Celebrate National Trail Mix Day
September 1, 2010 - Written by Diana
August 31 is National Trail Mix Day – yep, there’s a day for that too. We eat a lot of trail mix, it’s a handy nutritious snack, much better than chips to have on hand.
- My husband likes to take it to work and eat handfuls all day. He also likes to top his yogurt with it.
- We grab a pack when we go hiking to munch on while walking.
- My son packed it for his track meets and band trips in high school.
- I just sent my college daughter some trail mix as a treat when I sent a package to her school. (They will love you for this one.)
- The whole family munches on it at home as a treat when we have a few hunger pangs.
Some fun trail mix trivia:
- Trail mix has been eaten by Native Americans for thousands of years, and originally included buffalo meat.
- Trail mix is featured in Jack Kerouac’s iconic 1958 novel The Dharma Bums.
- Trail mix is the favorite healthy snack of celebrities such as Jessica Biel and Blake Lively.
- Captain Robert Falcon Scott munched trail mix to maintain his energy …
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Clemmy’s Ice Cream – Creamy Taste and Sugar Free
August 16, 2010 - Written by Diana
Jon Gordon came up with Clemmy’s Ice Cream as a way to have his favorite sweet, while trying to combat pre-diabetes. His doctor told him to knock off the sugar, so he came up with a new sugar free ice cream made with xylitol. Xylitol is a sugar alcohol sweetener and doesn’t have the aftertaste that some of the other sugar free ice creams sometimes have and it has a low glycemic index. That doesn’t make Clemmy’s ice cream healthy, but maybe a little healthier for you than eating ice cream with sugar if you are facing diabetes. Clemmy’s ice cream isn’t low fat though, its made with real cream (and tastes like real cream), and it isn’t a diet ice cream. The family had a chance to try out Clemmy’s ice creams and we give it two thumbs up. The kids especially love the Ice Cream – Os, an ice cream novelty shaped like an O and covered with chocolate. Those are so great for grab and go ice cream treats. My favorite flavor pint of ice cream was Toasted Almond - little …
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Talenti Gelato e Sorbetto – A Cool Summer Treat for the Discerning Palate
June 14, 2010 - Written by Diana
My sister mentioned about how being a food blogger turns you into a food snob. It’s true, and though sometimes you get to try out duds, your palate can get so refined that nothing but the best will do. I am turning into an ice cream snob. I will eat the ice cream from the store, but more and more frequently I find myself picking out some special stuff that’s just for me. Why not the kids too, because they will gobble up huge amounts in two seconds without a thought to price or quality, just as they would the cheap stuff. I work hard for my money, so when I treat myself to some of the good stuff, they get permission to have some, but they aren’t allowed full unlimited access to my stash.Talenti Gelato e Sorbetto is the good stuff, prime pickings, cream of the crop – too delicious to share with my kids on a regular basis. They sent it to me to review and I’ve got to tell you that you need to get some and try it out. My mom …
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Covermates & Flings – Great For Your Picnics and Parties
June 6, 2010 - Written by DianaSometimes when you have a review, you think it’s iffy and you’re not sure what you’ll think. Will they really be useful, durable, reusable? In the case of both Covermates and Flings – the answer was yes. Combining these into one review may seem like I’m taking a short-cut, but both of these products seemed like they might not make it to the review stage (and they wouldn’t if it was really bad), or that they would get a so-so review, but the longer I’ve had them, the more they’ve been put to use, and that’s what’s most important.
Flings Bins Pop Up Disposable Containers - These Bins look kind of strange. They fold down to the size of a lid for a tall garbage can, but you can pull them up almost to the size of a tall bin. So, say you are having a party and you want a place to put your recyclable cans – this is …
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Protein Shakes For Your Track Star
April 16, 2010 - Written by DianaTrack season can be a real workout. It seems like you sit through 4 hours of meet, for 2 minutes of glory for your sprinter, longer if your kid is a distance runner. I looked at my son the other day and mentioned that he looked like he was losing weight. For a kid over six foot and weighing about 143, losing weight might not be good. It’s difficult to help your child to make healthy, nutritious choices that will sustain them throughout the day. A mother of one of the girls and I were discussing our kids and what they eat. Her daughter is much pickier than my son, and many of my suggestions were rejected because her daughter wouldn’t eat it. I finally asked if she tried a protein shake. She asked what it was, and I explained what I do for my son to get a little extra protein in him during Track Season. I’m not a health guru or a doctor, but I know proteins are something they need right now. My son will drink one for breakfast, or when he gets home after school, and I’m a little happier thinking maybe this will help him …
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Pillsbury Sweet Rolls – A Lot of Orange Sweetness
March 17, 2010 - Written by Diana
Last night I was hungry for a treat, but not ready to dive into the heavy work, so I pulled a tube of Pillsbury Sweet Rolls from the fridge. I don’t normally have tubes of sweet rolls in the fridge, but I have been known to pick up one every now and then when there’s a sale or I have coupons. If I think there will be a bunch of boys over I might grab a couple to have on hand, just in case also. I put together the sweet rolls according to the directions, placing the rolls in the glass pan, then I threw some chopped walnuts on top before baking it in the oven. When I pulled them out of the oven, hot and toasty (walnut toasty) the topping just slid all over and smelled so darn orangey good. I think a little grated orange on top …
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Risotto Chips by New York Style – My Son Loves Them
March 4, 2010 - Written by Diana
Risotto Chips are an awesome treat, the whole family enjoyed them. They didn’t taste like risotto to me, they were delicious crispy (cracker-like) treats – that are gluten free. We love the Parmesan and Garlic and the Sea Salt. The Spicy Marinara wasn’t our first choice, but it was devoured too.
My son said that I have to let you know that these chips were so good he was willing to brush his teeth twice for them. Here’s what I mean – he was ready for bed, and packing his lunch. Instead of his usually pretzels, he grabbed the Sea Salt Risotto Chips. He had brushed his teeth already, but said that even though he knew he’d have to brush his teeth again, he finished off the bag. He said it was worth it because they were so good. I thought it was funny, but also, when he told me, I was disappointed, because there weren’t any left for me. Then later my husband came looking to see …
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Let ‘em Handle It
January 9, 2010 - Written by Diana
Some days that’s my attitude. My son likes his friends to come over, and he likes them to stay. It can become an evening of preparing and cleaning food for me, if I let it. Sometimes I like to impress. Today he was home for another snow day, but I had to trudge into work. When I got the call from my son asking if his friends could come over and stay, I was willing, but only so far. I told him I didn’t have anything ready for them to eat, and I didn’t want to run into the store (no extra driving please). He said there were a couple of boxes of mac n cheese in the pantry, they could make it up and have it for dinner. I thought well, they’ll live, let them handle it. Truthfully, it’s not the way I like to eat every night, but I …
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Ruby Red Jasmine Rice
November 29, 2009 - Written by Diana
I used
Ruby Red Jasmine Rice for my Turkey & Chard over Red Jasmine Rice recipe. This is a fair trade, whole grain rice grown in the Surin region of Thailand. Alter Eco Ruby Red Jasmine Rice (Khao Deng variety) is an ancient whole grain rice that is as nutritionally charged as it is colorful. Its crunchy texture and earthy flavored paired with a cocktail of essential proteins and minerals, making it an all-around sustainable choice! It is a rare grain that is found in Surin, a province in the East of Thailand situated along the Cambodian border. Inhabitants of this particular region have long relied on this nutritious rice as a complement to their daily diet.
Farmers of the Agrarian Cooperative of Surin cultivate the Alter Eco Red Rice using traditional farming methods that ensure quality and respect for …
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Pump Up Your College Kid With Some Sweet Treats
November 12, 2009 - Written by DianaThe holiday season is stressful on college kids. Some are approaching midterms, others are thinking about finals, while at the same time arrangements need to be made for visiting with family. I think we’re going to visit some of the family for a big holiday gathering without my daughter because she’ll be in school. She only has a long weekend off, which doesn’t leave a lot of time for extensive travelling. Some students live too far away and don’t visit with family at all. When I was in college there were some holidays I stayed on campus because I lived over 500 miles away so I really know what it’s like to miss out. Fortunately, you can send your favorite collegiate special treats to help them through these busy stress filled days. These snacks would also make great stocking stuffers, especially if you want to send your college kid back to school well stocked.
I was given the opportunity to do some taste testing for you. While I like that part of my job, I also enjoy having the opportunity to introduce a product that may be new to you. In no particular order, here are our suggestions:
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