GOOD TIMES

Three “ProtectHer” Awards Given at NFNL Luncheon Featuring Kevin CostnerEach year, NFNL recognized three organizations that support their mission to restore and empower formerly trafficked girls and sexually exploited women and children. These are the 2015 “ProtectHer” award winners who will accept their award at the April 10th WINGS luncheon featuring Kevin Costner.The Letot Girls’ Residential Treatment Center empowers the community’s youngest victims. Each year, more than 9,700 youth, ages 10 to 17, come into contact with Dallas County law enforcement. Many have run away to escape physical, sexual and emotional abuse or neglect. A partnership between NFNL and the Letot Girls’ Center is sending licensed professional counselors to the Letot Girls’ Center to provide sexual abuse recovery th...

Prince of Peace Christian School’s Headmaster, Chris Hahn,Receives 2015 Distinguished Administrator Award from theTexas Private School Music Educators AssociationBy: Valerie Gabriel-SwensonPrince of Peace Christian School & Early Learning Center’s (POPCS) Headmaster, Chris Hahn, received the 2015 Distinguished Administrator Award from the Texas Private School Music Educators Association (TPSMEA) for private schools for the state of Texas.Each year members of TPSMEA have the opportunity to nominate a Principal, Headmaster, President, or other school administrator from across Texas who has demonstrated continuing leadership in developing, improving, and supporting music education. Their focus on music education must also provide a wider commitment to arts education. The recipient must al...

FREE DRESSES & ACCESSORIESProm season is a costly time for everyone. St. Andrew United Methodist Church has been helping teen girls with these expenses for the last seven years. Their Prom Closet provides dresses and accessories at no charge to girls who might not otherwise be able to swing the costs of getting ready for prom. Last year 678 girls received dresses and accessories, all donated by community members, local groups, corporations and businesses. Many of the dresses, which come in a wide range of sizes, have never been worn.“The Prom Closet has proven to be a wonderful way to reach out and serve the community,” said Devra Helffrich, an original organizer. “This year, because the community has donated dresses in such a generous way, we are only asking for donations of accessori...

This Grey goose L’orange “As Night Falls” recipe is adapted from the About Food website. It is the perfect combination of citrus and a surprising peppery taste. I have modified the ingredients slightly to highlight local, in season ingredients and have converted quantities and the process so that you can make this in batches before your guests arrive.INGREDIENTS5 cups Grey Goose L’Orange Vodka2 1/2 cups fresh pink grapefruit juice3/4 cup white sugaraprox. 20 cilantro leaves1 1/2 teaspoons whole red peppercorns2 tablespoons fresh ginger grated4 Valencia orange, 1 for zest curls to garnish and 3 for slicesYield: 10 CocktailsDIRECTIONSMuddle cilantro leaves, whole red peppercorns, and ginger; set asidePour the pink grapefruit juice and sugar into a pan on the stove, heat on medium until sugar...

THE GREAT INDOORS MEETS THE GREAT OUTDOORS: Ed Kellum & Son and Starpower Make It Easier Than Ever to Love Your BackyardBy Melissa Chaiken | Section EditorIt looks like the formal living room is out and the outdoor living area is in. Just take a look at any new homes, remodeled homes, home/garden magazines or home improvement websites and you will see how popular the outdoor living area is. It has become synonymous with the healthy and relaxed lifestyle we are all seeking. The backyard is an extension of the home, and for many has become a place of escape – even a spot for a “staycation”. Many outdoor living areas are built around or overlook a pool, but a pool is certainly not a necessity for an enjoyable space. An outdoor living area can be as simple as a patio or screened-in porch c...

Attention college students: Want a job when you graduate? Then participate in a study abroad program. That’s the message from a 2013 survey by StudentUniverse which has been helping college kids travel the world since 1999.What is Study AbroadMost study abroad programs in the U.S. are affiliated with universities and offer a wide range of courses from art to literature or sciences. It can take weeks or months, but semester-long programs and summer sessions are most popular.Study abroad stints in Europe were the overwhelming favorite of U.S. students responding to the StudentUniverse survey, with London, Paris and Madrid topping the list. Beijing and other cities in Asia also made the top 10 destinations, and China is expected to becoming increasingly popular in the future.Survey Says, Stud...

College students and their parents reflect on their memories of Senior Prom.Whitney Hill, center with friends, Emily Sunshine, left, and Allie Sunshine at Plano West Senior High Prom, 2014.“Prom made me realize that I was starting a new chapter in life and that I was leaving childhood behind. Everyone always dreams of prom as the end of high school as that mark of finally finishing it. I am so glad I was able to have that last high school memory with my best friends.”– Whitney Hill, a graduate of Plano West and currently a Freshman at The University of Kentucky“It never occurred to me just how bittersweet my daughter’s prom would be. It was the end of an era — no more Valentine Day Dances, no more Homecoming Dances, and no more Prom. As I watched my daughter with her date and her best fri...

At LIGHT FARMS in Celina, part of the master plan includes a commitment to healthy living.by Tricia White | Managing EditorBeginning March 21st, families in and around Prosper, Frisco and Celina can partake in a new Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program that will offer local, organic produce delivered each week to Light Farms. The CSA is the pet project of Holistic Nutritionist Leslie Typrin, a Northern California transplant who moved to the Light Farms community in Celina last year. Typrin, a former caterer and environmental scientist, became ensconced in holistic nutrition for personal reasons which included postpartum depression and digestive issues. It was at her son’s preschool that she discovered a local organic CSA program.“Having realized the difference I personally felt wh...