November 2011 Northland Family

Got leftover Halloween candy?

Avoid the u this year

The perfect pumpkin pies

NOV. 3 , 2 0 1 1 LIBERTY T R I BU N E THE KE A R N E Y C O U R I E R THE SM I T H V I L L E H E R A L D GLADS TO N E D I S PAT C H

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You don’t have to eat it all at once The trick-or-treating is done for the year, but there’s probably still some Halloween candy around the house. If your family is going through a bit of sugar shock, Jill Cooper and Tawra Kellam of the Living On A Dime website offer these alternatives to immediate candy consumption.

Grated or chopped chocolate can be used in place of chocolate chips in cookies or stirred into cake mixes.

Cooper and Kellam also suggest adding bits of broken Butterfinger candy bars to peanut butter cookie dough.

If you don’t want to add candy to the batter or dough, consider using

it as a topping. Sprinkle chopped chocolates on a white or chocolate frosted cake, or use them to top ice cream and cheesecake. When making cupcakes, decorate the tops with one Hershey’s kiss or a mini candy bar.

It’s easier to cut candy into pieces if you freeze it first, Cooper and Kellam say, and most candy can be frozen for up to a year in your freezer.

You can also use leftover Halloween candy in Christmas baking and for making gingerbread houses.

And don’t forget to buy discounted Halloween candy for Christmas stockings and parties.

Most kids don’t care if their Christmas candy is orange and black or if it has silver and gold wrappers instead of red and green.

If you can’t wait until Christmas, leftover candy in a basket or pretty bowl can be a special gift for anyone for any occasion or none at all.

Candy keeps for quite a while, so go ahead and stockpile it for school parties, birthdays or a candy jar for when the grandkids visit.

One Living On A Dime reader uses leftover candy to make Advent calendars and shared this with Cooper and Kellam: “After the kids are done Halloweening, I grab 24 candies for each child (I have 4) to save for a countdown to Christmas instead of buying the calendars in the stores. I usually keep them in a bag but you can get the kids to decorate shoe boxes or stick the candy to a calendar with tape.”

For more tips and leftover candy recipes, visit www.LivingOnADime. com.

Leftover Halloween candy can last until Christmas

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Turning off TVs and monitors can be challenging Are you hassling the kids every night to do their homework when they want to spend too much time watching TV, playing video games or surfing the Internet?

“Health experts say screen time at home should be limited to two hours or less a day unless it’s work- or homework-related,” says Saralee Jamieson, University of Missouri Extension human development specialist.

“Research shows clearly that when children, teens and adults watch more than an hour or two of TV per day, they are more likely to make unhealthy food choices and be less physically active,” Jamieson said. “Students who watch more than one or two hours of TV per day are less interested in school activities and have lower academic scores.”

Limiting time in front of video and computer screens, including handheld devices, can be a

challenge for adults as well as children.

“Set a good example yourself by keeping your own recreational screen time to less than two hours per day,” she said.

Jamieson offers these tips for reducing screen time: • Take the TV out of bedrooms. “Yes, this may mean some family members may not get to watch what they want,” she said.

“This is a good way to learn about taking turns and negotiating.”

• Turn off the TV during meals and eat together as a family.

• Develop hobbies and other interests.

Get involved in your community, neighborhood, school or place of worship.

• Play games with your kids.

• Do yardwork as a family or tackle household projects together.

Screen time

— University of Missouri Extension

5 steps to college savings While your student’s hard work in the classroom is essential when applying for college, it’s also important to do your homework when it comes to paying for that education. Lule Demmissie, managing director of Investment Products and Retirement at TD Ameritrade, suggests these five steps for developing your college savings plan.

Start early — Getting an early start will allow your money to work for you before the first tuition bill comes.

Set goals — Determine how much money you would like to have saved by the time your student enters college.

Select your education savings vehicle — TD Ameritrade’s website allows you to compare the features of long-term educational savings plans, such as a 529 College Savings Plan, a custodial account or a Coverdell Education Savings Account. Find out more about MOST, Missouri’s 529 plan, online at www.missourimost.com.

Monitor your progress — By regularly checking on your savings progress, you can measure whether you are on track to meet your goals.

Consider asking for help — Enlisting a financial adviser to assist you with building a plan for investing and paying for college is one way to get help pursuing your goals.

— ARAcontent

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The Accidental Parent Children make more than two in a marriage

By Betsy Lee

e

Even though I can’t begin to sneak

a snack anymore, I still thought I could keep some things from my

3-year-old son.

I suppose that’s why I didn’t quite get it when he suddenly insisted that my husband hug and kiss me before he left for work.

Or why every hug bestowed upon him required another one for my husband.

It was a giant two-by-four that wiffed right over my head.

See, my husband and I had been going through a “rough patch.” (Don’t lie, even the best marriages have them.) We love each other deeply and weren’t really worried about the tension in our house. We knew we’d get through it.

We hadn’t noticed, but our lack of communication also resulted in a lack of physical affection between us. It scared our son. Of course, he didn’t know what he was afraid of. He knows nothing of divorce. But he just didn’t feel safe anymore.

It’s easy to think of marriage as a two-person relationship. But the truth is, when you have children, you invite them in. They become part of your marriage — the good, the bad and the ugly.

The U.S. Administration for Children and Families agrees. In fact, its research shows that children raised in healthy — with the emphasis on the word healthy — marriages are physically healthier and do better in school, and they are less likely to commit suicide, abuse drugs or get pregnant as a teenager. These children even tend to have better relationships with their parents and, much later, their own spouses.

This research should be a wake-up call. To all of us. Married or not. (More than 30 percent of kids are growing up in a household without married parents.) And to even those in “healthy” relationships.

Beyond teaching the ABCs and minding their pleases and thank-yous, we are modeling how to be in a relationship. A parent’s relationships are the only ones children see up close. They will never be intimately involved in another romantic

relationship until they begin to have their own.

If you treat your wife like she’s an idiot, don’t be surprised if your son treats his girlfriend the same way.

Yell at your boyfriend? Your daughter will yell at hers.

Disappear when there is conflict?

Your kids will learn to run.

Perhaps contrary to popular wisdom, all of this information and our recent experience will actually mean increased transparency for my family.

We realize that Stepford-like relationships, with all their wine and romance, don’t really exist. No one is happy with their significant other all of the time.

Why would we begin to teach that?

So our children will be saddened when the rush of romance fades and normalcy, with its highs and lows, sets in?

Instead, we’re going to stop foolishly believing that our kids don’t pick up on our sarcastic comments, harsh tones or late-night arguments.

Instead, we’ll try to model healthy conflict resolution. And when we fail, we’ll explain. Even a 2-year-old can understand that sometimes we don’t talk nicely to each other, but we always try hard to do better next time.

Our hope is that our kids will learn how to manage conflict, how to apologize and how — really — to be married.

What are you teaching your children?

Betsy Lee is a Kansas City journalist and columnist who lives in a perpetually messy house with her husband, three children and two pets. She can be reached at contactbetsylee@gmail.com.

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’Tis the season to be sick Vaccination keeps flu at bay

By Jennifer Higgins Flu season is here, and there are simple, everyday actions you can take to help you and your family stay healthy. Wash your hands frequently with soap and water, cover your nose and mouth with a tissue or your sleeve when you sneeze, and avoid contact with those who are sick. But the most important thing you can do to prevent the flu is get vaccinated each year, say health professionals.

“The flu is a highly contagious respiratory illness caused by the influenza virus,” Misty Trinidad, school nurse at Liberty North High School, said.

Jodee Fredrick at the Clay County Public Health Center explained why the flu vaccine is important.

“Flu may not seem to be as fearsome disease as some, however, it is closely associated with and shown both in mortality and morbidity reports with pneumonia,” Fredrick said.

The vaccine is recommended for everyone, but there are certain demographics that are more at risk than others.

“The flu shot is approved for all people older than 6 months old,” Trinidad said.

“Older adults, pregnant women, very young children and those with chronic medical conditions are among the category of people who are at high risk of experiencing a harder time.”

Ronna Sparks-Woodward’s son was born premature at 30 weeks and deals with ongoing health conditions, putting him in the chronic medical condition category.

“We chose to give Isaiah the flu vaccine because of his chronic lung disease,” Sparks-Woodward said. “Since the flu over the past few seasons has been more lung-

based, with Isaiah’s chronic lung disease, we were ‘strongly, strongly encouraged’ to give him the flu vaccine.”

According to Fredrick, now is the time to get the vaccine.

“It takes a while to build immunity,” she said. “Flu season generally begins in earnest when cold weather drives people inside, but there’s really no limit on when flu can strike.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that flu season peaks most often in February.

Dispelling myths

There are many rumors about side effects from the vaccine.

“The flu vaccine cannot cause the flu,” Trinidad said.” The viruses in the flu vaccine are either killed or weakened. However, it is important to remember that once you receive the flu vaccine, it may take 10 to 14 days for it to be completely effective in your body. So it is possible you may have come in contact with the flu virus before the flu vaccine takes effect.

She said serious problems from the flu vaccine are rare.

“The most common side effect is a sore arm,” Trinidad said.

Getting vaccinated

Many workplaces offer the vaccine for employees and families. Many pharmacies and health clinics offer it as well.

The Clay County Public Health Center offers the vaccine at $25 per shot.

“We carry thimersol-free vaccine for both children under 3 and for pregnant women (per MO statute), regular flu vaccine, high-dose vaccine for those over 65 and a new intradermal (under the skin) type of vaccine,” said Frederick.

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CVS pharmacist Shirley Scott offers five things you may not know about flu vaccinations.

5 things you may not know

1. Even if you were vaccinated last year or early in 2011, you still need to get a flu shot this year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that anyone ages 6 months or older should get a flu shot, including those who were vaccinated last season. The flu vaccine’s ability to help protect you declines from one year to the next. So even though the vaccine has the same ingredients as last season, you still need to get a flu shot.

4. You may be able to get a flu shot at no cost. Many insurance plans cover flu vaccinations. With the expansion of health care coverage under the Affordable Care Act, many preventive health care services, including the seasonal flu vaccine, are available to even more individuals at no cost than ever before. Most seniors are covered by Medicare Part B. Most retail pharmacies also offer direct medical billing to many national and regional health insurance plans.

2. You should get a flu shot as early as possible. It takes about two weeks for your body to develop full protection against flu symptoms. Seasonal flu can be unpredictable, and even healthy people can get seriously ill from the flu.

3. Flu vaccinations are easier than ever to obtain. A CDC report released in June 2011 shows that retail pharmacies are becoming an increasingly popular destination for flu vaccines.

Flu shots are available from immunizing pharmacists at more than 7,200 CVS/pharmacy stores and by nurse

practitioners and physician assistants at more than 500 MinuteClinic locations nationwide, as well as from other national pharmacy chains.

You vs. flu

5. There’s a new vaccine that offers seniors another choice to protect themselves against the flu. This year, Fluzone High-Dose, a new vaccine designed specifically for people 65 years and older, is available. This higher dose vaccine provides stronger protection to this age group, which is at greater risk of severe illness from the flu. Fluzone High-Dose is comprised of the same ingredients as the standard flu shot, but causes the body to produce more of the disease fighting substances that provide protection against the flu.

— ARAcontent

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Talkin’ turkey Gobble up this trivia About 45 million turkeys are sold and cooked for Thanksgiving meals every year in the United States. As families dig into that delicious meal, some may wonder more about the delicious bird before them.

Here are some known and lesserknown facts about Tom Turkey. ◆ The taste of turkeys has to do with their age. An older male is preferable to a younger male, because the young “tom” is stringy.

Conversely, younger female hens are preferred to older ones. ◆ A turkey less than 16 weeks old is called a fryer. An older turkey between 5 and 7 months of age is known as a roaster. ◆ Turkeys are a type of pheasant.

They are the only breed of poultry native to the Western Hemisphere. ◆ Wild turkeys are able to fly for short durations and up to 55 mph.

However, domesticated turkeys raised on farms for food are bred to be fat and meaty, which prevents their ability to get airborne. ◆ The turkey is no exception to other birds. Sometimes it likes to spend the night in trees. ◆ Benjamin Franklin was one per-

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son who argued vehemently on behalf of the turkey being the national symbol of America. However, as most know, the bald eagle won out. ◆ The first turkeys to domesticated were from Mexico and Central America. In Mexico, the turkey was a sacrificial bird. ◆ Male turkeys make the commonly known “gobble” sound, particularly during breeding seasons to attract a mate. Females, however, cluck. ◆ A mature turkey will have about 3,500 feathers. That’s a lot of plucking to do before the bird can be eaten. ◆ Minnesota and North Carolina produce the most turkeys for sale annually. ◆ The skin that hangs from a turkey’s neck is known as a wattle.

The fleshy growth on the base of the beak is known as the snood. ◆ Every year 90 percent of Americans enjoy a turkey dinner for Thanksgiving, compared to 50 percent on Christmas. ◆ America doesn’t consume the most turkey per capita; Israel does.

— Metro Creative

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A family of angels

By Kathy Crawford Sen. Roy Blunt designated a Northland couple as 2011 Angels in Adoption awardees for their contributions to children in need of homes.

Kevin and Amy Corlew, who have three adopted children, received the honor in October at an award ceremony and gala event in Washington, D.C. “It’s quite humbling,” said Amy, a medical research assistant. “What really special thing did we do to deserve this?”

What the Corlews did was open their house and hearts to three babies in need of a loving home, and through the experience have become advocates and promoters of adoption.

“We’ve been able to help others by providing advice, our story, an ear,” said Kevin, an attorney at Shook, Hardy and Bacon.

The couple adopted Gabriel, age 7, when he was 4 months old. Gabriel was born with cocaine in his system and lived in a foster home until he was adopted. He also was diagnosed with a genetic illness that presented with physical manifestations.

“We kind of had a double whammy,” Kevin said.

However, Amy said they still wanted Gabriel despite the challenges.

“Sometimes it is scary, but I’m glad that we took the chance,” Amy said.

Fortunately, it turned out that Gabriel did not have the suspected genetic illness. But he did wear a helmet the first year of his life because of an enlarged frontal opening, which Kevin said a lot of kids have. One of Gabriel’s hands clenched a bit, too, and he wore a splint and performed special exercises during his first year of life.

Although the long-term effects of the cocaine are unknown, Gabriel is a thriving first-grader today with a clean bill of health, Kevin said.

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Left, parents Kevin and Amy received the 2011 Angels in Adoption award last month in Washington, D.C. In this recent family photo, their three adopted children accompany the couple. They are, from left, Gabriel, Amaya and Eliana.

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The Corlews adopted 5-year-old Amaya, who is Gabriel’s biological half-sister, when she was 9 days old. Kevin said the children’s mother is Native American, and Amy said they were fortunate the mother requested that Amaya be able live with her half-brother.

Amy said they adopted their third child, 22-month-old Eliana, when she was just hours old. Eliana came into their lives through an acquaintance of Amy’s whose 19-year-old niece was considering adoption.

Kevin, who has helped others through pro bono work with adoptions and juvenile matters, said the Angels in Adoptions program is a way for more than 200 Congressional members to advocate for adoption.

During the three-day gala event in Washington, the Corlews attended an adoption fair, a tour of the District of Columbia, and a mixer with more than 150 other awardees.

“There wasn’t one size fits all,” Kevin said of the adoptive parents they met.

“Anyone who reaches out to a child is an angel.”

The Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute orchestrates the Angels in Adoption Program and allows members of Congress to select couples, individuals and organizations from their districts for the award.

Celebrating adoption November is National Adoption Awareness Month, and Adoption.com explains that the particular focus of the observance is the adoption of children in foster care while recognizing the importance of all forms of adoption.

President Gerald Ford established the first National Adoption Week, and the week was expanded to a month in 1990.

“States, communities, public and private organizations, businesses, families, and individuals celebrate adoption as a positive way to build families,” according to Adoption.com.

National Adoption Day also is part of the awareness month. On that day — Saturday, Nov. 19, this year — thousands of adoptions are finalized simultaneously at courthouses across the nation.

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Kevin and Amy Corlew met with Sen. Roy Blunt in Washington, D.C., during the Angels in Adoption awards event. Amy said Blunt, who is also an adoptive father of a child from Russia, selected the couple for the annual award.

3 children come to parents through adoption

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Thanksgiving is just not complete without a pumpkin pie — it’s the most treasured tradition on my holiday table.

Amidst the flurry of activity on Thanksgiving morning, I’m glad that my pumpkin pies are make-ahead easy, desserts just waiting to delight us.

It’s hard to top the traditional Libby’s Famous Pumpkin Pie recipe, which has been on the label since 1950. This pumpkin custard has the perfect creamy taste created by the blend of pumpkin and evaporated milk and allows the time-honored spice blend to come through. For a cool twist on tradition, Easy Pumpkin Cream Pie is an easy, luscious pie with the flavors of the season in a cool, creamy dessert.

Make your holiday table its festive best with my top pie tips:

LIBERTY TRIBUNE, THE KEARNEY C O U R I E R , T H E S M I T H V I L L E H E R A L D, G L A D S TO N E D I S PAT C H

• Plan to make your crust ahead of time. Before rolling out, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

Remove dough from your refrigerator when you start to make pie filling.

• Practice “mise en place” — measure everything for your pies and have them at hand before starting to bake.

• If you’re a seasoned pie baker, start a sweet tradition by baking pumpkin pies with younger family members.

They’ll treasure your baking tips and ensure the family’s pie heritage.

• Pies generally serve eight. But do as I do — make and serve more than one kind of pie — and you’ll find everyone wants a sliver of each. You can “stretch” a pie further that way.

Remember that “pie tomorrow” — leftover — is always welcome.

— Family Features Jenny Harper is Consumer Test Kitchen Project Manager for the Nestlé Test Kitchens and VeryBestBaking.com.

Picture-perfect pumpkin pies

CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS/NESTLÉ

Easy Pumpkin Cream Pie Makes 8 servings 1 1 1 1 1 2 1

9-inch (6 ounces) prepared graham cracker crust can (15 ounces) Libby’s 100% Pure Pumpkin Pie package (5.1 ounces) vanilla instant pudding and pie filling mix cup Nestlé Carnation Evaporated Milk teaspoon pumpkin pie spice cups (about 6 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed, divided cup fresh raspberries (optional)

COMBINE pumpkin, pudding mix, evaporated milk and pumpkin pie spice in large mixer bowl; beat for 1 minute or until blended. Fold in 1 1/2 cups whipped topping. Spoon into crust. Freeze for at least 4 hours or until firm. Let stand in refrigerator for 1 hour before serving. Garnish with remaining whipped topping and raspberries, if desired. Serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts per Serving: 280 calories; 100 calorie from fat; 11g total fat; 6g saturated fat; 10mg cholesterol; 380mg sodium; 42g carbohydrate; 2g fiber, 30g sugars; 4g protein; 130% DV vitamin A; 10% calcium; 6% DV iron

Libby’s Famous Pumpkin Pie Makes 8 servings 3/4 cup granulated sugar 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 2 large eggs 1 can (15 ounces) Libby’s 100% Pure Pumpkin 1 can (12 fluid ounces) Nestlé Carnation Evaporated Milk 1 unbaked 9-inch (4-cup volume) deep-dish pie shell Whipped cream (optional)

MIX sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger

and cloves in small bowl. Beat eggs in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk.

POUR into pie shell.

BAKE in preheated 425° F oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350° F; bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours.

Serve immediately or refrigerate.Top with whipped cream before serving.

TIP: 1 3/4 teaspoons pumpkin spice may be substituted for the cinnamon, ginger and cloves; however, the taste will be slightly different. Do not freeze, as this will cause the crust to separate from the filling.

Nutrition Facts per Serving: 280 calories; 100 calories from fat; 11g total fat;5g saturated fat; 70mg cholesterol; 350mg sodium; 40g carbohydrate, 2g fiber; 25g sugars; 6g protein; 130% DV vitamin A; 0% DV vitamin C; 15% DV calcium; 4% DV iron

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How many is too much?

Despite the many messages from all corners promoting a “more is better” philosophy when it comes to holiday gifts, the truth is far more complex — especially for children.

While most parents work hard to give their kids everything they need and much of what they want, it is often hard to draw the line, prompting many well intentioned moms and dads to ask,“How much is too much?”

In general, the answer lies within each family. Parents should purchase what makes sense to them and what they believe their children will use and appreciate. However, in recent years, child psychologists and experts in child development have returned to these questions as economic conditions have forced many families to scale back, both throughout the year and during the holiday season.

Books such as “The Pampered Child Syndrome” (Jessica Kingsley, 2006) by Maggie Mamen and “Give Me, Get Me, Buy Me” (HCI, 2010) by Donna Corwin and several others on the same topic offer similar conclusions: When children are given too much over the course of their childhoods, they can develop a serious case of entitlement, become unappreciative of what they have and begin to equate love with “stuff.” And for younger children, receiving a huge pile of gifts in one sitting can be both overwhelming and overstimulating.

If you have been wondering about these issues, here are some general guidelines for having a fun-filled holiday with just enough stuff.

Make a gift plan — Before setting out on your first shopping expedition, devise a plan that makes sense for your family. If you have younger children, decide on the number of gifts for each. With older children, you might want to establish a dollar amount rather than a gift amount. Once you’ve made the plan, stick to it — no matter what.

Kids and gifts

Draw names — Particularly in bigger families, gift-giving can become a financial and emotional burden if everyone buys for everyone. Drawing names not only reduces those burdens, but often results in more meaningful gifts all around.

Opt for a shared experience — Consider pooling the money you would have spent on individual gifts and putting it toward a special outing, vacation or shared item for your home. Long after the toys have broken and the electronics have stopped working, your children will cherish their memories of a holiday that focused on sharing time together.

Communicate — If Grandpa Mike or Aunt Emily has a reputation for heaping on the presents at Christmas or Chanukah, let them know ahead of time that one will do, then offer a suggestion that is sure to please your son or daughter. If they insist that they want to do more, consider asking them to make a donation in your child’s name to a charitable organization or to purchase a gift for a local child in need.

Collaborate — Sometimes one big gift makes a lot more sense. If your child would love a new bike or a trampoline or horseback riding lessons, consider asking extended family members to contribute to that item or to items that go with it, such as a helmet or other gear.

— Metro Creative

Cyber Monday Black Friday might be more well known, but it’s not the only day retailers look forward to for big profits postThanksgiving. Cyber Monday is the term used for the Monday immediately following Thanksgiving.

First used within the e-commerce community during the 2005 holiday season, the term Cyber Monday was coined after online retailers noticed a substantial increase in sales on the Monday following Thanksgiving.

This was largely credited to men and women returning to work on Monday after the long holiday weekend and using their company’s secure and high-speed Internet connections to make holiday purchases. In fact, many employers have begun to block certain websites in an effort to keep employees focused on work and not on their holiday shopping.

While some might feel this is unnecessary, Cyber Monday figures from 2010 suggest otherwise. According to comScore, a company whose services include monitoring ecommerce, 2010 was a record-breaking year for Cyber Monday sales. Shoppers spent 16 percent more online during Cyber Monday from the year before.

Consumers spent $1 billion on Cyber Monday in 2010, and statistics also indicated there were more shoppers embracing Cyber Monday in 2010, when online shoppers increased by 4 percent and shoppers spent 10 percent more per transaction than they did a year before.

By the end of Cyber Monday a year ago, more than 17 million transactions had occurred.

— Metro Creative

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