SusieQTpies Cafe: 10/1/13

Thursday

Stop Bullying Tips for Kids

Has your child ever been bullied? Have they ever stood up and protected someone who was being bullied? I was bullied most of my life either at home or school. The cycle didn't break until I went away to college. I made it my goal to raise my own children to have confidence to be the person who protected those being bullied. I chose the high road in the sense that I wanted my girls to be giants. Giants do not have to be the biggest or the best but someone who has the confidence to stand up for others in need.

How to raise a giant? As a parent I do understand that some people do not know where to turn to teach the kids to be giants. It also takes a lot more to raise a healthy child then just getting them to eat their vegetables. Thanks to Green Giant® who partnered with PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center and We Day Minnesota to help parents Raise A Giant and put a stop to bullying in their community.

Tips on Raising a Giant

1- Write a letter to your kids telling them how special they are and encourage them to be part of the bullying prevention solution by being the giant. Let them know it is better to be on the helping side of those in need.

2- Visit the RaiseAGiant.com community to read letters others have written. They are amazing.

3-Spread the word to other parents and tips on how to do this are also at the online community. Let them know about the letter writing and then share the community with them.

4-Regularly talk to your kids about school and their online use to make sure that they aren't getting bullied. Teach them how to recognize the signs of bullying and speak to an adult in charge if they know someone is getting bullied.

5-Give love and support to your kids and teach them to be proud of who they are, no matter what others may say or do.

6-Share your own personal stories of getting bullied or when you help someone who was being bullied.

Do you have any tips to share? Leave them in the comments below!

Monday

"Just Us Girls" Date Night Tips and $15 Dove Product Giveaway

It isn't always being a teen girl or a mother of teen girls. Teen hormones sometimes determine the day that they are going to have. Certain days the self-esteem is very low and as the mom I know that I have worked hard to teach them what they need to do when they aren't feeling so great. I also make sure as the mom that I can gauge when this is happening and give them extra love and support to get them through trying days. The regular encouragement and support is also foster by "Just Us Girls" nights to give them a chance to open up and have fun even on trying days.

Just Us Girls Mom Daughter Time Tips:

Have a regular scheduled time to do something with your teens.
Try new things together.
Create mom daughter projects and both be involved from beginning to end.
Text your daughter daily.
Cook a meal together.
Clean up after meal time together.
Go on a hike together.
Plan a road trip.
Work on creating cards to send out all year long to family and friend.
Scrapbook together.
Take photos together.

What are some of your tips? Share them in the comments.

This is a Global Influence sponsored post and I was compensated for my participation in this campaign with Kroger and Dove. The campaign is about the Dove® Self-Esteem Project where Kroger has teamed up to provide programs for teen girls to give support and have a positive impact on the self-esteem of young girls. Did you know that six in 10 girls stop doing what they love because of anxiety about their looks? This campaign plans to reach more than 15 million girls with self-esteem building programs. When you purchase Dove® products at Kroger proceeds from every purchase goes to helping girls across the country reach their full potential.

Everyone involved in the life of teen girls have the potential to impact their self-esteem. Click to check out the Dove Self-Esteem Toolkit where you will find activities to print off to give you ideas, support and guidance. Everyone involved can make a difference to give the girls a positive outlook and the toolkit will give you the added support. Dove has partnered with the Boys and Girls Club, Girl Scouts and Girls Inc. to support this campaign.

As the mom, you can host regular "Just Us Girls" night out dates to give your daughter a chance to have female bonding and support and encourage beauty and confidence. This is a great way to do something you both enjoy or a chance to break out of routine and try new things together. This will help your daughter have less anxiety and more self confidence. Use the tool kit to give you helpful hints and tips so as the mom you have confidence that you are leading your down a path of success. Mom and other teen girl influencers you can also follow the hashtag #GirlsUnstoppable and join in the discussion and tips of others just like you!

Enter below for $15 in Dove products! US winner only and ends 11/10.

I'm going to keep this super simple.

To enter

#1 Leave a comment and tell me if you have a female teen around you and how you are trying to help and build her self esteem. If this is a struggle, check out the tool kit and then tell me something you want to try out on your teen.

#2 Subscribe to my mailing list. Leave a comment telling me the first name you used to subscribe. You must confirm your subscription in email.

Halloween Ghostly Chocolate Pretzel Rods and Menu Plan Monday

Welcome to Halloween Week! Here is my Monday Menu Plan which is our favorite Halloween Menu Plan! There are so many easy recipes to add extra fun into your Halloween week. I hope some of these will work for your family. I'm also sharing the Ghostly Chocolate Pretzel Rods which is a guest recipe from Franci Cohen who is a Personal trainer, Certified Nutritionist and an Exercise Physiologist.

(Image credit: Google images)

Ghostly Chocolate Pretzel Rods

Ingredients:

- 1 box salted pretzel rods

- 16 oz fine white baking chocolate

- An edible ink black baking marker
- Wax paper

Directions:

1. Melt chocolate in double boiler or on the stove.

2. Dip 1 end of a pretzel rod into melted Chocolate to cover pretzel approx. 2" down

3. Lay chocolate covered pretzels on wax paper-lined tray

4. Repeat with remaining pretzels until all are covered in chocolate

5. Place baking tray in freezer for 5 minutes until chocolate hardens

6. Remove pretzel tray from freezer and using baking markers, draw scary ghostly faces on the pretzels.

Your ghostly pretzel rods are ready to eat!

Monday - Ghost Chili, Jello Brain and Fruit Salad Skewers

Tuesday - Dinner in a Pumpkin, Critter Snack Attack and Super Quick Pumpkin Dip

Wednesday - Carve those pumpkins and try one of these 20+ Ways to Cook Pumpkin Seeds or make Pumpkin Soup, crackers and grilled cheese sandwiches

Thursday - Happy Halloween - Mummy Face Pizza, Finger food, Snack Mix, Toxic Waste Punch and Spooky Treats for the Party

Friday - Pizza Crockpot Soup and Kid Zombie Drinks

Weekend - Leftovers ;) We have parties over the weekend so I will pick something from the Fall Beef, Chicken or Dessert Crockpot Recipe list to make and take for each one.

I hope you enjoyed my Menu Planning Monday ideas. Feel free to go through the recipe box for other options. I don't know about you but I do find Dinner time menu planning easier in the fall because you can use your crockpot more!

I've linked up at OrgJunkie's Menu Plan Monday link up and Moms Bookshelf & More. I'm holding off on my weekly link party until after the Holidays!

More Halloween Recipes and Ideas

15 Fun Festive Fall and Halloween Drinks

Scarecrow Crafts, Costume & Trick or Treat Recipe

Monster Snack and Halloween Recipes

Halloween Candy Free Printable Game

29 Spooky Treats and Halloween Eats
BROKEN GLASS Cupcakes
FINGER FOOD
Jello Brain Dessert
MUMMY FACE Pizza
Pumpkin Cookies

Zombie Party Ideas, Recipes & Photos

I've linked

up at OrgJunkie's Menu Plan Monday link up. I'm holding off on my weekly link party until after the Holidays!

Sunday

{October 27} American Beer Day with Recipes made with Beer

Happy American Beer Day! I'm not a big fan of drinking beer but do love it in recipes. Back in the day when we lived in New Orleans I did drink beer with crawfish boils. I'm not sure why but it seemed to be the best drink for this type of food. Here are 29 little known facts about beer and a few beer recipes for you. If you have any beer recipes, feel free to share them in the comments!

If you are looking for a Beer Bread recipe this is our go-to recipe. It is perfect for all the fall recipes you will be cooking for your family.

Honey Beer Bread

Crockpot Beer Chicken- Our family favorite recipe. You can use any type of beer.

Beer Battered Tempura - This recipe uses a Mexican Beer but you can try out other beers.

What a cool infographic on beer. Did you learn something new? If you can't read it from here then click over and read here at the 29 unknown facts about beer. This infographic was provided for me to share with you!

DIY Easy Halloween Recipe Mummy Bites

Here is a super easy food craft you could do this week with the kids. This easy halloween recipe could be done at class parties, too. I love getting the kids in the kitchen and involved in creating their own food. My teens work less and less with me in the kitchen because they are all so busy. Some of my most favorite times with my girls are when they were with me in the kitchen.

Easy Mummy or Ghost Bites

Ingredients

Wilton sticks or Decorative Straws

Marshmallows

Almond Bark, melted

Candy eyes

Directions

1- Melt chocolate in the microwave or in a chocolate melting pot.

2-Add sticks or straws to each marshmallow.

3-Dip marshmallow into melted candy.

4-Use a spoon or a knife to make marks into the candy for texture.

5-Let dry and eat!

We added little bows to our mummy bites. We make our perfect bows using the Mini Bowdabra.

DIY Mini Craft Bows

Supplies

Mini Bowdabra
Hair Bow Ruler Tool
Bowdabra Bow Wire
Ribbon

Directions

1-Add the ruler tool on top of the Mini Bowdabra.
2-Cut 18" of Bowdabra Bow Wire, fold in half and place it into the Mini Bowdabra.
3- Add 1 1/2 inches of ribbon into the left side of the Bowdabra.
4-Make a 1 inch loop and fold over to the left side.
5-Make one more loop, fold over and trim the ribbon tail to 1 1/2 inches to match the other side.
6-Scrunch down with the Bowdabra Wand. While the bow is in the Bowdabra, thread the two loose ends of the wire through the loop and pull the wire tightly.
7-Remove from Mini Bowdabra, flip over and tie into a knot and trim off wire.
8-Hot glue to the sticks. You could leave on the wire and tie it to the stick.

More Halloween Recipes and Ideas

Halloween Week Menu Plan

Pumpkin Pie Slime

Sweet Math Counting Activity Sheet

15 Fun and Festive Halloween Drinks

Scarecrow craft, recipe and costume fun!

Crafty Halloween Candy Jars

12 Kids in the Kitchen Fall ideas
20 Ways to make Pumpkin Seeds

29 Spooky Treats and Halloween Eats
Brain Food
Zombie Party Ideas, Recipes & Photos

Saturday

Pumpkin Cranberry Mini Breakfast Muffins

Happy National Pumpkin Day! Celebrate by making these tasty mini muffins! This pumpkin recipe is a breakfast muffins but don't let that stop you from enjoying them at any time! These muffins are a healthy version created by guest chef Franci Cohen. Franci is a Personal Trainer, Certified Nutritionist and an Exercise Physiologist.

(Image credit: Franci Cohen)

Pumpkin Cranberry Mini Breakfast Muffins

Ingredients:

-      1 cup all-purpose flour

-      1 cup oat flour (or fresh oats finely ground into a flour)

-      3/4 cup sugar

-      1 tsp baking soda

-      1/4 tsp salt

-      1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

-      1/4 tsp nutmeg

-      1 1/4 cups canned pumpkin puree

-      1 large egg, lightly beaten

-      1/4 cup canola oil

-      1 cup nonfat milk
-      1 cup fresh cranberries

Directions:

1.     Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.     Spray a mini muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray.

3.     In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

4.     Combine pumpkin, beaten egg, oil and milk in a separate bowl.

5.     Make a well in dry ingredients and ddd pumpkin mixture and stir until combined. Lastly, fold in cranberries.
6.     Fill muffin cups and bake for 17-22 minutes.

More Pumpkin Recipes

20+ Ways to Cook your Pumpkin Seeds
Dinner in a Pumpkin
Green Pumpkin Pie
Perfect Pumpkin for Cooking and Carving
Pumpkin Cheeseball
Pumpkin Cheesecake
Pumpkin Cookies
Pumpkin Dip
Pumpkin Fiesta Rice - in a mini pumpkin
Pumpkin Soup in a Pumpkin
Pumpkin Spice Amish Friendship Bread
Sour Cream Pumpkin Bundt Cake
Sweet Pumpkin Dump

{October 26} National Pumpkin Day with the Best 35 Pumpkin Recipes

Happy National Pumpkin Day! I know that I consider every day in Fall pumpkin day. How about you? We love and cook old family favorite pumpkin recipes like our pumpkin cheesecake and mini chocolate chip cookies many times in the fall. I also love new favorites like the below bite size pumpkin whoopie pies or the frozen pumpkin latte pie. For us, we love the taste, smell and all the fun that can be done with a pumpkin. Enjoy the below fall recipes for today and rest of fall.