Disclosure: I received complimentary products to facilitate this post. All opinions are my own.
Chicken is an amazingly versatile meat. And you can use it to create some really fast dinners in the Just 5 Cooking Challenge. For example, you can have a tasty Calypso Chicken Salad in an hour (including marinating) when you marinate chicken with salt and pepper to taste, plus juice from a lime for 30 minutes, brown the chicken, sauté pineapple and lime juice, then add to watercress and a diced avocado.
Just BARE Chicken is traceable back to the family farm where it was raised and is American Humane Certified®. It's found in a variety of grocery stores - high quality chicken at a good prices.
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
Monday, March 10, 2014
Fun Freetime: Kids Bowl Free
Before you know it summer will be here and you'll be looking for something for you kids to do. How about bowling - for free? If you register today you’ll be able to start using your FREE games on
the first day of the program at your participating center. Visit www.KidsBowlFree.com to register and see the starting date at your center today. Also don’t forget about the Family Pass option that allows for up to 4
adults to bowl 2 FREE games every day all summer too. It allows parents, older children, adult babysitters
and grandparents to join in the bowling fun too.
Mealtime Magic: Fresh Express 30 Day Salad Swap
Disclosure: I received complimentary products to facilitate this post. All opinions are my own.
Fresh Express is launching the 30-Day Salad Swap. Swap a high-calorie meal for a salad inspired by the meal and with similar flavors. You'll save calories, and earn money-saving coupons. They make it easy with a Salad Swap app (for Android and iOS) and as you enter bag codes, you can earn up to $50 in coupons. Get great recipe ideas at the Fresh Express Pinterest Page. As an example, try a Grilled Cheese salad. Make a single grilled cheese sandwich, then cut into pieces and split it four ways with a bag of Fresh Express Spring Mix, 1/2 cup of sun-dried tomatoes, and 1/4 cup of balsamic vinaigrette.
Fresh Express is launching the 30-Day Salad Swap. Swap a high-calorie meal for a salad inspired by the meal and with similar flavors. You'll save calories, and earn money-saving coupons. They make it easy with a Salad Swap app (for Android and iOS) and as you enter bag codes, you can earn up to $50 in coupons. Get great recipe ideas at the Fresh Express Pinterest Page. As an example, try a Grilled Cheese salad. Make a single grilled cheese sandwich, then cut into pieces and split it four ways with a bag of Fresh Express Spring Mix, 1/2 cup of sun-dried tomatoes, and 1/4 cup of balsamic vinaigrette.
The
Fresh Express 30-Day Salad Swap lets you recreate the flavors of your
favorite higher calorie foods, like cheesy pizza and creamy pasta, in
lower calorie salads. Swap one meal a day for a month and you'll not
only feel better, you'll earn money-saving coupons along the way. Watch
the video to find out how to get started. - See more at:
http://www.greenmomsmeet.com/freshexpress#sthash.9xZiSVNz.dpuf
The
Fresh Express 30-Day Salad Swap lets you recreate the flavors of your
favorite higher calorie foods, like cheesy pizza and creamy pasta, in
lower calorie salads. Swap one meal a day for a month and you'll not
only feel better, you'll earn money-saving coupons along the way. Watch
the video to find out how to get started. - See more at:
http://www.greenmomsmeet.com/freshexpress#sthash.9xZiSVNz.dpuf
Giveaway: Tracie Long Longevity Series
Disclosure: I received complimentary products to facilitate this post. All opinions are my own.
I've been spending time lately review some of the latest DVDs from Tracie Long - part of her Longevity Series. I've gotten to try the first three - Defining Shape, Staying Power, and Step Forward. Each one contains a full 50-minute workout, plus a few mini workout mixes made up of segments from the workout. Fifty minutes sounds like a really long time to be doing a cardiovascular workout, but Tracie mixes it up with brief rest segments, so anyone with moderate to high fitness levels should be able to keep up, but still get a great workout. Beginners can also benefit from these videos by doing part of the workout or the mini segments - or by modifying some of the moves throughout.
I have a chance to give away a set of Tracie Long DVDs. I've loved using them - I like getting a good workout at home. You will need some light equipment (or something equivalent you can use). Volume 1 uses 3 different sets of dumbbells (light to heavy) and a mat; Volume 2 uses a light medicine ball, a set of light dumbbells, and a mat; Volume 3 needs a step and a mat. If you don't have equipment at home you can still do the moves, but they won't be as intense. To enter, leave a comment with your favorite cardiovascular activity by March 14th.
I've been spending time lately review some of the latest DVDs from Tracie Long - part of her Longevity Series. I've gotten to try the first three - Defining Shape, Staying Power, and Step Forward. Each one contains a full 50-minute workout, plus a few mini workout mixes made up of segments from the workout. Fifty minutes sounds like a really long time to be doing a cardiovascular workout, but Tracie mixes it up with brief rest segments, so anyone with moderate to high fitness levels should be able to keep up, but still get a great workout. Beginners can also benefit from these videos by doing part of the workout or the mini segments - or by modifying some of the moves throughout.
I have a chance to give away a set of Tracie Long DVDs. I've loved using them - I like getting a good workout at home. You will need some light equipment (or something equivalent you can use). Volume 1 uses 3 different sets of dumbbells (light to heavy) and a mat; Volume 2 uses a light medicine ball, a set of light dumbbells, and a mat; Volume 3 needs a step and a mat. If you don't have equipment at home you can still do the moves, but they won't be as intense. To enter, leave a comment with your favorite cardiovascular activity by March 14th.
Giveaway: Brewster Leads the Way
Disclosure: I received complimentary products to facilitate this post. All opinions are my own.
Anchor Bay just released a new Chuggington DVD - Brewster Leads the Way. Brewster, with friends familiar and new, takes the lead in six episodes that are engaging for preschoolers and instill lessons in courage, leadership, and friendship. The DVD contains Track Laying Brewster, Babysitter Brewster (my girls' favorite), Brewster Meets the Mayor, Poor Old Puffer Pete, Old Puffer Pete's Firebox, and Brewster's Carwash. "Chuggington” airs daily on the 24-hour Disney Junior channel at 7:30am and 1:30pm with additional evening airings. The series made its Season 4 debut on Disney Junior, Sunday, October 20, 2013 with the first-ever primetime “Chuggington” special, “Chug Patrol: Ready to Rescue.”
It's a fun series, good for any kid who likes trains (which seems to be a lot of kids in the preschool and early elementary ages) and good for parents who want their kids to watch a show with positive values.
I have the opportunity to give away a copy of Brewster Leads the Way. To enter, leave a comment by March 14th with your favorite Chuggington episode.
Anchor Bay just released a new Chuggington DVD - Brewster Leads the Way. Brewster, with friends familiar and new, takes the lead in six episodes that are engaging for preschoolers and instill lessons in courage, leadership, and friendship. The DVD contains Track Laying Brewster, Babysitter Brewster (my girls' favorite), Brewster Meets the Mayor, Poor Old Puffer Pete, Old Puffer Pete's Firebox, and Brewster's Carwash. "Chuggington” airs daily on the 24-hour Disney Junior channel at 7:30am and 1:30pm with additional evening airings. The series made its Season 4 debut on Disney Junior, Sunday, October 20, 2013 with the first-ever primetime “Chuggington” special, “Chug Patrol: Ready to Rescue.”
It's a fun series, good for any kid who likes trains (which seems to be a lot of kids in the preschool and early elementary ages) and good for parents who want their kids to watch a show with positive values.
I have the opportunity to give away a copy of Brewster Leads the Way. To enter, leave a comment by March 14th with your favorite Chuggington episode.
Consumer Critique: Fresh Feet
Disclosure: I received complimentary products to facilitate this post. All opinions are my own.
Fresh Feet® is a cream to powder lotion that wont give you slimy feet. It might not seem so how, but sandal season is coming, and after a long, dry winter, you might not feel like baring your feet. Fresh Body created Fresh Feet® to help people avoid the embarrassment of funky feet. Like theother Fresh Body products, Fresh Feet is an all-natural lotion that is free of parabens, talc, and aluminum. Applied like a liquid that dries to a powder, it provides comfort and prevents odor-causing bacteria from forming. The lotion prevents wetness and is hypoallergenic and clinically tested in the USA with no animal testing. You can get it for $7.99 for 5 fl. oz. at walgreens.com.
Fresh Feet® is a cream to powder lotion that wont give you slimy feet. It might not seem so how, but sandal season is coming, and after a long, dry winter, you might not feel like baring your feet. Fresh Body created Fresh Feet® to help people avoid the embarrassment of funky feet. Like theother Fresh Body products, Fresh Feet is an all-natural lotion that is free of parabens, talc, and aluminum. Applied like a liquid that dries to a powder, it provides comfort and prevents odor-causing bacteria from forming. The lotion prevents wetness and is hypoallergenic and clinically tested in the USA with no animal testing. You can get it for $7.99 for 5 fl. oz. at walgreens.com.
I got to try it out and I like it. It really did help my feet feel and look smoother. It was a little interesting to get used to the cream-to-powder feel, but once I did, I enjoyed using it and I'll definitely be buying it again to use during sandal season especially, but also just to keep my feet comfortable year-round.
Parenting Pointers: The Date Safe Project
Disclosure: I received complimentary products to facilitate this post. All opinions are my own.
The Date Safe Project is dedicated to promote healthy relationships and a culture of consent in a society that still doesn't always seem to take the issue of sexual assault and consent seriously. The site has resources for parents, schools, and military, as well as a way for anyone who is passionate about the issue to become a licensed presenter to educate others.
Founder Mike Domitz has also written a book, May I Kiss You, that explores communication and consent in relationships. It covers a wide variety of topics, including self defense, sexual harassment, double standards, the influence of family and friends, and more. Some of the situations or dialogues in the book might seem like they'd be embarrassing for a teen to bring up, but quite honestly, if a couple can't communicate honestly and openly about respect for physical boundaries, then they probably shouldn't be dating!
I had the opportunity to interview Mike to learn more and get some tips.
1) What was the inspiration behind The Date Safe Project?
1. My sister, Cheri, is the original inspiration to me speaking out against sexual assault. The strength and courage she displayed after being sexually assaulted has always inspired me. Today, all of us at The DATE SAFE Project continue to be inspired by the survivors we meet around the world. We are committed to the belief that every person deserves for each sexual experience to be consensual (wanted, freely given, between two people of sound mind and legal age). Our organization is constantly creating resources and programs that teach "How To" Skills for creating a Culture of Consent.
2) At what age is it appropriate to start talking to kids about safe dating and consent?
2. As soon as your child is engaging with other children socially, you should be teaching respect of boundaries and the body. Schools have seen kindergarten and 1st grade students inappropriately engage in sexual behaviors. As the child gets older, you have more in-depth conversations that are age appropriate. One of the biggest mistakes parents make is not talking early enough in a child's life. The result is that the child turns to other sources such as peers, the Internet (pornography), and the media/entertainment culture. If a child has been learning from those sources for a significant period of time, parents are going to have a tougher time getting their son or daughter to listen later in life.
3) What tips do you have for parents who might find it awkward to bring the conversation up?
3. For parents who feel awkward about having conversations on dating, sexual decision-making, and safety, do some research with credible sources. Often school counselors and social workers have pamphlets for helping Moms and Dad with these conversations. Our website at www.DateSafeProject.org has videos and articles for helping parents engage their teens in this vitally important discussions.
You can learn more when you like DateSafe on Facebook or follow @DateSafeProject. The Date Safe Project Youtube channel also has a lot of great videos you can use to start the conversation about consent and learn more.
The Date Safe Project is dedicated to promote healthy relationships and a culture of consent in a society that still doesn't always seem to take the issue of sexual assault and consent seriously. The site has resources for parents, schools, and military, as well as a way for anyone who is passionate about the issue to become a licensed presenter to educate others.
Founder Mike Domitz has also written a book, May I Kiss You, that explores communication and consent in relationships. It covers a wide variety of topics, including self defense, sexual harassment, double standards, the influence of family and friends, and more. Some of the situations or dialogues in the book might seem like they'd be embarrassing for a teen to bring up, but quite honestly, if a couple can't communicate honestly and openly about respect for physical boundaries, then they probably shouldn't be dating!
I had the opportunity to interview Mike to learn more and get some tips.
1) What was the inspiration behind The Date Safe Project?
1. My sister, Cheri, is the original inspiration to me speaking out against sexual assault. The strength and courage she displayed after being sexually assaulted has always inspired me. Today, all of us at The DATE SAFE Project continue to be inspired by the survivors we meet around the world. We are committed to the belief that every person deserves for each sexual experience to be consensual (wanted, freely given, between two people of sound mind and legal age). Our organization is constantly creating resources and programs that teach "How To" Skills for creating a Culture of Consent.
2) At what age is it appropriate to start talking to kids about safe dating and consent?
2. As soon as your child is engaging with other children socially, you should be teaching respect of boundaries and the body. Schools have seen kindergarten and 1st grade students inappropriately engage in sexual behaviors. As the child gets older, you have more in-depth conversations that are age appropriate. One of the biggest mistakes parents make is not talking early enough in a child's life. The result is that the child turns to other sources such as peers, the Internet (pornography), and the media/entertainment culture. If a child has been learning from those sources for a significant period of time, parents are going to have a tougher time getting their son or daughter to listen later in life.
3) What tips do you have for parents who might find it awkward to bring the conversation up?
3. For parents who feel awkward about having conversations on dating, sexual decision-making, and safety, do some research with credible sources. Often school counselors and social workers have pamphlets for helping Moms and Dad with these conversations. Our website at www.DateSafeProject.org has videos and articles for helping parents engage their teens in this vitally important discussions.
You can learn more when you like DateSafe on Facebook or follow @DateSafeProject. The Date Safe Project Youtube channel also has a lot of great videos you can use to start the conversation about consent and learn more.
Sweepstakes: Camillus Knives and Tools
Camillus knives and tools recently launched a new sweepstakes. From now until June 15, the contest will be open to anyone in the contiguous United States, who can enter to win one of four prize packs. The grand prize is a Polaris ATV outfitted with several Camillus products; second prize is a set of Les Stroud (television's Survivorman) survival knives and tools, and third prize and fourth prize are sets of Camillus products valued at $300 and $100 respectively. Find complete rules here.
Giveaway: Tocomail
Disclosure: I received complimentary products to facilitate this post. All opinions are my own.
With children’s online safety continuing to be a major issue, Tocobox Inc. released Tocomail, the safest email service for children. Inspired by kids and based on their feedback, Tocomail offers a real and fun email experience for children, while providing parents with complete control over their e-mail activity.
A great first email service for kids, Tocomail features an easy-to-use intuitive interface designed to make it simple to stay connected with family and friends on all popular platforms (web, iOS and Android). Tocomail provides a personalized email address (i.e. name@tocomail.com) and users will get “push notifications” sent to their iPhone, iPad, tablet or smartphone when mail is received.
Tocomail makes e-mailing fun with many cool features such as a drawing board, custom avatar creation, picture timeline and a colorful design that all kids will love. So even if a child can’t type, they can easily draw a picture and include it in an email. With two different levels of user-interface (UI), Tocomail can be enjoyed by kids of all ages.
The free version delivers a basic set of parental controls conducted through a safe list of contacts allowed to communicate with their kids. A premium version, available for $2.99 a month or $29.99 a year, provides advanced parental controls which include a quarantine box, profanity filter and enhanced contact list. With premium services, the child can communicate with any contact outside the safe list after the parent has viewed and approved the e-mail. Parents can also choose to receive a copy of the quarantined email sent to their regular email account and can approve or reject emails directly from these notifications. In addition, a bullying recognizer that will detect and immediately notify parent if bullying patterns are found will be added soon.
I have the chance to give away a one-year premium subscription to Tocomail. To enter, leave a comment with your favorite feature of the service.
Giveaway: Cub Foods 2014 Food Trends
Disclosure: I received complimentary products to facilitate this post. All opinions are my own.
Cub® Foods recently polled Minnesota-based chefs, culinary experts, food critics, bloggers and food enthusiasts for key food trend predictions for 2014. Continued growth in demand for local and organic foods, as well as a focus on healthier food choices, especially those for kids, are predicted to be among the top food trends this year. When it comes to specific foods, look for ancient grains like quinoa, along with kale and other “superfoods” to find their way onto more plates in the months ahead.
The 2014 Cub Foods Food Trends Forecast also shows that Minnesotans will pay more attention to portion sizes, snacking more, rather than eating full meals. This trend will also serve to reshape dinner parties as hosts focus on offering a variety of healthier options and taste experiences, moving from traditional full-course meals to small-plate, tapas-style affairs.
Predictions for the 2014 Minnesota food scene include:
Local, Farm-to-Table and Organic. Demand for gluten-free options will also increase.
Handheld and Healthy.
Purple Pride Veggies. Several experts cited increasing interest and demand for purple vegetables such as purple green beans and purple carrots.
On the Rise. Ancient grains, kale, superfoods and greens will appear in more dishes. In addition, businesses that specialize in making one type of food or drink (e.g., cheese, distilleries) will gain popularity. We’ll also see more whole animal (nose to tail) served.
BIY (Brew It Yourself) Projects. Homebrewing continues to take hold in the Twin Cities as more people seek neighborhood acclaim as its master brewer.
Small Is the New Big. Look for smaller servings to start nudging out bigger portions. Snacking will emerge as a replacement to traditional meals, particularly at lunch. Small party foods also will be big. Instead of sit-down dinners, demand will grow for healthy, yet tasty alternatives to traditional party fare for tasting and sampling.
Self-preservation. The home also becomes a food factory as more people experiment with emerging preparation techniques such as quick pickling, canning and smoking.
Marvelously Multicultural. Latin and Spanish ingredients and dishes are expected to be popular choices in the Twin Cities this coming year..
What’s for Mealtime? For breakfast, we’ll eat more eggs, and for lunch, we’ll experiment with unique, gourmet, artisan sandwiches.
I have a chance to give away a Cub gift card to one lucky winner to try out some of these trends for yourself. Leave a comment by March 14th with your favorite food trend!
About Cub Foods
Cub Foods offers customers the freshest produce, widest selection and food expertise throughout the store to meet their everyday grocery needs. In addition to innovative local, ethnic and organic food sections, Cub stores offer shoppers multiple in-store services including fresh bakery, full-service deli and meat departments, pharmacy and banking. Cub Foods, based in Stillwater, Minn., was established in 1968 as one of the nation’s first discount grocery stores. Cub was purchased in 1980 by SUPERVALU and currently operates 67 stores in Minnesota and Illinois. For company news and information, follow @CubFoods and find Cub at www.facebook.com/Cub, or visit cub.com.
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