Copyright
© Copyright 2006-2010 blackbeltmama dot com ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
August 15, 2009
Mrs. Dash Fiesta Lime Seasoning Blend
A little over seven months, my father suffered two massive strokes. By the grace of God, he received medical help within the needed time frame, and we are blessed to have him with us today, with very little long-term damage. DUring the recovery, diet became a huge concern. Low-fat, low sugar, low cholesterol, low sodium-ugh! If you do low-fat, the sodium is high. If you do all of the above, there's not taste. I spent hours in the grocery store, reading labels, hoping I wasn't adding to my father's health issues.
That's when I checked out Mrs. Dash. We always had Mrs. Dash growing up, but what I didn't know was that many varieties of Mrs. Dash that were out there (over fifteen!!!). Mrs. Dash is introducing two new seasoning blends, Fiesta Lime and Caribbean Citrus, and Mom Central asked me to play around with one of the seasonings and let you know what I thought. They sent me the FIesta Lime blend and yum! It popped with flavor and I wasn't dying of thirst afterward.
There are recipes at Mrs. Dash, but I decided to make something up. My friend's garden is plentiful, so I steamed up some yellow zucchini and some fresh green beans, mixed it with a little olive oil, sprinkled on the Fiesta Lime seasoning blend and served over a bed of brown rice, black beans and a touch of salsa. Fresh and yummy! The husband even enjoyed it!
I can't wait to try the Caribbean Citrus blend soon. Both new flavors would be great on fish or in a salsa…hmmmm, now I know what I'm having for dinner tonight!
TKDDaughter gives the new Fiesta Lime seasoning blend by Mrs. Dash a
August 12, 2009
McAfee Family Protection
In the world we live in, danger is all around us. In the "good ol' days," you could shut out the bad things when you closed your front door…now, danger follows us right in and makes itself at home. This poses an extra problem for parents whose children use the computer. McAfee Family Protection software aims to help curb some of a parent's fears on keeping their kids safe.
What I like about the software is the many features that focus on monitoring computer usage…I have found that you can filter all you want, some sites still get through the cracks…this way, I can see who has been where in case one of those sites sneaks through. (Although, I have to tell you, nothing bad has gotten through!)
For you, BBM Review readers, McAfee is offering a discount through August 31, 2009 to save $5 off the McAfee Family Protection. The promo code is: 5familyprotection. Take advantage of this great savings while protecting your family!
I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of McAfee and received a sample to facilitate my candid review. In addition, McAfee sent me a blanket and care package to thank me for taking the time to participate.
For giving parents some peace of mind while their kids surf the web, TKDDaughter gives McAfee Family Protection:
July 16, 2009
Chex Mix Snack Bars
I am not the "bar" kind of girl. I guess this is probably because I'm one of those people who has always preferred it when my foods don't touch. I don't like the mixing of ingredients in most cases. This has always baffled my children, seeing as how they practically live on breakfast bars, yogurt bars, fruit bars. . . I could go on. In fact, if I could have found meat bars at the points in their lives where they were protesting protein, I'm pretty sure they would have eaten them.
Chex Mix Snack Bars are obviously a bit hit in this family. My husband and the girls have devoured them, pretty much without chewing, since they arrived on our doorstep.
We tried the Chex Mix Bars in the "Turtle" variety. They include Caramel-Covered Corn Chex pieces, Wheat Chex pieces, Chocolate, Peanuts, and Pretzels. Maybe my whole aversion to anything "bar-related" had to do with the fact that there was never any chocolate involved, because these bars are definitely worth a try if you have snackers in the family.
Despite the fact that there's also this messy stuff in them, the bars stay together very nicely when eaten and I think they'll probably remain a staple snack in our household from now on. When something with chocolate in it says "Good Source of Whole Grain!" on the box, I'm in.
If you'd like to try them in your house, all you need to do is leave a comment below telling me how you like to unwind at the end of the day. What's your favorite comfort food? Three readers will be chosen to receive two boxes each of the Chex Mix Bars.
BBM gives the Chex Mix Bars. . .
Thanks to MyBlogSpark for letting us try them!
June 16, 2009
The Classical Three Section Staff
I've played with a lot of weapons in my day, but the three section staff is a scary one. Does any other weapon scream quite so clearly "hey, hit yourself in the head!"
That's why I decided to check out "The Classical Three Section Staff" by Rick L. Wing.
I had my reservations about the book at first because it seemed like a normal color-by-numbers martial arts text (show a couple pictures, explain some foot positions, call it a day).
Although "Three Section Staff" does follow a pretty standard setup, I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the content. The author provided excellent information about the history of the weapon and wrote in a very approachable manner. At no point did Wing try to sound like the master of all things staff.
One of my favorite parts of the book was in the beginning when Wing discussed the hand positions used with the staff. Seeing his pictures and examples of how the postures could be used was very enlightening.
Example of a Three Section Staff
Rather than trying to pass on a whole "Style", Wing geared the bulk of his book around a single two-man form. The form is a sample combative engagement of the three-section staff vs a spear. As Wing explains it, the techniques contained in this single form allow the practitioner to understand the core principles of the weapon. Therefore, the methods used here can be used anywhere.
The pictures contained in the book are very well taken and the angles help demonstrate what is happening. Although I personally haven't learned the form contained in the book, I have gleaned a lot from the ideas discussed.
Right now in my training I am not trying to become an expert at three section staff. If I ever did want to significantly increase my proficiency, I would certainly use this text as a highly valuable resource.
Overall, Ikigai108 gives "The Classical Three Section Staff"…
Would you like to purchase this book? Check it out here!
May 28, 2009
Making Life Better
The title of this post alone should be your "narrative hook" (sorry, geeky English teacher here…). We all strive in this tough economy to make the most of what we have and stretch our resources. Along the way, we don't want to scrimp on the health and well being of our families. Dinner is a constant struggle to do this…Mom Central showed me a website that is quickly becoming a new favorite place for me when I do my meal planning.
Making Life Better features great recipes and cooking tips. I'm planning on putting the Grilled Chicken with Peaches meal (at only 320 calories!!) on my meal plan for next week. There is a quick search where you can quickly search by different criteria, making it easy to find what you need. They even have their own YouTube channel where you can find Cooking Coach videos to learn new tips and ideas.
I like that this website focuses on making dinner fast and easy and affordable. There is an entire section on Budget meals…I like that! You can sign up for a newsletter, enter a monthly sweepstakes, and more! Check out this helpful website and start gaining some sanity into your life at mealtime!
TKDDaughter gives Making Life Better a :
Getting Rave Reviews
BlogHer Review
Go Shopping
Macho Warrior Sparring Gear Set
$69.99And see the rest of our Sparring Gear
at MartialArtsSupplies.com
Martial Arts Pagoda
