So Delicious® Coconut Milk on BlogHer

BlogHer has partnered with So Delicious® Dairy Free to promote their Original Coconut Milk Beverage. Ten bloggers committed to using So Delicious® coconut milk 7 ways in 7 days and report their findings.

I've not tried coconut milk before, so I was interested in what they had to say. I've tried different milk alternatives (soy, almond) as part of my diet and I've not found anything I really like yet. I'm not a fan of coconut so I wouldn't have considered this before reading about it on BlogHer, but I'll definitely give coconut milk a try. I think I would use it in cereal, coffee, in instant pudding (sugar-free of course) and I might even get adventurous and try it out of the carton!

As part of the promotion, these 10 bloggers are giving away $100 on each of their blogs. Stop by, see what they have to say and share your own tips for your chance to win!

1. A Lovely Thing
2. Burgh Baby
3. Geek Turned Athlete
4. It's Twinsanity!
5. Jenny on the Spot
6. Kirida
7. Lauren's Latest
8. Novel Eats
9. Raising Colorado
10. Twinfinite Chaos

This sweepstakes runs from February 23, 2011 to March 20, 2011 and is only open to individuals who, at the time of entry deadline, are legal residents of the United States and are 18 years or older. Click here for official rules. Good luck!

Jimmy Dean D-lights "Better Breakfast, Better You" on BlogHer

BlogHer has partnered with Jimmy Dean D-lights for their “Better Breakfast, Better You” Program. Twenty-five bloggers are reflecting on their health choices over 2010 and trying to make better choices in 2011.

Jimmy Dean D-lights. A great tasting breakfast for under 300 calories. Click here to learn more and here to check out D-lights products!

For me personally, the bad health choices I've made in 2010 (and earlier) are too many to list - lack of exercise, skipping meals, eating way too much processed/fast food, not watching portion sizes, calories, fats or sugars, lack of sleep and just basically neglecting my own health. I started working with a nutritionist late October... mostly because I knew the holidays were coming up and I wanted to get a jump on getting myself under control! I actually lost weight over Thanksgiving and Christmas *woohoo* and my goal is to lose 100 pounds this year.

Although I've not been able to exercise as much as I should due to my physical limitations, just making the following changes to my diet has allowed me to lose over 20 pounds so far:

1. No skipping meals.
2. Reading food labels, checking portion sizes, fat grams and sugars. Nothing with any form of sugar in the first 5 ingredients (I read that somewhere, it's easy to remember).
3. Eating breakfast within an hour of waking up. I try to have some cheese and a piece of toast and some fruit, but I don't always have the time - these Jimmy Dean D-lights would be perfect to have on hand!
4. I switched to whole wheat pasta, and double-fiber bread (or multi-grain for a change of pace). I don't like brown rice or sweet potatoes, so I limit rice and potatoes to once a week (either/or not both).
5. No more sodas. That was tough. Now it's strictly water, with the occasional glass of juice or tea, or a cup of coffee. Water only though after noon.
6. I've added a fruit and/or veg to every meal. EVERY meal. No, french fries are NOT veggies!
7. No eating after 7pm. This one is tough, and there are times I still am hungry at night. If I can't stand it, it's some cheese or fruit.
8. Lunch is my biggest meal of the day.
9. I generally don't consume carbs with dinner. If I do, I seem to get those late night munchies.

As part of the “Better Breakfast, Better You” Program, these 25 bloggers are giving away $100 on each of their blogs. Stop by, see what they have to say and share your own tips for your chance to win!

1. A Lovely Thing
2. Barking Mad
3. Black Belt Mama
4. Busy Mom
5. Cheat Day Cafe
6. Creating Motherhood
7. Eclectic Recipes
8. Faith, Fitness, Fun
9. From My Tiny Kitchen
10. Jamie Cooks It Up!
11. Lamb Around
12. Our Life in the Kitchen
13. Quadville
14. Raising Colorado
15. Reproductive Jeans
16. Retro-Food
17. Roots and Wings Co
18. Smashed Peas and Carrots
19. Taste and Tell
20. The Branches
21. The Maynard Moment
22. The Polka Dot Chair
23. The Sassy Crumudgeon
24. The Skinny Gourmet
25. You, Me & The Kid

This sweepstakes runs from December 28, 2010 to January 30, 2011 and is only open to individuals who, at the time of entry deadline, are legal residents of the United States and are 18 years or older. Winners will be randomly selected from all eligible entries. Click here for official rules. Good luck!

Flavorful Low-Sodium Family Meals

I've really been trying to watch my sodium levels this summer, because I've been retaining water quite severely. So, I've ditched the salt shaker and I'm reading labels like crazy (you will be amazed and disgusted at the amount of sodium in foods, especially processed ones).

Ditching the salt doesn't mean I have to ditch the flavor though. I've known about Mrs. Dash for years, but now I've found out they have 15 Salt-Free Seasoning Blends so you can really create a variety of healthy, flavorful foods without adding any salt.

For quick weeknight dinners, I love putting some burgers on the George Foreman grill - I mix in about 1 tablespoon of Mrs. Dash per pound of ground beef so the flavor goes all through the burger!

I've even done oven-roasted potatoes by cutting potatoes into large chunks (I leave the skin on), spraying with a bit of cooking spray, and seasoning liberally with Southwest Chipotle, Extra Spicy or Garlic Herb Mrs. Dash, then roasting in a 400 degree oven until crispy. We like these better than french fries!

If I'm cooking chicken, I'll put it in a Ziploc bag in the morning, add a healthy shake of Mrs. Dash, mix to coat and leave it in the fridge to marinate all day. When I get home, I can put the chicken on the grill or in the oven and it tastes FABULOUS!

Making scrambled eggs? Add a dash of Mrs. Dash into the raw eggs as you scramble them, and they will be the best-tasting eggs you've ever eaten! (my preference is the Original, but the Southwest Chipotle is great too.)

The Italian Blend is great for making quick pizzas as an afterschool snack - halved english muffins, canned tomato sauce, a sprinkle of Mrs. Dash and a little shredded cheese, put in the toaster oven and toast until the cheese is browned and bubbly. We had these long before they came out with frozen mini-pizzas!

Steamed veggies (broccoli, squash, zucchini, carrots) taste great sprinkled with a little Original or Caribbean Citrus seasonings.

For a quick Italian vinaigrette dressing, I've whisked oil & vinegar together (I do about half and half, I like my dressings tart) and then added Mrs. Dash Italian Blend to taste. It's so much better than bottled dressings and it's fresh every time.

Thanks to Mrs. Dash, I'm now preparing healthier, more flavorful meals for my family. We're also experimenting with different flavors because of the wide variety of products. Healthy eating does not have to be bland or boring, as long as you have Mrs. Dash!



I wrote this blog post while participating in the Mrs. Dash and TwitterMoms blogging program for a chance to get a $50 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here.