As has been said before....go to the school board....they made that policy. I volunteered for several years in a program where I ate lunch with elementary grade kids and then spent time reading with them. In this school nearly 90% of the kids were getting free lunch. And the reason why I and the rest of the volunteers were there was not only to boost reading skills but to provide some one on one time and to provide a positive adult role model. The lunches are not horrible...mostly! Things like turkey or ham and cheese sandwich, frozen fruit, or spaghetti green beans a meatball and a cookie, or tacoes or chicken nuggets, corn and mashed potatoes. Apples were always available as was milk both chocolate and plain. There was always white roll or bread of some sort....often a package of teddy grahams. The amount of the food that was tossed was amazing... One little girl ate nothing but bread and chocolate milk....and she was plump. I asked her what her mother fixed for dinner, she said she didn't make dinner so she, the child just got what she wanted to eat. I asked like what....she said pop tarts, lucky charms etc. her mother had no job so all was from wellfare. Another's mother worked at the backery in Wal_Mart so she got all sorts of good stuff. another one time brought his lunch one day because Mom's boy friend had brought Twinkies and Ho ho's or something similar, so her brought that for lunch. I sure am not for banning lunches from home....but as has been said you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink. If they are only used to getting garbage at home all the plates of roast turkey mashed potatoes and green beans won't get eaten. Kids who will get a fully subsidized lunch may not eat it and those not eligible may find that $2.25 a day is very expensive. Linda C

I think I'd do little sandwiches on dollar rolls. You could do an assortment - turkey, ham, tuna. I know how small kids can be very picky about what they eat. Carrots and dip as a healthier alternative to chips. I'd like to try the fruit salsa dip and cinnamon chips recipe in the link below - it's the number 1 appetizer recipe on that website. Have fun! I'll be joining the gals having the Margaritas! lol Here is a link that might be useful: Fruit Salsa

As an Early Childhood Specialist, former nanny, teacher, daycare admin, and now mother of almost 2little ones-lucky enough to work from home offering INFANT/TODDLER CARE, here's my advice 1.) How much should I charge? *This depends a lot on HOW many children you plan to care for at any one time, and HOW OLD the children are....You can charge MORE money caring for infants and toddlers, or if you provide more one on one private care for 1-2children or families only..This is what I do, and it works out quite well! I charge $125 per wk for a full time/5days a week infant, but keep in mind, my rates are high b/c other than my own son, I only care for the one infant..Parents are usually willing to pay for this type of care..especially for an infant. *Even though most providers in my area charge considerably less..I hold my own! If you are chosing to care for a larger group size, then I would charge more along the lines of $80-$90 per week-the higher end of the scale you mentioned,keeping in mind your education and experience..make sure you get what you feel you deserve. Decide on your minimum of how little you will accept for any one situation. You can offer PART TIME or FULL TIME CARE> you can make your own hours, and set your own rates,...I do not have the same hours or set rates for everyone, each family is different, and I charge them solely based on their individual care needs..not by a generic standard...Not all parents need the same hours, the same days of the week, ages of children vary as far as responsibility... 2.) How much more should I charge for a second child in the same family? *You can make this decision on your own, but I would probably give a small discount to a family with more than one child needing care..but it would depend on the situation.. 3.) What arrangement to you have in case of emergencies? (Such as your own child being sick, death in family, anything that would keep you from being availiable.) *I have this clearly stated in my contract, my policy on such things as illnesses, emergencies, etc...I state what I will and won't do in these situations, and have it clearly written that the parent of the child in my care is to have reliable backup for their own child in the event that I am unavailable. If you write it up, the parent will either agree to it or not...you make your own rules in these cases. 4.) What are your hours? And do you take a vacation or have different holiday hours? This is dependant on YOU and what YOU WANT to do...Personally I don't like LONG hours as some daycares have their home open 6-6...this is too much on my own son, and my own life, I wouldn't work a job that long each day outside of the home, and I won't inside...My home opens each day at 730am and closes by 4pm each day. There are many families who need either part time or shorter daycare..or even late starts such as parents who work 11am-7pm, or swing shift workers, you can chose to cater to whomever you'd like..My hours are based upon each individual situation..Otherwise if you want to have a regular FT work week, offering care for many children, A good general is 730am-530pm--this seems to suit most families. Again, you make your own rules. *in regards to vacations and holidays, I clearly state my intentions...for example in my contract I state that I will take at least one week of vacation per year and that I am closed on most major holidays, and the week of Thanksgiving and Christmas/New Years..parents are not obligated to pay me during those weeks or days. Again, most parents do not mind this..as they have families and time off of their own! 5.) What kind of snacks/lunch do you provide? (hot meal everyday or a sandwich on some?) Because I care for only infants and toddlers-many eating jarred foods and still on formula, they are required to provide their own food and supplies, diapers,wipes,formula,cereal etc..Most parents do not mind this. However again if you are caring for a larger group, you can adjust your fee scale accordingly if you plan on providing meals out of your pocket...THIS ADDS UP so make sure you aren't spending more on food than you are getting paid! 6.) How do you handle your own older kids' schedule, such as sports, cub scouts, etc.? ( I also have a 6 yr. old that enjoys extra activities.) This is where offering PART TIME or limited hours of care may come in handy...I have a friend who only does daycare on T/W/TH...with mondays and fridays off...and she is a booming care center! This is quite normal in my area..Also, if you know you have activities after 4pm or so, you can make your hours accordingly.. 7.) Do you have a contract and require a once-a-year supply fee like most daycare centers? I always have a contract, even if it's only 1hr per week of care...my contract is VERY DETAILED and clear so as nothing is left out or in question..I also give copies to myself and the family to refer to. I charge no fees other than weekly or monthly payment. 8.) How do you handle doctor visits for your own child? Again, this is dependant upon the hours of care you provide. If you fill your week, caring for other children, you may not be able to make it freely to a doctor appointment during the middle of the day with 6kids! Be sure if you DO PLAN on taking any children in care to appointments, or errands, that you have full permission from their parents. This again, is why caring for only a small group of 1-2 children beside your own may be more realistic way to go. Hope this information helps! If you have any further questions, or need help writing up a contract I'd be glad to help! Enjoy ! ~JEN. ECE SPECIALIST and mom to 17mos old, 31wks preg w/ #2~

Here are a couple of our family favorites. BOURBON MEATBALLS 2 cups barbecue sauce 1 1/2 cups bourbon 1 cup honey 1 cup prepared mustard 1/8 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 1 (32 oz) package frozen cooked Italian style meatballs, thawed Cook first 5 ingredients in a Dutch oven over medium heat 5 minutes. Add meatballs, bring to a boil, Reduce heat and simmer 25 minutes. Yield 10-12 appetizer servings (Source: Southern Living) CLAMS CASINO DIP Posted by tobygirl (My Page) on Sun, Dec 23, 07 at 6:31 Here's a very good one, which I have made many times. 2 cans minced claims with their liquid 2 Tbls. lemon juice 1 small onion chopped 2 cloves garlic minced 2 Tbls. fresh parsley chopped or 1 tsp. dried 1/4 c. butter 1/2 tsp. oregano 3/4 c. seasoned bread crumbs 2 drops hot sauce or to taste 1/2 c. cheddar or parmesan cheese grated Paprika Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Simmer clams with their liquid and lemon juice in a covered saucepan for 5 minutes. Set aside. Saute onion, garlic and parsley in butter for about 5 minutes; then add the oregano, bread crumbs, hot sauce and clams/lemon juice mixture. Spoon into a greased pie plate and bake for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with the grated cheese and paprika and return to oven just until cheese melts. Serve warm with crackers. ANN T'S GREEN CHILI SQUARES 2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese 2 cans green chiles 4 well beaten eggs . Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Sprinkle the cheese and chiles in the bottom of a 9X13 baking dish. Pour the eggs over the top. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown and firm. Cool to room temperature and then cut into squares. Preparation Time: 5 minutes I have posted Ruthanna's recipe and made this so many times over the years that I should take Ruthanna's name off of it and put my own on there LOLOL :) Its sooo good and easy! PARTY SHRIMP SPREAD Posted by: Ruthanna (My Page) on Mon, Oct 7, 02 at 17:07 2 (8 oz.) pkg. softened cream cheese 1 cup cocktail sauce 1 1/2 cups (1 lb.) cooked baby shrimp 1/3 cup chopped green onions 1/3 cup chopped green pepper 1/3 cup sliced ripe olives 1/3 cup diced fresh tomatoes, drained 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese and/or mozzarella On a pizza pan or large, flat round tray, spread the cream cheese evenly. Spread the cocktail sauce on top. Sprinkle the shrimp, green onions, green pepper, olives and tomatoes onto the cocktail sauce. Distribute the Parmesan cheese evenly over all the other ingredients so it looks like a pizza. Cover and chill until serving time. Serve as a spread with crackers.