Thank you to Gorton’s for providing free product coupons so we could try various fish recipes.

Growing up in Maine, seafood has always been one of my favorite types of food. It’s hard to beat a lobster with a side of steamed little neck clams, or a trout freshly-plucked from the stream. It’s not quite as easy to find seafood as fresh and tasty here in Kentucky, however.

Gorton's Seafood 20 Entrees Under 200 Calories - Great to Use in Your Fish Recipes

When I get a craving for fish, and I don’t have access to fresh-caught, I turn to a seafood company like Gorton’s. They’ve been around since 1849; companies generally don’t last that long if they don’t have a good product. One thing I like about Gorton’s is how they always keep up with consumer needs and wants. It’s not just fish sticks for the kiddos any more. Now you can choose varieties like grilled tilapia or whitefish fillets. Continue reading »

My search for affordable family mobile unlimited plans has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias and their client.

I’ve always been, as they say, a “talker”. There is a picture of me in fuzzy pink footed pajamas, sitting sideways in a rocking chair with my feet up on one arm; the cord of the phone is stretched from the wall to my little hand, and I’m twirling a strand of hair. I tried to find it to share with you but it may still be in the boxes of photos that my Mom has for me.

I’m not sure whom at the age of 4 I needed to talk to – and so casually – but that clearly was just the beginning bloom to my gift of gab. As I got older I remember quite a few marathon phone sessions with friends. Back then texting didn’t exist, so you couldn’t just send three or four words back and forth electronically. You had to stay on the line to complete a conversation.

Walmart Family Mobile Starter Kit & Phone #FamilyMobileSaves

While I may not spend quite as many minutes (hours) on the phone now as I did then, I do rack up my share of minutes each month. With my parents living in Maine, not only do I like to check in on them regularly, they also like to talk to Bubbles on the phone quite often, also. I had always felt like we had a fairly decent cell phone plan – until last summer, that is. We finally took the plunge and upgraded to smartphones with data plans. I knew our bill would increase but I didn’t realize by just how much. Continue reading »

Thank you to Gooseberry Patch for providing a cookbook to try out this yummy frittata recipe.

Breakfast foods have always been some of my favorites. Eggs, hashbrowns, pancakes, bacon. They’re so versatile – and delicious – but I often end up serving them the same ‘ole way. So when I saw the recipe for an Easy Bacon Frittata in Gooseberry Patch’s new cookbook “101 Farmhouse Favorites” I knew it was the first thing I wanted to try.

While I’ve always enjoyed frittatas, this was my first time attempting to make one. I’m glad I gave it a whirl. It was easy to complete and makes a nice change from standard breakfast or brunch fare.

Easy Bacon Frittata Recipe

Continue reading »

Our family loves games of all sorts. Video games, card games, board games, active games. If you can play it, we probably will give it a try. So we were pretty excited when we recently had the chance to have a family game night with games from Hasbro. They sent some of their new toys based on Angry Birds, an app that the entire family at one point or another has spent hours flinging birds at gravity-defying structures. The extra-cool part is that these Angry Bird toys are based on the Star Wars franchise, something we all love.

Bubbles loves anything that comes in the mail but was especially intrigued by a box sealed with a cool Angry Birds Star Wars sticker. ”What is it Mama? What is it Mama?” she kept asking as we opened it. Before I even had all the flaps open she stuck her little hand in and pulled out what may be the coolest foam ball I’ve ever seen. It was a Chewbacca Angry Birds™ Star Wars™ Foam Flyer and seriously – so cute. She claimed it for herself and ran off to “show Daddy, show Daddy!”

This healthy mornings post is brought to you by Silk Fruit & Protein. All opinions are my own.

Bubbles is not a huge eater, especially at breakfast. I’m lucky if I can get her to eat some yogurt and a few sips of juice. Or on occasion sometimes she’ll ask for whole wheat toast with peanut butter or cheesy scrambled eggs. Since she doesn’t eat a huge breakfast I try to ensure that what she does eat is providing maximum fuel to her growing little body.

Silk Fruit & Protein: Healthy Drinks for the Entire Family

Shake Up Your Morning With Healthy Drinks

Recently I found that Silk has a juice blend called Silk Frui t& Protein. It comes in yummy-sounding flavors like Mixed Berry, Strawberry Banana, and Mango Peach. Each glass has 5 grams of protein – something most other juices can’t provide. And protein is definitely something kids, and the whole family, can use to help power through busy mornings. Plus you get calcium and vitamins D and C, which are both essential vitamins. They’re also lactose-, gluten-, and dairy-free which I know is an important point for a lot of folks (I’m told it can be challenging to find lots of tasty gluten-free options).

While this would make a great breakfast for Bubbles or to pour into a travel mug for an on-the-go breakfast, I can think of some other options for Silk Fruit & Protein, too. I think it would be awesome poured into molds and frozen into fruit pops. On a hot day can’t you just taste a cold, juicy Mixed Berry or Strawberry Banana fruit pop? It’s something the entire family could enjoy. I also think I’ll experiment with using it as some or all of the liquid in muffins or other breads. I occasionally do that with fruit juice but adding the extra protein would be great. Or what about using one of the juice blends as the start to a fruit-packed smoothie? Continue reading »

Views From the Ville

The Gorton’s 20 Under 200 Challenge (+ a Giveaway)

Saving on My Gift of Gab with Walmart’s Family Mobile Unlimited Plans

Easy Bacon Frittata Recipe (Plus a Giveaway)

Family Game Night with Angry Birds Star Wars Games from Hasbro

Give Your Kids a Healthy Start to Their Mornings

Shake Up Your Morning With Healthy Drinks