One of the questions I'm frequently asked is, "How do you know when it's time to give up on your marriage?"

If you’re considering divorce, I suggest first trying to make it work for at least one more year.

Did you hear that?

Try for at least one more year!

And I mean REALLY try. You can always call it quits. You always have that option. But once you pull that trigger, it's over. No more chances. Your life will never be the same. Do you have kids? Their lives will never be the same.

If you end your marriage, you don't want to have a shred of doubt about what might have been. You don't ever want to look back and wonder if things could have been different. You don't want to ask yourself, “What if this? What if I tried that?”

If you have to end your marriage, you want to know DEEP IN YOUR HEART that you did everything you could to make it work.

Giving it one year of serious effort will also help you to move on with your life and into another relationship with a clear head, should you ultimately divorce. You want to come to a place of healthy closure. That is crucial!  In my experience, the best way to do that is to work at your marriage for at least one additional year. I know it probably seems like a long time, but it's an investment in the rest of your life.

Here's the key point: It's a good investment for the rest of your life whether your marriage succeeds or not. Obviously, it's a good investment if you turn your marriage around. But if you don't, it will not have been a wasted year. It will have been the most important thing you could have done with that year because of the impact on the rest of your life and (if it comes to this) your next relationship.

I have seen too many cases of spouses ending their marriages prematurely, and as a result, never reaching closure in the relationship. A few years later, they find themselves in the same situation with someone else.

Sometimes the progress individuals make in relationship counseling turns out to be more beneficial for them in their next relationship than in their current one.

I remember an instance when a man’s marriage ended in the middle of a seven-week marriage boot camp. The individual asked whether he should continue with the final weeks of the program. I said, "Absolutely."

He responded, "Why? What's the point? My marriage is over."

"You're not doing it for this marriage," I explained. "You're doing it for the benefit of your next one."

Now don't get me wrong; your intention for working on your marriage shouldn’t be simply to benefit your life after marriage. You need to be intent on restoring your current relationship.

But if you fail, your effort will not have been for naught.

Bottom line is this. If you're asking, "When is it time to call it quits?"

The answer is: one year after you think you're done. If after one more year of trying everything in your power to make your marriage work you're still miserable, then you should consider moving on. Until then, hang in there and don't give up.

This topic reminds me of my situation many years ago. I remember learning late one night that my wife had an appointment with a divorce attorney the next morning. We were hours from "done." Who would have thought that we could turn things around at that point?

We did, of course.

It's never too late! In fact (and here's real food for thought), very often the turning point in a marriage is when a couple hits rock bottom. Sometimes it's not until things couldn't get worse that they can get better.

About Mort Fertel
Mort Fertel is a world authority on the psychology of relationships. He has been featured as an expert on ABC, NBC, CBS, PBS and Fox television networks, as well as dozens of publications including Glamour Magazine and Family Circle, to discuss his Marriage Fitness System. His program is endorsed by a wide variety of mental-health professionals, and he has helped save thousands of marriages. Fertel graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, was the CEO of an international nonprofit organization, and is a former marathon runner. He lives with his wife and five children (including triplets!) in Baltimore, MD.

Eric Junker is a Los Angeles based multi-discipline creative thinker whose background as an artist, designer, writer, teacher, puppeteer, banjo picker, and surfer fuel his insights on the merging of artful thinking and survival. He received his undergraduate degree in design from UCLA and his MFA from The Claremont Graduate University.  He has performed and exhibited his work in many venues including MOCA, Track 16 Gallery, Theater of Note, Robert Miller Gallery, Canter’s Kibitz Room, and Spaceland. Mr. Junker is currently Partner and Creative Director at WJ Agency, and has taught and lectured at USC, UCLA, UC Santa Barbara, Mount San Antonio College, and California College of Art. He currently lives and works in Silverlake with his calm wife and inspirationally rambunctious 5-year-old son.

Acamea Deadwiler’s earliest memories are the two weeks when she, at age 6, and her brother, 5, nearly starved to death as her mother suffered a mental breakdown.

Her stepfather, a Navy man, was away for extended periods, leaving Acamea alone with her brother and mother, who was convinced the outside world was out to harm the family. Deadwiler’s mother kept the three shut in their home and, eventually, restricted all food for fear of poisoning. 
 
“I often think about what I’d say if I could write a letter to my 6-year-old self,” says Deadwiler, author of the memoir, “Life, Love, and Lack Thereof” (www.acamea.com). “It would begin: ‘I would love to tell you not to be afraid but, actually, there is much to fear. Things will get worse, much worse, before they will get better. But, they do get better eventually. Somehow, despite every justifiable reason to be weak, you grow up to be strong. Though you will never understand, you will endure. You will be alright.’ ”

Deadwiler says children raised in families affected by mental illness, substance abuse, domestic violence or extreme poverty, can turn the disadvantages of childhood into the strengths of adulthood.

“Don’t look at the things that happened to you as baggage,” she says. “Instead, look at the admirable qualities they helped shape and focus on building those.”
Here are four you should look for:

• Independence: When you feel like you have no one to turn to, you turn to yourself, she says.  Children who suffer abuse, advertently or inadvertently, or who are neglected, often guide themselves into a new way of constructively viewing and participating in society. These children are resourceful and adaptable and are not merely products of how they’re treated by their parents. Deadwiler plunged into constructive activities like reading, writing and basketball.
• Perseverance & endurance: Some kids are sheltered their entire lives and it’s not until they’re away from the safety of their parents’ protective wing that they learn the trials of life. Those who have suffered while at home, however, are often optimistic about what the world has to offer them. They’ve already suffered and have developed the mental endurance that typically comes later in life for others.     
• Outside-the-box perspective: Children who do not succumb to the emotional and mental pitfalls of bad parenting break the mold by seeking another way. Very often, this becomes a life habit that can lead to innovation in all aspects of life. “I really don’t believe in easy answers when it comes to how someone is supposed to live their life, other than to focus on the wellbeing of oneself, and others,” she says.

• How not to treat others: “The only reason we have baggage is because we choose to carry it with us,” Deadwiler says. To say that an adult’s mistreatment of another is due to the baggage of their childhood, then, is to needlessly abdicate personal responsibility. In fact, after having been mistreated, she says, this is all the more reason to treat others better.
Acamea Deadwiler is a journalist who has covered the WNBA and has written for several publications. She received her Master of Science in sport administration from Valparaiso University and is currently working on her Master of Arts in media and journalism from the University of Nevada-Las Vegas. Deadwiler is the author of several books.

It’s no wonder nearly one in 10 Americans suffers from depression.

“Top risk factors include being unable to work or unemployed; having no health insurance; suffering from obesity,” notes psychologist Gregory L. Jantz, citing a Centers for Disease Control study.

“Unfortunately, those topics have dominated headlines for the past five years. What’s worse, by 2020, the World Health Organization estimates depression will be second most debilitating disease worldwide.” 
 
The author of “Overcoming Anxiety, Worry and Fear,” (www.aplaceofhope.com) says these negative emotions along with sustained, excessive stress can lead to depression, which now overshadows other  problems for which patients seek help at his clinic. 
 
“Depression can be rooted in a number of problems, and those need to be addressed – simply taking a pill is not usually effective treatment. Anger, fear and guilt can all be underlying causes, even when the person isn’t aware he’s experiencing those feelings.”
A holistic treatment approach, which may or may not include medication, helps people overcome a bout of the debilitating illness, and learn techniques to manage it themselves, he says.

People at risk of depression can work at maintaining their emotional equilibrium by counterbalancing negative feelings with optimism, hope, and joy. This is most effective if they do this holistically, addressing the four main categories of human need.

“By purposefully feeding the intellectual, relational, physical, and spiritual aspects of your life positive emotions, you can achieve balance,” Jantz says.

He offers these suggestions:

• Intellectual: Be aware of what you’re feeding to your mind. Try reading a positive, uplifting book, and setting aside time in your day to fill yourself up intellectually with constructive, encouraging messages. Be aware of what you are reading and listening to, and seek to counter the negative input we all get with positive influences.
• Relational: Think of a person you really enjoy talking to, someone who makes you feel good about yourself or someone who’s just fun to be around. Plan today to spend time with that person this week, even if it’s just for a moment or two. Make the effort to verbalize your appreciation for his or her positive presence in your day.
• Physical: Physical activity is a wonderful way of promoting emotional health. Engage in some mild exercise this week. Take a walk around the neighborhood. Stroll through a city park. The goals are to get your body moving and to allow you to focus on something other than yourself and your surroundings. Greet your neighbors, stop at the park and watch someone playing with his dog, or cheer at a Little League game. Intentionally open up your focus to include the broader world around you.

• Spiritual Support: Take some time to nourish your spirit. If you are a member of a religious organization, make sure to attend services this week. If you are not, listen to some religious or meditative music. Spend time in quiet reflection, meditation, or prayer. Intentionally engage in an activity that replenishes and reconnects your spirit.
If you are not depressed but feel anxious and stressed, have trouble sleeping or find your not content much of the time, Jantz says it’s time to start taking care of yourself.
“Depression is painful and as debilitating as any other disease,” he says. “Take steps to de-stress your life and to work on emotional balance before it gets worse.”
Gregory L. Jantz has more than 25 years experience in mental health counseling and is the founder of The Center for Counseling and Health Resources, near Seattle, Wash. The Center, “a place for hope,” provides comprehensive, coordinated care from a treatment team that addresses medical, physical, psychological, emotional, nutritional, fitness and spiritual factors involved in recovery. He is the best-selling author of more than 20 books, including “When Your Teenager Becomes…The Stranger in the House.” If you’re concerned you or a loved one may be depressed, visit www.aplaceofhope.com and click the “Are You?” tab for a self-evaluation.

The third annual San Francisco Green Film Festival is pleased to present the San Francisco premieres of over 20 internationally acclaimed environmentally focused feature films. The highly anticipated festival will take place Thursday, May 30 through Wednesday, June 5, 2013 ending appropriately on United Nation’s World Environment Day. Festival tickets are on sale now at the festival website: sfgreenfilmfest.org. Tickets are $12 per screening, $100 for a weekend pass, or $200 for a full pass to the festival’s over 50 films and events.

The 2013 San Francisco Green Film Festival includes over 50 films from around the globe, with over 70 visiting filmmakers and guest speakers covering environmental topics surrounding clean energy, green chemistry, food, housing, trash, water, and art in the environment.
   
For ticket information and festival updates please visit sfgreenfilmfest.org.
 
Festival Highlights
~ Opening Night SF Premiere of Rebels With A Cause, by Bay Area filmmaker Nancy Kelly, the compelling and epic story of those who fought to save the Marin County coast.
~ Centerpiece screening and Northern California Premiere of More Than Honey, a dazzling in-depth look at honeybee colonies from Academy-Award nominated director Markus Imhoof.
~ Spotlight of acclaimed documentary filmmaker Thomas Riedelsheimer (Rivers And Tides, 2001) with SF Premieres of two new feature films, Breathing Earth and Garden In The Sea.
~ Closing Night SF Premiere of Andrew Garrison’s Trash Dance on UN World Environment Day, June 5.

Festival Feature Films

Wednesday, May 22
Tiny - A Story About Living Small -  follows one couple's attempt to build a Tiny House from scratch with no building experience, and profiles other families who have downsized their lives into houses smaller than the average parking space. Fresh off its premiere at SXSW 2013, Tiny will feel perfectly sized for a special outdoor screening in the street-turned-pedestrian plaza atmosphere of Annie Alley. This sneak peek of the 2013 San Francisco Green Film Festival will be followed by a panel discussion with the filmmakers, on Wednesday, May 22 at 7:00 PM at Spur Urban Center.

Thursday, May 30
Rebels with a Cause officially opens the SF Green Film Festival on Thursday, May 30^th. Bay Area filmmakers Nancy Kelly and Kenji Yamamoto will attend this SF Premiere. The film celebrates the compelling and epic story of those who fought to save the Marin County coast. Shows Thursday May 30, 7:00 PM at New People Cinema. Opening Night Party to follow at 9:00 PM.

Friday, May 31
Watershed, directed by Bay Area’s Mark Decena, premieres in SF premiere on Friday, May 31^st at 6:00 PM. Watershed is co-produced by Jamie Redford and explores the dramatic changes that the Colorado River has undergone and inspires viewers to make more sustainable water choices. Mark Decena and Jamie Redford in attendance.
Dear Governor Cuomo, directed by Jon Bowermaster premieres in SF on Friday, May 31^st at 8:00 PM. The film documents a music concert that was urgently produced by environmental activists in an effort to ban hydraulic-fracturing in New York. The film stars Mark Ruffalo, Melissa Leo, Joan Osborne, Citizen Cope, Medeski Martin and Wood and many more "fracktivists". Jon Bowermaster will attend the screening and the film will be followed by a panel discussion hosted by Climate One (Commonwealth Club) on fracking in California.

Saturday, June 1
Garden in the Sea (Jardin en el Mar), directed by internationally acclaimed director and cinematographer Thomas Riedelsheimer is a visually stunning documentary about art, landscape and environmental conservation. The story follows Spanish artist Cristina Iglesias as she creates a commissioned underwater installation in the Sea of Cortez. Shows at 12:00 Noon on Saturday, June 1^st.
Terra Blight, directed by Isaac Brown will premiere in SF at 2:15 PM on Saturday, June 1^st. and followed by panel discussion Cradle-to-Cradle. The film exposes the life cycle of computers, from the US gamers who play en masse, to the young Ghanaians who mine toxic waste dumps to salvage metal for their school tuition.
Shored Up, directed by Ben Kalina looks at the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy and lessons learned from continually rising sea levels. Shows at 4:00 PM on Saturday, June 1^st.
Powerless, directed by Fahad Mustafa and Deepti Kakkar examines the power struggle in Kanpur, India because the balance of supply and demand for electrical power is disrupted. The conflict highlights the effects on paying customers, impoverished Indians who splice power lines for their power and the power companies. This sneak preview is at 6:30 PM on Saturday, June 1^st.
A River Changes Course, directed by Kalyanee Mam follows three Cambodians who struggle to support themselves and their families as the environment rapidly changes. Winner of the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize at Sundance 2013.This will show at the David Brower Center in Berkeley at 7:00 PM on Saturday, June 1^st. Kalyanee Mam in attendance.
La Source, directed by Patrick Shen documents Josue Lajeunesse’s return to his native Haiti after the 2010 earthquake. He leaves Princeton New Jersey to help a rural community create a viaduct to access clean water. Shows at 8:45 PM on Saturday, June 1^st. Patrick Shen in attendance.

Sunday, June 2
Vanishing Point , directed by Stephen A. Smith and Julia Szucs premieres in SF at 11:00 AM on Sunday, June 2^nd. This film is about Polar Eskimo’s “finding the way in a shifting world”. With the intrusion of technology and climate change, Vanishing Point looks at the effects on the tradition and lives of the fewer than 1000 Polar Eskimos still living in the northwest region of Greenland and Baffin Island, Canada.
Because I Live Longer than You!, directed by Henriette Bornkamm and Carl Fechner, premieres in the USA at 1:00 PM on Sunday, June 2^nd. Starting when he was 9 years old, Felix Finkbeiner has collaborated with youth internationally to address both environmental and social issues. Whether he challenges politicians regarding environmental policy, works with a 15 year old Nairobi girl to fight against female genital mutilation in her slum, or campaigns with a 13 year old Iraqi boy against child abuse, Felix is inspiring and inspired whose passion gives hope for the future.
Unacceptable Levels, directed by Edward Brown will premiere in SF at 3:00 PM on Sunday, June 2^nd. “It tells the story of toxic chemicals in just about every aspect of our lives, and the egregious lack of regulation. Our ability to protect our families is at stake." - Joan Blades. Followed by panel discussion with the filmmakers and leading experts.
Trashed, directed by Candida Brady will show at 5:30 PM on Sunday, June 2^nd. Jeremy Irons takes us through the landscape of trash worldwide that result from over-consumption and wastefulness. The film profiles San Francisco’s adoption of the Zero Waste recycling and explores solutions to this urgent problem. The score for Trashed was composed by Academy Award winner Vangelis.
More Than Honey, directed by Markus Imhoof, is the Festival Centerpiece and shows at 8:00 PM on Sunday, June 2^nd. This is the bee movie to end all bee movies. We discover the world from the perspective of the bees. Markus Imhoof will be in attendance at this Centerpiece screening.

Monday, June 3
Bidder 70, directed by Beth Gage and George Gage, premieres in San Francisco just weeks after the film’s protagonist, Tim DeChristopher was released from prison after serving a sentence for an act of nonviolent civil disobedience. Shows at 5:30 PM on Monday, June 3^rd and will be attended by Tim DeChristopher and Beth and George Gage.
Switch, directed by Harry Lynch is showing at 8:00 PM on Monday June, 3^rd. The film explores the vast landscape of energy generation from coal mines to oil rigs, granted access to a hydro facility and see world’s energy sources and consumption through the metrics and understanding of a trained geologist, Scott Tinker.

Tuesday, June 4
Plastic Paradise, directed by Angela Sun will show at SF Public Library Main Branch at 12:00 Noon on Tuesday, June 4^th in the Festival’s Free Youth Program. An island of garbage stars in this film as Angela Sun discovers the Pacific’s mysterious Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
In Organic We Trust, directed by Kip Pastor, the film shows at 5:45 PM on Tuesday, June 4^th and investigates the meaning of “certified organic”.
Breathing Earth - Susumu Shingu's Dream, director Thomas Riedelsheimer’s second film in this year’s festival, will premiere in California at 7:00 PM on Tuesday, June 4^th. Following Japanese sculptor Susumu Shingu as he creates art that come to life interacting with the natural elements, specifically, the wind.
Big Boys Gone Bananas!*, directed by Fredrik Gertten will show at 8:15 PM on Tuesday, June 4^th. As a muckraker, Gertten took on the Dole Food Company in 2009 and has since experienced the PR and legal battles that inevitably followed. A discussion on media censorship follows the screening.

Wednesday, June 5
Heart of Sky, Heart of Earth, directed by Frauke Sandig and Eric Black, premieres in SF on UN World Earth Day at 5:30 PM on Wednesday, June 5^th. Following six indigenous Maya in Guatemala and Chiapas through their daily and sacred ceremonial lives, the film provided an alternative vision of the world.
Trash Dance, directed by Andrew Garrison, is an uplifting and inspirational film for SFGFF closing night about garbage workers participating in a dance production. Premieres in SF at 8:00 PM on Wednesday, June 5^th. This film has won audiences over at various festivals and the showing coincides with UN World Environment Day. Andrew Garrison in attendance.

About the San Francisco Green Film Festival
The San Francisco Green Film Festival (SFGFF) is the West Coast’s leading destination for groundbreaking and compelling films on the urgent environmental issues of our time. Our mission is to educate and connect communities through forward-thinking programs of environmental films and discussions. Launched in 2011, SFGFF presents an annual film festival each spring, along with year-round community screenings and events in the San Francisco Bay Area. SFGFF brings critical and contemporary environmental issues to local audiences and highlights the vital work of our many partners, including local businesses, schools, and non-profit organizations. Since 2011, we’ve partnered with over 30 community organizations, presented over 150 programs, and inspired over 5,000 attendees.

For ticket information, and the full Festival Program please visit: sfgreenfilmfest.org.
The festival’s main venue and headquarters is New People Cinema in Japantown. Other Festival Venues Include: Goldman Theater at the David Brower Center in Berkeley, Koret Auditorium at the San Francisco Public Library Main Branch, Superfrog Gallery in Japantown, and SPUR Urban Center. Lead sponsors of the 2013 event include Earthjustice and Recology.

When I found out I was going to have a chance to review Bassbuds earbuds, I waited patiently for my review pair to arrive - not expecting much, just an ordinary pair of earbuds....

But the day I opened my package was the day I realized that Bassbuds are anything BUT ordinary!  I opened the box and literally squealed with delight - they were PINK... and SPARKLY!!  The prettiest pair of earbuds I have ever seen - my next thought was how in the world I was going to be able to keep them for myself and not lose them to my daughter - lol.
Not only are Bassbuds beautiful, they are super functional as well - they've got an integrated microphone so they work with my iPhone and (this is really cool) - you can control your iPhone, Smartphone, iPod or MP3 player right from the integrated microphone - I told you it was cool!  With the click of the cute little button on the microphone, you can answer or end a call, play and pause your mp3, skip forward & backward through your music and actiate voice commands.

Bassbuds are compatible with all smartphones and feature an anti-tangle, durable, double-wrapped cable, a gold-plated 3.5mm audio jack for the best connectivity are precision-cut, high quality, light-weight and have a balanced aluminum housing.  Even the crystals aren't just ordinary, they're genuine Swarovski crystals!  To make them even more gift-worthy, they come with a stylish and protective storage bag along with lots of extra black, white and memory foam earbuds in three different sizes so even little ears can wear them comfortably.

Bassbuds feature Advanced Crystaltronics Sound Technology.  The sound will blow you away - miles better than the standard eabuds that came with my iPhone.  You can lose yourself in the music with Noise Isolation and ultra distortion-free bass and crisp treble.  There's even a micro filter for extra audio purity.

So whether you're looking for earbuds that are beautiful and functional or earbuds that are high-tech and have all the high-end features, Bassbuds are the choice for you!  Not only are they awesome earbuds, but they have one of the largest color selections in the world - you're sure to find the perfect color and stone combination to fit you tastes.

Visit Bassbuds today and take a look at their selection and see for yourself all the features and styles available.  The perfect gift is as close as your ears!

Use code BB59856 at www.bassbuds.net/usa checkout for $30 off your order!!

Disclosure:  Pink Lemonade Online Magazine was provided with a pair or Bassbuds earbuds to use for review purposes.

One of my favorite Mexican restaurants is Chevy's - the food is consistently yummy and they always use fresh ingredients.  When Chevy's invited my family and I to come have lunch I was so excited!!

We popped into the Vallejo, CA Chevys on a Saturday afternoon ready to enjoy our lunch.

We started off with an appetizer that we had never tried before... the Crispy Chicken Flautas - they were crispy and savory, drizzled with a creamy chipotle aoli... but be sure to dip them in the jalapeno jelly, just the right amount of spicy and sweet.

Don't forget the best chips & salsa I've ever had - you can definitely fill up on these so make sure to save room for your entree!

I chose the seasonal Lemon & Rosemary Chicken Fajitas while Mr Pink chose the Steak Fajitas - I totally LOVE Chevy's fajitas - they're served sizzling hot with freshly grilled veggies on the side along with all of the fixings you need to roll them up into freshly made hot flour tortillas... nothing's better!


I also tried a new beverage while we were there... Watermelon Lemonade - completely awesome!!  I could have had a dozen glasses of it - definitely try it when you stop in!!

We left the restaurant with happy, full tummies - as always, a great experience!!

If you have a Chevy's near you, we are giving away one Chevy's "Be our Guest" card to one lucky reader which is good for an entree and a non-alcoholic beverage.  If you would like to enter to win, leave a comment telling us your favorite item on the menu at Chevy's!!

Winner will be chosen at random from the available comments using random.org - giveaway ends at 11:59pm pdst on Wednesday, September 12th.

Photos courtesy of Chevys Fresh Mex

Disclosure:  Pink Lemonade was provided with a free lunch for two adults and two children in exchange for this review.

 by Leanne Ely, C.N.C

The last thing you need to be doing in the middle of the summer is turning on your oven to make dinner. Unless you like huge utility bills and the extra heat pouring out of your kitchen, that is.

I have an easy rule for summer: no oven recipes. My Menu-Mailer subscribers know this and to their great relief, I provide menus from now until September without using the oven. It's easy to implement yourself-let me tell you how you can do this.

You want to keep the heat in the kitchen to a minimum-especially if your air conditioning is insufficient. So move the cooking, if you can. Utilize your barbecue (and there are SO many great recipes just begging for a barbecue - like the one below!) as much as you can stand it. You can even grill veggies on the barby-try it, it is absolutely delicious. You can get these nifty little pans with holes in them and grill to your heart's content (kind of essential, unless you don't mind zucchini slipping through the grill slats). I toss my cut up veggies in a little olive oil and they're just wonderful grilled. Try this combo: red bell pepper, red onion, zucchini, summer squash and mushrooms. YUM!

Another keep-the-kitchen-cool idea is to use your crockpot elsewhere. We used to put it on the screen porch, but I have heard of people moving their slow cookers to the laundry room. You can have all kinds of delicious things cooking in that thing and never have to worry about heating up your kitchen. When you're dealing with woefully inadequate air conditioning, every little hint helps.

And don't forget things like main course salads, sandwiches and fast and easy stove-top suppers.

Doing all of these things will give you a summer kitchen that won't get you all hot and bothered-know what I mean?

Here's a recipe to get you grilling!

DO AHEAD TIP: Make the marinade and get your chicken marinating the night before or first thing in the morning.

Grilled Lemon Garlic Chicken
Serves 6

6 (6-oz.) boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
6 cloves garlic, pressed
2 teaspoons thyme

In a small bowl combine lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and thyme to make marinade. Put the chicken in a 1-gallon ziploc-type plastic bag and the pour marinade over chicken then seal the bag. Marinate in the refrigerator for 6 to 8 hours or overnight. If you can, squish it around every now and then to distribute marinade. Drain chicken, discarding marinade. (Don't even THINK about using it again!)
Light the barby till coals are to a medium-high heat. (Not red hot, but slightly ash-y if not using gas). Grill for 5 to 6 minutes per side or until cooked through. (You can also cook this on the stove top in a skillet: heat a little olive oil and cook till browned on each side, about 5 minutes per side or until cooked throughout)

Per Serving: 278 Calories; 11g Fat; 40g Protein; 3g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 99mg Cholesterol; 112mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 5 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 2 Fat. Points: 7
SERVING SUGGESTIONS: Serve with brown rice, grilled asparagus (lightly steam first, brush with a little olive oil and finish them on the grill-YUM!) and a huge salad.

Need more ideas for keeping your kitchen cool this summer? Be sure to check out our Crock Cooker Ebooks for dinner "easy button" style!


Copyright (C) 2011 www.savingdinner.com Leanne Ely, CNC All rights reserved.

The following foods have the ability to keep your immune system strong and help your body recover from workouts:  

 Coconuts and Coconut Oil 
coconuts and coconut oil are rich in lauric acid, and contain the same compounds found in breast milk that strengthens a baby’s immunity. A great deal of research has been done establishing the ability of lauric acid to enhance immunity. Make sure your coconuts and coconut oil are organic ones that are unrefined, unbleached, made without heat processing or chemicals, and are non-GMO. 

Locally Grown Organic Vegetables
Raw organic vegetables are truly your best source of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and enzymes for keeping the immune system strong. Ideally all vegetables should be fresh, as the canning process brings the nutrient value down significantly.  Visit local farmer’s markets for fresh fruits and veggies in season and choose organic whenever available.  

Blueberries and Raspberries
 Blueberries and raspberries contain an incredible amount of antioxidants compared to other fruits and vegetables. Wild blueberries in particular are potent immune boosters. They contain powerful phytochemicals and are lower in sugar than many other fruits

Garlic 
Garlic offers many incredible benefits to the immune system.  It’s antibacterial, antiviral and anti-fungal. Ideally, you should be eating garlic every day. One of the best things about garlic is that bacteria, viruses, and yeast build up zero resistance to it, unlike with synthetic antibiotics. For optimal benefits, garlic should be fresh and used instead of garlic tablets

 

Author Notes Benefits of Millennials’ Itch to Travel, Work Abroad

Just a couple decades ago, only the young adult children of the very rich, the very religious or the very adventurous ventured abroad to live and work in other cultures. 

“It was a life-changing experience for those of us fortunate enough to be offered it,” says Ross Palfreyman a lawyer who recounts his two years as a young missionary during the 1970s in Two Years in God’s Mormon Army (www.mormonarmy.net). 

“If you had wealthy parents, joined the Peace Corps or belonged to a faith with a belief in mission work, you were able to develop empathy and a broader world view at a younger age,” he says. 

“In my church, young men typically go abroad for their mission trip at 19 years old and stay for two years. For Baptists, it may be a group of high school students spending their spring break building a church in Haiti. Whatever the reason, the lessons learned were the same: Less ethnocentricity, the gratification that comes from service to your fellow man, self-discipline, self-sacrifice.”

Travel abroad for work and study is no longer the experience of a select few and that has helped shape America’s young adults for the better, Palfreyman says. Surveys show they have a global world view fostered by the internet and social networks that cross boundaries.
Having online “friends” in other countries and being immediately connected to events in faraway lands through social networks such as Twitter makes them curious about and respectful of other cultures, he says.

“America’s young adults are the ‘First Globals,’ a term coined by the pollster John Zogby,” Palfreyman says. “The group of people born from 1979 to 1990 travel; they embrace and feel connected to other cultures; they want to make a difference.”

That’s exactly what his two years as a missionary did for him, Palfreyman says. 
He notes these characteristics of 22- to 33-year-olds:

• Two-thirds have passports. By comparison, according to officials from the U.S. Travel Association, less than one-third of all Americans – 30 percent – have passports. Two of five Globals say they expect to live and work in a foreign capital at some time in their lives.

• 270,000 young people studied abroad in 2009-10. In 1989-90, only about 30,000 did so, according to the International Institute of Education. While Western European countries are still their top destinations, students are increasingly choosing more far-flung locales, especially China and other Asian nations.

• They want to “make the world a better place to live." A study of 10,000 adults by Campbell & Co. fundraising consultants found this group is more likely than any other generation to cite world improvement as the key reason for their philanthropy. (They also give just as much as other generations.)

• They want to make a global impact. The Campbell study found they are most likely of all age groups to respond positively to messages that focus on the global impact of an organization's work.

The problems we face today, such as global warming and regional conflicts, will require nations and cultures to work together toward solutions, Palfreyman says.

“This generation just might be able to achieve that.”

Ross H. Palfreyman is a Laguna Beach, Calif., lawyer who began his mission work in 1973 in Thailand, during the Vietnam War and the Thai Revolution of ’73. Two years of trying to convince devout Buddhists that they’d be better off as Mormons was trying enough, he also was threatened at gunpoint and fended off parasites and rabid dogs during his “indentured servitude.” He initially wrote about his experiences for his six children. Palfreyman’s youngest son returns from his mission in Mexico in August.

Can you hear me now? 

According to research, 22 percent of young children own a cell phone (ages 6-9), 60 percent of tweens (ages 10-14), and 84 percent of teens.

Now that it's back-to-school time, many parents make the decision to arm their kids with cell phones. Parents generally say they do so for safety reasons; they want to be able to reach the child anytime. Cost is also a factor. Cell phone industry experts say phones and family plans are both becoming more affordable. Also, as adults swap out their old devices for newer smart phones, it is easier to pass down a used phone.

But for children, it is all about social life. A Pew study found that half of 12- to 17-year-olds sent at least 50 text messages a day and texted their friends more than they talked to them on the phone or even face to face.

Of course, owning a cell phone comes with possible outside threats. Here are 10 tips from SafetyWeb (www.safetyweb.com) to help keep your kid safe while using a cell phone:

1. Get Educated and Prepared. Talk to your kids about the dangers and consequences associated with inappropriate cell phone use. Discuss topics including sexting and texting while driving. Make sure you get caught up on the lingo of popular acronyms and initialisms. Ask your kids to save any abusive or problem messages to show an adult.

2. Select Appropriate Phone Features. If your child is under 10, they probably don't need a phone with unlimited social networking or email capabilities. Likewise, the actual phone itself doesn’t need built-in features like a web browser or video messaging. For a young child, look for basic phones. Review all pre-programmed apps and phone capabilities beforehand.

3. Use Parental Controls. If your child’s cell phone has access to the internet, find out if your service provider offers some sort of parental control feature to which you can subscribe.

4. Limit Usage. Designate time slots for talking — perhaps after homework and chores are completed, or before dinner. Don't let constant calls interrupt family time. It's easy for a chatty teen to cuddle up to a phone at bedtime, so check periodically.

5. Consider Monitoring Services. Perhaps your child is older, but you’re still not comfortable with him or her texting and emailing unmonitored. SafetyWeb provides parents with comprehensive alerts and reports on their child's cell phone calls and text message activity. This allows you to keep track of when they are using the phone (during school hours or late at night), and who they are communicating with most frequently.

6. Wait - Before Answering. Instruct your child not to answer calls or text messages from numbers they don't recognize. If it is important, the caller will leave a message and then he can decide how to respond. Explain how to block calls from unwanted numbers.

7. Pre-program numbers. To help keep your kids safe, make sure their cell phones have all important phone numbers preprogrammed into it so they can always get a hold of someone if they’re in trouble.

8. Stay Organized. Always keep your child's cell phone charger in the same place. It's best to find a central location — like maybe the kitchen counter, or a table by the door. Mark the end of the monthly billing cycle on a calendar to remind her how long those dwindling minutes have to last.

9. Practice Privacy. Tell your teen to use caution when giving out a phone number. Make sure they don't publicize their number on the Internet or social sites like Facebook.

10. Be Careful of Download Overload. Fun ringtones, games, and backgrounds - oh my! But, be careful. These such features can come with potential bugs or hidden fees.

·         Olympians think big.  Ask most people what they’re thinking at any given time, and you might be surprised to learn how many think about just getting by.  That’s called selling yourself short.  Olympians are fearless and focused on manifesting their ultimate dream of bringing home the gold.