Kashi Chocolate Soft Baked Squares

October 14, 2012 By Anne

When I think of Kashi I think of cereal. Good, healthy, organic, real ingredients. But did you know they make other food products as well?

Kashi has a whole line of snacks including Soft-Baked squares in a variety of flavors. A tasty snack the whole family can enjoy!

We got to try the Chocolate Soft Baked Squares through Moms Meet . These have seven whole grains, sweet potatoes and black beans. Sweet potatoes and black beans? I’m not telling my kids that, they’ll never eat it!! lol The Squares have agave, a natural sweetener and 4g of fiber and 300mg of ALA omega-3. Lots of goodness in there for sure!

What did we think? My daughter loved them the best and continually asks for them! No one else seems to eat them. But hey? At least my daughter will be getting a great snack! I thought they were a little dry and tasteless. Maybe too many years of eating the bad stuff?

Check Kashi on Facebook too!

I received this product for free from the sponsor of the Moms Meet program, May Media Group LLC, who received it directly from the manufacturer. As a Moms Meet blogger, I agreed to use this product and post my opinion on my blog. My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of May Media Group LLC or the manufacturer of the product.

Anne

I'm a mother of 2 who likes to get involved in too much! Besides writing here I started a non-profit, I'm on the PTO board, very active in my community and volunteer in the school. I enjoy music, reading, cooking, traveling and spending time with my family. We just adopted our 3rd cat and love them all!

Take Your Parents to Lunch – October 17th

October 13, 2012 By Anne

I never heard of such a thing, but I’m loving the idea! I would love to eat lunch with my son at school, but being 12 years old, he probably doesn’t want me to come to his school and sit with him. But if many other parents were going to be there, then maybe….

Apparently on October 17, parents across the country will be sitting down with their child to eat lunch together in their school’s cafeteria. Do they get to eat the school food too?

Learn more about Take Your Parents to Lunch here.

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Will you go to lunch with your children?

I will be entered in a drawing for sharing this information with you. But I probably would have anyway.

Anne

Learn the Basics in Home Cooking

October 12, 2012 By Anne

Don’t know what you’re doing in the kitchen? Then Southern Livings Home Cooking Basics is for you! I know it is for me, that’s for sure!

This book has just what it says, the basics, from the set up, the ingredients, the prep, methods and finally some recipes. Cause you have to know all the basic stuff before you can start on the recipes, right?

The Set Up section explains all the necessary cookware, bake ware, knives and other tools you need. There is even a section telling you how to set a proper table. There are beautiful pictures of everything throughout the book.

Ingredients go over every spice, salt, vinegar, oils and grains you can think of and more. I never knew there were so many kinds of corn, nuts and cheeses.

The Prep section explains every technique possible and then some. I never knew how to seed a cucumber, but now I do!! Instructions on how to zest a lemon are there too! I just recently learned this when I made desserts.

Many Methods are explained such as how to grill, saute, steam and “basic” ones like how to bake and boil. While explaining the different methods, recipes are included.

There are so many recipes to choose from, but since I love breakfast so much, I thought I would share a breakfast recipe.

Sausage and Cheese Frittata

Recipe Type: Breakfast

Author: Home Cooking Basics Cook Book

Serves: 6

Ingredients

1 (12 oz) package reduced-fat ground pork sausage
8 large eggs
1/3 cup milk
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. butter
1 cup (4 oz) shredded 2% reduced-fat Cheddar cheese

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350. Brown sausage in a 10-inch ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium-high heat 10 minutes or until meat crumbles and is no longer pink;drain and transfer to a bowl. Wipe skillet clean.
Whisk together eggs and next three ingredients until well blended.
Melt butter in skillet over medium heat; remove from heat and pour half of egg mixture into skillet. Sprinkle with cooked sausage and cheese. Top with remaining egg mixture.
Bake at 350 for 23-25 minutes or until set.

I received the above book to review. Opinions are my own.

Anne

Get Real – UNREAL Candy

October 12, 2012 By Anne

Halloween is right around the corner and that means tons of candy!!

A couple years ago, I started limiting my son’s artificial color and flavor intake. He has ticks, uncontrolled movements. They go in spurts and change. I read that the artificial colors and flavors may have something to do with it. For Valentines and Halloween last year I bought most of candy from him. I wanted him to still have something tangible, but didn’t want him eating all of the candy like in years past.

Now I find out about UNREAL Candy and I only wish all my neighbors would buy it so my kids would get it in their trick or treat bags!! But at least I can swap out his candy for the UNREAL Good Stuff!!

I received a few samples to try and the kids and I tried a few bites of each candy bar. Everyone loved them!! They tasted the same if not better than the Junked version.

Check out this video. It’s about 4 minutes long but very informative.

Nicky Bronner, a kid determined to prove he could unjunk candy, and Adam Melonas, an innovative chef, have collaboratively brought an UNREAL™ idea to life. UNREAL™ products are made with wholesome ingredients, with more fiber and more protein. (this needs to be meet FDA’s requirements for “more” claims) The dairy comes from free-range, pasture-raised cows without antibiotics or added hormones. The palm kernel oil hails from a sustainable, organic farm in Brazil. The cacao beans are actually traceable, sourced from farms in Ghana and Ecuador.. UNREAL™ takes the extra step in developing their candies because it’s the right thing to do for people and the planet. With a simple idea brilliantly executed, UNREAL™ Brands has become a magnet for creative professionals. One from Google. An interior decorator. A P&G’er. A guitarist from Glaceau. A dog named Lola. In short, an eclectic mix you’d never find in any other company in the world. But it works. Why? Because they’re drawn together by a common mission. To challenge what we’ve come to accept in our food. To change the way junk food is made.

I received a few candy bars to facilitate this review. Opinions are my own.

Anne

Get Outside and Play w/Together Counts, #TogetherCounts

October 11, 2012 By Anne

Fall is here, but that oesn’t mean we can’t still go outside and play! Our family loves going on walks and going to the park to play. I actually like going in the fall because it’s not so hot!

Fall is the perfect time to find those nature walks and new places to explore. My son will be playing some sport soon. It will be nice to sit on the sidelines and cheer him on. We are still finding new and fun places to explore in our new area. Fall will be a perfect time to do just that!!

Let me tell you a little bit about Together Counts. A nationwide program, Together Counts, inspires active and healthy living. Energy Balance is the principle behind their program, which means balancing the calories we consume with the calories we burn. Together Counts brings together more than 200 retailers, food and beverage manufacturers, restaurants, sporting goods and insurance companies, trade associations and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and professional sports organizations. They want to get more families eating and getting active together. The message is moderation, not “good food vs. bad.”

We always went to our local fair in January, as a family and walked around and ate the good foods. But never did we pig out and feel bad. We got one item from a vendor and shared. That way we got to try more foods but in moderation!

Together Counts also wants kids to get active and healthy in school to help reduce childhood obesity. Right now they are running three sweepstakes with more than $150,000 in prizes! Enter your child’s school for their chance to win!

You can find out more about Together Counts on their website http://www.togethercounts.com/home

Love Twitter Parties? Together Counts will be having one on 10/17 at 8 -9 pm EST RSVP here!

I will be compensated for my time. Opinions are my own.