Restaurant.com - Flavor at Your Fingertips Offer

US Family Guide provided me with this promotional information and offer to share with my readers. I am getting something for free in return for posting this information.

Find Flavor at your Fingertips with Restaurant.com's Mobile App!

Receive a FREE $10 Restaurant.com eGift Card with Your FIRST Purchase on the Restaurant.com Mobile App!* http://rst.cm/uKE4q

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*Your first purchase via the Restaurant.com mobile application may qualify for a free $10 Restaurant.com eGift Card. You can download the Restaurant.com mobile application on iTunes App Store or Google Play. The purchase must be made between Tuesday, March 25, 2014 at 1:00AM PST and Wednesday, April 30, 2014 at 11:59PM PST to qualify, and must be your first purchase through the Restaurant.com mobile application. Restaurant.com reserves the right to change the promotional period at anytime. Previous purchasers via the Restaurant.com mobile application are not eligible. One free eGift Card per qualified purchase. The $10 Restaurant.com eGift Card will be emailed within 24-72 hours following the purchase. eGift Cards can be redeemed online at www.theidealmeal.com for a restaurant specific certificate. eGift Cards cannot be redeemed at any restaurant. Restaurant.com is not responsible for undelivered, lost or stolen eGift Cards.

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: Because I am posting about the Restaurant.com - Flavor at Your Fingertips Offer I am getting a $50 Restaurant.com Gift Card. Thanks to USFamilyGuide.com for providing me this promotion information. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for posting this promo.

Getting Your Kids To Eat More Vegetables

I am a very big fan of eating healthy. Getting the right amount of veggies in my kids' meals is important to me and the task can be challenging at times. There are many ways I have hidden vegetables in my kids' foods. Some of my kids are more picky than others. My daughter, Teela, loves eating broccoli, but not all of my children are like her. No parent likes to find out that their child is hiding their veggies in their napkin or trying to feed them to the family pet. I am going to share some secrets I have tried to get her and my others to eat their veggies.

SOME IDEAS:
1. Fruit and veggie juice blends without added sugar or high fructose corn syrup. You can also make them into Popsicles or frozen cubes and throw them into smoothies. Some kids love to just eat veggies frozen...esp. good on a hot day!
2. Bake them into things or add cheese (Broccoli with cheese sauce, so classic and I love chocolate chip zucchini muffins)
3. Make zucchini puffs, poor mans crab cakes, an omelet, or Okonomiyaki (A Japanese style pancake that you can put all sorts of things in.).
4. Have them make their own foods with ingredients you provide. Kids who cook or prepare it themselves (with a little help) usually end up also eating what they have made. Salads or fruit and veggie kabobs are wonderful to do this with!
5. Casseroles and Crock Pot meals loaded with veggies. Have your little one help you with what goes in it.
6. My kids think they are cool because they like "green paper", seaweed wraps for sushi, to eat plain. They think it is funny to eat them in front of someone who might think they were a bit strange for doing so.
7. Rename things in fun ways like the above "green paper"...broccoli could be mini trees, peas could be called "power peas", or spinach leaves could be "dinosaur scales", etc.
8. Use Japanese Bento Boxes or be creative about serving the fruits and veggies. You can make all kids of fun creations from animals to faces the skies the limit!
9. Teach 'em while they are young. Read books to your baby and toddler about veggies and the importance of eating healthy. Start early offering your child lots of different types of foods when they are young and letting them see you eat and enjoy a variety of foods, especially vegetables.
10. Have them help you in the garden...if they have picked it or grown it maybe they'll eat it.

About the book Peas and Thank You:
Peas and Thank You is a collection of recipes and stories from a mainstream family eating a not-so-mainstream diet. It's filled with healthy and delicious versions of foods we’ve all grown up enjoying, but with a Mama Pea twist—no meat, lots of fresh ingredients and plenty of nutrition for growing Peas. From wholesome breakfasts to mouth-watering desserts, there’s plenty here to satisfy the pickiest Peas in your life. It’s easier than ever to whip up crowd-pleasing meals that will have the whole family asking for, “more, Peas.” Sarah Matheny's delicious recipes and entertaining stories draw hundreds of thousands of visitors to her blog, peasandthankyou.com each month, where she makes raising a vegetarian family easy and fun. She is the author of “Peas and Thank You: Simple Meatless Meals the Whole Family Will Love.” Learn More about the book.

More info: http://peasandthankyou.com, Peas and Thank You: Simple Meatless Meals the Whole Family Will Love [VIDEO]. Peas and Thank You on Facebook. Follow @Mama_Pea on Twitter. Buy the book: Peas and Thank You.

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Peas and Thank You blogging program for a gift card worth $30. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Fresh Baby So Easy Baby Food Kit Review and Giveaway

I don't know if you have been following all the news surrounding baby food from stores being recalled recently. In France they had a voluntary recall of Nestlé Baby food in glass jars, P’tit Pot Recette Banana baby food by Nestlé France, following the finding of glass in one jar by a consumer. Also, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency is warning people not to consume certain Heinz Strained Meat baby food products because some jars have a glass deformity that could break off during normal use.

This is not a new problem it seems though because back in March of 2006 H-E-B brand products in Texas recalled their entire line of H-E-B baby food products from the shelves due to a few customer reports of pieces of glass being found inside the baby food jars of H-E-B peas, carrots and applesauce. It also happened in June of 2004 in Washington with Organic Baby and Naturally Preferred brands which were also recalled because of glass shards found. Even in February 1986, March 1986 and Sept. 1984 the well known Gerber brand of baby food had glass shards found in their jars, however; in 1986 Gerber never recalled the jars because the FDA instead dismissed the it saying they didn't plan on any action.

Over the years other things have been found in baby food and/or baby food packaging sold in stores across the country. Some of which are: Lead, mercury, mold, botulism, metal shards, BPA and Semicarbazide. No one wants to ever feed their baby hazardous things. For me these news stories only reinforce how much better and safer homemade baby food is.

Homemade baby food is not only safer but it is also very easy to make too, especially with the Fresh Baby So Easy Baby Food Kit. With this kit you can make fresh, natural baby food in less than 30 minutes a week. This kit is super convenient! Just open the box and get started! Everything you need is all right there for you. This award-winning all-in-one kit includes cookbook, freezer storage trays with lids, how-to DVD, and nutrition tip card. It is recommended by pediatricians and a perfect baby shower gift. The So Easy Baby Food Kit takes all of the guesswork out of making baby food. Nurture your growing baby with a balanced diet and provide the right start to a lifetime of healthy eating with the So Easy Baby Food Kit guiding you along every step or the way.

Benefits of Homemade Baby Food:
- increased nutrition
- elimination of additives
- improved freshness
- additional variety
- enhanced control
- less waste created
- more economical

The cookbook is very helpful. It is hardcover and spiral bound so it opens up flat. It goes through and talks about healthy eating habits, benefits of home-prepared baby food, introducing solid foods, dietary guidelines for babies, making and serving baby food, kitchen tools needed, safety basics, food choices broken up by age, traveling with homemade baby food and managing your time. It also has places to record your baby's eating milestones and recipes depending upon development. The recipes also have variations, things that would be good to combine with it and nutritional information.

The reusable trays are great for freezing baby food and they have lids that go on snug so that nothing foreign gets into the food and everything is sealed so there is also no spillage. These are made of a BPA and phthalate-free plastic that washes up easily by hand or in the dishwasher. Also, I am glad the trays are reusable. I certainly don't have all the packaging waste now that I am not buying baby food in jars which is a bonus since my recycling program here doesn't take glass. Now to find cool things to do with my old empty baby food jars and lids :) Even though the So Easy Baby Food Kit is designed for babies making the transition from breast or bottle to solid foods (babies about 6 months old), I have found these trays to be great for storing and freezing breastmilk in before the baby is ready for solids and also for making your own baby rice cereal. After your baby has moved on from baby food these trays can be used a number of other ways too. These include flavored ice cubes, regular ice cubes, toddler snack tray or Bento box meal tray, single serving dipping sauces, soup stock cubes, etc.

The DVD is 22 minutes long. It goes through the basics and step by step takes you through the simple process of selecting the right produce to preparing and making baby food on your own. Very helpful for the visual learner.

The nutrition tip card is laminated so it wipes clean easily. It includes: 10 healthy eating habits, common baby ailments and foods, best sources of nutrients, choking, fresh baby food tips, first foods by age. Great resources to have right at your fingertips so you won't have to flip through the cookbook to find them.

I am glad that I have this neat kit to make healthy homemade baby food for my daughter, Zari. I now know everything that I am putting into the baby food I make her so I know that it is safe and nutritious. It has helped to have a baby food grinder and blender on hand also to help me make the baby food. She is enjoying the homemade meals even more than the store bought ones she used to have. I also have a mesh teething baby safe feeder that she loves chewing on with the frozen cubes of baby food in.

So Easy Baby Food Kit includes:

• Cookbook: covers introducing solid food, includes over 40 recipes, hundreds of serving suggestions, and is all organized by age. (Hardcover, 118 pages).

• Freezer trays: designed for storing baby food in pre-portioned one ounce servings to simplify meal time and reduce waste. (2 trays and 2 lids, spill-proof, stackable, dishwasher-safe). BPA and phthalate-free.

• How-to DVD: offers step-by-step instruction - from selecting the right produce - to making baby food - to serving it.

• Nutrition tips card: gives you tips on the best sources of nutrients, introducing foods by age, first aid for choking, and more. (Waterproof Finish)

BUY IT:
The Fresh Baby So Easy Baby Food Kit is $37.95 and includes: So Easy Baby Food Cookbook, 2 freezer trays with lids, how-to DVD, and nutrition card.

WIN IT:
Nannette from Fresh Baby has generously offered another Fresh Baby So Easy Baby Food Kit for one of my readers to win.

Mandatory:
1. Go to the Fresh Baby website and tell me another product you would love and why.

Additional entries:
1. Subscribe to my blog by feedburner or by email and let me know which way. (3 extra entries each)

2. Become my fan/like on facebook and write something on my wall. (1 extra entry)

3. Follow me on Google Friend Connect (GFC) on the left sidebar and/or Networked Blogs Let me know what your user name is. (2 extra entries each)

4. Blog about this giveaway on your blog and provide me with the link. Make sure you have the link to this post and Fresh Baby in your blog entry or it won't count. (2 extra entries)

5. Give me a brief POSITIVE review on Alexa and provide me with your user name. (3 extra entries)

6. Grab My Button (see sidebar to the left) AND/OR Put My Blog URL in Your Blogroll - Leave Your Link. (1 extra entry)

7. Technorati my blog and let me know your link. (1 extra entry)

8. List this giveaway on any giveaway listing website or blog Linky/Link-up and tell me where you listed it. (2 extra entries)

9. Follow me on Twitter. (1 extra entry)

10. Tweet this: @finamoon: @FreshBabyBiz #WIN So Easy Baby Food Kit #giveaway http://bit.ly/o1XkoK
(Daily Extras are Available)

11. Write about this giveaway with a link to this post on your Facebook wall, Kirtsy, StumbleUpon, or other social media website besides Twitter. Let me know where. (2 extra entries for each)

12. Fave me on Momfaves. (2 extra entries)

13. Comment on any of my regular posts (not giveaway posts) and let me know which post you commented on. (1 extra entry per post you comment on)

14. Fan Fresh Baby on Facebook. (1 extra entry)

15. Follow Fresh Baby on Twitter. (1 extra entry)

Make sure you leave me your email in all posts so that I can contact you. Don't forget to leave a comment for each task and the correct amount of entries for each task. This contest ends on Friday July 22, 2011 at midnight (GMT-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada). This Giveaway is open to all 18 years and over in the U.S. Only!!

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com created by WebBizIdeas.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Tomoson Product review & giveaway Disclosure. I found all of the recall information from news stories online. This information is only correct to the best of my knowledge and understanding.

Foodie Friday Homemade Cinnamon Pancakes

These delicious pancakes are loaded with cinnamon and are good enough that they don't need any maple syrup. Just slap a little bit of butter on these and eat or if you want to embellish them a little add some apple sauce or apple butter, whipped cream, fresh fruit, yogurt or a combination of these.

HOMEMADE CINNAMON PANCAKES

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 cups milk
• 8 tbsp. melted butter or vegetable oil
• 4 tbsp. sugar
• 12 tsp. baking powder
• 2 tsp. salt
• 4 tsp. vanilla extract
• 4 tbsp. cinnamon

Directions:

Beat egg until fluffy. Add remaining ingredients and beat in until there are only a few to no lumps. Pour about a half cup of batter onto hot griddle. Turn pancake over as soon as bubbles form. Repeat from "Pour". Makes 12 to 20 good size pancakes.

Foodie Friday Far East White Bean Stir Fry

I love cooking in cast iron. It is one of my favorite type of cookware. Unlike what some may believe about cooking with it, it is easy to cook with and food doesn't stick to it if you have it seasoned correctly. My cast iron skillet (I own many sizes) is my trusty companion in the kitchen. I love to make stir fries in them and my son, Jaedan, is quite the little helper in the kitchen and loves to help when ever there is a dish to be made. He is going to be an exceptional cook when he is older and is meanwhile learning all he can from me and his father. Jaedan has come up with this recipe all on his own with a little help from me with spices. It turned out to be very delicious and definitely one I thought I needed to share here.

Far East White Bean Stir Fry

Ingredients:

• 1 quarter of a large head of cauliflower, washed and chopped
• 1/2 of a head of cabbage, washed and chopped
• 2 tomatoes, washed and chopped
• 1 can of white beans, drained
• 2 spoonfuls of garlic, minced
• to taste: curry, seasoned pepper, garlic powder, McCormick® Far East Sesame Ginger Blend, oregano
• a handful of cilantro

Directions:

1.  Add a little vegetable oil or butter to coat the bottom of the pan if needed.
2. Stir fry all of the first two ingredients stirred together until all are "al dente" (about 3-4 minutes).
3. Add tomatoes, beans and spices and stir together coating all of the ingredients.
4. Cook for 2-3 more minutes.
5. Turn off stove top and add the cilantro.

Cooking with Canned Foods

TwitterMoms and their RAMBO, "Reach A Mom Blogger Online" ALERTS told me about a video called "Canned Food Field to Table" made by the Canned Food Alliance.

You Can Watch It Too:


I learned quite a bit about how foods become canned foods by watching the video. They don't loose as much nutrients as I previously thought would happen during the canning process and seem to retain most even compared to their fresh, cooked counterparts...some even retaining more when canned. For example I learned that: canned tomatoes contain more lycopene than fresh, cooked tomatoes; canned pumpkin contains 3 times more Vitamin A than fresh, cooked pumpkin and canned blueberries offer more antioxidants than fresh or frozen blueberries. Also, canned foods have a longer shelf life than fresh, bagged, or frozen foods. Fan the Canned Food Alliance on Facebook. Follow them on Twitter.

I would love to share a recipe that I made up from a lot of different ingredients I had lying around the house including some canned foods I had in my pantry. It is a Tortilla Soup that I just threw together one evening for dinner and it turned out really tasty. Even though I like to experiment with ingredients I usually come up with something that turns out yummy. Most the time I just eye a whole bunch of different recipes for the same thing and pull together what I like from each of them and then from there I don't look at the recipes again...I just cook. So, here it is in my own words. I hope that it makes sense...


Mexican Tortilla Chip Soup

Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons butter
2 celery stalks (washed and diced)
1 onion (peeled, washed and diced)
1 sweet red pepper (washed, de-seeded and diced)
1 spoonful of garlic (peeled and minced)
1 can of whole kernel corn (drained)
1 can of tomatoes and green chilies (diced)
1 can of kidney beans (drained and rinsed)
1 can of black beans (drained and rinsed)
2 cans of chicken broth
2 Tablespoons lime juice (can substitute lemon juice)
2 pinches of crushed chili pepper
1 dash of ground cumin
1 dash of garlic powder
1 dash of seasoned pepper
1 dash of red pepper (cayenne)
salt to taste


Additional Ingredients If Wanted Per Bowl:
1/2-1 avocado (peeled, sliced and pitted)
1 handful cilantro (washed and snipped)
1 handful cheddar cheese (shredded)
1 handful tortilla chips
1 dollop sour cream

Get out a large pot. Melt butter in the bottom of the pot on medium-low making sure all the bottom is coated. Place diced celery, onion, sweet red pepper, garlic, and corn into the pot and stir to saute in the butter. When the onions start looking see through or when sauteed to your liking add the can of diced tomatoes and green chilies to the pot and stir together. Then add kidney beans and black beans. Let simmer on medium-high until bubbling. Then add both cans of chicken broth and lime juice. Add crushed chili pepper, ground cumin, garlic powder, seasoned pepper, red pepper (cayenne) and salt to taste. Stir until it comes to a simmer. Dish out in bowls. Add avocado, cilantro, cheese, tortilla chips and sour cream to your bowl of soup if desired. Enjoy!!

DISCLAIMER: I received this information free from TwitterMoms and their RAMBO, "Reach A Mom Blogger Online" ALERTS. There is a partnership between the Canned Food Alliance and TwitterMoms for this campaign and blogging contest. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this post, but have been entered into a blogging contest for posting.

Sneaking Fruits & Veggies Into My Toddler’s Diet

I am a very big fan of eating healthy. Getting the right amount of fruits and veggies in my kids' meals is important to me and the task can be challenging at times. There are many ways I have hidden fruits and veggies in my kids' foods. Some of my kids are more picky than others. My youngest, Teela, isn't the pickiest of my bunch by any means as you can probably tell from the picture here of her eating broccoli. But hey, I would love to share some secrets I have tried to get her and my others to eat their veggies in particular...fruits I don't seem to have a problem with...unless you are discussing the eating habits of my developmentally delayed special needs child, Tatiana.

SOME IDEAS:
1. Fruit and veggie smoothies.
2. Fruit and veggie juice blends without added sugar or high fructose corn syrup. You can also make them into popsicles or frozen cubes.
3. Bake them into things. I love chocolate chip zucchini muffins :)
4. Make zucchini puffs, poor mans crab cakes, an omelet, or Okonomiyaki (A Japanese style pancake that you can put all sorts of things in.).
5. Have them make their own foods with ingredients you provide. Kids who cook or prepare it themselves (with a little help) usually end up also eating what they have made. Salads or fruit and veggie kabobs are wonderful to do this with!
6. Broccoli with cheese sauce. Classic!
7. Casseroles and Crock Pot meals loaded with veggies. Have your little one help you with what goes in it.
8. My kids think they are cool because they like "green paper", seaweed wraps for sushi, to eat plain. They think it is funny to eat them in front of someone who might think they were a bit strange for doing so.
9. Rename things in fun ways like the above "green paper"...broccoli could be mini trees, peas could be called "power peas", or spinach leaves could be "dinosaur scales", etc.
10. Have them help you in the garden...if they have picked it or grown it maybe they'll eat it.
11. Teach 'em while they are young. Read books to your baby and toddler about fruits and veggies and the importance of eating healthy.
12. Use Japanese Bento Boxes or be creative about serving the fruits and veggies. You can make all kids of fun creations from animals to faces the skies the limit!
13. Frozen fruit and veggies...some kids love to just eat them frozen...esp. good on a hot day!
14. Start early, offering your toddler lots of different types of foods and letting them see you eat and enjoy a variety of foods, especially fruits and vegetables.
15. Last but not least, I am going to give Little Blends a try.

ABOUT LITTLE BLENDS:
Little Blends from Horizon is an all-natural yogurt blend of fruits and vegetables that will help parents incorporate more nutrition and variety into their child’s diet. Each 4-ounce cup packs a daily value of 20 percent calcium, 25 percent protein, omega-3 DHA and probiotics. Parents will really love how Little Blends makes sneaking fruits and veggies so much easier. This new line is just one example of how Horizon continues to deliver nutritious food options that support healthier kids and a healthier planet.

Little Blends is an all-natural yogurt, meaning it’s produced without added growth hormones, artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. It is also created without high fructose corn syrup. It comes in three flavors: Banana and Sweet Potato, Apple and Butternut Squash, and Strawberry and Carrot.

Thank you TwitterMoms for telling me about Little Blends! Go to TwitterMoms and you can blog and tweet to win some cool prizes too.

Wordless Wednesday Lunch Time

If you are participating in Wordless Wednesdays, click on the Mister Linky image, enter your name and URL in the form, and press Enter.