This week’s freebie is for the pre-K to 2nd grade crowd (and their parents, of course). I recently did a review at Get Along Home for Mead Early Learning products, and they’ve kindly offered a set to give away to HCMS readers! You can read my review and enter to win there, also! Up for grabs are 4 Early Learning products:  Learn to Letter, Snip It!, Idea Builders, and RediSpace notebook paper. With all the snow days we’ve had recently, there might be a lot of students needing to brush up on some skills, right?

Connect: “Like” Mead on Facebook for product information and contests.

How to enter: Just leave a comment on this post telling me which Early Learning product would be most useful to you.

Extra entries: Leave a separate comment if you:

• are a MomSquad RSS Subscriber  (get free daily updates by email or enter your email at the top of the page for weekly-ish newsletter)
• follow HCmomsquad on Twitter (leave your Twitter handle in the comments.)
• follow Mead Early Learning on Twitter

Details: This contest will be open to High Country residents through midnight January 6, 2011. One winner will be chosen by random number generator, and notified by email. Winner will be responsible for claiming the prize by email. Good luck!

After the ribbon was cut and the applause was over, the doors were opened for everyone to enter into the new high school. With the snap of a finger, the crowd dispersed and in a flurry we were inside the front entrance and in the middle of 3 floors where a Reception was waiting. Right away we saw to the left the new administrative offices and reception area.  The wide hallway has curved ottoman type furniture, and to the right was the huge new Library and Media center already full of books. Past the offices on the corner was a see-through room called the Career Center with comfortable-looking cushioned chairs and a small table attached for laptops.

As we rounded the corner, the building opened up with a Welcome Reception where area businesses offered food samples, as well as, groups like the Parent/Teacher Organization looking for support from new students and their parents. To the left was a Food Court like set-up with round and long tables, even Bistro seating with the high tables and stools in place of a traditional cafeteria. A new concept will be Food Bars with all different types of things to eat such as a Southwest, Asian, and Vegetarian Bar, and Hungry Howie’s Pizza will also be on hand for the student’s lunches. It is very modern looking and students will have wireless access there as well.

As part of the celebration, current students offered tours for the crowd during this time and I took the opening as a chance to talk with some parents, one being Mrs. Priya Dass, whose son Amaal – a senior, was thrilled with the bigger facility. She stated that this gave more opportunities, but the teachers also have more responsibility, and wisely talked about, “how well they embrace this will determine how well the students will do because a teacher doesn’t just open books, they open minds”! How right she is. Another parent, Mrs. Amy Willis, whose daughter Cole, the Sophomore Class Student Body Vice-President, believes that the “new Laptops for each student will help bring more technological advancement”.

Moving on down past the cafeteria area, we toured the smaller gym, an elevator, and more of the 2^nd floor, including rooms that house Band, Chorus, and Drama. The new extensive Auditorium is there as well, seating over twice as many people as the old one.

In the shape of a “W”, the middle of the 2^nd floor wing extension is home to the new Cosmetology department. When we walked in, I was floored at the equipment that our students will have in their new learning environment. I met the teacher, Ms. Tanya Huyard, who spoke proudly about the opportunities this will give her students. She showed me areas for learning hair cutting techniques, hair drying and nail/manicure stations, and tables for massages, facials, and esthetics.

Continuing on our tour, the 3^rd floor houses mainly the academic classrooms with the Science Labs, Math, History, English, and Foreign Languages, etc. Mr. Russ Minatel, an English, Speech and Debate teacher allowed me to ask his thoughts on this upcoming year. He gladly spoke about how exciting his career as a teacher is, and that “with each student having a Laptop allows for equal footing of technology, not just for the affluent students, which helps to bring ownership to the school”. He spoke about the exciting capability of using Skype programs to talk with people all over the world in real time, and referred to training that he recently went through to help him learn about teaching the “YouTube” generation focusing on Media Literacy Education. This has become what he feels is one of his biggest responsibilities.

Completing our tour, we went to the 1^st floor, opting to take the new elevator, where there seemed to be a restroom everywhere we went…which is a good thing. In all, there are 32 restrooms throughout the vast building.

To me, the bottom floor is the most impressive as we saw rooms being readied for students. This floor holds the Arts room, where teacher Mr. Shelton Wilder was playing the Beatles and so enthusiastic about this upcoming year and what the future holds. He talked about how great the lighting was for optimal creativity to be expressed.

We moved on to other rooms and saw the new Construction, Welding, and Auto Shop classes. All I can say is “Wow”! We walked by one room and my daughter said, “Look Mom, they have dummies in these beds”. I looked and saw that it was the Health Occupations class. How cool is that for on-hands teaching!

Other rooms featured Sports Training with lots of weights and the Faculty Workout room with Treadmills and such. One of the last rooms that caught my attention was a room filled with Drafting tables and a Dell Computer box on each table. The teacher, Richard Sands, happened to be there and I asked what kind of class he taught. I recognized the Drafting tables from my Interior Design courses, but I wasn’t sure what all would be going on there. He told me that he teaches Engineering, Drafting, and Architecture and that each student would have a computer loaded with a CAD (Computer Aided Drafting) program on it to help teach them the technology that they need for college. He proceeded to tell me that students would not only get high school credit for his class, but that they would simultaneously receive credit for college as well. Amazing!

With that, our tour was complete within the school, and on our way out, we looked at the beautiful new Athletic fields – Baseball, Softball, Tennis Courts, and Football! They all are awesome, and the school itself is very impressive but somewhat intimidating as well. Did I mention that it is HUGE too!!! A friend made a humorous reference that the students will have to have a GPS just to find there way to class for the first week.

Reading about the new building gives somewhat of a mental picture, but when you get the chance, make sure to head on over and check out Watauga County’s newest addition! It is well worth taking it in for yourself.

This past Friday morning, July 30^th 2010, was filled with excitement and anti- cipation as my middle school twins and I approached the location with all of the hoopla going on. When we got closer you could hear the Watauga Community Band playing favorite tunes, and looking around the crowds of people, there were Policemen everywhere, Firemen with their Fire Truck, Rescue Squad workers, even Secret Servicemen. “Anybody who is anybody” in Watauga County was there taking in the pomp and circumstance for this special day!  It was the day our community had been waiting for…the Grand Opening of the new Watauga High School and Dedication and Ribbon-cutting ceremony.

A dream that began years ago, and now a reality, dignitaries and leaders from all over the High Country, with special keynote speaker, Governor Beverly Perdue, were there to participate in “opening a new door in history”. We were handed a Dedication Ceremony Program and while we waited for the Governor to arrive, I took the opportunity to look over the mass of people that had gathered for the event and chatted with a few. I spoke to Mr. Marshall Ashcraft, Community Relations Director for Watauga County Schools, and asked what he thought about the new school and what kind of impact this would make. Mr. Ashcraft stated that the new High School would “allow teachers and students to tap into their full potential”. He spoke about the “huge improvements” with this school like the students having laptops, wireless access throughout, and how much energy the school board has put into this. The pride for this accomplishment was evident in his face.

At that moment,Dr. Marty Hemric approached the podium and began with his welcoming remarks, followed by Mr. Lowell Younce, Chairman of the Board of Education, talking about the “journey from vision to reality”. The Chairman stated how the new school will improve student performance and better prepare students to enter the adult world upon graduation. Mr. Younce spoke about a recurrent theme throughout this process that “It’s Time to Choose” to move forward, followed by “This is History” being made in our county and community.

Next up to speak was Mr. Jim Deal, Chairman of the Watauga County Commissioners, who said that this was a “Glorious Day”! Mr. Deal described the benefits of the new school focusing on being “Green” and ecologically efficient. Some of the ways the new high school is “Green” consists of natural lighting through the massive windows and the positioning of the building, which features the shape of a “W”. Also, solar tubes were installed to help provide better use of that natural light, while geothermal wells capture heat and pump it through the area to maintain a constant temperature. Even the roof gets in on the action by using six 10,000-gallon cisterns to collect rainwater for various water conservation uses. Mr. Deal ended his speech with a Star Trek reference that, “Watauga County should boldly go where no county has gone before”!  

Several more speakers had good words to say and the Golden Leaf Foundation even presented a check to the new high school for $150,000 for “Global Learning and Community Transformation”.

Mr. Michael Wyant, the Principal, proceeded to welcome the teachers, staff, and students to their new school. Mr. Wyant made the comment that, “teachers have been hand-cuffed in preparing students for the real world by the old facility. Now they have access to the 21^st century at their fingertips, and are free from limitations that the former school brought on”. This access includes providing each student with a Laptop for use at home and school.

Continuing with the ceremony, at last it was time for the keynote speaker as Dr. Hemric introduced the Governor Beverly Perdue. So gracious was she, quickly putting everyone at ease. After congratulating our county and community, the Governor spoke about how she wanted to bring all schools into the 21^st century and has even initiated an online education system in order to become globally competitive. The Governor thanked our county stating that, “we just get it”! She talked about how we must educate our students in an advanced way with technology because “most students come to school with more technology in their backpacks or bookbags, and if we don’t help them learn, they don’t have the skills to compete”. Governor Perdue then proceeded to thank us for our investment in our children and our future.

As the crowd applauded, the former senior class president, Dylan Russell, and the current senior class president, Jesse Nash, sang the school anthem while the leaders gathered for the ribbon –cutting ceremony. In a flash, the Governor and class presidents cut the ribbon and the doors were opened.

Stay tuned for the 2^nd part of this series to hear all about our experiences and interviews once we entered the new high school.

Bruce Ezzell has lived in the High Country for many years, and many people here call him friend. A few words I would use to describe Bruce: Family Man, Gardener, Bee-Keeper/Honey-Maker, Kind, Wise, Gotee’d. For him, the economic downturn was a chance to return to a craft he’d loved, while trying to survive the recession. When Bruce started baking organic bread again, he created a new Company: The Bread List.

Bruce shared a little about his history in baking and the creation of the Bread List:

I’ve been baking for 20 years now. Five years professionally from 89-94, then what I called ‘sanity baking’ after that. Newly married with kids on the way, I wanted a steady paycheck with better hours, so I left baking for different career options. Last fall’s ‘economic downturn’ changed things for me. I lost my job in January. Boone, NC, where I live, is a small town, and little work was available. Friends who knew I baked and had eaten my bread before suggested I pick up some extra work baking. I thought, what the heck, I’ve got little else to do, and at least this I enjoy. In February I was asked if I made bagels. No, but I’ll learn anything. Approximately 7000 bagels later, I’ve got a fledgling micro bakery/bagelry business that takes all my time. I haven’t had a day off since I lost my job and I’ve had more fun than I’ve had in years.

Bruce provided me with some bread and bagels to try, so that I could share a review with you. Even though Bruce is my friend, I have to tell you the truth! They were heavenly! Bruce says that his ingredients are 100%organic, with no chemicals or preservatives.

Bagels: I had the Classic White, Poppy Seed, Cinnamon Cranberry and 100% Whole Wheat bagels. Well, they didn’t even last two days. The kids gobbled them up (and shhh… I did too) The outside was firm, but the inside was soft and yummy. When toasted in the toaster oven, the bagels were a perfect combination of crisp and chewy. If you like a sweet bagel, the Cinnamon Cranberry is for you! (My husband loves those) The 100% Multi-Grain (with Rye) will give a more savory taste, and the Classic is a perfect canvas for whatever condiments you love on a bagel. Of course, the 100% Whole Wheat bagel is a more dense texture, but it’s perfect for those eating a Low Glycemic Index diet.

Rye Bread: To try a Rye Bread, I went straight for the Heavy-Duty stuff!! The Avergne Rye (with sourdough starter, 73% rye) is a Rye Bread worthy of the most dedicated rye lover! A dense loaf with intense flavor, this bread was just fabulous!  I ate it toasted with butter or cream chese on it, and then, I made some Bruchetta with it.  Here is the video of the Bruchetta recipe.  One correction: in the video, I say this is German Rye, but it’s actually French (thus, the French name)  I do recommend that if you’re trying Rye for the first time, or like a mild rye flavor, you try the milder varieties first!

So how do you order some bread and bagels from The Bread List?

• Go to www.thebreadlist.com
• Choose from the menu
• Call 828-262-1697 or email bruce@thebreadlist.com Sunday Monday and Tuesday for delivery Thursday, Friday and Saturday

It was with the first release of the Wii Fit, the revolutionary fitness program for the Nintendo Wii, that the Wii Mommies were born! We went on a journey to put this new technology to use and help others to do the same, though our website, forum and BlogTalkRadio show.

We loved the Wii Fit, Julie even lost 60 pounds using it! We also had some suggestions for improvements that could be made to the product, such as stringing the workouts together seemlessly, more detailed diagnostics, new fun Fitness games, and more. It seems like Nintendo really took the feedback from users when they created the new version. If you already have Wii Fit, you can get the upgrade game for only $19.99.

So I received my Wii Fit Plus in the mail yesterday from Nintedo, and immediately opened it and tried it out with my four year old, Little Pea! We had a lot of fun trying out the new games!

Here are the best things we found with the Plus version:

• The new game automatically transfered the stored information from the old game, so we didn’t have to register our Miis again. It also transferred all our charts and goals.
• The multi-player games are really fun, because you can immediately select players in the game you are on. You don’t have to go back and add more players, nor are you stuck with the players you’ve chosen. It’s hard to explain, but it is really easy! Also, on the Multi-Player menu, the last winner’s Mii shows up with a crown! Bragging rights, baby!

• I love the new Yoga moves (Little Pea does too)
• I think the best feature is the Custom Workouts. There was a critizism that you couldn’t keep your heart rate up for a long enough time when you had to go back and switch. I am most excited to put together a yoga routine!

Improvements that could still be made:

• I was hoping to see more Aerobics activities, although they do have rhythm Kung Fu. I haven’t tried that yet.
• I really wish Nintendo would send someone over to find my Wiimote! I lost it after we played yesterday and I can’t find it anywhere! I’m dying to get back on the Wii Fit and explore some more!

I haven’t tried putting together a workout yet, but I will let you know how that goes. Do you have the Wii Fit Plus? What do you think?

Disclosure: Product provided by Nintendo/ Golin Harris, inc

Have you ever found a treasure,  and every time that you think about this particular treasure you get warm fuzzy feelings  in your heart? Well that is exactly the kind of feelings that I have when I drive by or shop at  Bless Your Heart, on hwy 321 in Blowing Rock.

After we had our third child I had an unexpected knock on our front door. I cautiously opened the door fearful of having an unannounced guest. To my surprise it was Sheri, owner of Bless Your Heart, with  a gorgeous “Huge” present that a friend had ordered for us from Bless Your Heart.  My heart melted at the love I felt in such a special gesture. Sheri did a wonderful job of delivering and presenting me with a gorgeous and sweet present. Let me just say this, I will always open my door to Sheri from Bless Your Heart because I know what wonderful treasures she carries at her store.

I am such a sucker for nicely wrapped gifts and packages. I mean seriously, I don’t care if someone gives me a tissue box for my Birthday as long as it is embellished in beautiful attire! I really have been quite impressed in the care and attention to detail that they have at Bless Your Heart.  I can always pop in for a last minute gift and I can always be assured that I will find something that I am proud to give to that special friend.

Bless Your Heart is also a full service florist. They will deliver with a 24 hour advance order.  I love the fresh cut flowers that are sold in simple Mason Jars. It has such a Martha Stewart feel about it. Visit their blog at blessyourheartnc.blogspot.com for brilliant inspiration and more information.

I hope all of you are having a wonderful and dreamy summer.  What are some things a friend could do for you that would “Bless Your Heart”?

~Lillie~

Disclosure: Bless Your Heart is not at this time a Mom Squad Sponsor, and no compensation was received for this review.

Ever since My husband and I got Rock Band for the Wii, our friends have had the discussion, “Which is better, Rock Band or Guitar Hero, World Tour?” Well, I finally got to play Guitar Hero: World Tour for the Wii at a friend’s house, and I loved it! I have to say that the songs are better on Guitar Hero, and there are more nuances to the game — not to mention that it’s a little more challenging!

Through Mom Central, I got to try out Guitar Hero: On Tour, Modern Hits for the Nintendo DS. I have always wondered how Guitar Hero would be possible to play on a DS, without a guitar. You basically attach an extension to the DS, strap it onto your hand, and bush the buttons just like on the GH Guitar. It’s ingenious, really!

Here is what the company, Activision PublishingInc./RedOctane, says about the product:

Handheld guitar gods can now choose how they raise-up their band from the underground music scene to worldwide rock stardom in Guitar Hero® On Tour: Modern Hits. Featuring a set list comprised of 28 master tracks from influential artists including Coldplay, Fall Out Boy, Tenacious D, The Strokes and Weezer, Guitar Hero On Tour: Modern Hits expands on the innovative Guitar Hero® gameplay on the Nintendo DS by introducing an all-new Fan Request system that challenges players to jam like never before. Fret board fanatics can once again unleash their inner rock stars anytime, anywhere as they hone their shredding skills and jam to face-melting modern rock tracks from the last five years in Guitar Hero On Tour: Modern Hits.

KEY FEATURES:

* Rock out to today’s hottest tracks – Shred along to 28 master tracks, all modern rock hits from some of the hottest bands including Coldplay, Fall Out Boy, Tenacious D, Weezer, The Strokes and more. Players will tour through five all-new venues that are as extreme as the tunes played in them.

* Choose your path to stardom – For the first time ever, players can choose how they take their band from the underground music scene to worldwide rock stardom with the exciting non-linear gameplay progression in Guitar Hero On Tour: Modern Hits.

* Do it for the fans – Guitar Hero On Tour: Modern Hits delivers an all-new gameplay experience with Fan Requests. By completing Fan Requests players build their fan base and open up new challenges to rock-out like never before including jamming to an entire song in Hyperspeed, battling it out in a Guitar Duel with active Bomb Notes or whammying every single hold note in a song.

* Rock out anytime, anywhere – Fans can take the Guitar Hero experience wherever they go with Guitar Hero On Tour: Modern Hits. The Guitar Hero™ Guitar Grip™ mimics a guitar fret board and fits seamlessly in people’s hands to deliver the same core gameplay that defines Guitar Hero.

* The party never stops – Song streaming features allow players of Guitar Hero On Tour: Modern Hits and its predecessors, Guitar Hero: On Tour and Guitar Hero On Tour: Decades, to share songs via local wireless connectivity. Players can rock out together in multiplayer modes, jamming to tracks from all three versions of the game.

Once I figured out how to put the extension onto the DS, it was really easy to figure out the game. Check out my video below or a demonstration. As a musician, I love any good game having to do with music, so I dove right in. It took me a while to get the rhythm exactly correct. I usually feel the rythm, so trying to watch the dots come was a challenge. It was really great for hand-eye coordination, though!

As far as comfort while playing, I had to keep telling my self to relax. I was majorly tensing up my hand just from the concentration. It was a little tricky to reach my pinkie up to the button, but I soon got the hang of it, and it was comfortable.

My kids were enamored with the game right away. They had fun watching me play, and my eight year old was able to play it with a little practice. The age recommendation on the game is 10+, and I think that’s a good guideline, for the size of hand required, and content of the lyrics. With my eight year old, I usually listen to the songs first and play it with her, telling her which ones are appropriate for her. I tried to let my 6 year old play, and she just couldn’t get the coordination. I WISH we had 2 DS machines so we could try out the wireless connection- apparently you can both play together through your DS wireless connection. Now THAT would be fun!

While I loved playing the game, I felt really old. Um… apparently, the Modern Hits version features bands from the past 5 years, and I didn’t know even ONE of them! If you check out the Guitar Hero: On Tour Website, you can see the songs on all the versions. If I were to purchase this game, I would totally get the Decades, or original version, because I love most of the songs on those!

I give Guitar Hero: On Tour for the DS a thumbs up! Have you tried it? What do you think?

Courtesy of The Skinny Cow and Mom Central, I got to try The Skinny Cow’s Ice Cream Sandwiches, and I’ve got to say, I was a little skeptical at first. I’m usually not a big fan of low-fat dairy products or chocolate of any kind. But I put my bias aside to give the Skinny Cow a fighting chance!

When I lifted them out of the grocery bag, the kids and husband immediately began salivating, so I let the kids try it first.

You can see they had no problem scarfing them down in under 5 minutes! I cut them in half for the kids and myself, because the sandwiches were quite large.

I finally sat down to have one, after the kids were in bed. There’s something about enjoying a treat by myself with out three little baby birds opening their beaks below me! I was pleasantly surprised the they Ice Cream Sandwiches were REALLY good! Even the chocolate ice cream and the chocolate cookies were amazingly rich.

I know people say this all the time, but you really don’t have to feel guilty eating these (unless you eat the whole package in one sitting, which I was tempted to do!) I got the Chocolate/Vanilla and Mint Flavors, and they are only 2 Weight Watchers Points. TWO POINTS, people! And I cut mine in half, so it was only 1!

Many of The Skinny Cow treats are also recommended by the Best Life Diet with Bob Greene. I’m really excited about that, because I am getting ready to start the EA SPORTS Active 30-Day challenge June 1st! Bob Greene helped develop the program, and BTW, he’s Oprah’s trainer.

I’m trying of think of something they could improve upon, because I want to be impartial. But, I mean, it’s ice cream sandwiches, folks- YUM. But I think they could maybe make a smaller portion size. Even though they are only 2 points, 140 calories, and 1.5 g fat, I’m really trying to get used to eating less volume, which is why I cut my sandwiches in half.

So, have you tried The Skinny Cow products? What did you think?

Disclosure: The product was provided for this review. This is cross-posted at Wii Mommies Blog

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All busy moms try to find ways to help their kids to eat healthy on the go! I admit it is so hard to do, when you’re running them to their activities and trying to work as well.

I recently tried a new Deli brand, from Armour-Eckrich Meats, called “Healthy Ones.”

Now, when I say “prepackaged Deli Meat,” you may not free-associate the word “healthy.” But Healthy Ones really has accomplished a more healthy version of your favorite sandwich meats, while retaining great flavor! It is sold as pre-packaged deli meat, and also at the deli counter.

I’ve never been one to pore over ingredients lists at the grocery store, but as I was testing this meat, I decided to peek at the other brands in the deli meat section. I thought, “Just how much healthier is Healthy Ones?”

I couldn’t even pronounce some of the things I saw in them! I couldn’t believe the ingredients, such as butylated hydroxytoluene (what is THAT?), high fructose corn syrup, modified food starch, MSG, artificial flavor, and more. Why do they need to put that in meat? I don’t get it!

Healthy Ones don’t have any of those aforementioned ingredients. But since I was trying to find out what each ingredient actually means, I looked up each of the ingredients in Healthy Ones that I wasn’t exactly sure of.

• Sodium Phosphate: preservation, salt derivative.
• Sodium Diacetate: seasoning (created as a result of the ‘fizzing reaction between baking soda and vinegar)
• Sodium Nitrite: prevents growth of Clostridium botulinum, the bacteria which causes botulism. (If you suffer from migraines, you may want to avoid this.)
• Potassium Lactate: increase food safety as it has a broad antimicrobial action and is effective at inhibiting most spoilage and pathogenic bacteria.
• Sodium Erythorbate: Sodium erythorbate is produced from sugars derived from sources such as beets, sugar cane and corn

*all facts gathered from WikiPedia.

I’m comfortable feeding all of those things to myself and my kids. And many of them are required by the FDA for food safety and preservation. It’s all about education: you try to find out what you can about the ingredients in food, and make decisions from there!

Healthy Ones is also certified by the American Heart Association, assuring that each serving has:

• Less than 5 grams of total fat
• Less than 2 grams of saturated fat
• Less than 95 milligrams of cholesterol
• 480 milligrams or less in sodium
• At least 10% of the Daily Value of one or more of these nutrients: protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, iron, and dietary fiber

The only thing I feel they could do to improve in the ingredients department is to omit the caramel color from the Chicken and Turkey. (The Honey Ham does not have caramel color) Some adults and children follow a gluten/casein free diet, and cannot have caramel color, particularly those who are modifying the diets of Autistic or ADHD children. My family doesn’t have any problems with caramel color, so it doesn’t affect us.

Now, for the taste! I love the taste of the Healthy Ones Meat, and so do my kids! And I feel good sending it to school in their lunch. I brought some to a play group one day for all the kids to taste, and it was a big hit. For my kids, the Ham is the favorite, but they liked it all. My adult neighbor really liked the chicken, and so do I, because it’s a little thicker and more substantial than mopst other pre-packaged deli meats.

My favorite ways to fix it, besides sandwiches, are:

Ham and Egg Breakfast Sandwich

• Scramble 1 egg and cook it in a small skillet, keeping it together like a patty. Flip once.
• Put the egg, slices of Healthy Ones ham, and cheese onto a biscuit, sliced bread, or flatbread, and enjoy!

Grilled Meat and Cheese Sandwiches with Soup (Talk about a quick healthy dinner!)

• I put a couple slices of Healthy Ones meat, and cheese between bread.
• Spray a George Foreman Grill with cooking spray or oil, and cook the sandwich.
• Serve with your choice of soup.

Chef’s Salad

• Lay a bed of baby spinach or lettuce, and add your favorite veggies.
• Top with cut up Healthy Ones deli meat.

If you want some more sophisticated recipes with Healthy Ones meat, click here to view a PDF. And if your grocery store doesn’t carry Healthy Ones, you can ask for it at the Customer Service Desk!

What are your thoughts about eating healthy on the go?

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As the long-awaited Hannah Montana movie hit the theaters Friday, I pulled the mom card. I picked up the kids from school 45 minutes early on the last day before Spring Break. Please don’t call social services, I won’t do it again. (soon, anyway) Of course, as a Blogger/Reviewer, it was my job to see it on opening day, right? Yes, I make sacrifices for my job!

I’ll start with my fears about the movie, and taking my 8, 5, and 3.5 year old to this film. I was a little worried that:

• Hannah/Miley would be dressed a little too skimpy than I would like my daughters to dress. Seeing it on TV is a little different than having her plastered at 10 times the normal size right in front of you.
• In Miley’s budding romance with cute cowboy, there might be a little too much mushy love stuff. We already have a boy-crazy 5 year old, and she doesn’t need any encouragement… really.
• The stereotypes of southern country folk would go beyond the good-natured humor into a derrogatory attitude. We live in one of those podunk towns little known rural gems, you know!

So now to the actual movie! In the opening scene, Hannah Montana struggles with juggling her Pop Star life and her Regular Teen life. This is a major theme in the movie, as she regularly has to be in two places at one time: one as Miley, and one as Hannah. The very first thing I thought of was how I could relate to her, as a WAHM! So many times, I am on a business call while I’m serving my daughter lunch or emptying the dishwasher. In fact right now, I’m writing this review while driving down to the family Easter Egg Hunt. I know, boo hoo, cry me a river, right? I’m not trying to complain, but I can relate to the whole “best of both worlds” thing, know what I mean?

The slapstick humor throughout the movie is fantastic. As Hannah and Tyra Banks both eyed a fab pair of shoes in an LA boutique, I thought, “Here we go!” We’ve all seen the previews, but the actual scene was beyond funny! Exploding birthday cakes, mud baths, chicken feathers, hot sauce, walnuts, a pumpkin stuck on Jackson’s head, and a mischeivous ferret contributed to the guffaws from the audience! And since every movie must have a nemesis, the Paparazzi Villain provided big comic relief.

Disney must have been listening to the parental nervousness about Hannah/Miley’s shrinking wardrobe, because the clothes in the movie were wonderful. While still portraying Miley as beautiful as she truly is, the clothes were very hip and adorable, but modest enough that I’d let my young children emulate them.

The cameo appearances from Country Stars were a real treat. When HipChick got home she said, “Tell daddy about his favorite band in the movie!” A pickin’ session in the Stewart family living room with Rascal Flatts, and Taylor Swift’s song at the country dance caused my children (and me) to gasp.

Let me digress to Taylor Swift for a minute. With her first couple of singles, which I wouldn’t exactly call musical genius, I thought she might be a two hit wonder. But this girl can really sing, and she shows it in the movie. As she moves into songs with more than three notes, I can’t wait to see what she does.

Anyway, I’m going to go out on a limb and predict that Miley’s Hip Hop Hoe-Down will be the “must do” dance at tween birthday parties across the nation! It was a really cool scene.

Miley’s budding romance with a really cute cowboy (with an unaturally low speaking voice for his age) was just what I wanted my daughters to see. Their relationship develops through a genuine friendship and it is not based on superficiality or an emphasis on physical attraction (although they are both gorgeous!) And they never even kiss! Phew! I am of the opinion that movies don’t actually have to show everything, and those who are mature enough can guess that they are going to kiss at some point in their relationship!

I’m hesitant to give away more of the actual story, because I don’t want to give everything away. Here are a few of my favorite quotes from the movie:

• Miley: “Hannah Means everything to me!” Dad: “That right there just might be your problem.” You can talk to your kids about what is truly important in life.
• Miley’s Grandma: “We’re britches and boots around here.” And she’s proud of it!
• Miley’s Dad: “You do whatever you think is right.” There comes a time in our parenting when we need to say that to our kids and let them choose. Yes, they might mess up, but they will learn more through that than if we dictate everything.

Parents, you might want to bring a tissue for Miley and Billy Ray Cyrus’ duet near the end, Butterfly. Just sayin’…

All in all, the Hannah Montanah movie was FANSTASTIC!!! I really don’t have anything negative to say about it, except that when it comes out on video, I will be forced to watch it 8,000,000 times in a row.

Have you seen it? Tell me what you think!