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Being a parent can be stressful enough but being a single parent brings its own kind of stress. Not only are you expected to be the sole money earner, you’re also expected to act as both father and mother. If you’re in this situation, these tips for single parents may provide you with an avenue to deal with the stress so you and your children can thrive.

* Learn to take care of yourself. You may feel there’s no time to care for yourself. You may have to work a full-time job, as well as single-handedly taking care of your home and your children. Then there are the bills and more. By the time you fall exhausted into bed, there are only a few hours to sleep before it’s time to get up and do it all again. If you’re always stressed and exhausted, you’re not giving your best to your children. They need a parent who is rested and relaxed.

Ask a family member or trusted friend to come and sit with the children while you rest for a couple of hours. Once you’ve had a break, you’ll come back with a new attitude and ready to face whatever may come your way. You’ll also be able to enjoy your children more. Try to make arrangements to get a couple of hours to yourself at least once every two weeks.

* Get outside and go for a walk. If your children are small, put them in a stroller and go to the park. Take time to stroll along and enjoy the scenery. Let them play on the playground equipment while you sit nearby. Spending the time enjoying nature and being in the fresh air and sunshine can do wonders for reducing stress. The exercise will do you good, too.

* Put on some music at home and get silly. Sing or dance to the music with your children. Make funny faces and laugh. You probably spend so much of your time being serious it’s good for your children to see you laughing and having a good time.

* Find a support group of other single parents. Not only will you be able to talk with them about things you and your children are going through, it may also help you to know you’re not alone. Some support groups offer babysitting services so you can have a much-needed break and be able to know your child is being cared for by someone who understands.

* Establish house rules and expect everyone to abide by them. You’ll also want your children to help with household chores rather than you taking care of everything. If everyone pitches in, the work will be done and you’ll feel less stressed. The time you have left can be spent doing something enjoyable.

* Give yourself a break and stop feeling like you have to be perfect. As much as you’d like to think so, you’re not going to know how to do everything. You also can’t be everywhere at once. Be willing to accept that the house may not be spotless and you served pizza for dinner twice in one week. Sometimes you have to do what you have to do. Lighten up and don’t be hard on yourself.

Try some of these stress management tips for single parents. Most importantly, know that you don’t have to do everything on your own. There are people out there — friends, family or a support group — who care about you and your children. Lean on them when you need to; that’s what they’re there for.

Makes 2 Servings

Ingredients:
4 medium russet potatoes
8 oz lean ground beef
1 cup broccoli florets, finely chopped
1/4 + 1/4 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup water
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
3 spring onions, sliced
Salt and pepper

Instructions:
Pierce potatoes with fork all over and cook in microwave until soft (about 20 minutes).

In a large skilled, cook the meat until browned and cooked through, then transfer into a bowl. Add the broccoli and water to the skilled, increase the heat and cook until tender, about 4 to 5 minutes. Drain the broccoli and add to the meat.

Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut the top third off the potatoes. Set the tops aside for future use. Scoop out the inside of the potatoes and place into a bowl. Mix in the sour cream, ¼ cup of cheddar and spring onion and season with salt and pepper. Add this mixture to the meat and broccoli and combine well.

Arrange the potato shells on a baking dish and divide the meat and potato mixture evenly amongst them. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and place under the broiler until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Serve as a lunch with a tossed salad.

Spring will soon be here. It’s the perfect time to begin organizing a spring garage sale and declutter your home at the same time. Think about what you want to accomplish and then use these tips to meet your goals.

Take a couple of weeks to go through your home to find everything you can for your garage sale. Chances are there’s more than you think, so give yourself some time to find it all. If possible, price things as you go to save time later on.

Start in the bedrooms, dressers and closets. Go through your closets first to find items that haven’t been worn in a year, aren’t absolutely loved or don’t fit anymore. If they’re in good shape they can be added to your garage sale stash. Don’t forget to look under the bed for shoes or purses. Check out the jewelry, too.

Head to the children’s rooms next. What have they outgrown that can’t be passed down to a sibling? Then start going through their toys. Find items which they haven’t played with in a long time. This might be an activity to do with your children but be prepared for the fact they may not be willing to part with much.

Step into the kitchen and see what you can part with there. Do you have more dishes than you need for the size of your family? What about the pots and pans? Have you recently gotten some new ones but the old ones are in good shape? Add them to your garage sale pile. You’ll also want to go through dish towels, silverware and glassware.

Ask each member of the family to contribute to the garage sale. Tools, sporting goods and baby items usually sell well. The more you can declutter from your home, the better the garage sale will be. Offer to let each person keep the money from the items they sell and they may be more willing to let go of some things.

Check with your neighbors and see if any of them are planning to have a garage sale in the near future. You might be able to get several neighbors to have sales on the same day. This will draw in more people and help each family in their effort to declutter and sell items. Find out which day their sale will be and plan yours for the same day.

Advertise your garage sale with signs, the local newspaper and flyers in areas you know people frequent. List what types of items you’ll have for sale. Don’t forget to add your address, date and time, however you choose to advertise. You’ll also want to specify that you will not begin selling items until the time listed.

Set up a rack for clothing, shelves and tables where necessary. Gather hangers for clothes, tables for smaller items and a box or two for free items. If you’re not pricing each item individually, be sure to have a poster which clearly indicates prices. You’ll also want to have ample change on hand and bags to in which to place items.

Hang your signs the night before. Set up a concession stand for the children to sell cold drinks. Then get a good night’s sleep. Chances are you’ll have someone who arrives early.

Your goal is to declutter your home and that means bargaining. Price the items so they’ll sell. Whatever doesn’t sell after organizing a spring garage sale you can donate to a local charity.

There’s nothing quite like going out to your own garden, picking fresh fruits and vegetables and then bringing them in to use in delicious seasonal recipes for the whole family. The fruits and vegetables can be picked at the peak of freshness and flavor. The taste is out of this world!

Even though your garden is still relatively new, you can still look forward to beginning to harvest fruits and vegetables as early as four weeks after planting. Depending upon what you planted, by early spring you may have asparagus, carrots, and greens including chard and bok choy. You may also have green onions, lettuce, mint, several varieties of peas, radishes, spinach, strawberries, sweet onions and turnips to create delicious seasonal recipes. Here are two for you to try:

Spring Spinach and Strawberry Salad

* 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
* 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
* 1/2 cup white sugar
* 1/2 cup olive oil
* 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
* 1/4 teaspoon paprika
* 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
* 1 tablespoon minced onion
* 10 ounces fresh spinach – rinsed, dried and torn into bite-size pieces
* 1 quart strawberries – cleaned, hulled and sliced
* 1/4 cup almonds, blanched and slivered

To create this salad, you’ll want to start with the salad dressing. Put all of the ingredients except the last three into a medium bowl and whisk them together. Cover this and set it into the refrigerator to chill for at least one hour.

Wash and spin dry the spinach. Wash, hull and slice the strawberries. Next, in a large bowl, combine the spinach, strawberries and almonds. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss it to coat evenly. This is best served cold, so you’ll want to refrigerate it for at least 15 minutes before serving it.

Lemon Asparagus Pasta

* 1-1/2 pounds asparagus
* 1 pound bow-tie pasta
* 3 tablespoons butter
* 3/4 cup heavy cream
* 2 tablespoons freshly grated lemon zest (approximately 3 lemons)
* 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
* 3/4 teaspoons salt
* 1/3 cup finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
* Freshly grated parmesan cheese

Trim and cut the asparagus into 1/2 inch pieces cut on the diagonal. Boil or steam it until it is crisp-tender which is about 3 minutes. Rinse the asparagus in a colander with cold water to stop the cooking. Drain it well and set it aside.

Add 5 quarts of salted water in a large kettle for the pasta. Bring it to a boil. While waiting for the water, heat a 12-inch deep skillet over moderately low heat. Add the butter and cream and allow the butter to melt. Stir in the salt, lemon juice and zest. Remove it from heat but keep it warm by covering it.

Add the pasta to the boiling water and boil until it reaches the al dente stage. This will take about 8 minutes. Spoon 1/4 cup of the pasta water into the sauce and then drain the pasta in the colander. Immediately add the asparagus and pasta to the sauce. Cook this over medium heat, tossing it frequently, until it is heated through. Toss the parsley and season to taste. Sprinkle parmesan over the pasta and serve.

These are only two delicious season recipes for the whole family to enjoy. You can find more by looking through cookbooks, magazines or watching cooking shows on television. Remember to choose fruits and vegetables your family loves when finding recipes for seasonal foods.

Nearly everyone expects to have something sweet during Easter. If it’s not chocolate bunnies, it is jelly beans. But if you’re not satisfied with these candies, you may want to try these scrumptious Easter dessert recipes to soothe your sweet tooth.

Classic Bird’s Nests with Peanut Butter

Think of things associated with Easter and springtime. One thing you may want to prepare is these Classic Bird’s Nests with Peanut Butter. Here’s what you’ll need to have on hand:

* 1 10-ounce bag of Reese’s Peanut Butter chips
* 1 tablespoon of solid shortening (any brand will do)
* 1 5-ounce can of LaChoy thin chow mein noodles
* 1 small bag of pastel colored M&M peanut candies

Begin by pouring the chips into a microwave safe bowl or double boiler. Add the shortening. Put the double boiler over hot water and melt the mixture, being sure to blend thoroughly. If you’re using the microwave, put it on full power and begin microwaving the chips and shortening in 30-second intervals. Stir them to ensure they are melting. As the mixture melts, you can reduce the amount of time until the ingredients are completely melted. The mixture should be creamy and well-blended. Be careful not to overcook it.

Once the chips and shortening are combined, pour the can of chow mein noodles into the mixture. Toss them lightly to ensure all of the noodles are coated evenly. Avoid crushing the noodles if possible. Then drop the noodles onto wax paper and try to shape them like nests. Make a hollow center where you’ll then put three peanut candies. This should make about 14 nests.

Carrot Cake

Bunnies love carrots, but you’ll love this lite version of carrot cake. You’ll need:

* 1 cup cake flour
* 1 cup whole wheat flour
* 1 cup packed brown sugar
* 1/2 cup white sugar
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
* 3 eggs
* 1/3 cup vegetable oil
* 2/3 cup buttermilk
* 1 1/2 cups grated carrots

Begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9-inch by 13-inch pan or two 9-inch round cake pans. Separate the eggs and then beat the whites until frothy. While whipping the egg whites, add 1/2 of the white sugar. Continue beating until stiff peaks are formed.

Combine both types of flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon in a large bowl. Add the oil and butter milk, being sure to mix well. Add the egg yolks and continue mixing. Fold in the egg whites, being careful not to flatten the mixture, and then add the carrots. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pans. Bake the cake for 25 to 35 minutes. Once it is cool, frost the cake using your favorite cream cheese frosting.

These are two scrumptious Easter desert recipes but you can find so many more. Look in current magazines, cookbooks or do some research on the internet. You’re sure to find a recipe for your Easter celebration that will taste delicious.

After you’ve lived in your home for a while, you may desire to make some changes. These changes don’t have to break your budget. In fact, using these tips for a quick home makeover may affect the change you want without spending much money at all.

Many homes have wall-to-wall carpeting and it can get boring. Liven up any room in your home by adding rugs. These can be any shape or size. You can use rugs to help define space and inject personality in a room. Quite often rugs can be used as an inspirational point when redecorating a room.

Change out the fixtures in your home. This can run into quite a bit of money depending upon which fixtures you choose. Consider polished silver or bronze in rooms with darker tones. Cabinet handles and new faucets can also alter the look of your kitchen or bathroom. A great choice for the kitchen is to use a high pouring faucet which allows you more room in your sink.

Rearrange the furniture or switch out pieces from other rooms in your home. Think about how furniture in your bedroom could be repurposed in your living room. For instance, an armoire could function as a television cabinet which would give your living room an entirely different focus. Of course, you’d want to be sure the television cabinet could also provide the same function in your bedroom.

Paint your walls. Nothing updates a stale room more than a fresh new color of paint. You may want to create a focal wall by using a darker shade or complement of the current color. Place an elegant mirror on the wall. Then situate two comfy chairs, a nice table and a table lamp to create a small conversation area.

You can make your room look entirely different by changing out the molding along the ceiling. Crown molding can add height to the ceiling. Other molding can be used to create frames in which to hang favorite paintings. You can also add chair rails and wainscoting to change the look of a room.

If you love how comfortable your furniture is but want a new look, you may want to consider a removable cover rather than reupholstering it. There are a myriad of companies offering stylish covers for nearly every type of furniture. Choosing this option will also cost considerably less and your furniture can be changed back when you’re ready for it again. Adding different throw pillows can also change the look of a couch or chair.

These top tips for a quick home makeover are relatively easy and some of them can be inexpensive. You can also talk to a general contractor and remove non-load bearing walls to open up the space available, but that will cost considerably more and won’t be as quick. The choice, of course, is yours.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
2 cups of Quinoa
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon saffron, crushed
3 cups reduced-sodium vegetable broth
1 cup green peas (can be frozen)
1 red onion, chopped
1 green bell peppers, chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 small can of kidney beans
Salt and pepper
Splash of olive oil

Instructions:
In a non-stick skillet with a splash of olive oil, sauté onion and garlic until tender. Add the bell peppers and Quinoa and stir-fry for a few minutes. Add the crushed saffron and give it a stir. Pour in the vegetable broth, kidney beans and green peas. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for about 15 minute, until Quinoa is done and all liquid has been absorbed.

Serve immediately!

If you have children, you know how much they love to snack. It doesn’t matter if they’ve just finished eating a meal – someone is always looking for something to munch on. The trick to quick and easy snack ideas for kids is to have healthy snacks around which are ready to eat. Below are some snack ideas you may want to keep in your home.

Probably one of the foods children like best — whether for a meal or a snack — is peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Unless they’re allergic to peanuts, most children love them. In fact, some children will choose PB&J over almost any other food no matter the time of day or night.

Bagels with cream cheese can be a good snack if you choose the low-fat version of cream cheese. Even using full-fat cream cheese is a better choice than keeping soft drinks and potato chips available for your children to snack on. Make the cream cheese more nutritious by adding fresh or frozen fruit.

Fresh fruits are nearly always a hit with children. Apples, grapes, strawberries, oranges and bananas can be enjoyed without much preparation. You can also cut up watermelon, cantaloupe or honeydew and keep those available in the refrigerator. Quick and easy snacks for kids are ones they can grab and go, so fruit is a great choice.

Cups of yogurt are also common quick and easy snacks for kids. Buy plain or vanilla yogurt and add your own pieces of fruit. Strawberries, blueberries and peaches are good additions. You can also add the fruit, stir it up and then pour the yogurt mixture into popsicle molds for a great frozen treat.

Fruit smoothies are another way to get your children to eat their fruits and vegetables. Put a handful of ice cubes in a blender, various fruits and a little bit of orange juice. Blend it up until smooth. To get added color and nutrients, toss in a handful of raw spinach. The smoothie might look a little odd but your children won’t even taste the spinach.

Cut up carrots and celery and keep them readily available. You may also want to add broccoli (some children call them tiny trees) and cauliflower. Sliced cucumber might also be a good choice. Let them use salad dressing and they may be more willing to down those veggies.

Cheese sticks are pretty handy to have in your refrigerator. Most children love cheese. You can get string cheese, sticks and squares. Let your children build shapes with cheese and pretzels. They’ll have a blast and enjoy their snack when they’re finished building.

The above quick and easy snack ideas for kids are ones most families can try. Of course, you’ll want to consider any food allergies your children might have when choosing a healthy snack for them. You can also look in cookbooks and magazines to find other ideas to let your children test to see how they like them. Here’s to happy snacking!

Do you have a problem getting your young children to eat their dinner? They don’t like this; they don’t like that. You may wonder how to get necessary nutrients into their little bodies. Why not give these quick and easy dinner ideas for kids a try? You may find they not only eat their dinner but also clean their plate.

Most children love macaroni and cheese but you don’t want to have it every night for dinner just to get them to eat. But you can plan to have it at least once a week (maybe twice if you make some substitutions or additions). Along with the mac and cheese, have a cooked vegetable as well as a fresh salad. Have fruit for dessert.

A big pot of chili is a quick and easy dinner your child might like. Use hot dogs and canned corn to make ‘Camper’s Stew.’ You can also add a variety of beans rather than one kind to give added nutrients. Finish off the chili by sprinkling on shredded cheese and serving homemade corn bread.

Spaghetti is also usually a hit with young children. For added fun, let the children help you make meat balls. Add canned tomatoes along with spaghetti sauce. Serve a tossed salad, black olives and garlic bread to finish the meal off. If you’d like to keep with the Italian theme, serve spumoni or Italian ice if you choose to offer dessert.

Can you think of a child that doesn’t like pizza? Instead of purchasing a ready-made pizza, buy a cheese pizza and then let your child choose the toppings. You’ll want to have sliced green peppers, pepperoni, pineapple, onions, olives and extra cheese, as well as other toppings your family enjoys. If they help to add the toppings to the pizza they’ll be more likely to eat it without complaint.

Cheese quesadillas are really quick and easy to make for dinner. You get large flour tortilla shells, sprinkle cheese on it and fold it over. Spray a skillet with non-stick spray and heat it to medium. Set the quesadilla on the skillet and allow it to cook until the shell is browned. Flip it and allow it to cook until the cheese melts. You can add items like onions, mushrooms, chicken or other foods to the quesadilla to make it more interesting.

Hamburgers and hot dogs are generally easy and quick choices for family dinners. Rather than stopping through the drive-thru, grill homemade patties or dogs on the grill. Let the children add their favorite toppings such as mustard, ketchup, relish and cheese.

Try the above are some of the quick and easy dinner ideas for kids. The meals may seem like standard fare but you can make them healthier by the ingredients you use. If all else fails, ask your child what they want for dinner or look through parenting magazines to see what other dinner ideas they suggest. Once you find a winner, write down what your child ate so you know to make it again.

Makes 8 cookies

Ingredients:
1/4 cup smooth natural peanut butter
8 whole-wheat graham crackers, finely ground
1/4 cup raisins
2 tbsp honey
4 teaspoons unsweetened coconut

Instructions:
Combine all ingredients, except the coconut, in a bowl. Shape into 8 cookies and roll in coconut. Refrigerate until firm.