What is Lactose Intolerance? {Giveaway}

May 11, 2013 By 9 Comments

I love cereal. I eat it every morning just about & whether it’s a healthy variety or something with a cartoon on the box, they all have one thing in common: milk! As someone who is lactose intolerant, I’m ridiculously grateful for products like LACTAID, that allow me to enjoy my favorite food without the problems I get when I drink traditional milk.

lactaid milks

I was recently invited to listen in on a briefing with The Motherhood, Registered Dietician Michelle Harrington & Melissa d’Arabian, the LACTAID brand spokesperson, mom of four girls, author of the best-selling cookbook Ten Dollar Dinners, celebrity chef & television host {and all around amazing woman}. She helped break down exactly why LACTAID is so important for those of us with lactose intolerance. Here’s just a little of the extensive amount of information I learned:

What is lactose?

Lactose is the major carbohydrate in milk and other dairy foods {including ice cream}. It consists of two sugars & must be broken down into those two sugars by the intestinal enzyme lactase before it can be absorbed by the body.

What is lactose intolerance?

Most people produce lactase, the enzyme that breaks down milk, naturally. The amount of lactase that your body produces determines how much lactose your body can break down. Everyone has different levels of lactose intolerance, and many people develop it later in life {I got it somewhere around my high school years}.

What is LACTAID?

Lactaid products provide the lactase that the body can’t produce enough of, which helps the body to break down lactose. LACTAID products are 100% real dairy, they just contain a natural yeast-derived enzyme {lactase}. LACTAID makes a full line of products including milks, cottage cheese, ice cream and even eggnog! It’s the nation’s #1 lactose-free dairy brand.

Lactaid

I love LACTAID because I can have as much as I want without having a stomachache later. It gets even better: LACTAID is calcium-enriched, so it contains about 500mg of calcium in each 8 oz glass- half your day’s requirement! I also like that the lactase enzyme that they add gives it a slightly sweeter taste. This isn’t noticeable when added to a recipe {I tested that out with the Cheesy Fiesta Tacos & I couldn’t detect it at all} but makes for a great addition to cereals, in smoothies, in coffee or on its own. However you like your milk, you’ll love LACTAID!

Buy It: LACTAID is likely available at your local grocery store- you can use the store locator to find any of their products near you.

Win It: One lucky reader will win a coupon to try it out for free! Just leave a comment below telling me why you want to win. Good luck!


Note: I was compensated for my work on this campaign. All opinions are my own.

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Free Del Taco Wednesdays in May!

May 8, 2013 By 24 Comments

I first discovered Del Taco when I was in high school.  My friends & I would often leave campus {don’t tell my teachers} & head down the street where we could get the most amazing chicken soft tacos for less than $1 each. The food was way better & way cheaper than anything in the cafeteria so the Del Taco runs became a pretty regular thing.

Del Taco Grilled Chicken Taco

In the years since then, those chicken soft tacos have changed their name to Grilled Chicken Tacos, but they still taste the same & are still insanely good. Del Taco is always adding new tastes to their menu, and they are still as inexpensive as when I was in high school- in fact, they now have even more for less!

Del Taco Buck & Under Menu

Del Taco’s new Buck & Under menu features a variety of tacos, burritos and drinks- totaling 11 items for 50¢, 75¢ and $1. This includes a Mini Cheddar, Mini Bacon Quesadilla and a Crunchy Chipotle Beef Taco, which are all new products, as well as classics like the Value Bean & Cheese Burrito, Jacked Up Value Bean, Rice & Cheese Burrito, Grilled Chicken Taco, ½-Pound Bean & Cheese Burrito, Double Beef Classic Taco, Strawberry Lemonade with real strawberry slices and Medium Size Brewed Iced Tea.

del taco free in may

&This month, you can get any item from the Buck & Under menu for FREE on Wednesdays! May 8th & 15th from 3-9pm, you can get an item off the Buck & Under menu free with any purchase- and on May 22nd & 29th from 3-9pm, you can get one for free with any purchase from the New Tastes menu, which includes a Bcon Ranch Grilled Chicken Taco, a Chili Cheese Fry Burrito and a Fiery 6 Layer Burrito. {Prices & participation may vary.}

With over 550 restaurants in 18 states, there’s likely to be a location near you! Check the restaurant locator for the Del Taco nearest you.

What food reminds you of high school?

Note: I will be receiving a Del Taco gift card for my work on this campaign. All opinions are my own.

Filed Under: deals, food, restaurants Tagged With: , , , , ,

Recipe: Seven Minute Pesto Pizza #FlatoutGood

May 1, 2013 By 13 Comments

We absolutely love pizza. I know pretty much everyone does, but really, it’s one of our favorite foods. It’s definitely not the healthiest food out there though, so we do what we can to improve it so that we can eat it more without feeling guilty. We add veggies, go light on the cheese or sauce, and even use Flatout Flatbreads to cut some calories while still enjoying a super crisp & yummy slice!

flatout

Not only do we save calories with Flatout, but we save time, too. To make a pizza with their Artisan Pizza flatbreads, you just preheat either your oven or grill, preheat your flatbread for a couple of minutes, add your toppings &then bake or grill for another few minutes. That’s it!

Flatout has several delicious recipes on their Facebook page- in fact, they’re sharing one every day for thirty days! The other day, I tried their Thin Crust Spicy Margarita Pizza {currently featured as Day 2’s recipe on Facebook} and it was delicious! Our grill is a little too hot so it got a bit crisp, but even so it was delicious.

Thin Crust Spicy Margarita Pizza

Thin Crust Spicy Margarita Pizza

Ingredients:
1 Flatout® Thin Crust Flatbread Spicy Italian
½ Medium Tomato Sliced
2 Tbsp. Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
6 Small fresh Basil leaves

Directions:
Preheat grill to 350°F. Pre-bake the flatbread on the grill for 1-2 minutes. Remove flatbread from grill. Top with cheese, tomato and basil. Return flatbread. Close lid. Grill for 4 minutes.

Oven Method: Place Flatout Flatbread on a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for two minutes. Remove and top with cheese, tomato and basil. Bake at 350 for four minutes. Remove from oven. Drizzle with Balsamic.

After I made that delicious pizza, I was feeling inspired to make my own. I love pesto pizza & that’s always my go-to when we go out for a slice, so I made the most ridiculously easy pesto pizza ever. It doesn’t look like much but it is SO yummy!

7 Minute Pesto Pizza

7 Minute Pesto Pizza


Ingredients:
Flatout Thin Crust Flatbread Rustic White
Premade Pesto Sauce
Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
Fresh Basil Leaves

Directions*:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Place flatbread on baking sheet and preheat in oven for 3 minutes.
Spoon and spread pesto sauce in a thin layer on flatbread
Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese as desired
Return to oven & bake for 3-4 minutes, until cheese is melted
Top with fresh basil leaves

*{These are the oven directions- My grill is too hot so I made this one in the oven. To recreate on the grill, follow directions on Flatout package.}

Buy It: If you’re in the mood for some yummy homemade pizza, be sure to head to your local Walmart where you can find many different Flatout varieties. {Check the store locator for availability.} &Be sure to check out their Facebook page for more recipe inspiration!

Win It: Flatout is giving away a two-night trip for 2 to experience Taste of Chicago 2013 from July 10-14! Enter using the form below. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

What do you like on your pizza?

Note: I was compensated for my work on this campaign. All opinions are my own.

Filed Under: food, recipes Tagged With: , , , , ,

Sweet Memories {Now Sugar Free}

April 30, 2013 By 7 Comments

I have a major sweet tooth. I don’t indulge in sweets every day or anything, but when I do they have to be the sweetest possible. Simple vanilla ice cream won’t do- it has to be sweet cream ice cream with chunks of candy in it. I like store bought cookies just fine, but prefer to make them homemade so that I can dump in extra chocolate chips. Because of my severe sweet tooth, I try to steer clear of desserts altogether, but I definitely indulge sometimes.

Werther's Original Sugar Free Caramels

I’m especially a huge sucker for caramel, because it reminds me of my Uncle Joe. When I was growing up & lived in Chicago, my uncle lived in my basement {I lived in a two-flat so there was actually an apartment in the basement}. He was diabetic, and as a result he had had his legs amputated and was blind so my Aunt {his sister, who lived in the middle apartment} took care of him. She babysat me most days while my parents worked, so the three of us {my aunt, uncle & I} spent a lot of time together. I’d sing for him, and even though he couldn’t see me I’d dance, too. &Occasionally, he’d let me have some of his candy- including Werther’s Original Caramels. In retrospect, he probably shouldn’t have been eating sugar, but at the time, it was just our little secret.

Werther's Original Sugar Free

Whenever I see Werther’s Originals, I think of him, even though he passed away on my sixth birthday. I even pick up a bag every now & then, but like I said- when I eat sweets I really eat sweets, so I tend to avoid buying them. So I was crazy excited when I found out that Werther’s now has a line of Sugar Free candies! At only 8 calories a piece & available in 4 flavors, I can finally indulge without feeling guilty.

Werther's Sugar Free Flavors

The Sugar Free Werther’s Originals come in Classic Caramel, Caramel Apple, Caramel Coffee & Caramel Cinnamon. I recruited Justin & Shane to help me taste test & they were all pretty awesome! Justin likes the coffee ones {he also typically reaches for coffee ice cream}, and while Shane first chose the Caramel Apple ones because they were his favorite color, he ended up preferring the Classic Caramel ones. I like all of them but side with Shane as the Classic Caramels are the sweetest & of course, they remind me of my Uncle.

Shane eating Werther's

The candies may be Sugar Free, but they don’t taste like it. There is no chemical aftertaste like many Sugar Free products have, and the second I tasted the Classic Caramel it immediately brought me back to being a little kid, sitting on my Uncle’s lap.

Now that I have found a candy that I can indulge with {since even if I eat 10 pieces in a sitting, it’s still just 80 calories}, I think I’m going to keep them in stock at our house. It’s the perfect small reward for Shane, and a quick trip down memory lane for me.

What food reminds you of your childhood?

Note: I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective, and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Filed Under: food, reviews Tagged With: , , ,

A Fun Family Date Night at Rubio’s!

April 10, 2013 By 46 Comments

One of our favorite things to do as a family is go out to eat. We don’t do it often & it’s typically reserved as a special treat, but we love spending the time with each other, having good conversation over good food. Justin & I have always loved going to restaurants together, but it’s become more of a challenge now that Shane’s involved because he’s such a picky eater.

Rubio's Fresh Mexican Grill

There are a few restaurants that Shane likes that we don’t, and while they serve Shane’s go-to {chicken, in any shape or cooking method possible} at some of our favorite restaurants, we typically go out on weekend nights & our favorite places take too long on those nights to keep a three year old entertained for long enough. So we love places like Rubio’s, where we can get our food fast, but stay as long as we want talking & just enjoying each other.

Chicken Burrito Especial at Rubio's

Rubio’s is famous for it’s fish tacos, which Justin has had and loves! He usually gets the Mahi-Mahi burrito but when we went last week, he switched it up & got the Chicken Burrito Especial. I absolutely loved it, but that was no surprise because whenever I go to Rubio’s, I get the 2 Chicken Tacos Plate.

Rubio's Chicken Tacos

I swear there are two tacos under that somewhere!

The plate comes with two chicken tacos on a flour or corn tortilla, topped with lettuce, tomato, cheese, avocado, and their special & totally amazing sauce. The meal also comes with chips and pinto beans for dipping & the chips are always really fresh & crispy!

Enjoying a Kid's Meal at Rubio's

Shane’s favorite meal is the Chicken Bites. I get him applesauce to go with it & they include a mini churro as the treat, which is really hard not to sneak from him! They have lots of other great kids options too, like a cheese quesadilla, bean & cheese burrito, chicken taquitos or a fish taco. For the sides, you can choose from applesauce, chips, beans or rice and you can get it with milk or a kid’s sized drink.

photo (4)

Rubio’s sources ingredients locally whenever possible, and they use sustainable seafood including the popular Grilled Shrimp Burrito, Gourmet Shrimp Taco & Salsa Verde Shrimp Taco. You can check out their full menu on their website.

Rubio's Patio

Whether you’re looking for a casual date night or a fun family dinner, be sure to check out your local Rubio’s!
Note: My meal was comped in exchange for this review. All opinions are my own.

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