Kroger Milk Promotion & Gift Card Giveaway

I love the holiday season for so many reasons.  One of the reasons is I love a good deal, and there seem to be so many of them out there this time of year.  From shopping malls to toy stores, to drug store deals to grocery stores... pretty much everywhere you shop you're bound to find something that you want at a really good price.

The Kroger Family of Stores is no exception to this phenomenon.  They are well known for having all kinds of great promotions year-round, and right now they have a good one featuring General Mills Products.  Here's the deets:

• From November 13th through November 26th, with the purchase of any four participating General Mills products, you will either receive free milk (up to $3; limit of 2) or $3 off your shopping order.
• Look for some of your favorite participating General Mills products like Cheerios, Pillsbury Ready to Bake Cookies, Nature Valley Bars and Fiber One Bars
• Promotion varies in different locations. Please be sure to check your local Kroger Co. Family of Stores for specific deals and offers which include Kroger, Ralphs, King Scoopers, City Market, Dillons, Smith’s, Fry’s, QFC, Baker’s, Owen’s, Jay C Food Stores, Hilander, Gerbes, Food4Less, Fred Meyer, Pay Less Supermarkets and Scott’s Food & Pharmacy

And as if that alone is exciting enough, Thou Shall Not Whine has teamed up with MyBlogSpark to offer my fabulous readers a chance to win a $25 Kroger Gift Card.  They sent me one already, and it sure is going to come in handy while I'm out shopping for my Thanksgiving supplies this weekend.  I seriously can't think of anything better to win during the holiday season than a gift card to help pay for groceries!

To enter in the giveaway, leave me a comment telling me your favorite General Mills Product.  Then do some or all of the following for additional entries:

• Become a follower of Thou Shall Not Whine (3 extra entries!) *Just click the little "follow" button on the right-hand sidebar, then leave me 3 additional comments stating, "follower #1, follower #2, etc."
• Follow my blog on Facebook (2 extra entries) *click on the networked blog button on the right-hand sidebar, then leave 2 additional comments stating that you did!*
• Grab my button and display it on your blog (2 extra entries!)
• Mention this giveaway on your blog with a link back to it. (2 extra entries!)
• Leave a comment on a non-giveaway post. (leave an additional comment here to count as your entry!)

This giveaway starts now and will conclude on Friday, November 25th, at 11:59pm EST. Winner will be selected via Random.org and contacted via email. Winner will have 48 hours to respond before another winner will be chosen.

*Disclosure:* The Kroger Gift Card and information have been provided by Kroger and General Mills through MyBlogSpark.  All opinions expressed are my own.

I Love Mac & Cheese

Seriously, I do.  Next to ice cream, good macaroni and cheese is probably my biggest weakness when it comes to eating unhealthily.  I have favorite brands of course, and typically buy the name-brand, but every now and then I'll try to pass of a generic-brand mac & cheese dinner to my kids to save a few bucks.  (more like save a few quarters... I know it's not expensive but I'm cheap, OK?)  More importantly, I know that feeding them sub-par, generic mac & cheese will make me less likely to eat it from the serving spoon directly out of the pan.

Well that theory went out the window at dinnertime last week.

After I passed out the plates to my hungry, hungry hippos, I took a taste. (straight from the cooking spoon nonetheless...)  Embarrassingly enough, I then lapped up that Great Value brand Spirals mac and cheese like a rescue cat would when given it's first fresh taste of warmed milk at the SPCA.

To make matters worse when Katelyn and Olivia both announced that they wanted more, I had to guiltily admit to the fact that there was no more.  "Mommy, you ate it all?" was Katelyn's response.  "Yes, Katelyn.  Your pig of a mother with no control over cheesy goodness finished off the box of mac and cheese that was supposed to be your nutritionally-sound, well-balanced evening meal.  Would you like some applesauce instead?"  So not cool, I know.

But I have to say, it was good while it lasted.  It's a rare occurrence in this house when all three kids enjoy eating the same thing.  And clearly they were enjoying themselves.  Look:

And no, I was not paid in any way, shape, or form by Walmart for this blog post.  I'm just sharing with the world that I have a child-like love for mac & cheese and I was pleasantly surprised with the fact that the $0.57 box of Great Value brand Spirals mac & cheese turned out to be sinfully delicious.

Smart Snacking: I'm Nuts About Nuts *Santé Nuts Review & Promo Code*

Who doesn't like a good nut?  And I'm not talking about the 'crazy friend of a friend' kind that gives us all plenty to gossip about.  I'm talking about a good, old fashioned, crunchy, delicious nut.  Pecans, Walnuts, Almonds, etc.  Gotta love 'em, right?  Unless, of course, you're one of the unfortunates who's allergic.  But I'm not, so let's keep going.

Recently I was sent a beautifully packaged box of Santé Nuts with 4 delicious varieties of nuts to sample and share my opinion of on my blog.  Now, I'm a sucker for nice packaging, and this one was no exception.  I loved the way I opened the neat display case to find each bag of nuts tucked away in it's own little nook.  I also thought the colors of the bags were pretty.  OK, ok, enough about the packaging... (sorry, got carried away there for a sec!)  let's get on to what I thought of the nuts.

I was tempted to immediately open each bag and indulge in all 4 flavors.  I didn't.  In fact, one bag is still in-tact, as I have special plans for that one!  The first one I tried, and my favorite thus far is the Candied Pecans.  These were so deliciously sweet, without compromising any of the crunch or authentic Pecan flavor that I love so much.  Oh, and did I mention that these were ENORMOUS and not a single one was broken?  Genius, in my opinion.  Perfect for a sweet treat at the end of the day, or basically anytime.

A few days later I tried the Garlic Almonds.  I love the crunch of Almonds, and these are roasted and seasoned to make for a great snack.  My husband had to get in on this one, as they had a good amount of kick to them.  He polished off the bag in no time during a Sunday Afternoon Football Marathon.  I could totally see myself sprinkling these over a salad with a cool cucumber ranch dressing.  Course I didn't get to try this, since he polished off the bag.  Guess I'll have to order some!

2 other flavors that were sent to me are the Candied Walnuts, which I were a hit as I served during a family gathering, and the Roasted Salted Pecans. Those are the ones I'm saving to use in my world-famous Sticky Buns that make their appearance but once a year on Christmas morning.

So, are ya'll ready to get your nuts on?  Well I've got a deal for you...  Santé Nuts has been gracious enough to offer my readers 25% off their entire purchase from now until December 16th, 2011.  Their prices are reasonable, and using this coupon code makes for a great deal!  Here's your code: 2011-Blog-059

Disclaimer: Santé provided free samples of their nuts for this post. My participation is voluntary and my opinions, as always, are my own.

Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with Frito-Lay Giveaway

It is hard to believe that May has started already.  This year is just flying by!  Cinco de Mayo is in a couple of days and to get the party started I'd like to share a couple of great recipes from Frito-Lay's Executive Chef Stephen Kalil.  These dips are made from natural, wholesome ingredients, and are meant to be enjoyed with delicious Frito-Lay snacks such as:

Tostitos Artisan Roasted Garlic and Black Bean Tortilla Chips

or Tostitos Hint of Pepper Jack Tortilla Chips.

Now, for the recipes.  Make sure you get your party off right with this yummy Avocado Hummus Dip which can go with pretty much anything:

Avocado HummusIngredients:
Avocado Hummus:
2 large avocados (or 3 small)
3 tbs real lemon juice or other lemon juice from concentrate
1 clove garlic crushed
1 ½ tsp kosher salt
4 tsp tahini
4 tsp olive oil
1/4 tsp ground cumin
Pinch of ground coriander (optional)
Pinch of cardamom (optional)

Pumpkin Seeds:1 cup pumpkin seeds
½ tbs canola oil
½ tsp New Mexican chili powder
¼ tsp kosher salt
Pinch ground black pepper
Instructions:
Avocado Hummus:Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Spread the Avocado Hummus into a serving dish. Sprinkle evenly with pumpkin seeds and chopped cilantro. Squeeze one or two lime wedges over the top and garnish with additional lime wedges. Serve with Tostitos Artisan Recipes Roasted Garlic and Black Bean tortilla chips.

Pumpkin Seeds:In a large sauté pan, heat the canola oil over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, add the seeds and spices, toast for 4-5 minutes allowing the chili and spices to adhere to the seeds. Cool the seeds on a sheet tray. Coarsely chop and sprinkle over Hummus.

Voila!

Perhaps you are in the mood for Guacomole to celebrate Cinco de Mayo?  You must try this super easy recipe, paired with Tostitos Hint of Pepper Jack Tortilla Chips:

New Age Guacamole
Ingredients:1 prepared recipe TOSTITOS® DIP CREATIONS™ Freshly Made Guacamole Dry Dip Mix
2 tb oven roasted tomato, 1/4 diced
2 tb minced shallots
1 tb minced serranos
2 tb chopped cilantro
2 tb lime juice
1/4 cup mango, 1/4” diced

Instructions:Fold all the ingredients into the prepared guacamole. Serve chilled & Enjoy!

Ta Da!

***Now that I've got you all thinking about chowing down, here comes the good part: A GIVEAWAY!  Frito-Lay has been kind enough to send me some of the chips featured on this post, and they'd like to send a supply to one of my lovely readers.  Just leave a comment on this post if you want to win.  That's it.  All you have to do is leave one teesy-weensy comment.  So do it.  Right now.  What are you waiting for?

This giveaway starts now, and will conclude on Cinco de Mayo (May 5th) at 11:59pm.  Winner will be selected via random.org and announced shortly thereafter.

Now be a good duck and leave me a comment so I know you were here.  Muchas Gracias.

***Sorry if you came here yesterday to enter the giveaway.  Blogger is giving me issues, and only published the first part of my post. Grrr***

*Disclosure:* I was provided the products mentioned above free of charge from Frito-Lay for the purpose of writing this post.  All opinions expressed are my own

YoBaby Organic Meals Review and Giveaway!

I realize I've written about yogurt before. I like yogurt. My kids LOVE yogurt. We started feeding the creamy goodness to the babies about a month ago, and they think it's just great. So imagine my excitement when I was contacted by Kristina at Stonyfield Farm to review their latest YoBaby product!

YoBaby 3-in-1 Organic Meals are a delicious way to get some wholesome nutrients into babies and toddlers. Made with 100% organic ingredients, these little cups combine yogurt, fruits, and vegetables in a unique blend. Each one of these little 4 oz. cups contains more than 20% of the daily needs for protein and calcium, plus other essential nutrients like Zinc and Vitamin A.

Katelyn and Olivia got their first taste of YoBaby 3-in-1 Organic Meals today, and they were more than thrilled. Their legs and arms were flailing about, they cried when I alternated bites to the other baby, they practically leapt out of their high chairs begging me for more when it was over. OK, maybe I'm exaggerating a bit here. But seriously, they really did love it. We tried the apple & sweet potato flavor, and I also picked up a pack of the peach & squash flavor so that's on tomorrow's menu. Our store didn't have any of the third flavor, pear & green beans, but we'll get some next time hopefully.

Now, onto the good part. The win some free stuff for yourself part. Want to try out the new YoBaby 3-in-1 Organic Meals with your little one? You're in luck. Stonyfield Farm is offering one of my readers a great gift pack including: 3 coupons for free YoBaby meals, a YoBaby travel bowl w/ lid, a YoBaby Organic Cotton bib, and a cute Eric Carle growth Chart.

Entering is easy: Leave a comment on this post.

Additional entries can be earned by doing some or all of the following: (leave an additional comment for each entry.)

• Become a follower of Thou Shall Not Whine (3 extra entries!)
• Grab my button and display it on your blog (3 extra entries!)
• Mention this giveaway on your blog with a link back to it.
• Leave a comment on a non-giveaway post.
• Subscribe to Thou Shall Not Whine in a newsreader.

This giveaway will run until Friday, February 26th, 11:59pm EST. Winner will be selected via Random.org and contacted via email.

Free Cereal? Yum.

I love cereal. It is actually my 2nd favorite late-night snack to have after the kids are in bed. I find that it is a great alternative to my guilty pleasure of a bowl of ice cream. Especially Cocoa Puffs. When I was pregnant with Joey I ate Cocoa Puffs every night. In fact, every time Ron sees me eating Cocoa Puffs late at nightI think he gets worried that I'm pregnant again. (I'm not.)

Lately I've been enjoying my Cocoa Puffs for an entirely different reason. General Mills provided me with 4 coupons for a free box of cereal through MyBlogSpark. General Mills Cereal is committed to reducing the amount of sugar in many kid's cereals to less than 10 grams per serving. As a company, they are also striving to increase the nutritional value of cereal for children by increasing calcium, Vitamin D, and using whole grains. So you never have to feel guilty about letting your child, husband, or self snack on General Mills Cereal!

Want a free box of cereal too? Leave a comment on this post and tell me your favorite kind. I'll pick a winner sometime next week.