Concussion Center

Christus St. John Hospital is offering excellent information on concussions.  Click on Concussion Center to visit their website.

More concussion information can be found on Heads up Youth Sports by clicking here.

Beaumont, TX: Willy Burger

Next time you are in the Beaumont, TX area make sure to stop by Willy Burger.  This cozy restaurant offers yummy food in a fun setting.  Patrons can dine in booths, sit at the counter on bar stools, outside in the patio area or if you're lucky- sit in the refurbished 1971 Airstream trailer!
 
Their menu offers fresh ground burgers, hand dipped onion rings, fries (regular & sweet potato), hot dogs & a grilled chicken sandwich.  They also serve old fashioned soft serve ice cream, malts, shakes & FUNNEL CAKES!

Willy Burger is open 7 days a week 11a.m.-8p.m. CASH ONLY. No credit cards. No checks. They have an ATM machine inside if needed.

Location: 5535 Calder, Beaumont, TX 77706

The wording on the side of their building says it all, "It's Willy, Willy Good!"

Find them on Facebook here!



Check out this link  for more fun in Beaumont!

Brownie Pops

Oh how I love brownie pops!  They are the perfect bite size piece of chocolate bliss and a great gift for loved ones. 

I use the following Pampered Chef recipe to make my brownie pops. Their recipe calls for peppermint but I just use regular fudge brownies, sugar sprinkles and lollipop sticks. You can even use the already cooked Pillsbury chocolate chip brownies from Sam's Club. As long as the brownie is fudge-like you can role it into a ball. I recommend wearing plastic gloves and letting the brownie balls cool in the fridge a couple of hours before dipping into almond bark. Contact me with any questions. Enjoy!

Candy Cane Brownie Lollipops

Ingredients
1 pkg (18-21 oz) fudge brownie mix (plus ingredients to make brownies)
24 candy canes
10 oz chocolate-flavored almond bark
Additional decorations such as red jimmies (optional)

1. Line Medium Sheet Pan (or 9-in. by 13-in. metal pan) with a 13-in. piece of Parchment Paper; lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. Prepare brownie mix according to package directions; pour batter into pan.  Bake 30 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs attached. Remove from oven to Stackable Cooling Rack; cool 20 minutes or until still slightly warm.

2. Meanwhile cut straight ends of candy canes off to form 4½-in. sticks using Utility Knife. Place candy cane tops into resealable plastic bag and crush using flat side of Meat Tenderizer; set aside.

3. Using Medium Scoop, scoop brownie into 24 rounded scoops, packing brownie into scoop using hands.  (Entire brownie will be used.) Roll brownie scoops into smooth balls. Insert candy cane sticks into centers of balls, mounding brownie around each stick to secure. Pinch each brownie ball where candy cane and top of ball meet.

4. Place almond bark into Small Batter Bowl; microwave according to package directions until smooth. Spoon melted bark evenly over each brownie ball, turning to coat completely. Be sure to coat where candy cane stick meets brownie ball. Allow excess bark to drip off. Dip into reserved crushed candy canes or jimmies and stand upright on a piece of Parchment Paper. Repeat with remaining almond bark, lollipops and crushed candy. Let stand until set. Place into miniature cupcake liners.
Although the edges of the brownies are crusty, they don’t need to be discarded. Simply scoop the edges along with the center, and they’ll soften as they stand. And lollipop sticks or stick candies can be substituted for the candy canes. Wrap lollipops in cellophane, tie with ribbon and use as table décor, place cards or take-home goodies for a special holiday touch. Just make sure you keep some for yourself to enjoy!

Tuesday Fun!

Looking for fun and affordable entertainment for the kiddos Tuesday?  Here are a few activities you may want to check out! 

 It'z Family Food & Fun

Downtown Aquarium Houston
For more information click here.

Kegg's Handmade Candies
For more information click here.

How to Make a 72 Hour Emergency Food Kit

Living in the Gulf Coast area we are always aware of potential danger of tropical storms and/or hurricanes.  Once a year our family prepares a 72 hour emergency kit for each person.  These kits should be easy to carry in case you need to evacuate.  Backpacks are a great way to have everything you need in one place. 

I've included a video from Food Storage Made Easy to help you prepare an emergency kit.  This video is  a guideline and should be customized to fit your taste and needs. 



If you are having trouble viewing this clip click on this link or
copy and paste it to your browser:  http://youtu.be/nOOb7KB3Q9Y


More information can be found by visiting the following web sites:
http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net/2008/06/13/how-to-make-a-72-hour-kit/
http://video.about.com/lds/How-to-Make-a-72-Hour-Kit.htm

What is your favorite way to prepare a 72 hour emergency kit?

Craft: It's a Stretch Notebook

I found this tutorial on the Family Fun web site and thought it was simple genius.  This notebook is great to keep paper in and school supplies on the binder.  See instructions below or click here to go to web site.

Materials

• Thin, braided-elastic headbands (I purchased a package of 6 Scunci No-Slip Grip Headbands at Walgreens for $4.29/pack.)
• Three-ring binder
• Writing utensils

Total Time Needed: 30 Minutes or less

Instructions

1. Crisscross a dozen or so thin, braided-elastic headbands around the front cover of a three-ring binder, and your child can tuck writing utensils and reminder notes under them, as shown.

Make Buying a Backpack Painless by Dr. Heidi Shelton

 This article appears in the August 2012 issue of Natural Awakenings - Las Vegas

 

With the school year fast approaching, one item that requires special attention is a child’s backpack. Long-term, heavy backpack use can lead to poor posture and chronic back pain, and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that backpack-related injuries sends thousands of people to the emergency room each year. The longer a child may wear the backpack each day because many schools have removed lockers from their premises, the more likely it is that an injury will occur.

The American Chiropractic Association (ACA) makes recommendations to help reduce back pain due to heavy backpack use, including that the child's backpack weigh no more than 5 to 10 percent of his or her body weight and never hang more than four inches below the waistline.

A backpack with individualized compartments helps in positioning the contents most effectively, so make sure that pointy or bulky objects are packed away from the area that will rest on the back.

The bigger the backpack, the more weight a child will be tempted to carry. Two wide, padded and adjustable shoulder straps should be used, because lugging the backpack around by one strap can cause a disproportionate weight shift to one side.

If a backpack is very heavy, talk to a teacher about rethinking homework assignments. Perhaps the child could leave the heaviest books at school and bring home lighter handout materials or workbooks.

Although the use of rollerpacks, or backpacks on wheels, has become popular, the ACA is recommending that they be used cautiously and on a limited basis, only by students that are not physically able to carry a regular backpack.

Dr. Heidi Shelton is a chiropractor at Summerlin Chiropractic Associates, 1215 S. Fort Apache, Ste. 140, Las Vegas.