>U Mom Knows Best: April 2014

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Broccoli Salad




I created a wonderful recipe for broccoli salad. If you love the broccoli salad at Sweet Tomatoes, you are going to love mine too. I was inspired to make this salad from a coupon booklet that I received in the mail from Smith's. I made some changes to their recipe as theirs called for bacon and red onion, two ingredients I don't like. My version is meat free so it will please your vegetarian friends. This salad can be eaten as a meal as the sunflower seeds add protein to it along with the cheese.

Broccoli Salad
5-6 cups chopped broccoli florets( about 1 pound )
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/2 cup golden raisins or dried cranberries
Dressing
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt

Combine all salad ingredients. Mix thoroughly and refrigerate. Meanwhile combine all dressing ingredients together until sugar is completely dissolved. Toss dressing and salad together and refrigerate for at least 1 one before serving. Makes 6 servings.







Monday, April 28, 2014

Ozeri WeightMaster II A Scale That Lets You Know When You Have Gained Weight


I have tried a lot of scales and I think this is my favorite one so far. The Ozeri WeightMaster II is a scale that tells it like it is, it tells you the truth in a good way when you lose weight or in a harsh way when you have gained weight. This scale will light up green when you have lost weight and red when you have gained weight, no more having to remember your last weight. I love that this scale also shows you body fat percentages and holds readings for up to 8 different people with auto-recognition technology. This cool feature allows you to enter in the height and weight of 8 unique users and recognizes that user when they step on the scale. When I recieved the scale, I only put in my info. My husband went to weigh himself and it did not read his body fat, just mine. So I entered in his height and he step on the scale, thus the scale will recognize him by his weight and not mine. The next time my husband stepped on the it gave him a fat reading. My 14 year old then had everyone else in the house step on the scale after he put in their height. 


Here is some other cool features about this scale. The Ozeri WeightMaster II instantly displays your BMI ( body mass index), current weight, and your net weight change since you last weigh in. The LCD light makes the numbers easy to read and reads up to 440 pounds. The scale is very stylish and features a Microban antimicrobial product protection that disrupts the growth of stain and odor-causing bacteria keeping your scale free of germs. The non-slip scratch-resistant feet won't damage your floor.



The red and green light feature will help me to be able to lose those last 5 pounds as it is hard for me to deny a red light that alerts me to weight gain. I will rejoice when I see a green light on the scale.  My 6 year old cracks me up when he steps on the scale after his smaller 7 year brother does. He always says" yes!" when he sees that he weighs 5 pounds more. Twenty years from now, I don't think he will be rejoicing at weight gain.

You can purchase this Ozeri WeightMaster scale at Amazon.

 Tell me, would you like this scale in your bathroom? What is your favorite feature of the scale?

"These opinions are my own and I was sent the above mentioned product to try out and write about."




New Mexico Pinon Coffee 101


I had a great opportunity the other day to attend a Coffee 101 class at a place that sells the best coffee. New Mexico Pinon coffee is a local owned coffee roaster in Albuquerque, New Mexico. New Mexico Pinon coffee sells a unique great tasting coffee made with pinon nuts, a edible pine nut that comes from the pinon trees of New Mexico mountain forests. The pinon nut adds a wonderful taste to the coffee, once you try it you will be in love with this coffee. I send the New Mexico Pinon coffee to all my relatives for Christmas and it is their most favorite gift.


Coffee 101 is described as "The Ultimate Coffee Tasting Experience" and was a fun 2 hour class that includes:
Cupping (The practice of experiencing the tastes & aromas of brewed coffee.)
Roasting (You’ll learn the different roasting terms and get to participate in actual coffee roasting.)
Fun Facts about coffee and its history
A 25% discount towards any purchase at their retail store the day of your class.
A FREE gift with your seminar attendance. (Hint-the gift involves coffee)


The coffee 101 class is held at the place where they roast and produce their wonderful coffee. It is a  small class for 12 people, so everyone will get their questions asked. The class starts out in a room with coffee beans to look at on the table. Then you will be able to see the coffee beans getting roasted. The class will conclude with coffee tasting and learning about where coffee comes from. 


 The first two are raw coffee beans and the others are coffee beans that have been roasted at different stages.


 This is the coffee roaster that they heat up to 400 degrees to roast the coffee beans. The beans are roasted and when done they are stirred around to be cooled down.



These are some of the big bins filled with coffee beans that have been roasted. These coffee beans will be hand packaged to be sold.



New Mexico Pinon coffee is sold in New Mexico as well as in stores like Costco, World Market, Amazon, and online at http://nmpinoncoffee.com/  They sell their wonderful Pinon coffee along with many other wonderful flavors like chocolate and vanilla to name a few. They even made a bacon flavor coffee for a local Bacon Fest event.

To order this wonderful coffee, click on the below link:

Visit their Facebook page every Tuesday for their Tag-Me-Tuesday contest to win a bag of coffee and be sure to tell them Mom Knows Best sent you.

Now for the best part! You too can attend New Mexico Pinon's coffee 101 to learn about coffee and take home a wonderful gift. The classes are held in Albuquerque at their factory and retail shop, located on 4431 Anaheim Avenue Northeast. They have classes on Saturdays, twice a month at 10 AM. To get more information and to register go to

"These opinions are my own and I was not compensated in any way to write this post. I wrote the post to share this wonderful class opportunity with my friends"


Friday, April 25, 2014

Purex Crystals Dryer Sheets Gives Your Clothes Freshness For Weeks And a Giveaway


As a Mom Knows Best Reader, you have probably guessed that I am a Purex product lover. I have used Purex products for a long time as not only do they cost less but give great scent and cleaning to my laundry. Purex has amazed me once again with a new product. Purex Crystals dryer sheets are a new addition to the Purex family. These amazing dryer sheets will give your laundry 30 days of long lasting freshness. The dryer sheets smell like wonderful spring flowers. 

I love that Purex Crystals dryer sheets will reduce static cling and repel pet hair and lint. Purex Crystals dryer sheets don't just leave your laundry soft and fresh smelling, they can also keep your whole house smelling fresh. Use the sheets in hampers, linen closets, dressers, and anywhere else that you want a fresh scent.


I love the way the box of dryer sheets opens to dispense the sheets. 


Take a deep breath & experience the freshness of Purex Crystals dryer sheets. You can find this wonderful product at Walmart and other retailers like Target. For more information about Purex products visit

To celebrate the release of new Purex Crystals dryer sheets, the Purex brand will be hosting a sweepstakes. One grand prize winner will receive $500 and a years supply of Purex Crystals dryer sheets while 50 2nd place winners will receive a coupon for a free box of Purex Crystals dryer sheets. To enter this wonderful sweepstakes click on the below link.

I am also hosting a giveaway for 2 coupons for free Purex Crystals dryer sheets. Just enter on the Rafflecopter form below and good luck!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

"These opinions are my own and I was sent the above mentioned product from Purex to host this giveaway."

Thursday, April 24, 2014

$285 Ritual Tea Mother's Day Giveaway


This is a great giveaway that I am helping to promote with other bloggers. The prize is so awesome so make sure you come back May 1st to enter.

In celebration of Mario Zeley's newest book, he has put together this wonderful prize package giveaway just in time for Mother's Day! In his new book, Ritual Tea: How the 9 Secrets of Tea Can Transform Your Life, author Mario Zeleny, lifelong tea lover and personal coach, extracts the magic of tea from its history, uses, and benefits but also from its power to change the world. He brings the secrets of tea into modern light, and makes them accessible for contemporary lifestyles. Mario also has two websites, Sancti Spirius and Art Spellz that are dedicated to helping the whole person.

Ritual-Tea.jpg

  Sancti Spirius offers articles, inspiration and coaching for creating the life you choose. We believe you are the artist of your life and The 7 Shortcuts to Life Transformation is the foundation to creating change. One of those 7 shortcuts is art. We offer life changing art classes at our community, Art Spellz. We host monthly giveaways and feature huge seasonal care package giveaways about 3-4 times per year. Sancti Spiritus is about giving and changing the world through creativity in all its forms. Art Spellz offers art classes geared toward personal growth. Art changes the maker and the viewer, but when harnessed intentionally for personal growth we can achieve awesome life transformations. At Art Spellz, everyone is an artist and every artist is a healer!

Ritual-Tea-Prize-Pack.jpg

Giveaway

One reader will receive a Ritual Tea Care Prize Package Including a $100 Visa Gift Card {$285}. See form for Entry Details. Open to U.S. residents. You must be 18 years old to enter to win. This giveaway ends at 11:59 PM EST on 5.15.14. Prize Pack Includes:
  • 8x10 Canvas gallery wrapped print with Art Work "Purple Beach" by Mario Zeleny- $60.00
  • Artisan Tea Blending Kit by Numi- $25.00
  • Spicy Vanilla Spa Bath Set and Basket- $30
  • $100 Visa Gift Card
  • Gift Certificate to an Art Spellz Class $60
  • Copy of Ritual Tea: How the 9 Secrets of Tea Can Transform Your Life by Mario Zeleny $9.99
Mom Knows Best is not responsible for shipment of prize. Companies and bloggers, if you would like to participate in group giveaway events like this one, sign up to be emailed about future events hosted by Review Wire Media. All entries will be verified. Only one entrant per mailing address per giveaway. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you will not be eligible to win it again. The winner will be chosen randomly through Giveaway Tools and contacted via email. A reply to the winning email is required within 48 hours before a new winner is chosen. One person entering per household please.

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Coobie Seamless Bras Are The Most Comfortable Bra Ever


I love when I get the opportunity to review something that I already love. I am not a bra person and if I had it my way, I would not wear one. My body says otherwise and my "girls" need support. I don't like regular bras as they are so uncomfortable and a pain to put on. When I discovered The Coobie Bra, I agreed with the company that these are the most comfortable bra ever. When I am wearing a Coobie bra, my "girls" have full support and ultra comfort. It feels like I am not wearing a bra. I have even slept with my Coobie bra on when I was too tired to take it off.

Let me start off telling you about these amazing bras that fit almost everybody. All Coobie bras are seamless, that means no clasps to struggle with, and are one size that comfortably fits 32A thur 36D. They even have a new full size for 38 thur 42D. Every Coobie bra comes with removable pads so you can wear them padded or without. I prefer my Coobie pad less as I don't want extra cleavage.  The black bra has the pads in them, while the pink one does not. The Coobies are made of a very soft, comfortable & stretchy custom blend of Spandex and Nylon (12%/88%).

The Coobie Store is so sure that you will love their bras that if for some reason you don't they will let you return the bra back to them for a full refund and they will pay for the shipping. I myself own 4 Coobie bras.


The Coobie bras come in many styles and so many colors that you will have a hard time choosing just one.  I have a promo code for you to solve that problem:
 Save $20 on 3+ with code:AR320
They also sell matching panties too!

I would show you pictures of people wearing the bras but this is a family blog. To see pictures of ladies wearing the bras and to buy one click on the below link.

Check out The Coobie Store on

"These opinions are my own and I was sent the above pictured product in hopes of a review on my blog. I would have reviewed this product without compensation as I love my Coobie."

Carlsbad Caverns Is a Must See Place In New Mexico


Last week my family and I went to a place called Carlsbad Caverns which is located in Carlsbad, New Mexico. It was about a 4 1/2 hour drive from Albuquerque but worth the long drive.  Carlsbad caverns are cool caves made out of limestone. There are two ways to enter the caves. The first is by an elevator ride and the 2nd, which we took, is a mile walk that goes down. The walk down goes by quickly as there is so much to see. My younger boys who are 6 and 7 years had no problem walking. 


Once in the caves, there is plenty of cool formations to look at. There are are more than 119 known caves - all formed when sulfuric acid dissolved the surrounding limestone. You can take a self guided tour that has railed pathways to view the rock formations or go on a guided tour to explore deeper into the caves. Some of the tours involve climbing and some require you to wear a helmet with a light on it. For more information on this cool place visit:


 My 7 year old son did a project at school about the caverns so he was excited to visit. Some of the facts my son wrote about was:
1.It is a famous bat colony
2.One of the worlds largest caves
3.Always a cool 56 degrees

The bats only come out of the caves at night time and when you are in the caves, you can not see any bats. When the bats do come out of the caves, it is an awesome show to see. The bats come out to search for food, a 20 minutes to 2 hour process. Then they go back in the cave to sleep until the next night. 

Enjoy the pictures and if you are ever in New Mexico be sure to check out the caverns. There are more pictures of the caverns at http://www.nps.gov/cave/index.htm









Monday, April 21, 2014

Upside-Down Lemon Meringue Pie That Is Gluten Free Too



I made this wonderful pie for Easter and everybody love it. I found this recipe in Martha Stewart's Living magazine and just knew I had to make it. I love the way the crust is made out of meringue, making it gluten free. The filling is simply a wonderful lemon mousse topped with whip cream. My guests were asking for seconds.

Upside-Down Lemon Meringue Pie

                                     crust

                                                               1 Tablespoon  unsalted butter, softened, for pie plate
                                                                  4 large egg whites, room temperature
                                                                  1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
                                                                  1 cup sugar
                      
                                                                   FILLING

                                                                8 large egg yolks, room temperature
                                                                1 cup sugar
                                                                 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
                                                                 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice( about 2 lemons)
                                                                 1 cup heavy cream   
                                                                  
                                                                Topping

                                                                1 cup heavy cream
                                                                 1 tablespoon sugar
                                                                 1 tablespoon lemon zest 
                                                                 
                                                                
                                                               STEP 1
Crust: Preheat oven to 300 degrees with rack in center. Lightly brush a 9-inch pie plate with butter. Whisk together egg whites and 1 tablespoon cold water with a mixer on high speed until foamy, about 30 seconds. Add cream of tartar and continue to beat until soft peaks form, about 1 minute. Gradually add sugar and beat until thick, glossy peaks form, about 5 minutes.

STEP 2
Transfer egg-white mixture to prepared pie plate; spread along bottom and up sides to form crust. (Don't spread past rim of pan.) Bake meringue until crisp and light golden on outside, about 40 minutes. Turn off heat and let cool in oven 1 hour, then transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

STEP 3
Filling: Meanwhile, whisk egg yolks in a medium saucepan (off heat) until thickened and pale yellow, 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in sugar and lemon zest and juice. Place over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until mixture is very thick, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto surface of curd. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.

STEP 4
Whisk curd until smooth. Whip cream with a mixer on high speed until soft peaks form, about 30 seconds. Working in batches, gently fold whipped cream into curd. Fill meringue crust with lightened curd; smooth top. 

STEP 5
Topping: Whip cream and sugar with a mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 40 seconds. Spread over pie. Finely grate lemon zest over top.  Slice with a chef's knife, wiping blade between cuts.


I recommend serving the pie right away for best results on a good crust. If you want to prepare this pie ahead, I would not add the filling to the crust until up to an hour before serving time and whip the cream no more than 30 minutes before serving. This pie has a lot of steps but is worth the effort.



Here is the link to the original recipe: http://www.marthastewart.com/1064311/upside-down-lemon-meringue-pie


                                                            
      





Lemon Bars From A Cookie Mix





    I love taking recipes and making them different. My son wanted me to make him some lemon bars for Easter. I found a great recipe for them online but realized I wanted to make the crust different. I have about 25 packages of cookie mix in my stockpile that I got on clearance from Christmas, so I thought why not make the lemon crust bar out of a sugar cookie mix. My son was hesitant to let me do that but I told him it would taste great. I was right. The sugar cookie mix made a wonderful crust for the lemon bars and it was so simple to make that I will be making lemon bars more often. This recipe is a great way to use a sugar cookie mix.

Sugar Cookie Mix Lemon Bars

For the crust
1 pouch (1 lb.1.5 oz) sugar cookie mix
1/2 cup butter,softened
1 egg

For the filling
6 large eggs 
2 1/2 cups  sugar
1 cup lemon juice
1 cup flour

Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9 by 13 pan

Stir cookie mix, butter, and egg in bowl until soft dough forms.  Press the cookie dough mix in the pan, going up the sides half way. Bake the crust for 15 to 20 minutes, until very lightly browned and let cool. Leave the oven on for the next step.
For the lemon layer, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon juice, and flour. Pour over the crust and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or about five minutes beyond the point where the filling is set. Let cool to room temperature. Cut into squares and dust with confectioners’ sugar















I Am Proof People Do Win Contests


I love entering contests and I really like when I win something. I used to only enter contests with low entries but I realized I needed to dream bigger so I enter contests that I liked the prize. Here is my most recent win, a Easter gift from Swiss Colony. This contest had 22030  entries in it and my name was selected. I won this awesome prize from http://www.greenvics.com/2014/04/TheSwissColonyEasterGiveaway.html. My family was thrilled to get this prize. The prize was a container of goodies, a ham and swiss cheese. So as I tell my family, you can't win unless you enter. So if I share a lot of contests on Facebook, it is because I want others to enjoy winning. 
Have you ever won a contest? What was the prize?




National Karaoke Week - April 20-26 With KIDZ BOP


I was asked to promote National Karaoke Week on behalf of Kidz Bop 25. All opinions are 100% my own and I was sent Kidz Bop 25 to help give an honest opinion of their latest album. I was sent a copy of the mentioned CD to write this.


It is National Karaoke Week this week and I have a great CD to tell you about. Kidz Bop 25 is music that kids love but the cool thing is parents love it too. The "Cups" song you know the one made famous by kids doing a song with cups is on this CD along with many other great songs.


About KIDZ BOP:

1.      KIDZ BOP is the #1 music brand for kids in the U.S., featuring songs sung by kids for kids
2.      KB 25 came out January 14, 2014              
a.      It has 16 songs on it…including roar, cups, safe and sound
3.      KB 25 commercial and music video, “Safe and Sound” was shot at Universal Studios Hollywood
a.      Link to music video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3N5gYH6moc
4.      KB recently launched its own channel on SiriusXM, KIDZ BOP Radio on Channel 77
5.      The KIDZ BOP Kids are all online/homeschooled
6.      A KIDZ BOP teacher travels with the KIDZ BOP Kids to make sure all schoolwork gets done
7.      The KIDZ BOP Kids’ “Dream Big, Sing Loud!” Tour will stop at over 40 cities across North America
8.      The KIDZ BOP Kids are currently recording for their next album, KIDZ BOP 26 that comes out in July



This cool Karaoke Machine  is available in Walmart on display for this month along with Kidz Bop 25. The Kidz Bop CDs are always available at major retails stores.


TrueLipids To The Rescue For Cracked, Dry Skin And A Giveaway


Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.



I have discovered a product that helps skin problems like dry, cracked, chapped, and itchy skin. This amazing product that worked for my dry skin problems, Cheryl Lee MD and is part  of a wonderful line of skin care products for many skin conditions. I love that TrueLipids is a natural product that is free of fragrance, Paraben, Peg, and Formaldehyde. TrueLipids products are also hypoallergenic and non-irritating.

TrueLipids has a patented line of skincare products designed to benefit eczema, itchy skin, dry skin, skin allergies, severely cracked hands, elbows & feet, diaper rash, cracked peeling lips, and minor cuts, scrapes, and burns. The idea behind the technology is to replace the lipids that are deficient in damaged skin to allow for the skin to repair itself. It also forms a barrier stopping the irritants, toxins, and allergens from getting in. The results thus far have been amazing! The company has been able to help people who have suffered for years to finally find relief! Their  product line consists of lotion, cream, ointment, hydrocortisone cream, lip balm, and boo boo & bum balm. 


I have heels on my feet that are dry and cracked and my youngest has hands that get so dry that they bleed.I have yet to find a product that works until now.  I was sent the TrueLipids Relieve & Protect ointment to use on our dry skin. I loved that the product was an ointment and has a natural anti-inflammatory extract from licorice root and provides a natural barrier to protect my skin from the irritants that caused my skin problems.


This is a picture of my heels that are so dry and cracked, my husband jokes that I can sand things with them. I put lotion on them every night and sometimes Vaseline  but that does not help. 


Here is a picture of my 6 year old son's hand and this is on a good day. Notice how it is bleeding from the dry skin. We have been putting Vaseline on them at night but they still get so dry. I am happy to have a natural alternative to put on his sensitive skin.


This is what the TrueLipids Relieve & Protect  ointment looks like before rubbing it into my sons skin.


The ointment is applied thickly before bed to the skin and for best results you put socks over the hands or feet.

I used the product for two nights and here are the after pictures of my heels and my sons hands. I am so happy to have the dry skin gone on my feet. My son is happy to not have bleeding dry skin anymore. I also notice that after using the TrueLipids on my sons hands that his hands stay soft all day unlike when we were using Vaseline his hands work be dry and bleeding again by the afternoon. My son looks at his hands and says "they are still smooth."





To purchase this amazing skin ointment click on the below link. Cheryl Lee MD has a 30-day money back guarantee so there is no risk in trying it, If it does not work, you can just send it back and they will refund your money.

Follow or like Cheryl Lee MD on:



Cheryl Lee MD has allowed me to host a giveaway where one of my readers will win 2 TrueLipids products of their choice (up to $100.) The awesome thing is that if you purchase the product and win my giveaway, the company will refund your money. Just enter on the form below and good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.
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