Dinner Party Success with Ragu

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I hosted a very tasty and fun home party in celebration of T’s 14th birthday.  We had 24 people in total and I made enough food to feed them all a full course dinner, thanks to Ragu.  The conversations and visiting among the family and friends is what truly made the party all worth while.  It was nice to get everyone together under one roof with no time constraints and the ease of being in the comfort of our home to relax.

I received so many compliments on the food.  Everything turned out perfect!

Menu:

  • Ceasar salad
  • Garden salad with fresh veggies on the side
  • Garlic Bread
  • Vegetable Pizza Cupcakes
  • Chicken fettuccine with Ragu alfredo
  • Spaghetti with beef Ragu sauce
  • Whole wheat spaghetti noodles with turkey Ragu sauce (healthy option)
  • Strawberry lemonade
  • Iced Tea
  • Italian Cream Puffs
  • Cheesecake – various flavors

We had more than enough food and everyone was happy they had the option to taste each dish.  The Vegetable Pizza Cupcakes were a lot of fun to make and a huge hit with everyone.  The kids especially loved them and it was an easy way to hide vegetables in their food, in the form of a cupcake.  Brilliant.

Ragu’s easy recipe to make Veggie Pizza Cupcakes was so fun to make.  I highly recommend trying them at home.

We setup our party as a buffet style so each person could make their own plate and select the food they wanted to eat.  I must say our party was a success and T was more than pleased.

*Quick Tip: when making fettuccine alfredo I add a can of cream of mushroom soup mixed into the alfredo sauce to cut the tangy edge and add more of a cream taste.

Ragu has fun conversation starters on their Facebook page.  Each Monday they showcase a new Mom’s The Word On Dinner video with question.  Don’t forget to join in on the discussion!

Thanks to Ragu I get to offer one lucky reader a chance to host their very own home party.  Bring together your friends and family for a nice dinner and conversation.  The randomly selected winner will receive a $300 American Express gift card to cover the expense of their home party.

How to Enter:

Leave a comment on this post answering the following question “do you reward your kids for good manners or is it something that is expected?”

Additional Entries: (one entry per comment)

  • Tweet the following tweet and leave permalink in comment

Enter #giveaway hosted by @MommaDJane thx to @RaguSauce to #win a $300 gift card to host your own home party http://ow.ly/5WvO4 #momstheword

*Giveaway is open to all U.S. Residents 18+ Entries will be accepted until Monday, August 15th at midnight CST. Any and all comments after that time will not be counted towards giveaway entries. Reader must leave a method of contact within comment and must respond within 24 hours of contact, otherwise a new winner will be chosen. Random.org will be used to select a random winner from comments on this post.

Full Disclosure: MommaDJane is one of the selected Ragu Blog Ambassadors.  A gift card was provided to cover the expense of our home party.  All opinions are 100% mine, of course!


Enhanced by ZemantaCongratulations, Steph A!  You are the winner of a gift card to host your very own dinner party.  Enjoy!

883 Comments

  1. I don’t reward my kids, per se, on good manners, but because they seem to be going through their paces with “tween angst” I do praise them when I catch them. More of a gentle reminder with positive reinforcement of what is expected.

  6. I don’t specifically reward for good manners, but I certainly punish for bad manners, especially talking back or sassiness.

    1. everything looks so tasty!! i like the buffet style because its so easy to feed alot of people with minimum premature work..

  10. We really expect our kids to have good manners. We don’t reward them, however we do compliment on their manners at times.
    Your party sounds like it was great. Also, I like your tip of adding a can of cream of mushroom soup when making fettuccine alfredo.
    Thanks so much for this wonderful giveaway.
    rickpeggysmith(at)aol(dot)com

  15. Like Ragu Sauce on Facebook (Margaret E. Smith)
    Thanks
    rickpeggysmith(at)aol(dot)com

  17. While I expect good manners, I do try to reward my children with small parties with their friends on a regular basis

  18. I don’t usually give them extra rewards for manners, but I will certainly praise them for their good behavior. I do expect it, but I still think that praise goes a long way. 🙂

  25. Hmm I suppose I’ve never thought about it. They are rewarded with praise. I do expect good manners and since it’s always been expected and taught, I don’t find I have to do a lot of reminding. What a fun party. The pizza cupcakes are a GREAT idea! Might have to do that next month for my son’s 15th bday.

    Blessings,
    Mel
    Please feel free to stop by: Trailing After God

  33. Good manners are just expected. I might use verbal praise if they do something like hold a door open for someone, but I don’t reward them with gifts or any other incentive.

  42. I feel like it is something to be expected. It is way I was raised so I think its why I feel that way.

  49. it is something that i expect, but if i notice he was really good..i make a point of telling him how good/polite he was
    nannypanpan at gmail.com

  51. It is something that is expected, not rewarded. But we definitely offer plenty of praise when they have done a good job.

  53. I expect good manners but sometimes verbally let them know how proud I am of their behavior

  54. There is no way I would reward my child for being polite. It is expected and understood, however, I do reward for using those manners to help others. My daughter has gotten to be friends with her bus driver and last year the bus driver had a stroke while driving the kids to school. I firmly believe that she was able to get the bus stopped, call emergency personnel through the speaker system and keep the kids calm by using those manners.

  60. I expect good manners but am quick to tell my daughter that I appreciated her good behaviro and good manners.

    kport207 at gmail dot com

  63. I reward good good manners with a compliment like “i’m so proud that you did …” because that is how they learn

  69. No, we don’t give rewards for good manners as that is expected. However, we praise her for them.

  73. Good manners are definitely important in our house. I reward them with a “those were great manners” OR “what great words you used”.

    While we expect good manners… I like to compliment them!

    So excited for your givewaway.

  80. It is expected behavior but if they go above and beyond the expected they are rewarded or praised.

  85. I try to shy away from using rewards for good manners, since they send the message that the only reason to be polite is to get the reward afterward. Instead I teach the kids that good behavior is something that I naturally expect from them, and the only “reward” I use is to tell them how proud of them I am when they behave well. Thanks!

    gkaufmanss at yahoo dot com

  92. I don’t reward, it has always been expected from the time they were old enough to understand manners.

  100. Good manners are generally expected but there are rare occasions when they are rewarded. Some events are even hard for us adults to get through.

  101. Your menu looks & sounds delicious!! I wanna make the pizza cupcakes lol

    I raised 2 brothers after my mom died, and I always expected them to behave and have good manners, and they did mostly lol..but I did reward them for doing chores and for having good manners..We’d go out every Friday night to dinner/movie! SO much fun!!

    Thank you for the chance to win and host our own awesome party!

    ajoebloe(at)gmail(dot)com

  107. Subscribed to MommaDJane RSS Feed(via RSS & email subscription)

    ajoebloe(at)gmail(dot)com

  110. Good manners are expected at a certain age but with my daughter being so young…..I reward her without being over the top.It’s more about encouragement and showing her right from wrong.

  111. good manners aren’t rewarded in my house. bad manners are pointed out so the kids can correct them

  112. It’s expected in our house. I do praise them if they use them but do not reward them. Thank you!!

  113. Good manners are expected, but positive reinforcement is used to let them know they are doing the right thing.

  123. We never rewarded our children with materials things, but we always let them know how proud we were (or complimented them) on their good manners.
    Your party menu looks delicious!
    jackievillano at gmail dot com

  135. Good manners are definitely expected. I don’t like my children thinking they only do things for rewards or compensation. We do rewards just because and sometimes for behavior…never just the behavior. The menu looks great and pics do too!

  150. We always expect good manners, and our kids do pretty well. We don’t reward them, but we do thank them for doing the right thing.
    susitravl(at)gmail(dot)com

  154. I expect good manners. However, when my son was younger I praised him for good manners which helped him know when he was practicing good manners.
    prizeentry @ wesharewithyou dot com

  170. It is expected. That was how I was raised. Trust me, I am glad my parents taught me well compared to others my age. Spoiled brats! lol

  171. I am following you and Ragu (@JustinaMangina3). I also clicked like on Facebook for you and Ragu (grandeguevo69[at]yahoo[dot]com—Justin Davis)

  172. I am also now following your RSS feed via my google account (kakkoiotoko[at]gmail[dot]com)

  173. I expect the kids to have good manners but if they do something particularly thoughtful, I will tell them that I’m prod of them.

  178. I do expect good manners but if my child went out of his way, then Yes, a reward would happen.

  184. I did not reward my son for using good manners, but I would have disciplined him if he had not.

  185. I reward them with praise on their good behavior. I don’t reward with monetary gifts or gifts. They don’t get rewards for behaving the way people should.

  198. I expect good manners, but also make a point of thanking my daughter when she displays good manners.

  201. Good manners are expected. It is how we make others feel comfortable. I don’t reward my kids when they show good manners, but I always positively acknowledge their efforts.

  211. We expect good manners and let them know when others praise us for having such well mannered kids.

  212. Children emulate their parent’s behavior, hence good mannerisms are expected.

  213. Kind of a combination of both. I coach them on using good manners then use positive reinforcement when they remember.

  214. At first, I think I rewarded them as a way of positive reinforcement but now they know what is appropriate behavior and they’re expected to practice that! 🙂 Thanks for the chance!

  218. I don’t have children, but I do always try to compliment/praise children when they show good manners.

  223. I learned from psych class and owning dogs that rewards come after good manners, positive reinforcement is the way to go! haha

  228. good manners are expected however praising your child when their behavior is good is a great way to reinforce

  265. It is expected, but I do compliment them, and when we are out in public especially in restaurants the get compliments all the time. It makes them so proud (and me too).

  271. i expect good manners but i show my pride in them for having good manners. i always thank my children for displaying good manners and let them know how proud i am of them.

  272. I gave verbal acknowlegments when I noticed good manners, like “I like your good manners” or “That was very polite.”

  280. I did not normally reward my son for good manners, I do believe they should be expected. However, there is always that occasion when praise is justified.

  290. Good manners are expected in our house. We do praise when our daughter goes above and beyond the normal expected manners though.

  295. It is something that is expected from the example we set for them; but, for something that stands out, we verbally commend them.

  298. I try to reward my kids for good manners. I want them to know w/ they do something something good they are doing it for the right reasons. We sometimes take to out to dinner to a specail place or maybe get them something they have have wanted. We try not to give them money. Thanks for a great swep and hope to win 🙂

  299. We expect good manners, but sometimes a little reward is nice if they don’t need a reminder! 🙂 Thanks!

  309. I don’t reward them per say but I do give positive reinforcement when they are polite and tell them how much I love their great manners.

  324. I am old school southern and manners are expected. But if they do something nice and unexpected I will reward them.

  325. My “kid” is my niece- and we will expect her to behave like a little lady. She is 6 months now and adorable.

  329. I have always expected good manners from my kids and grandkids, but sometimes I have rewarded them if they had to suffer through very long dinners or other boring occasions.
    smchester at gmail dot com

  334. In our unique little family unit, the 4 year old is expected to have good manners. And she does most of the time. If she does something that goes above and beyond, however, something that she hasn’t been instructed to do but has somehow picked up or just knows that she should do, then she gets a reward. It’s our way of encouraging her to keep taking that extra step.

  335. I consider my kids *still in training* when it comes to good manners. I don’t necessarily reward them but always tell them if they did a good job

    Thank you for hosting this giveaway

    Louis
    pumuckler {at} gmail {dot} com

  337. following @RaguSauce on twitter @left_the_stars

    pumuckler {at} gmail {dot} com

  342. I have always stressed the importance of having good manners to my children from a early age and I do not reward them for it but I always compliment them on their manners
    tamben7996(at)aol(dot)com

  347. Good manners are expected but we reward them with praise and occasionally a surprise treat, such as and extra scoop of ice cream

  348. Good manners are expected but we do compliment them and if their manners have been truly exceptional they will get a special treat or reward

  359. I don’t REWARD my son for good manners but I PRAISE him when he uses them and I let him know when he is not using them.

  361. All three of my grandkids are extremely well behaved- my stepsons married Asian ladies: The kids just seem to know what’s expected of them. I think it’s culture related. TV is not allowed unless it’s an educational program ; I think that’s part of it.

  370. Good manners should be a given, I will praise for a good job at minding their P’s & Q’s, but no, I will not reward them

  383. Mandatory: I don’t “reward” her with objects, but rather words of encouragement.

  390. I don’t have any children myself, however I do have 2 nieces and a nephew who are all in elementary school. I don’t reward them for good manners. I do give them pointers when I feel that it is needed. They listen well. Well I guess it not entirely true that I don’t reward them, If my sister and I are doing a familly day thing and it its all day and they are good. I treat them when we are at the store for being good. What can I say I’m Aunty.

  394. I never rewarded my kids for having good manners. They knew that it was expected of them. I did tell them every so often that I was proud of them for their good manners.

  403. Good manners are expected from my family–we don’t always get them, but they do recognize when someone else’s manners fail!

  406. When my daughter was little it was rewarded and now that she’s older it’s expected.

    tdlsfm(at)gmail(dot)com

  431. Good manners have been taught and are expected.
    I always thank my children for a pleasant dinner after we have eaten and cleaned up together.
    But if it is a business dinner or something similar that we tend away from home and they show excellent table manners I will usually reward them with a stop at the ice cream shop on the way home.

    jweezie43[at]gmail[dot]com

  439. I expect good manners but also occasionally reward them as well.

    chrisdeglen(at)gmail(dot)com

  442. In the ideal world a mother expects that her children would not act like baboons. In my world, the one that Luka the Baboon lives in, we have a sticker chart for good behaviour. We thank him when he chooses NOT to throw a tantrum or spit or scream. It makes me crazy.

  445. Good manners are expected but we do recognize when they do something above and beyond regular courtesy

  454. Good manners are expected of my kids. If I gave them a reward for having them, they’d think they were optional.

  455. I find that rewarding kids for having good manners helps motivate them to continue using the good manners. I only reward them if they do something exceptional however and when i do not ask them to do this.

  463. Good manners are expected in our house. She might be rewarded if she goes above and beyond, though.

  474. good manners are expected, but our son is 4 so we reward him with praise when he shows good manners

  481. Good manners are expected. (Kids are adequately “rewarded” by having pleasant interactions with others.)

  482. Yes they are rewarded because positive reinforcement is a better learning tool than punishment.

    ky2here at msn dot com

  488. We expect good manners from them. They are great with manners but picky with eating.

  501. i believe good manners are expected.. but you should randomly reward them to show how much you appreciate their manners!
    wuera_mermaid22 at hotmail.com

  506. subscribe to your rss feed via my google account i believe im subscriber #110?
    wuera_mermaid22 at hotmail.com

  510. i think it is good to reward small children but when a child gets older,good manners are expected

  521. I think good manners should be taught at a young age, praised for a while, then expected later on. Praise is good positive reinforcement, after all.

    iceofhearts at hotmail dot com

  525. Liked MommaDJane’s blog on Facebook (Amanda Reinhard)

    iceofhearts at hotmail dot com

  535. It depends on the age of the child. When they are young and still learning I will remark on their good manners. But after a certain age, good manners are expected and is simply the rule of society.

  538. My guys know that good manners are expected but occasionally I will reward them. They are 6 and 3 and we attended their first funeral service last week. They were especially good so we rewarded them with lunch at their favorite place and a small toy.
    Thanks for the giveaway!
    eswright18 at gmail dot com

  545. i believe they should be rewarded to begin with and then expected after the behavior us in place

  546. I believe it is something that is expected. We do randomly reward our children though, just because.

    shawn113(at)hotmail(dot)com

  550. I expect good manners from my kids, but I thank them when they do really well so that they know I notice.

  561. I reward them by by saying “that was nice and or thank you for that’ so I guess it is kinda expected lol but they feel good knowing they did something good and it is acknowledged.

    ericka082 AT gmail DOT com

  568. Good manners are expected but I do let them know how much I appreciate it when they do well in front of others.

  575. It is expected that my daughter behave,can’t think the last time I rewarded her. When she was preschooler she would get to pick dessert if she ate all her dinner,veggies etc without a fuss.

  578. I think it depends. I agree with rewarding smaller children for good manners, but not as they get older because it is expected of them. Thanks for the chance! 🙂

  590. I believe good manners should be taught at a very young age, and should be rewarded to encourage them to continue using them

  591. I expect good manners. But as I am teaching them I praise & reward with a good desert after dinner.. etc.

  604. Good manners are expected – but when we are really proud – a small prize here and there goes a long way!

    e-mail: lucky02130 (at) gmail (dot) com

  605. Follow you on Twitter!

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    e-mail: lucky02130 (at) gmail (dot) com

  606. I follow Ragu on Twitter!

    username: @vdr1984
    e-mail: lucky02130 (at) gmail (dot) com

  609. Good manners are expected but I’m sure to let them know they are doing a good job – they are quite young.

  615. It’s definitely something that is expected. The kids know though that if they behave well on a daily basis, that they’ll continue to have as much fun as we do!

  617. I expect my kids to have good manners. I don’t believe in rewarding kids for every little thing they do.

  619. It has always been expected of my kids. I do not reward them, however I do praise them if they get through a meal without me having to correct them.

  620. When my kids are younger(like my 4 year old) I reward good manners by thanking him for them and giving him praise. My teenagers, however, are expected to have them all the time!

    pkbw28 at gmail dot com

  634. We kind of do a mix of both, depending on the manners in question lol. Chores, they get rewarded w/ allowance. Things like dinner table manners, they are expected.

  636. I think good manners are something that are expected and kids should not have to be bribed to behave. Thanks!

  644. My kids are expected to have good manners they have been taught them from a very young age.

  648. Of course good manners are expected and my children are aware of that fact. I do however reward my children on a weekly basis for good behaviour and manners definitely qualify:)

  651. I expect good manners from my children. They get rewarded for good grades and chores.

  652. Good manners are expected!! They are not optional! Thanks for holding such a great giveaway!!

  658. No, I do not reward for good manners, as it is something that is expected by many. When we are out in public AND when we are in our home good manners are a must. There is no exception to this rule. In a world where we face so much rudeness, good manners are so wonderful to encounter.

  659. I pretty much expect good manners. If my daughter does something that is above and beyond, she would be praised and possible rewarded with a treat, thanks

  677. Expected, but we do praise them for doing well or remembering them, especially in situations where good manners are hard.

  684. It is something I expect them to do, however, I do give them positive reinforcements when they use their manners without prompting. Sometimes it is a simple Thank you, but other times it will be a special trip for ice cream, etc, as my way to show that I appreciate them acting appropriately.

    hazel
    hwilcox2008@gmail.com

  688. I think it depends on the age of the child. When they are very little we rewarded them for good behaviour but as they get older it is less reward and more expected.

  693. My kids are still little, they are 3 yrs old and 21 months old. We are teaching them manners and how they should act. Right now, yes, we do reward them, but when they are older, they should know better and it will be expected.

  695. Good manners are required. But I do acknowledge them when they have displayed good manners without me prompting them.

  697. My kids are older (both teens) so good manners are expected but when they were little, they were praised and occasionally rewarded for good manners.

    Thank you for the great giveaway!

  698. I make it point to acknowledge their actions that show good manners so they know that I am paying attention to what they say and do.

  699. no i dont reward my kids for good manners it is something they should practice anyway..now my teen son can be a struggle with manners

  705. I don’t have little ones, but good manners were expected of us when we were growing up, but we were also thanked for having good manners, and occasionally rewarded “out of the blue” when our parents wanted to give us extra encouragement.

  706. Good manners are definately expected, but when he goes out of his way to be polite, I do reward him with a little toy or a sticker.

  714. I always reward my son for good manners. He knows that they are mandatory to get what he wants, so when he does it without having to be told I reward him. It is a way of increasing the chance that he will continue to use good manners without having to be told.

  715. I don’t expect it 100% as they are young but I do reward them when they are exceptionally well manored!

  716. Good manners are expected in our house, but praise is given when particularly good manners are noticed.

  717. Of course good manners are expected, but today fewer parents or guardians are taking the time to teach and reinforce good manners not just at the dinner table, but everywhere. So if it takes rewarding the simplest good behaviors that in previous years would be considered every day things to make your kids stand out then go for it.

  719. Good manners are always expected but when one goes out of their way of course they get praise for that.

  722. I expect good manners, but reward them when they remember with out having to me reminded.

  724. Good manners are expected of kids. But I do try to let the kids know that I appreciate their politeness!
    Thanks for the giveaway!

  732. When they were really young they got rewarded( it was a way to teach them).Now it is expected.Thanks!
    lstanziani(at)yahoo(dot)com

  737. At first they were rewarded for good manners, but now that they are older it is something that is expected of them.

  738. I expect good manners, but because my daughter is so young (19months) I do praise her with hugs and kisses for showing such good manners.

  740. I expect good manners from my children. If you expect it and respect them, they usually give you respect and good manners.

  751. Good manners are definitely expected. My kids know, that but I still give them positive reinforcement for being good.

  752. I do reward my kids for good behaviours but not everytime….good behaviour and manners are expected, but sometimes they deserve a reminder of how proud I am that they acted well, and I take them to dinner or something of their choice. 🙂

  754. I expect good manners but if they do well for a while and they dont have to be told about doing the good manners then they do get rewarded!

  755. I verbally acknowledge that they are doing a good job by minding their manners but I would not go out and buy them something for it as a reward. Manners are expected in my home so a simple good job and pat on the back is what my kids would get.

  763. I thank my children when they are polite. It reinforces their behavior while modeling the behavior I would like them to display.

  765. I would have to say a bit of both. When the child is younger, the reward system would be ideal. However, as the child gets older, the reward system needs to go away and good manners need to be expected.

  766. It is something that is taught and expected. Praise is given for things done properly.

  767. It is absolutely 100 % an expected thing at my house!!! Good manners are a must!
    shopditzydiva@yahoo dot com

  771. It’s expected once they reach a certain age, there has to be encouragement when they are younger but not so much reward.

  778. My children were taught manners when they were 2 years old and still use them at 17,20 and 26 lol thanks

  793. We have expected and demanded good manners from our children. It shows that they are respectful, kind, and dignified young people, and that they care about others.

  794. i do reward my 3 yr old with a “good job”, however it is expected for my 6 and 11 yr old to have good maners every where they are.

  795. I would say expect good manners something their should just know! Thank you for the great giveaway!
    tishajean@ charter.net

  802. It is definately expected but we do reward our children when they are extremely.polite, especially when they dont have to be asked!

  807. I don’t have kids yet, but I hope it will be expected to have good manners. That being said, I think that a small amount of positive reinforcement on occasion wouldn’t be a bad thing either.

  808. I let them know I am proud of them but they shouldn’t be rewarded for something that is expected of them.

  813. I do not reward my kids for good behavior and manners unless praise is its own reward. 🙂 I expect them to grow up to naturally show respect and empathy towards their fellow human beings, otherwise I haven’t done my job as a parent.

    knittingandsundries(at)gmail(dot)com

  814. At first i rewarded them for good manners. but once they learned that it’s something that youre supposed to do, then it became an expectation

  815. Good behavior is expected … but rewarded when appropriate or goes above and beyond expectations.

  817. Thanks for the giveaway…we have inculcated a sense of good manners & respect for others to our kids by example, and “gentle” reminders when necessary; rewards are of the verbal kind.

    senorpiero [at] yahoo [dot] com

  822. I expect my son to always have good manners, but I’ll give him a little reward to encourage the good behavior.

  829. No, but if they are really sweet or kind I do tell them they are wonderful!
    spcale at yahoo dot com.

  840. Good manners are absolutely expected from my kids. It’s the way I was raised and I pass it on!

  861. We used to, but we’re coming up on pre-teen years. I think we’re past that point and only stare at offensive manners until they go away. lol

  864. I’ve always expected my children to have good manners. The reward for good manners at home is a trip to a restaurant.

  870. I don’t have kids. When I was growing up good manners were expected. We were praised, but that’s all.
    Thanks for the contest.

  876. I think it is expected that my kids show good manners. It is what they were shown and taught to do.
    LuckyTJG at cs dot com

  879. My kids have always good rewards for different things but good manners are expected and not rewarded.

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