The holidays are quickly approaching and I’ll be featuring a lot of great products for the whole family over the next few weeks that make great gifts.  Today, I’m very excited to share with you one of the most incredible products and moms, this one’s for YOU!

As you all know I went to New York the end of September to learn about and try out some amazing products by EuroPro.  Let me tell you, they have moms figured out!

I have had a ton of fun preparing a variety of meals, dips and more using my Ninja Master Prep.  But I have to say that one of the things I love most about it is that it’s a gift that moms don’t have to feel guilty asking for.  Why? Because it costs less than $50!!

This machine is truly all it’s cracked up to be and has been an invaluable tool for me since it arrived.  From smoothies and guacamole to perfect scrambled eggs and chopped veggies. I have recommended the Ninja Master Prep to every mom I know and now I’m recommending it to you!

Here’s some details:

• The Ninja Master Prep uses Ninja™ technology to mince, dice, chop, blend, and puree evenly without turning food into mush.
• Ninja technology cuts precisely and evenly
• Both the large 48 oz. pitcher and 2-cup bowl make it easy to switch from food prep to drink making in seconds
• High-torque motor offers uniform cutting and ice crushing action while splash guards keep the prep area clean
• Both the pitcher and bowl are designed to use the same powerful motor which is interchangeable to save space
• Ergonomic operation with one touch pulsing creates an easy-to-use and safe product
• Features dishwasher safe parts
• Contains custom-fit storage lids for both the pitcher and bowl
• Available nationwide at select retailers and on www.NinjaKitchen.com.
• Suggested retail price: $49.99
• Find us on Twitter at @NinjaKitchen and be sure to fan our Ninja Kitchen Facebook page.

I love that they’ve been really careful to create a product that is not only family friendly for surviving tons of use, but they have also been careful about what was used to create the Ninja Master Prep.  Although I have used this tool for much much more than just blended drinks, I have to admit that the blending ice ability of it is definitely what initially intrigued me.

I have always struggled with the fact that my blenders would never make a smooth drink and got tired of always having to babysit the machine to have it crank out anything even resembling a smoothie…and even then there were still chunks.  So I’m very thrilled that this machine lives up to it’s claims.  Just be sure not to overfill it and it’ll always do it’s job!

So ladies, you now have my top pick for your Christmas wish list!  Trust me, if this product can live up to it’s claims even for a family of 8, you’re sure to love it!

Disclosure: I received a Ninja Master Prep to try for myself and provide this review.  All of my reviews are honest and forthright and I will absolutely not claim to love a product that I do not. You can read my full disclosure policy here.

I may be alone here, but anytime my husband is left to try and put together a meal for the family (which isn’t often -usually only when I’m gone or sick) all I end up hearing is how empty the pantry is.  But when I go look I declare it a mystery because unless we’re overdo for a shopping trip, I can see all my usual staples in there.

Granted, cooking for our family of 8 is a little more of an undertaking than many families have to deal with, and hubby will usually beeline for the nearest pizza or hamburger place LOL.  What I consider a staple for our pantry is confusing to him and I totally understand that.  It isn’t filled with the convenience foods that most people are used to seeing.  No blue macaroni and cheese boxes, no boxes that claim to help you make a meal quickly, not even the roni foods that I love.

To make mac and cheese around here, you have to cook up a bag of noodles in one pan and make a cheese sauce in the other.  Surprisingly though, once you know what ingredients go into it, making it this way takes less time than when making it from a box.  During the school year, you aren’t likely to find a box of cereal around here, you’ll need to dig around for the gallon size zippered bag filled with homemade granola…that took the same amount of time to make as oatmeal which is the other staple breakfast food here.

You should probably know right now that the only reason that boxed foods aren’t in our house is because they are typically more expensive than making it from scratch.  Yes, I should probably be stating that they are not as healthy, etc, but the real reason is expense.

So what I consider staples may not be the norm and I might need to make a list of what to do with the mysterious cans and packages that do live on our shelves so that next time hubby has to make a meal, the pantry doesn’t look as empty to him.

I can whip up a crazy good dinner with a few simple ingredients.  One of my timeless favorites has no name, but uses a number of what I consider staples…I’ll put the recipe at the bottom of this post for you.  In the meantime I thought I’d make a list of just a few of my pantry staples.

• Cream of Mushroom Soup
• Boxed Onion soup (this actually makes things shockingly quick to make – especially roast, stroganoff and meatloaf if you buy the beefy Onion soup it’s even better)
• Dry ranch mix packages – these are great for flavoring meals, especially chicken
• Dry noodles – pick your favorites, organic and whole grain are best, but not everyone carries them – I keep primarily egg noodles and either macaroni or another bigger noodle on hand.
• Dry Italian Dressing mix – another simple way to flavor a meal
• Potatoes

Ok, so this is obviously not everything I keep in my pantry, but these items are so very versatile that if they were the only things I had on hand I could still whip up a great meal!

Here’s the recipe for the dinner I made last night…we’ll call it Mushroomy Ranch Chicken and Italian Potato Wedges

For the Chicken

4-6 Chicken breasts (depending on the size of your family – use what you will eat)
1 Package Ranch Dressing Mix
1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 Cup Milk

For the Potatoes

10 (or so) Red Potatoes (around here they’re fairly small)
Garlic Salt
Italian Seasoning

Directions:

Heat oven to 400 degrees (F).  Place Chicken in cooking dish.  In a separate bowl mix together Ranch Mix, Soup and Milk.  When blended, pour over chicken.  Cube Red potatoes (about 1 inch or so) and place in a separate small dish that has been greased.  Sprinkle garlic salt and italian seasoning over the top.  Place both dishes into the oven and cook for one hour.

It is so simple but so good!  Enjoy!

Kix® has long been one of my favorite cereals for my kids!  It’s one of those that I started feeding my little ones as soon as they were old enough to grab it and stick it in their mouths.  Simple and yummy I could count on it not adding too much sugar to their diet while being fun for them to eat.

Even now as they are older it is still one of the healthier cereals that I know I can count on my boys eating.  So, when I found out that they have just come out with Honey Kix (and had an opportunity to share it with all of you), I was thrilled to try it out.  It definitely does not disappoint!

Honey Kix is a good source of fiber, calcium and vitamin D, contains 16 grams of whole grain per serving (at least 48 grams recommended daily) and has no artificial flavors or preservatives. A perfect balance of taste and nutrition through simple ingredients, which both moms and kids can agree on!

Want to give it a try for yourself? Well, you’re in luck! One commenter will receive a VERY fun Honey Kix prize pack that includes a coupon for a box of cereal, a honey jar, a cereal bowl, a container to take your cereal and milk on-the-go (which is very fun!), and a great container to keep cereal fresh at home. Whew!

To enter, just leave a comment telling me what you do to get each morning off to a good start! If you’d like extra entries…no problem! Here’s a variety of ways, but you must leave a new comment for each one!

• Tweet It: Just tweet this giveaway with a link to this post and make sure your comment has your twitter handle in it.
• Blog It: Write a post about this giveaway (with a link to this post of course) on your own blog, make sure your comment has a link to your post.
• Stumble It, Kirtsy It, Digg It, Submit to Mommy Blips: Submit this giveaway to any of these sites and earn an extra entry for each one…and make sure your comment has your Username.

This giveaway is open to US addresses only.  Entry deadline is August 5th.  It is void where prohibited, be sure to read my giveaway policies here.

Disclosure:  I always give honest and forthright reviews and will not present something that poses a conflict of interest &/or that I do not like.  I received the prize pack to review for myself from My Blog Spark on behalf of Honey Kix.  You can read my full disclosure policy here.

Looking for a very family friendly and fun dinner idea?  Try this one on for size, of course, if your family does not like nuts, you can use bread crumbs (look in the baking aisle, on the top shelf) instead.  It will be a bit less flavorful, but still fun.

Ingredients:

1 cup pecans, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon season salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 (6 ounce each) chicken breasts, cut in strips
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the pecans (or bread crumbs) in a shallow baking pan (or large plate with edges). Sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Place the butter into another shallow pan. Dip the chicken strips in the butter and then roll in the pecans. Be sure the chicken strips are completely covered. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil (or grease it instead). Place the coated chicken strips in a single layer on the prepared cookie sheet. Bake 25 minutes.

This is an especially great recipe for any cool summer night.  Also makes an amazing lunch idea!!!

Want more great recipes?  Be sure to subscribe to The Moms Review where you will find about 2 new recipes and one or two new parenting/family articles per week!

Well then, you’re in luck!  I have started offering some amazing articles and recipes over at The Moms Review!!!

You can find all the latest recipes HERE…and the best part is that I have at least 15 posting from now till the end of June.  Pretty much every category will be covered, from healthy foods to great desserts, breakfast, lunch, sides and snacks!  Right now you can get a great recipe for Whole Wheat Breakfast Scones and a marvelous Avocado Chicken Salad.

Be sure to subscribe to get all the latest articles, recipes, product reviews and giveaways delivered to you by email or in your favorite reader!

I mentioned articles, well, this month I’m focusing primarily on Gardening…organic, how to start one, gardening with kids and even how to create a sensory garden…fun, fun!  Obviously there’s no way I can fit all of that here, so be sure to check it all out and let me know what you think of all we have to offer over there .

Giveaway has ended and winner has been contacted!  Thank you all for entering and be sure to check out all the latest giveways (listed at the top of the left sidebar!).

Trying to switch your entire family over to organic and more natural products can seem like a huge undertaking at first!  I know, I’ve been there!  But each little choice you make is making a difference.  I’m happy to tell you though that choosing the right eggs is easy with Horizon!

I’ve talked before about their wonderful milk products that my sons love, so when they contacted me to see if I’d be willing to try out their eggs I was thrilled to say yes.  You see, our family goes through a lot of eggs.  At least 3 dozen eggs per week are consumed around here…about half of the breakfasts for the boys consist of eggs to some extent.

So, when my kids are consuming that much of one product why wouldn’t I look for the healthiest available?  The trick with going Organic on a frugal family budget is finding the best value while not compromising on health.  Sounds like an oxymoron, but really it’s possible.

That gets us to the facts!

Horizon Organic Eggs are Certified Organic to ensure that the hens, their feed, and the eggs never come into contact with added hormones, antibiotics, or pesticides. The hens are fed an organic vegetarian feed. Our eggs are produced on small family farms across the country when the hens are never confined to cages and they are provided with access to the outdoors.

I don’t know if organic eggs taste better because they are better or because we simply KNOW they’re better, but either way, it’s worth it to grab the best for my growing boys! I also have to admit that I love the fact that by purchasing Horizon Eggs, my family is supporting small family farms!

Horizon is offering on lucky commenter the opportunity to win a fabulous Eggcelent Chef Pack. This great pack includes coupons for free Horizon Organic Eggs, and some tools to help you cook them up.  To enter, simply visit Horizon’s website, then come back here and leave a comment telling me why you’d like to start buying Organic eggs (or if you already do, tell us what you think).

Be sure to take a peek at my giveaway policies and while you’re there read up on all the ways you can get extra entries!  The quickest ones are to stumble the post and to tweet about it.  This giveaway is open to US addresses only, will end May 20th and is void where prohibited.

We eat a lot of spaghetti around here.  Pasta in general is pretty standard fare, but all the boys love spaghetti!   So, we’ve tried a lot of sauces and Ragu is definitely one of my favorites!

You see, for many years I made my own sauce, but sometimes it’s just one too many things to do, so I always keep jars of spaghetti sauce on hand.  We’ve tried many different brands and I really do prefer Ragu, so when Mom Central asked if we’d be willing to try out their two latest flavors – Sweet Tomato Basil and Margherita – we were thrilled.  My kids LOVE reviewing food LOL!

These two flavors do not disappoint.  Rich in flavor and very tasty.  Make sure you check out Ragu’s website for some really great recipes and ideas using these sauces!  Your family will love it!

Have you been following the Olive Garden Culinary workshop they’ve been hosting over at 5 Minutes for Mom this month?

I have on and off, but when I hopped over there today I saw a beautiful dessert…Panna Cotta , which apparently is a silky custard that is served chilled with a sauce – chocolate or berry – and yes, I obviously stole the picture but come on people, it’s just so pretty (and the girls don’t mind that I did – just ask them, they’ll tell you)!   Just go get the recipe already (click on the Panna Cotta link)…

I’m admitting here and now that the Olive Garden is actually one of my very favorite restaurants!  We used to eat there all the time.  There is one about a half hour away, but with the number of children we have and their ages, eating out isn’t a big option for us right now.

My very favorite food there (like I can choose just one thing LOL) is either the soup, salad and breadsticks at lunchtime (they have a new soup that I would LOVE to try) or Fettuccini Alfredo (hubby gets the Seafood version).

But, seeing all the fun recipes and ideas during this workshop is amazing!  Seriously if you haven’t looked, check out yesterday’s post!  Don’t forget to enter to win $100 gift card to Olive Garden while you’re there.

I don’t often have an opportunity to review food, but this was definitely fun!  Keeping my 13 year old from eating all of them was definitely a challenge, but in a good way.

Patricia “Sister” Shubert has always loved to cook and the idea of starting her company began at her church’s 3rd Frozen Food Fair where her rolls were so popular she couldn’t take all the orders people wanted to place.  Her business began in her home…or more precisely on her sun porch!  After a year, she setup a commercial bakery and the rest is history.

You can buy her great products on her website and at various stores through the US.

Although you can purchase Sister Shubert’s delicious products through the site, you can also get some really great recipes.  Be sure to check out the Ham and Artichoke Bruchetta for a very yummy Easter dish!

I adore the fact that all her products are fresh and there are NEVER any additives or preservatives.  In a world filled with them, I like this much healthier option!  Never fear though, when you order her products are shipped quickly and in special packaging to ensure that they arrive totally fresh!

They are holding a couple of amazing contests at their site and I really encourage you to check them out…

• The first is called “On a Roll”, where you can win four top-of-the-line Frigidaire appliances for submitting the best recipe incorporating SS rolls.
• The other is for submitting your best “Quality Time” story you share with your family. That prize is a gift basket with goodies, valued at $45.

Sister Shubert’s is also very generously offering a gift basket (valued at $45) for my readers!!! Their custom hand-painted basket comes complete with two pans of rolls and your choice of one of the following: Sister Schubert’s own Cranberry Nut Bread; Fly-Off-the-Plate Pancake Mix with Blackberry Patch Syrup; or Cinnamon Pecan Coffee Cake Mix with Blackberry Patch Fruit Butter. This basket also includes Mook’s Cheese Straws, 2 packs of Red Diamond Estate coffee and a hand-decorated, seasonal cookie.

To enter, please visit their website and take a look around!  Once you are done, come back here and share a favorite (or traditional) Easter dish with us (just the name is fine, you don’t have to leave the whole recipe).  Remember, there are always many ways to get extra entries, just go to THIS PAGE to read my giveaways policies and how to get those extra entries!

This giveaway will end April 9th, is open to US addresses and is void where prohibited!

I love it when a restaurant comes out with a great new menu selection that’s healthy and delicious!  So when I heard about Long John Silver’s new Freshside Grille menu I was delighted to see that it totally fits the bill.

They offer three Freshside Grille Smart Choice meals and all of them are under 350 calories and look absolutely amazing!  Choose from Grilled Tilapia, Shrimp Scampi and Grilled Pacific Salmon.  All of them look so yummy, but the Grilled Pacific Salmon is my favorite!

Each dish comes with beautifully seasoned seafood served on savory rice with steamed veggies. If you’re really hungry though, you can upgrade to a Premium Platter to add on corn on the cob and a fresh breadstick.  For those of you who are trying to be careful about what you eat, this is definitely a great menu to try!

Be sure to check out the website for locations and more information on the menu!  It’s always fun to try something new .