By LEANNE ITALIE, Associated Press Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Olivia, the little girl pig with the big imagination, is stepping out of her picture book world into a bold, new and much more colorful life on Nickelodeon.

The twirly drama queen and fashionista seems more mature at the ripe old age of 6 3/4 in the eye-popping animated series that preserves her can-do spirit and love of red stripes while broadening her social life.

Gone is a bit of Olivia’s squirm in Ian Falconer’s award-winning, mega-selling books. The large-headed piglet still wants what she wants — and wants it yesterday — but there’s a touch more patience as she navigates the day-to-day with friends and family.

The babyish voice of Olivia — with just a hint of whine — is pitch-perfect thanks to 12-year-old Emily Gray, a sixth-grade newcomer from San Diego, Calif. Emily vaguely remembers reading the books in her preschool days but said she grew fond of the popular porcine after voicing 26 half-hour episodes for the weekday show that premiered Monday.

“I like how outgoing she is and how she tries new things and doesn’t worry about what everyone else thinks about her and just wants to be happy with herself,” Emily said.

Falconer, who based the character on a real Olivia — his niece — worked closely with creators of the series, said Megan Laughton, the supervising producer in New York for a London-based brand management firm, Chorion.

The production company Brown Bag Films in Ireland was chosen to expand Olivia’s basic look beyond red, white and black but preserve her spunk and physical humor. Animated Olivia remains as she looks in the books — with red jumper or red sweater with her signature stripes — but she’s set against a subdued color palette that grows richer when she’s daydreaming — something she still loves to do.

“Really more than anything, it was how to best showcase our little girl and these characters, and to pop them off the background and not have it be distracting,” Laughton said.

He considers Olivia’s essence both on screen and off “just this little girl who has this huge imagination and turns the everyday goings-on of life into this incredibly big adventure. But it’s not for accolades. It’s not for stardom. It’s just how she is.”

Brown Johnson, president of Nickelodeon’s animation unit, said the series is different from the heavy educational hand of “Blue’s Clues,” ”Dora the Explorer” and other popular Nick shows. Olivia, she said, is “really about storytelling” without being too “storybooky.”

The show’s creators wanted the TV characters to look like the characters from the books. But Nick lost the white background of the books to avoid the show looking “like she lived in a gulag,” Johnson said.

There were lengthy discussions about Olivia’s voice, she said. The creators decided to use a girl rather than a grown-up to help keep the character funny and opinionated with a child’s capacity to imagine in sequences that briefly land her in Egypt, the Wild West and outer space.

Falconer, 49, wrote and drew the books with an illustrator’s eye that he has also lent to 30 covers of The New Yorker magazine. He has designed costumes and sets for the New York City Ballet, San Francisco Opera and the Royal Opera House in London, but Olivia made him a star.

His first Olivia book was an instant hit in 2000, selling 1 million copies its first year and earning a Randolph Caldecott honor in 2001 for best illustrated children’s book. Five books followed, generating 6 million more in worldwide sales, accompanied by spinoffs and lots of merchandise. The books are now published in 40 countries and translated into 20 languages.

In 2006, Olivia even got her own U.S. postage stamp in a series honoring favorite children’s book animals.

Olivia is a girly-girl in Falconer’s books. On TV, she acquires some boys as friends and classmates, including the sweatsuit-wearing Julian, a pig with a darker skin tone.

“Diversity in general is really important to us,” Johnson said. “Pigs do come in lots of colors.”

While the books might appeal more to girls, Laughton said kids of both genders have responded positively to the series.

“You never really know until you put it in front of the intended audience,” she said. “They’ve been really engaged with it and really, really connected to Olivia.”

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press.

By Jann Blackstone-Ford and Sharyl Jupe, Contra Costa Times

Q: I was not married to my ex, and although he was granted visitation by the court, he rarely sees his son, 7. Dad pops in for a day and then shows a year later. My son adores his father, but I’m afraid his on-again, off-again parenting is hurting my child. My son’s birthday is coming up. If his dad calls, I’m thinking about preventing him from seeing his son. He has never paid child support. What do you think?

A: Although divorce laws differ from state to state, it is our understanding that a parent can’t legally stop another parent from seeing their child without a court order. Still, thousands of people try it because, like you, they think they’re protecting their children — and of course, as mothers we understand that. If you’re looking for the “right” thing to do, however, preventing the father from seeing his child will never allow Dad to right his wrong. And, if the child figures out that Mom prevented Dad from seeing him, it will backfire. All the father has to say when confronted is, “It wasn’t my fault. Your mother wouldn’t let me see you.”

What do you say to your son to lessen the blow of Dad’s pulling a “no-show”? Don’t bad-mouth Dad even if you hate him or make excuses for him if you still love him. Your main priority is to help your son feel better. First, build his self-esteem: “You’re such a clever kid. I’m so grateful to have a son like you.” Then continue: “Aren’t you lucky that you already know how important it is to spend time with the people you love? Remember all the people who do show they love you every day. Let’s name them” — and then start naming them together — grandparents, other family and friends, teachers, and most of all, you. This will get your son thinking about the people who love him rather than the one he fears may not.

Then we would suggest you apply for child support. Because the father doesn’t use his court-ordered visitation doesn’t mean he shouldn’t help support his child. As ironic as it sounds, writing that check sometimes serves as a subconscious reminder to wayward parents that it’s time to visit their children.

If you’re a divorced dad, take our divorced dad poll at www.bonusfamilies.com. We would love to hear from you.

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(Jann Blackstone-Ford, Psy.D., and her husband’s ex-wife, Sharyl Jupe, authors of “Ex-Etiquette for Parents,” are the founders of Bonus Families (www.bonusfamilies.com). Reach them at ee@bonusfamilies.com.)

By RAQUEL MARIA DILLON
Associated Press Writer

BELLFLOWER, California (AP) — Eight babies born to a mother in Southern California — only the second live-born set of octuplets in the U.S. — were in stable condition and breathing on their own, doctors said Tuesday.

Dr. Mandhir Gupta, a neonatologist at Kaiser Permanente Bellflower Medical Center, told ABC television that the babies “are doing actually very, very well.”

Two of the newborns were initially put on ventilators, but their breathing tubes have been removed.

“Only three babies need some sort of oxygen through the nose right now but they are breathing on their own,” Gupta said on “Good Morning America.”

The six boys and two girls were born Monday, weighing between 1 pound, 8 ounces (0.67 kilograms) and 3 pounds, 4 ounces (1.47 kilograms). The mother’s identity has not been released.

The world’s first live octuplets were born in March 1967 in Mexico City, but all died within 14 hours, according to Encyclopedia Britannica.

The United States’ first live octuplets were born in Houston in 1998, three months premature. The tiniest died a week after the birth. The surviving siblings turned 10 in December.

Their parents, Nkem Chukwu and Iyke Louis Udobi, told The Associated Press that they were delighted to hear another mother managed the same feat.

“It’s a blessing, truly a blessing,” Chukwu said. “We’ll keep praying for them.”

The parents of the California octuplets and their doctors had been expecting only seven babies. Just five minutes after the first birth, the unexpected eighth baby came out.

“It is quite easy to miss a baby when you’re anticipating seven,” said Dr. Harold Henry, chief of maternal and fetal medicine and one of 46 doctors, nurses and assistants who delivered the children by Caesarean section.

Doctors said they repeatedly conducted practice sessions in anticipation of the deliveries and were well prepared.

The babies — dubbed with the letters A-through-H — will probably remain in the hospital for at least two months and the mother should be released in a week, said Dr. Karen Maples, chief of the department of obstetrics and gynecology.

The most encouraging news was that the smallest — Baby E, a boy — no longer needed a ventilator. Gupta described him as “very feisty” on Tuesday.

The doctors cautioned that there is still the possibility that one or more of the octuplets may need a breathing tube again, and more dangers await when they begin feeding.

Maples said the mother was “very comfortable now. She is currently stable and we’re observing her. She’s also very excited about the health of her babies and she’s extremely happy.”

The mother checked into the hospital in her 23rd week of pregnancy and gave birth to the premature babies seven weeks later. Gupta said the woman was given spinal anesthesia and could hear the babies as they came out.

Dr. Richard Paulson, director of the fertility program at the University of Southern California, said the latest births likely resulted from the use of fertility drugs. Hospital officials would not say whether the mother used them.

Paulson, who had no role in the delivery, said the children could face serious health risks, including breathing problems and neurological damage. The mother also has an increased risk of hemorrhage, Paulson said.

“It’s a risky decision to try to have all eight babies,” Paulson said. “I would not recommend it under any circumstances, but I respect aparent’s decision.”

The Bellflower medical center, located about 17 miles (27 kilometers) southeast of Los Angeles, has an advanced neonatal unit. The most infants previously delivered at the hospital was five, the Los Angeles Times said.

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Associated Press writers Denise Petski and Alicia Chang in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

Last Friday Torii and I had a “date”. I try to get out with one kid and do something special but it doesn’t happen often. Playhouse Disney Live was in town and since Cordelia is too small and Fred told me he was too big for that it ended up being just Torii and I. We had a fun time. There were parts of the show that really impressed me, but that’s true Disney style. It was like having one of their stage shows from Disney World at the Civic Center. We had fun, but he is one expensive date. I did buy him a souvenir which was way more than I was expecting to spend. Then we had some cotton candy, but since that came with a hat it was ten dollars. I was happy he didn’t want any of the eight dollar sno cones. At intermission he saw someone with ice cream so he wanted some too. I told him we would stop at DQ on the way home instead. I told him the ice cream was way better at DQ. Really, after that awful hot dog we had before the show I didn’t feel like giving up any more of my money to the Civic Center. So after the show he got his ice cream and I got a nice big basket of food, which was way better and cheaper than eating at the Civic Center. I did enjoy having some quality time with Torii. Fred wants to see a basketball game at the Civic Center again so I may bring him to a Wizards game or wait until High School tournament time. I need to have a date with him too.

 
By TALI ARBEL
AP Business Writer

RECESSIONARY STRESS: Layoffs, foreclosures and seemingly endless headlines on the tanking economy are taking their toll on Americans’ psyches and habits, one recent survey says.

The poll, by insurer Country Financial, found that 75 percent of adults surveyed said the issue of money and the economy were very or somewhat stressful topics for their families. Respondents ages 18-29, the youngest group, said they were the most anxious, with 52 percent saying these conversations were very stressful.

The current economic climate initiated more arguments with spouses or children for 33 percent of those surveyed. The youngest group of survey takers and the poorest, those who reported yearly income under $20,000, were most likely to say the bad economy caused more familial fighting.

Americans are also reporting changing habits, with 68.5 percent of adults saying they are now limiting family outings, such as going to movies and dining out.

Another 53 percent said the economic environment of the past year has permanently changed the way their families spend and save.

The survey polled 1,169 adult Americans by phone. It was conducted on Nov. 20 and polled only those who had children at home. The margin of error was 3 percentage points.

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KIDS AND DOLLARS: Start early. Emphasize saving. Reinforce good spending habits.

Even children as young as two or three observe how their parents spend, said Meridee Maynard, Northwestern Mutual financial literacy expert.

Parents who want to teach their toddlers the value of careful spending should try to use cash, rather than credit cards, when out shopping with kids. Paying with cash shows the littlest children that buying means payout, so that they never get the idea that credit is free.

“We all develop our habits, particularly with money, at young ages,” Maynard said. “We have to go back to basics.”

Once kids are about six, Maynard recommends starting them on a weekly allowance and talking about saving up for specific medium-term goals, such as a special toy to buy in about a year. Parents should start to instill that money earned via allowance can be used in four ways: it can be spent, saved, invested (explain it as long-term saving) or donated.

After a few years, start doling out allowances every two weeks rather than once a week to get children to learn to plan their spending and stretch their dollars, she said. Also encourage 12-year-olds to get money on their own by doing neighborhood chores or baby-sitting.

“Money doesn’t just happen,” she said. “You have to earn it.”

Explanations about stocks and bonds can come later when the kids are early teenagers, Maynard said. Turn investment ideas into math problems and involve them in researching investment opportunities.

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LEARN ON THE JOB: Not all good jobs require a college degree.

Laurence Shatkin, author of several books on job-training and career choices, advises those who don’t want or can’t handle loads of student-loan debt and perhaps learn better on-site to seek out apprenticeship programs.

There are 1,052 different programs from 31 states registered with the Department of Labor, and tens of thousands of Americans enrolled in the paid training curricula.

At any given time, for example, there are 45,000 people enrolled in electrician-training programs.

There are some trades that have traditionally been apprenticed, such as the construction trades, but job-training programs are now expanding to occupations that traditionally require college degrees, such as nursing and computer support technicians, Shatkin said.

Many of those courses do require night classes, but often in community colleges or other lower-cost institutions, which can be cheaper than the traditional four-year college route.

To find apprenticeships, go to the federal government’s site, www.doleta.gov/OA, or type in the keyword “apprenticeship” in a job-hunting search engine such as Monster.com.

The programs can take as little as half a year and as much as six years, but most range from 3-4 years, Shatkin said.

By Judi Light Hopson, Emma H. Hopson, R.N., and Ted Hagen, McClatchy-Tribune News Service

Do you envision your marriage as stable and strong? Do you imagine your friendships solid enough to weather any storm?

If so, think again. Our intimate relationships and relationships with loved ones and friends are never that strong.

While relationships can be tough and lasting, most close relationships are more fragile than we think.

That’s why we need to think about rocky waters before we get there. We need to nurture our close relationships, and above all, we need to learn how important it is to fight fair. Conflict will eventually happen in any close relationship.

“Shouting, arguing, and throwing words around carelessly will eventually damage or totally kill the closeness,” says a man we’ll call Daniel who recently stopped speaking to his girlfriend. “We both can hurl words like daggers!”

While it’s true, for example, that most couples do quarrel, it’s important to use words to heal the wounds of an argument.

You should try to soften things up verbally in order to heal some of the pain.

The lasting sting of cruel or unkind remarks in the middle of an argument erodes the foundation of an intimate relationship.

In all friendships, most of us eventually argue or feel some conflict.

That’s why it’s important to think ahead on how you’d manage such differences.

Keep these fair fighting tactics in mind:

–Never attack someone personally. Do say, “I love you, but I strongly disagree with you.” Don’t say, “You’re nuts! You’re stupid!”

–Speak your feelings versus acting them out. Do say, “I’m very angry right now.” Don’t start breaking dishes or throwing objects.

–Mentally switch viewpoints. If each of you can think about the problem from the other’s perspective, this helps lower the tension.

–Pretend your friends are watching. This will keep you from acting too ugly. Imagine people rating you on how well you present yourself.

There are no perfect relationships, so it’s a sure bet you will eventually become miffed at every person you know.

“Most of us don’t rehearse our roles in conflict, so we end up acting like complete idiots,” says a psychologist we’ll call Adam. “I’m a professional counselor, and I’ve been known to act somewhat off balance in quarrels with my wife and kids!”

Adam says he tries to use humor to soften a blow before he gets too crazy.

“I was sick last summer and hadn’t slept in days,” Adam explains, “when my wife started ragging on me about our messy basement.”

Adam knew he was going to act ugly so he switched to humor mode. “I just started beating my chest and jumping up and down,” says Adam. “My wife knew I was trying to be funny, so she played along.”

Adam says there was a time when they could not have laughed together.

“We both used to be overly serious,” he points out. “Those were unhappy times.”

If you realize that conflict is normal, you won’t overdo your reaction when it comes calling.

“Making up from a bad fight is not romantic like in the movies,” says Adam. “It’s hurtful and sad. Treat your loved ones with dignity. Never take pleasure in attacking them.”

If your relationships are already shattered, try to put some kind of responsible friendship back into place. An apology can help. Writing a kind letter might repair some of the damage.

Above all, listen to the words you speak and how you say them. Your conversation during conflict will make or break all of your relationships.

By Deborah S. Hartz-Seeley, Sun Sentinel

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — From growing seeds on her windowsill as a child in Buffalo, N.Y., to selling plants for a living, Donna Torrey takes great satisfaction from bringing things to life. Especially herbs.

“I love their smells. They make me happy,” says Torrey, owner of Garden Gate in the Pompano, Fla., Citi Centre.

Herbs also appeal to her practical side. “I can’t cook without them because food without herbs is boring.”

Torrey comes by her cooking skills rightly. “My fondest memories are waking up on Saturday morning to my mother frying onions to use in her sauce,” she says. “That was the beginning of my love of cooking.”

Her Italian mother grew her own basil to use in that sauce, and Torrey still makes Mimi’s Secret Tomato Sauce with home-grown herbs. “This is the best sauce ever,” she says. The secret is combining fresh basil, onions and anchovies in a food processor with wine and then stirring that mixture into simmering tomatoes.

When Torrey’s plants are producing a lot of basil, she preserves it in oil. She picks the leaves and then washes and dries them carefully. (Moisture can turn oil rancid, she says.) She packs the fresh basil into a clean, dry glass jar and covers the leaves with good quality olive oil leaving a small amount of head room in the jar. She caps it and refrigerates the oil to be used in sauces, dressings, pesto, bean dishes, soups and sautes for “amazing fresh flavor.”

“I use the flavored oil in just about every darn thing I make,” Torrey says. You can also flavor oil with parsley, sage and cilantro.

Another trick is to make herbal vinegars. She packs the herbs in a jar that she fills with apple cider vinegar and lets the mixture steep at room temperature for a couple of weeks. Then she drains the vinegar, packs it in decorative jars (empty wine bottles work well) and adds a sprig of the herb before corking or sealing. If you use purple basil to make the vinegar, it turns a pretty pink, she says.

The herb vinegar makes great gifts, she says.

It seems no matter what she cooks, Torrey adds a bit of fresh herbs. “Whenever I want a little snap I pick a little fresh and throw it in the pan.”

She wouldn’t think of cooking a chicken without flavoring it with thyme and rosemary as she does in her recipe for Roast Whole Chicken with Potatoes, Onions and Fresh Herbs.

Better yet, she plucks a few sprigs of delicate citrusy lemon thyme off a plant in her back yard to use in this recipe. “My whole yard is a garden, there’s no grass,” she says.

Even winter vegetables such as calabaza, pumpkin or butternut squash get great flavor when sauteed with a little honey and some rosemary, sage or parsley. Torrey serves Herbed Winter Squash as a side dish but suggests adding turkey sausage or chicken to make it a meal in a pan or serve it over pasta for a tasty vegetarian entree.

She also adds rosemary to roasted vegetables that she coats with oil and cooks at 375 degrees until tender and nicely browned on the outside. “You don’t want to use too much rosemary because you can definitely overdo it. It has a strong flavor,” she says.

Another favorite recipe of Torrey’s is Beet Salad With Dill. This easy jewel-toned salad has wonderful fresh flavors and is loaded with vitamins. “I’m just starting to get to know this herb,” she says as she experiments with it in her cooking.

Although supermarkets now carry a wide array of fresh herbs, there’s no excuse for not growing your own. Especially in South Florida, Torrey says.

Herbs look decorative whether planted in the yard between other plants or placed in pots. Torrey prefers pots because she doesn’t want her dogs_Big Al, a white German Shepherd; Herbie, a border collie mix named for the aromatic plants in her garden; and Katie, a black cocker spaniel_to trample them.

October through June are the best months for growing herbs outdoors or in pots in your garden or on a balcony. You can grow them through the summer, but you have to be sure the plants don’t get too much sun and don’t dry out, Torrey says.

When choosing plants for year round growing, avoid dill, cilantro and thyme, which do particularly poorly in summer.

To grow your own herbs, pick a spot that gets 4 to 8 hours of direct sun. Select deep pots that are 8 to 10 inches in diameter. Clay pots may look more decorative but they are porous and dry out faster than plastic ones. Fill the pots with good quality potting soil because herbs need to have good drainage.

“The main thing with herbs is you can’t let them dry out,” Torrey says. That means putting them near a sprinkler head or watering them regularly by hand to keep them evenly moist.

Torrey recommends placing the pots as near your door as possible so that when you are cooking it’s easy to step outside and snip some.

Just as you feed your family, you need to feed your herbs. Torrey recommends an organic product such as Black Hen or fish emulsions. But there’s no need to go out of your way to buy special products. If you have any kind of plant feed on hand, just give it to your herbs. “They know what to do with it,” she quips.

However, if it’s a granular product, you need to feed the herbs every couple of months; if it’s liquid, feed them every couple of weeks.

Most herbs, other than parsley, can be grown from seeds, but it’s easier and faster to buy small plants. Basil and dill are particularly easy to grow from seeds.

When you harvest your herbs, cut the leaves from the bottom first on any plant that grows in sprigs from a center stem (parsley, cilantro). Other herbs (basil, rosemary, thyme, marjoram, oregano) that grow upward on central stems should be cut from the tips. Chives, however, should be cut from the bottom as you do grass, Torrey says.

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GROW YOUR OWN HERBS

Here are Donna Torrey’s favorite herbs and how she suggests using them plus some growing tips:

Basil: There are many different types to consider including cinnamon (“spicy”), Thai (“spicier”), lemon basil (it “snaps”) and purple (“beautiful”). Use in tomato sauces, soups with bean and tomato bases, chicken dishes, fresh salads, salad dressings and pesto. Also, basil doesn’t like the cold so if it gets below 45 degrees, you should cover it or it will wilt. However, once the weather warms up it will probably perk up again, Torrey says. Basil tends to reseed itself so you don’t need to keep replanting it.

Chives: These are very easy to grow. Garlic chives are a perennial with white flowers that tends to keep growing without needing to be replanted. These taste great with eggs on a Sunday morning, Torrey says. They grow better in South Florida than onion chives.

Cilantro/culantro: Cilantro grows well in the winter in warmer areas. But culantro grows year round and reseeds itself. Although they are not related, they have very similar flavors. Use in fresh salsa with tomatoes.

Dill: Doesn’t grow well in summer but does fine in winter. Try it with beets.

Italian oregano: Tastes like marjoram to be used with chicken and in soups as well as tomato sauces.

Parsley: Fresh parsley is so much better than dried, Torrey says. Curley parsley grows better than Italian parsley in warmer areas, but it doesn’t do well in summer. Add sprigs to green salads, use in chicken soup and in chicken dishes.

Rosemary: Has a strong flavor that’s good with roasted vegetables, lamb and chicken.

Sage: A must for the holiday turkey and stuffing but use all year with chicken and sauteed in butter it makes a simple but delicious pasta sauce, Torrey says. It’s easy to grow from fall until spring.

Spearmint: Torrey uses it for tea, in mojitos and tabbouleh. “It’s so refreshing and very easy to grow all year,” she says, stipulating it grows best in cooler months.

Tarragon: With a licorice-like flavor it works well for making vinegar and is good in egg dishes, sauces (think bearnaise) and for roasting chicken. Easy to grow all year round.

Thyme: Doesn’t grow well in summer in warmer areas. Distinct flavor that goes well with chicken, turkey and in soups. Caribbean cooks use it in bean recipes. Lemon thyme has a delicate lemon flavor.

Nasturtiums: OK, they aren’t herbs but edible flowers. They grow well in the South Florida garden in the winter and into June. They only germinate when the temperature is under 70 degrees. Torrey recommends an Alaska Mix that grows in clumps in pots and hangs over the edge instead of being on a vine. “They are fun to grow and for kids to pick and eat,” Torrey says. Just be sure to avoid pesticides.

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HERBED WINTER SQUASH

Donna Torrey’s Tips: This makes a tasty side dish. Or, if you prefer, serve it over cooked pasta with grated Romano or parmesan cheese on top, as a tasty vegetarian entree. For a more robust dish, sliced cooked turkey sausage or leftover cooked chicken can also be added. Calabaza is easier to peel if you cut it into strips before trying to peel it.

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, sliced into half moons (See NOTE)

4 cups (¬Ω-inch) cubes peeled calabaza, pumpkin or butternut squash

3 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary, sage or parsley

1 teaspoon sea salt, or more to taste

Fresh-ground black pepper, to taste

1 tablespoon honey

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add sliced onions and cook 5 minutes until soft, fragrant and lightly browned.

Add squash cubes, herbs, salt and pepper. Stir to coat squash and cook, covered, over medium-low heat, stirring periodically, 15 minutes until fully tender. (As the squash simmers it will exude juices that will help to steam the squash. You don’t want the liquid to evaporate too quickly so adjust the temperature accordingly.)

When the squash is tender, add the honey and mix gently to combine. Remove from heat and let sit, covered, 5 minutes before serving. Makes 4 servings.

Per serving: 210 calories, 46 percent calories from fat, 11 grams total fat, 2 grams saturated fat, no cholesterol, 30 grams carbohydrates, 7 grams total fiber, 10 grams total sugars, 23 grams net carbs, 2 grams protein, 301 milligrams sodium.

NOTE: To cut an onion into half moons, slice in half from top to bottom. Lay one half on its cut side on a cutting board. Slice crosswise into half moons. Repeat with the other half.

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ROAST WHOLE CHICKEN WITH POTATOES, ONIONS AND FRESH HERBS

Donna Torrey’s tip: This recipe is easy, but the herbs make it special. Serve with a simple salad adding fresh basil leaves to the mix of greens for even more flavor.

6 Yukon gold potatoes, cut in wedges

1 onion, cut in wedges

1 (6-inch) sprig fresh rosemary, needles removed from stem

1 teaspoon sea salt, divided

1 (3- to 4-pound) whole fresh chicken, organic if possible

2 tablespoons melted butter, optional.

6 (3-inch) sprigs fresh thyme or lemon thyme

1 / 4 teaspoon paprika

2 tablespoons dry red wine

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Place potatoes around outside of roasting pan and place onions in the center. Sprinkle vegetables with rosemary and 1 / 2 teaspoon salt. Wash the chicken and pat it dry with paper towels. Fill the breast cavity with thyme sprigs. Brush chicken with melted butter, if using. Rub remaining salt over outside of chicken. Sprinkle with paprika.

Place the chicken atop the onions in pan. Add wine to pan.

Bake about 1-1/4 to 1-3/4 hours until an instant read thermometer inserted into the thigh meat registers 165 degrees, and the chicken is nicely browned. Remove from oven, tent with foil and let sit 10 minutes.

Cut the chicken into pieces and serve the meat, potatoes and onions with pan juices. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Per serving: 426 calories, 39 percent calories from fat, 18 grams total fat, 6 grams saturated fat, 105 milligrams cholesterol, 31 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams total fiber, 2 grams total sugars, 28 grams net carbs, 33 grams protein, 292 milligrams sodium.

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BEET SALAD WITH DILL

Donna Torrey’s tip: After you trim off the beet greens, save them to use for another meal. You can saute or boil them. Or try chopping and adding them to soup. Don’t waste them; they are loaded with vitamins. For gardeners, beet skins and cooking water can be composted.

3 fresh beets with tops, trimmed

Water

1/2 sweet onion, chopped

2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Sea salt, to taste

Place beets in a pot of water and bring to a boil. Cook 45 minutes until tender. Drain and run under cold water as you slip off their skins. Cut beets into 1-inch chunks and put in a clear bowl. Add the onions, dill, oil, vinegar and salt.

Toss to mix well and serve at room temperature or chilled. (Will keep refrigerated for a two days.) Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Per serving: 50 calories, 64 percent calories from fat, 4 grams total fat, .5 grams saturated fat, no cholesterol, 4 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram total fiber, 3 grams total sugars, 3 grams net carbs, .6 grams protein, 27 milligrams sodium.

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MIMI’S SECRET TOMATO SAUCE

Donna Torrey’s tip: This sauce goes well over pasta, meatballs, chicken, sausages, steak or whatever. “This is the best sauce ever,” Torrey says.

2 (28-ounce) can crushed or pureed tomatoes

1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste

Water

1 small carrot, shredded

2 tablespoons honey

2 teaspoons salt, or to taste

2 (1-ounce) bunches fresh basil, tough stems removed

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, sliced

6 cloves garlic, chopped

1 / 2 (2-ounce) can anchovies, drained

2 tablespoons dry red wine (can substitute water)

In a nonreactive large saucepan or Dutch oven, combine tomatoes, carrots, honey, salt and 1 bunch basil (left whole). Fill tomato paste can with water and add to tomato mixture. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer.

Meanwhile in a skillet over medium heat, heat olive oil. Add onions and garlic and saute 5 minutes until golden. Add the second bunch of basil (whole) and cook until wilted. Add the anchovies and cook until they break apart. Put this mixture with the wine in a food processor fitted with the metal blade and use on/off pulses to chop (do not puree). Add to the tomato mixture. Continue to simmer 1 hour. Makes 10 cups.

Per (1 / 2 cup) serving: 66 calories, 33 percent calories from fat, 2 grams total fat, .3 gram saturated fat, .9 milligram cholesterol, 10 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams total fiber, 3 grams total sugars, 8 grams net carbs, 2 grams protein, 346 milligrams sodium.

By Steve Rosen, McClatchy Newspapers

It feels like someone kicked you in the stomach. Your pulse is racing. You’re not sleeping well, and you have that blank, empty feeling — the kind you get when you’re really down and have no answers.

Many parents preparing to send children off to college in the next year or two are feeling like that.

Punished by the staggering declines in the stock market this past year, many families have lost big chunks of money that was stockpiled from years of scrimping and saving to pay for college. And it doesn’t look like the market’s going to get much better this year.

On the financial aid front, loans are available, but reports indicate money could be scarce by spring. As for scholarship and grant money, availability varies from school to school. You may get funds, it just might not be what you were hoping for.

Given this financial storm, it’s a safe bet that many parents are downsizing their children’s college plans. Students who were planning on attending private schools are now looking at state schools; students who were going away to state schools are now looking at nearby universities; and students who had their heart set on four-year schools are now applying to two-year community colleges.

What can you do if you’re afraid you’ll not have enough money to cover college costs that are on the horizon?

There are numerous cost-effective strategies parents can try to stretch their education dollars. Some require hard work. Some are no brainers, such as submitting the Free Application for Federal Student Aid at www.fafsa.ed.gov. FAFSA is the gateway to federal, state aid and aid from the college itself.

Among the suggestions:

– Keep the end game in mind. Help your high school senior see past the glossy college marketing brochures and put her disappointment about changed plans into perspective, said Barbara Cooke, a counselor at Metropolitan Community Colleges-Maple Woods in Kansas City, Mo. “Is the goal going to college,” she said, “or is it to graduate from college with the education, work experience, and people skills needed to get on with a happy, productive adult life?”

Considering there are scores of top-flight colleges and universities to choose from, where your child ends up should not be a life or death choice, added Mark Kantrowitz, who runs Finaid.org, a financial aid Web site.

“While you may have set your heart on school X, school Y can probably give you just as good an education,” he said.

– Two to make four. Community colleges are a strong, and reasonably priced option for students, especially those who are unsure about a major or not really emotionally ready for the pleasure and pains of dorm life and large classes. Average annual tuition and fees at public community colleges runs about $2,361 versus $6,185 at four-year public colleges, according to 2008 data from the American Association of Community Colleges.

In addition, students can knock out credits by taking a class or two over the summer before heading to State U. Check on enrollment dates and have all the paperwork done to enroll early. “If you wait until the semester is over to enroll at a community college for summer, the classes you want may be full,” Cooke said.

But don’t sign up for community college classes haphazardly — make sure the credit hours can transfer to the four-year school.

– Test out. If your high school senior (or junior) is taking advanced placement courses but is on the fence about taking the final exams this spring, keep in mind that high test scores equal college credits. And college credits earned in high school should reduce the amount of your total college costs.

– Ignore the conventional wisdom. “As far as students who want to go to private school, I tell them, don’t worry,” said Stephen Heiner, founder of Get Smart Prep, a Kansas City-area test preparation company. “There has always been more money available at private schools, and again, because the prevailing wisdom is often wrong, there are legions of people who now aren’t going to apply because they don’t think they can afford it.”

That could open the door for more scholarship and aid money for those who do apply.

– Tough financial love. Finally, try this hedge against dwindling college funds — require your children to help pay the tab, said Susan Beacham, who runs Money Savvy Generation, a Chicago-area developer of children’s financial education products.

“Get them used to the idea that they need to contribute, that Mom and Dad will not be delivering a four-year private education on a silver platter,” said Beacham.

That may mean a job, a couple years at a community college before transferring to a bigger school, and maybe a student loan.

Some students I know have done just that — and it was not the end of the world. Far from it.

___

For additional information on college choices and budgeting tips, visit www.finaid.org/parents/budgetcutting.phtml. Also, for community college options, visit www.aacc.nche.edu.

By The Associated Press

EDMOND, Okla. (AP) — While many children received the typical toys and video games 4-year old Mitchell Sanchez recently received a special gift from his father, Matthew Sanchez.

Tate Publishing has released Matthew Sanchez’s first children’s book, “Benny the Frog,” which features a frog based on Mitchell.

Sanchez’s inspiration for the book came when Mitchell was only 18 months old. He was looking out the window on a cloudy and drizzly day with Mitchell and the family dog, Tracey. Mitchell, who was in a walker at the time, was holding a rubber frog toy.

“Suddenly, I was overwhelmed by a whole story line,” Sanchez said. “This is my projection of him (Mitchell) when he is five.”

In the book, Benny is a 5-year-old boy with a dream of being a frog for just one day. After getting into a sticky situation, Tracey the dog saves Benny, who realizes he likes being who he is.

When the story was first read to Mitch he was real cute because he got scared during the cat part,” said Stefanie Sanchez, Mitchell’s mother.

Matthew Sanchez said Benny is like Mitchell in the way he sees the world.

“It’s from a very simplistic point of view,” he said. “I wanted to do something that he could look back on and say, ‘My dad wrote that for me,’” he said.

When Sanchez began writing in 2000 he didn’t really foresee a writing career as a children’s author.

“If I had my dream, it would be to be in charge of a theater producing plays,” he said.

Sanchez said he would like to be able to produce original plays that he and other playwrights have written. He began writing plays in 2001 and has since completed one and has two still in progress.

“It’s a good way to release stress and channel emotions,” Sanchez said.

He said “Benny the Frog” came about because he wanted his son to have a book he wrote just for him. While his play had received several rejection letters, “Benny the Frog,” was accepted by the first publisher who read it.

His next book, “Henry the Tiniest Mosquito and the Great Forest Race,” will be based on his 9-month-old son, Henry. Sanchez said the inspiration for that book came about when a mosquito bit him during a run through Hafer Park.

Sanchez said he focuses on topics and characters that children’s authors don’t think about. He also tries to write stories that parents will be able to relate to while reading to their children.

By DEB PETERSON, The Baxter Bulletin

COTTER, Ark. (AP) — “Which note is this, Ethan?”

“F sharp.”

“What’s the name of this song?”

“Ode to Joy.”

“Ethan, who wrote this song?”

“Beethoven!”

Ethan is 4 years old.

He stands up straight in front of Larisa Kasatkina at her keyboard, violin at his chin and bow in his little hand. The questions come from his teacher, Oksana Pavilionis, who stands close enough to reach over and correct the position of his bow with her own.

Larisa, as she prefers to be known, begins to play “Ode to Joy” from the fourth movement of Ludwig van Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. Ethan plays with her, start to finish.

“What should we play now, Ethan?” she asks.

He thinks for a few seconds, looks at Larisa and says with enthusiasm, “Mozart’s Lullaby!”

Violin in place, he listens carefully to Larisa’s introduction, watching her intently and waiting patiently for his entrance, and he’s right on the mark.

“Now play ‘When the Saints Go Marching In’!” Ethan shouts when the lullaby is over, every request clearly punctuated with an exclamation mark.

After that, “How about ‘Amazing Grace’?!”

And then, with a stomp of his foot, “Jingle Bells!”

He and Larisa launch into a spirited version of the carol.

He plays them all — classical, gospel, carol — with intense concentration, and no music. At times he pauses and you can see his wheels turning as he searches for the correct note and then plays it.

Ethan’s parents, Matt and Sandy Sexauer of Cotter, played classical music for Ethan before his was born. Since then they have sung lullabies to him in the evenings, children’s songs in the mornings, and always listen to classical music in the car.

When Ethan was only two, his father said one day, “Who is the music by?” Ethan answered, “George Fredrick Handel.”

It wasn’t long before he could distinguish a Telemann concerto from a Bach, Vivaldi or Veracini concerto, according to his father.

Today, his mother plays his Suzuki violin CD’s while he’s busy being a boy. She says he has broken two or three bows now, using them as swords.

“It appears that he’s not paying any attention to the music,” Sandy Sexauer says, “and the next day he’ll pick up his violin and play it straight through.”

Abruptly, Ethan sets his violin and bow down on a chair and races around the lesson room, stopping to pick up several pieces of foam packing noodles. He creates letters on the floor with them.

“See,” he says, “I made an I.”

Oksana gently coaches him back to the piano.

“Sometimes he doesn’t behave very well,” she says, “but he’s only four, and he does more than we ask him to do. He’s truly a prodigy.”

“Ethan,” she says softly, “remember how to hold your bow.”

Oksana practices bowing drills with him, teaching him how to bow strong and slow, soft and quick.

“Down, up, down, up,” she coaches.

She plays with him so he can hear the difference. He follows her volume and rhythm, watching her bow.

Already, at four, he displays a sense of style with rhythm, timing and emotion.

“Hold your violin higher,” we hear again from Oksana. “Your bow? How are you holding your bow?”

Matt Sexauer’s sister, a violin teacher herself in another state, gave Ethan a 1/10th-size violin for his third birthday. Shortly after, his parents heard Oksana playing at church one day and learned she gives violin lessons. They thought it was a bit early, but decided to give it a try.

“Truthfully,” says Ethan’s father, “our goals were pretty simple. Learn how to hold the violin, play some open strings, know the string names, don’t kill the teacher and don’t break the violin or the bow.”

Ethan wanted nothing to do with it at first, so Sandy played his violin at his lessons. She was about to give up when Ethan picked up the violin himself and in no time at all was playing ‘Mississippi Stop Stop’ and ‘Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star’. Within months he could play 70 songs, and his repertoire now exceeds 200.

“He would go home and try to play his violin songs on his xylophone,” Matt says.

Distracted by the camera and the strangers in the room, Ethan displays a curious combination of precociousness and shyness. He mugs for the camera but plays stronger when it’s turned off.

He finishes a song, drops his violin again and runs to the door. “Good night!” he announces, although it’s only 11 a.m.

“We still have work to do, Ethan,” Oksana says, coaxing him back again, “We need to work very hard to make it right.”

Oksana and Larisa, both from Russia, have been friends and “sisters in music,” they like to say, since 1996. Oksana holds a master’s degree and Larisa a doctorate in music. Both are accomplished musicians and performers, and the two operate a school offering music lessons, Ovation Music Academy.

Their goal, they say, is to provide an affordable, integrated music program in which students learn theory, notes, harmony, rhythm, improvisation and composing, even classical dance. They teach music of all kinds, including country, bluegrass and jazz, in all forms, including voice.

“We want to provide comprehensive music education,” Oksana says, “This is a school, not a studio.”

“Will you please hold your violin correctly?” Oksana asks Ethan, and he complies.

He looks up at her for affirmation. She nods and smiles, and they play together.

“The neatest thing is that Ethan’s got this opportunity with an amazing teacher,” Matt Sexauer says, “and all because we stumbled upon it at church. In a small town like Cotter, to have an opportunity like this … a person ought to use it.”

He’s looking forward to discovering if Ethan’s little sister, Paige, who dances when Ethan plays, will want to play an instrument herself. To this family, it’s clearly a worthy effort.

And Ethan apparently thinks so, too. They say that, on the way home from a concert Ethan played recently, he told them, “Thank you for the violin lessons.”