No new ideas but we taste test Fiber One Apple Cinnamon Muffins. They were very tasty and came our perfectly even with my Roni Modifications. ;~)

So I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised when my smoothie mixes arrived. I looked immediately at the ingredient list and saw no sugar, no high fructose corn syrup, no artificial sweeteners. Nothing but fruit purees, water, fruit juices, guar gum and ascorbic acid. FINALLY! I’m happy some brands are catching on!

The blender I used in the video is the Oster Fusion Blender. I LOVE LOVE LOVE it. As you’ll see, it makes the smoothies perfectly.

As I stared at the the 3 boxes I thought… Pancake Off! Why not make all three, with mine mixed in and give each one a try. My initial idea involved some older kids to help but plans fell through. So you are stuck with just the toddler and I, as usual. :) That being said the opinions on taste are a bit skewed as the the toddler decided which was his favorite BEFORE he even tried them! Ahhhhh toddlers! :)

My favorite in order…

My 100% Whole Grain Pancakes

ok ok so I might be biased but I’m telling ya.. it held up against the mixes and I liked my addition of cinnamon and nutmeg for a more flavorful pancake

Quaker Oatmeal Pancake Mix

A close second. I really like them. They rose up great and had a nice texture. Plus the first 2 ingredients are oat flour, whole wheat flour, just like mine. :)

Bisquick Heart Smart® Pancake and Baking Mix

Tasted good, very traditional but too "white" for me.

Fiber One Complete Pancake Mix

Not bad but thin and, again, too "white" for me.

Watch the toddler and I make pancakes from scratch in these other videos….

• Makin’ Banana Pancakes
• Makin’ Pancakes – Video Post

Being away for the last week they couldn’t have come at a better time. I was hankering for a home cooked meal but I wanted to make something brainless that didn’t require much thought. Cue Amazing Taste Chili Seasoning!

The seasoning packet, of course has a recipe for chili that I couldn’t follow. And anyway, I had a boat load of fresh veggies on hand that I really wanted to get creative with.

So I defrosted a ½ pound of lean ground turkey and started chopping! What I ended up with was a delicious veggie filled light chili that was really seasoned perfectly! Unfortunately, the husband isn’t a chili fan so you only get my opinion. And the toddler wouldn’t try it for some reason, he’s really smack dab in the middle of the picky three year old stage. :~)

• 1 medium onion chopped
• ½ pound (8oz) lean ground turkey raw
• 1 medium eggplant diced (leave skin on)
• 1 medium-large green pepper chopped
• 1 small-medium zucchini chopped
• 5 medium-large garden fresh tomatoes diced
• 1 chili seasoning packet
• 1 15oz can kidney beans rinsed and drained
• non-stick cooking spray

Place a large pot over medium heat and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Add the onion and cook until just turning transparent. Then add the ground turkey and diced egg plant. Cook for a few minutes while breaking up the ground meat with a wooden spoon. After a few minutes you’ll notice some liquid coming out of the egg plant, the bottom o the pot will get moist.

Add the green peppers, zucchini and tomatoes as you chop them all while stirring and coking over medium heat. When adding the tomatoes, keep as much liquid as possible, we are using all the water in the vegetable to create the chili.

Once all the veggies are in the pot and they’ve been cooking over medium heat for a few minutes, you’ll notice more and more liquid. Now stir in the seasoning packet.

Add the kidney beans last and simmer over low heat until ready to serve.

I served it almost immediately over some instant brown rice and topped with a bit of shredded cheese and fresh cilantro. Honesty, it was delicious! The seasoning was dead on and tasted very similar to how I would have seasoned it on my own. It you are a season packet type of cook (I normally don’t use only because I like to experiment), I’d recommend trying the Amazing Taste packets, they’re only 99 cents and are easy to use in a pinch!