Cascadian Farms product review and giveaway!

The kind folks at Cascadian Farms sent me a whole bunch of their products to review for the blog through My Blog Spark late last week.  Check out the goods!

The package contained two boxes of cereal (Fruitful O’s and Cinnamon Crunch), two boxes of granola (dark chocolate almond and oats and honey) and two packages of granola bars (Fiber Right dark chocolate almond and Chocolate Chip).  Normally I don’t turn product reviews around so quickly, but we’ve already tried four of these products we were so excited to get them!

The first thing I sampled was the Cinnamon Crunch cereal.  I had this for breakfast Saturday and Sunday mornings and have been digging handfuls out of the box (shameful, I know) here and there.  It’s so good! 

On Sunday, before my run, Tim and I both snacked on a chocolate chip chewy granola bar.  We both liked these quite a bit as well (though we both had the genius idea to put a little peanut butter on top to bulk it up a little—amazing!).  They are chocolate chip, yes, but not too sweet, and somewhat coconutty, which I love.

I also tried a sprinkle of the dark chocolate almond granola in my yogurt both days.  This is good, but I think I generally prefer fruity/nutty granola to chocolate in yogurt! 

 

We also played around with our bread maker on Sunday.  Tim saw a recipe for “Granola Bread” and we used the oats and honey in it!  I haven’t tried it yet, but I tried a little bit of the granola out of the box and it was a really awesome basic granola that I think would go well in yogurt or plain with milk.  Nom.   

I like these products because there’s no high fructose corn syrup to be found, the calorie counts are reasonable, and, well, they taste good! 

Cascadian Farms is generously providing a Fit Bride reader with the opportunity to get their very own box of delicious goodies!  To enter, you can do any or all of the following:

1. Leave a comment on this post about what Cascadian Farms product you’d most like to try and why.
2. Tweet about the giveaway, including a link, and then come back here and leave a comment saying that you tweeted.
3. Blog about the giveaway, and come back here and leave a link to your post in the comments.

Giveaway closes at midnight CST on Monday, May 10, 2010.  I will pick a winner on Tuesday, May 11.

Enjoy!

Progresso Soup Giveaway!

Yesterday’s lunch was most delicious.  Since it’s freezing, I’ve been into soup for lunch.  It’s incredibly filling and warms me right up!  When Progresso offered to send me some soup and a mug and a jump rope for free to review, I jumped at the chance.  And man, did they ever come through!

Thatsa lotta soup.  I will be nomming them all, except for the ones Tim gets to first, and the Manhattan Clam Chowder, which would send me into anaphylactic shock.

For lunch yesterday I had the Reduced Sodium Chicken Noodle.  It was quite good, and not devoid of flavor like many reduced sodium soups I’ve tried.  The veggies were nice and flavorful and there were big noodles and pieces of chicken.

Tim took the Chicken Barley in his lunch.  Never before have I seen him take soup in his lunch, so this was quite exciting.  He’s a sandwich guy.  Here is what he said about it:  “Good not great.  The vegetables were super mushy, which was not so good.  Taste was good, not too salty.  Overall, I’d give it a B.”

Note: Tim is the harshest reviewer I’ve ever met (he is brutal on Netflix), so if Tim gives something a B I would definitely give it a try.

Progresso is currently running the Progresso “Souper You” contest for one person to win a trip for two to New York City for a makeover!  For more info, head over to their website.  You’ll have to write a 200 word essay and submit a picture to be entered.

Even if you don’t want to enter, you can go there just to download a coupon for $1 off Progresso soups.  (A soup-on?)  Whee for soup!

Additionally, I can give away one Progresso gift pack containing two cans of soup, a fancy soup mug, and a jump rope to one Fit Bride reader. (Note: I don’t recommend jumping rope after eating soup.  Jump, then eat.  It’s very sloshy the other way around.)

THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED.

To enter:

1. Leave a comment on this post about your favorite kind of soup.
2. Tweet about the giveaway, including a link (http://wp.me/pCOfh-pB) @thefitbride.
3. Blog about the giveaway and come leave a comment linking to the post.

Annnnd…go!

And the RoadID winners are…

Sadlebred, who writes:

I’d put “Shut up and ride.”
Quit yapping and just ride your bike!

and

Sarah, who would put:

This is a great giveaway! I’d probably put:

“Impossible=I’m Possible”

I think of that whenever I feel like I just absolutely can’t make it one more rep or like something just won’t ever work out the way I want it to.

Congratulations!  Check your e-mail for details!

Chobani Giveaway!

So, you all know I love yogurt.  A lot.  I recently got addicted to Chobani Greek yogurt when I found it at Costco for half the price of any brand of Greek yogurt in regular stores.  I love Greek yogurt because it is basically a protein bomb–it’s so much more filling than regular yogurt and has a nice thick consistency. 

The folks at Chobani were kind enough sent me a pack of their yogurt to try the flavors I can’t get at Costco!  (If you’re wondering how they ship yogurt cross country, like I was, never fear.  It came in a styrofoam cooler with lots of cold packs and was still chilly when I got it!)  I took lots of pretty pictures of the rainbow of yogurt they sent me, but unfortunately they’re on my computer that’s being repaired right now.   So, here’s what’s left:

I’ve eaten 5/9 of it already…and I predict the rest of it will be demolished this week!

 The cooler came stocked with the following flavors:

• Pineapple
• Pomegranate
• Strawberry
• Blueberry
• Peach
• Honey
• Vanilla
• 0% Plain
• 2% Plain

Naturally, the first one I tore into was the Pineapple.  I’ve already tried the strawberry, blueberry, and peach, and pineapple is seriously my favorite fruit ever.  I was way excited for this one and it didn’t disappoint!  Nice chunks of pineapple, and this flavor is 2% rather than 0% so the extra fat makes it nice and creamy.

The next day I tried Pomegranate.  Also delicious–I’d never had anything pom-flavored before.  The arils were nice and crunchy which was different.  I’ve had the Strawberry before and it’s also awesome.

There was an unexpected star to this package, though, that took me completely by surprise–the Vanilla!  I love vanilla yogurt, but usually it’s a wee bit fakey tasting or overly sweet.  This vanilla was thick and creamy and tasted like French Vanilla ice cream.  The open, finished container sitting on my desk was kind of like a room fragrancer–I didn’t want to throw it away!  (And yes, yogurt containers smell funky, usually, which is why I found this so weird yet awesome.)

Since I’ve heard so much about using Greek yogurt as a substitute for sour cream, but I don’t like sour cream, I made Tim try a dollop of 2% Plain on his chili earlier this week.  He gave it an emphatic thumbs up!  According to him, it tastes just like sour cream and could detect no difference.

The folks at Chobani were awesome enonugh to offer one Fit Bride reader their very own case of Chobani yogurt!  You have up to three entries.  Here’s how:

1. Head over to Chobani’s website and leave a comment on this post about which Chobani flavor you’d most like to try and why.
2. Tweet about the giveaway, including a link to this post, then come leave a second comment about your tweet.
3. Blog about the giveaway, come back, and leave a link to the blog post in the comments.

The contest will go through Friday at noon.  You must be a U.S. resident to win!

Happy entering!

Oikos Yogurt Giveaway!

As you all know, yogurt is one of my favorite foods.  I would guess that I eat yogurt five or six days a week.  It is my oatmeal.  I don’t eat it for breakfast, but one of the healthy substitutions I made early on in my weight loss was to switch out “fake” healthy foods like 100 Calorie Packs with a cup of yogurt, usually accompanying some kind of sandwich for lunch.

As time went by and I learned more and more about nutrition, I shunned my beloved Yoplait once I realized it was full of HFCS and other slightly scary ingredients.  Eventually, I fell in love with the high protein content and lack of scary ingredients in Greek yogurt!  It is still my yogurt of choice, though cost can be an issue.

The folks at Oikos yogurt were kind enough to send me some coupons so that I could try their products and give some away to you, too!  Oikos is a part of the Stonyfield Farms family of products.  I really respect their outlook on food–they strive to promote health and nutrition and to keep the planet healthy, as well!

I first tried finding Oikos at my usual grocery store of choice, Super Target.  I wanted to sample a couple of flavors.  Unfortunately, they only had one–vanilla!  So, I went by the nearby Hy-Vee the next day and found Strawberry and Blueberry as well.  I wanted to find the plain, but no luck.  Plain Greek yogurt is supposed to be a great substitute for sour cream.  They also have a honey flavor that sounds delicious but I could not find.

First, I sampled the Vanilla.  Greek yogurt differs from regular yogurt, taste-wise, in two basic ways (as far as I can tell): it’s thicker, and it’s a little bit more sour tasting than mainstream yogurts.  However, it’s also wonderfully creamy and delicious.  I tried a bite of the vanilla plain and it was very good–the vanilla flavor was very light but definitely present.  Then I made one of my usual yogurt bowls:

Strawberries, Oikos vanilla, and granola.  It was great mixed with these, too.  I could still taste the vanilla but it wasn’t overwhelming.

I’ve had the blueberry and strawberry in the past, but it’s been awhile.  So, I have the strawberry in my lunch today and will bring the blueberry tomorrow and update you as the week goes along!

All in all, I give Oikos two thumbs up for taste and nutrition.  The only thing that holds me back from being a regular Oikos purchaser is cost–the individual cups are about $2/serving (on sale!), which is a wee bit too much for my pocketbook given that I eat yogurt pretty much every day.  I will keep an eye out in the future for sales and stock up then, though!

While I was at the store, I also purchased a cup of Stonyfield Farms plain yogurt.  I’ve heard that plain yogurt is great for dogs and cats in small amounts to help keep the bacteria in their stomach healthy.  I’m a firm believer in proper nutrition for our furrier friends, too!  So, I gave some to Milhouse in a Kong as a treat.

Two paws up!  He was a HUGE fan.  Dogs shouldn’t get much–no more than a tablespoon or two at a time because they can have trouble digesting dairy–but a little bit on a regular basis keeps the healthy bacteria in their stomach functioning and happy!  You should also make sure to use plain yogurt and not flavored.

Oikos was generous enough to give me enough coupons to share with Fit Bride readers.  So, this week’s giveaway will be free yogurt coupons of your very own! Again, like last week you have three chances to win:

1. Leave a comment on this post about your favorite yogurt concoction.
2. Tweet about the giveaway and then come here and post a comment here saying that you tweeted.
3. Blog about the giveaway and then come here and post a comment about it.

This contest will again run through Saturday, December 5th, at noon. Comments left on the Knottie Files feed will not be counted, so click through to my blog!

Thankful Tee Giveaway!

Since it’s Thanksgiving week, I wanted to do something to show my readers how thankful I am for all of you!  Your comments lift my spirits when I’m down and make me laugh, and they are always on my mind when I’m racing or pushing myself at the gym.  So, it’s time for my first-ever giveaway!

I am absolutely in love with the products at Cake by Inkbox Design.  They are bridal without being annoying, ugly, or covered in fake rhinestones and glitter like most wedding-related t-shirts I’ve seen.

I’m seriously considering asking Milhouse if he wants a “Doggie of the Bride” tee…and more seriously considering ordering the Miss Bride tee for myself!  How cute would it be with jeans and boots at a bachelorette party?

So, I contacted the company to see if they’d be willing to work with me on a giveaway!  They gladly obliged.

And so, one lucky Fit Bride reader will be the recipient of one Miss Bride t-shirt and 20% off the rest of your order! Here’s how to enter.  You can enter up to three times!

1. Leave a comment on this post about what you’re thankful for this year.
2. Follow me on Twitter, tweet about the giveaway, and then come comment again saying, “I tweeted about your giveaway!”
3. Mention the giveaway on your blog, and leave a comment here again with the link!

Knot feed readers, please click through to my blog here and leave a comment on my webpage!  Comments left on the Knottie Files feed will not be entered into the giveaway.

I will leave this open from right now (Monday at 8 a.m. CST) through this Saturday, November 28 at 1 p.m. CST.  At that point, I’ll randomly pick a number and announce and contact the winner.  Happy entering!