Soup for you! with the Original SoupMan #SoupManFan #ad

This is a review in partnership with The Niche Parent Network & Conference. All opinions are my own.

These days, unless you live in Miami or some parts of California, you are experiencing frigid temperatures and wintry weather. We just had our first snow a couple days ago and man oh man has it been cold! Weather like this calls for hot food. Soup is my general go-to meal for super cold days, but during the week this is not always possible. Homemade soup takes hours to make! I received the seven soup sample pack from The Original SoupMan line. 

Varieties include: Lobster Bisque, Chicken Noodle Soup, Lentil Soup, Crab and Corn Chowder, Jambalaya and Chicken Gumbo. 

I always remember watching episodes of Seinfeld and never forgot the Soup Nazi who would boldly yell, "No soup for you!". No lie, I often wondered how good the soup could really be with all the hoopla surrounding it. Lucky for me, I finally got the, "Soup for you!" package and couldn't wait to test them out. My younger daughter is my soup lover and can eat it any time of day/year/weather. I let her choose the first variety to try. She has my taste so she picked the lobster bisque. These soups are packaged in Tetra packs which I much prefer over a can. I confess, I am a soup snob. Homemade can't be beat. I was so skeptical. The packages are so easy to open and I poured the container into a small pot and heated it thoroughly on the stove top. I did add a little freshly cracked pepper to taste. I had my daughter taste it first. She immediately closed her eyes and gave me the thumbs up. She told me I must try it myself.

I fixed myself a bowl and tried to stay positive. I tasted the first spoonful and thought, "Okay, it's not bad". The second spoonful hit me and I was floored. This soup was unlike any other soup I have ever tried. It was delicious! The taste and texture were perfect. It had a good balance of flavors and a very ocean-like taste at the same time. The packaging gave the idea of adding some fresh chunks of lobster to kick the bisque up a notch. It makes me wish I saved this variety for me and the hubby to have with the added lobster. I told my husband how good it was so we both tried the Crab and Corn Chowder. He was very impressed with how homemade it tasted and we both loved the savory richness. It really was restaurant quality. One package serves two people and you can have it as a main course.

The interesting thing about these soups is that the packaging gives you recipe ideas to transform them into unique dishes. I don't think I will follow the recipes since the soups are so delicious as is. The Original SoupMan soups are available at over 500 Walmart locations, over 750 Stop & Shop, 1400 Safeway stores, Giant, Martin’s Supermarkets, plus other grocers across the nation. Find a store near you here.  

Stay connected with the Original SoupMan on Facebook and Twitter for product updates.

Try Matlaw's Stuffed Clams for your Super Bowl party

I received samples for an honest review. All opinions are completely my own. 

It is football and basketball season and we have been tuning into the games as often as possible. We traditionally have friends over to watch the Super Bowl game and I have been putting together my menu of goodies to serve my guests. I was so lucky to receive some Matlaw's Stuffed Clams to review. These stuffed clams come frozen and are made from quality ingredients. 

I just love that the stuffing for these appetizers are filled into real clam shells. I used the oven bake method of cooking them. You can also grill or microwave them. I lined a baking sheet with foil and placed my clams on it. 

They went into a 450 degree oven 30 minutes and came out a gorgeous golden brown color. My kids were lured into the kitchen because of the wonderful smell that lingered in the house. 

We all tried them with a couple splashes of hot sauce for an extra kick. Oh boy, they were good! My husband really enjoyed them and my sometimes finicky teens loved them too. The stuffed clams were packed with flavor and had a light texture at the same time. The clam pieces were not rubbery at all. Overall, it was a perfect balance of savory flavors. 

I can already picture these stuffed clams on a platter lined with some fresh greens and lemon wedges for presentation at my Super Bowl party. I also love the idea of having them as a side dish when we do a crab boil. You can't beat the convenience of simply popping them in the oven or on the grill for a quick satisfying snack or appetizer. If you haven't tried Matlaw's Stuffed Clams before, I suggest you look for them. They are awesome! Right now until January 31, they are on sale for only $3.99 per tray at Food Lion stores in North & South Carolina. 

#PowerRangers Super Megaforce premieres on Nickelodeon Feb 15th

Saban’s Power Rangers Super Megaforce to Premiere Saturday, Feb. 15, at 12:00 p.m. (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon

Launching the Most Super-Charged Season with Special Keys to Unlock the Power of Every Ranger EVER

Saban Brands and Nickelodeo announced that the all-new season of Power Rangers, Saban’s Power Rangers Super Megaforce, will premiere on Saturday, Feb. 15, at 12:00 p.m. (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon. Following its debut, the show will air regularly Saturdays at 12:00 p.m. (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon, with encores airing Saturdays from 8:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. ET beginning Feb. 22 on Nicktoons. Now entering its 21st season, the Power Rangers franchise remains one of the top-rated and longest running boys live-action series on television.

In the final moments of the last season, the Power Rangers defeated the Warstar villains. Now, in Power Rangers Super Megaforce, Prince Vekar arrives with his massive alien Armada to conquer the earth. With the help of their supernatural guardian, Gosei, the Power Rangers are given special morphers and keys that allow them to morph into Super Megaforce Rangers! Using these keys, they also have the amazing new ability to morph into any team of Legendary Rangers from the past, gaining access to their incredible powers, weapons, Zords and Megazords.

“With Power Rangers Super Megaforce, we are excited to bring an all-new action packed storyline to fans around the world,” said Elie Dekel, President of Saban Brands. “This season reveals secret powers, the introduction of a new member of the team and legendary Power Rangers from the past 20 years, all of which are sure to keep fans engaged all season long.”

The Super Megaforce Rangers include: Troy, the Red Ranger (Andrew Gray); Noah, the Blue Ranger (John Mark Loudermilk); Gia, the Yellow Ranger (Ciara Hanna); Emma, the Pink Ranger (Christina Masterson); and Jake, the Green Ranger (Azim Rizk).

Fans can head to www.nick.com/megaforce, which will be refreshed for the Super Megaforce season. The site will include original videos, full episodes, and sneak peeks of the upcoming season. On Feb. 10, fans can play the brand-new Power Rangers Super Megaforce: Legacy game on Nick.com. Featuring the brand-new Power Rangers Super Megaforce for the first time, these five new Rangers will suit up to fight the forces of Prince Vekar. The Rangers must cut through Hordes of X-Borgs and their bigger counterparts, Bruisers, on 3 challenging levels, each with its own unique setting and super powered boss. The game also features all-new Legendary Moves where the Power Rangers Super Megaforce will power up and transform temporarily into these classic Rangers and unleash the powers of those legacy Rangers.

For more information on Power Rangers Super Megaforce, please visit www.powerrangers.com and follow on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram.


About Saban’s Power Rangers Super Megaforce

Saban Brands will launch the newest installment of the Power Rangers franchise, one of the top-rated and longest running boys live-action series on television, with Power Rangers Super Megaforce. The new series, which premieres on Nickelodeon in early 2014, will deliver super mega action, humor, excitement and entertainment, in addition to the core themes of friendship, teamwork, fitness and helping others. Power Rangers Super Megaforce will introduce all-new morphing abilities, allowing the Rangers to morph into any team of Power Rangers from the past. The Power Rangers franchise is helmed by Haim Saban, who created and produced the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers series in 1993. SCG Power Rangers LLC, which licenses and merchandises the Power Rangers brand, is an affiliate of Saban Brands. For more information, visit www.powerrangers.com.

I used to think all dog people were crazy

If you told me 11 years ago that your dog was your child or slept in your bed, I would look at you like you were nuts. Growing up in my culture, dogs were taboo in the home. My parents discouraged animals of any kind and would not even visit people if they had a house pet. I did not have the desire to ever have a pet because of my upbringing. When our first child was old enough say the word "dog", she asked for one. I refused to entertain that idea. I told my husband that until we bought a house and had a fenced in yard, I would *think* about it. Of course, the time came that we got the house with the yard and the question came up again. I let my husband and first born have their way and we got a 3 month old long coat chihuahua puppy. He was kind of cute, I admit. It took me no time at all to end up falling in love with this little pooch known as, Milo. We raised Milo as if he was our child. Anyone who visited, even non-dog lovers couldn't resist Milo. He was a cute and sweet dog. He loved everyone except the postal service workers, FedEx and UPS delivery people and the occasional stranger. If he sensed you were not supposed to be around our home, he would let you know it!

Over the years, Milo has been a faithful companion. He was always with one of his family members. He did not like to be left out of anything that was going on. If my husband was outside doing yard work, Milo was there. If I was working in my office, he would nap at my feet. If the kids were watching television, Milo lounged on the couch or floor near them. He was a family dog.

About two months ago, Milo started coughing. It was the first time we had ever heard him do that. We watched him for a few days and decided it was time to get him checked out at the vet. After a thorough examination, x-rays and blood work, it was determined that he had congestive heart failure. At that time, his lungs were full of fluid and he had a heart valve infection. It also was discovered that he had an enlarged heart that was pressing against his windpipe. That was what caused him to cough. We went ahead and got him some immediate treatment and had him put on 4 medications as well as a low-sodium prescription diet. The prognosis was that he may do well on the medications and live a relatively normal life or the opposite. For the first two weeks being on the medication, we noticed a difference and he seemed to be improving. Unfortunately, that didn't last long. He was getting sick again. The coughing came back. It got to the point that he was having a hard time breathing normally. We tried him on another batch of antibiotics as well as his other heart medications and he did not improve. He worsened.

It came down to having to make that big decision. Do we keep watching him suffer or let him go be at peace? It was a unanimous decision by our family (minus William since he doesn't fully understand) that we would have him put down. I always used to tell the girls when Milo was younger that pets don't live for a long time. They aren't the same as humans. I guess we didn't realize that time would come so soon. Ten years flew by and we had to do the right thing for Milo. We spent all of last week saying our final goodbyes to Milo. We let him do as he wanted and fed him like a king. It was hard. We all cried. I cried so much that I couldn't recognize my own face. I did not know I could love a dog that much.

We officially had him put down on Saturday morning. It was so hard. Everyone was very upset, but we knew it was the right thing to do. I think that knowing what was going to happen made it easier to handle. Milo has given us over 10 years of unconditional love and loyalty. We were so blessed to have him in our family. He is gone, but will forever remain in our hearts and memories.

The hardest part now is all the little reminders of him around the house. I no longer have the need for baby gates when we leave the house. I don't have to worry about leaving certain things on the floor in fear he might tear it up. I still hear him though. I hear faint barks and whimpering. I hear the jingle of his collar tags and his nails on the floor as if he is walking around the corner. It feels like he's still here. I have called the kids Milo almost a dozen times already. It will take time. We will all heal. For now, I focus on how much better a person I am because of him. I also know that dog people are definitely not crazy. They have extra big hearts.

Rest in sweet peace, Milo Anthony. You gave us 10 awesome years! We know you are living it up with all your friends in Heaven ♥

Get Weight Watchers approved items from Publix #myblogspark (Giveaway)

**CLOSED** Winner is Angel L. Congrats! 

The information and prize pack have been provided by General Mills through MyBlogSpark.

Right now Publix is offering some great deals on Weight Watchers approved items. They include:

• Progresso Light Soups: BOGO 
• Green Giant Frozen: BOGO
• Yoplait: 20/$10

You can check out the Publix everyday savings site for printable coupons to save even more. This is a great time to stock up on these foods. I have purchased a lot of Yoplait yogurt for the kids. They have been grabbing them for breakfast most mornings. I also stocked up on Green Giant frozen veggies for future meals. I like to incorporate green beans, broccoli or carrots in my son's mac and cheese for lunch. 

One Mom Files reader can win a prize pack that includes a cool collapsible salad container, water bottle, snack container and a $25 Publix gift card. Both the salad and snack containers can be put in the freezer before food is added to keep food fresh and chilled when on the go. All items are BPA-free. Enter below in the Rafflecopter widget. Good luck! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway is open to US Residents only and will end on January 21, 2014. One winner will be chosen at random and will be contacted via email to claim prize. Mom Files is not responsible for any lost or stolen prizes or for fulfillment of prizes. Good luck!