Tuesday Tips – Cooking with kids – French Toast – the USA Way!

Posted on March 27, 2012 by Grandma
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Cinnamon Vanilla Sugar Overnight  Baked French Toast

Cinammon Sugar is one of those delicious combinations that we used as kids on toast and butter -under the grill and yummy! A great ( if not very healthy) snack! My grandchildren love it too – so here is a truly delicious combination of recipes for you to make for a casual family brunch or something more fancy too!

Nowadays, we use a 50/50  mixture of granulated sugar with cinnamon vanilla sugar and just substitute the  mixture for the sugar in the recipe.  We  also top cookies and muffins with cinnamon vanilla sugar before popping them in  the oven.

Today,  we would like to share recipes for baked French toast, skillet French toast,  plus syrup and whipped cream all using cinnamon vanilla sugar.  Of course, if you don’t have cinnamon vanilla  sugar and don’t want to buy some, you can use a cinnamon and sugar mixture  instead.

Baked French toast is a soft French  toast made by layering the bread and egg mixture in a baking pan the night  before and baking it in the morning. It’s quite like a bread pudding.

This version is made  with Cinnamon Vanilla Sugar.  Cinnamon vanilla sugar is made with a mixture  of cinnamon, granulated sugar, and dry vanilla.  In the oven, the sugar melts creating a  thick syrup with cinnamon and vanilla.

We use a 50/50 mixture of cinnamon vanilla sugar  and sugar in other recipes—just substitute the mixture for the sugar in the  recipe.

This baked French  toast is made up the night before in an 8 1/2 x 13-inch pan. In the morning, you  just pop it in the oven. Let it bake while you are getting ready for the day  and you’ll have a wonderful breakfast for your family.

 Ingredients

 1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup granulated sugar

 1/2 cup Cinnamon Vanilla Sugar

12 slices soft bread

6 large eggs

 1 1/2 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions

                    Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

  1. Melt the butter  in an 8 1/2 x 13-inch baking pan. Stir in granulated sugar and the cinnamon  vanilla sugar. Layer the bread two slices deep in the pan.
  2. Whisk the eggs and milk together. Pour the mixture evenly over the  bread.  Sprinkle the 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon  over the bread. Place the pan in the refrigerator overnight.
  3. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until the bread is browned. Serve hot with your  favorite syrup or make a batch of cinnamon vanilla  syrup or cinnamon vanilla whipped cream  to serve with it.

Top Your French toast with These

Cinnamon Vanilla Cream Syrup

This is a  multi-purpose syrup. It works on your pancakes and it works very well on  desserts and ice cream as well.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons  cornstarch

1/2 cup cinnamon vanilla sugar

1/2 cup granulated  sugar

1 cup cream

1 tablespoon corn  syrup

4 tablespoons butter
Directions

Mix  the cornstarch with the two sugars in a saucepan with a whisk until the  cornstarch is well dispersed. Add the cream and corn syrup and heat until  bubbly and thick, stirring often. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter.

Cinnamon Vanilla Whipped Cream

This is a  luscious whipped cream to use on any desert in a cup of hot cocoa.  It is perfect on apple or pumpkin pies.  The cinnamon in this recipe turns the shipped  cream a soft, light cinnamon color.

This  cinnamon whipped cream takes no longer to make than regular whipped cream—it’s  just a lot better.

2 cups  whipping cream

1/4 cup cinnamon  vanilla sugar

Whip the cream to soft peaks. Add the cinnamon vanilla sugar and  continue whipping.  If you would like it  sweeter, add granulated sugar.

Of course my favorite syrup is one that we make here at The Little Farm – and it is TANGELO SYRUP – which is the juice of fresh tangelo’s mixed with sugar ( far less than you would imagine – about four pints of juice to 1/2 cup of sugar) – simmer gently for many  hours until thickened – you could add some pectin if you want it a bit thicker – and there it is!!

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Philanthropy Fridays – South Central Scholars Program – Helping Underprivileged Kids get into and Stay in College

Posted on March 23, 2012 by Grandma
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Today I am featuring the SOUTH CENTRAL SCHOLARS program – a remarkable program in Los Angeles that should serve as an example for cities around the nation, indeed around the world. Here is the information provided to me by the program organization which is supported by my good friend, Joan Herman, former President and CEO of the Consummer Business unit of Anthem Blue Cross/Wellpoint.

Here is how the program started, and then a description of how it all works.

How it all started

by

Miles Corwin ( Author of ‘And Still We Rise: The Trials and Triumphs of Twelve Inner-City Students’)

“My involvement with gifted inner city students began at a homicide scene in South Central Los Angeles. A teenage boy was splayed out on a street corner, with several gunshot wounds to the chest. He died before paramedics arrived. The two detectives could find no wallet and no identification on the boy, so the coroner’s investigator called him John Doe Number 27. A closer inspection of the body revealed an exam on the French Revolution neatly folded in his back pocket. The boy’s printing was meticulous, each letter precise and carefully drawn. And every one of the boy’s answers on the exam was reasoned, thoughtful, and well written. At the top of the paper the teacher had written a large “A”. John Doe Number 27 was a fifteen-year old boy who attended a junior high school program for gifted students. He was walking home, when a group of gang members in a van stopped him without any apparent reason, shot and killed him. I had written many stories about gangbangers. I decided I wanted to find a way to write about the other children of South Central, the students who avoid the temptations of the street, who strive for success, who against all odds, in one of America’s most impoverished, crime-ridden neighborhoods manage to endure, to prevail, to succeed. I spent a year at a gifted magnet program at Crenshaw High School. I wrote a book about the students in the program. All of the students I wrote about faced tremendous academic disadvantages. Academic disadvantages were the least of their difficulties. I followed the lives of students who lived in foster homes because they were abandoned or abused by their parents. I followed academic achievers, whose only family income was the welfare check, students with fathers or brothers in prison, students who were raised in crumbling housing projects. I wrote about students who were the sons and daughters of maids and crack addicts, street sweepers and street people. A writer always hopes his words will make a difference. I was lucky enough to have reached readers who understood how unequal the playing field remains even for the most accomplished inner city students. After reading my book, Jim and Trisha London founded South Central Scholars to provide scholarships, internships, and mentors to these students. I am extremely gratified that South Central Scholars has helped so many students attend college, develop to their full potential and achieve their dreams. “

History of the Program…

The South Central Scholars program started in 2001 with one student. The program has expanded rapidly and now includes 628 students from 44 high schools located in and around South Central LA attending the finest colleges and universities in the country.  To date, SCS has awarded nearly $3 Million* in college and graduate school scholarships.

OUR MISSION…

The South Central Scholars Foundation (SCS) is a non-profit organization composed of a group of volunteers who work with highly motivated, inner city high school students from South Central LA to help them succeed in college, graduate school and life.

OUR FOCUS…

The program focuses on working with high school students throughout South Central LA. Our students lack the financial resources to attend college and graduate schools without assistance. Most of our students lack essential family support and the educational, cultural and social experiences necessary to ensure their success in college and in their careers. In the public high schools that our students attend, the large majority of entering freshmen do not receive a high school diploma. Our students live in the most economically-deprived, dangerous and crime-ridden area in Los Angeles. SCS attempts to provide our students with the key elements of support to help them overcome these almost insurmountable obstacles. With this assistance,

96% of our students have graduated from the finest universities in the country and many of them are moving on to graduate and/or professional schools.

OUR TARGET…

High schools in or around South Central LA, including, but not limited to:

Belmont, California Academy of Math & Science (CAMS), Carson, Crenshaw, Dorsey, Downtown Magnets, Foshay Learning Center, Franklin, Fremont, Inglewood, Jefferson, Jordan, King Drew, Locke, Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies (LACES), Loyola, Leuzinger, Manual Arts, Roosevelt, St. Bernard’s, St. Mary’s Academy, Verbum Dei, View Park Prep, Wallis Annenberg, Washington Prep, West Adams Prep and Westchester.

OUR PROMISE…

The board of SCS pays for 100% of overhead expenses associated with running the organization, including rent and executive staff. All outside donations directly fund student services, in the form of grants to students, funds for events like our annual Business Conference, and funding for our Mentorship and Outreach programs.

SCS provides a wide range of support…

EARLY OUTREACH
SCS provides college preparation and awareness resources and activities
year-round for college-bound high school juniors and seniors coming from
disadvantaged communities throughout Los Angeles. To prepare students for
college, SCS hosts the following events: high school presentations, CollegeFair & Liberal Arts Summit, financial aid workshops, summer conference

 

SCHOLARSHIPS…

Our scholarships are intended to close shortfalls between the amount of money offered in the financial package from a university (grants, loans, and work study) and the actual cost of a student’s college education. In some cases, these shortfalls would prevent students from attending college altogether.

All our scholarships are for each student’s entire college career. We continue financial support for students going on to graduate school and professional school.

MENTORING PROGRAM…

The program links students with successful, educated adults who provide encouragement, guidance, advice and friendship. Students are partnered with mentors who have succeeded in careers in which the student has an interest. In addition to one-on-one relationships with mentors, group educational and social events are scheduled every one to two months to allow students to meet with mentors and guests in a group environment. These activities help our students to stay connected to the program.

JOBS/INTERNSHIP PROGRAM…

The program provides students with unique summer job opportunities. These jobs not only supplement the income of our students but provide them with opportunities to explore fields in which they have an interest. SCS has provided students with jobs in medicine, research, law, publishing, advertising, engineering, finance, consulting, accounting and related fields. Students network with employers and volunteers, providing them with a support community during college and in their future careers. At the same time, the jobs build self esteem and provide essential income for the students. Our employers attempt to provide our students with increasing challenges and responsibilities to prepare them for their future jobs.

 

SUPPORT COMMUNITY…

The members of SCS (mentors, employers, volunteers and student mentors) serve as a support community to students as they progress through and graduate from college and graduate school. Each year our graduating college students become members of the SCS community. This enlarging community is designed to keep our students involved with the program and to assist new students as they are accepted into the program. Our goal is to instill a sense of social responsibility and dedication to academic success in South Central Los Angeles.

*Scholarship commitments do not include monies provided to students for: prep classes and test fees (MCAT, LSAT, GRE, etc.), airfare and travel expenses, dental/medical expenses, school supplies, personal supplies such as winter clothing, equipment such as computers, or internship stipends.

South Central Scholars Foundation 29000 S. Western Ave., Suite 401, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90275; P (310) 833-1670 F (310) 833-1677 www.southcentralscholars.org For more information, contact Meredith Curry at meredith@southcentralscholars.org

With your support, OUR GOAL is to increase the amount of our scholarships,
our college and post-graduate support, and expand our recruitment area to
serve more inner city high schools. Contact us to get involved
http://www.southcentralscholars.org/get_involved

POST GRADUATE PROGRAMS

SCS has seen a rise in students interested in pursuing post-graduate
programs. Of undergraduate surveyed in 2011 (85% response rate), 94% of
students that submitted the survey stated an interest in applying to
graduate school. SCS provides Scholars with financial assistance in their
pursuit of a graduate education, as well as professional development
resources and support during the graduate school application process.
Additionally, the SCS has an Alumni Association dedicated to reaching back
into the community as well as supporting undergraduates. For more
information about the Alumni Association, go to
http://www.southcentralscholars.org/scs_alumni

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Tasty Thursdays – Making 1000 Desserts Cooking with Kids!

Posted on March 22, 2012 by Grandma
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How  to Make 1000 Desserts with the Ingredients You Have in Your Kitchen Right Now

Yes, I know you’re busy.  Some days you need an easy dessert you can  put together that looks good and tastes great—without going to the grocery  store.  I’ll show you a thousand  possibilities.  (Do the math; it’s  actually much more than that.) This is for busy moms, active grandma’s, cooking with kids, and could become the basis of many kid stories for the future!

I’m  talking about a type of dessert here.  Start  with any bar cookie or dense cake recipe.   If you have any boxed cake or brownie mixes tucked away in your pantry,  they will do.  It’s what you put on them  that counts.

Call  these fully loaded desserts.  Take pieces  or wedges of cake, bar cookie, or brownie and dress them up with a topping, sauce,  and whipped cream.  This is a mix-and-match  operation: Match the cake with the topping with the sauce with whipped  cream.  I think you’ll be amazed at the  possibilities and you’ll make luscious desserts.

The Base: Brownies, Cake, or Bar Cookies

I like dense rather than light and  fluffy cakes but either will do.  Your  recipe books are going to be full of recipes for these or you can grab a mix:

  • Brownies
  • Blondies
  • Snacking cakes
  • Bar cookies
  • Coffee cakes

The First Layer: Toppings

I’m  partial to fresh fruit here but frozen fruit will do—even squiggles of pastry  fillings.  You can use prepared  fillings.  We’re certainly biased to our Chubby Cherry  topping—we think it’s really good—but you can use a topping  of your choice.

  • Sliced bananas
  • Sliced peaches
  • Fresh       strawberries
  • Raspberries
  • Blueberries
  • Sliced mangos

The Sauces

We use Designer  Dessert Sauces a lot—chocolate, raspberry, and caramel  are my favorites–but ice cream toppings work as well as homemade syrups and sauces.  Lawford’s  Private Reserve Cream Syrups make great dessert sauces.  If you want to go homemade, here are some recipes  to get you started:

Whipped Creams

We  rarely make standard whipped cream.  It’s  too much fun to make flavored whipped cream.   Basically, we’re substituting other flavors for the vanilla.  I’m very partial to  brown sugar instead of white and think it makes the whipped cream taste  richer.  We use brown sugar instead of  granulated sugar with warm flavors like caramel and butterscotch.  Orange Cloud and Lemon Cloud Whipped Cream  call for orange or lemon zest respectively.   (See how to make  flavored whipped cream.)

My “Go To” Pan

My most used baking pan in the kitchen  is my Candy Apple Red  Silicone Springform Pan.   I use it for cakes, bar cookies, brownies, and desserts—even  cornbread.  It doesn’t leak—it has a double  gasket–and it’s easy to peel the ring off and cut right on the glass base for  perfect slices.  Any recipe that calls  for a 9 x 9-inch pan or an 8 x 10-inch pan works in this pan.

To  get nice, neat uniform slices in a rectangular pan, we line it with parchment  paper and when baked, lift the parchment paper and cake from the pan to  cool.  Then we trim the crusty edges and  break out a ruler to cut uniform little slices.   We skip all that with our silicone springform pans: no parchment paper,  the edges don’t seem so crusty, and we just cut the cake into neat wedges and  we’re done.

See how a  silicone springform pan works (video)

Sample Recipes

Here  are three sample recipes.  These are made  with brownies and blondies because I’m on a brownie and blondie kick right now  and we have lots of brownie and blondie mixes.  But you could also make these with cakes.

Chubby Cherry Brownies
Make  the brownies according to package instructions.   After the brownies have cooled, cut the cake into wedges.  Top the brownies with Chubby Cherry  topping and drizzle them with chocolate sauce.  Add vanilla, amaretto, or cherry whipped  cream—my favorite is a cherry whipped cream.   Garnish with chocolate curls.

Shown  is a Chubby Cherry Brownie topped with Cherry Whipped Cream.

Banana Split Brownies
This  is just a banana split with or without the ice cream, on top of a brownie.  Cut the brownies and layer them with banana  slices.  Put optional ice cream of  Bavarian cream over the bananas and a generous drizzle of chocolate sauce.  Top with vanilla or banana flavored whipped  cream and optional chopped peanuts and a cherry.

Shown  is a Banana Split Brownie topped with Banana Whipped Cream.

Strawberry Shortcake Brownies  (Blondies)

You can use either brownies or  blondies for this.  Cinnamon chip or  white chocolate chip blondies are great with strawberries.

Top  your brownies with sliced strawberries.   Add a drizzle of white or dark chocolate sauce.  Top with plenty of whipped cream vanilla,  lemon or orange.

Shown  is Strawberry Shortcake Blondie with a Old Time  Chocolate Chip Blondie and topped with Brown Sugar  Whipped Cream.

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Patience is a Virtue – An Elephant Teaches a Lesson in Patience to Mankind – Feb 2012 South Africa

Posted on March 21, 2012 by Grandma
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On Thursday February 19th, a group of folks in a white car, decided that an Elephant was walking WAYYYYYY too slowly in the game reserve in South Africa. Of course the folks in the car forgot that the Game Reserve is where the animals LIVE and we are the visitors there. Nevertheless, the idiots in the car decided that the Elephant could be passed on the road and so they accelerated to do so. What happened next is a good lesson – never mess with an elephant!

Never fight with an Elephant – in HIS/HER territory. Don’t go to the Game Reserves if you are in a hurry.

From Andrew Sematimba sent to my African ‘brother’ Steven Kizito!

 

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Tuesday Tips along with Pretty Easy Pies – Cooking with Kids made Easy too!

Posted on March 20, 2012 by Grandma
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How to Make a Pie as Easy as a  Peanut Butter Sandwich (Okay, maybe not  quite that easy but pretty darned easy)

                   

People are  intimidated by pies. They shouldn’t be. You can make pies as good as the bake  shop—even fancy pies. And they’re yours. And you’ll save a bucket of money.

                    If you have ever had trouble with pies in the past, you won’t  again. This is your answer.

                    How to Bake the Perfect Crust

                    It’s the crusts that intimidate people. Throw away the  recipe—the recipe for the crust is definitely more complicated than a PB  sandwich. You have to cut the butter or shortening into the flour with a pastry  knife. You have to keep the dough cold, work quickly, and don’t handle the  dough too much.

                    Forget all that. Grab  a mix. A mix is darned near foolproof. Just add water. Beat it with the paddle  in your stand-type mixer for no more than a minute. You’re done.

OR even easier

  Buy a readymade uncooked pie crust in the market – they are readily available – you can even get gluten free pie crusts!

                    How  to Make Your Pie Crust Pretty in 3 Easy Steps

                    A  good crust is not necessarily a pretty crust. Here’s how to make it pretty.

  1. Sprinkle a  little flour on the counter and roll out the dough until it is a little  thinner than 1/4 inch thick. You may need to sprinkle a little flour on the  rolling pin. Do yourself a favor and buy two salt shakers to use for this.  Fill one with flour and the other with powdered  sugar. You’ll be amazed how often you use them.
  2. Transfer  the dough to the pie pan. Trim the edges using a sharp knife.
  3. Make the  edges pretty.  It’s easier to show you than to tell. Once you’ve done it. It’s simple. Press your finger on the crust so that it depresses it but not all the way through. Keep doing that and try to keep the depressions equal all the way around. See the picture above. That is it!

You’re  done. If you need a pre-baked crust, fill the crust with uncooked dry rice,  and bake. If not, load it with a filling. Some times, you’ll  need a top crust. Add it, trim it, and flute it in the same way. (Make sure you  press the bottom and top dough sheets together with a fork before forming the  edge so it doesn’t leak.) Cut vent holes and if you want a lovely light brown crust – take a raw egg, whip it lightly, and using a brush( you can buy brushes for cooking) lightly brush the outside of the crust all over. Then bake. Even easier, cover the top  with streusel. Use this easy  streusel mix that I buy from my favorite supplier The Prepared Pantry.

You’ve still got to bake your pie.

                    There  are two faults with baked pie crusts: The top edges can burn and the bottom can  be soggy, under baked. You can solve both those problems with equipment.

  • Use dark pie pans. Dark pie pans       absorb and distribute the heat. Your bottom crust will be browned and       crisp.  (These are pretty amazing       pans. You can slide your pie out of the pan and onto a plate for cutting       and serving.)
  • Cover the top edge of the pie with a pie shield. Those top edges take a beating in the       oven. By the time the bottom crust is baked, the top is burned. A pie       shield stops that.  Use one every time you put a pie in the oven – or even easier – take some foil, and cut off a strip, then fold the strip lightly over the edges of the pie crust to prevent it browning too much and just take it off for the last 10 minutes of baking.

You’re  ready to go! Grab some recipes and start making some easy pies. Once you’ve  made a couple pies, they’ll be as easy as peanut butter sandwiches—almost.  You’ll be the designated pie baker at family reunions, socials, and with  friends. No more expensive trips to the bake shop.

Fresh  Peach (or Strawberry) White Chocolate French Silk Pie Recipe

If you have fresh peaches, consider  this incredibly good French silk pie.  If  it is not peach season, consider making this pie with strawberries or  mangos.
A French silk  pie is usually made with dark chocolate; this one uses white chocolate.   They are usually made with raw eggs.  In this recipe, they are  cooked.

1 nine-inch  deep dish pie shell, baked and cooled

3 large eggs

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1 quarter-ounce packet non-flavored gelatin

1 tablespoons water

10 ounces white  chocolate wafers or other quality coating or eating chocolate

1/2 cup butter cut into pieces and softened

1 cup whipping cream

1 teaspoon vanilla  flavor

1 cup whipping cream

1/2 teaspoon vanilla  flavor

1/3 cup granulated sugar

2 cups fresh peaches peeled and diced  peaches for garnish and topping

  1. Mix  the sugar and gelatin powder together.  Add the eggs, sugar mixture, and  water to a large sauce pan.  Cook the egg and sugar mixture over low to  medium low heat while beating constantly with an electric mixture.   Continue cooking and beating until the mixture starts to thicken and reaches  165 degrees being careful not to scorch the eggs.  Remove from heat.
  2. Immediately  mix the butter into the hot egg mixture with the electric mixer until  smooth.  As soon as the butter is melted and while the mixture is still  hot, add the white chocolate wafers.  Continue beating until it is  completely mixed together and cooled to room temperature.
  3. Whip  the first measure of whipping cream in your stand-type mixer with the whip  attachment until stiff peaks form.   Add the vanilla  flavor.   Add the peaches.
  4. Change  from the whip attachment to the paddle attachment.  Scrape the white  chocolate mixture into the bowl with the whipped cream.  Turn the mixer  onto the slow speed setting and gently fold the chocolate mixture into the  whipped cream.  Mix for less than a minute, until the white chocolate is  mixed into the whipped cream.  Scrape the filling into the prepared pie  pan.  Set aside and let chill.
  5. When  you are about ready to serve, whip the second measure of whipping cream.   As the cream is whipping and after the peaks start to form, drizzle in the  sugar and add the flavor.  Beat until stiff peaks form.  Top your pie  with peaches and whipped cream.

Here is  a picture of my grandson Jack and I baking. Messy but soooo much fun!

 

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Music Mondays – Kids Stories, Dancing with kids, Singing with Kids = JOY!

Posted on March 19, 2012 by Grandma
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Today I am featuring the song Love Song for My Child, one of the songs that is on the CD available from RockinGrandmaMusic.

It is about a mother who is holding her very young baby in her arms and thinking about the fun, frolic, friends, and future of her child and how this moment in time is the one in which she has him or her completely in her loving control, and about what a gift and miracle life is -about the perfection of the miracle of birth, and how incredibly small and ideal her baby is. She thinks of how soon the world will take him or her into its embrace and she will be umpire, consoler, teacher, supporter, devotee, fan, guide and so much more to this little person – but never in as much control and intimacy as right now.

In the Christian Version of this song “Love Song for Mary’s Child”– I wrote that version of the lyrics for my guitar partner Michael Lyn – and in that version, the mother is Mary and the child in her arms is baby Jesus. She feels the joy and the pain of her baby knowing that not only will she love him but millions more will too and so she knows that this moment in time is even more precious.

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Tasty Thursdays – Cooking with Kids – EASY Banana pie!

Posted on March 15, 2012 by Grandma
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How to Make the World’s Easiest Banana Pie (and other) Desserts

Make Banana, Strawberry, and Cherry Individual Desserts in Minutes

On a busy afternoon, the kids bring their friends by and want desserts.  What can you give them that’s quick and easy?

Serve them little banana pies in cupcake liners. 

It’s Sunday dinner and you want a great dessert that doesn’t take a lot of work.  What can you serve your family?

Serve them little Chubby Cherry Desserts in ramekins. 

 Here is Jonah my grandson saying – Grandma I am so COOOOL! He loves desserts especially vanilla!

Your husband’s friends are coming for dinner.  You don’t have a lot of time but you want something that looks formal and that everyone will like.  What can you make?

Make Fresh Strawberry Desserts in stemware or dessert cups. 

All three of these are easy desserts that you can put together in an instant. With the ingredients on the counter, we’ve found that we can make a set of six desserts in less than five minutes.

You just need to keep a few key ingredients on hand:

See your choice of pastry fillings Pastry fillings come in two-pound packs.  Just clip the corner and squeeze what you need.  Put a clip on the rest and store it for six months.  Because these are luscious, handy, and inexpensive, you’ll want several in your pantry.

See your choice designer dessert sauces Designer dessert sauces are used by the pros to make fancy dessert presentations. 

To make the banana desserts, you’ll need several ripe bananas.  To make the cherry desserts, you’ll need a jar of Chubby Cherry or other cherry topping.   To make the strawberry desserts, you’ll need fresh strawberries.  (You can also make blueberry or raspberry versions.)

That’s it.

Here’s how to make them.
Step 1—Make the bottom crust.  That’s easy, place a vanilla wafer in the bottom of each cupcake paper liner, two wafers in the ramekins, or break the wafers into pieces and place them in the bottom of your dessert glasses.  (Or, use graham cracker crumbs mixed with a couple tablespoons of sugar and melted butter—just like you would do for a cheesecake crust.)

Step 2—Place the first layer.  Squeeze a layer of Bavarian cream over the wafers. 

Step 3—Add the fruit.  Three slices of bananas, a spoonful of cherry topping, or a few cut strawberries work just right for the cupcake liners.  For larger desserts, you’ll need more fruit.

Step 4—Drizzle with a sauce. We recommend a Designer Dessert Sauce in either chocolate or caramel. Alternately, you can use an ice cream topping sauce.

Step 5—Top your desserts with whipped cream.  An aerosol can makes this very easy.  Then dress your desserts up with a sprinkle of cookie crumbs or with chocolate curls. 

You’re done.  Serve your desserts right away before the whipped cream starts to melt.

You’ll be amazed how often these little desserts bail you out on a busy day.  And when that prized dessert doesn’t work, these little pies make a great Plan B.

ENJOY!!

 

 

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Music Mondays – MUSIC MAKES YOUR KIDS SMARTER! See studies below

Posted on March 12, 2012 by Grandma
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Are you ready to rock and roll? See what the experts (and the kids!) have to say about getting your kids involved in music. This is an article written by John Crossingham.  It was originally published in Today’s Parent March 2012. Here is the link and I have copied the article for your review below. I have observed my grandchildren – for whom I wrote the music and stories in RockinGrandmaMusic. Along with listening to classical music every day -10-12 different composers from Bach and Mozart, to Franck and  Handel -Jack’s comprehension and vocabulary has exploded. He reads fluently – books level 1 and 2 – and is four years old. He is self taught – no one sat and drilled him – and he and his brother Jonah are also learning Chinese ( which they love) and by living in California are naturally learning Spanish.  Music, language skills and love – what a great combination!  Here Jack is teaching his twin brothers Noah and Gabriel  (10 weeks old) about Gershwin!

http://www.todaysparent.com/activities/can-music-make-your-child-smarter?utm_source=Wed+Feb+29+2012&utm_campaign=Newsletter+post+1-27-12&utm_medium=email

Most parents can agree that kids just get music, instinctively and instantly. We recognize it the first moment we successfully calm a hysterical newborn with a ballad or watch a toddler, who can barely stand, boogie to the rhythm of a song. But what else is going on in their little brains when the baby dance-a-thon in the kitchen is going strong?

A lot, it turns out. Recent studies have shown that interacting with music – as opposed to just listening to it – has the power to improve your rugrats’ abilities to understand language, do math and much more.

Recently, E. Glenn Schellenberg from the University of Toronto has shown that music lessons can boost a child’s IQ, while Krista L. Hyde from McGill University in Montreal has demonstrated how lessons can change a brain’s actual structure – even suggesting they could help children with developmental disorders. More and more, music appears to be an all-in-one workout machine in the weight room of your kid’s brain.

Now, for some, this music-as-brain-superfood thing seems like déjà vu. Remember the Mozart effect, the ’90s fad that led a generation of parents to believe that playing classical music for their children could turn them into geniuses?
“Listening will do nothing for the brain,” says Sylvain Moreno, the world-renowned neuroscientist and leading researcher at Baycrest, a cognitive neuroscience and memory research centre affiliated with the University of Toronto. “You have to be in a kind of interaction with music.”

The award-winning Moreno’s on going research into how music affects a child’s cognitive skills has so far come to one overwhelming conclusion: When children engage with music — actively play or study — their cognitive skills are strengthened.

Are you ready to rock and roll?

Cognitive skills are used every day to absorb and process information — they’re our powers of memory and concentration. Are we born with them? Sure, all of us arrive with a few distinct talents, but like our body’s muscles, there’s nothing that can’t be bulked up — or, in this case, tuned up.

“Before any season in sport, there’s a training camp,” explains Moreno, “and if the athletes don’t have the training camp, they will not perform as well. It’s the same kind of idea. Music is able to improve activities in the brain.”  (Grandma’s note: Here is our little Pretend Family boy, Lolly, who dances every day to ‘Dancing in my Room’. Dancing in My Room Sample)

While these athletic analogies can make this all sound suspiciously like an unwanted New Year’s resolution, Moreno’s approach is not only unorthodox, it’s also fun and fast. Instead of instruments and lessons, his team used a far more appealing vehicle: the computer game.  ( Grandma’s note: This is great – but putting  on music and having the kids learn the words, dance to the beat and interact with you and the music is a great way to get similar results – if you want to avoid a computer game!)

Called SmarterKids Training, these custom-made games introduce children to basic principles of pitch, rhythm and melody — everything from recognizing the sound of a note to identifying where it goes on a staff. Given that the kids in the study only played these games for about two hours a day for four weeks, the goal wasn’t to provide an ability to perform music. Instead, children got a chance to let their minds steep in the language and structures of music.
The effect was quick. Verbal IQ scores in the children who participated were consistently higher than before — more than 90 percent of the kids showed improvement. What’s more, a group of children who followed a regimen of games focused on visual arts concepts, such as colours and shapes, didn’t improve as much. While Moreno concedes that his studies are far from finished (and also acknowledges that the world doesn’t exactly need more computer games), there are some exciting things about where his research is pointing. For one, the notion that music can improve something as seemingly unrelated as language skills suggests remarkable things about our kids’ brains. Second, unlike the music lessons referenced by folks like Schellenberg and Hyde, games like this could potentially bring these cognitive benefits to a wider audience — kids whose parents can’t afford lessons, or for kids who don’t like them.

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Philanthropy Fridays – Giving back – UCLA Women MBA Entrepreneurs Day Feb 2012

Posted on March 9, 2012 by Grandma
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It was a terrific event – a number of young ( and older) entrepreneurs passing on advice, war stories, the good and the bad to women MBA’s at UCLA Anderson School of Business. The Entrepreneurs Association at UCLA Anderson School of Business is one of the largest in the country – over 800 members and that constitutes a majority percentage of those registered MBA candidates at the entire school. I am proud to have served on the board of the Price Center (an advisory group of Entrepreneurs who have ‘made it’ -whatever that means) who contribute both money and time to the students of the Anderson School of business. It is a board on which I have served for over 20 years – hard to believe – but true and I am proud to have mentored some students and seen many success stories come out of the school. Do take a look at their site – its impressive! http://www.anderson.ucla.edu/

About Anderson

Founded in the depth of the Great Depression, UCLA Anderson School of Management now ranks among the top-tier business schools in the world. An award-winning faculty renowned for research and teaching, highly selective admissions, successful alumni and world-class facilities combine to provide an extraordinary learning environment in the heart of Southern California.

UCLA Anderson’s faculty comprises outstanding educators and researchers who share their scholarship and expertise in areas such as finance, marketing, accounting, business economics, decision sciences, operations and technology management, human resources and organizational behavior, information systems, and strategy and policy.

Leadership themes permeate the curriculum at UCLA Anderson. MBA students have many opportunities to develop leadership skills in safe surroundings. This includes working in teams on real world management challenges through the Applied Management Research and the Global Access programs. There are also a multitude of leadership experiences available through the school’s many student associations and activities.

Academic Programs UCLA Anderson offers both degree and non-degree programs to meet the diverse educational needs and professional goals of students. UCLA Anderson’s rigorous programs offer exceptional academic preparation, a cooperative and congenial student culture, and access to a thriving business community, as well as support services for scholastic and career advancement.

  • MBA
  • Fully Employed MBA
  • Executive MBA
  • UCLA – NUS Global Executive MBA
  • Doctoral Program
  • Master of Financial Engineering
  • Easton Technology Leadership Program
  • Undergraduate Minor in Accounting

Research Centers Specialized centers support faculty research and sponsor courses, extracurricular activities and conferences. They also provide varied opportunities for continuing education and contact among scholars, students and industry leaders.

  • The UCLA Anderson Forecast provides business leaders, government officials, and the academic community reliable and independent economic analysis and consulting needed to make informed decisions today and in the future.
  • The Laurence and Lori Fink Center for Finance & Investments unites research and practice in the field of finance – transforming fundamental knowledge into applicable practices benefiting today’s global economy.
  • The Center for International Business Education and Research enhances and promotes the international components of management through research, teaching, field studies and outreach Center for Management of Enterprise in Media, Entertainment and Sports- MEMES advances cutting-edge practices and inspires creativity in the management of global media, entertainment and sports industries.
  • The Harold and Pauline Price Center for Entrepreneurial Studies fosters the study and practice of entrepreneurship and business innovation by providing the foundation on which creativity can flourish and individuals can succeed.
  • Richard S. Ziman Center for Real Estate advances thought leadership in the field of real estate by generating influential research, educating the next generation of leaders and providing meaningful forums for industry professionals and policymakers.

Specialized Groups The UCLA Anderson community organizes itself in specialized ways that supplement the core organizational structure:

  • Behavioral Decision Making Group
  • Business and Information Technologies (BIT)
  • Information Systems (IS Associates)

The Parker Career Management Center PCMC provides a superb community for networking and accessing employment opportunities. The mission of the Parker CMC is to provide exceptional career management services that are delivered professionally, in a timely manner and with utmost concern for customer satisfaction.

Executive Education UCLA’s Executive Education programs expand management horizons and actualize leadership potential with programs that equip individuals to embrace innovation and drive sustainable growth throughout the enterprise.

UCLA Anderson Alumni Network UCLA Anderson graduates enjoy – lifelong resources and the benefits of being part of a community of over 36,000 alumni worldwide.

Marschak Colloquium The Marschak Colloquium provides a forum for interaction among faculty, students, and visitors interested in analytical methods and their applications in the social and behavioral sciences. The Colloquium sponsors presentations by leading experts including faculty members from UCLA, other University of California campuses and other universities or research institutes.

I am delighted to be associated with multiple higher educational institutions – UCLA, Pepperdine, Southwestern School of Law and The Drucker School of Business at Claremont College. How blessed I am to be able to give back to these educational institutions many of which have given me far more than I could ever repay.

Do you give generously to those who have educated you and increased your knowledge of the world?

 

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Tasty Thursdays – An Easy Curry Soup with Squash – Cooking with Kids!

Posted on March 8, 2012 by Grandma
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Curried Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients

    • 1 butternut squash – large
    • 1 white onion – chopped
    • 1  tomato chopped
    • 1 minced clove of garlic
    • 2 cups vegetable stock ( I use Better than Bouillon and make up the concentrate with water)
    • 1 (13 ½ ounce) cans light coconut milk
    • 2 teaspoons curry powder
    •  salt and pepper to taste
    • 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice
    • 1 tablespoon butter

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Spray a roasting tin with cooking spray and place the whole squash on it. (The children can do this)
  3. Roast for about 30 minutes, or until the flesh feels soft when poked through the skin.
  4. Flip over and let cool — once cool enough to handle, scoop out all the flesh and reserve in a bowl. Discard the seeds. (Once cool let the kids scoop out the seeds and the squash with you – expect there to be a mess!)
  5. Meanwhile, heat a heavy-bottomed pot with a tablespoon of butter, fry the garlic for a few minutes. Remove and add onions, frying until translucent.
  6. Add the curry powder, chopped tomato and saute for another 5 minutes. (Kids are good at adding stuff – just watch out for the hot stove!)
  7. Add the fried garlic, squash, coconut milk and vegetable stock. Stir to combine thoroughly and bring to a boil then immediately reduce to a simmer and cook, covered, for about 20 minutes.
  8. Transfer the soup in batches to a blender and puree the soup until it is a smooth as you like it. (Kids love to hit start and stop on the blender)
  9. Stir in the lemon juice to taste and serve.
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Music Mondays – Bringing Joy to the UK – I am in London for a Family Celebration -bringing my songs with me!

Posted on March 5, 2012 by Grandma
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I am in London this week for a family celebration – and have brought Sam’s Special box with me along with his three books and two CD’s of songs for my great niece who turns ONE on Wednesday.

What a thrill to be here – I have not met Clara before – and she is just darling. Her mother Fiona tells me she always looks astonished! Here is a cute ( astonished!) picture of her – and also one of her two brothers looking silly over a plate of pizza- on the right is Jacob and on the left is Ben.

The whole family has flown in to celebrate my sister, Pamela Goldberg’s inauguration to the Chairmanship of the  Worshipful Company of Needlemakers, incorporated by Commonwealth Charter in 1656 and by Royal Charter of 1664. She is the first woman to hold that post. The dress for the event on Wednesday night at the Mansion House in London, is white tie and tails for men, and evening dress (long) for women – we have been informed – ‘it is inappropriate to wear strapless dresses’. The event is full of pomp and ceremony. We are so grateful to be able to attend. And in a few weeks, Pamela and her husband John will be off to Buckingham Palace to meet the queen! What a great thrill.

How very proud our parents would be – both of their daughters emigrated to foreign lands, and have succeeded beyond all expectations to positions of leadership and accomplishment in different parts of the world. So sad that they left us so very young ( our dad at 56, and mother at 62).  I am so very proud of my sister and all she has accomplished- as well as her husband, son and daughter and their families. For those of you who  have immigrated to another country as an adult, is not easy. You know what I mean. I plan to write another column just on that topic.  In the meantime, we are loving the excitement of this week of family and celebration. Wish you were here!

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Philanthropy Fridays – the Chance Project – organized by a 13 year old to build a school in Sierra Leone

Posted on March 2, 2012 by Grandma
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I am proud to present The Chance Project which has been organized by a 13-year old boy, Christian, and his friends, to build a school in Sierre Leone.   Operating in conjunction with the well recognized “Free The Children”, this project shows how children can be empowered to make a difference. Check out http://www.thechanceproject.weebly.com – the website Christian developed on his own. He is the grandson of a colleague and friend of mine, Tony Vander Voet – with whom I served on the SAAG board of the World Health Organization Tropical Diseases Group in Geneva Switzerland. Tony is pretty remarkable himself – no wonder his grandson Christian is doing such amazing things – what a role model he has for a grandpa! Tony is an amazing artist – here is a link to his blogspot http://www.tonymarinus.blogspot.com/.  Before his present passion and career, he was Assistant Deputy Minister and Science Adviser for Ontario’s Ministry of Research and Innovation (MRI). Here is a  picture of Tony! Super Grandpa!

 

This is what Christian and his friends say on their website:

Who are we and why we are doing this?

We are The Chance Project: a group of 20 kids that believe in making a difference. Our group was officially formed on January 29, 2012. Our goal is to raise money to help communities in need to survive.

Our First Project: Sierra Leone

At our first meeting, The Chance Project group voted on where we would focus our efforts.  It was collectively decided that we could attempt to raise enough money to build a school in Sierra Leone.  We chose Sierra Leone because they overcame a horrible civil war where many schools were destroyed.  Our goal is to build a school in this country so that a community can get back on track and start educating their youth.  Building a school will also help the community by providing employment for construction workers and teachers.
All the money we raise will be given to Free the Children, and their staff will distribute the funds accordingly.  Please do not hesitate to learn more by following this link: http://www.freethechildren.com/

Reaching our goal

Currently our goal is to raise $10 000 to build a school in Sierra Leone. To reach this goal we need all the donations possible. We are hoping the two initiatives, targeting companies and selling bracelets, will help us raise the money efficiently and effectively. With all the donations we will not only be able to build a school, but it will jump-start our group into action and hopefully encourage more projects that will help the world.

FUNDS RAISED TO DATE

$730

FUNDS REMAINING

$9 270

How You Can Donate

To donate to The Chance Project you can either:
Coordinate payment through our group leader, Christian Vander Voet by contacting him via email: thechanceproject@yahoo.ca

Send a cheque payable to Free The Children to:

Christian Vander Voet The Chance Project 668 Auger Terrace Milton, ON L9T 5M2
Please note that Free The Children will provide valid tax receipts for all donations over $10.00
And for those of you who tweet – here is Christian’s first blog and you can click tweet below!
NOW HOW CAN THIS MOTIVATE YOUR CHILDREN TO DO GOOD? It doesn’t have to be in Sierra Leone – it could be at a homeless shelter, church, synagogue or senior citizens center down the road from your home, in your community or your town. Make a difference every day and remember to dance and sing too! Music makes people happy!
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Tasty Thursdays – Gluten Free Magnificent Chicken in a Bowl- A One Dish Meal!

Posted on March 1, 2012 by Grandma
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Background:
One of the winners of a special offer that we did, asked me if I could do some gluten free recipes. And here is one that is really very good, easy and a one dish meal. It also happens to be fairly low calorie as well as inexpensive. AND you can easily cook this with kids too – just let them hold your hand while you cut and chop, and add everything to the pan or the pot. Also they can learn how to season and place the raw chicken on the baking pan. Remember the house rules – EVERYONE washes their hands, no one licks their fingers and washing of hands takes place before touching a different food group. That means – wash before touching the chicken, and then after touching it too!

Chicken Rice in a Bowl for four

Ingredients:

Be sure to look on the labels of all ingredients to make sure that they are gluten free – they should be – but just in case…..
4 chicken breasts, skinless and boneless ( Organic)

1.5 cups of brown rice

2 Tbsp of Olive oil

2 cups of fresh mushrooms chopped and stemmed

2 cloves of chopped garlic

1 yellow onion chopped

1 cup of chopped baby carrots

1/2 cup of chopped celery

1/4 cups of black oil base olives pitted and chopped

1/4 cup of golden raisins

2 cups of chicken stock ( I use ‘Better than Bouillon’ and make up the concentrate with water)

1 Tbsp of Paprika

Salt and Freshly Cracked Ground Pepper to taste ( remember to use VERY little salt – the stock has salt in it already)

Parmesan which you grate fresh as a garnish ( the ready grated parmesan sometimes has modified food starch in it) ( optional)

Lemon quarters or cilantro or Italian Parsley (optional)

Directions:

  1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Season the chicken breasts with paprika,  salt and pepper and spray with Pam Spray.
  3. Place the breasts on a baking pan which you have also sprayed with Pam ( for easy cleaning) and place in the oven for about 20 minutes.
  4. Heat up one tablespoon of the oil in a pot that is big enough to hold four cups of liquid, until medium hot.
  5. Add the chopped garlic and saute for a few minutes. Remove and put aside.
  6. Add the chopped onion and saute until translucent.
  7. Add the chopped mushrooms to the onions and saute until they reduce, then remove and add to the garlic on a side plate.
  8. Add another tablespoon of olive oil  to the pot and let it heat, then add the celery, carrots, and saute until al dente ( not too soft and not too hard).
  9. Add the rice and fry gently for a few minutes.
  10. Add the golden raisins and then add back ALL the side plate contents ( the garlic, mushrooms and onions) and mix it with the carrots and celery, raisins and rice,  then immediately add the chicken stock.
  11. Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer and cook until the rice is soft to your taste – if you need to add a bit more chicken stock if the rice is not cooked enough for you – you can do that – but be sure that it is VERY hot stock.
  12. In the meantime check the chicken. It should be moist, not pink inside – and cooked through. Do NOT over cook.  Depending on the thickness of the breasts you may need to cook it less than the 20 minutes. Keep a close eye on it to be sure it is not overcooking.
  13. Take the chicken out of the oven and slice it into bite sized pieces. Cover tightly with foil so it doesn’t get dry.
  14. When the rice mixture is ready, add the sliced cut chicken into the mixture and GENTLY toss to combine – be sure to add all those lovely juices that collected on the plate when you cut the chicken too!
  15. Serve in soup bowls – kids love that – or on a flat plate and garnish with sprigs of parsley or cilantro. I love to serve lemon quarters – a squeeze of lemon brings out the flavor.
  16. An alternate garnish is to grate Parmesan over the top of each serving – lots of it! It adds a yummy creamy flavor without too many calories (only 30 cals an ounce for Parmesan which is a nice serving)

Don’t you just love one dish meals? Of course you could serve this with steamed asparagus, or fresh peas ( or the fresh frozen kind) which you could heat/cook in the microwave or even with a salad. Or just by itself!
Enjoy!

This recipe has been proudly featured on the Gluten Free Panty’s blog

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Tuesday Tips – Kids who Eat Dinner with Their Family Improve School Performance and Socialization

Posted on February 28, 2012 by Grandma
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There is a crisis in our community. Many children do not eat dinner with their families in the evening. Everyone eats different food, at different times, and often while doing other things like talking on the phone, texting, emailing, watching television, doing homework or on the run. This is changing the excellence of our culture – and diminishing our nutritional intake, socialization skills, school performance and viability as a society. It adds to obesity as well, a growing concern. It is that important.

Studies have shown that children who eat dinner with their families feel more socially connected to their parents. And that is an investment that you dearly want and need when your kids get to their teenage years. In addition, children who eat regularly with their parents or just one parent or even a parent substitute ( a family member or loving caregiver)  as a family, also do better at school, and are more confident with their peers. And guess what? It’s cost effective and nutritious too! Over half of the family budget goes into eating out. Save money by eating at home. And even a larger percent of that budget for eating out, goes into fast food – not a great choice for our little ones. You are likely to choose healthier food by being conscious of what you feed your family at home.

The best of all situations is to cook with your children. I advocate that all the time – it teaches motor skills in stirring, measuring, and whipping, as well as math skills in deciding how much to add, subtracting and multiplying when needed. It also teaches delayed gratification – preparing, cooking and adding ingredients with sensitivity and care – and then waiting until something you have prepared is ready- all excellent skills for children to have as they grow up and enter an even more stressful and demanding world of choices and demands. Here is Jack my eldest grandson, loving the feel of the flour between his fingers.

As a working mom all of my motherhood years, and now as a partially retired grandma, I know how hard this is to do. There were many years when I was not home to cook, never mind to eat with my son. But there was someone there – a dearly beloved elderly housekeeper who loved to cook for him – and thus a mother-substitute for the years when economically we had to have a dual career household to progress in our lives and careers ( and that was throughout our son’s entire life at home with us). Rarely did my husband get home at night to eat with our son due to the demands of his profession. But we both made a point of being together on Friday nights -I would fly into town just for that one day if I had to – so that at least once a week there was a family meal – with a table laid, much discussion and time to be together. It was not perfect, but being able to look forward to that one night, was key. For all of us.

As the years went on, my son would invite his friends to join us at the Friday night dinners and so they grew and grew – and with great joy, I would host young men and women as they entered their middle and high school years, when Friday dinners would go on for many hours as they all hung around chatting with each other and with us. And then when they went off to college, in their breaks, they would come home and spend at least one Friday night with us – homecooked food, baked bread, happy chatter and debate – and grateful thanks for the week that had passed and the one that was to come. Such joy.

Now my son and wife with dual careers and four little boys are struggling with the same challenges -and I see how very hard it is for them to find the time to have that family meal. But we all know it is worth the struggle – and will pay off big time in the future. Here are my son and daughter in law, my husband and I, on my 60th birthday – at a surprise party that they gave me – a cooking lesson at a fine restaurant ! With aprons that my son arrange to have made up for the event, and with all my closest friends and family there to participate – what a thrill!  You can see how happy I am! And so it continues….I am truly blessed.

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Music Mondays – The Tickle Me Song – Tickling and Teasing – Good or Bad for Kids?

Posted on February 27, 2012 by Grandma
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I do not like to be tickled. I don’t think I ever liked it. Do you? It seems to be something that all of us do to children who are little – perhaps it’s because we want to see them laugh – those peels of giggles give so much joy. But the main thing when tickling is to STOP when the children say – ‘NO MORE’. Is it a control thing? Or is it that people who tickle just do it for pure pleasure to see someone giggle and squirm? Especially a child? Certainly there is nothing bad about tickling for that reason. My song Tickle Me Sample however clearly says – when I say stop – stop. That way if the child loves it- and wants it to continue – terrific. But if not- they should be in control of their feelings and how the tickling is for them – and you should listen to them, so that they are in control of the situation not you. Then I think it’s fine. Lolly(below) loves to tickle Polly because she giggles so much. Sam, The Broken Robot is explaining to her that she can tell Lolly when she has had enough. Even though he is her big brother that she adores – it is her decision.

To me, tickling is like teasing. It seems to be fun -but can actually be quite annoying and painful. And yet because it seems to be innocuous, people consider you a bad sport if you don’t accept both.

Most of the time I think that teasing is saying something nasty with a smile on your face. And then saying to the person who says STOP – ‘you have no sense of humor’, or ‘you are such a silly’ or ‘bad sport’. I do not see any place for teasing in life. Truly. I think making jokes about yourself is fine. Making jokes about others is not. Perhaps it is a control issue again – teasing others – by saying hurtful things nicely – has no value except to embarrass them and make you feel more powerful. I realise this is also cultural. In the UK, I have noticed that poking fun  ( teasing) is very common and people tend to underplay success. Which is fine if it is your own success that you are underplaying. It is hard to pay a compliment in other cultures – some get very uncomfortable by praise, others feel not part of the group and as such, singled out as an individual and so very embarrassed by praise. So understanding a culture is a prerequisite to paying compliments and teasing. And teasing is very much part of a British education.

No matter what – it is not something that I like at all. And so my conversation with my grandchildren may include teasing comments about my OWN condition or situation to make them giggle, but NONE about theirs. This teaches them to respect others and if they want to make fun, to do so of themselves – a much less harmful route to enjoyment.

I would love to hear your comments on this one?

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Philanthropy Fridays – hot off the press – here is the First Scholarship for Strategic Alliance Competency ever given – The Larraine Segil Scholarship at Pepperdine Graziadio School of Business

Posted on February 26, 2012 by Grandma
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Last week I was delighted to award the first scholarship for Strategic Alliance Competency – to Linda LoRe, former CEO of Giorgios and Frederiks of Hollywood who is now a Presidential Key Executive MBA candidate at Pepperdine University in Los Angeles. My post last Friday talked about her – here is a photo of me talking about how important collaboration is in business and in life – and that strategic alliance competency is one of the most marketable business skills and corporate advantages for a rising leader.

Many organizations partner without a formal structure to do so – which means that they fail to apply metrics and discipline to the effort. Which leads to partnership failure. The skills of conflict resolution, partner structure, disciplined processes and remediation activities can add significant value to business relationships which is why I created two foundations for up and coming leaders to recognise their prowess, encourage them to continue in these arena, and stand up as examples to others in the business world as an ethical approach to business growth and evolution. I am delighted that Pepperdine women are exemplary in this field, and use both the moral and ethical belief systems that are so much part of the Pepperdine approach as well as the scientific and rigorous capabilities that they gain from the pragmatic education that is part of the PKE MBA program.

Below is the Dean of the Graziadio School of Business at Pepperdine Linda Livingstone on my left.

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Philanthropy Fridays – Scholarships for Mid Career Women – Pepperdine School of Business

Posted on February 24, 2012 by Grandma
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I am so grateful for my life. I have been blessed to have multiple careers – and now am in a position to give back.

To that end I have created two scholarship funds – one at the Drucker School of Management in collaboration with Southwestern School of Law – for a JDMBA Woman Candidate who shows an interest in conflict resolution ( and collaboration rather than litigation). Candidates are being evaluated at this time for the 2012 award. I will feature her and the school when the award is given.

The other scholarship fund is at Pepperdine University Graziadio School of Business for a Woman in the Presidential Key Executive MBA program. These are women leaders who have already obtained a level of recognition and who are venturing out to study for a midcareer MBA – generally an expensive and risky undertaking in that they are challenging their own status quo. This is the program that I am featuring on my blog today.

Above you will see me announcing the award, and on my left, is Linda Livingstone, the Dean of the Graziadio Business School at Pepperdine University in Los Angeles.

This year the award was given to Linda LoRe, formerly CEO of Fredericks of Hollywood. Her photo is below.

The award was given this week at the Graziadio Board of Visitors Meeting, Wednesday, February 22nd, 2012, at 11:30 am at the Pepperdine West LA Campus, 6100 Center Drive, Room 203,Los Angeles, CA 90045. Both awards are called The Larraine D. Segil Award for Strategic Alliance Competency.

I graduated from the PKE program in 1984. It was by far the best program available at that time – in fact the ONLY Senior Executive MBA available in Southern California for senior executives who were running companies full time, and thus wanted to participate in a practical and substantive program that allowed for those time constraints.

The mission of the George L. Graziadio School of Business and Management is to develop values-centered leaders and advance responsible business practice through education that is entrepreneurial in spirit, ethical in focus, and global in orientation. The chief aim of a graduate business education at the Graziadio School is to produce more than competent business professionals who pursue profit and shareholder return; in addition, the school seeks to produce businessleaders who are ethical, entrepreneurial, and globally aware, and who work for collective good

A values-centered leader is one who believes ethics and profits need not be mutually exclusive to achieve success in business. In fact, we believe they should go hand in hand.

That’s why Pepperdine provide opportunities for values-centered leadership both in and out of the classroom. For example:

Noteworthy examples abound of Graziadio School students emerging as courageous leaders, compassionate global citizens, and people of integrity – the future of business.

Here is Linda LoRe – the winner of The Larraine D. Segil Award for Strategic Alliance Competency given at the Pepperdine George L. Graziadio School of Business for 2012.

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Tuesday Tips Cooking with Kids and More! “Why didn’t I think of that?”

Posted on February 21, 2012 by Grandma
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This is the Seventh and Final in the Series: WHY DIDN’T I THINK OF THAT?

Here is the cutest tip of all. Have you ever opened a closet door and all the wrapping paper from last holiday season fell onto your head? How about cleaning off the wonderful artistic renditions by your toddlers on the TV screen? Well below you will find ways to solve those problems – as well as creating space on walls for tidying up the kids rooms…

Put a velcro strip up on the wall and stick soft toys to it! Love the way they look in a little one’s room instead of piling up on the bed in a bundle.

 Use WD40 to clean off the ‘picasso – like’ creations by crayola done by your little ones on the TV screen!

Set up a string to hold up wrapping paper up on the ceiling to save space and unravelling.

Use tape to hold your hair grips – and have them handy whenever you need them!

Put old pantyhose over the end of the vaccuum so that it will catch those small precious things like earrings that have fallen on the floor. Ingenious!

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Music Mondays – Sam, The Broken Robot Says – Dance every day! He will be appearing at the Zimmer Museum Los Angeles at 11am on TUESDAY April 24th

Posted on February 20, 2012 by Grandma
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Sam, The Broken Robot, is doing his FIRST live appearance at the Zimmer Children’s Museum in Los Angeles  – LA’s ONLY children’s museum – on April 24th at 11am-11.30am for a special show celebrating The Week of The Young Child. (www.Zimmermuseum.org). Here is their address.

Zimmer Children’s Museum 6505 Wilshire Blvd., #100 Los Angeles, CA 90048 Front Desk: (323) 761-8984 Fax: (323) 761-8990 Email: info@zimmermuseum.org

Toddlers and their moms, dads, grandpa’s, grandma’s and caregivers will be there in full force!

Rockin’GrandmaMusic (that’s me!) is looking forward to introducing Sam, The Broken Robot who will dance to his song “The Broken Robot Song” and we will be playing “Dancing in my Room”Dancing in My Room Sample , “The Toothbrush Song”Toothbrush Song Sample, “the Potty Song”, The Potty Song Sample too from our RockinGrandmaMusic CD’s and telling stories about Sam and his Pretend Family. Bring your dancing shoes and lots of enthusiasm!!

Have you listened to Sam’s song lately? Here is a sample – he is adorable isnt he? Broken Robot Sample

Also RockinGrandmaMusic will be wearing her Sam, The Broken Robot Tshirt – you can order your own since Sam says such interesting things on his tshirts – like:

Sam, The Broken Robot Says……Angry People Are Sometimes Just Lonely

OR

Sam, The Broken Robot Says…..A Giggle a Day Keeps The Grumbles Away

and much more. Here is a picture of his favorite Tshirt.

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Philanthropy Fridays – UPWARD BOUND – a program with 100% SUCCESS RATE – helping under-privileged kids get into and stay in college

Posted on February 17, 2012 by Grandma
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Upward Bound is an after-school/Saturday supplement to help less privileged high school kids get accepted into and through college (http://www.voala.org/services/cybert.php).

There are five Upward Bound sites in the LA area with about 300 students in total. Upward Bound have provided each site with computers and cyber cameras that Skype-connect with volunteer college students who provide the tutoring.  Each computer at the sites has 2 cameras – one for the face and one for the homework.

The tutors undergo a formal application process, are interviewed, and must commit to 2 hours per week of tutoring.  Currently, they have about 15 tutors.  That will grow as they move down the experience curve and de-bottleneck some of the existing constraints (some sites are equipment limited, some space limited).  They have raised some money from outside donations including a recent commitment for equipment from HP.

Do you want to help? Contact tutor@voala.org to become a tutor OR download http://www.voala.org/downloads/TutorApplication-S.pdf to fill out an application to become a tutor. This is what the organization says to YOU:

“You can make a difference in the life of a high school student from an under-served Los Angeles neighborhood who is working extremely hard to graduate and be the first in their family to go to college. We are looking for caring and committed people to spend one to two hours a week online, tutoring some very remarkable kids so that they improve their grades and have a chance to reach their full potential. As a college student, you would especially be able to relate to these teenagers and understand their needs on many levels. One semester of online tutoring has proven to advance a student one grade, and impacts their lives immeasurably. Being a tutor is a very rewarding experience on a personal level, and is a great addition to your resume. We run Upward Bound programs in Los Angeles for more than 300 students each year with a 100% success rate. We have helped thousands of teen-agers make it to college. This is especially noteworthy as the kids we serve are educated in overcrowded inner-city schools with high dropout rates, low academic performance, and less college-going culture. Online cyber tutoring happens on a computer with a camera via the Internet and Skype. Thanks to these and other innovations, tutoring has become a convenient and effective way to make a real difference in a kid’s life.”

Volunteers of AMERICA in GREATER LOS ANGELES THANKS YOU!

My good friend DON BAKER, retired executive, has devoted many hours of his time and his great intelligence and heart to this program – please join him and other volunteers like him making a difference in our world community.

Rockin’ Grandma Music thanks YOU!

 

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