd had the courage
to go up to her and say...

"The time will come too quickly
when those little arms that tug,
Won't ask for you to hold them
or won't freely give a hug.

"The day will sneak up subtly
just as it did with me,
When you can't recall the last time
that your child sat on your knee.

"Like those sacred, pre-dawn feedings
when we cherished time alone

Our babies grow and leave behind
those special times we've known.

"So when your child comes to you
with a book that you can share,
Or asks that you would tuck him in
and help him say his prayer...

"When he comes to sit and chat
or would like to take a walk,
Before you answer that you can't
`cause there's no time to talk

"Remember what all parents learn
so many times too late,
That years go by too quickly
and that childhood doesn't wait.

"Take every opportunity,
if one should slip away
Reach hard to get it back again,
don't wait another day."

I watched that mother walk away
her children followed near,
I hope she'll pick them up
before her chances disappear

---Author Unknown---

~ Recommended Site of the Week

ExpressIt.com

Very useful site for you and your kids. Features:

Free Animated Greetings
A Photo Center to store, organize and share your photos in your personal photo album. Free storage and registration!
A Project Center with thousands of projects that can be customized and printed on your printer or professionally printed through our business center. Many of them are free.
An Art Center, where you make your greetings and creative projects shine with art. Many of them are free.

http://www.expressit.com

Thank you for joining us for this weeks Time Out! Now the rest is up to you. Take the time to do the things suggested, or think of your own ways to spend precious time with your family. But most importantly, HAVE FUN!!

Be sure to tell your friends about us! Highlight the parts of the page you like the best and print it. Then keep a folder of ideas and recipes.

We would like to hear from you! If you have a favorite family site or craft, send it to us and we might share it with our readers. Or, just let us know what you think of our feature.
Contact Sara.

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Giving Credit were Credit is Due...
We search all over for great tips, ideas and recipes and don't want to forget to let you know where it all comes from. This week we would like to thank the following:
www.homeschoolzone.com www.busycooks.about.com
www.blueribbonbaby.com www.expressit.com