There are a few things to remember if facing that difficult choice. First and foremost – animals don’t fear death like humans do.  They live in the here and now. Second, each situation is unique. Well meaning friends and family may offer suggestions – but it’s important to take into account all your personal factors and do what your heart tells you. Only you know what is best for your pet, especially at this time in their life.

One way to do make the decision is by using the HHHHHMM method.  HHHHHMM is a quality of life scale written by oncology veterinarian Dr. Alice Villalobos.  The five h’s and 2 m’s mean:

• HURT: Adequate pain control, including breathing ability, is first and foremost on the scale. Is the pet’s pain successfully managed? Is oxygen necessary?
• HUNGER: Is the pet eating enough? Does hand feeding help? Does the patient require a feeding tube?
• HYDRATION: Hydration  Is the patient dehydrated? For patients not drinking enough, use subcutaneous fluids once or twice daily to supplement fluid intake.
• HAPPINESS: Does the pet express joy and interest? Is the pet responsive to things around him or her (family, toys, etc.)? Is the pet depressed, lonely, anxious, bored or afraid? Can the pet’s bed be close to the family activities and not be isolated?
• HYGIENE: The patient should be brushed and cleaned, particularly after elimination. Avoid pressure sores and keep all wounds clean.
• MOBILITY:  Can the patient get up without assistance? Does the pet need human or mechanical help (e.g. a cart)? Does the pet feel like going for a walk?  Is the pet having seizures or stumbling?  (Some caregivers feel euthanasia is preferable to amputation, yet an animal who has limited mobility but is still alert and responsive can have a good quality of life as long as caregivers are committed to helping the pet.)
• MORE (as in, more good days than bad) When bad days outnumber good days, quality of life might be compromised. When a healthy human-animal bond is no longer possible, the caregiver must be made aware the end is near. The decision needs to be made if the pet is suffering. If death comes peacefully and painlessly, that is okay.

Each letter is given a value of 1-10, with one meaning poor and ten being the best. A score of greater than 35 is required for the quality of life to be considered acceptable.

It’s never an easy decision, but the HHHHHMM scale can be tremendously useful in making an emotion-free decision.  When making a decision as important as this, as emotional as this, as gut-wrenching as this, please remember – it’s better to make the choice a day too early than a day too late.  No one wants their beloved pet to suffer, and in this case, less is a far better choice than more.

Soda Cake

This recipe really is as simple as buying a box of cake mix and a flavor of soda. You can even create a layered cake using 2 or more varieties.

Ingredients:

• 1 box of cake mix
• 1 can of any flavor of soda

Directions:

1. Mix together in a bowl and bake according to the instructions on the package.

Directions (for layered cake):

1. Separate a package of cake mix into 2 bowls (1 ½ cups each).
2. Mix in half a can of soda into one bowl, and half a can of another soda into the other bowl.
3. Pour into two round release pans and bake according to instructions on the package.

Cream Cheese Frosting

This cream cheese frosting recipe is my favorite.  Not too sweet from the sugar or too sour from the cream cheese.

Ingredients:

• 16 ounces cream cheese
• 1 stick softened butter
• 3 ½ cup powdered  sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

1. Mix all the ingredients together.  Simple as that.

To make the chocolate cream cheese frosting, because I thought it would go well with the flavors I had chosen, I used  ½ cup less powdered sugar and added ½ cup cocoa powder instead. I also added a 1 teaspoon of cinnamon for a little kick. It was so good I wanted to eat it by the spoonful!

Spread some of the frosting to the top of one of the cakes, put the second layer on top and then finish frosting the whole cake.

Flavors

So, for my first try at this, I tried Orange Crush and Cream Soda. The orange came through and so next time I will try a grapefruit soda or other fruit flavors like peach or tangerine.  I’d also like to try Dr. Pepper – perhaps with a chocolate cake mix.

Mix and match!  What flavors would you like to try?

BLT Club Pasta Salad

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound of bacon, thick cut
• 1/2 head of iceburg lettuce, chopped
• 2 cups of grape tomatoes, sliced length-wise
• 2 slices of Swiss cheese, cut julienne style
• 2 tbsp diced red onion
• 1 lemon
• 1 box of Mostaccioli pasta
• 1 lemon
• Real mayonnaise
• Salt and pepper
• Chives to top

Directions

1. Cook the pasta according to the directions. Refrigerate until cold.
2. Fry the bacon and crumble into large pieces.
3. Combine the lettuce, grape tomatoes, Swiss cheese, onions, bacon, and pasta.
4. Add mayonnaise until everything is coated.
5. Add the zest of half a lemon and the juice of half a lemon.
6. Mix well to combine.
7. Add salt and pepper and chopped chives.
8. Refrigerate until needed and serve.

The next time you are invited to a barbecue or picnic, wow your friends and family with this BLT Club Pasta Salad recipe.  If you do not have chives for the top of the pasta salad, you can use chopped green onions instead. To keep the bacon crisp, you may want to add it right before serving the pasta salad instead of letting it sit in the refrigerator already mixed in with the other ingredients. Now that I have shared my best Memorial Day recipe, what is your favorite recipe to bring along to a barbecue or cook out?

Starting Your Cutting Garden

There are no hard and fast rules to creating a cutting garden, but deciding which of your blooms to cut can be difficult. You don’t want to mess up your exterior landscape, but you also want the beautiful flowers indoors. If you are going to struggle with chopping up the look of your landscape, you may consider creating a separate cutting garden away from your landscaped yard. This garden will be specifically for cutting and is typically setup in vegetable garden format with rows of your favorite flowers. Or you can plant flowers any way you’d like, since it is for the expressed purpose of cutting for beautiful indoor flowers.

If you want to keep your garden together, or don’t have the space, one option is to color coordinate your gardens. Plant in similar tones (cool colors, dark, light, etc). Then, even when blooms are cut, there are plenty of the same or similar colors left. This also prevents the garden from looking messy or confetti like.

Caring for Your Garden

Your cutting garden will be maintained in the same fashion as your standard landscaping garden. Knowing what plants, shrubs, or flowers grow best in your is key. Speak with your local garden center to f ind out which blooming varieties will be best set for your soil type and climate.

Creating Your Bouquet

Now come the fun part: creating your bouquet. Bouquets can be simple, elegant, or a single
flower nicely packaged. Regardless of what is in your bouquet, there are a few tricks to keeping your bouquet fresher for longer.

Follow these simple tips:

• Cut your flowers when it is coolest outside (typically early morning).
• Place the stems directly into water after
  cutting.
• Freshly cut the stems when you bring them inside.
• Add floral preservative to the water for extended life.

Creating a beautiful cutting garden is easy and rewarding. What is your favorite fresh-cut flower?

Garden

Another way to save at the grocery store is to plant a small garden of your own. If you keep it small and simple, and plant according to your area’s weather, you will not need to spend a lot of time working in the garden. Fill it with your absolute favorite vegetables or go big and plant a variety of produce. Either way you will get to reap the rewards of the freshest produce you can get.

Herbs

Every dish tastes better with fresh herbs and there’s no better way to get them than from your own small herb garden.  Try growing herbs like tarragon, cilantro, dill, basil, chives, garlic, oregano or mint.  These can be grown in a small planter box right outside your door, in pots outside your window, or even right along that flower bed down your driveway. If you have absolutely no space outdoors you can plant herbs indoors – just as long as you put them in at least 6 hours of sunlight without the afternoon heat (think southern exposure) and keep the plants at 70-75 degrees.  Just choose the right windowsill or be creative on a blank wall using plastic containers.

Baskets/Bags

There are several organizations/farmers markets that now put together a basket of fruits and vegetables for you. One such non-profit organization is Bountiful Baskets - who operate out of 20 states. Each week, Bountiful Baskets, puts together “baskets” of 50% fruit and 50% vegetables and distributes these to specific pick-up places throughout the states.  Since this is a non-profit organization using all volunteers, they can get the produce to you at rock bottom prices. All you pay is $15.00. We are frequent customers and I’ve priced out several of the baskets compared to the stores, and they come in at $4 under value!

Food trucks deliver the “baskets” to pick-up sites where volunteers sort the produce equally. You then go during a specific window of time and pick up your fresh fruits and vegetables.  People started bringing laundry baskets to put their produce in, hence the term basket.  You never know what you are going to get and sometimes there is something so strange in the basket that you have trouble figuring out what it is.  Getting your healthy produce this way can be fun and sure can get you to try new foods!

Other local farmer’s markets have similar packages that you can order.  Look for something like this in your area and experiment with produce you would not otherwise buy.

This is the time of the year where all fruits and vegetables taste better.  You just can’t beat fresh, fresh produce.

Here are 5 unique lemonade recipes that are sure to impress the children and adults alike.

Spiced Lemonade

Say goodbye to boring lemonade. This recipe has spice and pizzazz like no other. The fennel and star anise make a truly inspiring beverage that will keep you coming back for more.

Ingredients:

• 3 lemons juiced
• Grated ginger (about 1/2 inch of ginger)
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 star anise (whole)
• 1 teaspoon of fennel seed
• 1 cup of ice
• Fresh mint leaves (to taste: I use a small handful)

Directions:

Toast fennel seeds and star anise on the stove, 15-30 seconds until lightly toasted. With an electric grinder, grind the star anise and fennel until it is a powder. Add the powder and all the remaining ingredients into a blender and blend until all the ice is crushed. Serve immediately.

Strawberry Basil Lemonade

This is a refreshing twist on standard lemonade and incorporates both strawberry and basil. You can even add vodka to make a tasty, adult-only beverage for those hot days.

Ingredients:

• 8 lemons juiced (if juicing by hand use 10 lemons)
• 10-15 strawberries
• 1/3 cup fresh basil
• 3/4 cups granulated sugar
• 4 cups water
• 1/3-1/2 cup of vodka (optional!)

Directions:

Add all your ingredients together and blend in a blender for approximately 30 seconds. Garnish with a basil leaf and serve over ice.

Dijon Lemonade

It may sound less than appealing, but if you can get over the fact that the drink contains Dijon mustard, you will definitely love it. This is another lemonade recipe that can easily be turned into an adult-only beverage with a little spiced gin.

Ingredients:

• 2 lemons juiced
• 3/4 cups water
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup spiced gin (optional!)
• Lemon wedge or cucumber for garnish

Directions:

Juice your lemons and mix with water and sugar. Mix until sugar is dissolved. Add in Dijon mustard and stir until fully incorporated. Add gin if desired. Serve cold over ice.

Watermelon Fennel Lemonade

This is a tasty twist on lemonade that uses the sweetness of watermelon with the licorice flavor of fennel.

Ingredients:

• 3 lemons juiced
• 1/2 cup watermelon juiced
• 1/2 fennel juiced
• 1 cup water

Directions:

Juice all items and then blend. Serve cold over ice.

Blackberry Lemonade

Blackberries are almost in bloom and make a fantastic addition to any lemonade recipe. Here is a wonderful blackberry lemonade recipe that the whole family will love.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup lemon juice freshly squeezed
• 1 cup blackberries
• 3/4 cups granulated sugar
• 4 cups water

Directions:

Heat one cup of water on stove until boiling and add in sugar. Stir sugar until fully dissolved. Blend the blackberries with the lemon juice and strain to remove any seeds. Stir the remaining ingredients together and serve over ice. Garnish with lemon wedge or mint leaf.

What is your favorite lemonade recipe?

photo credit: miss karen via photopin cc

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Here’s what some of our SocialMoms have to say!

• Young at Heart Mommy loves the taste and satisfaction of a glass of Silk Fruit & Protein. “Yearning for something more, I decided to “shake up” our mornings and incorporate Silk Fruit & Protein. I immediately fell in love with the flavor and so did my four year old. She called it a “smoothie” and requested more after she quickly gulped down the first glass. Since we are often running short of time when getting ready in the morning, this blend is ideal for taking on the go in a sippy cup.”

• Brittany from Butterfly Mom liked shaking up her routine. “Adding Silk Fruit & Protein to our morning breakfast routine was seamless. My kids love the taste, and I am very satisfied with the nutrition. A little music, a little Silk, and a lot of fun make our mornings a lot more lively.”

• Nicki with Little Island Studios uses it in her recipes! ”When my kiddos get up we make breakfast together. Sometimes we make French toast with Silk Fruit & Protein, this is a treat not to be missed! We eat together and talk about what we are doing that day and upcoming fun we are excited about!  Cooking and eating together in the mornings always starts our day off on the right step and not to mention…deliciously healthy step!”

• Kristin at Our Ordinary Life feels great about feeding her kids Silk Fruit & Protein. “I think all too often parents underestimate how much their children need a healthy filling meal in the morning so they can concentrate on their work and not their tummies. Silk Fruit & Protein is something I have added to my children’s mornings and I feel good knowing they are prepared for their day ahead plus it’s an excellent source of Calcium, Vitamin D, & Vitamin C.”

• Shari from Have u Heard loves a healthy drink in the morning.  ”A brisk walk in the morning followed by a healthy breakfast and a healthy drink is just we needed to ‘shake it up.”

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A quesadilla is a savory Mexican turnover that is generally made in a soft flour tortilla. The mixture can be just about anything including refried beans, cheese, ground beef or shredded chicken.

Easy Chicken Quesadillas

Ingredients

• 2 cups of cooked and shredded chicken breast
• 2/3 cup salsa
• 3/4 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 6 soft tortillas
• 3 tbsp butter
• 2 cups Monterey Jack or Colby Jack cheese, shredded
• Sour Cream
• Chives, chopped

Directions

1. Combine the shredded chicken, salsa, cumin, salt, and oregano in a pan.  Cook over low heat until warm, stirring occasionally.
2. Turn the oven to 475F.  Put three tablespoons of butter on a cookie sheet and place it in the oven until it is melted.
3. Remove the cookie sheet with the melted butter from the oven.
4. Take a flour tortilla and place it on the cookie sheet making sure the back is coated with melted butter.
5. Place the shredded chicken mixture on the left half of the tortilla.
6. Sprinkle the shredded Monterey Jack or Colby Jack cheese over the chicken mixture.
7. Fold the right hand side of the flour tortilla to the left forming a half circle.
8. Press down gently so it stays.
9. Continue with each tortilla until they are each filled and folded.
10. Bake in the 475F oven for 5 to 10 minutes, checking frequently to prevent burning.
11. Cut each folded quesadilla in half.
12. Serve with sour cream and top with freshly chopped chives.
13. You can top with extra salsa or quacamole if you like as well.

Enjoy! What are your favorite Mexican food-inspired dishes?

Cinnamon Coffee Cake

Ingredients

• 1 package yellow cake mix
• 1 package instant vanilla pudding mix
• 1 package instant butterscotch pudding mix
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×13 inch baking dish.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together the cake mix and both pudding mixes. Add the eggs, oil and water and mix until well blended.
3. In a second bowl, stir together the brown sugar, cinnamon and nuts.
4. Pour half of the batter into the pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle with half of the nut mixture. Pour in the rest of the batter and spread and then sprinkle with the rest of the nut mixture.
5. Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, then turn the oven down to 325 degrees and bake for an additional 35-40 minutes.

Tortellini Spinach Salad

Ingredients (Serves 4)

• 1 cucumber
• 1 zucchini
• 1 yellow squash
• 1 red bell pepper
• 9 ounces three-cheese tortellini
• ¼ cup Italian salad dressing
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 3 cups fresh spinach

Directions

1. Cook the tortellini according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water.
2. While this is cooking, chop the cucumber, zucchini, yellow squash and red bell pepper into 1 inch squares.
3. In a large bowl, stir together the tortellini, chopped vegetables, salad dressing, and seasonings.
4. Top with the grated Parmesan cheese.
5. When ready to serve, serve it over the spinach. This can be eaten right away or can even be held in refrigerator for a day.

Healthy Stir Fry

 Ingredients

• 1 pound beef top round steak or chicken
• 1/3 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed with press
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 1 red bell pepper
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 1 16 ounce bag fresh vegetables for stir-frying (such as broccoli, carrots, snow peas, celery)
• 2 tablespoons grated, peeled fresh ginger
• ¾ cup water
• Brown or white rice to serve over

Directions

1. Cut steak or chicken into 1/8 inch thick slices. Toss the meat with 1 tablespoon soy sauce and 1 crushed garlic clove. Let this stand for at least 5 minutes.
2. Cut onion in half and then thinly slice crosswise. Cut red pepper into ¼ inch slices.
3. In deep nonstick 12-inch skillet, heat 1 teaspoon oil over medium-high heat until very hot but not smoking. Add half of beef/chicken and stir-fry 30 to 45 seconds or just until beef/chicken is no longer pink. Transfer beef/chicken to plate. Repeat with remaining beef, without adding additional oil.
4. In same skillet, heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil until hot. Add the onion; cover and cook 3 to 4 minutes stirring occasionally.   Add vegetables for stir-frying, red pepper, ginger, water, and remaining soy sauce and garlic to skillet. Cook 5 to 6 minutes or until vegetables are tender-crisp, stirring frequently.
5. Remove skillet from heat; stir in beef/chicken with its juices. Serve the stir fry over rice.

Simple healthy recipes for the kids to make for their moms or for the family to make together. Keeping it simple gives you more time to spend with the kids on your special day.

Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers.

photo credit: lafattina via photopin cc

Instead of focusing on material possessions this Mother’s Day, try to encourage your children (and spouse) to incorporate more family oriented time. One way to do this is by starting a new Mother’s Day tradition. Here are just a few ideas to consider:

Mother’s Day Brunch

Many families have the tradition of enjoying a Mother’s Day brunch. It can be the perfect time for your spouse or children to show off their culinary skills at home. What mom wouldn’t love some breakfast served in bed? Or if your family is lacking in the culinary department, go to your favorite restaurant for brunch and enjoy your time together.

Plan a Day Outdoors

Make it a new tradition to spend your Mother’s Day enjoying the great outdoors. Choose a spot that you love – like a local garden center, hiking trail, or park. You can spend your day enjoying the scenery and your family. Have the family pack a picnic lunch with some of your favorite items.

Gardening

Do you enjoy gardening? If so, spend your Mother’s Day gardening with your family. You can purchase some flowers, plants, or trees and create some beautiful landscaping together. You may even consider starting a Mother’s Day garden.

Child-free Time

It may seem counter-intuitive since Mother’s Day is all about being a mother, but having your spouse take the kids for a few hours on Mother’s Day to allow for some “you” time can be the perfect Mother’s Day gift. Needing some spouse time? See if you can find a babysitter for a few hours on Mother’s Day to allow you and your spouse to spend quality alone time together. Or do both! Start off with time enjoying the company of your kids, and end it with a date night.

Pack Up and Head Out

Take a day trip with your family. Go on an exploration to find new places. Try mapping out all the locations within a few hours driving distance and make stops at any that look fun and interesting. This can be the perfect way to make memories together. Spending each Mother’s Day finding new hidden treasures on day trips is a fabulous tradition that is guaranteed to continue on year after year.

Everyone Wins

Want to spend some quality time together as a family, but everyone has different interests? Wake up and have everyone write down on a piece of paper what one family activity they/d most like to do for the day. Fold the papers and place them all in a jar. Spend the day drawing, one at a time, from the jar. Do whatever activity is on the paper and move on to the next.

Walk Down Memory Lane

Break out the old photo albums and drives on your computer and look through photographs. You can choose to go through all your old photos or even just look at photos from the previous year. You may be surprised at all the things you have forgotten about.

Mother’s Day can be fulfilling and complete without all the commercialized hype. If you know your Mother cherishes the bouquet of flowers you send, by all means still send them; however, if you aren’t sure of the “perfect” gift or if your mother is without specific needs, consider giving the gift of quality time. What is your favorite Mother’s Day activity?