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vjgunkel59 's Account

Screen Name:
vjgunkel59
Member Since:
October 3, 2009
Last Login:
February 24, 2012

About Me
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My Greatest Cooking TriumphMy oldest daughter married in 2008. We had smoked bbq brisket, smoked polish sausage, and turkey, and made almost all of the the side dishes for 400 people. (We used a bakery for the cake.) My husband and I smoked all that meat and prepared almost all of our food. I also baked 'povitica' a polish nut bread that was sliced, and sitting at each table for the guests as they waited for the buffet to begin. Everyone said we couldn't do that, but we did and we heard many compliments on the wedding dinner. Because my strongest talent lies in floral arrangement, I made all the table arrangements, boutineers, and my daughters wedding bouquet. For the bachelorette party, the 7 bridesmaids all started at my house learning to make their own bridesmaids bouquets before they headed to a private party for the bride. They enjoyed learning to arrange their flowers and some have gone on to help other brides with their floral arrangements. Because all my children wanted in on the planning, we made each guest a beaded picture holder in assembly line fashion that held each familys' table reservation. Each of my children got to add a different sized bead and the new brother-in-law enjoyed making these with his new family to be. The guests took the beaded picture holders home to hold their own picture of choice. I looked back on the day and considered that my biggest triumph.
My Biggest Kitchen DisasterWhen I was a child, and learning to cook, I experimented. My mom reminded me and shared with others several of my disasters. Included were putting cheese in baked beans-yeah-gross! I know...but I was learning.
My Food For Thoughtfor other moms...I have noticed when my children get cranky and irritated and start to fight with each other, it almost always seems to be around the time for a meal when its the worst. As I get the meal on the table, and they eat, they start to smile again, laugh and enjoy each others company. I've seen it repeatedly and have learned from this. If the fighting between the kids is escalating and its near a mealtime, feed them at a table together so their entire day isn't summed up in their differences. If it's not at a mealtime, sit them down with a snack of their favorite fruit, yogurt or smoothies-but sit them together so they enjoy it together. It helps with the fighting and it helps them to have a piece of the day when there was harmony.