When life gives you lemons...

make some fresh squeezed lemonade!

22 oz fresh lemon juice (about 7 large lemons)
2 1/2 to 3 cups sugar
1 cup hot water
1 gallon cold water
strawberries (optional, but recommended)

In a 1 gallon container, place sugar and hot water, and stir until sugar dissolves. Add lemon juice and cold water to render 1 gallon. Stir until well mixed.


(Fresh squeezed lemon juice can be frozen in a freezer safe container for up to 4 months! So get them while they're on sale and freeze the juice for when you need it!)

Tastes great if you add pieces of strawberries either to your glass of lemonade or to the entire pitcher of lemonade.

New State Budget Eliminates Important Funding!

Please take time to read the information below (under the banner). I strongly encourage everyone to call the Governor Quinn's office and oppose cutting funds for early childhood! This could impact the future of every state funded preschool program, including Bright Futures/Headstart.

You can support children & families and help prevent the loss of jobs and closing of centers by following these simple steps:

1. Call Governor Quinn at (217) 782-0244 and voice your opposition to any cuts in the Early Childhood Block Grant.

2. Email or call your legislators

• Leitch- davidleitch@ameritech.net
• Gordon- repjehangordon@gmail.com
• Moffitt- moffitt@grics.net
• Koehler- dkoehler@senatedem.ilga.gov
• Risinger- senatorrisinger@yahoo.com
• Smith- mks@winco.net

and urge them to do the following:

- DO NOT pass a budget with cuts to early childhood programs including:

• Early Childhood Block Grant funded through the State Board of Education
• Home Visiting funded through the Department of Human Services, Healthy Families and Parents Too Soon budget lines
• Child Care
• Children's Mental Health

- DO reform the Illinois revenue system so that we can collect enough funding to adequately support early childhood programs.

- Tell leadership that you oppose the cuts and that you support revenue to fully fund programs for young children.


The General Assembly will consider both an operational and capital budget this week before their scheduled adjournment on May 31st. Unfortunately, both budgets may not include programs and investments vital to the lives of working families and children.

Capital Budget
In its current state, the capital budget does not include funding for early childhood facilities. Governor Quinn originally proposed $25 million for construction and renovation projects to keep up with the high demand for early childhood education. Without early childhood facility improvement and expansion, children around the state will lack the high-quality learning spaces they need to enter school prepared for success.

Operational Budget
Illinois is in the worst finacial crisis it has ever seen and there is real possiblity that legislators will pass the "doomsday" budget in order to meet the adjourment deadline. If the "doomsday" budget is passed, it could mean the following:

$1.5 billion cut to Education

• Elimination of the Early Childhood Block Grant which provides preschool for 100,000 children.
• Elimination of 14,300 teachers' jobs.

$769 million cut to Human Services

• Elimination of child care for 1,000 children and increasing co-pays for remaining children.
• Closing one out of every five Illinois Department of Human Services offices.
• Elimination of home services for 5,000 people with disabilities.
• Elimination of addiction treatment and prevention for 45,000 people.

We need you to take TWO urgent actions today:

1. Call your legislators today and tell them 3 things:

• Restore $25 million for early childhood facilities as a part of any capital budget.
• Pass an operational budget that includes $592 million for child care services and $392 million for the Early Childhood Block Grant (Preschool for All).
• Increase revenue in a fair and sustainable way to ensure funding for these vital programs. Illinois working families and children should not bear the burden of balancing the budget.

2. Pass this information on to everyone you know.

Click the link below to log in and make your call:
http://www.votervoice.net/groups/ACTION/advocacy/?IssueID=18124&AdminPreview=True&SiteID=-1

To prevent these devastating cuts, you can also:

• Forward the above information and encourage all your friends, family, coworkers, board members, and program participants to take action to protect funding for early childhood programs.
• Write a letter to your local newspaper so that legislators feel pressure from the community as a whole, including the media.

More information and helpful tips can be found on these sites:

• www.budget.illinois.gov
• www.ounceofprevention.org

Grilled Potatoe Wedges

INGREDIENTS:

• 5 potatoes, peeled and halved
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tsp season salt
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1tsp onion powder

Directions:

1.	Preheat grill for high heat.
2.	Place potatoes in a large saucepan with enough lightly salted water to cover. Bring to a boil. Cook 15 minutes, or until tender but firm.
3.	Drain potatoes, and pat dry. Coat thoroughly with vegetable oil and seasoned salt.
4.	Place potatoes on the preheated grill. Cook approximately 20 minutes, turning periodically.

PREP TIME 10 Min
COOK TIME 35 Min
READY IN 45 Min

Arby's Free Food Offer...

Arby's is offering free food with purchase on Wednesdays at participating locations. The best deal looks like the free regular Roast Beef with any soft drink purchase, which happens once a month. Call first to make sure your local Arby's is participating:

MAY
20 - Free Chocolate Malt Swirl Shake with any sandwich purchase
27 - Free Regular Roast Beef with any soft drink purchase

JUNE
3 - Free Iced FruiTea with any sandwich purchase
10 - Free Roast Chicken Club with any soft drink purchase
17 - Free Regular Sidekickers with any sandwich purchase
24 - Free Regular Roast Beef with any soft drink purchase

JULY
1 - Free Regular Beef ‘n Cheddar with any soft drink purchase
8 - Free Orange Cream Swirl Shake with any sandwich purchase
15 - Free Regular Roast Beef with any soft drink purchase
22 - Free Roastburger with any soft drink purchase
29 - Free Iced FruiTea with any sandwich purchase

AUGUST
5 - Free Regular Roast Beef with any soft drink purchase
12 - Free Roast Chicken Club with any soft drink purchase
19 - Free Iced FruiTea with any sandwich purchase
26 - Free Regular Beef ‘n Cheddar with any soft drink purchase

Slow Cooker Texas Pulled Pork

INGREDIENTS
* 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
* 1 (4 pound) pork shoulder roast
* 1 cup barbecue sauce
* 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
* 1/2 cup chicken broth
* 1/4 cup light brown sugar
* 1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard
* 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
* 1 tablespoon chili powder
* 1 extra large onion, chopped
* 2 large cloves garlic, crushed
* 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
* 8 hamburger buns, split
* 2 tablespoons butter, or as needed


DIRECTIONS

1. Pour the vegetable oil into the bottom of a slow cooker. Place the pork roast into the slow cooker; pour in the barbecue sauce, apple cider vinegar, and chicken broth. Stir in the brown sugar, yellow mustard, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, onion, garlic, and thyme. Cover and cook on High until the roast shreds easily with a fork, 5 to 6 hours.
2. Remove the roast from the slow cooker, and shred the meat using two forks. Return the shredded pork to the slow cooker, and stir the meat into the juices.
3. Spread the inside of both halves of hamburger buns with butter. Toast the buns, butter side down, in a skillet over medium heat until golden brown. Spoon pork into the toasted buns.

Note: The pork can also be cooked on Low for 10 to 12 hours.

PREP TIME: 15 Min
COOK TIME: 5 Hrs
Serves 8-10