Overcoming a Picky Eater's Problems with Enfagrow Toddler

My youngest loves food, but his typical toddler eating habits have left a few gaps in his diet that Enfagrow can help me fill. That is why I was so excited to be part of this sponsored post program. All opinions and experiences are my own.

My youngest, Elliott, is a great eater... for a toddler.

Okay, so his favorite foods may be grilled cheese, macaroni and cheese and well... cheese. But, he is working hard at exploring the tastes and textures we offer him at the table each day. Despite my best intentions, some days his steamed vegetables are launched across the room instead of being eaten or his whole grains and lean proteins are smeared on his high chair tray and into his hair. After two older children I am not going to make mealtime a war zone. Toddlers can be picky and inconsistent eaters even on the best of days.

The only problem we have is Elliott is both very active, but also a light eater. On his last visit to the pediatrician's office he hadn't gained weight. His head has been steadily growing and he is taking his first steps, but he just needed more calories and nutrition than he could get out of his normal meals.

One suggestion I was given was to try to a toddler formula like Enfagrow Toddler Transitions or Enfagrow Toddler Next Step.

Now that Elliott is transitioned to solid foods, I can't ensure that he receives all the good nutrition he was getting while he nursed. Enfagrow has important nutrients like calcium, vitamin D, iron and a prebiotics blend to support digestive health in just two servings a day. That means I can add Enfagrow to his sippy cup at two meals and get some of those nutritional gaps covered. The powder is super easy to mix with water, even when we are on the go.

One concern I have since he doesn't eat many foods with natural fatty acids, is that he may not be getting DHA in his diet.

But Elliott is not alone. In fact, DHA is particularly hard to get from the foods toddlers typically like to eat. Cookies? Not there. Grilled Cheese? Not there, either. Naturally you can find it in fatty fish or nuts. Neither of these are typically on Elliott's menu so I needed to find another source.

So what is DHA, exactly?

Well, it is an omega-3 fatty acid and an important nutrient for the brain. When I was taking a prenatal vitamin, while pregnant with Elliott, it was suggested that I look for one that had DHA. And since 85% of his brain growth is going to take place here over the first three years of his life, it is important to me that he has DHA through his toddler years.

I spend so much time playing and trying to stimulate Elliott's growing curiosity, I might as well make sure he has the proper nutrition to feed that growing brain.

Elliott's next weight check is coming up and I am confident I am doing everything I can to give him excellent nutrition. Enfagrow Toddler has been easy to add right alongside the steamed vegetables and grilled cheese sandwiches.

Do you have a picky eater? How do you help your toddler maintain a balanced diet?

Giveaway has ended! Winner is - Rachel A., verified. Thank you to everyone who entered! 

Giveaway Time!!

One lucky reader at Adventures in All Things Food will win an Enfagrow gift package (ARV $38) that will include the following:

●     One Toddler Transitions Can (21oz.)

●     One Toddler Next Step Natural Milk Flavor Can (24oz.)

For a chance to win, comment below with why you love Enfagrow or why you want your toddler to try it. Giveaway ends September 24^th, 2014 and the winner will be announced here on the blog and emailed so they can claim their prize. Winner must be 18 or over and reside in the US. Good luck!

NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. LEGAL RESIDENTS OF THE 50 UNITED STATES AND D.C. 18 YEARS AND OLDER ARE WHO ALREADY HAVE INTERNET ACCESS AND VALID E-MAIL ADDRESSES ARE ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. Promotion begins 9/8/2014 at 12:00 AM PST and ends at 11:59 PM PST on 9/24/2014. Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received. Official Rules, eligibility, prize descriptions and odds disclosure are available at http://www.thesitsgirls.com/sweepstakes-official-rules/ . Sponsor: Mead Johnson & Company, LLC, 2400 West Lloyd Expressway, Evansville, IN 47721.

I received compensation and free Enfagrow for this post. 

Enfagrow would be happy to help you with your question. Please contact them at 1-800-BABY-123.

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Fabulous Messes and Stretching with Viva® Vantage

Thanks to Viva Vantage and Walmart for sponsoring today's discussion about toddlers, messes and stretching the paper towel farther. All opinions and experiences are my own.

Don't point that spoon at me Mama. I can do it!

There is a shift around here. My little eager eater has taken lunch into his own hands. He is bound and determine to tackle every juice dripping mess with a gusto. Who am I to stand in the way of this new milestone. Instead of fighting nature, I outfitted him with a bib and sat back to eat my own lunch. It was definitely something to witness

He eager slurped up his watermelon, fruit pouch, cheese and juice... with more than half ending up on his highchair tray or in the seat.

Of course I knew it was going to need some serious clean-up help. His highchair tray was starting to resemble a little mini water table.

Don't worry though...

Just one small sheet of Viva Vantage, with its great scrubbing power for everyday messes such as this one, cleaned this mess up quickly. One sheet is all it took.

Have you tried Viva Vantage? With sponge-like absorbency and revolutionary V-Flex Weave there is scrubbing power enough for any of my kids' spills and messes. And let's be honest, kids create a lot of messes.

I grabbed our pack of Viva® Vantage Paper Towels at my local Walmart while picking up the rest of our groceries. Easy right?

Paper towels get heavy use by all the members of my family. From the usual daily spills, they are also grabbed for sticky fingers, to cover food in the microwave and even to line my crisper drawers in the refrigerator. Right now my daughter is using them to help her practice her alphabet before Kindergarten starts.

The kids aren't going to stop making messes anytime soon. I know that. I am just glad that I have a paper towel that works well for my family. Really, it has it's job cut out for it.

What would your family like to start Scrubbing with Viva® Vantage?

Simply Roasted Chicken, New Potatoes and Aspargus

I received pans and compensation from Handi-Foil to facilitate my review and recipe. All opinions and experiences are my own.

I am always looking for a simpler way to get dinner on the table. Something that doesn't require a lot of pans and uses all real and simple ingredients. That is where this Simply Roasted Chicken, New Potatoes & Asparagus dinner came from.

I look forward to Asparagus every year, so I grabbed several bunches on our last trip to the grocery store. Roasted like this with some olive oil, sea salt and a little lemon zest to finish, it is delightful.

The chicken and bacon idea came from the fact I wanted to roast this entire dinner in my oven, together, but all I had on hand was boneless, skinless chicken breasts. On their own, those would have turned out so dry. I didn't want to bread them or create a sauce, so I let the uncured bacon help to baste it. The addition of a little lemon kept everything simple and fresh.

I grabbed a 2-pack of handi-foil roaster pans. One I used with my new potatoes and chicken, and the other I used with the asparagus. It was the easiest dinner to create and I will be making it again.

Start by washing your new potatoes. My kids love these! I usually grab the assorted bags of red and white potatoes for color. They cook up quickly and are so tender.

I drizzled my potatoes with a little olive oil and then sprinkled them with salt and pepper. I put them in to roast first.

Then I snapped the woody stalks off my asparagus. Hold the stalk loosely in both hands, one hand on each end and bend them slighlty in the middle. They will break at the perfect spot and you will be left with the tender part of the asparagus. Discard or compost the ends.

Once my potaotes were fork tender, I added the chicken and bacon right on top. I put a lemon slice on each, spread some thin slices of yellow onion around the pan and drizzled everything with a little more olive oil, salt and pepper.

Yeah, back into the oven.

The asparagus, meanwhile, I prepped with some olive oil and coarse salt and pepper. It went right on the rack underneath the chicken and potatoes for the final 10 minutes, or until it is crispy and fragrant.

Be sure to use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of your chicken. The bacon will even start to crisp up along the edges when it is done as well.

The added bonus is the potatoes will soak up all the pan juices from the chicken, bacon and olive oil. Natural can be even tastier than a heavy cream sauce, don't you agree?

Simply Roasted Chicken, New Potatoes and Asparagus
You Will Need:

• 1 lb. new potatoes
• olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 pkg. uncured bacon (look for nitrite and nitrate free)
• 1 lemon, sliced in half (half thinly sliced and the other half zested)
• 1 bunch of asparagus

Start by preheating the oven to 475 degrees.

Wash and poke the new potaotes. In a  Handi-Foil roasting pan drizzle and toss the new potatoes in olive oil to coat, then liberally season with salt and pepper. Roast for 15 - 20 minutes until just fork tender, not soft.

Then add the chicken breasts to the top, season with salt and pepper. Cut bacon slices in half and cover the top of the chicken breasts with sliced bacon. Top each breast with a slice of lemon and then drizzle each lightly with olive oil. Bake for 20 minutes, but depending on the size of your chicken peices you will need to check with a digital thermometer at around 15 minutes. Cook until the internal temperature of your chicken reaches 180 degrees.

Meanwhile, break off the woody part of your asparagus and toss in olive oil. Place in the other Handi-Foil roasting pan and sprinkle with coarse salt and freshly cracked pepper. Place below the chicken to bake for the final 10 minutes. Sprinkle with fresh lemon zest before serving.

Now, wasn't that easy! And cleanup is even easier. Just rinse and recyle your pans, or put the lids on to quickly and easily store your leftovers.

Have you ever used Handi-Foil?

Connect with Eco-Foil on Facebook or check out the Handi-Foil website to browse their entire collection of pans.

Easy Ghirardelli Chocolate Mousse - The Perfect Valentine

With Valentine's Day quickly approaching I asked my husband, "If I was using chocolate, what kind of dessert would you like for Valentine's?"

His answer was surprising. I expected him to ask for a chocolate cream pie, chocolate chip cookes, etc. He asked for chocolate mousse instead.

Mousse? Isn't that difficult?

Luckily it isn't. But the key is using good chocolate. I mean, mousse is pretty light on ingredients.

A Mousse is chocolate and beaten egg whites. Chilled, it is often topped with whipped cream to help cut the decadence. Either chocolate shavings or raspberries are a common garnish. And as simple as it is, it IS amazing!

Smooth and silky on the tongue, it is a special occaision treat that seems much more complicated than it really is. But, does it matter if everyone thinks you slaved away on dessert?

Go ahead and let them think so...

Of course, since chocolate is the star of this dish you have to go with a brand that delivers a high cacao content as well as melts easily for the ideal mousse texture. Our dessert came out creamy and rich, exactly what I expect from Ghirardelli chocolate.

In fact, whenever I am buying baking chips for making cookies or just to have on hand in the pantry, my husband insists that I only buy Ghirardelli. It is made with a propriety blend of quality ingredients and you can taste the difference in whatever you are making. 

I love bittersweet chocolate for recipes like this one, but there is a whole range of Ghirardelli varieties to fit any recipe or chocolate preference you have.

Easy Ghirardelli Chocolate Mousse

You Will Need:

• 8 oz. Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Baking Chips, roughly chopped
• 3 Tbsp. water
• 4 large egg whites, at room temperature
• a pinch of salt
• whipping cream
• 1 Tbsp. chopped Ghirardelli chocolate reserved for garnish

Roughly chop the chocolate so it melts faster. In a double boiler add the water and baking chips. Keep stirring until the chocolate has all melted and the mixture is smooth and shiny. Take off the heat and continue to stir till the mixture begins to cool. Set aside.

While the chocolate comes to room temperature, in a stand mixer whip the egg whites and salt to stiff peaks. When the whisk attachment is removed from the bowl, the whites should hold their shape.

Fold 1/3 of the egg whites into our chocolate carefully. Then fold in the remaining eggs. Try to not deflate the mixture, but incorporate the whites and chocolate well so there are no streaks remaining.

Chill for at least 3 hours before serving so it can set up properly.

Serve topped with fresh whipping cream and a pinch of chopped chocolate.

Enjoy!

A double boiler is handy for melting chocolate without scorching, but you can also put a mixing bowl over a saucepan filled with water. Just keep stirring until all the chunks have melted and the mixture is shiny and smooth. 

Before you know it, you will have this amazingly decadent dessert to present your sweetie for Valentine's Day.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Finding Fun with McCain Potatoes + Facebook Contest

I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for McCain Foods. I received a sample to facilitate my review as well as a promotional item as a thank-you for participating.

Kids can be really tough food critics! Some nights I go all out, but usually I am just trying to fix a meal that my whole family will eat without complaint. My son is becoming more adventurous with his eating, but my daughter has hit the stage where every bite has to be encouraged. I know my kids belong to me because one thing they are always up for is a potato.

Yes, french fries, tots, sweet potato fries, etc. all make my family smile, but when I tried the McCain Smiles from my local Fred Meyers and Walmart, it was pure dinner magic. My kids were amazed that these smiling faces were made out of tasty mashed potatoes and perfect for dipping. Just like fries, I simply baked them in the oven till golden brown.

My kids wasted no time in digging in. We paired these with hamburgers and cantaloupe for a fast and delicious meal.

They are soft and delicious inside and crisp on the outside. All of us enjoyed this unique take on a potato side dish. Even better, they are all natural.

McCain Potatoes is currently running a Grocery Goodness Giveaway on Facebook.

One winner each week (8 total) will win a $500 grocery store gift card. Contestants can also check out the Grocery Goodness Giveaway tab for to receive a $1 off coupon off any 1 bag of McCain Potato products!  See full details on the McCain Potatoes Facebook page.

“Load up on groceries your family loves, and bring naturally good moments to the dinner table every time you serve McCain Potatoes."

Okay, be sure to head over to enter, grab a coupon and try out McCain Potatoes for yourself. With several varieties to choose from, I am sure your family can share a smile over dinner as well.

What style of McCain Potatoes would you like to try?

Need Advice or Ideas for a Trip? Look to Gogobot.

Yes, with the dreary wet weather here in Oregon, I am ready to start planning our next family vacation. Due to my husband's work schedule we tend to take our big family trip in the Spring before things get busy around the farm.

Our yearly destination takes us up to the state of Washington for a water park, but this year I have decided to extend our usual trip to include a little jump up to Seattle.

Now, the last time I vacationed in Seattle I was 5.

Space Needle, Zoo... and...? Yeah, that is the extent of my memories of staying in Seattle. So I don't have a lot to go off of when planning a fun trip for my family.

Have you heard of Gogobot?

Not your typical "travel" site.

In fact, since I am a social person, this is the perfect site for me to do my trip research and planning. It is a social travel site started in 2010. Connect with your friends and other travelers to find the best spots to eat, stay and visit while in that city. You can even create your own poll to help you choose.

I know, there are tons of sites with rating systems and reviews, but this site is much more organic and interactive. It is like getting advice from all your friends on the perfect outfit, but in this case all things vacation related. I have friends in city and even some family nearby, so this is a great chance to see how their opinions all stack up. I might even have to create a poll for the best sushi spot.

So let's start with food. I know Seattle is just bursting with great places to find and food to try, so I selected 'Restaurants' from the top menu.

First I found the Umi Sake House which was recommended for sushi. I can scroll over the title and a box shows up on the map on the right. Very handy.  So, I could find a few more recommended sushi places and throw a poll together for my Seattle friends. I would love to see if they choose the Umi Sake House as their favorite sushi place also.

Then we need to find a place to stay. Yes, you can find information on Gogobot about hotels or vacation rentals. I will be traveling with 2 young children with special dietary needs, so I was especially interested in staying at the Pan Pacific Seattle. What caught my eye were the reviews on the great city views and a Whole Foods downstairs. Doesn't that sound perfect? A little walk from the Space Needle or downtown shopping, but I could pack our jogging stroller and get in an little workout as well.

Then I went over to 'Things to Do'. So many options! It is nice to find all the most recommended destinations all in one spot. As a Mom with small children the Seattle Aquarium caught my eye, and one Gogobot pro reviewer suggested seeing the aquarium, grabbing a bite to eat early and then checking out the new Ferris Wheel. Yes, I am sure my kids would love that!

The Pacific Science Center was another well reviewed attraction. My son loves science and the interactive exhibits would be the highlight of his trip.

Of course to really get into Gogobot, you should create a profile. It's easy, just sign up through Facebook, twitter or your email address. If you love to travel, like I do, you can put destinations in your site passport for your friends to see and enjoy. Travel, experience and tag with what you would tell your friends about the destination.

Gogobot allows you to tap into the knowledge of your friends when planning a trip anywhere. You can find like-minded travelers and inspiration for your next vacation, creating easy-to-use wishlists you can return to again and again.

And when you are not in vacation mode or planning a trip, you can discover hidden gems in your own neighborhood for entertaining guests or a weekend staycation.

The best part? Every page on Gogobot is personalized. You can see reviews from your friends and people you are following at the top, which allows you to weed out the noise and fraudulent reviews that become a problem on other review sites. Check out Gogobot today!

*Disclaimer - This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Gogobot. The opinions and text are all mine.

PaperDirect - A Great Selection for the Holidays

Less than 2 months before Christmas! Are you ready?

Whether you still need to shop for Christmas invitations, banners or Christmas signs for your upcoming holiday events or parties, PaperDirect has a great selection of products to meet your needs for this holiday season.

Take a look around to see fold-up invitations as well as flat invitation options that you can design online to have professionally printed, or desktop printable designed papers for home/office use. While browsing, I found these Seasons Silhouette fold-up invitations.

Wouldn't these be perfect to announce a holiday party? 

We usually try to get our friends together at least once in December. It is a great chance to see friends and connect before the craziness of traveling and the holidays begin. I don't usually send out formal invitations, but these might be the inspiration I need to start a new tradition this year.

As for their banners, I already have my eye on one design to help advertise our annual toy drive for Christmas.

PaperDirect has other products as well. Be sure to check out their Certificates/Awards, Business items, Presentation/Promotion products as well as traditional wedding invitations, etc. while on their site. If you are needing return address labels for your invitations, they can help you with those as well.

*Disclaimer - This sponsored post was made possible by Mom Spark Media. I was compensated for my time investment and work on this campaign. All opinions expressed are my own.