Monday, June 29, 2009

FAB MAMA Review : Annie's Homegrown Shells & Real Aged Cheddar

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Four words... THE LITTLES LOVED IT!

Annie's Homegrown shells and aged cheddar takes boxed mac and cheese to a whole new level. I picked this up at Spud. Very easy recipe to follow and simple ingredients, the box plus milk. That's it. I added to this recipe however, to up the healthy factor I added some shredded carrots.

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One fourth cup non fat milk


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after the pasta boiled I added in the cheese packed and stirred together with the milk.

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While the pasta boiled I cooked up my frozen carrot strips

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Yum yum ... no?

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Mr. Picky Eater of the year LOVED this meal. He asked for more. Say What?


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Gabriel Tested, Mama approved!

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I had to crop this pic of David, because his face was super blurry but he loved it, I mean loved it !

Great staple to have in the house. E even liked my carrot mac and cheese. You can do many different variations using this box mix. Green veggies is a good idea. My littles are big fans of mac and trees . Typical mac and cheese with broccoli florets chopped up and standing up in the mac. You can also puree veggies and sneak them in during the mixing process. There are many good books out and about about sneaking veggies into your kids food.... I have been known to sneak in jars of baby food into noodles and cheese in the past but since I was not in the mood to steam up the kitchen during this last hot weekend and we no longer have a little baby in the house I stuck to the frozen veggies and took the lazy way out.... and I was happy that it was a crowd pleaser and let me say it is quite tasty... I never serve it to the littles with out taking a bite to make sure its yum and I loved this mac and cheese with or with out the added veggies.

Veggies you can add to your kids meals

steamed carrots
sweet potatoes
squash
pumpkin
broccoli
beans
spinach
tomatoes
avocado


Being creative with food for your littles is really fun the list of things you can add into a dish to veggie it up are really endless. You can get as imaginative as you like. Sometimes you get a dud most times I get a winner... you never know until you try. I highly recommend picking some of this yummy mac and cheese while you are shopping at Spud.


Want to get your own Spud Box?
Receive $25 off over your first 4 deliveries ($5 off each of your first 3 orders and $10 off your 4th). Use coupon code below.

Visit www.Spud.com and use coupon code CRSFO - ALVMIC

Sunday, June 28, 2009

Happy Sunday Morning!

Spilled cherrios, happy faces and a mocha latte . There's nothing like Sunday breakfast at mimi's. Affordable and yummy eats and they give thief luttles a small bowl of cherrios with fruit and a bib to start an enjoyable dining experience . Lots to do today. Shopping at target and jcp and keeping the littles occupied.

If an adventure opos up I will be sure to blog it.











-- Post From My fabulous









CV fab mama/curlie girlie gone mobile!

Saturday, June 27, 2009

Oh Saturday





A fun filled Saturday . The gym , a walk , lunch and I got a nap! Woo hoo I love these type of days!



-- Post From My fabulous iPhone

CV fab mama/curlie girlie gone mobile!

Friday, June 26, 2009

Gabriel Alexander



A collection of photos of my beautiful son. I never thought I could love a person as much as I love my little boy... and his baby brother.

Fabulous Friday Eats!



Well the eats not that fabulous but the fact that it's Friday is fantastically fabulous!

Breakfast: one slice raisin bread with 1 tbsp peanut butter ( 3), almond milk (3)
Total 6

Snack : string cheese stick (2) banana (2)

Lunch one slice Italian turkey breast with spinach and mustard on whole wheat (3) one cup chicken and bean soup (3)

Lunch total 6

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Bagged Lunch

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Bagged my lunch today.

Breakfast raisin toast with PB (3), blue diamond chocolate almond milk 4 oz (3) breakfast total 6

Lunch turkey tortilla wrap with mustard and sprouts (4), yo baby banana yogurt (2)
18 rabbits granola bar (4)
lunch total 10

I also packed a string cheese and banana for snack and a trader joe's carrot apple sauce crusher to stash at work in case I get hungry in the future.

On the Menu : Baby Tacos & Dinner Confessions

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Confession time, We are eating out TOO much. Three times this week already

Sunday: Pizza

Tuesday: Chevy's

Wednesday: Burrito Shop

UGH!!!! This really needs to come to a fast end. Not only is all this eating out not helping with all the hard work I put in during the day by tracking points but its really a waste of money. Last night I had a massage session, ran to the grocery store and then dashed off to my friends house for a princess house party. It was hot in the kitchen and I was not to keen on making it hotter. E offered to run to the local burrito shop and I took him up on his offer. I had two steak baby tacos. I topped with the Trader Joe's Salsa Especial. E had a chicken burrito. It was ok but really a waste of money considering I would have felt more satisfied with a salad but oh well. I am really trying to start TODAY with eating out less. I still have not dinner plans tonight, we will need to see where the day take me .

Look What I Won!

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I am forever on Facebook I am not even sure why I am adding a link to wiki ,I am sure the entire world knows what facebook is by now. I am friends with Spud SF favorite place to get my organic produce .. I blog about it all the time. They had a give away up last week for tee shirt and 18 rabbits granola bars. I answered the questions right and viola in this weeks box I got my cute tee shirt that says Cheeky which in a way sums me up. The tee is a little small but make perfect bed time shirt. I also got a cute sticker with the 18 rabbits logo and two granola bars.

Nibble A Sultana (with organic apricots, sultanas & pumpkin seeds ) 4 points
Haute Diggety Date (Gracious Granola Bar made with ORGANIC dates, golden sultanas & oats) points unknown I did not do that much research before I left the house this AM I was running late.

I was perusing Spud and 18 rabbits website and think the flavors sound divine, the packaging is delicious and the site quite posh. I will be eating these bars sometime soon stay tuned for a fab mama review... But I think they will be making it to the next spud box... especially the cheeky cherry chocolate

BTW ... As I was blogging about this it occurred to me what the heck is a sultana? It's a variety of grape find out more about it here! Exotic and cute, kinda like me. LOl I am really looking forward to trying this bar out now.

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how my cute tee and bars arrived in my box this week

Veggie Box

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Avocado, Hass - 2 (Stehly Farms Organics, CA)
Bananas - 4 (Organics Unlimited, MEX)
Salad Greens, Spring - 4 oz bag - 1 (Earthbound Farm/Natural Selection Foods, CA)
Spinach, Baby - 5 oz bag - 1 (Earthbound Farm/Natural Selection Foods, CA)
Strawberries - XL berries - 1 lb (CA)
Tomatoes, Purple Cherokee - approx 2 each - 1 lb (Tutti Frutti Farms, CA)
Potato Rosemary - 16oz (Grace Baking)
Organic Crazy Eights - 8 (Dee's Mini Doughnuts

I got a smaller box this week since we will be in and out of the house most of the weekend. I stuck to favorites we always stock, spinach lettuce, the donuts and bread. I am looking forward to making some fresh purple salsa this weekend with my tomatoes I will be sure to blog all about it.

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Fab Mama Review: EnviroKids Gorilla Munch & Clover Organic Milk

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More easy peasy shopping done at Spud
The littles love the EnviroKids cereals! The latest and greatest is the EnviroKids Organic Gorilla Munch Cereal. I picked it up here ...Spud of course

Think kix cereal but organic and informative.
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Yes, it's true the littles are not reading just yet but I do read the back of the cereal box to them when I think it's interesting.

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This box is interesting!We learned a little bit about gorillas, where they live, what they eat.

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Littles chowing down on some gorilla munch!

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BBD's turn to "read" about gorillas


Check out the Clover milk hiding in the background... I LOVE Clover milk! it is my all time favorite milk ever. You may think this is random to have a favorite milk but I consider myself a milk snob of sorts and I know great milk when I taste it.

For instants, I can taste the small differences in milk by plastic jug and by paper carton. I prefer jug milk but carton is better because the light does not seep into the plastic and change the way the milk tastes? Not sure if this is true but I heard it on the food network once and who am I to question the food network. I love the richness of clover milk, the fullness when you drink it and just about everything about it. We only stock Clover milk in my house, that is how brand loyal I am.

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At first I was a little hesitant to get milk delivered but I figured I would try it and see if my milk arrived safe... it did! Spud packed it with ice packs and a handy dandy little envelope. Wonderful! I love that Spud is so thoughtful with these type of things... it really sets my mind at ease that I can shop with out a worry from my desk at work or while relaxing on the couch.

I think Gorilla Munch and clover milk make a fantastic pairing any little or momma would love! I'm sure even a gorilla would like it, wait.. I am not sure if gorilla's can drink cows milk so scratch that.

Happy Munching!

Fab Mama Review: PB&J My Way

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I picked up the peanut butter, jelly and bread all at Spud.

Nothing says yummy comfort food to me like PB&J. I am passing this along to the littles. When I can not get my boys to eat what I have made for dinner but don't want to send them to bed with an empty tummy I can always go to this.

I like to make PB&J fun and we will see how it turns out now on to the reviews.


Maranatha Peanut Butter
. I am usually not a fan of creamy peanut butter, I am a crunchy kind of girl, but I thought I would give it a whirl since it may be easier for the littles to eat (esp. BBD) I was very happy with the creaminess of this peanut butter. A word of warning when you first open this peanut butter is natural separation of the peanut oil. I have seen this before in organic peanut butter. it totally natural so don't worry about it just stir well before using and store in fridge once it's open.
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peanut butter drip-age

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after stirring and being in the fridge

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very good spreadability

Cascadian Farms Grape Jam
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Good flavor although I am a fan or marmalade. The littes and E love grape jelly so it was a family pleaser when I made the sandwiches using grape.I like to spread this in very then because it does not matter if it is organic or not jam is sticky! I happened to like this jam and have used it a few times on toast and it goes well on warm bread also.

Alvarado St. Bakery, Ultimate Kids Bread

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Very fluffy kid friendly bread. I have found that the boys really are not huge fans of wheat bread, some of it is too thick for them and come to think of it me too. This bread is very yummy, soft fluffy and tasty it makes for very good toast and sandwiches.

With these yummy organic raw materials I was able to get to sandwich business. I always keep a tub of cookie cutters on hand when cooking for littles. I decided to go for a lives in the water theme.

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duck and fish cutters.

To begin you make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich the traditional way, whip out your cutters and start pressing and peeling the out edges away.

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a duck under construction
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a duck complete

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here fishy fishy
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more peeling back of the crust
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fish sandwich ready to go

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Voila littles peanut butter perfection you could if you were ambitious take this the next level and get some food safe markers and draw in some eyeballs and smiles on these little guys but I have yet to get some... it's on a shopping list believe me. I always serve these sandwiches with the cutters to give the littles something to do while the are munching away.

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BBD very happy with his sandwich


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LMG lovin' his sandwich

Wasteful?
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I think not... I am often questioned by people what about the left overs? The boys usually will want a snack sometime in the day or they are still hungry. This is when the crust comes in. I either serve it to the boys, or ...

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to the hubby for a pre dinner snack.. or late night snack

Two Boxes

Monday's Box

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on the menu side salad with tomatoes, and garbanzo beans. I also packed a mini sprout tortilla sandwich. It was dressed up with red pepper spread from trader joes. Earlier in the day I had a little fruit cocktail with peaches and strawberries

Tuesday's Box
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today's eats: Breakfast: 1 slice sour dough bread with peanut butter (4) with blue diamond almond milk 6 oz (3) Breakfast total 7

Lunch: salad with tomatoes and dressing (1) quinoa 1 cup with spinach (4), lamb tips quesadilla (6) I also packed some fruit a total of (2) Lunch total 13? EEEK

*I only packed the quesadilla cause the littles did not want to finish their dinner and I did not want it to go to waste. I will probably end up taking it home as I am doing the math now and seem to be going a little over points today.

Monday, June 22, 2009

SO Yummy In My Tummy So Yummy So Yummy: Spud Time!

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Bananas - 6 (Organics Unlimited, MEX)
Cantaloupe - 1 (CA)
Peaches - 4 (Burkart Farms, CA)
Spinach - Bunched - 1 (Cal-Organic Farms, CA)
Sprouts, Alfalfa - 4 oz - 1 (Banner Mountain Sprouts, CA)
Strawberries - 1 lb - 1 (Driscoll's, CA)
Tomatoes, Purple Cherokee - approx. 3 each - 0.75 lb (Tutti Frutti Farms, CA)
DR4022 Organic Apple Juice - 32 OZ (Santa Cruz)
DR4100 Organic Guava Synergy - 16oz. (Millennium)
BR4060 Organic Crazy Eights - 8 (Dee's Mini Doughnuts)

I also added on some quick kid shopping this week. Since E is home for the summer and has the boys 2 days a week I thought I would try and take the guess work out of lunch for him on Thursday and Friday. I ordered some little essentials from Spud to save him and myself some shopping time. On the littles list

Peanut Butter
Jelly
Milk
Mac and cheese
Bread
Gorilla Munch Cereal

The Box was hefty and exciting to unpack and try some new items and munch on some old favorites. Here are some up close and personal snaps of items I got in my box last week.
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Still hands down best apple juice on earth

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Purple Cherokee tomatoes, a heirloom variety that in fact I discovered on Spud last summer and have been craving all year long so glad these little gems are back in my life!

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Another shot of these yummies... pretty color huh?

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I was a little hesitant at first to order milk through delivery but it arrived cold with these ice packs.FANTASTIC!

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another shot of my lovely little box

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REUSE! Whatever Spud sends to pack items like juice and milk I always return to make sure I recycle. This even included the rubber bands they use to keep the wrap tight. This empty box is stored in the garage ready to go to be put out the night before this weeks box. My delivery day has changed to Thursday starting this week. We are on a new summer schedule.

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Hmm interesting drink. keep an eye out for a fab mama review later this week.

Speaking of reviews. I had some time on my hands to try all of this stuff this weekend and Fab mama reviews / little approved may I add are on the way this week. Keep your eyes peeled.

Want to get your own Spud Box?
Receive $25 off over your first 4 deliveries ($5 off each of your first 3 orders and $10 off your 4th). Use coupon code below.

Visit www.Spud.com and use coupon code CRSFO - ALVMIC