Oh, Keurig, How I Love You
We bought a Keurig Single-Cup Home Brewing System
The selection of K-Cups
With the Keurig, if I do happen to have a “two cup” kind of morning, the little bit of cold coffee left in the bottom of my cup doesn’t make a difference. Well, it does, but not the way you would think. I make the new piping-hot coffee in the same cup and it is almost immediately cool enough to drink while still being nice and hot.
My favorite flavor is Coffee People Tree Hugger Fair Trade & Organic K-Cups
Once the office was done being remodeled, the Keurig went to the office and I missed it SO much. Now, to make me feel better, my husband brings it home for the weekends. So I might have to deal with regular coffee during the week (which is tasty, I just feel like I waste so much) but I am lucky enough to be able to have coffee just the way I want it every weekend.
I’m considering picking up a Keurig Mini Brewer
It would be nice.
Oh, and there’s no disclaimer on this post. Because Keurig has not given me any swag (though I wouldn’t scoff if it were offered). I bought the Keurig, I bought the K-Cups, and I continue to buy the K-Cups.
Suddenly Pasta Salad – No, Really, It’s That Good. (Giveaway!!)
I received this fabulous package in the mail from MyBlogSpark.
It had a mixing bowl, this really cool insulated tote, a Pyrex storage bowl, and a box of Greek flavor Suddenly Pasta Salad. I managed to wait a day to make it, because it was supposed to be really hot the next day and pasta salad is always better when you eat it on a crazy-hot day. Well, I think so anyway. If you like eating your pasta salad on a cool day, then that’s fine for you. LOL
A little wary that you could get something that tastes like Greek salad in only 12 minutes, I tried it with an open mind and hungry tummy.
This stuff is crazy-easy to make. You boil the water, put the pasta in and boil gently and lovingly for 12 minutes. During the 12 minutes you put the seasoning packet, some cold water, and a wee bit of olive oil in a mixing bowl and mix it together. I’m not sure what they use for an emulsifier but wow, it stays together. Then you let it sit in the bowl while your pasta finishes up. Put the pasta in a strainer and rinse it off with cold water to drop the temperature and get it rinsed and then mix it up in the spice/water/oil mixture. You can then either eat it right away or pop it in the fridge for a while to make sure it’s nice and chilled before you eat your pasta salad.
It’s really good. It would have been even better had I followed the “mix in” directions on the side of the box and added Katamala olives and crumbled feta cheese – but I was hungry and didn’t want to wait. Next time (because I will be buying this again) I’ll make sure to pick up the Greek olives and feta cheese to really take this pasta salad to the next level.
For some amazing recipe ideas or if you would like to learn more about different varieties of Betty Crocker Suddenly Salad mixes available, visit www.suddenlysalad.com and you will find a recipe for Greek Tossed Pasta Salad using the Ceasar pasta salad mix. Or you can try out the Garden Ranch Pasta Salad recipe, using the ranch & bacon pasta salad mix.
Good stuff. Great times. Yummy for summer eating.
If you want to win this prize pack from Betty Crocker Suddenly Pasta Salad and MyBlogSpark just leave a comment telling me what you think your favorite flavor of Suddenly Pasta Salad would be! I’ll pick a winner randomly on Thursday, June 10th at Noon Central.
Good luck!
Disclaimer: The product, gift pack, information, and giveaway were all provided by Betty Crocker through MyBlogSpark.
Pillsbury Pizza Crust and Hasbro Family Game Night Review
Who doesn’t love pizza?
Sadly, my family has all but entirely stopped ordering in because it just doesn’t seem to be the same as it used to be when I was a kid. I used to be the biggest fan of pizza, but now, I don’t know, I just don’t feel like what I’m getting is what I expect. This isn’t to say it’s worse or better or the same but different – it’s just every time I put take-out into my mouth there is a disconnect between what I want to have happen and what actually happens.
So what’s a mom to do?
That’s right – make my own darn pizza!
Originally, I started making mini pizzas with biscuit dough. I’d roll the biscuits flat and put toppings on and pop them in the oven. It wasn’t what I wanted, but it was a lot closer than I had been getting before. There were also more topping options and I could make my pizza with exactly the amount and proportion of cheese, meat, and veggies that I wanted. It was a step in the right direction.
Then I had the chance to try out the Pillsbury pizza crust through MyBlogSpark and WOW. It tastes like pizza crust to me! So now I could just roll this dough out onto a baking sheet, parbake it while i got my stuff ready, then pull it out and put my toppings on and pop it back in the oven for the few minutes. At the end of the oven timer I had what tasted the closest to childhood pizza I’d been able to achieve.
I was happy.
It was basically just an amazing bonus to get the game Pictureka! to play with my kids during a Family Game Night where my kids and my husband and I shared pizza and a game and a whole lot of laughs.
Here is a forty cent off coupon for a couple of cans of Pillsbury Pizza Crust. If you would like to know more about Hasbro’s Family Game Night you can visit the website.
Disclaimer: VIP coupons, information and prize packs were all given to me from Pillsbury through MyBlogSpark in order to provide this review. The Pillsbury Pizza Crust I’ve bought since then has been purchased with my own money.
Yoplait Greek Yogurt Review
I love yogurt.
Having children took away some of my most favorite foods. After my third child I was no longer able to drink milk, eat cottage cheese, use onions in cooking or eat them raw, or consume eggs except when they are cooked and in minuscule amounts compared to a serving size. So I can cook with them but will never eat hard boiled or deviled eggs again.
All of that could make me bitter, but I just remind myself…I still have yogurt.
Even better, I have Greek yogurt. I think Greek yogurt is the best yogurt in the world. Mostly because it is thicker and richer and nummier than regular yogurt. You add a little honey and you have this lovely, natural, tasty snack that has protein and other good stuff in it.
Yoplait has created a mass-market Greek yogurt that you can buy at your local grocery store. They put a lot of effort into making a pretty cool commercial for it, too. Here is a video with some behind-the-scenes footage from that commercial shoot.
Fun, right?
Also, Yoplait Greek wants you to experience the thick, rich, yummyness too…here is a link to a thirty cent off coupon for Yoplait Greek yogurt, making it thirty cents easier for you to give it a try!
Disclaimer: VIP coupons, gift pack, and information were all given to me by Yoplait and MyBlogSpark in order to facilitate this review.
Drop Dead Diva is Coming for Another Season of Fun!
Note: The links to the videos, when clicked, will open in a new browser window and play if you are using the FireFox browser. If you’re using IE, you’re better off doing the “right click and save as” and watching it on your desktop.
Ok, I know there’s more than fun to Drop Dead Diva, but I’m hard-pressed to find it. Even the emotionally wrenching scenes to me are fun. That means even when I’m sniffling and tearing up, I’m still grinning because I’m so happy this show exists. It’s a show I enjoy from beginning to end, every time, and I truly hope this season is just as fab as last season turned out to be.
Margaret Cho having a great role being exactly the size she is instead of making her something she’s not is what lets her shine as an actress and comedic genius. I mean, I spent most of season 1 being amazed she could deliver a punch line that had nothing to do with her mother or genitalia. I am pleasantly surprised (no matter how much may I love her stand up, it’s good to know she’s versatile – because she deserves to be a working actress forever if that’s what she wants.)
http://www.sonypictures.com/sphe/dropdeaddivas1/welcome.mov
Not surprisingly, our tour guide through all of this is Ben Feldman (aka Fred the Friendly Angel) and he does a great job of introducing, keeping the video on track and keeping up the pace! He is the perfect tour guide through the welcome video, greeting us to the backstage set of the season’s most anticipated chick-friendly show about lawyers…Drop Dead Diva! I had no idea they weren’t in Hollywood for the shoot, I’m excited about where Ben says his character is going to be spending a lot of time this season, and the secret about the flowers in the backyard is the best! I’m definitely going to be looking out for that little trick when I watch the show on Sunday.
http://www.sonypictures.com/sphe/dropdeaddivas1/sleeping.mov
This one is short and funny.
Did I mention it takes a few minutes for the movies to load up in the browser? If you’re having trouble viewing them “right click and save as” to get them on your desktop where you can watch them with reckless abandon. I tried to get them embedded in my site so you could just click play but it made my whole site choke because the files are so big.
Here’s one where Margaret Cho and Ben Feldman peruse the craft service area.
http://www.sonypictures.com/sphe/dropdeaddivas1/snacks.mov
Finally, this next video takes you behind the scenes to meet the director and 1st Assistant Director and “prop guy” wooHoo!
http://www.sonypictures.com/sphe/dropdeaddivas1/videovillage.mov
Oh hey, there are actually a couple more videos here that I’m going to give you just in case you’re as big a fan of this show and cast as I am. I’m not sure why I can’t get enough of this show, but it’s one I keep coming back to, and hope stays around for a long time.
Ben chats with Brooke Elliott (Jane) and Kate Levering (Kim) off-stage, talking about Drop Dead Diva on DVD on this video: http://www.sonypictures.com/sphe/dropdeaddivas1/Aftertheshow_05.mov
Brooke and Kate talk a little about their favorite episodes from season one on this video: http://www.sonypictures.com/sphe/dropdeaddivas1/Aftertheshow_06.mov
Also, don’t forget to check out the video on the right for even more behind the scenes action!
See you on Sunday night! I’ll be in front of the television watching the Drop Dead Diva premier!! If you need to catch up, season 1 of Drop Dead Diva is available now on DVD!
Disclaimer: I have not received swag for writing this post. I might receive swag for writing this post but don’t know at this time. My love for the show is 100% honest and real. My love for Margaret Cho and supporting anything she does is even more real. Just so you know. If I do receive swag I’ll update and let you know what it was!
Aquafresh Moms Doing Great Things (because moms rock!) Giveaway
My kids have been working on brushing their own teeth (instead of having me brush for them) for the past few weeks.
I came home from a pretty traumatic dental experience recently and they wanted to know what happened. I told them that mommy didn’t brush and floss the way she was supposed to and, as a result, mommy had to have the icky parts of the tooth that died drilled off. They gasped and kind of screamed a little and then ran around holding their mouths.
Come on, you didn’t think I was going to sugar coat the dentist, did you? In retrospect, I wish I’d gotten some fake blood and had it trickling out of my mouth while moaning, “Why?? Why didn’t I brush and floss more??” Hopefully generating looks of absolute terror on the kids’ faces and ensuring a lifetime of proper dental hygiene.
But getting my kids to brush without the fake blood is just one of the million things I have to do as a mom everyday to try and get them to adulthood without excessive therapy or dental - bills. You know what I mean, all those little things that you forget you did by the end of the day: cooking, cleaning, working, comforting, hugging, fixing boo-boos. The little things that make you wonder where the day went because you sometimes feel like you didn’t do anything.
No one ever said being a mom was easy – well, I’m sure someone did but I don’t know them and hope I never meet them because I’d hate to have an assault charge on my record – and Aquafresh is trying to make not only brushing but your whole mommylicious day easier with iso-active whitening toothpaste. It whitens better than a non whitening toothpaste too, and that’s awesome, because I remember when I used to have super white teeth – before I started smiling with my mouth closed in pictures.
But enough about me! There’s stuff in it for YOU today!!
Aquafresh is starting a really cool campaign called “Mom Goes Beyond” and wants to hear YOUR story of going beyond. To participate in this contest you just have to leave a comment about an inspiring or memorable moment you’ve loved, hated, endured, laughed, cried, or suffered through and you could have a chance to win various and sundry awesomeness including a $50 Walmart gift card.
By June 9th I’ll randomly nominate someone to become the grand prize winner and if chosen by the Aquafresh creative team they’ll receive one year’s worth of free Aquafresh (via coupons) and a $500 Walmart shopping extravaganza (via gift card) and be featured on the Aquafresh Facebook page so everyone can be wicked jealous of your amazing momaliciousness. By July 7th the Aquafresh peeps will have decided who gets the big grand prize extravaganza!
Let’s face it – being a mom is challenging. Each day you are going above the call of duty by being not only a mother, but also a wife, a teacher, a referee, a handy man, a comforter and more. But most importantly, you are always a mother and going through the journey is sometimes arduous but inspiring. Aquafresh is committed to lending moms a hand by supplying them with products, such as the amazing iso-active Whitening toothpaste, that achieves 33% better whitening compared to a non-whitening toothpaste. Now it’s your turn to share what makes you work beyond as Aquafresh wants to hear about these moments and celebrate you as mom through their Mom Goes Beyond campaign.
So what you makes you a mom that goes beyond?
M80 contacted me on behalf of Aquafresh to write this post and review the products and hold a giveaway. I am getting swag for running this contest. I’m giving away (randomly) 4 coupons for the new Aquafresh iso-active Whitening toothpaste and, like, FIVE boxes of Aquafresh white trays. Your mouth will thank and love me. Oh, and I’m giving away a $50 Walmart gift card too!!
Featured Video
Directory Listings
