Mushroom Omelette

1 cup of trimmed and sliced mushrooms
8 large eggs
2 oz grated Gruyere cheese or Swiss cheese
2 tablespoons butter
Fresh parsley to garnish
Salt and pepper to taste

Add one tablespoon butter to a non-stick frying pan and add the mushrooms. Sautee over low heat for approximately 5 minutes, remove mushrooms from pan and set aside. Add a little more butter to the pan and add one quarter of beaten egg mixture, lift the edges of the omelette so the egg can run under and set. Once the omelette is almost set add one quarter of the cooked mushrooms and sprinkle with a little bit of the cheese. Fold the omelette over and gently place on the serving plate. Repeat 3 more times with remaining ingredients.

Serves 4

*Low GI, Low Carb, Sommersize plan

Make Valentine’s With Your Kids

By: Kids Activity Calendar

Homemade Valentine’s are great for your kids to give to the really special people in their lives like Grandma’s and Grandpa’s, Aunt’s and Uncle’s, brothers and sisters, best friends and of course, Daddy! But unless you start them at Halloween, we suggest you stick to boxed cards for all their friends at school! Here are some fun and easy ideas to make Valentine’s Day cards with your kids…

Hearts and Hands Valentine

Here’s what you need:

Construction paper (two different colors)
A pencil
Markers
Scissors
Glue

Here’s what to do:

1. Trace your child’s hand on a piece of construction paper with a pencil and then cut it out.
2. Draw a heart small enough to fit on the hand with a pencil and cut it out.
3. Glue the heart to the front of the hand.
4. Have your child write a special message inside the heart. “Happy Valentine’s Day, Grandma! I love you with all my heart!”

This is a great card to make for Daddy.

Prim Valentine

Here’s what you need:

Brown paper bag
Pencil
Markers
Scissors
Hole punch
Red or pink ribbon or yarn (about ¼” works best)

Here’s what to do:

1. Use a pencil to trace a large heart on a brown paper bag. Cut out the heart. You can use fancy scalloped scissors (like the ones used for scrapbooking) to jazz up the heart!
2. Make a series of holes around the edge of the heart using a hole punch. The number of holes isn’t important, but be sure to make it an even number.
3. String the ribbon or yarn through the holes starting at the bottom of the heart working your way up. Tie the end pieces (which meet at the top of the heart) into a bow.
4. Have your child write a message on the inside of the heart or use stickers to decorate it and write the To: and From: on the back.

This card makes a great Valentine for Grandma.

You’ve probably had your child make special cards for a loved ones birthday. Why not for other special days, like Valentine’s Day? Nothing says “I love you” like a homemade card, especially from a child. Be sure to remember special people to have your child make Valentine’s for, like elderly neighbors and friends that have moved away.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Nicole Dean is a co-founder of www.KidsActivityCalendar.com - a resource to help parents teach their kids the alphabet in a fun, positive way.

You can see a sample page form Nicole’s Kids Activity Calendar Package.

How to Manage your Credit Cards

If you’ve been paying your credit card balance in full , you may not have worried about the new credit card fees, increases, and other fees. After all you pay your balance in full every month. But now, maybe that won’t help. Card companies are tired of not making anything on your account. They may soon charge a fee for people who pay in full every month.

The companies are constantly adjusting their fees, rates, penalties, and due dates. Late fees have tripled since the mid-90s with some card companies now charging $39 if you’re a day late.

Balance transfer fees are back. Switching to a low-interest account sounds like a good idea. But if you transfer $10,000 and there’s a 3 percent fee, it costs you $300.

Note that the average U.S. cardholder has 8.6 credit cards. If this cardholder, because of illness or some other reason, fails to make payments on eight cards in a given month, it could cost $312 in late charges. Then interest rates would rise dramatically.

Most companies have automatic payment plans that deduct the minimum from your checking account on the due date if a payment is not received.

Most companies offer online checking account deductions, an easy way to automatically make the minimum.

If you are generally on time with your payments and a late charge is added, call the company and ask to have it removed. Some companies will do it for you once or twice.

To avoid late payments, make a minimum payment as soon as a bill arrives and another payment later.

Managing your credit cards takes some effort, but it’s better than paying late charges and having your interest rate increased.

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