Views From the Ville

Enjoying Coffee from the Fridge with Green Mountain Iced Lattes

Nov 182013

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Green Mountain Coffee. The opinions and text are all mine.

The first thing I would like to reach for in the mornings is coffee. I’m bleary-eyed and a little fuzzy-brained when I wake up, and my brain calls for coffee. The only problem is that I generally get up a couple of hours before Bubbles does, and as she’s a very light sleeper, I’m afraid to run the coffee machine until she wakes.

There is a new alternative, though, that I recently tried that makes me quite happy. Green Mountain, one of my favorite coffee brands, now offers Espresso Roast Iced Latte. A refrigerated beverage, there’s no brewing involved so I don’t run the risk of waking anyone up in order to pour myself a glass.

Green Mountain Iced Lattes #GMIcedLatte Continue reading »

Holiday DVD Favorites from PBS KIDS

Entertainment, For the Kids 5 Responses »

Nov 172013

Thank you to PBS for providing review copies of these Holiday DVDs. All words and thoughts are my own.

If you’re looking for holiday DVD options from your kids’ favorite characters, you’re in luck! Many of the PBS KIDS shows have put out their own specials packed with winter- and Christmas-themed shows. The DVDs include both older

Dinosaur Train: Dinosaurs in the Snow

PBS KIDS Holiday DVD Dinosaur Train: Dinosaurs in the Snow

Dinosaur Train is a favorite in our house and we’ve been enjoying the Dinosaurs in the Snow DVD for the last few weeks. We’ve watched the dinosaurs travel to and see the North Pole for the very first time. While there Tiny, Don, Shiny and Buddy also saw their first snow. Later there was a discussion on whether or not tall trees – like Christmas trees – could really have grown from a tiny little seed. Continue reading »

Michael Angelo’s Naturally Italian Gourmet Food + Trip to Italy Sweepstakes

Uncategorized No Responses »

Nov 172013

I received Michael Angelo’s products in order to facilitate my review. All words and opinions are my own.

Italian food has always been one of my favorite cuisines. Growing up, my Mom would frequently make spaghetti and meatballs for dinner, complete with her own homemade pasta sauce. The sauce is so good that my brother and his now-wife actually requested it as their rehearsal dinner meal.

My Gram also made Italian meals special, as she often made her own fresh pasta. I remember seeing those little strips of goodness hanging on the machine, ready to be tossed into the boiling water. You’d think my family is Italian, but we’re not; we just enjoy good food.

I often make Italian meals for my own family. Lasagna and spaghetti with my own homemade spaghetti sauce recipe are two of the most frequent, but I’m made Chicken Piccata, antipasto salad, Chicken Parmesan, and other dishes, too.

Michael Angelo's Chicken Piccata at Sam's Club

Pumpkin Peanut Butter Cereal Bars Recipe

Recipes 14 Responses »

Nov 162013

This is a sponsored post on behalf of Alpha-Bits and the Mom It Forward Blogger Network. All words, opinions, and the Pumpkin Peanut Butter Cereal Bar recipe are my own.

Bubbles has been a pretty typical toddler in her favorite food choices. Ask her want she wants for lunch or dinner and you’ll almost always hear mac & cheese, mashed potatoes, or pizza. Occasionally she’d eat something else, but those three options were in frequent rotation.

Recently, though, I started to figure out that she could be enticed into trying new foods in a couple of different ways. One, if Daddy is eating it, she’ll at least try a bite. Sometimes that bite – like in the case of peanut butter & jelly – turns into something that she’ll request on her own. Other times, a bite is all she wants and Daddy gets to finish his own meal.

Pumpkin Peanut Butter Cereal Bars Recipe Using #AlphaBits

Another way that I’ve been able to add new favorites to her diet is through foods that incorporate her interests. Animal-shaped crackers are now regular inclusions on my shopping list. And letter-shaped pasta in tomato sauce has become a favorite of hers. She loves looking for specific letters in each spoonful, especially the ones that spell her name. Continue reading »

Sourdough Mushroom Stuffing Recipe for Thanksgiving

Book Reviews, Recipes, Thanksgiving 9 Responses »

Nov 162013

Thank you to Gooseberry Patch for providing a review copy of their “Hometown Harvest” cookbook so that I could share this stuffing recipe with you. All words and opinions are my own.

Growing up, Thanksgiving was always held at my maternal grandparents’ house. My grandparents, my great-grandmother, my parents and brothers, my aunt and uncle and their kids, plus any significant others or other guests would all end up split between their kitchen and dining room to share a meal. The food options were endless and not only was there no chance of anyone going hungry, most of the time there were enough leftovers sent home with each family to provide meals for three or four days.

Since starting a family of my own, Thanksgivings are now most often split between my husband’s Aunt’s house and our place. Depending on the location the items that I need to make can vary. This year, for example, we’re guests instead of hosts, so we’ll be bringing an appetizer, a side, and a dessert.

Sourdough Mushroom Stuffing Recipe

Sourdough Mushroom Stuffing Recipe from the Gooseberry Patch Cookbook "Hometown Harvest"

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