If anyone out there has any idea how to get two teenagers to clean their rooms, I am open to any suggestion.

You would think that my oldest, who is actually on the verge of moving from home, would want to be a little neater and more organized since she soon will have a place of her own to look after and, believe me, with my patience level lately, it definitely will be sooner than later.

Every time I walk by the room I do a double-take because it actually looks like a giant, messy walk-in closet. I have to close the door because I refuse to be sucked in and start cleaning it when I have so much other stuff that I need to be getting organized.

The other bedroom is not that much better. It basically looks like a bomb went off. How he can tell which pile of clothes is clean or has already been worn is beyond me.

It was so much easier when they were little. I could bribe them with a sticker, piece of candy or threaten that no one would be going anywhere until the rooms were cleaned.

Now I can talk till I’m blue in the face, bribe, cry or yell and nothing seems to work. I’ve tried subtle hints. Hint number one: place a garbage bag on their doorknobs so possibly any trash in the room could be emptied out and taken downstairs. One week later, said garbage bag is still hanging from the doorknob and I have to remove it because I’ve run out of them downstairs for the kitchen trash.

Hint number two: place the vacuum cleaner right in front of the bedroom door and watch with dropped-jaw amazement as they walk around it for a solid week until it magically disappears because, once again, I need it downstairs.

But after what happened the other day, I have given up and there will be just one warning. Then I will go, armed with my favorite contractor bags, and I will load them up and place them in the garage for one week. If no one notices, I will be taking a trip to the dump – more likely six trips.

A few weeks ago, I was walking by one of the rooms and noticed a fish bowl. As far as I knew, we haven’t had fish for a while so out of sheer curiosity, I walked over and after staring at this horrible liquid for a while, I realized something was in there. I went to find another bowl and fished around with the net and out came a red colored Beta fish. I plopped it in my bowl, took it downstairs and placed it on a shelf. After a couple of days my oldest, who has not even noticed anything different, glances at the shelf and says to me ‘did you get a fish?’ Of course, I answer yes. Then she proceeds to look a little more closely and mentions it looks just like hers. This is where I answered that I didn’t even know she had one.

Two weeks later, she still glances at the fish when she is around and remarks how it’s so strange that the “two fish look so identical!

Really, is she serious?

I can’t take it any more, so I decide to refresh myself with a cocktail and get ready for hoeing out those rooms.

I’m starting to think that if no one notices one bright red fish missing, which was the only fish in the bowl, or so I hope, then there is a big possibility they won’t miss anything in their rooms.

This week, a couple of easy dip recipes for the upcoming Fourth of July picnics or gatherings and one really great cocktail, if you’re ever having a day like mine!

Summer watermelon martini

1 cup watermelon juice

4 ounces vodka

¼ cup simple syrup

Juice of 1 lime

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well and then pour into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a watermelon slice if desired. And enjoy!

Jalapeno hummus

1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans

1/3 cup canned jalapeno pepper slices, juice reserved

3 tbsp tahini

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp lemon juice

½ tsp ground cumin

½ tsp curry powder

Crushed red pepper to taste

In a blender or food processor, mix the garbanzo beans, jalapeno peppers and reserved juice, tahini, garlic and lemon juice. Season with the cumin, curry powder and crushed red pepper. Blend until smooth. Feel free to adjust any of the flavors to suit your personal taste.

Roasted red pepper hummus

1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans

1 jar roasted red peppers

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1½ tbsp tahini

1 clove garlic, minced

½ tsp cumin

½ tsp cayenne pepper

¼ tsp salt

1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

In a blender or food processor, puree the garbanzo beans, red peppers, lemon juice, tahini, garlic, cumin, cayenne and salt until the mixture is pretty smooth. Scrape the sides of the bowl to get all of the mixture and process until smooth. Place in a serving bowl and chill for at least one hour.

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