Although comfort food means something different to each of us, it always means a dish that is deliciously soothing and emotionally evocative, like the enticing aroma of chicken soup simmering on the stove. Best-selling author Judith Finlayson brings comfort and convenience to home cooks everywhere with her latest cookbook, Slow Cooker Comfort Food: 275 Soul-Satisfying Recipes. Throughout the book, Judith demonstrates how the time-saving slow cooker can be used to create delicious, home-style recipes that are particularly warm and welcoming.
2 T. olive oil, divided
4 to 5 lbs. double beef brisket, trimmed
4 onions, thinly sliced on the vertical
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cracked black peppercorns
1 tsp. dried thyme leaves
2 T. red wine vinegar
1 T. Dijon mustard
1 cup dry red wine
¼ cup tomato-based chili sauce
2 T. tomato paste
1 cup beef stock
2 T. cornstarch dissolved in ¼ cup water
½ cup finely chopped parsley
1. In a skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat. Add brisket and brown well on both sides, about 6 minutes. Transfer to slow cooker.
2. Add remaining tablespoon of oil to skillet. Add onions and cook, stirring, until they begin to turn golden, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, salt, peppercorns, and thyme and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add vinegar, mustard, and wine and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring and scraping up brown bits from bottom of pan, for 2 minutes. Stir in chili sauce, tomato paste, and beef stock.
3. Transfer to slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours, until brisket is very tender.
4. Transfer meat to a deep platter, slice and keep warm. Transfer sauce to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes to slightly reduce. Remove from heat and add cornstarch solution, stirring until sauce thickens. Pour over meat and garnish with parsley.
Family Travel Tips
Before the Trip
• Make sure your expectations are realistic.
• Select the destination wisely and try to interest children in the destination before leaving on vacation. That way, the destination is of greater interest once you arrive. This can be done with interesting books, fun movies, or stories researched and related by parents.
• Keep kids involved in the decision process, getting everyone in the family to participate in selecting the destination and vacation activities. When children (whether young kids or especially teens) have a voice and a choice, they feel more invested in the trip and stay more positive even when involved in an activity they might not have chosen on their own.
• Know if the type of travel is suited to your family’s needs.
During the Trip
• Understand children’s limitations and be flexible, especially with time schedules when traveling. Don’t feel compelled to do everything offered on an itinerary if your kids need more leisure time than others. Depending on the child’s personality, parents need to make sure there is down time for their kids to either rest and recharge or expend pent-up energy.
• Keep children occupied. Take a DVD player with the kids’ favorite movies—great for plane rides or simply to relax after a day out. Provide them with a journal and a camera so that they can record the vacation.
• Let children know that behavior counts. When traveling with other people, be sure children are polite and respectful.
• If traveling significant distances, pre-nights are always recommended — especially for families with younger kids, to acclimate them to their new time zone and get them back into a more normal routine.
Green Gifting
This is the perfect time of year to get in the green spirit. Many Americans are still on tight budgets with savings on the mind. Before disposing of commonly tossed items, stop and rethink. Can they be made more attractive, repaired, or crafted into something else? Here are a few ways of gifting that are not only wallet- friendly but eco-friendly as well.
• Extra or leftover fabric? Make cloth-covered gift boxes or bags instead of using wrapping paper.
• Cover gift boxes with leftover contact paper or wallpaper.
• Use saved bows for other gifts. It’s okay to reuse these items as long as you’re not giving them to the original giver.
• Last year’s holiday cards make great gift tags. When cutting the card, use decorative scissors for a little something extra.
• Take a walk through Mother Nature and collect pine cones. Pine cones with raffia are great for adorning boxes.
• Old paint cans and coffee cans are great for shipping or using as a gift box in a fun creative way. Make sure the can is thoroughly cleaned out before you decorate the outside. This can even be a double gift; the person can use the can for storing or organizing items.
• Shipping? If you have leftover popcorn, or don’t mind popping extra dry popped popcorn for movie night, use it for packing material. This is a great way to send a treat for the birds while protecting your package.
• Old neckties can make clever bows on any gift. The silkiness of the neckties glams up any old box.
Tips provided by Kim Carlson, founder of EarthSmart Consumer Certified, a retail product certification program. She is also author of Green Your Work: Boost Your Bottom Line While Reducing Your Carbon Footprint – about the many advantages of being an environmentally responsible business.
Festive Family Christmas Songs
Few things evoke more holiday spirit than festive Christmas songs. On A Family Christmas, Putumayo offers a collection of yuletide favorites by a fantastic array of artists that families are sure to enjoy while trimming the tree or sharing a holiday dinner.
Seattle-based Johnny Bregar delivers an acoustic rendition of the time-honored “Santa Claus is Coming to Town,” recorded especially for this album. Sleigh bells jingle in singer-songwriter Martin Sexton’s stripped down version of “Holly Jolly Christmas.” Incorporating quirky vocals with a jazzy flare, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy adds its signature retro-swing style to the Louis Armstrong hit “Is Zat You Santa Claus?”
With many more familiar songs and artists, the CD will help to create a happy holiday mood for the whole family.
Students Aim to Construct “Green” Certified Home
Students enrolled in Boise School District’s Residential Construction program have their sights set on building the nation’s first student-built LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Certified home. It’s all part of the program’s push to develop students’ “green building” skills. Twelve high school students are busy with this year’s student-built house, which is currently under construction in southwest Boise. District students are on site daily, with completion scheduled for late May.
Instructor Scott Larson sees the project as a challenging means to expose students to the philosophy of sustainable building, the methods used to improve a building’s environmental footprint, and commonly available green products. Instructor James Cupps received a state grant to develop construction training programs in new energy infrastructures such as wind and solar electrical production.
“We are committed to seeing that our students have the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in today’s ever-changing industry,” said Cupps. “Students today have a tremendous opportunity to recognize the evolution occurring in the industry and position themselves to take advantage of the green construction industry and the accompanying new jobs that are being created.”
Holiday Time with Your Teen Daughter
With all of the demands that the holiday season brings, it can often be overwhelming. Between the parties, shopping, cooking, and planning, sometimes the really important things, like spending time with your teen, get pushed aside. Participating together in activities that connect you to your daughter not only helps keep the spirit of the holidays real, it can be the best gift you give to each other. Spend time making memories.
• Have a baking day. Together, pick out special recipes and spend the day baking. There is nothing like rolling out dough together to give you a chance for some meaningful conversations.
• Invite your daughter’s friends and their mothers over for a Holiday Tea. You’ve already made the cookies. It allows you to get to know her friends and their moms while doing something fun.
• Volunteer. Together, pick a charity and spend time volunteering. Not only do you get the opportunity to be together, but you get into the spirit of the holidays by giving to others. This is a great message.
• Have an afternoon of culture. Go to a Christmas play, concert, or ballet. See the calendar on page 30 for many local holiday offerings.
• Go for a walk one evening and look at holiday decorations in the neighborhood. Decide on the most beautiful as well as the house with the most over-the-top decorations.
Information provided by Janine Sherman, an OB/GYN nurse practitioner in Houston, TX, who specializes in caring for teens and their moms. She is also the co-author of Start Talking: A Girl’s Guide for You & Your Mom About Health, Sex, or Whatever.
For other great information and resources about teens, visit www.treasurevalleyteen.com.
Prepare to ring in the New Year with a few resolutions. The following tips are provided by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), aap.org.
Preschoolers
• I will clean up my toys.
• I will brush my teeth twice a day, and wash my hands after going to the bathroom and before eating.
• I won’t tease dogs—even friendly ones. I will avoid being bitten by keeping my
fingers and face away from their mouths.
Kids, 5 to 12 years old
• I will drink milk and water, and limit soda and fruit drinks.
• I will try to find a sport (like basketball or soccer) or an activity (like playing tag, jumping rope, dancing, or riding my bike) that I like and do it at least three times a week.
• I will always wear a helmet when bicycling.
• I will wear my seat belt every time I get in a car. I’ll sit in the back seat and use a booster seat until I am tall enough to use a lap/shoulder seat belt.
• I’ll be nice to other kids. I’ll be friendly to kids who need friends—like someone who is shy or is new to my school.
Kids, 13 years old and up
• I will take care of my body through physical activity and good nutrition.
• I will choose non-violent television shows and video games, and I will spend only one to two hours each day—at the most—on these activities.
• I will help out in my community through volunteering, working with community groups, or by joining a group that helps people in need.
• When I feel angry or stressed out, I will take a break and find constructive ways to deal with the stress, such as exercising, reading, writing in a journal, or discussing my problem with a parent or friend.
• When I notice my friends are struggling or engaging in risky behaviors, I will talk with a trusted adult and attempt to find a way that I can help them.
So Many Questions So Many Answers
Kids have curious minds and they come up with some very interesting questions. Why do dogs bark? Why is the sky blue? Why do people have to grow old? Questions like these are how kids find out about the world, and these questions deserve answers. But the truth is, adults don’t always know the answers. The Handy Answer Book for Kids (and Parents), Second Edition by Gina Misiroglu comes to the rescue.
Written with a child’s imagination in mind, this easy-to-understand book permits kids to help themselves because it’s organized by simple topical chapters: Outer Space; Planet Earth and Our Moon; Creatures Big and Small; Plant Life; People Around the World; Politics and Government; How Things Work; Math, Measurement, and Time; All About the Body; and Daily Life. Each question posed is given a complete and satisfying answer. The book, featuring 800 questions and 100 color photographs and illustrations, is a launching pad for inquisitive young minds and a life raft for parents.
Healthy New Year’s Resolutions for Kids 
