Hope and help for "Throwaway Children"

3/25/09 Chatterbox

Betty Kaiser

They are called “Throwaway Children” and their stories will tug at your heartstrings and bring you to tears. They are the children who live at the Dzegvi Children’s Home complex and the Telavi Children’s Home, a boarding house and school for orphans and abandoned children.

Area residents Chuck and Edythe Stromme are the children’s connection to Cottage Grove — a 9,000 mile circuitous route across continents and cultures.

The couple retired in 2001 — or so they thought – from the IRS. You may recall from a previous column that Chuck had a temporary position in the Republic of Georgia as an advisor to the ministers of finance. While there he discovered a population of abandoned children and the couple’s lives were changed forever.

Stromme tells stories of children who have arrived at the orphanage naked. No clothes at all.  Others have arrived shell-shocked into silence by the horrors of the Chechnya war. Some have been abandoned multiple times. Most don’t have visitors. One young girl married at 16 and happily left the orphanage to live with a husband who promised to love her.

One of the residents is a little boy whose parents came and asked for a pair of shoes. The family of three left with shoes for the boy but returned that night and knocked on the door. This time the adults ran away, leaving the little guy standing on the doorstep of his new home.

And so it goes in a country where 54-percent of the people live below the poverty line. The orphanages had no budgeted support. Chuck and Edythe set up the Caucasus Children’s Relief Fund Inc., a valid IRS non-profit. Food, medicine and heat were their goals.

The first medical donation was from a group in Alaska to the street children at Dzegvi near Tbilisi, Georgia. The Strommes were shocked to find that the doctor’s supply cabinet contained only two boxes of Band-Aids and a bottle of Miracle-Gro fertilizer. Go figure.

In 2004 journalist Seth Mydans told the children’s story in the NY Times. He wrote of bitterly cold winters in the Telavi buildings where metal bands held the cracked walls together; of how the children ate, lived and played in small, unheated rooms and slept on cots covered by a single wool blanket. He described moldy, primitive bathrooms without hot water.

His article piqued the curiosity of author Robert Sabuda who visited the orphanage and set up www.robertsabuda.com to help support the CCR Fund. annual rummage sale, Trinity Lutheran Church, Creswell Presbyterian Church and local individuals also contribute faithfully.

As a general rule it is logistically impossible to ship goods into Georgia. Everything must be purchased in country. Otherwise things have a habit of just disappearing. But one volunteer was determined to find a way around the system. She not only found companies to contribute beds, classroom and kitchen furniture but someone to ship them. Unfortunately, that shipping source is no longer available.

A wide variety of donations have greatly improved the living standards of the children, including a new well to supply clean drinking water. School supplies, shoes, soccer uniforms, computers, sleeping bags, Beanie Babies and building supplies have all been donated. The fund pays for an English teacher, coaches, a dance and arts instructor.

Last winter, British military officers stationed in the region stopped by for a visit. Later the Brits brought two truckloads of food, supplies and warm things for the kids; they installed a kitchen stove and generously left money for lean winter months. American soldiers have also helped out.

As more people have become involved, the general health of the kids has improved. The children now have clean, basic sanitation (think showers and toilets!) and renovated dorms. The government is providing more food but health concerns remain. Edythe notes that the children smile more now and are much less withdrawn than previously.

The most pressing need is training for the older kids’ futures. Living in an institutional environment is isolating. They are ill prepared to leave the home when they finish school. More field trips, apprentice opportunities and higher education are desperately needed.

The current budget is sparse. Last year the fund provided about $14,600 in assistance with a total overhead cost of $625 for state fees, printing and postage. If my math is correct, that amounts to only about $1217.00 per month.

If you’re interested in helping, check out their website at www.ccrfund.org. Consider donating goods to the annual summer rummage sale. Cash donations may be sent to CCRFund, Inc., 610 Holly Ave., C.G., OR 97424 or telephone 541-767-2659.

The Strommes would like you to know that ALL of the money raised goes directly to Georgia. They do not take any salary or compensation — not even for travel or lodging. The money is used only to improve the lives of the children and compensate local representatives  (who purchase supplies) for their time and gas.

Another resident, Andrea Hummel, is conducting a “Coats for Peace” drive for the children of Afghanistan. Jeanne Messner, a soldier stationed there, will distribute the coats, hats and gloves to children who desperately need them to survive the brutally cold winters.

So far Andrea has filled and sent 9 boxes of coats, hats and gloves for kids aged birth to middle school. (Kudos to Scott Varvel who has knitted 20 stocking caps!) The Kiwanis Club has been providing postage but checks for postage are also welcome.

This is the last month for donations to be left at the library or Better Bodies. You may call Andrea with questions at 942-4730.

No child should be a ‘throwaway.’ Caring for kids is a great way to show the world the loving and peaceful hearts of the American people. Cold, hungry and sick kids are foreign aid projects that we can all support.

Betty Kaiser’s Chatterbox is about people, places, family, and other matters of the heart. Contact her at 942-1317 or via e-mail — bchatty@bettykaiser.com

3/25/09 Chatterbox (amended)

Betty Kaiser

They are called “Throwaway Children” and their stories will tug at your heartstrings and bring you to tears. They are the children who live at the Dzegvi Children’s Home complex and the Telavi Children’s Home, a boarding house and school for orphans and abandoned children.

Area residents Chuck and Edythe Stromme are the children’s connection to Cottage Grove — a 9,000 mile circuitous route across continents and cultures. The connection has heightened our community's awareness and brought hope, heat and help to the kids in the another land.

The couple retired in 2001 — or so they thought – from the IRS. You may recall from a previous column that Chuck had a temporary position in the Republic of Georgia as an advisor to the ministers of finance. While there he discovered a population of abandoned children and the couple’s lives were changed forever.

Stromme tells stories of children who have arrived at the orphanage naked. No clothes at all.  Others have arrived shell-shocked into silence by the horrors of the Chechnya war. Some have been abandoned multiple times. Most don’t have visitors. One young girl married at 16 and happily left the orphanage to live with a husband who promised to love her.

One of the residents is a little boy whose parents came and asked for a pair of shoes. The family of three left with shoes for the boy but returned that night and knocked on the door. This time the adults ran away, leaving the little guy standing on the doorstep of his new home.

And so it goes in a country where 54-percent of the people live below the poverty line and the orphanages had no budgeted support. Chuck and Edythe swung into action and set up the Caucasus Children’s Relief Fund Inc., a valid IRS non-profit. Their goals were to supply food, medicine and heat.

The first medical donation was from a group in Alaska to the street children at Dzegvi near Tbilisi, Georgia. Upon arrival, the Strommes were shocked to find that the doctor’s supply cabinet contained only two boxes of Band-Aids and a bottle of Miracle-Gro fertilizer. Go figure.

In 2004 journalist Seth Mydans told the children’s story in the NY Times. He wrote of bitterly cold winters in the Telavi buildings where metal bands held the cracked walls together; of how the children ate, lived and played in small, unheated rooms and slept on cots covered by a single wool blanket. He described moldy, primitive bathrooms without hot water.

His article piqued the curiosity of author Robert Sabuda who visited the orphanage and set up www.robertsabuda.com to help support the CCR Fund. annual rummage sale, Trinity Lutheran Church, Creswell Presbyterian Church and local individuals also contribute faithfully.

As a general rule it is logistically impossible to ship goods into Georgia. Everything must be purchased in country. Otherwise things have a habit of just disappearing. But one volunteer was determined to find a way around the system. She not only found companies to contribute beds, classroom and kitchen furniture but someone to ship them. Unfortunately, that shipping source is no longer available.

A wide variety of donations have greatly improved the living standards of the children, including a new well to supply clean drinking water. School supplies, shoes, soccer uniforms, computers, sleeping bags, Beanie Babies and building supplies have all been donated. The fund pays for an English teacher, coaches, a dance and arts instructor.

Last winter, British military officers stationed in the region stopped by for a visit. Later the Brits brought two truckloads of food, supplies and warm things for the kids; they installed a kitchen stove and generously left money for lean winter months. American soldiers have also helped out.

As more people have become involved, the general health of the kids has improved. The children now have clean, basic sanitation (think showers and toilets!) and renovated dorms. The government is providing more food but health concerns remain. Edythe notes that the children smile more now and are much less withdrawn than previously.

The most pressing need is training for the older kids’ futures. Living in an institutional environment is isolating. They are ill prepared to leave the home when they finish school. More field trips, apprentice opportunities and higher education are desperately needed to prepare them for life on the outside.

The current budget is sparse. Last year the fund provided about $14,600 in assistance with a total overhead cost of $625 for state fees, printing and postage. If my math is correct, that amounts to only about $1217.00 per month to assist in helping over 100 kids and their caregivers.

If you’re interested in helping, check out their website at www.ccrfund.org. Consider donating goods to the annual summer rummage sale. Cash donations may be sent to CCRFund, Inc., 610 Holly Ave., C.G., OR 97424 or telephone 541-767-2659.

The Strommes would like you to know that ALL of the money raised goes directly to Georgia. They do not take any salary or compensation — not even for travel or lodging. The money is used only to improve the lives of the children and compensate local representatives  (who purchase supplies) for their time and gas.

Another local resident is also reaching out across the world to help kids. Andrea Hummel, is conducting a “Coats for Peace” drive for the children of Afghanistan. Jeanne Messner, a soldier stationed there, will distribute the coats, hats and gloves to children who desperately need them to survive the brutally cold winters. So far Andrea has filled and sent 9 boxes of coats, hats and gloves for kids aged birth to middle school. (Kudos to Scott Varvel who has knitted 20 stocking caps!) The Kiwanis Club has been providing postage but checks for postage are also welcome.

No child should be a ‘throwaway.’ Caring for kids is a great way to show the world the loving and peaceful hearts of the American people. Cold, hungry and sick kids are foreign aid projects that we can all support.

Betty Kaiser’s Chatterbox is about people, places, family, and other matters of the heart. Contact her via e-mail at bchatty@bettykaiser.com

'Impossible Pies' are easy and delicious

3/18/09 Cook’s Corner

Betty Kaiser

A few weeks ago I requested some favorite potluck dish recipes from readers. The result was resounding silence! I did not receive one phone call, email or snail mail recipe in response to that plea. That request, however, did initiate lots of culinary conversations in grocery store aisles, at meetings and on street corners about recipes in general.

Today’s column is an outgrowth of one of those conversations with Mary Seal. My husband and I first met Rex and Mary many years ago at a Boots and Sandals square dance and we always seem to have something to talk about — especially food.

One morning this month we met at the donut shop. I had just bought a coconut donut and said that I loved anything coconut. Mary asked if I had ever heard of the “Impossible Coconut Pie.” I had not. “I’ll send you the recipe,” she said.

Every so often there’s a resurgence of the ‘Impossible Pie’ recipes. I have read of them dating back to England during World War II when food was severely rationed. I learned to appreciate them in the late 1970s as I looked for ways to feed my growing family on a tight food budget.

The ‘Impossible Pie’ is so named because the pie does the impossible by making its own crust. The ingredients are inexpensive, tasty, quick to assemble and even the fussiest kid will usually eat them.

The basis for all of the ‘Impossible’ recipes is very similar. My original main dish recipes call for combining milk, eggs and Bisquick (or any baking mix) together in a blender.  After your other ingredients are placed in the baking or pie pan, you pour the batter over the mixture. The ingredients rise to the top and the batter makes a soft crust.

Until Mary’s recipe arrived, I was most familiar with the hearty main dish recipes that called for ground beef. I have recipes for several ‘Impossible’ pies: Bacon Pie (think quiche), Cheeseburger Pie, Lasagna Pie and Taco Pie that I’ll share another time.

Mary’s Impossible Coconut Pie recipe tastes like an incredibly yummy pastry. You mix all the ingredients together, pour them in the pan and bake. The batter rises as it bakes and the top gets a little crispy. Out of the oven the pie sinks slightly as it cools.

It’s a flexible recipe as I discovered when I reduced the amount of sugar and added pineapple with some chopped pecans to make a tropical variation. The recipe calls for nearly 2 cups of sugar so if you’re a diabetic I’ve added a low sugar version. And if fat or cholesterol is a concern try using two egg whites for each egg.

Now, a word of warning: fresh is best! Impossible pies are best made just before serving. They will keep for several days in the refrigerator but do not freeze well.

Finally, do not expect this to taste like a regular pastry-style piecrust with filling and topping. The texture is a cross between a custard pie and sponge cake. It’s best served slightly warm with a generous dollop of whipped cream.

Following are three variations on the Impossible Coconut Pie plus one for a sour cream-apple variation. Enjoy!

Mary’s Impossible Coconut Pie

(Serves 8)

4 eggs, beaten

¼ cup butter

2 cups milk

1-3/4 cups sugar

½ cup flour

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon baking powder

¾ cup coconut

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Mix all of the above together and pour into a 9-inch pie pan. Bake about 45 min.

Betty’s Impossible Tropical Coconut Pie

(Serves 8)

4 eggs beaten

¼ cup butter, softened

1 cup milk (or cream of coconut milk)

1 cup sugar

2 teaspoons rum extract

½ cup flour

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon baking powder

1 cup crushed pineapple with juice

¾ cup coconut

1/3 cup pecans, finely chopped

Mix the eggs, butter, milk, sugar, vanilla, flour, salt and baking powder together in mixer. Add pineapple and coconut. Pour into lightly greased 10-inch pie pan. Sprinkle pecans evenly over top. Bake about 50 min. Crust may crack but it will still be delicious.

Note: If you really like coconut, sprinkle extra on top before baking.

Diabetic Impossible Coconut Pie Recipe

Serves 8

½ cup baking mix

2 cups milk

1 cup flaked or shredded coconut

¾ cup Splenda

¼ cup butter

1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla

4 eggs

Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease 9-inch pie pan

Stir all ingredients until blended. Pour into pie plate. Bake 50-55 minutes or until golden brown and knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Sour Cream-Apple Impossible Pie

(Serves 8)

4 cups thinly sliced pared apples

3/4 cup raisins

3/4 cup half-and-half (or whole milk)

1/2 cup baking mix

3/4 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 cup margarine or butter, melted

1 cup dairy sour cream

Topping:

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon sugar

Preheat oven to 350° F. Generously grease 10-inch pie plate

Mix apples, raisins, sugar and 1 teaspoons cinnamon, turn into plate. Beat remaining ingredients (except cinnamon and sugar topping) until smooth — 15 seconds in blender on high or 1 minute with hand beater. Pour over apple mixture. Combine sugar and cinnamon topping. Sprinkle over pie. Bake until apples are tender and knife inserted in center comes out clean, 55-65 minutes. Serve warm.

Keep it simple and keep it seasonal!

Betty Kaiser’s Cook’s Corner is dedicated to sharing a variety of recipes 

that are delicious, family oriented and easy to prepare.

Erma, Ed and Paul: losing journalism's giants

3/11/09 Chatterbox
Betty Kaiser

My mind is wandering down a meandering journalistic path today as I consider the predicted demise of my favorite print mode — the daily newspaper — and the loss of some of my favorite journalists.

The journey started a few years ago when the Internet prophets of doom began gleefully announcing the death of the entire newspaper industry. My apprehension heightened when I noticed that vacated positions in our local and regional newspapers were not being filled.

I got really worried last month when Time magazine’s lead article was “How to Save your Newspaper.” Its advice to publications was to stop primarily relying on advertising revenues. Instead, they suggested that they get their readers on a pay per article basis. This method would be similar to downloading ebooks to your iPhone or another preferred device.

“Well,” I thought, “isn’t that great? Then I could curl up on my desk chair with a computer screen subscription and read the news — NOT!” Much as I love my computer, the tactile satisfaction of turning the pages of a newspaper or magazine, has reading those products on a computer-style monitor beat all to heck.

And then we lost Paul Harvey, a radio journalist pioneer. At 90 years of age, his death was not unexpected but it did create a huge vacuum on the radio airwaves. Harvey’s standards were high. He was not mean spirited. He was not condescending and he did not spew disrespectful comments.

He was a giant amongst broadcasters. His style was straightforward. The news was labeled ‘news.’ His perspective was labeled ‘commentary.’ You did not have to cringe while you waited to hear what he had to say on any given subject. He may not have been perfect but he did his homework, spoke plainly and he sure loved his wife.

Harvey’s opinion was respected by a diverse audience of all ages across this land. His manners were in stark contrast to the current breed of journalists. These ‘wanna-be’s’ tend to pound their desks and shout down anyone with whom they disagree. They bombard the airways with spewed political hatred and personal attacks. They seldom see good and praise it. They just find dark holes and climb all over them.

Last Sunday night I switched on the television to watch “60 Minutes” and it washed over me that I really miss another quality journalist — Ed Bradley. I first became aware of Ed when students overran the American Embassy in Iran. I remember thinking, “Who is that guy?”

Like many others, I appreciated Ed’s ‘coolness’ factor. Unlike other big shot journalists his self-assured manner wasn’t arrogance. He was just a naturally cool and jazzy kind of guy. As a successful black man who was often held up as a role model to inner city youth, he was at home in his own skin.

He came from a working class background and was raised by a single mother. Growing up he became fascinated with radio. He once said, “I knew that God put me on this earth to be on the radio. I did anything to get on the air.” He didn’t know that airtime was going to include 26 years on “60 Minutes.”

As a very young man he had a fire in his belly and a passion for telling stories. With no television experience, he patterned himself after the people on the CBS news. Along the way, he taught school for three years and then moved to Paris where he was offered a job as a stringer for CBS.

I appreciated the effortless intensity Ed put into his stories without incorporating a self-righteous attitude or harsh accusations. He was a reporter with heart and a sense of humor when he was covering individuals like Lena Horne or Willie Nelson. And he was a reporter’s reporter with his hard hitting, award winning stories that covered the gamut of Africans dying of Aids, an investigation into psychiatric hospitals and a town battling toxic waste.

The world famous humorous Erma Bombeck was my journalism inspiration. As a child, Erma knew that she wanted to be a writer and she wrote professionally until her untimely death in 1996. She was successful beyond her wildest dreams.

Erma’s motto was “When humor goes, there goes civilization.”

30 million readers of 900 newspapers in the U.S. and Canada read her wise and witty newspaper columns. When my kids went away to college and I wanted to get some message of sanity to them, I would often send them her columns instead of my criticisms.

Erma’s newspaper columns encouraged me on days that I couldn’t quite cope. I always felt that she was not only real but she was living in my skin! On really difficult days, I wore a light blue tee shirt with her tongue-in-cheek statement: “Insanity is hereditary. You catch it from your kids.”

As a young woman who sometimes wondered what my life was all about, I took heart from her famous statement: “When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left and could say, ‘I used everything you gave me.’”

Now, getting back to that path I’ve been meandering down, I can’t believe that the print media will die. A good newspaper is a one size fits all package for everyone in the family — business, news, sports, comics — it’s everything you want, delivered to your door.

Surely this vital industry can reinvent itself for a changing audience.
Paul, Ed and Erma’s timeless values can still be found in many venues. Truth, honesty and good humor are never out of style and newspapers are a great way to spread them around. Subscribe today!

Betty Kaiser’s Chatterbox is about people, places, family, and other matters of the heart. Contact her at 942-1317 or via e-mail — bchatty@bettykaiser.com

Lent lunch and dinner ideas

3/4/09 Cook’s Corner
Betty Kaiser

At my age, everything is about history — even food! So today, with the Lenten season upon us, let’s have a little discussion about the relationship of Lent to food. We’ll then move on to some recipes.

In the Christian religion, Lent is the 40 days before Easter. This annual season of fasting and penitence begins on Ash Wednesday but it is preceded by a day of confession and feasting on rich foods.

Many traditional churches celebrate this Shrove Tuesday event with a pancake supper. Early in church history the faithful were forbidden to consume meat, butter, eggs or milk during Lent. Because their larders were often full of these staples, they would add flour and whip up batches of pancakes the day before Ash Wednesday.

In some churches “Fat Tuesday” is still a tradition. I think it sort of softens the blow of sacrifice during the days of Lent when school children may chose to give up candy or adults give up their beloved morning cup of coffee for 40 days. Of course, nearly everyone gives up meat on Fridays.

For centuries, Roman Catholics were encouraged to abstain from eating meat every Friday of the year as well as the 40 days of Lent. That all changed in 1966 by decree from the pope. Today, Catholics over 14 years of age are encouraged to abstain from meat only on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday and all the Fridays of Lent.

But for many, the tradition of eating fish on Friday remains. If you lived near a seaport, Fridays weren’t so bad — you could be feasting on crab, shrimp, scallops or abalone every week! For those who were landlocked, the regular offering of a tuna and noodle casserole or creamed tuna on toast during childhood often left a lifetime bad taste in their mouth for those dishes.

Whatever your religious beliefs, there are many wonderful recipes for inexpensive, tasty and even meatless dishes to brighten up meals at any time of the year. I have been making the following salmon patties for at least 30 years. It’s an old Crisco recipe and is delicious with traditional mashed potatoes and buttered petit peas flavored with just a hint of thyme. The faux krab quiche is from my daughter and the Pasta Fajioli soup recipe is as old as the hills. Enjoy!

Quick ‘n Easy Salmon Patties

Serves 4-6

1 can (15-16 ounces) pink salmon
1 egg
1/3 cup minced onion
½ cup flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
Shortening or Canola oil for frying

Drain salmon; set aside 2 tablespoons of the juice.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl remove and discard excess skin and bones from salmon; break apart meat with your hands. Add egg and onion, mixing until sticky. Stir in flour.

Add baking powder to salmon juice; stir into salmon mixture. Form into small patties and fry in hot oil until golden brown (about 5 minutes). Serve with lemon, tartar sauce or Caesar salad dressing.

Kathy’s Krab Quiche

Serves 6

½ pound imitation krab, chopped
1 cup jack cheese, shredded
1-1/2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
3 eggs
1-1/2 cups evaporated milk
¾ cup green onions and tops
2 tablespoons margarine
1 tablespoon flour
1 9-inch pie pastry lined pan

Mix together cheeses in medium bowl.

Put krab in pastry lined pie tin. Cover with 1-1/4 cups cheese mixture. Saute onions in margarine and add flour, stirring well. Beat eggs lightly and blend with evaporated milk; add onion mixture. Salt and pepper to taste. Pour over cheese and krab mixture. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Bake at 400° F. 15 min. Reduce heat to 350° F. and bake 20-35 min. until custard is set and slightly puffy. Cool at least 15 min. before cutting.

Pasta Fagioli

Serves 6-8

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped small
1 carrot, chopped small
3 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
2 cups reserved water from cooking pasta
2 16 oz. cans cannellini beans, drained
½ pound small farfalle pasta
½ cup fresh, flat leaf Italian parsley, roughly chopped
¼ cup basil leaves, torn roughly (optional)
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese


Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Pour pasta in and stir. Boil for 5 minutes and drain reserving 2 cups of the pasta water. Pasta will be very firm but will continue to cook when combined with other ingredients. Rinse and set aside.

In a heavy soup pot, heat the olive oil. Add onion and carrot and sauté on medium heat until vegetables are soft but not brown, (about 5 minutes). Add garlic, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper and sauté 1 minute more. Add canned tomatoes, tomato sauce and cannellini beans. Stir in parsley, reserved pasta water and pasta and bring to a simmer for 3-5 minutes.

Ladle into soup bowls and sprinkle generously with cheese. Top with basil leaves and serve with bread and a simple green salad with vinaigrette dressing.

Keep it simple and keep it seasonal! 

Betty Kaiser’s Cook’s Corner is dedicated to sharing a variety of recipes 

that are delicious, family oriented and easy to prepare.

Suleman family too big? There have been others!

2/25/09 Chatterbox
Betty Kaiser

Whew! It’s hot! And I’m not talking about the weather. The story of an eccentric mother and her tiny babies has unleashed a firestorm of heated comments and opinions from the bedroom to the boardroom.

Jan. 26, Nadya Suleman gave birth to eight babies in Bellflower, Calif. This 33-year old single woman was already the mother of six children — all conceived by in vitro fertilization. After delivering the amazingly healthy octuplets — in one short 5-minute birthing — she upped her offspring count to a total of 14 babies in seven years.

This saga has captivated the world and is the stuff from which soap operas and movies are made. But overall, the public response has not been kind. Her 69-year-old mother (who has been caring for the first six offspring) is overwhelmed with the situation. Grandma has been quoted as saying that her daughter is “obsessed with kids.”

Suleman and her original six children live in a small house reportedly through the generosity of her parents. At various points in her multiple motherhood journey she became unemployed, received disability payments for a work injury, filed for bankruptcy (or was that her parents?) and her family receives state and federal financial aid.

Miracle births through in vitro fertilization do not come cheap. Yet somehow, despite Suleman’s lack of income, she was able to scrape together in excess of $100,000 to finance conceiving these babies. It is this amount of money and manner of conception that has raised questions about her mental state and the medical ethics of implanting the six embryos that produced eight babies.

Frankly, my first question was not why did Suleman decide to have all of these babies — but — how did her body do that? As the mother of three single birth 9-pound babies, I cannot picture my abdomen stretching large enough to sustain over 20 pounds of babies plus the placenta, etc. It sounds like a form of torture to me.

Anyway, the resulting worldwide firestorm of publicity has generated more hateful remarks than O.J. Simpson’s trial. Under the guise of concern, Suleman has been derisively called ‘octomom;’ a ‘monster;’ ‘obsessive compulsive’ and other profanity laced statements that are not fit to print.

Her ability to parent and provide for the children has been questioned — and rightly so. Hers is a huge responsibility and much of the outrage is concern for the well being of the older children as well as the babies. Another concern is the use of government funds to care for a family of 15.

If it takes a village to raise a child, it’s going to take the state of Calif. and many generous volunteers to raise this brood! So far, the public response to this has not been supportive. But I look at it this way: the care and feeding of kids has got to be a better investment than padding the coffers of CEOs with millions of dollars to spend on mansions and yachts!

An old proverb says “There is nothing new under the sun.” How true it is! Except for the in vitro part, large families and even multiple births are well documented. And contrary to popular thinking, there is never any guarantee as to the quality of life and love that any child will receive because of the size of their family.

If we travel way back in time to the 1700s in England, Susanna Wesley, the wife of the Rev. Samuel Wesley, gave birth to 19 children, ten of whom lived to grow up. They were not multiples but still a sizeable family. Susanna’s devotion to her children, their education and spiritual welfare is legendary.

John and Charles Wesley were her most notable offspring. They were born during what one source calls “a time of almost universal darkness and degradation.” But they are credited with “changing the face of all England

They became leaders in social justice issues including visiting men and women in prison, doing away with the slave trade, building hospitals and schools. They challenged the established church and in turn were persecuted by the clergy.

Moving forward a couple of centuries we have the horrific story of the Dionne quintuplets. Born in 1934, the five identical Dionne sisters were born in Ontario, Canada to a poor family with five other children (a sixth son died at birth).

The premature infants were not expected to survive after being delivered by Dr. Allan Roy Dafoe and two midwives. Ultimately the babies were taken from their parents and put under the guardianship of the Ontario government in a facility directed by the not-so-good Dr. Dafoe. Theirs was a stolen childhood.

These adorable young girls were exploited for financial gain and put on view in “Quintland” (a hospital annex and observation gallery) where they raised $51 million in revenue — a fortune in the 1930s. Later, at home with their parents and siblings they were abused physically and treated as servants in a mansion that their money paid for. Raised in isolation and emotionally scarred, their adult lives were unhappy and tragic.

So if I were Mama Suleman I would be getting some advice from parents experienced on the subject of raising multiple birth children. I’d certainly be chatting up Nkem Chuckwu, the mother of thriving 10-year old octuplets (one of whom died shortly after birth) in Houston, Texas and asking questions like “How do you do this and stay sane?!”

Television’s Dr. Phil calls Suleman’s actions “a study in irresponsibility” and I agree. But the deed is done. The kids are here. It’s time to stop trash-talking the mom. It’s time to start doing the right thing — finding ways to be sure that all 14 children are nurtured, loved, educated and mentored.

So hang on, folks and chill down. It’s going to be a wild ride. But who knows? Maybe there’s a Florence Nightingale or even a John and Charles Wesley in the group. It will all work out.

Betty Kaiser’s Chatterbox is about people, places, family, and other matters of the heart. Contact her at 942-1317 or via e-mail — bchatty@bettykaiser.com

2/25/09 Chatterbox
Betty Kaiser

Whew! It’s hot! And I’m not talking about the weather. The story of an eccentric mother and her tiny babies has unleashed a firestorm of heated comments and opinions from the bedroom to the boardroom.

Jan. 26, Nadya Suleman gave birth to eight babies in Bellflower, Calif. This 33-year old single woman was already the mother of six children — all conceived by in vitro fertilization. After delivering the amazingly healthy octuplets — in one short 5-minute birthing — she upped her offspring count to a total of 14 babies in seven years.

This saga has captivated the world and is the stuff from which soap operas and movies are made. But overall, the public response has not been kind. Her 69-year-old mother (who has been caring for the first six offspring) is overwhelmed with the situation. Grandma has been quoted as saying that her daughter is “obsessed with kids.”

Suleman and her original six children live in a small house reportedly through the generosity of her parents. At various points in her multiple motherhood journey she became unemployed, received disability payments for a work injury, filed for bankruptcy (or was that her parents?) and her family receives state and federal financial aid.

Miracle births through in vitro fertilization do not come cheap. Yet somehow, despite Suleman’s lack of income, she was able to scrape together in excess of $100,000 to finance conceiving these babies. It is this amount of money and manner of conception that has raised questions about her mental state and the medical ethics of implanting the six embryos that produced eight babies.

Frankly, my first question was not why did Suleman decide to have all of these babies — but — how did her body do that? As the mother of three single birth 9-pound babies, I cannot picture my abdomen stretching large enough to sustain over 20 pounds of babies plus the placenta, etc. It sounds like a form of torture to me.

Anyway, the resulting worldwide firestorm of publicity has generated more hateful remarks than O.J. Simpson’s trial. Under the guise of concern, Suleman has been derisively called ‘octomom;’ a ‘monster;’ ‘obsessive compulsive’ and other profanity laced statements that are not fit to print.

Her ability to parent and provide for the children has been questioned — and rightly so. Hers is a huge responsibility and much of the outrage is concern for the well being of the older children as well as the babies. Another concern is the use of government funds to care for a family of 15.

If it takes a village to raise a child, it’s going to take the state of Calif. and many generous volunteers to raise this brood! So far, the public response to this has not been supportive. But I look at it this way: the care and feeding of kids has got to be a better investment than padding the coffers of CEOs with millions of dollars to spend on mansions and yachts!

An old proverb says “There is nothing new under the sun.” How true it is! Except for the in vitro part, large families and even multiple births are well documented. And contrary to popular thinking, there is never any guarantee as to the quality of life and love that any child will receive because of the size of their family.

If we travel way back in time to the 1700s in England, Susanna Wesley, the wife of the Rev. Samuel Wesley, gave birth to 19 children, ten of whom lived to grow up. They were not multiples but still a sizeable family. Susanna’s devotion to her children, their education and spiritual welfare is legendary.

John and Charles Wesley were her most notable offspring. They were born during what one source calls “a time of almost universal darkness and degradation.” But they are credited with “changing the face of all England

They became leaders in social justice issues including visiting men and women in prison, doing away with the slave trade, building hospitals and schools. They challenged the established church and in turn were persecuted by the clergy.

Moving forward a couple of centuries we have the horrific story of the Dionne quintuplets. Born in 1934, the five identical Dionne sisters were born in Ontario, Canada to a poor family with five other children (a sixth son died at birth).

The premature infants were not expected to survive after being delivered by Dr. Allan Roy Dafoe and two midwives. Ultimately the babies were taken from their parents and put under the guardianship of the Ontario government in a facility directed by the not-so-good Dr. Dafoe. Theirs was a stolen childhood.

These adorable young girls were exploited for financial gain and put on view in “Quintland” (a hospital annex and observation gallery) where they raised $51 million in revenue — a fortune in the 1930s. Later, at home with their parents and siblings they were abused physically and treated as servants in a mansion that their money paid for. Raised in isolation and emotionally scarred, their adult lives were unhappy and tragic.

So if I were Mama Suleman I would be getting some advice from parents experienced on the subject of raising multiple birth children. I’d certainly be chatting up Nkem Chuckwu, the mother of thriving 10-year old octuplets (one of whom died shortly after birth) in Houston, Texas and asking questions like “How do you do this and stay sane?!”

Television’s Dr. Phil calls Suleman’s actions “a study in irresponsibility” and I agree. But the deed is done. The kids are here. It’s time to stop trash-talking the mom. It’s time to start doing the right thing — finding ways to be sure that all 14 children are nurtured, loved, educated and mentored.

So hang on, folks and chill down. It’s going to be a wild ride. But who knows? Maybe there’s a Florence Nightingale or even a John and Charles Wesley in the group. It will all work out.

Betty Kaiser’s Chatterbox is about people, places, family, and other matters of the heart. Contact her at 942-1317 or via e-mail — bchatty@bettykaiser.com

2/25/09 Chatterbox
Betty Kaiser

Whew! It’s hot! And I’m not talking about the weather. The story of an eccentric mother and her tiny babies has unleashed a firestorm of heated comments and opinions from the bedroom to the boardroom.

Jan. 26, Nadya Suleman gave birth to eight babies in Bellflower, Calif. This 33-year old single woman was already the mother of six children — all conceived by in vitro fertilization. After delivering the amazingly healthy octuplets — in one short 5-minute birthing — she upped her offspring count to a total of 14 babies in seven years.

This saga has captivated the world and is the stuff from which soap operas and movies are made. But overall, the public response has not been kind. Her 69-year-old mother (who has been caring for the first six offspring) is overwhelmed with the situation. Grandma has been quoted as saying that her daughter is “obsessed with kids.”

Suleman and her original six children live in a small house reportedly through the generosity of her parents. At various points in her multiple motherhood journey she became unemployed, received disability payments for a work injury, filed for bankruptcy (or was that her parents?) and her family receives state and federal financial aid.

Miracle births through in vitro fertilization do not come cheap. Yet somehow, despite Suleman’s lack of income, she was able to scrape together in excess of $100,000 to finance conceiving these babies. It is this amount of money and manner of conception that has raised questions about her mental state and the medical ethics of implanting the six embryos that produced eight babies.

Frankly, my first question was not why did Suleman decide to have all of these babies — but — how did her body do that? As the mother of three single birth 9-pound babies, I cannot picture my abdomen stretching large enough to sustain over 20 pounds of babies plus the placenta, etc. It sounds like a form of torture to me.

Anyway, the resulting worldwide firestorm of publicity has generated more hateful remarks than O.J. Simpson’s trial. Under the guise of concern, Suleman has been derisively called ‘octomom;’ a ‘monster;’ ‘obsessive compulsive’ and other profanity laced statements that are not fit to print.

Her ability to parent and provide for the children has been questioned — and rightly so. Hers is a huge responsibility and much of the outrage is concern for the well being of the older children as well as the babies. Another concern is the use of government funds to care for a family of 15.

If it takes a village to raise a child, it’s going to take the state of Calif. and many generous volunteers to raise this brood! So far, the public response to this has not been supportive. But I look at it this way: the care and feeding of kids has got to be a better investment than padding the coffers of CEOs with millions of dollars to spend on mansions and yachts!

An old proverb says “There is nothing new under the sun.” How true it is! Except for the in vitro part, large families and even multiple births are well documented. And contrary to popular thinking, there is never any guarantee as to the quality of life and love that any child will receive because of the size of their family.

If we travel way back in time to the 1700s in England, Susanna Wesley, the wife of the Rev. Samuel Wesley, gave birth to 19 children, ten of whom lived to grow up. They were not multiples but still a sizeable family. Susanna’s devotion to her children, their education and spiritual welfare is legendary.

John and Charles Wesley were her most notable offspring. They were born during what one source calls “a time of almost universal darkness and degradation.” But they are credited with “changing the face of all England

They became leaders in social justice issues including visiting men and women in prison, doing away with the slave trade, building hospitals and schools. They challenged the established church and in turn were persecuted by the clergy.

Moving forward a couple of centuries we have the horrific story of the Dionne quintuplets. Born in 1934, the five identical Dionne sisters were born in Ontario, Canada to a poor family with five other children (a sixth son died at birth).

The premature infants were not expected to survive after being delivered by Dr. Allan Roy Dafoe and two midwives. Ultimately the babies were taken from their parents and put under the guardianship of the Ontario government in a facility directed by the not-so-good Dr. Dafoe. Theirs was a stolen childhood.

These adorable young girls were exploited for financial gain and put on view in “Quintland” (a hospital annex and observation gallery) where they raised $51 million in revenue — a fortune in the 1930s. Later, at home with their parents and siblings they were abused physically and treated as servants in a mansion that their money paid for. Raised in isolation and emotionally scarred, their adult lives were unhappy and tragic.

So if I were Mama Suleman I would be getting some advice from parents experienced on the subject of raising multiple birth children. I’d certainly be chatting up Nkem Chuckwu, the mother of thriving 10-year old octuplets (one of whom died shortly after birth) in Houston, Texas and asking questions like “How do you do this and stay sane?!”

Television’s Dr. Phil calls Suleman’s actions “a study in irresponsibility” and I agree. But the deed is done. The kids are here. It’s time to stop trash-talking the mom. It’s time to start doing the right thing — finding ways to be sure that all 14 children are nurtured, loved, educated and mentored.

So hang on, folks and chill down. It’s going to be a wild ride. But who knows? Maybe there’s a Florence Nightingale or even a John and Charles Wesley in the group. It will all work out.

Betty Kaiser’s Chatterbox is about people, places, family, and other matters of the heart. Contact her at 942-1317 or via e-mail — bchatty@bettykaiser.com

Planning one dish meals

2/18/09 Cook’s Corner

Betty Kaiser

There’s nothing like a cold winter’s day to hunker down in a warm kitchen and bake all day long. Winter cooking feeds both body and soul. So many recipes and so little time!

 I compare the search for recipes and the finished product to a treasure hunt. First you rummage through the recipe file to find just the right map. After you find the map you gather your tools (ingredients, pots and pans) together. Then it’s time to follow the directions and turn on the heat in the oven.  The treasure is about to be revealed.

Of course, when working in the kitchen, there are always little side trails to explore and treasures to be revealed. Searching in the back of a cupboard can be an adventure in itself. Last week I found a favorite (formerly lost) roasting pan hiding under a soup kettle!

So what do you do if you like to eat but you don’t like to cook? Or maybe you like to cook but you’re a busy working mom or dad and there’s just no time at the end of your day. Still, your family has to eat and you’ve got to get dinner on the table with a minimum of time and effort. If you can’t stay home all day rummaging through the pantry and simmering sauces, you’ve got to have a plan.

We all know that hunger happens but dinner doesn’t. Every cook’s treasured goal should be a well-stocked pantry, closely followed by a basic menu plan posted on the refrigerator or bulletin board.

So set aside some time this weekend for meal planning. If you’re new to this, start small and just plan for the week ahead. You can get more ambitious later. Planning will not only save you time but money. No one knows your family’s tastes better than you do.

Write down several main dish ideas that your family enjoys. Pair them with a vegetable, green salad or coleslaw. Be sure and add bread or rolls for those growing teens. Post the menu and voila! You have the beginnings of easy, nutritious meals.

Grocery store ads can be the source of another treasure hunt. Don’t pay full price when you can shop for your list according to their specials. If chicken is on sale, stock up and substitute it for the more expensive pork chops. Next week pork may be on sale and you can do the same. And don’t forget that shrimp freezes well and makes a quick pasta dinner more appealing and delicious.

The following recipes are mostly one-dish meals from the clever people at Kraft.  Check them out to jumpstart your cooking juices. It’s amazing the ways that you can use a simple jar of spaghetti sauce but adding a can of tomatoes will transform the taste. Potatoes and noodles are great with chicken and pork but boxed stuffing mixes are also tasty.

And speaking of one-dish meals, fellow journalist Andrea Hummel suggests that we share some of our favorite potluck dishes. Great idea! If you have a tried and true salad, dessert or ‘hot dish’ recipe, I’d love to hear from you. Send it to me at 32253 Wilson Creek Rd., C.G. 97424 or via email (see below).

Ravioli and Cheese Bake

2 (19-ounce) packages fresh cheese filled ravioli

1 jar (16 ounce) spaghetti sauce

1 can (14 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained

1 can (10 ounces) reduced sodium beef broth

¼ cup Italian dressing

1 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 375° F.

Combine spaghetti sauce, tomatoes, beef broth and dressing in 13X9-inch baking dish. Add ravioli; mix lightly and cover with foil.

Bake 50 min. or until ravioli are tender. Remove foil; stir. Sprinkle with cheese. Let stand 5 min. or until cheese melts. Serves 6

Chicken and Potato Bake

4 bone-in chicken pieces

4 large potatoes, cut into wedges

¼ cup Italian dressing

¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 400° F.

Place chicken and potatoes in 13X9-inch baking dish. Pour dressing over chicken and potatoes; sprinkle with cheese.

Bake one hour or until chicken is coked through (180° F.). Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley, if desired. Serves 4

Note: To switch up the flavor, replace potato wedges with sweet potatoes or acorn squash.

Shrimp Pomodoro Pasta

½ cup balsamic vinaigrette dressing

1 onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 large can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained

2 cups penne pasta, uncooked

1 pound cooked cleaned shrimp

¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Heat large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add dressing, onions and garlic; cook 2 min. Stir in tomatoes, cook 12 min., stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, cook pasta as directed on package.

Add shrimp to sauce; cook 2 min. or until heated through. Drain pasta; toss with shrimp and sauce mixture. Sprinkle with cheese.

Bruschetta Chicken Bake

1 package (16 ounce) Stove Top Stuffing Mix for Chicken

1 (14-1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained

½ cup water

2 cloves garlic, minced

1-1/2 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite-size pieces

1 teaspoon dried basil leaves

1 cup reduced fat Mozzarella cheese, shredded

Heat oven to 400° F.

Mix stuffing mix with tomatoes, water and garlic until stuffing mix is just moistened. Layer chicken, basil, cheese and stuffing in 13X9-inch or 3-quart baking dish. Bake 30 min. or until chicken is cooked through.

Enjoy now or cover and refrigerate. To reheat, microwave each serving 2-3 min.

Keep it simple and keep it seasonal! Betty Kaiser’s Cook’s Corner is dedicated to sharing a variety of recipes that are delicious, family oriented and easy to prepare. Contact her at 942-1317 or email bchatty@bettykaiser.com