Ragu Recipes for a Good Start

At church, we just finished up a 4 week series on healthy families. One of the important ingredients of a healthy family is spending quality time together--actually talking to each other. It is during those times that we can encourage our kids to work hard, promote their imaginations, and held them grow into happy, well adjusted people. Meeting around the dinner table is a great way to make it fit in your schedule.

Ragu offers hundreds of nutritious, convenient, delicious, and affordable meal ideas for busy families (doesn't that include all of us?) It's easy to help the kids get their veggies since all Ragu red sauces contain more than a full serving of veggies in every half cup. Ragu understands our hectic lifestyles and wants to help us feed our families quality meals at a great value.

Now, Ragú® is teaming up with actress and mom Molly Ringwald to promote the Recipe for a Good Start Contest asking moms to share their recipes for a good start for a chance to win a $5,000 college scholarship. By visiting www.recipeforagoodstart.com, you'll have a chance to submit your recipe for a good start in life and your original Ragú® recipe that has the family running to the dinner table! Three first prize winners will be awarded a family trip to New York City where they will compete in a nationally televised Ragú® Recipe Challenge for the chance to win the ultimate prize of a $5,000 college scholarship.

Disclosure: I was entered for a chance to win a Ragú® family package in exchange for this post. No monetary exchange took place.

How to make a Slim Jim

I just had a conversation with my 4 year old (Munchie).

Munchie: How do they make Slim Jims?

Me: I am not sure.

Munchie: I know. First they take the Slim. And then they make the Jim. And then you put it in the oven that is really hot. For like 5 minutes. And then you take it out. And then you eat it.

Me: Hold on a sec. I need to type this up for my blog....

Need a good belly laugh?

Someone at Nestle had too much time on their hands---or they just wanted to make sure their phone switchboard go overloaded! I hope nobody is trying to reach them with a real question!

Call the Nestle Hotline (1-800-295-0051) and when asked if you want to continue in English or Spanish, wait quietly for about 10 seconds for another set of options. (One will be "To hear your options in Pig Latin....") Then press 4 ("Funner options). Listen to the choices (Knock knock joke, nuggie, and others), and press 7.

NOTE: The line will probably be busy, but it is worth it to keep trying.

Disclaimer: Do not make this call at work or on public transportation (unless you put it on speaker phone so everyone knows why you are laughing hysterically and falling out of your chair!)

You're out of what?

Last night after Chewie orchestra concert, I picked up Happy Meals for the kids. Then I went out to find some grub for John and I. We don't go to Long John Silver's very often (too pricey!) but we had coupons. So I walked in. (For some reason, we don't have an LJS with a drive-through!) I gave her my coupon, and she said, "I'm sorry. We are out of clams." What? I come to Long John's for the clams! So I leave.

I headed to an old standby. Kentucky Fried Taco Bell. (Yeah. It's one of those multi-franchise stores.) I ordered John's 2 breasts--extra crispy. She had to check to see if they had any. What? It's a chicken restaurant! You should have chicken! Okay. They have the chicken. Now it's my turn to order.....

Chili Cheese Burrito ("Sorry. We don't serve that any more. We just haven't taken it off the menu board yet".) UGH...

Okay. Let's do something I haven't done in a while. Mexican Pizza. Response:

"I'm sorry. We are out of beans".

HUH!?!?! Out of beans! Taco Bell!?! That is like McDonald's being out of French Fries; or a salad bar with no lettuce; or an Orange Julius shop with no orange juice!

Children Count Too!

My husband is working for the census--again. Last year, he walked neighbors and drove our Suburban through some remote areas (thank God for 4 wheel drive!) to verify addresses. Since the census is only done every 10 years, lots of things change. I know that in the 6 years we've been in our house, there have been at least a dozen new homes built within 1/2 a mile of us.

This year, he is an assistant crew leader (to a crew leader who is less than half his age and didn't work the census last year!). They are delivering census forms to people in outlying (not city) areas.

I learned a few interesting things. John cannot reveal (even to me!) exactly where he goes, who he talks to, or what they tell him---for 85 years! He can't even be subpoenaed to testify until that time. Now, I hope my husband lives a long time, but I really doubt he will make it to 129 years of age! (And if he does, I don't think he will make a very good witness then!)

In our area, as well as many others, one concern is getting everyone --whether they are here legally or not--be counted. There are many things that will be effected by the census. Our city (Roswell, NM) is trying to reach 50,000 people which will open up a lot of federal money for us. (Not to mention new stores that will consider coming to town!)

Every child loves a good game of hide and seek. There are the fun butterflies they get in their tummies when they're waiting to be discovered and the pride they feel when they're able to count to ten and then yelling, "Ready or not, here I come!"

But children who are hidden from the U.S. Census counts (taken only once every 10 years) are not a laughing matter. So, ready or not, here comes 2010 Census ... and you have an important role to play!

Many parents may not realize the importance of accurately reporting the number of children in their family, including newborns. The truth is that the undercount of children means that we do not get a true picture of our nation and our communities do not get their rightful share of public funds.

Why Children Count Too

Children have been undercounted in every census since the first one in 1790. Local communities rely on census information in planning for schools, child care, health and other critical services. Babies need to be counted today, so they can benefit tomorrow from community services.

Census counts are used, in whole or in part, for more than 140 programs that distribute more than $400 billion of federal funds to states and localities, including such child-focused programs as:

• Special Education Grants to states ($10.8 billion)
• Head Start ($6.9 billion)
• State Children's Health Insurance Program ($5.9 billion)
• Foster Care Title IV-E ($4.7 billion)
• Improving Teacher Quality State Grants ($2.9 billion)

Unlike adults, who may bear some responsibility for making sure they are counted in the Census, children are dependent on others to make sure they are included. Yet in 1980, 1990, and 2000, Census Bureau data show children, particularly young children, are one of the groups most likely to be missed in the Census. In fact, in the 2000 Census, there was a net undercount of more than 1 million children under age 10.

When playing hide and seek your children have the opportunity to be found after ten seconds.

The Census only comes around every ten years. So when you receive your Census form in mid-March, make sure your child (no matter how old) is counted!

This post was part of Global Influence's program working with 2010 Census to help spread this important message. My post was not compensated.