Diabetes Meal Plan Recipes

Diabetes Meal Plan Recipes
It's not always easy to follow your diabetes meal plan day after day, but these delicious recipes may help.

Appetizer recipes
Almond and apricot biscotti
Apples with dip
Avocado dip
Chickpea hummus
Chickpea polenta with olives
Chipotle spiced shrimp
Cranberry spritzer
Crispy potato skins
Eggplant with toasted spices
Fresh fruit kebabs with lemon lime dip
Fresh spring rolls with shrimp
Ginger-marinated grilled portobello mushrooms
Grilled pineapple
Hummus
Marinated portobello mushrooms with provolone
Pita wedges with green olive tapenade
Shrimp marinated in lime and Dijon mustard
Smoked trout spread
Southwestern potato skins
Sweet and spicy snack mix
White bean dip

Beverage recipes
Almond and apricot biscotti
Blackberry iced tea with cinnamon and ginger
Cranberry spritzer
Frosty almond date shake
Fruit smoothies
Iced espresso latte
Island chiller
Minty-lime ice tea
Morning mojito
Orange dream
Strawberry banana milkshake
Sweet ginger tisane
Watermelon-cranberry agua fresca

Bread recipes
Almond and apricot biscotti
Apple corn muffins
Buckwheat pancakes
Chickpea polenta with olives
Cinnamon rolls
Creamy polenta with roasted red pepper coulis
Double-corn spoon bread
Irish brown bread
Morning glory muffins
Muesli breakfast bars
Popovers
Pumpkin-hazelnut tea cake
Rhubarb pecan muffins
Southwestern cornmeal muffins
Three-grain raspberry muffins
Whole-grain buttermilk biscuits

Dessert recipes
Almond and apricot biscotti
Ambrosia with coconut and toasted almonds
Apple berry cobbler
Apple-blueberry cobbler
Apples with dip
Baked apples with cherries and almonds
Berries marinated in balsamic vinegar
Caramelized pear bread pudding
Carrot cake
Casaba melon with creamy sweet curry
Chocolate pudding pies
Cookies and cream milkshake
Cran-fruit coffeecake with crumb topping
Creamy fruit dessert
Date-walnut cake with warm honey sauce
Fresh figs with walnuts and mascarpone
Fresh fruit kebabs with lemon lime dip
Fruited rice pudding
Grapes and walnuts with lemon sour cream sauce
Grilled angel food cake
Grilled fruit with balsamic vinegar syrup
Grilled pineapple
Lemon custards with fresh blueberry sauce
Melon fool
Mixed berry pie
Mixed fresh berries with ginger sauce
New England trifle
Orange dream
Orange slices with citrus syrup
Peach crumble
Peach floats
Peaches a la mode
Pineapple cream cheese pie with berries
Poached pears
Pumpkin-hazelnut tea cake
Red plum tart
Rhubarb pecan muffins
Rustic apple-cranberry tart
Sauteed bananas with caramel sauce
Seasonal fruit palette
Strawberries and cream
Strawberries and cream cheese crepes
Strawberry balsamic sorbet
Strawberry shortcake
Summer fruit gratin
Tropical fruits with mint and spices
Vanilla poached peaches
Warm chocolate souffles
Watermelon-cranberry agua fresca
Yogurt-almond ice cream
Zucchini bread

Main dish recipes
Acorn squash with apples
Asian pork tenderloin
Asparagus, tomato and red pepper French bread pizza
Baked chicken and wild rice with onion and tarragon
Baked macaroni
Baked salmon with Southeast Asian marinade
Balsamic roast chicken
Banana-oatmeal hot cakes with spiced maple syrup
Barbecue chicken pizza
Barley and roasted tomato risotto
Beef and vegetable kebabs
Beef fajitas
Beef stew with fennel and shallots
Beef stroganoff
Black bean burgers with chipotle ketchup
Braised chicken with mushrooms and pearl onions
Breakfast burrito
Broccoli cheddar bake
Broccoli, garlic and rigatoni
Broiled grouper with teriyaki sauce
Broiled scallops with sweet lime sauce
Broiled trout with tomato and red onion relish
Broiled white sea bass
Brown rice pilaf with asparagus and mushrooms
Buckwheat pancakes
Buttermilk waffles
Caesar salad with grilled chicken
Caribbean red beans and brown rice
Chicken and asparagus tossed with penne
Chicken and spinach calzones
Chicken quesadillas
Chicken salad with Thai flavors
Chicken stir-fry with eggplant and basil
Chicken strips with honey mustard sauce
Chili
Chinese fried rice
Chinese noodles with spring vegetables
Cinnamon French toast
Cod with lemon and capers
Corn tamales with avocado-tomatillo salsa
Cornmeal-crusted sole with chili vinaigrette
Cranberry-walnut oatmeal
Creole-style black-eyed peas
Curried pork tenderloin in apple cider
Farfalle with fresh tomato sauce
Fettuccine with clams, basil, tomato, corn and garlic
Fettuccine with Swiss chard and mushrooms
French country chicken with mushroom sauce
Grilled chicken breasts with roasted yellow tomato sauce
Grilled chicken salad with buttermilk dressing
Grilled chicken salad with olives and oranges
Grilled miso salmon
Grilled pear and watercress salad
Grilled pork fajitas
Grilled portobello mushroom burgers
Grilled turkey burger
Grouper with tomato-olive sauce
Halibut with tomato basil salsa
Ham, pineapple and asparagus crepes
Hawaiian calzone
Hearty turkey chili
Herb-crusted baked cod
Herb-rubbed turkey au jus
Honey crusted chicken
Jamaican barbecued pork tenderloin
Lasagna
Linguine with mushrooms
Mahi-mahi with macadamia nut crust
Mango salsa pizza
Mediterranean-style grilled salmon
Moroccan fish tagine
Mussels mariniere
New York strip steak with whiskey-mushroom sauce
Nutty berry granola
Orange rosemary roasted chicken
Orange roughy with lemon and thyme
Oriental chicken with braised pineapple ring
Orzo with cherry tomatoes, capers and lemon
Paella with chicken, leeks and tarragon
Pan-braised swordfish with feta
Pasta primavera
Pasta salad with mixed vegetables
Pasta with grilled chicken, white beans and mushrooms
Pasta with marinara sauce and grilled vegetables
Pasta with spinach, garbanzos and raisins
Penne tossed with cherry tomatoes, asparagus and goat cheese
Personal pan pizza
Philly steak sandwich
Pineapple chicken salad with balsamic vinaigrette
Pineapple chicken stir-fry
Polenta with fresh vegetables
Polenta with roasted Mediterranean vegetables
Pork chops with black currant jam sauce
Pork medallions with five-spice powder
Pork medallions with herbes de Provence
Pork tenderloin with apples and balsamic vinegar
Pork tenderloin with fennel sauce
Portobello and blue cheese salad
Potato soup with apples and brie cheese
Prawns puttanesca
Quiche
Quinoa risotto with arugula and Parmesan
Red bean chilaquiles
Roasted duck breast with lemongrass and green onion
Roasted rack of lamb with parsley crust
Roasted red pepper and chicken wrap
Roasted red snapper
Roasted salmon with maple glaze
Roasted turkey with balsamic brown sugar sauce
Rolled ham and Swiss omelet
Rotelle pasta with sun-dried tomato and black olive sauce
Salad greens with pears, fennel and walnuts
Salade Nicoise with tapenade
Sea bass en papillote
Seared salmon with cilantro-cucumber salsa
Seared scallops with new potatoes and field greens
Seasoned baked cod
Sesame-crusted tofu
Shrimp and mango curry
Shrimp scampi
Soft tacos with southwestern vegetables
Southwestern chicken and pasta
Southwestern frittata
Southwestern wraps
Spaghetti with summer squash and peppers
Spicy beef kebabs
Spicy ground turkey tacos
Spinach frittata
Spinach lasagna with sun-dried tomato sauce
Spinach-stuffed sole
Steak with steamed vegetables, soba noodles and ginger sauce
Stuffed chicken breasts
Stuffed eggplant
Sweet peppers stuffed with scalloped corn
Sweet-potato waffles with blueberry syrup
Swordfish tacos with lime and cilantro
Swordfish with roasted lemons
Thai crab cakes
Three-bean chili
Tofu hoisin with baby bok choy
Tomato-basil pizza
Tuna steak sandwiches
Turkey and broccoli crepe
Turkey club sandwich
Turkey or chicken stove-top casserole over toast
Turkey potpie with baby vegetables
Vegetable and garlic calzone
Vegetable wrap
Vegetarian chili
Vegetarian kebabs
Vermicelli tossed with roasted asparagus and tomatoes
White chicken chili
White sea bass with dill relish
Yellow lentils with spinach and ginger

Salad recipes
Ambrosia with coconut and toasted almonds
Apple salad with figs and almonds
Apple-fennel slaw
Avocado salad with ginger-miso dressing
Baby beets and carrots with dill
Bean salad with balsamic vinaigrette
Black-eyed pea and sweet corn salsa
Bulgur and chickpeas with preserved-lemon vinaigrette
Caesar salad with grilled chicken
Chicken salad with Thai flavors
Citrus salad
Crab salad
Cucumber pineapple salad
Dilled pasta salad with spring vegetables
Dilled shrimp salad on lettuce leaves
Edamame and summer bean salad
English cucumber salad with balsamic vinaigrette
Fattoush
Fennel and leeks with roasted onion vinaigrette
French green lentil salad
Greek salad
Grilled chicken salad with buttermilk dressing
Grilled chicken salad with olives and oranges
Grilled flank steak salad with roasted corn vinaigrette
Grilled pear and watercress salad
Mesclun salad with radishes, avocado and blood oranges
Mixed bean salad
Pickled onion salad
Pineapple chicken salad with balsamic vinaigrette
Portobello and blue cheese salad
Quinoa risotto with arugula and Parmesan
Roasted red pepper with feta salad
Salad greens with pears, fennel and walnuts
Salade Nicoise with tapenade
Seared scallops with new potatoes and field greens
Shrimp-apple salad
Spring greens with butternut squash
Tabbouleh
Tabbouleh salad (cracked wheat salad)
Tossed greens with pasta, fruit and balsamic vinaigrette
Tuna pasta salad
Warm coleslaw with honey dressing
Warm potato salad
Yellow pear and cherry tomato salad

Sandwich recipes
Chicken and coleslaw wrap
Chicken and portobello baguette
Chicken Caesar pitas
Grilled portobello mushroom burgers
Grilled salmon on sourdough bread
Hot ham and cheese sandwiches with mushrooms
Philly steak sandwich
Sloppy Joes
Tuna pita pockets
Tuna salad sandwiches
Tuna steak sandwiches
Turkey and broccoli crepe
Turkey club sandwich

Sauce and dressing recipes
Apple and sweet onion marmalade
Avocado dip
Basil butter and sun-dried tomato sauce
Cranberry orange glaze
Grilled mango chutney
Lemon or lime glaze for chicken, fish or vegetables
Orange basil vinaigrette
Peach honey spread
Peach-nectarine salsa
Pear and toasted pecan chutney
Raspberry coulis
Sherried mushroom sauce
Spinach dip with mushrooms
Turkey gravy
Vegetable salsa

Side dish recipes
Artichokes alla Romana
Asparagus with hazelnut gremolata
Baby beets and carrots with dill
Baby minted carrots
Baked acorn squash with pine nuts and garlic
Bean salad with balsamic vinaigrette
Black bean and corn relish
Black bean cakes
Black-eyed pea and sweet corn salsa
Braised celery root
Braised kale with cherry tomatoes
Broccoli rabe with toasted garlic
Brown rice pilaf
Brown rice pilaf with asparagus and mushrooms
Brussels sprouts with shallots and lemon
Bulgur and chickpeas with preserved-lemon vinaigrette
Butternut squash and plantain mash
Cannellini beans with wilted greens
Chinese-style asparagus
Classic Boston baked beans
Creamed Swiss chard
Creole-style black-eyed peas
Curried vegetable couscous
Edamame and summer bean salad
Eggplant with toasted spices
Fava beans with garlic
Garden peas with fresh mint
Garlic mashed potatoes
Ginger-marinated grilled portobello mushrooms
Glazed root vegetables
Granola with raisins, apples and cinnamon
Green beans with red pepper and garlic
Grilled portobello mushrooms with thyme and garlic
Grilled radicchio
Honey-glazed sweet potatoes
Lean country-style breakfast sausage
Lemon rice with golden raisins and almonds
Lentils with wild rice and crispy onions
Lima bean ragout with tomatoes and thyme
Pan-braised onions with rosemary
Quinoa risotto with arugula and Parmesan
Ratatouille with roasted tomato vinaigrette
Roasted potatoes
Roasted potatoes with garlic and herbs
Roasted root vegetables with cumin and coriander
Sauteed fresh corn
Sauteed zucchini coins
Savory buckwheat pilaf with toasted spices
Seared endive
Sichuan broccoli and cauliflower
Soybeans with fennel, thyme and oregano
Spicy Oriental snow peas
Spicy red cabbage
Spicy red lentils
Spring greens with butternut squash
Steamed summer squash with warm leek vinaigrette
Stewed flageolets in lemon broth
Stuffing with cranberries
Sugar snap peas with fresh marjoram
Sweet carrots
Sweet potatoes and roasted bananas
Tabbouleh
Tabbouleh salad (cracked wheat salad)
Two-potato gratin
Warm potato salad
Wild rice pilaf with cranberries and apples
Wilted greens with warm balsamic vinegar

Soup recipes
Beef stew with fennel and shallots
Carrot soup
Chicken adobo soup with bok choy
Chili
Cold potato-leek soup (vichyssoise)
Corn chowder with roasted poblanos
Creamy asparagus soup
Curried carrot soup
Curried cream of tomato soup with apples
Easy chicken stock
Easy vegetable stock
Fresh tomato soup with crispy herb toasts
Gazpacho with garbanzo beans
Gingery chicken noodle soup
Home-style turkey soup
Minestrone soup
Miso soup with watercress and shiitakes
Moroccan fish tagine
Posole with fresh corn gorditas
Potato soup with apples and brie cheese
Potato-fennel soup
Pumpkin soup
Split pea soup
Summer vegetable soup
Three-bean chili
Tuscan white bean stew
White chicken chili
Zesty tomato soup

Source

Planned Parenthood Excuses Rape

Planned Parenthood suspends employee after video on abortion counseling

A local Planned Parenthood employee has been suspended after the release of a video surreptitiously shot at a clinic which shows a woman who identifies herself as a 13-year-old being given advice that is a violation of the organization’s policies.

A press release, sent by e-mail today from liveactionfilms.org, identifies the video as being shot on June 24 by UCLA student Lila Rose. It shows a blond haired female and a nurse, identified as “Diana.” The nurse’s face is blurred during the interaction.

In the video, the “patient,” who is accompanied by another female identified as a friend, states that her name is Brianna. She tells the nurse she is 13 years old and has missed her monthly period. The nurse responds that anyone under the age of 13 needs parental consent to get an abortion in Indiana. “Brianna” further reveals that she doesn’t want to explain who the father is because he could get in trouble. She later says that the father is 31 years old.

In the video, which has breaks and cuts, the nurse advises how to lie about the father’s age. The “patient” is then shown a piece of paper which Rose alleges showed her that she could get an abortion in Illinois without parental consent.

Rose, who has done previous videos at Planned Parenthoods in Los Angeles, where she posed as a pregnant teenager under 18, is a 20-year-old history major. She said Wednesday that Indiana is just one of many states chosen by liveactionfilms.org for “audits.” She called Bloomington a “major” clinic in the state, explaining why it was chosen. She said she expects videos of other clinics will be released that show similar scenarios.

“In the vast majority of cases, you’re going to find sexual abuse cover-up,” Rose said in a telephone interview.

Rose said the scenarios are similar, in which a “young girl” purports to abort a pregnancy by a much older man. She said Indiana’s case is one of the more “severe” cases because of the extreme age differences.

Rose said one of the concerns she had was that the clinic advice directed the teen to avoid reporting the abuse, which put her back in the hands of her abuser.

This is not the first time that Planned Parenthood has been embarrassed by illegal and/or immoral behavior by employed staff. Why do they continue to get government funding when they have been shown to have utter disregard for not only the law, but for women in general?

Neighbors shocked by toddler's death, father's arrest

Source

This is such sad story. Steve and I have been working all week trying to get everything moved over to the new house. Our friend, Greg, came over and helped us with the bathroom.

Tuesday night our neighbor across the street welcomed us the neighborhood by backing into car while it was sitting parked in front in the house. Our next door neightbor also welcomed us to the neighborhood by getting arrested. This story just breaks my heart. We actually saw this little girl standing in the front yard the night before he got arrested.

People that abuse children deserve to rot in Hell. I know that God is a forgiving God, but I find it hard to understand why anyone could do this to a child. This is so heartbreaking.

Thanksgiving 2008

Thanksgiving is a day to think about all the things you are thankful for. It's about being with family. I know there are some people that aren't able be with family during Thanksgiving and I feel for them. If you are able to spend time with family, I hope that you do it.


I will be spending Thanksgiving in Ohio visiting Steve's family. The day after Thanksgiving I have to work at Sears from 7am to 3. If anyone is out and about, feel free to come visit me back in the Hardware Department.

In wouldn't be Thankgiving if I didn't reflect on why I am thankful.

1. First, I am thankful for a God that is patient. We serve an amazing God and I think sometimes I forget that. He has done so much for me that I know I will never be able to thank him enough.

2. Second, I am thankful for a husband that is patient. I have the greatest husband ever. You may think you have the greatest husband, but you're wrong. :o) The way he loves and serves me is something that I really appreciate and love about him.

3. Third, I am thankful for my family. My parents are just great. They have been married for 28 years and after all these years they still love to hang out together. I hope that someday when we are in our 50's that our marriage is as strong as theirs. My siblings are crazy but I love them.
They are the people that I know will have my back no matter what. We are a pretty tight-knit family. Maybe that is because there isn't many of us. In my entire famiy, on both sides, there is about 35 of us.

4. Fourth, I am thankful for my friends. I have the greatest friends anyone could ever ask for. Some of the best friends that I have right now have been my best friends since Elementary school. We have been through so much together. We have celebrated eachothers weddings, births of kids, getting new jobs, getting raises, purchases of our first homes, countless Holidays, passing of tests and exams, becoming a CPA (soon), College graduations, High School graduations, and so much more. We have been there for eachother through the death of spouses, job losses, moves, marriage stress, roommate stress, kids stress, financial stress, stress because it's Monday, and countless others. How many people do you know that have friends that would drop everything and help you move during the Holidays, not once but twice. I truly am thankful for you guys. I hope you know that I would not be who am today without you. We have laughed together, prayed together, and cried together.

Philippians 1:3-5 (New International Version)
I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Catalyst Conference Dave Ramsey

"You most powerful wealth building tool you have is your income." - Dave Ramsey

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Discrimination?

How is this not discrimination? Can you imagine if Hollywood was "blacklisting" supporters of Gay Marriage? The ACLU would be all over it crying discrimination. But discrimination against Christians and supporters of traditional marriage is ok.


Romans 8:35-39 (New International Version)

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:
"For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."[a] No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[b] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

2 Corinthians 12:10 (New International Version)

That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

An Ohio State Tradition

This people are nuts and probably drunk.

Have a Debt-Free Holiday

Have a debt-free holiday

Nov. 19: TODAY’s Jenna Wolfe give tips on finding a part-time holiday job to bring in some extra cash; CNBC’s Sharon Epperson offers advice on keeping your holiday spending debt free.

Adapting to a tighter budget

Adapting to a tighter budget

Nov. 19: CNBC’s Carmen Wong Ulrich and psychiatrist Dr. Gail Saltz discuss ways to help your family adjust to living on a tighter budget.

Holiday meals on a budget

Holiday meals on a budget

School Children Advise Obama

These kids seem pretty smart to me. They wrote some pretty well thought out papers, I thought.

Pre-Marital Sex Destroy Real Love Everytime

This story is heart-breaking to me. These girls have totally lost their innocence and not even their parents are standing up for them. It seems like parents have just given up. Parents today just assume their girls are going to be having sex, so instead of teaching their daughters to respect themselves and wait, they just stand back and watch. Then these parents always seem so surprised when their teenager tells them their pregnant or has an STD. Then the parents steps in and decides to be parent again. Where was that parent BEFORE she throw her life away?

I have been doing middle school ministry for almost a decade and I have seen girls give themselves away so many times. Girls, you are so worth the wait. Any guy that tells you different is not worth the ground he is standing on.

There is absolutely no love in pre-maritial sex, girls. Pre-maritial sex is all about lust and relationships based on lust never last. Really true love is based on so much more. Don't let yourself fall into the trap of believing that you have to have sex to be popular. It's just not true.

There are ways to protect yourself:
* Avoid tempting situations: Double date, don't go into your bedroom with a boy, always tell people where you are, etc

* Decide in advance: Choose your values in advance so when tempation comes you have them to fall back on

* Find an Accountabilty Partner: An accountability partner is someone who is going to watch out for you. An accountability partner is one of the most important things you can invest in. Find a friend or family member that you can trust. Pick a time and location to meet with them every week or more often if you want, and discuss what is going on in your life. What have your struggles been this week? What have your success been? Where have to you trimphed? Where have you failed? Honesty and trust are key because you can't be afraid to tell the whole truth to your accountability partner.

What Every Teenager Needs to Know:
They are not alone on this journey of life. Sometimes tough things happen but everything happens for a reason. I am convinced that the Middle School years are the toughest. In some situations they are expected to still act like children, because they are. But in other situation, people expect them to act like adults, so when they encounter a new situation they either act out or withdraw because they feel lost and confused. And to add on top of that they are experiencing hormones and feelings they don't understand and that can be painful. They search for whatever they can find to take the pain away and most of the time those solutions are only temporary, so they try the "drug" again. So the next thing you know, you have a middle school student addicted drugs, alcohol, sex, or whatever they chose for their "drug". As an Oasis leader, I try to give my girls a permanent solution to the pain and that is Jesus. Jesus's love is never temporary.

Parents WAKE UP!!! Sex is every where. Teenagers are being bombared with it from music, TV, and other media and seldom do they show the negative consequences. Girl are sexualized in music and treated like sex objects. What is that teaching our girls or our guys? When was the last time you saw someone on Gossip Girl get an STD or come home pregnant and heart-broken because now the guy wants nothing to do with her or her baby? Even in Juno the movie, the 16 year old gets pregnant and there was no negative consequence. She just moved on like it never happened. In Friends, Rachel gets pregnant and somehow is able to afford a baby and her huge New York city apartment with a job at small coffee shop job working part-time. You never see her struggling with money, trying to get food stamps or welfare, or trying to find a babysitter. Somehow everything just always seems so perfect. That is not reality and our girls are being handed a pack of lies. Our men are too. They being taught if they aren't having sex, they aren't cool. Guys need to hear this too. There is nothing "cool" about it. Just think, someday you might be a father. Would you want someone to be thinking about your daughter they way you are thinking about your girlfriend. I doubt it. She deserves respect and so do you.
The most important thing you can teach your daughter is self-respect and confidence. Fathers, I think, are the most important person in a daughters life. Daughters without fathers in their lives are far more likely to get into destrucive behavior. The girls are looking for love and they think love=sex, so the first guy that comes along and says sweet things to them...they are hooked. The first guy a daughter hears "I love you" from should be her father.

1-800-Quit Now

Quit Smoking. It's the best thing you can do for your health.

Domestic Violence Hurts Everyone

Domestic Violence does not just affect women. Men can also be victims of Domestic Violence. The most innocent victims of Domestic Violence; however, are the children. Last year at the YWCA of St. Joseph County were served about 600 children. 10% of the children were victims of some sort of physical, mental, or sexual abuse. Children that are victims of abuse of significantly more likely to be involved in abuse as an adult, either as the abusee or the abuser. We have to break the tragic cycle of abuse. Almost 70% of the children were born to single mothers, most with no income or high school diploma.

These children need someone to be on their side for a change.

Here's how you can help:

* Become a Women of Vision

* Donate Cell Phones

* Have a Garage Sale and donate the proceeds to the YWCA

* Have a food drive or collect winter coats, hats, or scarves drive for the residents

* Plan a "Baby Shower" and donate the items to the YWCA

* Help us with our Christmas Wish List

Thank you in advance! The children are worth it. Never think that if you aren't a big donor, you can't help.

Mark 12:41-44 (New International Version)
New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society

The Widow's Offering
Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins,[a]worth only a fraction of a penny.[b]

Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on."

Send all Support Checks or bring donations to:
YWCA of St. Joseph County
1102 S. Fellows
South Bend, IN 46601

All contributions are tax-deductible.

Our New House

It has been a crazy few weeks. Apparently, I haven't been updating people on the house very well. Sorry Shere.

The process seemed to be going really smoothly until we got the inspection back. The Realtor didn't think we should get one, but I'm glad we didnt listen to her. The inspection said the furnace was bad and several other things like the electrical panel and roof have problems.
We got several different quotes from different companies on the furnace and the electrical panel. Steve's dad, who is does electrical work, said that the electrical panel is fine and that the inspector may have been wrong.

Steve and I sent a counter-offer to the bank with a request that they put in a new furnace before closing. They refused and said they only sell foreclosures "as is." Needless to say, I was pretty upset with that. We almost walked away from the deal because we dont really have the money for a new furnace. We could probably scrape it together out of our emergency fund, but i dont really want to do that. My dad has offered to pay for our new furnace and have it installed before closing. I am so greatful for that. I wish we didnt have to do that though. I hate borrowing money from my parents.

Our originally closing date was November 21st, but the bank changed it to December 3rd. I guess this is sort of a good thing for us because now we wont have a mortgage payment until February. It does make things busy for us during the Holidays though.

We are trying to plan our budget right now around all the work that needs to be done. Most of the work is cosmetic, except for the furnace. The previous owner left the place a big mess, tore all the light fixtures out of the ceiling and even stole the air conditioner. The biggest challenge right now is finding the time to get in the new house and clean up before we move in. With the original closing date, we would have had 2 weeks with both the house and the current apartment, but now we will only have a few days. The bank did say that we could get in and clean before closing but we wont have the utilities turned on yet.

Our budget is going to pretty tight for the next few months but we can survive. We have done this before. When Steve and I had our hours cut last summer, we lost almost $500 of monthly income and we managed to survive. It sure wasn't easy. Last month, Steve got a raise and they put him back to 40 hours. Thank God for that. I told Steve this is the last time I want to move during the Holidays. It just way to busy during the Holidays. I have this afternoon off from Sears, so I plan is to start cleaning and packing a bit. Anyone that's bored and wants to come over and visit, give me a call.

I'm still a little nervous about the whole process but I think we can get this done. Once we get started on the process I think I'll start to feel better. I do look forward to going to Lowes and picking out the light fixtures and sinks and stuff.
WWDRS? What would Dave Ramsey say? If we play our cards right and don't get to off tract, this should be a great thing for us in the long run.

Extreme Savings Plan

Extreme savings plan

Extreme Savings Plan
Nov. 12: From unplugging appliances before going to work, to bringing their own lunch each day, WRC's Jim Handly profiles one couple's mission to save their cash.

Can You Survive Without a Credit Card?

Source

3 Steps Back to the Sanity of Cash

Waiting until you have the money in your pocket has its disadvantages (we're hand-washing our dishes) but it will buy security later. Call it "real-income living."
By MP Dunleavey

"While many Americans can and do handle borrowed funds responsibly (taking out what they need, repaying what they owe), millions more have slipped into a fantasy world, thanks to credit -- a fantasy that you could buy now and pay later. And that somehow, somewhere, when you least expected it, you'd pay it all back. "

Thanks to all that easy money, a fog descended: Credit made us all believe we were richer than we were.

Step 1: Get out of the fog Here's a giant reality check question:

If every ounce of credit now available to you, in the form of cards or home equity or whatever, if all of it dried up, what would your life be like?

The fact that that's hard to imagine is a sign of how deeply entrenched credit-think has become.
Studies by behavioral economists show that credit divorces you from the "ouch" of spending actual money -- and thus it not only changes how much you spend (people typically spend more when they use plastic), it also creates fuzzy thinking around your finances.

One study showed that shoppers who paid with plastic didn't remember what they'd spent, whereas those who used cash did. (If you've ever been to a mall, this isn't news.)
Credit creates a fog. Cash will snap you out of it.

Step 2: Think of Grandma

The second step is switching to a cash-based mindset. That doesn't mean giving up all forms of plastic. It means learning to think and spend based on how much money you actually have.
That's how your grandma did it, and my grandma, and anyone's grandma who lived back in the 1930s, '40s or '50s -- before you could borrow yourself into oblivion.

Grandma (and Grandpa) somehow managed to furnish a house, raise and feed a family, procure a car and save for emergencies -- all with cash. Why? Because credit as we know it today did not exist. Actual credit cards became common in the 1970s. When you bought something, you paid for it and then got the item, not the reverse.

What was it like, living on cash -- and why is it so powerful that it can turn your financial life around, even now?

Step 3: Find your means

Alas, "living within your means" is just a giant personal finance cliché at this point. People have lost track of what it signifies. LWYM has come to mean that you're fine if you spend every dime you make.

If you have to use plastic to cover a few gaps here and there -- your vacation, the holidays, some groceries -- that still counts as "living within your means" because you eventually pay it all back. Probably.
So it's really about spending a small portion of your income to live, and saving a large chunk of it -- for emergencies big and small, for the unexpected and for a warm, cozy, secure and happy future.

You're not going to turn Tupperware containers into shoes. And I'm not suggesting you grow a bailout garden and can green beans (unless you're so inclined). As scary a time as this is, we as a country are unbelievably wealthy compared to those who survived the 1930s.

But we all need to come down to earth, to a more solid and sensible way of living, with cash as the anchor.

Published Nov. 5, 2008

The Election is Over

The election is finally over. This is the longest election cycle that we have ever had. I voted for McCain. McCain had his faults, but I liked his stance on social issues. McCain also has the experience that this country needs. We are in 2 wars and in the middle of a perceived financial crisis. This is the not the time for eloquent speeches and fancy ads. We need change, but I don’t think it’s the change that Obama wants to bring. My vote for McCain was more of a vote against Obama then a vote for McCain. I am nervous about the direction this country is heading. I believe most American people want less government interaction in their lives, not more.

I understand that everyone has to pay taxes, but I do not believe it is “patriotic” to pay more taxes, so people who don’t pay taxes can get more free money from the government. I do not agree with Obama’s stance of "spreading the wealth around." I already pay a bunch of taxes so lazy, high school dropouts can keep having kids out of wedlock paid for by my taxes. I pay for Medicaid, food stamps, welfare, WIC, TANF, and some people that qualify for those aren't even American citizens, so they don’t pay taxes either. Why do they feel entitled to more of my money? Maybe they should get an education, go out and get a job, and better themselves, so they don't have to rely on the government for money. I'm glad I don't have to rely on the government to be successful. Welfare was originally designed to be a temporary help to the poor, not an excuse to be dependant on the government. It has become a “hand-out”, instead of the “hand-up” it was intended to be. If Obama said he wants to cut taxes for 95% of Americans. Does he not realize that 30% of Americans don't pay any income tax? You can't give someone a tax-refund when they didn't pay any taxes. What you giving them is a government welfare check?

I have to say that I am very disappointed in the results. I had a least thought that my state of Indiana would think with their head and not blindly follow the media. Indiana did look like it was going to go for McCain until the very end. I guess more money still trumps substance. I don't think that it's fair or right that we elect a President because he has more money and can give better speeches. This year people didn't know or care about the issues. I heard so many people say that they were voting for Obama because he made them feel good, or he got young people to the polls, or he is historic because he can be the first black president, or he was energizing, etc. Those are not reasons to vote for someone. What does he stand for? What is he going to do as President? They don't know or care and that scares me.

I hope NBC and Hollywood are happy their candidate won. It is a sad, scary place we have gotten in this country when news stations can actively campaign for a particular candidate. What happened to objective journalism? What happened to when journalists would fully tell both sides of the story and let the audience decide their opinions.

I pray for this country. I can only hope that Obama can bring action to his "inspiring speeches."
I hope that I am better off in 4 years then I am today, but if I am it will not be because of who the President is. It will because I worked hard, got out of debt, spent less then I made, and strived everyday to better myself.

"You will be the same person in five years as you are today except for the people you meet and the books you read."
- attributed to Charles Jones

The 10 Cannots

The 10 Cannots

By William J. H. Boetcker
(misattributed to Abraham Lincoln)

1. You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.

2. You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.

3. You cannot help the poor man by destroying the rich.

4. You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.

5. You cannot build character and courage by taking away man's initiative and independence.

6. You cannot help small men by tearing down big men.

7. You cannot lift the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer.

8. You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than your income.

9. You cannot establish security on borrowed money.

10. You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they will not do for themselves.

William J. H. Boetcker (1873 – 1962) was an American religious leader and influential public speaker. An outspoken political conservative, Rev. Boetcker is perhaps best remembered for his authorship of a pamphlet entitled The Ten Cannots. Originally published in 1916, it is often misattributed to Abraham Lincoln.

Source

An American Creed

I Do Not Choose to Be a Common Man

It is my right to be uncommon—if I can.

I seek opportunity—not security. I do not wish to be a kept citizen, humbled and dulled by having the state look after me.

I want to take the calculated risk; to dream and to build, to fail and to succeed.

I refuse to barter incentive for a dole. I prefer the challenges of life to the guaranteed existence; the thrill of fulfillment to the stale calm of utopia.

I will not trade freedom for beneficence nor my dignity for a handout. I will never cower before any master nor bend to any threat.

It is my heritage to stand erect, proud and unafraid; to think and act for myself, enjoy the benefit of my creations and to face the world boldly and say, “This I have done.”

By Dean Alfange

*Originally published in This Week Magazine.Later printed in The Reader’s Digest, October 1952 and January 1954.

The Honorable Dean Alfange was an American statesman born December 2, 1899, in Constantinople (now Istanbul). He was raised in upstate New York. He served in the U.S. Army during World War I and attended Hamilton College, graduating in the class of 1922.

Source

Secrets to Raising Healthy Boys

Part 1


Part 2

A Baby's Prayer

Jeremiah 1:5 (New International Version)
"Before I formed you in the womb I knew [a] you,
before you were born I set you apart;
I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."

Jeremiah 29:11 (New International Version)
For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

How They Voted?

Check out here how your Senators and Representatives voted on the bailout. I think it's time we sent these people who like to spend our money home.
Source

Now You Can Vote Out the Bozos

Lest you forget...At the polls, remember to vote out those bozos who ignored our opinions and voted for the $700 billion bailout! See how your representatives and Senators voted.

INDIANA
Democrats — Carson, Y; Donnelly, Y; Ellsworth, Y; Hill, N; Visclosky, N.
Republicans — Burton, N; Buyer, N; Pence, N; Souder, Y.

Bayh (D-IN), Yea
Lugar (R-IN), Yea

Don't forget to vote on November 4th.

Moving Again

I can't believe Steve and I are going to be moving at Thanksgiving again this year. I have decided that this is the last time we are going to move during the Holidays.

My dad's bank foreclosed on a house and he suggested that we buy it. After much thinking and praying and looking at our budget numbers, we decided to go for it. I know crazy, huh? The mortgage payment is will only be about $100 more than our current rent payment. Steve's theory is that when we are ready to move to Texas, we can sell it and make a killing in Equity. It is a 3 bedroom, 1 bath, with an attached garage. It has a nice big back yard too. The house was appraised before it was foreclosed on for $60,000 and we are buying is for $40,000 with a 20% down payment. My parents offered to gift us the down payment because their parents did that for them when they first started out. I love my parents.

I can't help but here Dave Ramsey in the back of my head. He says never buy a house until you have an Emergency Fund, you are out of debt, and have a good down payment. We have our Emergency Fund and are working on getting out of debt, and thanks to my parents we have a down payment.

The house is all electric, so unfortunetly we need to buy a new dryer and a new stove since they are gas. We are going to try and sell them. The house needs a little work, mostly cosmetic. Steve is excited because he gets to use his tools. Anyone surprised? It is going to be a busy couple months. Please keep us in your prayers, as we try get all the money together we need to make the move and to fix the new house. We also need to keep our heads together and prepare Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Christian Families Targeted

Voice of the Martyrs

Please pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ who are suffering around the world.

Romans 8:34-36
Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:
"For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."

2 Corinthians 12:9-10
But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

1 Thessalonians 3:6-8
But Timothy has just now come to us from you and has brought good news about your faith and love. He has told us that you always have pleasant memories of us and that you long to see us, just as we also long to see you. Therefore, brothers, in all our distress and persecution we were encouraged about you because of your faith. For now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord.

Consumers addicted to plastic?

Consumers addicted to plastic?
Families carry average credit card debt of $8,000.

TOUGH TIMES

By YaVONDA SMALLS
Tribune Staff Writer

$8,000.

That's how much the average American family is said to carry in credit card debt.

If they pay the minimum on this balance every month, it could take more than 20 years to get out of the red. That means two decades from today, you could still be paying off that DVD player, laptop computer and shirt you bought in the heat of the moment last Christmas.

It's an overwhelming reality for the many consumers who have fallen victim to a buy-now, pay-later society, where people take out loans and carry multiple credit cards without giving it a second thought.

"It piles up so quickly, I think, especially when you're young," said South Bend resident Kelly Sanford, who said she learned her lesson after tasting her own share of credit card debt in the past.

"You get one of those credit cards that have a low introductory rate and, before you know it, it's up to 27 percent."

Throw in the nation's mortgage crisis, rising oil and food prices and the stock market's volatility, and it's no wonder consumers are sinking deeper into a sea of red.

Fortunately, whether you're a few thousand dollars or half a million dollars in the red, you can take steps to rise above it, experts say:

-Set up a budget. First, don't wait until 2009 to start setting up a household financial plan that is accurate, comprehensive and reflective of all your debt, says Amanda Walker, manager of GreenPath Debt Solutions, which has offices in Mishawaka and Elkhart.

Add every individual debt together to determine your total debt, and mentally commit to changing your past or current spending patterns by adhering to your budget. For many consumers, budgets are vital because they provide a good reality check of what's happening right now and ways to best prepare for the future, Walker said.

Granted, budgets aren't always fun, but neither is foreclosure, she said.

-Track your cash. Take your monthly income minus expenses to see how much extra money is left at the end of the month and whether a surplus can be used to pay additional credit card payments. If you see a deficit, decide what expenses you can realistically cut, such as daily coffees and eating out. Also don't hesitate to drive your car an extra year, said Sanford, the South Bend resident.

-Say "no" to credit. Don't borrow more credit to pay off a credit bill, and consider a credit card hiatus while you're trying to climb out of the red. Lock your cards away, or cut them up, until your debt is more manageable.

That's because surveys done by Consolidated Credit Counseling Services indicate consumers are likely to spend more using a credit card than when paying in cash.

"I don't have a credit card — I just have a debit card," said Saint Mary's College nursing student Caitlin Fitzpatrick. "I do know people my age with credit cards who are in tremendous amounts of debt. I just think it's kind of dangerous."

-Chip away at old debt. Make your biggest payments on debts with the highest interest first, and pay more than the minimum on your loans, says LendingTree. Also be sure to earmark end-of-year bonuses, raises and income tax returns for paying off debt, too.

-Prioritize payments. Set aside money first for debt repayment and then budget for things such as saving for college or retirement, before spending on discretionary items.

-Be realistic. Remember that while your goal is to fully pay all of your bills on time, it isn't always feasible. So if you must make a choice when it comes to bills and credit cards, pay on loans secured by collateral first, such as mortgage and vehicle loans. Then pay off utility bills, insurance, loan payments and household expenses such as groceries and gasoline. Pay off unsecured credit card accounts and medical bills last.

-Lower your interest. If your credit score is good, and you're receiving a variety of low-rate offers, consider transferring your balance to a lower-interest card while you work to pay off the debt.

Also, don't hesitate to negotiate a better deal with your lenders, who often would rather you get back on track than see you file for bankruptcy.

-Weigh the pros and cons of debt consolidation. Consolidating many debts into a single loan can reduce your number of payments and creditors, making managing your money and financial planning much easier.

But it can cost more in the long run. Most consumers end up paying for the debt over 10 to 30 years, spending more than they would have had they kept each individual loan.

-Check your credit reports. This report tells you about any outstanding debt you owe, according to Debt Reduction Lessons. You can typically request a credit report for free every year from the three major credit bureaus — Experian, Equifax and TransUnion.

Staff writer YaVonda Smalls:
yavsmalls@sbtinfo.com
(574) 235-6248

Can the Bible help you budget?

I thought this was insightful.

McCain the comedian

Sen. John McCain pokes fun at himself, his rival, and others at the Al Smith Memorial Fund Charity Dinner.

"Staying Alive" with CPR

I am not a big fan of this song. In fact, I find it kind of annoying. The only part of the song I actually understand is "Staying alive." I am posting it because of the story that goes with it. I thought it was a funny story. I want to know who had the time to figure this out. Someone had way too much time on their hands.



Study: Bee Gees' 'Stayin' Alive' Has Perfect Beat for CPR
Thursday, October 16, 2008

Sounds like the Bee Gees knew what they were talking about — and were years ahead of medical research.

The band's iconic 1977 disco anthem "Stayin' Alive" provides an ideal beat to follow while performing chest compressions as part of CPR on a heart attack victim, U.S. doctors have found.

The American Heart Association calls for chest compressions to be administered at a rate of 100 per minute during cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR. Ironically, "Stayin' Alive" chimes in with 103 beats per minute, Reuters reports.

In a small study headed by Dr. David Matlock of the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria, listening to "Stayin' Alive" helped 15 doctors and medical students to perform chest compressions on dummies at the proper speed, according to the Reuters report.

"The theme 'Stayin' Alive' is very appropriate for the situation," Matlock told Reuters. "Everybody's heard it at some point in their life. People know the song and can keep it in their head."

The findings will be presented this month at a meeting of the American College of Emergency Physicians in Chicago.

Source

Banking Crisis Foretold???

This article was in the New York times almost 9 years ago. It sounds like this guy could see the future. Maybe giving people loans when they couldn't afford wasn't such a good idea after all.

September 30, 1999

Fannie Mae Eases Credit To Aid Mortgage Lending
By STEVEN A. HOLMES

In a move that could help increase home ownership rates among minorities and low-income consumers, the Fannie Mae Corporation is easing the credit requirements on loans that it will purchase from banks and other lenders.

The action, which will begin as a pilot program involving 24 banks in 15 markets -- including the New York metropolitan region -- will encourage those banks to extend home mortgages to individuals whose credit is generally not good enough to qualify for conventional loans. Fannie Mae officials say they hope to make it a nationwide program by next spring.

Fannie Mae, the nation's biggest underwriter of home mortgages, has been under increasing pressure from the Clinton Administration to expand mortgage loans among low and moderate income people and felt pressure from stock holders to maintain its phenomenal growth in profits.

In addition, banks, thrift institutions and mortgage companies have been pressing Fannie Mae to help them make more loans to so-called subprime borrowers. These borrowers whose incomes, credit ratings and savings are not good enough to qualify for conventional loans, can only get loans from finance companies that charge much higher interest rates -- anywhere from three to four percentage points higher than conventional loans.

''Fannie Mae has expanded home ownership for millions of families in the 1990's by reducing down payment requirements,'' said Franklin D. Raines, Fannie Mae's chairman and chief executive officer. ''Yet there remain too many borrowers whose credit is just a notch below what our underwriting has required who have been relegated to paying significantly higher mortgage rates in the so-called subprime market.''

Demographic information on these borrowers is sketchy. But at least one study indicates that 18 percent of the loans in the subprime market went to black borrowers, compared to 5 per cent of loans in the conventional loan market.

In moving, even tentatively, into this new area of lending, Fannie Mae is taking on significantly more risk, which may not pose any difficulties during flush economic times. But the government-subsidized corporation may run into trouble in an economic downturn, prompting a government rescue similar to that of the savings and loan industry in the 1980's.
...
Fannie Mae, the nation's biggest underwriter of home mortgages, does not lend money directly to consumers. Instead, it purchases loans that banks make on what is called the secondary market. By expanding the type of loans that it will buy, Fannie Mae is hoping to spur banks to make more loans to people with less-than-stellar credit ratings.
...
Continue reading here

Wow...psychic? I may not be a smart economist, but I can't see how no one saw this coming. Oh wait, someone, this author saw it coming almost a decade ago. If someone with no income and no job tries to apply for a home mortage, they should be denied...everytime because they don't have a job or any income to pay for the mortage. Rocket Science??? No, I don't think so.
I don't the government and big banks should all take Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University, then maybe they would stop wasting our tax dollars to fix their mistakes.

EMERGENCY ECONOMIC STABILIZATION ACT OF 2008

SUMMARY OF THE “EMERGENCY ECONOMIC STABILIZATION ACT OF 2008”

I. Stabilizing the Economy
The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (EESA) provides up to $700 billion
to the Secretary of the Treasury to buy mortgages and other assets that are clogging the
balance sheets of financial institutions and making it difficult for working families, small
businesses, and other companies to access credit, which is vital to a strong and stable
economy. EESA also establishes a program that would allow companies to insure their
troubled assets.

II. Homeownership Preservation
EESA requires the Treasury to modify troubled loans – many the result of predatory
lending practices – wherever possible to help American families keep their homes. It
also directs other federal agencies to modify loans that they own or control. Finally, it
improves the HOPE for Homeowners program by expanding eligibility and increasing
the tools available to the Department of Housing and Urban Development to help more
families keep their homes.

III. Taxpayer Protection
Taxpayers should not be expected to pay for Wall Street’s mistakes. The legislation
requires companies that sell some of their bad assets to the government to provide
warrants so that taxpayers will benefit from any future growth these companies may
experience as a result of participation in this program. The legislation also requires the
President to submit legislation that would cover any losses to taxpayers resulting from
this program from financial institutions.

IV. No Windfalls for Executives
Executives who made bad decisions should not be allowed to dump their bad assets on
the government, and then walk away with millions of dollars in bonuses. In order to
participate in this program, companies will lose certain tax benefits and, in some cases,
must limit executive pay. In addition, the bill limits “golden parachutes” and requires
that unearned bonuses be returned.

V. Strong Oversight
Rather than giving the Treasury all the funds at once, the legislation gives the Treasury
$250 billion immediately, then requires the President to certify that additional funds are
needed ($100 billion, then $350 billion subject to Congressional disapproval). The
Treasury must report on the use of the funds and the progress in addressing the crisis.
EESA also establishes an Oversight Board so that the Treasury cannot act in an arbitrary
manner. It also establishes a special inspector general to protect against waste, fraud and
abuse

Source

Update: The Bill did not pass the Senate

Christian???

I really wish people would stop referring to these nutjobs as pastors or Christian. They may read the bible and may think they are serving God, but they are far from Christian.

Bush Economic Address

PETA Craziness

I am all for the fair and gently treatment of animals, but I think this is going a bit to far.

Read This Story

PETA has called on Ben and Jerry's to start using human milk in their ice cream, instead of cow's milk. Their claim is that cow's milk is only intended for baby cows and is not designed for humans. The also say that using human milk will lessen the suffering of cows and their babies.

Ok, as I said, I am all for the fair treatment of animals, but come on. We may be lessening the suffering of cows, but aren't we now adding to the suffering of new mothers and their babies. Who or What is more important, cows or humans? Apparently for PETA, the answer is cows.

Read PETA's letter to Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield
September 23, 2008
Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, Cofounders
Ben & Jerry's Homemade Inc.

Dear Mr. Cohen and Mr. Greenfield,

On behalf of PETA and our more than 2 million members and supporters, I'd like to bring your attention to an innovative new idea from Switzerland that would bring a unique twist to Ben and Jerry's.

Storchen restaurant is set to unveil a menu that includes soups, stews, and sauces made with at least 75 percent breast milk procured from human donors who are paid in exchange for their milk. If Ben and Jerry's replaced the cow's milk in its ice cream with breast milk, your customers-and cows-would reap the benefits.

Using cow's milk for your ice cream is a hazard to your customer's health. Dairy products have been linked to juvenile diabetes, allergies, constipation, obesity, and prostate and ovarian cancer. The late Dr. Benjamin Spock, America's leading authority on child care, spoke out against feeding cow's milk to children, saying it may play a role in anemia, allergies, and juvenile diabetes and in the long term, will set kids up for obesity and heart disease-America's number one cause of death.

Animals will also benefit from the switch to breast milk. Like all mammals, cows only produce milk during and after pregnancy, so to be able to constantly milk them, cows are forcefully impregnated every nine months. After several years of living in filthy conditions and being forced to produce 10 times more milk than they would naturally, their exhausted bodies are turned into hamburgers or ground up for soup.

And of course, the veal industry could not survive without the dairy industry. Because male calves can't produce milk, dairy farmers take them from their mothers immediately after birth and sell them to veal farms, where they endure 14 to17 weeks of torment chained inside a crate so small that they can't even turn around.

The breast is best! Won't you give cows and their babies a break and our health a boost by switching from cow's milk to breast milk in Ben and Jerry's ice cream? Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,
Tracy Reiman
Executive Vice President

The Truth about Teen Girls

I borrowed this from my pal, DC.

It is an article from Time Magazine about the negative effects of media on our teen girls. Every parent and youth leader needs to read this article.

Here are some excerpts:

* "Unless you're an adolescent male, you have already asked yourself this question, perhaps in the past few days: Is there something wrong with teen girls? Specifically, are they getting too sexy? Barely a week passes without a flash bulletin blinding us with news of another prominent preadult who is in the family way or showing off her underthings. Miley Cyrus, 15, seminaked! Jamie Lynn Spears, 16, pregnant! A bunch of Massachusetts high schoolers all having babies together! It's an epidemic!"

* "Girlhood sexiness seems to be everywhere: on TV shows and in movies, in advertising, in teen magazines and all over the Internet. Most disturbingly, it seems to be coming from the girls themselves: the way they dress, the way they text, the way they present themselves on Facebook and, oh, mercy, what they get up to at parties."

* "In one generation, girls seem to have moved from Easy-Bake to easy virtue."

* "In the past four months, there have been four weighty books published on the subject, with titles like Hooked: New Science on How Casual Sex Is Affecting Our Children and So Sexy So Soon. Most of these treatises have a similar thesis: young girls are sexually loose because they're aping behavior they see on TV or read about in magazines. And as if on cue, the media deliver a new 90210 with an oral-sex scene in the first episode; Gossip Girl comes back with billboards promoting it as MIND-BLOWINGLY INAPPROPRIATE ... and your daughter starts singing that alarmingly suggestive song about licking a lollipop."

* "Middle school counselor Julia Taylor of North Carolina had a conversation with her sixth-graders last year that worried her. "A lot of them were watching The O.C.," she says. "I just remember the show's multiple sexual partners, the cocaine use, and then at the end, they drink, they drive, they set fires, but all is well! There are never any consequences."

* "What has complicated things recently is that girls are literally getting older younger. Their bodies are hitting physical maturity sooner, often before they are ready to deal with the issues of sexuality that go along with it. According to Jane Brown, a journalism professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, "Twelve-to-14-year-old girls who start puberty earlier are more interested in sexual content in the media." Brown's studies found that adolescents whose media diet was rich in sexual content were more than twice as likely as others to have had sex by the time they were 16."

* "Should girls fear that they don't have the requisite hotness, there's a surefire way to overcome that: find a boy to sleep with. "They're subconsciously looking for love," says Amanda Ireland, another Gloucester teen. "They think, If I have a baby, I'll be someone. It gives them an identity." How can Ireland be so sure? She gave birth to daughter Haley, now 3, when she was 15."

Read More Here

What do you think we can do to stop this epidemic of teen girls giving themselves away. They are looking for love in all the wrong places. They want so bad just to hear someone say, "I love you," and the guys have figured this out.

"Staycation": The Weekend

On Friday, Steve said we were acting like an old married couple because we went out to lunch at 4pm, then at around 8:30 we went to Menards and Walmart, not because we needed anything, just to get out of the house and go for a walk. Friday was pretty uneventful. Steve did finish his Ohio State room.

Saturday was a bit of a rainy day. I got up and worked on some of my postcard scrapbooking. I haven't done much with them for awhile because I didn't have the space to spread out or the time. Saturday afternoon was football time. We watched most of the Notre Dame game and laughed to ourselves at all the people getting wet. We were a bit disapointed that they won, but it was a good game. The smell of all the barbeques outside made me want some, so Steve grilled barbeque chicken. We ended up making it on our George Foremen grill since it was raining pretty hard still.

Saturday evening was the Ohio State and USC game. Poor Ohio State did not do so well. We are hoping for a better game next week.

On Sunday, we got up for church. It was raining again. We had originally planned to join my parents at the B100 Birthday Bash after church, but it was canceled due to weather. I did have to go out and brave the rain though. I had to do some grocery shopping so Steve and I would have some food to eat. That is pretty important because Steve likes to eat. Aldi wasn't to flooded but I still got pretty wet running in and out. Martins was a whole nother story though. I pulled into the parking lot and felt like I was driving through a small lake. I named it Lake Martins. I picked a spot to park and started to get out of my car and realized when I opened the door that water was almost up to the door. So I decided to park somewhere else. I finally found a somewhat dry place to park that wasn't to far away. I got out of my car only to realize that in order to get to the Martins door I would have to walk through "Lake Martins." It was ankle deep and deeper in most places. I went in and quickly got the few things we needs and threaded back through the lake to get to my car. I was very happy when I finally got home. Once I got home, we stayed inside until it stopped raining. We got almost 11 inches of rain both Saturday and Sunday.
To end our vacation, we went for a nice walk and then went to bed.
All and all it was a relaxing "staycation."

"Staycation" Day 2

Yesterday, we got up a bit earlier than we did Wednesday. I had some left-over pancakes from the Pancake House for Breakfast. Steve went upstairs to finish up his "Ohio State Room." It looks really nice. Ill post pictures soon. While he was doing that I cleaned the bathroom, the kitchen, and did some laundry. Yesterday was mostly a cleaning day but it was still relaxing. It is nice to have a nice clean apartment, well mostly. My sis came over around dinner time and hung out with us for awhile. That was fun. We didn't really leave the house much.
We wanted to go for a walk after dinner but I fell asleep while he was watching some old Superman TV show, so that didnt happen. We finally went to bed around midnight.

I just got up. Steve is still asleep. We dont really have any plans for today. We have a coupon for the Home Plate Resturant so we might go there for lunch. I want to get the rest of the living room put together and hopefully get some more pictures on the wall. Damian was upset the last time he was over that there was a picture of the me and the Bridesmaids on our wall, but no picture of Steve and the Groomsmen, so I have to find one and put it up.

"Staycation" Day 1

Steve and I took a week off from both jobs this week for a vacation. We aren't actually going anyway. We just wanted some days to relax. Our "Staycation", as the media has been calling it, was pretty uneventful yesterday. Which is just the way we wanted it. We woke up at around 10:30-11ish and went out for Breakfast/Lunch at the Pancake House, which was very good. Then we went back home and took a nap until around 4. We then got up and I made some chili for us to eat tommorrow and Steve made some Hamburgers on the grill for us to eat for dinner. Steve then went to work on painting our spare room. He is painting the room in Ohio State colors. After dinner, we sat around and watched some TV and then Steve decided he wanted to make some Chocolate Chip cookies, so he did. They were really good.
Steve finished up the "O" in the spare room and I went to bed at around midnight.

Today, Steve is going to try and finish up the room and hopefully finish the living room too. Yesterday was a great relaxing day to start the vacation. I'm not sure what we will do today. We are sorta going to play it by ear.

Have Parents Completely Lost it?

Parental control crashing the cell phone party

I'm sorry but there is no reason that I can see that an 8 year old needs a cell phone. The Verizon guy said it could be helpful if your child is alone alot.
Do parents of 8 years olds regularly leave their child places alone...and I bet they will so surprised when their child is an alcoholic and pregnant before middle school. Maybe I'm crazy, but Steve and I both agree that we would never get our children a cell phone...because they don't need one while they are still living under our roof. Once they get a job and may be driving at night...then maybe, but they will be paying for it themselves. I and most people my age survived just fine through high school without cell phones. We used house phone, pay phones, friend's parent's phones...and we were just fine. My parents were always able to get ahold of me because they knew why I was. I didnt get a cell phone until after college and I got it for the free long distance mainly.

Perfect Christmas Present for Steve???

Ohio State Buckeyes Big Daddy Recliner from Baseline

Anyone need a Christmas present idea? I know it's a little pricey, but he's worth it, right? Doesn't it look so comfy?

haha...actually I found this while looking for new furniture. Steve and I decided that is the next big purchase we are saving up for. We have one couch that used to be my grandparents and it is falling apart and our other couch is small and I also got it used during college. We don't want expensive furniture, just something comfortable. We may buy "gently used" again instead of new to save money. We will just have to see how much money we get saved up.

There is a matching sofa too --->>>

Labor Day Weekend

It has been a pretty busy week. I bought Steve's Christmas present already. I put up pictures once I give it to him. Every since our roommate moved out, Steve has been working hard getting our spare room made up. He painted the walls. He talked me into letting him paint them in OSU colors. It actually looks really nice. He wants to paint a big 'O' on the wall with a Buckeye next. The apartment looks and feels alot better than it did before. It is not nearly as cramped. We have been moving boxes around and Steve rearranged the living room.

I had to work all weekend but i had a few big sale days, so it wasn't so bad. Saturday evening my mentor, Judy Gregory, was in town from Atlanta so Chris Infalt threw a party at her house. It was good to see everyone. Some of the people there I hadnt seen all summer. I love my Oasis family. On Labor Day, we had our Biggest Loser picnic. Even though Steve tried all weekend to leave a few extra pounds, Greg won first place by 2.8 pounds. Everyone did a great job. We are so proud of Greg. I think we do this contest again, because it was really fun.
Steve made ribs and bread for the picnic and they were really good. I unfortunetly had to leave the party early because I had to work at 6. We were so dead at work.