How are you spending this Easter weekend? Today we will be out picking up a few things for the weekend and then tomorrow I am spending the day with @AMotherhoodBlog at the Originals Spring Craft Sale, while the kids have nanny visit with them. Sunday the Easter bunny hopefully will have hid some eggs (keep telling the kids he only comes if you are good boys and girls) and then spending time with the Family. I am sure Monday will be a day of relaxing with the kids.
Have a great long weekend!
~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Canadian Coupon Mom. This is not sponsored post. All opinions are honest and my own*~
I am always on the look out for tasty soups that are very easy to just heat and serve especially for lunches I am home alone and don't want to make a big mess making lunch.
Kettle Cuisine offers a great line of frozen individually packed soups that can be heated on the stove top or in a microwave. Kettle Cuisine is a premium soup manufacturer in Boston, Massachusetts and have been making quality products since 1986.
In the last year Kettle Cuisine has launched five of its delicious soups in Canada; which are available at major and independent retailers across the country. These soups are all natural, gluten free, dairy free and low in fat. All great qualities when looking for something tasty to eat for lunch or even dinner.
This soup is made up of slow simmer Angus beef with a blend of Southwestern spices, red beans, ripe tomatoes, hand-chopped peppers and spicy green chilies. My husband took this one to work and said he really enjoyed it, stressing it was really good but too small of a size for him. He can eat a lot of food but for myself it was the perfect size. Chicken Soup with Rice Noodles
This soup is definitely a comfort food made with a stock from scratch, adding crisp carrots, celery and tasty tender chunks of all natural chicken. The noodles in the soup are Tinkyáda rice noodles to keep it gluten free. My kids enjoy this on the side with grilled cheese and said they wanted it again soon. Two thumbs up on this soup from the kiddos.
This has to be my favorite soup and even my daughter has a few bites and loved it. It is made with fresh light cream from a New England dairies, then they add hand-shucked clams, sauteed onions and potatoes that were peeled just before cooking. This is a very creamy tasty soup and I will also add very filling.
This three bean chili is filled with slow simmered pinto beans, black beans and chili beans along with onions, tomatoes, bell peppers, green chilies and a Kettle Cuisine Southwestern spice. It is a very hearty and flavorful chili. If you love chili you will want to try this vegaterian one that is sure to leave you satisfied.
This is a very hearty bowl of Tomato soup with veggies. I really enjoyed this one also. The red-ripe tomatoes. squash, carrots, celery, green beans make it very filling and the Kettle Cuisine's Italian seasoning is a wonderful flavor for this soup.
Win It? One lucky Marvelous Mommy Meals reader will win a $25 gift card and a Kettle Cuisine insulted lunch bag. Please fill in the Rafflecopter form below. This giveaway is open to Canadians and ends April 21st, 2012 at 12:01am EST. Good Luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway~*Jennifer ~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Marvelous Mommy Meals on behalf of Kettle Cuisine, we received the five types of soups for review purpose. All opinions are honest and my own.*~
This week on April 3rd Adam Cohen's new album titled Like A Man made it's debut! Son of the legendary Leonard Cohen and Canadian born in Montreal Adam Cohen has been a musician since he could walk; he was always banging on teacups and the backs of chairs, stomping his feet and trying to whistle.
1998 was the year Cohen released his self-titled debut album, ‘Although I’m not embarrassed by the songwriting on my first record, I
do believe the production choices were poor; I was chasing a sound that
were not entirely my own. I was enamoured with very accomplished
sounding records by seasoned veterans, and didn’t understand how much my
youth and lack of polish would’ve been great to capture honestly.’ Cohen
Now if you were a Dawson's Creek fan back in the day you will likely remember "Cry Ophelia" by Adam Cohen, I would say that was my introduction to Adam and since then have loved his music. I was very happy to hear of the new album Like A Man. I find it very soothing.
Recently I was introduced to Vera Zakher who wrote Worry Free Treats, a cookbook that contains 60 sweet treat recipes that contain no eggs, milk or nuts.
We love quick and easy recipes and ones that can be adapted easily. Now with both our children in school it makes a lot of sense to bake allergen free this way we can be safe if there are other kids the class with allergies and also send in snacks for the whole class. Last year my son had one child to his birthday that couldn't have dairy (we didn't know this until after) but we could have made a cake without dairy.
First thoughts when we received the book, it is cute and seems like it would be able to with stand baking in the kitchen with kids. The pages look and feel like they would be able to be wiped off if anything spilled on them. The book is not your average size (its square) but it is packed with 60 great recipes for muffins, cookies, cakes, granola & squares, puddings, waffles & pancakes and birthday cakes.
We have tried a couple different recipes and will be making more over the next week. I love the Soft Banana Cookies! and the kids really love the Vanilla mini muffins. We are looking at making one of the coffee recipes and also a cake.
We had the chance to speak with Vera about her cookbook and here is what we talked about:
Do your children have any allergies?
I have 4 children and none of them have allergies. They have been aware of the dangers of food allergies since they were very young. Now they know how to use an EpiPen and are always careful if a friend has food allergies.
What made you decide to write a recipe book for children with allergies?
Because it is a growing problem in our society and in few years from now we will all be touch by food allergies. This book is helping parents, children and daycare services bake healthy, simple treats for their little ones. I want people to be aware that making a recipe without few allergens is very simple and if their kids have friends over and have food allergies, those parents can feel reassured that the snacks will be Worry Free.
If someone’s family doesn’t have allergies can the recipes be adapted?
The recipes are for everyone. If you don’t want to use soymilk, you can just replace it with regular milk. The ingredients are simple and the recipes require only one bowl. Worry Free Treats gives you the opportunity to enjoy recipes for the whole family.
Out of your book Worry Free Treats which is your favorite recipe? Which is your children’s favorite recipe?
The best and favorite recipe is definitely the Crunchy Oat Cookies. It took me 2 months to make it perfect. You can find the recipe on my website, so people can try them before buying the book. Let’s not forget the parents; I have few recipes with coffee! We all need a little boost with our kids!
Is this your first cookbook? Are you planning another cookbook?
This is my first book. I started few recipes for my 2ndbook and people are also asking for gluten free recipes.
Can you tell our readers more about why you are donating $1 from each Worry Free Treats books sold to Sainte-Justine UHC Foundation and what they do?
For each book sold, $1.00 is donated to the Sainte-Justine UHC Foundation. It is a great hospital for sick children and the money goes for research and for the kids. Each dollar donated makes a tangible difference in the lives of children.
Thank you for taking the time to answer a few questions for our readers and thanks for the opportunity to review Worry Free Treats!
You can purchase Worry Free Treats from WorryFreeTreats.com, the book retails for $19.99 right now they are on sale for $14.99 for Canada and $15.99 for US! and free shipping to Canada and US. Don't forget to "Like" Worry Free Treats on Facebook.
~*Jennifer
~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Marvelous Mommy Meals on behalf of Vera Zakher's Worry Free Treats. We received the above cookbook for review purpose. All opinions are honest and my own.*~
I am sure you love to be comfy while lounging at home. I know I do but we have hardwood floors and they can get cold and well sometimes its just nice to have something on your feet in case you say umm trip over a plastic toy that was just laying around. I am sure your kids are better at cleaning up after themselves then mine though.
I have heard some really great things about Nature's Sleep memory foam mattresses and pillows. I recently found out that they offer memory foam slippers also! I was super excited to have the opportunity to try out a pair. I am always looking for a comfortable pair of slippers that don't make my feet to hot and also have a nice sole.
The Nature's Sleep Memory Foam Slippers have a thermoplastic bottom which makes very flexible and comfortable; not stiff at all. They are made with visco-elastic memory foam inner sole and this cradles and contours to your feet, absorbing pressure and impact as you walk. They are unisex and come in a few different colors with two styles available. The
price depends on if you get an open toe ($25US) or closed toe slipper
($30US)
We all know the importance of getting enough calcium in our daily diets but do you know how much your children need? The Canada's Food Guide suggest two servings of milk and alternatives for children 2-8 years old and 3 to 4 for children 9-18 years of age. For my American readers the American Food Pyramid suggest 2-3 servings of milk, yogurt and cheese group.
Milk is the main source of calcium and vitamin D, getting these two elements are crucial to children's growing bodies for development of strong bones and teeth. What else does milk give? It is a great source for protein, energy and 16 essential nutrients
I have been looking for fun and creative ways to change up how I offer these servings to my children daily. I am fortunate that my kids would sit down and drink 2 - 8oz glasses of milk in a day but it is nice to find other choices. Yogurt, cheese, fortified soy beverage (this is great if your child has a dairy intolerance).
We have started making smoothies for the morning. Now there are a few ways to prep these, you can make them fresh in the morning or even make them the night before if your mornings are very busy. All you need is a food processor or a blender and away you go. Add some flax seed meal or whey protein for add benefits.
Our friends at the Dairy Farmers of Canada would like to offer one Marvelous Mommy Meals reader a Dairy prize pack that includes an apron & glove set branded 100% Canadian Milk. This giveaway is open to Canadian residents and will end April 18th, 2012 at 12:01 am EST. Please fill in the Rafflecopter form below and Good Luck!! a Rafflecopter giveaway
~*Jennifer
~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Marvelous Mommy Meals on behalf of Dairy Farmers of Canada. This is a sponsored giveaway. This post is not sponsored. All opinions are honest and my own*~
Here is our menu for this week! What does your include? Are you having a big Easter dinner at home or out? I would love to see your menu, please leave a link in comment section below.
Monday - Spaghetti with meat sauce and salad
Tuesday - Chicken Quesadilla's (The Mom 100 Cookbook pg 199)
Wednesday - Black Beans and Rice (The Mom 100 Cookbook pg 196)
I have had credit cards since heading off to college, just over 12 years. Now I know credit cards have a bad rap as they can indeed find people in huge debt, but remember those people in debt with a credit card did that themselves. The most important thing is to learn how to use a credit. They are a great key to build a great credit report.
Do you have a college student or a high school student you would like to teach about spending money wisely and building credit? I remember my parents sent me off with x amount of cash and a credit card that I could buy my school stuff with. Looking back now, if prepaid credit cards were available I am sure my parents would have went that route.
This giveaway will start April 2nd 12:01 am EST and ends April 9th 12:01am EST.
Enter to win $108 US cash via PayPal. Who can enter? Anyone with a PayPal account can enter to win this cash prize and it is open worldwide! a Rafflecopter giveaway
