Celebrating Mom on Mother's Day

A Mothers work is never done. It is time to honor Mom for all the loving things she does every single day. Have you thought about how you will celebrate Mom? I have the menu planned for the entire day. Just a little planning and Mom will not have to step a foot in the kitchen all day long.

First of all, print out the recipes below and make your grocery list. Shop for your groceries on Saturday before Mothers Day. Dont forget to pick up some flowers for Mom. Once you come home, make the Buttermilk pie, Baklava Mini Bites and your Strawberry Soup. After you finish with the desserts and soup, prepare your Melba toast and toast your pecans. This will help with your Mothers Day meal preparations easier.

On Mothers Day get up early and prepare a wonderful breakfast in bed for Mom. This should take about 45 minutes to prepare.

For breakfast you will serve:

Cinnamon French Toast

4 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
A sprinkle of sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
6 slices of dense bread
Maple syrup

Mix the eggs, milk, vanilla, sugar, and cinnamon in a shallow, wide-bottomed bowl that is large enough to accommodate a slice of bread. Grease a griddle with melted butter or margarine. Heat the griddle to 350 (medium-high heat). Dip a slice of bread into the egg batter, coating both sides. Remove the bread and place it on the hot griddle. Brown the bread on both sides, cooking each side about 2 to 3 minutes. Serve with maple syrup. Makes 6 servings

Variation: Top with maple syrup and berries of your choice: strawberries, blueberries, or raspberries.

Spiced Bacon Twists

1 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 lb. sliced bacon

Arrange oven racks in middle and bottom positions. Preheat oven to 350̊F. To make clean-up easy, line bottom of a broiler pan with foil.

Place a sheet of waxed paper on shallow tray or counter. Place brown sugar, mustard, cinnamon, nutmeg and cayenne on waxed paper and rub together with your fingers until mixture is evenly blended.

Dip bacon strips into sugar mixture, coating evenly. Twist each bacon strip several times. Arrange about half the slices in a single layer on rack of broiler pan. Bake 30 minutes or until bacon is almost crisp and sugar is bubbly. Carefully place hot bacon strips on a piece of clean aluminum foil to cool slightly before serving. Repeat with remaining bacon slices and sugar mixture. These may be served warm or a room temperature.

Makes about 24 servings.

Almond Tea

4 Tea bags your favorite tea from our Traditional Teas Collection
1/2 teaspoon Lemon zest, finely grated
4 cups boiling water
1/2 cup Sugar
2 tablespoons Lemon juice
1 teaspoon Almond extract
1/4 teaspoon Vanilla

Steep tea and lemon rind in boiling water for about 5 minutes. Stir in sugar, lemon juice, almond and vanilla. Serve hot

Lunch will take about one hour and thirty minutes to prepare. For lunch you will serve:

Beer Chicken

12 chicken thighs or your favorite chicken part, skin removed
2 large onions, chopped
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tomatoes, diced
3 tablespoons ketchup
5 large carrots, peeled and sliced
2 large russet potatoes cubed
1/2 can beer
salt and pepper to taste
pinch of thyme
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 large green pepper, sliced
1 large red pepper, sliced

In a casserole dish, heat oil and saute onions until tender. Add chicken and saute until it is light brown on both sides. Add tomatoes, ketchup, carrots potatoes and beer. Season with dashes of salt and pepper and cook covered for 45 minutes. Remove the lid and add thyme and cornstarch. Stir and cook uncovered for 10 minutes. Add peppers and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Serve on a decorative platter.

Note: The cooking process removes the alcohol and leaves the yeast flavor.

Garlic Rice

2 tablespoons olive oil
3 large garlic cloves, finely sliced
2 cups rice
4 cups water or chicken broth

Over medium heat, saute garlic in olive oil until translucent but not brown. Add rice and stir until the garlic olive oil is well mixed into the rice. Add water or broth and raise heat to high. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to medium-low and continue cooking until water or broth is absorbed. Stir frequently. Serve in a decorative bowl, or surrounding the chicken on a large platter.

Roasted Broccoli

1 pound broccoli florets
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons pecans, toasted

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
In a large bowl, toss the broccoli with the oil and salt and pepper to taste. Arrange the florets in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast, turning once, for 12 minutes, or until just tender. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and lemon zest and heat, stirring, for about 1 minute. Let cool slightly and stir in the lemon juice. Place the roasted broccoli in a serving bowl, pour the lemon butter over it and toss to coat. Scatter the toasted pecans over the top. Serves 4 to 6 servings.

*To toast pecans, place in small skillet. Cook over medium-high heat 1 to 3 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring constantly

Caesar Salad

1/4 cup (1 ounce) freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground mustard
8 cups chopped romaine lettuce
4 slices (about 1-inch-thick each) French bread, cut into 3/4-inch cubes and toasted

Combine cheese, mayonnaise, water, lemon juice, garlic, Worchestershire sauce, pepper and mustard in small bowl; mix until creamy. Combine lettuce and dressing in large serving bowl; toss well to coat. Sprinkle with croutons. Serve immediately. Makes 4 servings.

Baklava Mini Bites

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup honey
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups chopped walnuts
5 (18x14-inch) sheets frozen phyllo dough, thawed

Glaze Ingredients:
1 tablespoon Butter, softened*
1 tablespoon honey
Melt 1/2 cup butter in 1-quart saucepan. Stir in 1/2 cup honey, lemon juice and cinnamon. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture is thickened (18 to 20 minutes). Remove from heat. Combine thickened honey mixture, and walnuts in small bowl; mix well. Cool to room temperature (1 hour). Heat oven to 350̊F. Cut phyllo sheets in half crosswise (14x9-inch rectangle). Place 1 1/2 cups filling on end of each phyllo rectangle. Roll up, starting at long (14-inch)edge. Combine all glaze ingredients; brush over top of dough. Cut into 1-inch slices with sharp knife. Repeat with remaining phyllo dough.

Place baklava slices onto ungreased baking sheet, cut-side down. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Let stand 1 to 2 minutes; remove from baking sheet. Serve warm or cool.

Makes 28 servings.

Serve Moms favorite beverage with the meal.

Your light dinner will take about 30 to 45 minutes to prepare. For dinner, you will serve:

Spinach and Strawberry Salad

2 bunches spinach, rinsed and torn into bite-size pieces
4 cups sliced strawberries
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 tablespoon poppy seeds

In a large bowl, toss together the spinach and strawberries. In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, sugar, paprika, sesame seeds, and poppy seeds. Pour over the spinach and strawberries, and toss to coat.

Melba Toast Recipe

Serve Melba toast with soup or salad.

1 long thin loaf of French bread
butter, softened
fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Slice loaf into 1/4-inch slices. Spread slices with butter then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Place on a cake rack or other rack over a baking sheet, so drips will be caught and air will move around the slices.

Sweet Potato Sausage Balls

3 cups biscuit mix
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
2 cups sweet potatoes, mashed
1 pound sausage

Combine all ingredients well. Shape into balls and place on greased baking sheet with sides. Bake at 350̊ for 20 minutes, until brown.

Cold Strawberry Soup

2 pints pureed strawberries
3 ounces heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon lemon juice
3/4 ounce Amaretto liqueur

Mix all ingredients and serve chilled.

Buttermilk Pie

1/2 cup butter
1 1/3 cup sugar
3 eggs, separated
3 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
pinch salt
1 pie shell, 9-inch

Cream the butter and sugar; add the egg yolks, beating after each addition. Beat in flour and buttermilk; add the lemon juice, lemon peel, nutmeg, and a pinch of salt. Beat the egg whites until stiff; fold into the filling.

Pour the filling into the pie shell; cook in center of a preheated 325̊ oven until the custard is set and slightly brown, about 1 hour. Serve with berries, fresh fruit, or dessert sauce.

Even if you do not like buttermilk, you will love this pie!

At the end of the day, prepare Mom a wonderful bubble bath. Give her a couple of magazines and light a few candles in the bathroom. Let Mom enjoy her leisure bubble bath and reflect over her day of being a Queen.

Betty Lynch, author of Back to the Table with My Country Kitchen, and owner of My Country Kitchen, Easy Answers to Bring Your Family Together. You may visit her website at http://www.mycountrykitchen.com

Stunning Looks Can Be Yours

Do you observe TV talk shows and reality shows with discouragement, wishing you could be the charmed recipient of your own extreme makeover? Fortunately, with the appropriate methods up your sleeve, you can achieve a do-it-yourself makeover at home. Even better, for this category of makeover, you wont need to go under the knife!

Prior to beginning your makeover, there are a couple of critical concepts that you need to comprehend about makeovers. Number One: Looking fabulous always commences with the basics. In other words, there is no reason to get a new haircut, applying a lot of makeup, and piling on the fancy wardrobe if your skin, hair, teeth, and body are not in great form. Number Two: Makeovers require time. When you see a TV makeover, you get the shortened version. In real life, it will almost always take weeks to months to achieve the results you want. But don't worry, because it will happen, and people will notice!

Keep in mind the four major areas that must be improved in order to have a effective makeover. Your skin must be soft, fresh, and clear, your teeth should be white, you need a flattering hair cut and color, and you need to be in marvelous physical shape. Without these four elements, you will not achieve that "healthy glow" you really wish for. Once you have these attributes, it's easy to add great clothes and flawless makeup.

I can only talk briefly about each of these areas in this particular article, but I'll give you some techniques you won't easily find anywhere else.

Blemish-prone skin can be a really frustrating problem to eliminate, but it is possible. You will need to use top-rated skin care products on your skin, but if you still have to deal with acne, you need to change your diet. Eliminate caffeine and as many chemical substances (such as high fructose corn syrup) as you can. Your body eliminates toxins through your skin, which can cause acne. See the footer of this article for the skin care products that get my highest recommendation for gorgeous skin.

An experienced stylist can design a flattering style for your face shape. You should definitely consider coloring your hair, as it can dramatically enliven your appearance.

Over-the-counter teeth whitening products are quite popular today, and definitely recommended for enhancing your smile. There are many options; just check to see that the product you choose uses hydrogen peroxide as the active ingredient. Always follow the package instructions to avoid side effects.

Most intimidating of all can be the task of trimming down your figure, but it is vital. Not only your appearance, but your health demands that you maintain a slim body. My best recommendation for losing weight is to follow the Zone Diet. You can use a website such as formulazone.com. You must seriously commit to following the diet, but if you do you will surely have success.

Even though it may take you some time to achieve, you will be beyond proud of your accomplishment when you perform a true do-it-yourself makeover. Not only will you look great, but you will realize that you have dramatically improved your overall health in the process.

Visit Foolproof Acne Cures and Sense Skin Care to get the latest products to dramatically reduce, and even eliminate, your acne. Another favorite site is Teeth Whitening.

Aero Turbine Mufflers Increase Power And Fuel Economy

The Aero Turbine Muffler accomplishes four main things. It increases fuel economy, it increases horsepower and torque, it reduces exhaust gas temperatures, and it improves engine longevity. I will explain how it accomplishes all this through its design and inner workings.

The mufflers that come on most of todays vehicles are full of baffles and restrictions. This creates back pressure on the engine that decreases performance, economy, and engine longevity. Aero Exhaust has created the Aero Turbine Muffler; this muffler has a straight through design and the inner workings of a jet engine. The muffler works like a jet engine to increase the flow of the exhaust as it flows through. This makes it so the engine doesnt have to push the exhaust away. The aero turbine actually vacuums the exhaust away from the engine. Getting the exhaust away from the engine and letting it breathe freely dramatically increases performance and engine longevity. It also reduces exhaust gas temperatures which makes it safe to add other performance modifications and run more power. Most importantly is the economy increase, especially with todays gas prices that are only on the rise. Thousands of users are experiencing huge increases in fuel economy on gas vehicles and diesels alike. Most are experiencing about a 15% increase in economy and there are even some getting up 25% better economy.

With the straight through type design of the Aero Turbine, most would expect it to be extremely loud. The swirling motion that the muffler adds to the exhaust as it flows through muffles the sound, and lowers the exhaust tone. So you end up with a deep throaty sound. It also comes in a resonated version, which has a built in resonator in the front of the muffler. Both versions have identical performance and economy increases, the only difference is that the resonated version of the muffler is closer to stock sound levels, although it still has a deep throaty tone to it. The non resonated version has more sound to it. The Mufflers work on all gas and diesel vehicles from cars to trucks and all the way up to even motor homes and RVs.

The Aero Turbine Muffler by Aero Exhaust increases engine efficiency and the Aero Exhaust Tip makes it look good - Nathan Young

5 Simple Steps to Greater Leadership Success

Managers and leaders like you have many demands on their time. In this situation it is all too easy to fall into the trap of trying to do everything and becoming overloaded. The fact is we all only have 24 hours in a day. How you use that time is what sets you apart as one of the best. So what are the 5 simple steps to greater success?

Step 1: Know your deliverables

Everyone has job descriptions, most people have some form of appraisal and some idea of what is expected of them. On the other hand, how clear are you on your key deliverables? These are what you are ultimately going to be measured on. Performance against your key deliverables impact on your salary, your promotion potential for example. Yet surprisingly, people often do not know what their key deliverables are. If this applies to you, make it a priority to find out today.

Step 2: Analyse your time

I often have clients keep a record of where they spend their time over a 2-3 week period. In many instances they discover that the bulk of their time is going on activities that do not directly contribute to key deliverables. Once you are clear on your key deliverables, do this for yourself and see if you are spending your time on what really matters.

Step 3: Make changes

Once you have analysed your time and identified mismatches between your deliverables and activities, it is time to do something about it. This might mean that you delegate more, get more selective about meetings you attend or how you deal with e-mails.

Step 4: Make time for planning

As a leader, planning is an important part of your role. You and your team need to be clear where they are heading over the coming months. Start with a plan covering the next quarter that subsequently breaks down into monthly, weekly and daily plans.

Step 5: Monitor results

Plans deliver results when they are executed. Sometimes you will get the results you expected. Other times you will get different results than you expected and may not even get any results. Make sure that when you execute plans you have a process in place to check progress and make changes where appropriate.

At the end of the day we all have 24 hours at our disposal. The question is how smart do you want to be in using this?

Duncan Brodie helps accountants and professionals to be great managers and leaders. Start to unlock your brilliance. Sign up for his free monthly newsletter at http://www.goalsandachievements.co.uk