Juice is a treat for my kids, and when I do let them indulge I give them Leading Brands’ babyblue line of juices, which are made especially with children in mind.  Charlotte and Oliver love the yummy taste of babyblue juices, and I rest assured knowing that their ‘treat’ is a healthy one.

babyblue juice is made by the same Canadian company that produces TrueBlue juices, which may be familiar to those of you living in Western Canada and in the States.  babyblue juices come in blueberry (our favourite), blackberry, or raspberry flavours, and what I love most about them is the list of (or lack thereof) ingredients.  For example, the babyblue blueberry juice contains: water, concentrated grape juice, concentrated wild blueberry juice, concentrated black current juice, concentrated cranberry juice, natural flavours, and asorbic acid (Vitamin C).  A nice short list of things I can pronounce, but also an obvious lack of added sugar.  I like the subtle taste of babyblue juices because they aren’t sweet, yet they taste refreshing and pure.  Additionally, while most other juices and blends on the market are comprised of ‘filler’ juices like apple or pear (which are high in carbohydrates and sodium), babyblue juices include only Superfruits high in Polyphenols (naturally occurring antioxidants) like blueberries and black currents.

For adults and older kids, Leading Brands has a varied line of Poyphenol rich juices available as well, all of which have truly full-bodied, rich, natural flavours.  The TrueBlue line of blended blueberry juices are available in seven wild blueberry and Superfruit options including Wild Blueberry, Wild Blueberry and Pomegranate, Wild Blueberry and Acai, Wild Blueberry and Cranberry, Wild Blueberry and Blackberry, Wild Blueberry and Raspberry, and Lite Wild Blueberry.  Just out is the new TrueBlue 100% Juice Blend line, in Wild Blueberry, Pomegranate, and Blackberry flavours.  Finally, Leading Brands Pure Blends line, which includes PureBlack, PureBlue, PureRed, and PureWhite, are concocted out of varietal wine grapes mixed with Superfruits for a unique taste and high antioxidant value (without the alcohol content!) – they also contain two servings of fruit per bottle.

All of Leading Brands’ juices are 100% natural, made with premium ingredients, and do not contain added sugar, artificial colours, flavours, or ‘filler’ juices.  High in antioxidants, just one serving of these juices will also fill your daily Vitamin C quota (which has been great during cold and flu season).  Because it isn’t summer yet, I haven’t tried out my theory that any of these juice lines would make great popsicles.  The company’s website provides some creative recipe ideas for all kinds of salad dressings and vinaigrettes, main courses, deserts, and drinks (cocktails, smoothies, shakes, and punches).  I really like adding a little sparkling water to my juice for a refreshing drink.  Summer – here we come!

Leading Brands’ line of juices can be purchased at grocery stores across Western Canada and the States.  Thank you to Leading Brands for providing me with samples in order to write this review.  For Vancouver residents interested in trying out the kid-friendly babyblue juice line, we’d like to thank Leading Brands for the following special coupon offer (see terms and conditions below):

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I bought a bag of Ripe Mixed Flavor Kamoo Bars, and creator/mom Angela threw in a bag of Ripe Organic 5-Grain Mush for me to try out as well. Travis and I devoured the tasty bars, choosing from three flavors: Organic Apple, Carrot and Oatmeal; Organic Rhubarb, Apple and Spelt; and Organic Spiced Pumpkin and Spelt. I’m not sure which one we liked best, but I know I was happy not to feed him the same old, same old for our afternoon snack.

Ripe Baby Food’s Kamoo Bars are made from organic ground grains and fresh organic produce, and they are just the right size for small hands. Twice baked, these gourmet bars come in five flavours. It says on the company’s website that they are suitable for children 10 months and older, and they truly are a perfect finger food for snacks or on-the-go. All Kamoo Bar flavours are wheat-free, dairy free, nut-free and contain no white sugars.

As for breakfast, I’ll let this video of Travis speak for itself! He is enjoying the Gingerbread Flavor Organic 5-Grain Mush with a touch of vanilla yogurt. It includes five Canadian-grown organic grains: barley, kamut, oatmeal, rye and spelt, which are combined with a mixture of spices. My favorite aspect is that the mixture is sugar-free, so parents can control the level of sweetness. You can mix it with yogurt, smoothies, fresh fruit, raisins, or applesauce to sweeten it up for your little monkey.

You can order your Kamoo Bars or 5-Grain Mush online through Ripe Baby Food’s website. Each Kamoo Bar bag contains 10 bars for $7.50 CAD, and a bag of 5-Grain Mush (approximately 12-14 servings) is $8 CAD. Happy healthy eating!

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Ahhhh Valentine’s Day- how I used to hate you.  You seemed like such a flake with your cheap chocolates and overpriced roses.  Then I had a child and now you’re my new favourite holiday!  I’m not entirely sure how this metamorphosis happened but at the beginning of January one of my best girlfriends and I decided that we would throw a Valentine’s Day party “hosted” by our two little girls for all of their friends.  Slowly and surely as I searched for ideas and resources I started to love this holiday as a sweet celebration of all kinds of love and if there’s anything us Moms know, it’s love.

I thought I’d share the best of my on-line discoveries with you in hopes that I can win some more people over to the heart side!

First off check out these AMAZING and FREE downloadable Valentine Subway Art from the ladies at Eighteen25.

I had mine printed at a local drugstore and it cost me less than $6 for 8 x 10′s of the two different designs- how fabulous is that?

Want more free printables?  How about this entire Valentine’s party collection (includes party circles, favor tags, candy bar wrappers, mini candy bar wrappers, food tents, and a “Be Mine” banner) designed by Green Apple Paperie especially for Catch My Party.

Are you making a little romantic dinner at home?  Check out these fabulous felt heart placemats from Pier 1- a steal at $2.95 each.

Looking for some decoration ideas?

I used this easy tutorial from the master of decoration, Martha Stewart to create tissue paper poms in fuschia, soft pink and red to hang from the ceiling for our party.  The first one was a little tricky but once you get the hang of it you’ll be surprised at how easy it.  Hit the dollar store for some cheap tissue paper and then poms away!

And this paper heart garland by Oh So Crafty is so sweet (and simple).  I don’t have a sewing machine so I hand stitched mine- I think the little contrasting white stitches look super cute.  I also made a couple of vertical garlands by stitching downwards and using double sided tape to ensure the patterned hearts had a design on both sides (the tape also kept the pieces in place).

If you need some kid friendly Valentine’s food ideas head on over to my personal blog, Aprons & Heels for a sneak peak at our menu for the upcoming party as well as some of the YUMMY recipes we’re using.

And finally if you haven’t already checked them out don’t miss the AWESOME promo code from the stunning Naomi Gray Designs, Trea’s fabulous list of Valentine’s Ideas (I’m partial to number 2!) or the mesmerizing Tree of Love.

From all of us here at Spilt Milk Moms – Happy Valentine’s Day! xoxo

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I’m not proud.  When I was offered the opportunity to try out the Today I Ate A Rainbow! kit (a product which just might encourage my boys to eat more vegetables), I elbowed the other Spilt Milk Moms out of the way and claimed it as mine.  I have four sons – I’m one tough cookie.  That is, until supper time rolls around when I can be found begging my sons to Please. Just. Eat. Your. Vegetables.  I’ve threatened.  I’ve bribed.  I’ve given in.  I’ve held my ground.  And in the end, our chickens usually end up eating the uneaten vegetables.

Apparently at least one other Canadian mom out there has felt my pain, because she developed this really cool interactive chart that makes eating a rainbow of fruits and vegetables FUN for kids.  The Today I Ate A Rainbow chart is made up of five colour groups:  red, orange, yellow, green, and purple.  There are enough magnets included in the kit for up to four children to track their rainbow-eating progress each day.  At the end of the day, if they’ve made it through the whole rainbow, there’s an extra special achievement magnet.  Although it’s important that us parents know that each colour represents the phytonutrients that each fruit or vegetable contains, it’s enough for my three-year-old to be motivated to eat a whole rainbow everyday (he can learn the big words from his friend Oliver later).  The colour coded shopping list is one of my favourite parts of the kit- it helps me make sure I have enough of the right colours to allow my boys to meet their goals.

I knew that the Today I Ate A Rainbow chart would be a big hit with my three-year-old son, but I had no idea that my six and eight-year-old sons would be just as excited about it.  And although he has no idea what the colours represent, my 21 month-old son gets in on the action too.  This chart has been a fantastic way to establish healthy eating habits for our whole family.

Be sure to check out Today I Ate A Rainbow’s website – it’s a great resource for meal ideas and includes the Rainbow blog as well as colouring and activity pages for kids.  You can also order the Today I Ate A Rainbow Kit for $25 CDN (free shipping to Canada and the US!) to get your family started on the road to healthy eating!

A big thank you to the Today I Ate A Rainbow crew for providing me with a Today I Ate A Rainbow kit to try out (and ultimately saving my chickens from over-consumption of vegetables).

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Butternut Squash Soup

1 Tbsp red curry paste

2 pounds pumpkin or butternut squash

4 cups chicken stock

1 1/2 cups of coconut milk

Place a saucepan over medium heat and add the curry paste; cook for one minute.  Add the squash and chicken stock; cook for six minutes or until squash is tender.  Place contents into a blender and puree until smooth, then return to saucepan.  Add the coconut milk and heat for three minute.  Serves four.

Red curry paste and cans of coconut milk can be found in the ethnic/Thai food section of your grocery store.  Costco sells pre-cubed ready-to-serve butternut squash, and it is exactly a two pounds package – get it there if you can or buy one to cut up at your local market.

I’m hoping that you will be inspired to share your favourite soup recipe with us in our comments section!  Soups are incredibly easy to make, and I know I’m always looking for new recipes to add to my collection, so please … add yours here!

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I was introduced to quinoa last year, when I learned that it is one grain we are actually allowed to eat on Passover (when we give up bread, pasta and other grains for eight loooong days).  It is extremely versatile, yet I wasn’t quite sure what to do with it – that is, until I came across the website, and later the cookbook, Quinoa 365 (by Patricia Green and Carolyn Hemming, Canadians no less!).  This cookbook has recipes for using quinoa for breakfast foods to desserts – who knew?

First, a quick primer on quinoa (pronounced “keen-wah”).  Quinoa 365 has a great introductory chapter on quinoa, its history, and where to buy it.  It’s not actually a grain, it’s a legume – so very useful for those with gluten allergies.  It looks like couscous but is more translucent when cooked.  The nutritional benefits are vast – take a look at this chart for the full stats.  Basically, it is high in protein and fiber, contains all eight essential amino acids as well as many other vitamins (riboflavin, calcium, vitamin E, iron, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, folic acid and beta carotene).  It is also high in linolenic acid, which I had to look up – one of two essential fatty acids that humans and other animals must ingest because the body requires them for various biological processes, but cannot synthesize them from other food components.

Science aside – quinoa is tasty!  At first we just used quinoa flour to make crêpes during passover because we were tired of eating matzo for breakfast.  But with the cookbook Quinoa 365, we now had a slew of recipes to try out.  Here’s my take on our experiments:

Broccoli Cheese Soup – Outstanding.  I was in heaven.  Highly recommended and my favourite recipe thus far.

Mushroom Broccoli Quisotto – I’ve never quite been ambitious or patient enough to try cooking real risotto, so this was a great alternative, and very tasty.

Bocconcini and Oregano Salad – Had to omit the bocconcini because our guest isn’t a fan of cheese, but the rest of this salad was delicious!  It would be great even as a main dish in the summer when lighter fare is in season.

Tasty Tuna Casserole – I have made this many times.  It’s a healthy update to plain tuna-casserole-with-canned-soup.  It’s very family-friendly; our baby started liking this around 9 months old (it’s just a bit messy cleaning up quinoa afterward…).

Light Open-Faced Salmon Burgers – Also a hit with the little guy.  I didn’t follow the rest of the recipe which describes how to prepare the bun and trimmings, but the burger itself is delicious.

Carrot Spice Muffins – This is the only recipe I have tried that was so-so.  It calls for quinoa flour and not quinoa, and I think my flour may have been past its prime, because the muffins had a bit of a strange taste.  I’ll have to try it again though, because the balance of spice and muffin consistency was just right.

As far as the book itself – each recipe has an icon on top which indicates whether it is Kid-Approved (i.e. has actually been tested with real kids!), Gluten-Free or Vegetarian.  This is very handy for picking recipes with just a quick glance as you flip through the book.  Serving sizes are indicated, but prep and cook time are not, which would be a useful addition.  In terms of content, there is so much variety (quinoa in smoothies! pizza dough!) that you are bound to find something you like.  You can even try out a recipe from their website.  Overall – thumbs up!  Quinoa 365 is available for purchase at Chapters for around $20CAD.

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Upon first opening, I was excited and pleased with the design of these clever Innobaby containers. They are compact, easy to open, and the clear plastic allows you to see what is inside without having to open the lid. The containers twist and seal to interlock together, or you can just pack one container if you don’t need all of them. I like how they all stack together for a tower of snacks, making it really easy to find the right snack in the diaper bag as all of the containers come out as one unit. Each container has a dispensing lid, which makes getting small snacks out easy, or if you needed to dispense formula into a bottle this design feature would make it a breeze. My favorite thing is that the containers are freezer, microwave, and dishwasher safe! They are also BPA, Phthalates, PVC, and lead free.

On the downside, the containers are smaller than they look in the picture; each container holds only about half a cup. As Travis starts to get bigger and eat more, I feel that the containers need to be bigger to really be accommodating to our needs. Secondly, if you have liquid or food that contains juice in one of the containers and the system isn’t standing straight up, the liquid will leak out.

Packin’ SMART sets are available in several different styles (check them out here) and the 4-Tier version retails from $16.99 USD through the company’s website or these online retailers. All-in-all, I like the idea of the snack tower Innobaby has created with in their unique Packin’ SMART Stack-N-Seal travel containers.  Easy packing makes for easy snacking = happy mom!

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Every year (for 15 years now) I’ve made these gingersnaps* for Christmas. They are a definite favourite of family and friends (one of my best friends used to ask for them as his Christmas present!) and (bonus!) they’re very easy to make. Enjoy!

Gingersnaps

1.5 cups (340g) Butter

1/4 cup Molasses

1 tsp Vanilla

2 cups Flour

1 cup Sugar (plus some for rolling)

2 tsp Baking Soda

2 tsp Ground Ginger

2 tsp Cinnamon

1/2 tsp Nutmeg

1/4 tsp Ground Cloves

1/4 tsp Salt

1 large Egg, slightly beaten

• Pre-heat oven to 375°F (190°C).
• Melt butter. Remove from heat, stir in molasses and vanilla. Set aside to cool.
• Sift together dry ingredients. Add the egg to the cooled butter mix and stir in dry ingredients. Combine well.
• Cover with plastic wrap & refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Fill a small bowl with sugar. Roll dough into 1 inch balls and then roll in sugar. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie tray.
• Bake until bottoms begin to brown – about 10 minutes. Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before moving cookies to a cooling rack.

Makes approximately 2 dozen cookies.

* I have no idea where this recipe originally came from – I’ve had it written down on various slips of paper over the years. So if you know what cookbook it came from please let me know & I’ll give you credit!

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This year we decided to team up with The Beer Wrangler and suggest some interesting beers and ales for you to try over the holidays.  Most of these beers are based on traditional recipes that have been around for ages and basically fall into two categories:  winter warmers or spiced Christmas beers.  Winter warmers are rich, malty and stronger than your average beer (5.5%-7%), while spiced Christmas beers can be of any style but also have sweet spices such as nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves and allspice added.  Like the winter warmers, spiced Christmas beers are stronger than average in alcohol content (5.5 – 10%).

These beers would make great gifts for those hard to buy men- and women!  Women are now the fastest growing demographic of beer drinkers (who knew?).  So this year why not try a few and have your very own Christmas beeracle!

Please note that all pricing is for BC which has one of the most expensive alcohol prices in the Western world, almost everywhere else will be cheaper (where available).

Samuel Smith’s Winter Welcome 2010

Samuel Smith’s is a renowned historic English brewery that has been crafting beer since 1758 and every year they brew up a limited batch of their Winter Welcome Ale. This beer is a winter warmer style which means it is seasonally brewed, usually rich amber in colour, and has a higher alcohol content than other ales. This smooth rich malty beer has tastes of caramel, dried fruit and orange peel (have you ever had Sorren malt raisin loaf? Its kind’ve like that in a beer!) Despite it’s strength, its a very easy drinking ale. $6.65/550ml

Pyramid Breweries Snowcap Winter Warmer

The Snow Cap winter warmer from Pyramid Breweries in Seattle, WA is dark red amber in colour (much darker than the Samuel Smith’s above) and slightly hoppier than most.  I found that the hops gave it a slightly lighter taste which compliments the notes of brown sugar and caramel.  Winter warmers are less carbonated because they’re designed to be rich and warming rather than refreshing and this makes them taste smooth and slightly creamy.  Snow Cap is a strong (7%) filling beer and as it comes in a 650ml bottle it’s perfect for sharing at any festive get-together. $7.50/650ml

Dead Frog Brewery Christmas Beeracle

Dead Frog is a newer, up & coming Canadian brewery who this year, for the first time have bottled a limited edition, 650ml Christmas beer.  Christmas Beeracle is an amber ale with hints of cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg.  This is a much lighter beer than the two winter warmers above which makes it a better party beer.  The ginger notes are most obvious on the finish and definitely leave you with a warm, yummy feeling.  Dead Frog definitely wins the prize for the best winter beer name and the bottle label incorporates a handy gift tag- in case you’re stuck for Secret Santa ideas. $6.85/650ml

Eel River Brewing Company Climax Noel

Climax Noel is the winter warmer offering from the Eel River Brewing Company- America’s first certified organic brewery.  This beer is a dry hopped imperial red ale and the “red” is obvious in the red amber colour.  It’s full bodied flavour combines the fresh citrus-y notes of the hops and the rich, sweet, molasses taste from the malt.  Now this one is a doozy in terms of alcohol, its 10%, but don’t let that put you off- it’s evenly balanced and PERFECT for sharing on a cold winter night! $8.65/650ml

Howe Sound Brewing Father Johns Winter Ale

Howe Sound Brewing‘s Father John’s Winter Ale is definitely my favourite winter beer.  It tastes of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, vanilla, yellow sugar & molasses- basically it’s Christmas in a glass!  I think its the most balanced of all of the beers:  it’s rich without being too rich and the spices meld well with the beer as a whole- no single taste overpowers the others.  It has an alcohol content of 7% so you have to be careful as it sneaks up on you- but I can guarantee some upcoming nights in my house sitting by the (fake) fire, drinking this fabulous beer and listening to Little Miss snoring on the monitor.  This is a limited release so get them while you can – you won’t regret it. $8.00/1L

If we’ve piqued your beery interest be sure to check out The Beer Wrangler for more beer reviews and info, including a glassware guide, beer styles and book reviews.

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Before I had children, I would let Halloween come and go without a second thought. Dressing up in a costume, and decorating my house in cobwebs and ghosts is not something I would normally choose to do. However, having children changed all of that. My kids love Halloween, and I’ve felt the need to step-up my decorating-baking-costume game. I recently purchased a copy of The Best of Martha Stewart: Halloween Handbook to give me a hand in the Halloween idea department.

The Best of Martha Stewart: Halloween Handbook is filled with great ideas for decorating, food, and costumes. If you don’t think you can draw perfect images of cats, vultures, rats and more, the book includes templates for many of the crafts described. However, I did some searching on the Martha Stewart website and found all of the decorating templates from my book on the site.

In fact, most of the instructions for the articles in The Best of Martha Stewart: Halloween Handbook, are already on the Martha Stewart site, so there’s really not much need to buy the book (which retails for $10.95), when you can get everything in the book, plus so much more, for free online.

If you’re looking for Halloween ideas, you might favour the few easy recipes and decorations that I’ve found, such as the Meringue Bone Cookies, the Spidery Sills and Window Webs, and the Glittered Pumpkins. If easy isn’t your thing, Martha Stewart won’t disappoint. There is an endless amount of ideas for you to tackle that are most definitely not easy. For starters, I recommend taking a look at the ideas for creating pumpkin creatures such as Porcupine Pumpkins, or creating the Little Lamb costume. Cute! But not easy.

Although, I like flipping through my The Best of Martha Stewart: Halloween Handbook, I suggest that you skip the purchase of the book and stick with the free instructions available online at MarthaStewart.com.

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It’s been so much fun decorating cupcakes that this year I’m going to send them to school for the boys’ Halloween parties. Thanks to Hello, Cupcake! I don’t have to look far for ideas.  I could create an alien invasion, I could feed the kids scorpions and centipedes, I could scare the pants off them with howling werewolves, or I could send a cupcake pumpkin patch (pictured above).  No matter which design I choose, I know I’ll have no problem re-creating Karen Tack’s beautiful designs.  She promised that I would be able to find everything for her designs at my local grocery store, drugstore, or even a gas-station convenience store – and I can.  (Take that, Martha!)  You can create some amazing cupcakes with a handful of candies, a can of frosting, a Ziplock bag, and some cupcake batter.  You might even make the most beautiful cupcakes your kids have ever seen!

And don’t worry – this book isn’t limited to just birthdays and Halloween.  There are recipes for April Fool’s, Thanksgiving, Christmas, baby showers, weddings, and even garden parties.  Each recipe is accompanied by a beautiful full-page photograph by Alan Richardson, and there are plenty of photos to guide you through the techniques section as well.  Hello, Cupcake! is available online at Chapters for $16 CDN or online at Amazon for $8.50 USD.

Check out the Hello, Cupcake! blog for more great Halloween ideas (and every other occasion too)!  Happy cupcaking!

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Vacu Vin was kind enough to send me three packages of their Glass Markers, and each set is even funnier then the next.  The Creepy Creatures set, complete with creative Halloween-themed packaging (including the visual directions displayed in X-Ray vision), had me in absolute stitches.  This set includes thirteen (boo!) Halloween-themed characters named Grim, Hazel, Bones, Vlad, and more.  Vacu Vin’s Christmas Crowd set, also in festive packaging, comes with twelve characters (obviously including Santa and Rudolph), and doesn’t forget to invite Scrooge and Bob to the party.

Glass markers are intended to be distributed to your guests when you throw a party so that each person can find their glass should they put their drink down to take a look at your bathroom renovations (or whatever).  Unlike the traditional (and mostly tacky) glass markers on the market, Vacu Vin’s Glass Markers don’t go around the stem of wine glasses, rather they suction cup right onto the exterior of any glass.  Thank goodness, because the parties I attend aren’t just limited to wine.

Vacu Vin promises that their Glass Markers will “stick around longer then most guests”, and my three-year-old, Oliver, and I had some fun putting this promise to the test.  First we counted the characters, picked our favourites, and then adhered them all to one glass of water.  Next, we took turns guessing which one would fall off first and when.  If my guests stick around as long as Cool and his friends, then I’d better get the guest room set up.  Almost all of them held on for at least four hours (which is when Oliver got bored and started peeling them off).

The entire range of Vacu Vin Glass Markers (which also includes Football Friends) are food approved, dishwasher safe, and really will stick around longer then most of your party guests.  Sure to be the talk of the party, look for them online or at your local supermarket, gift, or specialty stores starting $7.99 CAD.  Not only do they make a great hostess gift, but you’ll probably be using these unique characters to entertain the kids during dinner as well.

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We are thrilled to be able to give away one set of Vacu Vin’s Creepy Creatures Glass markers to help one lucky reader celebrate Halloween this year!  Thanks Vacu Vin!

To Enter:  Go to the Vacu Vin website and then leave us a comment HERE (one per day only, please) telling us which Creepy Creatures Glass Marker character you like best (scroll over the figures at the bottom of the page for their name).  For a second daily entry, tell us which one of Vacu Vin’s innovative products interests you and why.  Once you’ve entered by leaving one of these mandatory comments, you can gain additional entries like this:

• Follow @SpiltMilkMoms on Twitter and tweet ” WIN a set of Vacu Vin’s Creepy Creatures Glass Markers for Halloween! http://tinyurl.com/3abkur9 @SpiltMilkMoms #giveaway #contest “ and leave us the link for extra daily entries
• If you ‘Like’ Spilt Milk Moms on Facebook, leave us a comment letting us know for one extra entry.
• Mention this giveaway on your blog for one extra entry.
• Subscribe to this blog via email or RSS (top right) and let us know for one extra entry.
  

This giveaway ends at 12:01am PST on Tuesday, October 26th, and the winner will be selected using Random.org.  The winner will have 7 days to respond to our notification email before another winner is selected.  This giveaway is open to Canadian and US residents only.

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Salad dressings really are simple and quick to whip up if you have the right ingredients at hand.  Not only that, but if you make your own, you control the amount and quality of the ingredients you use (for example, I usually reduce the amount of oil and try to use organic ingredients where possible).  Also, commercially produced salad dressings often include ingredients like soybean oil, modified cornstarch, xanthan gum, and polysorbate 60.  To be honest, I’m not even sure what some of these ingredients are or what their purpose is, and in the age of “what’s in this,” that just doesn’t work for me or my family.

Okay, now onto the good!  Below you will find my family’s very favourite salad dressing families.  Try them out and let us know what you think.  Better yet – please leave a comment below sharing your favourite recipe with us so we can add to our repertoire!

Maple Syrup Salad Dressing

• 2 parts olive oil
• 1 part balsamic vinegar
• 1 part pure maple syrup
• 1/2 part Dijon mustard

Mix together and add to your greens.  Yummy!  Thanks to Spilt Milk Moms reader and my good friend Diana for this recipe and for turning me off of store-bought dressings!

Creamy Mayo Salad Dressing

• 2 Tbsp. mayonnaise (heaped)
• 1 Tbsp. vinegar or apple cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. sugar (heaped)

Shake together in a container until sugar is dissolved and add to your salad!  Consistency is important so make sure that you’ve shaken it together long enough so that it coats the back of the spoon.  Thanks to Nell for sharing this one with me.  Great with cucumber and tomato based salads.

Mandarin Almond Spinach Salad and Dressing

• 2 Tbsp. frozen orange juice concentrate
• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp. oil
• 1 tsp. Keen’s Hot Mustard Original (prepared, not powder form)
• salt and pepper to taste

Whisk together these ingredients and add to a 1/2 bag of spinach, 1 can of mandarin oranges (drained), and 1/2 cup toasted slivered almonds.  Thanks Megan for this recipe … one of my all-time favourites!

Spinach and Cranberry Salad

• 2 Tbsp. toasted sesame seeds
• 1 Tbsp. poppy seeds
• 1/4 cups sugar
• 2 tsp. finely chopped onions
• 1/4 tsp. paprika
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil

Mix these ingredients together and add to 500g spinach, 3/4 cups toasted slivered almonds, and 1 cup dried cranberries.  I was so impressed with this one that I convinced Spilt Milk Moms contributor Marilyn to share the recipe with me.  Thanks Marilyn – this one is a hit with all of our friends!

Now it’s your turn!  Let us know what you think and/or leave us your favourite recipe here!

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As September rolls around, many of you are preparing your children to go to school, and I am preparing to go back to work. That’s right, my time as a SAHM is over (for now), and I am back to teaching children that aren’t mine. This means that my time has become even sparser, and so I am glad to have found Mrs. Leeper’s organic gluten-free pasta boxed dinner kits!

Some days when I get home from teaching, there isn’t much time for making dinner… even before having a child! Therefore, it was with great delight that I found Mrs. Leeper’s boxed dinner kits, which make great meals in minutes. Now I know that there are other boxed dinner kits to be found; however, I have a gluten sensitivity and so I shouldn’t eat wheat. Mrs. Leeper’s (they make a variety of organic gluten-free pasta) has six boxed pasta kits: Beef Stroganoff, Beef Lasagna, Cheeseburger Mac, Creamy Tuna, Chicken Alfredo, and Mac & Cheese.

Each kit contains yummy corn or rice pasta (that doesn’t get mushy like the other gluten-free pastas I’ve tried) as well as a sauce mix. Like the titles suggest, you add beef, chicken or tuna; however, you can substitute in any protein you like, or omit it completely. To make the meal complete, I usually add some fresh or frozen veggies, such as peas, asparagus, broccoli or corn, while the pasta is simmering.

And there you have it – delicious, complete meals in minutes, which means I get to spend more time with T-dog and less time in the kitchen! Mrs. Leeper’s line of pastas retail for around $5.99 CAD at most major grocery stores, and you can buy it online at Gluten Free Promise for $5.09 USD.

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Okay, I admit it – I don’t always buy organic fruits and vegetables! I really try hard to buy what’s best for my son; however, being on maternity leave really puts a strain on the household finances, and so when I can buy five non-organic avocados for $3.99, I will! If I have to buy non-organic, I feel better knowing that I can use Nature Clean’s All Natural Fruit & Veggie Wash to help remove dirt, pesticides, and bacteria to get those avocados clean for my family.

Some people might consider me a bit OCD because I always (and always have, even before baby) wash ALL of my fruits and vegetables before I eat them, even bananas. All I can think about are people’s dirty, germy hands touching my food, and then all of those germs entering my mouth – this was even long before knowing about the danger of pesticides! So when I found Nature Clean’s All Natural Fruit & Veggie Wash Concentrate, I was thrilled! It is flavourless, ordourless, hypoallergenic, and residue free. Made from natural sources, it helps to remove surface pesticides, chemicals, bacteria, wax and dirt. Their site even includes a Material Safety Data Sheet for the Fruit and Veggie Wash!

Nature Clean has two products to help you get your fruit and veggies clean: the Fruit and Veggie Wash Concentrate, for produce that requires soaking such as grapes, broccoli and berries; and the Fruit and Veggie Spray Wash for firm produce like apples and carrots (although I personally use the concentrate like liquid soap on the firmer produce along with a veggie scrub brush).

Nature Clean is a Canadian company, and the Fruit and Veggie Wash is not tested on animals and contains no animal ingredients. You can buy Nature Clean products online starting at $4.49CAD, and in store at many major retailers. Their website even contains a store locator for Canadian residents.

So the next time you feel guilty about not buying organic, don’t! Just remember to wash it off before eating it.

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