Get Your Kids To Eat Their Veggies With Country Crock

This post is sponsored by Country Crock. I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective, and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Do you have trouble getting your kids to eat their veggies? You are not alone. I am right there with you as a parent. My girls will only eat certain vegetables, and as a person that grew up on country living… I just shiver when my girls will not try something new. Thankfully, there is help for us. 8 out of 10 kids think veggies with Country Crock are delicious. You heard me right. Most kids love butter right? I mean, my girls will just eat butter straight from the container if I would let them.

This container has been a staple in our house for a long time. We go through about two containers a month. Craziness right? At least, we do use the lighter version of Country Crock. Country Crock has developed kid friendly veggie recipes. I just had to put one of the recipes to test. I selected the Bear Paws. As I was preparing in the kitchen, M walked in and said mom: “Why are you cooking those for?” I explained to her about creating fun veggie recipes. She replied: “No thanks mom!” I was hoping that she would change her mind once the recipe was finished.

Bear Paws Recipe

Ingredients:

3 medium sweet potatoes or yams, scrubbed clean and sliced lengthwise into 1/2-inch slices
3 Tbsp. Country Crock® Spread, melted
1 Tbsp. grated orange peel (optional)
A pinch grated nutmeg
30 whole cashews

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°.
1. Arrange sweet potatoes in one layer in a shallow baking dish. Drizzle Country Crock® Spread over sweet potatoes.
2. Sprinkle orange zest (if using) and nutmeg over sweet potatoes. Toss to coat.
3. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Remove from oven.
4. Place sweet potato slices on a serving tray or individual plates.
5. Insert three or four cashews into the end of each potato slices to resemble bear claws.

Have a nut allergy? Simply substitute golden raisins for the cashews.

BEFORE

AFTER

I held my breath (not really, but you get the idea) and called M into the kitchen. She started laughing at my bear paws so I figured this must be one step in the positive direction. I asked her to take a bite and are you ready? She ate the WHOLE paw. One happy mom here! So, that is the trick… make the veggies fun and with Country Crock butter. Your vegetables will go from blah to very awesome. I am a believer now indeed!

We can win you over too, I just know it. Come join in the fun on Twitter.com Tuesday night. The Country Crock Twitter party will take place on Tuesday, April 24th from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm CST/8:00 pm to 9:00 pm EST. You can get tips and more ideas on making veggies more fun for the entire family. There will be lots of awesome prizes too. RSVP here: A Very Veggie World Twitter Party

Are you looking for more quick and simple tips and recipes to make serving veggies more fun? Download the free Clare Crespo Cookbook here for fun and whimsical recipes your family is sure to love!

Let the veggie fun begin :)

Tags: , , ,

Enjoying Spring in the NC Mountains – Pictures

Living in the mountains, you just never know what the temperatures will be each day. We can go from 70s to the 30s in just 24 hours. We did have a very mild winter this year so the flowers were all confused and actually bloomed early this year. Here’s hoping a hard freeze will not damage the Spring beauty.

The sunsets in the Spring are just breathtaking too. My husband will call out my name most evenings and I will join him on our front porch to enjoy our beautiful sunsets. Now, this is the life!

What do you enjoy about the Spring season?

No tags for this post.

Chick-fil-A Hosts Girls Night Out – Charlotte NC

We have been fans of Chick-fil-A for a long time. It was just tonight that L was requesting chicken nuggets from Chick-fil-A instead of the spaghetti that was cooking on the stove. I think the girls would go every night if we would let them. I love that Chick-fil-A is very involved in the community and loves incorporating the entire family with their monthly events.

I just got word that 37 Chick-fil-A’s in the Charlotte, NC area and one in Wilkesboro, NC will be hosting a Girls Night Out!

During this special evening, moms and their daughters are encouraged to spend some time together while they enjoy dinner, great conversation and several special activities that focus on helping girls discover their inner beauty.

Seatings are available every hour, and reservations are required. The activities of the evening are free, minus the cost of food. Customers can visit www.chick-fil-agirlsnight.com to make a reservation.

Every mother-daughter pair will also receive an activity sheet with questions and topics to get the conversation started and a take-home “secret box” for moms and daughters to continue the conversation at home with special notes of encouragement or appreciation for each other.

“Culture today emphasizes what a person looks like more than who they are on the inside,” said Valerie Watkins, marketing director for the Chick-fil-A at Mayfaire. “We hope our Girls’ Night Out will reinforce the importance of inner beauty in girls of all ages and want it to be an encouraging and uplifting evening for everyone.”

In addition, every mother-daughter pair will receive a free dessert entrée with the purchase of
a meal. Chick-fil-A introduced a Chocolate Chunk Cookie, a newly improved Fudge Brownie and a variety of new sundaes at its restaurants nationwide. Chick-fil-A’s seasonal Banana Pudding Milkshake also returned to menu boards on April 2. I can’t wait for my girls to try out the cookies. I heard that they keep the cookies warm all day long. M has already tried the new brownie and said “Mommy, the brownies are so much better. I did not like the nuts on the old brownies.”

Lots of fun happenings going on with Chick-fil-A. Make sure to check your local one in your area for all the up-to-date family events they hold each month. You will not be disappointed.

Tags: , ,

Nice discount code at Great Wolf Lodge

Looking for a fun mini vacation to take with the family? Start packing now and head on over to Great Wolf Lodge. We have been fans for a few years now.

The entire family enjoys our stays each and every time we are able to visit.

Now is the time to book your stay in order to save money. Families can save 20% off their best rates available when book three or more nights. Use the promo code: EARLY. You will need to book by May 4, 2012 for visits anytime between May 28 – September 2, 2012. The savings do not stop there. Great Wolf Lodge is offering a discount on food. You have to feed the family to refuel their energy right? Save up to 30% off lunch by using the promo code: LUNCHTOGO. The code is valid from now till August 18, 2012.

What are you waiting for? Book your stay so you can have a howlin’ good time!

Tags: , ,

Do kids really need toys?

We have finally kicked the evil virus out the door. We are in hopes the virus will never visit us again because it will not be welcome in this household. The girls were on Spring Break last week and as you may remember, I had big plans for them. Unfortunately, since I got hit the worst with the virus, those plans never made it to fruition. By Friday, I was feeling really down about the girls Spring Break being ruined. Do you know, the girls never complained one time?

As I was finally getting back on my feet on Friday, I went outside to take a peek at the girls. Hubby took the girls outside for the day to get them out of the house and spend daddy and daughter time. I kept hearing giggles and joyous voices so I had to go see what all the fun was about. As I made my way outside, I was greeted with such a wonderful sight.

The girls were having a blast with sticks, rocks and water. Who knew? M exclaimed: “This is the best day, mommy.” There were no electronics involved or any high price toys. We were talking about only the basics — rocks and sticks.

It brought back memories from my childhood. My brother and I would spend hours and hours outside playing in the dirt. We didn’t have a lot of money growing up so we made do with the best we could. I don’t recall any bad memories growing up or wanting more money. I only recall having a wonderful childhood. At times, I feel like as a society we are way too ahead of ourselves. Kids think they have to have technology in order to have fun. We need to get back to the basics and show kids that they can have a blast with natural resources. Hubby and I vow to get outside more this Spring and Summer with the girls. We want to enjoy our surroundings and leave technology in the dust for awhile.

Do you think America needs to get back to the basics?

No tags for this post.

Disneynature’s CHIMPANZEE Free Children’s Activity Book

It is pretty sad when my girls M and L are up on the new Disney movie news before me right? L came home a couple weeks ago all excited about the new Disney movie CHIMPANZEE. As many know, L is our little activist. Let me rephrase that —- she is a big activist in a little person’s body. She cares about our world and animals so much. So, it is with great cheers that I let you know Disneynature’s CHIMPANZEE will hit theaters everywhere on April 20th.

Disneynature takes moviegoers deep into the forests of Africa with “Chimpanzee,” a new True-Life Adventure introducing an adorable young chimp named Oscar and his entertaining approach to life in a remarkable story of family bonds and individual triumph. Oscar’s playful curiosity and zest for discovery showcase the intelligence and ingenuity of some of the most extraordinary personalities in the animal kingdom. Working together, Oscar’s chimpanzee family—including his mom, Isha, and the group’s savvy leader, Freddy — navigates the complex territory of the forest.

Check out this cute little clip of Oscar!

To get your kids excited and feel involved with this new movie, Disney has released a FREE children’s activity book.

My girls are on Spring Break this week and are actually enjoying this activity book as we speak. Disney has even went further to create an educator’s guide perfect for teachers educators and parents who homeschool their children. Download FREE here.

Enjoy. I know where we will be on April 20!

Tags: , , ,

Spring Break Starts Like This?

I have been counting down the days till the girls are on Spring Break. For one, I love having them home with me, and two, we all love to sleep in. No waking up at 6:30 for 7 whole days. This will be sweet. Unfortunately, that is not how our Spring Break started. How about waking up every hour on the hour? Yes, my precious M either got hit with a mean stomach virus or her body had a sugar overload from Easter activities. I am not sure which, but her little body was drained. She started at 9:30 last night and I would get her cleaned up, sheets washed and finally get back in bed for an hour… only to have to start all over again. I was getting worried but by 9:30 this morning, we were seeing light at the end of the tunnel. She slept till 11:30 and then was asleep by 7:30 tonight

We did manage a few activities today. I knew we needed to get out of this house and get the windows up. Hubby was already cleaning hard while I was making sure to get in all my work hours in today.

Our sweet little Kingston received an over-due haircut.

Afterwards, we made our way to the town park. The girls did different activities such as play in the sand, stand on the balance beam, swing and etc. while I did a rapid 2 mile walk.

It was just enough time to get the girls out in the beautiful weather while mommy could get in some much needed exercise. I have a feeling we will be making daily trips to the park this week.

Hubby has a daddy/daughter breakfast planned for them. I have a few crafts lined up. We have a movie date planned. If the weather can continue to be nice, I would love to do a picnic outside with them. We can include some softball and frisbee fun in the mix. Hopefully the rest of their Spring Break will be enjoyable and one they will remember for a long time.

How was your Spring Break?

No tags for this post.

Maleficent To Hit Theatres on March 14, 2014

We have great news. Disney just released to us that Maleficent will hit theatres in 2014! Can you guess who will be playing the starring role? Angelina Jolie will be in the title role as Disney’s ultimate villain.

We will finally figure out what led Maleficient to curse Princess Aurora in Disney’s animated classic Sleeping Beauty. Leading a team of visionary filmmakers known for creating and transporting audiences to new and exciting worlds, Academy Award®-winning production designer Robert Stromberg (Avatar, Disney’s Alice in Wonderland and Oz The Great and Powerful) will direct with a script by Linda Woolverton (Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, and Alice in Wonderland). Maleficent is produced by Joe Roth (Disney’s Alice in Wonderland and Oz The Great and Powerful).

I will keep you posted as I get more details. For now, save the date — March 14, 2014.

Tags: ,

What are your Easter traditions?

The Easter weekend is finally upon us. We could not be happier to begin celebrating. He is RISEN! As mentioned yesterday in this post, we love doing fun family crafts together on Easter weekends. I always want to make sure the girls know why we celebrate Easter. Also, it is always so much fun to add in other sweet Easter activities.

The Saturday before Easter, we always have an extended family Easter cook-out along with a huge egg hunt.

My aunt comes up with old-fashioned games such as the sack race, egg toss and you should see everyone’s faces filled with delight.

I look forward to this tradition every year. It is a time where family comes together and enjoys everyone’s company.

We all relax and get in our PJ’s. It is time to gather around the table and dye Easter eggs. This is usually a tradition of just the four of us. It is sweet memories with our girls.

The girls get all tucked into their beds and excitedly wake the next morning to see what the Easter Bunny left during his bunny hop down the trails.

We usually do not go overboard with the Easter baskets. Just enough fun little goodies for the girls. This year, we are excited to add Hershey’s to the baskets. I was able to meet them at the Blissdom conference in February. They were so nice to let us create our very own unique baskets. They arrived on our door step a couple of weeks later. So, this year we are getting to celebrate with Hershey’s. Check out their Easter site for fun crafts, coloring pages, recipes and puzzles.

We head to Easter Sunday service. I love seeing us all dress up in our new Spring dress apparel. We always grab a picture.

This year, we are doing something new. We are attending sunrise service for the first time with our sweet girls. How awesome it will be to share in this special moment as a family. The girls will also sing during Easter service. We will finish off Sunday morning with a big Easter egg hunt with our church family.

As you can see, we have a fun-filled weekend. We relax as a family on Sunday evening and thanking HIM for our many blessings.

What are your Easter traditions?

No tags for this post.

Celebrate Easter With These Christian Easter Crafts

Growing up, my parents celebrated with us all the wonderful holidays throughout the year. We had so much fun but they always made sure we knew why the holiday existed. I want to do the same with my girls. We had a conversation this week on the way to school on what Easter is really all about. It warmed my heart so much to hear the girls say “Mom, He is Risen.”

I thought it would be fun to do a blog post to showcase some wonderful christian Easter craft ideas. Take time to enjoy Easter with your little ones. They will always treasure these memories.

1. Easter Cross Craft

2. Jesus is Risen!

3. Easter Paperball Cross Egg

4. Easter Craft Story

5. Printable Resurrection Set

I wish all of my wonderful readers a wonderful Easter weekend. God bless you!

Related Posts with Thumbnails Tags: , ,