Sweets with less sugar, Yet still Yummy! @EqualCanada #Cbias

We do our groceries usually once a week, Saturdays or Sundays. This weekend we decided we would be going Saturday as Sunday we have a few other plans (will be guest posting about this soon!). It is just the kids and myself as hubby is working this weekend.

This week we didn't need a ton of groceries just what was a sale and also decided we would make Chocolate Chip Fudgie Cups from the #EqualCanada Facebook recipe finder. This looks tasty and doesn't seem hard to make. Right now I am looking for less sugary snack for myself as I am trying to maintain a healthy weight and be fit.

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Super Bowl Sunday with Orville Redenbacher's & #PepsivsCoke #Cbias

I am sure you all knew yesterday was the NFL Super Bowl, right? Go figure I would get a mean head cold and sore throat again :( but it didn't stop me from making a great tasting snack for the family to enjoy during the Super Bowl.

The other day the family and I headed out to Walmart to pick up some groceries including Pepsi and a couple boxes of Orville Redenbacher's popcorn. Best part? the popcorn was on sale $2.97 a box and the Pepsi we price matched for $2.99 a 12 pack. We buy a lot of our snacks at Walmart especially when they have their great sales. Want to see our trip grocery trip? Check it out here.

Buffalo Style Hot Popcorn

Indgredients

• 1 bag (2.9 ounces) (11 cups popped) Gourmet® Butter Microwave Popcorn
• 2 cups Corn chips, slightly broken
• 1 cup Dry roasted salted peanuts
• 1 tablespoon Fleischmann's® Original-stick, melted
• 2 tablespoons Hot sauce

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Prepare popcorn according to package directions. Remove all unpopped kernels. Place popcorn, corn chips and peanuts in 2 gallon resealable storage bag.
3. Combine melted Fleischmann's and hot sauce. Pour over popcorn mixture; seal bag and shake until popcorn mixture is evenly coated. Place mixture into 15x10-inch jelly roll pan.
4. Bake 5 minutes, stirring once. Serve immediately or store in airtight container.

Corn chips, mixed nuts and popcorn

Hot sauce and butter

Adding the melted butter & hot sauce

Baked snack, yummy!

You can find this recipe on the Orville Redenbacher's website. It is very quick and easy to make but I didn't have a 2 gallon bag and needed to use a big pot with lid to coat the nuts, corn chips and popcorn with the sauce. No big deal and it worked out fine.

We had a ton of fun eating our popcorn snack and hubby and I had our Pepsi while the kids had their juice. My favorite of the whole Super Bowl experience is the snacking, commercials and the half time performances. Wasn't Madonna fabulous!

Hubby and his Pepsi

I will have a diet Pepsi thanks

Snacks being enjoyed by A. See where my fat kitty is.. lol

P thinking it is too HOT!

During the 2nd quater I attend a fun and fast twitter party #PepsivsCoke and joined the #TeamPepsi of course! That was a great party and I want to thank the two hosts for #TeamPepsi as at one point my head was spinning at how fast the tweets were going. Thanks @Kidsumers and @MamaBzz
 


~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Canadian Coupon Mom on behalf of Collective Bias it has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study. #CBias All opinions are honest and my own*~

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Shopping for #EqualCanada in @WalmartCanada #cbias

We usually do our grocery shopping on the weekends and every second weekend now that I have been working overnights hubby does the groceries with the kids.

This past weekend was a little different and I went out after work looking for Equal sweetener in a big yellow canister after work. It is a HUGE canister and is on rollback as it is new to Canada. The regular price is $9.97 and it is on rollback for $7.97! I love a great deal, who doesn't right?!

With one of my New Years goals to eat healthy, consume more water and exercise more. I have a soft spot for tasty treat though so I thought I will try making them with Equal sweetener. This will at least allow me to have sweets and not feel super guilty for eating them.

I headed to Walmart in my town and went to the baking area to pick up my canister but there was No Equal. I looked around but didn't see a staff handy and the cash area was busy. I headed home with no sweetener. I went back to Walmart Canada yesterday to check again as I didn't look in one place, the pharmacy!

There it was all this time right in the pharmacy area. I went into Walmart Canada so early yesterday morning that the pharmacy wasn't even open yet and the store was so quiet! I am thinking I may hit the stores after getting the kids on the bus more often.

Doesn't that Blueberry pie look so yummy! I am already drooling at the thought of baking some tasty treats. Now to figure out who I will be recruiting as my helper. My daughter usually helps but she will be at a birthday party this weekend. I may get my son to help me make something from the Equal Canada website as they have a bunch of great looking recipes on their site.

I was very surprised not to see a rollback on the canister as it is suppose to be regular $9.97. I always love seeing the rollback or clearance tags as I love a good deal. I love that Walmart price matches! This saves time and money if you want only one or two things at another store that you can get when you are at Walmart. 

After getting my Equal I did a quick tour to see what else I could find. I picked up a couple gifts for hubby's birthday which is next week, dryer sheets, winter boots for P for next winter (on sale for $9!), pair of pants for A ($4) and a workout game for the Wii for me, trying to work on the other New Years goal.

Visit Equal Canada on Facebook or follow them on Twitter @EqualCanada using hashtag #EqualCanada

Stay tuned for a recipe using Equal sweetener.


~*Disclaimer: This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. #CBias. All opinions are honest and my own.*~

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Dinner at @Mcd_Canada @EqualCanada #cbias

We have been pretty lucky to spend more quality family time together the last couple weeks as I just switched positions at work and D has been off 6 days over the last 2 weeks for vacation. We don't usually get a lot of family time and we don't go out to eat that often anymore so tonight was really nice to be able to head into an near by town for some shopping and dinner out at McDonald's to complete a Shoppertunity for Social Fabric (#cbias) and #EqualCanada.

We headed out after I had a nice little nap (I worked an overnight awake last night), D was in terrible need of new work boots and we had a coupon for a free ceramic travel mug at Mark's Work Warehouse. Then we decided to hit up Bulk Barn, Dollarama and then McDonald's which in this town is in Walmart.

The kids were very excited to hear we were going to McDonald's for dinner and they could have a Happy Meal - Chicken nuggets, chocolate milk and fries. D had a Big Xtra meal and of course he super sized it.

I decided I would try the Southwest Chicken burger meal with fries and a large coffee. This chicken burger was very good, a bit on the spicy side but not too spicy.

I asked the lady taking our order if I could get some Equal sweetener for my coffee she was very polite and told me "I can't give you that but I have another brand of sweetener". I asked her if they would be offering Equal anytime soon and told her that it is great to have a couple options of sweeteners as they are very different and people do have preference. She asked the manager if she knew the answer.

The manager was very friendly and right away came over to talk to me about my request. She told me that it isn't their decision that it is from head office what they have to offer.  The manager thought they used to offer it before and then she doesn't know why it changed. We talked about the different sweeteners and why people like different ones. The manager told me to fill in their customer survey online to have a chance at winning $1000, let McDonald's know how they did today and also to make my request known.

When I got home and had the chance to sit down I did fill in the survey as I was very impressed with our service on such a busy night and also that the manager took the time to chat with me about Equal. I also went back to ask for more cream and she gave me a cup with tons in it with an extra stir stick, she stopped what she was doing to get this for me.

I hope to see Equal as an option in McDonald's in the future as it would be very nice for people who prefer Equal because of taste or diet.

Want to join in on the conversation follow @EqualCanada and @Mcd_Canada on Twitter and Equal Canada on Facebook. 


~*Disclaimer: This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. #CBias. All opinions are honest and my own.*~

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Winter Tune Up @CanadianTire Gas+ (#CBias)

With winter months coming upon us fast what are you doing to get your vechile in winter shape? We usually put on our winter tires (I drive a Caravan) as we live in Canada and get a lot of snow sometimes! I also drive in snow storms tons to get to work an hour away. We also head in for an oil change every few months, we just got our oil change at the end of September and will be due again I am sure in late December.

Another thing that we get and stock up on when it is on sale is the -40 Windshield washer fluid. This is very handy in the winter months as it doesn't freeze up like the summer washer fluid can in very cold days. Better deal if you purchase 2 instead of one. We received only 0.06 cents back in-store but it does add up. 

Our van was really out of Windshield washer fluid that it took a whole bottle! This fluid is great for winter with a de-icer in it! You never want to be without windshield washer fluid especially in the winter months when there is salt and slush everywhere. I don't know about you but have you ever had lock issues? This is handy to have in a little portable bottle to de-ice locks. Most people have remotes to unlock their cars. Maybe it is from Canadian Winters!

Did you know that Canadian Tire gas plus bar has a great Loyalty program when you buy something at Canadian Tire or gas up at the gas bar. Each time you make a purchase you receive money back in the form of Canadian Tire money or Canadian Tire money on your Canadian Tire Mastercard.

We have a Mastercard with Canadian Tire and we really enjoy getting the cash back on it especially when we gas up. The money really adds up especially with the 10x multiplier. Each week we check the flyer to see what the multiplier will be on Saturday and if we can we wait to fill up. This week the multiplier is 7x at our gas bar. This can vary from place to place. We filled up and received $1.05 from gas and 0.06 from the Washer fluid.

The money back either in form of paper money or money back on the card is a nice bonus and this keeps us coming back to the Canadian Tire Gas+. We have purchased a number of things with our "money" from Keurig cups, fishing gear to a bathroom vanity for our rental apartment. The money of course needs to be spent in Canadian Tire or the Gas + stations. Its a great way to get "free" products or shop for Birthdays or Christmas! I am sure a few of the points we have ($90.92) will be used for Christmas presents.

For more pictures from our Canadian Tire Visit check out my Google + album.

Want to learn more about the Canadian Tire loyalty program or their Mastercard? Visit Canadian Tire online or in store. Also "Like" Canadian Tire on Facebook and Follow them on Twitter

 

~*Disclaimer: This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. #CBias. All opinions are honest and my own.*~

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Dinner out with the Family at #ChinaBuffet #EqualCanada #CBias

Today we decided to head out to Brockville in the late afternoon do a bit of shopping and enjoy a nice family dinner out. Brockville is about 45 minutes from our town and is on the St Lawrence river.

We did some groceries then we went to Wal Mart as we promised the kids some toy aisle browsing and ended our trip at the China Buffet which is in the 1000 Island Mall.

We love heading out to Buffets as it gives everyone a nice choice of foods and the kids can choose what they would like or try a little of this and a little of that. We did enjoy a nice buffet dinner that included all kinds of yummy foods - Shanghai noodles, chicken balls, egg rolls, fried mushrooms, chicken and broccoli and so much more.

After such a big and tasty meal we decided that we didn't have anymore room, even for coffee. I know you say no room for coffee? I know usually I always have room for a coffee but my tummy hasn't been feeling well the last few days and D has cut way back on caffeine.

I did still check out the options for sweeteners in the restaurant and this is what I found in their sugar container....

 

No Equal sweetener in the China Buffet but I did talk to a couple of staff there about Equal sweetener and offering it to there customers. From what I got from our conversation is that it isn't an option from the supplier they order from. Also it was a very hard conversation as there was a bit of a language barrier. I have requested that they try and get Equal in as a choice of sweeteners as people do love the choice.  

Thumbs up from the kids, except that the restaurant was a bit cold and P was lucky to have a sweater and A put here jacket on. The service was friendly not fast on refills or checking in on how we were doing. We were also over in a corner away from the buffet tables. Overall we did have a good experience and I am sure we will go again as we enjoy the food and variety. Side note: Bubble gum ice cream produces bubble gum smelling and tasting burbs. haha

"Like" Equal Canada on Facebook or join in on the conversation on Twitter with #EqualCanada

Did you know that you can bake with Equal sweetener? There are many great looking recipes on the Equal website on their recipe page.



~*Disclaimer: This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. #CBias. All opinions are honest and my own.*~

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Saturday Snack Time at Tim Hortons - #EqualCanada #cbias

My mission this weekend was to snag hubby or a friend and head out to Tim Horton's to enjoy some "me time". I asked a couple friends who were pretty busy this weekend and I asked dear hubby but of course this is his weekend to work and it's going to be a long and busy weekend for him.

Either way I was heading to Tim Horton's this weekend. So....Who did I go with you ask??

Well it wasn't really "me time" but it was a nice afternoon activity for the kids and I. I was in need of some time out of the house and not just in the grocery store. I figured a coffee for me and a snack for the kids sounded like a great plan.

We went to the Tim Hortons out the highway of our town. Our downtown Tim Hortons is small and right now it is under construction with a portable Timmies. We have two Timmies in a town with 9,000 people. I am actually shocked we don't have one more on the other side of town near our mall. This Tim Hortons we went to today is in between Harvey's/Swiss Chalet and Pizza Hut/Subway. It is also across the road from Wal Mart!

The parking lot was pretty busy but it wasn't too busy inside, most of the traffic I think was either going through the drive through or in the other restaurants.

We do not go to Tim Hortons that often so it really is a nice treat for myself and the kids. They were super excited to see all the different donuts and even Halloween and NHL Sentors Donuts. Sorry no photo of the Sentor donuts P was in charge of the camera while I ordered and asked if they had Equal as a sweetener option.

My daughter making this weird smile she does now.

P was snapping anything that caught his eye.

My son taking a self-portrait

The kids decided on Timbits and Chocolate milk and I got a large coffee with two milk. I asked the lady at the counter what option they have for sweeteners and she told me only Splenda. I asked if they will bring in Equal soon and I was told she will look into it for me and see if they can. The lady was very friendly. I will remember to fill in the comment survey online to request it again, comment on the friendly service and for a chance to win free coffee for a year!

The kids were so happy to be at Tim Hortons that I barely had a chance to take a picture before they were into and almost done their snack. Right now Tim Hortins has these cute little Halloween boxes.

The also have a few Halloween treats - pumpkin spice donuts and timbits and dipped donuts with Halloween sprinkles. Yum! I was able to get one timbit away from the kids for myself and a couple to save for daddy. That took a lot of convincing that it would be nice if they would keep a couple for daddy.

For some odd reason the cap is always crooked. haha

A was so happy for timbits she couldn't wait for the second one.

I usually only take milk or cream in my coffee sometimes I will feel the need for a sweeter coffee and I will request sweetener. I stopped adding sugar about 6 or 7 years ago switched to sweetener and then I think about 2 years ago switched to no sweetener. I do go with my participants from work who most of them will get sweetener especially one who is diabetic and loves his sweets. All sweeteners do taste different and it would be great if there would include Equal in their options.

We also made the trip educational with counting. We counted chairs, bowls, napkins, people, pictures etc. We added and subtracted people when they came and went. Both A and P did well until A got a little giddy and pretty much started Duck duck goose to count chairs in the area we were sitting at.

My son spotted this sign on the way out as it was busy by the door we came in we went out the other side and around to our van. P asked why we didn't get the tasty lasagna? Well we just ate lunch less than 2 and a half hours before. Maybe another time we will try out the lasagna.

Have you checked out Equal Canada website? You can find some great recipes and learn more about living with Diabetes if you or someone you know is Diabetic. Don't forget to "Like" Equal Canada on  Facebook and on Twitter to join in on the conversations - use the hashtag #EqualCanada.


~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Canadian Coupon Mom. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. #CBias All opinions are honest and my own.*~

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