30 Day Salad Swap by Fresh Express

**Disclaimer: I received this product for free from the sponsor of the Moms Meet program, May Media Group LLC, who received it directly from the manufacturer. As a Moms Meet blogger, I agreed to use this product and post my opinion on my blog. My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of May Media Group LLC. or the manufacturer of the product.

Most of the time when we make dinner, we make a salad to go with our favorite foods (like lasagna or pizza). But how about a salad in place of our favorite foods? Meh? Well, how about if I told you, you could get the same great taste, just as a salad. 

Photo credit: Moms Meet

Fresh Express, the makers of those wonderful bags of lettuce & other greens that are thoroughly washed, rinsed, gently dried & sealed in a patented
"Keep-Crisp®” breathable bag to keep their maximum freshness without preservatives; have introduced the 30 Day Salad Swap. It's simple (& genius, actually), simply swap out one meal a day with a salad. Any meal. Breakfast (yes they have a swap for blueberry pancakes), lunch (Reuben anyone?) or dinner (Chicken Piccata & steak with potatoes). 

Signing up for the 30 day Salad Swap is easy & takes less than a minute. Of course they have recipes galore, but after you fill out your bio (why you're trying the salad swap, starting weight, height, age, gender & activity level), you're then able to track your calories consumed and burned, rewards & your total weight loss. Rewards? Yep, you read that right. Enter the purchase code on the Fresh Express bag & for every 2 codes (up to 14 in 30 days), receive a money saving coupon. Enter 15 bags total within 30 days of signing up & receive $50 in coupons to use for the whole year!

And for those that are always on the go, which is why Fresh Express is so perfect to begin with, you can also download the Fresh Express 30 Day Salad Swap app. 

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OK, so this isn't a salad swap recipe. But, it is my current salad du jour. Fancy Greens, Spinach & Arugula, with cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion, celery & a light vinaigrette. Of course the salad swap recipe for a Reuben is practically screaming my name!

After you sign up for the 30 Day Salad Swap, be sure to sign up for the latest Fresh Updates & print a coupon for $0.55 off any bag of Fresh Express Salad.  

Keep up with the latest from Fresh Express on Facebook, Twitter & Pinterest.



Moms Meet is an online resource that empowers moms to come together in an informal setting and talk about the latest on raising healthy families and living green. Moms Meet offers exciting opportunities for Mom Ambassadors and their groups to sample the latest healthy, green products. Sign up today!

Van's Natural Foods Flash Giveaway Winner!

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Our winner has been chosen, congrats to Karen G.! 

Van's Natural Foods & a Giveaway!

**Disclaimer: I have received products to try from Van's Natural Foods & am simply sharing my personal opinion which may vary from yours. I was not compensated for this review.

There are advantages to living in a small town, but one of the biggest drawbacks is finding specific items at the grocery store. I mean, sure, there's a WalMart nearby. But WalMart isn't exactly known for their selection of organic & natural foods. Mental note: Must plan a day trip to the nearest Whole Foods & Trader Joe's (at least a 90 min. drive - one way!).

That being said, I was over the moon ecstatic when I received a box of goodies from Van's Natural Foods. I've had my fair share of Gluten Free Blueberry & 8 Whole Grains Multigrain Waffles (our favorites), but I was somehow oblivious to their snack line. Obviously because my local stores don't seem to carry it, aside from one store that I found some Say Cheese! Gluten Free Crackers. (Fingers crossed at least some of my numerous requests to store managers get results.) Especially since my family devoured these goodies in no time at all. Luckily for you, they were kind enough to save me a few bites. (How sweet of them.)

Gluten Free Multigrain Chips

These chips are made with brown rice, oats, millet, quinoa & amaranth and are loaded with 18 grams of whole grains. But don't let the ingredient list fool you, these chips definitely deliver a 1-2-punch in the flavor department! 

Mighty Good BBQ! has the perfect amount of BBQ taste, but you can just tell they're a "better for you" choice. Which was enough to convert myself, usually an anti-BBQ chip person, into a huge fan! The hubs loved these too, which is why I consider myself lucky I even got the small handful I did. 

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Nacho, Nacho, Man! is definitely the funnest of them all. I just couldn't help busting out a little song & dance when I saw these. (Macho Man by The Village People for those that have no clue what I'm talking about.) Now to be honest, I only tried a small amount of these chips, which were great by the way! The reason is simple, my kids loved these! And I preferred them to want the "better for you" chip over the everyday average chip.

 

Gluten-Free PB&J Sandwich Bars

Packed with 10 grams of whole grains, these PB&J Sandwich Bars are the real deal. Real peanut butter & all natural fruit fillings are sandwiched between two gluten-free bars, then individually sealed for the perfect treat on the go. Plus, they get major bonus points for not being as messy as an actual PB&J on the go!

Blueberry PB&J Gluten-Free Sandwich Bars are a close match for my beloved grape PB&J. But nowhere near as messy (I've said that before, right?). I kept one in my truck for an emergency & was so glad I did. It was just what I needed for an empty stomach, with no chance of being able to stop for something else, just so I could take some ibuprofen before a migraine started to settle in. Actually, it was better than had I had the chance to stop. Delicious whole grains or greasy fries, hmm...

Then there were the Strawberry PB&J Gluten-Free Sandwich Bars. My kids are obsessed with strawberry anything. So between school lunches & afternoon snacks, these were gone in...a day! Good thing they were kind enough to share though. I got 3 bites (1 bite from each kid). And I had to agree that they were "really super duper delicious".

Photo credit: Van's Natural Foods

OK, back to the waffles. I am pleased to say that Van's Natural Foods now offers Love Your Heart Totally Natural Waffles. We try to make "smart heart decisions", as I call them, since we live with an uncertain future from Paige's Kawasaki Disease. And since she loves waffles, these are like a match made in heaven! 

Love Your Heart Totally Natural Waffles are packed with a whopping 34 grams of whole grains & 7 grams of fiber (including 1 gram of soluble fiber). I have yet to spot these at my local stores, but I did finally spot an empty space where they were stocked at one of them. They're still pretty new on the market, so I'm just waiting for the rest of my local stores to catch on & start stocking them. (Small town drawback, remember?) Until then, Gluten Free Blueberry & 8 Whole Grains Multigrain Waffles it is!

One lucky winner will receive coupons from Van's Natural Foods! (2 for their dry snack line & 2 for the frozen line.)

 The FLASH giveaway will conclude on at 12:00 a.m. est on Saturday 3/29/14. Winners will be announced via rafflecopter & in a separate blog post which will be published no later than 3:00 p.m. on Saturday 3/29/14. Winners will also be notified via email & announced on the Smith and Blessings facebook page. Winners will have 24 hours to submit shipping information, which will then be passed on to Van's Natural Foods for distribution of product. If 24 hours has lapsed, a new winner will be picked & then will also have 24 hours to submit their information. *Giveaway open to U.S. residents only. 

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Keep up with the latest from Van's Natural Foods on Facebook, Twitter & Pinterest. 

Van's Natural Foods got their start in the 1970's, at the original Van's Restaurant. Today, their California beachside roots, still remain in the artisanal  quality of their whole grain & gluten free fare. Van's Natural Foods keep things simple, by cooking their products in small & minimally processed batches and always with the freshest ingredients.

 

Work it Wednesday: Easy Nail Care at Home

After a rough winter, my nails were in desperate need of a little TLC. Good thing I didn't have to go far to get it. 

 

 

•Lemon juice is great for helping to whiten your nails (mine tend to do so when i stay on top of keeping them polished). But brushing on a bit of lemon juice will also help to fortify your nails. And if you have time, mix a 1:1 ratio of lemon juice & olive oil, and give them a good soak for 15-20 min.

 

•Olive oil is a great moisturizer for your cuticles. Simply brush some on with a q-tip before applying your polish, or even before you go to sleep. 

Tasty Tuesday: BBQ Pork Sandwiches

I never used to like BBQ pork sandwiches. To me, they just seemed kind of, well, plain. It must be because a majority I've (tried) to consume were just shredded BBQ pork on a bun. Of course I make mine the same way, before I add some yummy extras of course.

•shredded BBQ pork

•cheese (any kind will do)

•coleslaw

•onion ring (I skipped this on my sandwich since I ran out of time to make them. It still tastes good, but that onion ring makes a huge difference in the taste.)

•extra BBQ sauce, for drizzling

•buns or bread

- Simply top a bun bottom or slice of bread with BBQ pork, cheese, coleslaw, onion ring & extra BBQ sauce. Replace top.

- Be sure to grab a napkin or three & enjoy!

Messy Monday: Homemade Steam Cleaner Solution

Having a KD kid, I always hear about the suspected link between professional carpet cleaners & Kawasaki Disease. Even though it has never been proven & I have never even used a professional carpet cleaner, it's enough to make me shy away from store bought steam cleaner solutions. Which is fine, since over the years I have managed to perfect a solution that I use every time I clean my carpets now.

 •hot water
•vinegar
•1Tbsp. dish soap
•1Tbsp. hydrogen peroxide

- Combine equal parts hot water & vinegar in the water reservoir of your steam cleaner. 
- Add dish soap & hydrogen peroxide.

*As with all carpet cleaners, first test in an inconspicuous area. 

Simple Sunday: Seeds!

With the official start of Spring, comes the official purchasing of seeds!