The Old Kearstin...

would've been a little disappointed that Adam went to a huge mall yesterday and came home with a Nike bag. The new Kearstin was so excited when she woke up to see an orange Nike bag next to Adam's bed side that she ran Jayden to school and hurried home to see what was inside. New sneakers, sweatpants, t-shirt and some new socks. I heart cute workout gear!

Parenting: A Month in Review

This month I have truly realized that no matter how perfect I want Jayden to act and behave, it's not possible. He is a 3 year old boy with more energy then anyone I have ever met. But that doesn't mean he can act out or not follow the rules; I have simply concluded that if we are at home or out in public he is not going to be a perfect little gentleman everyday. Here is our month of parenting in review:

1. The Nuknuk fairy. You may remember how the nuknuk fairy had made its way to our house. Well the nuknuk fairy went away without any nuknuks. For 3 1/2 days we lived without a nuknuk. At first, Jayden was doing pretty good (and I use that term loosely). During bedtime on the 3rd day Jayden woke up around mid-night absolutely screaming and bawling his eyes out. Nothing I, nor Adam, could do would calm him down and I mean nothing. He worked himself up so bad he was so red in the face and out of breath. It was almost scary. Needless to say, that night he got his nuknuk back. Why you ask? Because at about 12:30 AM a Polish woman came down to our door ringing our doorbell and knocking on the door. Finally, Adam opened the door and she started to scream at us (in Polish). It was a lose/lose situation. I didn't want to give in and give him his nuknuk but at the same time I also didn't want Adam to get in trouble with the team and have anymore neighbors yelling at us. Later that night when I was putting Jayden back to sleep (with his nuknuk) he softly told me, "Momma, I have been praying to get my nuknuk back. Thank you Jesus!" And after sleeping until 10 AM the next morning, he woke up and said, "Momma, that is so very nice of you to give me my nuknuk back. Thanks Mom!" In the end I felt like he truly wasn't ready to give up his nuknuk. It is the one of the only constants he has had in his life since he was born. When the time comes I know he will give it up himself but for now, the Lord and his nuknuk will continue to comfort him while he sleeps at night and for some reason, I am now ok with that.

2. School. Three different schools, in three different countries, in three years. Some people think we are nuts to change his environment so often and even more nuts when I enrolled him in school in Poland since we knew we were only going to be here for 3.5 months. To me, it's a opportunity for Jayden. He is able to play, learn and grow with kids all around the world. You'd be amazed of how well two kids can communicate with each other without speaking the same language. It is truly an amazing thing to watch. I brought up school this month because of Jayden's behavior at home. Jayden has been tested Adam and I more then ever. I was worried that he may be acting the same way at school. So I sat down with the only English-speaking teacher at his school and asked her to be completely honest and tell me how Jayden behaves. She told me that he is a very sweet boy. Sometimes he gets a little rough with the other boys but she said it is completely "normal" for a child his age (I totally don't agree with this but that's another topic). She did tell me that one day a couple weeks ago he had knocked down one of the little girls. I was mortified. Then she continued to tell me that he immediately helped her up and said he was so sorry so I guess I felt a little better. Lastly, we concluded our conversion as the following, "Well you know (way too long of a pause) he has a lot of energy! He loves to run around and play with all the balls! All the older boys love to play with him!" And just when I thought she was going to say something I totally didn't want to hear, she told me something I have known since his birth.

3. Reaction. When I don't react, he stops. When I react, he continues to misbehave. It's not rocket science but I swear it's been working. A friend of mine I met in Poland told me that when her daughter used to throw tantrums she wouldn't react, she would just ignore her until she was done. I decided I would give it a try. Sure enough, it worked. It was amazing. When Jayden is starting to melt down or throws a tantrum I try to ignore him. Once he calms himself down and a few minutes pass I then go talk to him about what just happened. He can then express his feelings to me without yelling or getting upset. I have noticed an improvement in his behavior ever since trying this method. It probably isn't the best parenting advice but it works for us.

4. Daddy time. Adam and Jayden have this unique relationship. It's like they understand each other on a totally different level then Jayden and I. Maybe it's a father/son thing or maybe it is because Jayden is an exact clone of Adam, who knows; but one thing I know is when Jayden has alone time with Adam (I swear Jayden gets sick of me) he comes home refreshed and rejuvenated. He always walks through the door with a huge smile on his face and can't wait to tell me what him and Daddy just did. This past Monday I begged Adam to take Jayden to dance class, not because I had something to do but because the first time I took him he would not let go of my leg or participate at all. Sure enough, I looked in through a little crack of the door to see Jayden dancing away and having so much fun! Adam has been making it a point to do something special with Jayden once a week and it's been great! I know Jayden really looks forward to those days and I don't mind getting a little reading in while their out and about!

That is about it for our Parenting: A Month in Review. It has been a learning month for both Adam and I but the Lord has been guiding the way. Even after a difficult day I know He is in control and will continue to offer His guidance and grace to help us overcome any rock in the road.

Menu Monday

Monday

Lunch: Leftovers

Dinner: Chicken Cheese Steaks with Harrington Potatoes

Tuesday

Lunch: Cold Cut Sandwiches

Dinner: Turkey Dogs and Burgers

Wednesday

Lunch: Grilled Ham and Cheese

Dinner: Sweet & Sour Chicken over Rice

Thursday

Lunch: Broth Noodles

Dinner: Homemade Calzones

Friday

Lunch: Hot Sandwiches

Dinner: Fajitas (yum!)

Saturday

Lunch: Chicken Quesadillas

Dinner: American Chop Suey

Sunday

Lunch: Pizza

Dinner: Chicken with Mashed Potatoes and Corn

I can't believe it's the last Monday in March. Over the past month I have shared with all of you what we eat every night as a family. It is easy to see we are not the "healthiest" eaters but I have improved a lot since Adam and I first started dating. I try to make as much as I can from scratch and use little to no red meat, i.e., turkey meatballs, turkey dogs and lastly, I hate when food goes to waste so I try to re-use our leftovers to make something else (leftovers have been minimal this season because we have one of Adam's teammates over every night for dinner).

I don't want to make excuses but when we are in the states our weekly menus are much more of a variety. As you can see now, we eat a LOT of chicken and I will be the first to admit, I can get sick of too much chicken. I feel like I have so many more options in the states; such as shredded cheddar cheese, can soup mixes for casseroles, etc., it's the little things I miss which I am sure I could make from scratch but haven't set out on that adventure yet! I plan on continuing to work on more of a variety as well as more vegetables for the next few months when we get home. Hopefully that will carry on to next season wherever we may be!

Sacrifice

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary the word sacrifice means:

1. an act of offering to a deity something precious; especially: the killing of a victim on an alter.

2. something offered in sacrifice

3. a destruction or surrender of something for the sake of something else

As humans we make sacrifices everyday; some little and some big. As a professional athlete, Adam has made more sacrifices in his 29 years of life then most humans will in their lifetime. But to him, that was his choice. He made sacrifices when he was younger to become where he is today.

So why am I talking about sacrifices? After spending 40 minutes of shooting (on a regulation hoop, with a small ball) Jayden was so frustrated. He was unable to make one shot while Daddy was making all of his. After a couple meltdowns, he had finally made one shot. He was so proud of himself. When we were talking about what had happened at the gym after he was having a hard time understanding why Daddy can make all of his shots and he can't. I began to explain to him the sacrifices Daddy made throughout his life to get where he is today. I explained to him that while some kids are sitting infront of the television playing video games, Daddy was outside practicing basketball.

Later that night Jayden and I were reading one his bibles and talked about how Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice (in toddler terms). We ended reading his bible and said some prayers. He proceeded pray that everytime he misbehaves or mistreats someone he hopes Jesus will forgive him. It was just about the cutest thing I have ever heard. As much as I feel Jayden "kinda" understands about sacrifices, I really don't know he truly understands why we make sacrifices or why Jesus sacrificed Himself for His people. We will continue to work on explaining to Jayden why Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice for us and how He restored the pathway for humanity to come back to God.

In conclusion, I ask you, what sacrifices do you make? Do you make sacrifices that benefit others more then it benefits yourself? What sacrifices can you make today to strengthen your relationship with Jesus? Don't forget who made the ultimate sacrifice for you!

My Dream of being a Stay-At-Home-Fashion-Mom...

just came true! You may remember this post about being a professional basketball player and longing to be a fashionable stay-at-home Mom. Adam receives countless packages from numerous companies of clothes, shoes, gear, etc, due to his profession. However, since I am a stay-at-home Mom I feel like I should be able to go shopping for clothes since I don't get any "free gear" for my job.

So how did my dream come true? Adam is close with Dirk's Nike Representative who is based in Germany. He is an extremely nice guy so Adam asked him if he would send something for me next month instead of him (how sweet is that?) Last night Adam said had a surprise for me! I had no idea what it could be but as soon as he came out of the locker room I saw 3 packages with the word "Nike" on the packaging label! Of course I couldn't wait, so I ran home to open the packages! They were full of workout gear and a pair of the newest Nike kicks! It totally made my dream of being a fashionable stay-at-home Mom come true! I don't care if I never receive anything else in my lifetime; this one shipment was plenty!

(I can't wait to post some picture; who ever thought workout gear could be so cute)!

Soup Noodles

At least once a week we have "soup noodles." It's Jayden's favorite meal and if you asked him what he wanted for lunch or dinner he would say "soup noodles!" Some of you may be wondering what "soup noodles" are. To be honest, I have no idea what they are but we absolutely love them!

Shopping List

No. 5 Spaghetti

Knorr Bouillon aux Herbs et a l'huile d'olive

Why in French? Because we had stocked up before we left France last year to bring them back to the United States and now to Poland. Basically they are bouillon cubes with herbs and olive oil. We use the Knorr brand but other commons brands are Oxo, Kallo, Hormel, etc. I am not sure what is available in every country, but they are very common.

Directions

Prepare spaghetti according to box and simply add 2 or 3 cubes to the water. When the noodles are done place a bowl underneath the strainer to collect the "broth/water." Fill your bowls up with spaghetti and lots of broth and have fun slurping!

Menu Monday Cont.

Adam is finally home this weekend so I had to plan meals through Sunday this week!

Thursday

Lunch: Calzones with Chef Salads

Dinner: Soup Noodles with Grilled Ham & Cheese

Friday

Lunch: Cold Cut Sandwiches and Tuna Salad

Dinner: Metropolis (our favorite Italian joint)

Saturday

Lunch: Chicken Quesadillas

Dinner (pre-game meal): Egg Noodles with Italian Chicken

Sunday

Lunch: Leftovers

Dinner: Turkey Burgers and Potatoes

You Know You're a Basketwife When...

in Europe, bagging your groceries turns into a competition between you and the check-out lady to see who finishes first.

I don't mean to brag, however, I have mastered the art of bagging your own groceries in Europe. 99% of the time I am done at the same time (or a couple seconds before) the check-out lady shows me the damage!

Happiness

Psalm 144:15 from the New International Version reads, Blessed are the people of whom this is true; blessed are the people whose God is the Lord. In other versions of the bible the word "blessed" is substituted with "happy." So where am I going with all of this? On Monday morning when I returned home after bringing Jayden to school, Adam and I watched a mini podcast by Joel Osteen. His message was on happiness. Joel Osteen always gets my brain flowing but this message really had an impact on the rest of my day.

From the moment we wake up in the morning our first words, thoughts and emotions have an impact on how the rest of our day is going to go. For example, those people who wake up thinking, "It's going to be a bad day, it's Monday" or "Why does my son not sleep in like other children?" Those negative thoughts and emotions of anger are going to have an impact on the rest of the day. Instead of thinking of Mondays as a "bad day" why not make Monday a day of excitement of how you are going to tackle the rest of the week and why not thank the Lord that you have a child and on top of that a child who has a bed to sleep in and a roof to protect him while he sleeps.

It may be surprising to people but happiness is a choice. One must set themselves up to be happy; don't set the bar of happiness so high that it seems impossible to achieve. Don't be led by your emotions; emotions can be dangerous. Your emotions can change with every little thing that happens during the day. If you don't get ahold of your emotions you can end up on a rollercoaster. Regardless of your emotions, happiness is still a choice. Lastly, choose your thoughts wisely. If you think you are unhappy then you will be unhappy. The Lord is on your side if you give him the chance and the praise. Happy are those people whose God is the Lord!

Monday Menu

After a "different" week last week, I am back to Monday Menu!

Monday

Lunch: Tuna Melts

Dinner: Spaghetti with Homemade Meatballs

Tuesday

Lunch: Pigs In A Blanket with French Fries

Dinner: Chicken Bites with Potatoes and Corn

Wednesday

Lunch: Pizza and Salad

Dinner: Hot Sandwiches with Pasta Salad

On Wednesday I will conclude the weekly menu through Sunday!

You Know You're a Basketwife When...

it doesn't surprise you when there is at least one teammate over for dinner every night because out of 4 Americans you are the only American wife on the team.

Cinnamon Roll-Ups

For a special morning breakfast, Jayden loves to make cinnamon roll-ups (he named them)!

Shopping List

Pastry or croissant crust

Cinnamon

Sugar

Preheat oven to directions according to pastry or croissant crust

Directions

Lay out pastry crust and cut into small, long triangles

Mix cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle onto little triangles (the more, the better)

Roll up like little croissants

Place on greased pan and cook until golden brown

Add some fruit to the table and your totally unhealthy breakfast treat has a little more nutritional value.

Verse of the Day

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. -Romans 15:13

The last few days have really been a test for Adam and I as parents. But at the end of the day we trust that our God will continue to meet our needs and help us get where we need to be; especially as parents. We will continue to use the qualities God has given us to be the best that we can be.

Monday Menu

Monday Menu will be postponed until next Monday. We have had an unusually week that leaves me running to the store and picking up a few things to put together for dinner.

The NukNuk Fairy has yet to come to our house. Why? Because Jayden is having an extremely hard time adjusting to sleeping without his pacifier. My heart melts as he is begging so sweetly for his pacifier but Adam and I are staying strong and not giving in. I know what we are doing with benefit him in the end. It has been a very long two days but we are continuing to pray that the Lord will offer Jayden more comfort as he is going through a stage of transition. A good friend told me that, "a harvest of righteousness will be your reward in the years to come." I know that I can continue to help Jayden work through this transition in life because the Lord is with us and there are rewards for the righteous!

You Know You're a Basketwife When...

there is nothing a team can say or do that amazes you. You've heard it all. For example, tonight two of the best players aren't playing because the coaching staff believes there is absolutely no way they can win (yes, they are playing the best team who just made it to the Euroleauge top 8) but that doesn't give you the right to tell two players they aren't allowed to play because they need them ready for the next game in 11 days. Both Adam and Darelle will not be playing tonight so I have yet to decide if we will go to the game or not. Only in Europe...

The Nuknuk Fairy

I can't believe I've done it. But today was the day.

After a major (and I mean MAJOR) meltdown this morning I decided it was time to toss the pacifiers in the trash. The problem is when Jayden has a meltdown he doesn't know how to calm himself down until he finds his pacifier. At 3 years old, I truly think he should be able to find other ways to sooth himself; his doudou, blanket, a hug, anything but nothing works. So as he was screaming at the top of his lungs this morning for his nuknuk I decided it was time.

After discussing it with Adam quickly, he agreed that it was overdue so we are now working together to get Jayden pacifier free. Some of you may be thinking I am nuts and can't believe Adam and I have to "work together" to get this done. I am being 110% honest when I say Jayden absolutely loved his pacifiers. Ask anyone who knows him well enough. He relied on his pacifier every nap and every night to sooth himself to fall asleep. And now they're gone.

We are currently in our first test: nap time. I put Jayden down at 1:45 PM and by 2:10 PM he had fallen asleep. I am not sure how long he will sleep or what will happen if he wakes up but we shall soon see.

Oven Roasted Potatoes

The best side to any meat dish. Hands down.

Shopping List

1 envelope Lipton Recipe Secret Onion Soup Mix

5-6 all-purpose potatoes, cut until small chunks

1/4 cup vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Directions

Mix onion soup mix, potatoes and oil in large baggie. Make sure all potatoes are coated evenly. Add more oil if necessary.

Place potatoes into a greased 13x9'' baking or roasting pan and cook for 35 minutes or until tender.

Add-ons: You can add some garlic powder or try substituting sweet potatoes instead of regular potatoes.

Verse of the Day

We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. -Romans 8:28

God is working in our lives daily. He is leading us down a path to places He wants us to go. If we believe and seek His purpose daily He will continuously guide us every step of the way.

Snickerdoodles

If there is one cookie I can't resist, its snickerdoodles!

Shopping List

1/2 cup soft butter

1/2 cup shortening

1 1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 3/4 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons cream of tarter

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Directions

Mix butter, shortening and sugar

Blend in baking soda, cream of tarter, salt and cinnamon

Form 1 inch balls and rolls them into a sugar and cinnamon mixture

Bake for 8-10 minutes

Professional Athletes & Social Networking

Who ever said playing professional basketball Europe wasn't better then the NBA? At least our men can tweet and use facebook without any controversy. Check out the article posted on FoxNews.

Facebook: Love or Hate?

This post has been a long time coming as I currently have 46 pending friend requests. I throughly enjoy Facebook. It is a great way to stay in touch with people from all over the world. Since we live in Europe almost 9 months out of the year, I think it is very important to find ways to stay connected with friends and family back in the states. Between email, Skype, BlackBerry Messenger and facebook I think that Adam and I do a great job of staying connected. But as much love as I have for facebook, I also share some resentment towards it.

Is it bad that facebook is a Bookmark Tab on my Mac? Or that it's one of the top 5 websites I visit daily? In my eyes, the problem with facebook is that it can turn into people just being plain nosy. Do my 46 pending friend requests want to talk to me or do they really just want to be my friend to see my information, pictures, what people write on my wall or what my status updates are?

Being engaged to a professional athlete, who also has a facebook account generates a lot of friend request as well. At least 1/3 of my current friend requests are supporters of Kotwica Kolobrzeg. It is not that I don't want to be friend with them and I don't want to be mean in any way, shape or form, but again, do they want to talk with me or do they just want to be nosy?

It wasn't until I really cut my friend list back that I finally put pictures of Jayden on my facebook. With the amount of "friends" I had before I cut it back, there was no way I wanted to share personal photos of my son for everyone to see. Between sharing personal photos of my family, my son and my travels on facebook, updating my status daily to let my family and friend know how and what we are doing, for me facebook is not a "let the entire world in on my business" but instead a place where I can connect with those that are close to me.

With that being said, I, again, really enjoy the benefits of facebook. Between meeting some amazing women of God who have given me advice on everything from potty training to good books to read and many basketwives who I share so many similarities with I have made some great "friends." For now, I will keep my facebook friends list to a minimum not because I want to shut anyone out but because I feel it is necessary so I can concentrate on those people who God has put in my life.

Easy Chicken Bake

I "borrowed" this recipe off the box of Stove Top Stuffing and it is always a hit!

Shopping List

2 pkgs of Stove Top Stuffing Mix for Chicken (original recipe calls for 1 but I have found 2 works much better

1.5 lbs of boneless chicken breast, cute into 1-inch pieces

1 can of condensed cream of chicken soup

1/3 cup Sour Cream

1 bag of frozen mixed vegetables, thawed and drained

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Directions

Prepare stuffing mix as directed on package and set aside

Mix chicken*, soup, sour cream and vegetables in 13x9'' baking dish; top with stuffing

Bake for 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through

*I have made this recipe numerous times and I pre-cook the chicken, not all the way through but just enough. I find the entire dish cooks better!

Menu Monday

Adam is on the road again this weekend so once again I planned our weekly menu through Thursday (Jayden and I usually take-out or just keep it very simple)!

Monday

Lunch: Turkey Dogs and French Fries

Dinner: Hot Sandwiches and Garden Salads

Tuesday

Lunch: French Toast with Eggs and Potatoes

Dinner: Turkey Burgers

Wednesday

Lunch: Grilled Ham and Cheese

Dinner: Teriyaki Chicken with Onion Potatoes

Thursday

Lunch: Homemade Calzones

Dinner: Spaghetti with Homemade Turkey Meatballs

Verse of the Day

These commandment that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and what you get up. -Deuteronomy 6:6-7

I tweeted the other day about how much better my day is when the first thing I do when I wake up is reach over for my Bible and begin to read. We as Men and Women of God should be reminded that every day we wake up God has granted us with another day to serve Him on this amazing earth. We must go about our days teaching and showing our children that life can not be taken for granted and that everyday we must live through the blessings God has offered us. As Jayden has been "testing" my patience this last week I have began to really look to God for answers and because I know He will break this storm I am staying in faith and letting God get me where I need to be.

Homemade Macaroni & Cheese

Shopping List

8 oz package of elbow macaroni

1/4 cup butter

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon dry mustard

2 cups cheddar cheese

2 1/2 cups milk

1 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Directions

Cook 8 oz of macaroni and set aside.

Mix butter, cornstarch, dry mustard, salt and pepper in pan over medium heat. Stir until smooth and bubbly.

Gradually add milk. Cook and stir until sauce is boiling.

Turn temperature to low. Gradually add in 2 cups of cheddar cheese (do not start adding cheese until above ingredients are boiling).

Constantly stir sauce until thick.

Add macaroni and cheese sauce to a greased 2 quart casserole dish. Cook uncovered for 20-25 minutes.

Somethings we like to add to our macaroni and cheese: chucks of ham and/or tomatoes. Also, if interested add some crushed cracks to the top (not my favorite but Adam loves it)!

This is my favorite recipe and by far the best homemade macaroni and cheese I've ever had!

3 Year Old Check-Up

25 percentile for weight. 95 percentile for height. Enough said.

(I guess I shouldn't be surprised considering Adam was 5' 3'' and 112 lbs in 8th grade).

Broccoli Casserole

Shopping List

1 can of cream of mushroom soup

1 frozen chopped broccoli

1 8oz package of Valveeta cheese

3/4 cup of Minute Rice

1/2 stick of butter

Ritz crackers

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Directions

Salt the bottom of a mixing bowl

Add soup

Chop Valveeta into 1/2 inch cubes and add to bowl

Cook frozen broccoli and add to bowl

Melt 1/2 stick of butter in pan and add enough ritz crackers to cover the top

Add mixture to 2 quart casserole dish and top with ritz crackers

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

This is the easiest, most delicious recipe I may own. It is Adam's favorite and he enjoys it along with some simple chicken or ham.

Menu Monday

Below is our menu for this week. Adam is on the road this weekend so I only planned meals this week for Monday through Thursday. Look out for the recipes for this weeks menu sometime during the week.

Monday

Lunch: Grilled Turkey & Cheese

Dinner: Homemade Pizza Roll-Ups & Chef Salad

Tuesday

Lunch: Broth Noodles with Garlic Bread

Dinner: Chicken Cheese Steaks with Onion Potatoes

Wednesday

Lunch: Cold Cut Sandwiches

Dinner: Carbonara Pasta with Chicken

Thursday

Lunch: Chicken Quesadillas

Dinner: Turkey Burgers and Turkey Dogs with Macaroni Salad

March Munchie Madness

February is over. March has just begun. I hope you all enjoyed Jayden's favorite items throughout the month of February. A new month means a new topic! This month will be based on March "Munchie" Madness. I will be sharing all of my favorite recipes as well as the weekly menu in the Harrington household (yes, I make a menu every Sunday night of what we will be eating for lunch and dinner throughout the week). Before we get started I need to clear a couple things up:

1. I am the World's Pickiest Eater and it is my goal in life to make Jayden the complete opposite.

2. Before I met Adam I would not even come close to touching raw chicken.

3. I like/enjoy a total of 4 fruits and 3 vegetables.

4. I do not eat any red meat and I never will.

5. My recipes take no rocket scientist to create usually consisting of 3-8 ingredients but they are delicious!

So you may now be wondering why I cook? I throughly enjoy cooking. I consider myself a "good" cook. By no means am I great and I usually have no idea what I am doing but I am always willing to try new recipes and prepare a good, somewhat nutritious meal for my family. I think it is so important to sit down and enjoy meals, especially dinner, together as a family. There have been numerous studies that connect better performance in school and less likely to have a substance abuse problem with families that sit down and have dinner together 5 times a week. As a family, we have a home-cooked lunch and dinner 6 days a week (usually on Saturday nights we order in or go out) and I am so thankful that Adam's career allows him to do such a thing.

There you have it! I hope you enjoy the next month of easy and good recipes! Bon Appetit!