I am a self-confessed foodie of epic proportions. I love nothing more than to make delicious meals for my family. To me, cooking is something that should be enjoyed. It's an adventure, in a sense. There are so many ways to take a familiar recipe and add personal touches that make it uniquely YOU. For example, I love adding mashed potatoes to my deep dish pizza dough. You might think it sounds odd, but it actually adds a wonderful flavor and texture to the crust which takes me back to a fabulous pizzeria I once visited in Old Town, Alexandria when I was about 9 months pregnant with my 11 year old son. They had the best deep dish white pizza I have ever had. It was definitely worth the mile long waddle, up hill, in the cold. The crust of their pizza was thick, slightly doughy, and had an almost buttery goodness that was second to none. Experimenting with food is a fantastic way to recreate these culinary memories. Let's face it. We all have them. Good food is something we share with friends and family, and is often the centerpiece of some of life's most important moments. There is often food on first dates, during marriage proposals, holidays, and food is even used to celebrate other momentous occasions. Food not only sustains us as human beings, it is also sentimental and comforting. I think that's why I love cooking so much. I want my family to associate food with these special memories. And food can certainly be memorable in itself! When I cook, I prefer to make things from scratch. No Hamburger Helper here, please! The only thing we prefer a boxed mix for are mashed potatoes. We love them! Of course, I doctor them up so they're not so plain. But everything else, I create myself. I actually never follow a recipe when I cook. Unless, of course, I am baking. Baking is a science, and require exactness. When I prepare meals for my family and friends, I love to experiment by combining different flavors and textures, even ones that may not seem overly conventional. Cooking offers a wonderful outlet for creativity, and it's an art that I thoroughly enjoy.
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So yesterday I received an e-mail from the editors of Parents Magazine, probably THE leading authority on all things family related, that my blog has been nominated for their Best Blog Awards in the Best All Around Mom Blog category! This was the shock of a lifetime, to say the least, and I want to personally thank whoever it is that nominated me! I work very hard at providing quality content for my sponsors and my readers, and it is very nice to be recognized for that hard work. Especially considering I don't spam everyone to death with the Blog Hop of the day or shamelessly promote myself a zillion times a day on various social networking sites. This, in effect, makes me somewhat less visible than some other blogs who do these things. No offense to those that do. I have no problem with it at all. I just don't have enough hours available in the day to do so myself to the extent that some other bloggers do. Sure, I promote, but I don't want to overdo it and seem spammy, so I try and focus on quality rather than quantity when it comes to my posts. So I won't beg on a daily basis for your votes. I won't tweet you to death asking for your vote. I won't send annoying Facebook messages to your inboxes daily begging you to vote for me. I will, however, offer generous extra entries into my giveaways. Hey, it's a simple click, and it's worth the added chance to win! I have updated all of my Rafflecopter forms to reflect the added chance to win. What I will ask is this: If you enjoy my content and like the effort I put into my posts, or even if you just like all the great giveaways I have to offer, I would definitely appreciate your vote. I'm not going to beg. I'm not going to spam anyone to death. But I would absolutely love you forever if you voted for Newly Crunchy Mama Of 3 to win the Parents Best Blog Award. This is such a humbling and flattering experience for me, and it makes all of my hard work seem worthwhile. It's so nice to be recognized in such a large arena, and I am up against some amazing blogs. While I don't expect to win, I would love to see just how well I can do. I am just a little fish in a HUGE sea of wonderful blogs, and it's good to know I am obviously doing something right! To vote, simply click on the button above. Then follow the simple instructions. You may vote until 10/15/11, and then the awards will be given. I am keeping my fingers crossed that I finish well. Again, I am so honored to be nominated for this prestigious award, and I appreciate all of my loyal readers who believe in what I have to offer the blogging community. With tens of thousands of blogs out there, it's nice to know I'm not invisible! And to whoever thought enough of me to nominate me, THANK YOU! This is the chance of a lifetime! Caught in the act! She couldn't resist! If there is one thing that is a hot commodity in my home among my husband and children, it's GOT to be chocolate. My husband is probably the biggest chocoholic I have ever met! I have personally seen him devour a 5lb chocolate bar in a matter of a couple of hours. He lives, eats, sleeps, and breaths chocolate. Sometimes I suspect he has chocolate running through his veins rather than blood! And my daughter, Sophie, has obviously inherited her Daddy's love for anything cocoa. If Daddy has anything chocolate, whether it be a candy bar, cookie, cake, or even cereal, she will throw an epic temper tantrum until Daddy gives her some. And then she comes back for more and more until it either runs out or Dan tells her no. (And trust me, telling a toddler no can produce even bigger tantrums!) So yes, chocolate is a staple in my home. I am actually not a big chocolate fan, though. I will have a small piece here and there, but I am not as big a fan as my husband and children. My husband loves his chocolate, and even has his weekly stash of chocolatey goodness that he has to have OR ELSE. Dan without chocolate is like a coffee lover without their morning cup of Joe. He's got it bad! It's definitely no secret around here that I love cloth diapers, and am very enthusiastic about debunking common stereotypes surrounding them. Yes, there are plenty of false assumptions about cloth, and before I tried them, I had these preconceptions, myself! We began cloth diapering out of necessity. When our daughter was only 3 months old, we discovered we were pregnant again. Doing the math, we realized that our babies would only be 12 months apart in age. Well, being a one income family, we had to find ways to save money. The first concern was diapering. Can you imagine what it would cost to keep two very different sized babies in disposable diapers? By our calculations, this would cost HUNDREDS of dollars every single month! And this was a cost we certainly couldn't afford without my husband getting a second job, or me finding work at night. Neither idea seemed overly appealing to us, so at the urging of a friend, we began looking into cloth diapering. I will admit, we were very reluctant at first. I had images of big prefolds, gigantic, sharp diaper pins and squeaky rubber pants running through my mind. I also had the notion that cloth diapering would be messy, hard to get on a squirming baby, and that they would be a nightmare to clean. I imagined that I would be a veritable laundry machine, needing to wash stinky, oozing diapers day and night just to keep up with the demands of two babies. It's safe to say, I was definitely a skeptic. And then my high school friend came to town with her family. Her two youngest daughters were in cloth at the time, and it was the first time I had actually seen modern cloth. I was amazed at the plush materials, the vibrant, fun colors and prints, and most of all, I was shocked at how EASY they were to put on a baby. Modern cloth diapers were nothing at all like I envisioned them! And this is where my love affair with all things fluff began. I am a lover of beautiful things. Whether they be sparkly, colorful, or even simple in nature, I try and find beauty in everything around me. I love the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC, and love leisurely exploring the Rotunda and just taking in all of the breathtaking artwork that is there to behold. But fine art is not something I ever dreamed I could hope to display in my own home. That's why I was so excited to get the opportunity to work with Gallery Direct. Gallery Direct is a fabulous company that offers professional, gallery quality art to the public for bargain prices. They offer thousands of well-known images by the greats like Van Gogh, Da Vinci, and Monet, as well as myriads of lesser known images and prints. The wonderful thing about Gallery Direct, besides their vast selection, is the fact that they offer so many options for display. You can choose several mediums, such as Canvas, (gallery wrapped or framed) Paper, Acrylic, Aluminum, Mirror art, and even stunning artwork on Wood! That's right! Each of their stunning images can be customized any way you want to create a one of a kind piece of artwork that fits your individual style and living space perfectly. You can even upload your own photos for an heirloom quality treasure that can be passed down from generation to generation! When selecting my piece of artwork for review, my husband and I literally spent hours scouring the thousands of images available at Gallery Direct. We looked at fine art from the masters as well as beautiful work from lesser known artists. But we were waiting for something to speak to us. This happened to occur when we stumbled upon one of the many, many stock images, by an artist unknown. It is simply titled "Ghost on Porch in a Storm". From the website's description, this is actually taken from a photograph of an old, abandoned, supposedly haunted farmhouse. Is the ghost an actual paranormal photo? Who knows? But we both found the image hauntingly beautiful, in an odd way. Perhaps it is the ominous sky and the way the light plays through the storm clouds...Or maybe it's the desolate feel of the structure. After studying the image for awhile, we realized it was something far more sentimental than that. When we received our artwork from Gallery Direct, we noticed immediately the superior quality of this piece. It came to us beautifully and securely packaged, and was definitely shipped with the utmost care. We also noticed the crisp, clear detail depicted in this image. The colors were vibrant, and the details of the image were painstakingly accurate, just as they appeared in the photo we selected on the Gallery Direct website. We chose a Large Framed Canvas, and it came ready to hang. The frame is sturdy and absolutely gorgeous. It was obvious that the folks at Gallery Direct are experts in the craft of providing fine gallery quality artwork that is suitable for even the fanciest of settings and made to last a lifetime. Before I tell the story behind why we ultimately made such an odd choice in artwork, take a look at the beautiful detail of the image. Kids can be picky eaters. I know this first-hand, because I was one of the pickiest kids ever. I have evolved into a very picky adult. The list of things I won't eat goes on and on....I won't eat eggs, onions, any kind of seafood, not a big fan of sweets or desserts, I don't like turkey or stuffing or even pumpkin pie. (Which incidentally makes Thanksgiving a holiday that I don't gorge myself on!) So being picky myself, I can understand the many reasons kids can be so selective about their eating preferences. As the mom of 3 amazing children, it can be a challenge to find foods that my kids will eat that aren't simply loaded with sugar. Especially at breakfast time. With so many breakfast cereals being incredibly full of artificial sweeteners, it can be hard to find alternatives. That's why I love Kix cereal! You know. Kix! They've been a mainstay in households across the country for decades. I remember eating Kix when I was a kid! And since I am ancient, according to my 11 year old, that was a LONG time ago! Why has Kix enjoyed such staying power? They're kid-tested and mother-approved! Kids love the slightly sweet taste and crunch that Kix offers, and since they're made with whole grain corn and are free of artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives, moms can feel good about choosing Kix as their go to breakfast cereal. Kix is even an excellent source of iron, and contains calcium, fiber, and Vitamins C and D, which are necessary nutrients for growing kids. But what my kids love most about Kix is that they're fun to eat, plain and simple. These crunchy corn-balls are genius in their simplicity, and kids seem to love them! Even though they don't have marshmallows or crazy shapes and colors. My 11 year old and my toddler both enjoy eating Kix for breakfast as well as for snacks! I often carry a tupperware container full of Kix for my princess while we're on the go! I would definitely recommend Kix cereals to families with growing children. This tasty cereal offers vital nutrition and tastes so good, your kids will be sure to love it! For more information about Kix Cereal, please visit their website. WIN IT: One very lucky follower will be receiving 6 BOXES of Kix Cereal! Just in time for back to school! Lots of winners to announce! You've all been e-mailed, and have 48 hours to respond and claim your prize! If I don't hear from you, I will have to redraw, and no one wants that! Congrats!
Cool Care: Samantha C. Rockboard Scooter: Rita S. So Easy Baby Food Kit: Janet W. Dandelion Earth Friendly Goods: Linda AT&T Dual Handset Answering System: Eileen R. Paradise Grove Avocados: Jodi K. BAMBO Nature: Cori H. I will be the first to admit, I have never been much of a tea drinker, iced or otherwise. You see, I was absolutely hooked on soda for years. That's what fueled me, and it also caused me to gain a good amount of weight due to all of the empty calories and added sugar. Well, I have finally broken that addiction and my waistline is thanking me. After giving up regular sodas, about 25lbs just fell right off of me! But as bad as this sounds, I am NOT a fan of plain old water, either. Suddenly, tea became a whole lot more appealing! But where to start? With SO many varieties to choose from, finding the right tea can seem a little bit daunting of a task. I have heard of Mighty Leaf Tea on several blogs I am a regular reader of, and they consistently receive rave reviews. So naturally, I knew I wanted to begin my tea experiment with them. Why not begin with the best, right? Much to my delight, the nice folks at Mighty Leaf Tea Company agreed to send me an assortment of their fine teas to sample. Why is Mighty Leaf Tea unique? Well, they add a little human touch to their special brews! Their tea leaves are hand-picked, and so are their herbs fruits and spices in dozens of varieties that are sure to please even the pickiest of palates. Mighty Leaf incorporates a small batch, whole leaf blending process which guarantees superb quality with every sip you take. They also handcraft and hand-stitch their tea pouches, which are made from fully biodegradable materials. Mighty Leaf Tea Pouches are crafted from corn-derived PLA. These pouches decompose into carbon dioxide and water in a controlled composting environment. The speed of degredation varies largely depending on the temperature, moisture and PH level of the soil, as well as the types and number of micro-organisms present. The string and tag are also compostable and do not need to be removed before discarding. So Mighty Leaf demonstrates a great deal of social and environmental responsibility as well. Gotta love that, right? But the question remains: Are Mighty Leaf Teas GOOD? Yes! Even to an inexperienced tea drinker like me! I received a variety of Mighty Leaf Iced Tea blends, which are perfect for summer. Among my favorites are the Ginger Peach Iced Tea and the Calypso Mango Iced Tea. Both of these wonderfully refreshing blends are incredibly flavorful, offering a sweet, fruity finish. All of the flavors in these teas marry beautifully, creating an unforgettable and luxurious tea-drinking experience. I especially loved the hint of ginger in the Ginger Peach Iced Tea, which added a slight spiciness to the sweetness of the peach flavor. In a word: Perfection! I also really enjoyed the Sunburst Green Iced Tea, which is a light, refreshing blend complemented by citrus notes. And you know how good green tea is for the body, right? I had tried green tea varieties before, but only in bottled varieties that can be found in the cooler of convenience stores. I never really enjoyed it until I tried Mighty Leaf's variety. This simply blows the others out of the water! The Organic Black Iced Tea was also quite good, but not as sweet as the others. I found that adding ice cubes made from fresh fruit juices really livened this deep, organic blend up considerably. Overall, I was quite impressed by the fantastic, hand-crafted teas that Mighty Leaf Tea has to offer. They are crisp, refreshing, and perfect for relaxing on a hot summer's evening. I love what this company stands for and the extra care they put into the manufacturing process of these superior teas. So while I may not have always been a tea-drinker, Mighty Leaf has made a convert of me! BUY IT: You can purchase Mighty Leaf Teas on their website. They also have a handy retail locator to help you find Mighty Leaf Tea at a store near you! For a limited time, you can save 15% on your Mighty Leaf Tea purchases by using the following code at checkout: summertea15 You can also follow Mighty Leaf Tea Company on Facebook and on twitter to stay on top of their latest products and promotions. WIN IT: The awesome folks at Mighty Leaf Tea Company are offering one very lucky follower a Summer Brewing Kit, featuring their delicious tea and a Bodum Iced Tea Pitcher! I admit it: I am a total foodie. I love nothing more than creating new dishes for my family, and I often take existing recipes and totally change them around, adding my own personal twists. That's right. You will never see me poring over a cookbook and trying to get my measurements right. (Unless I am baking...Then it's a whole different story!) I usually consult recipe websites just to get an idea, and then I set the laptop down and just run with adding, adding or eliminating ingredients as I see fit. To me, cooking is an adventure. The sky is the limit when preparing food, and one way to ensure successful dishes is to always have high quality ingredients on hand. I am VERY picky about what I will use in my food. Ground beef? Never! Get me some Ground Chuck! Iceburg Lettuce? You can let that sink with the Titanic! Hand me some Romaine, Endive, or butter greens! American Cheese? Well, it does have its place, but I would MUCH prefer some smoked Provolone, some buttery Havarti, some nutty Meunster or some zippy Pepper-Jack! So as you can see, I am very conscious of what ingredients I use while cooking. I make almost everything from scratch, even my sauces. The exception to the rule is mashed potatoes. My family actually prefers instant potatoes, as odd as it sounds. But I even doctor those up and transform plain into fabulous! Obviously, in my household quality matters. Does everything HAVE to be homemade? Not at all! I am just very selective about what prepacked, prepared foods and sauces I will incorporate into my cooking. That's why I was so eager to try Cattle Boyz Gourmet BBQ Sauces and Seasonings. I have read rave reviews of their line of products, and knew I just had to try them for myself! I generally make my own BBQ sauce, but this can be a time consuming process, and I don't always have all the staple ingredients like molasses on hand. So finding a great, pre-made BBQ sauce sounded like a lifesaver to me for those busy weeknights where I don't necessarily have hours to spend slaving away in the kitchen. The nice folks at Cattle Boyz, a Canadian company straight out of the rustic country-side of Alberta, were nice enough to send me an assortment of their products to try in my kitchen. I received 2 varieties of their Gourmet BBQ Sauce, the Original and the Sweet Chili Sauce. The GREAT thing about these products is that they are gluten and fat free, and contain absolutely no additives or preservatives whatsoever. What does that mean? It means that there is no concern about what you're feeding your family. All of the ingredients are right there, and you can actually pronounce them all! This also means that you'll be experiencing flavor at its finest. The fact that the ingredients are from natural sources and are not artificial in nature allows all of the wonderful flavors to play off of each other and blend together perfectly, with no "fake" or over-processed flavor. I tried the Original BBQ Sauce First, paired with the Smoky Southwest Seasoning and Rub. I decided to keep things very simple so I could showcase the flavors of these products. I even completely resisted the urge to "doctor" the dish, as hard as it was for me. I decided to make a simple, BBQ Chicken and Roasted Potato dish. (Photos and recipe to follow.) I almost felt wrong making something that required so little effort, but the results were fabulous. The Original BBQ Sauce had a pefect balance of sweetness and smokiness, and even had a hint of heat to it. For this recipe, I also used the Southwest Rub, which has a wonderful smoky, spicy flavor to it. Who knew that only 4 ingredients could make such a delicious, flavorful dish?! In addition to these awesome sauces, I also received 3 of Cattle Boyz awesome seasonings, their versatile Gourmet Seasoning, which is suitable for meats, veggies, and even seafood, their Smoky Southwest Seasoning and Rub (mentioned above) which can liven up any protein and even be added to soups and stews, and their Big Country Garlic Seasoning which I literally use on EVERYTHING. These seasoning blends are nothing short of phenomenal! I routinely use the Gourmet Seasoning on veggies and baked potatoes, as it lends a perfectly balanced savory sensation that brings out the natural flavors of the foods beautifully. I also love the Smoky Southwest Seasoning, and use that on meats, chicken, and in stews. As the name indicates, this is a spicier seasoning blend, but it's not too spicy for kids. It's just right! Now my favorite of the three would have to be the Big Country Garlic Seasoning. Oh. My. Goodness. This is probably THE single best garlic seasoning I have ever had the pleasure of trying. It showcases the expected pungent flavor of the garlic, but then comes an unexpected sweetness that complements the garlicky goodness perfectly. Add a slight bit of heat (and I do mean slight) and you have a complex yet simple seasoning that is perfect on literally everything. I use it on toast, in pretty much every dish I make, and it's even good in grilled cheese sandwiches! It is absolutely delicious! Overall, I would definitely recommend Cattle Boyz Gourmet BBQ Sauces and Seasonings to anyone who wants to add something extra special to their meals. You can save SO much time in the kitchen when using these products, and your family will think you've slaved away all day. The flavors are big, bold, and unlike any other commercially prepared sauces and rubs I've ever tried. And the fact that they are gluten and fat free, and don't contain any preservatives makes these the natural choice for families! EASY PEASY CATTLE BOYZ BBQ CHICKEN AND POTATOES RECIPE: Because I am the mom of 3 amazing kids and a NE Ohio native, I was already familiar with Step2 products. And unless you're living under a rock somewhere, I'm sure you are, too! Step2 has been providing fun, durable, and totally drool-worthy products to families for years. From rough and tumble outdoor play to products that encourage creativity and imaginative play, Step2 literally has something for everyone. Some of my absolute favorites are their brand new Welcome Home Playhouse and Sandbox Combo and their Gather & Grille Playhouse. Not to mention their amazing climbing toys and slides! Yes, my holiday wish-list includes a TON of Step2 products! Why? Well, other than the fact that my babies' birthdays are BOTH right near Christmas, and a Step2 gift would be perfect for their big, joint present, also because Step2 is synonymous with quality. When I hear the name Step2, I immediately think of durable, engaging products that are built to withstand the elements as well as the most active of children. That's right, Step2 products are made to last for years! With an infant and a toddler, this kind of unsurpassed quality matters to me as a parent. But while Step2 is best known for their outdoor products, they also offer a huge variety of indoor products, too! That's why when I received the opportunity to review their brand new Art Easel Desk, I jumped at the chance! My 19 month old, Sophie, has just begun to dabble in the world of art. She loves crayons (to try and eat and to scribble with) and she also loves expressing her inner Picasso with fingerpaints and water-colors! The Step2 Art Easel Desk is the perfect all-in-one art center for your budding VanGogh's! This awesome desk offers so much fun in one rather compact little package. Despite the fact that this desk doesn't take up a ton of room, there is a plethora of storage for art supplies in this awesome desk. There are slots suitable for markers, crayons, or even paintbrushes, and the desk-top which also doubles as a dry-erase board, lifts up to reveal a spacious cubby that that large enough to hold all of your paper, paints, and other art supplies!This is great for kids who enjoy creating new things like popsicle-stick houses or picture frames. You can even use this surface for Play-Doh and modeling clay. With the ample storage, the possibilities are endless! This also helps teach organization from an early age. When it's time to clean up, my toddler knows that everything has its place and she is eager to help put everything away. The Step2 Art Easel Desk is extremely well constructed, durable, and was easy to assemble. My husband had it together in minutes. That's right, folks. This product requires minimal adult assembly. You won't have to spend an hour trying to figure out what goes where! Some of the features I love the most other than the ample amount of storage I already pointed out are:
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I'm Brandy, a happily married, proud Mom of 3 amazing kids. If you're interested in building a working relationship, please feel free to e-mail me at: NewlyCrunchyMamaOf3@gmail.com Links We Love :Archives
June 2023
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