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Thank you for picking up MyConnection. Look for your copy delivered free to your home from The Newnan Times-Herald each Wednesday. You’ll find entertainment and travel news, as well as upcoming events, easy-to-make recipes, and things that matter to you and your family.
Delightful Holiday Desserts
C
elebrate the holiday season by giving familiar flavors a little bit of wow. You can impress guests with these delightful desserts — that are actually easy to make. Sweet and tangy Cranberry Tarts, luscious Individual Pumpkin Pies, and Premium Pecan Pie can be made with ingredients you probably have on hand, like Yeast and Karo Syrup. Bake them up ahead of time and you’ll have delightful treats ready for any holiday celebration.
Individual Pumpkin Pies
Premium Pecan Pie ➤ Recipe on Page 6
Cranberry Tarts ➤ Recipe on Page 6
Prep Time: 10 minutes Bake Time: 50 minutes Yield: 18 servings 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons Spice Islands Pumpkin Pie Spice 2 eggs 1/2 cup Karo Light Corn Syrup 1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin 1 can (12 fluid ounces) evaporated milk 18 baking cups size 2 1/2 inches 18 vanilla wafers Mix sugar, salt and spice in a bowl. Add eggs and beat slightly. Stir in corn syrup, pumpkin and evaporated milk; blend well. Portion baking cups in muffin pans and place 1 vanilla wafer in each. Fill each twothirds full of pumpkin mixture. Bake at 300°F for 25 minutes, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 5 minutes; remove. Cool a minimum of 1 hour before serving. Garnish as desired.
Prevent Lost Children While Holiday Shopping The only thing scarier during the holidays than the tally on a credit card bill come January is the idea of a child getting lost or abducted while out shopping. Safety tips can keep children by your side or help caregivers find kids fast should they wander off. These are a busy few months at the mall, with many people packed into stores in search of the perfect gifts. Confusion and the sheer volume of shoppers can increase the chance that a child will get lost. A lost child can create panic parents and caregivers. However, keeping a level head is more beneficial than running off to find the child. Although preventing a child from wandering off is the best method of protection, being prepared for what to do should the child go missing is equally important.
Break the Habit
Talk about what to do. Sit children who are old enough down to help them understand and set up a plan of action if they become separated from you. In familiar stores, you can establish a meeting spot to go to, such as near the cash register. Instruct children to seek a security guard or store employee and ask for help. Dress boldly. Part of the problem when holiday shopping is being swarmed by different people all dressed similarly. Designate brightly colored clothes that both you and your children can wear to be more visible. Most small children only have the vantage point of seeing from the waist down. Consider wearing flashy shoes or a bandana tied to belt loops to help you stand out. Children can wear a bright shirt or hat so you can see them at all times. Dress-up strollers, too. Many strollers are identical in appearance. Set yours apart by tying a ribbon or balloon to it. This way you will be able to notice if someone is wandering off with your stroller -- and your child! Carry a recent photo. Take a picture of your children with your mobile phone before leaving the house so that you will know exactly what he or she was wearing and will have the most recent photo available for identification. In addition to taking a head shot, take a photo of the child’s shoes, too. In events of child abduction, kidnappers may have a change of clothes ready for children, but rarely will they be able to change kids’ shoes because of sizing issues. Those shoes can prove an invaluable method of identification. Give children identification. You can create a personal ID card with basic information to help reunite you with your child. This may include only the child’s first name and an “I’m Lost” message with a phone
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How families can change their routines for the better
Family Features
R
outine can be a good thing. Regular bedtimes and nightly family meals help foster healthier kids who are better prepared to tackle challenges. But some of your family’s routine habits may be getting in the way of something better. Habits get established for any number of reasons — busy schedules, convenience, or not realizing you have other choices. Shortcuts and timesavers can give you more time to spend together, but they could also be shortchanging your experience.
How to Change a Habit Breaking habits can be tough, but luckily there are many ways to reach your goals. Here are some simple questions and tips to help you break any bad family habits, and establish new, better ones. n What’s
the habit?
Get everyone together and talk about what family habit you would like to change. Is it unhealthy eating? Too much TV? Always running late? Start small and keep it simple. If everyone is involved in the conversation, you’re more likely to get everyone’s buy-in and meet with success. n What’s
the reward?
People stick to habits because something rewards that behavior. The reward makes it easier for the brain to put the behavior on autopilot, and before you know it, you have a habit. But the reward may not be that obvious. You may have to try out different rewards to discover what the true payoff for the bad habit really is. For example, you might discover that the real reward of watching TV after dinner is spending time together as a family. n What’s
the plan?
Once you identify the habit and understand its reward, you can come up with a family plan to start a new habit with new — and better — rewards for everyone.
Ideas for New Routines Here are some common family habits that could use a little revamping — and some easy ways you can make a positive change.
TV Habits
After a long day, the couch seems to be calling you to just sit and watch TV — even though you know you could or should be doing other things.
But you don’t have to be stuck in a TV rut. Talk about it as a family and see if you can figure out what your reward is for watching TV. Is it time together? Is it relaxation? Or is it enjoying a good story? Once you identify the reward, look for some other ways to get it. n Togetherness
If it’s about being together, brainstorm some other family activities. Think about family game night, backyard soccer, arts and crafts projects, or time at the neighborhood park.
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