snack time Archives

GoPicnic Picnic in a Box with Ginger Zip!

November 27, 2013 by Momstart Leave a Comment

Go Picnic picnic in a box

By Lynn

This is a great idea! We received a full size box to try out. For my daughter (6) we chose a gluten free option The Tuna & Crackers. It came with a lemon pepper tuna spread, applesauce, multigrain crackers (GF), fruit and nut mix, and a caramel lollipop.

One thing I liked about this was that the box could be used to eat from if you are on the go, and in my case, give something to your child to eat in the car between activities – not the ideal situation I know! But sometimes it happens. The box even had a Sudoku game in it!

These do not have to be refrigerated so you can keep a couple of boxes in your car if needed, but probably not when it’s super hot over summer! J Each box is a single serving, so each person can have their own. Not everyone has to have to tuna, or you can share as you go. What is also nice for me as a busy mom (brain always at 100%), I don’t have to think about making a complete meal, the Go Picnic box already contains a variety of foods (meat, crackers, fruit, even a sweet treet if they’re good J). I tried out the fruit and nut mix as well as the tuna and they were both super tasty!

You can find more information at www.gopicnic.com . In addition to Gluten Free they also have vegan, kosher and all-natural, amongst other choices. The box has nutrition information per box, and also allergen information per item (i.e. Which package in the box has milk and/or peanuts etc).

I think the next flavor I’d like to try is the turkey pepperoni and cheese! Or the Sunbutter and crackers…hmmm I can’t decide! I’ll have to get a few and hope someone in my family shares with me so I can try a few out!

About Lynn:

I met Lynn in MOMS Club and she has two children. One of which is the same age as my daughter and they love to giggle and play together. Lynn Hooper is also a local Mary Kay Consultant while also being a full time mom. “A lot of what the business stands for is true to my heart. Mary Kay Inc. has a foundation that donates funds to help end domestic violence and also funds research into cancers that affect women. Mary Kay also has what’s called "The Golden Rule" which means God (faith) first, family second and business third. A great principal for me and nice to know I am part of a team that believes in this too.”

Make Your Own Granola Cups Snack Time Recipe

February 2, 2012 by Momstart 25 Comments

Tasty Treat Thursday

By Summer:

If you’re looking for something “alternative” to snack on because of New Year’s resolution, then try these granola cups. Not just good for a snack, you can add them to breakfast too. OR be a hero and make a batch for your workout buddies in exercise class.

Granola Cups Snack Time Recipe

Ingredients:

½ cup butter, unsalted
½ cup honey
1½ cups rolled oatmeal
1½ cups puffed rice
1 Tablespoon sesame seeds
1 Tablespoon hemp seeds
1 teaspoon wheat germ
1 teaspoon ground flaxseed
½ cup raisins
¼ cup pecans

Directions:

1. Melt together butter and honey in a small pan on the stove top.

2. In the meantime, crush the pecans. In a large bowl, mix together all remaining ingredients. Once the butter and honey have melted pour them into the mix and stir until mix is coated.

3. Spoon into 12 paper lined cupcake cups. Press down firmly and chill overnight. (Great for a protein breakfast!)

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

Solve the Veggie & Toddler Debacle with Gerber Graduates Fruit & Veggie Melts

August 4, 2011 by Momstart 12 Comments

Did you know that research shows many toddlers are not eating a single serving, yet alone the recommended servings, of fruit or vegetable on a given day? Luckily, and thankfully I guess, I can say that this is not ever really the case in our house. Sure, we have the occasional veggie strikes by my little guy, but fruits and vegetables make up a big portion of our diet. We all know though, that there are those times… or “those days” where things are just tough. Whether it’s because you’ve got to clean the house for company coming to visit, your dog just ate your kid’s lunch off the table, or you’ve gone out somewhere that doesn’t really offer any kid friendly healthy options… sometimes you need a quick and easy food that provides the nourishment your toddler needs. GERBER® GRADUATES® Fruit & Veggie Melts™ fill that exact need.

GERBER® GRADUATES® Fruit & Veggie Melts™ are something that I honestly ALWAYS keep on hand: at the house, in the car, in the diaper bag. GERBER® GRADUATES® Fruit & Veggie Melts™ are my friend. My little guy thinks of them as a treat. He recognizes the package and will pick the melts out when offered with other foods. I try not to give him too many packaged foods, but I feel okay about giving him GERBER® GRADUATES® Fruit & Veggie Melts™. They really do have a lot to offer.

Here is more information on GERBER® GRADUATES® Fruit & Veggie Melts™ straight from the company…

GERBER® GRADUATES® Fruit & Veggie Melts™ are:

Good for Toddlers:

· With a NutriProtect™ blend of vitamins A, C and E – nutrition for a healthy growth and natural immune support

· Each package delivers 3 fruit/vegetable servings[2]
· Made with real fruit and vegetable purees and juices
· No preservatives, artificial flavors or artificial sweeteners

Made for Toddlers:

· Easy to chew and swallow
· No mess
· Just right for self-feeding
· 2 flavor[3] combinations: Truly Tropical Blend and Very Berry Blend

No matter what stage your little one is in, Gerber® has something for you. I’ve used not only their products, but their online resources MANY times since my little guy arrived. If you’re someone like me, who’s out and about quite a bit, you should probably consider adding GERBER® GRADUATES® Fruit & Veggie Melts™ to your Mommy Arsenal. They are also a great option if you’re little one is going on a fruit or veggie strike. Since Gerber® designed this product specifically with toddlers in mind, it’s got a taste that is hard for them to resist! Leave your comments and let us know what you think of GERBER® GRADUATES® Fruit & Veggie Melts™ or any other Gerber® product that has become a staple for you!

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, in July she became the President of our local chapter. She writes her own blog at Momicles.

Halo Bars –The Sinfully Healthy Snack Giveaway

July 29, 2011 by Momstart 172 Comments

Halo Bars – The Sinfully Healthy Snack Review and Giveaway

I worked so hard to get “in shape” (or at least more in shape than I was) before our family took a couple of beach vacations. Somehow over the month and half though I have slipped back into some seriously bad habits. Cereal at bedtime, lattes from local drive thrus (thank you gift card), experiments with baking desserts… it all spells out some extra poundage. Not cool. Well that’s when ProBars new line of Halo Bars literally came knocking at my door. I was given the opportunity to do a Halo Bar Review and boy did it come at a good time.

When you first hear that there is a healthy, all natural, low sugar bar that tastes like a dessert, you might have some serious doubts. I did! Once I bit into the chewey deliciousness of the Smores Halo Bar, all of my doubts were washed away… seriously… with the glass of water I washed it down with. (Remember? I’m trying to get back into healthy!) I easily throw a few Halo Bars into my purse and even into a lunchbox for our family when we’re on the go!

According to their website Halo is:

Sinfully Healthy Snack
Certified Organic
Only 150 Calories
Low in Sugar
Vegan and Dairy Free
All Natural
Good Source of Omega 3 & 6

Halo Bars come in 4 mouth watering, not healthy tasting, flavors. They seriously taste like a decadent dessert. S’mores, Rocky Road, Nutty Marshmallow, and Honey Graham. My favorite is Nutty Marshmallow… no… Smores… uh… I can’t decide! Whatever your favorite is, you can easily find their nutritional information on the ProBar website when you click on each flavor. They also provide you with an easy way to purchase these bars for you and your family in the Probar Online Store. While $1.39 per bar isn’t cheap, it’s not necessarily overpriced either. I know there are some cookies on the market out there with a lot more sugar and UN-natural ingredients that go for the same or more.

Here is more on what Halo has to say about themselves: Although there are lots of organic, nutritious ingredients in HALO bars, the primary sugar we use is organic brown rice syrup. In contrast to typical sugars like corn syrup, brown rice syrup has a low glycemic value and does not cause a sudden spike in blood sugar after consuming it. This is because the sugar profile in this syrup is 50% soluble carbohydrates, 45% maltose and 3% glucose. The glucose is immediately absorbed and metabolized, maltose takes from 1-1.5 hours, and soluble carbohydrates take 2-3 hours to be metabolized. This results in a constant supply of energy spread over a long time rather than a sudden rush. HALO bars have zero trans fats or partially hydrogenated oils.

TO SAVE

Seriously! How could this get any better. Well, MomStart readers are lucky enough to have access to a special discount code. All you have to do is shop at http://shop.theprobar.com and enter the code BLOGGER upon checkout. You’ll get a one time 40% discount! Incredible, right? Halo is also offering up a giveaway box through MomStart! Make sure you leave your comments about how excited you are to finally have a healthy, decadent, delicious, and again… HEALTHY choice for dessert!

This giveaway has ended. Congratulations to the winner, Nicole C.

All rules can be found under giveaway rules. We received a prize pack and gift card in exchange for this post.

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 as President of our Chapter. She writes her own blog at Momicles.

Don’t forget to enter one of our Great Giveaways

Making Snack-Time Fun

July 15, 2011 by Momstart 10 Comments

Today I have a very special guest, Christine Coppa. I’ve had Christine on my blog before, we had a fun video interview and she was quite delightful with her wonderful snack time advice. Today she is leaving us with some more wonderful Snack Time Fun with these great tips.

Making Snack-Time Fun

Hi, I’m Christine Coppa. You may know as a Yoplait Kids Yogurt Spokesperson, the Mama’s Boy blogger on parenting.com and the author of Rattled! (Broadway Books, 2009) I am excited to be here and share my tried-and-true tips on how to make snack-time fun!

1. It’s summer! The sun is shining and the weather is warm. You know what that means—picnic-time! My son JD, who turns 4 soon, and I love to eat snacks outside. He spreads his Toy Story beach towel on the grass and we munch on fresh grapes, peach slices and pretzel sticks. All of these snacks are awesome “dippers” for Yoplait Kids Yogurt. JD loves to drive a peach slice into Vrrroom Vrrroom Vanilla yogurt and gets a real kick out of seeing his buddy, Lightening McQueen, on the cup. Since Yoplait Kids Yogurt has 25% less sugar than other kids’ yogurts, I’m all for it (And I eat it, too!).

2. Something else that makes snacking fun is making it colorful. JD and I love to go on kitchen scavenger hunts for rainbow-themed snacks (great time-killer on rainy days, too!). We’ll grab orange baby carrots, red strawberries, yellow cheese crackers, purple grapes and even black olives (that JD loves to pop on his fingers and eat one-by-one!) This is also an awesome way to sneak a color lesson in, too.

3. No one likes to eat alone, so even if you’re not hungry, pour yourself a glass of iced tea and sit down with child while he eats his snack. You deserve a break and your child deserves the company!

For more info on me and to view the Yoplait Kids Yogurt Snack Chat series, visit ChristineCoppa.net and be sure to check out Yoplait’s Facebook page for news and special offers.

How do you make snack-time fun?

Christine Coppa is a guest of MomStart thanks to MyBlogSpark on behalf of Yoplait.

Snack Attack Gourmet Gift Baskets Giveaway

July 30, 2010 by Momstart 542 Comments

Snacking is a weakness in our family. I love sweets and my husband loves salty. So sometimes we just have to decide not to open something just for the sake of our overgrowing hips, or mine rather, I should speak for myself.

I wrote to Gourmet Gift Baskets and asked them if I could do a giveaway for them and they sent me a basket for me to donate to charity. Thank you for your delicious/mouth watering gift basket. Everything in it looks absolutely delightful and as much as I want to rip it open I have made myself decide that it is going to be a donation.

Gourmet Gift baskets have such a large assortment of gift baskets at their disposal. You can shop by occasion or just by flavor.

Check it out:

Italian, Beer,Snack, Tea & Cookies, Or Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Hanukkah, Mother’s Day, and Thank You. Plus much more. I have a neighbor that loves to garden so I know that if I ever need to get her a thank you gift I would get her a gardening gift basket.

Enter to Win:

The Snack Gift Basket Medium 79.99

To Enter:

Become a Facebook fan of Gourmet Gift Baskets and write a message on their wall about what your favorite gift basket is.

Extra Entries:

Tweet or RT this post and include the link to the post

Gourmet Gift Basket #Giveaway (AVR 79.99) http://bit.ly/bxCnWI

Follow me on twitter tell me your twitter ID
Follow me on Google Friend Connect
Subscribe to my blog
Comment on any other non-giveaway post
List this giveaway on any giveaway site
Blog About this Giveaway (5 extra entries, linking to the giveaway)
Add my blog button to your sidebar (3 extra)

This is a sponsored product giveaway. This giveaway ends August 16th, All rules can be found under giveaway rules.

Turn Dole Frozen Fruit into a Smoothie

July 18, 2010 by Momstart 500 Comments

Dole invited my family to host a Fruit Smoothie party with their line of Frozen Fruit. The Fruit arrived just in time for our heat wave we had last week so I pulled out the blender and invited all of our friends over.

What better way to cool off than with a smoothie?

Dole provided us with the cups, straws, and free product coupons to purchase the Dole frozen fruit. I will admit that I had a lot of trouble finding the frozen fruit. I’ve seen it before at Albertsons, but they were completely out, perhaps it was due to the heat wave and everyone had the same idea. Dole also provided us with a few party favors and music for the day. We decided to use it as a play date and the kids just adored the fun cups.

Once it was announced that we were having smoothies, the kids anxiously awaited them.

To Make the Smoothie:

Blend Bag of Frozen Fruit in blender
Add Milk to get the desired thickness
Serve to guests

The mix was gone so fast I realized I didn’t take any photos of anyone actually drinking and enjoying them. I’m not a big fruit fan, but I’ll take a smoothie any day.

Good news is Dole provided us with so many coupons that everyone was able to take home a coupon and I have more to share with my readers.

Enter to Win:

10.00 iTunes Gift Card

5 Dole Frozen Fruit Coupons

Enough to throw your own Dole Frozen Fruit Smoothie Party.

To Enter:

Tell me how you cool off in the summer time!

Extra Entries:

Tweet or RT this post

Throw a Dole Frozen Fruit Party #Giveaway http://bit.ly/9AMGnW

This giveaway Ends August 2. All rules can be found under giveaway rules. This is a product sponsored post.