Awesome Dads.net
13515 W. Avenue Suite 217
San Antonio, Texas 78216
210.837.4601
gregoryberlanga@awesomedads.net
www.awesomedads.net
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Kids Day in the Park

Calling all kids! KidsDay in the Park is set for Saturday, April 10, at San Pedro Springs Park from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The free event for parents and children age 10 and under will feature food, entertainment, information booths and fun. Funding for KidsDay is provided by United Way's Women's Leadership Council, SAAEYC, The Charity Ball Association, KLRN and supported by the Blue Ribbon Task Force. For more information contact Kelly Hepler at khepler@unitedwaysatx.org or (210) 352-7091

The steps for tasting wine are as follows (5 S’s of Tasting)

1.SEE: Take a look at the wine in the glass  by using a clean side towel to examine the wine against a white background.  What does it look like?

The color of White Wines can range from pale straw to deep yellow gold. Whereas Red Wines  can range in color from transparent ruby to inky dark purple.
For either wine, the darker the color, the fuller-bodied the wine.
2.SWIRL: Swirl the wine around in the glass, this action helps vaporize the alcohol in the wine and carries its scent to you nose.
3.SMELL:
a.Wine should smell like:
i.“Wine”
ii.“Fruit”
iii.Other – grass, pine, tobacco etc etc
b.Should not smell – musty or vinegary

Whites can smell anywhere from delicate and tangy to even rich and fruity.
Reds can smell like cherries, plumbs or more intense cook fruits.
Remember wine is a fermented product, due to this fact you may smell a whole host of other scents that do not mimic any fruit you have smelled before.

4.SIP: Taste the wine by taking a mouthful and hold it there for a moment or two.  You can swish and swirl the wine around your mouth and then spit it out in your “spit cup” (otherwise you will become giddy as you taste more and more in one session) What do you taste?
•Body and Texture – the body of the wine ranges from light to medium to full.  Body is the sensation of weight or richness in your mouth. For Example; Skim milk is light bodied; whole milk is medium bodied and heavy cream is full bodied.
•Taste and Flavor – the taste of wine is commonly described in terms of fruit flavors.
•Balance – is your overall impression of the wine. Do the various components seem in harmony? Do they seem pleasant? For Example; you know when you eat food if it is too acidic (perhaps vinegar or lemon juice). You know when the flavors and textures marry nicely and when they don’t quite come together. With practice, you will be able to recognize these nuances in wine as well.
5.SPIT: We always spit in professional tasting. After spitting, note the aftertaste or “Finish”. Short (flavor goes away quickly) or Long (flavor lingers).

Rather than reinventing the wheel, this link takes you to ‘Delong wine” tasting note page, in a PDF format that you can print. So try it at home tonight – Print, Drink and Write your impressions.

NEXT MONTH:  LET’S GO SHOPPING and GET DEALS.

James Saftich is CEO of Our Private Chef LLC, a San Antonio based Private Chef Service Company.


How a Father Can Help Children Succeed at School
Kids and Allowances
Awesome Dads Helping Other Dads
Hello Everyone, I would like to first start off by thanking Becoming Apparent for the kind invitation to partner up for the Home and Garden Show.  We reached a lot of Fathers and was asked to grow our new Fathers Page which we will be doing very soon. 

I would like to take this time to let everyone know that since the birth of our site almost a year ago, our site has been fortunate enough to assist fathers in need.

Last year we partnered up with Pocket Communications the cell phones for these fathers so they could be available for their family and Community in Schools for helping us find these wonderful men.

Awesome Dads will be attending other events and partnering up with organizations that are committed to helping Fathers and the Family.  Please look for future events in Future Newsletters.

Please visit our site for our Montlh Calendar for coming events for the whole Family.
Now that my daughter is getting older and she is requiring more attention with her letters and numbers I thought it might be a good time to include an article on how we as Fathers can assist our Children succeed in School.  We as Fathers want what is best for  our Children, and we all should be motivated to help them succeed in their school work.  The process of helping them have success in their educational pursuits is a multiple faceted one and an effort which takes a lot of work and at time patience but is rewarding over a period of time.

1.  Read with and encourage your children to Read
Reading is probably the most Important gift you could give to your child.

2.  Listen and talk with your Children.
Our Children develop language skills first at home as they listen to adults, parent and other family members communicae ahd share ideas.

3.  Control television and video game time.
Children seem to be naturally drawn to electronic entertainment. The sites, sounds and colors are so different than their regular world.  But allowing these entertainment choices to get out of hand will tend to limit their educational pursuits.

4.  Create a Study Center.
You will want to create a study center for them to do their homework.  This study center should be free of distractions and organized.

5.  Monitor their studies and homework.
Sit down and talk about their day and look through their backpack.  We could talk about up and coming assingments and projects
6.  Attend parent and teacher conferences

7.  Get involved at school
Fathers should be more involved in the PTA and other groups at the school.  Why? Because it helps create connections with these important people in your childs school life and help you get a better feel for what is happening at school.

8.  Find help when needed
If your Child is struggling at school academically, try reaching out to the school for tutoring programs.  Check with the local library, they may have a homework center where children can get specialized homework help.

For the complete article please goto Support Links

There are many opinions about Allowances and when they should start for Children and what should be done to earn them.  SO, I thought it would be a good article for every father/Mother to read regarding Allowances.  Myself, began an allowance for my Daughter a few weeks ago.  I Firmly belive that begining an allowance when children are young assists them in how they save and spend their money.
Most dads I know use an allowance system to teach our children the value of Money.

Ok guys, establishing an allowance program for our families if we as fathers will follow a few simple guidelines and make it an opportunity for teaching our children about being responsible with their money.

* Teach the Value of Money
It is difficult for children to put into perspective the worth of things at times.  If they spend that precious allowance on that toy or candy then they may think twice if they really want to buy that item.

*  Responsibility for Money
teaching our children not to waste their money and that there are consiquences for their actions when it comes to money.

*  How and Why to Save.
Everytime my daughter stays with me she gets her allowance and has the choice to take all the money or place some in the bank ( I match Dollar for Dollar).  I explain the the benefits of saving and what a "rainy day" is to her.  She decides to place most of her allowance in the bank and take a smal amount for herself.  Also, let them go to the counter solo. It gives them soo much confidence when they stand in line and walk up to the teller and make their own deposit.  I talk with so many dads and they tell me that they WISH they had taught the value of money to their little ones.
*  Make Mistakes with Smaller Stakes
If we let our children make financial mistakes with a $10.00 allowance it will assist them in avoiding a larger financial mistakes with credit etc...

*  When Should I start?
Most experts recommend between the ages of 5 and 7 years old, children are cognitively ready to handle allowance at those ages

* How much should I pay?
It is up to the parent of cours but here is a quick refernce guide;
*Ages 5-8; $2.00 weekly
*Ages 9-11;       $4.00 weekly
*Ages 12-13;     $5.00 weekly
*Ages 14-15;     $7.50 weekly
*Ages 16-17;     $10.00 weekly

*  Should I require Savings or Contributions?
Yes, it is a wonderful idea.  My daugher has the option to also give to charity and also contribute to her savings account. This teaches her to give back  to her community.

Should I Tie Allowances to Chores?
I have a set of chores my daughter is responsible and that it is NOT tied to her allowance, that it is just necessary to keep our place clean.

To learn more and read the full story on Children and Allowances please go to ;  Support Links

HOW TO TASTE WINE LIKE A PROFESSIONAL:
Helping New Babies (and Dads) get a Good nights Sleep
Suggestions for New Dads to Help Babies Sleep
If you are like almost every other new father you are not alone in this question. It's a fair question to ask especially after you've been up trying to soothe your screaming newborn.

I have good news. The screaming and crying will eventually subside and yes, you will eventually get some well deserved rest. But, it may be a while. So here are a few tips to help you make it through those (short) nights.

1. Breastfeeding mothers need help. That's right, don't assume that because your wife is breastfeeding that you are "off the hook." If your wife is breastfeeding she will treasure you for taking the time to get up and bring your baby to her. It seems insignificant now. But at 3 a.m. in the morning it's a beautiful gesture.

2. Take shifts with your wife. Agree before you go to bed at night which of you will get up with the baby first. It might help to simply pick even and odd hours. For example, if the baby wakes up during the 11pm, 1am, 3am, 5am hours then you wake up with him or her. If it's during the 12am, 2am, 4am, 6am hours then your wife will will wake up with the baby. The point is have a plan before you go to sleep at night. This will eliminate the anger and frustration of the moment when niether one of you wants to get up.

3. Learn the different ways your baby likes to be held. Some like to be held chest to chest. Others like to be cradled. And still others like to be seated facing away from you. Find the position that your baby feels most comfortable in try soothing them in that position.

4. Don't be to proud or embarassed to sing softly and even talk to your baby. The sound of your voice is very reassuring to your baby and it is part of the bonding process. Your baby will quickly learn to associate your voice with safety and security.

5. Gentle bouncing works sometimes. But be careful not to bounce baby too much or you may upset your baby's tummy.

6. Pacifiers work too. Some babies find comfort in a pacifier. Others refuse to accept it especially if your wife is breastfeeding.

7. Rocking, either in a chair or in the bassinet, can also be helpful means of helping ease your baby back to sleep.

8. Pacing the floor was very soothing to my daughter. In fact she would transition from a "deathly scream" to silence if I put her chest to chest with her head on my shoulder and simply started pacing the room. While pacing the room you'll discover little nooks and crannies that you had never noticed before.

9. Placing a warm heating pad in your babies cradle before bed time can ease the transition when laying baby down for the first time at night. NOTE: The heating pad should never be left in the cradle when it is occupied.

10. A warm bath in a baby tub can also be a great way to soothe your baby before bedtime. It's important that you have a towel to wrap your baby in right away after the bath. This will eliminate him from getting cold.

These are all useful tools that will help you get your baby back to sleep a little quicker--and that's good for you. If you discover other ideas write me and let me know what works for you.

Happy Fathering!
Breakfast is the most important meal—giving us a much-needed energy boost for the rest of the day. Nevertheless many of us skip breakfast when we’re in a hurry—or worse, we turn to calorie- and carbohydrate-laden foods that even the most active person would have trouble burning. Luckily, EatingWell offers a bounty of quick and healthy breakfast ideas, from lazy weekend brunch to grab-and-go breakfast, that will stave off hunger until lunchtime. Give your body the energy it needs by trying this easy and delicious breakfast recipe!
EAT BREAKFAST!!!
INGREDIENTS

   * 2 corn tortillas
   * 1 tablespoon salsa
   * 2 tablespoons shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese
   * 1/2 cup liquid egg substitute, such as Egg Beaters

PREPARATION

  1. Top tortillas with salsa and cheese. Heat in the microwave until the cheese is melted, about 30 seconds.
  2. Meanwhile coat a small nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Heat over medium heat, add egg substitute and cook, stirring, until the eggs are cooked through, about 90 seconds. Divide the scrambled egg between the tacos.

NUTRITION

Per serving: 153 calories; 2 g fat (1 g sat, 0 g mono); 3 mg cholesterol; 15 g carbohydrates; 17 g protein; 0 g fiber; 453 mg sodium; 207 mg potassium.

1 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 starch, 2 very lean meat

Who says breakfast has to be complicated... we will beging providing healthy quick meals for our readers in coming newsletters and expanding our menu site. 

If you have any menu ideas send them my way

gregoryberlanga@awesomedads.net

I have asked a couple of Wonderful Fathers who we woked with to share their stories.  Guys thanks for Sharing. Testimonials

We are also looking for Sponsors for some of our events and give aways for Dad of the Month.  We are organizing Dad of the Month and seeking companies to donate prizes, gift cards etc for our Deserving Father of the Month.  The judging will be done by Araman (Big Brothers Big Sisters), Vincent Duran (First Monday Fathers Network) and myself.  I will have more details on our site in a few weeks.

OH, I have had a great response regarding our "Daddy Daughter Hair Class".  This class would help fathers how to style and hair care for our little girls hair.  If you are interested call me.

Respectfully,


Gregory Ian Berlanga
Father/Founder
www.awesomedads.net
210.837.4601


First Monday Fathers Network

Monday, April 5th!  11:15 to 12:30.  Please have your order in before 11:30 – it will make life a whole lot easier for everyone!

Party Room @ Fuddrucker’s (I-10 & Wurzbach, in front of the Bank of America Bldg.)

As many of you know, our format and mission are pretty simple – connecting with fathers, promoting male involvement, education enrichment, and fatherhood resources.

Speakers;

Gregory Ian Berlanga
gregoryberlanga@awesomedads.net
AwesomeDads.net
210.837.4601

Many Blessings,

Vincent Duran, Director
Cal Farley Family Resource Center
210-482-9769
Lemonade

Hey everyone,  we found a recipe I would like to share with our readers

INGREDIENTS

1 cup sugar (can reduce to 3/4 cup)
1 cup water (for the simple syrup)
1 cup lemon juice
3 to 4 cups cold water (to dilute)


Procedure

1 Make simple syrup by heating the sugar and water in a small saucepan until the sugar is dissolved completely.

2 While the sugar is dissolving, use a juicer to extract the juice from 4 to 6 lemons, enough for one cup of juice.

3 Add the juice and the sugar water to a pitcher. Add 3 to 4 cups of cold water, more or less to the desired strength. Refrigerate 30 to 40 minutes. If the lemonade is a little sweet for your taste, add a little more straight lemon juice to it.

Serve with ice, sliced lemons.

Serves 6.