You can receive Featurettes by e-mail daily, weekly or monthly by request. We can e-mail by your choice of topic or all stories as you may prefer. To make it even more convenient for editors to use our stories, NAPS has added an RSS syndication feed to our Web site. Simply hit the RSS button on our site for automated updates on available content. Please contact us to arrange to receive Featurettes in the format that works best for you at (800) 222-5551 or e-mail your request to us at printmedia@napsnet.com. We can provide Featurettes on CD-ROM or you can download it online at www.napsnet.com. Gary Lipton Media Relations Manager Phone: 1-(800)-222-5551 Fax: 1-(800)-990-4329 Web site: www. napsnet .com e-mail: printmedia@napsnet.com #2599 North American Precis Syndicate, Inc., 350 Fifth Avenue, 65th Floor, New York, N.Y. 10118-0110 Sharing Family Meals May Lead To Higher-Performing Students (NAPSA)—Want to increase your kids’ chances of getting higher grades in school? Eat dinner with them. According to studies conducted by Columbia University, teens who ate frequent family dinners were 40 percent more likely to get A’s and B’s than those who didn’t. In fact, other research has shown that teens actually prefer sitting down with their families for dinner to eating alone—in part because they thought it was the best time to discuss “something important.” But what to do if your family’s hectic schedule makes it hard not just to get everyone gathered together around the table, but also to find time to do the actual cooking? You can minimize the kitchen duty by serving an easy-to-prepare pierogy entre. The recipe below, in honor of the nation having just celebrated National Pierogy Day, is an updated version of a classic—and tasty—Eastern European dish that’s also sure to enliven dull menus that provide an excuse for grabbing a bite on the run. And who knows? Maybe even help improve those grades. Unstuffed Cabbage and Pierogies Serves 4 1 (16-ounce box) Mrs. T’s potato and cheddar pierogies 1 (16-ounce package) kielbasa, cut into 1⁄2-inch slices 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 ⁄2 head green cabbage, cut into 2-by 1-inch pieces Cleaning Tips Unstuffed Cabbage and Pierogies 1 large onion, chopped 1 garlic clove, crushed 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes 1 large carrot, shredded 1 teaspoon salt 1 ⁄2 teaspoon caraway seed 1 ⁄4 teaspoon ground black pepper Saute pierogies as box directs. Cook kielbasa slices until lightly browned in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat; stir frequently. Remove to bowl. Cook cabbage and onion in same skillet, over medium heat, in hot oil, until tendercrisp, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic, tomatoes with their liquid, carrot, salt, caraway seed, pepper and kielbasa. Heat to boiling over high heat; reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add pierogies to skillet; heat through. For more information and a wide assortment of other recipes, visit www.pierogies.com. (NAPSA)—To keep your home in good shape, consider these maintenance ideas: • Check your windows. Clean the glass and seals and inspect all windows. Fix worn weather stripping and recaulk inside and out if needed. Replace broken or chipped window boards or trim. • Clean windows inside and out with a soft, absorbent towel designed for the task. Unlike paper towels, clothlike disposables can be rinsed and reused. • Check the exterior of your house and doors to see if they need to be painted. If so, you can clean your tools with a soft, absorbent, clothlike towel, such as Scott Rags in a Box, which is durable and designed for fast and efficient cleanup. Unlike paper towels, clothlike disposables can be rinsed and reused. • Clean spills off the garage floor. As soon as oil spills, place a clean, disposable and absorbent shop towel, such as Scott Shop Towels, on the floor to absorb the spill—but don’t rub, as that pushes oil into the concrete. To help with all this cleaning, clothlike disposable towels previously used for such messy jobs as house painting and changing auto oil are readily available to homeowners. They can now be found in the cleaning aisles of Home Depot and other home improvement and hardware stores. Learn more at www.scottbrand. com and 800-443-4231. Stay On The Road To Safety (NAPSA)—The number of senior drivers on the road continues to rise. According to AAAseniors.com, there will be approximately 54 million Americans over 65 years old in 2020 and many members of that group will be driving. Being an older driver doesn’t mean that person shouldn’t drive, but it’s helpful to plan ahead and take steps to ensure the safest trip or drive possible. • Assess the situation— While it should be up to the older driver to evaluate his or her own driving abilities, senior driver or senior improvement courses are great ways to help in that assessment. Senior driving classes can reacquaint a driver with the rules of the road, point out warning signs and discuss new driving issues such as distractions, including texting and cell phones. Check with your local senior center, AARP or AAA for senior driving courses near you. • Be prepared for emergencies—Consider getting a cell phone if you don’t have one. Donated and recycled phones programmed to only dial 9-1-1 are available. Some cell phones come with larger buttons and displays to make them easier for seniors to use and several service carriers have special senior calling plans. Have an emergency preparedness kit in the trunk that includes phone numbers to call in an emergency (relatives or neighbors, towing company, local garage or dealership), quart of motor oil, tire gauge, white cloth or sign that will help you signal for help, jumper cables, flashlight and blanket. • Running smooth—A wellmaintained vehicle is another factor in safe driving. That’s why it is For seniors who still enjoy driving, one of the first steps for safety on the road is following the basics and being prepared. important to follow regular maintenance practices. Check the air pressure and condition of your tires and have them rotated. A good rule of thumb is to rotate them every other oil change. Get your oil changed and, to extend the life of your car and the oil, consider using a synthetic motor oil. Cars using a synthetic oil such as Royal Purple can go up to 10,000 miles between oil changes, which means less money spent on oil changes and less impact on the environment with less oil disposed. • Keep it safe—Other items to check for safe driving include: Clean and adjust your headlights. A technician at a dealership or repair shop can adjust the aim to help you see the road better and help other drivers avoid glare. Keep your windows clean inside and out to increase visibility. Repair any windshield chips or cracks before they have a chance to spread. For seniors or anyone who enjoys driving, one of the first steps for safety on the road is following the basics and being prepared. For more information on Royal Purple products, visit www.royalpurple.com or call (888) 382-6300.
