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The Skinny Cow Ice Cream
When you're asked to review ice cream, it's really a no-brainer. When you're asked to review low fat ice cream? I mean, how can you refuse?
I was given two coupons for free Skinny Cow products and I chose the Peanut Butter Ice Cream Sandwiches and the French Vanilla Truffles. When I devoured all of those, I went back and bought the Mint Ice Cream Sandwiches, and people, I'm about to make your day because here is the actual info from the mint ice cream sandwiches from The Skinny Cow website:
"Low Fat Ice Cream. 97% Fat Free. 140 Calories. 3 grams Fiber. 0 Trans Fat." There are only 30 grams of carbohydrates in this happy little bundle of a sandwich and don't even get me started on how it tastes.
Ok, you asked for it.
The mint ice cream is light and wonderful. It lacks fat, but doesn't lack flavor. The ice cream sandwich chocolate wafers are to die for, so much so that I will happily admit that I licked my fingers-all of them.
The peanut butter ice cream sandwiches are delicious as well, but I must say that the mint ones totally rocked my world. To be able to eat THAT, and not feel guilt? Now that is something special.
The French Vanilla Truffles are amazing. So amazing in fact that I not only licked my fingers, but my daughter's as well. The ice cream is light and creamy and then it's drizzled with this hard chocolate on the outside that is just enough to make you completely satisfied and without having to shove an entire chocolate bar down your throat.
I shared my good fortune with my neighbor and her son and we all agree that The Skinny Cow is pretty much our new best friend. If you are watching your weight, or just trying to eat healthier, you'll want to add The Skinny Cow to your shopping list. I've been to a couple different grocery stores and each one had different products. I suggest visiting all your local grocery stores to pick these up.
My only criticism is that I haven't found a jumbo pack yet. These ice cream treats are a big hit in this house and I can barely keep them in stock.
BBM gives The Skinny Cow. . .
And a special thanks to Mom Central for the opportunity to review it!
Ragu Old World Style Pasta Sauce
I grew up on Ragu pasta sauce. Back then it was pretty basic. It was either marinara or meat sauce. We always had the meat sauce until my sister decided to turn into a vegetarian. I wasn't happy to give up that meat sauce, but I wouldn't have minded as much if it was modern day.
Ragu has put out some new flavors and you really need to try them. I tried Ragu's new Margherita and Sweet Tomato Basil sauce. Although I enjoyed both new flavors very much (as did my family), I have to say that the Margherita was by far the best one. All I did was heat it up and pour it on top of some whole wheat spaghetti. And it was fantastic.
The Margherita sauce has tomatoes, pizza seasonings and mozzarella cheese and it is reminscent of a boardwalk slice of pizza. The Sweet Tomato Basil sauce is not an overpowering herb sauce. It has just the right amount of basil and the tomato flavor is flawless as usual with Ragu. If you're looking for something a little different though, definitely try the margherita. It's the new favorite pasta sauce in this house.
If you're looking for a little more excitement than your basic spaghetti dinner though, Ragu has teamed up with Robin Miller of Food Network and Registered Dietician Sylvia Klinger to create great easy recipes like Chicken Margherita and Steak Pizzaiola with Mozzarella. Most recipes have a prep time of about 15 minutes and many recipes are on the table in under 30 minutes.
If you're interested in finding out more and downloading some recipes, then check out the Ragu web site and get cooking.
Thanks to Ragu and Mom Central for the Ragu coupons so that we could try both of the sauces!
BBM gives the new Ragu Old World Style pasta sauce flavors. . .
Romano Macaroni Grill’s Restaurant Favorites
Do you want to cook like a restaurant chef, but you just don't have the time? Well, I have the solution for you. Actually, it's not me. It's Romano Macaroni Grill's restaurant favorites. When I agreed to review this product, I was skeptical. I was worried it was going to be Hamburger Helperish (not that there's anything wrong with that-we love hamburger helper here). I just thought it was going to be very simple, without the "wow!" factor. You know, a quick and easy meal when you can't think of anything better?
I was wrong.
We tried the Creamy Basil Parmesan Chicken and Pasta dinner. I had about 45 minutes before I had to take my daughter to ju-jutsu and I needed something fast. I was skeptical about the prep time being only 20 minutes, but the box doesn't lie. I had dinner on the table in 20 minutes flat.
I held my breath, waiting to see if the little people in the household would like it or not. I didn't need to wait long.
"This is awesome! It tastes like a restaurant" my eight-year old said, as she inhaled every last bite. My 3-year old soon joined the party without a complaint.
I have to say, the flavor is fantastic. It absolutely does taste like restaurant pasta. My friend TSDaughter makes a fantastic pesto that she shared with me last summer and it reminded me a lot of the flavor of her pasta too (Her pasta is amazing).
Preparation is really easy too. The package contains little packets of seasoning, creamy sauce, pasta and Parmesan cheese. Anyone can follow the instructions to make this meal in less than 30 minutes.
My only criticism of the meal package is that I thought the amount of pasta was a bit on the small side. We enjoy leftovers in this house and we didn't have any. A family of four can get away with using one package, but you should probably plan on having a side dish or salad along with it. If you have a family that likes to fill their plates with pasta, then you'll probably want to pick up two packages, or just add some extra linguine to the pot.
Here's the thing though. Three lucky winners will each receive a "What's for Dinner?" gift package. Gift packages include a sample of the Creamy Basil Parmesan Chicken Pasta dinner, a colander, serving spoon, and cheese grater as seen below.
To be entered to win, simply leave a comment below telling me what your biggest struggle is when it comes to putting dinner on the table. Three lucky winners will be announced next week! If you don't win, you can still go here and get a coupon to save $1 when you buy it in grocery stores.
My family and I absolutely loved this meal and we'll definitely be making it again in the near future. Now I have three other varieties to try. Can't wait!
BBM gives Romano Macaroni Grill's restaurant favorites. . .
Fiber One Bars and a Spa Break Giveaway!
I am not a snack bar kind of person. Granola bars generally make me gag, and as much as I might like to be satisfied by a breakfast or snack bar, it's just not my first choice. Ever.
The Fiber One Chocolate Mocha Chewy bars are making me reconsider though. Let's start with the obvious. If you're looking for a way to add fiber to your diet, then look no further. One of these bars provides 35% of your recommended daily intake of fiber. If you're watching your weight or trying to get in better shape, an increase in fiber is a must. Here is one tasty way to do it.
The Fiber One chewy bars have the consistency of a Rice Krispie treat with the flavor of rich chocolate and just a hint of coffee (mocha) flavor. I ate one (without any gagging), and actually returned for more the next day. Even if you're not the bar eating type of person, you might want to give the Fiber One bars a try. Plus, did you see what's in them? That's right, chocolate.
The only negative about these bars is that they contain the newly-determined-to-be-evil- high fructose corn syrup. That's the only negative I could find. So, if like the popsicle commercials on TV, you're not that worried about corn syrup, then I highly recommend you give these a try.
If you'd like to find out if you're getting enough fiber in your diet, you can check out this handy Fiber-O-Meter here. If you'd like to try the bars for yourself, you can download a coupon for $1.35 off one box here.
In addition, we have a special giveaway to offer you! Three lucky winners will be receiving a "Spa Break" basket in the mail like this one:
Each basket contains a fantastic bath pillow (I've tried mine so I know), chocolate scented soap and lotion, bath salts, and a coffee scented candle. Winners will also receive a coupon to try the Fiber One bars for free. To be entered to win, leave a comment below telling us why you need a spa break. Winners will be chosen and announced in one week! Good luck to you!
BBM gives Fiber One Chewy Bars. . .
Blueberry Acai Yo-Plus
Acai is the latest and great thing and everyone seems to be talking about it these days. My gym offers acai berry smoothies. Celebrities swear it's the best thing that ever happened to them; and now Yoplait has made acai accessible to all.
If you like yogurt, you're going to love Blueberry Acai Yo-Plus. The yogurt isn't custard-like. Instead it has more of the consistency of a nice pudding. The flavor itself is fantastic. With blueberries and acai berries circulating in the yogurt, it's an instant pleaser. Beware though, like the raspberry, acai berries have some gritty seeds to them. The yogurt itself isn't overwhelmed with them, but there are a few which could come as a surprise to new acai berry consumers.
The yogurt comes packed with probiotics and prebiotics and a healthy amount of fiber. They challenge you to try it for 10 days and not love it. I'd love to try it for 10 days straight. The only problem is that I bought it this morning and it's gone. My kids found it. for more information about Yoplait's Yo-Plus line, go here. For additional nutritional information including carb counts, etc, go here.
Perhaps the best thing about this new yogurt is that YOU, yes you, can try it for free. Not only that, but Yo-Plus is offering a great Yoplait cooler tote bag (perfect for the beach or an afternoon at the park), a great big water bottle perfect for the gym or the dojo, a small nurtritional journal, perfect for tucking in your purse or pocket to keep track of what you're eating, and a coupon to try Yo-Plus for free.
If you'd like an opportunity to get one of these fantastic gift packs, leave a comment below. Winners will be randomly selected and the gift bag will be sent out immediatey. The contest on this blog runs until Monday. Leave a comment and win! Even if you don't win? You can go here to download a coupon for $1.50 off of a 4-pack.
For being healthy and tasty, BBM gives Yo-Plus. . .
Don't forget to leave a comment for your chance to win! AND, check back because we have another give-away coming up soon!
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