Recent Great Discoveries that I Want to Share

When I discover interesting new things, I want everyone to know about them and just how awesome they are. So here's a little list I created just for you:

1. I try not to eat processed foods, white flour products, etc., but there are times when you absolutely must be prepared with a snack or you'll by a candy bar at the concession stand out of desperation. Am I right? So here's my two favorite new snacks to have on hand. They're not ideal, but compared to all the things out there, I think they're awesome. Ritz Crackerfuls (which I have loved since I tasted the garlic and herb flavor one) have a new flavor, Multigrain sharp cheddar. They are individually wrapped snack crackers with a cheesy middle. (probably 4X2--good sized) Listen to these stats: 5g of fiber, 2 g of protein, and only 2g of sugar per service. Not too bad. My other new favorites are the Nature Valley Granola Thins. They are crispy squares of granola that sandwich either peanut butter or dark chocolate. Both are delicious, and have 1 gram of protein, less than 10 carbs, 6g of sugar, and they are as satisfying as any candy bar with a fraction of the calories (90).

2. www.luxurylink.com. Check it out. Great place to purchase vacation packages big and small. Amazing values and all the destinations are awesome. Truly.

3. Throw a little ricotta cheese in your scrambled eggs! Yum. And good calcium to start off your day.

4. Crock pot for breakfast foods. Well, this was an unintentional discovery. We forgot to turn off the crock pot after dinner last night. There was a service of roast and gravy left in it, yum-oh. It made an awesome high protein breakfast this morning.

5. Wearing my glasses when I'm supposed to. It's amazing how they really work and my head hurts a lot less. Go figure.

6. Whole wheat pizza dough. I used to get it at Trader Joe's, now it's available everywhere, even at Wal-Mart. Takes the guilt out of pizza for dinner. Top it with a red sauce (without a lot of added sugar), sliced fresh tomatoes, fresh basil and fresh real mozzarella--heaven.

7. Spring Grill food! Here's something I figured out that maybe you already knew, but it sure helped me. Marinate chicken wings in the marinade of your choice, then thread the wings on kebob sticks, so you can easily cook them on the grill. Why did it take me so long to learn this?

8. In charge of team lunch at school? Our athletic teams have two team lunches during the season where we set up a special table for, say, the members of the soccer team. We use tableclothes, and school color paper plates and napkins, and they have a special lunch right there in the cafeteria during their lunch time. Here's the tip part: Did you know chic-fil-et will deliver? They delivered a chicken nugget platter, a big beautiful salad, a big fruit platter, a platter of brownies, paper products, knives, forks, spoons, ICE, gallon jugs of lemonade and tea, and all dips and condiments for around 18 people--all for a little over a hundred dollars. It was so organized, brought right to the school cafeteria, and beautiful arranged on their plastic platters. Plus, there was enough left for everyone to have a quick salad and/or brownie after school if they wanted one. Not cheap, but not crazy expensive, either. And not the healthiest thing, of course, but the kids love it, and it's still better than other fast food options.

9. When I pick up sports carpool from school, the kids are thirsty and hungry, so I always try to bring them a small, healthy snack (see #1) and waters. I have FINALLY learned to just keep my cooler in the car, and when I go to the grocery store, I put the water bottles right in the cooler and the snacks right in the back of my car, so it's not a last minute scramble for anything except ice--which is the same price anywhere (unlike bottled water!). Again, maybe you all have been this together from the get-go, but not me.



So those are my tips for today. I hope they make your life a little easier. I have been a bit more overwhelmed than usual this spring, and I have begun adapting short cuts where I can. If you have any good ones, please share!

Have a GREAT day! It's a good time to start reading the HUNGER GAMES trilogy if you haven't already. Movie is in the works! I also heard yesterday that IF I STAY, one of the books I talked about yesterday, also has a movie deal. How cool is that? IF you're a mean mom like me, make your kids read the book before they can see the movie.