{Peeled Snacks} Review & GIVEAWAY! *CLOSED*

So what snacks are your kids {or you, for that matter} eating today? Are they made with processed sugars? trans fats? or perhaps enriched wheat? Why not treat them {and yourself!} to something tasty and healthy!

I'd like to introduce you to Peeled Snacks, a company that specializes in bringing you fruits and nuts without any added sugar or fat. And what a novelty ~ when you look at the back of the package to check out the ingredients, instead of seeing a laundry list of things {of which you have no idea what they are!}, you see only "bananas" or "cherries," for example. A beauty. You may have seen Peeled Snacks before, as certain local retailers offer them, Starbucks being one of the latest. Their products are packaged in convenient "to-go" sized bags, that are easy to grab from the pantry and of course, allow for the freshest of snacks upon opening. And opening is a cinch, as you merely pull open with fingers, no tools {scissors} required.


The nuts are dry roasted and lightly salted, while the fruits are large chunks and quite moist ~ not the itty bitty dried up stuff you'll find in most trail mixes. They also offer many fruits organically, and for the chocolate lovers {like myself!}, they have rich dark chocolate of 61% cacao {Mmmmmmm}.


So Peeled Snacks sent us 6 separate packs of their fruits to try out: Cherry-go-round, and their 5 other organic fruit choices: pine-4-Pineapple, much-ado-about-Mango, Banan-a-peel, Apricot-a-lot & Apple-2-the-core {cute names, eh?}. They were a hit at our house, for sure. Now my son loves fruit anyway, but it's hard keeping fresh fruit at the house all the time, and these allow for just grabbing and going instead of washing, chopping and sticking in a bowl to take with first. Very convenient.

Our favorites were the cherries {Cherry-go-round} and Mangos {much-ado-about-Mango}, but they were all fantastic, and I really don't think you can go wrong with any choice. Next up, we'd love to try their Plu-what? {white peaches, plums, pluots & cashews} and Shock-olate {dark chocolate, pears, apricots, almonds & walnuts}...they sound simply divine.

I also must add that not only are they one of my new favorite snacks, but they've also been recommended {and eaten, of course!} by such celebrities as Mariah Carey, Liv Tyler & Oprah. As Oprah states, "Because they're packed separately, the nuts stay crunchy, the fruit stays moist, and you get a delicious boost over that 4p.m. energy slump." -The O Magazine

You can purchase your Peeled Snacks online or check their site for local retailers of their products.

And here's what you've been waiting for!!

The Giveaway!

Peeled Snacks is giving the same 6 packs of fruit picks we received to one lucky Haute Tot and Baby Couture reader! {Open to US & Canadian residents only}.

Mandatory Entry: You must be {or become!} a HTBC PUBLIC google friend/connect follower first! Then visit Peeled Snacks to find a snack you'd like to try. Come back here and tell me what it is in a comment (1 entry). Be sure to leave your email address in the entry so that I have a way to contact the winner! If there is NO EMAIL left, another winner will be drawn! Winner will be chosen via random.org and notified via email. Winner will have 48 hours to claim prize or another winner will be chosen. Entrants can enter through March 7th. Winner to be chosen March 8th, 2010.


Want More Entries? Once you've completed the mandatory entry, you may do any of the following for more entries! Be sure to leave a separate comment for each entry and don't forget your email address, as well!

*Subscribe to our blog (2 entries possible - via google - 1 entry, via email feedburner - 1 entry (must be activated to count as entry).
*Include our blog in your blog roll and include URL
(must leave link to your blog in comment - 1 entry).
*Become a fan of Adam's Blankie on Facebook (1 entry).
*Follow Adam's Blankie on twitter AND tweet about this giveaway with the following tweet (copy and paste), (1 entry - can be done daily):
"Win a Peeled Snacks sampler pack of fruit picks! Enter at http://hautetotandbabycouture.blogspot.com!"

(Be sure to leave a link to your tweet/s).

*Post our blog buttons on your blog and include link to blog. (6 entries possible - 3 for Adam's Blankie Etsy shop button and 3 for Haute Tot Couture blog button).
*Blog about this giveaway and include the link to your post (3 entries).
*Enter another one of our giveaways {upper right-hand corner} and let me know which one you entered {3 entries possible - 1 for each other current/open giveaway you enter}.

Please note, I was not paid to do this review.
Opinions are strictly my own, and no one or nothing else has influenced me in my review.

Have a product you'd like reviewed?
Contact me at adamsblankie@gmail.com
www.adamsblankie.etsy.com
www.gourmetplay.etsy.com

Help Your Kids Learn to Love Veggies

There comes a time when most children reject vegetables as an even remotely close edible option for dinner! (Some kids even reject them right out of the womb!) It's funny how their taste progresses...I remember my son absolutely loved his pureed peas and squash as an infant. Then, in an instant, one day he decides he won't tolerate them. It's maddening for parents, of course, especially when the pediatrician keeps asking about how the veggies are going, right?

I tried sauteeing the vegetables in butter, and adding some brown sugar to cooked carrots, or topping broccoli with melted cheese, but I'm telling you - these "tricks" just did NOT get past my son! (If you find they work for you, though, by all means....!) The one thing I DID find that worked was investing in a juicer. Now I can sneak in any old vegetable, as long as it's with enough fruit! I usually do some apples and oranges alongside veggies like carrots & celery -- you'd be surprised what you can get away with! You really can toss just about any fruit or vegetable in there (except bananas), so you don't have to follow a receipe, per se, although most juicers do come with a recipe book with some great mixing options.


Another alternative, or perhaps, just an "enhancer," if you will, would be purchasing "Henry and the Hidden Veggie Garden." It's a book written by actress and mom Kimberly Williams-Paisley, in an effort to get her own kids to eat their vegetables. Henry rejects vegetables by hiding them under his napkin, but after a visit to his aunt's farm, he discovers something that changes his perception of vegetables. You can purchase the book for only $5.00 at www.loveyourveggiesgrants.org - a small price to pay for investing in your child's health!

Just a few more days before we draw the lucky winner for the children's ironing board set! Make sure to check out the "give-aways" or post from 6/22 to enter for your chance to win!!

NakedPaint Belly Butter

So if you're an expectant Mama, heading to a baby shower, or trying to conceive, here is a great product to get your hands (and belly!) on: NakedPaint's Belly Butter. It was made for pregnant bellies to hydrate and improve elasticity while minimizing stretch marks, and has a light scent of jasmine and heather oils. The Hollywood stars themselves have been seen using this stuff, and reviewers out there are acclaiming its non-greasy feel. But you'll have to pay for the "butter" that celebrities like Jennifer Garner and Mira Sorvino are using, of course - it comes at $29.00 for just 8 ounces, but a little does go a long way.