The Pioneer Woman Collection is Pleasantly Rustic & Charming!

   

As my regular followers know, I am an avid Pioneer Woman fan. I was excited when she first announced her new cookware line a while back, and was equally excited once I saw all the items available to consumers in the United States. 

I was thrilled to get the opportunity to review The Pioneer Woman Timeless Beauty 7-Quart Oval Cast Iron Dutch Oven, as well as, her Timeless Beauty 4-Piece Cast Iron Cookbook Holder and Trivet Set! I couldn't wait to put it all to good use!

Upon receipt of the products, I immediately got to work testing out the 7-Quart Oval Dutch Oven. After washing it out, the first thing I made was The Pioneer Woman's Chicken Cacciatore recipe from her Dinnertime Cookbook. The chicken browned beautifully and baked well with the sauce in the oven afterward. It was a cinch to clean, which is always appreciated! I also made beef tacos using stewing beef, with her delicious Enchilada Sauce as the liquid to simmer the meat in until fork tender. The third thing I made was a huge batch of meat sauce for some lasagne that I was going to make. The oval shape is great if you were using a whole chicken or cooking with another oblong piece of meat.  I love it for all of these purposes and the ease of cleaning. I love the size of this one, as it allows you to make large batches to feed a big family, or to make large batches ahead of time for freezing. The Pioneer Woman Timeless Beauty 7-Quart Oval Cast Iron Dutch Oven is oven safe up to 500F. It comes in a variety of colours, and retails in the U.S. for approximately $80USD. The Pioneer Woman Collection also has a 5-Quart Round Dutch Oven available in various colours. It retails for $50USD if you were looking for a smaller or more cost effective option. 

The three trivets that come with the 4-Piece Cast Iron Cookbook Holder and Trivet Set are beautiful. I love the vibrant blue, yellow and red colours. And they seem quite sturdy. There are little rubber stoppers on the bottom to protect your counter or table tops and are 8" wide, which is perfect for most pots and pans. 

The Cast Iron Cookbook Holder from the set is very pretty and does its job. It held my cookbooks open well. I was a bit disappointed however, with the roughness of the cast iron. I was expecting it to have a smoother finish and am a bit worried about the underside possibly scratching a counter top or other surface that you might be using it on. This could easily be solved by adding some sticky protectors on the bottom, which I will be doing to get better use out of it. But with that being said, I do think that this issue would have been better solved if dealt with at the design and manufacturing levels. A consumer should not have to trouble shoot the intended use of a product. The 4-Piece Cast Iron Cookbook Holder and Trivet Set retails for approximately $43USD.

Overall, I love the products! At this time, The Pioneer Woman Collection is currently available exclusively at Walmart in the U.S. only. I cannot wait for the line to hit Canadian shelves!  I'm currently looking into when that might eventually happen and will let you all know by adding a timeframe, replacing this line once I find out. 

All of these items are hand wash only. Treat them with love and I'm confident you'll be happy with them, even if the book holder is a bit on the rough side. 

To check out other products manufactured by Gibson Overseas, you can visit their website, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts.

***** These views are mine, and mine alone. As with anything, you are responsible for assessing whether this item and/or activity is safe and suitable for your specific needs. InfoMommy does not make any warranties of any kind, expressed or implied, and assumes no responsibility and/or liability for any actions taken as a result of this blog post. *****

Celebrate March Break with Disney on Ice in Toronto!

     

Disney On Ice is back in Toronto this spring with their Disney on Ice Celebrates 100 Years of Magic tour!

Mickey Mouse, Mous-ter of Ceremonies, brings you over 50 Disney characters to charm people of all ages. Whether your heart beats for traditional Disney characters like Donald & Minnie, or you're a fan of more current characters like Anna & Elsa, you will find everything in between! This live action performance features over 30 memorable songs and a tonne of adventure! 

Disney on Ice Celebrates 100 Years of Magic is in Toronto this March Break from March 17th-20th with both daytime & evening performances. 

Tickets start at $28, and are on sale now at Ticketmaster & DisneyOnIce.ca!

***** These views are mine, and mine alone. As with anything, you are responsible for assessing whether this item and/or activity is safe and suitable for your specific needs. InfoMommy does not make any warranties of any kind, expressed or implied, and assumes no responsibility and/or liability for any actions taken as a result of this blog post. *****

The Harley Pasternak Power Blender Packs a Multi-Purpose Punch!

   

Celebrity trainer & nutritionist Harley Pasternak, who has worked with the likes of Lady Gaga, Rihanna & Katy Perry, has designed his own professional grade power blender. The Harley Pasternak Power Blender is comparable to high end power blenders, for less than 1/2 the price! Who doesn't love that?

This 1500 watt power blender can pulverize frozen fruit and berries, crush ice, liquefy, chop and emulsify a variety of fresh ingredients, and can even create and cook (yes cook!) soup in a matter of minutes by friction alone! Not only can you make smoothies for everyone in your family, you can also make baby food, and can use it to make your own nut butters.

The Harley Pasternak Power Blender features a 2L Tritan™ jar, whose shape creates a vortex to ensure nothing gets left un-blended. It has an 8-blade blending system - 4 saw tooth blades and 4 ultra-sharp angled blades. Ain't nothing getting away from those puppies!

Included with the blender is a tamper to push down anything that requires a little bit of help, and a 24oz leak proof on-the-go bottle. It also comes with a number of recipes, such as homemade salad dressings, hummus, soups, dips, and of course, lots of smoothies.

I love the power that this blender has. I've tried making a number of different smoothies and it's been fantastic. I normally use frozen fruit when making mine and have always had issues getting blenders to effectively break down the produce. This blender pulverized the frozen items very well, and very quickly. Some of the larger pieces of frozen fruit such as peaches and mango chunks did require a bit more liquid to break them down but the appliance was still very effective in doing so. If you were using fresh produce, it would be even more of a breeze. The only thing I find that it doesn't pulverize completely is raspberry and blackberry seeds. But this is not any different than most blenders on the market.

While I haven't made any homemade baby food in this particular blender myself, I have made it with other blenders in the past. This blender would easily make quick work out a batch of baby fruit, veg and/or meat. I also love that you can make all sorts of smoothies for your kids. This is especially great if you have a picky child who turns their nose up at produce. You can hide all sorts of fruit and veggies in a smoothie and they'd likely be none the wiser. Let 'em think they're having a milkshake! :)

The 2L jug allows you to make large batches in one shot. We normally make a bunch and put the extra in the fridge for the next day. It feels sturdy and comfortable in the hand and the spout is great for pouring. While the soup feature is pretty cool, I personally am not crazy about heating food products in plastic.  For this reason, I would much prefer a glass jar as opposed to plastic.

Cleaning this blender jar is a cinch. All you do is empty the jar, and give it a little rinse. Fill the jug with 4 cups of warm water and a couple of drops of dish soap, put on the lid, and turn on the blender for a few seconds. The swirling warm sudsy water cleans off the debris and you simply rinse out the jug, and turn it over onto a dish rack or tea towel to dry. The manual does indicate that the jar itself is dishwasher safe on the top rack only. Because the jar is so tall, it's unlikely that most household dishwashers would be able to accommodate it in this location.

The Harley Pasternak Power Blender comes in quite a few different colours to suit anyone's taste. It comes with a limited 5-year warranty on any defects. You will need your original receipt should something happen to go wrong with this item, so don't throw it out. They warrant that they will repair or replace the blender within that time frame or will refund you your money on a pro-rated basis. This amount will depend on how much time is left on your warranty. Note: The warranty does not include shipping costs.

To view a video of all that this blender has to offer, please click this link.

The Harley Pasternak Power Blender is available at a number of retailers across the country and retails for approximately $299.99CAN/$249.99USD

***** These views are mine, and mine alone. As with anything, you are responsible for assessing whether this item and/or activity is safe and suitable for your specific needs. InfoMommy does not make any warranties of any kind, expressed or implied, and assumes no responsibility and/or liability for any actions taken as a result of this blog post. *****

Showmanship & Rollovers - Themes at this Year's Toronto Monster Jam Show!

   

The 2016 Maple Leaf Monster Jam Tour has once again started out with a vroom in Toronto! 

I attended this event this past weekend, and, as expected, it was full of rip roarin' action! Whether it's the side by side racing or the freestyle competition, there was something for everyone at this 2 1/2 hour extravaganza. 

This year, there seemed to be a lot more roll over crashes. This is important to note, so that first timers attending the show don't get alarmed, wondering if the drivers are injured. Drivers sit in the middle of their vehicles and are restrained by a 5 point harness safety system, similar to a car seat. The harness keeps them hanging on, literally and figuratively, while heavy equipment pulls them right side up.

Scooby Doo and Mutt Rottweiler were some of the ones that took a spill, including Northern Nightmare, who took the final wipeout during his freestyle competition. But boy! Did he ever put on one heck of a display! Whether it's the jumps, ticks, stunts, or a back flip, (yes, a back flip!), it's sure to amaze all. Word to the wise - unless you're doing it with a dinky car, or toy monster truck, - do not try this at home! LOL 

Our first experience with Monster Jam was at last year's show.  At that time, there were a lot of distractions for us personally as we naively brought our youngest son who wasn't quite ready to be at this type of event. We weren't able to fully appreciate the show and all that it had to offer that year. This time around, we got to see everything, including each and every roll over.  Whether or not they were planned & occur every year, I appreciated the showmanship at this year's event after one spill in particular. Although part of it might be scripted, the fact that one driver handed their trophy over to another driver who put on one hell of a show and lost only because of a wipeout, was a great thing to see. It's a reminder to children and adults alike, that it's much better and feels better, to do the right thing. Winning isn't everything, and I think it's a great lesson for kids to see play out in this format. 

Going back to my naiveté last time in bringing our toddler with us, I was reminded again this year as to how important ear protection is for kids while at the show. Monster Jam is spectacular, but is also extremely loud. It can be sensory overload for kids, especially young ones, when you're not dulling out some of the cacophony. I had foam ear protectors on for myself, but kids would fare much better with certified noise suppression. You can purchase them cheaper elsewhere, however if you are stuck, they do have 2 options at the venue ranging from $20-$25. Pay particular attention when purchasing the head gear, ensuring that you are purchasing ones that are actually approved noise suppression sets and not just more decorative ones.   

For more information on our first visit to Monster Jam last year, including even more parental perspective, please visit this link. 

Tickets to the show are affordable if you choose the cheaper ones. For the Toronto show, tickets ranged in price from $15 all the way up to $135. And there are many price points in between. As always, I recommend searching online to find any promotions or promo codes so that you get the best bang for your buck. 

There are 7 cities left for the 2016 Maple Leaf Monster Jam Canadian tour. Most locations have 2 shows, typically 1 evening and 1 afternoon show. 

Check out these other Canadian stops to see if you can head out & enjoy it as much as we did: 

Winnipeg - MTS Centre, January 30th-31st, 2016

Edmonton - Rexall Place, February 6th-7th, 2016

Vancouver - BC Place, February 27th, 2016

London - Budweiser Gardens, February 27th-28th, 2016

Hamilton - First Ontario Centre, April 23rd-24th, 2016

Halifax - Scotia Speedworld, May 28th-29th, 2016

Calgary - Stampede Grandstand, September 17th-18th, 2016

***** These views are mine, and mine alone. As with anything, you are responsible for assessing whether this item and/or activity is safe and suitable for your specific needs. InfoMommy does not make any warranties of any kind, expressed or implied, and assumes no responsibility and/or liability for any actions taken as a result of this blog post. *****

Energy Bites Kick Starts Your Health Resolutions!

   

'Tis the season for resolutions. Like many people, one of my top resolutions for 2016 is to eat better. Not only because it's just plain good for you, but also because I often find myself lacking energy throughout the day.

DK Publishing is releasing a new book later this month entitled Energy Bites. It includes a basic energy bite formula, as well as 15 recipes to create Timbit sized balls of goodness. The energy bite formula consists of a variety of nutritious elements broken down into categories such as nuts and seeds and sticky stuff, used to bind all the ingredients together. You can either use the recipes that are included in the book, or mix and match one ingredient from each category. You can also improvise with your own favorite ingredients to customize them to your taste and needs. 

All recipes included in the book are vegetarian, gluten free, dairy free, and claim to be energy packed and protein rich. There are both sweet and savoury recipes, some which are baked and some that are no-bake. Some of them are raw, and all of them are made without using refined sugars. So shhhh, don't tell the kids!  

Energy Bites includes a pictured list of the author's 20 top ingredients, everything from coconut oil to goji berries, and everything in between. Many of the ingredients can be found at your local grocery store. For the other ingredients, the easiest place to get them is at your local bulk food store. Not only will they carry most, if not all of the specialty ingredients listed in book, you can buy only the amount you need. Anything else can be purchased at most health food stores. 

Because most of these bites are made easily with a food processor, we're setting aside a couple of hours tomorrow to make a whole bunch of these at one time. By doing 1 big shop for the required ingredients, we can spend a couple of hours making large batches of these bites to put in the freezer. 

No more excuses for reaching into the cupboard for something less than ideal. Simply grab one, or a couple, from the freezer and let them defrost. Voilà! By making a bunch at once, there's only a single mess to clean up, which is a huge bonus. According to the book, they can be stored in the fridge for up to 1 week and in the freezer for 1 month. 

Energy Bites retails for $9.99 in both Canada and the U.S.

***** These views are mine, and mine alone. As with anything, you are responsible for assessing whether this item and/or activity is safe and suitable for your specific needs. InfoMommy does not make any warranties of any kind, expressed or implied, and assumes no responsibility and/or liability for any actions taken as a result of this blog post. *****

Let the Cold Winds Blow with the Columbia Whirlibird Interchange Jacket

   

I'm not sure about you, but since I've been a mom, things have been hectic. Getting out the door with young ones in tow is an adventure in itself. Once I've got the kids bundled up in their winter gear, I'm racing to get myself dressed quickly, before one starts complaining about how hot they are. I like to have something quick to throw on that is both stylish and versatile, no matter the weather.

Columbia's Women's Whirlibird Interchange Jacket is a great 3-in-1 coat for moms on the go. Whether it's fall, winter, or spring, you will get bang for your buck out of this multi-use jacket. 

During winter months, the jacket is used with the thermal & water repellent zip-in liner. During the fall or spring, you can utilize the jacket fully assembled, or simply use the liner, or outer shell, depending on your needs and preferences. 

The outer shell features a waterproof, but breathable seam sealed shell, thanks to Columbia's Omni-Tech technology. It has a removable storm hood, which is great during rain and/or wind, as well as underarm venting to help you cool down. The coat also has 2 deep zippered pockets on either side of the jacket. 

The inner liner features an Omni-Heat thermal reflective liner, and a nice quilted exterior. It also has a small zippered pocket on the inside of the front of the jacket, perfect for lip balm, bank cards, or your phone. Not only is this great if you are just wearing the liner on its own, it's handy for when you are using it along with the outer layer. As an avid Chapstick user, I like to wear it close to my heart, and have easy access. ;) It also has a pocket for your ski goggles. 

Overall, I really like jacket. I do wish the inside liner also had a drop tail on it like the outer layer does, to better keep my tushie warm. But I do get that if it did, it would affect the look of the inner jacket when wearing it alone. Plus, it does have an adjustable snap back powder skirt that I could use if I wanted to. Personally, I'm not crazy about the zipper on the outer shell. I would prefer it to be a larger sized zipper, typical to most jackets, which is smoother to do up. With that being said however, that is likely due to the waterproof & windproof feature, which seals out the elements. This particular zipper was a bit stiff initially, but I have noticed that it is softening up after some use, making it easier & smoother to zip up. It's a small price to pay if it guarantees you stray dry, and keeps the wind out on cold days.

While we haven't had any frigid temperatures yet this season, I have worn this jacket on the coldest day we've had so far, which was also quite windy. So far, it has kept me warm and I have not felt any wind cut through the jacket like I have with other winter coats I own. The adjustable storm hood and the adjustable cuffs are also great for keeping out the elements. 

The Columbia Women's Whirlibird Interchange Jacket comes in sizes XS-3X, and as previously mentioned, in a variety of colours. You are sure to find a style that suits your taste. I find that it has a nice roomy fit for additional layering on colder days, but is not overly bulky. It feels very comfortable and cozy to wear. Both layers are machine washable, which is super handy. As a mom, the last thing I need is something that needs to be dry cleaned!

I followed the size guide online and got the perfect size for me. If you are buying online, be sure to confirm your measurements to ensure the right fit. 

The Columbia Women's Whirlibird Interchange Jacket retails in Canada for approximately $250 for Regular sizes, and $280 for Plus sizes. In the U.S., Regular sizes retail for approximately $200, and $220 for Plus sizes. If you can get it on sale, it's a steal!

This coat is also available in Men's styles & sizes. 

***** These views are mine, and mine alone. As with anything, you are responsible for assessing whether this item and/or activity is safe and suitable for your specific needs. InfoMommy does not make any warranties of any kind, expressed or implied, and assumes no responsibility and/or liability for any actions taken as a result of this blog post. *****

The Monster Jam Tour is back in Canada for 2016!

   

The Monster Jam Tour is a family-friendly action packed show filled with 12 feet tall monster trucks. These 10,000 pound machines race around a track in side-by-side racing as well as their freestyle competition. They drive up and over obstacles and smash and crash! It's a rip-roaring good time!

In 2016, the Monster Jam Tour has 8 stops throughout Canada: 

Toronto - Rogers Centre, January 16th-17th, 2016

Winnipeg - MTS Centre, January 30th-31st, 2016

Edmonton - Rexall Place, February 6th-7th, 2016

Vancouver - BC Place, February 27th, 2016

London - Budweiser Gardens, February 27th-28th, 2016

Hamilton - First Ontario Centre, April 23rd-24th, 2016

Halifax - Scotia Speedworld, May 28th-29th, 2016

Calgary - Stampede Grandstand, September 17th-18th, 2016

Tickets prices are geared towards everyone's budget! At the Toronto show, tickets range in price on the low end from $15 for kids' tickets and $25 for adult tickets, all the way up to $135 for a Total Access Pass.  Tickets can typically be purchased from Ticketmaster or at your local venue. You can also purchase a Party in the Pits pass for approximately $10. 

For more information on Monster Jam from a parent's perspective, check out my review on last year's experience. 

See you there!

***** These views are mine, and mine alone. As with anything, you are responsible for assessing whether this item and/or activity is safe and suitable for your specific needs. InfoMommy does not make any warranties of any kind, expressed or implied, and assumes no responsibility and/or liability for any actions taken as a result of this blog post. *****

The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Dinnertime!

   

Ree Drummond, a.k.a. The Pioneer Woman, is best known for her cheerful demeanour and simple yet scrumptious recipes made from scratch. I am a huge fan of all things Pioneer Woman and was thrilled that she just released her latest cookbook entitled The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Dinnertime. 

My family and I have been watching her television show for the last few years and have made several of her dishes. Every single one of her recipes that I have tried has been delicious! And my kids actually enjoy watching her show. She always features stories about her family and various things going on at her cattle ranch, tying it into each episode. Not only are my kids being entertained while watching her, they are also learning valuable culinary life skills while doing so. 

The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Dinnertime is Ree Drummond's fourth cookbook. In this book, she breaks down more than 125 recipes over 400 pages in categories like Freezer Foods, 16 Minute Meals, Comfort Classics, Soups, Mains, Breakfast for Dinner and more.  Also featured in this book are useful tricks such as preparation tips, essential items for your pantry as well as measurement and oven conversions.  

If you've ever followed her food blog or personal website, you already know that all her recipes give step by step instructions & include photos of each step along the way. Having this format reassures you that you are in fact doing it right. This cookbook does the same, making her recipes practically foolproof. 

Whether you want to make your own enchilada sauce for one of her Mexican style recipes, or you'd like to stick to typical comfort foods like Chicken Pot Pie, there are a lot of ideas on what to make in this book.  There are also a number of economical recipes, such as Hamburger Soup, Black Bean Burgers and Tomato Soup with Parmesan Croutons. 

The Freezer Foods section gives quite a few meals suitable for freezing. One of the best things about this section is her meatball recipe. Not only does she provide the recipe for the meatballs themselves that can easily be frozen, she provides other recipes that include these meatballs. This way, you can make a number of entrees with them, and aren't stuck just using them for spaghetti and meatballs.

I like the cookbook. In typical Pioneer Woman style, she has included a number of pictures of the kids, the ranch and other photos throughout the book. It's quite enjoyable to peruse. I was hoping for all brand new recipes though, that I hadn't already seen on her show or online. With that being said, there are quite a few that seem to be new or previously unpublished. Or at least new to me. The only downside that I can see is that when it comes to the Mexican style recipes, those in smaller communities in Canada might have a harder time finding certain ingredients. But with a little ingenuity and the magic of the internet, you might be able to get most of those ingredients online, delivered to your door. If you live in the U.S. however, most of these items would likely already be staple in your supermarkets. 

Ree Drummond has also just released a new line of cookware and other kitchen items this past September. It is currently available in the US but I can't, can't, can't wait until it hits Canadian retail. Did I mention that I can't wait for it? Until then, I will just have to continue cooking her delicious meals using my current cookware. Insert sigh!

The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Dinnertime retails for approximately $29.99USD/$36.99CAN.

***** These views are mine, and mine alone. As with anything, you are responsible for assessing whether this item and/or activity is safe and suitable for your specific needs. InfoMommy does not make any warranties of any kind, expressed or implied, and assumes no responsibility and/or liability for any actions taken as a result of this blog post. *****