Muffin Tin Monday- Insect or Bug Lunch

JDaniel had an insect or bug lunch. The bug was made of open faced turkey sandwiches with cheese antennae and pretzel legs. The rest of the tin had foods bugs or insects like to eat. There were red grapes, lettuce, and peaches. JDaniel isn't a bug or insect and he didn't like the lettuce.

Good Earth Mediterranean Chicken Dinner Kit Review and Giveaway

It is a great time to dine outside with good friends and family. A chicken angel hair pasta dish with a creamy sauce and Mediterranean seasoning with tomatoes would be a perfect dish to serve warm or chilled slightly. General Mills has a new product in their Restaurant Favorites line called Good Earth. I was able to test the Mediterranean Chicken I mentioned above out on my family on Saturday night. Both my guys love pasta.

The directions on the box were easy to follow. I followed them to a tee with the exception of using chicken tenders instead of chicken breasts. It took a little longer than twenty minutes for me to put together the meal. That is probably because; I kept checking the directions to see if I had missed anything. The chicken was cooked perfectly in the time allotted by the directions on the box. I worried it might be pink.

My family loved the dinner. We all loved the wonderful flavors in the sauce and seasoning. There is a strong taste of garlic. My family likes garlic so this wasn't a problem. The noodles were awesome. Other boxed meals we have tried came with noodles that tasted a little off to us. JDaniel and my husband both wanted seconds. The chicken is coated in a delicious seasoning before it is cooked with a little olive oil. We thought the chicken was great. I wish they sold the seasoning packet for the chicken separately. We would definitely buy it.

JDaniel's dinner had peas added to it and grapes were placed on the side.

Information I was sent states:

100% whole grain, no trans fat, no artificial flavors, no artificial preservatives, no MSG - just add meat and, voila! Dinner is served.

Coming to stores this June, Good Earth dry dinner kits offer a selection of four delectable meals: Mediterranean Chicken with angel hair pasta, Spicy Citrus Glazed Shrimp with angel hair pasta, Herb Crusted Chicken with mushroom risotto and Tuscan Chicken with penne pasta.

I love giving my family healthy foods. We have been on the whole grain bandwagon for years. It was wonderful to try something that offered us convenience and a healthy option of dinner.

Mom Fuse has provided a gift pack for me to share with you that contains a box of the Mediterranean Chicken, a reusable bag to carry your picnic dinner, along with two sets of following made of bamboo: silverware, small dishes, small tasting trays, and a cutting board. The complete set will be the first prize. The second prize will be the all the serving items. The Mediterranean Chicken will not be included in the second prize. I needed to make it and taste it to write the review.

Would you like to win one of the gift packs:

Here’s how:

*Go to the Restaurant Favorites website and tell me where you can buy their product near you. (1 entry)

For extra entries do any or all of the following leaving a separate comment for each entry.

*Write about this giveaway with a link back to it on Facebook or another social network site. (1 entry per social network)

*Follow my blog. Leave me a comment saying that you now follow or that you already do. (1 entry)

*Leave a comment on a non-giveaway post (1 entry)

*Twitter about this giveaway with a link back, you must also be following me on Twitter. Copy and paste: GoodEarthDinnerGivaway@JDaniel4smom. (1 entry per day)

*Subscribe to my blog. Leave me a comment saying that you have subscribed or that you already do. (1 entry)

*Favorite me on Facebook! (1 entry)

*Add me to your blogroll. Please leave a link to your site.(2 entries)

*Add my button to your blog. Please leave a link to your site.(2 entries)

*Leave a comment on Mom Loop. (1 entry per comment)

*Cast a vote for me on Top Mommy Blogs .(2 entries)

That is 11 ways to win. The winner will be chosen by using the random number generator at http://www.random.org/

This giveaway begins June 6th and ends June 16th.

Disclaimer: I was given a gift pack, information and additional gift pack to give away by Good Earth and MyBlogSpark.) The information in bold listed above came from the information I was sent.

Great Posts I Came Across This Week: June 5

Each week I travel around the internet visiting blogs. Here are a few posts that I loved, learned from, or gave me great ideas:

Child Related Posts:

My friend Valerie introduced me to babalisme's post of Fairy Tale Paper Dolls. These would be great to have on a road trip this summer.

Mozi Esme's Tot School post on Goats and Bridges has given me great ideas of activities to do with JDaniel. He is really into bridges right now.

The Pumpkin Patch has a post called Messy Monday: DYI Puff Paint Art. This looks like a lot of fun.

The Home Teacher has great post called Happy Trails that includes a scavenger hunt sheet you can take on your hike.

Recipes:

Gourmet Mom on-the-Go had two great posts I found this week. The first is called Mom?! There's something in my dinner. I guess they didn't like their dinner's big monster eyes. The second post was mentioned by Steph and Randy in their Muffin Tin entry this week. It is called Peter Rabbit's Garden Snack.

Macaroni and Cheese has a wonderful recipe for Sugar Cakes: The Best Sugar Cookie Ever (This year). They have a caramel icing that looks amazing.

I Needed to Read That Posts:

Mommy of a Monster( I Mean Toddler) and Infant Twins wrote a great post called Cuz I Gotta Have Faith.

Life of a Mom Post:

The Practical Mom Guide explains how she uses her interest in archeology today in a post called Archeologist Mommy.

An Ordinary Mom invited people to join her in reading a proverb a day in her post called A Proverb A Day Keeps the Foolishness Away. I joined her in the journey.

JDaniel’s Memorial Book (Baby Book) is Empty!

I was given a beautiful baby book when JDaniel was born as a gift. I put it on a shelf to work on later. Well, he is now two and three months and it is still empty.

There are slips of paper with his weight and height from doctor’s visits that could be recorded. Pictures are on the computer that could be printed out. Lists of gifts I was given at various showers. I just don’t seem motivated to get started.

Recently I unearthed my baby book. My mom meticulously recorded every detail of my babyhood in it. If I am honest I haven’t looked at that book in years. The birthday cards from when I was one just don’t hold meaning for me. I don’t know most of the people listed at gift givers at the baby shower that was thrown for me.

Lately I find myself wondering it my little guy will read through his baby book in the future if I can get my act together. I have a photo album of his first year he loves to flip through and have me tell him about.

I guess if it is weighing on my mind I should work on it. Some day his future wife might want to see it. She may not understand how an only child didn’t end up with one. I don’t want her to think I didn’t care.

Memorial Day Book and Craft

This week JDaniel and I read the book Memorial Day Suprise by Theresa Martin Golding. It is a really fun story that talks about a young boy learning about Memorial Day, parades, and the fact that his grandfather is a war hero.


JDaniel and I made a Memorial Day musical shaker to parade around the house with. I stapled the stars around two paper plates that were filled with dried pasta. JDaniel added the stickers.

We really enjoyed marching around the house with his shaker as we had our own parade.

Thanks to Troops and Their Families

I am so thankful for all those troops and their families that sacrifice everyday for our country. Whether you agree they should be where they are or not, you have to acknowledge that they are giving a lot.

When I watch the troops returning from a tour or mission on television, I can see the joy that they have in being home. You can see the bliss their loved ones have in having them come home. I have read many blog entries in the past few months by wives who have had their spouses return. They write with such gladness about their husbands' returns.

I have also read several great posts about how families have worked at staying in contact with their loved ones. Some have had their spouse record stories on videos that their children can watch. Others have sent special foods they know their loved ones enjoy. (One mom wrote about trying to send her son a pie. It took many months to get to him. I am not sure why.)

I know firsthand it can be hard to have a loved one far away. My sister Kate had a tour in Iraq. Thankfully it was a short tour. She was only gone for several months. Family was able to come and stay with her husband part of the time to help with her children. We were able to have many family members create birthday cards to send to her to celebrate her 40th. Thankfully she was on a base there the whole time.

There are many of you who have loved ones out in the field. They are asked to take risks every day. I can’t imagine how difficult it is for them or for you. Military families have so much to take on without their loved ones here. I don’t know how children grasp it. There are holidays, birthday and anniversaries that you have to be apart. I don’t know how you deal with all that you have to.

I do know that I am thankful to you and your family members far away. I hold you in my prayers!

Wordless Wednesday- Visiting a Memorial to Veterans

Bouquet of Learning Tools or Reusing Faux Flowers

Here are a few ways you could reuse these patroitic flowers:


Math

Patterning- You could pattern by color red, blue, white.

Counting- You could count 1,2,3 and on or skip count by two's, three's or four's.

Word problems- You could make up stories about gathering, arranging or sharing them that involve word problems.


Writing

Rhyming- You could make a list of words that rhyme with red, white or blue.

Story Writing- You could write a fiction story about where the flowers came from.


Pretend Play

Plant a flower garden between seat cushions.

Set up a pretend flower shop and display them in fun vases that you craft with orange juice cans or toilet paper tubes.

Set them in a shoe box and hang them under your child's window for indoor window boxes.


Work on Good Character Traits

As you pass them to your child or have them pass them to you share something you like about them.

Practice sharing them with stuffed animals.

Write a kind notes for neighbors and deliver them with the flowers.


Outdoor Play

Use them as a baton in a relay race.

Stick them in the ground and have your children run around the yard like little bees. They have to visit each flower once.

What other ideas do you have?

Guest Blogging at Market Mommy's Birthday Celebration

I am so honored to have written a post that Market Mommy will be featuring during her blog's birthday celebration. I am one of several blogs that have been asked to join in the fun. Actually everyone can join in the fun. Please visit Market Mommy for more information and to check out my post.

She offering a MegaPrize Pack with the following items:

MEGA PRIZE PACKAGE WORTH OVER $2600!
First, we are giving away a huge prize package to one lucky mom business owner! Thanks to all of our gracious donors, this package includes everything you need to help further market your business to the world! To enter, simply fill out this form.

For details on how to earn extra entries daily, visit our blog post here.

MEGA MARKETING PRIZE PACKAGE INCLUDES::
* Marketing Prize Package from Market Mommy
Two hours marketing consultation, 125x125 button ad design, 480x60 banner ad design, Written press release, Up to 5 pages of written website copy, Written short promotional article, 250 designed and printed business cards, 100 designed and printed postcards, One month of advertising on Market Mommy (web button, newsletter advertorial and spot in Market Mommy Favs e-mail).

* Advertising Package from Lower Mainland Children’s Directory
Feature write up on their website, a 125x125 button ad, a full page ad in their I- issue and a one year enhanced listing in our business directory. This package also
includes updates on their Twitter and Facebook pages.

* 2 Hours Business Consulting, via Skype with Boogie Moms (Owners and Founders of Boogie Wipes) Mindee Doney and Julie Pickens

* Advertorial on Chic Galleria Magazine

* One hour social media marketing consultation from Rebecca Buscemi at Savvy Women’s Business Solution

* One Year Directory Listing at Simply Stacie

* Full listing, 125x125 month ad, and copy of Article Marketing Ebook From At Home Mom Blog

* Become Better Brands offers a free social network and resources to help small businesses and entrepreneurs to build their brands. They are offering: 1 Basic Ad Package which includes a 125 x 125 Right Sidebar ad that appears on every page, a Featured Business Listing, and a Newsletter 125x125 Side bar ad for one month worth $50!

* Writing/Editing Consult from always B designs

* One Hour Tapping Sesssion from Tapping Heals

* 125 x125 Monthly Button Ad on Living my MoMent

* Year-long membership to Our Milk Money

* Send Out Card Box from Bless Others with Cards

* Let's Get Ready for Kindergarten, Let’s Get Ready for First Grade (books)

* Free membership to Care4Hire
Care4hire.com is designed to assist families in finding a quality babysitter, housekeeper, tutor, companion/eldercare, pet sitter and Miscellaneous care such as a personal assistant, gardener, party planner, etc. for their specific needs and requirements and offer caregivers an enjoyable employment experience. A free preview of available caregivers is available to families. Whether you need a caregiver for a few hours to a few days, you will find it at Care4hire.

* Corporate Mom Dropouts (book)

* So, You Want to be a Work at Home Mom? (book)

* $20 Gift Certificate to use at CMBR Partners

More Information:

Extravaganza Official Rules

Extravaganza Registration Form