Target Breakfast Twist #PlatefullCoOp #spon

The information and prize pack have been provided free by General Mills through Platefull Co-Op. to facilitate this post.

Breakfast is an important start to your family's day, but all too often, it's rushed, hectic, and…monotonous. Target has brought some family favorites together and made some interesting yummy combinations for quick and easy throw together breakfasts. These are simple twists on traditional breakfasts and there isn't anything complex about these recipes. These are great to help fuel your day.

Platefull Co-Op has sent me a selection of favorite items so that I could create my own unique spins on breakfast and share them with you:

• 1 pouch Nature Valley® Protein Granola (Crunchy Oats 'n Honey)
• 1 box Nature Valley® Granola Bars (Crunchy Oats 'n Honey)
• 1 box Honey Nut Cheerios® Medley Crunch™ cereal (Honey Nut Cheerios, crispy flakes, and clusters made with real almond slices)
• 1 box Trix® (Wildberry Red Swirls) cereal
• 1 package Quaker® Oats (old fashioned)
• 1 jar Jif® peanut butter (creamy)
• 1 package Nutella® (Hazelnut spread) mini cups
• 1 pouch Grandma Hoerner’s® Big Slice™ apples snack (kettle cooked apples: slices, chunks, and sauce)

I decided to only combine the ingredients in the kit together and see what I could come up with. In my first recipe I emptied the pouch of Grandma Hoerner’s® Big Slice™ apples snack in a small glass ramekin and sprinkled some Nature Valley® Protein Granola and some Quaker® Oats over the top. The second recipe I took one Nature Valley® Granola Bar out of the box and since it was already divided into two bars inside the packaging I spread Jif® peanut butter on one and one Nutella® mini cup on the other. The one with peanut butter I also sprinkled Honey Nut Cheerios® Medley Crunch™ cereal on top and the one with Nutella® I placed some Trix® cereal on top. The kids and I enjoyed our easy breakfast twists.

Big Slice Apples, Granola & Oats

I especially loved the Grandma Hoerner’s® Big Slice™ apples snack. This particular one that I received was Cherry Vanilla flavored and had luscious cherries, chunky apples, and real Madagascar vanilla. It was so delicious, especially with the little bit of crunch that the granola and oats gave!

Granola Bar Cereal Treats

These granola bar treats that I made were good, but too sweet for me. My kids loved them though. I love the Honey Nut Cheerios® Medley Crunch™ cereal by itself and with milk in a bowl just fine for breakfast. I am not too much of a peanut butter fan, but the Nutella® I love!

Target Breakfast Twist Event
You also find special savings on these products at Target – and even more inspiration by visiting Target.com/BreakfastTwist



DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: The information and prize pack have been provided free by General Mills through Platefull Co-Op. I received products and information for free to facilitate this post. 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 and promo.

Kashi TLC Peanutty Dark Chocolate Layered Granola Bars Review

Kashi makes some of the most wholesome all natural cereals, snack bars, cookies, chips, crackers, waffles, frozen entrees, pizza and pilaf. Their products are all free of highly refined sugars, artificial additives, and unnatural preservatives. They also think that taste is important because great taste and healthy food don't always go hand in hand. They want you and your family to enjoy their foods so that you and your family will also eat better while eating Kashi products and know their foods are good for you and delicious.

I have tried many of their exceptional products including their GOLEAN Crunchy! Bars, TLC Cereal Bars, TLC Chewy Granola Bars, TLC Crunchy Granola Bars, GOLEAN Cereal, Heart To Heart Cereal, Kashi Squares cereal, TLC Pita Crisps, TLC Crackers, TLC Cookies, etc. My favorites so far are their Cherry Dark Chocolate TLC Chewy Granola Bars, Fire Roasted Veggie TLC Crackers, and Oatmeal Raisin Flax TLC Cookies. I would love to try their Kashi Granola Mountain Medley, Kashi Granola Summer Berry, Cherry Vanilla TLC Cereal Bars, Dark Mocha Almond TLC Chewy Granola Bars, Dark Chocolate Coconut TLC Layered Granola Bars, Happy Trail Mix TLC Cookies, all Kashi Frozen Entrees, and Mushroom Trio & Spinach Kashi Thin Crust Pizza. They all sound really good to me!

I was given the opportunity to try their TLC Peanutty Dark Chocolate Layered Granola Bars. These bars start with the chewy granola bottom that has peanut butter and peanut chunks along with other granola pieces. Then they spread a layer of real soft fruit mixed with gooey dark chocolate on the granola with a sprinkling of peanuts and dark chocolate pieces on top of that.

These bars are:
• Free of high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors, and unnatural preservatives
• Full of real nutrition: made with a blend of 7 whole grains, has 4 grams of fiber and 4 grams of protein from peanuts and soy crisps

I liked the TLC Peanutty Dark Chocolate Layered Granola Bars, but they were not my favorite Kashi product. I am not a big fan of peanuts so I found myself picking them off the top of the granola bar and the chocolate that was mixed with the fruit was good and probably my most favorite part of the whole thing besides the granola, but  it was a bit unusual too. My kids; however, loved them and I shared some with the neighborhood kids and they seemed to enjoy them as well. I also shared them with my moms group and they had mixed feelings on them. Some really loved the flavors and some didn't really care for them at all. The packaging was very nice and presented the product very well. However; if I had my way the individual wrappings for the bars could be in more of an environmentally friendly packaging. If you love peanuts, peanut butter, chocolate and granola then these will be just the ticket!

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BUY IT:
Kashi TLC Peanutty Dark Chocolate Layered Granola Bars retail for $3.89. Find them at most major grocery stores nationwide.

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received this product for free from the sponsor of the Moms Meet program, May Media Group LLC, who received it directly from the manufacturer. As a Moms Meet blogger, I agreed to use this product and post my opinion on my blog. My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of May Media Group LLC or the manufacturer of the product. 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 review.

Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Squares Review

Valentine's Day is coming up on February 14th and what better way to celebrate than giving chocolate. I just had these fabulous Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate with Peanut Butter Filling Squares that I was able to try from SheSpeaks for free. These have a milk chocolate outer shell and a yummy peanut butter inner filling. They are delicious and I recommend them to anyone that loves both chocolate a peanut butter together. Ghirardelli chocolates have been around for more than 150 years. I was savoring every last little bit of these squares and although peanut butter isn't my absolute favorite filling for chocolate these were really good.

Indulge yourself...The Ghirardelli filled squares also come in these other flavors... Milk Chocolate with Caramel, Dark Chocolate with Mint, 60% Cacao Dark Chocolate with Caramel, Dark Chocolate with Raspberry. Yummy!!

You can buy these at local retailers, such as Target, Walmart, Borders, Walgreens, CVS, as well as online and at Ghirardelli retail stores. They are about $3.49 for a 4.69 oz-5.32 oz bag.

Have an iPhone? Download the NEW Ghirardelli app and enjoy 15% off your first purchase of $20 or more. Enter promocode "shespeaks15" to redeem. Expires 1/31/2010.

DISCLAIMER: As a member of SheSpeaks, I received a sample of Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate with Peanut Butter Filling Squares, as well as six coupons for $1.50 off any Milk Chocolate & Peanut Butter bag. 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 review.