Mondays with Monica- Wasa Flatbread Review

So how was every one's Thanksgiving? Mine was great and the dinner came out fabulous thanks to the tasty recipes I used. Are we tired of leftovers yet? I have one more idea for you to use up any turkey you may have left. How about a healthier turkey sandwich using Wasa's new Flatbread, Thin & Crispy crackers. That's right the worlds largest producer of flatbread has introduced a new line of whole grain crackers in Original, Sesame and Rosemary. Made with all natural ingredients these healthy alternative to regular crackers make a great bread alternative as well. Spread some cream cheese, a little cranberry sauce and a strip of turkey and you got a healthy turkey sandwich.

When I received these new flatbreads I wasn't sure if I was going to enjoy them or not and actually the husband was the first to open a box and start munching away. Since he is a bit more pickier then I am I knew if he liked them that I would as well. We tried the Sesame ones first and they have a great flavor. Lately my little girl Penelope has been asking for cheese and crackers a lot so I tried these out on her. I spread some cream cheese and topped with some sliced cucumber and she loved them. They are low in fat and high in fiber so I feel good about giving them to her. Next we tried the Rosemary flavor. These were my favorite! They taste good plain but I also topped them with some grilled chicken  and balsamic tomatoes and it was delicious. The Original ones were light and crispy like the other two but a little plain on their own. I like peanut butter and jelly on crackers so I tried this on the Original flatbread and it worked! Basically you can pretty much top these thin & crispy flatbreads with anything your heart desires and have a healthy snack or meal. Check out Wasa online for some recipe ideas. You can purchase Wasa Flatbread, Thin & Crispy in stores nationwide for around $2.99

Until next time...

***Monica***

The featured product{s} in this post were provided to me free of charge by the manufacturer or pr company representing the company. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by anyone.

Bob’s Red Mill Organic Pancake & Waffle Whole Grain Mix Review & Giveaway

Most weekdays mornings our breakfast consists of organic cereals or fruits with toast and milk. Breakfast has to be quick and convenient during the week if we want to get out the door on time. On the weekend though, we can slow down and my husband or I can make our kids something they love, pancakes. Pancake mixes are usually not healthy, so I was happy when I was given the opportunity to try Bob’s Red Mill Organic Pancake & Waffle Whole Grain Mix.

I received a box of pancake mix to taste test and review. A box of Bob’s Red Mill Organic Pancake & Waffle Whole Grain Mix contains four packets of pancake mix. One packet made 3 breakfast meals for a family of five (plus scrambled eggs and bacon). That is 3 days worth of pancakes for my family. Each serving contains 5 grams of fiber, stone ground whole grain flour, stone ground oats, wheat germ, oat bran, wheat bran and flaxseed. Certified organic by QAI.

The first time I made the pancakes exactly like directed on the package. The mix was a little thin and the pancakes cooked thin too. My first taste test of the first pancake made from the mix was bland and had a bit of a grainy texture. I served the pancakes, with scrambled eggs from the local CSA and two strips of bacon.

At the table everyone added syrup (we prefer agave, but we were all out of agave). The overall opinion… They pancakes were okay, a little bland and thin. I like thin pancakes but these were too thin.

The second time I made pancakes from this healthy mix I used milk, instead of water, as suggested on the package for fluffier pancakes. The pancakes did thicken up some. This also improved the flavor. I served the pancakes with the same syrup as well as CSA eggs and pieces of uncured, but broiled CSA bacon. The overall opinion for this batch of pancakes was…much better.

The third time I made a batch of pancakes from this mix I used milk again, but then I also added a bit of cinnamon to the mix. Had I had blueberries I would have added that too. We love blueberry pancakes. The cinnamon was a nice touch. This time we had agave. Served with scrambled eggs again, but this time no bacon (all out of bacon). The overall opinion of this batch….much much better. It took a few batches to make, but I think we found the perfect way to make pancakes from this healthy and eco-friendly pancake mix.

The Giveaway: I was given a box of four pancake mix packets, two packets to try and two to giveaway. So I am giving one lucky winner the other 2 packets. If you would like a chance to win this planet-friendly prize visit the Bob’s Red Mill website to see what other healthy and eco-friendly food mixes they have. Then leave me a comment letting me know what you have tried or would like to try. You can get extra entries for following us through GFC or Subscribing via email. Make sure to let me know in the comments. Deadline: This giveaway will end on Dec 15, 2010. I will choose the winner using Random.org. US entries only. Please make sure your email is on your profile or leave it in your comment. If you win and I cannot contact you then the prize goes to the next person. Please respond within 48 hours.

Disclosure: I received these pancake mixes free from Bob’s Red Mill Organic Pancake & Waffle Whole Grain Mix. 

Super Quick Eco-frugal Tip

Carpool to your Thanksgiving gathering. Everybody chips in for gas.

Deal Alert!

I've got another Thanksgiving sale to share with all of you! Growing Treey Toys is offering 15% off  on your entire order. This offer is only good between Friday the 26th and Sunday the 28th. Just enter the discount code MBBTVL at checkout to receive some great savings. In addition to receving money off your order every 100th order placed on thier site will be FREE! That’s right, if you are lucky enough to win they will contact you and refund you for your entire order! Growing Tree Toys carries a variety of toys for all ages. Use thier Gift Finder to find the perfect Christmas gift for the kiddos in your life.

***Monica***

Deal Alert!

Ecomom wants to thank all their customers by offering a Thanksgiving Sale. You will get 33% off all items purchased by using the code 33OFF. This is valid from today through 11/29 so go check out the many items they have. They carry everything from organic and Eco friendly diapers to natural bath products for the whole family. You can also find toys and books that would make great Christmas gifts for little ones. Happy shopping!

***Monica***

Giveaway for L'Bri Cosmetics

 CLOSED

Winners:

#4

#8

#18

#58

Many of you already know how important skincare is to me, especially skincare that is eco-friendly and chemical-free. I am a huge promoter of natural products! L'Bri has a line of face and body care products that will work wonders for you. Whether your skin is sensitive, prone to breakouts & blemishes or is in need of some serious moisture L'Bri is there to serve you in improving your skin. L'Bri products are aloe-based rather than water-based and do not contain pore-clogging waxes or skin-drying alcohols.

Most people have skin problems because of the very products they use to correct those skin problems. Other products contain pollutants and chemicals that dry out skin or just hover over our skin instead of allowing nutrients to be absorbed. By choosing a natural line of products you will gently correct the problems you've been dealing with.

So let's chat about my skin. I'm a very fair woman but my T-zone is prone to dryness and my cheeks are prone to getting red (rosacea). I also have enlarged pores on my cheeks. I don't have breakouts for the most part but I can get uneven skintone. I began using the L'Bri system for improving those minor imperfections and I am blown away by the results.

The system is five steps: Cleanser, Masque or Peel or Exfoliator (you alternate these), Refreshener Spray, Eye Repair Gel and finally the Moisturizer. It sounds like a lot but honestly it is so quick and I especially love spraying my face with the Refreshener after cleaning and exfoliating my face. The moisturizer at the end leaves your skin visibly soft and non-greasy. I also love that the products smell fresh and clean.

L'Bri sent me their entire line of facial care products as well as some sample packets of lotions. My hands get so cracked and dry in the colder months and none of the over-the-counter junk works. In fact most of those products make it worse. I put some hand lotion on one evening after my poor hands started getting red and cracked from the cold air. The result was almost instantaneous for me. The redness calmed down and my skin just soaked up the moisturizing lotion but was not greasy in the least. I abhor greasy lotions.

As for my face? My pores are tighter thanks to the Eye Repair Gel (I apply that to my eye lashes, lids and cheeks to tighten the skin), my T-zone is not dry and no more red rash on my cheeks! These products are extraordinary and a must-have for every woman's cosmetic collection.

Pssssssst! One more thing. After using L'Bri for several weeks I decided to break out my Aveeno face wash and scrub to see what would happen. My skin felt so dry and crackly after using a supposed natural over-the-counter product and I was so disappointed I threw the Aveeno in the trash!

You can get FREE samples by clicking HERE! And you can view the online catalog as well!

WIN IT:

FOUR winners will be selected to each receive:

Facial Masque
Rejuvenating Facial Peel
Pure and Natural Body Wash
The Ultimate Hand and Body Lotion

To Enter:

MANDATORY:
You MUST do this entry FIRST or your entries will not count. ONE comment only.

Visit L'Bri and browse around. Come back here to leave me a comment about their product ingredients!


OPTIONAL EXTRAS:
For 1 extra entry per item below 
(please leave a NEW, separate comment for each one):
-If you follow Girly Girl Giveaways blog publicly, Google Friend Connect (right sidebar)
-If you follow @girlygiveaways on Twitter
-If you are a Girly Girl Giveaways fan on Facebook
-If you have my Girly Girl Giveaways button on your blog


OPEN to USA contestants !

It will end at 12/9/2010

A winner will be chosen at random and will have 48 hours to respond.

Please make sure you have a way for me to contact you (email in profile or in comments).

The opinions expressed in this review are based on my personal experience with the products described. I am an honest person and have provided an honest account of my findings. I received free skincare products for the purpose of reviewing it.

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Joy is a stay-at-home-mom to three daughters. She is the wife of a worship leader & youth pastor. She runs her own Etsy shop selling handmade, hand-stamped sterling jewelry. Joy has taken courses in journalism, play writing, poetry, was in Honors English throughout school and has had small publications made of her work (mostly poetry).