Tag Archives: brand ambassador

How to Get Your Kids Involved in Preparing Holiday Meals, with Ragu Sauces!

Food and Drink, New posts, ,

Sharing time in the kitchen is a highlight of holiday meals.   Here are a few ideas to get your kids involved in holiday meal preparation using Ragu pizza and pasta sauces!

Ragu pizza and pasta sauces

  • Pizza Bites are an appetizer kids can help make!
    Divide four hamburger buns in half and lay cut side up on a baking sheet.
    Spread two tablespoons of Ragu Quick Traditional Pizza Sauce on each portion.
    Top with a slice of Provolone cheese.
    Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until bubbly.
    Cool slightly and cut each into fourths.
  • Why not try kid-friendly macaroni-and-cheese as a side dish this holiday?
    For a nutritious seasonal twist, cook and coarsely mash a butternut squash.
    Combine squash with 3 cups of cooked macaroni and a jar of Ragu Cheesy Double Cheddar Sauce.
    Top with 1 cup bread crumbs combined with 2 T.
    Parmesan and bake in a 350 degree oven until golden.
  • Let your children make breadsticks!
    Thaw ready made bread dough.
    Roll in melted butter and a little garlic powder and bake.
    Serve hot with Chunky Ragu Mama’s Special Garden Sauce.
  • Malfatti, Italian spinach-cheese balls – Your kids will love helping with this recipe!
    Cook enough frozen chopped spinach to yield one cup.
    Squeeze in a potato ricer until thoroughly drained.
    Combine with 1-1/2 cups ricotta cheese, 2 eggs, 1/4 cup Parmesan, 1 cup bread crumbs, 1 t. basil, and one garlic clove, pressed. Combine.
    Chill for 1 hour.
    Bring a large pot of water to simmering.
    On a heavily floured surface, roll mixture into walnut-sized balls.
    Drop into the water and simmer 3-5 minutes until they float.
    Lift out with a slotted spoon.
    Serve with Ragu Old World Style Marinara sauce.
  • Make a Santa Pizza!
    Spread Ragu Old World Homemade Style Pizza Sauce on a pre-made pizza crust.
    Arrange grated mozzarella to form Santa’s hair and beard.
    Leave some red showing for his hat and his rosy cheeks.
    Use sliced green olives or pepperoni to make his eyes and nose, and other toppings as desired.

Kids enjoy time experimenting in the kitchen with their parents while preparing holiday meals!

Share your favorite recipe that kids can participate in, in the comments below!

Connect with Ragu

Read my previous Ragu “Moms The Word on Dinner” posts here:

Disclosure: This is part of a campaign for which I am an Ambassador for the Ragú® Mom’s the Word on Dinner Program. Visit www.facebook.com/ragusauce to join the conversation.
Alicia Hagan, Editor

Save Money for College While Shopping for Holiday Gifts, with Upromise

Brand Ambassador, Money, New posts,

upromise college savings ambassadorI am a huge fan of shopping.. but I also love saving money!  I prefer to save more (way more) than I spend and I try to teach my kids the same.

I have told my 12 year old son many times that we will not be paying for his college education and that he must earn his college education by making good grades.  College is just about 7 years down the road for him and that’s not long.  I signed up for Upromise when my son was a baby and I am glad! I can’t believe how quickly these years have gone by.  Not only is he 12 years old but I’m a mother to a 12 year old! That’s almost more shocking to me.  He’s going to be driving in the next few years and then off to college he’ll go.

Upromise by Sallie Mae is a program that offers shoppers cash back towards collage savings, on certain purchases.    Everyday shopping that you do at the grocery store, toy store, book store, and even eating out can put money into your child’s college fund.

Upromise is offering some great deals this holiday season and for 10 weeks Upromise is featuring some pretty amazing cash back bonuses throughout the holiday season through their Holiday Savings HotSpot. They are offering 10%, up from 3%, off at Sephora this week (ends 11/17) so if you love Sephora as much as I do, you’ll want to jump on this deal!

You probably already shop at Toys R’ Us, Macy’s, Brookstone, Sears, Target, Apple Store, Best Buy, Land’s End, Home Depot, and The Disney Store so why not save for your child’s college fund at the same time by shopping through Upromise?

Crazy, cool upromise goodies!

  • If you aren’t a member of Upromise yet, you can sign up here. You’ll get $5.00 in your account when you sign up and there are no fees.
  • For those of us who shop online a lot (raise your hand), you can download the Upromise Internet browser tool bar, TurboSaver.  This toolbar will search participating retailers sites that you visit, for coupons and discounts.   How easy is that?!
  • Through December 13th, all shoppers at Upromise will be entered into a daily drawing for a $500 Apple gift card!

A brief overview of 529 college savings from my point of view:

Parents should start saving early for their children. But even if college days are soon approaching, getting even a little bit of a head start on tuition and additional college expenses will be beneficial. One of the most popular college savings resources available is a 529 college savings plan.   A 529 college savings plan allows families to save a significant sum of money in an account designed specifically for college funding.   Upromise makes it easy for parents to save for their child’s college education just by purchasing the same every day items they always do.   529 plans may be one of the most effective means of saving for college because of the tax benefits and because parents, grandparents and others can contribute on behalf of specific students.  You can learn more about 529 college savings plans on Upromise here.

Useful upromise links:

Disclosure: I am a paid upromise college savings ambassador.  All opinions are 100% my own and were not influenced in any way.

Alicia Hagan, Editor

Food Tip: How Do You Spice Up Your Pasta? A Tip for Picky, Pasta-Loving Families

Food and Drink, New posts, , , ,

I am a huge fan of pasta.  I could eat pasta 21 times a week (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) if I had enough in the house to fix.  Maybe that’s why these extra 10 lbs won’t come off?  I’m also a huge fan of sauce!  Yet another reason why I’m struggling with these extra 10 lbs.

As you might know, I am a Ragu “Mom’s The Word On Dinner” Ambassador, and I’m very proud and excited about that as you’ll see in this post.

Ragú® - Brand Ambassador campaign

That brings me to this week’s featured “Moms the Word on Dinner” video on the Ragu Facebook page which is about how families spice up their pasta.

How do I spice up my pasta you ask?  Good question!

Because everyone in my family has differing taste buds (to the extreme!), I prepare what I call ‘meals with options’.
For example, I cook angel hair pasta or my daughter’s favorite, rigatoni.
Then I will place a few sauce options and pasta ‘toppings’ as my kids call them, on the table.  Pasta toppings might include sautéed chicken, shrimp, red peppers, peas, and cheeses, to name a few.  Sauces include red pasta sauce, alfredo sauce, and lemon butter, most often coming from a what I like to call.. a jar.. full of ingredients that I can pronounce.

I don’t believe in forcing a child to eat a meal or a food that they have tried and don’t like so I am OK with offering my kids variations of a meal at dinner time.  I have found ‘meals with options’ to be a good solution for my family.

Plus, the table looks really pretty when it’s covered in small bowls full of colorful ‘toppings’.

Chime In..

How do you spice up your pasta? Do you have a special sauce recipe, favorite sauce or  pasta topping?  Please share in the comments below.

 

Alicia Hagan, Editor

I’m a Ragú® ‘Mom’s the Word on Dinner’ Brand Ambassador!

Brand Ambassador, Food and Drink, New posts, , ,

Ragú® - Brand Ambassador campaignThere’s one thing that I’m actively trying to get better at lately.. cooking.  I’ve decided to start cooking at least two nights a week.  OK, maybe three.  So what’s the story you ask?  Well, my husband works nights most of the time so he’s not home at night to enjoy dinner with us and my mother lives very close to us and likes to see the kids as much as possible, so we go to her house about five nights a week to hang out with her and have dinner.  The kids love it because there’s no TV (you read that right), and I love it because we get good, wholesome, organic, prepared from scratch meals because that’s how my mom rolls.  She’s wholesome and organic. 🙂  Oh, and I love that we get to see her.. not just the food she prepared.  Don’t worry, we do the dishes.

When I was recently asked to be a brand ambassador for Ragú® I thought what perfect timing!   I am honored to be part of such an amazing group of bloggers participating in this campaign and I’m sure this campaign will help me gain the knowledge and confidence I need to cook more and give me the extra push I need to be more creative with food.   There are 25 Ragú® Mom’s the Word on Dinner brand ambassadors including Mommy Niri and Rockin’ Mama.  I will link to a full list of participating bloggers soon.
Mom’s the Word on Dinner is the name of the campaign and during my brand ambassadorship, I hope to get creative (that means use cooking utensils), use recipes (I might have to measure stuff), and share dinner time ideas and tips with you. I’m so excited to be par tof this campaign which is about sharing dinner time advice with other moms and I want you to participate too so jump on over to the Ragu Mom’s the Word on Dinner Facebook page and join us!

I had a blast watching the videos on the Ragú® Mom’s the Word on Dinner Facebook page today.  Video topics including “Got Kids with Odd Eating Habits?” and “When Dinner Gets Tough..” will keep you hooked to the computer for a while.

Here’s a video to get you started:

During my brand ambassadorship for Ragú®, I’ll be hosting two in-home parties and two great giveaways so be sure to follow me on Twitter and Facebook and sign up for my RSS feed so you are always up to date with my latest posts and goodies!

Do you have a dinner time tip you’d like to share with me and my readers?  Please do, in the comments below!

Disclosure – This post was created in connection with my appointment as an Ambassador in the Ragú® Mom’s the Word on Dinner Program. I am being compensated for my Ambassadorship. All opinions and ideas featured in this post are 100% my own. Visit www.facebook.com/ragusauce to join the conversation, get recipes, and watch videos.

Alicia Hagan, Editor

Peeps® Aren’t Just For Easter! – Part 2 of Peeps® Series

Food and Drink, New posts,

Read Part 1 of my Peeps® series here.

Peeps® & CompanyCandy lovers unite! Peeps® marshmallow candies are being sold in record numbers all year long. That’s right! The nostalgic sweet treat that you enjoyed on Easter as a kid are now available for other holidays and special occasions too. Best of all, the festive marshmallow madness has spread to gift ideas and novelties that can be given any time of year.

Imagine the joy on someone’s face when they open a gift of Peep candles. What a unique idea! The scents are reflective of delicious Peep flavors and include sugar cookie, chocolate mousse, and strawberry crème. Yum!

I recently (no, it’s not Easter is it?) ordered quite a few items from the Peeps™ and Company store including marshmallowy treats, notepads, a t-shirt for my daughter, and snap hair clips.

While the traditional Easter shapes included baby chicks and bunny heads, you can now buy Christmas trees, snowman, and other themed shapes for Christmas, ghost and pumpkin shapes for Halloween, and other original creations during the remainder of the year. Why not capture the essence of each unique design by purchasing soft plush dolls for the home.

Kids and adults alike love the yummy goodness of a marshmallow Peep and their bright fun colors. Show off your love of an old classic with a trendy Peep shirt, sweatshirt, jewelry set, or other Peep gear. They are hip to wear, fun to look at, and available in all sizes.

For a truly unique experience, try gourmet marshmallow Peeps® that will wow the senses. Chocolate dipped Peeps® candy take your favorite sweet treat to a whole new level. And do not forget to try unique flavors including caramel, peppermint, orange, and chocolate. There’s a new world of Peeps® marshmallow treats waiting to be discovered, and they’re out there all year long!

Read Part 1 of my Peeps® series here.

Connect with Peeps:

Disclosure: I was engaged by Mom Bloggers Club to participate in a campaign for Peeps®.  All opinions are 100% my own and were not influenced in any way.

Alicia Hagan, Editor