Frito Lay Tastes From Home recipe - vote for my recipe!

Frito Lay Tastes from Home recipe contest - as I mentioned, I am a finalist. Please head over to www.Facebook.com/fritolay and vote for my Cincinnati Chili recipe. Voting ends at 5 pm central - that's soon.

True Lemon (and more!) - Helping Me Drink My Water

One of the things that I have been trying to focus on in my weight loss journey is my water consumption. I love water, so it seems like it should be easy, but sometimes you just need a little flavor.

(Sort of unrelated ramble) I am convinced that if someone could invent flavor strips that gave me the flavor of many of my favorite foods that I could lead a more "fuller" life without the added calories. When I go on little eating adventures and exceed my calorie targets for the day, it is generally because I am looking for a flavor. I try this or that and it just doesn't satisfy my craving and I move onto another flavor. Now, I know that the reality is that likely these flavor strips wouldn't satisfy my craving - they might provide the taste, but my stomach would still be empty. I read somewhere, not sure where though, that in part, consumption of diet sodas leads to a higher overall calorie intake and that one premise is that the sweet taste leads your body to expect calories and when they don't "arrive" in your stomach that you wind up needing to eat to deliver on that promise of calories. (now back to what I was saying)

I enjoy the crisp taste of water with lemon, but for some reason, at our house we struggle with lemons. We either don't buy enough or buy too many and they go bad. I have shared before about True Lemon and how much we really like this product. We typically have True Lemon in the house and I frequently have a packet in my bag.

Recently, I had the opportunity to receive a sample box of all of their products. I was completely unaware how many other products that they offer. They have a True Lime and a True Orange product that is very similar to their True Lemon, in that it is just flavor. And, one that I haven't tried, True Grapefruit. But, they also offer some sweetened products - True Lemonade and True Raspberry Lemonade. They use Stevia as the sweetener to provide the sweetness in the lemonade products.

One of the things that I like about the True Citrus products is that their flavor is subtle. Whether I add True Lemon, True Lime or True Orange to my water, I don't get knocked down with flavor but rather get a refreshing glass of water with just a hint or essence of the fruit flavor. The first time I had the True Orange, it took me a few sips to decide what I thought - normally when I am having an Orange drink in my glass it is orange juice and that packs a lot more flavor punch. The lime and lemon, well I have added wedges of those fruits to my glass before. Even the True Lemonade and True Raspberry Lemonade products aren't overpowering. They offer a nice flavor, with a touch of sweet.

What I do know for sure, is that the product line from True Citrus allows me to enjoy my water more. Having flavor options, beyond plain water, makes it easier for me to increase my water intake and to avoid other flavored beverages with meals like pizza, where plain water never seems to work for me.

This post shared at Works for Me Wednesday.

No compensation was received for this post. The opinions expressed are mine and those of my family. True Citrus provided me with a sampler pack that included samples of many of their products, so that I might share about my experience.

Lay's Regional Flavors Variety Pack Winner

Congratulations to Janet! She was selected as the winner of the Lay's Regional Flavors Variety Pack giveaway.

I also have some very exciting news! I was selected as a finalist in the Taste of Home contest that I entered with my giveaway post. You can vote for my Cincinnati-style Chili recipe on the Frito Lay Facebook page.

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

16

Timestamp: 2011-08-31 00:45:11 UTC

Mamavation Monday

Let me start by saying that I am totally impressed with myself. I never would have thought that I would enjoy running like I do. I still use the term running rather loosely, as I still don't run for more than a few minutes at a time, but on days at the track, I am up to running 1.75 miles. I still think that for a total run distance, that is good, even if I don't do it all at once. When I am in the neighborhood, I am running a portion of time, rather than laps, which makes it a little harder to gauge my total run distance, but I'm likely somewhere between 15 and 20 minutes of running. I would guess this to be closer to 1.25 - 1.5 miles.

My challenge now is strength training. As the sun rise creeps later and later, I am finding myself with less time to come home and do a DVD that focuses on strength training (specifically upper body, as I feel I am getting a decent leg workout). I had been doing the P90X strength training DVDs after my walk/run, but now it feels like I have to skip more than I do. I liked the rotation of focus on different muscle areas each of the three days that I did them, but the time just isn't working for me. I need a quick 15 - 20 minute option that focuses on different areas each day. Any thoughts? I see that Tony Horton (I know him from P90X) has a series that sounds like it should be 10 minute workouts, but it seems to have total body, lower body and yoga as the options. Not sure that those would help me focus on my arms, chest, shoulders and back.

Eating is good for the most part. I seem to do better on my own with normal portion sizes and not eating a super-sized portion, even though I'm not doing as good of a job of physically measuring my food. I have been able to allow myself a night out for dinner, or a night in with friends, from time to time and still overall move in the right direction, even if there is a slight set back. I'm trying to refocus on measuring those meals that I can, so that I can keep my eyes "calibrated" on serving sizes to better estimate when I am away from home. I haven't made a regular trip to the store in a couple of weeks, so I don't think I am consuming as much fresh fruits and vegetables (I took a fruit cup today!) because they simply aren't on hand.

I missed last week, but I have lost 2.4# since that post. I figure that is pretty decent, considering that I hosted a birthday party and have eaten out 4 times at a restaurant in that window. I still am trying to maintain a near daily log here.

#s to Go: 23.8

This post shared at Mamavation Monday, where the question this week is sponsored by Go Sport ID and they ask: "What safety precautions do you take with your workouts? Any special equipment when working out outdoors?" I probably don't take enough safety precautions. When doing Cardio DVD workouts, I wear a heart-rate monitor to make sure I am "in the zone". When walking/running outside, I try to find a companion to go to the track with so I'm not alone.


No compensation was received for this post. This post is sponsored by Go Sport ID and I’m writing this to be entered into a giveaway hosted by Mamavation.

On the Run Again...

Does it ever feel like life just is running past you? Or, is it that you are running past life? I never realized just how busy life could get or just how much a relaxing weekend at home is needed.

As the two kids are getting older and are becoming more involved in things, our schedule is getting increasingly busy. About a month ago, my son's baseball season started in full swing. Initially, we had just practices and now we are starting into the games. There is still some practice, but not as much. Next comes soccer. For my son, the practices have started, but the games are still a couple of weeks out. For my daughter, thankfully she is still young enough where the practice is immediately before the game, and those don't start for a couple of weeks. Unfortunately, for a few weeks - we have OVERLAP. It means that for a few weeks, I need a number of creative quick to table meals for easy dining as a family before or after practice/games - which can occur two to three times on evenings during the overlap windows. For the most part, the games don't actually occur at the same time, but when it comes to Saturday, the games are scheduled back to back to back. We have games at 10, 11 and 12. This year, there is about 3 weeks of overlap in the fall (it was more like 4 in the spring this year, because of all the rain and delays that occurred in the seasons). It's not ideal, but we make it work! (to think, I once had hoped to have only one activity per child at a time.)

When we are on the go for most of the day on Saturday for those weeks of overlap, we have to have meal-time solutions to go. Having to eat lunch on the run can be a challenge. Not only do I want to offer something healthy (and want it for myself), I need to make sure that the kids are getting the nourishment needed to sustain them through the different games. There is a concession stand usually available, but as much as I love to support the sports boosters, the options don't make for the most healthy, well-balanced meal choices. By packing lunches to take along, we can pack food that is easy to eat and healthy too. My son usually eats his lunch while watching my daughter's game and my daughter eats at the baseball game.

Lunch on the run frequently consists of a sandwich, a fruit and a drinking yogurt (to go with the water that is packed for all of the games), with an occasional treat like pretzels or cookies. Many times for the sandwich, we go with the old stand-by of PB&J, but sometimes you need to mix it up. One option that works well especially for the grown ups is to make a salad in a wrap. Take some Romaine lettuce and dress it in some Caesar dressing, add some chicken and roll it up inside a tortilla shell. An easy Chicken Caesar Salad wrap. You can use leftover cooked chicken or, use Hormel Premium Chunk Breast of Chicken. I find that if you wrap that in some foil and peel down from the top as you eat, you can eat the wrap with less mess. I also like to make a wrap with luncheon meat, cheese and some lettuce. Simple, but tasty. I personally prefer to layer in a variety of meats, but my husband would certainly be fine with just turkey.

Looking for other wrap ideas, you can find recipes for things like Cranberry and Orange Chicken Wraps, Florentine Spirals and Turkey and Fruit Wraps on the Hormel Foods Recipe Site.

With a little creativity, eating healthy (and finding some variety) can be easy, even on the go.


No compensation was received for this post. All opinions expressed in this post are mine or that of my family. I am currently a member of the Hormel Foods Extended Family Blogger Program. Each post written for this role, serves as an entry into a grand prize giveaway. Hormel provides materials and resources to assist me with my posts.

CVS Deals - 8/26

I headed out Friday evening to get some of the Arizona Iced Tea cans that are on sale this week at CVS. I figured I would also pick up a few other things - toothpaste, razor (rain check) and the Charmin/Puffs deal while I was there. Guess what I didn't get - the tea for my husband! Guess I will have to think about heading back tomorrow.

2 - Charmin Toilet Paper
4 - Puffs with lotion
1 - Bic Soleil Shimmer (rain check)
2 - Aquafresh Kids

-$.25 Charmin mfg coupon
-$.25 Charmin mfg coupon
-$.25 Puffs mfg coupon
-$3 Bic mfg coupon
-$1.50 Aquafresh Kids IP
-$2.50 Aquafresh Kids CRT

Paid with $5 ECB and $25.41 OOP. Earned $10, $3 (rain check) and $1 (green bag tag) ECB. So, my next cost for everything was $16.41. I think that is pretty good, considering everything that I got. I also got a $10 CVS card. They gas station that they had gift cards doesn't have locations near my home, I said I guess i will take it since my voucher expires on Sunday. She said that I could also get a $10 CVS gift card. I'm not sure if that is standard or is because of their limited selection on gas cards? Either way, it works well for me - I know I will use it.

CVS Deals - 8/25

It took me more than a few trips to make this purchase. I stopped in early in the week to see what brands were on sale. While there, I got another $2 off of Nature Made CRT. I saw that TripleFlex was on sale BOGO and I knew that at the very least I had a $1 off Nature Made coupon. Somehow, when I got home, I had Flexamin in my mind. I found some great $5 coupons and was very excited that I was going to get a great deal. Headed back to the store on Wednesday to make my purchase and discovered after standing in line and nearly completing my transaction that I had the wrong coupons. Voided the transaction and came home and looked for the right coupon. Since I use Nature Made products, I had a log in and was able to print $3 coupons for Triple Flex. So, Thursday, I headed back to the store.

2 - Triple Flex (120 ct)

-$3 Triple Flex IP
-$3 Triple Flex IP
-$2 Nature Made CRT
-$2 Nature Made CRT

Total $30.99 + $2.57 tax. The dose is 2 / day, so when you consider I now have a 4 month supply, I feel that $33 isn't too bad, especially when you consider that the regular price is $40.99 for 2 month supply.

Samples and Freebies

Requested:

Downy Unstoppables (Facebook offer)
Crest Complete
Olay Sample Pack

Received:

Huggies Diaper

Land O' Lakes Cinnamon Spread Winner

Congratulations to Melissa! She was selected as the winner of the Land O' Lakes Cinnamon Spread Prize Pack giveaway.

An e-mail was sent to the winner.

Thanks everyone for entering. Be sure to check out the Lay's Regional Chips Variety Pack that I am currently giving away.



Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

5

Timestamp: 2011-08-25 02:03:58 UTC

CVS Deals - 8/16 and 18

I actually made it to CVS twice last week, despite being completely busy.

The first stop I made, simply because I had heard that many people were getting three free item CRTs from the coupon machines, not just one like you might have thought. As is usual, the store seemed to be out of all of the offer items, so they were substituting. I had to pay more out of pocket (compared to free), but still a great deal.

1 - Carefree Liners (the only actual item)
1 - CVS Bandages (60 ct, free was 30 ct)
1 - KitKat (they were out of the candy bar the coupon was for)

- FREE Carefree CRT
- FREE CVS Bandages CRT
- FREE candy bar CRT

Total $.51, including tax.

The second trip was with the intention of getting vitamins, but I discovered that I had missed grabbing my vitamin coupons! So, I picked up a free after ECB offer instead.

2 - Gatorade G Series Fit

Paid with $3 ECB and $2.13 OOP. Earned $5 ECB.

Menu Plan Monday

What a busy, fun-filled week was had last week. My 4 year old learned to ride her bike without training wheels. We are still working on the starting, but she just keeps getting better at the riding and stopping piece. School started back last Thursday - I still can't believe that summer is over already. Soccer season kicked off with pictures for both kids and practice for my son. Baseball season (fall ball) is in full swing, games start this week!

To cap off a great week, we had a wonderful weekend, filled with family and friends. This weekend, we celebrated my son's 8th birthday. I will share the pictures of the cake later, the theme was Harry Potter and I feel that the cake I made turned out well.

This week's menu, in part, is based on what is left from the weekend and in part on a crazy busy schedule.

Sunday
cereal/bagels
lunch at our local Mexican to celebrate my son's birthday
breakfast for dinner

Monday
Chicken Burritos (using shredded chicken)

Tuesday
Open Face Hot Turkey Sandwiches

Wednesday
French Bread Pizza

Thursday
Chicken Enchiladas (using shredded chicken - froze part of it)

Friday
Hamburgers on the Grill

Saturday
TBD

Breakfast is cereal or oatmeal each morning, although sometimes at school my daughter will have pancakes or french toast. For my son, lunch is either the menu item at school, a packed lunch with some type of sandwich. Lunch for my husband and I is typically sandwiches, frozen meals or leftovers.

This post shared at Menu Plan Monday.

Samples and Freebies

Requested:

Biore Blemish Fighting Ice Cleaner

Received:
Garnier Fructis Anti-Dandruff Shampoo
Huggies Sample and coupon (Target)
Febreeze Set and Refresh
Garnier Moisture Rescue sample and coupon

Homemade Bread Crumbs

I don't know how it is at your house, but most of the time, I found myself throwing away the heels of my bread. Now, the funny thing is, on a nice crispy crust, chewy center type loaf the ends of the bread are my favorite, so there is something unusual in this fact to me. In addition, it seemed that every time that we had a "special" loaf of bread, invariably there was a piece or two that went uneaten and were ultimately thrown out.

Then, one day, I had a light bulb go off in my head. (feels like it should be on not off, but anyway). I started to save those heels and those extra pieces of bread in a bread bag in the freezer. Once I had a bag full of bread ends and pieces, I placed them on a stone and put them in my oven at 275 for about an hour. This time in a warm oven allowed them to first thaw and then dry out and some even got a little toasted.

Then, working in small batches, I broke apart the bread and place it into my food processor. A few quick whirls and voila! - Bread Crumbs.

I store them in the freezer, just to make sure that they keep and are fresh.

Now, not only am I not throwing out bread, but I'm not spending money buying bread crumbs and I have fresh bread crumbs for all of my favorite recipes that use bread crumbs. That works for me!


This post shared at Works for Me Wednesday, What I Whipped Up Wednesday and Frugal Friday.

Mamavation Monday

It was a great week! I was able to live life, and still exercise and eat right. It resulted in 2# loss this week. Minus dinner out last night, it might have been more, but I am pleased with a 2# loss.

By the end of last week, I reached my goal of running the full lap on every other lap. Unfortunately, it was raining this morning (and I seem to be getting a cold back), so I didn't get to run today. Instead, I did the 4-mile Super Walk from the Leslie Sansone Walk at Home series. In general, I was able to work out every morning. The only exception was Sunday, which I took off by choice. I hope that by Wednesday that the weather clears up and I can continue on my running and see what my next level is.

I had dinner out, I had catered lunches, I had a picnic, I went out for Happy Hour. I have to say that I am in control of my portions, as I was able to participate in all those events and not exceed my average calorie needs and was able to lose weight.

My daily (or near daily) tracking has really helped me stay on target.

This post shared at Mamavation Monday. This week's sponsor is Quaker Oats and they ask: What qualities do you look for in a healthy breakfast? Any go-to breakfast recommendations for a busy mom? I look for a breakfast that is filling and will provide a good start to the day. I like a good cereal or oatmeal with fruit to get my family started. If I am looking for protein, I find myself turning to a protein shake.

#s to Go: 26.2

No compensation was received for this post. By sharing my post at Mamavation Monday and answering the question posed, I am entering to win a Very Important Blogger basket.

Menu Plan Monday

What a great weekend! Yesterday was a gray day, with lots of rain, but it felt good to hang out inside and get things done. I really had a productive day. I made bread, I made a memory board for my daughter, I finished reading a book, we cleaned out a closet, made breadcrums and I'm not sure what else, but I'm sure there was more.

It's a busy week for us. I stopped at the grocery on Saturday for weekly supplies.

Sunday
cereal
leftovers
dinner out at our favorite local Mexican

Monday
Rattlesnake Pasta and homemade Ciabatta Bread

Tuesday
Pork Chops

Wednesday
BLT

Thursday
Lasagne

Friday
Leftovers

Saturday
cereal
sandwiches
Grill Out

Breakfast is cereal or oatmeal each morning, although sometimes at school the kids will have pancakes or french toast. Lunch is typically sandwiches, frozen meals or leftovers for everyone.

This post shared at Menu Plan Monday.

CVS Deals - 8/11

I had hoped to get to CVS this week, but it seems that my stop on Thursday was the only one. I had received the free body wash coupon through Facebook and that was what I picked up.

1 - CVS Body Wash

-Free coupon

Total $0 OOP, earned $1 ECB for Green Bag Tag.

Office Max Deals

At the end of last week, Friday maybe, I had sent my husband to Office Max, coupons in hand. He picked up five packs of filler paper for 20 cents each. I thought I had gotten a pretty good deal (although, did you notice that 200 sheets of filler paper is not the standard anymore?).

So, on Sunday, when the ad came out, of course the paper was much cheaper. I stopped by, because I was at another store in the same plaza and picked up three packs for 3 cents total.

I think we are good on paper for a while.

Kroger Gift Card Winner

Congratulations to Jan! She was selected as the winner of the $25 Kroger Gift Card giveaway.

Thanks everyone for entering and be sure to check out the other giveaways going on - you can find them on the upper right hand sidebar.

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

19

Timestamp: 2011-08-13 17:25:48 UTC

DaGeDar Giveaway Winner

Congratulations to Heather R! She was selected as the winner of the DaGeDar Basic Ball set giveaway.

Thanks everyone for entering and be sure to check out the other giveaways going on right now.

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

36

Timestamp: 2011-08-13 17:19:44 UTC

Sam's Club Giftcard Winner!

Congratulations to Mari! They were selected as the winner of the $25 Sam's Club Gift Card giveaway.

Thanks everyone for entering and be sure to check out the other giveaways still going on.

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

73

Timestamp: 2011-08-13 17:14:10 UTC

Samples and Freebies

Requested:
Suave Sample Box (Walmart)


Received:
Mott's for Tots Juice Box and coupons (VocalPoint)
Shout Wipe & Go sample and coupon

Tastes from Home

When I think back to my childhood, I have so many memories. So many of those memories have sights, sounds, smells and foods associated with them.

Much of my childhood was spent with family and when we got together, we ate. We would have a family dinner at Grandma and Grandpa's house (Mom's family) every other week. At these dinners, not only would I get to enjoy the tastes of Grandma's cooking, but also family favorite "carry-in" type dishes. Over the years, the dishes evolved, but there were certainly dishes that stood the test of time. We would go on family camp-outs every summer with my Dad's family. I remember enjoying Beer Battered Walleye. I remember S'mores and Pie Irons.

Many of the dishes that I like to make today are things that I learned to cook with my mom - things like Chicken Gravy over biscuits, Chili, Tacos. I remember eating out and enjoying Fried Chicken and Potato Salad at a monthly Chicken Fry.

The tastes of my youth don't end with my family. When we were little, my best friend and I liked to play in the kitchen. We would make up recipes. We had a recipe we called Rice Delight. Essentially, it was instant white rice, sugar and jelly. We would make "fudge" with our chocolate milk mix and milk, by putting lots of mix and only a little milk in a tea set that she had.

Frito Lay offers a line of Regionally Inspired Flavors and has asked of the blogging community, what recipe (flavor) reminds you of home. With all of these memories associated with food, I struggle to choose just one taste that reminds me of home. I guess though that I would go with Cincinnati Style Chili.

Cincinnati-Style Chili from Skyline Chili was a regional favorite that I introduced my husband to during one of his first visits to my hometown. Being Italian, he was very hesitant about the idea of serving Chili on Spaghetti. Little did I know when I introduced him that it would become one of his favorites. When we were living in Pittsburgh, there wasn't one nearby, so I found a way to recreate the flavor at home. I got a recipe from my aunt for a knock off version and over the years have made it my own by tweaking it. One of the changes was the result of an "error" on my part, when I used No Salt Added Tomato Sauce.

Cincinnati-Style Chili
2# Ground Beef
1 quart water
1 large onion finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp vinegar
3-8oz cans of tomato sauce
1-6oz cans of tomato paste
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp red pepper
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground all spice
3 tbsp chili powder
2 tsp crushed red pepper
1 tsp cinnamon
1 small piece unsweetened chocolate

Add the ground meat to the water and stir to break up. Bring water and meat to a boil and allow to cook until the meat is done. Add the other ingredients and bring to a boil, stirring regularly. Reduce heat and allow to simmer for a few hours, stirring occasionally. Remove bay leaf.

Spaghetti, cooked
Light Red Kidney Beans, cooked
1 small onion, diced
Mild Cheddar cheese, shredded

To serve, layer spaghetti, beans, chili, onions and shredded cheese.

Giveaway
Courtesy of Lays, I have the chance to giveaway to one A Busy Mom of Two reader a variety pack of Lay’s Regional Flavors.

To enter, leave a comment answering the following question:
What flavors remind you of home?

Additional Entries (please leave a separate comment for each entry):

Visit Lay's website and then come back and a leave a comment sharing which Lay's Regional Flavor are you most interested in trying?

Follow ABusyMomofTwo on Twitter.

Tweet about this giveaway. You may complete this entry once per day. (You may use the following or write your own: Enter to win a variety pack of Lay's Regionally Inspired chips. #giveaway Ends 8/30 http://bit.ly/n0MCPo)

Follow A Busy Mom of Two. Subscribe to updates in your feed reader or in e-mail. Leave me a comment letting me know that you signed up, or that you already subscribe.

Like A Busy Mom of Two on Facebook.

Share this giveaway with friends - on your blog, on Facebook or by posting it on a giveaway link-up. Leave me a comment letting me know how you shared or leave a link to the giveaway link-up. You may have one additional entry for each giveaway linky that you submit it on.

Leave a comment with a link to your blog where you have either my button or have a link to A Busy Mom of Two in your blog roll.

Giveaway will remain open until August 30th at 6 pm. Giveaway is open to residents of the US only. One winner will be selected using a random number generator. The winner will be contacted by e-mail (be sure to leave one!) and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be selected.

No compensation was received for this post. Lay's provided information and chips for me try. By posting this and sharing the link, I am also entering a contest. All opinions expressed are my own or those of my family.

The Pits

Cherry Pits that is!

When I was younger, I liked Marashino Cherries, but disliked Cherry Pie Filling. I mistakenly thought that was what Cherries taste like and for years, wouldn't eat them. Then, one day someone told me that they tasted a little like plums. I finally tried cherries and I was hooked!

Now, I love to eat cherries. Of course (it's good), my kids want to eat anything that I do. The challenge was that eating around the pit and spitting it out was no problem for me. For the kids, they were too young to do that and I had to cut the pit out. Finally, I found the tool that makes my life so much easier.

The cherry pitter.

This is one tool that I have gotten more than my value out of. It is a tool that I use every summer during cherry season. This year, my son started to use the tool himself and pit his own cherries.

You can see in the pictures that mine has a splash guard. This works great because I can set the plastic part down into my bowl and when the pits come out, the juice goes into the bowl.

I have a very full tool drawer (although I did clear it out a bit when I got this), so I really do like that it closes up rather compactly for storage too.

The other day, my manager at work gave me a basket of cherries that someone had brought in. They were a delicious dark, sweet cherry. I knew that we probably wouldn't eat them all in time since we already had a fruit-filled refrigerator, so I decided to use them up by baking with them. I didn't want to make a pie and I had some brown bananas, so I decided to make a Banana Cherry Loaf.

I served it with some Cinnamon Sugar Butter Spread. Yum! I love adding butter and cinnamon sugar to banana bread and having the convenient spread made it that much easier to share at work.

Banana Cherry Loaf recipe

This post shared at Works for Me Wednesday.

Mamavation Monday

Not sure what has been going on lately. I was on a serious plateau and it was starting to feel like no matter what I was doing, I was going no where. There is nothing more frustrating than giving it your all and getting nothing in return. I sat down last weekend and decided that I needed to take a more scientific approach to this all (I am a scientist by education, so it makes sense).

I found a website that information on calories burnt at rest and different activities. I concluded that with 8 hours of sleep and 16 hours of sitting on a couch, I would burn about 1700 calories. I knew that I was burning about 400 calories on my daily walks (based on the app I am using). I knew that in order to lose a pound that you need a 3500 calorie deficit between what you burn and what you consume. Figuring on a goal of about 1# a week, to keep things healthy I set a daily intake target for myself of 1200 - 1500 calories. I figured that my deficit would be between 200 and 900 calories per day (1700 calories - 1500 calories and 2100 calories - 1200 calories), but likely would be nearer the middle.

I started measuring and looking up calories for everything. I quickly recognized (no surprise really) that eating the right type of foods makes it easier. I don't just focus on the calories, I try to make sure I am reaching daily targets for fiber and protein and not having too much total fat. Of course, filling the plate with vegetables goes a long way towards feeling full and keeping calories in check.

Know what? It worked. I actually was able to lose 4# in just over a week. I think part of that was just the initial change (water weight is what everyone calls it), but I was able to stick to my eating target and I feel good about that. I have eaten in and eaten out and it is working for me.

I also started keeping a daily log (or at least near daily) of my progress, my workout and my struggles and successes.

This post shared at Mamavation Monday.

What are your current technology tactics in your healthy living journey?

I use a scale to help me measure my food. I use an app on my phone to track distance, time and calories of my workouts.


This post is sponsored by Omron Fitness and I’m writing this to be entered into an Omron Fitness pedometer giveaway hosted by Mamavation .

Menu Plan Monday

It was a good weekend. Saturday was spent mostly around the house and Sunday we did some errands and took my daughter to a birthday party. I made a quick stop at the grocery store for some fresh ingredients for this week and a few odds and ends.

Sunday
Leftovers

Monday
Fish, Fries and Cole Slaw

Tuesday
Chipotle Chicken/Tacos

Wednesday
Sloppy Joes

Thursday
Turkey Roast and Mashed Potatoes

Friday
Cookout for Work

Saturday
TBD

Breakfast is cereal or oatmeal each morning, although sometimes at school the kids will have pancakes or french toast. Lunch is typically sandwiches, frozen meals or leftovers for everyone.

This post shared at Menu Plan Monday.

CVS Scenarios - week of 8/7

There don't seem to be any freebies this week at CVS. There are certainly a number of hair care deals, so if you are in the market there is a good chance that you can find a deal that works for you.

Transaction #1
2 - Dove Shampoo/Conditioner
1 - Dove Styler
1 - Dove Body Wash

-$1.50 $1.50/2 Dove IP
-$3 BOGO Styler wyb Shampoo
-$1 Dove Body Wash

Total $9.50 OOP, earn $5 ECBs.

Transaction #2
3 - Fructis Shampoo/Conditioner

-$1 Fructis Mfg coupon
-$1 Fructis Mfg coupon
-$1 Fructis Mfg coupon

Total $7, pay with $5 ECBs and $2 OOP. Earn $3 ECBs.

Transaction #3
3 - Softsoap Body Wash

-$1 Softsoap Body Wash mfg coupon
-$1 Softsoap Body Wash mfg coupon
-$1 Softsoap Body Wash mfg coupon

Total $6, pay with $3 ECBs and $3 OOP. Earn $3 ECBs.

Transaction #4
2 - Aussie/Herbal Essence shampoo/conditioner

-$1 Aussie/Herbal Essence mfg coupon
-$1 Aussie/Herbal Essence mfg coupon

Total $2.97, pay with $3 ECB adjusted down. Earn $1 ECB.

For the trip, the total OOP is $14.50, with $1 ECB to roll, for $39.00 in product at sale prices. Not the greatest savings, but still almost 64%.

Of course, some of this is on the back page where they mention the mystery beauty savings CRT, so hopefully that will sweeten the deal.

For more deals and scenarios, check out Deal Seeking Mom and Money Saving Mom.

CVS $5 Challenge

Transaction #1
1 - Colgate Sensitive

-$1.50 Colgate Sensitive mfg coupon

Total $2.99 OOP. Earn $1.50 ECB.

Transaction #2
2 - Aussie/Herbal Essence shampoo/conditioner

-$1 Aussie/Herbal Essence mfg coupon
-$1 Aussie/Herbal Essence mfg coupon

Total $2.97, pay with $1.50 ECB and $1.47 OOP. Earn $1 ECB.

For the trip, the total OOP will be $4.46, with $1 ECB to roll, for $9.50 in product at sale prices, a savings of 58%.

For more $5 Scenarios, check out the CVS $5 Challenge.

CVS Deals - 8/5

The magic coupon machine keeps generating the $2 Gold Emblem Chips coupons, so I stopped at another CVS looking for more chips.

1 - Gold Emblem Pita Chips
1 - Gold Emblem Cheese Balls

-$2 Gold Emblem Chip CRT
-$2 Gold Emblem Chip CRT

Total $.34 OOP.

CVS Deals - 8/4

I stopped at CVS after work on Thursday. I had stopped in on Wednesday and they had the Skinny Cow Chocolate, but I didn't have my coupon. Of course, they were out of it when I got there on Thursday.

1 - Gold Emblem Cheese Curls
1 - Gold Emblem Cheese Balls
3 - Softsoap Soaps (rain check $2 each)

-$2 Gold Emblem Chip CRT
-$2 Gold Emblem Chip CRT
-$1 Softsoap IP
-$1 Softsoap IP
-$.35 Softsoap IP

Total $3.03 OOP, earn $3 ECBs.

Samples and Freebies

Requested:
Kashi Cinnamon Cereal or Dark Chocolate Granola Bar - I chose the Cinnamon Cereal.
Gather In Style coupon booklet, from P&G Everyday
John Frieda Root Awakening sample
Huggies Snug & Dry Sample (I give them to friends when I get them)
NoGii Gluten Free Protein Bar sample

Received:
Quiet week at the mailbox.

Hormel Foods Sampler Pack Winner!

Congratulations to SweetsofNY! Their entry was selected as the winner of the Hormel Family Foods Sampler Pack Giveaway, hosted by A Busy Mom of Two.

An e-mail will be sent to the winner.

Be sure to check out all of the other giveaways that are still going on - listed in the right sidebar. Thanks everyone for entering.


Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

31

Timestamp: 2011-08-05 01:19:19 UTC

Hormel Foods Sampler Pack Giveaway - ending soon!

If you haven't already, be sure to enter to win the Hormel Foods Sampler Pack Giveaway.

Land O' Lakes Cinnamon Spread

I'm a fan of all things Cinnamon. I enjoy it in sweet dishes, like Cinnamon Rolls and Apple Crisp. I enjoy it's softness in things like Skyline Chili. I enjoy it's heat in Cinnamon Imperials and Fire Balls. I enjoy it with the crisp of sugar on Cinnamon Sugar Toast and of course, those Cinnamon breakfast cereals (there are a few out there - some sweeter than others!) So, when I first heard about Land O' Lakes Cinnamon Sugar Butter Spread, I thought how could you go wrong.

When I received a sample to try, it was after dinner. I really didn't want to wait to try it, so I decided to have some toast as an evening snack. It was a yummy treat. The Cinnamon Sugar Butter Spread melted nicely on the toast and delivered the cinnamon sugar taste that I enjoy. It, as expected, did not have the same crunch of putting cinnamon and sugar on your toast, as you couldn't pick up the individual crystals of sugar in the spread. I think I am okay with that.

I really want to make a loaf of my homemade bread. There is little better than a slice of freshly made bread, with a touch of butter. I'm thinking though that a touch of Cinnamon Sugar Butter Spread could be as good, or dare I say, even a little better.

I am not one for putting butter on pancakes, waffles, or french toast generally, but I might make an exception this time. I'm thinking that coupling that touch of cinnamon and butter with a little maple syrup could add a flavorful punch to an already tasty meal. I might have to whip up a batch of pancakes this weekend, to try it out.

Want to learn more and connect with Land O' Lakes?
Land O’Lakes Website
Land O’Lakes Facebook
Land O’Lakes Twitter Page

Giveaway!
Courtesy of Land O' Lakes, through My Blog Spark, I have the opportunity to give one A Busy Mom of Two reader a Land O' Lakes Cinnamon Sugar Butter Spread prize pack, containing:

One refrigerated sample of new LAND O LAKES® Cinnamon Sugar Butter Spread
One VIP coupon good for the purchase of one package of new LAND O LAKES® Cinnamon Sugar Butter Spread
One porcelain spreader
One spatula
One mini waffle pan
One heart shaped cookie cutter

To enter: Leave a comment sharing what dish you would first try Land O’Lakes Cinnamon Sugar Butter Spread on or in.

Additional Entries (please leave a separate comment for each entry):

Follow ABusyMomofTwo on Twitter.

Follow Land O' Lakes on Twitter.

Tweet about this giveaway. You may complete this entry once per day. (You may use the following or write your own: Enter to win a @LandOLakesKtchn Cinnamon Sugar Butter Spread Prize Pack. @ABusyMomofTwo. Ends 8/23 http://bit.ly/n0R7Kw #myblogspark)

Follow A Busy Mom of Two. Subscribe to updates in your feed reader or in e-mail. Leave me a comment letting me know that you signed up, or that you already subscribe.

Like A Busy Mom of Two on Facebook.

Like Land O' Lakes on Facebook.

Share this giveaway with friends - on your blog, on Facebook or by posting it on a giveaway link-up. Leave me a comment letting me know how you shared or leave a link to the giveaway link-up. You may have one additional entry for each giveaway linky that you submit it on.

Leave a comment with a link to your blog where you have either my button or have a link to A Busy Mom of Two in your blog roll.

Giveaway will remain open until August 23rd at 6 pm. Giveaway is open to residents of the US only. One winner will be selected using a random number generator. The winner will be contacted by e-mail (be sure to leave one!) and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be selected.

No compensation was received for this post. The Land O' Lake Cinnamon Sugar Butter Spread and prize pack, information, and giveaway have been provided by Land O' Lakes through MyBlogSpark. All opinions expressed are my own or those of my family.

CVS Deals - 7/31

I stopped by CVS, while out on Sunday. They were already out of the Skinny Cow candy and the Bic Soleil. I had to get rain checks for both. I was able to make an exchange on the Vitamin C I bought last week. I got home and realized that it wasn't the same as what I had been taking and contained Aspartame, which I don't care for. Of course, there were no value szie Vitamin C without the Aspartame. Because they were on a BOGO last week, the Vitamin C was the free one and had no actual return value. They were able to give me 1/2 back and I applied it to the BOGO on the smaller size without Aspartame.

2 - Vitamin C
1 - Gillette PowerGlide

-$4 Gillette PowerGlide mfg coupon

Paid with $6 ECB and about $7 of the $8 I got back on the large vitamins. Earned $5 ECB.

Office Max Deals - 8/2

While I was out and about on Tuesday evening, I stopped in at Office Max.

2 - Crayon 24ct
2 - Wooden Rulers
2 - Pencils 10ct

Total $.25 OOP. A whole quarter for everything!

My daughter was pleased to get a new ruler. She broke her ruler a while back and she informed me that she wanted one "for measuring", when we saw them on sale. Really, what 4-year old doesn't fill her day with measuring.

To The Top Tuesday Blog Hop

Today, I am joining in on the To The Top Tuesday Blog Hop.

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to check out my Giveaways. You can see a list of active ones in the right hand side bar.

Menu Plan Monday

It was a good, but busy weekend. We did some shopping on both Saturday and Sunday. Saturday, we headed out and picked up some supplies for some crafting. I am making a new wall hanging for my son (at 8, he has sadly outgrown Thomas) and some memory boards for my daughter. Now, if only I can find the time to actually complete them. We also stopped by Sam's Club while we were out. Then, Sunday, it was out for some additional workout clothes and some non-value size grocery items.

Sunday
Leftovers

Monday
Pierogies and Sausage (turkey of course)

Tuesday
Hot Dogs

Wednesday
Pork Chops

Thursday
Pizza

Friday
Leftovers

Saturday
Cajun Jambalaya

Breakfast is cereal or oatmeal each morning, although sometimes at school the kids will have pancakes or french toast. Lunch is typically sandwiches, frozen meals or leftovers for everyone.

This post shared at Menu Plan Monday.