Molly's First Temple Trip

I just had to share how excited I am that Molly was able to go on her first Temple trip last Saturday!

She turned 12 in January. This was the first scheduled Temple trip that the youth of our Ward went on to the Detroit Temple. She was thrilled to be able to baptize those who have gone on before us. It was a fabulous experience for her and I'm really proud that she chose to go.

She is my third daughter to go on Temple trips with the youth. Brycen is turning 11 tomorrow, so one more year and I'll have 4 kids in YM/YW! Wow. When they all go on the same day, it will be a lot of baptisms that my family performs for others. Around 40 in one day. What a blessing.

Jillian didn't take her camera, so this photo was taken with her cell phone. I'm just glad we have a little something to document the special moment.

Try it Tuesday........Sobe Lifewater

With soooo many flavored water brands out there, it's hard to do one post comparing them all. Some have vitamins, some don't. Some are sweetened with Stevia and some are sweetened with Splenda. It's just too hard to compare, so I thought that I'd do a couple Try it Tuesdays in a row about flavored water.

I've already done a post about Crystal Light Immunity.

And also posts about Archer Farms Spring Water, as well as a review of O Water. I've even done a review of Sobe Lifewater in the past! But back then, it was not very tasty in my opinion. To me, the Orange Tangerine flavor tasted like medicine, Read my review here. They still have that flavor by the way, but I'm leery about trying it again.
It seems that now Sobe has MUCH better tasting vitamin enhanced flavors! And ZERO calories to boot! It's flavored with PureVia™, made from the extract of the stevia plant.

We were lucky to receive 2 of the Sobe Lifewater flavors as a sample while we were exiting our local minor league hockey game (Go Lumberjacks!). My girls and I snagged the Fuji Apple Pear flavor, while my husband and son received the Black and Blue Berry. Of course my better half gave his up to me. He is generous that way ;).
Thinking of my last experience trying Sobe Lifewater, I kind of dreaded what lay ahead. But after trying them both, I have to say, whoa baby! They were very tasty. I was pleasantly surprised. Both were flavorful with no after-taste that I could tell. I was worried the Fuji Apple Pear would taste like medicine or worse, but it was yummy. I could taste apple and a bit of pear. The Black and Blue Berry was the clear winner though. So delicious.

Later, while at my local (over-priced...why do I even bother??!) grocery store, I spied another flavor, Yumberry Pomegranate. Surprisingly, it was delicious too, but sticking with the Black and Blue Berry flavor as being the best tried so far. They have a zillion other flavors that you can check out here.
The 3 flavors that I sampled have a hint of color to them, but not enough to stain your clothing and furniture like Crystal Light would. They come in 20 oz. bottles (a lizardy design with cool grips) for $1.69 at the over-priced (see?) grocery store. I'm sure they are cheaper somewhere else.

Oh, and each flavor has certain "properties" for health. Example: the Yumberry Pomegranate has ginger and dandelion (yes, you read it right) for PURITY health. Whatever. I think those things are just a gimmick to get people to buy the product. It does have 100% vitamin C though, so even if they just promoted that, I would be willing to try it.

At our next hockey game.... this time it was a fun trip to see the Detroit Red Wings play (Wee! My first NHL hockey game and so much fun! I'll post about that later), we received Vitamin Water 10 samples. Uh oh. Calorie city. I never liked Vitamin Water and was worried about the calories and the icky taste. My hubby and I were both given the orange flavor. I guess the 10 means 10 calories (duh), so I was at least happy that I wasn't splurging too much. What can I say about this stuff? Eh. It's ok. Nuttin' special. I guess it's better than any other Vitamin Water flavor I've tried. I'd drink it again, but only if there wasn't something else around. It's not saying much, but hey, it's the truth. If you want more opinions on Vitamin Water 10, take a look at the BevNet.com website here. There are lots of reviews for Vitamin Water 10 (as well as other brands too) from people just like you and I.

See you next week for another flavored water review!

Try it Tuesday.....Emerald Cocoa Roast Almonds 100 Calorie Pack

Have I mentioned how much I loooove Target? I think I could live there quite happily. I'm always finding just what I need there and just what I love. They have so many things that are my style. From socks to shoes to snacks. Now that my local store has a grocery section, I can try lots of goodies.

Recently, I found Emerald Cocoa Roast Almonds. In a 100 calorie pack no less! When I saw that it said, dark chocolate, I was a bit skeptical. I'm not really into dark chocolate. I find it to be bitter. I took a chance and bought them anyway. It was in my favor this time because I really liked these almonds!

The chocolate is a dusting on the almonds. What I like about them is that there is no powdery residue that sticks to your fingers. It's not bitter at all either. It says dark chocolate, but it's actually just a light taste of cocoa. It reminds me of hot cocoa mix. Almost like they dipped the almond in it.

I love almonds. They are my favorite. I love chocolate dipped almonds, but hate the calories that comes with those babies. These Emerald Cocoa Roast almonds are a nice alternative. Actually, I was at a hockey game last weekend and the kids bought some big chocolate dipped almonds. I ate some, but quickly realized that I would have been just as happy eating these Cocoa Roast almonds. I think I'll keep a package or 2 in my purse or diaper bag. Because they come in 100 calorie packs, I will buy them often from now on. I totally love how they are only 2 WW points and very satisfying. Go try them and let me know what YOU think.


*Your Reviews Please*

I am in need of your reviews for the Scrubbing Bubbles Automatic Shower Cleaner system! I'm a Bzz Agent and they recently shipped me my own kit to use. We set it up and have been using it for a couple weeks now. I can't say I notice too much action from it though! I still see white soap scum on my shower door. I thought it was supposed to tackle that? And no, it wasn't there before. This is new scum since we started using the automatic cleaner. Hmmm. I'm not sure if I like this product. I really would like someone else's opinion that uses the Scrubbing Bubbles Automatic Shower Cleaner. Help!

Oh, and if you would like coupons to purchase your own system, let me know (email me at LDSLanie @ gmail dot com) and I will send one to you. I have a few $5 off coupons to be used by June 26, 2009. I believe you can buy the system for about $12-$15 at places like Wal-mart or Meijer.

Try it Tuesday....Hot Pockets Chicken Bruschetta Panini

Cooked white meat chicken, reduced fat mozzarella and tomatoes with sauce in a basil olive oil focaccia bread. Sound good? It surprisingly IS. I usually don't like Hot Pockets too much. I can take 'em or leave 'em, but this Bruschetta Chicken is yummo.

These panini's can be made in the microwave using the crisping sleeve, but it didn't work so well for me. I'm weird. I like my panini's to be crispy. Not hard, but it has to have just the right amount of crisp, so I baked it in the oven. I'm sure it's just as tasty heated in the micro, but like I said....I'm weird.

I'm not really sure how to describe the sauce in this panini. It's not a tomato based sauce. It's more of a white sauce I would say. It's delish. I only have 2 gripes about this panini and neither is all that big of a gripe. The first is that it could use WAY more tomatoes. There are only maybe 5-6 small pieces in the each panini triangle. Grr. I looove me some tomatoes, so this was a bit disappointing.

The 2nd gripe is that the nutritional values are only for ONE piece of the panini. Ouch. 220 calories, 7 grams of fat. I could easily eat 2 of these panini's, but spending 440 calories isn't in my best interest is it?

There are 2 other flavors in the panini line......Steak & Cheddar.....and Deli-Style Ham & Swiss. Both sound good to me. I'm starting to love swiss cheese more & more every day, so I might try that one next.

That's it for today, but be on the lookout for some recipes coming later on in the week :)

Quiznos FREEBIE!

Quiznos is giving away one million free subs!


Hurry on over! Get your coupon for a free Quiznos sub right here!

Mmmm toasty.

Try it Tuesday........Banana Nut Cheerios

Ooh la la. I'm a banana freak, so when I saw these new Cheerios, I had to get them. Sometimes I am disappointed when I try banana flavored things because, well, they are just plain disappointing! They don't taste anything like banana or they taste like fake banana. Not Cheerios! Yum!

The box says it has the great taste of REAL bananas. They do. Yep. Mmm. Look at the ingredients. It has banana puree. Not banana flavoring. Banana puree. Never mind that it says sugar, brown sugar syrup and corn syrup first. Eek. Ouch. But at least it has real banana puree! Ugh. We can't win 'em all people.

I can't say there is too much of the nut flavor. I really only taste banana, but that's ok with me. Ava likes them too, so I'll have to hide these ;).

At 100 calories for 3/4 cup, I can afford to eat them. Yum!

Check out the website, there is a coupon to save a little when you buy your first box. There is also some yummo looking recipes such as Chocolate-Banana Bread. Plus there are some banana fun facts --did you know that over 96% of American households purchase bananas at least once each month? Or that bananas don't actually grow on trees? They come from plants.

And there are some facts about fresh bananas-- Did you know that bananas have Vitamin B6. Vitamin B6 helps the body break down protein and carbohydrates. Cool beans. I mean bananas.

Now I need to ask for a little help. My nephew is coming back to Michigan with his AHL hockey team, the San Antonio Rampage. They will be playing our local AHL team, the Grand Rapids Griffins. Before or after the game, my family and I are feeding the entire team and coaches. I've been asked to prepare a dessert to feed them all. What the heck do I make? I refuse to buy anything because we were specifically asked to make a home-cooked meal. These poor boys have been on the road for over a month from what I understand. They will be dreaming of a hot cooked meal that isn't from Chili's or Applebees I would imagine.

I could use your ideas as to what to serve hungry men. I believe we are serving them roast beef for a main meal if that helps any. So any ideas out there??? Thanks in advance.

My Dirty Face Valentine

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

Try it Tuesday........Kashi Turkey Fiesta Pocket Bread

I've always loved Kashi products. So when I spied the pocket bread line, I had to try one. Truthfully, I've been eating pretty poor lately and it's high time I got back on the healthy eating wagon. I'm missing so many new products by grabbing the nearest junk food instead of something the fuel my body in a healthy way.

This is what the Kashi site says about the Turkey Fiesta 7 whole grain sesame pocket bread:

Turkey Fiesta captures the Southwestern palette with turkey;
fire roasted corn, red pepper strips, and red onion strips. The addition of black
beans and a southwest sauce with a hint of jalapeno is perfect for those who
love a meal with a kick.

When Kashi says, "hint of jalapeno", they mean it. I usually don't like things spicy. I'm a mild kind of girl, so this was just right in the spice dept. Don't get me wrong, it's plenty flavorful. But the jalapeno doesn't overpower any of the other ingredients.

I thought the pocket bread could have used a little more turkey, but the flavors were so good, that I think it didn't matter. I bet I could eat one of these sans turkey regardless.

As for the actual sesame pocket bread- one word says it all....YUM! It's a thick bread and to me, thick means I'll feel full longer. I didn't microwave it like the instructions say. I like a bit of a crunch to my sandwiches, so I popped it in the oven. It's a fat little sandwich that I'm excited to say, I loved. I could do without the onions though. Not that there were too many of them. I just don't care for onions, so if they were left out, I would have the perfect pocket bread. The corn, and red peppers were very flavorful and ditto for the black beans.

With 15 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber, this 5 pt pocket bread was fabulous. I will buy these ($2.96 at Wal-mart)for my lunch frequently. Shared with a big salad, it makes a great meal. Yes, there is 660mg of sodium, but I've seen worse.

Other flavors in the Kashi Pocket Bread line are- Veggie Medley, and Chicken Rustico.

Wally World only had the veggie and turkey ones, so I opted for one with meat. I'd like to try them all though. Hey, if you check out the website, you'll see they have reviews for their products. So now you can get other opinions about their food before trying them yourself.

Now for the bad news....Kashi has recalled some of their TLC™ Chewy Granola Bars and all Kashi™ TLC™ Chewy Cookies

This is due to the peanut butter recall recently announced. No illnesses have been reported, so no panicking please. I've recently eaten the cookies and I'm fine :) But to be safe, you might want to check this link and then toss your cookies. *snicker*

~Leanne~

Post for the Bertram clan

This post is especially for my own family to see, but anyone else is welcome along for the ride. This is my niece Erin singing at a school talent show (last year I believe, but this is the first I've seen of it). My nephew Colin is accompanying her on his guitar. Colin has been sick lately and now they are worried he might have thyroid cancer. We are waiting to hear more. Please say a few prayers if you wouldn't mind! He's too young. Only about 23. He is a firefighter in Marquette, MI.

Anyway, here is Erin singing her little heart out! Oh, you will have to put it on full-screen to see it since it cuts off half of her body. :(

Talk about some GOOD MAIL!

This is a rare gesture from my husband, so I'm soaking it up and letting it sink in. I know he means the things that are printed in this card and probably feels them every day. But to tell me in this way isn't something he usually does. And it's not even Valentine's Day yet! We don't really celebrate V-day anyway, so that makes this card all the more special.

He is in Boston on business and somehow, before he left, he hid this card for me to find.

Of course, I had to make a scrap page out of it right away.

Mercury in corn syrup?? Should we worry?

I received this in my inbox today from Ittybits. I'm wondering if this is just hype or should I really worry?

I've thought about giving Ava corn syrup for constipation. Luckily, I don't believe I ever did it. I thought I had, but didn't. Is the media going overboard? Meaning- would it take a large amount of corn syrup with mercury to actually do harm? I know other things have mercury in them, but they are legal to consume and aren't supposed to cause any risk. What do you think? Am I not being cautious enough? Or should I boycott anything with corn syrup in it?

February 3, 2009

Alert: Mercury in Corn Syrup

Today we'll be short and sweet (but with no corn syrup sweetener, of course!) Last Wednesday, the Washington Post published an article about a very recent study stating that nearly 50% of commercial high-fructose corn syrup samples contained Mercury. Mercury is toxic in all forms, and as a parent, this is a big concern because corn syrup seems to be in just about everything (just look at the ingredients in your bread or apple sauce - you may be surprised.) It has been central to the controversial debate linking childhood vaccines to autism, but who knew it was in our food, too? If you have a Whole Foods nearby, you are in luck, because they have committed to selling foods without this ingredient. If you don't, you may find yourselves reading labels a bit more closely than you have in the past. Thanks to one of our subscribers for alerting us to this information. You know who you are!
Link to the Washington Post Article.

Try It Tuesday.......LesserEvil Krinkle Sticks

Well, you know how I love the LesserEvil popcorn. I stumbled upon the Krinkle Sticks at Target. I was disappointed to only see one flavor- Classic SeaSalt. But what the heck. They sounded yummy.

Here is what the LesserEvil website says about the Krinkle Sticks:


* 75% less fat than regular potato chips
* 110 calories per serving
* baked, not fried
* all natural
* gluten free
* cholesterol free

If I remember right, they are 2 WW points per serving. Not bad at all.

The Krinkle Sticks come in these flavors:

-Classic SeaSalt
-Sourcream and Onion
-Oldschool Bar-B-Que
-Zesty Pizza

Truthfully, I wish Target had carried a different flavor for me to try instead of the Classic SeaSalt. What salt? I didn't taste a thing. They were crunchy all right, but not salty at all. With no salt, it wasn't very palatable. Just dry tasting. I could taste potato and they weren't bad, but it needed something. Finally, the kids and I dipped them in catsup and it was better. I'm sure salsa would work too.

I think they would be great in a tastier flavor. Otherwise, this review ends here. Not much else to say. They are crunchy, potato-ey and good, but missing an all-important ingredient. Heads up LesserEvil- you can't sell a flavor named, "Classic SeaSalt" and then not deliver. There must be a grain of salt somewhere!

Next week I plan to review either a candy or more flavored water. Maybe I'll even share a recipe or 2. Weeee!

P.S...Sorry I've been MIA lately. Lots of happenings and new interests are getting in the way. I plan to play catch up later. My camera is still broken and I have no idea how to fix it. Any photos have to be taken with Jillian's camera. And that thing eats batteries like it's in an all-you-can-eat buffet. I'll do better at updating my blog though.

National Geographic Website

Ever watched The National Geographic Channel? They have a lot of great programs. One of my favorites is DogTown, a show about rescued dogs. I expect to shed a couple tears whenever I watch, but I can't tug myself away from it.

The National Geographic Channel now has a website where you can watch segments/videos from you favorite shows including DogTown. I recently watched one where people were seriously afraid of clowns. Just watching it could make me afraid! I find them to be a bit creepy anyway. Don't watch if you might freak out a bit. There are a few scary ones in the segment.

Anyway, check out the website. It can be a great educational tool (except for the clown one!)

Get yummies CHEAP!

Head on over to The Popcorn Factory for some winter deals. There are 18 items to choose from.

I was able to snag this Gold Stars and Swirls Sampler, for $6.99, plus able to use this code, P67, to get $5.00 off! $1.99 for goodies is my kind of deal!

Shipping was $5.99,but with the code, I ended up with a total of $7.99. Not too shabby considering the regular price was $19.99 plus shipping before the sale.

The cheapest item they have is the Holiday Dots Sampler which is $5.99. It's the same as what I ordered above, accept that it has mint candies and spice drops compared to the chocolate and sour chews that I ordered. And it comes in a red container instead of the gold. We are chocolate people, so that made me want to pay an extra dollar.

Now go to the website, click on the left hand side where it says, "Winter Sale", use the discount code P67, and get some sweet treats for the fam. Don't waste time in ordering since I don't know how long this sale will last. You know you want treats, so get over there pronto.

PS...the chocolate chip cookies are super yummo!

Jillian and her posse

I haven't posted anything about my family lately, so I thought I'd post a little something about Jillian. As soon as I get my camera fixed, I can start documenting our family outings again!

Jillian went to the New Year's Eve party at our friend the Kempf's house. Most of the kids were from church, but there are a couple that I don't recognize in the photo below (Hello?? long hair guy??). Maybe they were friends of Cameron Laws from school. Cameron and his family came to visit from Mississippi for the holidays. Cameron is in the black and orange shirt.

Yes, there were other girls at this party besides Jillian. *sigh*

She is Guitar Hero queen at our house.

Peace on earth dudes.

This last photo was funny to me considering Jillian has been soooo afraid of anything dead on a wall. Now she is all grown up and seems to handle it well. hee hee. Now I just need to get her to inch closer to Chuck E Cheese instead of hiding under the table. ;)