Dietitian’s tip: Instead of lemon butter, this fish is served with roasted lemon or lime wedges for a cleaner, lighter taste.
Note: The Food and Drug Administration recommends that women who might become pregnant, pregnant women, nursing mothers and children younger than age 5 should avoid eating swordfish because they may contain high levels of mercury and other toxins. Substitutes for swordfish include halibut, mahi-mahi, sea bass, cod, snapper or other firm-textured fish.
2 lemons, quartered, seeds removed
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
4 swordfish fillets, each 6 ounces
1/2 teaspoon canola oil
1/2 teaspoon chopped garlic
1/4 cup chopped parsley
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 F.
In a small bowl, add the lemon wedges, sugar and salt. Toss gently to coat evenly. Place the lemons in a shallow baking dish and cover with aluminum foil. Roast until soft and slightly browned, about 1 hour.
Preheat the broiler (grill). Position the rack 4 inches from the heat source. Lightly coat a baking pan with cooking spray.
Place the swordfish fillets in the prepared baking pan. Brush with canola oil and top with garlic. Broil (grill) until the fish is opaque throughout when tested with a tip of a knife, about 5 minutes on each side.
Transfer the fish to individual plates. Squeeze 1 roasted lemon over each fillet and sprinkle with parsley. Serve with another roasted lemon wedge on the side.
1 St. Peters Centre Blvd., 63376 (St. Peters City Centre)
City Events
You're invited to enjoy this FREE Concert in the Park at the City Centre amphitheater next to St. Peters City Hall.
The amphitheater is located behind St. Peters City Hall next to Rec-Plex South. Take the driveway past the Rec-Plex, across the bridge to the Rec-Plex South parking lot.
Enjoy the Smash Band, a St. Louis area party favorite. Bring lawn chairs or blankets for seating, and bring food and beverages for a relaxing picnic at the pond. LEARN MORE about the 2009 Concerts in the Park series.
Everyone feels anxious, nervous, or uncomfortably edgy sometimes. Here are a few suggestions of things you can do to help ease emotional upsets. Having a calming spirit can be achieved by noticing the imbalances in your body and mind and bringing them back into balance through changing your thoughts and actions.
Observe Changes In Your Breathing – Whenever you are feeling the least bit anxious or nervous try to take notice of any changes in your breathing. Stress can cause hyperventilation (over-breathing). Quiet any rapid paced breaths by replacing them with steady and slow breaths. A daily meditation3 practice is helpful for maintaining healthy breathing4 and is also a good preventative measure for repressing anxieties.
Clear Your Mind from Troubling Thoughts – Any time you are feeling anxious or suffering mentally it is helpful to temporarily clear your mind of all thoughts that are upsetting you. It is simply not healthy to focus on your problems 24/7. Guided visualizations8 are excellent mental escapes that can help you to switch your focus away from anything that is troubling you. Picture yourself in a special dream sequence where you can relax and recoup your coping skills. Choose an ocean view, desert oasis, or garden path.
Pamper Your Mind, Body and Spirit – Remove yourself from the chaos and give yourself some quality alone time. Lock yourself in the bathroom and take that much needed soak in the tub12. A bubble bath is your ticket to serenity. Enjoying a rejuvenating soak is just one of several ways you can pamper yourself. Try taking a solitary walk in the park, or curling up on the sofa and reading an entertaining novel.
Get Your Ducks in a Row Before Reacting – Everyone has made the mistake of being over-the top reactive at one time or another. We compound our conflicts by responding without getting all the facts first. When it seems that the whole world is out to get you and you feel like lashing out right away… Wait! The situation at hand probably does call for a response of some kind, but please slow down your response. You’ll handle a trying situation in a calmer state, and come to a resolution sooner if you take time to fully assess the situation. Get all your ducks in a row before you decide on a response.
Keep Your Distance from Others – You may need to step back and create some distance between yourself and anyone who is making you feel anxious. It is important to pull back from others when you are feeling overwhelmed so that you are able to reserve your energies. Having protective boundaries in place can also give you a different perspective in order to help you more fully understand and better cope with difficult situations.
Be a Loving Parent to Your Inner Child – Oftentimes when we, as adults, are experiencing situations that make us feel anxious or powerless our thoughts will turn to memories from our childhoods when we experienced fear or loneliness. When children feel small and helpless they look to their parents or guardian for protection. Take a moment to be a caring and loving parent to your inner child20. Let her (or him) know that you will get the two of you through this rough period. Give yourself a hug. Don’t feel silly. You know you want to, go ahead, just do it.
Hush That Critical Voice Inside Your Head – Sadly, we can be our own worst enemies. Don’t berate yourself for not being able to meet your goals or falling short in some way. You’re doing the best you can. Just relax. Refuse to listen to that critical voice inside your head that says you’re not good enough. Resolve to transform any nagging words into praise for those things that you have accomplished. You’re doing just fine. Affirm yourself daily24. You are PERFECT!
It is OK to Ask for Help – Trying to take care of everything all alone can make anyone feel anxious, not to mention exhausted. It can be more of a struggle never asking for a hand than you might have realized. Seek out that soft shoulder to lean on and give yourself a rest.
Treat Your Spirit to a Spiritual Retreat – Taking a few minutes out of your hectic day for a mental reprieve or taking a half-hour bubble bath each evening are good stress relievers29. But they are probably simply not going to be sufficient for easing those larger anxieties that are slowly eating you up inside. Everyone needs a change of pace to help bring balance to their lives. You may need to take an extended vacation from work, or feel you need go off by yourself away from family members for a few days to find solace. Whereas an ordinary vacation can bring about its own stresses, a spiritual retreat feeds the spirit. You’ll come home refreshed and more readily able to face your day-do-day stresses.
Saturday, August 29, 2009 Begins at around 5 pm
Historic Downtown St. Charles District North Main Street is closed off for the evening for this fourth Saturday of the month event. Around a dozen restaurants on N. Main Street place tables outside on the sidewalk so diners can enjoy eating outdoors as well as listening to the live music. The art galleries and specialty will remain open offering patrons a chance to browse while waiting for a table or walking off dinner. Free For more information call 314-416-9930 x114
92% Say Home is Good InvestmentReported by Sheyna Steiner, Bankrate.com
The financial publishing web site Bankrate.com recently commissioned Princeton Survey Research Associates International to gauge the attitudes of Americans about finances and family life and discovered several surprises.
“American families are stricken by fear about finances, but not enough to change their savings behavior,“reports Bankrate.
The markets have shaken people’s faith in certain bedrock financial principles, but the American dream of homeownership remains alive and well.Among the survey findings: About nine out of 10 (92 percent) survey respondents believe that a home is a good investment for the future. Four out of 10 Americans (39 percent) don’t believe the stock market offers the best chance for long-term returns, but 49 percent do have faith in the market. Preferring homes as investments as contrasted to the stock market seems off base, given each of their respective historical returns. A study to be published this fall in the Journal of Portfolio Management found that in the last three decades, the average annual return on residential real estate was 5.92 percent versus 12.33 percent for the stock market, as measured by the Standard & Poor’s 500.
“Over time, the stock market is more liquid with a higher rate of return, but in the short term much more volatile,” says Jack Clark Francis, professor of finance and economics at Baruch College and a co-author of the study called Contrasting Real Estate with Comparable Investments, 1978-2008. “In the past 10 years, many investors have been burned by the stock market twice and have been scared out of equities as a result,” he says. Yet why do so many Americans believe that homes are good investments, despite the hits taken lately by the real estate market? “Most people are not selling their homes, so they don’t see the possible illiquidity that is in the market or any of the negatives that are on that side,” says Jeffrey D’Italia, senior financial professional at Firstrust Financial Resources. Also, people track their investments more closely than they follow the value of their home. “Houses are homes first and investments a distant second,” offered Bankrate’s Senior Financial Analyst Greg McBride. “Even then, housing is a long-term investment and not a get-rich-quick scheme. What makes homeownership attractive is that over time it can rebate some of the costs, unlike renting,” stated McBride. Survey interviews were conducted from July 16 to July 19, 2009, under the direction of Princeton Survey Research Associates International.Link: Financial Attitudes
“More and more buyers are becoming convinced that there is not a lot of downside left in the housing market,” said Ellen Zentner, a senior economist at Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ Ltd. in New York. “We can count on housing no longer being a drag. The economic recovery is on track.”
Read more of this article from bloomberg.com here:
“Blackberries are a plant sacred to the Irish Goddess Brigid and the Norse thunder God Thor! This simple recipe will bring you back to the Old Religion in no time!”
Ingredients:
1 (15 ounce) package pastry for a 9 inch
double crust pie
4 cups fresh blackberries
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon butter
Directions:
1.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Line a 9 inch deep dish pie pan with one of the crusts.
2.
Place the blackberries in a large bowl. Stir together the sugar, flour, and salt. Sprinkle over the berries, and toss to coat. Pour into the pie crust. Dot with butter. Place the other pie crust over the top, and secure to the bottom crust by pressing with a fork, or fluting with your fingers. Cut a design in the top crust with a sharp knife to vent steam.
3.
Bake for 1 hour in the preheated oven, or until the top crust is browned. Let cool to almost room temperature before serving to allow the filling to set.
The Festival of the Little Hills, held Friday through Sunday (August 21 to 23) at Frontier Park (South Main Street and First Capitol Drive, St. Charles), offers so much good festival fun that it’s difficult to say what part will be best. We might most enjoy Carnival for the Mind, an hourlong magic show happening a few times each day throughout the fair. Or perhaps we will really get into all of the eating — there will be fried Oreos, tacos, bacon rinds, barbecue, gyros, corn on the cob and much, much more (don’t forget the Tums!). Then again, the live music could be what we’ll remember most: The 48-piece St. Charles Municipal Band performs as does the bluegrassy Salty Dawg Band; check out www.festivalofthelittlehills.com to see the full music schedule. And while you’re there, you can also get information about the activities for kids and the craft fair. Admission to the Festival of the Little Hills is free, and you can have fun from 4 to 10 p.m. Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday
It’s school time again! You’re probably feeling excited and maybe a little sad that summer is over. Some kids feel nervous or a little scared on the first day of school because of all the new things: new teachers, new friends, and maybe even a new school. Luckily, these “new” worries only stick around for a little while. Let’s find out more about going back to school.
The First Day
Most teachers kick off the school year by introducing themselves and talking about all the stuff you’ll be doing that year. Some teachers give students a chance to tell something about themselves to the rest of the class.
When teachers do the talking on the first day, they often go over classroom rules so you’ll know what’s allowed and what’s not. Pay close attention so you’ll know if you need to raise your hand to ask a question and what the rules are about visiting the restroom.
You might already know a lot of people in your classes on the first day. But it’s a great day to make a new friend, so try to say hello to kids you know and new ones that you don’t. Make the first move and you’ll be glad you did and so will your new friend!
Moving to Middle School?
Sixth grade often signals a move to middle school or junior high, where you’ll find lockers and maybe a homeroom. This is just what it sounds like – a classroom you’ll go to each morning, kind of like your home in the school. In middle school, you might move from classroom to classroom for each subject. Your teachers know that this is a big change from elementary school and will help you adjust.
Most teachers let you pick your own seat on the first day, but by the second or third morning, they’ll have mapped out a seating plan. It’s a good idea to write down where your seat is in your notebook so you don’t forget.
Feeling Good on Day One
Seeing friends you haven’t seen in a while can make the first day a good one. You also can make the day feel special by wearing an outfit you like. Maybe you got a great T-shirt on vacation, or your new sneakers put a spring in your step. If you wear a uniform, you might wear a favorite watch or piece of jewelry to show your personal style.
It can make you feel good to be prepared and have all the supplies you need. Some schools distribute supply lists before the year begins, so you can come stocked up on pencils, folders, and whatever else you’ll be needing. Once you’ve covered the basics, you might tuck an extra dollar or two in your backpack for an emergency (like forgetting your lunch money). Or maybe you’d like to bring along a book or magazine to read while you’re on the bus.
Whatever you put in your backpack, make sure you pack it the night before. This prevents the morning panic when you can’t find your homework or lunch box. Speaking of lunch, that’s something else that can help you feel good at school – whether it’s the first day or the 100th day. Pack it the night before if you don’t like what’s on the menu at the cafeteria. Try to include a variety of foods in your packed lunch, especially fruits and vegetables.
Get Oriented
The first day of school is your first chance to find your way around a new school, or learn the pathways to new classes in your old school. It’s a lot to learn in one day, so don’t be surprised if you need a reminder or two.
It might help to write a few notes to yourself, so you’ll remember the important stuff, like your locker combination and that lunch starts at 11:43, not 12:10. Before you know it, your fingers will fly as you open your locker and you won’t have to check your notes to know what time lunch starts!
A Bad Start?
What if you hate school by the end of day one? Teachers recommend giving things some time to sort themselves out – once you know your way around the building and get adjusted to the new routine, you’ll probably feel better. If those feelings don’t fade, talk to your mom, dad, teacher, or school counselor.
Here are a few final tips for a fantastic first day:
Develop good work habits, like writing down your assignments and turning in your homework on time.
Take your time with school work. If you don’t understand something, ask the teacher.
Keep a sense of humor. One teacher we know shows his new students a picture of himself graduating high school – a grinning ape in a red graduation cap and gown. This usually makes the kids laugh, and it’s a good way to remind them that school is fun!
