I Scream for Ice Cream

July 10, 2012 By

Ice Cream

I can not resist a good ice cream. No matter how hard I try to eat healthy and “real” food, I always have room for ice cream. My husband is the same way. It is truly our downfall. We have different tastes in ice cream as he likes flavors like banana and butter pecan and I’m more of a cookie dough and mint chocolate chip girl, but we both fell in love with the MAGNUM Double Caramel premium ice cream bars. They are made with scrumptious vanilla ice cream covered in chocolatey coating, caramel and Belgian milk chocolate. They were so good that I only got one from the box! The caramel is soft and rich and made the bar really a treat for adults, although I’m sure kids would love it too(they never got one!). MAGNUM also has Double Chocolate, Classic, Almond, White, Mochaccino, Mint and Dark. I don’t think I could choose which to try next, maybe Dark, no maybe White, argh I don’t know they all look so good. Mint, yeah, Mint!

My husband also has a weakness for Klondike bars. He has had this weakness for as long as I can remember. His favorite has to be the Heath bar, which he promptly bought without giving me a choice. That is OK, I like Heath too. But I think I may have chosen the Caramel Pretzel if given the chance. I love the sweet and salty combination. Klondike also has Rocky Road, Neapolitan (a favorite of the kids), Double Chocolate, Oreo, Reese’s, Dark Chocolate, Krunch, Mint Chocolate Chip and of course Original.

And what blog post about ice cream could be complete without discussing Breyers. Breyers was our ice cream of choice in my home growing up. My father loved their peach during the summer and butter pecan the rest of the year. My mother would make me ice cream sandwiches using their chocolate between two homemade waffles. This was the quintessential summer dessert. Oh the memories! When Matthew’s diet changed and he was allowed ice cream he would choose Breyers Vanilla. I liked that it didn’t have a ton of weird stuff in it.

For a cold treat on the Fourth of July, we decided to let the boys try Dora the Explorer Slow Melt Popsicle treats. I was kind of excited when I read they didn’t have artificial color in them so I grabbed a box even though it contained HFCS. But then I started reading the ingredients and wondered what they meant by “slow melt”. I found they had ice structuring protein, so I did a little research. I found a paper discussing Ice Structuring Protein in Unilever products. It spoke of a genetically modified yeast that is fermented and produces the Ice Structuring Protein. I do not endorse GMO’s and so I opted to not allow the boys to try this product.

The last product we got to try was the Good Humor Reese’s Peanut Butter Ice Cream Cup. They were really yummy. They tasted just like frozen Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, which is a good thing. My middle son saw my husband eating one and has been begging for one non-stop ever since. The magic of chocolate and peanut butter!

I was provided with free boxes of each product for review. All opinions are my own.

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Lego Batman 2 PS3 Game Review

July 5, 2012 By

 

 

 

Holy Video Game, Batman!

Yeah, I know, that was kind of lame, but I couldn’t resist. Whenever I think of Batman, I think of Robin saying one of those cheesy holy-something-or-other Batmans. I loved watching that show. So I was pretty excited when I found out Lego Batman 2 DC Super Heroes video game was being released. My boys have loved the Lego PS3 games we already owned. They especially enjoyed the first Lego Batman game so I was sure they were going to love this one too.

They were jumping with anticipation as I loaded the game and got them their controllers. I let them have at it, like the old pros they are. The game is amazing, in true Lego’s fashion it makes Gotham City, Lex Luthor and The Joker fun and intriguing all at the same time. One of our favorite features is the fact that the boys can unlock other DC Super Heroes such as Superman, Wonder Woman and Green Lantern. The kids are so excited when they finally have a new character during free play.

They had a hard time with a few scenes and of course my husband was happy to jump in and help. He said it was a lot of fun to play. I like the fact that it is challenging, but not so hard as to make it impossible to succeed. This means the boys ask for it on a regular basis.

One of the other things that makes me like this game so much is that it has introduced the boys to Lego and DC Super Heroes. These are games, toys and characters that other children play with on a daily basis. Nico has taken such an interest in Batman and Legos that he specifically asked for a Batman Lego set for his birthday. And his uncle obliged with the Lego DC Universe Super Heroes Batwing Battle Over Gotham City which ties in with the game. Why would I be so excited that the boys loved a video game, you may ask. It is really simple. For years Matthew wasn’t interested in any sort of character or game and it left him deficient when talking to his peers. They knew all about the latest super hero or video game, but he was never interested. Then along came Lego PS3 games and Matthew’s eyes were opened to the wonders his friends had known about for years. Now Matthew talks about all sorts of Lego PS3 characters including Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Robin (one of his favorites), and all the Star Wars characters (they have several Lego Star Wars PS3 games too). And best of all, he talks with his classmates and the other kids on the bus, because not only does he know who these characters are, but he loves playing with them. He even has taken to bringing some of the Lego characters in the car with him. It really helps with social interaction when he has something in common with the other kids. So in our how, Lego Batman2 gets 4 (or more) thumbs up. Stay Well.

I was provided with a free copy of Lego Batman2 DC Super Heroes to review. All opinions are my own.

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Boulder Canyon Kettle Cooked Ridged Potato Chips

July 2, 2012 By

Boulder Canyon Potato Chips

With Matthew’s new diet we have had to give up even more foods lately. Not only is he Gluten Free, but he is Casein Free, Soy Free and Sugar Free. That means we have even fewer snack/treat options. We tend to choose fruit for our snacks, but there are times when you just want something else. Like this weekend he is going to a friend’s birthday party where they are serving lots of kids favorites such as pizza, PBJ, cake and chips. I have to supply him with a GFCFSFSF pizza, GFCFSF peanut butter and honey sandwich, a GF cupcake, but the mom promised me she would provide GF potato chips!

This week I got to try Boulder Canyon’s Kettle Cooked Canyon Cut Ridged Potato Chips. Interestingly, my husband, Larry, was actually the first one to dive into one of the bags! Coincidence? I don’t think so.  He chose the Sour Cream & Chives. He said they were really tasty, with a natural sour cream and chive flavor which wasn’t too strong. I decided to try the Honey Barbeque. Um, yum! They are gluten free, thick sliced and kettle cooked. I almost ate the whole bag, but I did show some restraint. I LOVE kettle cooked chips. The crunch that comes from a thicker slice, Canyon Cut combined with the kettle cooking makes for the most satisfying munch and crunch around. Then if you are lucky enough to get a chip that has folded over on itself like a little taco, well you are in crunch heaven! (as you can probably tell, those are my favorites!)

I am actually trying to contain myself and not open the Canyon Cut Totally Natural Potato Chips. I think Matthew would love those, so I’m holding on to them for this Fourth of July cookout, where I’ll let him indulge in these all natural potato chips. Then I’ll have to find a local shop to purchase these tasty treats.

Just so you know, Boulder Canyon Kettle Cooked Canyon Cut Ridged Potato Chips are not only gluten free, they contain no trans fats, no cholesterol and no MSG. They are also Kosher and Non GMO. Canyon Natural Foods also offers Malt Vinegar & Sea Salt, Sea Salt & Cracked Pepper and Olive Oil Potato Chips. But the flavors don’t stop there, you can also enjoy Vegetable Crisps, Hummus Chips and Rice & Adzuki Bean Chips.

Boulder Canyon provided the potato chips for review. All opinions are my own.

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Boar’s Head Feingold foods!

June 19, 2012 By

I don’t know if you knew this or not, I certainly didn’t, but Boar’s Head Deli meats have some products that meet the Feingold diet restrictions! That means there are some deli meats that qualify for inclusion on the Feingold food list. I can’t believe it. And all of their meats, cheeses and condiments are gluten free. This is wonderful for people like me. My kids love deli meat and I hate not being able to give it to them. Not because I think deli meat is great food, but because it is a known source of protein and they will eat it. With Matthew’s very strict diet of GFCFSFSF he has gotten extremely picky about his protein source. He NEVER liked eggs and has gotten to the point where he doesn’t want homemade beef, pork or chicken. All he seems to want is beans or peanut butter! At least the peanut butter is natural.

When Larry came home from the deli with a pamphlet from Boar’s Head I didn’t pay too much attention to it, but he started reading it. Immediately he noticed the Feingold inclusion and brought it to my attention. Feingold is a diet plan used to help kids with ADHD but it is very strict about no artificial colors, preservatives, sweeteners or flavors. All the things we need to avoid too. Lately Matthew has been willing to eat Boar’s Head EverRoast Oven Roasted Chicken Breast, and it has the little diamond symbol next to it that designates it meets the Feingold restrictions!!! Yay. They have at least 55 foods that are on the Feingold list – at least at my last count. That is pretty good.

I don’t know if your family uses deli meat, but we do like to have it with breakfast when I can’t figure out how to get any protein in my kids. Matthew will often have some of the EverRoast chicken with a green smoothie, and the other two will often eat some of the ham with cereal. I have to get them some protein to help sustain them until lunch, especially during the school year. With Matthew’s diet restrictions and his own preferences it really has become difficult, so having this option is wonderful. Anyway, if you didn’t already know, now you do – Boar’s Head Meats have some Feingold safe foods!

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