Friday, May 28, 2010
"Costco Sunny Day Snacks" giveaway
The fine folks at General Mills and MyBlogSpark sent me the following info:
"Now available at Club Stores, Nature Valley Chewy Trail Mix Bars and Simply Fruit Roll-Ups deliver great value and are perfect to have on hand for last minute day trips and even an afternoon in the backyard.
Not only nutritious, but convenient too, the club sized snacks are individually wrapped and ideal for throwing in your purse or travel bag, just in case your little one´s tummy starts to rumble.
Nature Valley Chewy Trail Mix Bars are a delightful, 100% natural, combination of tastes and textures you´ll love. Now, you can get 25% more of the whole almonds, peanuts, raisins and cranberries in every bar! With no artificial flavors or colors and only 140 calories, Nature Valley Chewy Trail Mix Granola Bars also contain 8g of whole grain per serving.
Simply Fruit Roll-Ups are a better-for-you treat that kids love! Simply Fruit Roll-Ups are an excellent source of Vitamin C and are available in a convenient variety pack of Strawberry and Wildberry flavors. Every delicious roll is made with 90% real fruit and fruit juice and packs a full serving of fruit. Even more exciting? They´re gluten-free and contain only 50 calories per roll.
Check out your local Club Store today for stock up packages of these delicious snacks and more!"
They also sent me a "Costco Sunny Day Snacks" prize pack that includes stock-up sized packages of the Nature Valley Chewy Trail Mix Bars (48 ct.) and Simply Fruit Roll-Ups (42 ct.), and a $25 gift card for Costco; these are some seriously tasty snacks, and it's good to have snacks with some nutritional value that can be stuck in a pocket to provide a few minutes of bliss when you're hungry miles from home... MUCH better than the greasy fast food you usually get at such times.
AND, they've provided an additional prize pack to give away to one of you. This is a very nice prize, so send me your story of how you served your community, and the best (believable, not Hollywood, sorry, lol) story wins!! I'll post a winner by the end of the long weekend.
"Now available at Club Stores, Nature Valley Chewy Trail Mix Bars and Simply Fruit Roll-Ups deliver great value and are perfect to have on hand for last minute day trips and even an afternoon in the backyard.
Not only nutritious, but convenient too, the club sized snacks are individually wrapped and ideal for throwing in your purse or travel bag, just in case your little one´s tummy starts to rumble.
Nature Valley Chewy Trail Mix Bars are a delightful, 100% natural, combination of tastes and textures you´ll love. Now, you can get 25% more of the whole almonds, peanuts, raisins and cranberries in every bar! With no artificial flavors or colors and only 140 calories, Nature Valley Chewy Trail Mix Granola Bars also contain 8g of whole grain per serving.
Simply Fruit Roll-Ups are a better-for-you treat that kids love! Simply Fruit Roll-Ups are an excellent source of Vitamin C and are available in a convenient variety pack of Strawberry and Wildberry flavors. Every delicious roll is made with 90% real fruit and fruit juice and packs a full serving of fruit. Even more exciting? They´re gluten-free and contain only 50 calories per roll.
Check out your local Club Store today for stock up packages of these delicious snacks and more!"
They also sent me a "Costco Sunny Day Snacks" prize pack that includes stock-up sized packages of the Nature Valley Chewy Trail Mix Bars (48 ct.) and Simply Fruit Roll-Ups (42 ct.), and a $25 gift card for Costco; these are some seriously tasty snacks, and it's good to have snacks with some nutritional value that can be stuck in a pocket to provide a few minutes of bliss when you're hungry miles from home... MUCH better than the greasy fast food you usually get at such times.
AND, they've provided an additional prize pack to give away to one of you. This is a very nice prize, so send me your story of how you served your community, and the best (believable, not Hollywood, sorry, lol) story wins!! I'll post a winner by the end of the long weekend.
RIP Gary Coleman
This is so sad, and after all he'd been through, the poor man:
"Gary Coleman, the adorable, pint-sized child star of the smash 1970s TV sitcom "Diff'rent Strokes" who spent the rest of his life struggling on Hollywood's D-list, died Friday after suffering a brain hemorrhage. He was 42.
Life support was terminated and Coleman died at 12:05 p.m. MDT with family and friends at his side, Utah Valley Regional Medical Center spokeswoman Janet Frank said.
Coleman, with his sparkling eyes and perfect comic timing, became a star after "Diff'rent Strokes" debuted in 1978. He played Arnold Jackson, the younger one of a pair of African-American brothers adopted by a wealthy white man.
"It's unfortunate. It's a sad day," said Todd Bridges, who played the older brother Willis. "It's sad that I'm the last kid alive from the show."
The series lives on thanks to DVDs and YouTube. But its equally enduring legacy became the troubles in adulthood of its former child stars.
Dana Plato, who played the boys' white, teenage sister, committed suicide in 1999. Bridges was tried and acquitted of attempted murder.
Coleman's popularity faded when the show ended after six seasons on NBC and two on ABC.
He remained estranged from his parents Sue and Willie Coleman, who said they learned about his hospitalization and death from media reports.
Sue Coleman said she wanted to reconcile and had been patiently waiting for her son to be ready.
"One of the things that I had prayed for was that nothing like this would happen before we could sit with Gary and (wife) Shannon and say, 'we're here and we love you,'" Sue Coleman said. "We just didn't want to push him."
She would not discuss the cause of the estrangement.
In 1989, when Gary Coleman was 21, she filed a court request trying to gain control of her son's $6 million fortune, saying he was incapable of handling his affairs. He said the move "obviously stems from her frustration at not being able to control my life."
Coleman chafed at his permanent association with "Diff'rent Strokes" but also tried to capitalize on it through minor reality shows and other TV appearances. His adult life also was marked with legal, financial and health troubles, suicide attempts and even a 2003 run for California governor.
Coleman suffered continuing ill health from the kidney disease that stunted his growth. He suffered the brain hemorrhage Wednesday at his Santaquin home, 55 miles south of Salt Lake City.
A statement from his family said he was conscious and lucid until midday Thursday, when his condition worsened and he slipped into unconsciousness. Coleman was then placed on life support.
"Diff'rent Strokes" debuted on NBC in 1978 and drew most of its laughs from the tiny, 10-year-old Coleman.
Race and class relations became topics on the show as much as the typical trials of growing up.
Coleman was an immediate star, and his skeptical "Whatchu talkin' 'bout?" — usually aimed at Willis — became a catchphrase."
"Coleman was born Feb. 8, 1968, in Zion, Ill., near Chicago. His mother told Ebony his kidney disease was diagnosed when he was 2. He underwent his first transplant at age 5.
He attracted attention when he took part in some local fashion shows and people suggested he should get work performing in commercials, which he then did, she said.
She stayed with her son in California while he was making "Diff'rent Strokes," while her husband Willis, a pharmaceutical company worker, stayed behind in Illinois."
http://omg.yahoo.com/news/diff-rent-strokes-star-gary-coleman-dies/41561?nc
Isn't in bizarre how often we end up having to feel sorry for people who have achieved the highest levels of wealth and success? There might be a lesson in that somewhere...
"Gary Coleman, the adorable, pint-sized child star of the smash 1970s TV sitcom "Diff'rent Strokes" who spent the rest of his life struggling on Hollywood's D-list, died Friday after suffering a brain hemorrhage. He was 42.
Life support was terminated and Coleman died at 12:05 p.m. MDT with family and friends at his side, Utah Valley Regional Medical Center spokeswoman Janet Frank said.
Coleman, with his sparkling eyes and perfect comic timing, became a star after "Diff'rent Strokes" debuted in 1978. He played Arnold Jackson, the younger one of a pair of African-American brothers adopted by a wealthy white man.
"It's unfortunate. It's a sad day," said Todd Bridges, who played the older brother Willis. "It's sad that I'm the last kid alive from the show."
The series lives on thanks to DVDs and YouTube. But its equally enduring legacy became the troubles in adulthood of its former child stars.
Dana Plato, who played the boys' white, teenage sister, committed suicide in 1999. Bridges was tried and acquitted of attempted murder.
Coleman's popularity faded when the show ended after six seasons on NBC and two on ABC.
He remained estranged from his parents Sue and Willie Coleman, who said they learned about his hospitalization and death from media reports.
Sue Coleman said she wanted to reconcile and had been patiently waiting for her son to be ready.
"One of the things that I had prayed for was that nothing like this would happen before we could sit with Gary and (wife) Shannon and say, 'we're here and we love you,'" Sue Coleman said. "We just didn't want to push him."
She would not discuss the cause of the estrangement.
In 1989, when Gary Coleman was 21, she filed a court request trying to gain control of her son's $6 million fortune, saying he was incapable of handling his affairs. He said the move "obviously stems from her frustration at not being able to control my life."
Coleman chafed at his permanent association with "Diff'rent Strokes" but also tried to capitalize on it through minor reality shows and other TV appearances. His adult life also was marked with legal, financial and health troubles, suicide attempts and even a 2003 run for California governor.
Coleman suffered continuing ill health from the kidney disease that stunted his growth. He suffered the brain hemorrhage Wednesday at his Santaquin home, 55 miles south of Salt Lake City.
A statement from his family said he was conscious and lucid until midday Thursday, when his condition worsened and he slipped into unconsciousness. Coleman was then placed on life support.
"Diff'rent Strokes" debuted on NBC in 1978 and drew most of its laughs from the tiny, 10-year-old Coleman.
Race and class relations became topics on the show as much as the typical trials of growing up.
Coleman was an immediate star, and his skeptical "Whatchu talkin' 'bout?" — usually aimed at Willis — became a catchphrase."
"Coleman was born Feb. 8, 1968, in Zion, Ill., near Chicago. His mother told Ebony his kidney disease was diagnosed when he was 2. He underwent his first transplant at age 5.
He attracted attention when he took part in some local fashion shows and people suggested he should get work performing in commercials, which he then did, she said.
She stayed with her son in California while he was making "Diff'rent Strokes," while her husband Willis, a pharmaceutical company worker, stayed behind in Illinois."
http://omg.yahoo.com/news/diff-rent-strokes-star-gary-coleman-dies/41561?nc
Isn't in bizarre how often we end up having to feel sorry for people who have achieved the highest levels of wealth and success? There might be a lesson in that somewhere...
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Betty Crocker Mississippi Mud Supreme Bars
The fine folks at Betty Crocker and MyBlogSpark sent me the following info:
"Get ready to wow them with new Betty Crocker Mississippi Mud Supreme Bars - a decadent, down-south dessert that nobody will believe came from a box!
With layers of chocolate cookie crumbs sprinkled over mini marshmallows in a chewy chocolate center and a crunchy chocolate cookie crust, this brand new recipe is sure to impress friends and family. Betty Crocker Mississippi Mud Supreme Bars provide an out-of-the-box flavor, with in-the-box convenience. You don´t have to go to Mississippi to snag the mix for these delicious bars; Betty Crocker makes it easy to make a tasty treat anytime, anywhere."
The also sent me a "Delicious Dessert" prize pack that includes a box of the new Betty Crocker Mississippi Mud Supreme Bars and an 8x8 metal baking pan; I put the former into the latter, and, as you might well imagine, chocolate ecstasy resulted!! If YOU'D like the opportunity to be among the first to try the new Betty Crocker Mississippi Mud Supreme Bars before they hit shelves this summer, you're in luck, because they're letting me give a gift pack away; send me an email telling me what Memorial Day means to you, and I'll pick the best one and post the winner in a few days.
"Get ready to wow them with new Betty Crocker Mississippi Mud Supreme Bars - a decadent, down-south dessert that nobody will believe came from a box!
With layers of chocolate cookie crumbs sprinkled over mini marshmallows in a chewy chocolate center and a crunchy chocolate cookie crust, this brand new recipe is sure to impress friends and family. Betty Crocker Mississippi Mud Supreme Bars provide an out-of-the-box flavor, with in-the-box convenience. You don´t have to go to Mississippi to snag the mix for these delicious bars; Betty Crocker makes it easy to make a tasty treat anytime, anywhere."
The also sent me a "Delicious Dessert" prize pack that includes a box of the new Betty Crocker Mississippi Mud Supreme Bars and an 8x8 metal baking pan; I put the former into the latter, and, as you might well imagine, chocolate ecstasy resulted!! If YOU'D like the opportunity to be among the first to try the new Betty Crocker Mississippi Mud Supreme Bars before they hit shelves this summer, you're in luck, because they're letting me give a gift pack away; send me an email telling me what Memorial Day means to you, and I'll pick the best one and post the winner in a few days.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Stevia
Here's what Wikipedia says about stevia:
"Stevia is a genus of about 240 species of herbs and shrubs in the sunflower family (Asteraceae), native to subtropical and tropical regions from western North America to South America. The species Stevia rebaudiana, commonly known as sweetleaf, sweet leaf, sugarleaf, or simply stevia, is widely grown for its sweet leaves. As a sweetener and sugar substitute, stevia's taste has a slower onset and longer duration than that of sugar, although some of its extracts may have a bitter or licorice-like aftertaste at high concentrations.
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. Medical research has also shown possible benefits of stevia in treating obesity and high blood pressure. Because stevia has a negligible effect on blood glucose, it is attractive as a natural sweetener to people on carbohydrate-controlled diets."
And what do our fellow netizens say about stevia? Some of those that fail to grasp that this is a NATURAL sweetener, and instead assume that it's just a new brand of aspartame or whatever, claim to have tried stevia and gotten the same old "artificial sweetener headaches" that they've always gotten. From a NATURAL sweetener.
This adds more proof, should any be necessary, that the "artificial sweetener headaches" are purely psychosomatic. Ignore claims of that sort and sweeten your coffee with whatever floats your boat.
"Stevia is a genus of about 240 species of herbs and shrubs in the sunflower family (Asteraceae), native to subtropical and tropical regions from western North America to South America. The species Stevia rebaudiana, commonly known as sweetleaf, sweet leaf, sugarleaf, or simply stevia, is widely grown for its sweet leaves. As a sweetener and sugar substitute, stevia's taste has a slower onset and longer duration than that of sugar, although some of its extracts may have a bitter or licorice-like aftertaste at high concentrations.
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. Medical research has also shown possible benefits of stevia in treating obesity and high blood pressure. Because stevia has a negligible effect on blood glucose, it is attractive as a natural sweetener to people on carbohydrate-controlled diets."
And what do our fellow netizens say about stevia? Some of those that fail to grasp that this is a NATURAL sweetener, and instead assume that it's just a new brand of aspartame or whatever, claim to have tried stevia and gotten the same old "artificial sweetener headaches" that they've always gotten. From a NATURAL sweetener.
This adds more proof, should any be necessary, that the "artificial sweetener headaches" are purely psychosomatic. Ignore claims of that sort and sweeten your coffee with whatever floats your boat.
