Recipe: "Pizza Roll" Konquers the World By Storm

Pizza Roll is a great meal and it's easy to prepare. This recipe is for six persons. Preparation time is only 45 minutes.

Ingredients:
500g piecrust
300g ham
500g sliced champignons
300g Gauda cheese
200ml sour cream
200g ketchup
2 eggs
oregano, cooking oil

Preparation:
Cut ham in little squares. Use grater to grate Gauda cheese. Slice the champignons. Mix sour cream with two whole eggs.

Put three slices of piecrust one on the top of the other. You should oil all layers of piecrust separately. Place fourth layer of piecrust on the top. Spread ketchup all over fourth layer. Place another oiled layer of piecrust. Put one half of grated Gauda evenly on piecrust. Place another oiled layer of piecrust. Put one half of prepared ham evenly on the last layer. Another oiled layer on top. Place one half of sliced champignons on that layer. Another layer. Spread this layer with prepared mix of sour cream and eggs.

Repeat all mentioned layers one more time.

Spread ketchup with oregano on the very last layer.

Now roll everything in a loaf-like shape.

Place roll into well oiled casserole, spread rest of sour cream and eggs mix on the roll and sprinkle some oregano on top.

Put it into the well heated oven (200 degrees Celsius) and bake for 30 minutes.

Tip: Roll will be much better if you put it into the fridge overnight.

When roll becomes redden get the casserole out of the oven. Cut roll into 2-3 cm wide slices.

Bon apetit!

What Women Ask Themselves on a First Date

On a first date, women talk for 80% of time and remaining 20% are reserved for men. Contrary to the popular belief, we actually think about things while we are talking. Here's a list of things we think about on a first date.

1. His wardrobe: How much time he prepared for this meeting with me? First impression is very important to women. It's imperative that he is neatly dressed. Especially on a first date. If you are sloppy, we ask ourselves: "Why we spent two hours dressing up?"

2. Is he depressive: We don't need cry babies. We are the masters of crying. We are supposed to do that, not men. A man should be a man's man. Depression is not allowed.

3. Is he staring at my breasts: Occasional glance at my decolletage is fine but don't overdo it. We need to be looked at as women. If you overdo it, we'll blush and feel uncomfortable.

4. Is he funny: Stupid and old jokes are OK only if you can tell them appropriately. Otherwise, you are a looser.

5. Is he looking like my ex: Everything depends on our experiences with ex boyfriends. So pay attention and don't repeat their mistakes.

6. Is he listening to me: We can get really angry if we notice that a man is not paying attention to what we talk about. Ask a question or two, even if you are bored. It matters a lot to us.

7. Is he generous: We dream about knights on white horses, you know. Don't let your date pay for dinner.

8. Does he understand me: We will talk at length about our wishes, ambitions and other things. You should recapitulate what we said while we are breathing.

9. Does he keep promises: You should show that you are worth the effort, especially if you are close to long term relationship. Don't give empty promises you can't carry out. Talk about something else instead.

I know we are hard sometimes, but that is what you need to deal with. You know you can't live without us!

You can also read about 10 Things Women Don't Want to Hear On a First Date.

What are you thinking about on a first date? Please let me know by posting a comment.

10 Things Women Don't Want to Hear On a First Date

Since I've been through these things a lot, I decided to spare new generations of women by revealing what you should not say on your first date.

1. Detailed description of your latest illness or operation: We are very squeamish when blood, pain and stink is in question. No women likes to listen about those no matter what kind of "Brad Pitt" you are. This rule is void only if we met in a hospital.

2. Tech-talk: When you start tech-talking, the first thing that comes to mind is: "Either he is playing smart or he wants to make me look dumb." Besides, we probably will not have a clue what you are talking about.

3. Previous relationships: Don't talk about those because we will think that you are not over them yet. Even if you are, we will compare ourselves to her. No woman wants that.

4. Sports: Yes, we heard about Ronaldinho and Tom Brady but we don't discuss Soccer Champions League and NFL. Imagine if you needed to hear about detailed cookies recipe.

5. Travel problems: If you are not Indiana Jones don't bring up this subject. If you start talking about lost luggage at the airport, we will tell you all about bus station hygiene level. Boredom never ends.

6. What you did yesterday: Believe me, this is not very interesting unless you are Jim Carrey and you are just in the middle of making your latest movie and you can make funny faces. You need talent for that. Don't even bother to try!

7. Your car: We don't know engines and carburetors and stuff. There are mechanics for that so we don't need to think about it. I'll make an exception for a Ferrari maybe.

8. Pets: Don't overdo this subject. Just say you have one (or more). We could think that you have problems with relationships with humans.

9. People we don't know: Unless you met the Pope, gossiping about people we don't know will not bring you points. We will think that you are grumpy, desperate or violent when you can talk about that to a complete stranger (us).

10. Sex: Even if we bring up this subject don't talk too much. It's a test! You will give impression that you are desperate, childish, pervert and insecure.

It's a long list. I think you should be able to think of something that is not on this blacklist.

Howto: Cheat Your Wife/Girlfriend

As you probably know by now, I'm a happily married wife. My husband has never cheated me and I don't encourage cheating by any means.

If you decided to cheat on your partner, at least try to do it the right way.

Here's what you should know before hurting your wife or girlfriend:

1. Don't avoid answering a phone: Don't avoid answering a phone when in company of other lady. They both will figure out that something is happening. First one will go nuts because you reject her calls and the other one will just know. Say it's your mom or someone from work and do a routine conversation.

2. Pick different locations: Dating places should be different to ensure no surprises. Find two favorite restaurants, two parks to hold hands in, and pray not to be caught by other lady.

3. Not in firm or neighborhood: The worst thing you can do is to have both ladies from the same environment. Then you are doomed for sure! Don't mingle within pay-list or tenants list.

4. Don't babble too much: Don't speak too much because you are essentially lying to two women. If you are not careful, you will not know what you said to whom. Women like some mystery - that makes you more interesting.

5. Protection: Practice safe sex for everyone's sake. It's the best way to stay out of trouble and ladies will not get uninvited "guests" of any sort.

6. Tree's a crowd: With two women you are the master juggler. With tree you are in trouble. Your schedule if tight even with two. With three - it's close to impossible. Why would you get yourself in trouble?

7. Not on the same day: Women can smell other women easily. They can smell even vague traces of perfume, which isn't their brand. I won't even mention other things. Best way is to have a full day for each lady. If you want to take chances, shower well, change all clothes and get some rest until next meeting.

8. On her outfield: Try to meet the ladies in their places and not in yours. Don't bring them home. There is always a chance of unwanted visit. Even if you want to take chances, carefully remove all traces left by ladies (sheets, clothing, jewelry,...) to avoid tears and apologies.

9. Keep track: Be sure to keep track of important dates, names, phone numbers and little things that ladies like or dislike because you can easily get confused by large amount of information. If you get confused - God help you!

Things you don't know can't hurt you!

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Finally, J.K. Rowling revealed the title of the title of the last book about boy wizard Harry Potter.

The title will be "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows". Spooky isn't it?

My family can't wait for the book to come out next summer. The title is very promising. Who will die!?

The title was revealed on official J.K.Rowling site in a form of a puzzle. It's very entertaining, just like in regular adventure games!

There are several steps you need to follow to reveal the mystery: go to the JKR web site, click non-text version (you need to enable browser popups for that).

Click on the red eraser in the middle of the desk.
Click on the farther door in the mirror to see a Christmas tree.
Click on the top portion of big door in the middle to see a Christmas gloriole.
Click on the upper portion of the mirror to see Christmas decoration on the ceiling.
Click on the spider web to make it disappear.
Click on the fourth chime in the window.
Click the fourth chime again and drag the key to the main door keyhole. The door will open and you'll see a Christmas present.
Click on the present to open it.
Click on "Hangman Game" and complete it by typing letters on the keyboard.

Lot of fun, isn't it?

Kids Quarrels

Quarrels among kids of same or different age groups are normal and are a part of everyday life. They are even necessary because kids estimate their strength that way. It's a rule of thumb not to get involved because kids will settle it themselves.

On the other hand, it's required that you are nearby prepared to intervene when needed. I write this from my personal experience because I witness everyday "war" between my two daughters. One is 11 and the other one is 4 years old. No matter the age difference, they always find disagreement points. Those points are completely different but the outcome is the same - quarrel and sometimes even fighting.

When fighting occurs I try to have a discussion with one kid at the time. It's a good way to find out what's going on. The kids also appreciate to have their mom just for themselves. It's the easiest way to settle things and to overcome problems.

I let them find the compromise for themselves. I get involved when arguments go on for a longer period of time. It's good to let them manage the situation because there will be times when parents are not around and they need to learn how to deal with those situations.

I try very hard not to be on anyones side. If I would do that, the conflict would only escalate. If a kid feels threatened the attacks become harder.

I always point out the good things in their relationship, the fact that they have each other unlike the single kids who miss a company. Good strategy is to point out qualities of the other kid. Younger one is creative and older one is an expert for "Barbie" and "Bratz".

Only time when my involvement is really necessary is when they start insulting each other. I don't allow that. They are instantly grounded when insults start to fly. I believe that no problem is big enough to be settled that way.

After quarrels are over we try to get to the bottom of things. We search for the cause of conflict. It's that time when both of them are calm and we can speak nicely.

We had an agreement: next time they decide to quarrel there will be no insults, to remember how much they mean to each other. If they can't settle things they should go to different rooms while they calm down.

They need to respect each other. That's what I'm trying to accomplish.

Maybe this is not the best way to overcome the differences but it works in my family. Please give me your advice on handling kids quarrels in the comments section of this post.

10 Ways To Fight Stress

Stress is like an avalanche. It starts with little things and then pulls with it the bigger ones. When facing big challenges people try to do them right and in time. Little thins are those that finish us off. When we allow them to...

Main problem is the feeling then life is becoming too complicated, with too much obligations, unpaid bills, broken appliances. Not to mention the cars.

You can't cope with that. There is a way, just be persistent.

1. Make a list: I've made a list of upcoming private and business obligations. For example: visit a doctor, get a car fixed, meetings, e-mails... I've unloaded my brain and became concentrated on other things.

2. Group your obligations: I've grouped my obligations by listing all items connected to an obligation. For instance- shopping: I've made separate lists of groceries, beverages and house cleaning stuff. It's easier to find your way around the store that way. You won't forget anything and you'll finish shopping earlier.

3. Priorities: It's easy to say: "Make plans." It's harder to execute. For me, the first priorities are things that make our life easier and more comfortable. Paying bills for utilities, Internet, schooling... Without paying these I'll have a hard time to complete other obligations.

4. Electronic planner: Electronic planners are handy because they don't occupy a lot of space. All information is in one place and I always have a nice overview of things. It was a fun toy at the beginning and later became a habit. Useful habit.

5. Don't waste your strength on small things: I told you that the little things are the ones that start an avalanche. How many times small tings made you crazy. For example, everything is just fine, your guests are almost here but a light bulb in hallway is out of order; or noisy laundry machine; or used up remote control batteries... I have a rule to do at least one thing from the main list (look at item 1.)

6. Don't just fuss over broken things: Out of order things are the source of stress. Instead of getting nervous I try to fix broken things or call the handyman. It's cheaper then headache pills.

7. Distribute responsibilities: I've distributed responsibilities among my family members. That way I don't need to work all day long. Husband and kids can help a lot when needed. I've reduced my stress level, others were useful and we completed our tasks in time. This can be a model for companies, too.

8. Say "No": I've learned to say "No!" It was hard at the beginning, but... it's much easier now. Why should I do something that is not my responsibility? Collecting toys, preparing books for school... it's not my business. Everyone has to know their duties.

9. Don't hold off things for tomorrow: I've tried the famous excuse - I'll do it tomorrow, I don't feel like doing anything now. Then I realized it's not working that way. Chores started to pile up, my consciousness went wild and stress began to mount. I started working under pressure.
Then I changed my approach. I started to implement previous eight tips. In the beginning, I didn't manage to complete everything on the list (because there were too many) but I didn't panic. Step by step, things went to normal.

10. Think positive: I've learned to face difficult challenges and to get valuable experience out of them. It's not a big deal to do just one thing. Big deal is to accommodate all duties.

All in all, you can always go out with friends. It always helps!

Recipe: Charlotte Cake

Today I'll explain how to make a Charlotte Cake.

Ingredients:
250 grams of margarine
8 tablespoons of sugar
7 larger eggs
250 grams of cooking chocolate
2 vanilla cream
2 packs of lady's fingers
aluminum foil

Preparation:
Put slightly melted margarine and 7 tablespoons of sugar into a mixing bowl. Whisk it well with a mixer.
Melt cooking chocolate with 1 teaspoon of cooking oil and add it to margarine mixture. Whisk again with mixer.
Add one egg at the time and whisk with mixer at highest speed. Eggs should be cold before using.
In a separate bowl, make 1 vanilla cream. There is usually a recipe for that on the vanilla cream packaging. Add it to the mix and slowly stir with a spoon.
Cover the bottom and the sides of deeper pot with aluminum foil.
Melt one tablespoon of sugar with a glass of water (200 grams) in smaller pot.
Quickly dip lady's fingers in sugar water. You must quickly take out lady's fingers to prevent from breaking them. Make a mold out of lady's fingers by arranging them along the sides and the bottom of the pot.
Pour prepared cream and cover the top with what's left of lady's fingers.
Put prepared cake into the freezer for 24 hours.
Decorate with whipped cream before serving.

Bon apetit!

35 Secrets Of Great Cake Makers

Here is a list of 35 practical tips for you to become awesome cake maker.

1. All ingredients must be fresh and of good quality.
2. Use beam scale to measure ingredients. Don't estimate.
3. Always beat egg whites thoroughly than add yolk.
4. Leave egg whites to cool off for 10 minutes before making whipped cream.
5. When you add flour, walnuts or something similar to beaten egg (whites or yolk), always stir the mixture with a spoon or mixer at low speed.
6. Always smear butter or margarine on cake pans or cooking pots. Dust with flour after that and shake out excessive flour.
7. Baked cake will taste better if you use butter to smear the bottom of the cooking pan.
8. Side-opening molds are the best for baking cakes because they will not stick to the bottom or the sides.
9. If the cake sticks to the bottom of the pan or mold, hold it over the boiling water.
10. If you baked the cake in a mold with detachable sides, when it's done, put the mold on the cake plate top-down and then take off the mold.
11. If your cake is still stuck, don't worry. Use thin sharp knife to cut the cake near the sides of the mold.
12. Always bake the cake crust on moderate temperatures.
13. You should bake the cake in appropriately heated oven. During the baking phase, never open the oven door. If the oven overheated you will cool it down by putting a pot filled with cold water.
14. To check whether the cake crust is done stick a toothpick in the middle. If it stays dry and clean then the cake crust is done.
15. Put a tablespoon of cooking oil along with butter to make chocolate glaze shiny.
16. If you use vanillin sugar then, at the end of filling mixing phase, add it to the mixture to ensure that sugar crystals will melt.
17. If you use vanilla sticks it's best to cut them in small pieces and put them into a cream before you finished cooking it. Remove the pieces of vanilla sticks before the filling phase.
18. Add one tablespoon of flour to steam cooked cream to make it thicken faster.
19. Keep eggs on room temperature for three hours before mixing.
20. If you add fruit in the cake, first mix it with a little flour to keep it away from the bottom.
21. Pour hot water over the almonds and dry them up after a few minutes to peel them. Roast peeled almonds in well heated oven.
22. You need only to peel almond for chopping. To prevent it slip through your fingers dust it with some sugar powder.
23. If you want to use hazelnuts, roast them in the oven just before using, on 150-200 degrees Celsius. Hazelnut is roasted when you can remove the husk by rubbing it with your fingers. Hazelnut should be ground only when it's cold.
24. Cake should be cold before filling and cutting.
25. It's easier if you cut cake crust with sharp thin knife or thread. Mark cutting lines with a knife and use strong thread to cut.
26. You decorate the cake always starting with sides and you should put bottom up because it's completely flat.
27. Spread cream over the sides first. Press ground walnuts with a scoop to the sides. Afterwards, proceed with decorating of the top.
28. You should always decorate the cake right on serving plate which should be completely flat, otherwise the middle part will sunk.
29. It's best to serve the cake on special decorative plates, preferably made of glass. If you don't have such a plate it's ok to use plywood coated with plastic. It's easy to preserve such a plate. You should always put over some decorative pad first.
30. To keep decorative paper pad clean while applying the cake filling, protect it with several table napkins. You can easily remove the napkins when needed.
31. Always mark cake pieces before cutting. Put a knife in a cold water before marking the pieces.
32. Serve the cake on small plates only.
33. Cake is eaten only with small forks. If the cake is hard, serve a small knife also. Only when it's ice cream cake then you should serve spoons.
34. Give small napkins to guests when serving a cake.
35. Server cups with cold water or lemonade to the guests after you give the cake. Don't make lemonade to sweet.

I hope my advice will help you. If you have any other tips please leave them in the comments section.

Child Abuse Horrors

This post is about homes. There are some disturbing things happening in the world that made me think hard.

Each day, when you watch media headlines, there is at least one saying "Abused child", "Two years old beaten", "He tied up daughter and son"... All this is happening right in peoples homes, places that are supposed do be safest shelters for everyone and especially the kids.

I don't want to get inside those monsters minds. There are experts who can do that. What worries me is what happens to these kids afterwards?

What do they feel when go back to that house? What happens in their little heads? Who can they trust when the were let down by people who they trusted the most? How do they look at the world?

Can we just for an instant close our eyes and imagine all the horrors they had to live with. Imagine the memories that they will carry with them as long as they live and wherever they go.

When such things happen, officials are talking about "safe houses" and they let the courts handle it. All media attention goes to the monster and rarely to the children who suffered. Did they recover? Can they lead a normal life?

Those kind of things didn't start yesterday. They happen regularly from long time ago. How many ruined children lives before we figure out how to prevent it? How do we protect the innocent? How can we make our own houses "safe"?

For starters, we must stop being quiet and turn our heads away. Then we need courage to face the problem in a long run and finally the persistence to find the best solutions.

This is one mother of two thinking aloud...

Recipe: Pork Ham Roll

Today's recipe is Pork Ham Roll. It can be served as a lunch, hot or cold.

Ingredients:
2 kg pork ham
600 g mincemeat
100 g Gauda cheese
Salt, pepper, chili
Cooking oil
Aluminum foil
Kitchen string

Preparation:
Thoroughly wash pork ham, let it dry, cut lenghtwise 1 cm off the edge (open it like a book). Beat it with pestle and add salt and pepper.

Mix mincemeat with chili, salt and pepper and spread it over previously cut pork ham. Roll the pork ham, tie it with kitchen string, pour some cooking oil over and cover with aluminum foil.

Put everything in heated oven and roast on 250 degrees Celsius for one hour.

Briefly take the meat out of the oven, remove the foil and put back into the oven for another 45 minutes. Meat shoud have crispy crust when done.

Bon apetit!

Let Me Tell You About My Cat...

In previous posts I mentioned that we have a cat called Marko living with us.

Cats are delicate creatures. Every cat has its own ways. I can't help you much with advice so I decided to share some events so you might recognize your problems. Maybe you can help me with my problems, too!

My Cat Arrives In New House

The cat Marko is six years old. He is a street cat. I found him at the bus station when I was returning from work one day. He was a month old at the time, all dirty, wet and hungry. Then it all began...

I decided to take him home, to my parent's house, where I lived. I wanted to feed him and to release him afterwards. Then he fell asleep so I decided to let him sleep for a while. It was getting dark and I said: "Well... let him stay for the night only." Days went by and here we are - six years together.

Then I got married.

My Husband Don't Like Cats & the Horror of Moving

I went through some rough times to make my husband accept that I'll be moving in with a cat to his house. I managed to persuade him and he unwillingly agreed... With tears, of course! My husband had a dog, and Irish Setter named Jimi so it's understandable that cats weren't his cup of tea.

The moving part was easier. He came in a bag with me and my stuff to our new home. Jimi stayed with my husband parents.

Marko's reaction was a nightmare. The house was still built at the time and so did a bathroom. First thing Marko did when he arrived to new house is that he hid under a bathtub. I don't know how much money we spent on various cat food to lure him out. Agony lasted for three days! He didn't eat for three days...

Unfortunately, that was only a beginning.

Like He Knew What Not to Do

It seemed to me at the time that Marko tried his best to annoy my husband.

He exclusively sharpened his claws on my husband's shoes. He didn't touch others. Every night he rushed into our bed to lie down on my husband's side. He did his best to ruin our married life. Jealousy was hanging in the air... Finally, my husband prevailed and the cat had to leave our bedroom. He figured out who is alpha male in our house.

But Marko's vengeance was quick...

We decided to have a BBQ on January the 1st that year. The only place available was a terrace, where my husband had set up everything and started making lunch. My daughter and I went out to make a snowman and closed my husband on the terrace, to keep the cold out. And then it happened...

Already roasted meat was inside, in the kitchen. Husband was closed on the terrace and Marko was all alone... My husband helplessly scratched the glass door and yelled at the cat who was contemplating what first to eat. When we finished the snowman and came back inside, only then we found out what was happening... We laughed and he never forgot that lost lunch.

War Is Over

A lot of time passed since that incident. Husband and cat managed to get along better each day. These days, I'm cat's only victim. He adores me but sometimes punishes me for the sins only he knows of. Sometimes, when I go out, he bites me as a punishment. Not to mention what happens when we're gone for a week or two.

When I get up in the morning, he knows that I'm the only one who can properly feed him.

When a New Baby Came...

After my second daughter was born, Marko became very possessive. He didn't allow strangers to touch the baby. He withstood every clumsy effort from the baby to pet him. She pulled him by the ears and tail but he didn't complain. Even today, when she cries, Marko is the first one to the rescue.

When someone in the house gets ill Marko is the first one to help. He becomes a "cat physician". He's able to sit for hours on painful spot and sometimes it's not very helpful. We have to drive him of to manage to stand up.

Marko Is a House Cat - Not a Tree Cat

Our cat grew up inside a house. He went out frequently but only along with us. One night, while we were all outside, other cat went by and Marko went after her. They both climbed on a nearby tree. We tried to lure him down but he was too afraid. We had to borrow the ladder to get him down. Since then he gets out only on a leash. Yellow one. It looks silly but it works! No more night adventures.

What Cat Eats

It's hard to please Marko when food is in question. He's not very fond of cat food (except Whiskas) but he has other preferences. He eats chips, instant soup, ketchup, cooking oil, all sorts of flowers and grass...

He doesn't like to drink water from his bowl. He prefers regular glasses. When he can't reach the water in a glass he uses his paws. In the process he sprays water around him.

When it's too hot, he cools down in the bathtub.

What can I say? Maybe he thinks he's a human?

Party Animal

No celebration can go by without him around. He has to be involved. We even get him presents for Christmas - sleeping basket, toys, balls and cans of his favorite food. What he likes the most is to slide into bags and decorative paper and to rip them apart.

Protecting His Territory

It's a known fact that male cats mark their territory. I had no clue what this can be like when a cat lives in a house. I fought with every known cleanser with no avail. I had to choose - castration or no cat in the house. Of course, I picked the castration. I couldn't imagine Marko's encounters with cars, other cats and difficulties. We went to a vet and everything went back to normal. Except that he started getting fat. He was more and more like Garfield. Even our friends started talking about how fat our cat is.

Marko Is Part of Our Family

No matter what, Marko is full-time family member.

I could write about him for days. Since the topic of this blog is household and everything about it, I'll stop now. The point is that we are much happier family with Marko around. We care about him and try to make his life as pleasant as possible.
Even my husband agrees with that

10 Steps To Prepare Yourself For Incoming Holidays

It's time to prepare yourself for craziest holidays this year: Christmas and New Year's Eve.

Grab a piece of paper and jot down all things you need to do. You can use a calendar, too. That way you will forget nothing. But what are those things?

Here's what this list should look like:

1. Gifts: don't wait for the last moment to buy Christmas presents because you might not found what you wanted to buy. Then you will waste more time searching for alternatives. Remember to buy wrapping paper and decorative ribbons when you are shopping for gifts.

2. Christmas tree: Christmas tree ornamentation is the most enjoyable event for a family. Kids love it and so do grownups. Create some rituals along the way, like father putting a star on the top of the tree or something. Before decoration, check out the ornaments and tree lights and replace the broken ones. Christmas tree should look fabulous no matter the size.

3. Menu: Two weeks in advance you should have your holidays menu in place. Check out if you have all the necessary ingredients because the worst thing that can happen is that you find out you don't have everything you need in the last moment. Avoid that at all costs.

4. Beverage: If you have guests coming for holidays, check out what they like to drink. Make sure you have enough of everything to avoid a mess when you haven't anything to serve to your guest. You need to grab a bottle of your favorite drink and enjoy yourself, too.

5. Guests: Make a guest list for your New Year's party and call them as soon as possible to make sure you are the first to invite them. Keep track of your guest's interests. Match people with similar interests to avoid uncomfortable silence when people have nothing to say to each other. It's awkward for everyone.

6. Music: Make a playlist of favorite music you will play for holidays. Play it even during preparations and have fun! You will feel better and reduce stress.

7. Wardrobe: These events are unique and try to look and feel your best. The saying goes that how New Year starts it will affect the whole year. It doesn't matter who will be in your company - you will look and feel great.

8. Hair style: Go to the hairdresser. Avoid crowds by going two weeks in advance and your hair has to settle for a while to look perfect. Go early especially if you are dying your hair because it needs time to remove all traces of dye.

9. Kids: Kids can't wait to open their presents. As the moment draws near they are becoming more and more impatient. "Please God, give me patience RIGHT NOW!" It's not about the gifts but about expectancy. The presents are ok but all those wrapping papers and decorations... Fun never ends. One advice: if you have more presents for your kids, leave one at the side and give it to them after initial fuss is over. Kids will be thrilled!

10. Greeting cards: Don't forget to send to your loved ones greeting cards. It will make them feel good. You can even make these cards by yourself (Kids Crafts: Fusilli Pasta Reindeer Christmas Greeting Card). It will show your effort to make their holidays even better.

You will make your holidays even better if you do things in time. That will give you enough space to enjoy your time with family and friends.

Recipe: Christmas Tree Cake

Here's a recipe which is perfect for socializing with your kids.

Christmas tree cake ingredients:

20 lady's fingers

125 g margarine

1 whipped cream

100g cooking chocolate

1 cup of milk

100 g ground sugar

M&M candy (or similar)

2 egg yolks

Preparation:

Step 1: 10 lady's fingers dip into sweetened milk and arrange in Christmas tree shape (like on the picture)

Step 2: Whisk margarine and ground sugar, add two egg yolks and whisk some more. Add melted cooking chocolate and whisk. When this mixtures is smooth, spread it on the arranged lady's fingers.

Step 3: Arrange 10 lady's fingers on top like in step 1.

Step 5: Prepare whipped cream and spread it over second layer of lady's fingers.

Step 6: Arrange M&M candy on top. Put the cake in the fridge for a while.

And, finally, don't forget to clean your mixer!

How to Pick a Great Christmas Present for a Pre-Teenager

There is a saying in my country which goes like this: "Small children - small problems. Big children - big problems."

And how true!

This time I'll focus on less troublesome problem - how to pick an ideal present for 10 to 13 years old girls. In this post I'll help you to pick such present and make your daughter satisfied!

The problem lies in the fact that kids of this age love both the toys and things grownups use. Books play an important part in that age.

My older daughter is now 11. When we ask her what would she like to get for Christmas, she usually says that she doesn't know and that we should think of something.

We used to give our older daughter several smaller (less expensive) gifts. For example: a music CD, some makeup for kids and some doll (Bratz or Barbie). We investigate what's popular with her friends first.

The same story will happen this year. Bunch of hard choices, dilemmas and finally that moment... will she like it? She always did!

Let's see how to "read their minds" and give them something cool. Here is my list of great Christmas presents for pre-teenager girl. (note that you can click on the product names and buy them at Amazon.com):

1. Apple 4 GB iPod Nano Green (2nd Generation) ($199) - Yes, it's still hot stuff with teens. Like all iPods, it is easy to learn and easy to use, has superb sound quality, and is a real joy to use.

2. The Chronicles of Narnia Boxed Set ($29.70) - Set of famous children's books by famed C. S. Lewis. We follow the stories of children as they enter into the mysterious world of Narnia. Narnia is inhabited by an amazing assortment of mythological creatures that delight and fascinate.

3. Sims 2 - ($29.99) - Be careful with this one - this is a rather old PC game but your kids will love it. In it, players micromanage the lives of a family of virtual people, or Sims, and influence their paths toward success or something akin to a nervous breakdown. Its open-ended blend of cartoonish behavior and everyday living is unique in an art form otherwise obsessed with carnage and sports.

4. Celestron Powerseeker 60EQ Telescope ($69.99) - Nothing wrong in getting your child interested in science. This is an affordable telescope for beginning astronomer. Even real astronomers could use this one for fun!

5. Photo Story Jr.: Publish your own keepsake photo book! ($28.88) - This is very popular with girls of this age. As a bonus, it enhances their creativity.

Perhaps it's better to buy cheaper presents for your kid because they will loose interest in them after a few days.

If you have any other suggestions, please write them in comments section of this post.

10 Men-Things That Drive Me Crazy

This post concerns mostly husband's behavior. It's important to know that I'm not a feminist. I'm just writing about some annoying habits of men.

Here are top ten things that usually drive me nuts concerning men:

1. He's head of the family: You get up at the same time as him, sometimes earlier. You prepare breakfast for kids, prepare breakfast for him and prepare his clothes, you properly escort him out of the house for work and that you get to work yourself. Cleaning, cooking, groceries, kids. When you look at the clock the day is almost over. Then he comes back from work and says: "What have you been doing? You are at home all day. I'm the one who puts food on the table, goes to work every day. Where you would be if I'm not around?" Obvious question is where He would be if there is no woman at home?

2. Dirty bathroom: Bathroom and his bathing habits are special topic. Toilet seat is not lifted when needed or it stays up when not needed. Hair on the bathtub, sink. Flooded bathroom is a must. I don't even want to elaborate.

3. Socks: In any given point in time, you can find a pair of dirty socks where they shouldn't exist. If they are visible, it sometimes can happen that he moves them himself, which is highly unlikely because they don't mind them at all. Dirty socks are usually under chairs, in his shoes or sneakers and in all those creative places where you wouldn't dream about finding them. By the bed, for instance. Gross.

4. "I'm the one with brains": Most ideas, when homes are concerned, are thought by a woman. Men are those who act on them (ideas). When it's praising time in front of your friends or family, they are the ones getting all the attention. They wouldn't dream of giving credit where it's due. I wonder why?

5. "Watch for kids while I get some rest": He's back from work, eats a meal, grabs a remote and lies down on a couch watching a ball game. You are stuck with a chair, providing the kids aren't in it. Then he starts napping and seeks some peace and quiet since he had a hard day at work. Kids start to shout and play and then he comments: "Watch for kids while I get some rest". And what kind of a day you had? When he even wanted to know...

6. "What's for lunch?": He's back from work, changes his clothes and asks a famous question, while explaining he's very tired. And what about me? He doesn't dream about getting his hand dirty and to cook something himself. It would be great if I could say just for once "What's for lunch?"

7. His mom: Only his mom is aware of her son's needs. No matter if her son is married and maybe has his own children. He is still her little boy who needs his wishes granted. You are risking "dumped mom's" wrath if you dare to say there are more helpless persons (his kids) in his house then him. She'll question everything: your kitchen skills, your parenting skills right to the point of asking what kind of a woman you are anyway. But it was her son's choice in the first place...

8. "You are responsible for the kids": Dads are the ones who teach the kids all those "wonderful" things like burping, spitting, messing and that all thins can be done tomorrow. And then you have to fix things. When the kids burp in front of someone he exclaims that you are responsible for kid's good manners, forgetting he's also responsible for them.

9. Sex when he wishes: After you worked around the house all day long, fed the kids, bathed them, put them to sleep, prepared clothes for tomorrow, washed the dishes and put everything in its place He wakes up after his nap. While you are fantasizing about going to sleep while finishing the chores he conveniently smiles and you know what's up. It doesn't matter you are dead tired and you don't even have strength to put on your pajamas. He's in a mood. There is a chance that he'll be insulted if you say no.

10. Snoring: You managed to go to bed somehow. You are contemplating the things you need to do tomorrow. Your dear husband is already asleep. You turn out the lights, got to your favorite sleeping position and then... it begins! Horror! It starts quietly, irritating and while the time passes it becomes eye popping thunder. Then, suddenly, it stops... but then he starts to make choking sounds. Everything you can do is to push him repeatedly and to hope that Morpheus will lure you into his kingdom.

Sounds familiar, doesn't it? I would appreciate if you take your time to comment on this worthy subject.

Kids Crafts: Fusilli Pasta Reindeer Christmas Greeting Card

Holidays are coming and the kids are getting impatient.

Here's a suggestion how to entertain them while waiting for Santa. Kids will have fun while doing it and just for a moment they'll become "big" while creating something "real".

What you need for "Fusilli Pasta Reindeer Christmas Greeting Card" project:
1. Good will
2. Collage paper or plain colored paper. You can glue paper to thin cardboard and cut it in desired size.
3. Brown tempera
4. White tempera
5. Black pencil or felt pen
6. Thin paintbrush with sharp tip
7. Paper glue
8. Scissors
9. Self-adhesive red paper or plain paper and glue
10. Fussili pasta
11. Envelopes

How to make

Step 1: Fold rectangular shaped collage paper pieces in half.

Step 2: Put brown and white tempera into palette in separate slots. Put your kids thumb into brown tempera (they'll love it) and press it against collage paper in three spots. Let the paint dry (five to eight minutes will do). Thumb prints will represent reindeer's heads.

Step 3: Paint two white dots in the middle of thumb prints. These dots will be the eyes of your new reindeer. Let the white tempera dry, again for several minutes.

Step 4: Draw two small dots over the white tempera with black felt-tip pen. These will be the pupils.

Step 5: Cut small round circles using the red self-adhesive paper and place them under the reindeer's eyes. Voila - that's the red nose!

Step 6: Glue the Fusilli pasta over reindeer's heads (two for each head) making the horns. Let the glue dry for a few minutes.

Step 7: Let's decorate the greeting card with some tinsels, pieces of cotton wool (snow) or something else you've got handy.

Step 8: Write some greeting on the blank side of your Christmas greeting card, put it in the envelope and send to your friends and family.

I'm quite sure that the kid will enjoy making these greeting cards (mine did!) and you'll also have fun. Now go and make some Fusilli Pasta Reindeer Christmas Greeting Card by yourself!

10 Reasons Why It's Great to Be a Housewife

My friends are asking me why I don’t get a job, how come I’m not bored sitting at home all the time and mostly look at me with sympathy.

What they don’t realize is that housewife calling has a lot of advantages. There are many of them and I’ll list ten of them. You’ll be the judge.

1. Flexible working hours: Start your day with coffee, tea or something similar. With newspapers, maybe. Something you like. There’s no better way to start your day. Then, you plan your chores. It’s best to write them down on paper. That way, you’ll never forget them and you’ll always know what’s next in line. When you finish planning stage then get to work. Nobody is rushing you. You decide when to start and when to finish.

2. No "I haven't anything to wear today" declarations: Your dress code for the day is decided by your mood alone. Sometimes it's sweat-suit and sometimes something more elegant. There are no regulations that dictate what you'll wear.

3. No conflicts with colleagues: Everything you do is yours and only yours. Nobody can live off your back and to impose you their work.

4. No bosses: You are your own boss. If you make a good plan for your day and do stuff according to the plan - there are no problems. You can always go back or postpone something that you've skipped because you didn't feel like doing it at the moment.

5. No deadlines - less stress: You decide about priorities for the day and you don't need to work just because somebody is breathing down your neck. Take it easy. With good organization you'll achieve everything.

6. No traffic jams: Imagine this situation - you're up early, made breakfast for your kids and hubbie, you are all dressed up thinking: "It's O.K. I'll be there on time..." And then... no busses, traffic jam in the city, crawling traffic cause someone is digging up the streets and you have to go all around to get where you wanted to go... Yuck!

7. Coffee breaks at abundance: When you get tired of doing things you do, you can always make a coffee break without fear that someone will yell at you. Nobody is pointing fingers at the wall clock. If you find a good magazine - you're in for a treat. You'll feel much better after that. Then you can go back to work.

8. Creativity: At work, you go through the same old routine every day. The some thing can happen at home but you have the liberty to change it. When you start to look to yourself like Cinderella, doing same dull chores every day like cooking and washing, you just change it. Make a new meal or do something else. Paint something, write a poem, fix a thing or two (to impress Him) or something just you find important. Call in some friends for a chat. Every change is fulfilling.

9. No returns to "warm" family nest: When you get back from work at 6pm things that wait for you are: making dinner, dirty dishes, dirty laundry, kid's homework. Not to mention the husband. If you bring your work home, "party" never ends. It's good if you manage to get some sleep by midnight.

10. Weekends: Every employed woman does her chores at weekends, something you already did during the week. When she's thinking about what she'll do first, washing, ironing or dusting you have a whole two days with your family. That time is priceless and you can give your best to make them even better.

Careers come and go. Family is something that stays. Enjoy every minute of it because you are employed, too. Don't allow anyone to put you down. Biggest thing you can accomplish is to have happy and satisfied family, and you are a big part of it.

If you have any other reasons why it's great to be a housewife, please write them in the comments section (just click on the "Comments" link below). All comments are welcome, even the ones that state the opposite.

Gauda Cheese Roll

Today I'll give you a recipe for Cheese roll, great as cold serving when guests come to visit.

Ingredients:

300 grams of Gauda cheese

500 grams of champignons

2 slices of melted cheese

1 small onion

2 hard boiled eggs

Oregano

Mixed vegetable seasoning

Cooking oil

Preparation:

Heat the oven on 200 degrees Celsius. Put roasting paper into stove plate and place Gauda cheese on paper. Let it completely melt in the heated oven. When melted, get it out of the oven and let in cool down.

Filling: Cook chopped onion on oil, add chopped champignons, season with oregano and mixed vegetable seasoning. Take it off the burner and mix with melted cheese and chopped boiled eggs.

Let everything cool down. When filling is cold, smear it over Gauda. Roll Gauda and put into a fridge to cool.

Before serving, cut the roll and arrange the pieces on the plate.

Bon apetit!

How to Manage Kids of Big Age Gap?

Have you ever been in a situation where older kid has to study and you can’t keep control over the younger one? That was happening to me all the time. Age difference between my daughters is seven years.

It was hard in the beginning. When older one sits to study at the same time the younger one dropped in and starts taking pens, notebooks, writing on the books. After that starts the scramble, tears, shouting and everyone was loosing it.

Younger children are copying older brothers and sisters. There weren’t any other solution but to give the younger one her own homework.

She got her own pencils, notebooks, coloring pens and we allocated studying time for her. Then, there was order in out house. Older daughter finally could study undisturbed and younger one was proud that she became “big”.

Unfortunately that doesn’t work every time. I have to resort to other tricks. One of them is “little helper” in the kitchen. It doesn’t involve any real involvement in food preparation.

Kid will be satisfied if she is allowed to “cook” her rubber toys in small pot. If you add to the mix some foam and a sponge, she’ll be delighted.

Other suggestion is to mix small amount of paste with flour and water. Show the kid how to make various shapes of it. Success is guaranteed.

Those were only some of possibilities you can employ. I believe you can easily get your own ideas how to make things work. Just be creative.

I still haven’t figured out how to deal with the cat, though…

New Recipe: Chicken Breasts Fillet Cake

This is the recipe for chicken breasts fillet cake, which is ideal to serve when you have guests in the house.

Here it is...

Ingredients:
600 grams (1.3 pounds) chicken breasts fillet
125 grams (0.3 pounds) butter
chopped parsley
2 cloves of fresh garlic
2 tablespoons of bread crumbs
1 cup of sour cream
mixed seasoning

Preparation:
Put melted butter in a container. In another container, put chopped parsley, 2 cloves of chopped garlic, 2 tablespoons of bread crumbs, cup of sour cream and some of mixed seasoning.

Prepare an oval or rectangular mould by coating it with cooking oil and then arrange chicken breasts which you previously dipped first in melted butter and then in the other prepared mixture (parsley, garlic, bread crumbs and sour cream).

Repeat until all fillets are arranged.

Pour the rest of prepared mixture over the meat and roast in your oven on 200 degrees Celsius (392 Fahrenheit) for 35 minutes. Meat should look rosy.

Let it cool down, decorate it at will and serve hot or cold.

Bon apetit!