Sandwiches are always a quick fix meal, but the average sandwich can get boring. Wouldn't it be nice to prepare something different from time to time? This week we'll look at recipes for quick to fix sandwiches that are a bit different from the everyday sandwich.

Cheesy Chicken Flatbread Sandwiches
Serves 4

4 pieces of flatbread
12 ounces of refrigerated chicken strips, any flavor
4 ounces of shredded cheese, any flavor
4 tablespoons of fat-free ranch dressing

1. Layer each piece of flatbread with 3 ounces of chicken, 1 ounce of cheese and 1 tablespoon of ranch dressing.
2. Microwave for one minute or until the cheese melts.
3. Fold the sandwiches in half and serve with fruit and baked potato chips.

Tip: Turkey can be substituted and additional toppings can be added to make the sandwich your own.

Peanut Butter and Banana Wraps
Serves 4

4 whole wheat tortillas
½ cup of natural peanut butter
4 bananas, sliced
4 tablespoons of honey
2 cups of granola
½ cup of mini dark chocolate chips

1. Spread the tortillas with peanut butter and top with sliced banana, honey, granola and chocolate chips.
2. Roll into a wrap and enjoy.

Tip: These can be wrapped in aluminum foil and heated on the grill for a healthy camping treat.

Fruit and Cream Cheese Breakfast Sandwich
Serves 4

8 pieces of raisin bread
4 ounces of fat-free flavored cream cheese (strawberry is preferred)
1 large apple, sliced
¼ pound of strawberries, sliced
1 banana, sliced

1. Spread the slices of bread with cream cheese and top with fruit.

Tip: Any fruit can be used and toasted nuts can be added for additional flavor and protein.

Sandwiches don't have to be boring. There are so many different ways to reinvent this everyday meal. Try different types of bread, add fruit, consider different types of spreads and create something new. Better yet, get your kids involved. If you have trouble getting them to eat, letting them create their own meals is a great place to start.

After a long, cold winter indoors, the appearance of springtime means that many families are ready to turn off the tube and head outdoors. But if your family isn't interested in hiking or cycling or the kids are just a bit too young for a weekend camping trip, it can be difficult to find outdoor activities that can interest everyone. Spending a family day at a zoo or a nearby animal park, however, can appeal to a variety of ages, interest levels and the kid inside of all of us.

Consider the nearest zoo, as well as those further away. This can be especially helpful if you are taking older children along, too. Larger zoos may be more crowded but can offer a wider range of animals and activities for children of all ages. Similarly, if your family regularly heads to the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., you might want to consider a change of venue and hit the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore or the Catoctin Wildlife Preserve and Zoo instead.

Pack your own Snacks, Drinks and Lunches
Many zoos will allow you to bring in your own food and drink and provide picnic tables for just such a purpose. Throw it all in a waterproof tote bag and head out the door.

Ignore the Weather Forecast
One of the most maddening things about trips to outdoor venues such as zoos is that you are dependent on the weather. But that doesn't need to be the case. Most zoos are still open when it rains. You might not be able to have your picnic lunch outside, but you'll still be able to see many of the zoos inhabitants. Wear your rain boots, splash in a puddle or two, and the zoo trip has taken on a whole new dimension!

Bring Along the Camera and a Guidebook
Not only can a day trip to the zoo provide some outside entertainment for the family, but it can also be educational. Bring along the camera, purchase a guidebook and document all of the animals that you see along the way. Make a photo book of your trip to the zoo and write what you learned about the animals or information about how they behaved. This activity is a great idea for homeschoolers, too!

Spending a family day at the zoo is fun, educational and a great way to get the whole family up and moving once the weather starts to cooperate this spring.

Spring is tentatively showing itself in many parts of the country. (Not where I live; we just got almost 12 inches of snow.) For many families, this means the end of indoor recreation activities and a chance to get back outside and enjoy nature. You can help your kids learn to enjoy the outdoors -- and make great family memories -- by keeping a nature journal.

Nature Journal as a Family
One of the fun things you can do together is head outside and keep a nature journal. The National Wildlife Federation offers some helpful hints for making a nature journal. Possible subjects are included, and this can help you get a good start on what to do for a successful nature journal. You can look for such items as plants, animals and rocks, as well as listen to the different sounds being made. The wind in the leaves or the sound of a stream can make great subjects for the nature journal. Older children can learn how to identify different plants, animals and rocks that are common to your local area.

A nature journal should include observations about the things heard, seen and even smelled. Have your children describe their experiences. Older children can write for themselves, and you can help the younger children. Encourage your children to draw pictures of what they have seen, using crayons or markers. You can even take pictures and add them to the nature journal. Have your children see how close they can get to drawing what is seen in the picture. You can add pages as needed, using a three-ring binder or keep the nature journal in a series of notebooks.

Remember, though, that spring can still be a little chilly. Make sure that you have jackets and hats, and are dressed appropriately for the weather. Good walking shoes are a good idea. Once you start your nature journal, you can make a new journal for every season.

That silly, foolish day is almost here: that’s right, April Fool’s Day!! It’s the perfect day to play some tricks and jokes on your kids. You could do just one, several, or make a full day of slapstick fun. If you are interested in doing something special to kick off April, check out these quick and easy ideas:

1. Place a For Sale sign in your front yard. That will get your kids asking what’s going on, especially if it says “sold.”
2. Place Wet Paint signs on the walls of your home. I’ll bet your kids will just have to touch the walls and see if it’s for real!
3. Place No Trespassing signs on the toilet. What a way to wake up!
4. Place whoopee cushions or other fun gags at the breakfast table.
5. Place signs on the backs of your kids’ shirts in the morning (do this without them knowing by giving them gentle hugs). Have the signs say anything silly that is in good fun, such as, Flap your arms when I look at you, Hug me, and pat my head.
6. Make up word games, like Hang Man, that have no solutions.
7. Serve dinner for breakfast or vice versa.
8. Rearrange two rooms of furniture. Have the couch in the kitchen and the kitchen table in the family room.
9. Serve Oreo cookies as an after-school snack, but scrape off the cream and fill them with toothpaste. Minty fresh!
10. Reverse your spices. Put pepper in the salt shaker and salt in the pepper shaker.

Kids age 8 and older will appreciate the challenge of an April Fool’s Treasure Hunt. Take average clues that seem quite easy, and have your kids search for the obscure. When they figure out the first clue, it will lead to the next clue, which will lead to the next clue, and so on. Put together as many clues as you want. The last clue should lead the kids to a special treat for all of their efforts, such as a joke book.
Here are some sample clues:
1. I spout water and make everything clean (hose).
2. It’s just another way you can get to school (a wheelbarrow, if you have one or some other obscure form of transportation you have at your home).
3. I’ll keep you warm at night when it is cold (hot water bottle).
4. I see you compactly when you open me (Mom’s powder compact).
5. I’m thinner than string and can make everything squeaky clean (dental floss).
6. I keep things cool that are yum to eat (ice cooler/chest).
7. Play me to entertain you just in time (clock radio).
8. I go around and around all day long (dryer).
9. I welcome you and your guests home (front door mat/rug).
10. Stomp, run, and walk on me; I can take it and still grow (grass/front yard).
These clues will have your kids looking all over the place for these obscure things and places! You can either preface the hunt with the fact that the clues may seem easy, but are meant to be puzzling, or you can let your kids have the full challenge of figuring it out for themselves!
It doesn’t take much to mix up your April Fool’s Day and have some goofy fun! Enjoy the spirit of foolishness!

This blog has already discussed meatless meals, but I feel that you can never have too many recipes for meatless meals. After all, they're healthy and more affordable. Here are a couple more recipes I hope you enjoy.

Vegetarian Nachos
Serves 4

2 large red onions, chopped
2 large zucchinis, halved and sliced
2 large green peppers, chopped
Olive oil
2 large tomatoes, seeded and chopped
2 cans of chili beans, drained and rinsed
1 can of enchilada sauce
1 cup of 2-percent shredded cheddar cheese
1 bag of whole wheat tortilla chips

1. Sautee the onions, zucchini and green peppers in olive oil until cooked through.
2. Stir in the tomatoes, chili beans and enchilada sauce and bring to a simmer.
3. Top with cheese, cover the pan and let simmer until the cheese melts.
4. Serve with tortilla chips.

White Vegetarian Lasagna
Serves 8

3 large onions, chopped
1 pound of sliced mushrooms
2 cloves of garlic, minced
Olive oil
2 boxes of frozen spinach, thawed
16-ounce container of low-fat ricotta cheese
16-ounce container of low-fat cottage cheese
2 cups of 2-percent shredded mozzarella
¼ cup parmesan cheese
2 jars of low-fat Alfredo sauce
1 box of lasagna noodles

1. Sautee the onions, mushrooms and garlic in olive oil and allow to cool.
2. Mix the onions, mushrooms and garlic with the spinach and set aside.
3. Mix the ricotta, cottage cheese, 1 cup of the mozzarella and the parmesan cheese and set aside.
4. Pour a ¼ cup of Alfredo sauce in the bottom of a baking dish and add a layer of noodles.
5. Add another layer of sauce. Then add a layer of the cheese mixture and a layer of vegetables.
6. Repeat the layers ending with sauce. Top the sauce with the remaining mozzarella.
7. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
8. Remove the aluminum foil and bake an additional 15 minutes or until the cheese is browned.
9. Serve with side salad and garlic bread.

Studies have shown that the average woman carries a handbag weighing five to nine pounds. And when you're pregnant, that pretty purse weight usually increases rather than decreases. You add a baby naming book, a list of baby items to shop for and that sample bottle of prenatal vitamins that your doctor gave you. The problem with that hefty handbag: it can exacerbate your already aching back and shoulders! The solution is to lighten that load with one of these tips:

Relax in the most comfortable chair in your home, put a TV tray in front of you and remove everything from your purse. Those pennies that you tossed into the bottom of your purse, the throat lozenges, the free pens from the bank manager, the credit card holder crammed with cards (half of which probably you no longer use!), the value shopper cards from various supermarkets and drug stores -- set it all out. Ask yourself what REALLY needs to stay. The pennies can go into your piggy bank for a rainy day. Those pens belong in your desk. And those value shopper cards? Request to use your phone number rather than a plastic card and shred those cards along with the expired credit cards.

Next up, let your fingers do the shopping online for a much smaller purse. A small, attractive purse will keep you focused on the goal: keeping your handbag as light as possible. For example, consider the highly rated Jessica McClintock Large Satin Clutch, in the cutest, most cheerful colors like pearl pink. It's easy to access, and lovely to look at! It's convertible, with a chain, and even has room for your credit cards.

How about a drawstring purse? Tuck away all those essentials with a lightweight drawstring that holds what you need. You won't get in a flap about a flap purse, sometimes referred to as a tote bag. Often made of lightweight canvas, this style of purse is made for convenience such as the Kavu Tortola Tote Bag, which has a separator to keep you organized.

Spring is upon us! The kids are tired of being indoors, drinking hot cocoa, and watching the snow fall. The days are longer, the sun is shining brighter, there's a hint of spring flowers in the air, and snow is turning to rain; it's spring!

The vernal equinox is a wonderful time to plan some spring fun with your children. If you want to mark the entrance of spring this year, here are some resources and ideas to enjoy:

1. Plant flowers together! Head out to your local garden center, and let your kids pick out the flower bulbs they would like to plant. Have them not only plant the bulbs, but water them throughout spring and watch them grow!

2. Give your children a watercolor set and white construction paper, and have them paint their own spring masterpieces to hang around the house.

3. Enjoy bird watching! Birds are now migrating north, so it is the perfect time to head out to an open field and watch them. Of course, with it being spring, there are many opportunities to feed ducks, watch scampering squirrels, and take in the natural world coming to life.

4. When a rainy day pops up, pull on your galoshes and go splash in the puddles. Make it fun!

5. Enjoy playing Leap Frog!

6. Fly kites!

7. Play Frisbee. To make it even more interesting, play Frisbee Golf. Hang buckets from trees, and have the players toss the Frisbee into the buckets for points.

8. Purchase small terra cotta plant holders for the kids to decorate with tempera paint. They can paint bugs, butterflies, or anything else they like!

9. Gussy up lollipops to look like flowers. Using felt, googly eyes, heavy card stock, and a glue stick, create flower faces atop the lollipop. A sweet treat.

10. Make Paper Mache Eggs. Blow up small balloons and paper mache the balloon with liquid starch and newspaper strips. When the balloon is dry, stick a pin in and pop the balloon. Cut out a hole large enough for the goodies you will place inside. Fill your egg with the treats, and seal the flap with either paper mache or tape. Paint the eggs with tempura paint in a variety of spring colors, and have the kids write their names on their eggs with markers.

Have a great time celebrating spring with your kids and their friends this year. It will be a bloom'n good time!

Though a parent's day is fraught with challenges, one of the hardest parts of any day is finding the time to accomplish your "must-do" tasks. Making dinner is often something mothers complain about, because by the time dinner time rolls around the kids are getting tired, hungry, and dad isn't quite home yet to help out. Rather than plop your kids in front of the television or computer, finding ways to involve your kids in the dinnertime routine benefits everyone in the family.

Plan Ahead
Don't leave the defrosting or the meal selection until 6 p.m. During breakfast or the car ride to school, talk to your kids about what you could have for dinner. Get everything you need ready in the morning, if possible, and make a list of things you might need to buy at the store or prepare ahead of time. Letting your children get involved in the meal planning and preparation can help mealtimes become less stressful for everyone.

Divide up the Responsibilities
Young children can't chop the veggies or use the food processor, but they could easily be taught how to set the table or fetch items for mommy from the refrigerator. Older children can make the salad, while younger children can help get the crescent rolls ready for baking. Give everyone a job for dinner, every night.

Set up a Second Kitchen
If your children are interested in cooking themselves, consider investing in a wooden kitchen accessory kit all of their own. Young children can set up their own kitchen and pretend to cook right alongside mommy or daddy. They'll be occupied, within your sights and entertained without the use of television or video games.

Rather than plop your kids in front of the TV or computer, consider finding ways to involve them in the dinnertime routine. Not only will you get to spend some quality time with your kids, but you'll teach them the importance of helping around the house.

Being the parent of multiples means that your parenting responsibilities are multiplied by the number of kids you have. When your multiples are babies you have two, three or four times the diapers, bottles and clothing changes as you would if you had only one baby, and as your multiples grow, your responsibilities only increase. One of the issues that you are bound to have to deal with is homework. Homework issues can range from just getting your multiples to do it to helping your multiples overcome learning disabilities.

Getting Homework Done
One problem that most parents have to deal with is getting their kids to complete their homework. Most kids are going to procrastinate and wait until the last minute to start their homework and complete assigned projects. While you can get by with this strategy, it puts a lot of stress on your kids and reduces the amount of knowledge that they are able to retain.

You can help your multiples be better students and more relaxed by setting up a homework schedule. It is best to get homework done as soon as your multiples get home from school. It is also better if they distribute large projects and studying over several study or work sessions. This makes larger projects more manageable and studying more effective for long term retention.

Learning Disabilities
Learning disabilities come in several varieties. Some learning disabilities are mild and only require a few modifications to study habits, while other learning disabilities are severe and require lifestyle and environmental changes. If one or all of your multiples are having ongoing problems with their academic progress, it is a good idea to talk to your pediatrician or to your kids' school about screening them for learning disabilities. Once the problem has been identified, a strategy can be developed to help your kids to regain control of their learning.

The most common learning disabilities are going to include cognitive delays and dyslexia. Both of these conditions can be overcome by supplementing classroom education with one-on-one tutoring and assistance, as well as by learning new ways to approach homework. Your school can be a great source of information on how to help your multiples overcome their learning disabilities, as can child development centers.

Do you ever wish you could just go home and have your meal mostly prepared? You're in luck. There are ways you can prepare two meals at one time. Not only does this make meals quicker to prepare, but it also saves money by ensuring that you use all of the ingredients you purchase. These meals use many of the same ingredients and reduce your need to clean out the fridge each week. This week, we'll focus on a couple meals prepared with chicken.

Spanish Rice With Mexican Spiced Chicken
Serves 4

8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 boxes of Spanish Rice mix, plus the ingredients needed to prepare it
2 (16-ounce) cans of enchilada sauce

1. Mix the spices together and rub onto the chicken. Bake at 350 degrees until cooked through, about 25 to 30 minutes.
2. In the meantime, prepare the Spanish rice according to the package directions.
3. When the rice is cooked, stir in the enchilada sauce and heat through.
4. Serve four of the chicken breasts with half of the rice mixture along with some fat-free refried beans and warmed whole wheat tortillas.

Chicken Rice Enchiladas
Serves 4

8 whole wheat tortillas
4 leftover chicken breasts, shredded
4 cups of leftover rice mixture
1 cup of enchilada sauce
1 cup of 2-percent shredded cheddar cheese
Sour cream
Green onions

1. Fill the tortillas with the chicken and rice mixture and place in a baking dish.
2. Top with the enchilada sauce and cheese. Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown and heated through, about 30 minutes.
3. Serve with sour cream and green onions.

Cooking doesn't have to be difficult or time consuming to be healthy. When you take time to prepare ingredients for the next day, meals go together in a snap.

There is actually a medical term for the fear of ventriloquist dolls: automatonophobia. Some kids get scared of those dummies, even when they aren't particularly creepy. Other kids just seem fascinated by the whole idea of a talking doll. Believe it or not, but there is a museum devoted to the world of ventriloquism. The Vent Haven Museum is located at 33 West Maple Avenue in Ft. Mitchell, Kentucky. Tours are by appointment only, but a tour is really worth the effort.

The Vent Haven Museum is made up of hundreds of "retired" ventriloquist dolls, including some replicas of famous dolls like Charlie McCarthy. The tour can last up to ninety minutes, so that should give some indication as to what to expect. If the Vent Haven Museum was just a collection of wooden and plastic doppelgangers staring at visitors with their dead eyes that would be one thing and kind of interesting in a macabre way. Admittedly, some younger kids will not be impressed since the Vent Haven Museum is not the kind of hands-on museum that all the kids seem to love today. But as the only museum dedicated solely to the genuinely bizarre art of ventriloquism, it is worth a visit to peek into what still remains a rather mysterious sub-genre of the entertainment world.

Parents whose kids do suffer some form of automatonophobia or parents who suffer the disorder themselves, may want to put some serious thought into visiting the Vent Haven Museum. A large part of the appeal for some visitors is the eerie feeling the museum gives off. Yes, truly walking through a museum that is populated with lifelike dummies everywhere you look is like stepping into the Twilight Zone. If one of the dolls happens to move by itself, the best course of action is probably just to ignore it. It almost undoubtedly is simply your imagination at work. Either that or put a direct call in to Mulder and Scully.

Do you want to plan something extra special and fun with your children this St. Patrick’s Day? How about sending them on a treasure hunt to find their own pot of gold at the end of the rainbow this holiday?

Here are the creative clues to use:

• Blarney Stone: Kiss me and maybe you’ll be as lucky as we!
• Shamrock: Small, lush, four-leaf, and green, pick me and make a wish for your favorite team.
• Pot of Gold: If you follow the rainbow, I’m what you’ll find, making you rich in mind.
• Rainbow: In the midst of light rain, with sun shining through, I’ll make beautiful colors true.
• Leprechaun: Small and green, with top hat on head, I’ll visit on St. Patty’s and spin some legendary Irish lore.
• Irish Jig: A little dance to keep the cheer of the day. Once you have figured it out, dance your way to the next clue.
• Green: I rhyme with bean and mark the annual day. No matter if a button, flower, balloon, or flag in the parade, I am the color to wear today!
• Top Hat: Standing tall and black atop your head, I bring a funny look to your stead.
• Ireland: Where it all began on the Emerald Isle.
• Famous Sayings: “When __________ are _________.” & “______ o’ the _________ to you!”

Have your kids figure out the clues and find the objects around your home. The last clue should lead them to their own pot of chocolate coins!

When you are finished with your treasure hunt, serve up a green menu your children are sure to find lucky:
Make a Green Shake for breakfast: Blend one banana, 2 cups of lime sherbet, and 2 cups of milk.

Magic Milk: Add a few drops of green food coloring to the bottom of the glass and add milk!

Golden Coins: Use Ritz crackers, peanut butter, and butterscotch chips. Spread the peanut butter on one Ritz cracker, top with second cracker. Melt the butterscotch chips and dip the sandwich crackers in it to coat, and place on wax paper.

Shamrock Mashed Potatoes: Prepare mashed potatoes and have the kids add a few drops of green food coloring. On their plates, let them play with their food and make shamrocks out of their mashed potatoes!

Leprechaun Dust: Use one box of Jell-O™ instant pistachio pudding, milk, and empty, clean baby food jars. Place one tablespoon of the Jell-O™ powder into the baby food jars, and add milk to fill the jar. Have the kids shake it up to turn it to green!

Serve a Green Buffet: Grapes, pickles, olives, cookies, cupcakes, kiwi, green apples, celery, broccoli, cucumber, pear, green Jell-O™ pudding, sour apple jelly beans, etc.
Enjoy this Top O’ the Morning day!

There are a number of delicious treats that you can make with your children for Holidays . And while you can't take homemade treats to school anymore, it is possible for you to make treats for neighbors and friends. Baking is a great family recreation activity. It creates memories and encourages family bonding, teaches children a valuable skill and can be educational in terms of math and reading practice. Here is an easy, tasty recipe that you can easily do with your children:

Chocolate Caramel Bites
These treats are simple to make and good to eat. You need:
60 pretzels (square works very well)
Unwrapped Rolo candies
M&M candies (plain milk chocolate -- in the respective Holiday colors)

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Get out a baking sheet or baking dish and lay the pretzels inside, along the bottom. You can line the bottom with foil in order to minimize any possible mess. Put one Rolo candy on top of each pretzel. (Have the kids count them as you go.) Next, place the baking sheet in the oven and heat for three or four minutes, until the Rolos start to soften and spread their shapes. Bring out the baking sheet and carefully place one M&M in the center of the melted Rolo.

Let the candies set. This can take an hour at room temperature or 15 to 20 minutes in the refrigerator. Leave the candies on the banking sheet during this time. Remove the candies from the baking sheet when they are set and put them in a sealed container. You can also use festively colored cellophane bags tied with ribbon and pass them out to friends and family with cards made from construction paper. (The cards can be made while you are waiting for the candies to set.)

This treat can be made for Easter, the 4th of July, Valentine's Day, Halloween or Christmas. Simply buy the M&M candies in their special holiday packages.

Sometimes as a parent it is easy to only respond to the kids when they are doing something wrong. When you have multiples, your mind is so busy trying to keep up with the demands of work, home and multiple kids that you sometimes forget that it is also important to respond to the kids when they do something good. Now is the time to change your reinforcement strategy. For the next week try responding to what your multiples do that is right, sweet or good.

Time Your Rewards and Praise Properly
The first thing that you need to know about praise and offering rewards for doing something well is that your timing needs to be strategic. If you offer to give a reward in exchange for a specific behavior beforehand then that is considered bribery and not a reinforcement of a good behavior. This means that in order to be effective at encouraging the behavior again you need to hold off on offering your praise and rewards until after the behavior has been done.

Reward Sparingly
While it seems like pop culture for parents requires that you give your multiples a treat or reward after everything that they do right, this is not the best parenting strategy. In order to make rewards special, you need to use them sparingly. This will make really big accomplishments special. For example, a time when you don't want to offer a reward is after your multiples walk into the house without throwing a temper tantrum. A good time to offer a reward is after they finally use the potty by themselves.

Phrasing Your Praise
While offering a physical reward for everything that a child does right is not a good idea, offering your praise more frequently is a good idea. However, it is important that you be specific with the phrasing of your praise. For example, a simple "good job" is less effective than saying "you did a good job putting away your clothes." Being specific about what you liked about the behavior will help to clarify your approval and help your child realize that you are paying attention to what they are doing.

Is there anything better than a soup and sandwich on a cold evening? Chances are you probably serve this meal several times each winter. Truth be told though, tomato soup and grilled cheese, while classic, can get old after a while. Are there ways to update the grilled cheese and make it something different? Sure. In fact, here are a few recipes to get you started.

Mexican Grilled Chicken and Cheese
Serves 4

8 slices of white bread
4 tablespoons butter, softened
12 ounces of southwestern seasoned chicken strips
4 one-ounce slices of pepper jack cheese

1. Spread the slices of bread with butter.
2. Add a slice of cheese and three ounces of chicken to each sandwich.
3. Cook in a large skillet over medium-high heat until golden brown on both sides.
4. Serve with tortilla or taco soup.

Italian Grilled Cheese
Serves 4

8 slices of Italian bread
4 tablespoons of butter, softened
4 one-ounce slices of whole mozzarella
4 ounces of turkey pepperoni
½ cup marinara sauce

1. Spread the slices of bread with butter.
2. Add a slice of cheese, one ounce of pepperoni and two tablespoons of marinara sauce to each sandwich.
3. Cook in a large skillet over medium-high heat until golden brown on both sides.
4. Serve with Italian Wedding soup or minestrone.

Fruity Grilled Cheese
Serves 4

8 slices of French bread
4 tablespoons of butter, softened
8 ounces of low-fat strawberry cream cheese
4 ounces of strawberries sliced
4 tablespoons sugar-free chocolate sauce

1. Spread the slices of bread with butter.
2. Add two ounces of cream cheese, a quarter of the strawberries and one tablespoon of chocolate sauce.
3. Cook in a large skillet over medium heat until golden brown on both sides.

These recipes are not only a different approach to a classic food, but they're something your kids will love. There are several ways to make your own signature grilled cheese. Best of all, you can easily incorporate your children's favorite foods to make something they'll truly love.

Practice makes perfect, or so they say. Unfortunately, no amount of practice can prepare you for parenthood. But if you're pregnant, getting ready for baby is probably the first and foremost thing on your mind. If you want to make your pregnancy easier, there are some things you can do to get the house and yourself ready and keep you ahead of the crowd.

Start by getting the necessities ready for baby's arrival. Thankfully, newborns don't need much. But you'll want to have a diaper bag, diapers, a few baby outfits and somewhere for the baby to sleep (a crib, a co-sleeper, or a bassinette) on hand before the little one arrives. Bibs, burp cloths, sheets and towels are also necessities. Use baby detergent and have everything washed and ready to go, and you'll save yourself time once baby arrives.

Not only can you get the basics ready before baby arrives, but you can make room for baby in your house and in your life. Determine where baby will sleep, and if you need to rearrange rooms or furniture, start thinking about doing it now. Get the car seat installed in the car. Schedule maternity leave and talk to your boss about options for returning to work. Research paternity leave. Make a will. Taking care of these things before your baby arrives means less to do after your little one is here.

Once you've covered the basics and gotten things under control for the arrival of your little one, don't stop there. Read books about pregnancy and childcare, spend time with friends and family members and their little ones and get all the rest that you can. Each one of these things will help you feel more in control and ready, as well as making your entire pregnancy experience easier and less stressful.

If you want to make your pregnancy easier during the last few months, getting ready for baby's arrival and taking care of the details at hand is a great place to start.

Every Monday night, families used to gather around the television to watch the continuing adventures of the Ingalls family in the TV show based on the Little House on the Prairie novels by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Today, it is truly a momentous undertaking to find a show that a family with kids can watch without cringing at least once. Those days may be gone, but this show itself lives on in DVD form, and there are always the original novels by Laura herself. Many a young girl still grows up reading these infinitely fascinating tales of the tough pioneer life and the extraordinarily inspiring way in which a young girl became an American icon.

This is where the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum comes into play. There are actually two different museums with Wilder's name, but only one, in Walnut Grove, Minnesota, where the stories take place. The museum near Springfield is perfectly fine, but the one in Walnut Grove has a Laura and Nellie lookalike contest every year, usually in July. You remember Nellie, right? That little blonde snot who tried to make young Laura's life miserable every episode. Near the museum, you can also visit the actual site of the home where Laura and family lived.

And then there's the Wilder Pageant, which is the highlight of Walnut Creek's year. The Wilder Pageant takes place during the summer and features a live performance starring all the favorite characters from the show. A visit to the Wilder Pageant is like actually watching the Little House on the Prairie TV show come to life as you get to relive some of the favorite moments of the stories of the Ingalls' family history.

And if that weren't enough, all Little House fans can actually shop at the Olsen Mercantile store for things like flowers, clothing, pottery and collectibles. Oh, and don't forget to make a visit to Nellie's Café. The yellow ringlets of the snotty little Olsen girl may not be atop the head that serves you, but it's a really fun place to visit.

For the family that loves the outdoors, there is no reason to head indoors during the winter. And one of the most fun and adventurous things you can do as a family is to go geocaching. And yes -- you can even participate during the winter.

What is Geocaching?
If you have a GPS system, you can participate in geocaching. Geocachers make lists of landmarks in a number of local areas, as well as special caches, where you can visit. The idea is to use your GPS system to locate the cache. In many cases, there is a small sign up that you can enter your name on. In other cases, you can take a family photo by the designated landmark and then upload it to a special Web page. In any case, geocaching can be a fun family activity that allows you to learn more about your local area.

During the winter, geocaching can be even more fun. You can use snowshoes, skis or snowmobiles to reach some geocaching locations. Or, if you start out in town, all you need is your car and some warm clothing. Play in the snow after you reach the geocache destination or build a snowman to mark your place.

It can be a good idea to make your geocaching experience educational. Talk about the landmark or the area in which the geocache is located. You can also learn about using GPS to find what you are looking for. This can also be a good chance to talk about other methods of navigation, including maps and using a compass. Also, talk about outdoor survival and what to do if you get lost somewhere.

Geocaching can be more than just a one-time thing. It can be a family hobby and recurring activity. It is something that you can use to build memories. And once you find all of the geocaches in your local area, you can start branching out while on family vacations -- or even add your own geocache locations.

Iron is an essential ingredient in a healthy lifestyle. While you can find iron in lean cuts of beef and in beans, another good source is dark green vegetables. Vegetables such as broccoli and spinach are great sources of iron. Unfortunately, that bit of information isn't enough to make your kids come running to the table. No, you have to be tricky when it comes to getting your children to eat these foods. Thankfully, there are recipes that do just the trick.

Broccoli and Cheese Stuffed "Fried" Chicken
Serves 4

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 cups of finely chopped broccoli
1 cup of 2-percent shredded cheddar cheese
¼ cup light or fat-free mayonnaise
4 egg whites, beaten
2 to 3 cups of crushed cornflakes
½ tablespoon of Cajun seasoning

1. Use a knife to create a pocket in each breast.
2. Mix the broccoli, cheese and mayonnaise together and stuff into the chicken.
3. Use wet wooden skewers or toothpicks to close the pockets.
4. Dip the chicken breasts in the egg whites.
5. Mix the crushed cornflakes and Cajun seasoning together and thoroughly coat the breasts in the mixture.
6. Spray a baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and then spray the tops of the breasts.
7. Bake at 425 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until cooked through.
8. Serve with a side salad and brown rice.

Chicken and Spinach Alfredo Pizza
Serves 4 to 6

Whole wheat pizza crust
1 cup of low-fat or fat-free Alfredo sauce
10-ounce box of frozen spinach, thawed
2 cups part-skim shredded mozzarella
2 six-ounce packages of grilled chicken strips
1 medium red onion, chopped

1. Spread the pizza crust with Alfredo sauce.
2. Wring the water from the spinach and scatter across the sauce.
3. Top with cheese, chicken and red onions.
4. Bake according to the crust directions.

These aren't the types of meals that send kids running for the door. In fact, these are the kinds of recipes that encourage them to clean their plates.