Chinese food is not only easy to make, but you can have a meal on the table in less than 30 minutes. The following are just a couple easy recipes to get you started.

Many families love to visit a Chinese restaurant, at least once a week. And what's not to love? There are so many different dishes to choose from, especially when you choose from the buffet. Unfortunately, Chinese food can be quite unhealthy. After all, many Chinese foods are deep fried and coated in sugary sauces. How can you enjoy the flavor of Chinese dishes, without expanding your waistband? Why, you make them yourself of course. Chinese food is not only easy to make, but you can have a meal on the table in less than 30 minutes. The following are just a couple easy recipes to get you started.

Chicken Fried Rice
Serves 4

• 1 box of chicken flavored rice
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 1/2 cups water
• 1/2 pound of boneless skinless chicken breast, cooked and cut into bite sized pieces
• 1 cup green onion tops, chopped
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted

1. Brown the rice mixture in olive oil over medium heat. Once brown, add the water and seasoning packet and cook according to package directions.
2. Five minutes before the rice has finished cooking, stir in the cooked chicken and finish cooking.
3. Once cooked, top with green onions and slivered almonds.
4. Serve with baked egg rolls.

Baked Chicken Egg Rolls
Serve 4

• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 8 ounces 98% lean ground chicken
• 1 package of cole slaw mix
• 2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
• 8 egg roll wrappers
• Nonstick cooking spray

1. Pour olive oil into a large skillet and cook ground chicken until almost done.
2. Add the cole slaw mix and cook until chicken is thoroughly cooked and vegetables begin to wilt.
3. Add soy sauce to filling and roll in egg roll wrappers.
4. Spray the bottom of a cookie sheet and the tops of the egg rolls. Bake at 400 degrees until golden brown.

The perfect way to end your Chinese meal is to serve an exotic Asian fruit, such as star fruit. Your children will love the unique shape and you'll love the fact that star fruit only contains 40 calories and 0 grams of fat.

Any recipes you want to share? Comment below!

A look at a must-see vacation spot for kids: Willow Creek, CA, the Gateway to Bigfoot Country

Is there any kid in America in the last three or four decades who has not been at one time or another totally captivated by the Bigfoot legend? And legend it must remain until a Sasquatch is captured or a carcass is discovered. Of course, the actual lack of solid evidence is not nearly enough to deter most children, and more than a few adults, from accepting as fact the existence of our big furry ally of the Pacific Northwest. Even if your kids are past the age where the latest Bigfoot documentary on the Discovery Channel is must-see TV, there is plenty of beautiful wilderness to enjoy in the environs surrounding America's self-proclaimed Gateway to Bigfoot Country: Willow Creek, California.

The first thing about Willow Creek that makes it a destination spot your kids won't soon forget is the genuinely creepy and undeniably life-size carving of Bigfoot created from one of the massive redwood trees that dot the landscape. This carving, done by Jim McClain, is supposedly the only Bigfoot statue in America based on an actual sighting of Sasquatch. In addition to the Bigfoot statue, Willow Creek also offers the finest museum in the country dedicated to Bigfoot. Let your kids get a chance to discover just how massive their hairy hero is by seeing actual cast moldings of alleged big footprints left behind by Sasquatch.

Of course, if you really want to do the whole Willow Creek Bigfoot trip right, then you should set your goal toward a Labor Day weekend visit for the famous Willow Creek Bigfoot Days Sasquatch-abration. Among the events that are spread out over this three day extravaganza are a pancake breakfast and steak barbecues, live theater, arts and crafts and entertainment. Monday is Kids Day and features activities especially designed for those little tykes for whom Bigfoot is such a fantastic attraction, including games and races.

Even if you can't make it to Bigfoot Days, a trip to Willow Creek could very well become the single most memorable vacation you and your family have ever gone on. Willow Creek is, after all the epicenter of more Sasquatch sightings than anywhere else in the US, located not far from where the most famous Bigfoot video ever shot was taken. What could be a greater vacation memory than an actual Bigfoot sighting by your kids?

When hot weather finally arrives, many people turn to restaurants. No one wants to add even more heat to their sweltering home. Even those that have air conditioning avoid cooking for fear of increasing their energy bill. Thankfully, there are meals you can make without suffering over that long feared hot stove

Refreshing Tuna Salad Pepper Cups
Serve 4

• 4 large green bell peppers
• 2 (6) ounce cans of solid white tuna
• 1 small sweet onion, finely chopped
• 1 small green bell pepper, finely chopped
• 4 ounces of shredded cheddar cheese
• ½ cup of fat-free mayonnaise
• Fresh cracked black pepper, to taste

1. Remove the tops of the four large bell peppers, along with the seeds and ribs.
2. Drain the tuna and mix with the onion, chopped bell pepper, cheese, mayonnaise, and cracked black pepper.
3. Fill the large bell peppers with the tuna salad and serve with crackers.

Chopped Pork Barbeque Sandwiches
Serves 8

• 2 pound pork sirloin roast
• Barbeque sauce, your favorite brand, to taste
• Sliced pickles
• Romaine lettuce
• Sliced tomatoes
• 8 Kaiser rolls

1. Place the roast in a slow cooker, fat side up. Allow the roast to cook on low for 10 to 12 hours.
2. Once cooked, remove the roast from the slow cooker and remove the layer of fat.
3. Using a chef's knife and meat fork, carefully chop the meat into small pieces.
4. Add barbeque sauce and stir to combine.
5. Place on Kaiser rolls with pickles, lettuce, and tomatoes.
6. Serve with baked potato chips.

Angel Berry Parfaits

• ½ of an angel food cake, cut into bite sized pieces
• 2 cups of fat-free vanilla pudding
• 1 cup of blackberries
• 1 cup of raspberries
• 1 cup of strawberries

1. Fill four tall glasses with half of the angel food cake pieces.
2. Top the angel food cake with half of the vanilla pudding.
3. Add a layer of the berries.
4. Repeat the layers, ending with berries.

Remember. Summer meals don't have to come from a restaurant. You can easily prepare delicious meals, while still keeping your home nice and cool.

Happy cool and refreshing summer eating!

Got any ideas for recipes that don't require hours over a stove? Let us know, comment below!

An overview of the Grand Canyon Junior Ranger program for kids that will make a visit even more memorable.

All Americans, especially kids, should visit the Grand Canyon at least once in their life. As vast as America is, with all its natural wonders and beauty, you'd be hard pressed to find any other spot in this amazing country that is more likely to take your breath away. Adults as well as kids tend to be equally overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of this extraordinary spectacle, but the park extends a special privilege to children that is not granted to their parents. If you are really looking for a destination spot your kid will never forget, take advantage of the Grand Canyon Junior Ranger program. Heck, this program is nearly as memorable as if your kids were to come across Bobby and Cindy Brady still on the lookout for their little Indian buddy. Your rugrats may not leave for home with a flashlight filled with baked beans but they will take home a really cool iron-on badge and a certificate, as well as, a trip they are not likely to ever forget.

It is ridiculously easy for you to turn your trip to the Grand Canyon into an opportunity for your kids to becomes Junior Rangers. It doesn't cost anything and you can pick up all the information at visitor centers. The actual requirements for getting those stinkin' badges vary according to age, but in general the idea is to get the kids to consider the vast beauty and history of the Canyon on a more personal and reflective level. This is accomplished through noting specific observations and writing down impressions. The Grand Canyon Junior Ranger program also includes attending various programs led by official park rangers throughout your visit.

The more adventurous kids are urged to become Phantom Rattler Junior Rangers. Kids aged 4 to 14 must ride down into the canyon by mule and attend the Phantom Ranch at the bottom in order to achieve this level of Junior Ranger. Just a typical visit to the Grand Canyon is certainly going to be memorable, but if you really want your kids to come home from that big crack in Arizona with a memory that they will never, ever forget, be sure to look in on the Junior Ranger program.

Keeping kids exercising is often as simple as finding a fun, energetic sport or activity that they enjoy. One sport our family enjoys that I don't see enough of anymore is tetherball. Remember that game from the schoolyard where you would take turns trying to punch a ball on a string around a pole? That's tetherball.

To enjoy tetherball, you don't have to hunt down the nearest gym or school who happens to have access to it. All you need to do is either buy your own or make your own. It's not as hard as it may sound. The local sporting goods store will generally have an easy-to-set-up, low-cost, low-grade tetherball game, even including the pole. The instructions will come with the set.

If you want a more sturdy tetherball game, try making your own. It's very simple and depending on the ages and abilities of the kids, they may even be able to help. All you need is a small bag of concrete mix, an old tire with the rim still inside, a cheap tarp, a metal pole, a bolt with a hook, a drill with a metal bit, and a pre-strung tetherball. First, drill a hole the correct size for the bolt into the top of the pole. Next, screw in the bolt. Mix the concrete thickly. Set the tire on top of the tarp.

Now place the mixed concrete inside of the tire. Fill the entire hole. Place the pole in the center of the mixed concrete inside the tire. Smooth out the concrete. The pole should stand straight up and if the concrete is thick enough, it will not move. Allow it to dry completely. There's your tetherball pole. Now, just hang your tetherball and you and the kids can start to play.

Tetherball rules are very simple. Player one is the server. To serve the ball, much like volleyball, set it atop the non-dominant hand and punch it with the other. The goal is to get the tetherball to wrap completely around the pole without interruption from the other player. Each player must take turns hitting the ball in opposite directions until one player wraps it around the pole.

Whomever wraps it around the pole first is the winner. Players may not grab the string or hold onto the ball. Either is an automatic "out". If this occurs, the next player will come in and a new game will begin. Players may only punch or hit the ball.

When people hear the word chicken, they immediately get bored. Instead of giving up on this monotonous meat, why not rethink your recipes?

When people hear the word chicken, they immediately get bored. Chicken has been used in the same recipes so many times that it's no wonder your taste buds yawn at the word. On the other hand, we all know how healthy it can be. Chicken breasts are low in fat, yet high in protein. Plus, kids love them. Instead of giving up on this monotonous meat, why not rethink your recipes? Any recipe can seem new again if you do a little tweaking here and there.

Chicken salad is a classic dish and so are buffalo wings. Why not combine the two and create a dish your kids will love?

Buffalo Chicken Salad
Serves 4

• 1 pound of boneless chicken breasts, baked and cubed
• ½ cup buffalo sauce
• 2 cup of celery, sliced
• 1 cup of fat-free ranch dressing
• 4 Kaiser rolls, toasted

1. Toss the chicken with the buffalo sauce and bake at 350 degrees until the sauce adheres to the meat.
2. Allow the chicken to cool and then chop into smaller pieces.
3. Combine the chicken, celery, and ranch dressing.
4. Serve on toasted Kaiser rolls with a side of baked potato chips.

Kids love chicken strips. Unfortunately, many versions are often deep fried, but not this one. These baked strips are perfect for dunking and as a topper for Caesar salad.

Chicken Parmesan Strips
Serves 4

• 1 pound of chicken tenders
• 2 egg whites, beaten
• 2 cups of Italian seasoned bread crumbs
• ¼ cup parmesan cheese, grated

1. Combine the seasoned bread crumbs and parmesan cheese in a shallow dish.
2. Dip the chicken tenders into the beaten egg whites and then into the seasoned bread crumbs.
3. Spray a cookie sheet with nonstick cooking spray and place the tenders at least ½ inch apart.
4. Spray the chicken tenders with cooking spray and bake in a 425 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the juices run clear.
5. Serve with heated marinara sauce.

Remember, chicken doesn't have to be boring to be healthy. You just need to rethink the ways you prepare it.

If you have any recipes ideas, improvements, suggestions, please comment below and let us know! Let us in on some of your secret recipes!

Who says a race is simply running from start to finish? Not this mom. I like to mix it up a bit. Sometimes I even turn it into an extreme sport for kids, increasing their physical benefit from the fun exercise. To do that, I simply add something extra to the race. Since kids are like animals, that is one of the themes I use often. I also have been known to throw in plenty of other fun things to make the race extreme.

Most kids seem to have a natural love for racing. The reason likely varies from kid to kid. For some it could be the thrill of the competition. Yet, to others, it may be the adrenaline rush or the force of the movement. When choosing extracurricular physical activities for my kids, racing is an activity that gets chosen often. It doesn't have to be the same every time either. In fact, racing is very versatile, especially in what I call extreme racing for kids.

Let's Get Hopping!

In this extreme race option, kids must hop just like a kangaroo all the way to the finish line. Kids caught not hopping are eliminated until the next round. The jumping motion helps to increase the heart rate and also exercises those limbs. So, get those kids hopping to the finish line.

Climb The Ladder

To have kids do this extreme race, I have them move their hands and feet up and down from start to finish, resembling climbing a ladder. This must be done quickly to cause a running motion. Kids like this one because it looks pretty silly.

Zig Zag Zip

In Zig Zag Zip, the kids will jump from side to side in a zig zag motion toward the finish line. This extreme race can get pretty fun. Sometimes the kids cross paths by accident. There is also a lot of laughter!

Just go!

This extreme race option allows the kids to each pick their own method of extreme racing. It's interesting to see what the kids come up with. Sometimes they pick from things we've done before. Other times, they get very creative.

Serve classic drive-in food that's actually healthy.

Everyone remembers the greasy hamburgers they used to get at the drive-in. They were something your grandparents shared with your parents and then your parents shared with you. Unfortunately, times have changed and sharing this meal with your kids seems out of the question. The fat and calories are simply too much for a society where juvenile diabetes affects so many children. Luckily, there is a way to re-create those classic hamburgers.

One of the most classic hamburgers is the pizza burger. What kid wouldn't love pizza sauce and melted mozzarella cheese on their hamburger? This healthy meal is sure to be a big hit.

Low-Fat Italian Pizza Burgers
Serve 4

• 1 pound of 93-percent lean ground beef
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 clove of garlic, finely minced
• 1 cup of pizza sauce
• 4 slices of part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 4 whole wheat hamburger buns

1. Mix the ground beef, onion and garlic together in a medium-sized bowl and shape into patties.
2. Cook the patties in a large skillet over medium heat until cooked through.
3. Top each patty with ¼ cup sauce and one slice of cheese.
4. Reduce the heat to low, cover the skillet, and cook until the cheese has melted.
5. Serve on whole wheat buns with baked French fries.

Of course, what drive-in would be complete without a chili cheeseburger? It's still a popular favorite, but it's also a heart attack on a plate. Thankfully, it doesn't have to be. You can easily turn this into a healthy meal.

Veggie Chili Cheeseburgers
Serves 4

• 1 pound of 93-percent lean ground beef
• ½ tablespoon chili power
• ¼ tablespoon cumin
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
• 2 cups of low-calorie vegetarian chili
• 4 slices of cheddar cheese
• 4 whole wheat hamburger buns

1. Mix the ground beef, chili powder, cumin, onion and jalapeno in a bowl and shape into patties.
2. Cook in a skillet over medium heat until the patties are cooked through.
3. Once cooked, place each patty on a bottom bun and top with a ½ cup of the heated chili. Add a slice of cheese, any preferred condiments and the top part of the bun.
4. Serve with baked French fries.

If you have any recipes ideas, improvements, suggestions, please comment below and let us know! Let us in on some of your secret recipes!

There are many things to thrill the kids on a visit to the nation's oldest continual settlement including ancient reptiles, life-life wax replicas of their favorite movie heroes and the unique opportunity to play ghost hunter.

At one time every schoolchild in America knew that the oldest city in this country was St. Augustine, Fla., despite the fact that Pensacola, on the other end of the Florida panhandle, had been established first. (It was briefly wiped out by a hurricane). St. Augustine still enjoys its notoriety and is yet another hot tourist destination for many on the way to Orlando. In fact, kids especially can enjoy St. Augustine on its own terms and may even leave Florida with stronger memories of its attractions than those further south.

The St. Augustine Alligator Farm is clearly a prime destination spot for those traveling with kids. What kid doesn't enjoy the sight of these enormous and dangerous prehistoric reptiles? The park provides daily shows and tours and includes more wildlife than just the gators; some children may be even more impressed by the exotic birds.

Potter's Wax Museum is like hopping into a time travel machine with your kids in more ways than one. Compared to contemporary motion simulation rides and virtual reality experiences, a collection of wax figures is decidedly low tech and will doubtlessly bring back memories from your own childhood. With so few wax museums in operation anymore, many kids today have never had the chance to enjoy the strangely disorienting sensation of looking at such creepily life-like wax figures. St. Augustine's Potter's Wax Museum is filled with historical personages and celebrities that both you and the kids will instantly recognize.

The one must-see stop on your trip to St. Augustine that is almost guaranteed to leave your kids breathless is the Ripley Ghost Train Adventure. This incredibly popular attraction gives your family the chance to live the adventures you've watched unfold on the Sci-Fi Channel series Ghost Hunters.

Before you board the Victorian-style train you are handed the tools of a certified ghost hunter, including those really nifty electromagnetic field detectors used by the real life ghost hunters on the show. The climax of the Ripley Ghost Train Adventure is a half-hour tour through the appropriately named Castle Warden, a massive and exquisitely detailed recreation of a Moorish castle that became home to the very first Ripley's Believe or Not Museum. Tour operators make no guarantee that you will actually see any supernatural entities, but plenty of those who've taken the trip have claimed to see things that could not be explained.

Most children love to jump, climb, run, and crawl. Combining them all together can make for a fun experience, especially when adding even more physical challenges. What I am I talking about? I'm discussing building obstacle courses for kids.

Most children love to jump, climb, run and crawl. Combining them all together can make for a fun experience, especially when adding even more physical challenges. What am I talking about? I'm discussing building obstacle courses for kids. Many obstacle courses are fairly easy to make and can provide a great deal of entertainment and exercise.

Getting some children to exercise can be a chore for parents and physical education teachers, but it doesn't have to be. Combining exercise with fun is the best way to get those kids in shape. Who says exercise has to feel like a chore? In fact, any good exercise routine is one that is enjoyable. Enjoyment brings the likelihood of repeating the exercise often.

Designing and building obstacle courses may sound hard, but it really isn't (unless you're talking about large gym equipment, which isn't always necessary). Instead, gathering a few fun items and combining them to make a fun obstacle course is a more practical way of doing this. This physical activity can be done at home or at school. A little bonus to this activity is that the parent or teacher who sets up the activity will get a small workout in doing so. Let the kids help and they get even more physical movement added to their day.

Some things I would suggest for building obstacle courses for kids are tires (without the rims), cones, hula hoop stations, jump rope stations, a basketball hoop, hopscotch and maybe some hurdles. The items can vary, depending on ages and fitness level, but the basic idea is to create a variety of activities that the children have to perform in a row in order to complete the obstacle course.

Smaller kids could simply run back and forth through cones. The next age group could do the cones, as well as the tires, and perhaps the hula hoops or jump ropes. Basically, as the age group grows, so should the intensity of the obstacle courses you are building. Make sure to keep in mind not only the age group, but the physical fitness levels of the kids.

As with any physical activity, it is important to follow safety rules when utilizing these obstacle courses. Other than that, the only warning I would give is to parents and teachers: be careful, because kids might request this one often.