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From the press release with a bit of editing:
Purple Asparagus, Chicago’s non-profit organization at the forefront of promoting healthful eating for children at home and at school, holds its Sixth Annual Corks & Crayons Benefit at Uncommon Ground, 1401 W Devon Ave, Chicago, on Sunday, August 29th from 4-7pm. Foodies old and young will come together once again to celebrate the joys of family meals and healthy eating.
The event, run by Pivotal Chicago, will include a mini farmers’ market sponsored by Harvest Moon Organics farm, kids fun on the Dolores Kohl Education Foundation's StoryBus, music from Old Town School of Folk Music artists, a raffle, and a silent auction for bidding on gourmet treats, getaways, and more.
Guests will enjoy selections from Uncommon Ground’s kitchen (ed. note: Yum!), Candid Wines, Templeton Rye cocktails and craft beers from Three Floyds. Attendees will also be able to tour the certified-organic green roof atop Uncommon Ground where the restaurant grows some of the produce on its menu.
Tickets for “Corks & Crayons” are $55 for member adults (non members $60), $22 for young adults ages 13 through 21 (non members $25) and $12 for ages 5-12 (non members $15). Kids under 5 are free.
Tickets can be purchased via credit card at www.brownpapertickets.com or by check payable to Purple Asparagus sent in care of Melissa Graham, 1824 W Newport Ave, Chicago, IL 60657.
Purple Asparagus is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization at the forefront of promoting healthful eating for children at home and at school. Founded in 2005 to bring families back to the table by promoting all the things associated with good eating, Purple Asparagus is currently leading “Growing Healthy Kids,” a consortium of 30 plus organizations working in the schools to improve child wellness. The organization is also a key partner with Share our Strength and Healthy Schools Campaign to effectively implement the Chefs “Move to Schools” program of the White House's “Let's Move” initiative. For more information about the event and Purple Asparagus membership, visit www.purpleasparagus.com.
17 Mayıs 2012 Perşembe
Breyer's YoCrunch Fruit Parfait
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Knowing how much my preteen son's Starbucks granola yogurt parfait habit cost me over the summer, I happily accepted when the folks at Breyer's offered to send me a sample pack of their granola-topped Yo Crunch Fruit Parfait.
The four-pack they sent me was gobbled up before I could say, "Yo!" Seriously, I did even get to try it.
I like that the product is HFCS-free and lowfat, though I'm not pleased about the artificial dyes. Still, these are a good size for him and easy to tote along. I'm happy that he's eager to bring these as part of his lunch.
Knowing how much my preteen son's Starbucks granola yogurt parfait habit cost me over the summer, I happily accepted when the folks at Breyer's offered to send me a sample pack of their granola-topped Yo Crunch Fruit Parfait.
The four-pack they sent me was gobbled up before I could say, "Yo!" Seriously, I did even get to try it.
I like that the product is HFCS-free and lowfat, though I'm not pleased about the artificial dyes. Still, these are a good size for him and easy to tote along. I'm happy that he's eager to bring these as part of his lunch.
Campfire Marshmallows Giant Roasters
To contact us Click HERE
These giant marshmallows are sure to elicit squeals of excitement. They are huge! And fluffy! And not listed on Campfire's website. Huh?
I was at a BBQ last weekend where the host broke these out and OMG did everyone go wild. I'd love to give the full scoop on the product size and such, but that info isn't available online at the moment.
So you'll have to trust me they are big! And fun!
But the Giant Roaster are the kind of thing I'd only buy once.
Although they are a great novelty, roasting marshmallows over a camp fire is half the fun of eating them. And with a Giant Roaster Marshmallow, you kind of blow the whole wad with one roasting, unless you do what I did, which was to gently brown the outside and peel it off and eat it, and then re-toast the remains and so on until your fingers are impossibly sticky and your hair is matted with gooey marshmallow guts. But that method doesn't work well with kids.
I also found that the Giant Roaster threw off the marshmallow:chocolate:graham cracker ratio in my s'more. The marshmallow overwhelmed everything.
And I also worry about a young child (or even an older one) choking to death on one of the giant beasts of a marshmallow. (Really, click the link.)
So I guess it's regular ole' marshmallows for us from now on.
I was at a BBQ last weekend where the host broke these out and OMG did everyone go wild. I'd love to give the full scoop on the product size and such, but that info isn't available online at the moment.
So you'll have to trust me they are big! And fun!
But the Giant Roaster are the kind of thing I'd only buy once.
Although they are a great novelty, roasting marshmallows over a camp fire is half the fun of eating them. And with a Giant Roaster Marshmallow, you kind of blow the whole wad with one roasting, unless you do what I did, which was to gently brown the outside and peel it off and eat it, and then re-toast the remains and so on until your fingers are impossibly sticky and your hair is matted with gooey marshmallow guts. But that method doesn't work well with kids.
I also found that the Giant Roaster threw off the marshmallow:chocolate:graham cracker ratio in my s'more. The marshmallow overwhelmed everything.
And I also worry about a young child (or even an older one) choking to death on one of the giant beasts of a marshmallow. (Really, click the link.)
So I guess it's regular ole' marshmallows for us from now on.
Gamer Grub Performance Snacks
To contact us Click HERE
With the Sweets and Snacks Expo just weeks away, I'm receiving all sort of interesting notices. I found an intriguing postcard in my mailbox this morning for Gamer Grub. It doesn't say much about the product other than these lines, which are sure to excite as many moms as gamers:
No keyboard crumbsNo greasy fingers
Could it be true?!
According to their site, Gamer Grub snack foods are also fortified with vitamins and neurotransmitters to keep gamers sharp. Though, ironically, their snail mail piece has a typo.
Still, the lack of crumbs and promise of clean fingers intrigues me; I'll have to look for them at the Show.
No keyboard crumbsNo greasy fingers
Could it be true?!
According to their site, Gamer Grub snack foods are also fortified with vitamins and neurotransmitters to keep gamers sharp. Though, ironically, their snail mail piece has a typo.
Still, the lack of crumbs and promise of clean fingers intrigues me; I'll have to look for them at the Show.
Gimbal's Sour Lovers
To contact us Click HERE
Gimbal's comes so close to getting it right for today's discerning parent- they use real sugar and natural fruit juices in their gummies and jelly candies and their sweets are free of 8 major allergens, but I really wish they would lose the artificial food dyes in favor of natural ones.
I received a sample of Gimbal's new Sour Lovers, which are tasty enough. They offer a tart zap of one of 12 flavors, and hooray for the natural fruit juice flavors, but those too bright colors and the dyes that make them are a turn-off.
This year as I head to the Sweets and Snacks Expo, I'm on the lookout for items that are made with real sugar and use natural food dyes. I'll be sharing my thoughts about the best of them over at Feed Our Families.
Disclosure: Gimbal's sent me three bags of Sour Lovers, but did not ask for or require a product review.
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| Image borrowed from the Gimbal's website |
I received a sample of Gimbal's new Sour Lovers, which are tasty enough. They offer a tart zap of one of 12 flavors, and hooray for the natural fruit juice flavors, but those too bright colors and the dyes that make them are a turn-off.
This year as I head to the Sweets and Snacks Expo, I'm on the lookout for items that are made with real sugar and use natural food dyes. I'll be sharing my thoughts about the best of them over at Feed Our Families.
Disclosure: Gimbal's sent me three bags of Sour Lovers, but did not ask for or require a product review.
13 Mayıs 2012 Pazar
Live A Little - Break Out of the Box
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This week's Live a Little thought was inspired by our turtle, Tick Tock. We've had Tick for a couple of years now, ever since our neighbor brought him over in a shoebox. He was tiny then, about the size of an egg, but he's huge now. I never expected him to have such a big personality to match, though. Who knew I'd have a turtle who would beckon me to hold him and let me scratch his chin? Crazy!
Another thing that's crazy about Tick is how fast he is. He can move. And climb. Obviously, he's too big for his tank these days, but he can climb out and then we'll find him all the way back in Jasper's room at the other end of the house. Playing with Playmobil knights and dragons. Okay, that last bit is total hyperbole, but he does get around, which is pretty impressive for a common red eared slider.
Tick's intrepid spirit made me ruminate a little bit about boundaries and how we set them for ourselves, even if they're entirely imaginary. "I can't do that!" or "I'm not qualified!" are not things we should accept in our day-to-day lives. Instead, we should try to say "I haven't done that before but I'll give it my best shot!" Think outside the box that you've made for yourself and see what a difference it makes.
What walls will you tear down?
Share your Live a Little suggestions with the Skimbaco every Monday by adding the link to your Live a Little blog post in the InLinkz widget below. Rules: Link either to Skimbacolifestyle.com OR grab the InLinkz code for your blog post – or do both! If you post the widget in your blog post, please add the rules as well.
Another thing that's crazy about Tick is how fast he is. He can move. And climb. Obviously, he's too big for his tank these days, but he can climb out and then we'll find him all the way back in Jasper's room at the other end of the house. Playing with Playmobil knights and dragons. Okay, that last bit is total hyperbole, but he does get around, which is pretty impressive for a common red eared slider.
Tick's intrepid spirit made me ruminate a little bit about boundaries and how we set them for ourselves, even if they're entirely imaginary. "I can't do that!" or "I'm not qualified!" are not things we should accept in our day-to-day lives. Instead, we should try to say "I haven't done that before but I'll give it my best shot!" Think outside the box that you've made for yourself and see what a difference it makes.
What walls will you tear down?
Share your Live a Little suggestions with the Skimbaco every Monday by adding the link to your Live a Little blog post in the InLinkz widget below. Rules: Link either to Skimbacolifestyle.com OR grab the InLinkz code for your blog post – or do both! If you post the widget in your blog post, please add the rules as well.
Review: Hershey's Bunny Trail
To contact us Click HERE
When at Blissdom this year Hershey's was a sponsor. A very generous sponsor. While I didn't get a chance to make the s'mores with several of my buds that I had planned (we brought the Hershey's chocolate, graham crackers and marshmallows ourselves but I forgot the fuel for my mini blow torch), Hershey's did offer bloggers the chance to make their own Easter baskets.
Mine recently arrived, and I think Mister Man is going to be happy come Sunday. I know my husband was when I showed him that I chose mini Cadbury eggs just for him. There were so many options to put into the basket, and I loved that there were Hershey's options sans HFCS that I can give to Mister Man, something I greatly appreciate.
Every year, I create Easter baskets for the wee ones. The baskets are never the same, but they're always filled with something slightly edible (it's Easter!), but something that still fits within our general nutrition guidelines, as well as toys or activities we can do together. Because Easter is another of the family holidays, it's important to me that the wee ones know it's about doing things together, so we emphasize that with our baskets.
So far, the wee ones still believe in the Easter Bunny, but I have a feeling this may be the last year. Do third graders still believe? When they saw the Easter Bunny at an event recently, they immediately found and noticed the zipper on the hood and the blonde hair sticking out the back, but they decided it was just a "helper" because the Easter Bunny must be so busy. I can only hope to keep this tradition alive for just a little longer - without lying to them, which I refuse to do.
One thing we've never done but always intend to do is to dye Easter Eggs. It was one of my favorite things to do growing up, but this will be the ninth year I've let it get away from me. Part of it is that I am the only person in the house who likes hard boiled eggs, so what do we do with them after they've been dyed, but really we just get too busy and forget. I have three egg dying kits in my Easter bin in the basement because I have good intentions.
I'm a little sad that we've never done it. And we won't do it this year, as tomorrow is taken up by heading to the Ronald McDonald House to cook for the families staying there before making dessert for Easter, and Easter itself is full of church and an Easter Egg hunt at my parents' house and a ginormous ham dinner.
And somehow... that's enough tradition for us right now. Maybe someday when the wee ones aren't so wee (at what age do they need a new moniker?), maybe that's when we'll find the time to dye eggs, another tradition we can create as a way to cement the bonds of our family on yet another holiday.
Hershey's asked that we share our Easter traditions with our readers as part of the Hershey's Bunny Trail where there are recipes, memories, and plenty more to help all of us get ready for Easter.
In the interest of full disclosure, I received a Hershey's Easter basket. I was not compensated for this post. As always, all opinions are my own.
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Mine recently arrived, and I think Mister Man is going to be happy come Sunday. I know my husband was when I showed him that I chose mini Cadbury eggs just for him. There were so many options to put into the basket, and I loved that there were Hershey's options sans HFCS that I can give to Mister Man, something I greatly appreciate.
Every year, I create Easter baskets for the wee ones. The baskets are never the same, but they're always filled with something slightly edible (it's Easter!), but something that still fits within our general nutrition guidelines, as well as toys or activities we can do together. Because Easter is another of the family holidays, it's important to me that the wee ones know it's about doing things together, so we emphasize that with our baskets.
So far, the wee ones still believe in the Easter Bunny, but I have a feeling this may be the last year. Do third graders still believe? When they saw the Easter Bunny at an event recently, they immediately found and noticed the zipper on the hood and the blonde hair sticking out the back, but they decided it was just a "helper" because the Easter Bunny must be so busy. I can only hope to keep this tradition alive for just a little longer - without lying to them, which I refuse to do.
One thing we've never done but always intend to do is to dye Easter Eggs. It was one of my favorite things to do growing up, but this will be the ninth year I've let it get away from me. Part of it is that I am the only person in the house who likes hard boiled eggs, so what do we do with them after they've been dyed, but really we just get too busy and forget. I have three egg dying kits in my Easter bin in the basement because I have good intentions.
I'm a little sad that we've never done it. And we won't do it this year, as tomorrow is taken up by heading to the Ronald McDonald House to cook for the families staying there before making dessert for Easter, and Easter itself is full of church and an Easter Egg hunt at my parents' house and a ginormous ham dinner.
And somehow... that's enough tradition for us right now. Maybe someday when the wee ones aren't so wee (at what age do they need a new moniker?), maybe that's when we'll find the time to dye eggs, another tradition we can create as a way to cement the bonds of our family on yet another holiday.
Hershey's asked that we share our Easter traditions with our readers as part of the Hershey's Bunny Trail where there are recipes, memories, and plenty more to help all of us get ready for Easter.
In the interest of full disclosure, I received a Hershey's Easter basket. I was not compensated for this post. As always, all opinions are my own.
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