Uncle Ben’s helps with healthy eating

I live in Louisiana where a meal without rice is, well, a disgrace. Uncle Ben might as well have been another member of our family because he was in our kitchen for almost every dinner. I don’t think I knew any other brands of rice existed until I battled the grocery as a young bride and wanted to prove my coupon savvy to my new husband.

I may have saved money on the rice, but I lost money on the dinner. The rice reminded me of the goop I used making paper maiche objects. Lesson learned. Back to Uncle Ben’s.

Years later, as a new mom, I attempted to introduce my children to a healthy brown rice.  Red beans and brown rice do make for a visually appealing meal. Back to Uncle Ben’s.

Now, though, Uncle Ben’s has Whole Grain White Rice. Looks like white rice. Tastes like white rice. But this new product has all the benefits of a whole grain rice. Brilliant.

Chef Sarah, my daughter pictured here, and I are going to make jambalaya. She’s thrilled to have the cool apron, mostly to protect herself  from me. I’m not all that neat in the kitchen.

The other five boxes of rice Uncle Ben’s generously provided, along with two more aprons, were going to be part of a giveaway. But I didn’t think that my blog readers would mind my donating them to our local food pantry.  As you may have heard, we’re dealing with an oil crisis, which-ironically-is affecting the very industry that gives us a reason to cook more rice. Many families who depend on that industry will be needing help. And I couldn’t think of a better way than to donate.

By the way…click the link and make yourself at home on Uncle’s Ben website. Great recipes and coupons!

“I wrote  this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Uncle Ben’s and received samples to facilitate my candid review. Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

SHREK FOREVER AFTER: Activision Publishing extends the fun

Since 2001, when my family first met Shrek, we’ve been in love with the ogre and his cast of characters. Oh, and the lovely Fiona. Who can resist a woman who has such amazing martial arts moves?

Shrek has become a family favorite in many households, mine included. And now, Activision Publishing presents the new Shrek Forever After video game, extending the film premise into a more interactive experience for the whole family.

In the game, kids will work to solve a number of puzzles and navigate mazes, tackle enemy armies and explore Shrek’s normal world and his new alternate reality. Available for the Wii, Nintendo DS, Xbox 360 and Playstation 3, the Shrek Forever After video game presents numerous challenges that include exploring the various levels, unlocking new areas and earning upgrades. The game can even be a social and collaborative experience allowing kids to invite parents, siblings or friends to choose between Shrek, Fiona, Puss In Boots and Donkey, with each character boasting their own unique set of abilities and skills to help the team move on to the next level.

My daughter was thrilled to share this video with her friends, and since it’s a 4-way player nobody’s left out. Plus, the game is not difficult to navigate, which is crucial to the fun factor.

Shrek, Fiona, Puss In Boots and Donkey unite to battle the evil Rumpelstiltskin. What keeps the game interesting is that there are two realities. In one, Shrek is the charming ogre we know and love. In the other, he’s a stranger to all his friends. Each one of his friends offers a different talent.

And, the fun continues with the Shrek Mad Libs. Like all Mad Libs, you fill in the blank spaces with words that the writer calls out. Then the reader plugs in the words to create a wild story.

“I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Activision and received the items necessary to facilitate my review. In addition, Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.”