The Game of Life Newsletter ~*~ June 1999 ~*~ Page 2

Better Than Sex Cake

1/2 c. butter, melted
1 c. sifted flour
1 c. finely chopped pecans
1 (8 oz.) pkg. softened cream cheese
1 c. sugar
1/2 t. maple flavoring
1 (8 oz.) carton frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 large pkg. instant chocolate pudding
1 large pkg. instant vanilla pudding
1/4 t. almond extract
3 c. cold milk
2 T. grated unsweetened baking chocolate
1/4 c. coarsely chopped pecans (topping)

Mix melted butter, nuts and flour and press into a buttered 9 x l3 pan. Bake at 350, for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool. Mix cream cheese, sugar and maple flavoring until smooth. Fold in 1/2 of the whipped topping and spread over the cooled crust. Beat puddings, almond extract and milk until smooth and thick. Spread over the cream cheese layer. Top with remaining whipped topping, grated chocolate and nuts. Refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Snickerdoodle Mini-Muffins

Topping:
1/3 Cup Sugar
1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
Batter:
1 1/2 Cups Flour
1 Cup Quick Cooking Oatmeal -- uncooked
1/2 Cup Sugar
1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
1 Cup Milk
1 Egg -- slightly beaten
4 Tablespoons Butter or Margarine -- melted
1 Teaspoon Vanilla

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Prepare 36 mini-muffin pan cups or 12 standard muffin pan cups with nonstick cooking spray or paper liners.

First, prepare topping by combining sugar and cinnamon in small bowl and set aside. Next, make batter by combining flour, oatmeal, sugar and baking powder in a large bowl. Mix well.

Prepare batter in a small bowl, combine milk, egg, butter and vanilla. Blend well. Add to dry ingredients all at once. Stir just until dry ingredients are moistened. Do not overmix. Fill muffin cups two-thirds full. Sprinkle topping evenly over tops of muffins. Bake: 12 to 14 minutes for mini-muffins and 18 to 22 for regular muffins, or until light golden brown. Cool muffins in pan on wire rack 5 minutes. Remove from pan. Serve warm.

Lowfat Cherry Crisp

16 oz. can sour pitted cherries 1-1/2 Tbsp. cornstarch
4 tsp. sugar 1/4 tsp. Almond extract

Topping:
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
2 Tbsp. chopped walnuts
1 Tbsp. margarine, melted
Drain cherries, reserving 3/4 cup juice. Combine small amount of juice, cornstarch and sugar in saucepan. Stir in remaining juice. Cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly until thickened and clear. Remove fromheat. Add cherries and extract and spread in 8 inch pan.

Topping:
Mix oats and walnuts in bowl, add margarine and mix well with fork. Mixturewill be crumble. Sprinkle over cherries. Bake for 20 minutes at 375F or until topping is browned. Serve warm or cold.

HOT BUTTERED LEMONADE

3 cups water
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbs butter or margarine
1 tsp grated lemon rind
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 4 lemons)
Garnish: thin lemon slices

Combine first four ingredients in a saucepan; bring to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Stir in lemon juice; pour into mugs. Garnish with lemon slices. Serves 4.

Citrus 'N' Papaya Spiced Tea

Makes about 5 cups (Six 6-oz. servings)

Ingredients:
3 cup water     3 cinnamon sticks
3 tea bags     1 strip lemon peel (about 3 inches)
1 cup papaya or mango nectar     Juice of 2 Sunkist oranges (2/3 cup)
Juice of 1 Sunkist lemon (3 tablespoons) 2/3 cup sugar

Preparation:
In large saucepan, bring water with cinnamon sticks to a boil; remove from heat. Add tea bags and lemon peel; cover and steep for 5 minutes. Remove and discard cinnamon sticks, tea bags, and lemon peel. Add remaining ingredients; heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Garnish each serving with a cinnamon stick inserted through center of a lemon slice, if desired.

LONG ISLAND TEA

1/2 oz. of vodka
1/2 oz. of gin
1/2 oz of rum
1/2 oz of triple sec
3 oz of sweet and sour lemon
its a shake and pour drink, and then you top it with coke it's topped off with a lemon wedge garnish and served in a squall glass

Cucumber Dill Dip

This dip is easy to make and is refreshing and cool.

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup mayonnaise
2 medium cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and chopped
3 tablespoons sliced scallions
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 teaspoons freshly snipped dill weed or 1 teaspoon dried
Dash cayenne pepper to taste

Beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the rest of the ingredients and chill. Garnish with additional dill sprigs if desired.

Cranberry Punch

2 bottles (32 ounces each) cranberry juice cocktail
1 quart orange juice
1 lemon, sliced and seeded
1 quart ginger ale

Just before serving, combine the chilled ingredients in a punch bowl. Add ice if you wish.

BRICKLE BARS

1/2 C butter (must be real butter no substitutions)
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1 C sugar
2 eggs
3/4 C flour
3/4 C almond brickle pieces
1/2 C chocolate chips

Cook and stir butter and unsweetened chocolate over low heat till melted. Remove from heat and beat in sugar eggs and vanilla with a wooden spoon till combined but don't overmix. Stir in flour. Spread the batter into a 8x8x2 baking pan. Sprinkle with almond brickle and choc pieces.Bake at 350 for 30 minutes

Hershey's Great American
Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
2 1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 cups choc chips
1 cup nuts

Cream butter and sugar till light and fluffy. add vanilla, eggs, brown sugar, salt, soda and mix well. stir in flour. add chips and nuts. Bake at 375 for 10 to 12 minutes on ungreased cookie sheet.

Magic Cookie bars

1/2 cup margarine or butter
1 1/2 cups graham cracker or other crumbs like vanilla wafers, ginger snaps.
1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)
1 cup semi sweet choc chips or other toppings like peanut butter chips,
butterscotch chips, m&ms, etc.
1 3 1/2 ounce pkg/can of flaked coconut ( 1 1/3 cups)
1 cup chopped nuts such as peanuts, walnuts, pecans, almonds, etc

Melt margarine in 13 x 9 baking dish, sprinkle crumbs over melted margarine, pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over crumbs. sprinkle with chips and coconut and nuts. press down firmly. bake 25 to 30 minutes in 350 degree oven (325 for glass) or until lightly browned. Cool. Cut into bars. Can also add mint or maple flavoring or add 1/4 cup peanut butter to the condensed milk.

Philly Fudge

4 cups powdered sugar
1 8 oz package cream cheese softened
4 squares (1 oz each) unsweetened choc
1 tsp vanilla
dash salt
1/2 cup chop nuts

Gradually add sugar to cream cheese beating well after each addition. Add vanilla, nuts and melted choc (melt in microwave or on low on top of stove) and beat well. Pour into greased 8 inch square pan. Chill several hours, cut into serving size pieces.

Can't Fail Fudge

1 1/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1/4 cup butter
1 - 7 oz jar marshmallow cream or 16 large marshmallows quartered
1/4 tsp salt
1 - 12 oz package semi sweet choc chips
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup walnuts

Combine sugar, milk, butter, and marshmallow cream or marshmallows and salt in a 2 quart saucepan. cook, stirring constantly until mixture boils for exactly 5 minutes. Cook over medium heat to avoid scorching. remove from heat, add choc, vanilla and beat until choc melted and smooth. Add walnuts. Pour into buttered 8 in square pan. Let stand till firm.

MOCHA SHORTBREAD

1-1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
3/4 cup cocoa powder
l-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1-1/2 tbsp. instant espresso powder
2-1/4 cups flour
3 tbsp. cornstarch
3/8 tsp. salt
3 ounces white chocolate, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 325 ş. Lightly grease a l5xl0-inch baking pan. In bowl, cream the butter with an electric mixer until smooth. Sift the confectioners sugar and cocoa into another bowl. Add to the butter and mix until fully incorporated. Add the vanilla and coffee and mix well. Sift the flour, cornstarch, and salt into another bowl. Add to the butter mixture and mix until a dough begins to form. The dough will be very stiff, so you will need to use your hands to form it into a ball. Drop dollops of the dough all over the bottom of the prepared pan and gently press together to form an even layer. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for l2 to l5 minutes, or until the top is dry and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and place on a rack to cool for l0 to l5 minutes. Meanwhile, in a double boiler, melt the white chocolate over medium heat; stirring frequently as white chocolate can burn easily. If making miniature cookies, cut into l-inch squares, (if making larger cookies, cut into l˝ or 2 inch squares), by cutting lengthwise into ten l-inch strips and cutting each strip into l5 squares. Place the cookies l/2-inch apart on cookie sheets lined with parchment or wax paper. Scrape the melted chocolate into a pastry bag or paper cone fitted with a l/l6 inch tip. Quickly but carefully pipe a thin line of chocolate across the center of each cookie and pipe another line across the first one. Yield: 3
dozen.

Pierogi with Cheese Filling

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 cup water

Directions:
Mound flour on a bread board and make a well in the center. Drop eggs and salt into well. Add water, working from the center to the outside of flour mound, mix flour into liquid in center with one hand and keep flour mounded with the others. Knead until dough is firm. Cover dough with warm bowl for 10 minutes. Divide dough in half. On floured surface, using half the dough at a time, roll dough as thin as possible. Cut out 3-inch rounds with large biscuit cutter or glass rim.

Cheese filling Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups Farmer Cheese
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1/4 tsp. salt

Directions:
Place a small spoonful of filling a little to one side of each round of dough. Moisten edge with water, fold over and press edges together firmly. Be sure they are well sealed. Drop dumplings into boiling salted water. Cook gently 3-5 minutes or until pierogi float (1-1/2 to 2 dozen) * Can be made with a mashed potato with cheddar cheese filling also.

ASPARAGUS CASSEROLE

2 can asparagus, drained
1 can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1 1/2 cup of buttered bread crumbs

Alternate layers of asparagus, soup and crumbs in a buttered casserole dish. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until brown.

LEMON PINEAPPLE SALAD

3 oz box of lemon Jell-O
1/3 cup boiling water
1 small can crushed pineapple, drained save juice
2/3 cup pineapple juice (add water if not enough juice from can)
1 small contained of Cool Whip
1/2 cup chopped nuts
8 oz cream cheese

Dissolve Jell-O in boiling water. Put this and pineapple juice in blender. Add cream cheese. Blend until smooth. Pour into bowl and blend in Cool Whip with a wire whisk. Chill until almost firm. Add pineapple. Sprinkle with nuts.

Chocolate Mousse Cake Roll

1 package (16 ounces) angel food cake mix
1/2 cup plus 1/3 cup powdered sugar, divided
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
3 T. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 T. milk
1 container (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed and divided
Powdered sugar
Velvety Chocolate Sauce (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut an 18-inch long piece of Parchment Paper. Press into bottom and up sides of Stoneware Bar Pan (NEW ITEM!) Prepare cake mix according to package directions; pour batter over parchment paper, spreading evenly using Super Scraper. Bake 30-35 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched with fingertip. Remove from oven to Nonstick Cooling Rack. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of powdered sugar over cake using Flour/Sugar Shaker. Place a sheet of parchment paper over cake. Place Nonstick Cooling Rack upside down over parchment paper and carefully turn cake out at once. Remove pan and parchment paper from cooked side of cake. Roll up cake in parchment paper as for a jelly roll. Cool completely on Nonstick Cooling Rack.

Unroll cake and transfer to 18" x 12" Grooved Cutting Board; discard parchment paper. Combine cream cheese, remaining 1/3 cup powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and milk in Classic 2-Qt. Batter Bowl; mix well. Fold in 1 cup whipped topping; gently spread over cake to within 1 inch of edge; re-roll cake. Sprinkle with additional powdered sugar. Slice using Serrated Bread Knife. Attach Open Star Tip to Easy Accent Decorator; fill with remaining whipped topping. Garnish each serving with whipped topping; drizzle with Velvety Chocolate Sauce, if desired.

Yield: 12 servings or 24 sample servings

Nutrients per serving: Calories 180, Fat 11g, Sodium 100 mg, Dietary Fiber 1g

Cook's Tip: For an added touch, garnish each serving with grated chocolate, chopped milk chocolate candy, or an orange coil.

TIPS & Tricks

* Shine your leather or imitation leather shoes with a banana peel. Rub the inside of the peel on your shoes and buff with a soft cloth. The oils in the banana peel will make your shoes last longer.

* Don't store onions and potatoes together. The potatoes moisture will cause onions to sprout and onions give off a gas that can alter the flavor of potatoes.

* Use flavored gelatin powder to decorate cookies instead of expensive colored sugar sprinkles.

* Use margarine wrappers to grease baking pans so that the margarine left on the wrapper will not be wasted. Place margarine wrappers in a plastic bag in the freezer until you need to grease a pan.

* Marinate meats in a plastic bag instead of a pan. By placing the meat in a bag you will be able to use about half the usual amount of marinate. Turn the bag over several during the process.

* To prevent cheese from drying out and molding, wrap it in a moist paper towel with a small amount of cider vinegar. Store the cheese in a sealed plastic bag or airtight container. You may need to add water or a drop or two of cider after a use or two.

* Instead of throwing away hard cheese, grate it to use on your favorite vegetables and casseroles. Mix the cheese with stale bread crumbs for a delicious topping.

* When a recipe calls for wine, you can substitute cranberry or grape juice. For white wine substitute apple juice. The juice saves money, tastes great and you probably already have some on hand!

* Place a rib of celery in the bag with day old bread to make it fresh again. Leave the celery in the bag to keep the bread fresh longer.

* Don't throw away limp carrots or celery. To make them crisp again, soak the veggies in ice water for 30 minutes.

* Tape a piece of paper on the refrigerator to keep a list of leftovers inside. This way you'll remember to eat what is inside before it turns into a science experiment!

* When making mashed potatoes, save the water & add it back to the potatoes as you mash them. It is cheaper than adding milk and your potatoes will be hot, creamy and delicious. Use the rest of the water as "free fertilizer" on house plants.

* Ways to use those empty film canisters to keep your home office more organized. Put paper clips, safety pins and rubber bands inside and identify what's inside if they are not the clear ones.

* Save plastic sleeves from newspapers; store craft supplies such as ribbons, lace, small pieces of fabric. You will be able to see what's in the bag.

* Don't throw away small travel size toothpaste tubes, instead place the opening against the large full tube of toothpaste and refill.

* There's no need to buy additional travel size for anything ... just refill them (including toothpaste).

* Save the plastic scoops from powdered laundry detergent. They make fun bath tub toys for kids, add a few to the sand box, use one when repotting plants to scoop up the dirt, and another to fill the bird feeder with seed.

* Depending on the amount of yarn, use cardboard tubes from toilet paper, paper towel, fabric softener, wrapping paper, or whatever cylinder shape to roll skeins of knitting yarn as it is much easier to handle than working from the skein.

* Use Witch Hazel for skin prone to breakouts and to reduce large pores. It works as good as expensive astringents and sometimes it's on sale at 3 bottles for $1.00, so pick up several.

* Need old paint shirts, pick up men's short sleeve shirts at rummage sales cheaply.

* Cut steel wool pads in half with kitchen scissors before using them. The smaller pads are easier to use and won't get rusty if you store them in a plastic bag in the freezer. And you will sharpen your scissors as well.

* Use lifesavers candy to hold candles in place on your next birthday cake! Kids love 'em!

* Poke an egg with a small sewing needle before hard-boiling, and the egg will peel with ease! And hold that needle in place with a magnet refrigerator clip!

* Stuff a miniature marshmallow in the bottom of a sugar cone to prevent ice cream drips!

* Zap garlic cloves in the microwave for 15 seconds and the skins slip right off!

* Organize your magazines into groups according to Seasons (spring, summer, fall and winter). This way, you have several handy reference guides for the appropriate Season/Holiday!

* Use a meat baster to "squeeze" your pancake batter onto the hot griddle ~ perfect shaped pancakes every time!

* Always spray your grill with nonstick cooking spray before grilling to avoid sticking!

* To keep potatoes from budding, place an apple in the bag with the potatoes!

* To prevent egg shells from cracking, add a pinch of salt to the water before hard-boiling!

* Use a pastry blender to cut ground beef into small pieces after browning!

* Sweeten whipped cream with confectioners' sugar instead of granulated sugar ~ it will stay fluffy and hold it's shape better!

* For easy "meatloaf mixing," combine the ingredients with a potato masher!

* If you don't have enough batter to fill all cupcake tins, pour 1 tablespoon of water into the unfilled spots...this helps preserve the life of your pans!

* To easily remove honey from a measuring spoon, first coat the spoon with nonstick cooking spray!

* Run your hands under cold water before pressing Rice Krispies treats in the pan ~ the marshmallow won't stick to your fingers!

* Mash and freeze ripe bananas, in one-cup portions, for use in later baking, no wasted bananas (or you can freeze them whole, peeled, in plastic baggies)

* To quickly use that frozen juice concentrate, simply mash it with a potato masher ~ no need to wait for it to thaw!

* To get the most juice out of fresh lemons, bring them to room temperature and roll them under your palm against the kitchen counter before squeezing!

* To easily remove burnt on food from your skillet, simply add a drop or two of dish soap and enough water to cover bottom of pan, and bring to a boil on stove-top ~ skillet will be much easier to clean now!

* Spray your tupperware with nonstick cooking spray before pouring in tomato-based sauces ~ no more stains!

* Transfer your jelly to a small plastic squeeze bottle ~ no more messy, sticky jars or knives! This also works well for homemade salad dressing!

* To aid in washing dishes, add a tablespoon of baking soda to your soapy water ~ it softens hands while cutting through grease!

* Save your store-bought-bread bags and ties~they make perfect storage bags for homemade bread!

* When a cake recipe calls for flouring the baking pan, use a bit of the dry cake mix instead~no white mess on the outside of the cake!

* If you accidentally over-salt a dish while it's still cooking, drop in a peeled potato~it absorbs the excess salt for an instant "fix me up"!

* Next time you need a quick ice pack, grab a bag of frozen vegetables out of your freezer~no watery leaks from a plastic baggie!

* When making bread, substitute nondairy creamer for the dry milk ~ it works just as well!

* Rinse cooked, ground meat with water when draining off the fat~this helps "wash away" even more fat!

* Slicing meat when partially frozen makes it easier to get thin slices. Instead of throwing away bread heels or leftover cornbread, use them to make bread crumbs. For use later, store them in the freezer.

* Wrap celery in aluminum foil when putting in the refrigerator ~ it will keep for weeks!

* Substitute half applesauce for the vegetable oil in your baking recipes ~ you'll greatly reduce the fat content! (Example: 1/2 cup vegetable oil = 1/4 cup applesauce + 1/4 cup oil)

* To ripen avocados and bananas, enclose them in a brown paper bag with an apple for 2-3 days!

* Brush beaten egg white over pie crust before baking to yield a beautiful, glossy finish!

* In recipes calling for margarine, substitute reduced-calorie margarine to help cut back on fat! (Same goes with sour cream, milk, cheese, cream cheese, and cream soups)

* Place a slice of bread in hardened brown sugar to soften it back up!

* When boiling corn on the cob, add a pinch of sugar to help bring out the corns natural sweetness!

* When starting your garden seedlings indoors, plant the seeds in egg shell halves. Simply crack the shells around the roots of your plants and transplant them outdoors~the shell is a natural fertilizer!

* To determine whether an egg is fresh, immerse it in a pan of cool, salted water. If it sinks, it is fresh~if it rises to the surface, throw it away.

* Keep the linings from cereal boxes~they make great substitutes for waxed paper!

THANK YOU SUSAN!!! =)

From:    SUSAN 909

Christy, This is kinda long, but definately worth the time to read. I thought you might want this for GOL.     Susan
-----------------
Forwarded Message:
Subj:    Online Psych Newsletter For May 20, 1999

FROM THE CYBERCOUCH
Monthly Newsletter of Online Psych
AOL keyword: "Online Psych"
May 20, 1999

Parenting for 2000
By Deb Sims of Caring Touch Counseling Services in Fort Wayne, In. writing for ONLINE PSYCH

The nineties have brought special problems to parenting. These are problems that were not present in the past. Society has changed. Economics have at times forced both parents to work outside the home. Divorce and teenage pregnancy have increased the number of single parent homes. With our mobile lifestyle, we have eliminated the extended family support systems that used to characterize our culture. Exhaustion, long hours, and lack of support have made parenting much harder.

The following tips are not intended to be a complete, in depth solution, but they do provide useful assistance for dealing with an increasingly difficult problem.

1. Your emotional well being is foremost. If you are "used up" by stress, you will have nothing left for your children. Take care of yourself physically and emotionally. Get proper rest, nutrition, relaxation, and recreation. If you do this for yourself, you will stay healthy and be able to give to your child.

2. Take time to play with and enjoy your children. Parents and children often get so caught up in everyday life that they forget to enjoy each other.

3. Parenting can become a battleground, with parents and children both feeling frustration, hurt and not understood. Parenting classes can help most parents, and are especially good for parents of children with special needs.

4. Do not give up hope, your child is not yet a finished product. If there are problems, find some help. Your children's school system, community service agencies, or private counseling services can all help. You do not have to do it all alone.

Self Esteem Boosters for Your Child

¨ Encourage your child not only with words but also with an attitude of love and support, even when they make mistakes.

¨ Be a role model for the attitudes you want your child to develop, i.e., empathy, appreciation, and gratitude.

¨ Acknowledge effort with, "I'm glad you tried"

¨ Point out to your child their own strengths and uniqueness.

¨ Teach reciprocal favors, i.e., "When you wash the dishes, that allows me extra time to be able to read you a story."

¨ Encourage sharing of experiences, asking your child about their activities and interests.

¨ Teach healthy outlets for your child's anger, (which is a complete article in itself), such as drawing their feelings on paper, physical exercise, time outs, talking it through, playing a musical instrument, or writing about their feelings.

Talking To Your Children
Children really do want to communicate with their parents. However, a lot of things can interfere with it working effectively. The most important thing to remember as a parent is to talk with your child, not "at " your child. This is difficult when you are tired, or angry, or when there is an unresolved issue that needs to be taken care of.

Here are some suggestions that may help:

· Take time to really listen to your child. If you cannot give full attention right then, schedule a time a little later when you can. Then, make sure you follow through with this.

· Listen to your child's feelings as well as the message he or she is conveying. Take those feelings seriously.

· Before you jump in with solutions or suggestions, empathize with how your child is feeling. Your child may not know exactly what it is he is trying to say, and a quick fix shuts off the communication. Go with the feeling for a while, allowing your child time to convey their meaning. Make sure you understand before you react.

· Manage your own emotions. This does not mean that you should not react or get angry, but it does mean that you should express your concerns in a way that leaves your child feeling cared for and supported rather than criticized.

· Invite your child to communicate rather than interrogating him or her. Open statements encourage your child to respond not just to the question, but to the communication process itself. Avoid questions that can be answered with "yes" or "no." They are "closed " questions, which restrict the range of responses.

· Promote problem solving rather than giving advice. Help your child identify their emotions, and then help them find out why and what their options are. Be sure to validate your child's efforts at problem solving, even if they need a little assistance.

· Encourage your child in the here and now. This will help reshape negative images he has of himself. Recognize what he or she is doing now that is positive. Avoid lectures and speeches about what they should do differently. They are our future.

Thank you for accessing the Online Psych Newsletter. We hope that this information has been helpful to you.

Online Psych Inc., 1999. All Rights Reserved.

Weather Page

What is a Tornado?
A violently rotating narrow column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm base. The tornado is most often found in the southwest quadrant of the storm, near the trailing edge of the cumulonimus cloud. Tornadoes and funnel clouds are usually pendant from wall clouds or directly from the thunderstorm base, within a few miles to the southwest of the precipitation shaft. The spinning motion of a tornado is most often left to right on the backside (counterclockwise). Tornadoes have been called twisters and cyclones, but these words are all synonyms for the most violent storm on earth, with estimated wind speeds up to 300 mph.

Tornado
(from the Spanish"tronada",meaning thunderstorm) is a violently rotating column of air rising up into a cloud. A thunderstorm is the first step in the creation of a tornado. A thunderstorm happens when there is moisture in the atmosphere, a lifting force causing air to begin rising, and unstable air that will continue to rise once it starts. Then, if other conditions are right, the thunderstorm may spin out one or more tornadoes.

All thunderstorms are characterized by updrafts, rising air currents which supply the warm, humid air that fuels thunderstorms; sometimes, however, the column of rising air becomes a vortex -- a funnel cloud, or, if it reaches the ground, a tornado.

A tornado is often located at the edge of an updraft, next to air coming down from the thunderstorm with falling rain or hail. (This explains why a burst of heavy rain or hail sometimes announces a tornado's arrival.) As air rises from the ground in the tornado's vortex, a low pressure area is created near the ground. Air rushes to fill this area, causing additional damage to areas not directly hit by the tornado.

As air rushes into the vortex, its pressure lowers, cooling the air. This cooling condenses water vapor in the air into the tornado's familiar funnel-shaped cloud. As the swirling winds pick up dust, dirt, and debris from the ground, the funnel turns even darker. (Twisters that pick up little dirt can retain their white, cloud coloration, and some have taken on a red hue by picking up red dirt.)

Experts once thought tornado winds exceeded 500 mph. Research in recent years, however, has shown that winds rarely exceed 250 mph and most tornadoes have winds of less than 112 mph. Tornadoes are also relatively small. An average tornado will be 400 to 500 feet wide and travel four or five miles on the ground, lasting only a few minutes. A mile-wide tornado is extremely large, and tornadoes this big are rare. Many tornadoes are small, less than 100 feet wide, and last only a few minutes. A few monster tornadoes are a mile or more wide and can last for an hour or more. As the parent thunderstorm travels along, tornadoes can come down from the cloud, run along the ground and lift back up to be followed by other tornadoes. Generally, tornadoes move along the ground at around 20 to 50 mph, but some race along faster than 70 mph.

The most destructive tornadoes also often have smaller suction vortices rotating around the main vortex. These show up in some photos and leave distinctive, looped patterns in fields of corn or other crops knocked over by the winds.

Tornado debris can be huge. A monster tornado that hit Plainfield, Ill., on Aug. 28, 1990, lifted a 20-ton trailer from a tractor-trailer rig on U.S. Highway 30 and bounced it five times before it stopped in a field 1,150 feet from the highway. Debris blown by tornado winds can pound buildings to pieces.

The strongest tornadoes come from the kind of long-lasting, especially fierce thunderstorms known as supercells. As the name implies, these are intense thunderstorms which can produce large hail and downbursts in addition to tornadoes. Some bring heavy rain while others are relatively dry. Supercells are most common on the Plains in the Southeast and across the Midwest, but do occur elsewhere.

Storms form when there is unstable air, a source of lifting, and humidity. A supercell forms when particular patterns of upper air winds are also present, patterns which cause the storm to last longer than an ordinary thunderstorm. Supercells often develop rotating winds inside them known as mesocyclones, associated with strong tornadoes. However, scientists don't yet understand the connections between mesocyclones and tornadoes that actually reach from them down to the ground.

Not all tornadoes come from supercells, but the strongest twisters usually have a supercell as a their parent. Weaker vortices, such as waterspouts like those common in the Florida Keys, can come from cumulus congestus clouds, also known as towering cumulus. These are tall, thick cumulus clouds that might be producing rain but not thunder and lightning. Some researchers use the term landspouts for similar twisters that form over land instead of water.

Gustnadoes are weak vortices that are not connected to the cloud base, and by definition are not tornadoes. They are relatively shallow vortices associated with intense, small-scale shear in a thunderstorm gust front. Because they can produce whirling dust clouds (sometimes with small debris), they are very often erroneously reported as tornadoes. It can take a very alert and experienced spotter to tell the difference.

A watch means
that conditions are favorable for the development of severe thunderstorms with large hail, damaging winds and tornadoes. More severe than a watch,

A tornado warning
is issued when a tornado is developing or is actually on the ground. Persons nearby should seek shelter immediately

Tornado Safety Information
IN HOMES OR SMALL BUILDINGS: Go to the basement (if available) or to an interior room on the lowest floor, such as a closet or bathroom. Upper floors are unsafe. If there is no time to descend, go to a closet, a small room with strong walls, or an inside hallway. Wrap yourself in overcoats or blankets to protect yourself from flying debris.

IN SCHOOLS, HOSPITALS, FACTORIES, OR SHOPPING CENTERS: Go to interior rooms and halls on the lowest floor. Stay away from glass enclosed places or areas with wide-span roofs such as auditoriums and warehouses. Crouch down and cover your head. Don't take shelter in halls that open to the south or the west. Centrally-located stairwells are good shelter.

IN HIGH-RISE BUILDINGS: Go to interior small rooms or halls. Stay away from exterior walls or glassy areas.

IN CARS OR MOBILE HOMES: ABANDON THEM IMMEDIATELY!!! Most deaths occur in cars and mobile homes. If you are in either of those locations, leave them and go to a substantial structure or designated tornado shelter.

IF NO SUITABLE STRUCTURE IS NEARBY: Lie flat in the nearest ditch or depression and use your hands to cover your head. Be alert for flash floods.

DURING A TORNADO: Absolutely avoid buildings with large free-span roofs. Stay away from west and south walls. Remember: lowest level, smallest room, center part.

TO PREPARE FOR A TORNADO: Store water in clean covered containers. You should keep disaster supplies in your home at all times (i.e. flashlight, candles, matches, etc.).

Tornado Myths
Have you ever heard that it is a good idea to build your house near a mountain because it stops tornados from forming? A lot people think this is true.
However, not even mountains are tall enough.

Most people think that if they open their windows during a tornado they will have less damage to their house and their belongings.
However, this is not true.

Along with the idea that tornados can be stopped by mountains, many people think that rivers too can combat the forces of a tornado. Once again this is not true

Have you ever heard of a tornado destroying an entire city? It doesn't happen very often does it? That is why many people think that tornados can not hit cities, but guess what they're wrong!!

Tornado Alley
Tornadoes form when a cold polar air meets up with warm tropical air. It just so happens that cold air from the north and warm gulf air meet up in tornado alley. This makes the midwest a perfect breeding ground for tornadoes.
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Stormy (click)
Oh, the glory of a thunder storm ... it's power
it's control ....... it's beauty............ it's passion.
Almost like You have been struck by lightning......(click)
a love game of the sky ... when the storm comes.
And I love to be right there ... like an intruder in the passion of the dance.