Summer Slim Down with Slim-Fast (& Giveaway!)

What's that? It's nearly time for back to school? Not around here it isn't!

August is usually the hottest month here in Ohio, and that means beach weather. Our family is planning a trip to Lake Erie in August, and I'm already a little nervous about knowing I'll have to be in a bathing suit for part of that trip. As much as I'd like to wave away body concerns and say it doesn't bother me, the truth is it does. Not as much as it used to, but I still want to look and feel my best when swimming and building sand castles with my daughters.

Slim-Fast is helping me reach my summer slim down goals by providing me with nutritious shakes, meal bars, and snack bars that are delicious, filling, and help me keep my calories and cravings under control. I used Slim-Fast earlier this year to shed ten pounds and get myself right on the edge of a healthy weight. (And I've kept it off!) Now I'm counting on Slim-Fast again to help me lose a few more pounds and get me to my goal weight before I step into that bathing suit.

The Slim-Fast plan is simple. One shake or meal bar in the morning, one at lunch, and then a balanced 500-calorie dinner. You also get three snacks to keep cravings at bay between meals, and you can either try one of their 100-calorie snack bars (which taste like indulgent candy bars!) or any other 100-calorie snack that you like, such as a cheese stick, small cup of nonfat yogurt, a piece of fruit, a handful of almonds, or any other treat that suits your tastes!

If you add up the calories you'll see the plan budgets for about 1200 calories a day. I try to work in running or strength training a few days a week, and for me I usually increase my calories by 100 on those days. (I've found that's what works best for my metabolism - you may need to find what best works for you in those situations.) The shakes have 10 grams of protein in them, which helps me feel content between meals. The snacks, for me, are really all about indulging and feeling like I'm getting a treat.

I've been back on the plan for a little over a week now and have already lost one pound, which is a big deal for me. This close to my goal, I have to fight hard for every pound lost. I'm excited to see the scale moving down again - Slim-Fast makes it so easy for this busy mom to have nutritious meals no matter how much is going on in my life. I can't wait to WOW everyone next month!

Giveaway!


Enter to win one of TWO Slim-Fast “Summer of WOW!” Swag Bags. The bags have everything you’ll need to turn heads on the beach, including a $20 gift card to a top department store to add to your WOW! wardrobe, a bright beach tote, a premium infuser water bottle and a sampling of Slim-Fast products designed to help you look your best before you hit the beach.

To enter, just follow the Rafflecopter instructions below. Two winners will be chosen after the giveaway closes on Thursday, July26.

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Disclosure: This post was created in connection with my appointment as an Ambassador in the Slim-Fast® Summer Slim-Down Challenge. Visit www.facebook.com/slimfast to join the conversation.

McDonald's Is Changing Up The Face of Fast Food (& Giveaway!)

About a month ago, I had the chance to meet with McDonald's Head Chef Daniel Coudreaut, aka Senior Director of Culinary Innovation. That's a really long title that means he's the guy in charge of creating all of the new menu items for McDonald's.

Now, I know that when you think of health food, McDonald's probably isn't the first thing to pop into your mind. It probably doesn't even make the top ten. Chef Dan is working to change that perception, however. We sat down for lunch together where he explained to me and the other bloggers and media present how his goal is to make the McDonald's menu more nutritional while still making it a great choice for fast, tasty and reasonably priced meals.

Before we go any further, I want to add: there are a lot of tasty-yet-not-so-healthy food options at McDonald's. I know this, and I'm in no way trying to claim that McD's is THE place to go for health food. My family visits McDonald's about once a week, and the kids consider it a treat. I strongly believe it's all about moderation, and while I'm featuring some of the new, lower cal and all-natural menu items here, I'll add that I don't believe there's anything wrong with treating yourself now and then, either. You'll never take away my french fries...I'll just have a small size instead of a large now.

Many of the newer menu items have been developed with an eye for more fresh produce, natural ingredients and fewer calories. Chef Dan's most prized creation thus far, he said, is the oatmeal - packed with whole grains and already a popular breakfast item.

Chef Dan explaining the process of developing a new menu item

We got to sample the summer fresh Blueberry Banana Nut oatmeal (only 290 calories) and I have to admit it was really good. Sweet, but not too sweet, and not at all soupy or mushy. The oats had a great consistency and the blueberries were ripe and perfect. I never would have considered fast food oatmeal before trying this, but now I can see choosing this for a quick breakfast on the road without the guilt of greasy breakfast food.

After the oatmeal we were introduced to the Grilled Chicken Southwest Salad with a spicy Southwest dressing. The salad has a roasted corn and black bean salsa with tortilla strips and a lime wedge. It was deliciously spicy with flavors of pepper and cilantro. 

 Words cannot describe how sinfully delicious this is.

Chef Dan explained that not only was this a tasty lunch item, but the premium salad contained three cups of vegetables in a serving! I couldn't even finish my salad even though I really, really wanted to. Since then this salad has become a regular for me when my family has a dinner out at McDonald's.

The biggest shocker for me, though, was the new Cherry Berry Chiller. I love this blended fruit juice and ice drink, but the bright red color made me leery of giving it to my children. My oldest can't have artificial colors and I generally steer clear of artificial flavors, too. Chef Dan's shocker for me: the Cherry Berry Chiller is ALL NATURAL! No artificial colors, no high-fructose corn syrup, no artificial flavors. Just fruit concentrate, ice, fruit and vegetable juice for coloring and citric acid - that's it! Suddenly I feel guilty for not sharing with my kids. (Well, only a little...these drinks are delicious!)

Cherry Berry Chiller paired with a fruit & yogurt parfait

I love that McDonald's is creating new foods for their menu that are packed with whole grains and natural ingredients. Yes, they'll always have the Big Mac and french fries, but the emphasis is about choices, not forcing nutrition on people. It's great that I can go to McDonald's now and put together a meal under 500 calories that is tasty and filling, or I can still choose to have a double cheeseburger if I want.

The changes to Happy Meals are another decision I can fully support. All Happy Meals now come with a kid-size box of fries (we call them a "shot" of fries) and a bag of apple slices. My kids no longer have to choose between two sides that they like, and the combo shaves nearly 100 calories off of the old meal with fries alone.

Providing greater variety in a fast food setting is a great idea and I love many of the new selections coming from Chef Dan and McDonald's!

Want to try McDonald's new oatmeal for yourself?

I have three coupons for a free McDonald's oatmeal to give to three lucky readers. (Note: they expire in August 3, so please be aware of timing.)

To enter, just leave a comment below telling me your favorite food item from McDonald's - easy-peasy, right? Make sure you leave an email address so I can contact you if you're a winner.

One entry per person, US residents only. Entries close on Tuesday, July 10 at 11:59pm ET. I'll randomly select 3 winners and then get your free oatmeal coupons in the mail for you to enjoy!

Good luck!

Full disclosure: I enjoyed a complimentary lunch while talking with Chef Dan, as well as coupons to redeem for other free menu items. I'm also a member of McDonald's Family Arches Community and have received free food items in exchange for feedback. All opinions are my own, including my wish that there was an addiction support group for the cherry berry chiller.

ZeroWater Means 100% Pure Water and Zero Chemicals

When I was a kid, I hated drinking plain water. Our small town's tap water always tasted of chlorine with a slightly metallic aftertaste. My mom would push me to drink water instead of sugary drinks, but drinking our water felt like a punishment rather than a healthy choice.

It wasn't until the rise of filtered and bottled water that I found myself willing to drink plain water and even like it. As an adult, when I bought our first refrigerator, I made sure to pick one that featured a filter for our water dispenser. Convincing our kids to drink water, however, has proven to be almost as hard as it was for me. My oldest is sensitive to the slightest change in tastes, and she often says water tastes "icky" to her.

Even with filtered water, I often worry about just how filtered it really is. Does the filter really remove all chemicals, minerals, and other trace particulates? It may taste better, but is it really pure?

I recently was invited by Mom Central to try out the new ZeroWater 10-cup filter-pitcher. This pitcher is like many in that it has a filter reservoir built in to the pitcher to filter the water before it reaches your cup. But that's about where the similarities with other filter-pitchers ends.

ZeroWater's patented 5-stage water filter system is the only system certified to meet the Food & Drug Administration's standards for Purified Bottled Water. That means you can count on crisp, great tasting water every time. And if you're not sure if it's really removing all dissolved solids in your water, ZeroWater includes a laboratory-grade TDS (total dissolves solids) tester to prove just how well it works.

The pitcher is sleek in design and fits well in my side-by-side fridge. Not only can you pour a glass of water from the top of the pitcher, but there's a handy push-button spout at the bottom of the handle if you don't feel like pulling it out of the fridge. (Or have kids who have trouble lifting a full pitcher.)

Back to the lab-grade TDS tester for a minute: this thing is so much fun, and a little scary. I of course wanted to see just what kind of difference was made between water from our tap and the ZeroWater pitcher. Could it really remove all dissolved solids?

First, I tested water straight from the kitchen faucet:

283 ppm (parts per million)

Then I tried water from my built-in fridge filter. (Note: the filter needs to be replaced, so I'm not too surprised that there wasn't much of a difference.)

200 ppm - not much better!

Finally, I poured a glass of water from the ZeroWater pitcher and tested it:

Yep, it says zero. I checked it twice!

OK, I'll admit I was surprised. I was not expecting it to read zero after the other two were so high. As for the taste? Perfect. It tasted like...nothing, just as water should taste. Cool, refreshing, and no hint of aftertaste. Even my older daughter is willing to occasionally drink water now. It's a work in progress with her, folks.

(By the way, you'll find yourself using that water tester everywhere. I've even tested water at restaurants with it. I have yet to find anything under 100ppm.)

My only complaint? The pitcher takes longer than other filter-pitchers to filter the water. If its empty, I fill the reservoir, then wait about 3-5 minutes, then fill it again, place the top on and place it in the fridge. The reservoir and filter take up a lot of space in the pitcher, so I often need to refill it frequently because I like to drink a lot of water.

Overall, I really like the ZeroWater pitcher. The design is great, the water tastes fantastic, and I have peace of mind knowing that this is the purest water I can provide to my family. The included tester is both fun and informative.

You can find the ZeroWater pitcher at Amazon and several other national retailers, including Target, Bed Bath & Beyond, Walmart, Home Depot, Meijer and Fry's. You can also save 30% off a 10-cup ZeroWater pitcher at the ZeroWater site with the special coupon code MC30.

ZeroWater also has a Facebook page where you can find out more information about their products.

Giveaway!

Want to try ZeroWater for yourself? I've got a ZeroWater 10-cup filter pitcher to give to TWO lucky readers!

To enter, visit the ZeroWater site and enter your zipcode to get your free TDS reading for your area. Once you get your reading from the free TDS lookup tool, come back here and leave a comment telling me what the results were. Be sure to include your email address so I have a way to contact you if you're selected as a winner. One entry per person.

This giveaway is open to US residents only and will be open until Monday, April 9 at 11:59pm EDT. After that time, two winners will be randomly selected and contacted by email. Winners have 48 hours to respond or alternate winners will be selected.

Good luck!

Full disclosure: I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of ZeroWater and received a water pitcher to facilitate my review, two pitchers to giveaway, and extra filters to thank me for taking the time to participate.

My Slim-Fast Slimdown (& Giveaway!)

I've been a Slim-Fast Women of Wow ambassador for about two months now, and I have to say it's going great! I've lost five pounds and I'm halfway to my Vow to Wow goal of reaching 158 pounds. (Which is considered a healthy weight for my height.)

Five pounds may not sound like a lot, but when you consider that I had been at a plateau for months before this, unable to break through the 166 mark no matter what I ate or how much I worked out, it's a pretty fantastic accomplishment. The last five pounds will be the hardest, I'm sure, but with Slim-Fast I'm confident I can do it.

The plan has been so easy to follow. Some friends have asked if I get bored with the shakes and meal bars, but the truth is, I don't! There are so many varieties that it would be hard to get bored, although I do have several favorites that I keep going back to.

My favorite shake by far is the French Vanilla, with the Rich Chocolate Royale coming in a very close second. These taste like dessert shakes to me! For an even healthier shake, you can blend some fresh berries in with the vanilla shake for a real treat!

My favorite meal bar is the Chocolate Cookie Dough bar. This tastes amazing, and keeps me going for hours at a time! I honestly don't know how they put the cookie dough flavor into something that's only 200 calories.

The snack bars taste like candy bars to me. Especially the Chocolate Nougat Gone Nuts snack bar. If you like Snickers, you'll LOVE this snack bar!

Giveaway!

Not only has Slim-Fast given me the tools to help me reach my goals, but they want to help you have your moment of wow, too! I've got one $50 American Express gift card to give to one lucky reader - use it towards new workout gear, an outfit to celebrate a milestone, or whatever you'd like!

To enter: use the Rafflecopter form below to collect multiple entries.  (If you don't see it, wait a moment - it can take a minute to load.)

SlimFast: Make 2012 Your Year to Wow! (Giveaway)

As you may have heard, I recently accepted a brand ambassador position with Slim-Fast for the next four months. I'm thrilled to work with them because it's a product I believe in, they promote sensible weight loss, and I've seen so many people have success losing weight with Slim-Fast.

As one of the Slim-Fast Women of WOW!, my weight loss journey will be chronicled both on my own blogs and on the Slim-Fast Facebook page. I've already lost a lot of the weight, but there are still roughly ten pounds between me and the elusive "normal" weight range on the BMI charts.

I'm using the Slim-Fast shakes, meal bars, and snack bars to help me reach my goal, and so far I'm loving the variety. The shakes were recently reformulated and the packaging was changed from cans to re-closeable bottles. I love the new flavors and how easy it is to grab a shake when I need a meal on-the-go. And with 10 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber, they help me feel full until my next meal!

Giveaway!

Want to try the Slim-Fast shakes for yourself? I have four coupons, each good for a free 4-pack of shakes, to give to four lucky readers.

To enter: leave me a comment below telling me one of your personal goals for 2012. Do you want to lose a certain amount of weight? Run a 5K? Start eating healthier? Leave your goal below, along with an email address to contact you. One entry per person, US residents only.

Entries will be accepted until Saturday, February 4 at 11:59pm eastern time. Four winners will be randomly selected at that time and each will have 48 hours to get back to me or another winner will be selected.

Note: These Slim-Fast free coupons have an expiration date of 2/29/12. Please be aware of the short expiration date when entering!

Good luck!!

Full disclosure: This post was created in connection with my appointment as an Ambassador in the Slim-Fast Women of WOW! Program. Visit www.facebook.com/slimfast to join the conversation and be sure to leave me some support on the Women of WOW! tab!

High Quality Entertaining Without Breaking the Bank At Aldi

Suppose you were planning a holiday gathering, and needed to buy some food for the event. Not a lot of stuff, but a few items to munch on, and possible some dessert and adult beverages. (Let's also say you're unable to cook anything from scratch, either because you're short on time or inept in the kitchen like me.)

So you go to the store with this list:

- cheese cubes
- whole grain crackers (the round entertaining-type - 2 pks)
- soft cheese (Brie)
- apple pie
- cheesecake sampler
- chocolate truffles
- after dinner mints
- 2 bottles of wine

How much would you expect all of that to cost you? I priced these items out at one of our local grocery stores, and the cost was at least $75. The wine alone was $10 a bottle for decent wines.


So when I was invited to take a list like this to Aldi and spend less than $50, I wasn't convinced I could do it. First, Aldi sells wine? And second, would the quality be as good as I'd expect from my usual grocery store?

Well yes, Aldi does sell wine in select stores. Their wines include several award-winning wines for very reasonable prices. Known for its premium exclusive brands, ALDI offers more than 1,400 of the most frequently purchased grocery items for up to 50 percent less than traditional supermarkets.

Customers can get all the holiday essentials for less, including everything from wines and appetizers to main courses, side dishes and desserts, making holiday meals and family gatherings warm and memorable. During the holiday season, ALDI stores also carry an additional line-up of more than 100 seasonal items at unbeatable prices.

I did get all of the items on my list, along with some chocolate covered gingerbread cookies and a frozen pack of grilled chicken strips. Total cost for everything: $50.19.

As for the quality? Outstanding. Everyone loved the cheese, the crackers, and the desserts. The truffles just melted in my mouth. (And I probably ate far too many!) The only item I didn't like was the gingerbread cookies, but my kids liked them.

The two wines I bought were the Landshut Riesling and the Villa Malizia Pinot Grigio - both award-winning wines. I poured the wines for my family at our Christmas gathering and didn't tell them where they came from. Once everyone had tried the wine - with several comments about how I picked good wines - I then told them I bought the wine at Aldi and each bottle was $4.99. The surprise was evident!

This one was my fav!

I admit I've never been to Aldi before this trip. My mother occasionally shops there and has always liked it. In our area, Aldi has the stigma of being more of a lower-quality grocery store, but I've found this is far from the truth! Just because Aldi offers private brands doesn't mean the quality suffers in any way. They put a lot of thought into the quality of their food, with the result being great taste at a low price.

I'm impressed at the amount of food I was able to purchase for $50, but I'm even more impressed at how tasty it was. The wines were truly outstanding, proving that pricier wines aren't necessarily better. I've already added the Landshut Riesling to my next grocery list.

If your budget is being stretched thinner and thinner, consider Aldi for your grocery purchases. In case you've never been before, here are a few tips: the grocery carts require a quarter to remove from the corral, but you get your quarter back when you're done. (And ensure no dings in your car from runaway carts in the parking lot.) Aldi also saves money by charging you for grocery bags - ten cents a bag. But bringing your own bags is free and encouraged. You could say they were promoting eco-friendly practices before it became popular!

Full disclosure: I participated in this blog campaign on behalf of Aldi and Mom Central Consulting and received a gift certificate to facilitate this review. No guarantee of a positive review was promised nor required. All opinions are my own. And so are my truffles - go buy some for yourself.

Hickory Farms - A Perfect Compliment To Any Holiday Celebration

One of the best parts of the holidays is the food. I don't know about you, but at our Thanksgiving meal on Thursday I ate so much I forgot to have dinner that night. And then dove into leftovers the next day.

Growing up, I remember having Hickory Farms smoked sausage at our holiday meals. Strangely, I only ever remember it during holiday meals - it was like a special treat to eat slices of that yummy, spicy smoked sausage during the colder months. It's probably the reason I still look for a meat tray at any Christmas party.

Hickory Farms' wide selection of signature sausages and savory cheeses are still a part of many holiday traditions. I recently received a gift basket of delicious Hickory Farms foods and intended to bring it to my family's Thanksgiving dinner as a hostess gift for my aunt. Plans changed, however, and Thanksgiving was switched to MY house! This gift basket suddenly took center stage as the appetizers while the turkey cooked.

Prior to being devoured.

We sliced up the beef summer sausage and the farmhouse cheddar cheese and set them out along with a plate of veggies and dip. It didn't take long for the delicious sausage and cheese to disappear. I nearly forgot to include the olive oil and rosemary crackers, but did get them out before the cheese was gone. We kept the fruit (including some amazingly juicy pears!) in the basket until the end of the day, and sent some of the fruit home with relatives, as we were all too full for another bite.

My grandmother remarked that it had been a few years since she's had Hickory Farms foods, but they still taste just as good as they did when she was younger. It reminded me of holidays as a kid, too, peering up onto the kitchen counter to sneak a quick piece of summer sausage before my mom was finished slicing it up. While I didn't get to present this basket of Hickory Farms foods as a gift like I intended, it still served as the ideal warm up to a fantastic holiday meal. As for the basket itself? It's being filled with pine cones to serve as a festive centerpiece on the table for now.

Once again this holiday season, Hickory Farms will donate $5 from each Party Planner gift box sold to Share Our Strength's No Kid Hungry Campaign, a national nonprofit that is working to end childhood hunger in America. In addition, Hickory Farms provides free shipping on select products to APO/FPO military addresses across the globe, allowing loved ones overseas to share in holiday traditions.

If you order online, be sure to take advantage of their $3, 3-day shipping option on the website, with no minimum purchase to qualify!

Hickory Farms summer sausages and cheeses are a great addition to any holiday party, or the perfect gift for that hard-to-shop-for friend or relative. We love having Hickory Farms foods as a part of our holiday traditions!

Full disclosure: I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Hickory Farms and received a product sample to facilitate my review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - if you want an opinion on it you'll have to get your own summer sausage 'cuz I'm not sharing. Yum.

Slim-Fast Sheds The Can And Pumps Up The Flavor

As many know, I've been on a quest to get to a healthy weight for several years now. It's taken a lot of effort, but I've managed to lose over 80 pounds, with about 10 pounds left to go until I reach my goal weight. Those last 10 pounds, of course, are holding on like there's no tomorrow.

I've used a variety of methods to help me lose the weight, with most being some combination of eat less and move more. But if I stay in a certain eating or fitness pattern for too long, my body adapts and I have to do something different to shake things up. I've seen many a plateau, and know that each one forces to me to adapt and alter my routine.

Many years ago, I tried Slim-Fast shakes as one of my weight loss methods. If you're one of the few people who have never heard of Slim-Fast, they're a line of vitamin-fortified milkshakes (and now nutritional bars, too) that help provide calorie control to aid in losing weight. The plan is to have a shake or bar for 2 meals a day, along with two healthy snacks and a nutritious dinner. (AKA, the 3-2-1 plan.)

The first time I tried Slim-Fast, it did work. But back then (we're taking over 10 years ago), the shakes were only so-so for flavor, and you had to drink them out of a metal can, which gave them a metallic taste. I never used the Slim-Fast shakes for long back then (even though they did result in weight loss) because I would eventually long for something with more flavor.

I recently was asked if I wanted to try the new, improved Slim-Fast shakes, and I decided to give them another try. Slim-Fast has worked to improve the flavor to make their shakes the best tasting ever, and they're now moving away from the cans in favor of re-closable plastic bottles.

First, I love the new bottle design and I'm thrilled that cans will soon be a thing of the past. The bottles are tall and contoured and easy to slip into your purse or lunch bag to take wherever you go. With the cans, once you opened them you couldn't close them again. The new bottles with their twist off top make it easy to recap if needed without any worries of a spill.

As for the taste? So far I love it! I received the Slim-Fast Creamy Milk Chocolate bottles, and the taste is completely different from the chocolate flavor I remember from years ago. There's no metallic or chalky flavor - instead it reminds me of chocolate milk, although a little thicker in consistency. It's sweet without being too sweet and has a rich chocolate flavor. Other flavors include French Vanilla, Cappuccino Delight, Rich Chocolate Royale, and Strawberries N' Cream.

Since I've been stuck at yet another plateau, I'm using Slim-Fast for two weeks to see if it can provide me the jump start I need. My schedule forces me to eat quickly or eat on the run often, so Slim-Fast's shakes and bars make a nice alternative to grabbing fast food. I'm using one or two shakes or bars a day and then having portion controlled servings of food for the other meals and snacks. Check back with me in two weeks for a full report on how I did with the new Slim-Fast shakes.

The Slim-Fast shakes in the new re-closable bottles will be on the shelf soon, so be sure to look for them!

Want to try the new Slim-Fast?

The only thing better than reading about something new is trying it out for yourself, right? Well, I've got coupons for a free pack of Slim Fast shakes or bars to give away to 3 lucky readers!

To enter, leave a comment below telling me which flavor you'd most like to try. Be sure to leave an email address so I can contact you if you're the winner! One entry per person, US addresses only.

Entries will be accepted until October 14, 2011 at 11:59pm ET. Three winners will be randomly selected from the valid entries and will have two days to respond to my email or replacement winners will be chosen.

Good luck, and check back in two weeks for an update on my progress. (And maybe another surprise giveaway, too!)

Full disclosure: I was provided with Slim-Fast products and coupons to facilitate my review. All opinions expressed here are my own and do not necessarily represent the views of Slim-Fast or anyone else.

Also, I'm a nurse, so listen closely: do not begin any weight loss program without first consulting your health care provider. Remember that weight loss is highly individual and what works for one person may not work for another. There's no magic pill for losing weight - you still have to put in the effort. Products such as Slim-Fast are designed to aid you in your efforts through portion an calorie control, but do not replace the effort itself.

Babycakes Makes Baking Easy

I'm a lousy cook. There's no denying it. But I'm a slightly better baker. Given time, lots of counter space, and a lot of mess, I can turn out semi-decent muffins or quick breads. My daughters beg to have lots of baked goods in the house, and knowing I can make muffins has them convinced I can whip up any baked good in a flash.

Ha.

No, I'm usually a disappointment to my kids, coming up with excuse after excuse as to why I won't bake anything for them. It generally is a big mess, uses a lot of bowls and muffin tins, heats up my kitchen, and the results are rarely spectacular.

In our case, though, running to the grocery for a quick cupcake pickup can't happen either. My older daughter is sensitive to many ingredients, so I have to carefully screen the ingredients. And most store cupcakes come with brightly colored frosting that she can't have.

I was recently offered the chance to review a little machine that promised to be the answer to my prayers. The Babycakes cupcake maker heats up in five minutes, requires very little cleaning, and can bake treats in eight minutes or less.

This is the Foreman Grill of the baking world. Actually, it looks a lot like our (much used) Foreman grill, only in a pretty shade of pink.

With this device, you can use the recipes they suggest or use a boxed mix. (Go with a moist cake mix if using a prepackaged mix.) Me being lazy, I used a box mix for my first try, but have my eye on some of the delicious recipes in the included booklet.

The girls had fun mixing up the batter while I got the cupcake maker ready.

Then we added two tablespoons of batter to each cup, plugged it in, and let it do its magic!

The instruction booklet suggested it would take 5-7 minutes for the cupcakes to cook, even when starting with a cool appliance. They weren't kidding: after 5 minutes, I checked them and the cupcakes were fully cooked!

Getting them out of the cupcake maker was the most difficult part. It says to use a plastic utensil to pop the cupcakes out, but I didn't have anything that was plastic that was both thin enough and wouldn't melt from the heat. So I performed a big no-no and (gently!) used a butter knife to get the cupcakes out. Despite the nonstick surface, I still had trouble getting some of them out, leaving a few cupcakes looking mangled.

Proof that no gadget can make me perfect.

Overall, half a box of cake mix produced 20 cupcakes, all in under 20 minutes! (It normally takes me at least 20 minutes to find my muffin pan.) After they were cooled, we added frosting and let the kids have their first bites.

Success!



I like the ease of use of the Babycakes cupcake maker and I can see myself using it often in the future, especially around the holidays. It makes cupcakes lightning-quick, and clean up is easy - just wipe it off after it cools. My only complaint is that it can be tough to get the cupcakes out of the wells without damaging them; I might need to hunt for the right plastic utensil to help me out.

But most of all, I like it because I'm now a hero to my kids, able to make them cupcakes anytime they want with little chance of (fatal) error!

Full disclosure: I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Babycakes and received a product sample and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Who Wants Some Yogurt?

A while back I posted about how much we love the Yoplait Kids yogurts. Several readers expressed an interest in trying it out for themselves, and one lucky reader won some free yogurt.

Now another 20 readers can register to get a coupon for a free 4-pack of Yoplait Kids yogurt! Just click on the microsite below to get your coupon. (Limited to the first 20 who register.)



Miss out on being one of the first 20? You can still access the site above to get money saving coupons and learn more about Yoplait Kids yogurt!

Full disclosure: This opportunity was provided by Yoplait and MyBlogSpark. I received samples to facilitate my earlier review, and no further compensation was received. My daughter would also like to let you know that, should you try out the Yoplait Kids yogurt, the Dora yogurts are the best. But she's a little biased.

Staying Healthy As A Mom

I often look back at my pre-child days and wonder what I did with all of that free time? I should have been using that time to cook gourmet meals or go for long hikes in the woods - anything to stay healthy and fit. Instead I somehow wasted those glory days of free-time and look back on that time with regret. With my relaxed schedule, I still would have had time for TV and sleeping more.

But here I am now, a mom of two, working full-time, and I barely have a minute to myself. It's easy to tell someone, "Oh, anyone can squeeze an hour a day into their schedule to workout!" but I'd like to see them find time in my day that didn't involve sacrificing another important task. Or sleep. Which counts as an important task when you already don't get enough of it.

However, I've managed to lose 10 pounds in the last few months to get myself ready for summer. (All chronicled at Losing My Hind.) It hasn't been easy, and as warmer days get closer and closer my time seems to shrink much faster than my hips. So what's worked for me?

First, I did have to force myself to find time to exercise. In the winter, I did it with workout videos and scheduling a fitness class twice a week. Scheduling the class makes it a permanent part of my calendar - I can't just push it aside for some minor crisis because it has a specific time penciled in. It's two hours of the week marked off for me and just me. Surely in all of the hours I give to work and family, I can spare two hours a week for myself, right?

Next, I had to plan my eating. I work third shift, leaving me few options for meals that aren't prepackaged or delivered in cardboard boxes. Eater fewer calories, while trying to incorporate whole grains and vegetables, isn't easy when you have to eat frozen meals or fast food. I quickly learned that I needed to plan out meals and snacks and bring it all with me, or I'd surely find myself staring at the vending machines at 3am. I bring a low calorie frozen meal, like Weight Watchers Smart Ones, with me and eat it for lunch. I also bring snacks like string cheese, Greek yogurt, and apple slices to give me something to munch on throughout the night.

Weight Watchers Smart Ones is making it easier to stay on track with a healthy meal plan without spending time on prep work beforehand. Their products provide a variety of delicious, convenient and portion controlled meals and snacks that contain lean proteins, whole grains, fruits and vegetables. And now they are offering two new breakfast items – like the new Egg, Sausage & Cheese Wrap and the French Toast with Turkey Sausage. Plus, the packaging tells you the Weight Watchers PointsPlus values in each serving, allowing you to conveniently plan for the day. Visit http://www.eatyourbest.com/ for more information.

I honestly feel more in control of my health now than I ever have in the past. Despite being busy, I can make the small changes to stay healthy. Perhaps becoming a mother helped nudge me in that direction, because being healthy is no longer just about me. I now want to keep myself healthy so that I can see my children grow up, and provide them with a good role model to follow down the road.
What small changes can you make to be healthier?

Full disclosure: I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Weight Watchers Smart Ones and received a promotional item and coupons to facilitate my review.

Freschetta Pizza By the Slice Means Everyone Gets What They Like!

In our house, everyone likes something different on their pizza. My husband is strictly a pepperoni and cheese, thin-crust kind of guy. The kids usually want cheese only and like thicker crust. And I tend to be more adventurous, liking a variety of toppings and both types of crust. As you can guess, choosing only one pizza is tough to do.

I've always liked the Freschetta frozen pizzas for their quality ingredients and delicious flavors. These are pizzas that don't taste like frozen pizzas! And now they've gone one step further in making me happy with the unveiling of their new By the Slice creations. It’s a single slice, cut from a whole Freschetta pizza, made with the same premium ingredients for that same fresh-tasting goodness found in all Freschetta pizzas.

The By the Slice pizza slices take just a few minutes in the microwave, and still taste just as good as the oven-baked Freschetta pizzas.

Three reasons I love this concept:

1. Variety - each person can have the pizza they like.

2. Portion control - these are large pizza slices, but one slice is just enough to fill you up without going overboard.

3. Easy lunch options - when you work third shift, like me, you need something you can heat up quickly for lunch. These are pefect to pack for work!

Freschetta By the Slice pizzas come in four varieties: Six Cheese, Vegetable, BBQ Recipe, and Chicken, Spinach and Mushroom. 

Try it for free!

Want to try it for yourself? Freschetta is giving away a free By the Slice pizza (coupon for 1 of any variety) and three-piece food storage set for one lucky reader!

To enter, just leave a comment below telling me which flavor you're most interested in trying. It's that easy! 

Entries will be accepted until Friday, April 29, 2011 at noon eastern time. One entry per person, US residents only. Winner will be selected by random drawing and contacted by e-mail. Winner will have 24 hours to respond to the e-mail or another winner will be selected.

Good luck!

Full disclosure: I was contacted by the makers of Freschetta pizza to review this product. I was provided with a coupon for free product as well as a food storage set. No further compensation was provided. All thoughts shared here are my own, and a positive review was neither required nor promised. But hey, I love pizza, so this was one of the easiest reviews I've ever written!

Healthy Eating With Yoplait Kids (Giveaway!)

Mira, my three year old, can be a picky eater. While she has several foods she'll choose from as a snack, most are simple carbs: crackers, cereal, gummy snacks, pretzels, cookies, etc. Getting her to eat anything with protein is a challenge.

One protein-rich snack she likes is yogurt, although she can be picky about her yogurt, too. We've tried several different kinds of yogurt since she was a baby, and her favorite by far is still Yoplait Kids yogurt. Now that she's reached an age where she can identify labels of products, she'll often refuse any other brand of yogurt in favor of Yoplait Kids.

Cordy, my six year old, has been eating Yoplait Kids yogurt since before Mira was born, and still won't eat any other yogurt. (I should add that my children are both very sensitive to change - once they find something they like, they never want to change.)

Mira likes that her yogurt has Dora or the Disney Princesses on the cups, and her favorite flavor is Strawberry, although she also likes the Strawberry Banana and Vanilla flavors. I like that Yoplait Kids has 25% less sugar than the leading kids' yogurt, and is also free of high fructose corn syrup and artificial ingredients.

Some of you may know that Cordy can't eat anything with artificial colors or flavors, so I really appreciate a company that understands using real ingredients in foods designed for kids. It's often difficult to find kids' foods that are free of bright artificial colors or cheap artificial flavors - Yoplait Kids gives me a safe snack for my daughters that tastes great while providing them with calcium, Vitamin D and protein.

Try it for yourself!

Want to try Yoplait Kids yogurt for your family? First, you can print a coupon for $0.50 off one four pack of Yoplait kids.

But if free is more your style, I'm also giving away a Yoplait Kids prize pack to one lucky reader!

Prize pack includes: a coupon for 1 free Yoplait Kids yogurt four pack, a foldable travel cooler (to take your yogurt on-the-go), a cool four-piece spoon set, a power magnet picture frame, trendy alphabet-shaped “Kiddie Bands”, a great big bounce ball and a “My First Scavenger Hunt” card game for some after-snack fun.

Note: This coupon offer for a free four pack of Yoplait Kids yogurt is not valid in some states, including California, Idaho, Louisiana, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, North Dakota and Tennessee. Readers from these states can still enter to win the prize pack, but the coupon may not be valid.

To enter, leave a comment on this post telling me your favorite flavor of yogurt. Be sure to leave an e-mail address in your comment if it isn't in your profile so I can contact you if you're the winner. (mandatory entry)

For additional entries:
     - Follow YoplaitYogurt on Twitter and leave a separate comment here with your twitter ID (1 additional entry)
     - Like Yoplait on Facebook and leave a separate comment here with your Facebook name (1 additional entry)

Entries will be accepted until Wednesday, March 30 at 11:59pm EDT. One winner will be selected by random drawing, and will have three days to respond to my e-mail or a new winner will be selected. US residents only.

Good luck!

Full disclosure: I was provided with an identical Yoplait Kids prize pack, including a coupon for a free four pack, by Yoplait through MyBlogSpark. No other compensation was received, and no guarantee of a positive review was promised. Although if they knew my kids have already been eating this yogurt for years, they probably felt it was a sure bet.

On National Breakfast Day, Use Yours To Help Kids Get Theirs!

You may not be aware, but today is National Breakfast Day. (As well as my wedding anniversary, but that's not the topic at the moment.)

You also may not be aware that 1 in 4 kids live in homes where food isn’t always available. Although a full tummy can help kids get the most out of their school day, children living in food-insecure homes don’t always have access to breakfast. Even worse, communities across the country are increasingly forced to consider cutting state-funded school breakfast programs due to budget pressures. Fortunately, there is a way to help with this growing epidemic.

In partnership with Action for Healthy Kids, the Kellogg’s Share Your Breakfast program is designed to reach the goal of helping share one million breakfasts with kids who need them most. One way Action for Healthy Kids supports their cause is by providing funding directly to school districts to expand or initiate school breakfast programs.

Here's where Kellogg’s is asking for your help. By simply sharing a photo or description of your breakfast, Kellogg's will share the monetary equivalent of one breakfast with kids in school who might otherwise miss out. It's that easy - upload a photo or type in a description (even "cereal and milk" counts!) at the Share Your Breakfast website, submit it, and know that you've helped provide a breakfast for one child who might have missed out otherwise.

Want to make it even easier? Use your smart phone to take a pic and text the image with the word "Share" to 21534. Or go to Kellogg's Facebook page and upload your photo directly on the "Help a Child" tab.

You can also help spread the word by tweeting with the hashtag #shareURbreakfast. The program is running now through July 31, 2011, so you've got the opportunity to share many breakfasts with kids between now and then!

But why wait? Start today on National Breakfast Day and share your breakfast in order to help a child have a breakfast to start the day. It's free, it's easy, and it makes a difference in a child's life.

Me? I'm having peanut butter toast and a glass of water.

Now how about you?

Full disclosure: I attended an informational session on the Kellogg's Share Your Breakfast program while at Blissdom and received a small gift bag for my time, for which my daughter is extremely grateful for the chocolate mini-wheats. But c'mon, gift bag or not, how could I not tell others about this program? It's helping kids!

Navigating Food Allergies: Class Recap

I wrote last week that I was a proud co-host of an online class about cooking for food allergies, and if you didn't attend the class, you missed a lively and interesting discussion covering all kinds of topics, from eating out, to preparing an allergy-friendly kitchen, and even how to handle birthday parties if your child is allergic to something being offered at the party.

However, even if you weren't able to attend, you can still benefit from the information that was shared. A class recap has been posted on TheMotherhood.com and the entire discussion from the class is there as well. If you have a family member with a food allergy, this class is a must-read!

Thanks to TheMotherhood.com, ConAgra and Lori for a fantastic session!

And finally, I'd like to leave you with one of my favorite recipes. My daughter can't tolerate cinnamon, and this french toast recipe is still a favorite of ours, showing that a simple substitution can make a forbidden food OK again. (Courtesy of Stop, Drop and Blog.)

Navigating Food Allergies With ConAgra and TheMotherhood

In our house, we often have to be careful with food. My husband is allergic to onions, so anything we prepare must be onion-free. This often means carefully scanning ingredients, and relying less on prepared meals due to the high chance of onions being present.

My older daughter has a food sensitivity to cinnamon - not a full-out allergy, but if she eats more than a small amount of it she develops a rash. She is also extremely sensitive to food additives like artificial colors and flavors. If you've ever bought pre-packaged foods and read the ingredients, you'd know that nearly everything has some kind of artificial color or flavor in it, unless you're shopping exclusively organic.

(Mira has no food allergies that we know of. She's just picky, which can present similar challenges.)

So when we do cook, we often have to modify recipes to make sure everyone in the house can enjoy the food without discomfort later. Thankfully, onions can often be removed from a recipe without drastically altering the flavor. And when making food with cinnamon, nutmeg can be used as a substitute for many dishes.

This week, I'm joining part of an exciting new project with The Motherhood and ConAgra Foods called Cooking Connections. This is an 8-week live blogging series led by some fabulous food bloggers (with some other non-food bloggers like me joining in!) where they will tackle many of the common struggles moms and dads face when it comes to preparing a healthy meal for their families with little time to spare.

My session this week covers the topic of food allergies, and I hope you'll stop by to learn about cooking for family members with food allergies. (Applies to picky eaters, too!)

Here’s what you need to know to participate:

When: Wednesday, Feb. 2, at 1 p.m. ET

Where: TheMotherhood – here is the link to the page where the class will be held: http://www.themotherhood.com/talk/show/id/62140

And here is the registration page for all seven Cooking Connections classes: http://www.themotherhood.com/cookingconnections

What: The class I am co-hosting is called “Navigating Food Allergies,” and it is hosted by Lori Sandler, founder of Divvies Bakery and author of The Divvies Bakery Cookbook, http://www.divvies.com/. During the class, we all will share our experiences and expertise on cooking for kids, family members and friends with food allergies. Lori will also lead us through the basics of clean preparation and understanding ingredients, and then we’ll present a food allergy-friendly recipe that looks good and tastes great – whether you have allergies or not!

The class is sponsored by ConAgra and hosted by TheMotherhood.

My other fabulous co-hosts are:

Kelly Rudnicki, Food Allergy Mama, http://www.foodallergymama.com/

Emily Paster, West of the Loop, http://www.westoftheloop.com/

Caryn Bailey, Rockin' Mama, http://rockinmama.net/

Christy Matte, Quirky Fusion, http://www.quirkyfusion.com/

Nirasha Jaganath, Mommy Niri, http://www.mommyniri.com/

Mary Jo Strobel, FoodAllergy.org, http://www.foodallergy.org/

Piera Jolly, Jolly Mom, http://www.jollymom.com/

Nicole Shields Smith, Allergic Child, http://allergicchild.com/

Stefany Thode, To Be Thode, http://www.tobethode.com/

Clarissa Nassar, The Posh Parent, http://www.theposhpreneur.com/

I hope to see you there!

Full disclosure: As a co-host of this class, I am receiving compensation for my time.

Bosch Tassimo Home Brewing System: Coffeehouse Quality In Your Kitchen! (Giveaway)

In my family, both my husband and I like tea and coffee, although our tastes seem to be opposites. When I want coffee, he wants tea. When I want tea, he's into coffee. And our kids both like hot chocolate. It seems like we can never agree on what we want, but brewing up a pot for each of us seems like a real waste.

We bought a single-cup brewing machine about a year ago, and while I like it, there are some limitations. Mainly, I can't get it to make my favorite drink: a chai latte. And it can take a really, really long time to warm up. So when I was offered the chance to try out a new single-cup brewing machine that promised it would be faster and would even give me the perfect chai latte, I couldn't pass up the chance.

The Bosch Tassimo T20 Brewbot (such a cool name, no? Can't you imagine a little robot brewing your coffee for you?) is the smartest little beverage maker you can find. It can brew 40+ single-cup drinks for you in about a minute, including coffee, tea, lattes and even hot chocolate. Not only does it brew each drink, but it's smart enough to know which type of drink it's brewing and how to make it so it'll be just right.

OK, so the T20 doesn't get all of the credit. Part of the credit goes to the bar codes on each T-disc you put in the machine. The T20 has a bar code reader that scans the bar code to determine how much water to add, what temperature to brew the water, and how big the drink will be. Want a latte? Just grab a milk T-disc and use it with a coffee or chai tea T-disc to create the perfect frothy drink. Also, if you want a little more coffee than the T20 automatically prepares, you can hit the button near the end of the brew cycle to add a little more to your cup.

I've had the chance to use mine for two weeks now, and I love it. I've made coffee, tea, hot chocolate and lattes with the Tassimo, and all of them were excellent. Christmas was a breeze, because whenever anyone wanted a drink, I offered up the T-disc selection and let them make a cup of whichever drink they wanted. Everyone was impressed with how easy it was.

As for my chai latte? Perfect. It tastes just like the pricey one I buy at the coffeehouse. And is ready in my kitchen in about a minute. 

What I like about the T20

- Easy to use: Insert a disc, close the compartment, and push the button - that's it! No temperatures to set, no brew times to configure, and certainly no messy grounds to dispose of. When you're done, simply take the disc out (the grounds are still container in the disc) and throw it away. Even my kids can make a cup of hot chocolate without my help.

- So much variety: If I want tea and my husband wants coffee, we can each have what we want without brewing enough for several people. He can use the T20 to make a cup of coffee, and then I can use it for tea, with nothing to clean in-between. And with the ability to use milk discs to create lattes and cappuccinos, there are endless drink combinations you can create!

- Saves counter space: The Tassimo T20 is amazingly compact for all it can do. It fits easily on my counter without taking up too much space. It's also easy to transport - I took it to work and made drinks for myself all night from my desk, while still having plenty of desk space for work. (I could see the T20 being perfect for apartment or dorm dwellers as well!)

- Brands I like: Some of the T-disc varieties include Starbucks, Gevalia and Twinings tea, all favorite and trusted brands. The Starbucks coffee tastes just like what you'd get from the store, only at a fraction of the cost. (And without leaving the house in your pajamas.)

This is an amazing little beverage machine, and perfect for a busy family with different tastes. With the T20, everyone gets the drink they want, it's cheaper than buying it from a coffeehouse, there's no messy cleanup, and with one machine to brew so many different drinks, you conserve precious kitchen counter space.

Win a Tassimo T20!

Of course I couldn't tell you all about this brewing beauty without giving you the chance to try it as well, right? That's why I'm excited to tell you that I'm giving away a Bosch Tassimo T20 to one lucky reader!

For a chance to win, visit the Tassimo site and then leave a comment below telling me which brewed beverage you'd most like to try. In your comment, include a link to the specific product from the Tassimo site, as well as your e-mail address so I can contact you if you're selected as the winner.

Entries will be accepted until January 9, 2011 at 11:59pm EST. One entry per person, US residents only. Winner will be selected by random drawing after January 9 and will be contacted by e-mail. Winner will have 3 days to respond to the e-mail or another winner will be selected.

Good luck and happy brewing!

Full disclosure: I was given a Tassimo T20 machine and a couple of T-disc packs to facilitate this review, with no further compensation received. I've already purchased several more T-discs, and my old single-cup brewer is now collecting dust, so I think we can agree that I genuinely like it. All opinions expressed in this review are my honest thoughts. As always, your mileage may vary.