Sprout Babyfood!

Although Mekhi is way past baby food age, when he was young I made his food or I only fed him organic jar food. And although my son is close to four, in the fairly recent past I've used left over jars of babyfood in my cooking. You know how applesauce is used in recipes as a substitute for oils? Well, one day I was making muffins and had run out of applesauce. And that is when I discovered the magic of babyfood! So, when I can, I use babyfood in some of my recipes because it is organic, wholesome and if it is good enough for a baby it is good enough for me! 

I have to tell you that I WISH Sprout organic baby food was on the market when my son was younger. This baby food is special, it was created by chef Taylor Florence (foodies out there may know him from Food Network). And the flavor in this baby food is amazing. What? Of course I had to taste it! And cook with it too! LOL

In addition to being full of flavor, one of the great things about these pouches is that they are resealable. And the food can be used within three days of opening so no waste! Inventive, right? And the final reason I am impressed by Sprout Baby food is because they have partnered with TerraCycle and encourage parents to return the empty pouches to TerraCycle for UpCycling. They recycle the pouches and make items like bibs, splat mats and diaper bags. TerraCycle also donates $.02 to various charitable organizations for each returned pouch!

So, to all of my friends who are new/soon to be moms (and there are almost more of you than I can count) I highly recommend Sprout. Try it! And let me know what you think! 

Disclosure: I am a Walmart mom and was compensated for my time to write this post, I was also provided with Sprout products to try. 

Delitefuls Seafood Meals

Although I try to cook things from scratch, lately I haven’t been eating very well and have been going the quick meal route. When I found out about the new Delitefuls meals, as corny as it sounds, I was “delighted”! I am a pescatarian - meaning that I don’t eat meat, with the exception of fish. And since the deliteful meals are low-calorie, high protein and seafood, I was very excited about having a healthy meal prospect for lunch or dinner. Another plus? No preservatives!

So, with gusto I tried out the variety of meals - Shrimp Bowtie Scampi, Salmon Florentine Alfredo, Swai Caribbean BBQ, Tilapia Tango Mango and Cod Mediterranean Medly.  After carefully taste tasting each of the meals (which are quite easy to cook, in a bag from 4-5 minutes in the microwave) I have to admit, I was not impressed. As a matter of fact, of all the meals, I only like the Shrimp Bowtie Scampi.

The other meals were either too spicy, too sweet or just not good. And to let you know how serious I am about this, I didn’t finish my meals! If you don’t know me, I am a girl who will eat just about anything if it is part of my diet. But I just could not finish these meals.

Your palate may be different from mine and you may want to give these meals a try. With prices averaging about $5.48 for two servings it is worth a try. I’m sticking to the Shrimp. It will always be a good go to option for me!

Disclosure: Compensation and product were provided by Walmart for my time and effort to participate. All opinions are 100% my own.

Eggo 'Bake Shop Twists

Although I am no domestic diva, there is one thing that I really enjoy - baking. I love whipping 

up a batch of cookies or baking cakes. Unfortunatly, my schedule does not always permit me to take the time needed to make homemade goodies.  I was thrilled when I learned about Eggo Bake Shop Twists.   These pastries filled with apple or strawberry are really delicious. It only takes a little over two minutes to prepare them and you have soft pastries to enjoy with your family. 

I tried both varieties and immediately thought that they would be an excellent addition to a brunch get together in my home - yes, I was inspired to entertain - or adding these pastries to our weekend breakfast menu.  Since I am working on watching my weight, these are not everyday treats (I find having sweet things triggers my sugar addiction) but I highly recommend them for a quick, easy, tasty treat to share with family and friends. 

I must extend a big thank you to Mom Central for giving me the opportunity to try this product and indirectly encouraging me to open my home to friends for brunch! 

General Mills - Lucky Charms Cereal

Do you know the recommended amount of calcium and vitamin D your child should get each day? Better yet, did you know the American Academy of Pediatrics recently doubled the vitamin D recommendation for children? Approximately 75% of kids today don’t get the recommended levels of calcium and vitamin D -- two key nutrients for bone growth.

General Mills Big G kid cereals offer calcium and Vitamin D in each serving. I had a chance to try out Lucky Charms but Kix, Trix and Cinnamon Toast Crunch are all fortified with calcium and Vitamin D. We have all heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, especially for children. With these breakfast cereals General Mills has provided a tasty and nurtritious way for parents to ensure that their children are getting the Vitamin D and calcium they need.

I have to tell you that I love Lucky Charms, this was my first time trying them but they really live up to their name "magically delicious." I hope that when shopping for cerals you keep General Mills in mind. Delicious and nutritious? What more can you possibly ask for?

Healthy Ideas

The New Year, New You slogan is in full effect and as we near the end of January, I am sure there are folks out there struggling to stay focused -especially when it relates to keep a truly healthy diet.  For many mothers, trying to balance a household, working on losing weight and keeping the level of nutrition up for the children is challenging.  Luckily, Stop and Shop has some innovative tools to help you stay on track. 

Many times  people think that eating healthy meals means sacrificing taste and flavor when in reality it simply means making better food choices, substituting the not so good for the good. This is where Stop and Shop comes in! The Healthy Ideas program makes things easy for you.  Visit the website and check out some of the great recipes that are available and when you shop for the ingredients be on the lookout for the Healthy Ideas symbol.  Alternatively, if you have recipes that are tried and true but want to try healthier versions, simply use the Healthy Ideas products.  There are over  3000 Healthy Ideas products at Stop and Shop, you can learn more about the program (and have access to the recipes) on the Stop and Shop website in the Healthy Ideas section. 

Thank you Mom Central for bringing this wonderful program to my attention.

Juice for toddlers

Mekhi can be a picky eater. Trying to balance ensuring that he gets all of his nutrients with his proclivity to throw things he doesn't like on the floor can be challenging. So am constantly on the lookout for healthy foods that taste good. The same is true for the things that he drinks. I give him milk with his meals. If he requests a drink after meal time I generally give him water. I don't want him drinking a lot of juice because I am concerned about the sugar levels in many popular juices.

But the R.W. Knudsen Family Organic Sensible Sippers are different. They are in a smaller package then conventional juice boxes - only 4.23 fl oz per serving. This juice also has no sugar added and has 40% less calories - the mix of 50% juice and 50% water cuts down on calories. And the best part? They are certified organic! The Sensible Sippers are just the type of juice box that I can give Mekhi without worrying about empty calories! The juice boxes are Berenstain Bear themed so they are even fun to look at.

Mommy is happy but Mekhi has to enjoy the taste for this to be a score. I gave Mekhi a juice box as part of his snack and it was gone in less than five minutes! He asked me to try to get the rest of the juice out of the box and I had to laughingly tell him it was all gone.

R.W. Knudsen Family Sensible Sippers have now been added to the Cutie Booty grocery list. It is the perfect drink in the perfect portion for toddlers. It is available in apple, banana, fruit punch and mixed berry flavors. Be on the lookout for this juice in the Whole Foods grocery store!

Thanks goes to the Family Review Review network for giving me the opportunity to review this great product!