It’s official! Covenant Adoption in Utah has officially opened their doors. Check out Covenant Adoption on Facebook for more information.

The adoption spotlights of the month:

Meet Aubrey…
A talented teen from Utah, Aubrey loves to sing and dance. She is also great at drawing! People describe her as bright, caring and friendly. Valuing her relationships with others, she is outgoing and makes friends easily. Aubrey is always well-dressed, often in clothing she has modified or designed herself! This lass is attending the tenth grade and works hard in school. She benefits from counseling, which will need to continue after placement. Aubrey is in need of a loving family who will provide her with care, support and structure. If your family is interested in this young woman, we urge you to inquire. Financial assistance may be available for adoption-related costs. For Utah children only homestudied families from all states are encouraged to inquire.

For more information on adopting Aubrey, visit her page.

Meet Zack…

With a kind and friendly personality, Zack, makes friends easily and enjoys spending time in the company of others. He is an active young man who enjoys most sports and being outside. Basketball, soccer, baseball and skiing top his list of favorite activities. A seventh grader this year, Zack does well in school. He is currently attending counseling, which will need to continue after placement. Zack is in need of a loving and stable family. If your family is interested in this positive and resilient kiddo, we urge you to inquire. Financial assistance may be available for adoption-related services.  Utah.

For more information on adopting Zack, visit his page.

The latest & greatest adoption articles:

• Infertility Panel Corrects Adoption Myths, by Lindsey Redfern – Women in all stages of their infertility journey talk about their path to motherhood, including adoption. Common adoption myths are corrected.
  
• We Found Our Son in the Subway from The New York Times – The true story of a family who found their son literally in the subway.
  
• Adoptive mom’s ‘newborn’ photoshoot with 13-year-old son from Today – Adopted as an older child, Latrell expressed to his adoptive mom that he wished he had newborn photos of himself so his photographer mother recreated them. Hysterical and touching!
• What I want you to know about being a potential birthmom and backing out of the adoption plan by Kristen Howerton – What this mother wants you to know about her decision to change her mind about placing her child for adoption.
  
• Unadoptable is unacceptable from Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption – This video, released to highlight the positive findings of the Foundation’s five-year research evaluation of its Wendy’s Wonderful Kids program, shows that the program works.
• For even more great info on adoption and foster care, check out the Adoption & Foster Care page right here on OSSS

Adoption & Foster care news & events:

• STUCK Tour – Bus tour coming to a city near you featuring a documentary about the realities and hurdles surrounding international adoption. Sign the petition!

Author information

lindsey

Lindsey Redfern is the creator and writer of The R House. It’s the story of her family who is living (and loving!) within three open adoptions. She offers help, hope and humor to others along the way. Married to a social worker (and foodie), she and her husband own an adoption consulting firm, The R House Adoption Consultants. She also creates sterling silver jewelry keepsakes and gifts of hope with her two best friends at The R House Couture.

The post OSSS Loves Adoption & Foster Care ~ May 2013 (she: Lindsey) appeared first on Or so she says....

How to Make a Marshmallow Gun

The Green Smoothie That Helps Me Lose Weight

My top two picks from last week’s party:

How to Make Strawberries Last Longer
from Joyful Homemaking

Easy Grapevine Ball Topiary
from Callie’s Crafts

And now it’s time to share ‘Your Great Idea’!!

Be sure to link back to ‘Or so she says…’ either in your submitted post or on your blog page (text link or button.)  Only posts that are linked back are eligible to become a ‘favorite pick’ or pinned.  Check out others ideas, and enjoy the creativity.  Come back next Saturday and do it again!  *No linking to giveaways, posts that aren’t yours, etsy shops, or filthy-poo.

When you’re done linking up here, visit my other favorite Saturday link parties:
What’s Cooking with Ruthie?, Your Homebased Mom, & Thirty Handmade Days

Author information

Mariel

Owner & Author at Or so she says...

Mariel (mahr-eeee-elle) is a mother to six, wife to one. Loves homeschooling, golfing, cupcakes, traveling, cuddling, non-fiction books, gardening, James Taylor, family time, and a sexy wedge. This is her blog. Enjoy!

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I just started back to College last week- yes, I know that’s pretty brave, but I love it so far and I’m really looking forward to starting Culinary School this fall

Anyways… with a hectic schedule comes the need for some good tasting Crock Pot meals that are ready when we all walk in the door….

Which brings us to this quick and easy Slow Cooker Ranch Pork Chops and Potatoes recipe.

It’s perfect for those hectic days…

Slow Cooker Ranch Pork Chops and Potatoes

Recipe Type: Main

Author: Ruthie

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 7 hours

Total time: 7 hours 15 mins

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 6-8 medium potatoes, chopped into large pieces
• 4-6 boneless pork chops
• 2 (10.75 oz) reduced fat cream of chicken soup
• 2 packages dry ranch dressing mix
• 1 C lowfat milk

Instructions

1. Spray the inside of slow cooker with cooking spray.
2. Place potatoes on the bottom.
3. Evenly lay pork chops on top of potatoes.
4. Mix together milk, cream of chicken soups, ranch mix.
5. Evenly pour over pork chops.
6. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6-7 hours.
7. Serve with additional sauce as gravy.

* I adapted and skinnied this recipe from Six Sisters Stuff

I hope you enjoy this Slow Cooker Ranch Pork Chop and Potatoes recipe…

Here are a couple of other recipe you may also enjoy:

Rosemary Hasselback Potatoes 

Nutella 5 Chip Cookies 

Mexican Cornbread Pie 

I love visiting to share recipes with you each month… thanks so much for having me!

I’d love to have you stop by to visit or connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest!

Happy Cooking!

Author information

ruthie

Blogger at What's Cooking With Ruthie

Ruthie loves everything about food! Her passion for cooking was passed down to her by her grandmother, whose 60′s cooking show was the inspiration for Ruthie’s blog. Ruthie also loves to garden and share her gardening adventures. She is the mother of 4 girls and 1 boy- oh, and we can’t forget Jack and Lila, the dogs!

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Hi. I’m Allison Laypath and I am delighted to be a new contributor to Or So She Says… I write the family travel blog Tips for Family Trips, where I share my favorite destinations and my best tips for successful family travel. My family is passionate about travel and we believe that travel makes families stronger, smarter and happier.

I am married to my best friend (it’s cheesy, but true) and we have two children – a 9-year-old daughter and a 6-year-old son. We live near Salt Lake City, Utah. We took our daughter on her first road trip when she was just four-weeks-old and we took a “celebration vacation” the day after my son was declared cancer-free last March.

Family reunion season is rapidly approaching, and like many families, we will travel to a reunion this July. My most recent post at TipsforFamilyTrips.com is a review of a great reunion destination near Zion National Park in Southern Utah, the Zion Ponderosa Ranch and Resort. This first post for Or She Says is also dedicated to family reunions and those who take on the tremendous task of planning them.

Family reunions, like families, come in all shapes and sizes. Perhaps the only thing all families have in common is that nobody wants to attend a “boring” reunion.

Do you need some fresh family reunion ideas for your next get-together? Here are five family-tested ideas.

1. Book Club

Does anyone in your family like to read? With a little advance planning, your family can hold your own Reunion Book Club. Everyone reads the book before the reunion so they will be prepared to discuss the book during a scheduled Book Club activity.

Contact family members at least a few weeks before the reunion to see who is interested and collect book suggestions. Once you have a list of nominees, take a vote.

Consider the length and difficulty of each nominated book. Shorter books may encourage more members of the family to participate. Some books lend themselves to interesting discussions more than others. A young adult novel may be a good choice, as there are many that are well-written, but don’t require a huge time commitment.

2. Game Shows

If your family is competitive and outgoing, consider adapting your favorite reality game show for your family reunion.

Minute-to-Win-It games are increasingly popular at family reunions because all you need is a stop watch and a few simple props to bring on the laughs. Click here for a list of goofy games.

My brother-in-law’s  family held their own Amazing Race during a reunion in Sun Valley, Idaho. His parents set up clues and activities all over town and then set their seven adult children and their spouses loose. They were required to use public transportation and my sister describes a crazy foot race against several other couples to the finish line.

Don’t forget the prizes! If your family can afford it, spring for some worthwhile prizes such as gift cards to motivate the competition.

3. Cooking Activities

Add flavor to your next reunion with one of these culinary activities.

Iron Chef – If you don’t have the kitchen space for a head-to-head cooking competition, this is an activity that could be prepared in advance. Assign a “secret ingredient” a few weeks before the reunion, sample all the creations, and vote on a winner sometime during the first day.

International Night – Invite everyone to prepare or bring a dish from a place they have visited. Don’t think that you need to have traveled internationally to participate. I once lived in Oregon where blackberries grow wild. My blackberry cobbler is a hit at events like this.

Family Cookbook – Have everyone prepare a favorite dish to share. Collect the recipes, take photos of the food, and include some other photos from the reunion. Put it all together and publish your own family cookbook. It will be a great reunion souvenir. If you have any old family recipes, be sure to include those too!

4. Pinewood Derby

You have a few of those wooden cars in the family, do you not? Wouldn’t you like to find out which is the fastest? Rent a derby track near your reunion site, or build your own.

5. Create a scrapbook or DVD 

Online programs such as Shutterfly or Apple’s iPhoto make it easier than ever for anyone to compile a beautiful hardbound photo book full of reunion photos. They also make it easy for other family members to view the album online and order their own copies. Books on these sites start at around $10, plus shipping

A similar, but less expensive option is a DVD slide show. You can collect reunion photos and videos in iPhoto or Premiere Elements, add your own music, use cool built-in effects, and voila!, you have a slide show. Share it online for free or burn copies to DVD.

Family reunions are a great way for families to connect and create shared memories. Whatever activities your family chooses, the most important thing is to enjoy your time together.

Author information

allison l.

Blogger at Tips for Family Trips

Allison Laypath is a family travel writer at Tips for Family Trips, based in Salt Lake City, Utah. She and her husband took their first child on a two-week road trip at four-weeks-old and they have been traveling as a family ever since. Allison loves all types of travel, but especially road trips, national parks and travel within her home state of Utah.

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Every year, I get so excited when the summer fruit starts to come in. There isn’t much that’s better than fresh berries. Except for fresh berries and chocolate. For breakfast. And the best part is that they have no butter or oil in them (so please don’t use fat-free ricotta, or you’ll end up with tough little muffins).

Looking for more delicious and healthy muffin recipes? You might also like apple fritter muffins or chocolate chocolate cherry muffins.

Chocolate Raspberry Ricotta Muffins

Ingredients

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners, or lightly grease with non-stick cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together 1 ¾ cups flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together water, ricotta, vinegar, vanilla, and egg until well-combined.
4. Stir ricotta mixture into dry ingredients until just combined.
5. Stir in 1/4 cup mini chips until just incorporated.
6. Toss together remaining 1 teaspoon flour and raspberries.
7. Gently fold raspberries into batter.
8. Scoop batter into prepared tins. I used an ice cream scoopful per tin.
9. Sprinkle muffins with remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips.
10. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffin comes out clean (it may have a little chocolate on it from the chips, but it shouldn’t have crumbs on it).
11. Cool in tin for 5 minutes, and then remove to wire rack to finish cooling.
12. Serve muffins warm or at room temperature.

Author information

kate

Kate is the "I' over at i heart eating. She loves all things with butter and sugar. When she isn't baking or cooking, she can be found playing with her two kids or checking out Pinterest.

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The post Chocolate Raspberry Ricotta Muffins (she: Kate) appeared first on Or so she says....

Here we go, 100 great books for older kids, ages 6 to 14:

Series of Unfortunate Events
Emily Windsnap
Captain Underpants
Magic Treehouse
Boxcar Children
Ivy & Bean
American Girl History Mysteries
Choose Your Own Adventure
My Life As
Narnia

39 Clues
Infinity Ring
The Underland Chronicles
Junie B. Jones
Peter and the Starcatchers
Encyclopedia Brown
Ready Freddy
The BFG
Bobbsey Twins
Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Goosebumps
Hatchet
The Hardy Boys
Nancy Drew
Judy Moody
Tuesdays at the Castle
Amelia Bedilia
Hank the Cowdog
The Witches
Harry Potter

A Wrinkle in Time
Castle in the Attic
Matilda
Indian in the Cupboard
Wait till Helen Comes
Redwall
Wereworld
Watership Down
The Golden Compass
Big Nate

Ook and Gluk
Fablehaven
I Survived
Twelve Dancing Princesses
Little House
Twig
Geronimo Stilton
Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing
The Hobbit
James and the Giant Peach

The Three Investigators
Bad Kitty
The Twits
Fablehaven
The Wolves of Willoughby Chase
Sisters Grimm Fairy Tale Detectives
Percy Jackson & Olympian
Charlotte’s Web
Ramona
The Babysitters Club

Martins Mice
Julie of the Wolves
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane
Dragon Slippers
My Weird School Daze
Beyonders
Heroes of Olympus
Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians
Mysterious Benedict Society
The Westing Game

The Great Brain
The Doll People
Grandma’s Attic
The Mandie Collection
Five Little Peppers and How they Grew
Harris and Me
Mary, Bloody Mary
Beware Princess Elizabeth
Red Sails to Capri
The Invention of Hugo Cabret

Runaway Twin
A Crooked Kind of Perfect
The Lemonade War
The One and Only Ivan
The Candymakers
Wonder
11 Birthdays
Confectionately Yours
Middle School
The Strange Case of Origami Yoda

Bunnicula
Island of the Blue Dolphin
Shiloh
Hoot
The Giver
Holes
Wayside School
There’s a Boy in the Girl’s Bathroom
Because of Mr. Terupt
Brixton Brothers

Author information

Mariel

Owner & Author at Or so she says...

Mariel (mahr-eeee-elle) is a mother to six, wife to one. Loves homeschooling, golfing, cupcakes, traveling, cuddling, non-fiction books, gardening, James Taylor, family time, and a sexy wedge. This is her blog. Enjoy!

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The post 100 Great Books for Older Kids, ages 6 to 14 appeared first on Or so she says....

Right now the big issue I’m dealing with at our house is the comparing/competition syndrome. I have twins, and it’s probably something I’ll constantly be dealing with with these two boys. They are best buddies, and get along amazingly well, but there are those moments. All you mothers out there know these moments. Moments when one of your twins (or any child) scores three goals at Saturday’s soccer game, and the other scores none. Moments when one twin notices the letter (reading level) on the back of brother’s home reading book is higher than his. Moments when one twin gets invited to play at a friend’s house and the other doesn’t. Moments when the younger (not quite 5) cousin from out of state comes to visit and can read chapter books when your kindergarten twins can’t. I could go on and on, but I’m sure you get the idea.

A few months ago I was at my parents’ house and ran across a little book that had simple ideas for nurturing your child’s self esteem. There was an idea in the book I loved. It was called the “I Can…” Can. It’s as easy as it’s name suggests. The idea is to have a place (a can) where you can keep a record of all the things your child CAN do. When you begin the can, sit down and put as many papers in as you can.  Brainstorm with your child everything he/she can do.  Hop, jump, read, climb, make toast, tie shoes, get dressed, whistle, ride a bike,… Then for the days that follow, keep slips of paper and writing tools close by the cans your child, or anyone in your family, can add to the can as your child learns to do more things. My three-year-old recently learned to snap.  He’s amazingly good at it too (another moment, big brothers remembered they couldn’t snap until they were six).  He  was so excited to have us add it to his can.

Not only are you constantly adding skips of paper to your child’s can, but then on those days when your child is having a rough time because so-and-so can do such-and-such better than him, you dump out the “I Can…” Can and read every single piece of paper.  Celebrate everything that is in the can, and help your child focus on what he/she can do instead of what can’t be done.  Also, remind your child that they should not only celebrate what he/she has done, but celebrate what others have done as well.

Here’s what one of my twin’s “I Can…” Cans looks like.  I used a stewed tomato can that I had saved.  I covered it with scrapbook paper, added a label, and stamped his name on the bottom.  I have papers and a pen close by, and added a picture of Carter next to the can. He’s on top of Nanny and Poppy’s swing set in this picture.  This boy can climb!

You know, after I made these cans for my boys, I seriously contemplated making one for my self (which I still might do on a smaller scale- at least a notebook to keep a running list).  I think we as women tend to be just as bad, if not worse, as our little ones when it comes to comparing.  I dare say we could all benefit from having an “I Can…” Can.  Learn to recognize what you can do, not what you can’t, and learn to be happy for others (as hard as it can be at times) when they add to their own can.

Thanks so much for letting me take a little bit of your time.  Let me know of any other great ideas you have for keeping the comparison syndrome at bay.  Come see my at Blissful Roots anytime, and enjoy your day!

Author information

Brooke

Blogger at Blissful Roots

Brooke considers herself extremely blessed to have four amazing boys in her life. Her husband of 12 years, six-year-old twins, and a three-year-old. She's learning that being the only girl in the family isn't so bad. While her three boys follow their daddy's every move, she has time for creating, crafting, cooking, gardening, running, organizing, and hanging out over at Blissful Roots.

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The post Children & The Comparing Syndrome ~ “I Can…” Can (she: Brooke) appeared first on Or so she says....

Print this quote on motherhood #1

Print this quote on motherhood #2

Thank you to everyone who entered our Summer Giveaway Series!

Here’s a list of the winners…

Canon Camera:

1) Michele Trobman

2) Sarah Rickett

3) Brenna Nelson

Universal Studios Get Away:

Andrea Dipper

iPad mini:

1) Stephanie Kingsley

2) Mallory Muntefering

3) Shannon Crabill

We hope all of our lucky winners enjoy their fabulous prizes… Congratulations!

Author information

Mariel

Owner & Author at Or so she says...

Mariel (mahr-eeee-elle) is a mother to six, wife to one. Loves homeschooling, golfing, cupcakes, traveling, cuddling, non-fiction books, gardening, James Taylor, family time, and a sexy wedge. This is her blog. Enjoy!

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How to Make Foam Swords

Butter-Mint Oreo Ice Cream Bars

My top two picks from last week’s party:

ABC Summer Activity Jar
from R & R Workshop

DIY Edible Mud Mask
from Essentially Eclectic

And now it’s time to share ‘Your Great Idea’!!

When you’re done linking up here, visit my other favorite Saturday link parties:
What’s Cooking with Ruthie?, Your Homebased Mom, & Thirty Handmade Days

Author information

Mariel

Owner & Author at Or so she says...

Mariel (mahr-eeee-elle) is a mother to six, wife to one. Loves homeschooling, golfing, cupcakes, traveling, cuddling, non-fiction books, gardening, James Taylor, family time, and a sexy wedge. This is her blog. Enjoy!

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The post Hello, Weekend: Past Posts & ‘Your Great Idea’ Link Party #33 appeared first on Or so she says....

See #6??  Those are Lemon Ricotta Gems, from our very own Jana of Double the Deliciousness, an awesome contributor to OSSS.  You can view her recipe post under the blog hop.

To see each contributors Citrus post up close, join the Blog Hop! {In the event that the direct link to their posts don’t work when clicking on the title, click on the blogs main page link just before}. They are numbered according to the links below.

1. Capturing Joy shares Citrus Photography Art Prints for the home

2 .Eighteen25 sharing their Orange Party Punch recipe

3 .Landee See, Landee Do shares a Crusted Lemon Cream Bars recipe

4. Little Miss Momma sharing diy Typography Mantel Art (Using Lemons)

5. Lolly Jane shares a diy Chevron Citrus Wreath tutorial

6.Or So She Says shares a recipe for Lemon Ricotta Gems

7. Simply Kierste has a recipe for Lemon Cupcakes

8. Six Sisters Stuff sharing a Creamy Lemon Bars recipe

9. Thirty Handmade Days shares When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Lemon Cookies! Printable and recipe

10. Your Homebased Mom shares a Lemon Cream Cake Recipe

If you want to make sure you don’t forget to stop by each month on the 10th, grab a button and place it in your sidebar!

<div align="center"><a href="http://oneshetwoshe.com/2013/05/lemon-ricotta-gems.html" title="10 Creative Blogs 10th each month"><img src="http://www.kristendukephotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/blue1.jpg" alt="10 Creative Blogs 10th each month" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

And, on to our CITRUS contribution:

These little “gems” are worth their weight in gold (or a few pounds on the scale, at least!)  Even though I’m on this diet I talked about last month I just had to taste these cookies to make sure they were good enough to share…well, they most definitely are!!  So much so, I have to confess I think I ate 7 of them.  I just couldn’t stop.  I’m weak.  Very weak.

Don’t be hesitant about this recipe because of the ricotta.  It makes the cookies soft and delicious…trust me, I would never lead you astray!  And once the glaze hardens, they are perfect for packing up and taking to a friend, neighbor or teacher.  Just think how these would brighten someones day!

Just don’t take them to someone dieting….:)

Lemon Ricotta Gems
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 container (15 oz.) whole milk ricotta cheese
zest and juice of one medium lemon

Glaze:
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
zest and juice of 2 medium lemons

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Stir to combine and set aside.

In an electric mixer beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time and beat to incorporate between each egg. Add the ricotta cheese, lemon juice and zest and beat until combined. Mix in the dry ingredients until combined.

Line baking sheets with parchment paper or a silpat. Using a 2 tablespoon size (medium) scoop, place cookies on baking sheets. Bake for 13-15 minutes or until the edges just start to get golden brown. Let cookies sit on baking sheets for about 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Make the glaze by combining the powdered sugar, juice and zest. If too runny, add a little more powdered sugar and if too solid add some more lemon juice until it reaches the desired consistency. Spoon or drizzle glaze over cookies. The glaze will harder after an hour or so and then they can be stacked in a container for delivery…or a late night snack!

Some of my other favorite Lemony things…

Lemon Strata Pie, Strawberry Lemon Cupcakes in a Jar, and Almond Poppyseed Bundt Cake (made with a lemon cake!)

Author information

Jana

Jana is a mother of 4 who loves spending time in the kitchen. Baking is her specialty! Jana blogs with her 13 year old daughter over at Double the Deliciousness. When not in the kitchen creating delicious meals or decadent desserts, Jana likes spending time reading, attending her children's various activities, playing games, and painting...walls that is!

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