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What are the Worst Desserts You ever Had?

I have been a guest at several dinner parties where the dessert was very delicious. I have also attended many parties where the dessert was just plain terrible.

It is really disappointing to get all the way through dinner, and not be able to enjoy the dessert. I mean let’s be honest, most of us are thinking about dessert while we are eating dinner. I have suffered through dry roast beef and undercooked turkey, because I was told that there would be homemade strawberry shortcake or sweet potato pie for dessert. Unfortunately these homemade desserts ended up tasting just as bad (or worse) as the main course. I am sure many people have their own personal stories about bad desserts, below are a few of mine.

My first dessert horror story happened three years ago at an office lunch party. The company office manager coordinated the party, and she was also responsible for all the desserts. The week leading up to the party, she sent out numerous emails about the homemade desserts she would be making. Her dessert list included two of my favorites, three layer chocolate cake and key lime pie. This made me even more excited about the upcoming lunch party.

On the day of the party I cut a large slice of cake and took it back to my office so I could eat it in private. I closed the office door, sat at my desk and dug in. The slice of cake looked so good, but it tasted so terrible. The cake was very dry, and the frosting had no flavor. I cannot figure out how anyone can make a tasteless dry chocolate cake. Instead of tasting like a traditional chocolate cake, it tasted more like chocolate flavored cornbread. I am so glad that I ate this cake behind closed doors in my office, so no one could see the faces I made.

The next terrible dessert I had was at a housewarming party. A former co-worker of mine moved into a new house, and their mother hosted a party to celebrate. The party was in December, and fruit cake was one of the desserts. I don’t normally like fruit cake, but I was told that this was a “special” fruit cake recipe. I would find out later just how special it was. Most of the fruit cakes I ever had were shaped liked a pound cake, but this one had four layers. Between each layer there was a thin layer of grape preserves. Did I mention that the cake itself had ground beef in it? In my opinion regular fruit cake does not taste that great and adding ground beef sure doesn’t make it taste any better. This is by far the worst dessert I have ever had.


Where is Gang Violence Increasing?

Gang violence has become a growing problem in many cities across the country. Local police officers are having a hard time keeping gang activity under control, which has resulted in increased community violence. Some of the states seeing the biggest increase in gang violence are California, Illinois, New Jersey, and Georgia.

In the state of Illinois, there is a lot of gang activity currently going on in Chicago. Over the past few weekends gang violence has led to numerous shootings and several deaths. Some attribute this increase in crime to hot summer days, while others say the majority of it is being caused by young gang members. While crime rates usually increases during the summer in Chicago, this spike in crime is very unusual. In order to address this issue, extra police are being dispatched to neighborhoods where alleged gang members live. Tourism numbers are also usually high in Chicago during the summer, but media reports about gang violence have kept some tourists away.

New Jersey is another state where gang activity is growing. A few days ago a young rookie policeman was shot by an alleged gang member. It is so sad to hear about someone being shot, especially when they are so young. According news reports, the person that shot the policeman was a gang member looking to gain notoriety and increase their status in the community. Maybe I am missing something here, but I don’t know what type of status or notoriety you could gain by shooting someone else. But then again I don’t have the mentality of a gang member, which is why I am having a hard time understanding any of this. If New Jersey police don’t get a handle on this situation soon, there will be more gang members seeking to increase their status by taking other innocent lives. This is sad and scary.

Gang violence is nothing new in California; however it has gotten worse over the past year. In certain parts of Los Angeles gang activity has been going on for decades, and the majority of these gang members have been Hispanic and African-American. Most of the disputes between rival gangs have been about drugs and neighborhood territories.

In recent months California has experienced an increase of gang violence near its southern borders. Some of these gang members have been dispatched to the U. S. from other nearby countries to launch new drug distribution centers. To get a rough estimate about how much drugs are brought into the U. S. from other countries, I did some online research. My findings revealed that over $1 billion worth of drugs are brought in annually, and over 80% is brought in by gang members.

Hopefully there will be a reverse trend in gang violence in the near future.


When it’s Time for Your Teen to get a Job

There comes a time in every teen’s life when they need to start becoming independent. This new independency should include getting a job and starting a savings account.

As much as electronic gadgets cost today, it’s no wonder that more and more parents are encouraging their teenage children get jobs to pay for them. I have seen some cell phones and I-Pads selling for $500 and more. If your teenager is asking for one of these, tell them they need to earn it. It can be very hurtful to a teenager’s development if they are given everything they ask for, and never told that they need to work for it.

One of the reasons some parents do not encourage their teen to get a job, is because they are not sure if they are ready for the responsibility. This is because some teens mature more quickly than others. As their parent, you are the best person to determine if your teen is ready to handle the responsibility of a job. Below are some tips that can help serve as a guideline.

If your teenager is doing a good job of completing their homework on time and maintaining their grades, they have proven that they are developing good management skills. These are the type of skills employers look for. To ensure that your teen is able to continue maintaining good grades at school while working, they should start out with a part time job. Working part time will also allow them to still enjoy normal teen activities like playing sports and going to the movies, and also spending time with their family and friends.

On the other hand, if you have a teen that is not doing well in school but is constantly asking for things like a new video game or cell phone, put them to work at home. If they are working at home you will be able to monitor them more carefully. Start them off with doing things like mowing the lawn every week, feeding the dog, and being responsible for taking out the trash. In order for them to get the point and purpose of working, you have to treat these responsibilities just like a real job. For example, if your teen misses a day taking out the trash, dock a few dollars from their pay. Or, if they don’t do a good job of mowing the lawn one week, dock a few more dollars and also give them a verbal warning. Some of this might sound harsh, but it is the only way to teach them to be responsible. Having their pay docked for doing a poor job, and not completing assignments, will also prepare your teen for the ’real’ working world.


What you can do with Leftover Green Beans

Just about everyone has made green beans for lunch or dinner. Unfortunately many of us end up making too many green beans, and we don’t know what to do with the leftovers.
I have been guilty of making too many green beans for dinner many times. I sub-consciously do this because I want to make sure that every one gets at least one full serving. I used to struggle with how to use my leftover green beans, until I found some interesting ideas on the internet.

One recipe I found consists of taking my leftover green beans and using them in a grilled fruit salad. Start with a bowl of fresh spinach, and then add in some grilled peaches and pineapples. Next add in some sliced almonds, dried banana chips, and a piece of fresh mint. After all the other ingredients have been added, slice up the green beans and sprinkle them on top of the salad. This recipe sounds refreshing, healthy, and a great way to use leftover green beans. I plan to make this recipe for lunch, because it sounds like it would give me a lot of energy.

I also found another recipe for leftover green beans, that consist of letting the beans marinate overnight in Italian dressing and serving them over brown rice and green onions. Marinating my leftover green beans is something I have never thought of. I think this dish would taste even better if you add some cilantro and spicy curry powder. Adding the additional spices would transform the recipe into an Indian-style dish. I also think that the beans should be crunchy for this recipe. The crunchiness will blend well with the brown rice and the crunchy texture would help absorb the spices better.

I was surprised to find a recipe that involves using green beans in an omelet. I have made many omelets in my time and none of them had green beans in them. For this recipe you will need four medium size eggs, a handful of chopped red peppers, a few raisins, and a handful of chopped green beans, a teaspoon of salt and pepper, and a small dollop of plain Greek yogurt. Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and then pour the egg mixture into a heated pan lightly coated with extra virgin olive oil. The olive oil will keep the eggs from sticking, and prevent the omelet from getting too dry (nothing tastes worse than a dried out burnt omelet). The green beans make the omelet much more filling. This sounds like something I would enjoy eating in the morning with a glass of apple juice.

There are a lot of different ways you can use leftover green beans, besides in soup and in a casserole.


How to Transition to Civilian Life after a Military Career

Transitioning from the military to civilian life can be very challenging, especially after a long military career. Making this transition requires patience and some lifestyle changes.

There have been many stories over the years of former military men and women having a hard time adjusting to civilian life. One of the main challenges they face is getting used to a normal life and schedule. While they were in the military they were told what time to get up, and their schedule was set by a military captain or general. It’s not surprising that once they become civilians again they experience challenges managing their own life.

For married former military men and women, adjusting to civilian life can also cause problems for their spouse. The spouse wants their husband or wife back, but what they usually get in the beginning is a person with a military mindset and who wants to stay on a military schedule. It takes time to make this adjustment, so they ask their spouse to be understanding and patient. Unfortunately some military spouses don’t have the patience or understanding needed. It’s not that the spouse is cold hearted; it’s just that they have been under a lot of stress themselves while their husband or wife was away. We all know things can get pretty tough for military men and women, but we sometimes forget how hard it can be on their families. Although the spouse knows their significant other is serving their country and doing what they love, they still sometimes feel a sense of resentment and abandonment. These feelings can be even more intense if there are children.

Speaking of children, some former military men and women also have a hard time re-adjusting to being parents. In many instances their children were only toddlers or newborns when they left for military duty. So it can be challenging for them to re-establish a bond and communicate with their children.

It is for all the reasons above and more that counseling is strongly recommended for men and women who are planning to leave the military. Counseling will help make their transition to civilian life easier, and it will also help decrease marriage and parental issues. It is also strongly recommended that these men and women get counseling ’before’ they leave the military. This way they can address their most serious fears and challenges before they become full time civilians again, and attempt to re-establish relationships with their spouses and children.

Transitioning from a military career to the public sector job market can also be challenging for former military men and women. Fortunately while in the military, most receive high level technical and computer training. This includes troubleshooting computer skills, which has allowed many to find jobs at utility companies, airline companies, construction firms, and technology companies.