In Ecclesiastes, a short book in the Old Testament, a wise teacher states that there is nothing new under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9). The longer I live, the more I see this statement validated. For example, four years ago I shared tips for having respectful conversations about politics because the political scene was volatile, with candidates … [Read more...] about 7 Tips for Having Constructive Conversations About Politics
September 2020 Dinner Menu
September is nearly here, so it’s time for another menu. This month (just like the rest of the year) has been pretty unpredictable. What we eat over the next few weeks will depend on a couple of things. One is if we get hit by a hurricane. I live on the Texas Gulf Coast, so we are waiting to see where Hurricane Laura will make landfall when it … [Read more...] about September 2020 Dinner Menu
Nutrition Facts for My Most Popular Recipes
I frequently receive comments on my recipe posts asking if I have calculated the nutrition facts for my recipes. I’m not in the habit of calculating these for recipes I use for my own family, so I haven’t taken the time to do that here. Additionally, my readers sometimes ask if I have the recipes in a format that can be easily printed. There … [Read more...] about Nutrition Facts for My Most Popular Recipes
How to Avoid Falling for Urban Legends, Rumors, and Conspiracy Theories
The spread of misinformation is not a new phenomenon. However, because we have access to multiple tools (email, text messaging, social media, etc.) that quickly spread messages to numerous individuals, urban legends, rumors, and conspiracy theories spread more quickly and reach more individuals than they used to. These forms of … [Read more...] about How to Avoid Falling for Urban Legends, Rumors, and Conspiracy Theories
10 Bible Verses to Encourage Teachers
School teachers complete work that is invaluable to our communities. Though this work is rewarding, it is also very challenging. This year, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, teachers are facing numerous uncertainties that add to the typical stress they experience at the beginning of the year. One powerful way we can encourage the … [Read more...] about 10 Bible Verses to Encourage Teachers
Chicken Alfredo Lasagna
Chicken Alfredo is one of the few dishes that my entire family will eat. Therefore, when I came across the idea of making a lasagna using Alfredo sauce instead of a tomato-based sauce, I was thrilled! This lasagna relies on jars of Alfredo sauce and frozen spinach, so it wasn’t too difficult to assemble on a busy weeknight. However, … [Read more...] about Chicken Alfredo Lasagna
7 Tips for Getting Kids to Wear Face Masks
If you would have told me last year that in one year I would be writing a post about getting kids to wear face coverings in order to limit the spread of a novel coronavirus, I would not have believed you. However, here we are, facing a pandemic that none of us were expecting. Many of us live in states and/or cities where mandatory mask … [Read more...] about 7 Tips for Getting Kids to Wear Face Masks
August 2020 Dinner Menu
This year has been so unusual that it doesn’t feel like it’s almost August, but the weather around here is enough to convince me that it is! Among other things, this means that it is time for a new dinner menu. At the start of each month I plan our menu for the coming weeks (you can see our past menus here). This approach works for me … [Read more...] about August 2020 Dinner Menu