You are here: Home / 2011 / Archives for October 2011

Tastefully Simple Cozy Comfort Kit Review

October 15, 2011 By 16 Comments

By Emily:

I love fall. I have always looked forward to the change in the season from summer to fall. As a kid, perhaps having an autumn birthday had something to do with it; but now I love it for the cooler temperatures, the warm red, orange and gold colors outdoors, and the comforting seasonal food we serve in our home. Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy the carefree days of summer without alarm clocks and schools schedules, but I can only take so much of the summer salads, sandwiches and grilled meat. By September, I am ready to pull out my slow cooker and put my casserole dishes to good use.

CC Soup

However, I can’t always put together that warm comforting meal from scratch every single day. To help, I’ve discovered a great line of food products from Tastefully Simple that make it easy to prepare a delicious, comforting meal. I had the opportunity to try out Tastefully Simple’s Cozy Comfort Kit which included their Perfectly Potato Cheddar Soup, Bountiful Beer Bread Mix and Nana’s Apple Cake Mix. All were tasty and simple to prepare!

The bread directions called for 12 oz. of beer or carbonated beverage (we used club soda) and 3T melted butter (optional). Once the oven was preheated, we popped it in the oven for 55 minutes.

Now what could be easier? Well, the soup! The Perfectly Potato Cheddar Soup requires 6 Cups water, a pot, spoon and 30 minutes on the stove.

CC IngredientsNana’s Apple Cake Mix required a little more prep: 2 cups chopped apples and 2 eggs, but I could hardly call that complicated. I put this in the oven for 45 minutes while we enjoyed dinner and served it warm out of the oven with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

I can certainly say that Tastefully Simple’s Cozy Comfort Kit is easy to prepare, but before I began cooking, I was a little suspicious what it would end up tasting like. After cooking, I was pleasantly surprised at how good the entire meal was! The soup smelled amazing while it cooked, and tasted just about as close as you can get to homemade. It had the perfect consistency, not too runny, not too thick and it was so yummy soaked up in the bread.

So onto the bread, let me tell you about this bread! The loaf had a slightly toasted crust and the inside was soft and warm. It is dense bread, but the carbonated beverage made it taste much lighter than other quick breads. There was a hint of sweetness to it, which made it slightly addicting to me. Our family managed to finish off two-thirds of the loaf at dinner. As for the other half, err…well I’m not proud, let’s leave it at that.

Tastefully Simple’s Cozy Comfort Kit was a convenient way to warm our bellies on a rainy fall day. The Perfectly Potato Cheddar Soup was enjoyed by the whole family and the Bountiful Beer Bread made the made the perfect accompaniment to these warm bowls of soup. Nana’s Apple Cake was a real treat for dessert, but I must admit it is great for breakfast too!

CC Cut Bread

A couple other things that impressed me:

1. The kit arrived in a lovely blue canvas bag which would make it a great “Under $20” gift idea.

2. Tastefully Simple’s website, www.tastefullysimple.com, includes many recipes you can use to further enhance your product or create something new to enjoy!

3. I can reorder these items with ease from their website or through independent Tastefully Simple consultants. Now if they only sold the Bountiful Beer Bread by the case!

About Tastefully Simple from www.tastefullysimple.com:

“We offer a wide selection of convenient, easy-to-prepare foods designed to help people spend less time in the kitchen and more time enjoying the rest of their lives. Our products are available through independent Tastefully Simple consultants primarily at home taste-testing parties nationwide.”

Disclosure – A product was provided to me free of charge by the manufacturer or representing PR agency for the writing of this review; however, opinions expressed are my own and are NOT influenced by monetary compensation.

About Emily:

Emily is also very active in the local MOMS CLUB. She raises chickens and has 2 shih tzus. Her daughter Caitlyn attends Montessori school and she hates housecleaning, loves wine and enjoys dining out. She would love to find a cure for the depression and anxiety she has dealt with on and off over the past 10 years, just like me. She is an amazing mom and friend.

Filed Under: Emily, review Tagged With: , , ,

The Deep Black Pond By Morgan Kostival Children’s Book

October 15, 2011 By 4 Comments

By Reviewer Summer:

I just don’t think I get the book, The Deep Black Pond. The author, Morgan Kostival, says of himself, “I write to preserve my child-like imagination that, sadly, too many adults forget how to use.” So maybe I’ve lost it. But I have never met a book my 4YO didn’t like, until now! I was shocked when I asked if he liked the book and he said, “No. I mean … well, no.”

clip_image002

In my opinion this book is like a cult classic movie. It seems like this is the type of book that would be underground and loved by few. The photographs are hard to decipher and remind me of the I Spy books. The characters have an interesting and unique look; my thought is Kostival could make a great living working with The Jim Henson Company.

clip_image004

 

 

If you’re interested in taking a look into The Deep Black Pond for yourself then you can do so on Amazon where you can also purchase the book for $18.00.

 

 

 

 

My MomStart Review Grade of The Deep Black Pond by Morgan Kostival: D

You can find Morgan Kostival’s Fan Page on Facebook.

About Summer:

Summer is very active in our Local MOMS Club chapter, she is the mother of two adorable active boys, and is always thinking of ways to help others. She is a friend, a wife, and always busy as all mommies are. She is very active on Facebook, addicted to Geocaching and very interested in organic and green living while cooking up a storm.

Filed Under: review, Summer Tagged With: , ,

Maclaren Volo Stroller Review

October 14, 2011 By 10 Comments

Strollers are a way of life when you have a baby or toddler. Even preschoolers still need a break when you’re spending the day walking. I’ve even seen older kids want a turn in the stroller because their little feet were tired. Mine certainly get tired. When traveling with kids and having to tote around so much stuff the first thing I look for in a stroller is the weight. IMG_4793

Maclaren sent us the perfect stroller for our three year old. It’s light weight with a basic weight of 8.8 pounds. The Maclaren Volo Stroller rocks it in four fantastic colors: Charcoal, Deep Water, Scarlet,
Black. And if Miles can’t have blue, he’s quite happy to sport Scarlet (he of course calls it red). Two other things that I look for in a stroller are wheels and age. I like to have strollers that last from beginning to end. The Maclaren practically does.

IMG_4780The Maclaren stroller starts at age six months old and works up to 55lbs. My three year old is around 49 so he’s perfectly fine in it for probably at least one more year. Maybe two. My four year old is the same weight so I would feel fine putting her in it too. Now for babies, you’re probably going to be carrying them in a carrier until about six months anyways so you could just get this stroller and use it once they were six months old. The five point harness should make you feel safe putting them in at any age.

 IMG_4789

 

The Maclaren Volo Stroller is eligible for the Sovereign Lifetime Warranty and has a 5 second one-hand compact umbrella fold with a high-performance aluminum frame. Ours came with a rain guard and a bag for storage. 

 

IMG_4782

IMG_4781IMG_4784

The Maclaren Volo stroller was really easy to put together after I had my husband do it first. I had trouble figuring out how to lock it into position but once he showed me how it was quite easy to fold and unfold. It really is secure and a sturdy stroller. It has a height adjustable shoulder harness which also helps your child grow with the stroller and the wheels are lockable. There is a foot-operated linked parking brakes and ergonomically optimized handles
The hood is water resistant and very easy to put on and lock into place. You can see the photo above where I locked it into place. Finally the carrying strap is what made me really like the stroller more than most umbrella strollers.

Filed Under: review Tagged With: , , , ,

Meeting Antonia Lofaso And Her Crispy Catfish Fritters with Red Hot Cilantro Aioli Recipe

October 14, 2011 By 24 Comments

You’ll never believe this unless I show you the photo. I had the opportunity it meet. Antonia Lofaso, pretty cool right? Yep, she was really nice and what I loved most about her is that she was willing to get her hands dirty. I was at the Johnsonville Kitchens event a few weeks ago and she was the guest chef. She talked to us about her career, the nightmare of being on Top Chef, because yeah it’s super challenging, and just being a chef. IMG_5143

Antonia has been profiled in numerous publications, from People, Parade, and the Los Angeles Times, to Bon Appétit and Cookie magazines, and has appeared on NBC’s Today show. She regularly uses her celebrity status to contribute to fund-raising events, such as the GE Women’s Health Forum, and the St. Croix Food and Wine Experience. Antonia is a consistent fan favorite at Top Chef events in cities across the nation.

Now who know Cream of Wheat could go gourmet? I love Cream of Wheat!

Fritters_v1 (2)Cream of Wheat Goes Gourmet

Crispy Catfish Fritters Recipe & Red Hot Cilantro Aioli
Antonia Lofaso

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 large catfish fillets, skin off cut into 2 inch long by 1 inch thick fritters
2T lawrys season salt
1 cup quick cook cream of wheat
4 cups veg oil (in 2 quart sauce pot at 375 degrees for frying fritters)

Directions:

Season fritters with lawrys, dust with quick cook cream of wheat fry for about 2 minutes until golden brown, remove with slotted spoon and drain, serve hot with aioli

Red Hot Cilantro Aioli:

Ingredients:
1 cup mayonnaise
4T red hot hot sauce
2T chopped fresh cilantro
Pinch salt

Directions:

Mix together all ingredients

Filed Under: recipe Tagged With: , , ,

MAM Infant and Toddler Product House Party

October 14, 2011 By 7 Comments

By Reviewer Summer:

You know how you have one brand you love for something. When it came to baby needs, especially my pacifiers, it was MAM! It hadn’t started out that way, but our pediatrician actually recommended MAM and we’ve used their products now for almost 5 years between both of my sons.

The reason my pediatrician recommended MAM pacifiers is because they have a ball shape on the end instead of a triangle look:

clip_image002 clip_image004

The ball is easier to hold in whereas the triangle is easy to accidently pushed out with the tongue. This is the problem we were having when our first son was young. Since he accepted the MAM pacifier he was hooked. Pacifiers are great for reducing your baby’s risk of SIDS [Sudden Infant Death Syndrome]; doctors predict that pacifiers have this effect because of the consciousness needed to maintain a comforting suck on the pacifier throughout sleep.

But MAM isn’t just pacifiers! We got to sample MAM anti-colic bottles and nipples, oral care wash clothes, toothbrushes, and teether thanks to the PR firm Child’s Play Communication and their house parties. Here clip_image006is why I love these other MAM products:

· MAM Anti-Colic Bottles – No only do they help your baby take in less air causing less gas which can equal pain and colic, these bottles are EASY to sterilize which means less work for you! The MAM anti-colic bottles have a screw off bottom which can be filled with water, then you place the nipple on top, add the bottle cylinder, and the ring with plastic cap; microwave for 3 minutes. These are great for all babies, not just babies with colic.

clip_image008· MAM Oral Care Rabbit Wash Cloth  – Besides being SUPER cute! These bunnies will begin your infant’s oral care. My pediatrician and pediatric dentist told me to use a wash cloth on my sons’ teeth when they were first erupting. I wish I had this for my children, though my time for this product has past. Your fingers are completely covered for sterilely and proper cleaning the entire tooth removing plaque with its texture. You can get this rabbit washcloth in pink and blue.

 

 

clip_image010· MAM Training Toothbrush – If you have a child you may already know this but as a first time parent I didn’t, you need a small toothbrush for baby/toddler’s small mouth. Yeah that sounds logical, but if only I knew it. MAM has one more up on you though; their training toothbrush offers nice grips for you and a gum massager on the other end for your child. You can also get a MAM tooth brush set for only $6. Your baby will need fluoride though you should not brush your child’s teeth with fluoride until they can spit; consult your pediatric dentist. A note on fluoride, most city water supplies have fluoride included for the better of the population; if you live on well water you do not have fluoride added.

clip_image012· MAM Teether – I have a MAM’s Bite & Brush Teether and that’s exactly what it sounds like … MAM has made a teether soft for chewing with new teeth, erupting teeth, swollen gums, and pre-teething gums. The brush bite also offers texture for cleaning new teeth. If you stick this teeth (which is solid plastic, not filled with water or gel) in the freezer your child will love to gum and brush with this teether to sooth any oral pain.

 

 

 

 

Here is my family using our favorite MAM product, pacifiers:

clip_image014 My 4YO clip_image016

clip_image018 My 2YO clip_image020

And just for a laugh, this is one of our Jack Russell Terriers clip_image022

About Summer:

Summer is very active in our Local MOMS Club chapter, she is the mother of two adorable active boys, and is always thinking of ways to help others. She is a friend, a wife, and always busy as all mommies are. She is very active on Facebook, addicted to Geocaching and very interested in organic and green living while cooking up a storm.

Filed Under: review, Summer Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Giveaway Jingle Link Up Your Giveaway Here

October 14, 2011 By 15 Comments

You’ve got a giveaway, I want to know about it! Oh, and if you list your giveaway on Mom Start Facebook page then I will try to remember to tweet it out to all of my twitter followers. If you could link directly to the giveaway you want me to tweet that would be very helpful. At 11,500 followers and growing all the time! Cool? I hope so!

boy with ballons

I’ve got a few giveaways you might want to check out too!

Filed Under: linky Tagged With: , ,

New Balance NB639 Fitness Evolved Headphones Review

October 13, 2011 By 10 Comments

Product Review By Ashley – the NB639 Fitness Evolved Headphones

When I was presented with the opportunity to review the brand new NB639 Fitness Evolved headphones by New Balance, I was so excited. I knew I had the perfect critic right here in my home… not just me, but my husband too! He is one of those people who say that he can never find headphones that fit comfortably. I know that the New Balance Fitness Evolved Headphones offer SO much more, but the multiple fit pieces were the first thing that sold me!

After getting the product (thanks New Balance NB639 Fitness Evolved), and doing my research, I learned more about what makes this product so incredible. iHome and New Balance were able to combine several key components into an amazing fitness product. I don’t think I can explain their product specs better than they can, so here is how they describe all that their product has to offer:

clip_image002Features include:

- Chronograph workout timer

- PedometerTracks total number of steps and distance traveled

- Heart rate monitor

- Measures heart rate beats per minute and calories burned;

- Real-time voiceover feedback

- Announces heart rate, caloric burn, steps taken and distance stats without pausing your music or your workout

- HeartPal™ Graphing software sorts your information by days/weeks/months, summarizes performance data, allows you to customize your results and set goals, and manages and graphs your exercise data

- Delivers detailed, rich audio sound

- Detachable ear cushions fit a variety of ear sizes to reduce background noise

clip_image004I can honestly say that I have found all of the NB639 Fitness Evolved Headphones claims to be true. The sound quality from the headphones is GREAT. The product is extremely user friendly, and the stats tracking during your workout that transfers easily to your computer is key when you’re really looking to track your workout progress long term. In fact, here are some screen shots from the HeartPal™ software.

 

clip_image006Now you’ve seen the product and a snapshot of the software. Here’s a quick glimpse of me with the NB639 Fitness Evolved Headphones in use! (Just so you know, there was someone else there keeping my “workout partner” safe!)

The only downside to this product is the ear phone cords are different lengths. To some this may actually be a plus! It just means that it will work best for you if you have pockets or one of the arm bands to hold your music playing device. I guess the price tag is also a bit of a downside, but when you look at all that it has to offer, it really is worth the money for those looking for a high quality, easy to use, fitness tracking software and headphone all in one! The holidays are just around the corner. This could make a great gift for someone!

Disclosure – A product was provided to me free of charge by the manufacturer or representing PR agency for the writing of this review; however, opinions expressed are my own and are NOT influenced by monetary compensation.

About Ashley:

Ashley has a background in teaching Kindergarten and working with children K through 8th grade. She is now a SAHM and a very active member of our local MOMS Club chapter. She writes her own blog at Momicles.

Don’t forget to enter one of our Great Giveaways

Filed Under: Ashley, review Tagged With: , , , , ,

Tasty Treat Thursday Easier-Than-Pie Cobbler Recipe

October 13, 2011 By 33 Comments

I just wasn’t in the mood to make anything this past week so I needed something fast and uncomplicated. My thought was to use the Bob’s Red Mill Granola, but how? Cobbler! And the best thing is you can make this cobble for one, two or more people.

clip_image002

Easier-Than-Pie Cobbler Recipe

Ingredients:

½ of a peach
1 Tablespoon light brown sugar
½ Tablespoon butter
1/3 cup Bob’s Red Mill Honey Oat Granola

Directions:

1. Preheat oven 350oF.

2. Cut fruit into slices or small bit sized pieces. Place into a ramekin and top with brown sugar and butter. Cook in preheated oven for 20 minutes.

3. Remove cobbler and cool for 5 minutes. Top with Bob’s Red Mill Granola and enjoy warm.

clip_image004

You can also use ½ apple, or whole apricot or plum. For an apple you might want to cook an extra 10 minutes. I didn’t peel my fruit when I made this cobbler as there are a lot of nutrients in the skins, and I was making it for adults.

About Summer:

Summer is very active in our Local MOMS Club chapter, she is the mother of two adorable active boys, and is always thinking of ways to help others. She is a friend, a wife, and always busy as all mommies are. She is very active on Facebook, addicted to Geocaching and very interested in organic and green living while cooking up a storm.

Filed Under: recipe, Summer Tagged With: , , , ,

Abe’s Market: Natural Products for Thoughtful Shoppers

October 13, 2011 By 7 Comments

By Summer:

I consider myself an eco-friendly, green, and organic person. I do my best to be In-The-Know on where to get products that fit my lifestyle. I have local grocery stores I trust, but I have to admit there aren’t any online markets I’ve come across with service my needs in a “super center” kind of way. I get my suntan lotion from one site and my shopping bags from another, but no real all-around online shop until I found Abe’s Market.

Abe's Market Logo

 

Abe’s Market boasts of marrying Whole Foods and Etsy with aspects of Amazon, Groupon, and the Home Shopping Network. Abe’s Market is “natural products for thoughtful shoppers”. The great thing is you don’t have to surf around for all the eco items you’re looking for any longer; simply visit Abe’s Market! Abe’s Market offers food; beauty; bath and body; health; home; fashion; baby, kids and pregnancy; pet care; and gift items. They even offer a SALE tab (I always love to see what’s being phased out and score some great deals).

 

Now you can be In-The-Know with Abe’s Market and let others know how you go green. If you’re not there yet, let Abe’s Market inspire you! You can start to get items to make your holiday’s more eco and begin 2012 greener. To help you out, Abe’s Market is giving Mom Start readers a checkout code ENB-86bw5y for $10 off a $30 purchase or more! And if you order over $49 shipping is free too, though shipping won’t ever kill you with a flat-rate of $3.99 if you total is less.

Some of my favorite products on Abe’s Market:

 

Abe's Market products

(L-R, T-B) toy wooden blocks, cloth reusable produce bags, bento style lunchboxes, funny sayings t-shirts for the whole family, remedies such as herbal stuff nose for kids, and organic raw honey

Visit Abe’s Market on their website, Abe’s Market Facebook, and track them on Twitter @AbesMarket.

You can always be In-The-Know about Abe’s Market on Facebook by also joining their special offers list and get deals sent directly to you on Facebook.

How do you plan to green your holidays or new year?

 

Disclaimer: Mom Start was compensated for this feature.

About Summer:

Summer is very active in our Local MOMS Club chapter, she is the mother of two adorable active boys, and is always thinking of ways to help others. She is a friend, a wife, and always busy as all mommies are. She is very active on Facebook, addicted to Geocaching and very interested in organic and green living while cooking up a storm.

Filed Under: review, Summer Tagged With: , , ,

Kodak Susan G Komen Limited Edition EASYSHARE C1530 Camera Bundle

October 13, 2011 By 906 Comments

Kodak has a fun giveaway for us this month in honor of October’s Breast Cancer Awareness. They put together a fun bundle using the EASYSHARE C1530 with a pink camera bag, and memory card. The Bundle will be available for U.S. $99.99 MSRP this October for a limited time at Walmart.com, Amazon.com, HSN, Crutchfield.com, Kmart.com, Sears.com and Kodak.com.

The white EASYSHARE C1530 camera with pink accents boasts a 14MP, 3x optical zoom and features Kodak’s innovative Share Button in pink, the official color of Breast Cancer Awareness month in October. Once connected to a PC, pre-tagged photos will automatically be uploaded to sites like FACEBOOK and KODAK Gallery or can be emailed to friends and family which is super cool!!! Kodak is so smart!

Limited Edition KODAK EASYSHARE C1530 Camera Bundle Goes Pink for Breast Cancer Awareness

“Kodak is pleased to offer a uniquely pink camera bundle in our first partnership with Susan G. Komen for the Cure during Breast Cancer Awareness Month,” said Richard Ford, General Manager, Digital Capture & Accessories, Americas Region, Kodak. “Susan G. Komen is dedicated to raising awareness about this worthwhile cause and we are happy to team-up and get the word out to consumers with the launch of the EASYSHARE C1530 Camera bundle.”

“We are pleased to announce our first partnership with Kodak,” said Margo K. Lucero, vice president, business development and partnerships at Komen. “This October, Komen is urging women and men everywhere to take action, get screened and encourage others to do the same. Early detection saves lives, meaning more time spent with friends and family creating incredible memories. The KODAK EASYSHARE Camera Bundle is a great way to record and share memories with loved ones while bringing us one step closer to the cures for breast cancer.”

The EASYSHARE Camera C1530 boasts Kodak’s Smart Capture feature that adjusts settings automatically. Face Recognition recognizes and organizes pictures of your friends. Choose the camera that does the thinking for you. Kodak’s innovative Smart Capture feature automatically identifies the scene and adjusts camera settings for a great picture in just about any environment.

This giveaway has ended. Congratulations to the winner, Rebecca Orr.

All rules can be found under giveaway rules.

Filed Under: giveaway Tagged With: , , , , , ,
« Older Posts
Newer Posts »