Target Monster Cereals (exclusively at Target) Review

Are you as old as I am and remember enjoying these cereals as a child?  Oh how we loved these cereals.  Count Chocula and Boo Berry were our families favorites!!  I was really excited to be able to introduce these cereals to my son.  As a word of caution, they are not Gluten Free.  They are made of corn which is a safe grain for Celiacs but on a line that also manufactures wheat..  That said, I have a non Celiac child who I keep Gluten Free.  For him, these cereals were perfect!  And I was excited to be able to share them with him just as I did when I was his age.

And..... Because of our personal experience and excitement towards this line of cereals, I wanted to share the following word from our sponsor with all of you....


Get ready for Halloween before all the ghosts, goblins, and monsters come to your door with this exclusive offer only at Target!

When you buy three (3) General Mills Monster Cereals in a single shopping trip at Target between October 1 through October 31, 2013, you’ll receive a free Monster Bash Magazine full of recipes, tips and tricks for you to have the creepiest, scariest, spookiest, most fun Halloween ever!

And if that’s not enough to get your Halloween howling, Target is going back in time with not only exclusive retro packaging, but also re-introducing two throwback flavors: Fruity Yummy Mummy and Frute Brute!

A few points to remember:

• Monster Cereals in retro packaging are exclusively at Target!

• The Monster Bash magazine (which includes Recipes, Tips and Tricks for planning the creepiest, scariest, spookiest, most fun Halloween ever!) that is FREE when you purchase three boxes of Monster cereal in a single shopping trip between 10/1/13 and 10/31/13.

• Link to the Grocery Savvy website: GrocerySavvy.com

Disclaimer: General Mills provided me with the product and Information.

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Hershey's Cookies 'n' Creme Cereal Review and Giveaway

As most of you know, this is not a cereal we would eat at our house. I gave the box for my sister's kids to try and review for us. What happened? Just one look at the box and they were really excited to give it a try. The box disappeared in one day. I am told that This cereal is in keeping with the good name of Hershey's Chocolate.

For a limited time you can also print out this high value coupon and try this cereal out for yourself.

Our online coupon is finally live... $1.10 off one box of Hershey's Cookies 'n' Creme cereal http://bit.ly/12fE0V9

Here is what the Big G has to say:

"Now you can enjoy the delicious taste of Hershey’s Cookies ‘n’ Creme in a breakfast cereal from Big G. With an irresistible taste the whole family will love from a brand you trust, new Hershey’s Cookies ‘n’ Creme cereal is made from 100% whole grains with at least 14g of whole grain per serving (at least 48g recommended daily). Best of all, Hershey’s Cookies ‘n’ Creme cereal has only 9 grams of sugar per serving and is a good source of Calcium, Vitamin D, and 10 other essential vitamins and minerals."   

Would you like to try a box of Big G's Hershey's Cookies 'n' Creme breakfast cereal for yourself?  How about a gift pack? How about a gift pack with some kitchen equipment that will help you manage your cereal? Just enter below with Rafflecoper to win the picture gift pack below.

Enter to win a gift pack that includes: 

(1) Cereal Dispenser
(2) Travel Cereal Bowls and
(1) Box of Hershey's Cookies and Cream Cereal.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sharing Links:

When sharing links: Website: http://www.generalmills.com/Brands/Cereals.aspx
General Mills on Facebook: Facebook.com/General-Mills
 General Mills on Twitter: @GeneralMills

“Disclosure: The information and prize pack have been provided by General Mills through MyBlogSpark.”

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Keep Your Butter Fresh with The Butter Bell Crock

I found this product on Foodie Blog Roll and wanted to bring it to your attention.  When my mom first moved out here (where I live, in the middle of nowhere) she was shocked to find that sometimes I keep butter on the counter.  Truthfully, it is so much easier to have that butter already softened.  The microwave just does not soften it adequately and usually causes pitted melted pockets of butter.  My mom is always worried, though because butter is a dairy product.  She worries that keeping the butter on the counter may cause it to spoil.  This product solves that problem.  You see why I had to share right?  Right now they are having a special offer and you will hate me for suggesting this but it is never too early to think about Christmas.  Do you have a group of lady friends or an exchange you attend each year?  Or even a family gathering at Christmas with relatives you hardly see but like to remember?  This would be an ideal gift for that.  I am ALWAYS looking out for that perfect exchange gift!!!!  I have linked the offer banner below here for you to see.  Apparently it was featured on Food TV but I never seen it there.  Commercials are my time to get up and get stuff done!!! 
Anyway, I really truly love this idea!!! How about you?  So click here for the coupon and go check them out if you never heard about them before.  





  
I was not actually given this product to sample but this sponsorship is brought to you by The Butter Bell Crock who I have partnered with for this promotion.  I do however really like the idea of this product.  

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Equal Exchange Coffee Review

Recently I was asked to review Equal Exchange coffee.  While I am not a huge coffee fan, I absolutely NEED it to help me get along in the morning!  I was immediately interested in this coffee after reseach lead me to the following:

"Created by a genius in Philadelphia, this secret recipe delivers a sweet, sultry and smooth coffee with an unexpected bite and lasting finish. A smorgasbord of roasts in a combination of Latin American beans so fine it will make your heart pound. Feel the love!"

• Aroma: toffee, molasses, pipe tobacco, cocoa, cinnamon, brown sugar
• Flavor: complex, chocolate, brownies, chocolate covered strawberries, vanilla, winey
• Mouthfeel: velvety, fudgy, ganache
• Acidity: pronounced
• Aftertaste: chocolate, bitter

Have I told you yet that it is Organic?  Love that.  I tried Love Buzz and French Roast.  This is STRONG coffee.  I am accustomed to a milder breakfast blend type of coffee such as Dunkin Donuts coffee.  My husband loves strong coffee. REAL coffee.  This coffee is what real coffee drinkers would consider really good coffee.

About Equal Exchange:

• Fair Trade & Organic (100% fair trade, not just a small token amount)
• Direct from small farmers
• Available in packaged and bulk 5lb bags
• Available directly from Equal Exchange at shop.equalexchange.com or via natural foods stores throughout the country.
• First company to do fair trade coffee in the United States.
• Works to help farmers improve their quality of product and life through direct relationships, training, (in USA and their countries) pre-harvest financing and fair prices for their goods.
• Equal Exchange coffees are grown organically and with care to protect the environment.
• Equal Exchange is a democratically run worker cooperative. One share, one vote for each employee.
• Recent Media Coverage: http://www.equalexchange.coop/in-the-media/

Try it, you will like it!  Feel free to check out Mambo Sprouts and grab this awesome $1.25 off coupon for Equal Exchange Coffee!

Disclaimer: Mambo Sprouts and Equal Exchange provided me with the product to try and review. 

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Barbara's Bakery Puffins Cereal Review

When I was asked to participate in Mambo Sprout's campaign to celebrate Celiac Awareness Month in May I was happy to oblige. OK, excited. I really do not like trying out new Gluten Free products only to discover that most of it will go to waste. For the most part, my family doesn't care for store-bought, gluten free products, that's why I make so many things from scratch. Finding a gluten free cereal that my kids enjoy has become a challenge (see 1/2 full cereal boxes nearing their expiration dates three rows deep).

 The kids complained of things like they smell badly, the sweetness tasted funny and the cereal would stay crunchy even after soaking in milk. Now I want you to know that cereal bashing is not my intentions here. I realize tastes are different and therefore everyone’s opinion of various products will be different. What I want is to allow you to enter into the mindset of my children when presented with this “new” cereal.

First off, the box looks like a “healthy Cereal”. Aside from the cute Puffin Bird on front, the box looks and reads like an adult type cereal. This cereal boasts an impressive 3 g of Fiber and 8g of Whole Grains. Getting Fiber and Whole Grains into a Gluten Free diet is not an easy task to accomplish. Especially for us since what little bread products we do eat, are mostly made of starchy flours because those are the ones that most resemble wheat products in finished products (in our opinion). Another thing that caught my eye was that fact that it has 1.07g of Nutra-Flora per 30g serving (a prebiotic soluble fiber that promotes healthy digestion, enhances mineral absorption and reinforces immunity).

In addition to the above, Multigrain Puffins are:

• Fat Free
• Low Sugar – only 6g
• Low in Sodium
• A good source of fiber (3g)
• An excellent source of calcium, iron and both vitamins C & D (one serving provides 25% of your daily calcium and vitamin D needs)
• Free of hydrogenated oils or trans fats
• Free of artificial flavors, colors or preservatives
• Wheat-free
• Cholesterol-free
• Kosher

So, how did my children react to being presented with this cereal? For dinner no less! Well I recorded it on video for you to see for yourself.

The first words our of my daughter’s mouth were, “Mommy it taste’s good and does not smell bad”. LOL! That plus the very fact that my Gluten eating son will consume it at all is significant. In fact the whole box was gone in no time flat. I am going to have to buy this by the case sometime real soon.

As an adult with a wide experience of cereals, I want to give you an idea of what the taste of this cereal reminds me of. I believe the taste to be a cross between Sugar Pop’s, Captain Crunch and Honeycomb cereal. We really all were very impressed with this very normal tasting cereal. It has a wonderful taste and texture. You do not have to be gluten free to really enjoy this cereal. There is no compromise here, it tastes great.  My only wish is that they made this in Peanut butter or chocolate flavor!!!

Here is the link to Barbara's Bakery Cereal and I benefit in no way from this link or this review.

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Gluten Free Bisquick Review and Giveaway

I was truly thrilled that I was chosen to participate in the My Blog Spark for Betty Crocker’s Gluten Free Bisquick. I love My Blog Spark and I really do appreciate the opportunity to bring my readers all the wonderful giveaways and product reviews they have to offer.

This has not been my first time trying out Bisquick Gluten Free baking mix and sharing my findings with all of you. In fact, I keep Betty Crocker’s Bisquick Gluten Free baking mix around and use it for various things.

Lined up here are a few of my top favorite ways to use Betty Crocker Gluten Free Bisquick:

It does a wonderful job replacing the wheat flour to thicken my Roux or white sauce in Fettuccini Alfredo.

I also use it to thicken other sauces such as in my Sweet and Sour Chicken

It is a key component in my Home Made Macaroni and Cheese

Rocked my world by bringing back the Chicken and Dumplings dish with light and fluffy dumplings.

It also happens to make one pretty awesome Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake.

And last but not least, the pancake.  In this case, Banana Walnut Pancakes.

To find other great recipe tips and ideas, visit www.bisquick.com/glutenfree. There, you´ll find countless gluten-free recipes for family favorites such as Gluten Free Strawberry Shortcakes and Gluten Free Pizza Crust, using Bisquick Gluten Free baking mix.

What I love the most about Gluten Free Bisquick is that it is available in my local Walmart. Until Gluten Free Bisquick I could not source a gluten free pancake/waffle mix locally. Busy moms will love the convenience. No need for several bags of various specialty flours to blend or combine to make a simple batch of pancakes.

Buy it:

Do you want to try the new Betty Crocker Gluten Free Bisquick for yourself? Just click HERE to print a coupon courtesy of My Blog Spark.

Win It:

One lucky winner will win a prize pack like the one pictured above.

Along with a full sized box of Bisquick Gluten Free baking mix you will receive a heavy duty, 2 pound, Cast aluminum, silver dollar pancake pan.  It makes Seven 3-inch pancakes and can be used with any pancake recipe.  After I seasoned the pan according to package directions, the pancakes cooked up perfectly and did not stick at all.  I think this pan will make a great addition to our camping trip this month!

Also included is a Tovolo pancake pen to create the perfect circle or custom pancake designs.  This product would also be ideal to use for your fancy seasonal pancake molds (shapes). But don't stop there.  Draw pancake messages on your fry pan for a cute, pick-me-up breakfast idea or use it to perfectly fill your muffin cups.  I think it would also be a great Funnel Cake tool.  Pre-make your pancake batter and take it along with you on a camping trip.  If you don't use all of your pancake batter up, put the cap on and store the rest in the refrigerator.  No need to make up batter each morning.

And finally a really nice Orka, all-silicone, wide pancake flipper.

Would you like to win one?

• To enter, leave a comment sharing with me what you plan to make with the new Gluten Free Bisquick baking mix.

For Additional Entries:

• Like Bisqick on Facebook and share this giveaway on their page. (Leave me a comment and let me know you have done so).

• Follow @Extraodinrylife on Twitter. Tweet something like: #Win a #Glutenfree Bisquick #giveaway from @Extraodinrylife sponsored by #bettycrocker and  #myblogspark. (Leave me a comment and let me know you have done so).

• Follow my blog via Google Friend Connect. (Leave me a comment and let me know you have done so).

• Like me on Facebook.

Please note:

• Each entry requires a separate comment.
• Giveaway ends on Monday, October 25, 2010.
• Winner will be selected by Random.org and contacted by email.
• Winner will have 48 hours to respond to claim your prize!

Disclaimer: Bisquick provided me with the product. Information and prize packs were provided through MyBlogSpark.

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PlanetBox Lunch Box Review

PlanetBox Lunch Box:

Are you looking for lunch box options that are NOT plastic? Well, you just have to see this lunch box! It is made of food grade Stainless Steel and looks almost like a lunch tray that folds in half. The design is simply genius.

The first thing I thought of when I saw this box, was eating out of the mess kits as a Girl Scout while at camp. I get a serious case of the warm fuzzies at the very concept. I could not wait to show my Cub Scout son this new lunch box and get his reaction.

When son first saw his new lunch box it was love at first sight.  He thought it was the coolest lunch box he ever laid eyes on.  He immediately wanted to pack his lunch in it. The unit has 4 nice sized compartments. One main section large enough to fit a sandwich, a fruit compartment, a veggie compartment, and a longer section suitable for snacks such as fruit leathers, cheese sticks, napkin, fork, etc.  Everything you need is built right in.  Just open up and eat right out of the tray.

The complete kit includes containers that are liquid proof and ideal for ketchup, dressing or wet foods.  Just tuck them in the front pocket for safe transport.  The lunch box is not a perfect liquid proof seal so I highly recommend you use the additional leak proof containers for any wet items you may pack.

A note of caution.  Do not overstuff it to where the unit does not seal properly.  I made this mistake on our first use and it resulted in Cheetos in every compartment.  You know how kids hate to have their food touching!  :-)

My son is the kind of kid who likes to eat the same lunch every day, chicken nuggets.  You can not heat these containers up in the microwave so we had to come up with another "green" solution.  We used a small cup sized glass container with lid.  This glass container will also fit nicely in the front pocket.   Just take it out and heat it up. Don't worry about keeping perishables cold.  This unit and lunch bag does an awesome job of conducting the cold and keeping everything safe.

My son had a lot of fun decorating it with the magnetic designs. His choice was the "Under the Sea" design.  Being able to design the box sends the coolness factor though the roof.   It is noteworthy to mention that their magnets are not made out of PVC/vinyl.  Even the magnets are non-toxic!

Junior picked the Green lunch bag to go along with his aquatic theme. They have lots of other lovely colors to choose from, including: Rocket Red, Ever Green, Purple Power, Starry Blue, Awesomely Aqua and Perfectly Pink.

Planet Lunch box is a small family owned business and the brain child of Caroline and Robert Miros.  With small children of their own, they share our passion for promoting the health of our children and our planet. Are you interested in learning more?  Here is some helpful information I found over at PlanetBox.com:

• Designed to Eliminate Garbage
• Designed for both Kids and Parents
• Safe and Non Toxic
• Encourages Healthy Eating Habits
• Lunch Box Measures 10 x 7 ½ x 1 ½

The Verdict:

Junior is in love with this bag.  Seriously.  I'm taking my child's health back and packing his lunch now.  Anything that encourages him to prefer packed lunch over school lunch is worth the price.  I personally consider this a top contender in the compartmental lunch box arena.

Check them out on Facebook.  You can find all sorts of lunch ideas on there.  If you are anything like me, you appreciate lunch ideas.

This review is the truth, the whole truth so help me...!  The Extraordinary Life blog received no monetary compensation for this review.  The opinions expressed are my own and were not influenced in any way.  I did receive a free selection of products in exchange for my HONEST opinions.  

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