Revolution Foods Meal Kits for Kids . . . Convenience Without the Artificial Ingredients! #RealFoodForAll #MC

I participated in an Influencer Program on behalf of Mom Central for Revolution Foods. I received a product sample to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for participating.

We usually keep a small handful of refrigerated lunch kits on hand for our children just in case we ever need them in a pinch.  I used to give lunch kits to our children regularly because they were so convenient, but most of the time I would have to remove the things that came in the kits that I considered to be more appropriate for an occasional treat, such as powdered drink mixes, candy, and cookies.  That is something I do not need to worry about with these new Revolution Foods meal kits since only wholesome foods are included in each box.  In fact, Revolution Foods goes even a step further by including only all-natural foods in these meal kits for kids.

Having been designed by two moms, these meal kits are extremely child-friendly.  Not only did my children enjoy the foods (even without any artificial colors or flavors), they were mostly able to open the sealed packages of food inside each kit on their own.  There aren't too many foods my children can serve themselves.  I keep our Revolution Foods meal kits in the drawer of our fridge right next to the juice boxes, so our children can choose their own lunch and beverage independently.

Although there isn't enough food inside these kits for our 10 year old son, they are the perfect size for early grade school children, like our 7 year old twins.  They each took a meal kit with them on the day of their class field trip to the zoo.  Both were very excited to have such a cool looking lunch to bring, rather than a semi-smooshed sandwich in a paper bag.  As expected, our daughter enjoyed hers, but surprisingly her picky twin brother admitted his was good as well.  It was very clear that the Cheese Pizza Meal Kit was the favorite among our children.  In addition to the pizza, the Ham & Cheddar, and the Turkey & Cheddar, there is also a Peanut Butter & Jelly kit available.  We did not purchase that one because our children's classrooms are peanut-free.

As a parent, I like not feeling guilty about packing something convenient for my children for lunch. These kits contain high quality meats, cheese made from real milk, a serving of 100% real fruit, and whole grain crackers or pizza crust.  There are also no preservatives or artificial flavors and colors.  Best of all, our children enjoyed the meals!

You can find these new Revolution Foods meal kits at Safeway stores nationwide, as well as at select Target and Whole Foods stores.  Use the store locator to find a retailer near you.  Before you shop, be sure to grab a printable coupon to save $1.00 on one Revolution Foods Meal Kit.  Then come back and tell me which variety was your child's favorite!

Ad: How to Have a Fun & Easy 2-Step Dipping Valentine's Day Family Meal . . . Double-Dipping Required! #LuvTyson

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This #LuvTyson Chicken Tenders shop has been compensated as part of a Valentine's Day social shopper amplification for #CollectiveBias and its advertiser.  All opinions expressed are my own.

My husband and I have a date night about once a year and it rarely falls on Valentine's Day.  That is the one day of the year when most of the adults whom we trust to watch our children have their own big plans.  If this happens to you as well, why not make the most of it by have a fun Valentine's Day family meal?  (Romantic candlelight dinners are overrated.)  Since I only do "easy" when it comes to meals, let me show you how simple it would be to create a special kid-friendly dinner for Valentine's Day!  First, you'll need a food that all your children love.  In our case, this would be chicken tenders.

You may think that chicken tenders are just an everyday food, but it transforms into something fun when you introduce the concept of 2-step dipping . . .

"2-Step Dipping" is when you dip your chicken tender into a sweet or tangy sauce and then dip it a second time into something crunchy and savory!

Our Valentine's Day family meal had 6 components . . . 

• Chicken tenders plus 3 sweet/tangy dips and 3 crunchy/savory dips
• Cheese and crackers with heart-shaped pepperonis (cut with kitchen shears)
• Valentine's Day themed plates and napkins
• Chocolate roses
• A red drink (ours was 70% lemon-lime soda & 30% pomegranate cranberry juice)
• Valentine's Day cookies

I found everything I needed at Walmart, including the disposable dipping cups with lids, Valentine's Day stickers (for just $1), 12" paper doilies, chocolate roses ($1 each), everything we needed for dipping, the ingredients for our red drink and our own special dipping sauce, Valentine's Day Peanut M&Ms for our cookies, and of course the Tyson Original Batter Dipped Chicken Breast Tenders.

Be sure to look for a coupon in your February 9th Sunday morning paper for Tyson Batter Dipped Tenders!

There were several things to prepare, but most of them were quite easy.  Our 7 year old daughter was able to help with some of the prep work, such as placing the Valentine's Day stickers on the dipping cups, filling the dipping cups with some of the sauces, and placing the lids on the cups.  We had some stickers leftover, so we wrapped the chocolate roses in a Valentine's Day napkins and secured them with napkin rings we made with the stickers and wide curling ribbon.

For the 2-step dipping, we used two sauces that we have enjoyed dipping other things into in the past.  Then we made a 3rd dipping sauce of our own.  We also crushed 3 of our favorite savory snacks.  What we ended up using for dips were . . .

• Wise Onion Rings (crushed)
• Barbecue corn chips (crushed)
• Cashews (crushed)
• Honey
• Cocktail Sauce
• Soy Honey Lime Sauce (Recipe below)

RECIPE:  Soy Honey Lime Dipping Sauce

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup low sodium soy sauce

2 to 3 Tbsp honey

1 tsp lime juice

Step 1.  Pour soy sauce into a small mixing bowl.

Step 2.  Add lime juice, blending it into the soy sauce.

Step 3.  Add honey one tablespoon at a time, stirring to completely dissolve the honey in the soy sauce before adding the next spoonful.  (Taste the sauce before you add more honey.)

I have to say that our children had a blast with the 2-step dipping!  Since they each had their own set of dips, they could experiment with various combinations.  Some of the favorites were the cocktail sauce or the honey with the crushed barbecue corn chips.  Our Soy Honey Lime Sauce tasted great with the chicken tenders, but the solid dipping ingredients did not adhere to it as easily as they did to the honey and cocktail sauce.

Now I want to know what ingredients you would use for your 2-step dipping family meal!

Easy Stuffed Parmesan Pizza Crust Rolls #Recipe

Since the big game is coming up, I thought it would be a great time to share this easy to make game day recipe.  These stuffed rolls were inspired by this Stuffed Pizza Rolls recipe shared by Six Sisters Stuff.  The possibilities really seemed endless with this recipe and we enjoyed experimenting with different ingredients to bake inside the rolls.  We did make a batch with pepperoni and shredded Mozzarella inside with red sauce for dipping and our children just loved it.  For my husband and myself, we wanted something that suited our tastes better . . .

Stuffed Mushroom & Onion Parmesan Pizza Crust Rolls Recipe

INGREDIENTS:

refrigerated pizza dough

4 to 6 whole white mushrooms

1 medium yellow onion

4 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

1 Tbsp melted butter

2 tsp garlic or Italian seasoning blend

1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
butter or olive oil
nonstick cooking spray

marinara sauce (optional for dipping)

Step 1.  Preheat the oven according to the refrigerated pizza dough's package instructions.

Step 2.  Slice and sauté the mushrooms and onion in a little butter or olive olive oil.  Remove from heat and put aside.

Step 3.  Unroll the pizza dough and press (from the center outward towards the edges) until it has a uniform thickness of approximately 1/4".

Step 4.  Using a pizza cutter or a knife, cut the dough into squares approximately 2".

RECIPE TIP #1

You can make the squares in any size to fit your appetite.  The 2" size is easier to eat for children or for finger foods when entertaining.

Step 5.  Place a bed of shredded Mozzarella cheese onto each square.  Then top with a spoonful of onions and mushrooms.

Step 6.  Bring the four corners of a pizza dough square together with the filling inside.  Then pinch the dough so that it is completely sealed, being careful not to stretch the dough out so much that it makes holes in the bottom or sides.  Repeat with the remaining pizza dough squares.

Step 7.  Spray a glass pie pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Step 8.  Place each filled ball roll into the pie pan.  Then brush the tops with a bit of melted butter.

Step 9.  Sprinkle each roll with garlic or Italian seasoning.  Then generously top with grated Parmesan cheese.

Step 10.  Bake rolls in the oven for approximately 12 to 15 minutes or until they turn a nice golden brown on top.  (Baking time may vary from one oven to another.)

RECIPE Tip #2

If you are using filling that gives off moisture, like the vegetables we used, you may want to bake the rolls for slightly longer (without burning the cheese on top) to prevent the pizza dough from becoming soggy.

Step 11.  Cool for 5 minutes and serve hot either alone or with a side of marinara sauce for dipping.

This recipe can really be adjusted to suit your own tastes.  For example, my husband is not a huge fan of an abundance of melted cheese, so I put less shredded cheese inside the rolls.

These stuffed rolls would be a huge hit on game day!  You could try trading our onions and mushrooms for crumbled sausage, cheddar cheese, ham and cheese, or just about anything you enjoy on a pizza or in a hot sub or calzone.  What would you put inside yours?

Ad: Turn Dinner and a Movie into a Fun Smurfy Low-Stress Family Night (Smurfs 2 Free Printable) #TastyTenders #shop #cbias

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This Smurfs 2 shop has been compensated as part of a family night social shopper insights study for Collective Bias and its client.

When you think of dinner and a movie, what most likely will come to mind is a night out without your beloved children.  However, when that is not possible, it might be fun to turn movie night into family night.  If your family is busy like ours or if your children have early bedtimes, fitting in a full-length movie after dinner can be a bit of a crunch, so why not combine the two?  If allowing your children to eat in the living room is not one of your favorite things to do, let me tell you how we were able to have an easy low-stress Smurfs 2 dinner and movie without dragging out tray tables or worrying about our children spilling their food and drinks.

There were four key factors that made our family night a success . . . a fun movie, a low-mess finger food dinner for kids, a sturdy container for the food that a child can hold steadily with one hand, and a virtually spill-proof straw cup that can be lifted one-handed.  I also added some fun Smurf-themed printable labels to the food tubs and the cups.  Luckily, I was able to find everything I needed in one shopping trip to Walmart.

For the food tubs, I used white Limited Edition (for the Holidays) Ziploc medium square containers and placed a Great Value clear 16oz cup inside each.  I was going to use acrylic straw tumblers for the children's drinks, but then I saw these adorable handled mason jar mugs complete with lids and straws at Walmart.  They came in a variety of colors, but the blue and white seemed especially perfect for our Smurfs-themed family movie night.

To add a little fun to these functional tubs and mugs, I used a downloadable image from www.SmurfHappens.com to make these printable blank Smurfs 2 tags.  You can print them out and use them for name tags, favor tags, or whatever you like.  Instead of putting our children's regular names on the tags, we gave them each names inspired by the Smurfs.  You can write the names directly on the tags after you print them or save the image to your computer to add text digitally before you print the tags out.

TO PRINT:  Make sure your printer is on and ready to print.  Click on the image below to enlarge.  Then right-click and choose print.  Use your browser's back arrow to return to this page.

My husband and I named our children Trendy Smurf, Gamer Smurf, and Hungry Smurf.  I punched holes in one set of tags and used elasticized string to tie them around the mugs.  You could also use regular string, yarn, or ribbon to tie the tags onto the handles.  To attach the labels to the tubs, I simply put rolled pieces of tape on the backsides of the paper.

I was just going to pick up the Smurfs 2 DVD for our family night, but found the Holiday Blu-ray & DVD Movie Gift Set on sale at Walmart, so I could not resist buying it.  Papa Smurf was always my favorite Smurf!

For beverages, we gave our children milk because that is what they usually drink at dinner.  Also, it doesn't hurt that it's not sticky, doesn't stain, and it goes with our Smurfy blue and white theme!

For the finger foods, we chose to serve kid-friendly Batter Dipped Chicken Breast Tenders made by Tyson in Original and in Honey paired with fries.  Both were easy to prepare in the oven and easy to serve.  The fries were served inside the clear cup, which was surrounded by the batter tenders.

This family night was a huge success because of the hot, tasty, and filling batter chicken dinner, the kid-friendly tubs and mugs, and a movie that all 3 children found to be hilarious.  We will definitely be doing dinner and a movie with the whole family again soon.  It was such a fun, stress-free, and mess-free evening.  Which movie would you recommend for our next movie night?

By the time we were done with the movie, our children were stuffed and it was getting close to their bedtime.  If you start your Smurfs movie night earlier, here are some fun activity ideas for after the movie . . .

• Play Hot Potato with your plush Smurf toy.
• Serve blue M&M chocolate chip cookies (baked in advance).
• Print the Smurfs 2 coloring pages for your children to color while watching the movie's bonus features.

What other ideas do you have for fun ways to wrap up family movie night?

Bring Good Moments to the Dinner Table with McCain Potatoes

I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for McCain Foods. I received a sample to facilitate my review as well as a promotional item as a thank-you for participating. All opinions expressed are my own.

One of my biggest complaints about my life is how busy and hectic our household is.  We are pretty much always in a rush and that includes getting dinner on the table.  We have 3 children with 3 different levels of pickiness when it comes to food.  Our 9 year old son is most open to eating almost everything we serve him.  Our 6 year old daughter is open to trying everything at least once, but her list of foods she likes is definitely shorter than her big brother's.  Her twin brother is reluctant to try anything new and randomly moves foods from his 'likes' list to his 'does not like' list.  All of the above is true, even when it comes to the most kid-friendly food in the world . . . french fries.

Luckily for us, McCain potatoes makes it easy for us to please everybody.  Every member of the family has his or her own favorite.  It's so easy for us to make more than one variety of french fries.  The three types of fries we usually serve are McCain 5 Minute Fries, Seasoned Spirals, and Smiles.  Also, somehow our children seem much more willing to eat their veggies when they are served next to a generous serving of fries.  Bottom line is that, thanks to McCain Potato products, at least some of our family dinners can be less stressful and even fun, bringing good moments and memories to the dinner table!

Recently, we served the children a dinner consisting of 3 types of McCain french fries, freshly made hamburgers (with optional bacon, mushrooms, and Swiss or American cheese), and a tiny bit of spinach salad.  If you can believe it, our 6 year old son complained about having to eat his bacon cheeseburger.  He did end up eating it though!  Why? . . . because we also gave the children empty plates to use as canvases to make food art.  Yes, we told them they could play with their food as long as they were eating it too.  Well, they didn't dare eat all their fries first because that would end their play all too quickly, so they gobbled up their burgers and salad.

After I showed them a few things I could make using my food, the children enjoyed themselves thoroughly making their own creations while they ate.  Here are some examples of what they came up with . . .

Here's another one of mine (yes, I had fun playing with my food too!) . . .

McCain wants you to have plenty of chances to bring good moments to your dinner table!  Through November 4th, McCain will randomly draw one winner every week to receive a $500 grocery gift card.  Be sure to enter by visiting McCain on Facebook.  After you enter, remember to grab your coupon for $1 off any one bag of McCain Potato products.

“Load up on groceries your family loves, and bring naturally good moments to the dinner table every time you serve McCain Potatoes."

To learn about how McCain has reformulated its potato product lines to be more natural and free of artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives when possible, visit www.McCain.com.

3 Easy Marshmallow Pretzel Dip Recipes

Last year when my family celebrated National Pretzel Day, I bought two jars of gourmet dip and some Nutella to use as pretzel dip.  Our children did not really seem too crazy about any of the dips I chose, so I decided to come up with a must-win pretzel dip that was super-kid-friendly.  You know me though . . . whatever I make, it has to be easy with few ingredients and not a lot of prep work.  The 3 varieties of dips I ended up making were simple, but were a huge hit compared to the gourmet dips.

Recipe:  Peanut Butter Marshmallow Pretzel Dip

INGREDIENTS

Marshmallow Fluff

Reese's Peanut Butter Topping

Chocolate Sprinkles or Mini Chocolate Chips

Step 1.  Take approximately 1/2 to 1 cup of Marshmallow Fluff and put it in a small dip bowl.  Allow the marshmallow to settle.  It will smooth out on its own.

Step 2.  Drizzle Reese's Peanut Butter Topping over the top of the marshmallow.

Step 3.  Take a chopstick or a swizzle stick and swirl the peanut butter into the marshmallow without mixing it together too much.

Step 4.  Top the mixture with chocolate sprinkles or mini chocolate chips and serve.

Recipe:  Chocolate Marshmallow Pretzel Dip

INGREDIENTS

Marshmallow Fluff

Hershey's Chocolate Syrup

Colorful Confetti Sprinkles or Rainbow Sprinkles

Step 1.  Take approximately 1/2 to 1 cup of Marshmallow Fluff and put it in a small dip bowl.  Allow the marshmallow to settle.  It will smooth out on its own.

Step 2.  Drizzle Hershey's Chocolate Syrup over the top of the marshmallow.

Step 3.  Take a chopstick or a swizzle stick and swirl the chocolate syrup into the marshmallow without mixing it together too much.

Step 4.  Top the mixture with confetti or rainbow sprinkles and serve.

Recipe:  Toffee Caramel Marshmallow Pretzel Dip

INGREDIENTS

Marshmallow Fluff

Smucker's Caramel Sundae Topping

Heath Bar Toffee Chips

Step 1.  Take approximately 1/2 to 1 cup of Marshmallow Fluff and put it in a small dip bowl.  Allow the marshmallow to settle.  It will smooth out on its own.

Step 2.  Drizzle Smucker's Caramel Sundae Topping over the top of the marshmallow.

Step 3.  Take a chopstick or a swizzle stick and swirl the caramel into the marshmallow without mixing it together too much.

Step 4.  Top the mixture with Heath Bar toffee chips and serve.

Although my children seemed to like them all, it appeared that their favorite was the Chocolate Marshmallow Dip.  I'm not sure if it was the chocolate they liked so much or the colorful star-shaped confetti sprinkles.  It could very well have been both.  I think anyone who likes a salty-sweet taste combination will enjoy this dip.

If you try any of these pretzel dips for your children or grandchildren, I'd love to know how they liked it or which one they ended up enjoying the most.

Easy Recipe: Fun & Creative Veggie Pasta Dish for Kids

This post is sponsored by Country Crock. I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective, and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.


Since our children have been able to eat solid foods, my husband and I have tried to introduce (and reintroduce) a variety of vegetables to them.  As a result, they all have their favorite vegetables to eat, especially ones that they have been enjoying for as long as they can remember.  It is much more difficult to get our children to try new vegetables now that they are older.  This is most likely true with most children.  I do not want to give up on adding to the list of veggies my children are willing to eat.  I just know that, if we can get them to try them, they may discover one or two new favorites.  That is why I am happy to find so many resources out there about fun ways to serve vegetables to children.

In addition to ideas I have seen on Pinterest, the Clare Crespo Cookbook is one of the best resources I have come across so far for creative kid-pleasing ways to serve veggies to children, ideas that I would never have thought of on my own, like veggie campfires, rocket ships, and boats.  The recipe I am sharing with you today is based on Clare Crespo's "Pasta Full of Posies" recipe.  I did make a few changes, such as using more olive oil, garlic, and Parmesan cheese plus cooking the tomatoes to suit my own family's taste.  Also, if I were to make this recipe again, I would add basil, so I have adjusted the recipe accordingly below.

Recipe:  Veggie Flower Pasta

INGREDIENTS:

1 box whole wheat penne pasta

2 yellow peppers

3 Tbsp Country Crock Spread

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

3 Tbsp minced garlic

1 Tbsp dried basil

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

10 baby spinach leaves

5 or more cherry tomatoes, halved

Step 1.  Cut the peppers in half, remove the ends and the seeds, and wash them.  Then cut them into strips about 1-1/2" wide.  From there, cut out your flower petal shapes (5 petals per flower).

Step 2.  Wash the cherry tomatoes and cut them in half.

Step 3.  Boil the pasta according to package instructions.

Step 4.  Melt the Country Crock Spread in a large skillet over medium heat.  Then add the olive oil, basil, and minced garlic.  Heat the garlic 1 to 2 minutes or until the garlic becomes very aromatic.

Step 5.  Cook the pepper petals in the garlic mixture for about 5 minutes.  Then remove them from the skillet with tongs and set aside.

Step 6.  Briefly cook the tomato halves in the garlic mixture until they have softened just slightly.  Then remove them from the skillet with tongs and set aside separately from the peppers.

Step 7.  Turn off the heat.  Then add the cooked pasta to the skillet and toss in the garlic mixture.

Step 8.  Let the pasta cool slightly for 2 to 3 minutes.  Then toss with the grated Parmesan.

Step 9.  Put the pasta in a large pasta bowl.  Then arrange the vegetables into flowers on top of the pasta, using the tomato halves as the centers, the peppers as the petals, and the baby spinach as the leaves.  (Any extra pieces of tomatoes and peppers can be used to serve the adults.)

I switched to using Country Crock Spread years ago, not just because it is much easier to spread on rolls, toast, and waffles, etc . . . , but also because it tastes just as good as butter to my family.  Before I knew it, I used it to both cook and bake as well.  At the time, I did not even know that Country Crock Spread has 70% less saturated fat and 30% fewer calories than butter and that it has 0g trans fat.  Of course, my children do not care about all that.  They only know that what I cook tastes good to them (even vegetables).

Are you looking for quick and simple tips and recipes to make serving veggies more fun? Download the free Clare Crespo Cookbook here for fun and whimsical recipes your family is sure to love!  You can find additional tips and recipes at The Crock Country Chronicle, as well as the Country Crock Facebook page and Twitter feed.

Easy Recipe: Bacon Wrapped Italian Style Chicken Fingers

This is a super-easy recipe I wanted to share.  It is very kid-friendly and would likely be a huge hit on game day.  It is just something I tried one day to add a little variety to our meals, since our children are a little on the picky side when it comes to food.  One food item I have noticed that they like is Barber Food Italian Style Raw Chicken Fingers.  This is a frozen food item that we purchase at BJ's Wholesale Club regularly.  There is usually 14 or 15 chicken fingers in each package, so one is enough for two meals for us.  I have used it cut into strips on top of pasta or salad and sometimes with melted cheese and red sauce with pasta.

Recipe:  Bacon Wrapped Italian Style Chicken Fingers

INGREDIENTS:

3lb package Barber Foods Italian Style Raw Chicken Fingers

14 to 16 slices uncooked bacon

8oz package of Shredded Mozzarella Cheese (optional)

Step 1.  Preheat oven at 450 degrees.

Step 2.  Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil (optional).  Then wrap one slice of bacon in a spiral pattern around each chicken finger and place in a single layer on the cookie sheet.  (Pieces can be placed close together, but not touching, otherwise the bacon will stick together).

Step 3.  If you would like to use cheese, you can top each wrapped chicken finger with the desired amount now, if you like the cheese to brown.  If you do not want your cheese to brown, then add it five minutes before the cooking time is complete.

Step 4.  Bake chicken fingers for 18 to 20 minutes.  (If you did not use cheese or plan to add it towards the end, you can turn the chicken fingers over halfway through the cooking time to make the bacon crispy on both sides.)

This recipe would make a great alternative to the plain old chicken fingers appetizer.  Everything is better wrapped in bacon, right?  If you use all 3lbs of chicken fingers, this recipe will serve 7-14 adults if each person eats one or two chicken fingers.

All ingredients for this recipe were purchased with our own funds and no compensation was received for sharing this recipe with our readers.