Catch the Up Market Fresh Bus Tour! {Giveaway!}

Y’all remember me blogging about the new Walgreens Flagship Store in San Francisco a while back, right?! Did you know they also have an Up Market Fresh Bus? I didn’t, until they contacted me & told me all about it- they even invited me to check it out in San Francisco this past weekend. Curiosity got the best of me & I had to check it out.  Isn’t she a beauty?! This custom made, 40ft bus is part of Walgreens mobile tasting tour, the “Up Market: Fresh” Experience. The bus visits select locations and special events nation wide. The bus is visiting the San Francisco Bay Area for the month of May. The Fresh Bus is giving out samples of Walgreens Fresh new offerings to celebrate the grand opening of the Walgreens Flagship store & its Fresh stores throughout the Bay Area.The Fresh Up Market is Walgreens approach to healthy, convenient & high-quality food offerings. If you’d like to learn more about Walgreens Up Market, the Fresh Bus is the place to be!  What can you expect to find on the bus? I’m glad you asked!

The “Up Market:  Fresh” bus will be serving free samples of a variety of items to celebrate the fresh food offerings available at the new flagship store. Free tastings include:

• Juices  — Samples of nutritious, fresh-made juices made from a combination of fresh fruits and vegetables.“Painted Lady Punch” is a featured juice and is a blend of apples, strawberries, lemon and ginger. “Cable Car Carrot” is also a featured juice and is a blend of carrots, oranges and pineapple.
• Smoothie — The featured smoothie will be the “Ocean Beach Peach,” which is blended fresh from peaches, bananas, pineapple and coconut water.
• Frozen Yogurt – Two premium, low-fat frozen yogurts will be sampled alongside a selection of toppings.
• Café – Visitors can receive free samples of a selection of coffees brewed using the same fresh roasts and barista quality techniques showcased at Walgreens.

 You know I’m all about the Smoothies, so that’s the first thing I had! 

The bus is fully equipped with everything it needs to whip up smoothies & other tasty treats… Fro-Yo anyone?   

There was even some action going on outside the bus. Walgreens had a few tents set up, passing out more samples of their healthy items. Everything from sunscreen to granola!

True to form, everyone on the bus was friendly and eager to help out. They were happy to discuss the Up Market Fresh items available on the bus & inside Walgreens. You don’t want to miss this bus! I wonder if Walgreens will let me have one of my own?! A girl can dream!

Want to know where the Fresh Bus will be stopping next? You can follow them on twitter at UpMarketFresh. Here’s the schedule for the rest of this week:

Walgreens, 1333 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94612

• Wednesday, May 29 – Noon – 4 p.m.

 Walgreens, 2801 Adeline St., Berkeley, CA 94703

• Thursday, May 30 – 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Walgreens, 5055 Telegraph Ave., Oakland, CA 94609

• Friday, May 31 – 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Who’s ready for a GIVEAWAY?  (Click on the blue “Rafflecopter Giveaway” icon below to be taken to the entry form!)

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Disclosure: I was provided with a GC in exchange for this post, no other compensation was given. All opinions are mine. Don’t miss the Fresh Bus when it hits your town! Thank you to Walgreens for hosting this Giveaway for my readers! Be Well!

You Say McWrap, I Say McYummy! {Giveaway for S.F. Bay Area Readers!}

I was recently sent a couple “Be Our Guest” cards by McDonald’s so I could try their new Premium McWraps. I’d been hearing a lot about them from some of my blogger friends, and was anxious to sink my teeth into one.

• The new line of meal-size wraps combines fresh vegetables, tasty sauces and juicy chicken breast fillets in a warm tortilla.
  • All Premium McWrap varieties come with a choice of either grilled or crispy chicken, so that guests can customize their meals according to their individual dietary needs. There are 3 Premium McWraps to choose from:
    • Sweet Chili Chicken McWrap: sweet chili sauce, creamy garlic sauce and sliced cucumbers
    • Chicken & Bacon McWrap: creamy garlic sauce, bacon, cheddar jack cheese and tomato
    • Chicken & Ranch McWrap: ranch sauce, seasoned rice vinegar, cheddar jack cheese, sliced cucumbers and tomato
    I’ve been a McDonald’s fan my entire life. Growing up, I didn’t get to eat there as often as I wanted, so anytime we made a special trip to the Golden Arches, it was party time! I am happy to see McDonald’s incorporating healthier food options into their menu. Grilled Chicken, can’t get much healthier than that, right?! The Premium McWrap is something I would make at home. I tried the Sweet Chili Chicken McWrap, with the Grilled Chicken. As you can see from my photo (above), along with sliced cucumbers, there’s also some greens in the mix! Was it good, you ask? Yes! It was delicious! The sweet chili has just the right amount of sweetness to it. It’s very flavorful and filling. One Premium McWrap filled me up. But don’t take my word for it, McDonald’s want you to try out their Premium McWraps for yourself! 
• This GIVEAWAY is open to San Francisco Bay Area readers only, sorry to everyone else. If you live in the Bay area-please enter for your chance to win!

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Disclosure: I was provided “Be Our Guest” cards so I could try the new Premium McWraps & to facilitate this giveaway. No other compensation has been provided. All opinions are my own. I hope to bring you many more great meal options from McDonald’s in the future!

Golden Grain Hidden Veggie Pasta GIVEAWAY!

**Disclosure: I was provided with Golden Grain Hidden Veggie Pasta to facilitate this review and giveaway.**                   I don’t know about your kids, but mine really don’t like to eat veggies…especially the little one. He’ll eat fruit all day & night, but trying to get him to eat vegetables is another matter. That’s why I was so excited to try Golden Grain Hidden Veggie Pasta! There’s 1 serving of veggies per 4oz of pasta.

The pasta comes in four different varieties: Spaghetti, Thin Spaghetti, Small Penne & Twisted Elbows. Golden Grain’s Hidden Veggie line of pasta has the same great taste, texture and color that you’ve come to trust from Golden Grain. The pasta contains Carrots, Corn & Squash… Shhh, don’t tell the kids! I decided to use the Spaghetti noodles in my Chicken Noodle Soup, I was curious to see what the family would say. (I must add, that when I serve Chicken Noodle Soup to my little one, I only put chicken, noodles & broth in his bowl- no veggies! The Pic below is of my own personal bowl of soup, with veggies in it!)  Guess what? Mister “I don’t like veggies” ate the soup… noodles and all! Victory! Woo-Hoo! He had no idea his noodles contained veggies. I was grinning from ear to ear as he finished his meal. I will be buying Golden Grain Hidden Veggie Pasta from now on-hopefully one day he will like eating vegetables; but for now, I am thankful I found this pasta!

My “This Mama Can Cook!” FB page recently hit the 1,000 Likes mark, and I am pleased to say I have partnered with Golden Grain for a Giveaway… and it’s a good one! The winner will win a year’s Supply of Golden Grain Veggie Pasta… how awesome is that?! The Year supply of pasta consists of 24 coupons for 1 free package of Golden Grain Hidden Veggie up to $1.99 maximum retail value. Giveaway for U.S. only, 18 and above please.

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**Disclosure: I was provided with Golden Grain Hidden Veggie Pasta to facilitate this review and giveaway.**

California Wine Club Holiday Review & $50 GC Giveaway!

Happy Friday!  I’m back with another California Wine Club (www.cawineclub.com) review for you, and this time there’s a $50 California Wine Club gift certificate up for grabs! Woo-Hoo! Let’s get this party started, shall we?!

Just a friendly reminder to all, about the California Wine Club’s Premier Club.

“Our Premier Club is a great way to learn about wine and the California wine scene, perfect for the wine novice or aficionado. Just $49.95* per month includes shipping and handling. *Plus sales tax where applicable.

Exciting Wine Of The Month Club Deliveries Include:
Each wine club shipment includes two bottles of award-winning wine and our detailed and beautiful 12-page, full color publication, Uncorked.Uncorked offers an up-close and personal look at the family behind the wines plus tasting notes, recipes, wine luminary interviews, games and so much more.”

The Premier Club has proved very helpful for a novice like me. I am also learning a lot about wines by following California Wine Club on Twitter. I follow them on FB too.

 Now, the libations! First up, we have Daniel Gehrs, 2011 Chenin Blanc, from the White Hills Vineyard. This is a dry, white wine. It comes from Santa Barbara County. This wine has garnered bronze, silver and gold medals. Dan Gehrs, Founder & winemaker shares, “Aromas of plums, wild flowers and clover honey lead to a fruity palate of ripe Bartlett pear and melon flavors. The finish is crisp and zesty”. He also states that this Chenin Blanc can age for 5 years or more, even out-aging Chardonnay! This wine pairs well with spicy Asian dishes, seasoned chicken meals and mild white fish. Perfect for that oyster dinner you may be planning!

The second wine I want to share with you is also from Daniel Gehrs. This one is a 2009 Central Coast Merlot. With a silver medal, a gold medal, & a double gold medal, this Merlot is fierce! This one is ready to drink this holiday season or you can age it in the bottle for another three years or more. “Dustiness, tanned leather and earthiness add complexity to the lush signature black cherry fruit. Tannins are smooth, lending backbone and a long finish,” says Founder Dan Gehrs. Hints of cranberry & blueberry can also be picked up. This one goes well with Prime Rib!

Either one of these wines would make a fantastic Christmas gift this year. California Wine Club has many wines to choose from, for all the special people on your list. But hurry!
Shipping Alert!  Ground Shipping Deadline is December 12^th.  Any orders placed after Dec 12 incur expedited air charges for Christmas deliveries.

Now for the Giveaway! Open to US residents only, 21 years of age & older. (Sorry, cannot ship to Utah). You will receive a $50 GC, good on any California Wine Club item of your choice. GC will be shipped to you from CA Wine Club, not me. Thanks to CA Wine Club for this Giveaway!

  GIVEAWAY!

1. Tell me which wine you want to try. Leave a comment on this post, include your email address so I can contact you if you win.

2. Follow my Pinterest page and leave me a comment with your Pinterest name.

3. Follow CA Wine Club on Twitter & tell them I sent you.  Leave me a comment telling me you did.

4. Share this contest on FB, twitter, or Pinterest. Leave me a comment stating you did.

Good Luck! I will pick a winner on Dec. 14th, via a random number generator. Winner has 24 hrs to contact me or an alternate will be picked.

This review was made possible by Mom Spark Media. Thoughts are my own. I received a 2 month Membership to the California Wine Club for the purpose of this review.

NatureBox Review & Giveaway! {Yay!}

As I mentioned in a previous post, I recently went to the FoodBuzz Blogger’s Festival in San Francisco, CA. One of the great company’s I was introduced to was NatureBox. Nature Box delivers boxes of healthy treats to your door every month. Each box is only $19.95 & shipping is free. You can pause or cancel service at any time, and if you are not satisfied with your box, they’ll give you a refund. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain by eating healthier!

NatureBox helps you eat healthier without needing to change your eating habits. They focus on snacks because that’s the easiest habit to change. Do you know that the average American eats almost 25% of their calories from snacking? In fact, snacking is the leading cause of childhood obesity. NatureBox helps you get more out of your day without wasting calories on the bad stuff.

Each month, your box will include 15 to 20 servings across 4 to 6 different NatureBox snacks. NatureBox takes pride in picking the healthiest and most delicious snacks for you to enjoy. You can trust that their products will be made from the most wholesome ingredients and will be minimally processed, if at all. Everything you eat from them will abide by their strict quality standards. Every NatureBox item is carefully sourced and nutritionist approved. Everything inside your NatureBox will be guilt free so that you can feel great about what you’re eating.

One of the things I absolutely LOVE about NatureBox is that for every NatureBox sent out, they help to feed the hungry. NatureBox donates one meal for every box to feed the over 14 million children in America who go hungry. They believe in doing good and eating well… and so do I!

Here’s the box I received:This is what it contained:

Antioxidant Boost – combination of dark-skinned berries, raw nuts, and dark chocolate.

Sun-Dried California Apricots – full of fiber.

Cherry Berry Granola -lightly sweetened but super crunchy mix of dried cranberries, cherries, and whole grain oats with cinnamon and pecans.

Sticks ‘N Stones – almonds, sesame sticks, & cashews.

Blueberry Almond Bites – oven baked almonds, rice & dried blueberries.

I enjoyed snacking on my healthy NatureBox treats… and so did the rest of the family! I have a promo code you can use for 25% off your first month’s box! Use REFER25 when ordering.

NatureBox has been kind enough to provide a box of treats for me to give away! YAY! Your box will be different from mine, I had the October Box. You will receive one of their Discovery Boxes … the contents of which will be a total surprise!

This contest is open to US residents only, thank you.

GIVEAWAY

To enter this contest, do the following & then leave me a comment telling me you did.

1. Follow me on Pinterest here.

2. Follow me on Twitter here.

3. Follow NatureBox on Twitter here, and tell them @MommyPowers sent you!

Be sure to leave me a comment telling me which you have done. Contest ends November 21, 2012- I will announce a winner on 11/22/21012. Good Luck! Prize will be shipped to winner from NatureBox, not me. Thanks!

I was provided a NatureBox to sample in order to facilitate this review. I was not paid to write this. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Fried Chicken Recipe featuring Mazola Sobrecitos {Giveaway}!

We usually eat Pizza on Friday nights, but today I was craving Fried Chicken. I hardly ever make it, so when I do; the family goes bonkers! I try not to cook too many fried dishes, but every once in a while I like to break my own rules. I have several fried chicken recipes, but this one is real easy and uses very few ingredients. I like to keep things nice and simple in the kitchen, if at all possible. 

Fried Chicken

Approximately 1 quart Mazola® Corn Oil

2-1/2 to 3 pounds chicken pieces

1 C. buttermilk OR sour milk

1-1/3 C. all-purpose flour

1 packet Mazola Sobrecitas de Caldo (Chicken flavor Bouillon Packet)

Pour 3 to 4 inches of oil in a deep fryer, according to manufacturer’s directions, or large deep frying pan. Heat oil to 325°F.

Place chicken in a large shallow bowl. Pour buttermilk over chicken to coat. (To make sour milk, you can add 2 tsp cider vinegar to 1 C. milk)

Combine flour, and Mazola Sobrecitas de Caldo in a large resealable plastic bag. Place drained chicken pieces in bag with flour mixture; seal bag and shake to coat.

Carefully add chicken to the oil and cook for about 10 to 15 minutes per batch in deep fryer, turning once (2 batches total). For stove top skillet, fry 20 to 25 minutes, turning once, until fork tender and deep golden brown.

New Mazola® Sobrecitos® bouillon packets feature the goodness of all natural sea salt.
Did you know that sea salt is less processed than regular table salt?   I love being able to season my dishes with all natural sea salt. Mazola® Sobrecitos® bouillon packets make adding flavor to your meals easier because the bouillon dissolves completely and instantly, unlike bouillon cubes. They come in 2 flavors, Chicken and Tomato.

You can find tons of recipes on Mazola’s Spanish language FaceBook page www.facebook.com/MazolaEspanol I’m always on the lookout for new recipes! You can visit their website at http://www.mazola.com/spanish/inicio.aspx

My chicken came out really good… you know I had to taste it as soon as it was done! I had to hold myself back… I wanted more! Doesn’t it look delicious?!

GIVEAWAY:  (1) $25 Walmart Gift Card and a box of Mazola Sobrecitos

Open to US residents 18 and older. Winner will be chosen on Oct. 5, 2012 by random drawing. Winner will have 24 hrs to contact me, or a new winner will be picked.

1.  Mandatory Entry: Visit www.facebook.com/MazolaEspanol and come back here & leave a comment telling me what your favorite recipe is. Please leave your email addy in the comments, so I can contact you when you win!

2. Mandatory Entry: Follow Mommy Powers on twitter at @Mommypowers, then come back here and comment with your twitter name.

3. Extra Entry: Mazola Sobrecitos FB followers get a bonus entry! “LIKE” their page & then come back here & comment with the FB name you liked them with.

Good Luck!

This is part of a sponsored campaign with Latina Mom Bloggers and  Mazola® Sobrecitos®. However, all opinions expressed are my own.

Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil Review & Giveaway!!

Finally! After a few bumps in the road, I am finally doing my review & giveaway for Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil. Let me start out by saying I had been reading & hearing so much about coconut oil prior to reviewing the Tropical Traditions brand. I had even purchased another brand at a local grocery store. Having never used coconut oil before, I did not know if the one I had purchased was a good quality one or not… Until I received my samples from Tropical Traditions! The moment I unscrewed the lid and took a quick whiff, I could tell the difference. The one I had bought at the grocery store really did not smell like coconut at all, which had surprised me at the time. The Tropical Traditions brand does have a slight coconut aroma to it-it was very light and quite pleasant.

Virgin Coconut Oil, Gold Label – 1 pint

Since receiving my sample, I have cooked with it on numerous occasions. I no longer use vegetable oil to cook with, and have been using olive oil and my Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil when I cook. Like many moms out there, I want to prepare healthy meals for my family, with healthy ingredients.

So far, my family has enjoyed everything I have prepared for them using my Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil! That’s definitely a plus.

I’ve also used it for cosmetic purposes! Nothing like killing two birds with one stone!

Tropical Traditions is America’s source for coconut oil.
Their Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil is hand crafted in small batches by family producers, and it is the highest quality coconut oil they offer. You can read more about how virgin coconut oil is different from other coconut oils on their
website: Tropical Traditions.com

What is Virgin Coconut Oil? You can also watch the video they produced about Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil:

Tropical Traditions also carries
other varieties of affordable high quality coconut oil. Visit their website to check on current sales, to learn about the many uses of coconut oil, and to read about all the  advantages of buying coconut oil online.
Since the FDA does not want us to discuss the health benefits of coconut oil on a page where it is being sold or given away, here is the best website to read about the health benefits of coconut oil.

Tropical Traditions sells many more awesome, healthy products. I was amazed with the variety on their website, they have organic food, skincare, oral hygiene…even pet products!

 GIVEAWAY!!

Win 1 quart of  Gold Label

Now to the good stuff! I am pleased to announce that Tropical Traditions has been kind enough to supply me with a 1 Qt. jar of Tropical Traditions Gold Label Coconut Oil to give away to one lucky winner!!! YAY!!!

ATTN: Since this is a wordpress blog, I am not able to use Rafflecopter here…so I am going to post this giveaway on my Mommy Powers Blog! Please go there to Enter, good luck!