Fruit Loops with fiber review

Fruit Loops has always been a hot commodity in our household, especially with our five year old son. We are sometimes concerned about the nutritional value of sugars that are a bit higher in sugar content. A great new advantage with Fruit is that now you can get Fruit Loops with fiber. Similar Apple Jacks, which is even more popular with us, has Apple Jacks with fiber.

There is growing interest in fiber rich diets for people of all ages as research continues to suggest fiber is one of the most important and least utilized nutritional elements of a diet.

So does something have to taste bad just because it is better for you? This is definitely not the case with Fruit Loops with fiber and Apple Jacks with fiber. Our son didn’t notice a difference and he has eaten the Fruit Loops every day for over a week. We have eaten the Apple Jacks as a snack and it doesn’t miss a beat either.

If you want a cereal that will satisfy the taste buds of the most discerning breakfast eater while offering added nutritional value, Fruit Loops with fiber and Apple Jacks with fiber may be for you!

Disclosure: “I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Kellogg’s and received boxes of Froot Loops and Apple Jacks and a gift certificate to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

Holiday Food Guide

Here are some great food and dessert ideas as you look to find some stocking stuffers, or perhaps some gift ideas for colleagues or others this season.

Choclatique Premium Chocolate Boutique

Choclatique is a premium chocolate boutique company that specializes in more than 195 very unique, amazing flavored chocolate confections, along with various chocolate baking mixes, chips and much more. They have special holiday treats including gourmet chocolate truffles, holiday chocolate marshmallows, holiday chocolate covered graham crackers and their holiday sweet stacks.  We enjoyed the yummy truffles they sent us to try and they came in a darling box with a ribbon.  If you have a chocolate lover on your Christmas list this year, definitely try out this fabulous company!  Make sure you sign up for their newsletter, so you don’t miss out on their Holiday specials.  You can buy all the products mentioned above and more at their website Choclatique.com.

Tastefully Simple Gifts

Tastefully Simple is a leading provider of holiday gifts that are an awesome food gifts for the holidays.  The spreads and preserves are all amazing, though our family’s favorite is the Spicy Olive Cream Cheese Dip.  Below is a description of a couple of their most popular packs.

Berry Medley

You are sure to stir up sweet emotions this holiday season with the Berry Medley gift from Tastefully Simple. The Seedless Black Raspberry Preserves and Rhubarb Strawberry Fruit Spread each fill charming, footed glassware to be reused for years to come. Wrapped in a ready-to-give gift box with a bow, the fruit-filled spreads make the perfect gift for nearly anyone on your list. For $19.95, it’s just right for a gift under $20.00. Available at tastefullysimple.com.

Open & Enjoy

Add a twist to your holiday giving this year with the Open & Enjoy gift from Tastefully Simple. It comes ready to consume and makes a great gift to share with the office. Packaged to please anybody on your list, be sure to keep a few on hand for last-minute gifts. The gift pack includes Spicy Olive Twist™ Cream Cheese Dip, Mild Red Pepper Dip and Cheese It up! Crisps™ Baked Asiago & Cheddar Crackers all wrapped in a richly designed gift box with bow. Available at tastefullysimple.com for $24.95.

©2009 Tastefully Simple, Inc. Photos used with permission”

2 Fab Designs

They will assist you in locating the perfect “Fab Find” gift for friends, family members, clients, teachers and more. Their website says they promise our clients a stress-free, gift giving experience.  Their specialty is working with clients to create the perfect, personalized gift solution (yes, monogramming is available and recommended). 2 Fab Designs’ gifts make extraordinary corporate gifts, bridal party gifts (or wedding welcome bags), tournament or convention items, party favors – or simply a memorable hostess or thank-you gift.

Best of all, 2 Fab Designs assembles and delivers gifts nationwide, offering gift wrap, shipping and delivery services to each and every client.

They have an amazing selection of gifts for everyone on your holiday list.   We want to let you know about their fun food gifts for your holiday gift-giving.  The following three are great products that I am glad to recommend for your friends and family.

Bucket of Cheer – Who doesn’t love tasty holiday confections?  The 2 Fab Designs Bucket of Cheer will put a smile on any host or hostess’ face.  This fun, holiday-themed,  tin bucket is filled to the brim with delicious Santa Fireflies – hand-made, cool white chocolate candies topped with peppermint crunch – and scrumptious peppermint salt-water taffy.  This holiday splurge will have everyone cheering, and the decorative bucket can be used time and again for future holidays.  The Bucket of Cheer is available for $28.

Southern Charm Red-Velvet Delight – What better way to say “thank you” than with a delicious classic red velvet cake mix (as good as Grandmother ever baked) beautifully presented on a green and white polka dot ceramic plate?  This little taste of the South is a memorable gift that delivers a delicious treat with a fun plate that can be used for any occasion.  The Southern Charm Red-Velvet Delight is available for $32.

Winter Chill Carry Tote – The Winter Chill Carry Tote is a festive and useful thank-you gift.  This vivid red, insulated, compact carry tote holds six bottles or cans.  For a little extra holiday touch, the gift recipient will find a yummy package of handmade, white-peppermint chocolates tucked inside the tote’s pocket.  This gift will definitely add warmth to someone’s heart and is available for $24.99.

Subway Car Kit review and giveaway

Subway has put together a helpful car kit for families and individuals that like to travel and who don’t often have the time to pack healthy snacks or the chance to stop for healthy food. Subway prides itself on a healthier menu compared to the greasy burger joints many of us like to hit on our travels.

We had the chance to receive a Subway car kit that includes an insulated lunch tote for healthy snacks, a $10 Subway gift card, card games, and other small items. The approximate value of the car kit is $35-40. We used the card to enjoy some of our favorite subs including the meatball sub (hubbie), cold cut combo (me) and a kids meal. The tote and cards have also come in handy for games and outings.

Subway Car Kit Giveaway

I am excited to offer one reader a chance to win the Subway Car Kit that includes all of the items listed above, for a value of $35-40.

To enter: Add a comment indicating your favorite sub sandwich!

ADDITIONAL ENTRIES (MAKE SURE THEY ARE IN SEPARATE COMMENTS TO COUNT)
FOLLOW @bookroomreviews on twitter and tweet this giveaway
SUBSCRIBE to Bookroom Reviews by Newsletter or Feed
STUMBLE this giveaway

This contest will end on September October 4th and I will e-mail the winner. You will have 48 hours to respond. Make sure and check back for more giveaways all this month!

GoPicnic Ready-to-Eat meals review and giveaway

GoPicnic is a leading provider of ready-to-eat boxed meals and snack items for people on the go.  The company offers ready-to-eat meals in a variety of categories including breakfasts, care packages, gluten free, kosher, halal, kids meals, variety packs, salads, vegan, vegetarian, and emergency preparedness.  Perhaps most impressively, GoPicnic is a leading provider of customized meal solutions for the travel and hospitality industries.  If you need at least 25,000 meals, GoPicnic is the right choice for your customized ready-to-eat meal solutions.

We had a chance to sample the GoPicnic Variety Packs meals and were pleasantly surprised and impressed with the taste quality of the snack bars, chips, and other items included.  My expectation for taste was modest as my assumption was that the benefit of these meal solutions is more the convenience of on the go food.  However, we truly enjoyed the food.

People that travel or need a quick food break for energy would really appreciate the GoPicnic meals.  Bike riders, hikers, or other outdoor adventurers can benefit from the good quality and great convenience of throwing some of the ready-to-eat meals in your truck or supply bags.

GoPicnic Read-to-Eat Meals Giveaway – 3 winners

GoPicnic would like to provide three of my readers with a chance to try the ready-to-eat meals for themselves.  Each of the three winners will receive six GoPicnic products with a prize value of $36 each.

TO ENTER: Go to www.gopicnic.com and leave me a comment telling me what you’d look forward to trying

ADDITIONAL ENTRIES (MAKE SURE THEY ARE IN SEPARATE COMMENTS TO COUNT)
FOLLOW @bookroomreviews on twitter and tweet this giveaway
SUBSCRIBE to Bookroom Reviews by Newsletter or Feed
STUMBLE this giveaway

This contest will end on September 20th  and I will e-mail the winners. You will have 48 hours to respond. Make sure and check back for more giveaways all this month!

Sonic Wacky Pack kids meal review and gift card giveaway

With its unique place in the fast food market, SONIC® America’s Drive-In has also worked to become a leader in health and fund kids meals. SONIC’s Wacky Pack kids meals are designed for families on the go who need a quick stop, but are also concerned about healthy menu options and kids meals!

SONIC has offered its Wacky Pack meals for years.  They include Mom-approved and car-friendly foods along with educational, learning-centered toys that encourage parent and child interaction.  The Wacky Pack meals also meet many USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans and recommendations for children’s nutrition.

In order to meet daily nutritional guidelines, the SONIC recommends its kids meal that includes two all white meat chicken strips, apple slices with fat-free caramel dipping sauce and one percent low-fat milk. It’s a terrific combination to attain daily servings of protein, calcium and fruit.  So how do you deal with kids who still want french fries with their Wacky Pack meals?  A WebMD nutritionist identified SONIC regular french fries as the most healthy among other fast-food restaurants, so at least you know you are getting the best possible fries for that occasional exception to healthy rules.

This summer, SONIC is offering a new Wacky Pack toy each month that encourages family interaction. This month’s Wacky Pack toys are Atomic Straws that are perfect for silly sipping your favorite SONIC drink. Upcoming Wacky Pack toys include:

August: Smart-a-Gon toy

September: Hero Force collectibles – commemorating every day heroes including police, firefighters and EMS workers.

SONIC provided our family with a gift card to test the experience offered by the SONIC Drive-In.  We actually used the drive thru and had a fairly convenient experience.  One issue some might have with the SONIC menu is that its prices are a bit higher than those at other fast food shops that have value menus.  However, the food quality is certainly evidence of why the gap exists.  We certainly appreciate the chance for value meals at times, but if you want a quality meal out with young kids, and a healthier chance at fast food, SONIC is a good choice.

Our five year old did try the two piece chicken meal and he actually prefers apple snacks with his value meals as opposed to fries, which is a nice advantage we have.  It is good to know about the “healthier” fries, though, from a personal standpoint.

MySONIC Gift Card and Wacky Pack Toy Giveaway – 3 Winners

SONIC has graciously offered three of my readers a chance to win a $10 MySONIC gift card that you can use to treat you and your little one to a meal.  The winners also receive a Wacky Pack toy that gives you an idea of what you get with the Wacky Pack kids meals. Toys include the Atomic Straws which are available now and the Hero Force collectibles.

TO ENTER: Leave me a comment telling me what you’d look forward to trying at SONIC

ADDITIONAL ENTRIES (MAKE SURE THEY ARE IN SEPARATE COMMENTS TO COUNT)
FOLLOW @bookroomreviews on twitter and tweet this giveaway
SUBSCRIBE to Bookroom Reviews by Newsletter or Feed
STUMBLE this giveaway

This contest will end on September 19th  and I will e-mail the winners. You will have 48 hours to respond. Make sure and check back for more giveaways all this month!

Anyone else confused about the McDonald’s McCafe menu?

We have been regular coffee drinkers over the last few years. We started with Starbuck’s, then we got to a point where we realized buying two coffees there a few times a week wasn’t economical. About that time, McDonald’s was starting to promote its iced coffees. We tried the Iced Vanilla Coffees and really liked them. Plus, the $2 price was more affordable. We used to just make coffee at home and use flavored creamer, but for whatever reason, we got into drinking McDonald’s coffees several times a week.

When McDonald’s expanded their coffee offering with the McCafe, we were excited to be able to fill our coffee vice with affordable coffee drinks. Between the two of us, we spend around $20 per week on McDonald’s coffees. As part of the promotion of its new coffees, the company has offered punch cards and McCafe coupons to help generate loyal customers, as well as offering free Monday samples. Here is where the confusion begins…

We have seen two types of coupon/punch cards floating around our area. One is simply a punch card where four punches entitles you to a free drink. There is no indication of size or type of coffee on these cards and we have never had any issues with them. The other card is a three fold card that includes one coupon that reads “Free McCafe medium coffee*” and it has two sets of punch cards each with four punches and a fifth coffee for free.

The free coupon has a disclaimer clearly marked with an asterisk that says “Excludes hot brewed Premium Roast Coffee and Frappe”. The list of products on the coupon includes: Iced coffee, mochas, lattes, cappuccinos, and hot chocolate. Twice now, I have been told that I couldn’t redeem this coupon for an iced coffee because the coupon is to promote the “new McCafe drinks”. This is confusing on a couple levels. First, the iced coffee is indicated as an included item on the card. Second, the McCafe signs in McDonald’s clearly include the Iced Coffee Drinks on the cafe menu. I have also been told on a couple occasions (not a lot, but by a few employees at a couple different locations) that I can’t get the card punched when I purchase large iced coffees. This makes a little more sense because the premium McCafe drinks are a bit more expensive. But, if the concept is to build and retain loyal coffee drinkers, why make it so stressful for anyone to become one?

The basic point I am trying to make is that the whole marketing concept, while well intended, is confusing. While the overall concept of marketing their coffees to generate loyalty was a good one, the punch card/coupon programs are sometimes creating so much frustration at the store level that the company might lose people who will just start going to gas stations for $1 iced coffees. Or better yet, some will make their own at home on the cheap and avoid the hassle. My hope is that someone at the corporate/marketing level for the chain will address the store level implementation of the coupon/card program so that it can be used to generate customer loyalty and not to turn off people like us that have been loyal customers for a long time (By the way, when we visit 5-6 times a week, we don’t always by just coffee). In other words, McDonalds, can you please communicate to all stores (and customers) how to interpret these coupons and the McCafe menu? If the promos don’t include iced coffees, don’t list “Iced Coffees” on the coupon. If you are going to separate your coffee menu for promotions like this, please separate them clearly on the in-store menu as premium McCafe drinks and iced coffees listed separately.

Anyone else like McDonald’s coffee? Have any similar experiences?

Guest blog post written by Neil – a concerned citizen, customer of McDonald’s, and marketer

“No More Naked Popcorn” Giveaway

One of the biggest challenges to healthy eating is between-meal snacking. Popcorn, a whole grain food that’s low in calories, is a great snack food that’s economical and also fun to eat. We are HUGE popcorn eaters in my family. One of my fondest memories of childhood was looking forward to Friday nights, because my mom would cook (on the stove) a big pot of popcorn and then we would settle in to watch a movie. KERNALSEASONS has a line of yummy Popcorn Seasonings to add some kick to your Popcorn. They have everything from Butter, Kettle Korn, Nacho Chedder, Ranch and much more!  We were so tickled to try some of their flavors and my favorite is Sour Cream. My husband is a Ranch fanatic and the kids love the White Cheddar and Butter. Tip: You can use the seasonings for other food too, we love it on potatoes.

One cup of popped popcorn, eaten plain, contains:
24 calories
1 gram of protein
6 grams carbohydrates
1 gram fiber

Keeping healthy snacks on hand is important for the whole family, especially with childhood obesity on the rise. “Popcorn is one of the best snack foods around. It’s low in calories and high in fiber which makes it a healthy, nutritious choice for between-meal snacking for kids and adults,” says Elizabeth M. Ward, registered dietitian and author of The Pocket Idiot’s Guide to the New Food Pyramids. Sprinkling popcorn with herbs or other seasonings is a fun way to add flavor without adding extra fat and calories. Children love to mix and match a variety of flavors to create their own healthy popcorn creations.

Ideas include: Spray popcorn with low-fat cooking oil such as Kernel Season’s Popcorn Spritzer, sprinkle with Kernel Season’s toppings such as flavors as White Cheddar, Nacho Cheddar, Butter, Ranch and Kettle Corn. Add raisins and dried fruits for variation on trail mix. Sprinkle popcorn with Kernel Season’s Chocolate Marshmallow flavor to enjoy with a cup of hot chocolate. Consider popcorn as a healthy alternative to more fattening desserts by adding Kernel Season’s Apple Cinnamon, Caramel or Kettle Corn flavors. Because popcorn is a good source of fiber it provides many health benefits and is often recommended by health and medical associations including The National Cancer Institute, The American Dietetic Association and The American Dental Association. Popcorn is healthy for the wallet, too. One cup of plain popcorn costs only pennies. (For example, Kernel Season’s popcorn costs between 12-14 cents per cup). Kick off the New Year with healthy eating habits that are easy and fun. Adding wholesome snacks like popcorn to the family diet is one resolution that everyone can keep.

KERNAL SEASON’S, headquartered in Elk Grove Village, IL, is the number one popcorn seasoning in the country. The flavors are all natural blends made with real cheese and are offered at more than 20,000 movie theater screens nationwide as a free shake-on topping. They may be purchased for home use at more than 18,000 grocery stores across America including Wal-Mart, Target, K Mart, Blockbuster Video, Safeway and Food Lion. Kernel Season’s products and popcorn accessories can be purchased at www.NoMoreNakedPopcorn.com. You can buy four and get one seasoning free for only $15.96 on their website. The website also has other web offers, recipes, and a Kernals Club.

KERNALSEASONS has generously sent me some extra Popcorn Seasonings to share with you! YUM! I love to give away the products that I enjoy. One person will win a three pack of popcorn seasonings. The flavors are Ranch, Nacho Cheddar and Kettle Corn.

TO ENTER: VISIT KERNALSEASONS WEBSITE AND COME BACK AND COMMENT WHAT OTHER FLAVORS OR PRODUCT YOU WOULD LOVE TO TRY.

FOR SECOND ENTRY: STUMBLE, TWITTER (FOLLOW ME AND TWEET THIS) OR SUBSCRIBE AND LEAVE THE LINK IN A SEPARATE COMMENT.

THIS CONTEST WILL END FEBRUARY 6TH AT MIDNIGHT. RANDOM.ORG WILL CHOOSE THE WINNER AND I WILL E-MAIL YOU. PLEASE RESPOND WITHIN 48 HOURS OR I WILL HAVE TO RE-DRAW. U.S. AND CANADA ONLY. GOOD LUCK AND KEEP CHECKING BACK, I HAVE SOME AMAZING GIVEAWAYS COMING UP

MARK YOUR CALENDERS AND GRAB THE BUTTON TO PARTICIPATE/ OR HOST A BOOK GIVEAWAY MARCH 2-8TH!  FOR MORE GIVEAWAYS GO TO BLOGGY GIVEAWAYS CARNIVAL WEBSITE AND HAVE FUN!