Public still divided on sex education

The debate over whether to have sex education in public schools seems to be over. But Americans still don’t agree on what type of sex ed is best.

That conclusion is reported in a new poll by National Public Radio, the Kaiser Family Foundation and Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. They found that only 7 percent of Americans say sex education should not be taught in schools.

Fifteen percent believe schools should teach only abstinence. Forty-six percent think schools should teach that abstinence is best, but should also provide information about condoms and contraception. And 36 percent believe that abstinence is not the most important thing, and that sex ed should focus on teaching teens how to make responsible decisions about sex.

Copies of the report summary are available on the Kaiser Family Foundation’s Web site, http://www.kff.org.

Poll paints sweethearts in terms of chocolate

If your sweetheart were a type of chocolate, what type would he or she be?

In a poll of 1,000 adults, sponsored by the Chocolate Manufacturers Assn., most men and women said “hot chocolate” most aptly described their sweetheart, followed by “solid, plain chocolate.”

Women were two-thirds more likely than men to describe their guy as a “chocolate-covered nut.”

Book explores varieties of macaroni and cheese

If you love mac ‘n’ cheese, then you’ll love a new cookbook honoring the fun family food. “More Please! Macaroni & Cheese” (Plexcentric Publishing, $15.95) is part cookbook, part comic tribute.

Along with 111 recipes — from simple variations of boxed mac ‘n cheese to homemade masterpieces — the book features cartoons, jokes and even a chapter of mac ‘n’ cheese “bloopers” (recipes that didn’t quite work).

Our favorite flop: the Mac & Cheese Burger. “If you froze mac and cheese into a hamburger-shaped patty, could you then grill it and eat it like a hamburger? NO!”

For sample recipes and other mac ‘n’ cheese magic, visit www.maccheese.com.