Makes 10 servings, 1 cup each

Ingredients

3 pounds potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar
1/3 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
1/3 cup nonfat plain yogurt
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp garlic powder
Freshly ground pepper to taste
4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled
1 cup chopped celery
3/4 cup chopped black olives
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, plus sprigs for garnish
2 tablespoons sliced green onions, plus more for garnish
Paprika for garnish

Instructions

1. Place the potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil. Cook covered, over medium heat until potatoes are tender, 7 to 9 minutes. Drain well; transfer to a large bowl. Toss gently with the vinegar and let cool.

2. In a food processor or blender add mayonnaise, yogurt, mustard, garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper; blend until smooth.

3. Add the dressing to the potatoes and toss to coat. Finely chop 3 eggs and add to the potatoes along with the celery, olives, parsley and sliced green onions. Stir gently to mix. Season with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with the paprika. Slice the remaining egg and arrange the slices decoratively on top. Garnish with more green onions and parsley sprigs.

Serves 8

Ingredients:

2 tbsp. butter
2 Anaheim Chile peppers, diced
1/2 of a medium sized onion, diced
1 tbsp. minced garlic
2 tbsp. all purpose flour
2 1/4 cups chicken broth
2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 (1 lb.) box spiral pasta, cooked
8 oz. diced grilled chicken breast
1 (6 oz.) can olives, drained and sliced
1/2 cup Japanese style panko breadcrumbs
1/8 tsp. paprika

Directions:

Heat butter in a large saucepan over medium heat until melted.  Stir in peppers, garlic and onions.  Cook for 2 minutes or until translucent in color.

Whisk in flour and cook for 1-2 more minutes until smooth and golden.  Whisk in chicken broth, a half cup at a time until smooth, and bring to a boil.

Turn heat down to simmer and cook for 3-4 minutes. Stir in cheese and remove from heat.

Add pasta, chicken and olives. Stir well and pour into a lightly greased 9-inch by 13-inch baking dish.

Top with breadcrumbs, sprinkle with paprika and bake in a 400°F oven for 20 minutes.

Crafts are fun, educational, and a great way to spend quality time with your kids. Another reason many moms rank crafting at the top of their list of things to do with their little ones is because it is inexpensive. There are tons of crafts we can do with our children that require little to no money at all. Here are four super easy craft ideas that will leave your kids and you having fun without breaking the bank.

Craft Projects on the Cheap

Nature Collage – Take a trip outside and gather up all kinds of items – the more you can find the better. Once you’ve got a good amount of them, you can bring them in and create a collage on a piece of cardboard from a box you have lying around. Glue each piece to the cardboard and label them with a marker. For some items it might be easier (and cleaner) to place them in plastic sandwich bags and staple to the cardboard. Here are a few items to get you started on your trek to the great outdoors:

• Leaves of all shapes and sizes
• Flowers
• Rocks
• Pine Cones
• Feathers
• Dirt/Soil

Family Portrait – Take a piece of printer paper and cut it to make it the size of a 5 X 7 picture. With markers, crayons, or colored pencils draw each member of your family on the paper. Once the picture is complete, take construction paper and make a frame for your portrait. Let the kids decorate it by drawing, or cutting and gluing different colored construction paper, around the frame. You can write the family name at the top or bottom along with the date. Proudly display your family portrait for everyone to see just as you would if you went to a studio and had it taken professionally.

Paper Plate & Toilet Paper Roll Flowers – Grab a paper plate and let your little one decorate it to look like their favorite flower. Wrap a toilet paper roll with green construction paper or color with a green marker and let it dry. Tape the toilet paper roll to the paper plate to enjoy your flower. Make a bunch of them and create your very own flower garden.

No Sew Scarves – This is a great gift idea for Christmas or a winter birthday. The kids will love it and the recipient will too. Purchase a few yards of fleece material in the color of your choice. Cut the material by cutting strips as wide as you’d like the scarves to be. 27 inches is a good width if you’re not sure. Once you have the scarves cut out of the fleece, then cut fringes on both ends in 1/2 inch sections. Next, take the fringes and tie each one in a knot at the base of the fringe. You can then decorate the ends if you’d like, but it’s not necessary. Viola! You’ve now got a nice warm scarf. Don’t forget to make one for yourself and the kids while you’re at it.

There are literally thousands of crafts you can do with your kids that use materials you already have lying around the house. With a little imagination, you can probably come up with more of your own. No matter which craft you choose, have fun, let the creative juices flow and enjoy the time you get to spend with your kids.

With the economy in the condition it’s in right now, it’s no surprise that families are doing everything they can to save money. Even if the economy wasn’t in a mess, it’s still a wise idea to live frugally. By doing so, we are doing so much more than just saving a few pennies. We teach our children the value of a dollar and let them know that one can live comfortably without spending money or racking up credit that is not necessary. After all, we can’t take all those material things with us when we go, right?

One way you can accomplish these lessons, save money and have fun at the same time is to create homemade gifts for birthdays of family and friends. The kids will enjoy the time you spend together and the recipient will love the thoughtful presents they receive. These types of gifts will mean more to your family and friends than anything you could have purchased from the store.

Here are a few craft ideas that your relatives and friends are sure to love.

Mom – Moms are the easiest when it comes to creating something special. No matter what her child gives her, she will cherish it as if she received a million dollars. Some things mom might enjoy receiving for her birthday include:

• Craft or real flowers in a decorated pot
• Coupons that can be exchanged for household help
• Crafty picture frames filled with pictures of the entire family

Dad – Does Dad like to golf, watch football or fish? If so, get creative and make something that will help him do the things he loves doing. For instance a bag decorated by the kids would be perfect for fishing lures, golf tees, and more. Design a remote control holder with pictures of the kids that he can attach to his favorite recliner.

Siblings – Every child has a favorite television character or musician. For the teenage sibling, decorate a CD case for their video games, DVDs or CDs. For younger kids, create a coloring page with their favorite cartoon pal or craft a memory game just for them with cardboard squares and stickers.

Grandma – Does grandma like to cook? If so, take a plain apron and decorate with puffy paints, glitter glue or pictures of the grandchildren.

Grandpa – If Grandpa enjoys reading, make a personalized bookmark with pictures of the grandchildren or drawings of things they like to do with him.

Neighbors & Family Friends – Take the time to learn about everyone’s personal likes and cater their gifts to match. If you’re kids are old enough and like to bake, you can create edible treats for neighbors, like cakes or cookies decorated with birthday wishes.

When you create birthday presents from scratch, it’s important to take some time and determine the perfect gift for each individual. For instance, if Grandma likes to bake, make her gift one that is related to cooking or being in the kitchen. When you take the time to personalize your creations, you are making someone feel special and loved, even more than you would if you just threw something together.

This is a great way to teach your children about feelings and taking time to really get to know others as well. Not to mention the things they can learn about the many differences that we all have. Have fun and save some dough by creating crafts for your nearest and dearest this year.

1. Purchase some shoe box sized plastic containers from the store and use them to create inboxes for each family member, as well as one for incoming and outgoing mail. You can then purchase a book-shelf-style shoe organizer to store them. Use these boxes to help clear-up paper mess, such as phone messages, school permission slips, mail, etc.

2. Labeling things in the kitchen is always a good idea. You can purchase a label maker or just use some stick on labels and a pen. Labeling food items and the day you purchased them will be a clear reminder of what things are and when they expire.

3. Limit the number of items that are on your fridge. This will help give you a tidy look to the whole kitchen. Some companies sell picture frames made of clear plastic that have magnets on the back. If you like to hang up your kids artwork, limit your fridge to one frame per child, and change the artwork as they bring home new “masterpieces.” Since the magnet is already on the back of the frame, your fridge will automatically look neater.

4. Stack bowls inside each other to save on space. You can purchase adjustable wire shelves to place over plates and put the smaller plates on the wire shelves. You’ll have more space in your cabinet if you do this and it will look better as well. Purchase a holder for all the lids to your various pots and pans. Don’t forget – pots can stack inside each other as well as skillets. Feel free to do this, but keep them that way!

5. You can also purchase a rack to hold baking sheets to keep the clutter down. Don’t feel bad about throwing some baking sheets out or donating them. You only need a few on hand. Look at your oven space to determine how many you need. How many baking sheets can fit in the oven at one time? Figure the number out depending on the size of your oven, how many ovens you have, and the size of your pans. It is reasonable to have one to two more than you can fit in your oven at one time if you like to prepare ahead of time when it comes to baking.

6. If you can, dedicate a cabinet for all your appliances – toaster, blender, mixer, etc. Keep them in the cabinet until you need to use them. Believe me, most people don’t use these daily, so if you can put them in a cabinet instead of out on the counter, you will find the counter looking less cluttered. Keep the appliances that you don’t use often on a high shelf or a cabinet down low. You probably only use the roasting pans twice a year, so keep it hidden until you need it.

7. As far as canned goods and spices go, you can purchase expandable shelves to put in the cabinets. These will hold more cans and some are quite decorative for spice racks. These also let you see what you have so you aren’t over purchasing when it comes to grocery shopping.

8. As far as cabinets go, if they are becoming cluttered with appliances, dishes, bowls, pots and pans, take the time to go through all the items. If you haven’t used the salad maker in more than a year, set it aside to give to charity. If you don’t use your grandmother’s favorite serving dish, consider putting it in a china cabinet and don’t allow it sit in the dark in your cabinets.

9. If you wish to get even more cabinet space, think about utilizing your ceiling. Purchase a pot rack and hang from the ceiling to put all your pots on. This will really free up space in your cabinets and has the potential to become a decorative piece for your kitchen.

10. Make sure you have a silverware tray in one of your drawers. Don’t overfill it either. Put all extra silverware in a Ziploc bag and place it in the extra space between the end of the tray in the back and the back of the drawer (if there’s room). If you can’t fit it there, place it in another drawer with other utensils. In the drawers with extra utensils, par it down to just the bare essentials.

11. If you can, purchase a spinning holder for all your spatulas, spoons and other utensils that you use daily for cooking. These sit on the countertop and don’t take up much space. In the drawer would be extra items that you use sparingly, but need. Don’t let them get more than one layer deep. If it becomes two layers deep, go through the items again and get rid of those that you don’t need.

12. Everyone has a junk drawer, so the smart thing to do is buy an organizer for it. They are usually made of plastic and have dividers in them. Some dividers move, some don’t. These are good for separating odds and ends so you can see them better. Get a file folder for coupons, restaurant menus and such, to place in the junk drawer. There should be room on top of the organizer. Just make sure it doesn’t end up falling into the cabinet below.

13. Purchase a special holder for foil, plastic wrap and the like. This keeps them up off the floor or off a cabinet shelf. One item that is handy is an over the door hanger. You can put canned goods, plastic bags, trash bags, etc on it and you are gaining extra space. Consider purchasing some hooks to hang on the inside of cabinet doors to hang cooking utensils on them. This clears out drawer space if you need some extra space. Take old shoe boxes with lids and store items in them on the shelves. Label them to easily see what’s in there when you need it.

14. Take care of things in the kitchen as they occur to keep clutter down. While dinner is cooking, wash the dishes that have already been used. Right after breakfast is over, rinse the dishes and place them in the dishwasher so they aren’t there when everyone returns home at the end of the day. Run the dishwasher overnight and empty it while everyone is eating breakfast or getting ready for the day.

15. A good tip is to learn to borrow items and appliances from other people. That way if you have an appliance that you don’t use often, you can donate yours and just borrow it from a friend when you need to use it. It is possible they can do the same with something of yours.

Your work around the house can take up a big portion of your time, especially household chores. The following ways will help you streamline your household chore activities:

Household Chores

Many people feel that their kitchen is the heart of their home. In many cases, the kitchen table is the place where you gather with your family to eat meals, talk, help your children with homework, and much more. Since so much time is spent in the kitchen, it is not uncommon for most of your cleaning time to also be spent in this room. Here are some tips on cleaning your kitchen quickly and easily:

• If you are the type of person who is prone to tossing mail and other important pieces of paper on the counter, invest in some containers that you can use to sit on the counter and keep things organized. Once a week, go through your containers and take care of what needs to be taken care of, and throw away the rest.

• There are many new alternatives to brooms and mops that make cleaning the floors easy. The Swiffer brand is a great example. You can come home, put a pot of water on the stove to cook some pasta, and give your floors a quick cleaning before your pasta water has reached a boil.

• Don’t waste time scrubbing your pans. Instead, line them with heavy duty foil before you cook your dinner in them. If you forget this step and have a pan that is particularly messy, simply add a few drops of dish soap to it, fill it with hot water and let it sit overnight. The next day, the mess will easily be washed away with little scrubbing.

• Store as many appliances as you can in the cabinets. This will keep your kitchen looking neat and clean.

Your children’s rooms can also be some of the messiest rooms in the house. Here are some tips on how to streamline the mess in their rooms and get them involved in the cleaning. Remember, the more they do on their own, the less you’ll have to do!

• If your children are old enough, you may want to consider purchasing them their own laundry hampers, so that they can start learning to sort clothes, and eventually do their own laundry. Of course, this may not be a good idea for small children, as they may end up having more fun throwing their dirty laundry around the room and creating an even bigger mess.

• If your children are too young to read, consider color coding the storage areas in their room. For example, socks can go into the blue dresser drawer and pajamas can go into the yellow drawer.  You don’t have to paint the whole drawer a different color. You can look for painter’s tape that doesn’t stick and just use a portion of the colored tape on the drawer or perhaps you can find some decorative plastic clings. These come in a variety of colors, shapes and themes and you can stick them right on the dresser drawers. You can also use this method to organize their toys and toy chests.

• Another idea is to take a picture of the item that goes into each drawer or toy chest. You can even make it special by having your child pose with the item. For example, have them hold a pair of socks, take a picture, and place that picture on the outside of the sock drawer.

• When it is time to put things away, make a fun game out if by asking your child to find the pajama drawer. They will be more than happy to help you clean up when they actually have fun with the process.

Busy moms of young children often find it difficult to clean the house with their children underfoot. While it can be difficult, there are ways to keep your home clean and your children entertained at the same time.

• Nap time, of course, is a prime time to get some chores done. Use this time to take care of some quieter tasks, like dusting, sorting through the mail, sorting laundry, and washing dishes.

• Instead of trying to get your cleaning done in one big block of time during one day, break it up into fifteen minute increments throughout the week. It will be much easier to keep your children occupied with something else in 15 minute intervals than to try and keep them occupied for a long stretch of time.

Have you ever found yourself putting off important tasks that you know you need to get done? This is called “procrastination,” and it is very common. Some people only procrastinate once in a while, and it doesn’t have much effect on their lives. Others procrastinate on almost every task and the procrastination can take a toll on both their personal and professional lives.

People who tend to procrastinate are not “lazy” by nature. In fact, they can work just as hard as anyone else. However, they spend their time on the wrong tasks. This can be because they don’t understand the difference between urgent tasks that need to be completed now and tasks that can wait for another day. Instead of taking care of the urgent tasks, they spend too much time “putting out small fires.” Other times, people procrastinate when they are overwhelmed by a task. They may not know where to start and can become almost fearful or paralyzed at the thought of starting the job. Instead of tackling it piece by piece, they avoid it all together by keeping themselves busy with other menial tasks.

It may sound silly, but some people procrastinate because they are afraid to fail, or even to succeed. Perfectionists also tend to procrastinate because they feel they will be unable to do a good enough job.

Someone with a very messy house may actually suffer from one of these extreme types of procrastination. They may be so terrified of tackling the job of cleaning, that they end up letting the mess get out of control.

It is never easy to overcome a problem, and procrastination is no exception. In order to deal with it, the procrastinator must figure out the reason(s) behind the procrastination.

By being honest with yourself and analyzing how you handle situations, you can recognize when you are starting to procrastinate. Some signs include:

• When you have a work project due, instead of working on it, you spend your day doing unimportant tasks that could be completed another day.

• Reading an e-mail or item on your to-do list several times, without starting to work on it.

• When you do sit down to start an important task, you find an excuse to get back up, or you start surfing the net or checking emails.

• You find yourself waiting to be “inspired” or to “get in the mood” to finish your task.

If you are procrastinating because you are working on a task that you don’t enjoy, delegate it to someone or hire someone to do it for you. If that isn’t possible, you will have to find a way to get over your procrastination and get the job done. Here are some tips:

• Motivate yourself with a reward. If you are working on a large project, treat yourself to a movie when you are finished. To be effective, you cannot give yourself any lee way. Don’t allow yourself to go until the work is done.

• Find an accountability partner who will check in with you to see how you are progressing. If you know you have to be accountable to someone, you will be more motivated to get the work done.

• Think about the things that will happen if you do not get the work done. If you don’t get your child’s birthday presents wrapped before the party, they will be disappointed. If you don’t get work done for a client, you may lose future work from this client in the future.

Makes 7 servings

Asparagus is one of the most nutritionally well-balanced vegetables in existence. It’s a great provider of folic acid – a small serving can give you 60 percent of the recommended daily allowance for folic acid, a vitamin necessary for blood cell formation, growth, and prevention of liver disease. The wealth of nutrients, fiber, and low sodium and calorie content make asparagus a good choice for healthy eating. In most climate zones of the U.S., asparagus can be harvested from late April or early May through mid to late June.

Ingredients

2 lbs asparagus, cut into 2-3 inch pieces
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 small red pepper cut in thin strips
1/2 cup pecans, chopped and toasted lightly
Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

Instructions

Cook asparagus in salted boiling water for 3 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Boil balsamic vinegar in a small sauce pan till reduced in half. Cool vinegar, then whisk in the oil, mustard, oregano and garlic. Season with salt and fresh cracked black pepper. Toss dressing with cooled asparagus, red peppers and half the pecans. Garnish with the remaining pecans.

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

2 pounds asparagus (about 2 bunches), trimmed
1 pint tiny cherry or grape tomatoes, red or mixed colors
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
¾ teaspoon salt, divided
Freshly ground pepper to taste
2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon honey
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
6 cups torn Boston lettuce (about 2 small heads)

Instructions

1. Grilling Options

Preheat grill on high

Place asparagus in a large bowl. Add tomatoes and oil and toss to coat. Spread vegetables onto a vegetable grilling rack. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and add a generous grinding of pepper. Grill on high heat until the asparagus is crisp-tender and the tomatoes are warmed and slightly crinkled, about 10 to 15 minutes. Set aside until ready to serve.

2. Oven Roasting Alternative

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Place asparagus in a large bowl. Add tomatoes and oil and toss to coat. Spread in a heavy roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and add a generous grinding of pepper. Roast until the asparagus is crisp-tender and the tomatoes are warmed and slightly crinkled, about 15 minutes. Set aside until ready to serve.

3. Whisk lemon juice, honey, mustard and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl until blended. Reserve half of the dressing in a small bowl.

4. Add Boston lettuce to the medium bowl; toss to coat. Spread the lettuce on a platter. Arrange the roasted asparagus on the lettuce and top with tomatoes. Drizzle the reserved dressing over the asparagus and tomatoes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Prepare through Step 2 up to 2 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate the dressing (Step 3) for up to 5 days.