Mini Quiches in Review & Nancy's Product Give Away! 100

The most successful host & hostesses have an arsenal of tricks they have tucked away in their little entertaining hats. Cabinets and pantries stand at attention year-round, stocked with dinnerware, decorations and edibles. These entertaining geniuses can layout their hospitable spreads within moments of a surprise pop-in or short notice dinner party.

If you are one of these people - lucky you, you have mastered the art of snatching a mini quiche from the masters' hand ^IMDB. For those of you who aren't entertaining gurus - you have much to learn, and remain the grasshoppers ^W of social hospitality.


Photo Credit WordRidden I mentioned quiche - what is quiche? In French cuisine, a quiche (IPA: [ki:ʃ]) is a baked dish that is based on a custard made from eggs and milk or cream in a pastry crust. Usually, the pastry shell is blind baked before the other ingredients are added for a secondary baking period.^W Generally quiche are savory flavored with herbs, meats or vegetables.

O.K, entertaining grasshoppers - listen up and rejoice, have I got a trick for expanding your entertainers' hats. Frozen appetizers. Some of you out there are cringing as you read those two words - fear not, no-one will shun or chastise you for taking a shortcut every now and then.

Even caterers and other culinary professionals have shortcuts they utilize when in a pinch. Rule one is to always have a backup plan - in case a disaster happens.

Before I start the reviewing of a product, I always like to do a little background on the company.

Nancy Mueller started in the '70's making appetizers in her own kitchen. People started referring her to their friends and eventually she started small production, supplying them to local grocers in San Fransisco, Ca.

In 1977, Nancy's Specialty Foods was born, ever since they have been producing on a large scale the company has successfully established partnerships with leading grocers & warehouse clubs nationwide. Nancy's has a full product line of frozen appetizers, desserts and entrées.


The Review:

Today I am reviewing Nancy's Petite Quiche, in the Lorraine (Swiss Cheddar & Real Bacon) and Florentine (Swiss & Spinach). I served these to family, which varied in ages 2 - 62yrs of age, while we watched U of O Ducks & OSU Beavers' civil war football game.

The quiche were packed in their own plastic recyclable tray with individual cups holding each mini quiche. There are microwave (for softer crust) & oven (for flakier crust) directions. I chose to use the oven directions which asked for a preheat of 375° F. Onto a cokie sheet I placed them 1/2 " apart. They baked for 14 minutes. After cooling them a bit they went on a serving tray.

Appearance:They looked edible, the crust was a nice golden brown with hints of carmelization in the right spots , the crust didn't sag. The filling looked appetizing and you could see pieces of the spinach and bacon laced throughout.

Texture / Mouth Feel: The crust was very flaky and light, when bitten into it was thin. The quiche filling had a good texture - you couldn't distinguish whether these quiches were commercial or not just by biting into them. The bits of spinach, onion or bacon was obvious, and natural.

Taste: Both quiches had a buttery crust with just enough salt. Thin crust enough not to overpower the quiche filling. Eggy-ness did not envelope the overall flavor, each quiche had a distinct flavor profile.

Lorraine (Bacon/Swiss): Very nice flavor, the filling had minced onion but that didn't overpower the other ingredients, just aided in accentuating them. The bacon could be tasted slightly throughout with nice smokiness, but definite bacon flavor when a bit landed in my mouth. Chives punctuated the onion. The Swiss added a nice flavor note and tied everything together. Nicely seasoned, not to salty.

Florentine (Swiss Cheese & Spinach): Small bits of spinach. Had a garlicky taste throughout. Nicely seasoned.

I liked both of them, but I liked the Lorraine best. They were received well by the guests, everyone except my kids, because let's face it - quiche looks and sounds kind of funny to a 2 & 6 yr old. My mother-in law thought they tasted very flavorful. My husband didn't like the flaky crust and thought they were a bit dry and needed more flavor --- I disagree.

These were in good form and didn't taste like a frozen appetizer. I will be honest and say that I wasn't expecting these to taste very good, I figured they would have a chemical taste and be greasy and bland.

I was pleasantly surprised. I would be happy to serve these on the fly if I didn't have time to prepare anything from scratch. So give them a try and stock some in your freezer for those unexpected entertaining moments.

The Contest :

Think you have what is takes to prove you aren't an "Entertainment Grasshopper"? Got some tips in your entertaining hat that could make or break an evening? Want to educate the Grasshoppers? Share your top 2 tips in the comments - The best tips will be featured in a post with your linked site url , such as below:

Make tamales & freeze them, for easy thawing. - provided by Tamales Rock

 
I will be choosing the best 60 quick entertaining tips from this post's comments, to be featured in the post. The Best of those tips - voted by you, the readers - will win a coupon for a free Nancy's Entree (good until April 30 2010), that will be mailed via snail mail.

Make sure you link to your blogger profile or site url in the comments (please no anonymous), so I can contact you if you win.

This is a great way to get PR for your site, as well as a back link. The contest starts now December 4th 2009 and will end at 12 a.m pacific time on Tuesday, December 8th 2009.

That gives you 4 days to post your top 2 quick entertaining tips here in the comments, for a chance to win. Good Luck!

Curb Your Cravings - Not Your Enthusiasm 395

January is the month of revival, whispers all around of a better year - aspirations held for those resolutions you have either penned to paper, or kept quietly in your thoughts.

According to data published from various studies published throughout the last 5 years, every January, roughly 40% of Americans vow to change something in their lives, in the form of a resolution. One of the top 3 resolutions is to lose weight¹.

A study published in 2002 by Scranton University¹, shows statistics for the percentage of people who had made New Year's resolutions, as the resolve to keep those resolutions dwindles steadily over time:

• Resolutions held past the first week: 75%
• Resolutions held past 2 weeks: 71%
• Resolutions held after one month: 64%
• Resolutions held after 6 months: 46%

The Study gathered data on the usefulness of resolutions made in January. To gather data, 2 groups of subjects were followed over a 6 month period and interviewed. The groups were made up of:

1. People who had NOT sat down and made resolutions.
2. People who DID make the effort to create resolutions.

The Study found that after 6 months time 46% of the people who HAD made resolutions were successfully accomplishing their resolution goals - compared to only 4% success rate of those who did NOT create resolutions .

This is good news for people who have reachable aspirations this year. For those of you who are seeking to shed extra pounds this year, it may be in your favor to write down a resolution or two. By keeping your resolutions in an accessible place, you create a reviewable bookmarklet of your goals. This will help improve your willingness to keep your word, as well as serve as a constant reminder of what you are working toward.

Once you have established your basic goals for weight loss, it is time to confront the barrage of seemingly frustrating obstacles, some are - portion control, peer pressure, advertising, self esteem, cravings and lack of motivation.

One of the biggest problems dieters face is curbing cravings for high calorie foods. The salty, crunchy and mostly grease laden mass produced items like chips, are readily available via retail shelves and can be found virtually everywhere - vending machines, break rooms and parties etc.

What can be done about cravings? Deprivation - The act of denying oneself access to these treats? Well studies also reveal that denying cravings only results in more weight gain, because most dieters succumb to the internal turmoil caused by the denial, and then start the binges. Binges are mainly eating large amounts of high calorie foods for an extended period, disregarding portion control or the caloric values. This can create an ugly cycle with dieters. It can be quite disheartening.

I think one effective method to ward off cravings is to find a similar food - one that is close to the texture, and taste of that high calorie, unneeded food you might crave. The key is to find the version that is the least in calories, yet still as tasty.

Thankfully flavor technologies are starting to catch up with the science of creating and marketing low calorie products. The bland, obviously doctored tastes of diet foods past seems to have dissolved, much like the once bad after tastes.

So keeping in tune with this post, I wanted to share that I discovered something recently, that was pretty nifty. Kellogg's brand 'Special K ' has started marketing low calorie snacks as part of their pro-low calorie product line. I think by far the multi-grain crackers they just released are one of the tastiest store bought crackers I have had in a while.

The closest retail comparison I could think of is "Wheat Thins". Now I have not been a fan of "Wheat Thins", the crackers are a bit too substantial for my taste. And they have an overpowering taste that competes with anything you add to them. Plus I find that I get this odd after taste when I have had a few at a time.

But Special K's multi-grain crackers surprised me. They have a very light & airy texture with bits of whole grains - but can still hold their own when used with a thicker dip or soft cheese. The taste of the cracker comes off very pleasant, with a slight hint of onion. Very buttery.

I honestly can say they were extremely good. Something I will keep in my pantry.

There is a second variety of Special K's crackers I tasted. The flavor is Italian Tomatoes & Herb. Now if you are someone who loves the taste of tomato bisque or sun-dried tomatoes - you will appreciate this variety.

I am not a fan of tomato bisque. I love marinara sauces and sun-dried tomato but something about that kind of soup just doesn't do it for me.

I did taste the crackers enough to get a sense of their flavor. The tomato flavor is pretty heavy in these crackers. IThe crackers actually reminded me of tomato soup with an aged cheese melted into it.

My husband (who happens to be an avid tomato bisque consumer) loved these crackers. As did my 20 month old. Plus they passed the "picky eater" test with my 5 yr old.

So if you are looking for something to curb your cravings, these crackers seem like a win-win. Per serving of 17 crackers it is only 90 calories. They come in individual portion controlled .77 oz pouches, or you can purchase a box of 6 pouches, and for larger amounts, the 8 oz carton is great for parties.

You can view more about the crackers , such as the nutritional & allergy info, by clicking on the above links (which point to Kellogg's website) or visit their product pages:

Special K Multi-grain Crackers:

• http://www2.kelloggs.com/Product/ProductDetail.aspx?product=15751

Special K Italian Tomato & Herb Crackers:

• http://www2.kelloggs.com/Product/ProductDetail.aspx?product=15771

Related Posts:

• How sweet it is: The Skinny on Low Glycemic Sweeteners
• Lo-fat Recipe: Banana - Rum Napoleons
• Trace Produce : Come and Meet Your Farmer

Source::
¹Auld Lang Syne: Success predictors, change processes, and self-reported outcomes of New Year's resolvers and nonresolvers, by John C. Norcross, Marci S. Mrykalo, Matthew D. Blagys , University of Scranton. Journal of Clinical Psychology, Volume 58, Issue 4 (2002).

How sweet it is: The Skinny on Low Glycemic Sweeteners 73

The market for alternative sweeteners has started blossoming into quite the selection - no longer are consumers tied down to shopping at obscure health food stores or sending away bulk orders to specialty shops to find alternative ingredients, now super markets and even corner stores are following the trend which is shifting toward using natural whole ingredients.

While our quest for natural ingredients may have started as a trend, it may --- as a result of decades of digesting over processed, convenience type foods that saturate the market and whose establishments flood food courts and tend to cluster urban sprawl --- be a necessity to help reverse the ill-effects we have brought on ourselves through poor food choices.

There are many reasons to want an alternative sweetener, some include lifestyle choices - from Vegans who want to avoid bleached all-purpose sugar that may be processed using animal bones, to Raw Foodists who believe that all food they consume should be in the closest state to nature as possible (i.e minimally processed through heating), to those who are required to follow restricted diets such as those who suffer from Celiac Disease, or those who are diabetics^W. There is a great pdf document that you can download that touches on both Celiac Disease and Diabetes - outlining the connection between the two diseases and foods you consume.

In this post I want to concentrate on sweeteners that are suitable for diabetics. Those sweeteners that are low-glycemic. I will show some examples of each category of low glycemic sweeteners: unrefined, sugar alcohol, artificial, and herbal sweeteners.

There are many choices for alternative sweeteners. Natural, unrefined low-glycemic alternatives include:

• Brown Rice Syrup^W, which comes in different grades and gluten-free versions. It is normally used in cooking or baking ,by substituting a ratio of 1 1/4 times BRS to 1 amount of honey, molasses, or all-purpose (refined) sugar called for in a recipe [if using BRS to substitute for AP sugar - reduce liquids in your recipe by 1/4 cup for every cup of BRS used]. The main component of BRS is maltose and several complex carbohydrates - which are absorbed very slowly by our bodies, making it a good low glycemic ^W choice.
• Agave Nectar^W or Agave Syrup, is produced commercially in Mexico. Juice is expressed from the core of the agave, called the piña.^[1] The juice is filtered, then heated, to hydrolyze carbohydrates into sugars. Sources I have read say: "It is not manufactured from starch, but rather from fructans. ^[6] Due to its fructose content and the fact that the glycemic index only measures glucose levels, agave syrup is notable in that its glycemic index and glycemic load are lower than many other natural sweeteners on the market. ^[5] When using Agave, substitute 25% less for sweeteners called for in a recipe (ratio of 3/4 Agave to 1 cup refined sugar or other sweeteners), you will need to reduce your liquids by as much as 1/3. If using for baking make sure to reduce your oven temp by 25 F°.

Other low-glycemic Sweeteners options consist of Sugar derived alcohols such as:

• Maltitol^W It has 75-90% of the sweetness of sucrose (table sugar) and nearly identical properties, except for browning.
• Xylitol^W . This sugar alcohol is used as a naturally occurring sugar substitute found in the fibres of many fruits and vegetables, including various berries, corn husks, oats, and mushrooms.^[2] It can be extracted from corn fibre,^[3] birch, raspberries, plums, and corn. Xylitol is roughly as sweet as sucrose with only two-thirds the food energy.

There are many more sugar alcohol alternatives. Most are great because they actually prevent tooth decay, and they can be used in producing hard candies and confections. (seen allot in dental offices) The downside to these sweeteners is after a certain amount is eaten - it produces a laxative effect.

Another option and maybe the most well known category of low-glycemic sweeteners are those that are artificial. These artificial sweeteners have been largely used in commercialized products.

• Splenda^W , a.k.a Sucralose is approximately 600 times as sweet as sucrose (table sugar),^[4] twice as sweet as saccharin, and four times as sweet as aspartame and can be found in 4,500 products. Unlike aspartame, it is stable under heat and over a broad range of pH conditions and can be used in baking or in products that require a longer shelf life.
• Aspartame^W This sweetener is marketed under a number of trademark names, including Equal, NutraSweet, and Canderel, and is an ingredient of approximately 6,000 consumer foods and beverages sold worldwide. It is commonly used in diet soft drinks, and is provided as a table condiment in some countries. However, aspartame is not always suitable for baking because it often breaks down when heated and loses much of its sweetness.

There is a lot of controversy surrounding artificial sweeteners. and the safety of longterm ingesting. For those who cannot have sugar otherwise, these artificial sweeteners bring hope. Artificial sweeteners tend to have an unwanted aftertaste after ingested, and like Sugar Alcohol based sweeteners , they too have a laxative effect if eaten in large quantities.



The last category of low-glycemic sweeteners are herbal based. These sweeteners generally come from the parts of different herb families:

• Stevia^W The species Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni, commonly known as sweetleaf, sweet leaf, sugarleaf, or simply stevia, is widely grown for its sweet leaves. As a sugar substitute, stevia's taste has a slower onset and longer duration than that of sugar. With its extracts having up to 300 times the sweetness of sugar, stevia has garnered attention with the rise in demand for low-carbohydrate, low-sugar food alternatives.

People have told me there is a learning curve with Stevia - you have to acclimate your tastebuds to the actual taste of stevia - it is sweet, but the ratio needs to be just right or you find a bitter after taste.


Recently the Food and Drug Administration (a.k.a FDA) approved 2 Stevia derived sweeteners, a first for the United States. One of the approved sweeteners Truvia, was developed by Cargil and The Coca-cola company.

Beverage brands such as Odwalla and Sprite's New "Green" line of sodas, all are planning to feature Truvia as the main sweetener in their products geared toward eco-friendly and diet soda buying consumers.







I got a chance to try Truvia. I was pretty interested because of what people had told me about Stevia, and that made it a challenge, plus the approval of this sweetener is pretty huge in the world of herbal ingredients.

Truvia comes in packets, much like Sweet 'n' Low, or regular table sugar you find at restaurants. Each packet is equal to 2 teaspoons of regular all purpose sugar. Truvia is also a Certified Kosher ingredient.

In the realm of eco-friendliness - The box and packets themselves are all recyclable paper and printed with Soy ink (big bonus there).

I tasted a few grains of Truvia by themselves, and noticed a very light vanilla note, and hints of tapioca. The aroma of Truvia is also similair to tapiocca custard. The look and texture is similair to fine sugar used in professional bakeries. I got a slight tingling, almost effervescence like sensation on my tongue once I tasted the Truvia grains.

Truvia did not pass my "coffee" test. I added it to my normal brewed coffee w/ half 'n' half and got a definite bitter aftertaste, similair to that of Dandelion greens. I would say that the ratio of one packet may be adjusted according to personal taste - I would use much less.

But maybe I need to acclimate my taste buds slowly to get used to the taste of Truvia in my coffee? I consider my morning coffee a sacred practice and I think I am not yet ready to change it. My favorite alternative to sugar in coffee is Agave Nectar - this stuff is great, I prefer the light colored agave syrup, as this has the least amount of flavor profile between Light Agave syrup and Amber Agave syrup varieties. If you taste the light agave syrup on your finger, it is very similair to normal sugar in taste.

Truvia preformed well however in my baking tests. I looked through the recipes found on the Truvia website. Some of the recipes include:

• Apple Berry Galette
• Pecan Pie
• Crunchy Apple Cinnamon & Pear Salad
• Zanna's Pumpkin Pancakes
• Strawberry Rhubarb Galette
• Shortbread Cookies
• Pumpkin Pie
• Cranberry Sauce
• Hot Cocoa Mix
• Classic Cheesecake
• Cheesecake with Fresh Strawberry Topping

I decided to try the Classic Cheesecake recipe. It was not that bad, the taste was not as different as I had expected - texture was slightly affected, not as firm as traditional cheesecake formulas, but overall if you were looking to cut out refined sugar and calories this version might be a good bet. This cheesecake recipe has 270 calories and 4 grams of sugar per serving as compared to regular cheesecake that has 310 calories and 20 grams of sugar per serving.

Overall I would say that Truvia is pretty pleasant to the palate when used in baking and is great when trying to use a natural low glycemic sugar substitute, similair to sugar in quality. The ratio of Truvia to sugar might need to be adjusted when substituting in recipes - but you can use a combination Truvia with Agave Syrup to cut the aftertaste of stevia, as they both are low-glycemic sweeteners.

You can visit the Truvia website for more info: http://truvia.com/index.html

On VerTerra: Can Your Eco-Friendly Disposable Do This?? 9

Sure you have probably heard of, or even used eco-friendly containers, such as those made from bio-plastic ^W a.k.a corn derivatives. But have you baked with them? VerTerra ,(which is Latin for "close to earth"), have these really nifty eco-friendly trays, and now bowls, that are really versatile.

Below if you click on the picture you can view a larger version of the eco-friendly disposables comparison chart . This chart compares VerTerra products against the more popular materials of earth friendly disposables: recycled paper , sugar cane, recycled plastic, bio-plastic corn, bamboo. The chart notes how product materials fair using these standards: price, oven safe, hot liquids, hot foods, compostable, sun resistance, renewable source.

Credit: VerTerra Brochure

Needless to say VerTerra 's product material wins hands down in functionality compared to the other eco-friendly materials . This line of eco-friendly disposables has so many great positives going for it, it is unbelievable. If you are looking for the ultimate in sustainable , well designed biodegradable plates, bowls and trays - then you can be rest assured VerTerra has something to offer you.


All of VerTerra's products in the line, are created from palm leaves that have naturally fallen of the palm. There is NO cutting of trees or other plants involved in the collection process. The next step is steaming the palm leavess - which , while still pliable, pressed into a mold ( the excess is trimmed) and the molds are heated , to set the palm materials and create each products shape. The final process is %100 percent natural - no binders, glues or chemicals are applied when creating VerTerra's products. This means there are no bleaches or waxes making the product line completely non-toxic.

Picture Credit: Theodore Samuels

VerTerra's Bowls come in two shapes:
"Classic" shown to the right, in a 7 inch size, and their newest addition to the VerTerra product line "Signature bowls", shown to the left - these will be available Dec. 22nd, 2008 ranging in sizes of 6x8 inches and 8x8 inches. The newest bowls are very sexy, and are obviously Classics' modern, stylish cousin.

Picture Credit: Theodore Samuels
VerTerra's plates are great too. There are many options.
From the Classic line, you can purchase 6 inch hexagon shaped plates, shown to the right. Or Classic 9 inch square plates.
The highlight of VerTerra's plate line is their newest addition "Signature Plates", shown to the left above, also debuting Dec. 22nd 2008. And like the "Signature Bowls", the Signature Plates have a streamlined, modern , low profile appeal. The Signature Plates range in sizes from 6 inches to 1o inches.

There will also be a nifty assortment of trays debuting in the Signature line on Dec. 22 2008. Available sizes of Signature Trays are: 7" x 8.5" , 10.5" x 12.5" ,12 inch Square Platters or the largest version in 14" x 16" Trays.



All VerTerra dinnerware is biodegradable and compostable after 2 months. As well as being able to accommodate hot liquids without the worry that the product will disintegrate .You can even bake in each piece at 350 F ° for up to 45 minutes, without any buckling or warping of the piece. This makes any of the VerTerra products perfect for home or on the go.

Picture Credit: Theodore Samuels
The bonus at home, is that you can reuse each piece up to 12 times - if hand washing with a mild eco-friendly detergent, such as Seventh Generation Dish Soap . However VerTerra dinnerware are NOT dishwasher safe.

Oven-safe, microwaveable and refrigerator friendly, VerTerra Dinnerware will bring a guilt free, versatile and stylish disposable experience right to your table.

Available in packages of 10 to bulk packs of up to 300 pieces , VerTerra dinnerware is a very easy and economical solution for both home users or culinary business professionals.

Ec0- Friendly Related Posts:

• From Bottles to Bags - Green is both Cool & Responsible
• Children's Toy Review: Counting Bunnies Puzzle
  
• When Shopping

Chocolate Landing on The Floor - Not In Your Mouth 97

When I am working with chocolate - be it chocolate sauce, tempered chocolate, ganache or chocolate buttercream I have a tendency to slob the stuff around. Somehow I end up with it all 0ver the sleeves of my chef jacket or apron. When you are in a time crunch to get a product prepped, there is a delicate balance between artfully creating and efficiently creating, and sometimes things get sloppy, better yourself and not the product.

As a mom I realize that the possibility of chocolate getting totally consumed is a dream in theory. When children get a a hold of anything remotely edible, watching them consume and having the high expectations that they will be good and not make a mess - well let's just say they cannot help themselves and right it off as a disaster in the making.When I was chosen by Mom Central to review WD40 Spot Shot Carpet Cleaner, I thought this would be something pretty useful to have in my household.




Product Specs:

• 22oz spray bottle

Can Remove:

• Old Stains
• Dirt/Grime
• Cola/Colored Soda
• Tracked in Mud, Dirt and Oil

Safe and Permanent Removal of

• All kinds of new and old stains
• Dual-odor eliminators absorb and neutralize odors
• Anti-Resoiling agents protect carpet
• Approved by the Carpet and Rug Institute for product performance

Safe for Pets, Kids and the Environment*

• Non-Toxic
• No Phosphates
• No Volatile Organic Compounds
• Recyclable Packaging
• Certified Biodegradable by Scientific Certification Systems

Official Website: http://www.spotshot.com/

Cleaner Characteristics: I am always worried with cleaners about fumes and their ingredients because I am very sensitive to everything and can have pretty major allergic reactions, plus I don't want my children exposed to toxic chemicals. When I read the back of the Spot Shot bottle I was amazed to see that there were no warnings about accidental ingestion or inhaling the fumes. The label states that Spot Shot is non-toxic in both instances. The spray is not over powering and similar to Febreze in scent.

How To Use Spot Shot: The directions on the bottle say to use on both new stains that are still damp and older stains that are dry. It says repeat as necessary.

While using on a fresh stain:

• Blot the stain with a dry cloth to wick up any moisture
• Spray the stain with Spot Shot Spray
• Wet a clean rag or sponge and start blotting the area to remove the stain.
• Rinse out the rag or sponge as needed and repeat the above steps.
• Allow carpet to air dry

While using on an old stain:

• Spray the stain with Spot Shot Spray, allow to soak in.
• Wet a clean rag or sponge and start rubbing the area to remove the stain.
• Rinse out the rag or sponge as needed and repeat the above steps.
• Allow carpet to air dry

The Performance:

My daughter had a spill with some chocolate sauce on the carpet.I used a rag to blot the remainder of the chocolate that hadn't quite soaked in. I followed the above noted steps for use with a fresh stain.

 The spray bubbled once it was applied. It worked better to blot at the stain as apposed to rubbing. The total cleaning process was repeated 3 times. I am able to say that Spot Shot did a pretty good job at removing the chocolate sauce, which tends to be a very hard stain to completely remove. Spot Shot is not an instant fix - it won't take all the work away for you, you will have to use a little elbow grease, but the time it takes to remove a stain is minimal. Compared to other spot cleaning products I have tried on previous carpets, I would say this does an excellent job. I wish I had had it when my daughter was a toddler, it might have saved my husband and I, hours of frustration. Overall I would say Spot Shot does what is advertised, with minimal effort and with a solution that is safe for kids and pets. It is biodegradable and has recyclable packaging. Eco-friendly solutions are always a plus.

The view expressed here are mine & mone alone. I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of WD40. In addition, I received an bottle of Spot Shot in exchange for my honest feedback.Please read more about Renaissance Culinaire's Disclosure Policy

Encourage Your Little Chef, while Encouraging Listening Skills 19

When foodies envision the perfect pizza, the visions are filled with wonderful and exotic ingredients - the texture, the smells and the very process of the pizza production conjure up such great memories and mouthwatering fantasy of new creations.

When cooking with children, pizza is often a dish that gets top attention. It is fun to mix and children love to see the dough rise and are thrilled to spread the sauces and cheese or other toppings upon the pizza.

But sometimes with younger pre-schoolers or those in kindergarten, it can be quite the challenge to hold their attention and keep them focused.

Well that is where Noodleboro Pizza Palace Listening Game comes in handy. This game comes complete with pizzas & real take out boxes, a peel (which doubles as the scoring track /game board) , plenty of toppings. Think of it as a pre-pizza conditioner, to help your kids strengthen those listening skills needed to cook along side you in the kitchen.

When I got the chance to review this game, not only was my 5 yr old excited, but this game was something she could relate to me and culinary. She loved that she would be "cooking" up pizza and earning points when her orders were right. The audio CD was a hit with her too and even my 17 month old joined in and was dancing and clapping. A fun game for the whole family.

Noodleboro Pizza Palace Listening Game Specs:
Contents:

• 25 pizza topping cards
• 2 sets of 25 pizza toppings
• 2 pizza boxes with pizzas
• 2 pizza topping trays
• Chef's Hat Moving Pawn
• Scoring track
• CD (21 tracks)
• Storybook
• instructions in English and in Spanish.

Product Dimensions: 3.4 x 10.5 x 10.5 inches

ASIN: B0013WKAJK

Item model number: 40505

Mfr. Recommended Age: 36 months - 6 years

Number of Players: 2 - 3


...this will  be big fun for little chefs  while honing  skills...

In the Noodleboro Pizza Palace ListeningGame storybook "Listen While You Work": Chef Listentino stubbed his toe and has the only pizzeria in town. Suddenly it looks as if pizza eating is doomed for the whole town - until 2 young boys offer to help.  Avery and Earnest tell Chef Listentino they will make the pizzas for him. They get a crash course in proper pizza production, but Avery doesn't listen to Chef, and when the time comes to make pizzas their assembly line goes awry due to Avery's bad listening and communication skills with his partner Earnest.


Although not up to HAACP standards, this book is written in a way that will engage your little chef. Filled
with bright illustrations, and plenty of non-stop silliness.This same theme is echoed in the actual game play:

The "order giver" must select 3 topping cards, most of the ingredients are standard pizza topping such as pepperoni or anchovies, but just like the storybook some silliness carries over in the form of soccer balls, tennis shoes or French fries and other objects edible or not. Order Givers are encouraged to change their orders to help strengthen memory and listening skills.

"Pizza makers" must listen as these ingredients are read out loud, once they have been said it is up to the pizza maker to remember what was said without hints. Each successful pizza order gains the pizza maker another spot on the scoreboard (a.k.a the peel) , whoever advances their chef hat game piece first to the top spot, wins.

The audio CD included in the game has 21 tracks of silly sounds and songs which all coincide with the storybook, that strengthen the overall lessons of the book - bringing the book to life for your kids.

This game is guaranteed to encourage your child's social skills such as working on a team and communicating, all naturally through different sensory stimulations, whether it be from the book, the audio CD or actual game time.

Children's Book Review: Sunny's Adventures 57

I love to find children's books with a baking tie-in. It gives me such joy to expose children to the wonderful warmth and quiet passion that is following a recipe. In todays world, not as much time is spent watching the skilled rhythms of well versed hands whipping up tasty baked goods in the well used kitchens of our homes, at least not as much as in my childhood or those before me.

...Kid Mystery?

Sunny's Adventures
will intrigue
your budding Sleuths...

Sunny's Adventures delivers that warmth that only
whispers of childhood could bring forth. The words
upon the page awaken the innocent ramblings and
romping we all shared with our neighborhood
friends on bright sunny days. When our back-
yards were jungles. And time spent with
family baking was a special treat.

Book Specs:

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
• Paperback: 52 pages
• Publisher: Jabberwocky Books (June 13, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0980245605
• ISBN-13: 978-0980245608
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.8 x 0.2 inches
• Author : Leketha Marie Johnson
• Author website: http://www.sunnysadventures.com/
• Author's blog entry: New Book - Sunny's Adventures

Contents:

Sunny's Adventures has 5 chapters, or 5 mystery stories within the main story. Even though the reading level claims to be for 9-12 year olds, I was able to read this to my 5 yr old and it held her attention - with a bit of enthusiasm and voice play on my part.

The main character Sunny, is a young girl, determined to get to the bottom of every mystery that unfolds around her. From missing puppies, to turtles to diamond rings and dolls - she gets the clues and leads her friends to the scene of the crime. And once solved she finds herself a big helping of her grandmother's cake, a tribute to her grandmother's seeming tireless baking.

I especially liked the 3rd chapter "The Mystery of The Cooking Contest", where Sunny and her grandmother enter a pie contest, and the pie ends up missing!

My daughter loved the animals and the fact that this girl was solving mysteries by putting the clues together and baking too.

There are quizzes at the end of the 5 chapters to encourage critical thinking, and my 5 yr old was pretty excited to come up with the answers.

There are black and white illustrations throughout the book that are very whimsical and kid friendly. My daughter couldn't get enough viewing them and connecting them with the words being read in parts of the story.

Summary:

Sunny's Adventures is a wonderful children's mystery which celebrates the joys of baking with family and the value of friendships. Your children from ages 5yrs+ will delight in following Sunny on her journey to find clues and solve each mystery, all aided with whimsical illustrations, and chapter specific quizzes which will stimulate your child's critical thinking and problems solving abilities.

The view expressed here are mine & mone alone. I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Parent Reviewers on behalf of Leketha Marie Johnson. In addition, I received copy of Sunny's Adventured in exchange for my honest feedback.Please read more about Renaissance Culinaire's Disclosure Policy

Uncommonly Cute : Infant & Toddler Clothes 18

Uncommonly Cute is an infant and toddler clothing e-store run by a husband & Wife team hailing from New York. They pride themselves on cute & cool apparel that is unique, which expresses your baby's individual personality. I am especially enamored with the site because they support two great causes :
R Baby Foundation (proceeds of 50% from this page go directly to R Baby Foundation) and Room To Grow. It is great when businesses give back to their community or country.

...Got A Bun
In your tum?
...soon to arrive

Freshly Baked?
Get this tee for your New Arrival.

This website is what the name implies.
A fabulous line of newborn, baby onsies and toddler
tees, that will make you smile. Baby clothes come
in size newborn - 2T. In a choice of gender
specific colors.

I especially liked the newborn onsie that has
"freshly baked" across the chest. For a baker
such as myself, not only is it funny but very cute.

Many a joke has been had at a pregnant
girl's expense referencing her "bun in the
oven". This simple statement is both endearing
and laughable. Your child is an Artisan made
creation, after all. Celebrate your handy work!

And for the geek in you - why not
check out this "famous on facebook"
tee, Deck your child out in some Social
Networking vanity goodness.

The funniest tee I saw was the"Elmo is my homeboy" shirt. Hilarius. This would go great with some Infant / Toddler Adiddas or maybe Infant / Toddler K-swiss .Teach your baby to embrace his or her's dopeness.

And for those political types, infant and toddler tees & onsies that say "I'm a Democrat" or "I'm a Republican". 2008 is an Election Year after all , babies may not talk - but they sure can scream and what is better than a screamer ? A screamer who supports his or her political party! Aww the magic moments of parenting.

To see the above tees and more...Visit the website to view all the baby goodness.