5-Ingredient Gluten-Free Cheesy Spaghetti Recipe

I've always been a fan of spaghetti it comes three of my favorite foods- pasta, ground turkey and tomatoes.  When I found out about the kids' gluten allergy, I thought for sure I would have to give up my favorite Italian dish.  Thankfully, food has come a long way and brands like Hunt's (and Kraft) understand that the struggle is real for those of us on gluten-free diets.  After some experimenting I'm proud to share my 5-Ingredient Gluten-Free Cheesy Spaghetti recipe as part of the Publix Flavor Excursion campaign. 

Before we hop into this recipe, I would like to disclose that I always season my ground turkey with my own special blend of Italian seasonings anywhere from 3 to 24 hours prior to making this dish.  Of course, you're free to skip this step and tweak this recipe anyway that you see fit.  Also, if you're allergic to dairy or lactose intolerant you can totally use your favorite non-dairy cheese as a substitute.  Now that we have that out of the way let's get to the recipe!

Ingredients

1  28oz can of Hunt's crushed tomatoes with basil
1 pound ground turkey
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1 cup Kraft natural shredded Mexican style four cheese (or substitute)
1 12oz box of gluten-free spaghetti noodles

Directions

In a medium skillet brown ground turkey until done.  Drain fat/juices.  Then mix in Hunt's crushed tomatoes with basil and let simmer on low heat to create a meat sauce.

While the ground turkey is simmering cook gluten-free spaghetti pasta according to package directions.  Drain water and plate noodles once done.

Top spaghetti pasta with meat sauce.  Next sprinkle on a fine layer of Kraft natural shredded Mexican style four cheese blend.  Follow that with a few pinches of chopped parsley.  Top with another light layer of cheese and serve!

Time for a giveaway!  To help one YUMMommy reader try out this recipe I'm giving away $10 in PayPal Cash thanks to Publix and General Mills.  Simply follow the directions in the Gleam widget below to enter.

$10 PayPal Cash Giveaway

If you're looking for more meal inspiration, check out the Publix Flavor Excursion landing page for other recipes as well as coupons. 

Food Lion Frugal Cook-off

Disclosure:  This post is sponsored by Food Lion.

Having five kids, my mother was the master at ordering groceries for a large family on a very limited  and tight budget.  Looking back I'm still amazed at how she managed to not break the bank on groceries because we ate a lot!  And during my early childhood years before my parents split, it was my father who first sparked my passion for cooking.  Some of my favorite memories from those years are the cooking lessons he gave us in the kitchen and being glued to our seats watching Food Network the few months we could afford cable.

Thus, it's not a shock that my siblings and I all have a passion for food and cooking.  Being in the kitchen helped us to bond and taught us how to work together as a team.  In addition, it gave us the opportunity to experiment with our recipes and a greater appreciation for the art of cooking as a whole.  Now as a mommy and wife, I become even more passionate not just about being a frugal grocery shopper, but putting together meals that are healthy and meet my family's diet restrictions.   

Therefore, I am proud to announce that I will be participating in the 2015 Food Lion Frugal Cook-off on Saturday, August 29th!!  The cook-off will be held at the Charlotte Southern Women's Show (Charlotte Convention Center Hall A - 501 South College Street, Charlotte, NC 28202) starting at 11 AM.  This cook-off will be a bloggers versus bloggers version of Iron Chef (also one of my father's favorite cooking shows).  My team for the cook-off includes Jen of Peanut Butter Runner and Amy from Atta Girl Says.  While we're going up against some awesome competitors, we're confident that our "cuisine will reign supreme" when all is said and done in the kitchen arena.

I'm not going to lie, I am a bit nervous about this event.  Cooking in your kitchen for the people you love is much easier than cooking for a judging panel, Food Lion reps and in front of a room full of strangers.  Not to mention, there will be cameras rolling!  We're all feeling the pressure to put our best foot, or should I say feet forward.

Nevertheless, I feel blessed to have received this opportunity.  I'm so grateful that Food Lion reached out to me to participate in the Frugal Cook-off.  It is my hope that someone in the audience will be inspired by the meals that we create and that they see that it is possible to be a frugal shopper and still feed your family healthy foods.  And if you're in the Charlotte area and planning on attending the Southern Women's Show please stop by and cheer us on!  Also, I'm giving away 2 tickets and you can enter to win by tweeting:

Going to @SWSCharlotte this Saturday? Come cheer on @YUMMommies, @AttaGirlSays & @jdecurtins in the @FoodLion #FrugalCookoff at 11 AM!!

How do you feed your family healthy meals on a budget?

The Very Berry Smoothie Recipe

I'm not a breakfast person.  At least not seven days a week.  A cup of coffee and off to get on with the rest of my day.  I know, breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  However, eating breakfast makes me hungrier more throughout the day.

Instead of focusing on my tasks at hand, I end up making more trips than I should to raid the frig and/or pantry.  I usually just wait to eat my first meal around brunch time, but with I've been taking on more opportunities in both my personal and professional life that have me away from home during brunch time.  To solve my breakfast/brunch dilemma, I've decided to just start substituting my morning cup of coffee with my very own Very Berry Smoothie.

I love that I can make as much or as little as I want of this smoothie.  I just have a cup while I'm getting ready and pour the rest into one of cold beverage mugs and take it on the go.  I'm giving my body the nutrients it needs and not binge eating or staving off hunger until lunchtime.  Anyways, below is the recipe.  And of course, you always adjust the measurements of the ingredients to your liking.

Ingredients

1/2 cup ice

1 cup frozen mixed berries (or fresh, if you prefer)

1/2-1 cup soy milk (or milk of your choice)

1 teaspoon sugar (optional)

Directions

1. Pour all ingredients into a blender.

2. Mix.

3. Pour smoothie into a cup and enjoy!

I hope you enjoy my recipe.  If you try it let me know.  Also, let me know if you have any smoothie recipes that you really enjoy in the comments below.

Are you a breakfast person?

Recently

Happy Sunday!  The weekend is coming to a close, but hopefully y'all got to enjoy it.  In my most recent Thankful Thursday post I mentioned that I wanted to be more present here on the blog for the reminder of this month.   And what better way to do that than to share some of the recent things have been going down in the YUMMommy household?

Cooking

Recently, I roasted my first pumpkin. It was a mini pumpkin, but a pumpkin nevertheless.  We first got the mini pumpkin to use as Fall decor with plans to scoop out the seeds at some point.  However, the pumpkin ended falling into a pot of boiled water and the outside started to shrivel up.  Then, Moo got the awesome idea that we should just eat it.

So, after a week of bugging me about it, I finally cut it open, took out the seeds, sprinkled it with some sugar and roasted it in the oven.  We tried it and kind of liked it.  Plain pumpkin has almost an earthy taste to it in my opinion.  Most pumpkin food and drink items that I have tried are sweet (see here) and when I'm making my pumpkin pies, I usually purchase pumpkin filling from the store.

After eating half of the one of the sides, I decided to scoop the rest of roasted pumpkin into a ziploc bag to save until I could figure out what to make with it or until we were ready to roast our two bigger pumpkins and make a pie. Then I woke up Saturday morning craving biscuits and I decided why not make some pumpkin biscuits.  They turned out pretty nice.  I still need to tinker with the recipe a little bit to get the taste I want, but I'm happy with how my first batch turned out.

Daydreaming 

Last week, I chaperoned Moo's class field trip to The Hunter Farm and had a blast.  I'm from a small town aka the country aka backwoods SC.  My mom grew up on a farm, several of my great cousins have or have had farms and we used to live across from a farm here in the Queen City.  Yes, there are farms here in the QC!

When I was younger, I dreamed of owning a farm.  I love animals, nature and the comfort of having a country feel.  I could totally see myself collecting eggs, grooming horses and even milking a cow.  Since, seeing Gentle Bessie there at the farm, I've been daydreaming again about skipping the whole house hunting business and just buying some land on the outskirts of the city and building my dream farm. 

Moo is down with it too.  And I have no doubts that living on a farm would be a lovely adventure for JJ. However, my husband is very much a city man.  Chasing chickens and scooping cow poop is NOT on his radar.  He's not about that country life at all.  The horses might not be a big deal if he didn't have to clean the stables. 

Sampling

I've been a member of the House Party network/site for a few years now.  They recently launched Chatterbox, where you can pretty much sign up to review products and then share your opinions via social media.  A few weeks ago, I was selected to try out the new Bear Naked Layered Granola Bars.

I'm no stranger to the Bear Naked brand and was confident that the bars would be good.  And oh boy were they good!  The Fruit and Nutty flavor is hands down my favorite.  It's chewy, crunchy, sweet and salty.  Can't forget the chocolate.  Even though chocolate does a number on my skin, I still love it.

I ate the first box in two days while I was out on outings.  Moo and JJ are allergic to nuts so these will mostly like have to be kept in the car locked up in the glove box for me to enjoy when I'm riding solo.  I don't want to chance anybody climbing the pantry shelves to get one of these and ending up in the hospital.  Definitely, recommend these if you are into granola bars!

Reminding

Recently, I've been noticing that my little guy has just been going through a roller coaster of emotions.  He's not feeling his therapist and shows her the door pretty much immediately.  He's cranky and moody out of the blue.  And don't get me started on his stubbornness.  

'No' has become his all time favorite word aside from 'chip,' 'juice,' and 'Tom' (Thomas the Train).  For me all of these things are a bit frustrating.  It's not so much the fact that he's doing them, but more of the fact that I don't know the reasons why.  Then, it dawned on me that maybe he's getting frustrated because he can't fully express himself the way the he needs and wants to.

I had to remind myself that motherhood is not just about me.  It's mostly about my children actually.  Or at least it's supposed to be.  I hate the fact that I can't put myself in my son's shoes to better get a read on what's going on with him.  For so long, I've been used to him being so easygoing and chill with the exception of jumping off of couches and climbing on tables.

There was a post circulating on Facebook about a mom with a special needs son and she stated that she if had had a choice, she would have killed him.  That for me is such a disturbing statement, but also a heartbreaking one to know that this mom has fallen into such a rut of despair dealing with his special needs and disabled son that she no longer sees his life as being of value but just a burden.  I don't even want to end up feeling anywhere close to that about my son.

I've always believed that his being special needs was never a burden on me.  Is it tough, hard and unfortunate?  Yes. A burden? No.  Pregnancy and birthing babies comes with a lot risks.  This is why you have to truly prepare yourself for reality and not the rainbows they sell you on tv or in these magazines.  Thus, I'm committed to doing all that I can to help my little guy get back to his usually cheerful self.

Tears maybe shed, tantrums will undoubtedly be thrown, and JJ may never be able live on his own, but I'm in this motherhood game for the long haul no matter what challenges arrive.  At the end of the day it's important that both Moo and JJ know Mommy is ride or die for them.  There is no hopping off the wagon just because a few more bumps got thrown in the road.

Preparing

Moo's birthday and Christmas are right around the corner pretty much.  And I'm getting prepared.  No waiting until the last minute.  Gift shopping and wrapping has commenced.  We were all set to throw Moo a party this year with a Strawberry Shortcake theme and some of her school friends, but she has changed her mind.  We just could our first American Girl store and she has requested that we spend the day there sans friends.

I was bummed at first, but not anymore.  Moo has always been about family and keeping it simple on her birthday.  I'm honored that she wants to spend her special day with just us.  Besides, I have plenty more years to come for birthday parties, God willing.

So, what have you been doing recently?

WORLDFOODS: Exploring The World Through Food

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by the Moms Meet program, May Media Group LLC, who received this product directly from the manufacturer.  As a Moms Meet blogger, I agreed to sample this product and post my honest opinion. All opinions expressed are 100% my own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of May Media Group LLC or the manufacturer of this product!

What's almost better than exploring the world?  Exploring the world through food, of course!  For the last month and a half, our family has been exploring the world through food thanks to WORLDFOODS.  Being a household where three out four of us battles food allergies, it is quite challenging to explore foreign cuisines.  Or least it was challenging until we were introduced the WORLDFOODS cooking sauces and marinades. 

What We Got

• Indian Tandoori Marinade & Stir-fry:  This was everybody's favorite of the four sauces we received.  It was spicy, but not hot and also had a hint of sweetness.  I definitely consider the Tandoori to be an all-purpose sauce.  We used it to marinate chicken breast for roasting and I even tried some as a dipping sauce for my french fries.
• Malaysian Rendang Curry Cooking Sauce:  The Rendang reminded me of a cross between an herbal rub and a gravy.  I referred to it as a meat gravy.  It's very rich in flavor and perfect for smothering meats in.  This sauce smells absolutely divine as it cooks.  The herbs give off a great aroma.  My husband really enjoyed this one.
• Thai Green Curry Cooking Sauce:  We had never tried green curry before using the Thai Green Curry Cooking Sauce from WORLDFOODS.  In my mind, I was expecting it to be more on the spicy side but was pleasantly surprised by the sweetness.  This sauce pairs well with chicken and rice.
• Thai Turmeric Lemon Grass Marinade & Stir-fry: While the kids and the Mr weren't fans of this one, I was.  I tried this sauce as both a marinade and for a stir-fry.  It works well as either and goes great with chicken or turkey.  I loved the burst of lemon grass flavor that you get right before the spiciness hits.
• Recipe Notebook:  I love that I have a place to keep all the recipes I created in one place.  It's small enough to put in my wallet for grocery store runs.

What We Loved 

First and foremost, we loved that all these products were allergen and gluten free!  No dairy, no nuts, no wheat, etc.  Also, WORLDFOODS products don't have any added oils, trans fat or preservatives.  No need to worry about artificial ingredients or food flavor enhancers because they use 100% all natural ingredients.

I loved that all of the sauces cooked well whether I was cooking it on the stove top or using it as a marinate to roast my meats.  The flavors were delicious and not bland at all.  You could really taste the spices and subtle hints of other main ingredients.  They weren't overpowering.

I loved that each sauce could be used for multiple purposes.  Having the flexibility to create a variety of dishes is very important for me since I cook on a daily basis.  I was able to switch up dishes, but still have those great flavors that we loved.

With over 65 sauces, dips and marinades, I'm excited to try the remaining 61!  We've experienced flavors from Thailand, Malaysia and India, but are excited to try out some of WORLDFOODS Indonesian, Cambodian and Chinese inspired products.  Thankfully, several of our local stores offer WORLDFOODS products, but even if they didn't the quality is worth ordering online and paying shipping.  

You can check here to see if there are any stores in your area that sell WORLDFOODS products.  While you're online be sure to pick this $1 off coupon so that you can save a little money, too!  You can also 'Like' them on Facebook to stay up to date on sales, new offerings and more.

Do you cook foreign foods or using foreign ingredients in your meals?

Back To School Snacking With Chiquita Bites

Disclosure: I received this product for free from the manufacturer to facilitate this review.  All opinions are my own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the manufacturer of this product. 

Although, it's hard to believe that I have a preschooler and kindergartner this year, we're steady ticking off the days until school starts.  One of my main concerns for this school year is lunchtime and afternoon snacks.  Moo will be attending school for a full-day and JJ will only go a half-day.    I want to make sure that I'm packing them lunches and snacks that are: (1) nutritious, (2) portable and (3) don't require any prep work (kid/school friendly).  That's where Chiquita Bites come in.

Behold the goodies!

We recently got a chance to sample a variety of the Chiquita Apple Bites and they were a hit!  Even my picky eater, JJ, got in on the sampling action.  Our sample package included:

Peeled Juicy Red Apples (Single Pack)

These were Moo's favorite because they're peeled.  While she will eat the peel of an apple, she prefers to have the peel off.  It gets stuck in her teeth and that drives her nuts.  Like we seriously have to find her a piece of floss and floss the peel out before she will finish eating.

Juicy Red Apple & Grape (5 Pack)

These were her second favorite and JJ's favorite.  They both loved the grapes!

Juicy Red Apple With Caramel Dip (4 Pack)

I enjoyed these.  This was the first time either of them had tasted caramel and Moo was not a fan of the richness.  I don't think JJ knew what to make of the caramel sauce honestly, but again they loved the apples.

Juicy Green Apple (Family Pack)

Moo has an allergy to green apples, so I got to enjoy these by myself.  I prefer green apples over red ones.  So, this worked out perfectly.  And of course, JJ probably would have like these but the fact that he's used seeing red peels on the apples and not green threw him off and he didn't try them.  He just kept pointing at the green peel and then looking at the red apples like why are they different?

Juicy Red Apple (Family Pack)

 I've never seen my kids really battle over food, but since they both LOVE red apples, neither wanted to share these.  Thank goodness for bowls.  That solved the who gets to hog the bag problem.  

What I Love

What I love about all of the Chiquita Apple Bites is that the apples are very crisp.  I'm not fan of soggy or soft apples and neither are my children.  Even the peeled the apples were very crisp.  You could hear the crunch when you bit into them and I love that sound when I'm enjoying an apple.

I also love that these are pre-sliced because I suck at cutting apples in thin slices.  My slices always end up chunky for some reason.  They also pre-washed and ready to serve.  Each pack of the single serves provided the kids a half-cup of their fruit serving, which is great portion control.  I also love the singles because I can pack them fresh fruit for school now.

Apples will turn brown quickly and also absorb the odor from other foods if you pack them together when they're cut.  The singles will stop that from happening.  Another plus is that I can throw those single servings into my purse as an afternoon snack when I pick them up from school.  We can buy some to share with their classes (I'm thinking skip the lollipops for Valentine's Day and do these instead) without any issues.

I'm really excited that the family packs are resealable.  Having resealable packaging really helps to prolong the freshness once you've opened them.  I'm definitely going to be ruling and rocking when it comes to packing the kids' lunches now.   Speaking of ruling, Chiquita is hosting a Moms Rule Back To School Contest from now until August 25th.  All you have to do is 'Like' the Chiquita Snacking Facebook page and then comment on one of their Back To School posts sharing a tip or trick about how you make going back to school easier.  You could win a $1000 shopping spree and a years worth of Chiquita Bites!!  (See official rules and regulations here.)

Overall, I love that Chiquita Bites are nutritious snack options.  Healthy eating is very important to us and Chiquita is helping us to continue that even whether we're on the go or at home.  So, if you're looking for a healthy snack option for your kids, be sure to give these a try!

Before you go, don't forget to enter the giveaway below.  One of you will win a Thirty-One Thermal Tote thanks to the lovely folks at Chiquita!  This tote will be perfect for packing lunches or just to keep snacks cool while you're on the go.  Please note that the actual design/color will vary.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Happy Back To Schooling!!

Fresh Express 30-Day Salad Swap

Disclosure:  This post is sponsored by the Moms Meet program, May Media Group LLC, who received this product directly from the manufacturer.  As a Moms Meet blogger, I agreed to sample this product and post my honest opinion. All opinions expressed are 100% my own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of May Media Group LLC or the manufacturer of this product!

Let's face it, eating healthy is really a struggle for some of us and our families.  The biggest reason I've heard for this is that eating healthy requires sacrificing great taste.  The next biggest reason was cost.  A lot of us are under the influence that it costs a fortune to eat better.  So, when I was asked if I wanted to join in the Fresh Express 30-Day Salad Swap, I said yes.  I agreed for the following reasons:

1: I was already familiar with the Fresh Express brand.  They are my go-to for ready made salad blends.

2:  They have great quality.  All of their salads come washed, rinsed, dried and packaged in their patented "Keep-Crisp®" breathable bags and are preservative free.
3:  Fresh Express offers an awesome selection of different salad mixes and recently released a variety of ready-to-eat salad kits.  They even have a USDA-Certified Organic line!

4: Depending on the salad and retailer Fresh Express salads will run you between $2-4 per bag, which is a steal compared to $5 per person at a restaurant for full-size salads.  (You can score a $0.55 off coupon for a limited time here.)

Using the Salad Swap app and website, I have been able to check out all of the different salads I can create and swap out regular meals for.  Let me tell y'all, the possibilities are endless.  We are on Day 20 and haven't gotten tired of salad yet!  We've been alternating between swapping a regular lunch or dinner meal for one of the salad creations.  So, if we had a Caesar salad on Monday for lunch and Tuesday, we had my favorite, taco salads for dinner.  Check out the recipe below.

Ingredients

1 bag of Fresh Express Premium Romaine salad mix

1 bag of tortilla chips (fat free or organic if possible)

1 bag of Mexican (or soy) cheese blend

1 jar of salsa

1 pack of ground turkey

Instructions

1- Brown turkey in a pan using medium to medium-high heat.

2- While turkey is browning, preheat oven to 300 degrees.

3- When turkey is almost completely browned, heat tortilla chips in the oven for 2-5 minutes.  Drain turkey and return to pan with the heat off.

4- Arrange 15-20 tortilla chips to cover the bottom of each plate.  Top with a handful of roughly chopped Fresh Express salad mix (I just used my hands and broke apart the lettuce a little bit).  Next sprinkle on a 1/3 cup of ground turkey.  Finish off with 1/4 cup of shredded cheese and 1 1/2 tablespoons of salsa.

There you have it, a yummy meal under 600 calories.  This meal was a total of  roughly $18 with taxes (salad $2.99, cheese $2.50, salsa $2, ground turkey $7, and tortilla chips $2) to make and we had leftovers that will be used for lunch.  So, that's a little of over $2 per person each day!  Much cheaper than eating out.

I challenge all of you to take the Fresh Express 30-Day Salad Swap.  Get the coupon mention aboved, download the app (or sign-up on the website), and start eating healthier today!  Don't forget to follow Fresh Express on Pinterest and Facebook for more inspiration, savings and more!

Mini Del Monte® Mango Pineapple Fruit Cup® Cobblers Recipe

Last week, I had the opportunity of hosting a review and giveaway for the Del Monte® Fruit Burst® Squeezers and their Mango Pineapple Fruit Cup® Snacks.  By the way, the giveaway for 2 VIP coupons and a $25 Walmart gift card ends at 11:59 PM EST tonight!  Click here to enter.  As promised, I'm sharing my Mini Del Monte ® Mango Pineapple Fruit Cup ® Cobblers Recipe.  Let's get started!

Ingredients

Filling

5 Del Monte® Mango Pineapple Fruit Cup® Snacks 

3 tbsp light brown sugar

1/3 tsp ground cinnamon (optional)

Crust

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup butter, cold & cubed

1 tsp granulated sugar

1 tsp salt

9 tbsp water, ice cold

nonstick spray

Directions

1. Drain 4 of the 5 Mango Pineapple Fruit Cup ® Snacks.  Pour all 4 into a medium bowl.  

2. Add light brown sugar and ground cinnamon.  Mix well and refrigerate.

3. In a large bowl, combine all-purpose flour, granulated sugar and salt.  Mix well. 

4. Add butter and mix until flour has a crumbled consistency.  Then gradually add water, making sure to work dough in between pours.

5. Once all the water is added, knead dough for 2-5 minutes on a floured surface.  Roll into a ball, wrap in plastic and let rest in the refrigerator for 45 minutes.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

6. After 45 minutes, roll out dough on a floured surface and using a cookie cutter or drinking glass cut out cobbler crusts to fit inside muffin tin.  You can also cut out tops to cover your cobbler if you wish.

7. Spray muffin tin with nonstick spray, line with crust and spoon in cobbler filling and add top crust if desired.

8. Bake for 30 minutes or until crusts are done.  Let rest for 10-15 minutes before serving. 

And there you have it folks!  In less than 10 steps, you and your family can be enjoying some yummy mini mango pineapple cobblers.  Might I add that the mini cobblers are portion control friendly, too.  No huge baking dish of left over cobbler to tempt you through the night.  If you have extra dough left over, you can freeze it or use to make more cobblers or apple turnovers.

You can take dessert one step further and serve these with ice cream or top them with whipped cream, fresh berries and powered sugar!  Enjoy.

Getting Fruity With Del Monte® Fruit Burst® Squeezers and Mango Pineapple Fruit Cup® Snacks

Disclosure: The Del Monte® products, information, gift pack, and gift card have been provided by Del Monte®.  All opinions are 100% my own.

One of the responsibilities that I take the most serious as a mom (and wife) is providing my family with healthy food options.  As many of you know, I cook from scratch 7 days a week for my family.  So, when it comes to snack options, I enjoy picking foods that require little to no prep and absolutely no cooking!  This is why I was delighted when I got asked to try out the Del Monte® Fruit Burst® Squeezers and their new Mango Pineapple Fruit Cups® Snacks.

What I (we) Loved

Taste: We all loved the taste.  I have three favorite fruits-strawberries, mangoes and pineapples.  So, I really enjoyed the Mango Pineapple Fruit Cup® Snacks.  I've had my share of fruit salads/mixed fruits and I never thought to mix mango and pineapple together.

Moo's not a fan of pineapples, but to my surprise she liked them mixed with the mangoes.  JJ, who is a devoted banana lover, even got in on the action.  He's going through his picky eater stage and it was nice to see him trying something he has never had before.

So, as much as Moo loved the Fruit Cup® Snacks, she told me that her favorite were the Fruit Burst® Squeezers.  Y'all we got out package the day it started snowing before it got really bad out and by night fall she demolished a whole box by herself. (Note to self: hide all food packages from Moo in the future.)  We even made a special trip to Walmart yesterday to stock up on more.

Again healthy foods don't have to taste bad!!

They were sold out of Mixed Berry.  So, we got Blueberry instead.

Nutrition:  I come from a family that has been affected by generations of health issues caused by heredity, lack of exercise and mainly lack of getting good nutrition.  Therefore, it is very important for me to make sure that whatever I'm feeding myself and my family has good nutritional values. We only get one body and one life and it's important to take care of it by watching what we eat.

That said, I was happy that the Fruit Burst® contain 1 1/2 servings of fruit (Simply Fruit) or fruit and veggies (Fruit + Veggie).  They don't have high-fructose corn syrup or artificial flavors.  They also rich in Vitamin A and Vitamin C.  There's nothing like being able to pronounce and know what all of the ingredients in our food are.

The Fruit Cup® Snacks are great source of Vitamin C.  They're also stored in a light syrup made from sugar and water and instead of high fructose corn syrup.  There's been a lot of dilemma over whether high fructose corn syrup being used in products and I'm glad to see that Del Monte is keeping simple by using a simple syrup instead.

Packaging:  We are an ecofriendly family.  So, I loved that the packaging is recyclable.  The Fruit Burst® pouches are also BPA free.  I love that the pouches are kid friendly as well.  This is something that I can pack lunchbox or throw in my purse and not have to worry about it spilling.

The Fruit Cup® Snacks are the perfect serving size and easy to open.  Thank goodness because I hate struggling with trying to open things.  These will definitely be staples in Moo's lunchbox when she starts kindergarten this August.

Price: Y'all already know that I'm a frugal shopper.  I don't like feeling as if I'm being robbed when I shop.  Both of these products are reasonably priced.  The Fruit Burst® Squeezers retail for $2.42 each and the Fruit Cup® Snacks retail for $1.98 each here at my local Walmart.  Honestly, you can't get much cheaper than for a prepared snack.

Variety:  The Fruit Burst® Squeezers come in two varieties.  You have the Simply Fruit (all fruits) variety in which you can choose form three flavors-Apple Cinnamon, Mixed Berry and Strawberry.  Then, there is the Fruit + Veggie (75% fruit, 25% veggie) variety with two flavors- Peach-Mango and Blueberry.  So, far we've tried the Mixed Berry, Peach-Mango and Blueberry flavors.

What I (we) Didn't Like

There wasn't anything that I didn't like about the products themselves.  Like, I said taste, price, nutrition and packaging all get a thumbs up from me and the family.  These products are recommended by me.  I encourage you to try them out.

 Also, I want to add that we make mini cobblers using some of the Mango Pineapple Fruit Cup® Snacks.  They came out very well and I will be sharing the recipe here on the blog next week.

Snack within a snack

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YoYummy

Disclosure:  This post is sponsored by the Moms Meet program, May Media Group LLC, who received this product directly from the manufacturer.  As a Moms Meet blogger, I agreed to sample this product and post my honest opinion. All opinions expressed are 100% my own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of May Media Group LLC or the manufacturer of this product!

One of my goals/resolutions for 2014 is to continue providing healthy food options for my family.  Therefore, I was excited when I found out I was going to have the opportunity to sample YoYummy yogurt from Green Mountain Creamery.  For the most part our main meals are healthy.  The snack department, not so much.  We definitely have an affection for sweet treats.  So, since Moo's pediatrician encouraged me to try giving her a milk product to see where her allergy levels are now, I thought this would be perfect.  We could elminiate other unhealthy sweets and replace them with one that is much better not only for her but for me and the Mr as well (JJ's milk allergy is too severe, so he sat this sampling out).

What We Received

The Goods

~3 boxes of YoYummy  yogurt
~Decals
~Coupons
~Refrigerator Magnets
~Nutrition/Information Flyers

Why We Loved It

~Flavor Variety: YoYummy comes in four delicious flavors- Mixed Berry, Strawberry Banana, Strawberry and Cotton Candy.  We got to try them all.  Mixed Berry was my favorite, Cotton Candy and Strawberry Banana were Moo's favorites and Strawberry was the Mr's favorite.  

~All Natural:  I'm not a fan of artificial sweeteners if I can help it.  When it comes to drinks, yogurts and fruit snacks, I prefer those to be naturally sweetened.  YoYummy actually has 10% less sugar than its competitors.  I'm also not a fan of  additives or preservatives either.  So, I loved that YoYummy didn't have any.

~Taste:  Healthy food, especially ones made with all natural ingredients often get a bad rep as not tasting as good as processed foods or foods with a lot of artificial flavoring.  Not the case here.  I've had my share of all natural yogurts and YoYummy definitely has earned a spot in my Top 3!  You seriously have to try this stuff for yourself.  I was up at 2 AM enjoying a pouch of yogurt.  See the Instagram proof below

~Gluten Free: Gluten is still an issue for Moo.  I don't know if her gluten tolerance levels will ever increase.  While you might think yogurt would be gluten free anyway, that's not really case.  Gluten goes into pretty much everything now days and you really have to search hard to find products that have it.  Thankfully, YoYummy is one of them.

~The Pouch:  Finally, someone gets it!  It's important for snack foods to be on-the-go ready.  And that means that it needs to be packaged in materials that are kid friendly and that are as mess/accident free as possible.  I love that this is a pouch and it has a little spout it as opposed to the traditional containers that yogurt comes. 

 I don't have to worry about carrying any spoons or anything.  You just twist off the top and squeeze the yogurt in your mouth.

~100%  Made in the USA:  So much of what we use is already imported.  The last thing I want is for my food to be imported as well. I like knowing that my food is as fresh as it can be and hasn't been exposed to too many elements and climate changes, which can back on the nutrition value and freshness of your foods. 

YoYummy is made by Green Mountain Creamery in Vermont.  So, it goes from Vermont to the Carolinas. And that I can deal with.

At the end of the day, this is a really great tasting yogurt that is a great snack option for your family, especially your kids.  I didn't have any dislikes about the product itself.  My only complaint is that more stores aren't carrying YoYummy yet.  Of course, that has nothing to do with the quality of the product though and isn't something that YoYummy can really control.  Stores get decide what products they want to carry when it's all said and done.

If you're interested in trying YoYummy out for yourself you can find it at Wegman's, Costco, Hannaford, Stew Leonard's, Fresh & Easy and Sprout's Farmer Markets.  A 4-pack will run you $4.99, a 12-pack $9.99 and a single $1.29.  This is a reasonable price considering what I pay $9.99 for a 6-pack of soy yogurt for Moo currently.

Speaking of Moo, she tolerated this non-soy yogurt well.  We did have a little break out but no stomach aches, swelling or throwing up like before.  I'd say she's making progress.  Be sure to follow YoYummy and Green Mountain Creamery on Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter to keep up with updates in terms of new flavor releases and exclusive discounts!

Savory BBQ Meatballs Recipe

Although, my Patriots didn't make it to the SuperBowl this year, the Mr's 49ers did.  Of course, we had to plan a menu to celebrate.  And sadly, they didn't win.  They did put up a good fight though.  Anyways, we had wings, chips with dip, crescent rolls, bbq meatballs and a homemade punch.

So, I thought I'd share the recipe for my savory bbq meatballs with you all.  These are great appetizers for pretty much any kind of party or get together.  This possible one of the easiest recipes you'll ever make.  Seriously it's foolproof!

Ingredients

2 39oz bottles Kraft Original Slow Simmered Barbecue Sauce (or your favorite brand)

2 bags FarmRich Italian Meatballs

1 jar Grape Jelly

Directions 

In a crockpot (or large sauce pot) combine all ingredients.

Set to low heat and let simmer for 3 to 4 hours or cook on high heat (medium heat if using sauce pot on stove) for 1.5 to 2 hours.

Stir every hour to help mix in jelly as it melts.

Yep, it's as simple as that.  And they taste amazing!  You can make your own meatballs from scratch (hamburger, 1/2 cup bread crumbs & 1 egg) or use any other brand that you like.  Either way this recipe is sure to be a hit!

Empanadas Galore

So, here I was earlier today debating out loud what I was going to make for dinner.  Before I had kids making meal plans was easy because it was just me and the Mr.  However, these days it's a little bit tricky.  Moo has been going through a picky eater stage.  JJ will only eat certain meats cooked a certain way.  Plus, you have to factor in food allergies.

It can be a bit of a headache trying to make a menu based around what you think everybody is going to want to eat.  Anyways, it's going on 4 o'clock and I haven't taken anything out of the freezer to defrost.  Then the Mr comes into the kitchen and tells me about this new empanada recipe he saw on tv.  I was a little skeptical at first because he's cooking shows and I wasn't completely certain if had REALLY seen the recipe on a cooking show or not.   And if anybody who knows me knows that I all about Mexican cuisine. 

Well, tonight I gave the recipe a try and it was a success.  Such a success in fact, that I've decided to get on YUMMommy at 11 o'clock in the night to share it with you.  I would have typed this post up early but JJ is still sick and has been cranky, then Moo needed her one on one time and I had to put both kids to sleep.  But better late than never.  We made tons of empanadas tonight. Pictured below is what we're going to call the M Family Mucho Grande Empanada!

Ingredients

2 cans of Pillsbury Grand Biscuits

Ground beef/turkey/chicken, cooked

Chunky salsa

Mexican blend shredded cheese

Flour

1 egg beaten

Nonstick spray

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl mix together cooked ground beef, one can of salsa and two large handfuls of shredded cheese.

Next, dust a flat surface with flour and flatten out two biscuits using your hand (or rolling pin if you must).  Make sure they are about 5-6 inches in diameter.

Then, add filling to center of one biscuit.  Make sure to leave the edges clear of filling.

Take beaten egg and coat edges of the biscuit.  Once finished, lay the second biscuit on top and seal edges together using fingers or a fork.

Coat baking dish or cookie sheet with nonstick spray, add empanadas and bake until biscuits are golden brown (about 15 minutes).

Let cool for 2 minutes, serve and enjoy!

Love Biscuits Recipe

With Christmas a little under 48 hours away, many of us are getting ready to welcome or have already welcomed out of town guests.  So, I thought that would share my recipe for my Love Biscuits with you all.  These will be perfect serve for breakfast or you can even make them to pair with your Christmas dinner.  Either way, they are sure to be a hit.  Plus, they're very simple to make.  

Ingredients

2 cups Flour

1 tsp Sugar

1 tbsp Baking Powder

1 tsp Salt

8 tbsp softened Butter

3/4 cup milk (soy works well too)

Nonstick spray

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

In a large bowl, add flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.  Then using your hands mix in butter.

Batter should start to look crumples.  Add in milk and mix well with hands.

Dust a flat surface (counter or cutting board) with a light coating of flour and roll out dough to desired thickness or 1/2 inch.

Using a cookie cutter or knife cut out heart shaped biscuits and place on cookie sheet sprayed with nonstick spray.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until lightly golden brown.

Brush tops with butter and serve as desired!

I hope that you all enjoy this recipe.  The biscuits come out so nice and light.  And I call them Love Biscuits because of the shape and the fact that they're made with love of course!