Recently, La Choy sent my family their La Choy Creations. I'm a huge fan of Asian food but the cost of take out is outrageous.
So I was pleasantly surprised to fine something easy I can make at home but still has great taste.

La Choy Creations come in three varieties:  Asian Fried Rice, Teriyaki Chicken, and Sweet & Sour Chicken. The best part of these meals are they are one skillet creations. So it makes it very easy clean up!  I was also pleased they had a Asian Fried Rice version for those of us who don't eat meat.

There is also a $1 off 1 La Choy Creations printable coupon available so try it out for yourself!

I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of La Choy and received a sample to facilitate my candid review. Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.

We recently did an informal taste test at our house with the new Kellogg’s Froot Loops and Apple Jacks with Fiber. We compared the test of the cereals with fiber to the regular ones. Our household didn’t notice the difference! Apple Jacks has always been and still is one of my personal favorites.

Which is good, because according to a recent study, 9 0ut of 10 kids lack enough fiber in their diet. Knowing this information, Kellogg’s decided to help moms and dads out by adding a boost of fiber to two of kids’ favorite cereals - Froot Loops and Apple Jacks. These cereals now have 3 grams of fiber per serving and are available at stores.

In addition to a boost of fiber, these cereals now include whole-grain corn flour, whole grain oat flour, oat fiber, and soluble corn fiber. Kellogg’s plans to expand these ingredients and fiber boost to more cereals throughout the coming year.

Want to learn more about nutrition? Kellogg’s has a wealth of information on their Kellogg’s Nutrition site.

What do you think? Have you tried Kellogg’s added fiber cereals yet?

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Kellogg’s and received boxes of Froot Loops and Apple Jacks and a gift certificate to thank me for taking the time to participate.

So I kind of double “dipped” on the Emmy House Party night due to not being sure that one of the parties was set in stone. However, it still worked out great. In addition to our Suave Styling, we were also provided goodies and favors from Healthy Choice for a “Just One Bite” Emmy house party.

I purchased a couple of Healthy Choice Fresh Mixer in Southwestern Chicken for the party to share. Fresh Mixers are my husband’s favorite Healthy Choice product and I enjoy them as well. So I was excited to share these with my friends. In addition to the Fresh Mixers served, we had wine tasting, cheese, and a few other items to enjoy.

Guests were able to pick their Emmy winners for a chance to win a FREE coupon for a frozen healthy choice meal! Some of the shows, we’d never heard of but many were favorite shows.  In addition to the chance to win a FREE product coupon, all guests left with a box of coupons for Healthy Choice products so they could try them in their own home.

Which of the Healthy Choice products is your favorite?

“Mom, you know, your cooking has gotten better since you started using that new cookbook,” quipped my 11 year old daughter out of the blue one day.  That new cookbook happened to be Southern Living: The Busy Moms Weeknight Favorites Cookbook. So maybe it hasn’t been my cooking but the recipes I choose for my family.

All of the recipes we’ve tried in this cookbook have become family favorites. The first one I tried was the “Three Cheese Pasta Bake,” which was an instant hit. It is a white sauce ziti dish which was tasty and quick to make.

One of my personal favorites was the slow cooker “Broccoli, Ham, and Cheese Soup,” sans the Ham. It was so simple to make, that the 11 year old daughter who was all of the sudden impressed with my cooking, was able to duplicate it so we could freeze a portion of the soup for quick lunches.

There is a variety of simple, easy to make recipes in this cookbook. Most of the ingredients are “normal” ingredients that you don’t have to go to a speciality store to find. Each recipe contains the approximate prep time, cook time, serving size, nutritional information as well as menu ideas for a complete meal.

I have a ton of cookbooks but The Busy Moms Weeknight Favorites Cookbook seems to be the one I keep going to for recipes that fit our lifestyle!

Dole Fruit Bowls are a easy way to pack a healthy lunch. Since these fruit bowls require no refrigeration, they are a great snack to keep in your car, purse, or desk drawer for a healthy snack on the go.

I usually purchase these when they go on sale and pair it with a coupon for the best deal. Normally, the most economically way to purchase is not to buy the 4 packs but to buy an entire can. However, for convenience and portability, the four pack is best for those types of purposes.

Dole Fruit Bowls come in 19 different varieties: Pineapple, Tropical, Mixed Fruit, Cherry Mixed Fruit, Peach, Mandarin Orange, Apple, and MORE.

I think the kids like the Cherry Mixed Fruit because it is very cherry the best! Those cherries always seem to be the diamond for kids! Other reasons to love Dole Fruit Bowls: Bowls are 80 calories are fewer, rich in Vitamin C, naturally Fat Free, and low in Sodium.

You will also want to sign up for the www.DoleChallenge.com to enter to win prizes, submit your best tips, and print out money saving coupons!

Thanks to She Speaks for sending us some Dole Fruit Bowls to try, we already loved them but this just reaffirms it!

Healthy Choice Fresh Mixers are a easy and convenient way to eat healthy from your desk! Everything you need to cook is right in one container: sauce, pasta, or rice. I’m always looking for cheap, healthy, and quick lunches especially during the winter when I don’t want to leave my “warm” office.

For college students, these are also a good dorm room meal idea! According to a recent study, 71% of college students agree that eating healthier is simply having healthy foods around their dorm or apartment. Healthy Choice Fresh Mixers are a great option since they don’t require refrigeration, you can keep them on hand to prepare a few healthy meals. Think about Fresh Mixers the next time you are mailing out a care package to your favorite college student.

They are easy to make, tasty, and VERY filling. I felt full after eating only 3/4 of this meal. These meals are full of protein. You will find these at the store near the soup and canned items. No refrigeration or freezing necessary. So keep one or two in your desk drawer for those day you want to save a little or need a quick lunch. Varieties Include: Ziti & Meat Sauce, Sesame Teriyaki Chicken, Sweet and Sour Chicken, Szechwan Beef with Asian Style Noodles, Southwestern Style Chicken,and  Rotini and Zesty Marina Sauce along with new varieties, Chicken Cacciatore, Steak Portobello, and Sweet Hickory BBQ Chicken.

I have enjoyed the rice varieties as well as the noodle varieties. Bryan, my husband, prefers the rice varieties and likes to eat these as a meal or as a side dish to the main course.

Healthy Choice also has three new vegetarian soups that I’m excited about: Tomato Basil, Traditional Lentil, and Hearty Vegetable Barley. I’m excited about this because Healthy Choice has listened to consumers who are trying to decrease or eliminate the amount of meat you eat. Being a person who does not eat meat anymore, these soups are a satisfying edition to my line up. Even better, the others in my household have been able to enjoy these soups as well! These also come in microwave bowls and are handy for work, home, or the dorm room.

We were recently sent a sample along with coupons for the new Kashi Honey Sunshine Cereal from Vocalpoint. Our whole family was surprised that they liked this new simple cereal from Kashi. Usually, if it is natural it isn’t very sweet. However, this cereal has just the right amount of sweetness to eat as a traditional cereal, for a quick snack, or to use as a topping for some other creation.

They are sweetened naturally with wildflower honey with no artificial flavors and includes only natural ingredients. Each serving is packed with awesome nutrition.

• High Fiber ~ 6g of Fiber from a combination of whole grains
• Whole Grains ~ 20g of whole grain – 33% of your daily needs
• All Natural ~ No artificial sweeteners, flavors or preservatives.

This is one natural cereal that your whole family will love!

Warner Brothers and Safeway have partnered up to exclusively offer “better for you” eating solutions at kids featured Looney Tunes characters. The Eating Right Kids line features over 60 items in 18 categories including breakfast foods, produce, portable meals, dairy, snacks, beverages, and frozen entrees. It is available in over 1,700 Safeway locations in the United States and Canada.

The Eating Right Kids line has been formulated to standards based on the most recent dietary recommendations and regulations from several federal and state agencies. For example, the white bread has 15% RDA of calcium and 3 grams of Fiber per serving.  The 100% Juice contains no corn syrup and provides 10% RDA of calcium as well as 100% RDA of vitamin C.

These foods are tasty and better for children. We tried the mixed berry chewy bars with chocolate coating, 100% Apple juice, snack bowls, and Pasta Rings with Meatballs. I heard no complaints from my children as they gobbled these goodies down.

My only concern was the portion size for the Pasta ring with Meatballs. It is a little large for my younger children but probably just about right for the older children. The younger kiddos could just split it or use it for another meal.

Warner Brothers Consumer Products has also taken extra steps of clearing the retail shelves of the majority of foods featuring Looney Tunes that do not meet a “better for you” standard. This is a great step towards reducing childhood obesity.

Since I don’t have a Safeway location near me, I hope that other grocery chains take note and do their part to offer better choices!

This review is sponsored by Safeway/Warner Brother Consumer Products through partnership with Team Mom. All reviews/recommendations are based on my thoughts/opinions and are not edited or written by the sponsor.

When most people think Atkins, they think Meat and Cheese. At least I do. However, Atkins has added some new products to their new Atkins Cuisine line which may surprise you.

Atkin’s new All Purpose Baking Mix and Penne Pasta are packed full with fiber, low in sugar, and are low carb. They also make cooking and baking easy.  You also won’t feel guilty about indulging when you pair it with one of the Atkin’s recipes like Penne with Fresh Tomatoes or Rich Chocolate Brownies.

The Penne Pasta has 18 grams of fiber in one serving along with 11 grams of protein. This is pasta that will help you feel satisfied. Even if you aren’t doing the Atkins diet, this is a pasta worth buying for the high fiber and protein.

The All Purpose Baking Mix is also high in fiber and protein. With 6 grams of dietary fiber and 20 grams of protein, you can make your favorite baking recipes without near the amount of guilt.

We were sent packages to try of these two new products and I did not find there was a taste difference from the higher carb counterparts! Do you have a spectacular recipes featuring the new All Purpose Baking Mix or Penne Pasta? You can submit your recipe to atkins.com by September 30, 2009 to win prizes up to $1,500!

I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Atkins and received samples to facilitate my candid review. In addition, Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Looking for a cheap alternative to expensive smoothie shops? I’ve got the product for you. Chiquita has a new frozen product called Chiquita Smoothies that are delicious.

Just add ice and the mix and you can whip up a yummy treat in a no time. My kids have been begging for me to make this almost every night. Even a visiting friend was begging his mom to buy these.

They come in four varieties so there should be a flavor everyone in your house loves:

• Strawberry Banana
• Peach Mango
• Banana Colada
• Mixed Berry

While we like all the flavors, our favorite is Peach Mango. Best of all, they are all natural, made with real fruit and packed with antioxidants! Yummy treat for ALL ages. Make it a Smoothie Night!

If you want to spice up your smoothie, you can check out the recipe collection at chiquitasmoothie.com. Retail price for a frozen can of Chiquita Concentrate Smoothie is just $2.69. Compare to $4 you will pay for just ONE smoothie at a restaurant.

Bargain Briana Buzz Disclosure: Chiquita provided all the Chiquita Smoothie varieties as well as a new blender for our family so that we could try out this product and share my honest opinion with my readers. No other compensation was received.  All reviews/recommendations are based on my own honest opinion and experiences and not edited or written by the sponsor.