Sandwich Inspiration from Sandwich Thins®, Pocket Thins® and Bagel Thins ® + Giveaway

The coupons for free product, information, and gift card have been provided by Sandwich Thins®, Pocket Thins® and Bagel Thins ®.  All opinions and experiences are my own.

Who doesn't love a good sandwich, right?

But bread has become a rather taboo treat lately. Whether you are counting carbs or worried about the extra calories, it is hard to create a great sandwich without a way to hold in all the yummy fixings.

So I was ready to take a new look at my favorite sandwiches. I grabbed Sandwich Thins®, Pocket Thins® and Bagel Thins ® to see if I could have my sandwich, and be able to enjoy it too.

I found all three options at my local Walmart, right in the bread section.

Now, I love bagel sandwiches, but sometimes the bagel can be too much. Too filling, too dry... just too much of a mouthful. I grabbed a bag of Thomas'® Bagel Thins® Bagels, in Everything. All Bagel Thins® are 110 calories, cholesterol-free, low in fat and contain zero grams of Trans Fat. Now, don't they look even better?

Instead of grabbing that bagel shop morning sandwich, which can really add up, I made one for myself at home. ...And I promise, I didn't miss the big, dry bagel. 

Great Morning Bagel Thins ®

You Will Need:

• 1 fried egg
• 1 slice provolone cheese
• 2 slices of bacon
• 1  Bagel Thins ® 

Mmm... this was a great way to start the day and I wasn't feeling sluggish afterwards. It was the perfect start to my good morning.

Did you know that Bagel Thins are only 3 points on Weight Watchers? You can find more delicious recipes on the Weight Watchers site. And even more fun on the Thomas' site.

For lunch I decided to have my fill with a Pocket Thins. I just adore pita pockets and flatbread because they can hold a salad in sandwich style. This time I made a filling Greek Salad to fill my whole wheat Pocket Thins.

Greek Chicken Pocket Thins® Sandwich
You Will Need:

• Plain Greek yogurt
• Greek Peppercinis, sliced thin
• Kalamata olives
• Grape Tomatoes, halved
• Grilled, sliced Chicken
• Butter lettuce, torn
• Whole Wheat Pocket Thins
• olive oil
• lemon juice

Smear the inside of a Pocket Thins with a little Greek yogurt (instead of mayo). Add your ingredients to the pocket and then drizzle with a little olive oil and lemon juice.

So easy. How would you load up yours?

But let's not forget the Sandwich Thins! For this classic sandwich twist I went with classic tuna sandwich and then stacked it high. More is alwasy better, right? Use Greek yogurt in the tuna salad to cut out some of the fat. Or check out other Weight Watchers recipe ideas.

Andrea's Stacked Tuna Sandwich Thins®
You Will Need

• 1 can of white meat tuna
• Plain Greek yogurt
• Butter lettuce, torn
• Colby Jack Cheese
• Red onion, sliced thin
• Tomato Slices
• Whole Wheat Sandwich Thins

Okay, now that you saw what I made with my Sandwich Thins®, Pocket Thins® and Bagel Thins ®, are you inspired to make something for yourself?

Giveaway Time!!!

Would you like a chance to win your own product coupons to try the Sandwich Thins®, Pocket Thins® and Bagel Thins ®? And a $25 gift card so you can stack your own sandwiches as high as you like?
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Need a Solo Meal, Fast? Tai Pei to the Rescue!

*Disclaimer - This blog post is part of a paid SocialMoms and Tai Pei® blogging program. The opinions and ideas expressed here are my own.

With my son at school, my daughter going through a picky eater phase and a husband who cancels lunch plans last minute, I am often left with the question of, "What should I make for lunch?"

I don't see the point in making anything special when I am eating solo. There is always laundry to be done or projects to tackle, so I like to grab something quick. Yesterday was just such a day.

With no left-overs handy and not even a spare slice of bread to be found, I was hungry. I grabbed a Tai Pei single serve Orange Chicken entree from the freezer. I double checked the cute little take-out box... just heat and eat. Rice was included and instructions asked me to leave the wrapping on the box - to get all the food inside steamed and perfect!

I love that you don't even need to add water, or remove or stir anything. It is ready to go directly from the freezer to the microwave. I can handle that.

I love Asian-style takeout, but in my small town, it just isn't an option. Am I the only one who loves reading her fortune after a meal of Chinese food? Well, the cute little take-out boxes have a QR-code on the side, so I can get my fortune fix - minus the stale cookie.

I'm really okay with that.

How was the Orange Chicken?

Delicious!

Filled with tender chicken, lots of vegetables, and fluffy rice this chef-created, restaurant-inspired dish was filling and a real mid-day treat.

How was the Preparation?

Couldn't be simpler! It was ready for me to enjoy in just a few minutes.

And if you like variety in your life, check out all the entrée options:  Beef & Broccoli, Bourbon Chicken, Cashew Chicken, Chicken Fried Rice, Chicken Chow Mein, Combination Fried Rice, General Tso’s Chicken, Orange Chicken, Pepper Beef, Shrimp Fried Rice, Sweet & Sour Chicken, and Sweet Teriyaki Chicken.

They also have the Tai Pei Asian Garden™ line with 8 flavor varieties that are low if calories, fat and sodium. Each of these entrées contain around 300 calories, 8 grams of fat or less. Yes, Asian-style quick meals without all the added guilt.

And look for the single-serve appetizers and multi-serve appetizers to share with the whole family in the freezer section like: Chicken Egg Rolls, Chicken Potstickers, Pork Egg Rolls, Pork Potstickers, Vegetable Egg Rolls, Battered Green Beans, Edamame, Mini Chicken Spring Rolls, Savory Chicken for Lettuce Wraps, Spicy Mini Chicken Egg Rolls, and Mini Vegetable Spring Rolls.

Now I can look forward to my next solo meal with Tai Pei.

Download a Buy One Get One FREE Coupon to try it for yourself.

This blog post is part of a paid SocialMoms and Tai Pei® blogging program. The opinions and ideas expressed here are my own.

Annie's Microwavable Cups Are Busy Mom Approved!

*Disclaimer - I received a sample of Annie's White Cheddar Macaroni & Cheese from Influenster in order to facilitate my review. All opinions and experiences are my own.

I gave up on macaroni and cheese years ago.

Most boxed stuff wasn't doing it for me. It was cheesy, but didn't taste like any real cheese I knew. And don't even get me started on the ingredient list. I moved on. I grew up.

I love to make macaroni and cheese from scratch, but to really do the dish justice, it takes a lot of time and money to find the best cheeses and do it right. A flavorful beschemel paired with aged cheddar and other strong specialty cheeses does produce a nice sauce, but it can be expensive. So we save this family favorite for special occasions and birthdays.

Now, I love Annie's products because they are healthier boxed food. Nursing a new baby, I don't always even have time for that. So these Macaroni and Cheese microwavable cups are a fabulous option for this busy Mom. They prove that real cheese really does taste better!

I received a complimentary cup in my Influenster #MamaVoxBox and it was the perfect single serving mid-afternoon snack. I fixed it one-handed while holding my baby, and then enjoyed it ... just the two of us.

So if you like #RealCheese? Give these handy, portable cups a try.

School Lunch Ideas - With a Little Help from Glad

Lunch can be simple, but it never has to be boring!

This week I donned my apron and thinking cap, scanned Pinterest and consulted my book collection on Japanese bentos. With school starting next week here, and either having started or will be starting soon for the rest of the country, it is time to think about how to handle our kids' brown bag days.

This simple turkey, cheddar, avocado and cucumber wrap is much more fun with some candy eyes on the kiwi halves and a few carrot sticks to separate them and add in a pop of color.

I know, I know, brown bags are so out! But I am not ready to invest a lot in my little ones' lunch containers either.

As a child I remember the headaches I gave my Mother when I forgot my lunch box, lost my thermos or forgot to throw away my left overs. My lunchbox usually resurfaced once the contents had grown a thick green fur. Yuck! So I am going to be proactive and use simple reusable Food Storage Products from Glad for our lunch needs. I love that this allows me to be both frugal and creative.

All these lunches are easy to make, and fun to receive after a busy morning at school. My children are both young so cute is always on the menu.

These lady bug rice balls are so easy to make! Just mix rice with ketchup for the desired color and add the black with shapes punched out or cut out of seaweed (nori) sheets. I used fine tipped scissors for the details. Look for nori in the Asian food section of your grocery store. I form my rice balls in a mold, but they can be formed just as easily in plastic wrap with your hands. Form when the rice is cool enough to handle but still warm. The warm and moist rice will help the nori shapes to stick. Then I use some hard seaweed for the antennae.

Slice an "x" into the top of radishes, throw in some other veggies or fruit, pack on a bed of romaine lettuce,  and you are good to go.

The Entree-sized Glad container was perfect to fit this big lunch. Place some lettuce or kale in the bottom of the tray for a very pretty presentation.

Mini bagels, or regular sized for bigger kids, fit well in the entree-size as well. I used a muffin paper to separate the small snack from the other food. You can also find silicone baking cups to use, but I prefer something that can be thrown away for my little ones.

What about an after school snack? Or on-the-go munchies for me? The Glad containers are clear, letting me easily find my veggies in the fridge. The Tall Entree-Size allowed plenty of room to pack in the cut veggies and also hold my pepper bowl for homemade ranch dip.

My little princess enjoyed this open-faced Biscoff and jam crown cut out of whole wheat bread. It was jeweled with craisins and packed with an assortment of little finger foods she enjoys.

The Glad Food Storage Products are the perfect size and shape for most anything! From the small snack containers to the mini rounds my kids can pack fruit, veggies, cookies, mini muffins and I can take my trail mix anywhere. The lids fit tight and securely so I don't have to worry about anything leaking or spilling. I also love the interlocking lids which keep my plastics cupboard  more organized.

Looking to have fun with your child's lunch menu? There are so many great and fun products available online and in stores now. My kit includes molds for the rice balls, face punches, cookie cutters, sandwich cutters, vegetable cutters and small fondant cutters. Just have fun and keep your eyes open for what your child would enjoy. Most of these items I either picked up on Amazon, in Michael's or Walmart.

Don't forget to add variety and color to make lunch more appealing.

Glad has so many solutions to your food container dilemmas. Wash, re-use and don't worry if your child doesn't return them. They are easy and inexpensive to replace. I was sent 4 different sizes and shapes to use for my lunch creations. I found a different use for each of them and am happy to use and reuse oXem for more lunches in the future. Mine washed up beautifully in the top rack of my dishwasher and they can also be used to reheat items in the microwave or store in the freezer.

And my kids? They love getting excited over lunch. I love it when they try everything and ask me to make the same lunches again and again.

Right now you can go over to Glad's Facebook page to share your own Back to School recipes, tips and ideas in the "Mom Made" promotion. Everyone who shares a tip or idea is eligible for a chance to win a Lunch Kit for child's entire class! Now, that would be a lot of bentos! Be sure to head over before August 31st, which this offer ends.

What are your lunch ideas? What would you pack in Glad Food Storage containers?

*Disclaimer - I have partnered with The Glad Products Company through DailyBuzz Moms to help promote their Food Storage products. I have been compensated for my time commitment to review this product. However, my opinions are entirely my own and I have not been paid to publish positive comments. Thank you GLAD!