The South Gibson Star-Times serves the towns of Haubstadt, Owensville and Fort Branch.
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/1467279
MY SO CALLED MILLENNIAL LIFE CHICKEN FAJITAS CHICKEN FAJITAS By Jennifer Vallee On Thursday, I found myself craving Mexican food all day. Thinking I was just a couple days late for taco Tuesday, I let it go. Later in the evening, I was perusing Facebook and re- alized I had completely spaced on Cinco de Mayo. Given the fact that my hubby loves Mexican food, I was surprised he didn't remember. But I had served him beef tips in mushroom gravy, so I think that he forgave me for my forgetfulness pretty quickly. Nevertheless, I was still craving Mexican and I am usually in charge of what we eat, so Saturday became Fajita Night. So, here's the recipe I used for my family. I had sides of sour cream, salsa, shredded cheese and extra limes, because we like to dress ours up a little. I hope your family will like this recipe as much as mine. Enjoy! INGREDIENTS • 1/2 c. plus 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil • 1/4 c. lime juice, from about 3 limes • 2 tsp. cumin • 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes • 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts • Kosher salt • Freshly ground black pepper • 2 bell peppers, thinly sliced • 1 large onion, thinly sliced • Tortillas, for serving DIRECTIONS 1. In a large bowl, whisk together 1 ⁄ 2 cup oil, lime juice, cumin, and red pepper flakes. Season chicken with salt and pepper, then add to bowl and toss to coat. Let mari- nate in the fridge at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours. 2. When ready to cook, heat remaining tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and cook until golden and cooked through, 8 minutes per side. Let rest 10 minutes, then slice into strips. 3. Add bell peppers and onion to skillet and cook until soft, 5 minutes. Add chicken and toss until combined. Serve with tortillas. Source: delish.com YOUTH FIRST TODAY To enter the Birthday Club, fill out the form at www. sgstartimes.com/birthday. Only the person's name, town and birthday will appear in the paper. As an added bonus, one lucky person each month will receive a free six-month South Gibson Star-Times subscription. THIS WEEK'S BIRTHDAYS Denny Cavins �������������������� Haubstadt ��������������5/11 Bridget Beard �������������������� Fort Branch ����������5/15 Holly Ryan ������������������������ Haubstadt ��������������5/16 Mary Broshears ����������������� Haubstadt ��������������5/16 THIS MONTH'S SPONSOR Serving Haubstadt, Owensville and Fort Branch Times 203 S� McCreary St�, Fort Branch 812-753-3553 Providing your child with the tools needed for developing good mental health By Abby Betz Youth First, Inc. As a parent or caregiver, it goes with- out saying that the task of taking care of our children is an important one, as well as, a great responsibility. Parents may be able to easily identify and address a child's basic needs by providing them with nutritious foods, a comfortable and inviting home, and instilling a reasonable bedtime routine. However, a child's men- tal health needs may not be quite as obvi- ous. A child's physical and mental health are equally as important. Ensuring that your child has good mental health will help them develop new social skills, boost their self-confidence, and instill a positive outlook on life. Ba- sic needs for meeting a child's physical health include maintaining a well-bal- anced diet and having an adequate sleep environment, as well as, opportunities for exercise. Meeting a child's basic needs for emo- tional and mental health include provid- ing unconditional love, giving appropri- ate guidance and discipline, instilling self-confidence and high self-esteem, and surrounding the child with posi- tive peers, teachers, and other caregiv- ers to help foster positive conditions of self-worth. Providing your child with uncondition- al love should be central to family life. It is important for your child to know that your love does not depend on their achievements. Nurturing your child's self-confidence and self-esteem is in- strumental in developing their ability to learn new skills and feel safe exploring their environment. Teaching and encour- aging your children to try their best, but also to embrace failure, fosters a sense of self-reliance and builds their esteem. Set- ting realistic goals that match their ambi- tions with abilities is also important when building confidence. Encouraging play is another import- ant aspect of a child's mental health. Play fosters creativity, problem-solving skills, and self-control. Learning how to get along with other children and develop- ing a sense of belonging are key compo- nents of play that are helpful in learning about their own strengths and weakness- es. T V and use of devices can be helpful for educational purposes, but should al- ways be monitored and limited. Appropriate guidance and discipline are essential in helping a child learn that certain behaviors are unacceptable and that the child is responsible for their ac- tions. Offer discipline that is fair and con- sistent and be firm but realistic with ex- pectations. If you must, criticize the be- havior, not the child. Avoid threats and bribery. Instead, talk about the reasons for disciplining your child and the poten- tial consequences for breaking estab- lished rules. It is also important to talk to your child about your feelings. Apologiz- ing for losing your temper models the ap- propriate response to difficult situations. As parents, we must also heed signs that there may be a problem which re- quires help from a professional. Some warning signs may include regular wor- ry or anxiety, persistent nightmares, dis- obedience or aggression, frequent tem- per tantrums, depression, irritability, hy- peractivity, and decline in school perfor- mance. If you suspect a problem, talk with your child's teacher, caregiver, or Youth First Social Worker in their school. You may also want to consult with your pediatrician or contact a mental health professional. Abby Betz, LSW, is a Youth First Social Worker at Holy Trinity Catholic Schools in Dubois County and Washington Catho- lic Schools in Daviess County. Youth First, Inc. is a nonprofit dedicated to strength- ening youth and families. Youth First pro- vides 78 Master's level social workers to 107 schools in 13 Indiana counties. Over 60,000 youth and families per year are served by Youth First's school social work and after school programs that prevent sub- stance abuse, promote healthy behaviors, and maximize student success. To learn more about Youth First, visit youthfirstinc. org or call 812-421-8336. A word from Mickey Mouse, who is spiraling By Stephanie Hayes Columnist H-h-hey everybody! It's me, Mickey Mouse! Say, you want to come inside my club- house? Well, alright! Oh, boy! Let's have some fun! Let's pretend nothing bad is going on, OK, everybody? I don't like to complain, be- cause if you can dream it, you can do it! But I've had a rough couple of weeks, hoo-hoo! Not so swell, to be honest! My attorney, professor Ludwig Von Drake, has advised me not to speak, so I will be careful, because I'm just a mouse in pants! Or are these shorts? Capris? Pantaloons? They are high-waisted with hollow, unseeing eyeballs, which sums up how I feel these days! To make the clubhouse appear, we have to say the magic words together. Come on, everyone! Meeska Mooska Mickey Mouse! Meeska Mooska Mick- ey Mouse! Did that create a special taxing dis- trict? No? Oh, boy. Maybe we can try again, a little louder! M-I-C-K-E-Y-M- O-U-S -E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G-I-S -F-I-N-E. Now, I don't know too much about gov- ernment, except that Donald Duck has shown what Minnie calls "autocratic tendencies" and that Goofy is what she calls a "sycophant, which one could ar- gue is more dangerous than the auto- crat." All I know is, a lot of people in full- length pants have met in colorless board- rooms! They are threatening each other with money this mouse made them, kids! And I am now caught in a Mouse- ke-revenge plot! I've got ears! It's time for cheers! Do you know how many ears people wear ev- ery day? With sequins and bridal veils and rainbows and, for some reason, Yoda? Those ears come out of my head, and no one is even talking about me! Minnie said, "It's not about you," and I felt kind of hurt! She said we are "trapped in a performative culture war with real consequences." I told her that all our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them, and she said, "only with aggressive gerryman- dering." Later, Daisy told me she saw Minnie with... shhh... a cigarette. She's full of beans! Hot dog, hot dog, hot diggity dog, I'm feeling down, I'm kinda lost! Is it normal to be... gee, I don't know, a little hope- less? Not about any one specific thing, but, like, everything? Like there's a gray cloud over the Magic Kingdom and I don't have a yellow poncho? Like I'm missing the energy to even wave at the Move It! Shake It! Mouseke-Dance It! Street Party? Gosh, Minnie was mean! She said I was a "melancholic narcissist clinging to a rosy past that doesn't exist anymore," hee-hee! She said, "Florida is setting petty precedents devoid of checks and bal- ances." She said I'm living in a "liminal space with on- ly nostalgia as an anchor." Then she started wearing pantsuits! But best friends stick to- gether! We can fix this, ev- eryone! Let's go get our Mouseke-tools! Mouseke-hey, Mouse- ke-hi, Mouseke-ho, Mouseke-bond rat- ing agency! Mouseke-fire protection and Mouseke-wastewater services! Mouseke-constitutional law! Oh, no, boys and girls. It's all a bit too much for your old pal Mickey. I'm going to play with Pluto because he makes me feel something, by golly. Dogs might be the last thing we have in common any- more! Minnie said dogs "trigger oxy- contin" and that it's a "Band-Aid for my problems" and wow, I really need Min- nie to give it a rest! It's time to say goodbye! I'm going to turn off all the lights and sleep face- down! Hot dog, hot dog, the problem's solved! Now toodle-oo, I'll see you soon! (Minnie said, "in court.") Stephanie Hayes is a columnist at the Tampa Bay Times in Florida. Fol- low her at @ stephhayes on Twitter or @ stephrhayes on Instagram. A-8 Tuesday, May 10, 2022 South Gibson Star-Times