Del Monte Fruit Cups for back-to-school {Giveaway}

**Closed** Winner is Elizabeth~ Congratulations!

Del Monte Foods has come out with their newest Fruit Cup® varieties that are packed at the peak of ripeness featuring Fall’s favorite fruits: Diced Pears in extra light syrup with Vanilla & Spice and Diced Apples & Pears in extra light syrup with Caramel. Each cup contains a full serving of all-natural fruit, is an excellent source of vitamin C, and contains no high fructose corn syrup. These are absolutely perfect for my daughters to take in their lunchboxes and even in their gym bag as a portable, healthy snack before they have volleyball practice. It makes me feel good to know they are getting an extra serving of fruit in their daily intake. Both flavors are so delicious! I really love the diced apples and pears in caramel flavor. It is so subtle yet you feel like you are having a treat.

Right now, Del Monte has a fun game on their Facebook page called "Flavor Boom". After you play the game (trust me, it's fun!) You can get a $1.00 off coupon, which can be used towards a two-pack of the new Fruit Cup® varieties.

Giveaway: One Momfiles reader will win a gift pack that includes the 2 new Del Monte Fruit Cup® varieties as well as a money saving coupon for $1.00 select Del Monte products. Enter below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Giveaway is open to US Residents only and will end on September 27, 2012. One winner will be chosen at random and will be contacted via email. Momfiles is not responsible for any lost or stolen prizes. Good luck!

 I will receive products samples for review purposes. All thoughts/opinions are completely my own.

The latest from my kitchen

Lately I have been battling the dinner cooking blues. As usual, I feel like I have run out of ideas. I have been following a couple bloggers that have been meal-planning in advance and I decided to give it a try. For me, I can only do one week at a time (maybe even 4 days). I am a 2-3 times a week grocery shopper because I like everything to be as fresh as possible. I won't say that I have been overly successful in the meal-planning department. I feel like I can't stay on track because my taste or mood might change according to my schedule. One great thing is I have been cooking a lot of meatless meals. I am a HUGE veggie lover. I don't think there are too many vegetables I don't love.  In recent weeks I decided to cook meals without meat and without alerting the family ahead of time. To my surprise they all (even the hubby) love NOT eating any meat. Whaaaattt???!!!! We have all decided that we will have 3-4 meatless meals each week. Today I threw together a fabulous veggie stir-fry served with Jasmine rice and kimchi.

It was so delicious and even the kids agreed that adding any meat, chicken or even shellfish would have spoiled it. I love Asian cuisine so I am really happy that the family loved it as much as they did. 

Last weekend I made a Caribbean style fish dish (Escovitch) that got rave reviews from the family. This dish starts off with seasoned and fried fish that is then topped with a vinegar and citrus based sauce that also contains onions, fresh tomatoes, scallions and hot pepper. This dish can be served with boiled plantains & cassava or just plain rice or grits. 

I am just so happy that my family is all on board with having more meatless meals. I think it will make menu planning a little bit easier and maybe I will actually stick to it! 

What are your favorite meatless meals? Do you meal plan? 

Progresso Light Crème Soup prize pack giveaway

**CLOSED** Winner is freddie~ Congratulations!

Craving rich and creamy flavors, but don’t want to splurge on calories? With two new creamy flavors, Progresso® Light soups are giving those who are managing their weight a new reason to celebrate! At 100 calories per serving, now you can indulge in warm, creamy soups like Light Creamy Potato with Bacon and Cheese* and Light Chicken Pot Pie Style* without feeling guilty. Packed with indulgent, satisfying flavor, these two new Light creamy soups are the perfect way to make thoughtful eating decisions without sacrificing incredible taste.

I have to say that I really love the Light Chicken Pot Pie Style the best. It is perfect for a fast and satisfying lunch I can feel good about. My 16 year old loves the Light Creamy Potato with Bacon and Cheese. I will have to keep some of these in my pantry for those late game nights and for after school on days that they want more than a normal snack.

~These two new Progresso Light creamy soups are joining the lineup of more than 40 flavorful soups that are 100 calories or less per serving
~These Weight Watchers® endorsed soups have 100 calories and a 2 PointsPlus® value per serving
~The Creamy Potato with Bacon & Cheese variety boasts pieces of potato with savory bacon and rich cheese flavor
~The Chicken Pot Pie Style variety exudes a home-style essence with cuts of white-meat chicken, hearty potatoes and classic vegetables

*Light Chicken Pot Pie Style: At least 33% fewer calories than regular ready-to-serve soups. Light Creamy Potato with Bacon & Cheese: 50% fewer calories than the leading potato, cheese, and bacon ready-to serve soup. See nutrition information for sodium content.

 You can grab a money saving coupon on your next purchase of Progresso soups here.

Giveaway:
One lucky Momfiles reader will win a great prize pack including:
(2) Cans of Progresso® Light creamy soup
(1) Soup mug
(1) Lunch tote
(1) Water bottle

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Contest is open to US Residents only and will end on September 26, 2012. One winner will be chosen at random and will be contacted via email to claim prize. Momfiles is not responsible for any lost or stolen prizes. Good luck!

Disclosure: The coupons, information, and gift packs have been provided by Progresso® through MyBlogSpark.

Funky Monkey Twitter Chat & Giveaway

**Closed** Winner- Maryann D. Congratulations!

Please join Funky Monkey Snacks on Tuesday September 18th at 2 pm EST for a Twitter chat (@FunkyMonkeySnck) . The chat is going to be about National Childhood Obesity Month and Awareness. The hashtag for the twitter chat is #funkychat. There is no RSVP

Funky Monkey Snacks are a fun way to incorporate fruit into your kids' diet. With 3 servings of fruit in every 1oz bag, Funky Monkey Snacks are: 100% Natural, Real Fruit, Nothing Added, Gluten Free, GMO Free, Vegan, Raw Food, and Kosher. Discover the Fruit That Crunches! Be sure to check Funky Monkey Snacks out on Facebook.

Giveaway: One lucky Momfiles reader will win a Funky Monkey Snacks gift pack including all 7 flavors. Enter below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Giveaway is open to US Residents only and will end on September 21, 2012. One winner will be chosen at random and will be contacted via email. Momfiles is not responsible for any lost or stolen prizes. Good luck!

I will receive products samples for spreading the word about the Twitter chat. All opinions are completely my own.

My spice cabinet must-haves

Today I wanted to share my go-to seasonings and spices that I use all the time. I have so many people ask me what I season my dishes with so I figured I would post about it. My number one item is my Badia Complete Seasoning. I use it in all of my savory dishes including meat, poultry, fish, beans, rice and pasta.  It has a lot of Caribbean and Spanish flavor. I must have garlic powder (as well as my fresh garlic) and Badia makes a great one. Badia products can be found at Kroger, Publix, Food Lion and some Walmart stores (in the event you wanted to check them out for yourself). I also love my fine sea salt and black pepper grinder. I love the multi-colored peppercorns too. They have a very unique taste and is a little less peppery.

For additional flavor and color, I love my Tony Chachere's and Goya Sazon. I do have a number of other items in my spice cabinet but I tend to have my favorites that I use most often. I can't forget my other staples- fresh onion, garlic, scallions and cilantro. So there you have it! What are your favorite spices and seasonings?

Wordless Wednesday

Half-price Tuesday's are back at Monkey Joe's! We are taking advantage of it :)