Homemaker's Quotes

To my child:
You are the trip I did not take; 

You are the pearls I did not buy;

You are the blue Italian lake;

You are my piece of foreign sky.

~Anne Campbell

One of the luckiest things that can happen to you in life is to have a happy childhood.  ~Agatha Christie

It's better to build children than repair grownups.  ~Unknown

The best thing to spend on a child is time. ~Unknown

Hem your blessings with thankfulness so they don't unravel.  ~Unknown

Never chasten beyond the balm you have within you to bind up.  ~Brigham Young

The best way to make children good is to make them  happy. ~Oscar Wilde

The next time the children started quarreling, I fought back an urge to get angry and started singing, “Jesus said love everyone; treat them kindly too.  When your heart is filled with love, others will love you.”  Both children stopped quarreling and looked up in happy surprise.  Mother was singing!  ~Margery D. Small

[Parenthood] is a learn-on-the-job situation.  It's not for the faint-of-heart. ~Kathleen "Casey" Null

Don't think of the gray in your hair.  Think of the fun you had putting it there.  ~Anna Greenwood

Friends are important, but when you have a child you should turn into a parent.  ~Elaine Cannon

In 1939, President Joseph F. Smith taught:  "There should [not] be any of us so unwisely indulgent, so thoughtless and shallow in our affection for our children that we dare not check them in a wayward course, in wrong-doing and in their foolish love for the things of the world more than for the things of righteousness, for fear of offending them."

Beginnings

Yes, my fretting, frowning child, 

I could cross the room to you more easily.

But I've already learned to walk, 

So I make you come to me.

Let go now--There! You see?

Oh, remember this simple lesson, child,

And when in later years you cry out

With tight fists and tears--

"Oh, help me, God--please."--

Just listen and you'll hear a silent voice:

"I would, child, I would.

But it's you, not I, who needs to try Godhood."

~Carol Lynn Pearson

To be a righteous woman during the winding up scenes on this earth, before the second coming of our Savior, is an especially noble calling.  The righteous woman's strength and influence today can be tenfold what it might be in more tranquil times. ~Spencer W. Kimball (1895-1985), Prophet

"A virtuous woman" (Proverbs 31:10):

Verse    Quality

11          Can be trusted

13          Works willingly

20          Is compassionate

25          Is strong and honorable

26          Speaks with wisdom and kindness

28          Is a dedicated wife and mother

30          Obeys the Lord

...and for always letting me lick the spoon.

This card was the best present I could get on my 43 birthday from the child, (Elise--shown above), who always loves to help in the kitchen.

There is nothing wrong with the world that a sensible woman could not settle in an afternoon. ~Jean Giraudoux

Old-fashioned Travel Games

This came from a really early Southern Living Magazine--like from the mid-seventies!  I love to read really old Southern Livings.  The early eighties must have been really good issues and not disposed of cause those are the only S.L. I couldn't find.  As you can see in the scanned photos, these kids are not wearing seatbelts!!!  Well heck! neither did we in the mid-seventies.  I would have been about these children's age.  I had an aunt whose nine kids were all geniuses and they always wanted to play car games that were way over my little pea brain.  But I kept this article cause I think the little ipod thingys and other techy toys need to be left at home, and moms actually find their arts and crafts supplies, dust them off, and prepare games that can involve the whole family.

Anagram--Cut some small squares of paper.  Write one letter of the alphabet on one side of each square, making more vowels than consonants.  Turn the lettered side of each square down.  Draw six squares, and try to use the letters in one or more words.  Score one point for each letter used.
Name Pictures--Try to write your name in as many ways as you can.  For example, you can make tall, short, fat, striped, and polka-dot letters.
Pathways--Make up a theme for a game.  For example, you can choose a treasure hunt or animal safari.  Draw a numbered path of squares on a piece of paper.
Use coins for men, and throw the dice to determine the number of moves for each man.  The first one to get to the end wins.
Puzzles--Draw a picture on a piece of paper, and color it.  Cut the picture into pieces; then try to reassemble the picture.
Spot a Word--Write the letters of the alphabet in a column on the left side of a piece of paper.  Opposite each letter, write a word that begins with that letter; use only words that you actually see printed on signs along the road or the names of animals or objects you see.
Squiggles--Draw an oddly shaped line on a piece of paper; then try to turn it into a funny face by adding other lines.
The following verbal games are good to suggest to children who cannot read in a moving car.
Animal Game--Take turns naming kinds of animals.  The last one to name an animal wins.
Color Game--Name a color, and take turns naming objects that are that color.  The winner is the one who is last to name an object.
Name All Your Relatives--Name a relationship, a cousin, for example; then try to name all your cousins.  Or you can name a city or state and try to name all the relatives who live there.
Tapes--Many families take a cassette player along on trips.  Children can record impressions of the trip, or amuse themselves by recording their voices.  They can also play tapes recorded on previous trips.  (YOU CAN STILL BUY TAPE RECORDERS AND TAPES!!!--They're not obsolete!!!)

Teaching Children to Cook

A girl should learn to make a bed, 

To bake good biscuit, cake, and bread;

To handle deftly brush and broom,

And neatly tidy up a room. ~1899

These instructions are from our collection of American Girl cookbooks.  They pretty much covered everything so well, I decided to include it on my blog:

1. Always work with an adult.
2. Wash hands with soap and water.  Wear an apron, tie back your hair, and roll up your sleeves.
3. Read a recipe carefully, all the way through, before you start it.  Look at the pictures.  They will help you understand the steps.
4. Gather all the ingredients and equipment you will need before you start to cook.  Put everything where you can reach it easily.
5. A good cook measures exactly.  Here is a hint for measuring flour.  Spoon the flour into a measuring cup, heaping it up over the top.  Then use the spoon handle to level off the flour.  Don't shake or tap the cup.
6. Learn from an adult how to peel, cut or grate with sharp kitchen tools.  Always use a chopping board to save kitchen counters.
7. Pay attention while using knives so that you don't cut your fingers!  Remember, a good, sharp knife is safer than a dull one.
8. When you stir or mix, hold the bowl or pan steady on a flat surface, not in your arms. 
9. Make sure your mixing bowls, pots, and pans are the right size.  If they are too small, you'll probably spill.  If pots and pans are too large, foods will burn more easily.
10. Clean up spills right away.
11. Pots and pans will be less likely to spill on the stove if you turn the handles toward the side.
12. Have an adult handle hot pans.  Don't use the stove burners or the oven without permission or supervision.
13. Turn off the burner or the oven as soon as a dish is cooked.
14. Potholders and oven mitts will protect you from burns.  Use them when you touch anything hot.  Protect kitchen counters by putting trivets or cooling racks under hot pots and pans.
15. Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold.  If you plan to make things early and serve them later, store them properly.  Foods that could spoil belong in the refrigerator.  Wrap foods well.
16. If you decide to make a whole meal, be sure to plan so that all the food will be ready when you are ready to serve it.
17. When a recipe gives two cooking times--for example, when it says, "bake 25 to 30 minutes"--first set the timer for the shorter time.  If the food is not done when the timer rings, give it another five minutes (or more as necessary).
18. Cleanup is part of cooking, too.  Leave the kitchen at least as clean as you found it.  Wash all the dishes, pots, and pans. Sweep the floor.  Throw away the garbage.

We may live without poetry, music and art:

We may live without conscience and live without heart;

We may live without friends, we may live without books,

But civilized man cannot live without cooks.

~Owen Meredith

Tips for Toddlers

You can drag the children to church but you can't make them listen-unless you are prepared.  ~LaVern Parmalee

There comes a time, (pretty darn quick!) when most small children will no longer be content just observing the sights and sounds around them.  We've all seen children being allowed the freedom to run about willy nilly in church meetings, waiting rooms, restaurants, grocery stores, etc.  Now so common a sight, this behavior may have actually become accepted into our society.  However, I don't think this is good and can actually be injurious to the child in question, (and unpleasant to watch by others).  And as far as meetings go, unruly toddlers are distracting to the speaker and to the audience.  


Though we are tolerant with families of small children, the parents (please note I did not say the oldest child--emphasis on "child") should be making some effort to deal with the situation instead of ignoring their children, as is so often the case nowadays.  Taking a few extra precautions will make things go a little more smoothly.  If you are very sensitive to what I have stated so far, then you are probably not who I am talking about because most people who have this issue seem to be quite oblivious.  By I'll persevere anyway. 


While reading an old article in my churches' magazine (Ann Stoddard Reese, "I Have a Question," Ensign, Jan. 1977, 75), I was reminded of the many things my husband and I would be prepared to do to make outings with our littles ones much more pleasant for everyone concerned.  I made paper dolls, but out of cloth so they were soft and quiet and pretty much indestructible, and I used Velcro cut into tiny squares hand sewn onto the body and clothes to keep the clothes on.  I also sewed a giant quiet book that taught skills such as tying, zipping and buttoning.  It also taught shapes, colors, etc.  These can be bought already made at book stores.  They were just some of the quiet toys that we only used at church or other public places and were rotated out often to be disinfected and to give the children a chance to play with other quiet toys.  The items were kept in a special bag used only for these "quiet" occasions.  


My children were also taught the difference between a indoor voice and outdoor voice, a quiet voice and a loud voice, a whisper and a yell.  Yes, these must be taught!  And I learned so much from the other families with young children with whom we associated.  They had lots of good ideas.  One that was the most helpful, was to give my 3-yr. old a five-minute warning before we had to do whatever it was that the child would probably have a fit over (such as leaving playtime at preschool or the church nursery).  


An idea from the article that I have seen be very successful is to reserve the back row of the women's classroom at church for the mothers with small children.  ...(And parents--for Heaven's sake, do not change your child's poopee diaper right there in the church meeting--ICK!)...  The chairs in the meeting should be set up so that the mothers can take their children from the back row out of the room, in case their child is causing a disturbance.  My husband and I really enjoyed our children's toddlerhood and when the time finally came, we would often spend time playing with the children in nursery and participating in their activities.  This helped the transition from our knee to nursery class a little smoother. 

Tweaking the Ideal

My Grandma was a great example of a working homemaker.  No birthdays were forgotten.  Active at church.  No meals left unprepared.  Visitors were always welcome at a moments notice.  Her home was always clean and her garden full of tomatoes.  And she retired from working for the state as a secretary!  Sickening!  Though Grandma might have preferred to stay home (maybe?), she always put family first.


Barbara B. Smith, past general Relief Society president, explained that if need forces the providing role upon a mother, it is critical that she be able to work as few hours as possible to leave time for homemaking and the nurturing of her children.  “The counsel to all members to acquire training and knowledge as a hedge against a time of need is one of our best ‘storage’ concepts.”  (Barbara B. Smith, “Makers of Homes,” Ensign, Mar. 1979, 24)

Here's A List of More Homemaking Posts:
My Glamorous New Career
What do Homemakers Really Do?
Builders of Homes
The Resurgence of Homemaking in the Church

Mother as (Homeschool) Teacher, cont.

Christen and Elise, Ozark Latter-day Saints Homeschool Group

Maria Eugenia Aranda said, “A woman's role is grand in the home:  Whatever she teaches or does is going to be reflected in her children.”  This is true with the quality of homeschool education a mother gives her children.  Homeschooling must be more than a child completing work on the internet.  The sky’s the limit when schooling your own children.  In Alabama this is especially true, as we are not confined by a lot of laws. 

Anywhere in the U.S., a parent must arrange with the local school board to homeschool their children.  When we started homeschooling, it was very unpopular with the Alabama Department of Education.  This is because in Alabama we have “church schools” that do not have to follow strict state education laws.  You either join a church school that is part of an existing organized church, or like we did, join up with other homeschool Mormons and become a church school group.  And when that was not available to me, I created my own church school.  I used Matthew 18:20 to justify our home as a church school:  “Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”

During the ten years we homeschooled, we went on so many field trips around our state and neighboring states.  Even a trip to the grocery store became a learning experience.  I saved so much money homeschooling (public school is getting very expensive!)  I used these savings to place my children in after school activities such as piano lessons, art lessons, dance lessons, swim lessons, cheerleading and other sports activities.  We were very involved in scouting and Achievement Days activities.  Because school took way less than seven hours a day, my kids did not get burnt out on these additional activities.

I wish I had stuck with the homeschooling through highschool.  I left the decision up to my children.  But there is so much crap that goes on in schools, even private schools that I really do not think kids should have to put up with.  Face it, when you become an adult, if something is completely inappropriate in your environment, you can make the decision to do something about it.  This is not usually the case for children and parents in regular classrooms. 

What children are often exposed to in the public (and private) school situation shapes their lives, whether we like to believe it or not.  And usually most of it is completely worthless no matter how some folks spin “life experiences.” 

“Eighty-nine percent of children in this country are in the public schools.  They are supposed to be there many hours every week and 12 years of their lives. Those are formative years.  What values are they learning?  I believe they are learning values every hour of the day; there is no way to avoid that.
 
If they learn that you get ahead by doing your work neatly and accurately and on time, then those are the values they learn.  If they learn that you are not punished if you steal other kids' lunch money, or you vandalize the lockers, or you sass the teachers, then they will learn those values.  It's not a matter of having some "character education" course; it's a matter of what children absorb from all around them during their years at school.  ~Phyllis Schiafly

Unfortunately, my children learned a lot of unnecessary, negative messages—even from the teachers, many of which were lazy and dishonest themselves.  Used to, you had a 50/50 chance of getting a dedicated teacher.  Teachers’ unions have done their best to make this one in ten!  “If you do not have to work hard, then why bother?” is the message many school teachers are giving students such as my own children.  Work ethics and deadlines are a thing of the past!

I have recently learned about Brigham Young University’s online high school degree.  If I had it to do all over again, that is the direction I would have taken.  There are wonderful tutors that you can find (mostly by word of mouth) to help homeschool students.  When the parent might feel inadequate, personal tutors can help a child master any subject.  The following poem should be dedicated to outstanding homeschool mothers by their children, but in case you have not heard it from your own children, I dedicate it to you myself:

Thank You, Teacher (Mother), by Michele Fennell

Sometimes it's hard for 

Us little ones to say

Thank you, Teacher,

For what you taught today.

You take us by the hand

And teach us from the heart

Preparing us for life

From the very start.

We recognize the time and

Patience you give,

Teaching us the gospel

That Jesus does live.

You make us each feel special 

And we feel of your great love.

You will always be remembered

By us and God above.

Mothers as (Homeschool) Teachers

Ozark Latter-day Saints Homeschool Group Presentation

Facts taught without values creates chaos.  ~Susan Roylance

When homeschooling it helps to record what you did in each subject each day, for each child.  Special lesson plan calendars for teachers are sold at teacher supply stores.  I used one of these for each grade I was homeschooling.  You can reuse these as the children move up in grade.  Then your lesson plans are already recorded—you just need to update the calendar for each new child.  I have saved these for several years after they entered public (or private) school in case there were any question about their education and what we covered.  For new homeschooling parents, I highly recommend Homeschooling:  Answers to Questions Parents Most Often Ask, Deborah McIntire and Robert Windham, ISBN#  091611984X.  It was a huge help for our family and also includes worksheets such as lesson plan calendar pages to copy.

At the teacher stores, there are great publications for teaching the different grades such as K-3.  CopyCat Magazine was my favorite and I subscribed to it.  I loved doing every science activity with all my children no matter how old they were.  The reading activities were also a wonderful and creative extension of what the children were learning in their texts.  I could supplement any subject with an unit plan from CopyCat Magazine.  There were also tons of great artistic activities to do, including studying the great masters.  (I'm horrified to find out that CopyCat Magazine is no more!  After 20 years, the owners called it quits!  I've linked my first mention of this publication to a site where you can still shop for their products.  To find other CopyCat and similar unit activities go to:  http://www.littlegiraffes.com/easter.html 

Daily Language Review (also handwriting, math, etc.), by Evan-Moor (example ISBN 1557996563) were essential in my teaching.  I used these to review what the children had learned.  Most of the time, my kids could do these practices independently, giving me time to work with another child or prepare for the next activity.

Scholastic has many wonderful books, and because I was in charge of my own church school, I could order these books for my “class” and receive a lot of free stuff.  I liked books such as Teaching with Favorite Newberry Books  (ISBN 0590019759).  We could study Newberry Award books such as Sarah, Plain and Tall, A Wrinkle in Time, The Witch of Blackbird Pond, and Ella Enchanted.  There were lots of fun activities to choose from. 

We actually did Sarah, Plain and Tall as a short series of Achievement Day Activities when my girls were that age.  American Girls have a teacher’s guide to the Kirsten series that was the best of all their teacher’s guides at the time.  I think Kirsten is the best written American Girls series as well.  I never used a textbook for reading.  I just read what I felt was the best of contemporary writing and most of the children’s classics.  Whatever my kids were reading, I read too.

I feel that state history and geography is still important even though it is not formally taught in our state anymore, so I found old state text books, (even one from the turn-of-the-century!)  Also helpful was Sizzling State Reports, ISBN 0881602981.  I required my homeschoolers to do social studies projects as well as science projects and this was a very helpful guide. 


I recommend reading "Making Home A Learning Center," (Ensign Feb. 84).  It is article full of ideas great for homeschoolers.

Builders of Homes

Atlanta Temple, 5/24/02

I don't always kneel when I pray.  My prayers fly heavenward all day long--while I bake or drive or comfort.  I mean no disrespect to Heavenly Father, I just need him constantly while the work of woman goes on. ~Helen Lee Goates

Sister Barbara B. Smith (former general Relief Society president), taught that the Relief Society should teach "women to build a home based on gospel principles."  She said that a home such as this was possible for a woman who lives alone or one who has a family.  The home can become a "place of warmth and renewal for all who enter."

“It is often said to me that the ideal is too much to strive for, because in falling short of perfection there is too much pain, too much sorrow, too much guilt. But it is the responsibility of the Church and its leaders to teach correct principles. Each individual must apply those principles as best he can—trying, failing, repenting, trying again, and finally succeeding.“The purpose of the Church is not to condemn or discourage. Instead, the Church gives us identity and direction, stars to steer by. The purpose of the Church’s instruction on homemaking is to develop homes where people gain compassion, refinement, and moral strength. The kingdom of God is made up of sovereign individuals who use their agency to choose to live the laws of heaven. This is the way to exaltation. Eternal truths are best taught and immortal lives are best shaped in a good home. What a challenge it is to be the maker of such a home!” (“Makers of Homes,” Ensign, Mar. 1979, 24)

The words of Barbara B. Smith are more than thirty years old, but are still inspiring to me as I read them again.  They give me strength as a stay-at-home-mom homemaker.  Everyone can be a homemaker whether they stay at home and whether they have children or not.  But to be both in this day and age is truly daunting.  I heard recently that 89% of all women are in the workforce of some kind.  That left little more than a measly 10% that stay at home.  This choice has often left me feeling lonely, especially if one lives where few women stay at home.  There have been times where I lived in areas where being a stay-at-home mom homemaker was the “norm” or maybe even the concept was becoming “popular” again as many women were leaving their careers to raise their children.

I also could relate to Sister Smith’s comments about becoming discouraged.  Just this morning I woke up feeling like I have probably failed, to some degree, at every single thing I have ever tried to do.  I was seriously depressed by this fact.  I decided I needed to break out the scriptures and read next Sunday’s lesson.   This reminds me of excellent advice by Florence S. Jacobsen, “Just before bedtime prayers, evaluate each day.  Make plans for tomorrow that will move you toward your long-range goal.  Strive for a close partnership with God in making your dreams come true.”

After spiritual renewal from the scriptures, I gained some perspective.  Yes, I have failed.  I do not know of anything I have undertook, especially as a wife, mother, and homemaker, (not to mention sister, friend, and Christian), where I have not achieved the desired results I was hoping for. 

I suppose the Holy Ghost began to stir me to remembrance that much of my so-called “failure” was not necessarily all due to me, since everyone has free agency and we cannot control others.  Besides, even if I tried and essentially failed, I was better off and further along than had I not tried at all.  In a way, this could be considered "success."

It is this Hope that the Spirit fills me with that keeps me going.  Perhaps this self-doubt helps me to see personal flaws that need correcting—providing the humbling needed for “repenting, trying again, and finally succeeding.”  ...And enduring to the end.

I Love Erma Bombeck!

I just read this quote from Erma Bombeck (she has soooo many!).  I have read at least one of her books and have read her quotes throughout the years, but I have committed myself to read several of her books, beginning with, Motherhood:  The Second Oldest Profession.  Sounds intriguing, right?  If I Had My Life to Live Over is a great writing prompt for a journal entry, or Book of Remembrance keep-sake.  I think I will work on writing something like this for myself.  I hope you enjoy this quote from Erma as much as I have.


If I Had My Life to Live Over, by Erma Bombeck

• I would have talked less and listened more.
• I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained and the sofa faded.
• I would have eaten popcorn in the "good" living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.
• I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather rambling about his youth.
• I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.
• I would have burned the pink candled sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage.
• I would have sat on the lawn with my children and not worried about grass stains.
• I would have cried and laughed less while watching television, and more while watching life.
• I would have gone to bed when I was sick, instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for the day.
• I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn't show soil or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.
• Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I'd have cherished every moment, realizing that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.
• When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, "Later.  Now go get washed up for dinner.
• There would have been more "I love you's" and more "I'm sorry's."
• ...but mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute...look at it and really see it...and never give it back.

Healthy Choices for Picky Eaters

"Moms should not be a short-order cook.  Children can learn to be picky eaters by having their preferences catered to too often."  Table Talk, 1994 by Mimi Wilson & Mary Beth Lagerborg

I was a very picky eater as a child, probably more so than my pickiest child!  I used to worry about how I would get my own children to eat healthy foods when I was so picky.  But there came a point in growing up that I realized my tastebuds were evolving.  What I use to hate, I had grown to like.  It is important to put away your own old prejudice against some foods and keep experimenting.  Children need to see us try new things.  I have one child that will try anything Dad tries whether it's fried alligator or oysters on the half-shell (ugh!).  Also, I found that kids will eat anything they grow or cook themselves.  So if you can, grow a small patch of sweet potatoes, tomatoes, green beans, etc. whatever's easiest for you.

"Research shows it may take 10 to 20 tries over the course of many meals before a child eventually learns to like a new food." (Janice Newell Bissex, MS, RD & Liz Weiss, MS, RD)  Keep trying foods, since tastes might change.  However, there is no end to the assortment of foods to try. 

Kids love getting to make their own choices, so it's a good idea to provide more than one acceptable choice such as apple slices or orange slices.  Both are good choices and the child is happy 'cause they got to choose!

At times, my mom could be pretty clever, besides the old guilt trip, "There are starving children in Africa," one thing that did the trick and also works on my now teenage children is to make the food sound more interesting and exotic.  For instance letting them know that the food is French or Native American.  Also any interesting facts about the food makes it more appealing for some reason like, "bananas have a lot of potassium and will help keep you from cramping up during cross country practice."  Believe me it works!

Sometimes my 15 yr. old son will not be happy unless he gets Dominoes Pizza for dinner, so I compromise and make an attractive salad to serve on the side.  With hot dogs or hamburgers (preferably grilled), I might make (healthier than chips) Baked Potato Wedges or Rachel Ray's 30 Minutes Baked Beans.

It's true, kids, (even 20 year-old-kids), can sometimes be extremely picky eaters, which is very trying for Chef Mom!  Here are some ways I have learned to combat these picky people:

~Don't let children snack before meals.

~I make a deal that they only have to eat one bite, 

but they do have to try it.

~I experiment with recipes to find the most attractive ways to serve food.  For example, my kids were not crazy about Brussels sprouts, but I found this Martha Stewart recipe that they just love:

Brussels Sprouts in Cashew Sauce

1-1/2 lb. fresh Brussels

1/3 c. butter

1 T. brown sugar

3 T. soy sauce

2 tsp. white vinegar

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/4 tsp. minced garlic

1/3 c. cashews

If using fresh Brussels sprouts, wash thoroughly; remove any discolored leaves.  Cut off stem ends, and slash bottom of each sprout with a shallow X.  Place fresh or frozen (20-oz.) Brussels sprouts in a large saucepan; add water to cover.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, and cook 10 minutes or until tender.  Drain well; set aside.  Melt butter in a small skillet over medium heat; add brown sugar and soy sauce, vinegar, pepper, and garlic.  Bring to a boil stirring constantly; remove from heat.  stir cashews into butter sauce.  Pour sauce over Brussels sprouts.  Serve immediately.  Yield:  4 servings.

Baked Potato Wedges

2 med. potatoes

2 T. butter or margarine, melted

Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.  Scrub potatoes and cut into wedges.  Place potato wedges on a sheet of foil on a baking sheet.  Brush top side of each wedge with butter or margarine and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Bake uncovered for 20 minutes.

30 Minutes Baked Beans

6 c. Bushes original baked beans
1 tsp. coarse black pepper
3 slices bacon, copped, 1/2-in. pieces
1 med. red onion, finely chopped
1/4 c. brown sugar

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.  Pour beans into a casserole dish and place in oven. In a small nonstick skillet, cook bacon over medium-high heat 2-3 minutes.  Add onions and cook 3 minutes longer.  Slide the beans out of the oven.  Scatter the onions and bacon around the beans.  Sprinkle the brown sugar and black pepper over the onions.  Bake beans with toppings 10 minutes longer.