Morning Coffee Treat!

    I admit I have a really hard time functioning without my morning coffee. But as the weather gets warmer I find it's harder to drink it. Solution Starbucks Frappuccino bottled cold coffee drink. Then we get into my issues with this.
   1) Price--- Seriously 4 bottles for $6-$7. I'm not pleased with the price
   2) Ingredients--- Yes I am trying to be more aware of the stuff in my foods and drinks.
   3) Size--- It's such a small bottle! It leaves me wanting more every single time.



Solution! I do have one! I went in search of recipes and adapted them to what works for me and my likes and dislikes.


My Recipe- A bit less sweet than some and less fat. (makes 5-6 servings)

Coffee- I used 5 cups of extra strong brewed coffee for mine. (normally I use 2 TBSP coffee in this size pot, I used 1/4 cup)
Milk- I used 5 cups of 2% as that is what I have in my fridge
Sugar- I used raw sugar (This is to taste. I used 1/3cup sugar in my batch and will drop it a little more next time)
*****Optional Stuffs!*****
 Chocolate Syrup, Caramel Syrup, Creamer

           To make this I made the coffee, and mixed in the sugar until it was dissolved. I then added the milk and in a container with a lid shook it up and stored in the fridge.
          To make my drink... I fill my blender bottle with ice, add the coffee mixture and a splash of creamer ( I wanted to finish what I already had). Blend add the lid and I have my morning cold coffee. With ice added I tend to get about 20 oz total and the bottle of the mix lasts me for 6 servings.
             Nutrition Info:
   My ingredients in calculations so yours might vary a bit.

144 Calories
4 Fat
20 Carb
20 Sugar
7 Protein

The optional stuff will add to your calorie tally.

Quaker Instant Oatmeal

   I received this oatmeal to try from BzzAgent.


We've tried it a few times just to see if it really is something we enjoy.

NEW Quaker^® Steel Cut Quick 3 Minute Oatmeal is made with 100% natural, whole grain Quaker^® Oats that are steel cut to give the oatmeal a heartier texture and nuttier taste that comes in Blueberries & Cranberries and Brown Sugar & Cinnamon

Quaker^® Protein Instant Oatmeal powers up your morning with 10g of protein available in two different flavors – Banana Nut and Cranberry Almond

 I received the Cranberry Almond in the Protein variety and the Blueberry Cranberry in the Steel Cut. 

Verdict:

 * Jared my picky eater went nuts on the steel cut and asked for more. This is amazing for him!

 * Liam was not impressed with the oatmeal but hasn't really ever liked oatmeal so I wasn't surprised.

 * Myself I liked the steel cut (making 2 at one time didn't work well). The Protein one was almost too creamy and left a weird aftertaste in my mouth that was sort of slimy and I won't be eating it again. 

     The protein packets had a line on them so you could fill the pouch with water instead of a measuring cup and would be perfect on the go when you need a quick breakfast and I liked the idea that there is an option for a version with more protein than average instant oatmeal. If I could get past the texture I would probably have loved it. 

     The Steel Cut took longer to cook than I normally need for instant oatmeal but was so worth it when it was done. It tasted amazing and was much more satisfying than the more processed instant oatmeal.

  

          I was able to find both items in my local Kroger store which is a big plus as lots of the time it takes a good long while to get in newer items if at all in my smaller town.

Ingredient lists: 

Steel Cut

Protein 

GoGo Squeez Fruit and Veggiez - BzzAgent

     I was asked to review these pouches by BzzAgent and was excited to give my littles a special treat that of course they think it just yummy and I know they are healthy. We received the Boulder Berry to try.
   
Our package came with a box of the pouches, some coupons to pass along and this cute Balsa Wood plane, kids cracked it before I got it together so it's hanging up high and safe.


Very excited for mom to open their treats!



Chug Chug Chug!


and gone!
          Verdict:
 They LOVED these and were begging for more. I love to keep some pouches in my purse and travel bags as a quick on the go treat and have been known to buy them while grocery shopping because a hungry kid while shopping is NO FUN!
      I am looking forward to picking up the other flavors for them to try out.

The ingredients... This is one of the things I look for. I can pronounce everything!!
  They are also NON-GMO Verified again something this mom loves to see on the treats I choose to give to my littles.



I was given this item free and has no impact on my review.

Comforts for Baby- Diapers and Training Pants

   I was asked to try Comforts for Baby from Kroger by BzzAgent. As I have 2 little boys one in diapers and the other in training pants at night I was all in for this one. Normally I would post my own pictures but nope not with this one.
   I picked up a pack of each the training pants and diapers.
         Liam is in diapers and I have been using these on him every day and accidentally one night.(I wasn't ready to try nights and take the chance of having a wet bed in the morning) for over a week.  These work just as well as the pricy Pampers I have been buying for almost 4 years. No wet bed, no wet clothing, and they fit him wonderfully! The little bees on the diapers are cute.
      Jared is potty trained but doesn't wake at night so he wears the training pants to save his bed. He loves the pirate theme and gets excited to wear them. He has woken twice wet but has done that even with the pricy Pull-Ups he was wearing. I was leary letting him wear these because most brands of diapers he has worn has caused him to get a chemical burn as his skin is extremely sensitive. So far though his skin is just as clear. They fit him great around the legs and are actually nice and snug on the waist. This is usually a concern as he has a longer torso but a small waist.

    I will most likely continue to buy these until potty training is done as they are considerably cheaper and a lot of times Kroger has digital coupons for them to make the price even lower!



                    I was given this item free and has no impact on my review.

CHOBANI SIMPLY 100™ GREEK YOGURT

  Bzzagent sent me coupons to try the Chobani Simply 100 Greek Yogurt. I was beyond excited for this as in our family we go through anywhere from 10-15 containers of Greek Yogurt a week and I love to shop sales for it when we shop. This was available at my local Kroger store and I want more brand options open to me. We picked up a few flavors since I wanted a good amount to make my decision, and I am all for the less calories for me since I am trying to stay healthy and work on losing some of the weight I put on with all my pregnancies. We as a family have given up many of the artificial ingredients in most food items. This item boasts No artificial sweeteners or flavors and no preservatives, made from rBst free dairy, AND they donate 10% of their profits to charity!
    I picked up Peach,Blueberry, and Strawberry. I loved the peach one and the blueberry what I got to try was good. I didn't even get a taste of the strawberry as the littles absolutely loved them all. Just as creamy and that little bit of tart that Greek Yogurt has as the full calorie ones I often purchase.

    I plan on picking up more soon and hiding them from the littles!

This item was given to me free and has no impact on my review.

Opal Apples

I was given coupons from Bzzagent to try these Opal apples. They claim that they won't brown and that is something that I was very skeptical about but hopeful that was true.

*They are only available from November to March. Non-GMO (something we in this home are working towards completely switching to)
*The are grown exclusively in Washington at Broetje Orchards and have since 2010.
*A portion of the sales go to their Youth Make a Difference grants that support youth-led non-profits involving food,nutrition, and agriculture. (this is something that always makes me want to buy from a company)

Ok my verdict:

     QC and LT (aka Jared and Liam) as always are my main focus when it comes to trying new and healthy foods. Jared was a little timid about the different color of skin but when I got him to actually try the apple he loved it so much I lost my apple! Liam was totally into trying out the apples of course. These boys will throw an apple away as soon as it starts browning and HATE when I use citrus juice on them to halt it from happening so I deal with a lot of half eaten apples or I buy the smaller apples in hopes they can eat them fast enough. Me I am a person who prefers a thinner skin, more tart that sweet, and juicy but not so much it drips down my face. I got all of this with my Opal apple! 

They are a nice large size and taste crisp with a nice crunch. They boys both loved them but the main thing I wanted to see was if they really were non-browning. So I took pictures at the start and an hour and a half later....

 We will be buying these again and again as long as they are available.

Dove Dry Spray

I was given this deodorant to try from Influenster.


I tried this product and out of 5 stars I can only give it 2. It did work and worked fairly well BUT...
I have asthma and will not use something that gives me attacks which this product did. It is very strong when you spray. Secondly I was not entirely comfortable with the ingredients in it. That is my personal opinion and I am sure there are others who wouldn't mind either the smell or the ingredients