A natural calorie-free sweetener? My coffee just got better for me!

I just received my sample of Truvia sweetener and I'm in LOVE.
I've gone through the pink stuff, the blue stuff, and thought I'd found bliss with the yellow stuff until I realized what was in it. Eventually I went back to old-fashioned raw sugar.

Now enter Truvia - the green stuff.
Truvia is made with rebiana, the best part of the stevia leaf. The stevia plant, a member of the chrysanthemum family, has been used for hundreds of years as a sweetener for food and beverages.
Truvia is made by taking the leaves of the stevia plant, drying them and steeping them like tea to extract the sweetest part.

Video

Things to know about Truvia

• great for people with diabetes
• kosher certified
• 1 packet = 2 tespoons of sugar
• I'm giving it a Twofer Thumbs Up

The taste?
I loved it in my coffee - not too sweet, and no aftertaste.
I put a little straight on my tongue and while there's a little 'cold' sensation (almost like mint), the granular texture felt like real sugar and I still didn't experience an aftertaste.
Go here to see how people in the Truvia Greenhouse thought about the taste. Or read what others are saying on the community boards.

While my sample came compliments of Truvia and Mom Central, I did look up where to buy and found lots of local grocery stores listed under my locations.

I'm excited to bake with it and serve it to my family, knowing that it's natural and not filled with chemicals.

Have you tried Truvia yet? If so, leave me a comment with your thoughts & tastes.

And now back to my coffee,
Janine

Holidays are the time to be thankful, merry, and Fire Smart

Now I'm not sure if this counts as a neuroses because fire is a legitimate concern.
What makes me neurotic is that I've been known to go through periods where I lose sleep over it. I have weeks where I unplug the toaster, the coffee maker, and anything else I can get my hands on before leaving the house.

After talking with some friends it seems I'm not alone.
I remember in school, a hundred years ago, I had to go home and make a fire plan with my family. But for some reason I was a lot smarter as a kid because I haven't a clue how to do that now.

Good thing Liberty Mutual has created a Be Fire Smart website (www.BeFireSmart.com) with all kinds of cool games, check lists, and fun stuff for kids to remind everyone about fire safety.

I just played the "How fast can you spot trouble game" (look in the right column) and I didn't spot everything. I didn't know you shouldn't leave clothes on a dryer!

I also played the "Dress a fireman" game which is terrific because it explains what each piece of equipment does and reminds kids that if they ever see someone in a suit like that, it's not a monster, just a fireman inside.

I'm going to print out 2 copies of the fire fighter coloring book for the girls to work on as we drive to my mom's this week.

Then I'm going to print out the Hazards Checklist and the Fire Escape Plan and work on that during the 6-hour drive. As with everything, I'm a control freak and having a plan will simply make me feel a whole lot better.

Here's my own quick quiz for you.
Which of these is TRUE?
a) Never leave heavy objects on the bed when an electric blanket is in use
b) You should vacuum your smoke alarms every six months.
c) Exhaust vents covered with snow can cause a fire
d) Don't leave your dryer running while you are not in the house

I'm going to pass along the BeFireSmart.com website to family, friends, teachers, and everyone else I care about, including you dear reader.

Leave me a comment if you decide to do your own plan, or if you blog about this post to your own readers. I'd love to see what others are doing.

Happy planning...
and the ANSWER: all of the above.

Janine
Thank you to Mom Central and Liberty Mutual for making me
Fire Smart!

The best Sunday snack

As I've posted before, we have a wall of TVs that exist solely for football Sundays. The TVs bring much more than football into our house...they draw guests.

And with guests, comes food - or really the need for food.
Thanks to Mom Central I recently discovered Ultimate Party Meatballs!



Just 3 ingredients plus 20 minutes, and I have a filling little snack.

Here's all you need:
1. 2lb bag of frozen, pre-cooked, cocktail-size meatballs
2. 16 ounce can Ocean Spray Jellied Cranberry Sauce
3. 12 ounce bottle Heinz Chili Sauce

Put the cranberry sauce and chili sauce in a large pan on med-low heat and stir until smooth (about 5 mi.)
Add the meatballs, cover and cook for 15 min. (stirring occasionally) or until meatballs are heated through.

That's it! They taste tangy yet sweet. The Twofer LOVED them and took the leftovers to school the next day in a thermos for lunch! My husband LOVED them and ate more later that night. I LOVED them because not only did they taste great - they were quick and easy to make! (Plus, anything that is accepted as lunch the next day get extra points in my book.)

And now for the obligatory football reference joke... The Ultimate Party Meatballs scored a touchdown and were a real crowd-pleaser!

I will definitely stock these ingredients for future Sundays.
Visit UltimatePartyMeatballs for more recipes, entertaining tips, and the chance to win a $3000 Ultimate Party*! *sweepstakes ends. Jan 31, 2009

Then if you win, invite me to the party :). Or maybe I'll offer to host it in my basement and my wall of TVs.

Now back to the game,
Janine
Thanks again to Mom Central for the opportunity to review this item!

Mom Central making gift-giving easier

Here is a holiday gift guide that covers everyone on your list!Mom Central's Holiday Gift Guide has everything for him, her, you, me, big kids, little kids and even pets! Price categories (under $50, under $100, over $100) make it easy to find the right priced item. Mom Central has already tested and reviewed many of these products and there are links to the reviews.

Enter to win daily prizes too!
Just register at Mom Central, then leave a comment at the Gift Guide post.
For extra entries Twitter or email your friends about the giveaways.
Just be sure to leave a second comment if you tweet or email on the post so you get that extra credit!

And hurry! Giveaways are going fast...so register and get your comments up today!
Remember to come back and tell me if you won anything.

Now, back to my shopping,
Janine

Save $5 on a SeatSnug and give the gift of safety!

If you have a child in a booster seat, you definitely want to consider SeatSnug. And now through the holidays you can get $5.00 off by using the coupon code: MOMCENTRAL when you purchase a SeatSnug at www.seatsnug.com.

I posted about SeatSnug recently because I was lucky enough to be chosen by Mom Central to test and review this product.

SeatSnug is a device that helps to secure booster seats so that they don't tip, rock, and slide as they are prone to do even under normal driving conditions.
The SeatSnug easily attaches to the existing seat belt and my kids noticed the difference right away.

You can watch the SeatSnug video here: www.seatsnug.com and then see my original post with my own video here: Janine's SeatSnug video

Take advantage of the savings and buy a SeatSnug for your kids, nieces/nephews, even grandkids this holiday and give the gift of safety!

Happy shopping,
Janine