TFH Family Favorite Finds

Ode to Breakfast: Sometimes, It's What's for Dinner, Too!

 

Speaking as a parent, I feel it safe to say we ALL know that breakfast is the most important part of our day, right?  

Finding the time to actually eat it, sitting down AND at the same table together -- not so much.

Our friends at Kellogg recently ran an interesting survey which stated that:

"Families only spend 17 minutes preparing and eating breakfast each day."

Okay, but am I the only one who believes that, some mornings, 17 minutes sometimes can sound like a whole lot of time, too?

Let's be real.  With 4 kids, attending 4 different schools, leaving the house as early as 6:30 a.m. and kicking the last one out of the car at around 8:30 a.m. (figuratively speaking, of course!) our kitchen normally works like a drive thru window.

Still, my husband and I tag-team our mornings:  he makes the kids lunch, while I make sure they each eat something for breakfast or, at the very least, wrap it up to go on the bus.

Weekends aren't much different, either.

Sundays, however, are made for...sl...ow...ing...down, enjoying a buttery stack of pancakes, waffles and bacon (lots and lots of bacon) oh, and my husband makes the most awesome crepes.

Here are the rest of the results on the Kellogg's Breakfast in America survey:

Kellogg's Eggo FiberPlus Waffles Review and Giveaway

COMMENTS ARE CLOSED: SO so happy to be sharing with Lisa (comment #70) please check your email for further instructions, thanks!!!

It's no secret, I am NOT a morning person.  Just ask my husband, Garth (not his real name)  who happens to be infuriatingly pleasant, as he hands me a cup of coffee (through the bathroom door) first thing in the morning and then, you know, runs away.

Smart man.

I had the pleasure of being contacted by the good folks representing Kellogg's about a new breakfast product and, well, seeing as I am a BIG fan of Brinner (breakfast for dinner) decided to give Eggo FiberPlus Buttermilk Waffles and Eggo FiberPlus Chocolate Chip Waffles a try -- after my first cup of coffee, of course!

Want some?

Share Your Breakfast, Fight Childhood Hunger!

Last year, I had the opportunity to visit with Kellogg's in Battle Creek, MI and learned a little more about their products, as well as the thought process that goes into continually building on their brand, like finding ways in which consumers (like me) can help give back to our local communities.

I was very happy to hear that, since our visit, Kellogg's followed through on their commitment to do something about childhood hunger and developed the Share your breakfast website.

You can upload a photo of your breakfast (everyday) and $1 will be donated to Action for Healthy Kids.

A LITTLE MORE ABOUT THE PROGRAM:  Yesterday, I had the pleasure participating in a live chat with Trinh Le (Senior Brand Manager at Kellogg) and Dr. Reginald Washington (Chair of the Board of Action for Healthy Kids) to learn a little more about Kellogg's Share your Breakfast Website and what they are doing to help share breakfast with children who might otherwise miss out, and to fight childhood hunger in the United States.

FIND IT HERE:  A Virtual Breakfast with Kellogg and "Share Your Breakfast" (via TheMotherhood.com)

Kellogg's has a goal of raising $1 million for this worthy cause and you can help -- it's way simple -- all you have to do is:

----> Take a photo of your breakfast (a cup of coffee, bowl of fruit, anything) and upload it to Share your breakfast.

----> Or, simply send a text message to 215-34 with your photo and the word share.

My youngest daughter (she's 9) is recovering from strep throat (FINALLY) and shared her favorite breakfast, a plate of homemade waffles, this morning!

In less than 30 seconds, I uploaded it to Kellogg's Share Your Breakfast and helped feed a child!

Why?  Because, nice matters and hunger needs a good old fashioned virtual bitch-slap!

UPDATED TO ADD:  Had to crop Hope out (picture cannot include any recognizable faces) but, reloaded in less than 30 seconds (i.e. should have really taken the time to read the rules...dangit!)

© 2003 - 2011 This Full House

No payment was received for this blog post.  Why?  Because, supporting local communities to fight childhood hunger is just a really nice thing to do.

Health and Wellness Ambassador Program: Time for a Mom's Time Out, Yes?

A few months ago, I had the opportunity to participate in Kellogg's Health and Wellness Ambassador program and wrote about my sister-in-law Pat's recent battle with breast cancer.

Her strength and courage inspired me to start taking better care of myself, as well.

After 5 years, I finally made an appointment with a new doctor and I am very happy to report that I am now fully recovered from my surgery, addressing a health issue that could NOT have waited any longer.

Pat and I recently had the chance to spend some quality time, together (FINALLY!) at Peter Conte Salon and Day Spa here in Monmouth County, NJ.

Although, a trip to the spa may not be a great fit for everyone's budget (mine, either!) some salons do offer very nice packages that would make fabulously wonderful gift suggestions, like Peter Conte's Winter's Escape for $99 which included:

• 1/2 an hour in their hydrotherapy tub
• a reflexology hand & foot massage
• a full body scrub
• rainforest shower

Pat and I had a FABULOUS time -- it was 2+ hours of pampering, worth every penny, trust me -- and we had a very relaxing dinner at Masala Kitchen (my new favorite Indian restaurant, here in Jersey, btw) afterward.

Since then, I have made a committment to help remind other women (especially, moms like me) that it is most certainly more than okay for you (yes, YOU!) to take a self-imposed time-out, every now and again.

Trust me, your health and wellness ARE totally worth it!

© 2003 - 2011 This Full House

Small Gray-ish Print:  Kellogg's provided a gift card to help celebrate choosing my sister-in-law Pat as my Wellness Ambassador. The words, however, are ALL mine and you can't have them.

Shop Once, Give Twice

COMMENTS ARE CLOSED: So happy to be sharing this with you, Rebecca L. (comment #45) please check your email for further instructions, thanks!

Thanks to ShopRite and General Mills for sponsoring my writing about giving back to schools and those in need in my community. Add your comment below to be entered for a chance to win a $25.00 gift card to help you give back to your community, too.

If you were to ask me, a few years ago, with 4 kids home under the age of 10, to name my least favorite household chore, I would have answered, without the least bit of hesitation, "FOOD SHOPPING!"

If you've ever shopped with kids, then you know.

These days, I look forward to food shopping -- it's date night!  Nearly every Sunday night, after dinner, my husband Garth (not his real name) and I head over to Shoprite and food shop to our hearts content.

It's one of the few times that we can actually catch up with each other and, you know,  talk...uninterrupted.

I was happy to have recently learned of ShopRite’s “Shop Once, Give Twice” program to help customers (like me!) give back to local participating schools through Box Tops for Education and ShopRite’s Partners in Caring, a community-based, hunger fighting initiative that works to provide $2 million annually to charities that aid those in need.

Why?

Because, nice matters and hunger sucks a big, wet, terribly overcooked noodle!

How does Shop Once, Give Twice work?

Kellogg's Love Your Cereal Mom's Breakfast Club

Over the summer, I had the pleasure of attending a beautiful breakfast (in the same building Nate Berkus lives in!) hosted by the Kellogg's brand during BlogHer '10 in New York City and got the chance to greet (and eat!) with many of my fellow Mom's Breakfast Club bloggers.

Last week, I attended the Kellogg's Blogger Summit held at their headquarters in Battle Creek, MI  (but, more on that later in the week!)

Yesterday, it was my turn -- I hosted a brunch at my home, for some of my closest mom-type friends, courtesy of Kellogg's.

We laughed, we learned and of course, we ate!

Today, I'd like to share a few of the highlights from the event (seriously, getting together with my mom friends IRL is no easy feat) and then share some really great recipes I made (yes, ME!) using Kellogg's cereals.

Mini-blueberry muffins, anyone?

Kelloggs Mom's Breakfast Club: Corn Pops Frittata Recipe

I had the pleasure of attending a beautiful breakfast (in the same building Nate Berkus lives in!) hosted by the Kellogg's brand during BlogHer '10 in New York City and got the chance to greet (and eat!) with many of my fellow Mom's Breakfast Club bloggers.

In a couple of weeks, I’ll have the privilege of hosting a group of friends over to my house for a back-to-school brunch. We’ll be able to enjoy a nice meal and Skype with a Kellogg’s representative to share more about what breakfast means to our family.

Should be fun, right?  In the meantime, I'm really looking forward to making my FAVORITE item from the Kellogg's breakfast -- Corn Pops Frittata -- want to see?

Celiac Disease Awareness Month: New Gluten-Free Cereals & Party Recipes from Chex

I first heard about celiac disease (an autoimmune disorder) when my oldest daughter started attending the pre-school at our church and, after presenting her with a tray of freshly-baked cookies, I learned that the director of the program was on a gluten-free diet.

According to the Celiac Disease Foundation:

• When people with CD eat foods that contain gluten, it creates an immune-mediated toxic reaction that causes damage to the small intestine and does not allow food to be properly absorbed.

I also learned that gluten is naturally found in certain grains such as wheat, barley, rye and some oats and, well, that would pretty much cancel out eating breakfast, lunch and breakfast for dinner, at our house.

Not to mention, extra hours having to spend reading labels at the grocery store.

October is Celiac Disease Awareness Month and I am very happy to be able to share information on five new gluten-free cereals, along with a link to some really yummy recipes to share at the Halloween party, this year:

General Mills Eat & Greet: Food for Thought and Their Simply Delicious Cookies!

Last week, I traveled to sunny Minneapolis, MN (seriously, who knew Jersey could be so, you know, rainy?) where I got the chance to eat with the good folks at General Mills and a few other bloggers, or 40!

It was a nice mix of coupon savers, frugalistas, deal-seeking folks, web-savvy publishers, a consumer king (yes, he's the dad and charming husband behind ConsumerQueen.com) and other parenting-types, like me -- only, with better hair, nicer phones, cool cameras that take the most awesome pictures and no, I am not jealous, much -- yet, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that we ALL seemed to share the same love/hate relationship with the food we feed our families, or not.

Want to see?

Trix Swirls and Creative Kid Gift Basket

[COMMENTS ARE CLOSED: Congratulations Barbara Leatham (8/6) and Jane (8/7) check your email for further instructions!!! ]

Remember this commercial?  No?  Okay, at the risk of dating myself (I know, too late) I have to tell you, my twin brother and I often wondered why all those other kids refused to share their cereal and, even today, I secretly root for the Trix rabbit.

"But, Trix are for kids!"

Who says?  Seriously, I'm not ashamed to admit that, even today, I often seek comfort in a nice bowl of cereal and, sometimes, it's what's for dinner, at our house!

Aaaand, it's pretty much the reason why I accepted the opportunity to try Trix Swirls and, my kids were in total agreement, this is NOT the Trix I grew up with.

Cheerios Spoonful of Stories Program and Giveaway

[THIS GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED:  CONGRATULATIONS LAUREEN - YOUR COMMENT (#38) WAS PICKED (VIA RANDOM.ORG) AND ANNOUNCED ON MY GIVEAWAYS PAGE ON PRIZEY.NET AS THE WINNING ENTRY - PLEASE CHECK YOUR EMAIL FOR FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS!]

I love to read, especially titles written by authors of popular teen books (like, Cornelia Funke, Stephenie Meyer and Christopher Paolini) that I can then hand down to my two oldest girls.

Now, my two youngest have graduated to the young readers aisle and we're revisiting some old friends from Narnia and the Harry Potter series.

Still, I don't remember my parents ever reading me a bedtime story and, thinking back on it now, I don't believe it was because they didn't like to read - quite the opposite, in fact. 

My father would hide comic books inside his school books and pretend that he was following along with the rest of his class and enjoyed reading science fiction books, written by some of his favorite authors (like, Jules Verne) whose titles were banned in Hungarian schools at the time.

My parents are quintessential story tellers and I'm very thankful to have given them the opportunity to share some of their experiences with my 10-year-old son's class, recently.

That's why I am very excited to be able to tell you about the amazing Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories Program, where I get to participate in a free book giveaway and share the gift of story telling, with you.

General Mills Blog Tour: Breakfast - It's what's for dinner!

As a member of the Mom Bloggers Club, I have been selected to participate in a breakfast and nutrition-focused blog blast with General Mills.

No, that's not me in the ad (in case you were wondering!) but, we did receive box of General Mills Big G Kid Cereal to enjoy and, since there's like 9 different kinds, can you guess which one?

Here's a hint -- it's magically delicious...

Nature Valley: The Nut Lovers Energy Bar With A Heart of Pink!

Raising four children in a busy house filled with schedules, reminders and yellow sticky notes posted on nearly every surface - free of dust bunnies and stickable, I mean - we are a family on the run and total snack enthusiasts!

With that said, having received two boxes of Nature Valley Roasted Nut Crunch to try, my enthusiasm was about to increase, exponentially!

Containing only six ingredients, each Nature Valley Roasted Nut Crunch Bar contains 7 grams of protein, 2 grams of fiber and no cholesterol and is the first brand to unveil nationally a "real nut bar."!

I received two choices - almond crunch, or peanut crunch - which is a good thing, because my two oldest like peanut and my two youngest prefer almond.

Me?

Unfortunately, I'll eat anything - especially, if I'm hungry enough - but, the slightly sweet flavor of the crunchy nuts made this a very satisfying snack. It travels well - fits in my purse AND jeans pocket - and doesn't crumb, like some other energy bars tend to, while I'm having breakfast...I mean...driving the car.

Sadly, they're ALL gone.

General Mills has always been a family favorite - my kids' schools have been collecting Box Tops, for years - but, this just makes me want to break out in little pink hearts:

"In addition to donating $2 million to Susan G. Komen for the Cure, General Mills, along with the help of TV personality and comedian Ellen DeGeneres, is introducing PinkTogether.com an ever-growing online community of support and hope that brings together those touched by breast cancer."

This is where people touched by breast cancer are invited to share their stories.

"Recognizing that it’s through the collective effort of many that together we will make a difference in the fight against breast cancer, General Mills will donate $1 for every story shared on PinkTogether.com, up to $100,000, through October 31, 2007. This is in addition to the original $2 million donation to Susan G. Komen for the Cure."

Healthy products manufactured by a Top Ten Company (via:  Working Mother) makes General Mills our new Full House Favorite - welcome to the family!

[Suggested retail price:  $3.39 for a 7.2 oz. box containing 6 bars.]