GoGo squeeZ is a fruit serving in a pouch.  It’s a fun way for kids to eat a healthy snack and we are now part of the GoGo Gang.  Healthy, convenient snacks are hard to come by so I was thrilled to learn about this product.

Some immediate things for you to know about GoGo squeeZ are:

• No refined sugar
• No artificial anything
• No gluten, dairy, or nuts
• Kosher certified
• 100% fruit
• 5 flavors – Applesauce, Apple Strawberry, Apple Peach, Apple Banana, and Apple Cinnamon
• Built in straw, resealable, and requires no refrigeration!

Since we had never tried it before, I decided to whip out the iPhone video and shoot a clip of Truett trying it out for the first time so you can see an honest reaction.

While he might not be all smiles & super excited in a commercial like tone, he clearly likes it because he keeps eating it throughout the whole video.  That is testimony enough don’t ya think?  We have already gone through all the packets we were sent. Truett loved them and every time we’d leave the house, he’d throw one in his ‘fun bag’ for the car.  Funny thing is, I’ve tried to get him to eat applesauce from a jar….without success.  I guess having it in a pouch is way cooler.

The GoGo squeeZ Goal!

Help GoGo squeeZ succeed in our mission to help kids squeeze a bit of GoGo Time – simply good, active fun – into each and every day by encouraging families across the country to get moving through joining the GoGo Gang, GoGo squeeZ’s nation-wide brigade dedicated to getting a daily dose of physical activity…

When the GoGo Gang is 100,000 members strong, GoGo squeeZ will build a playground in an underserved community, making it easy and fun for children in the area to get their GoGo Time. When membership reaches 250,000, GoGo squeeZ will build playgrounds in two more communities.

I love anyone that encourages physical activity.  My kids are very tech savvy and play video games but we also spend a LOT of time outside because we feel it’s very important to be active.  While we don’t necessarily make up our own games, we do regularly  play football, tag, and time each other running around the house using a stop watch.   Of course riding horses, chores, and walking back and forth to the barn are every day activities that keep us busy too.

How are you staying active this Summer?  And what are your thoughts on these cool GoGo squeeZ applesauce pouches? 

Disclosure: I have been provided a stipend for my efforts to create this post.  As always, my opinions are my own and I wouldn’t have even accepted the opportunity had I already not loved everything about it.  Keepin’ it real y’all!

I can remember everyone talking about Jamba Juice. I had no clue what they were talking about because when you live out the middle of nowhere Texas, you don’t exactly have the food wonders that are available to the rest of the world. “Oh my gosh, it’s the best ever, it’s sooooo good”….those were words I heard often when Jamba Juice fell into the conversation.

Anyways, Jamba Juice sent me some(<–disclosure) smoothie mix to try out and since Toby is big on smoothies & I was curious on taste, I had to say yes!

It comes in a colorful bag from the freezer section. I found it by the the frozen fruits at Walmart. When I read the back, I was actually a little surprised because most smoothies call for ice and/or milk but not Jamba Juice; it called for apple juice. One cup to be exact and WOW. Just the fruit and one cup of apple juice, that’s it. The taste is A-MAZING. I’ve had a lot of smoothies but nothing compares to this one. No wonder everyone raves about Jamba Juice. You should have seen Toby’s face when he tasted it. A big smile and eyebrows raised like, he was so surprised at how good it was.

This has been our morning breakfast because it tastes good and because its’ good for you. We’ve been losing a few pounds around here and I have no doubt that some of it is due to our new morning breakfast. Have you guys tried it? If you haven’t, boy are you missing out.  TO DIE FOR!

You’ve been waiting all week haven’t you!  This is definitely drool worthy and is super easy to make and a great recipe for the kiddos to lend a helping hand in!  They can dip the strawberries in chocolate and braise the cake with Strawberry jam! This was made in the Stoneware Fluted Pan from Pampered Chef and are you ready?…..IN THE MICROWAVE!

Man was this good!!  And the pan was awesome of course. We laid it upside down on a beautiful bamboo platter for a good ten minutes to rest before lifting the pan.  Viola! It came out so pretty, no sticking.

You can find the main dish we served with this (and giveaway) and see more pictures from the Party.

INGREDIENTS

Cake

• 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon vegetable oil,  divided
• 1/2 cup milk chocolate morsels
• 1 package (18.25 oz) devil’s food cake mix
• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 jar (12 oz) seedless strawberry jam, divided

Glaze and Garnish

• 1/3 cup melted vanilla ice cream
• 1 cup milk chocolate morsels
• 1 quart fresh strawberries, divided
• Additional ice cream (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. Brush Stoneware Fluted Pan with 1 tbsp of the oil using Chef’s Silicone Basting Brush. For cake, combine chocolate morsels and oil in Small Batter Bowl. Microwave on HIGH 30-60 seconds or until melted and smooth, whisking after 30 seconds. In Stainless (4-qt.) Mixing Bowl, combine cake mix, eggs, water, ½ cup of the jam and chocolate mixture; whisk until well blended. Pour batter into pan.

2. Microwave cake on HIGH 9-12 minutes or until wooden pick inserted near center comes out clean. Remove cake from microwave. Wipe rim of pan clean using paper towel, if necessary. Center Simple  Additions Large Round Platter over pan and carefully invert. Without removing pan, let stand 10  minutes. Remove pan.

3. For glaze, combine ice cream and chocolate morsels in Small Micro-Cooker. Microwave on HIGH 20-60 seconds, stirring after each 20-second interval, until melted and smooth.

4. To finish cake, place remaining jam into Prep Bowl and microwave on HIGH 30 seconds or until melted; brush evenly over cake. Holding by stems, dip 16 of the strawberries into glaze; arrange around bottom edge of cake. Drizzle top of cake with remaining glaze. Slice remaining strawberries using Egg Slicer Plus; place into center well of cake. Serve with additional ice cream, if desired.

Cook’s Tips: For best results, bake this cake in a 1000-watt microwave with a built-in turntable. This cake can be baked in a conventional oven, if desired. Bake at 350˚F for 45-50 minutes. Proceed as recipe
directs.

Yield: 16 servings

Stoneware Fluted Pan

Chef’s Silicone Basting Brush

Small Batter Bowl

Small Micro-Cooker

Handmade, to me, means that someone poured their heart and soul into a project to give someone else pleasure in using it.  I have an appreciate for handmade anythings.  With all the fancy, hi-tech kitchen equipment that’s out there, it’s nice to seek out smaller and perhaps more meaningful treasures for your kitchen.

I got an email from Teri the other day and thought I’d share it (hopefully she won’t mind).  By the way, I have no clue who Teri is but apparently she’s a reader of My Wooden Spoon and huge fan of her Mom.

My Mother, Marilyn Kaiser, began a small business in 2007 called Phase Three.  She is a believer that she is in her third phase of life.  The first was when she was a child, the second when she raised her kids, and the third is as a Grandma and a capable, older woman looking for her place in the world.  She designs hostess aprons and sews them using designer fabrics.  She uses a wonderful 4-pleated design with a high waistband that is flattering on women of all ages, sizes and shapes.  We have heard from more than one customer that felt the waistband did a great job of hiding those”muffin tops”. 

I am extremely proud of her and she even allows me the honor of being the fabric buyer, but she is the seamstress, designer, and hard worker behind her fabulous aprons.

That is what I love about handmade.  In this case, it’s something that brings family together.  It’s an honor to be apart of and a prideful moment to see someone pursuing their passion.

Meet one of Marilyn’s designs from Phase Three.  In store full of beautifully built aprons, this was my favorite, Vintage Fruit Hostess Apron.  Thanks for sharing this treasure with us Teri!

Do you have some kitchen favorites that are handmade? I’d love for you to share them in the comments. I’m looking to add to my collection!

I’m not a huge tomato fan but I do think they are important to have your diet and below are just a few of the reasons why you should incorporate them into your daily eating.

Reduction in Heart Disease Risk
Tomatoes are a very good source of potassium and a good source of niacin, vitamin B6, and folate. Niacin has been used for years as a safe way to lower high cholesterol levels. Diets rich in potassium have been shown to lower high blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart disease.

Diets Rich in Tomato Products Significantly Improve Cholesterol

A high dietary intake of tomato products significantly reduced total and LDL cholesterol levels. While drinking 13.5 ounces of plain tomato juice every day may seem a bit challenging, enjoying a cup of tomato juice with lunch, a cup of hot tomato juice into which an ounce of tomato ketchup has been stirred along with some freshly ground pepper as an afternoon “soup” break, and/or a Virgin Mary (the alcohol-free counterpart to the Blood Mary) before dinner would provide some taste diversity.

More Help against Colon Cancer, Diabetes, and Migraines

So how else can tomatoes help? The folate in tomatoes can also help to reduce the risk of colon cancer. In addition, tomatoes are a good source of riboflavin, which has been shown to be helpful for reducing the frequency of migraine attacks in those who suffer from them. A good intake of chromium, a mineral of which tomatoes are a good source, has been shown to help diabetic patients keep their blood sugar levels under control.

More stuff to know…….

• 1. A large consumption of tomato can help improve skin texture and color.
• 2. Tomato is a good blood purifier.
• 3. Tomato helps in cases of congestion of the liver (protects the liver from cirrhosis) as well as for dissolving gallstones.
• 4. Tomato is a natural antiseptic therefore it can help protect against infection Nicotinic acid in tomatoes can help to reduce blood cholesterol, thus helps prevent heart diseases.
• 5. Vitamin K in tomatoes helps to prevent hemorrhages.
• 6. Tomato contain lycopene (the red pigment in tomato), this pigment is a powerful antioxidant that can also fight cancer cells.

A recipe to try.

One of our favorites recipes where tomatoes are one of the main ingredients, is my Tomato Cucumber Salad.  It’s very easy and very good and great for summer get-togethers.

Mother’s day is around the corner and if you’re looking for something special and delicious this year, have a look at Mrs. Prindable’s Apples.  I included these in my Holiday Gift Guide for 2008 because they are so good and something that my parents would give out to all the families for Christmas.

There are so many different apples to choose from that I guarantee you’ll sit there for an hour trying to decide!  One that I recommend and received myself, is the Spring Bouquet.  It’s a jumbo apple with triple chocolate and is SO DANG GOOD!  It would be a great Mother’s Day gift that reflects this time of the year where the flowers are growing and the birds are singing!  They also have some beautiful ones that have a rose or orchid.

The apples are the best of the best.  They offer huge jumbo ones or the smaller size apples but whichever you decide on, you’ll be sure you’re getting crisp, juicy ones devoured by sweet pieces of heaven all over it!

Mrs. Prindable’s are made to order to guarantee freshness.  Standard shipping is 2 day but you can get one day if needed, which means that if you wait until the last minute to buy something for a mom, you have a good chance of being able to order these and get them on time!

I have always been a fan of these and know that you will be too once you try them.  If you have already, I would love to know which ones are your favorite!  Please share.

Because I’m trying to lose weight, I’m really watching what I eat.  Every morning I wake up and decide what to eat.  I usually go for oatmeal, a healthy cereal or have a smoothie. Today is smoothie day!  My two favorite fruits, strawberries & bananas, in a drink!  And to make sure I’m getting a good dose of calcium, I use whole milk. You can substitute 2% or fat free if you want it non-fat but I think it’s healthy to have a good glass of milk throughout the day.

I have a blender that I just LOVE. The  Chris Freytag Personal Fitness Blender is my absolute favorite and it’s cheaper at QVC than at Amazon.  If you’re not a member of QVC, it’s a 30 sec sign up folks.

The blender is basically a mug that you can use to drink your shake or smoothie and comes with a to-go lid.  You put your ingredients in it, screw the top on (with the blender blades) and flip over onto unit. When done, you flip back over and swap out lids with the to-go one. I LOVE IT!  And you can also get extra mugs if you want more for other family members.

INGREDIENTS

• * 1 cup frozen strawberry
• * 1 cup milk
• * 2 packets of Truvia (or your favorite sweetener or 1/4 cup sugar)
• * 1 banana
• * 8-10 ice cubes

DIRECTIONS

Put all ingredients in blender. Blend until smooth.  VIOLA!  Super easy and VERY good!

What is your favorite kind of smoothie?

Did you know that French fries are the most commonly consumed vegetable by toddlers age 15-24 months? (Not surprising to me at all actually.) Or that soda is being served to infants as young as 8 months? These are the  findings from Gerber’s Feeding Infants and Toddlers Study (FITS), a groundbreaking study of the dietary patterns and nutrient intakes of 3,000 infants and toddlers from 4-24 months, which revealed inappropriate foods entering the diet at a shockingly young age and that as many as 25% of children did not consume a single fruit or vegetable serving on a given day.

I am a firm believer of having at least 2 vegetables with every meal and always have fruit in the house.   All three of my boys eat both and while my oldest would rather do without, he still eats them because he knows the benefits of them.  I can’t stress it enough that it almost always takes more than 2 or 3 times to get your child to really get a hold of the taste.  Keep trying!

Gerber is dedicated to improving the nutrition and eating habits of your growing children from birth to preschool through the Start Healthy, Stay Healthy campaign. Create your own Start Healthy Stay Healthy pledge and don’t forget to check out the Start Healthy, Stay Healthy YouTube channel!

WIN IT!

Share your pledge with me in the comments section below, and you’ll be entered to win a Gerber diaper bag  filled with a recipe tin and teddy bear!

Additional ways to enter:

• Blog it
• Twitter it
• Stumble it

This ends on February 1st!  Read complete rules on how I work my giveaways.

Do you ever crave a good ol’ fashion pie?  I do and this is one of our faves!  If you have never had a Peach & Cherry pie, you don’t know what you are missing folks.  This is a cowboy fave as most pies are……oh, and I love pie plates…*ahem*

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 Large ripe peaches, peeled and sliced
• 3 cups pitted fresh or frozen pie cherries
• 1/4 tsp. Almond extract
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 or 3 Tbsp. butter or margarine
• pastry for double pie crust (store bought or from scratch)

DIRECTIONS:

Put prepared fruit and almond extract into a large bowl.  Combine sugar and flour; sprinkle over fruit, tossing to mix.

Prepare pastry and fill bottom crust with prepared fruit.  Cut butter into small pieces and dot top of fruit.  Place top crust over fruit, trimming to allow 1/2″ to tuck under edge of lower crust.  Pinch and crimp edge.  With a sharp knife, make slits near center of pie.

Bake at 400′ oven for 45-55 minutes or until crust is brown and filling bubbles up through slits.   Allow your pie to cool before serving!   YUMMO

See that ice cream on the right? Coming in Spring….

Along with the holidays comes an abundance of sugary sweets and I don’t know about you but I’ve had enough.  I’m sure I gained a whopping 10lbs at the least after this Holiday’s feast and will be glad to get back to normal food.

One foodie family tradition I do welcome is the basket full of fruit courtesy of my parents.  They do this every year and it’s refreshing to have something healthy around to eat and a good distraction for my toddler’s craving of more sugar cookies!  They also bring an assortment of nuts so it’s  all good!  OH, and they always bring it in such a lovely basket for a beautiful presentation.  Of course, I didn’t get the basket in the picture but I assure you it’s lovely.

And Santa ALWAYS brings the kiddos fruit.  You know, he’s not only rewarding them for being good, he’s also trying to instill healthy eating habits too;)

Potential health benefits of eating fruit…

*potential for weight control
*more energy for exercising
*reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases
*reduced risk of developing cancers
*lower blood pressure
*potential to lower cholesterol
*reduced change of developing type 2 diabetes
*potential to slow down age process

Incorporate some fruit and reap the rewards of good health!

It can be quite easy to slip 5 pieces of fruit into the diet. Here are some tips..

1. Add dried fruit to breakfast cereal
2. Prepare fruit salads to last few days
3. Eat apple before leaving for work
4. Eat small piece 30 minutes before / after light workout
5. Drink more fruit juices
6. Find recipes that contain fruit
7. Always have a bowl of fruit in or near T.V

So for 2009, try buying a fruit basket as a family gift and encourage others to eat healthy!  What are your fruit eating habits and traditions?  Share in the comments and/or at A Spoonful of Flavor, the new foodie community.