Chaos Theory Reviews

Generally, we’re not a family that rushes for dinner. We don’t have too many activities and with Hayley in school, we don’t do very much in the evenings during the week. However, sometimes George will have a music client coming over or he’ll have to run out for something, in which case I do need to hurry with dinner a bit more. Also, now that soccer season has kicked off, soon we’ll be having one 6:30 pm game per week, and then two of them per week by the end of June.

Spaghetti (or any pasta in a tomato sauce) is a huge favorite here. We never really get tired of it, it’s fast and easy, and Breanna loves it so much that every night she asks if I’m making “suppaghetti”. The thing is, it still requires browning meat and onions, mixing it with a pot of sauce, and then on top of that, it leaves a bunch of pots and pans in the sink. While the meal may be quick, the clean-up isn’t!

Mom Central contacted me to see if I’d be interested in testing out a couple of the new Ragu Fresh & Simple Pouches. Well, I have a really hard time turning down anything that involves free food so I signed on.

I got two pouches. One was Tomato Basil and the other was Tomato, Onion and Garlic. Basil is one of my favorite spices, and I put garlic on just about everything, so I was happy with the flavors they sent me. Being the pasta fanatics that we are, it wasn’t long before I had the opportunity to try each one. They tasted great! I’ve gotten sauces in jars before but I don’t usually enjoy them unless I add stuff. When I tried the Tomato Basil pouch I actually didn’t have any garlic left and there was no meat defrosted so it was straight from the pouch to the pasta and it was still delicious.

What makes these sauces fast for rushed evenings? You don’t have to heat the sauce in a pot. You simply snip off the corner of the pouch and stick it upright in the microwave. Seriously. Once it heats through, you serve your pasta up and pour the sauce right on top. It’s fast and can be done in the time it takes you to drain and toss your pasta (I always toss ours with a bit of butter since Hayley isn’t a sauce fan in general). Better yet, you won’t run out the door and come back to a big pot of sauce soaking in your sink, which is really discouraging.

On a regular night, the quick-heat option doesn’t make a huge difference to me (though I definitely get behind anything that saves me from washing a pot), but it’s certainly great when you have to leave as soon as possible and you won’t have to sacrifice taste. Both pouches got a thumbs up from everyone - even Hayley, who agreed to dip a piece of pasta in a splash of sauce only to discover it was “pretty good”.

Mom Central shot me an email not too long ago and wondered if I’d be interested in sampling and reviewing the new Ocean Spray Cranergy drinks - a cranberry juice with energy-boosting green tea.

Well, a) cranberry is the only juice I can claim to truly like, and b) I’m a mother who works at home so I can always use an energy boost beyond the basic cup of coffee. Of course I was interested!

I was sent two bottles of the Cranergy juice. I read the label and there was nothing weird or chemical in it like you see in those bizarre energy drinks, stuff that scares me off lest it leave me shaking in the corner. The only thing Cranergy contained for an energy kick was the green tea and some extra B vitamins.

I took a bottle with me to the park one day when I didn’t really feel like going but felt an obligation because the kids needed to run around. I figured it was the best time to try the juice.

First of all, the taste surprised me at the first sip but I liked it once I got past that. If you don’t like green tea you probably won’t like this juice because that was what made the cranberry taste so different. I happen to love green tea so it was fine for me.

As for my energy levels, it really did seem to help. I ended up spending almost two hours in the park that day whereas I had planned on staying only for about a half hour. What was nice about it was that it wasn’t that caffeine buzz that gives you a rush and then lets you crash. It also wasn’t a wired high. It was just a nice, smooth feeling of not being so tired anymore.

George tried some too and also noticed a boost. I’m not sure if he loved the flavor as much as I did but he drank it all so I think that says something.

I am definitely interested in getting my hands on some more. I always start my day off with a coffee but the afternoon is when I need an extra “oomph”. Unfortunately, that’s not a good time for me to have coffee. I much prefer the idea of drinking some tasty juice that will get me over that middle-of-the-day hump.

I was asked by the Parent Bloggers Network if I’d like a chance to review Were You Raised by Wolves? Clues to the Mysteries of Adulthood by Christie Mellor. It sounded like a fun read so I said yes.

I was not disappointed at all.

The book is mainly aimed at people in their early 20s who are ready to leave home and forge a life of their own. Ideally, parents will teach their kids how to navigate things like how to clean your home, how to scrub a toilet, and that you shouldn’t show up at a dinner party empty-handed and salivating over free food. However, if you’ve missed out on some of the finer etiquette points or if you were raised by a neat freak who did everything for you, this book is a helpful little guide.

It’s not a fussy etiquette book, with all the delicate little frou-frou things that are important to high society folks or royalty - it’s just straight-forward basic survival. It teaches you how to avoid being the obnoxious “I’m going to be everyone’s best friend” person in the office when you just started working there last week, how to partake in a little alcohol without being the falling-down drunk everyone talks about, and how to make your bed properly since your Mom won’t be coming to your apartment to do it for you every morning.

At my ripe old age (ha) I knew most of the information in the book already, some from my mother and some from life experience. However, even I got a few tips here and there (I wish I had known about mayo taking care of water marks on wood five years ago, my poor table) and it’s perfect reading for anyone who is ready to leave home.

In fact, it might even be a good idea to make it required reading before anyone is allowed to move out, just to make sure all the bases are covered!

Recently, Mom Central contacted me to see if I’d be interested in reviewing the new Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes Gold cereal. I love cereal, so I replied to that with a very enthusiastic YES.

My enthusiasm didn’t diminish at all after receiving the sample. The new Gold cereal is sweetened with honey. I’ve never been a fan of the ridiculously sugary cereals, not even when I was a kid. My favorites were always the healthy ones that didn’t even come with a toy inside. When we do our groceries now, we still stick to the healthier cereals and if we must get sweet ones, I do like to get the honey flavors.

This particular cereal was perfect. It’s not sickly sweet, but it still appeals to the kids who want the illusion of sugar. Basically it straddles that fine line between “this is delicious!” and “this is good for us”.

I would definitely buy the cereal again. The box we received for the review was a full sized cereal box but it still only lasted two and a half days (we’re all cereal fans here, we need a 12-step program). I’m hoping that it’s available up here in Canada or I’ll be stalking the cereal aisle at the store until it is!