Author Archives for Chris Arpante

Who Knew Leather Could Taste So Good?


Every time I see Stretch Island Fruit Co.™’s  Fruit Leather, I wonder why it isn’t in the snack aisle with the other fruit snacks.  Sure, Fruit Roll Ups have fun with their packaging and are pretty close in the amount of calories to Fruit Leather, about 50 calories.  But, Fruit Leather have the upper hand, as […]

All Snacks are not Created Eagle


Do you snack?  I do, constantly.  So, I was very interested the facts I learned from information I received from Reserve Brands Inc and Eagle™ Snacks. Are you included in any of these percentages?

“On any given day, 90 percent of Americans enjoy a snack, compared to only 75 percent who eat breakfast and 88 percent […]

Eat (and Hop) Responsibly with Annie’s Cheddar Bunnies


Annie’s Homegrown “has a motto:  Eat Responsibly. Act Responsibly.  [They] value all beings,’from plankton to polar bears to whales to redwoods’ as Annie says, and as stewards of our fragile planet, [they’re] motivated everyday to lessen our eco (eh-hem bunny)-footprint on Earth.”

Annie’s can now be found in most health food stores or in your local […]

Chocolate Cake in 5 Minutes!


I saw this post about 5 minute chocolate cake and thought it was a joke. So, you know, I had to try it.  Holy Moly… this is great!  I instantly thought of how perfect this would be to do with kids. Until now, I always thought the ice cream muffins were a great kid-friendly baking […]

Small Sprouts with a Significant Yum Factor


School is starting up again here in the south.  While some county systems have already gotten underway, our students have another week of freedom. But, that week will pass quickly, and the time to think about school lunches will be here before we know it.
In the spring, I wrote about how easy it is to […]

Making Salads Fun to Eat


Kids and veggies… what a difficult pair to match. How do you get children to dive in?  Add a green leafy salad to the mix? A little creativity goes a long way.
When you think about eating out, a salad choice comes before the entrée.  Some restaurants include salad with the entrée. The “house” salad is […]

Yummy Spoonfuls Makes Babies Coo!


I saw an SUV pass by while running errands and noticed the Yummy Spoonfuls logo and website on its door. It had a cute name, so I wrote it down and decided to check it out when I got to a computer.
We all know how important it is that we pay attention to what our […]

And the Next Rising Mango Star is…


A few months ago, the National Mango Board held a kid’s cooking contest, Rising Mango Star. Of all the youngsters who submitted videos, three finalists were chosen travel to New York to compete against one another on August 8th.  The prize?  The chance to appear with Ingrid Hoffmann (from Simply Delicioso) on TV’s video magazine […]

A cool and refreshing summer snack


As my kid-filled summer comes to an end this week, I did have the wee ones one more time at my house this week. Since I am leaving town in a couple of days, I didn’t have a lot in the house. What to feed them? What to feed them?
While their dad took them to my subdivision’s […]

Clowning Around Brings Smiles Galore!


This summer has been a kid-filled summer. Now, I adore kids; however, I don’t have a desire to have any of my own.  Nonetheless, I have been spending time with a friend and his three and four-year olds who are visiting for the summer.
Toddlers?  Phew!  No one told me.  Middle schoolers/mini teens, I am good.  I […]