Scrutiny by the Masses

Hershey's Simple Pleasures are Simply Pleasurable

I don't know about you, but I'm sick of the guilt. Tired of feeling bad every time I choose to eat something that "they" have deemed bad for my health or my waistline. "They" have managed to ruin just about everything that I enjoy.

Hershey's has made it possible for me to enjoy my chocolate once again with their new (and very! delectable!) Simple Pleasures. Available in three very yummy choices, Hershey's Simple Pleasures chocolates have 30 percent less fat than the average leading milk chocolates but don't leave anything on the table in terms of taste. In other words, you can have your chocolate and eat it too - without having to spend an extra hour in the gym!

I sampled the Dark chocolate with Chocolate Creme and the Milk chocolate with Vanilla Creme as well as with Chocolate Creme. Each flavor was delicious and I'm hard pressed to pick my favorite, but I think I'd have to go with the Dark Chocolate.

I don't know about you, but the idea that I can enjoy my chocolate and not feel guilty is pretty exciting. I'm delighted to be able to have this treat in my arsenal!

Pssst - stick these chocolates in your fridge for a delicious pick me up in the middle of a hot afternoon. 

Celebrate today by signing up at the Hershey's Simple Pleasures Facebook page. What are you celebrating your independence from? Dishes? Your Boss? Guilt? Crabby kids? Extra sit ups? Whatver it is, sign up and Declare Your Sweet Independence -  you might even win a prize!

Hershey's and The Motherhood have compensated me for this review. As always, all opinions are all my own.

 

The Listerine Oral Care Challenge Comes to a Close

I was provided with product and compensated for my participation in the Oral Care Challenge. However, all thoughts and opinions are all my own.

Not quite a month ago, we began the Listerine Oral Care Challenge. We were provided with floss, toothbrushes and Listerine and as we used the products twice a day, we were to notate how clean our mouths felt.

The older kids in my family were a dismal flop. Apparently, you can lead a horse to water but you can't make them use floss OR Listerine. You can, however, coerce an 8, 9 and 12 year old by giving them their very!own!bottle! of Barbie, Phineas and Ferb or Batman Listerine.

My younger kids took to the product like great gangbusters. I merely had to say, "Time to floss, brush and rinse!" and there they went. My youngest in particular was extremely enthusiastic and I'm fairly certain we've created a convert. My 9 year old was not quite as accepting, but one small reminder of the two fillings that she had to have done made her an entire convert. She NEVER wants to go through that again. They both loved the way that their mouths felt - "Very clean, Mom!"

My 12 year old proclaimed it to be the perfect blend of just a little bit spicy and just a little bit not. Not only that, it had his favorite superhero - and we can do a lot if Batman asks us.

I'll admit it - I've not been a fan of Listerine before. It's too spicy, leaves my mouth on fire and I don't care how good it works - I can't stand the taste. I agreed to try the newer formulation - and I'm a convert. I tried the Fresh Mint, which was, oddly enough, a light pinkish/purple color - and I really loved how it left my mouth feeling clean and tidy at the end of the day. A few nights, I went to bed without rinsing - and I got up just to do so - my teeth didn't feel as clean as they did when I used the Listerine.

It's now on the shopping list. ")

I am an avid flosser - some might say that I've overwhelmingly anal about it. The Cleanpaste is a newer formulation, and I thought it was a wonderful product, given that I have a few teeth that are very, very tight. With regular floos, it often shreds when I'm trying to use it - but the Cleanpaste goes right through.

For more information, check out the Healthy Habits for a Lifetime page - there's some really good info there.

The Motherhood, WalMart and Listerine would like to give you $100  to help you restock your bathroom with new toothbrushes, floss and Listerine for your entire family. To enter, share your best tips for encouraging your family to engage in healthy oral care habits. Those who provide their tips will be entered for a chance to win LISTERINE® and REACH® product samples to step-up their oral care routine and a $100 Walmart gift card to continue the healthy habit.

No purchase necessary. Open to legal residents of the fifty (50) United States and District of Columbia, Eighteen (18) years of age or older. Sweepstakes end March 30, 2012. Prize(s) provided by Johnson & Johnson Healthcare Products, a division of McNEIL-PPC, Inc. Void where prohibited. See Official Rules for complete details. Prize will be fulfilled in a 4-6 week timespan.

Listerine's Oral Care Challenge

Did you know that brushing alone misses 75% of your mouth?  Or that 50% of children will have a cavity or filling between the ages of 5 and 9?  Makes you think twice about what you’re doing to keep your mouth healthy, right?!!  February is National Children’s Dental Health Month, so there’s no better time to start re-thinking how you and your family take care of your mouths.

I will admit that when I read those words, I was skeptical. After all, I'm a pretty thorough brusher. I am a bit ridiculous, I will admit, when it comes to the floss. I do have a mouth full of fillings, though, and most of my kids have had at least one filling - so maybe I DO need to think twice about what we are doing - doing the same thing will give the same results, after all -

and I'm not saying I'm happy with the results we have right now.

Did you know?

• Nearly 75 percent of American adults suffer from various forms of periodontal (gum) disease and don’t know it.
• Brushing your teeth alone misses the germs in 75% of your mouth.
• According to a survey conducted by the makers of LISTERINE® and REACH®, over one-third of Americans don’t eat their favorite foods or smile in photos because of dental problems like cavities, tooth pain and gingivitis.
• Even sadder, 15 percent don’t kiss their loved ones.

In conjunction with LISTERINE® and REACH®, I've decided to take part in the Oral Care Challenge. We are going to re-evaluate our oral care habits and learn why taking a few extra minutes a day for a complete oral care routine that includes brushing, flossing and rinsing is so important. For the next three weeks, we've committed to using the products provided - the ones pictured above - to floss, brush and rinse twice a day. At the end of the challenge, we will be visiting the dentist to see how our mouths are - and if they reflect the efforts we've made.

I promise to floss every day - that's easy. I promise to brush twice a day - piece of cake. I promise to rinse with Listerine twice a day - uuuhhh, wait a minute. I'm not a fan of Listerine - it's too sharp, too bitter and just too, too much. And how will I get my kids to use the Listerine when I can't even stand it?

The next three weeks should be very, very interesting. (Spolier alert - I've been VERY pleasantly surprised at the products I was sent...)

Are you a Listerine user? Do you brush/floss/rinse twice a day? Will you take the challenge with me?

I was provided with product and compensated for my participation in the Oral Care Challenge. However, all thoughts and opinions are all my own.

Healthy Choice

This is a sponsored post. I was compensated for it in addition to being provided two entrees. All thoughts and opinions expressed are all my own.

Healthy Choice is one of my top choices for a frozen meal. It's quickly prepared, something that I can keep in the freezer and pop out at the last minute. I know that it's a tasty meal that isn't going to leave me bloated or regretting my lunch choices.

I was asked to review two new versions of Healthy Choice Steamers - inspired by the runaway Bravo hit TV series Top Chef. These meals are different from the traditional Healthy Choice freezer meals:

• The Healthy Choice Top Chef Inspired Café Steamers bring an all-star lineup of bold, modern and exciting flavors to give you exactly what you want – food that is both healthy and delicious.
• The line of great-tasting dishes features quality ingredients such as slow roasted garlic, asparagus and grilled eggplant.
• The unique steaming technology separates the sauce from the rest of the entrée to steam the meal in the microwave, allowing for crisp vegetables, tender meats and al dente pastas.

This new line includes eight delicious varieties:

• Barbeque Seasoned Steak with Red Potatoes
• Chicken Fresca with Chardonnay
• Chicken Linguini with Red Pepper Alfredo
• Chicken Margherita with Balsamic
• Grilled Chicken Marinara with Parmesan
• Grilled Chicken Pesto with Vegetables
• Grilled Vegetables Mediterranean with Rice
• Roasted Chicken Marsala with Mushrooms

For my sampling purposes, I was provided with 2 choices - Barbeque Seasoned Steak with Red Potatoes and Roasted Chicken Marsala with Mushrooms. I made them both for lunch for my husband and myself on his day off. The meals were easy to prepare - although it's not a one step process, we didn't find the preparation to be difficult. The hardest part was not burning my hands when I dumped the meal into the sauce.

Seriously. Simply heat, pour and eat. It really was *that* simple.

Although there wasn't an overwhelming amount of meat, the chunks were large and flavorful and they didn't have that toughness commonly found in frozen meats. The vegetable pieces were identifiable and not mush - it's common to wonder exactly what the vegetable you just ate was many other frozen dinners.

A few other items of note:

• - The packaging features a Top Chef mark, along with a description on why each entrée is inspired by Top Chef.
• - The meals are starting to appear in grocery stores nationwide for a suggested retail price of $2.75 - $3.50.

Follow Healthy Choice on Twitter: @Healthy_Choice
And like them on Facebook at the Healthy Choice Facebook Page

Tweens, Teens, Communication and Self Confidence

I was pleased to be asked to co Host a text discussion talk on The Motherhood this week with Rosalind Wiseman, author of Queen Bees and Wanna Bees and one of the most level headed, fantastic women I've ever had the privilege to meet. The discussion centered around raising teens and tweens, keeping the lines of communication open and how to talk so that they will listen.

The summary of the class is posted on TheMotherhood, and I wanted to share the link with you. There are some FANTASTIC ideas there and really, if you didn't participate - I think you'll be happy with the time invested in reading the notes.

Once you've done so, come back here and tell me one bit of info from the talk - any bit, it doesn't have to be something I said, just something you found interesting or helpful - and you'll be entered to win a phenomenal prize.

The gift pack from Unilever will include a Vera Bradley bag; one sample each of Dove, Degree Girl and Degree Men deodorant; and Rosalind Wiseman’s books Queen Bees and Wannabes and Boys, Girls & Other Hazardous Materials.

(my 14 year old read this book and loved it!)

I have one of those bags and it is exactly as great as it appears in the photo.

So, go, read, already!

Marie Callender's Pot Pies

I was compensated for this review by Marie Callender's and The Motherhood. All opinions expressed here are my own.

I'm pretty much a make it myself kinda gal. I finally learned how to make my own pie crust, and when I have a bunch of leftover vegetable and meat, I've been know to make a pot pie.

Or two. Let's face it - my kids eat a TON.

But sometimes, you really just want pot pie and you have no desire to make it. Pot Pie is one of those foods, though, that is just not well made and definitely not something that comes out of the freezer deliciously. To try to combat this misconception, Marie Callender's has created a new Pot Pie. Marie Callender’s Pot Pies were featured in an article titled 8 Grocery Store Products That are Better than Homemade (really!) According to the article, Marie Callender’s Pot Pies really are better than homemade and have pastry that “puffs right up, and the ingredients are perfectly cooked and surprisingly fresh-tasting.”

Marie Callender creates each pot pie from scratch with juicy meat, tender vegetables and Marie’s signature golden, flaky crust. The Marie Callender’s goal is to offer busy individuals the luxury of a homemade meal without all the stress and time is takes to prepare one.

I was sent a coupon to try the pot pie. I bought the chicken pot pie and prepared it for my dinner. I'll admit it - I was skeptical. I'm not a fan of frozen meals in general and I'm kind of a food snob - so I didn't have high expectations. But much to my surprise, I found the turkey pot pie to be pretty, well, good.

I know.

The crust was light and flaky, the gravy in the pie full of body and flavor and the veggie chunks substantial enough that I actually knew what they were supposed to be. No guessing - "Hey, is this a pea or a green bean?" The turkey wasn't minced but full on chunks, white meat and juicy.

In short, this pot pie was indeed one that I'd award a Grocery Store Better Than Homemade award.

You heard it here.

Hunt's Tomatoes!

This is a sponsored post, on behalf of ConAgra and The Motherhood

Anyone who knows me knows that I am interested in eating right and exercising. I'm all about being healthy. I feel better when I'm getting the right foods into me, look better when I exercise more than once a week, and let's face it, EVERYONE likes when their skinny jeans fit.

One of the best aspects of living a healthy life and daily exercise is the affect it has on your heart. Being of "a certain age" - HA! - I've recently been convicted of the fact that, now more than ever, I need to make sure my entire family eats for heart health. My husband has lost more than one contemporary recently to heart attacks and strokes, and I'm determind that I'm going to do what I can to keep our hearts pumping strong for a long time.

After all, I'd kind of like to be able to enjoy the time after the kids finally move out of the hosue WITH someone, you know?

One of the ways that I hope to keep us healthy - after all, it's quite a long time until all six kids are out of the house - is by cooking healthy foods. We eat a lot of foods that are prepared with Hunt's Tomatoes - bolognese sauce, chili, pastitiso, Taco Soup - I typically buy Hunt's Tomatoes a case at a time. Yes, we really use that many tomatoes. Here are some interesting tidbits about Hunt's Tomatoes - I really had no idea!

Facts About Hunt's and Tomatoes:

- Recent studies have suggested that the distinct combination of nutrients found in tomatoes may have a measurable impact on heart disease prevention. (A press release announcing the study findings can be found here)
- According to a study reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, lycopene absorption is 2-3 times greater in canned tomato products than raw tomatoes.
- Using Hunt's tomatoes is a great way to get a significant source of fiber, Vitamin C and the antioxidant lycopene into your diet.
- Hunt's tomatoes are flash-steamed to help them keep their backyard-garden-fresh taste, are 100 percent natural and contain no artificial preservatives or ingredients.
- For more information about Hunt's tomatoes and the FlashSteam process, some recipe inspiration and the latest news and promotions, visit www.hunts.com

As a bonus, I'd love it if you made Taco Soup for your family - it's one of our favorites, and it's a great, healthy way to get the heart healthy benefit. This is SERIOUSLY yummy. In fact, I think it's going to be dinner tomorrow!

--2 cans of kindey beans

--2 cans of pinto beans

--2 cans of corn

--1 large can Hunt's diced tomatoes

--1 can tomatoes and chiles - Rotel

--1 packet taco seasoning

--1 packet ranch dressing mix

--1 lb browned ground turkey or hamburger or frozen soy crumbles (I usually use 1 pound ground beef and one bag of crumbles)

The Directions:

--brown meat if you are going to use it

--drain fat and add the meat to crockpot stoneware insert

--sprinkle seasoning packets on top of meat

--drain and rinse the beans and add

--add the ENTIRE contents of the corn and tomato cans
--stir.

cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-5. I think the longer you cook soup, the better, so if you have the time, opt for cooking on low. Stir well, and serve with a handful of shredded cheese and a dollop of sour cream and tortilla chips. This is delicious, nutritious and filling.