ASHLEY’S CORNER NURTURING YOUR KIDS’ LOVE FOR READING
I have always loved to read. I remember my mom used to pay us a quarter a book, and that’s how we got started. She had to quit because we read so much. I still love reading, and so does my sister. She is on a 605-day streak of reading 10 minutes a day on her Kindle. On a call recently, she vowed, “I can’t break my streak!” October is National Book Month, a good time to think about our reading habits and what we’re teaching our kids. I was reading a lot on my Kindle app, too, on my phone — whenever I had 10 minutes free. But the kids started complaining, “You’re always on your phone!” I’m reading a book , I would tell them. But I recently resumed borrowing print books from the library. It’s a visual thing. If the kids see me reading, book in hand, they will want to read. They will see that reading is a life skill you need to have.
I want to be more intentional about keeping my kids reading too. They do love going to the library and picking out books. But for them, reading is not the escape that it was for me as a kid. I need to work on that, so it becomes a love for them too.
By bedtime, when we have typically been doing a lot of our reading, I’m often too tired, and I’ll just say, “We’ll read tomorrow.” That’s sad, because I’m noticing that my kids don’t have as big a love for reading as I do. I think I have done them a disservice. I need to change the routine, so it’s fun. We need to read at midday, during a quiet break. I would love to just sit and read on the front porch. “Yes, bring me all the books, and we will just read!” Readers, do you have set times of the day you read with your kids? How do you instill a love of books? I’d love to know how other parents handle this (if you have any suggestions then please email me as I’d love to hear from you! asheldon0608@gmail.com).
Books are such a great escape! My book club meets every six weeks or so, and we have good conversations. The discussions are often thought- provoking, and I enjoy that. We just finished “A Man Called Ove” by Fredrik Backman, and I loved it. Next up is “Code Name Hélène” by Ariel Lawhon, about a socialite spy in Paris during World War II.
Take a Break
EXTRA-CRISPY RANCH CHICKEN CUTLETS
Ingredients
Inspired by TheCookieRookie.com
• Olive oil • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste • 3/4 cup flour • 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese • 1 oz ranch seasoning, store-bought (1 packet) or homemade • Cooking spra
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan with olive oil and set aside. 2. Season both sides of chicken breasts with salt and pepper. 3. Set out three shallow bowls. In the first, combine flour and a pinch of salt and pepper. Add the eggs to the second bowl. Mix panko, Parmesan, and ranch seasoning mix in the third bowl. 4. For coating, dip seasoned chicken breasts in flour, coating both sides. Then, dip the chicken in the beaten eggs and, finally, the panko mixture. 5. Place each coated chicken breast in the prepared baking dish. 6. Spray the tops of the chicken with cooking spray. 7. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the chicken reaches 165 F and is golden brown.
Solution on Page 4
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