Song makers insisted on giving us 12 days of Christmas, so there's no reason why we can't treat ourselves to at least 12 days of delicious Christmas eating. Whether you make these tasty banana eggnog pancakes on Christmas morning, or in the lazy wintry days that follow, you'll smile each time you take a bite and remember the good times you've been having with family and friends.

And, aside from all of the many sentimental excuses you'll have to make these pancakes, there's a perfectly practical reason behind them, as well: what else are you going to do with all of that eggnog you bought that's just sitting in your fridge? These pancakes are the ideal solution to your eggnog problems!

This recipe is brought to you from Post Punk Kitchen. If you aren't a whiz at whipping up pancakes -- I certainly am not -- keep a few of the following tips in mind: use a spoon instead of an electric mixer to whip up your batter, let the batter rest for about 10 minutes before cooking, and preheat your pan for at least 10 minutes.

The beautiful thing about pancakes is that you can garnish them with everything from whipped cream to fig marmalade. To keep the holiday spirit alive, a few cranberries sprinkled alongside sliced bananas and maple syrup should do the trick here. 

Banana Eggnog Pancakes

Ingredients:

2 very ripe medium bananas
1 1/4 cups eggnog
2 tablespoons organic canola oil (or other light tasting oil)
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg (plus extra for sprinkling)
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

In a medium mixing bowl, mash bananas (using a strong fork or a potato masher or an avocado masher) until they are almost pureed. Add eggnog, canola oil, vinegar and vanilla extract and set aside.

In a separate large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, nutmeg and salt. Make a well in the center.

Pour the banana mixture into the center of the dry ingredients. Add the oil and vanilla and use a fork to mix until a thick, lumpy batter forms. That should take about a minute. It doesn’t need to be smooth, just make sure you get all the ingredients incorporated.

Preheat the pan over medium-low heat and let the batter rest for 10 minutes.

Lightly coat the pan in oil. Add 1/3 cup of batter for each pancake, and cook for about 4 minutes, until puffy. Flip the pancakes, adding a new coat of oil to the pan, and cook for another 3 minutes or so. Pancake should be about 3/4 of an inch thick, and golden brown.

Rest pancakes on a cooling rack covered with tin foil until ready to serve. To reheat, place pancakes in on a baking sheet covered with tin foil in a 300 F degree oven for 5 minutes or so. Serve with sliced bananas, cranberries and maple syrup.

Happy holidays!

Image via Corbis 

There's a lot of bad news out there. You don't have to look too far to find stories that make you want to cry or hide under your blanket or throw up your hands and shout, "what is WRONG with everyone?" It's sometimes too easy to forget that really good people exist everywhere and are doing things, as I write this, to make the lives of others better. Instead of dwelling on the bad, we want to take a few minutes to recognize 10 of the sweetest, most generous acts of kindness we've witnessed this holiday season that are making us feel really good about humankind. 

1. A mystery man poses as a homeless person in Vancouver and rewards those who give him money. Although he refuses to reveal his identity, the Canadian begs for change on the street each Christmas and then provides those who donate with a monetary gift.

2. In Colorado each year, a man buys out the toy section of a Goodwill. Children who visit the charity organization with their parents then get a huge surprise: They are allowed to pick out one free toy. The man behind this act has chosen to remain anonymous and doesn't want to disclose how much he pays Goodwill. 

3. Amazing reports surface of Salvation Army sites receiving gold coin donations. Officials say various Salvation Army drop-offs in Chicago have collected more than $11,000 in gold coins by anonymous donors. 

4. An anonymous donor in Ohio known as "Secret Santa" gave a Walmart $25,000 in gift cards to pay off about 100 layaway accounts.

5. Secret Santas seem to be everywhere! Another anonymous donor secretly paid off $2,000 in layaway bills at a Walmart in Central Texas.

6. Adults aren't the only ones who are in the giving spirit. Three young boys found $100 while playing at a park. Instead of running to the video game shop, they asked one of their grandmothers to help them return the money to a church.

7. In order to encourage an elderly woman to drink her medicine, a registered nurse from Michigan offered her a beautiful bracelet. She literally removed the jewlery from her wrist and handed it to the woman in order to get her to take the meds she desperately needed. 

8. Single mom Danielle Dubois from Connecticut was told by a Walmart rep that a "Christmas angel" had paid off her layaway bill for a Lego set she had purchased for her son. After losing her mom a few months earlier, this random act of kindness was just what mom needed.

9. Reddit is being used as a tool in which charitable people can play Secret Santa and give to complete strangers. Who would have thought that one of those donors would be Bill Gates, who donated a cow in a young woman's name to Heifer International, which gives the animals to needy people so they can eat and make a living. 

10. Dad of four receives the most amazing Christmas gift: a letter from his late wife, who died of cancer and penned the note two years ago. In it, she reminds her husband of the great love she has for him and even asks him to pamper his new girlfriend and take the family on a big trip. Heartbreaking and beautiful. 

What's the most touching act of random kindness you've witnessed this year? 

Image via David Lienhard/Flickr

Remember when you were in grammar school and your crush pulled your ponytail because he didn't know how to speak to you? Your teacher probably scolded him -- maybe gave him a written assignment or kept him inside during recess to teach him a lesson. Yeah, this story is NOTHING like that, yet one misguided judge is pretty much treating it that way. The same judge who sentenced a former teacher to just 30 days in prison for raping a 14-year-oldgirl has ordered an abusive boyfriend to write "boys do not hit girls" 5,000 times as part of his (super-lenient) sentence. Unless he has to write this phrase over and over again in between scrubbing the bathrooms in a women's shelter, I fail to see how this isn't the silliest punishment ever. 

Pace Anthony Furguson reportedly punched his girlfriend in the face, fracturing it in three places. Thankfully, the 27-year-old will be forced to serve the maximum allowed jail time of 6 months and has to pay $3,800 toward his girlfriend's (ex-girlfriend's, let's hope) medical bills, but all I can think when I hear this is -- well, duh. This should be a no-brainer. Of course this guy should serve at least 6 months in prison and have to go in debt to pay for his girlfriend's shattered face -- if he hadn't been such an abusive jerk, the woman wouldn't need medical attention in the first place. 

If this is the maximum punishment allowed in the state of Montana, well then it is what it is, I guess. But when Judge G. Todd Baugh decided to add a silly writing exercise on top of it...well, he lost me with that one. Does he really consider this an appropriate punishment? 

Furguson is a grown man who doesn't need to learn that it isn't okay to punch a woman (or anyone, really). He simply needs to pay for his actions. A better way of handling this, and maybe knocking some sense into him, would be to force him to go to counseling AND perform a certain number of hours of community service at a woman's shelter. This judge's writing punishment comes off as a jokey way of dealing with a very serious problem. 

What do you think of the judge's writing exercise punishment?

Image via Candie_N (Welcome Fall)/Flickr 

If my child was suddenly and unexplainably diagnosed with cancer and died 11 months later, I would be searching high and low for answers that may or may not exist. I would be so heartbroken that I wouldn't know where to turn, what to do with myself, or how to create a positive situation out of a heartbreaking, horrifying one. So I can't fault these parents from New Zealand for blaming the death of their 10-year-old son, who was diagnosed with brain cancer less than one year before he lost his battle with the disease, on their son's school's Wifi and iPad usage. But, in spite of some surprising coincidences that have been revealed, they may be taking things too far by fighting all schools in their district to get rid of technology.  

When doctors found tumors on Ethan Wyman's brain, they told his parents they were about 3 months old. The young boy had been issued an iPad as part of his school's 1:1 education initiative 4 months prior to the doctors' discovery. Ethan's father says that, while he doesn't blame the school's technological advancements for causing his son's cancer, he can't help but feel like it's too big a coincidence to ignore. 

Ethan's parents are making a big push to the school board to remove all iPads and Wifi connections from local schools. They reportedly have two children who still attend the school, which may explain why they feel passionately about this -- or maybe they are really just trying to do something they feel is positive in order to counter the awful event that very recently shattered their lives.

But the Wyman's may find themselves fighting an impossible battle. Both the New Zealand Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education find no link between Wifi and cancer. And, though we should remain skeptical since a few studies have found a possible link between cell phones and cancer, the majority claim tech is safe enough to use in schools. 

We also shouldn't downplay the important role tech is occupying in schools. In this country, Common Core Learning Standards practically require that computers are incorporated into lessons. Students who use devices like iPads have access to a world of information that reaches far beyond their textbooks. 

Given the lack of scientific proof here, it seems like the benefits of technology outweigh the possible harmful effects. I feel for these parents and understand why they are making this effort to change their schools, but I'm not sure this is the right battle to fight.

Do you think schools should get rid of technology because of a possible link to cancer?

Image via flickingerbrad/Flickr

Confession: before the Christmas madness set in, I wrote a post in which I argued that $224 is not nearly enough money to spend on a child during the holidays. My non-scientific hypothesis came from the realization that many of the toys I really wanted my daughter to have -- Magna Tiles, anyone? -- are stupidly expensive. Lots of readers chewed me out on my opinion, but I thought -- oh, what's the harm? It's my child's first real Christmas (she's 2) and I want to give her everything her heart desires. 

I am publicly prepared to eat my words. Christmas morning was gorgeous and memorable, but also proved to me that if my child turns into a spoiled brat, my husband and I will be solely to blame. But we also have the power to stop this bad behavior before it sets in. 

I'd always been told children are naturally greedy little creatures. False statement. Sure, they may be pre-programmed to think of their needs before all else, but I could see on Christmas morning just how much influence we were having on her desire to acquire more, more, more. After opening just one present and setting her eyes on a little plastic wand that couldn't have cost more than $10, she was totally content to leave all of the other gifts wrapped and focus on that one.

But, instead of leaving her alone, what did we do? We pushed her to open the others. She became fatigued after awhile and we could tell she cared very little about many of her gifts because she couldn't help but feel sensory overload. Various objects beeped, lights were going off in one corner of the room, and a universe of Little People had exploded on the living room rug. There was just too much. She couldn't focus. She ended the morning with a wild tantrum.

A situation like this one could occur any day of the year -- holiday or not. We want to give our children everything, but is it worth it if he or she has too much to appreciate any one thing? Or if our children are banging up their toys and treating them like old rags they can trash? 

Here are some quick tips on how to prevent our children from becoming spoiled brats, despite our desires to give them the world:

1. If your children are really young, consider storing many of the gifts you give around holiday time so that you can slowly introduce them throughout the year. Doing so will ensure they are appreciative of each gift they receive. 

2. If your children are a little older, tip number 1 probably won't work well since they aren't likely to forget what they opened on the holidays. Evaluate what you have before you wrap everything and consider storing some of the gifts for later on in the year.

3. Use the following words often: "No, and that's the end of the story." If your child insists on having something that you know he doesn't need, it's up to you to be his parent and not his friend. 

4. Teach your child how to take care of her toys and make it a priority to ensure she cleans up after herself each day. As annoying as it may be, you are teaching her to respect and value what she has instead of taking it for granted.

5. Show your child how much fun it is to give, as well as receive. Include them when you purchase a gift or card for grandma and make a big deal out of their contribution. 

What do you do to ensure your children aren't spoiled -- especially around holiday or birthday time?

Image via C Slack/Flickr

2013 will go down in the books as the year of the makeup-free selfie. Celebs are dying to be viewed as normal, everyday folk who aren't afraid to show off their "flaws" and sinfully shiny faces. But let's face it, most of the images we've seen of these women are either shot with a flattering filter that creates the effect of makeup or aren't truly makeup-free photos at all -- mascara and nude lip gloss are a natural girl's best friend, you know. 

But one Victoria's Secret model recently took to Instagram to post a photo of herself totally barefaced. I swear. No makeup at all. Really. 

Adriana Lima doesn't exactly have anything to hide. The Brazilian mother of two is beautiful enough to have retained her contract with Victoria's Secret since 2000. Pretty impressive, since 13 years is like 300 in model years. What's her secret to looking amazing without makeup? She honestly seems to live a healthy lifestyle, and it shows in her photo, which was taken minutes (or maybe even seconds) after completing her boxing workout at the gym. Let's have a look:

She looks gorgeous AND totally natural! Yay! Bless this woman -- she hasn't even bothered to wipe the sweat off her face or wait until the redness in her skin subsides. And it makes absolutely no difference because she's glowing. I don't know about you, but I see quite a few women at my gym who look like they've applied cosmetics to work out on the treadmill. Not only can makeup clog your skin when you sweat, but it's totally unnecessary -- exercise makes you look beautiful!

So, aside from having stunning skin, it looks like one of Adriana's other secrets to looking great sans makeup is to keep your brows tamed so that they frame your face. Well, that about sums it up, doesn't it? Easy as pie!

Kudos to the model for keeping her selfie real and inspiring us to hit the gym with nothing but flawless brows and a swipe of chapstick.

How often do you leave the house without makeup?

Image via Instagram

When we're going through a difficult breakup, it can be impossible to remember why we fell in love with the jerk gentleman in the first place. Sometimes all we can see is a person who has been put on this earth to crush our hopes and dreams. But that's the beauty of time and distance -- former loves look a lot better after a few years. Maybe you firmly believe that once something is over, you needn't speak that person's name again. And, while there's something to be said for that approach, you can totally hang out with and be friends with your ex. AND his new girlfriend or wife. 

I get why it seems like a weird thing to do. Naomi Campbell made headlines this week when she was spotted hanging out with ex-lover Flavio Briatore and his wife on a trip to Kenya. People immediately wonder how the "new" woman can be civil to the "old" one when both have seen the same man naked. 

But that brings us back to that whole time and distance thing. Naomi and Flavio dated 10 years ago. I'm certainly not the same person I was when I was 20, so it makes total sense to me that the person I dated all those years ago is not the same person I need in my 30s -- and vice versa (otherwise, we'd still be together). 

I can't say I've stayed close with all of my exes -- I mean, that would be asking for a lot. There are some I wouldn't want to bump into at a grocery store because we honestly wouldn't have more than two words to say to one another. But my husband and I are friendly with two of my exes and their new wives and, though we don't make it a habit, we have shared drinks and meals with them. And it was a truly pleasant experience -- for all of us, I think. 

Once the romantic spark is gone, it's gone. But you can usually find some reason why you liked a person you dated, particularly if you got to know their families and shared many memories. If all parties and partners involved are okay with it, why lose that connection to them entirely? 

And as far as new girlfriends/wives go, most of the time they prove to be just as cool as you are -- maybe even cooler. You may even gain a friend. 

Have you stayed friends with exes? 

Image via Sam Howzit/Flickr

It's been a long, hard winter of crop tops. Judging by Spring's 2014 runway shows, I regret to inform you that the 90s throwback piece isn't going away quite so soon. The good news is that many new trends will be heading our way and a great deal of them are exciting and totally wearable.

From pastels to bomber jackets to 90s-inspired slip dresses, we've featured 9 upcoming fashion trends that will make you look forward to ringing in the new year. And if the words "slip dress" just gave you a nervous flashback to the days when Claire Danes wore hers over a baby doll t-shirt, never fear: we've included tips on how to update your pieces so that you don't look like a teen raging against the machine. 

Which trends are you looking most forward to in 2014?

Image via metroparkusa.com

Robin Roberts, a supremely popular anchorwoman on Good Morning America, is used to breaking big stories. But she has become the talk of the town since broadcasting her own bit of news on her Facebook page this weekend: the 20-year TV news veteran revealed to the world that she is a lesbian and involved in a loving 10-year relationship with a massage therapist named Amber Laign. 

While reflecting on all that she is thankful for this past year, Robin wrote: "I am grateful for my entire family, my longtime girlfriend, Amber, and friends as we prepare to celebrate a glorious new year together." That's it. She just kind of slipped it in there, casually -- yet the world can't stop chatting about the super-cool way she has come out. 

There's just something about the classy way Roberts shared this news with the public that really impresses. The anchorwoman, who is a breast cancer survivor, penned the Facebook status as a way to pay tribute to those who helped her after she received a bone-marrow transplant to help with a rare blood disorder she has called myelodysplastic syndrome, or MDS. She wrote:

At this moment I am at peace and filled with joy and gratitude.

I am grateful to God, my doctors and nurses for my restored good health.

I am grateful for my sister, Sally-Ann, for being my donor and giving me the gift of life.

I am grateful for my entire family, my long time girlfriend, Amber, and friends as we prepare to celebrate a glorious new year together.

I am grateful for the many prayers and well wishes for my recovery. I return every one of them to you 100 fold.

On this last Sunday of 2013 I encourage you to reflect on what you are grateful for too.

If you know very little about Roberts, prepare to be amazed. I mean, the woman has worked everywhere and interviewed everyone, from Barack Obama to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to Lisa Niemi. She was responsible for bringing the first camera crew into the Centers for Disease Control when all of us were losing our minds over the scary H1N1 "swine flu" virus AND, despite her serious credentials, didn't consider herself too highfalutin to co-host the 81st Annual Academy Awards pre-show. 

She's, very simply, an incredible professional and well-respected leader in her field.

Now, add to that the fact that Roberts has been vocal about her disease and wrote an inspiring book on how to live a strong and healthy life, and, well, you can see why her willingness to share her sexual orientation with the public is a big deal. Any young woman -- or any woman of any age, really -- who has not felt comfortable coming out as gay can look at Roberts as a fantastic role model and source of strength.

What do you think of Robin Roberts' decision to "come out" as gay in her Facebook post? 

Image via Twitter

Everyone loves to rag on supermodel Gisele Bundchen. She's impossibly gorgeous. She posts photos of herself on Instagram striking yoga poses with her toddler (when we can't get ours to sit still at a dinner table) and causes absolute mayhem when she shows the world what a day in the life of a breastfeeding glamazon looks like. Even worse than all those photos, she -- gasps -- has the audacity to speak her mind about topics like breastfeeding and even her husband Tom Brady's football career. 

But Gisele deserves a break. Perhaps she doesn't think before speaking at times -- far worse crimes have been committed -- but the mom of two seems to genuinely care for others. She recently took time out from her busy schedule just to shoot the breeze with a teen girl with cancer. 

Karina Moreira got the surprise of her life after Christmas, when Gisele rang her doorbell and proceeded to spend the day chatting with the 15-year-old about makeup and fashion. The teen and model first met two years ago, when Karina was undergoing chemotherapy sessions for her bone cancer. Her cancer went into remission but came back. She is currently being treated again for the disease. 

More from The Stir:Katy Perry Has Something to Say About Terminally Ill Girl's 'Roar' Cover (VIDEOS)

Karina calls Gisele her "role model." If you're like me, you might be wondering whether a woman who makes millions because she's beautiful is the ideal person for a teen to look up to, but Karina is way into fashion -- so much so that she has her own blog, Chic by Karina, where she provides makeup tutorial videos. And, if I might add, the kid could give professional makeup artists a run for their money.

Gisele let Karina apply makeup to her face, which would be a dream for any aspiring cosmetics professional. But, more importantly, she gave her the gift of her time and company. And, judging by the look on Karina's face in this video, you can just tell Gisele was wonderful to her. 

See this video on The Stir by CafeMom.

Do you like Gisele? If you don't, does this story change your mind about her?

Image via CNN.com

Kate Middleton and Prince William have done such a stellar job of convincing the public that they are just like us (insert sarcastic voice) that I have trouble picturing them hanging out with anyone who didn't attend their university or grow up sharing their blood. But it looks like they have two new best friends who, despite both being British, seem like they'd be more comfortable in Hollywood than at Buckingham Palace.

So who are these two hanging with? Taylor Swift and Jon Bon Jovi? Thank goodness, NO. Rumor has it Kate and Will's new BFFs are none other than Victoria and David Beckham! 

More from The Stir:6 Major Kate Middleton Myths Busted

The Duchess of Cambridge and the former Spice Girl have reportedly been bonding over their mutual love of design. The Beckhams, who have lived in California for years now, are returning to England and are most assuredly in need of new friends, particularly since their old buddies Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes called it quits. It doesn't hurt that they are reportedly spending $71.1 million to renovate a mansion in London and that Kate had a big say in redesigning the royal couple's Kensington Palace home. 

Kate has been busy offering Victoria decorating advice and picking out an unusual housewarming present for them -- antique Grecian statues. But, I guess, what do you give the couple that has everything?

Aside from this common interest, Victoria seems like a good match for the young mom. Not sure how many friends Kate has who are parents, but she's at that age where you either know a million people who are becoming moms or you are one of the first of your crew to take the leap. It helps to have an older, more experienced friend who can give you parenting advice and be there to lend an ear, and Victoria -- who has four children and what seems like a stable marriage -- fits the bill.

And can we wonder for a second whether this new relationship will influence Kate to take more risks with her wardrobe? She looks stunning enough, but how amazing would it be to see the Duchess rock sleek black leather leggings and ankle boots under a cozy sweater? Fingers crossed.

Apparently, the men are also getting along like old buddies. Will is a big sports fan, which gives the two a lot to talk about, and there's an incredible rumor that Will may take sushi-making lessons from David. 

A-maaa-zing. Can they please invite us all to their dinner party? 

What do you think of Kate and Will's new friendship with Victoria and David Beckham? 

Image via nothingtoomuch1/Flickr

Flip phone users of the world, unite! How many of you are out there? Nine? Ten people reading this? Well, count me in as a usually ashamed proud old school phone user who refuses to update to a smartphone. Ah, but today I've never felt better about my decision to live like it's 1997. It turns out my chances of being robbed are close to nil -- thanks to my crappy phone. A 25-year-old man was walking with a friend through Central Park in New York City when an armed robber threatened to kill him if he didn't turn over his possessions. When the man produced a flip phone, the mugger basically rolled his eyes, threw the phone back at the man in a huff, and stormed off. 

I haven't remained loyal to my old phone as a matter of principle or for any lofty reason. I guess I could shell out the money to buy the latest phone. But I've been fine without one for so long that I'm convinced I'm not missing out on anything. I still manage to check email, Facebook, Twitter, and various news sites about a million times a day. If I have to drive a long distance, I actually prefer writing down directions and staying three steps ahead of wherever I am rather than following Siri's voice and having to make some wild left turn that comes out of nowhere. 

Is it embarrassing when every friend at dinner pulls out her iPhone 5s and I pull out, well, nothing because why would I pull out an old phone that can't do much? Sure, sometimes! But I prefer to delude myself into thinking I'm practicing proper etiquette, when I'm honestly just being a cheapskate and am not the least bit interested in reading blogs when I'm outside of my house and trying to focus on doing other things. 

All of this would be easier to get away with if my husband didn't actually have a professional relationship with Apple. Shameful, I know. Thanks to him, our house is filled with lots of pretty and sleek i-things, all of which I really like -- but use in the most basic ways. I am totally on board with the iPad and have recently begun to understand the appeal of the MacBook Air (it's a very sexy laptop). But ask me to type on a smartphone and I begin to have convulsions. It takes me 10 minutes to send a three-word text because I have to keep going back to delete my mistakes.

I may look silly with my flip phone, but my bill is hilariously low. I rarely check my phone at dinner. And now I've learned that robbers have no use for me at all. I won't be changing phones any time soon. 

What kind of phone do you have? Are you careful with it when you're in public?

Image via Eliot Phillips/Flickr

Jahi McMath, the 13-year-old girl who suffered from a brain injury and has been on life support since receiving a routine tonsillectomy a little less than a month ago, will be kept alive until January 7, a court decided this week. After an extensive battle with the hospital that has been arguing in favor of removing the teen from her ventilator, Jahi's suffering family considers this a small and bittersweet victory. The upcoming week will be a sad but busy one for family members, as they prepare to make arrangements to have Jahi moved from the hospital to an extended-care facility.

Although hospital officials consider Jahi legally dead and have given up on any hope of her recovering from her condition, the girl's relatives refuse to accept this and are planning on continuing the fight for her life. Jahi was first admitted to a hospital in California to undergo voluntary tonsil surgery. Shortly after her procedure, the teen was found to be suffering from a heart attack and excessive blood loss. She was rushed to the ICU, but doctors were unable to prevent over two-thirds of her brain from swelling due to oxygen deprivation.

For weeks, Jahi's family members have been hard at work raising $20,000 in donations to have the girl air-lifted and transported to a long-term care facility in New York. Her grandmother says the teen has started to move her legs in response to her relatives' voices, though hospital officials insist it is pretty common for recently deceased patients to spontaneously move their limbs.

I understand the hospital is just trying to apply logic and science to a situation that is infused with emotion. But Jahi's family members have the right to take this next step in their quest to discover whether there is any hope at all left for Jahi. I can't imagine choosing to officially end my child's life if any part of me suspects she may not be dead. 

The next few weeks will continue to be rough for this young girl's family. I hope they receive the answers they need in order to make the right next step -- whatever that may be.

How do you feel about the court's decision to extend Jahi's time in the hospital?

Image via steakpinball/Flickr

Once in awhile, a mouthwatering dessert recipe comes along that you just know is going to taste like the food equivalent of love. It has to involve chocolate (obviously) but usually also makes creative use of something tart, tangy, and warm -- like the extravagantly decadent raspberry sauce that is drizzled over these amazing mini lava cakes. Winter is the ideal time to stay home, bake, and then cuddle up with chocolate treats, a glass of red wine, and someone else -- if you choose to. Enjoying these alone is also heavenly. So let's turn on the oven! 

This recipe for Chocolate Lava Cakes With Red Raspberry Sauce is brought to you from Just a Taste. It is, essentially, a molten chocolate cake, which is one of those sinfully amazing desserts that you bite into and that provides you with a surprisingly gooey, warm middle that fills your mouth and belly with absolute delight. 

This recipe yields one dozen small cakes and takes about 50 minutes to make, from prep to cook time. Be sure to have extra raspberries or strawberries and powdered sugar on hand in order to create a pretty garnish.

Chocolate Lava Cakes With Red Raspberry Sauce

Ingredients:

For the lava cakes:

2 sticks unsalted butter, cubed
1 1/3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
5 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons all-purpose flour

For the red raspberry sauce:

1 cup fresh raspberries
2 Tablespoons water
2 Tablespoons sugar

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450ºF.

Fill a large saucepan with water and bring to a boil.

Place the butter and chocolate chips in a smaller saucepan then melt the ingredients by holding the smaller saucepan over the pan of boiling water.

Stir constantly until smooth then set aside.

Beat together the eggs, sugar, and salt with an electric mixer until the sugar dissolves.

Beat the egg mixture into the melted chocolate, then beat in the flour.

Line a cupcake tin with paper cupcake cups that have been coated with cooking spray.

Pour the batter into the cups then bake for 8 to 10 minutes, just until the edges of the cakes are firm and the centers and still liquid.

Remove the lava cakes and let cool for 5 minutes.

Remove the cakes from the cupcake cups and serve with raspberry sauce (recipe below).

For the raspberry sauce:

Combine the raspberries, water, and sugar in a saucepan over medium-high heat.

Let mixture come to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and let simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until thickened. Stir frequently to break apart the raspberries.

Let cool before spooning over lava cakes and serving.

Image via Andrea Goh/Flickr

Actor Michael Douglas, who separated from Catherine Zeta-Jones four months ago, was recently quoted as saying, "Sometimes people take a little bit of a break, but it doesn't necessarily mean that's the end." Given the fact that they were just spotted wearing their wedding rings and walking with their two children, I do believe he makes a good point.

We seldom see strong examples in Hollywood of couples who separate and then actually work on their issues with the hope of resolving them and reuniting again. Separation seems more like the baby step couples make prior to going for the Big, Expensive D. 

But it doesn't have to be that way.

My parents were separated from the time I was 12 until I was about 23. As a preteen, I was fascinated by the concept of "separation" in marriage and what it all meant. Clearly, it was better to be separated than divorced -- which was a total nail in the coffin. Separated implied possibilities. But it was also a trickier solution to marital troubles -- it left the door wide open for one person to date while the other perhaps did not. It let both partners have their cake and eat it too. It seemed like a quick fix for two people who didn't want to deal with the reality of their doomed marriage. 

Given the fact that they married when they were just 20, it was inevitable that my parents were going to grow up and evolve a great deal from 1970 until the early '90s, when they decided to "take a break." Kudos to couples who change together and can make that work. But I understand now how difficult that must be to do. My mom is a hot-blooded, emotional person who, at some point, could no longer deal with my dad's cool tempered, extremely rational, and borderline emotion-less way of viewing the world. He, in turn, became agitated by her drama and need to pick a fight -- any fight -- just to remind herself she could get a rise from him.

They needed to separate in order to keep from killing one another. They needed to breathe on their own and, perhaps, see other people to decide if they were better off with someone else (to this day, both remain mum on how they carried on with their love lives during that time, and I don't see it as my business to ask questions). 

Fast-forward 20 years. My parents are back together and a much better couple than I can ever remember. I'm not sure what made them "click" again. Maybe she calmed down a bit and he became more passionate with each year that passed. Perhaps having grandchildren, fewer bills, and a new, exciting, and less stressful world to share helped ignite their love. Whatever it is, at this age, they've decided they are just what they need. 

I'm pretty sure they wouldn't be together today if they hadn't taken a much-needed "break."

Do you feel separation in marriage can be a solution to problems, or do you view it as the first step before divorce?

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Judging by Air Canada's travel voucher policy, we should all be wearing aprons and cementing our feet to the kitchen floor while our husbands go out and bring home the bacon. An old-fashioned policy prevents married couples who do not share the same last name from transferring travel vouchers to one another. According to the Canadian airline, there is a good reason for this rule -- it helps prevent fraud. But, as it found out this week, hell hath no fury like a writer with a Twitter account. When Canadian author Chris Turner tried to transfer a voucher to his wife, who chose to keep her maiden name when they were married, he got the shock of his life when his request was denied. That's when things started to heat up on Twitter.

Turner's first Tweet to @AirCanada questioned the policy, almost as if he can't believe it's true:

Air Canada responded -- rather promptly, I might add:

And, of course, Turner had a wonderful reply to that:

It didn't take long before several disgruntled women -- and men -- added their two cents to the matter. The first was posted by Turner's wife:

Of all the many married couples I know, approximately half of them have different last names. And my female family members who live outside of the United States always keep their maiden names. It seems like Air Canada has simply neglected to change with the times. I'm guessing airline officials are going to have to do so in order to make their customers happy and keep up with other airlines that do allow transfers between married couples with different names.

Even though Turner later admitted that Air Canada would reimburse him for his travel, despite being unable to redeem the voucher when he booked his trip because of their different last names, this is obviously still a huge pain in the butt for many people. It's also a reminder that, in the eyes of some, the marriage deal isn't officially sealed unless a woman takes a man's name.

What do you think of Air Canada's policy?

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There's something about being pregnant on New Year's Eve and day that makes you feel more reflective. Blame it on sobriety, but it's actually really nice to spend the holiday with a clear mind that gives you the power to actually make resolutions you'll want to keep. I've never been one for promising myself I'll spend more time at the gym or eat less meat after January 1 -- but I'm all for resolutions that can slowly be achieved over the course of the year.

And so I've vowed to make 2014 the year I focus solely on goals that will make me a better mom. Talk about pressure!

In no particular order, here is my list of pregnancy/new baby/mommy resolutions:

1. When I give birth this spring, I will also give breastfeeding a real try. Because, if I'm going to be honest with myself, I gave up a little too soon last time around. It hurt like hell, my nipples were sore and bloody, my baby seemed like she was starving all of the time, and no one slept. But, for me, the benefits outweigh the negatives. I promise myself I'll stick it out a little longer.

2. I will not consider myself a failure if breastfeeding doesn't work out for me. I will not cry on and off for weeks. I will get on with life and feed my child however he needs to be fed. I refuse to allow negative thoughts to eat us both alive. 

3. I will take my husband up on all of his offers to let me sleep in on the weekends from now until I give birth. He can handle feeding my toddler breakfast, even if he doesn't do things exactly my way. And it will be awhile until I get the chance to sleep in again after baby is born.

4. I will make potty training my toddler more of a priority. I won't push her if she isn't ready, but I will follow through each and every day and try to get her onto that potty. Yes, even on days when I'd rather be out and about with her conveniently clad in diapers.

5. I will not rush into buying a house that isn't perfect for us. The pressure is mounting since we'll be quite cramped in our current quarters once new baby is born, but I will resist the temptation to take anything bigger in order to have more space. 

Do you have New Year's mommy resolutions?

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A 6-month-old baby girl, who was traveling with her family to Puerto Rico, is alive today thanks to a 63-year-old woman who knew CPR. Jeanne Gallahue quickly responded when she heard a flight attendant shout for help. Over the next two hours, which were most assuredly the worst of the baby's mother's life, Gallahue helped resuscitate the child -- who may have suffered an allergic reaction -- while advising the pilot to land in North Carolina so the baby could receive care at a hospital and instructing passengers and flight attendants on how they could help. Thankfully, this amazing woman was carrying the breathing apparatus she needed to save the baby's life, but it's scary to think many moms and dads are unaware of how to take the simplest steps to help their child if he or she is choking.

When you have a baby, you realize how powerless you are in many ways. You can't prevent a 104-degree fever from suddenly waking your poor infant (and poor you) at 2 in the morning, and you can't stop them from crashing to the ground as they try and take their first steps. That's why it feels even more crucial that we do whatever we can to make a difference in our children's health whenever possible. 

One of those ways is by taking a CPR and basic first aid class.

When I gave birth to my first child, I was astonished to learn that my hospital didn't offer CPR training, especially considering how there were other requirements they had for me as a new mom and how its staff members didn't hold back their strong opinions on, oh you know, things like their personal feelings about baby formula versus breastfeeding. I was required to watch a poorly made video about child abuse and sign a form, vowing I wouldn't shake my baby. Before allowing us to leave the hospital with our daughter, my husband and I also had to prove to a nurse that we had properly installed our car seat. 

Aside from their rants against formula, which made me quite livid at the time, I was more than happy to do whatever I could to prove I was worthy of being this little girl's mommy. But hospitals are neglecting a hugely important new mom and dad skill by not requiring that we learn baby CPR. We know that babies can and will try and put everything under the sun into their mouths during their first year on the planet. Infant first aid is simple to learn and can save a baby's life. 

Hospitals should provide training and make it a requirement for all new moms and dads to learn CPR prior to taking our little ones home.

Do you think hospitals should be required to give CPR/basic first aid courses to new moms and dads? 

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Consider this news story both a tragedy and a blessing. Six children escaped a devastating early New Year's Day house fire in the Florida Panhandle, but in a heartbreaking twist, four female members of their family -- representing three generations of women -- died in the blaze. Family members did the one thing they should have to help prevent such a nightmare from happening. So, what went wrong? 

At around 8 a.m. on Wednesday morning, the smoke detectors in the family's home went off. As someone who had to evacuate her home as a child because of a fire, I can tell you that our alarm was LOUD and there was no way it wouldn't prompt you to jump up and run like the wind out that front door.

But while the children, all aged 9 and under, were lucky enough to escape the house in time, three women living in the home died in their sleep and a fourth was found dead on the front porch. The victims included the children's mother, two grandmothers, and a great-mother. Their ages ranged from 40 to 90.

Investigators are still trying to determine the cause of the fire but believe it may be linked to an overloaded extension cord. Our hearts go out to these children, who had the misfortune of beginning a new year with a deeply sorrowful event plaguing it. At the same time, it's difficult not to feel like some angel was guarding over them, and it's nothing short of a miracle that all of the children in this family survived the fire. 

You may remember a report that came out a few years ago, claiming many children sleep through smoke detector alarms because their bodies differ from ours and they sleep much more soundly. A more recent study even found that 80 percent of children sleep through alarms -- scary! Obviously, children aren't the only ones who may find it easier to ignore alarms and we should all have a fire escape plan on hand in case of emergencies. Plans can include designating one child to each adult -- or vice versa -- and identifying the best escape routes in the house. 

Does your family have a fire escape plan?

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A couple from Alabama was taken aback when popular news sites and ordinary folk expressed via Twitter that they actually give a hoot about the odd name they chose for their baby boy. Come on, guys, baby names are all the rage and you should know that your choice affects us all, especially when it's a name we aren't used to seeing.

Oh, I kid, I kid. And, honestly, I really like the name they gave their child ... ready for it? Krimson Tyde -- named after the University of Alabama's football team, the Crimson Tide. While I'm not the biggest sports fan in the world and would probably find it harder to swallow if they named their child "Sooners," football aside -- the name is melodic and interesting. I dig it. But my opinion on their name is totally irrelevant. What is important for these parents -- and all parents -- to remember is that we should expect to take a little bit of flak if we give our baby an unusual name. And that's okay. 

Most of us are naturally curious about one another's decisions when it comes to our children. I know when I encounter a baby with an unusual name, whether I love or hate it, I feel just a tiny bit jealous. His or her parents had the courage to defy societal norms and bless their child with a name that a million other kids in her school won't have (can you tell I would have preferred to have a name that wasn't one of the most popular in the late '70s?).

More from The Stir: 2014 Baby Name Trend Predictions Are Here & Wow

If parents choose to give their kids unique names, they need to be prepared because both they and their children might face more than a few rude questions and taunts as a result. I believe the good outweighs the bad in this case. These children may have to defend themselves early on, but there's nothing wrong with a child learning how to stick up for himself and show the world he is proud of his name.

And the truth is, even if you choose to give your baby a name that isn't Krimson or Blue Ivy, you're going to have to deal with others' annoying opinions. Here are some of the "normal-ish" names I wondered aloud about while pregnant and how people I know actually responded:

Sky - why not name her "Dirt"? What's the difference?
Grace - with your last name, it's going to sound like you gave birth to a nun.
Olive - no one wants to be named after a food, especially a food most people find vile.
Ilsa - you live in America, remember?
Kiera (my daughter's name) - it's supposed to be spelled "Keira." No one is going to know how to pronounce it.

You can't win them all. Just name your baby a name that feels special to you and that you sincerely hope will be special for him or her one day. Then deal with the comments because they aren't going to disappear.

Do you think parents who give their children unusual names should expect criticism from others?

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