Build A Menu

March 13, 2012 by 11 Comments

Build A Menu is a new online menu planning service designed to help busy families save time and money on meal planning and grocery shopping. Build A Menu takes the most popular features of top recipe sites and combines them to make weekly planning fast and easy.

Each week, the team at Build a Menu plans a variety of family friendly menus. Then, they visit each of the stores they feature to find the best price available for every ingredient in every recipe, many of which will be on sale that week. Members can choose from any of the menu categories (link for menu categories is http://www.buildamenu.com/menu-options) to mix and match recipes and Build A Menu that works best for their family’s tastes and budget.

Members can Build a Menu in three easy steps. Here’s how it works:

Step 1: Choose your store.

Step 2: Scroll thru the list of menu options for the week. They offer meals that serve 4-6 people as well as meals for 1-2 people. No matter what your needs are, Build A Menu makes it easy to create your meal plan.

One of the most powerful features of the Build A Menu website is the ability to see approximately how much your total grocery cost will be. After each selection, you’ll see your new running total. If you’re on a tight budget, they have plenty of budget friendly recipes [Read more…]

Filed Under: food

Hershey’s Easter Candy Review and Giveaway

March 12, 2012 by 33 Comments

Here comes Peter cotton tail. And of course its time to fill little plastic eggs and wicker baskets with chocolates and other delectable sweets.
My suggestion is to go with the good stuff, because in the end who is going to be eating the “left-overs”?
That’s right, mom and dad. In this case? Dad- maybe before Little gets into it, LOL.
You know the best stuff- Hershey’s!

Their products range from the milk chocolate greatness of Hershey Kisses in Easter colors to Jolly Rancher Sours Bunnies. Maybe even some Cookies n Creme Drops. The drops are candy coated chocolate pieces, these are white chocolate with little chocolate cookies pieces, perfect for letting them melt in your mouth a few at a time. If the bunnies theme floats your boat, take a look at the Mini Robin Eggs in a bunny themed Easter wrapper. (This one will be Little’s fav, just because of the bunny wrap.)

Hershey’s are great for their taste, price and [Read more…]

Filed Under: food, giveaway, holidays, review

National Nutrition Month Has Found Its Perfect Snack

March 8, 2012 by 10 Comments

Here’s an easy way to celebrate National Nutrition Month every day (not just in March): choose all-natural Crispy Fruit and FruitziO as the snacks of choice for you and your kids. Crispy Green

Filed Under: food, review

Wholly Guacamole Review and Giveaway

March 8, 2012 by 2 Comments

Who is a fan of Mexican food?
Maybe a little salsa here and there is how it starts, then comes the tacos and burritos. This all leads to the mystical guacamole and tortilla chip combo. This addictive combination may taste as if it is horrid for you and clogging your veins with cholesterol, but in actuality when done right with the best of ingredients, it is one of the healthiest food you can eat.

Wholly guacamole is proof of this. This guacamole is fresh, full of vitamins and minerals, a trans-fat free food, and even gluten free. The flavors are earthy and creamy with a touch of spice to get you ready for the next bite. Each bite is a joy to consume and leaves you wanting more But every good thing must come to an end, and unfortunately there is a bottom to the container.

Fret not, noble chip eaters- there is more then guacamole with which to dip. Try new wholly salsa which is one of the freshest complex salsas around. This salsa is perfect on taco night (or even breakfast time, shh!). Pour some on a fresh out of the pan cheese omelet and you’ll get a delicious Mexican breakfast. I am a big fan of the medium salsa, it has just a bit of a kick and is perfect for just about anything I have thrown it on including chicken, rice, burritos, and of course nachos.

Oh no, a catastrophe has [Read more…]

Filed Under: food, giveaway, review

@ColdStone Creamery Review and C0NTEST

March 3, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Cold Stone Creamery is a fun spot to stop in any time of the year- after all, any time is a good time for ICE CREAM! They have some amazing new flavors out this month, including

Yogurt Creations
  • Strawberry Crumble– Dreamy Vanilla Yogurt mixed with juicy Strawberries and Graham Cracker Pie Crust
  • Chocolate Banana Indulgence- Gratifying Chocolate Yogurt mixed with fresh Bananas and rich Fudge
  • Berries Upon Berries– Luscious Raspberry Yogurt mixed with sweet Strawberries and Blueberries
Yogurt Shakes
  • Shake Them Berries– Divine Vanilla Yogurt blended with sweet, juicy Strawberries, Raspberries and Blueberries
  • Powered By Chocolate– Enticing Chocolate Yogurt blended with rich Fudge
About our [Read more…]
Filed Under: food, giveaway, review

How to Feed a Big Family on a Small Budget

March 3, 2012 by 10 Comments

It’s quite the conundrum. Food prices continue to go up, but your growing family is hungry! And if you’ve
got a big family, keeping everyone happy and fed can be a real struggle. Salaries are not keeping pace with
inflation, and the sluggish economy isn’t helping anyone. So what can you do to feed your big family well,
without breaking the bank?

Get a bigger shopping cart. The big box stores aren’t simply a fad, they’re a lifesaver for big families.
Buying in bulk will save you a ton over buying the same products in a regular supermarket. And most of
the big box stores have membership programs designed to save you money, and branded credit cards that
help you earn points towards purchases. So when it comes to any of the staples in your house, buy in bulk.
Not only will it save you money, it will save you shopping time.

Have an eye for circulars. Every week, there are countless items on sale in every grocery store in the
country. But you’ll have to become an expert coupon clipper if you want to take advantage. Seek out the
circulars for every supermarket in your area. Make sure you have each of their club cards, so you can
take advantage of their daily savings. But beyond newspapers and circulars, there are now tons of online
sites packed with coupons to national and regional supermarket chains. Do some research and bookmark
the best ones. Make it a weekly habit to scour the web for all possible coupons before you shop, and the
money you save in your budget will be more than worth the extra time.

If it grows, it’s free. It may be time for you to try out your green thumb. Growing your [Read more…]

Filed Under: family, food

How Can I Get My Family to Live Healthier?

February 20, 2012 by 11 Comments

So you’ve tried to let things work themselves out, at least as far as your family’s health and lifestyle choices
are concerned. But you’ve come to realize that it’s not going to change on its own, and those small fears
are starting to become big time worries. Whether its cancer or heart disease, childhood obesity or early
onset diabetes, our modern medical understand has made a ton of progress. But many of the warning
signs of these troubling conditions point to lifestyle, and whether a person consistently makes a healthy
choice. And it’s never too early to start. How can you get your family to adopt a healthy lifestyle?

There’s nothing wrong with trickery. You’ve tried everything, and the kids just will not eat the asparagus
you cook. The idea of salmon or tofu revolts them, and if it’s not in nugget form, it just can’t be on the
plate. If health and wellness are your end goals, there’s no harm in trying to sneak some vegetables or
fruits into their favorite foods. There are ways to subtly sneak these underrepresented food groups in
breakfast, lunch and dinner. You’ll even find amazing dessert recipes that involve veggies. Or ‘disguise’
that fruit by cooking it in a way your kids haven’t seen before.

Use your influence. You know your family. You know what makes them tick, how to press their buttons
and what makes them happy. So play to their strengths. If your children won’t eat the healthiest range
of fruits, vegetables and grains, maybe they love sports. Encourage that, but not just from the sidelines.
Find opportunities to play along. Get involved in adult leagues. Most towns have club leagues for soccer,
softball, and basketball, or find [Read more…]

Filed Under: family, food, health

Bubble Tea in Chinatown, NYC

February 18, 2012 by 11 Comments

This week has been a hectic one, as I am sure you have all figured out from my lack of posts 🙂
With all the frantic fun of Toy Fair (which I LOVE but wears me right out, LOL) there was little time for a whole lot else 🙂 But on Thursday, Grace from Blessed Elements and I took the day off and went sightseeing in NYC, since it was her first time there! (Outside the Jacob Javits center, anyway!)

One of my favorite places in New York is Chinatown. Chinatown is really 2 places in one- one place is what tourists see- the other is a rich and tight knit community, and the largest Chinatown in the country. As a tourist, there is tons to see and do- and taste!

There are so many fun and different things to try- one of my favorites is Bubble Tea, which is really only found in primarily Asian areas. Miss Grace had never had one, so of course….

We got her a papaya (fresh fruit) bubble tea.
What is a bubble tea, you may want to know? I’ll clue you in.

Bubble tea is the name for pearl milk tea and other similar tea and juice beverages that originated in tea shops in Taichung, Taiwan during the 1980s. Drink recipes may vary, but most bubble teas contain a tea base mixed with fruit (or fruit syrup) and/or milk. Ice-blended versions of the drinks, similar to slushies, are [Read more…]

Filed Under: food, travel