meal Archives - Mommy Kat and Kids

McDonald’s Happy Meals Just Got Happier with New Choices Between Toys and Books!

May 17, 2017 by Kathryn 21 Comments

Disclosure: I was compensated for this post, but my opinions are my own.

When I was a child, having a Happy Meal at McDonald’s was one of my favourite special treats for dinner. Choosing my meal item, having cookies for dessert, the surprise of the toy, every bit of it was something to be savoured. And while McDonald’s Happy Meals have changed a lot over the years, one thing hasn’t changed…how much they’re loved by children across Canada!

But now, McDonald’s Canada has found a way to make Happy Meals even happier, and it’s one I couldn’t be more excited about. Thanks to a great new partnership with Kids Can Press and First Book Canada, children will have one more way to personalize their Happy Meal by choosing between a toy and a book, starting today! [Read more…]

Get Ready To Pack Lunches Kids Will Love with Boomerang Food Movers-Giveaway

August 13, 2015 by Kathryn 135 Comments

The new school year is creeping up faster than I would like, but I have to admit that there’s one part of the back-to-school season I absolutely love…shopping for new school gear! And lunch gear has always been a personal favourite of mine. Gone are the days of squished sandwiches in plastic bags and paper lunch sacks thrown into the trash. Now there are tons of fun, kid-friendly lunch containers that help ensure eco-friendly and delicious lunches!

Boomerang Food Movers is one of the newest Canadian providers of litterless lunch supplies, and recently I had the chance to review the company’s products for myself. I received a plethora of Boomerang products including Litterless Snack Tubes, Sandwich Wraps and Meal Boxes. The bright colours and convenient sizes had me actually wishing I were packing school lunches already! [Read more…]

Get Cheesy on Mexican Night With a Special Offer from Old El Paso and Kraft Canada

April 10, 2015 by Kathryn 20 Comments

My boys’ first experience with Mexican food was a taco party made with an Old El Paso Dinner Kit, and while we’ve tried all kinds of different Mexican delicacies since then, Old El Paso tacos are still their favourite. Benjamin loves a soft taco and Zackary likes the crunchy shells, but both boys agree that Old El Paso is delicious!

I wouldn’t have though that this tasty treat could get any tastier, but Old El Paso and Kraft Canada have found a way with a very special offer! Between now and April 23, purchase select Old El Paso Dinner Kits to receive a coupon for Touch of Philadelphia Shredded Cheese. Take the coupon to the store and purchase another Old El Paso Dinner Kit and an Old El Paso Salsa to get the Touch of Philadelphia Shredded Cheese free! [Read more…]

Meal Planning Tips and an Easy Recipe from Unilever and Expert Sandi Richard

July 2, 2014 by Kathryn 63 Comments

I have been fascinated by the concept of meal planning for a few years now. I have repeatedly heard that it is one of the best ways to save money on the grocery budget and I know it must be a huge stress saver as well to not have to worry about what to make for supper each day. But I have to admit, I always thought the process was far too complicated for me to be able to manage.

Then Unilever, the makers of numerous dinnertime favourites including Hellman’s, Knorr and Ragu, gave me the chance to chat with expert meal planner Sandi Richard and I had high hopes that her advice might help me to finally figure out this concept and start enjoying the benefits of meal planning. Luckily for me, Sandi understands that busy parents don’t have time for a complex and confusing system when it comes to meal planning. The process should start, she says, with a simple sheet of paper (you can download a blank “Eat Sheet” on her website) and a family meeting.

Sandi was full of practical tips and the first one was that only five meals per week should be planned. She said there should be one day when parents can feel fine about ordering out and one day when eating grilled cheese and soup is acceptable, so five meals can take a family through the week without a problem. To decide on those five meals, she suggests just using a blank sheet of paper and filling in each of the meals. But to make the process work, getting input from the entire family is crucial! [Read more…]

Take the Rush Out of Supper with this Easy Club House Bag’n Season Chicken and Root Vegetable Recipe #ItsInTheBagCH

November 18, 2013 by Kathryn 39 Comments

This post is part of the YummyMummyClub.ca and the Club House #ItsInTheBagCH sponsored program. I received compensation as a thank-you for my participation. This post reflects my personal opinion about the information provided by the sponsors.

I often think that since I work from home, preparing dinner every day should be easy. I’m in the house, I know what ingredients I have on hand and I have all day to plan. But somehow, that’s just not what seems to happen. I start out with good intentions in the morning, but I generally dive into work shortly after getting up and before I know it, the day has slipped away and there’s less than an hour to get dinner on the table.

That’s why quick and easy supper solutions are something that I always get excited about, and the new Club House Bag’n Season looked like just the type of product I could fall in love with. I received three packages of Club House Bag’n Season to test out and I couldn’t wait to get cooking!

The fabulous thing about this new product from Club House is that it creates a complete meal. The package comes with a cooking bag to fill with meat and vegetables. Then I simply sprinkle in the Club House seasoning, close the bag with the included tie and bake. I decided to make the Club House Bag’n Season Mixed Herb chicken with root vegetables since I had some great organic veggies to cook with.

[Read more…]

McDonald’s Happy Meals Encourage Reading with Fun New Books-Giveaway

November 8, 2013 by Kathryn 120 Comments

Almost every child gets excited about a McDonald’s Canada Happy Meal, and between now and November 14, 2013, you can get excited about Happy Meals too, because each one now comes with one of four charming children’s books! As a huge literacy advocate, I was so excited about this new program and my boys, both of whom love reading, were just as delighted.

I received all four of the books to review along with a few McDonald’s goodies. I liked the fact that the books had positive messages about eating healthy or exploring the world, while still being lots of fun. Doddi the Dodo Goes to Orlando was my personal favourite. The story of a Dodo that gets lost on the yearly migration to Orlando and ends up touring the world was fun, fresh and had a clever ending. Plus it helped get my boys asking questions about other countries! [Read more…]

Give Your Kids a Quick and Healthy Lunch with the Extreme Pita Kids Menu-Giveaway

October 29, 2013 by Kathryn 168 Comments

My boys can be picky eaters, so finding tasty, healthy food that they will actually eat is a never-ending challenge in our household. And when we’re out and about, keeping our meals healthy is even more difficult! The kids may be happy with hamburgers, fries and soda, but I can’t help but want them to have something more nutritious. So when Extreme Pita gave me the chance to review its fresh and healthy Kids Menu, I couldn’t resist. I had been wanting to try Extreme Pita for quite some time and I had high hopes that the company’s veggie-packed, freshly-made pitas would be something my boys enjoyed too.

Extreme Pita is passionate about creating healthy food that tastes great, something I noticed as soon as I walked into the restaurant. Fresh vegetables are abundant and for hot pitas, veggies are sautéed in water instead of oil to keep the fat minimal. Best of all, a variety of the pitas both on the regular menu and the Kids Menu have earned the Heart and Stroke Foundation’s Health Check Symbol! [Read more…]

Get Dinner Ready in Record Time with Tasty Asian Dishes from Fine Choice Foods-Giveaway

September 3, 2013 by Kathryn 131 Comments

Today is the first day of a new school year and that means that the season of rushed mornings, homework and extra-curricular activities is here! There are still plenty of relaxed evenings in the average week in our household, but there are also times that I am on a strict schedule between the end of school and the start of one of my boys’ sports lessons or activities. That’s why finding quick and easy meal ideas that my boys love is always welcome once autumn arrives!

I also love food that’s a little different than the standard soup and pasta that my boys would eat every day if I let them, and so I was very excited when I got the chance to test out a variety of frozen convenience foods from Fine Choice Foods. This Canadian-owned company offers a variety of quality Asian foods including spring rolls, wontons and egg rolls that taste great and go from freezer to table in just minutes!

[Read more…]