Get Well Gifts To Warm The Heart

It's that time of year again. With the change of seasons, more and more people begin to feel under the weather. When those that are closest to you need a pick-me-up, it's always wise to send a get well gift. As we all know, times are tough so these get well gifts do not have to be pricey. They just need to let them know you care. Even a card or a phone call will do the trick. Last year, I sent a get well gift basket to a friend of mine that had a minor heart attack. To this day, every time I speak with him he tells me how much he loved these certain butter toffee pretzels. I am almost tired of hearing about those pretzels! The point is, people do not forget an unexpected kind gesture. It really brings them joy to open a box and find something special just for them. If you are looking for a special get well gift, here are a few options to consider:

• When You Need A Little Hug
• Healing Lavender Luxury Spa Gift
• Beary Well Wishes
• Alfie Teddy Bear
• Get Well Soup Mug
  

The World's Largest Chocolate Fountain

Am I dreaming? Nope, it's real! Last week, I attended a tradeshow in Las Vegas and as a tradition, we always visit the Bellagio hotel to view their amazing atrium displays. Although the atrium was closed to put up the fall display, I found another amazing attraction. The Jean Phillipe Patisserie. They boast the world's largest chocolate fountain. The fountain is enclosed in glass and runs the length of the floor to the ceiling. It's almost cruel to watch the liquid heaven flow into the etched glass bowls at the base of the fountain and not be able to cup your hands and sip straight from the chocolate waterfalls. Jean Phillipe is a world renown pastry chef with many talents. Mouth watering chocolates, stunning wedding cakes and fruit and chocolate desserts are all on display for purchase. Visit the website to see some of his fantastic creations. If you are ever in the Las Vegas area, be sure to visit this patisserie. It is an attraction in itself. To read more about this wonderful attraction click here.

Teaching Kids Community Responsibility

I thought I would take a break from my usual postings and talk a little about how to teach children that the world continues beyond their front doorstep. I have a fifteen year old son that has no clue about the needs of others in our community. I ask myself if I have failed him by not stressing this as he grew up. We tend to get so caught up in our day to day business, the strife of others gets placed on the back burner. So I decided to get active and realized it is never too late to teach kids about giving back to the community. I figured it was time for all of us to start volunteering. Not only is it good for others, it looks great on college or job applications. Not knowing where to start, I just searched online for community service in my town. I found a great site called Hands On Inland Empire. It has an entire program for teens to choose from. He can volunteer at a nursing home, community yard work, read to elementary school children and more. I am letting him choose which program he would like to try. Hopefully, this experience will not only help him see the value in helping others, but also gratitude for what he has. Check your local area for volunteer groups. Let's start teaching kids, there is life outside of their high schools!

Tips For Amusement Park Deals

So my family and I decided to do a get-away to Six Flags Magic Mountain on Sunday. Not only were the kids screaming as they went down all of the action packed roller coasters, but so was my wallet. Money was flying out faster than the G Forces that thrilled my kids. Next time, I am going prepared! How do you save money when the kids are dying of thirst, begging for ice cream and ogling every churro cart that comes into sight? Here are a few handy tips you may want to use before hitting the theme parks this summer.

• Go online before you go. Most theme parks have a website that may have special deals, promotions or pricing that you would not be aware of unless you visited their site first. At Six Flags there is a special promotion that lets you bring in your Flip Video Camera to receive a free Flash Pass which helps avoid long lines. A very worthwhile tip if you are visiting during summer!



• Before purchasing tickets, visit sites like www.couponmountain or any other coupon site. Type in your destination and you may find a valuable coupon code that is not listed on their site. This could save you up to half on ticket purchases. For Magic Mountain, the coupon code COLDSTONE lets adults get in for the child's price.



• Look for special deals on dining. Some parks may have dining packages that lets you save when you purchase ahead of time. At Six Flags, you can purchase a souvenir cup for $12.99 and get refills of fountain soda all day for free. At first, I found this to be expensive but it ended up saving us quite a bit of money. With four thirsty kids and twelve hours of fun, this would have added up fast!

Don't avoid amusement parks because of cost. Do your homework and you could have a wonderful trip filled with summer fun and memories if you learn how to take advantage of all the money saving tips available.

How To Use Fresh Herbs

According to Cooking Light Magazine, there are 10 herbs every cook should have in their kitchen. I have always been afraid of using anything that didn't come with a Lawry's label. After reading their suggestions, I may give these fresh herbs a try. If you plan to grow your own, place them in decorative pots and add them to your patio decor. Get the kids involved with planting and picking your fresh herbs for your favorite summer dishes.

• Basil
• Chives
• Cilantro
• Dill
• Oregano
• Parsley
• Rosemary
• Sage
• Tarragon
• Thyme

I love cilantro in eggs and Mexican dishes. Last summer, I grew it on my patio and loved the fresh taste this herb added to my cooking. It was also fun to let the kids go cut off the stems for their meal. Sage is pleasantly bitter and works well on pork, chicken, stews and stuffing. Go to Cooking Light.com and view some great recipes that use these wonderful herbs. There are even tips on how to grow your own.

Photo (Cookinglight.com)

Barbecued Summer Vegetables

My father has a beautiful home garden filled with raspberries, squash, zucchini, tomatoes, plums, peaches and cucumbers. There is so much garden bounty that we cannot eat all of it. He calls us up begging for us to come get some of his produce. Every year we get the call to come get some before it rots. This year, I am testing out some new recipes to help my family benefit more fully from my father's harvest. This recipe is for zucchini steaks. At first, I was pretty skeptical about their taste because I have never been a fan of squash and any type of zucchini that wasn't fried. These turned out absolutely delicious! What a healthy side dish for your family. Here is the recipe:

One or two large zucchini cut lengthwise. You want to cut them lengthwise to make it easier to handle on the grill.

Lay the zucchini out on foil and spray them with non fat cooking spray (you can use olive oil if you wish).
Sprinkle the steaks with sea salt, pepper, garlic powder and oregano to taste.

You may choose to sprinkle on some Parmesan cheese.

Place on barbecue grill for 7 minutes or until soft flipping once. Close to the end of cooking, squeeze with lemon juice for an extra flavor boost.

Be sure to try this easy recipe for summer vegetables that even your kids will eat.

On the Way to the Beach- A Great Place to Stop

Our favorite place to stop on the way to the Pacific Ocean is a small unassuming place called Taylor's Sausage. We have visited Taylor's Sausage long before it became a restaurant and was only known to locals. Someone gave us the tip to go down a side road and visit the small factory. We were hooked.
Taylor's Sausage has been in business since 1924 and they truly know their craft of making delicious sausage, hot dogs, ham and cheese sticks (our favorite), pepperoni and jerky.

Now that they have a restaurant, we stop by for lunch or dinner also. You see here I had a Taylor dog, fresh salad and water. They have a great collection of wines also, but we did not order that. My husband enjoyed the fresh Fish sandwich. Their food is delicious and if you ever get a chance to order something from them or stop by Cave Junction, please visit, you'll be glad you did.

If you go on a Friday night, you will be pleasantly surprised with live music from local artists. Last September we went and were thrilled to listen to a wonderful guitarist and the lights were dimmed and the food that was served for dinner included fresh local corn on the cob....what a wonderful treat!