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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California Wine Club Review and Giveaway

Well we received our second shipment from the California Wine Club and it was just in time for Thanksgiving.  We are hooked!  We love the idea of the wine showing up at our door that is selected by somebody else.  Everybody loves getting surprises in the mail, right?  We love the mystery of it, the taste testing, the whole nine yards!  We remembered all over again how much we loved it the first time.  I think the time to try it for yourself is NOW.  Go ahead and have some wine tasting bottles ready for any of your surprise holiday guests. Maybe even purchase a gift pack for a family member who has it all, say an elder of the family?  A boss perhaps?  Trust me, this gift is very classy! For the holiday they are even including two bonus gifts.

1) A handy two bottle wine tote &
2) a $25 gift card (which is half the cost of a re-order)

That is $49.95 for one month shipment and includes the above.  Let me just tell you, when I seen the gift card after already being overjoyed with the bottles themselves, I squealed while doing a little spinny thing.  I am DEFINITELY doing this again I think to myself!  Will your gift recipients feel the same?

Just look how nice those bottles look, they showed up already wrapped!  For easy ordering go to www.cawineclub.com.

Shipping Alert! Ground Shipping Deadline is December 12th. 

 Any orders placed after Dec 12 incur expedited air charges for Christmas deliveries.

The Giveaway:

But wait, do you want to try and win one?  I am giving away a $50 gift credit so you can try this experience for yourself.  Or maybe you want to gift it instead.  No worries.  Just enter in rafflecopter below.  I will select the winner on the 10th, but PLEASE make sure I get your info ASAP.  As noted above, December 12th is the ordering deadline if you want to save on shipping!  

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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California Wine Club Review and Giveaway

Are you a Wine enthusiast like my husband and I?  When we first started dating, having a glass of wine during a business dinner was a must.  Why was it a must?  I suppose a glass of soda would have been good enough.  Why not?  I was just the kind to order a soda at first too.  I never drank a day in my life before my hubby and I met.  My step father knew I was just the kind to order a soda at these "fancy" dinners he took me to. When I was leaving out for one of my fancy business dinners he commented, "You should drink the wine along with everyone else.  It will be okay to have one glass. Just order what somebody else is getting"  That night I took his advice and drank a glass along with everyone else.  It was a bold cabernet sauvignon. I think the best first impression was interesting and different.  I came to learn after that night that the bitter taste of the red wine such as Cabernet was called "tanins".  Each red wine had different levels of them.  It was not long before I had experimented with all the common types of wines and developed a preference.  I found the new experience exciting.  As we continued to date, my hubby and I learned of our love of cooking.  We wanted to have fancy dinners at our own at home.   Of course there had to be wine offered at dinner because that is what you do at fancy dinners right?.  So we would go to the Wine and Spirit shop and stroll down the wine isles.  Oh me oh my, was there ever a selection.  We really had no idea what we were doing! LOL.  Then is when we decided to allow somebody to do it for us.  We joined the once a month wine club.  I think we received 3-4 bottles a month?  Wines that were selected by folks who knew MUCH more about wine then we did.  It enabled us to try new and exciting flavors and brands.  Wines we probably would have never chosen just strolling through the isles the way we were.  It was an exciting and rewarding experience that my husband and I always enjoyed.

Some states require you have somebody home to sign for a package with wine in it.  Occasionally when we were not home I would have my friend sign for the package for me.  When she realized what was in the package she commented at what a great idea it was.  That it would make a good gift.  It was this memory that was triggered when I was presented the opportunity to review the Wine of the Month Club for the California Wine Club.  All over again I was reminded of how nice it was to have somebody select a wine for you to try.  The first bottle my husband and I opened, we immediately smelled the cork (pretending to be professionals ~ LOL).  But in our defense you just had to.  You could immediately smell the wonderful fruity aroma of the wine. It was really good.  So good you want to go look it up and figure out how to purchase more! :-).  This wine of the month club would definitely make a great Christmas gift.  www.CAWineClub.com is where I suggest you go to give it a try.  Why?  A few reasons really.

• The most important part....Membership Costs Nothing
• Wines that are selected are handcrafted by REAL mom and pop wineries (you guys know me well enough to know I love this part right?)
• You get to try award winning limited production wines
• Holiday gift prices are low, starting at $49.95

I want you to know a few things about the owners of the www.CAWineClub.com:

Since 1990, club owners Bruce and Pam Boring have traveled California's wine country searching for limited-production wines from small, family-owned wineries dedicated to the art of making fine wine. Whether for yourself or a gift, CWC membership is an adventure in wine tasting that will not be experienced anywhere else. More than three-quarters of California's 3,500+ wineries are small, boutique, mom-and-pop operations whose wines never travel beyond their local markets and private customer lists. Come discover them with us!

I have one more package of wine to arrive and next month be on the look out for part two of this review where I will be offering you a gift pack of your own.  Here is a few more places you can find the on the web:

• Twitter: http://twitter.com/cawineclub
• Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cawineclub

This review was made possible by Mom Spark Media. Thoughts are my own. I received a 2 month Membership to the California Wine Club for the purpose of this review.

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Travel the Mediterranean with O&CO. Olive Oils and Gourmet Specialties - @foodieblogroll @Oliviers_and_Co

Hey guys! I am just hanging out here on the blog checking out some Christmas Shopping ideas.  I know, I know....like wow, am I insane? Its too early and you are not ready to let go of your cash yet!!!  LOL.  I hate to be caught off guard.  I have, in fact, already started shopping, planning and looking out for ideas. With the holidays quickly approaching (it is going to be NOVEMBER real soon), NOW is a great time to start thinking about hostess gifts for the parties you will attend this season, gifts to give to your extended family and looking out for great deals. If your friend or family member is a kitchen enthusiast, may I suggest O&CO? This is a great place to buy specialty olive oil's, vinegar's, gifts, and truffles at O&CO. O&CO.  Right now they are offering free shipping if you spend $50.  If you live out in the middle of nowhere, like me, shopping online is a life saver!  If you are like me, then free shipping is what you look for so I wanted to drop you a note and let you know.  Here is a tidbit about the company I am speaking about.

For over 15 years, O&CO. has been cultivating tradition, expertise, and high standards in order to offer our customers the best selections of olive oils and delicacies from across the Mediterranean.

With a respect for tradition, O&CO. cherishes originality where tastes and smells converge to delight the senses. Emerging from the high Alpes-de-Haute, in the village of Mane, France, O&CO. became the brainchild of two men united around a common passion, the olive tree.
More than ten years since its creation, O&CO. has forged a new image of the olive tree, rooted in tradition but firmly anchored in the modern world. While olive oils serve as the foundation, O&CO. also offers an exclusive collection of vinegars, tapenades, spreads, crackers, and sweets as well as an organic skincare range that showcase the flavors and the spirit of the Mediterranean.
O&CO. is a destination for your own cooking experience as well as for gifts. Founded in 1996, O&CO.s mission is to provide customer with the finest olive oils and Mediterranean food products in stores and online.
I have included some helpful and Extraordinary Gift Ideas for the wanna-be chef or kitchen enthusiast in your life!

“This sponsorship is brought to you by O&CO. who we have partnered with for this promotion.”

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Green Giant Seasoned Steamers Review and Giveaway

When I had my physical a few years back the doctor told me there was really no excuse to not eat enough vegetables.  He went on to explain how the new development (ok so it was a long time ago) of the new vegetables that steam right in the bag made it so easy.  So okay, he was right.  Pre Paleo Diet, I was slacking on the vegetable department.  Sometimes I would consider it too much to do and just skip the veggie at dinner all together.  It was like that doctor could read my mind!  Or maybe it was my labs that told on me?  Now that I am on the Paleo diet, I make sure vegetables make it into EVERY meal.  In fact sometimes for lunch when I am just too lazy to make anything, a steamed vegetable pack will do just the trick.

Green Giant has a new line of Steam in Bag vegetables called Seasoned Steamers and they asked me if I would give them a try.  I looked though the ingredient list of all 6 varities (Mediterranean Blend, Tuscan Seasoned Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts with Sea Salt and Cracked Pepper, Honey Roasted Sweet Corn, Honey Dijon Carrots and Backyard Grilled Potatoes) and it seems like Brussel Sprouts will be the one that is the most Paleo Friendly ingredient wise.  I could almost hear a bunch of you say gross.  *chuckle* It's okay, I LOVE Brussel Sprouts!  No for real!  Are you ready for the ingredients of this package?

Ingredients: Burssel Sprouts, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Sea Salt, Rice Flour, Black Pepper and Natural Flavor.












When was the last time you seen such a pure list of ingredients or a processed package?  The runners up is Tuscan Seasoned Broccoli, and the Backyard Grilled Potatoes. We don't currently eat potatoes while trying to loose weight but if we did, I may give these a try.   What do I really think?  I think you should download the coupon for $1 off and give them a try for yourself!!!!

Visit HERE to download a printable coupon for $1.00 off the purchase of one package of Green Giant Seasoned Steamers. AND if you don't like them ~ during the month of October, there will be a “Love it, or your Money Back” offer available at greengiant.com!

Would it just be easier to win one with a prize package?  Ok, here it is!

The Giveaway:

Your gift pack will contain: 

(1) VIP coupon for one free package of Green Giant Seasoned Steamers 

Apron 

Green Giant Serving Spoon 

Mixing Bowl 

How to Enter:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

“Disclosure:  The coupons, information, and gift packs have been provided by Green Giant^® through MyBlogSpark.”

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The Lunch Box Experiment.....Two Years Later

Here I am two years later and still packing my children lunch every day.  You know it is funny.....when I look back at how nervous I would get about packing lunches.  Will they get bored of what I am packing?  Will I come up with enough interesting ideas?  Will they eat? I don't know about your kids but I honestly can pack the same two lunches for them every day and they will never be bored.  Of course I know that NOW! I guess I impose my need for variety on them.  In fact the more creative I get the more picky of an eater they become.

So lets see, when I started this experiment I had three lunch boxes.

Number One

First in line was a target purchased lunch box with a glad 3 compartment container.  The containers are of a thinner quality but lasted regardless of the cracking at the joint issues.  The compartments were perfect for the main item, a fruit and a veggie side.  The lunch boxes from target held up though the size of the item to the right was narrow and short to really be useful even without the insert.  The lunch box to the left was not very insulating tho the size was accommodating at least.  I still own only the lunch bag to the left.  The bag to the right started to rip inside.

Number Two

The second was an Easy Lunch Box with their brand of containers.  The container had a nib that helped you remove the lid.  That nib is gone on every container.  Otherwise nothing else cracked and the functionality of the container is still excellent.  In fact this container is my "go to" container to pack up leftover dinners.  I don't really like to pack each dinner item individually, I would really rather have a home made frozen TV dinner! ;-).  One of the bags ripped inside on the liner and both frayed at the grommet on the handle.  I still own and use both bags however because the bags are nicely insulated and really work well in that respect.  The size of the bag is nice for when you want to pack more than just a container.  I believe these bags have now been redesigned to fix the handle issue.  You really can't beat the price of this kit and if you buy them on Amazon the shipping is free!  Would I buy them again, yes!  In fact I am getting ready to order a new bag in Pink!

Number Three

The last one was the PlanetBox.  My son still LOVES his PlanetBox.  The size is sort of on the small side for a bigger boy with a more hearty appetite.  The lunch bag size also does not accommodate anything inside except that tray so if you are the type to pack "other" items like am/pm snacks, this unit will not be the one for you.  The lunch bag has pockets on the outside that were really not good for holding much.

I recently learned that the design has since been improved and the pockets on front are more accommodating.  You can actually put a smaller type drink bottle in one pocket and maybe a small glass container in the other if you need to pack items that need microwave heating.

In fact this company now makes a larger type PlanetBox that holds a glass container with lid on the INSIDE!  This way you can re-heat your lunch if you wish.  My son really is not too fond of the bags that they sell with the bigger box but I suppose they at least solve the where do you put your OTHER items at issue.  I will be ordering the larger unit in the very near future.  Is it worth the pricey $70.  I would say so, the insulated lunch bag really does a good job at insulating the contents.  The bag held up over the two years of my literally scrubbing it with a brush on the inside with some stain treat.  In the end the whole unit looks good as new and is every bit as functional and durable as the day we got it.  I really do like the smaller sized kit because of how conveniently it fits INSIDE the backpack.

In fact it is now time for my daughter to own her own PlanetBox and Pottery Barn Kids sells a kit that matches the backpack she fell in love with (chocolate owl ~ odd for the "pinky girl").  You can see from this picture that the drink bottle does fit now in the front pocket and the case is a bit larger to hold you "other" snacks.  The handle seems to have been improved too which is good.

Summary:

My kids will have two lunch bags this year.  A PlanetBox and an EasyLunch Box kit.  I have my eye on a new contender called Lunchbots.  They have a leak proof container I would be interested in trying out.  The issue is still that it is stainless and whatever you pack could not be re-heated.

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Penna Gourmet Foods, Grower, Packer and Processor of Gourmet Olives

I want to talk to you today about Olives.  Most of you know that I am a strong supporter of local businesses.  While that is my first love, my close second is supporting family owned businesses.  This is where Penna Gourmet Olives comes in. Maurice and Cindy Penna are a husband and wife team of olive enthusiasts!  You know what they say, pursue in life anything you are passionate about and will do well at it.  That exactly what Penna is doing.  Penna grows, processes and packages their olives right on their 100 acre land known as M&CP Farms.  In fact, M&CP Farms are the only farmers that handle the olives from from the tree to the package.

My kids LOVE olives!

My husband and I are Alton Brown enthusiasts, but you knew that already right?  Well did you know that Alton had an episode on curing your own olives? Penna was one of his recommended sources for fresh olives.  In fact Penna actualy tells you how to cure your own fresh olives right here. Go ahead and read it.  Don't you think it would be cool to cure your own fresh olives?

Penna Gourmet Foods Fresh Olives are available starting around the 
middle of September (weather permitting)

I fondly recall olives being served at every special meal at our house growing up.  My Italian mother's side of the family always enjoyed the black dried olives cured with olive oil.  My mother would toss in some EVOO and spice it up with red pepper flakes.  Olives are well know for being high in fat but olives fit nicely into our new Paleo diet!  Now that the adults of our house are 100% Paleo, we enjoy olives a lot more than we used to.  All the goodness, none of the weight gain! ;-)

Here is a few key facts for your reading pleasure:

• Penna Gourmet Foods is a grower, packer and processor of gourmet olives.

• Penna Gourmet Foods olive processing incorporates old processes improved upon and made safe by modern microbiology.

• Penna Gourmet Foods  has been in business since 1979.

• Penna Gourmet Foods provides fresh olives to cure at home for the people who enjoy the art of home processing and canning.

• Penna Gourmet Foods site at GreatOlives.com offers recipes for  home curing techniques , including the wonderful Mediterranean Partida Style as well as the Lye Process.

• Penna Gourmet Foods Fresh Olives are available starting around the middle of September (weather permitting).

Interested in a coupon? Click here:

Penna Gourmet Foods

Fresh and gourmet cured olives, gift baskets, olive oil and more!

**************************************************************************************

This sponsorship is brought to you by Penna Gourmet Foods who we have partnered with for this promotion.

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Jennie-O Turkey Burgers Review

Jennie-O Turkey Burgers

Have you seen Jennie-O All Natural Turkey Burgers yet?  My husband and I were strolling through the supermarket, a rare occurrence, when we happened upon these burgers.  He thought it would be a nice idea to try them so we picked up a box.  I personally am not one to not go off the beaten path but a quick flip of of the box convinced me in an instant.  Something I am not sure has always been there, they added the wording "gluten free" on the back of the box.

Ingredients: Turkey, Natural Flavoring, Salt.

Just look at the ingredients in this product!!!! The best part is they say Gluten Free right on the Box.  No wait, that is not the best part.  The best part is my kids asked for seconds!!!  I am really not sure why they liked these so much more than the turkey burgers I used to purchase, maybe its the lack of ingredients?  That pure turkey taste? The looks of the burgers seems to suggest the dark meat of the turkey was used.  We love the dark meat of the turkey at our house so maybe that is it.  Hey, what do I care, right?  Next time I break out the burgers, I need to cook two for each kid!  ;-)

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Mott’s Medleys Fruit Flavored Snacks Review & Giveaway

I was recently contacted by My Blog Spark to tell my readers about Mott's Medleys Fruit Snacks and offer you a giveaway. As some of you may know, my children do not eat corn products so I did not try this product out on them.  I did however give some to my niece who was only more than happy to try them.  She gave them two thumbs up and would not mind AT ALL if I asked her to eat some more.  

Fruit snacks are a life saver for mothers of allergen free and dye free children.  It's not exactly easy to stop and pick up a quick bite when so many fast food restaurants are off limits.  Sometimes you feel like the mother of a newborn sneaking out in between naps.  A few bags of Fruit snacks in your purse saves you from kids starving-to-death-if-they-don't-eat-RIGHT-NOW problem and are the perfect tide-you-over portable snack. Don't leave home without them, stash some in your purse!  ;-)

Ingredients: Fruit Juice From Concentrate (Apple, Grape), Gelatin, Citric Acid, Natural Flavors, Acerola Extract, Mineral Oil, Carnauba Wax, Soy Protein.

While these snacks are not perfectly allergen free, they are Gluten Free and perfect for those who simply want to avoid Gluten and Food Dye.  Are you interested in trying them for yourself?  Just click the link below and print out a coupon!

***

**Download a $.60 off coupon for one box any flavor/variety Mott's Fruit Flavored Snacks: http://bit.ly/MottsCoupon !

***

Giveaway:

I have a total of 4 gift packs to give away. Each prize pack includes 3 boxes of fruit snacks in assorted fruit and 3 boxes of berry.  Just leave me your comment below letting me know where Mott's Medleys Fruit Snacks will travel with you this summer.  Please do not forget to be sure I know how to contact you.  

For Additional entries:

Follow Mott's on FACEBOOK and TWITTER.  Leave me a comment below letting me know you have done so.

Note:

Each entry requires a separate comment.

This giveaway ends June 29th, 2012.

Winner will be selected by Random.org and contacted by email. 

Winner will have 48 hours to respond to claim your prize!

“Disclosure:  The product, gift pack, information, and additional sample have all been provided by Mott’s® through MyBlogSpark.”

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Jovial Foods Fig Fruit Cookies Review

I was first introduced to Jovial Foods Gluten Free line of products though Azure Standard.  Ordering though Azure is how I saved myself from early grey hair and death from excess worry (LOL!!!).  Through Azure I do not have to worry about the the lady who thinks, "I-got-here-first-so-I-can-buy-all-the-gluten-free-foods" available for the whole month at our ONLY gluten free product store for 50 miles.  Azure is ordered online once a month and is delivered via tractor trailer at a specified "drop".  For me the drop is just a stones throw down the road.

I have not had a good fig newton type cookie since I was young.  Fig Newtons are what I ate for breakfast EVERY MORNING in high school along with a cup of tea.  Taking the first bite of this cookie took me right back there.  They are so heavenly too.  Anyone would enjoy these cookies, not just gluten free folks. As an added bonus, they are also organic.

So there you have it, the gluten free replacement for Fig Newtons.  Give them a try!  If you live local to me, just let me know and I will bring you over some. 

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Hormel Natural Choice Packaged Deli Sandwich Meats

Packaged Deli Sandwich Meats

Have you see this product yet?

Up until this product came along, we had no options in our little corner of the world for Gluten Free Lunchmeat except the one ham product they sold. One day the ham I purchased was sold out and that left me with no options.  Lucky for me I had time to go rooting though the refrigerated section and found this.

Right there on the bottom left hand corner (too small to read in this picture) says Gluten Free.  Flip the package around and it will tell you how it has no nitrates, no nitrites, no artificial ingredients, minimally processed, no MSG and raised without hormones.

Here is the ingredients list for ya!

Ingredients: Turkey Breast Meat, Water, Salt, Potato Starch, Turbinado Sugar, Rice Starch, Carrageenan (from seaweed), Baking Soda, Celery Juice Powder, Lactic Acid Starter Culture (not from Milk).

I wonder why they need stuff like the starches and baking soda?  It's not like they are baking a cake with it!  LOL...   I remember way back when we lived in New Jersey, we used to be able to go the the supermarket and order store roasted meats in the deli section to be sliced.  These were basically only the fresh meats, roasted.  Those were the days right?  I think I need to open a throw back mom and pop supermarket someday!

The starches and sugars make this product not exactly Paleo for us dieting adults but still a perfectly reasonable option for my children and the Gluten Free Community.

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Tyson Grilled & Ready Chicken Nuggets Review

Am I the only person left on the web who did not realize these Chicken Breast Chunks were Gluten Free?  I even called Tyson and confirmed.

I never really would have even considered to look for such a product since it is much cheaper to just buy the chicken on sale when its $.98 cents a pound and fry them up myself.  That was until a series events changed my time availability. I went back to college  and my daughter was diagnosed. As a result we needed to be lunch packers every day and went to the old reliable gluten free chicken nuggets which used mostly corn products as a breading. My son's mild corn allergy, which he was diagnosed with as an infant and outgrew, seemed to have returned as an intolerance once we went gluten free.  So the quick and convenient breaded chicken nuggets for lunches had to go.

As a side note, it does have modified food starch in this product which turns out to be a corn product.  And gosh I hate the word modified in ANY of my foods!  Seriously I do.  But they do taste good and most definitely are Gluten Free!  As for my son, the food starch content says 2% or less so we are giving it a try to see if he is able to tolerate this product.  It is not like I intend to feed him these every day.  My plan is to keep them for a quick emergency meal.

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