When Lil’ Man was younger, that kid was all about the squeezy pouches, which was great! They are easy to carry, come in lots of varieties, and are overall a million times more convenient than glass jarred baby food. HOWEVER, they make a lot of trash.
Recently I discovered the Easy Anywhere Reusable Baby Food Pouches. These pouches are incredible.
You can refill the pouch again-and-again. No accidental spills with the reinforced double zipper. No more spending a lot of money on store bought pre filled pouches (over $1.00/each at most stores!). It’s made of sturdy but very flexible material that’s environmentally friendly (BPA-free, PVC-free & phthalate-free).
If you’ve got kids that don’t eat a lot in one sitting, you’ll never waste food in a pouch again with the convenient window at the back of the pouch!
They are easy to use too. Pour your delicious homemade purees (Or you could use pudding for a fun dessert) easily into the large opening on the top of the Pouch. You don’t need any special appliances to fill the pouch. No weird, rounded corners that are difficult to clean. Just use a bottle brush to clean the pouch and pop it into the washing machine.
We used ours at the zoo last week. I filled one with chilled pudding, and a second with homemade applesauce. These pouches would be great for backpacking or camping as well.
I’ve already picked up another set to share with a friend who is expecting soon! These make a pretty cool gift.
I want to thank the great people over at Easy Anywhere Brands and Tomoson for the chance to review this product. I was not financially compensated to review these products, however I received a four pack of Easy Anywhere Reusable Baby Food Pouches free to facilitate my review. I only recommend products and services that I feel may be a good fit for my readers.
Zut Alors! I wrote a few weeks back about how you can save money by ditching the ‘Bux habit, but I wanted to share a few quick, easy coffee recipes with you using freshly brewed coffee. We ditched our Mr. Coffee a few years back and opted to embrace the French Press.
The great people over at L&Z and Tomoson recently gave me the opportunity to try out the the Francois et Mimi 50oz Glass French Press. For those unfamiliar with a French press, it looks like this:
It’s a glass pot held by a metal “cage” with a heat proof handle. The lid contains a plunger with a fine mesh to contain all of the grounds in the bottom of the pot (and not in your cup) once the plunger has been depressed all the way.
Making Coffee in A French Press is a cinch:
Place 3 scoops of coffee grounds in the bottom of the glass pot.
Heat water in a pot or tea kettle until it is VERY HOT, but not boiling (about 30 second from boil- if you are using a tea kettle to heat your water, you’ll get familiar with the “I’m almost boiling” gurgle. If you are heating water on the stove in a pot, you want the water to have tiny bubbles that have yet to “pop”).
Pour hot water over grounds and put the lid on the pot, but do not depress the plunger.
After about 4 minutes, depress the plunger and the coffee is ready to drink.
The Francois et Mimi French Press is awesome because it’s 50 ounces, while most French Presses are 12-20 ounces. 50 ounces is comparable to a standard drip coffee pot. That means the Mr. and I can actually share a pot of coffee without one of us sneaking back into the kitchen after the first cup and finishing the pot (Our former French Press was only 24 ounces, which makes about 2 1/2 coffee cups of coffee).
So now you know how to make coffee in the French press here are a few ways to fancy up your cuppa Joe.
Quick & Easy Misto (aka a Cafe au Lait)
Ingredients:
20 ounces Hot Coffee (prepared however you like)
1 cup milk (whatever kind you like, I prefer whole or 2%).
Sweetener, if desired
Ground Nutmeg or Cinnamon, if desired
Directions:
In a heat proof cup, heat milk for approx. 30 seconds in the microwave.
Froth milk in a Magic bullet, blender, or using an Milk Frother. This takes about 30 seconds. The more fat the milk contains, the foamer the milk gets. Fat free milk (either dairy or non-dairy) does not get too frothy.
Pour Hot Coffee into your serving cup. Add your sweetener and stir. This is a great time to try a new sweetened syrup!
Using a spoon, Push frothed milk to the side and pour milk over the coffee.
Top with Foam if desired.
Get extra fancy and sprinkle the top of the foam with nutmeg or cinnamon!
Hot, frothy milk!The finished product, time for breakfast!
Quick & Easy Mocha: If you love a Cafe Mocha to start your day, simply add 2 T. of your favorite Chocolate milk mix to the milk before your heat and froth it. Follow the same directions as above.
If you like your coffee a little stronger, add an extra scoop of grounds into the French Press during the brewing process.
Because the French Press does not have a heat mechanism to keep the coffee hot throughout the day, you may want to pour the coffee into an insulated carafe. Because there is no heating mechanism, if you make an iced coffee using the remaining coffee (if there is any!) later in the day, the coffee will not be thick, bitter, or tar like (think about the coffee in your work place break room about 3pm- EEK!).
Cooled/leftover French Press coffee makes GREAT iced coffee. Simply pour over ice, add any milk and sweetener/syrup you’d like and serve. YUM!
For an Iced Mocha, mix 2 T. of your favorite Chocolate milk mix to the milk before adding it to your ice and coffee.
I love the Torani Sugar Free syrups, they come in over 40 flavors and most of them are great in coffee. We like the following flavors:
Irish Coffee (it’s non-alcoholic)
Caramel
Hazelnut
French Vanilla
Brown Sugar Cinnamon (Takes just like a cinnamon Dulce Latte from Starbucks)
Almond
Pumpkin Spice
Coconut (it’s good in a mocha)
I want to thank the great people over at L&Z and Tomoson for the chance to review this rad French Press. I was not financially compensated to review these products, however I received a 50 ounce French Press free to facilitate my review. I only recommend products and services that I feel may be a good fit for my readers.
I’d love to hear about your favorite coffee recipes. Leave a comment and share how you dress up your Cuppa Joe!
Taking care of my family is important to me, so I’m always on the look out for new products, services, and fun stuff that can enrich our lives. Recently Purex Insiders offered me the opportunity to try out the new Miracle Oil Body wash from Dial. After doing a bit of research on the key ingredient, I jumped at the chance.
The bubbly shot in the shower!
The “Miracle Oil” is Marula Oil, which comes from the nut of the Marula tree. It’s found in several countries in Africa, and not only is it used in cosmetic preparations because it contains vitamin E, but also linoleic acid. Linoleic acid is a fatty acid that provides moisture for skin- it is readily absorbed by the skin, so it leaves the skin supple, not shiny and greasy (very important!).
Dial uses all of the goodness contained in the Marula Oil to formulate a body wash that left my skin soft, supple and moisturizer throughout the day. This new body wash is formulated with Micro Oil Technology for a luxurious, clean-rinsing lather that leaves skin feeling clean, soft and smooth. It smells light and exotic, and the scent lingers all day. Lil’ Man told me, “Mommy, you have a good smell!” The scent is pretty unisex, so it’s great for the whole family, especially if multiple family members have dry skin (and with the cold this winter, I know we are all suffering!). I love that it makes so many lovely, rich, moisturizing bubbles!
Dial® Miracle Oil Body Wash is available at Target and other Mass Merchandisers. You can enter to win your own bottle! I am giving away 1 coupon for a free bottle, so one lucky winner will get to try the exotic, moisturizing body wash.
To enter, check out the Rafflecopter widget below! Don’t forget to comment with your biggest skin care concern this winter to get your first entry in!
The Dial brand provided me with a sample of Dial Miracle Oil Body Wash in exchange for a product review. However, all opinions expressed here are my own.
Hewes Family Fun 