Guest Post: Improve Your Health, Your Community, and the Environment - Eat Local!

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Published: 05/24/2013

The following guest post is by Sarah of Healthwise Home. She's a fellow PWC blogger who blogs about health, food and family and has some great tips to share about farmers markets and eating local!

Improve Your Health, Your Community, and the Environment: Eat Local!

by Sarah Young

Knowing where your food comes from is an important step in improving your overall health. When you know the origin of your food, whether buying from the produce section of your grocery store or at your local farmers’ market, you will have greater insight on whether it is local or shipped in from thousands of miles away, if it is genetically modified, and whether or not it has been treated with potentially harmful pesticides and fertilizers. In general, the more local and in-season your food is, the better it is for your health, your local economy/community, and the environment.

Did you know that on average, produce travels more than 1,500 miles from its source -- the industrial farm -- to your dinner table (National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service)?

And who knows how old it is. At best, grocery store produce is at least a few days old, although the average “age” of many items is closer to a few weeks and beyond. Yes, that’s right, I said “and beyond”. Take apples, for example. In the U.S., apples generally ripen between August and September. Industrial farmers harvest apples when they are slightly unripe, treat them with a chemical called 1-methylcyclopropene (also known as “SmartFresh”), wax them, box them, stack them on pallets, and keep them in cold storage warehouses for an average of 9-12 months. Nine to 12 months!

Now, if you want to enjoy apples all year, regardless of the season, then you may be glad to hear that modern science has mastered the art of keeping our produce “fresh” for up to a year. But at what cost? Numerous studies have shown that the overall nutrient quality and antioxidant activity of the fruits and vegetables that we are eating today are declining due to modern agriculture methods, a decrease in soil quality, and the extended “shelf life” of our food. While this certainly does not mean that fruits and vegetables from your local grocer should be avoided, those in search of the most nutritious and freshest produce are better off buying from a local organic farmer.

Luckily for Prince William County residents, there are many local farmers’ markets and resources in our area. Local Harvest and Eat Local Grown are two of my favorite online resources for locating farmers’ markets, CSA’s, co-ops, and farms in your area.

I hope that I have inspired you to improve your health, your community, and the environment and eat local!

Here are a few tips to help make your next trip to the farmers’ market more successful:

Come Prepared - Bring your own canvas tote bags, baskets, or boxes to carry your purchases in and to reduce the use of plastic bags. Also, bring cash! Many vendors are cash only.
Arrive Early and Shop Around - The early bird gets the goods! Get to the market early to avoid having to choose from picked-over produce. Also, take a stroll around the entire market to scope things out before you buy anything. Prices, types, and quality can vary among vendors.
Talk to the Farmers - Go straight to the experts. No one knows the food better than those who grew it. Ask the important questions, like where their farm is located and whether or not they use chemical pesticides. Farmers can also often share tips on how to properly store and prepare produce. And who knows, you may even get a recipe or two out of them!
Bring Your Kids! - There is no better way to introduce and connect kids to REAL FOOD than letting them have a part in the process. Make this a family experience by bringing your kids along and allowing them to explore, ask questions, sample new items (when offered) and pick out some of the week’s purchases on their own.

Good luck, have fun, and healthy (local) eating!

Sarah Young resides in Prince William County with her husband and three young children. Sarah is a full-time mother, Certified Health Education Specialist, healthy living advocate, and the creator of Health Wise Home, an online resource that focuses on educating, empowering, and inspiring others to help build a healthier future. In her spare time, she enjoys running, hiking, gardening, being outside, and spending time with her family.

For healthy recipes, information, and inspiration you can follow Sarah and Health Wise Home on Facebook and at her Blog.

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New Chick-fil-A Salads & Wraps

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Published: 04/18/2013

Chick-fil-A has been listening to what customers want when they visit restaurants – and that’s more nutritious options made with premium ingredients packed full of flavor. Two recent studies found that:

50% of consumers want restaurants to offer healthier foods
64% of consumers agree that it is important to eat healthy and pay attention to nutrition
38% of consumers are more likely to visit restaurants with healthy menu options
48% of consumers are very likely to try new or unique flavors

Chick-fil-A is confident customers will find that in its new salads and wrap.

That’s right…On April 29, Chick-fil-A’s® entrée salad line is getting a makeover. The company is introducing three new premium salads – the Chick-fil-A® Cobb Salad, Chick-fil-A® Asian Salad, Chick-fil-A® Grilled Market Salad – as well as an improved Grilled Chicken Cool Wrap® for the health-conscious customer. All three of the new salads contain two full servings of vegetables and are each less than 430 calories. Check out this video for a “Behind the Scenes” look at the new Chick-fil-A salads.

In addition to these new nutritious menu items, Chick-fil-A is adding calorie counts to its menu boards nationally in conjunction with the salads launch. The new menu boards are just another way Chick-fil-A has made nutritional information easily accessible to its customers, including an online meal calculator, in-restaurant nutrition pamphlets and even nutritional information printed from the register upon request.

I'll be giving away four (yes 4!!) Chick-fil-A gift cards with a free salad/wrap offer each month through April!
To enter, tell us your favorite Chick-fil-A location in a post below and "Like" us on Facebook. You can also "like" your favorite CFA location on Facebook for extra chances to win.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Disclosure: The giveaway items were provided to me free of charge and I received a gift card to enjoy myself too. All opinions shared on this blog are always my own.

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Guest Post: Top 10 Tips to Save Money at Grocery Stores (Besides Using Coupons) Part 1

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Published: 02/14/2013

This guest post was originally published on BeltwayBargainMom.com. We hope it helps you out, and that if it does, you subscribe to Laura Harders' blog posts for more money-saving tips each week!

I know most of you reading my blog are regular coupon-users, but I wanted to share some simple tips on ways you can save at the grocery store besides couponing. This post may also be helpful for those of you who are new to couponing and want to find ways to save money now as you gradually learn the ropes of “extreme couponing.” For those of you seasoned savers and savvy shoppers: I’m sure you’ve heard these tips from other frugal folks before, and there is nothing below that is a shocking, new discovery in the land of grocery store savings, by any means. But hopefully this will help some of you put on your thinking caps on how you can save even more money at the grocery store in addition to regular coupon use.

Ten tips to save more money on your grocery shopping trips:

Make a list and stick to it! To avoid impulse buys, create a meal plan and grocery list at home based on deals featured in the weekly circular or on frugal blogs/coupon forums. Take your list with you to the store and stick to it (an exception I make to this is purchasing “quickly reduced” items… see #9).
Buy less prepared foods. For example, buying a small bagged salad will usually cost you much more than buying a head of lettuce, some tomatoes, carrots, cucumber, etc. You may not have quite the same convenience factor, but you will save money.
Be willing to go generic, try new brands and put aside your brand loyalty/bias. Yes, I know it may be hard to “leave your loyalty at the door” initially, but think of it as a way to be adventurous and try new things with your main goal being: saving money. I will stock up on name brand items when there is a really good sale and/or coupon that brings that item price down to my “price point.” However, when my stock pile runs out and I want to purchase that item to use for a meal during the week, I’ll buy that item at ALDI (discount grocery store) or buy generic at another store. For example, a jar of Peanut Butter at my local ALDI is $1.29. This week Safeway has a deal on Skippy Peanut Butter for $2 each. If there were any Skippy coupons available (which I don’t believe there are…there was one from the 1/31/10 Red Plum but it expired on 2/28/10) I would buy these if the coupon made it less than my regular ALDI price.
Learn the different store policies. Find out the return policies, reusable bag policies, coupon policies, rain check policies, price-matching policies, etc. for your favorite or most frequently visited stores. Many, but not all, grocery stores in the DC metro area double manufacturer coupons up to $0.99. Some stores accept a manufacturer coupon combined with a store coupon on the same item (this is called “stacking coupons” because normally you can only use one coupon per item you are purchasing). Some stores offer a small credit (like $0.05) toward your total grocery purchase if you bring your own re-usable tote. Most stores will accept returned items with an original receipt within a certain time frame (say 30-90 days).
Sign up for your grocery store’s membership card and e-mail list. These are free to sign up for, and you need them to get the special sales price at many stores. For example, at Bloom this is the “Breeze Card”, at Bottom Dollar this is the “Membership Card”, at Giant this is the “Bonus Card”, at Harris Teeter this is the “VIC Card”, at Safeway this is the “Club Card” and at Wegmans this is the “Shoppers Club Card.” Also, sign up for email updates or special offers from the store.

Check back next Thursday for the rest of Laura's Tips!

Laura Harders lives in Prince William County and is a native Northern Virginian who loves to share ways to save. She runs the blog BeltwayBargainMom.com and teaches local Savings Nation coupon workshops. You can find Laura sharing tips & being social on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.

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Gameday Offer From CiCi's Pizza

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Published: 01/28/2013

As far as I'm concerned there's no reason to watch the Superbowl this year. (I am a slightly bitter Patriots fan....) However, since the men in my house will probably watch the game anyway, that means I'll be in charge of snacks. CiCis sent me this coupon to share with you guys which allows you to get unlimited large to-go pizzas for $5 each. The image they sent is pretty fuzzy, but it's one-topping. Enjoy :)

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Nutella Breakfast Tour Woodbridge

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Published: 12/20/2012

POTOMAC MILLS TO HOST NUTELLA BREAKFAST TOUR TRUCK FILLED WITH 5,000 JARS OF FREE NUTELLA® ON DECEMBER 23*

Woodbridge, VA Announced as Winners of Nutella® City Challenge

WHAT: Residents of Woodbridge, VA will be awarded five thousand (13 oz.) jars of free Nutella hazelnut spread and a visit from the Nutella Breakfast Tour Truck this December as winners of the nationwide Nutella Tour City Challenge. The truck will be making one last stop in the winning city to spread the love at Potomac Mills on December 23 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., just in time for the holidays.

The Nutella Breakfast Tour Truck visited 12 cities across the country from September to December encouraging fans to tweet their favorite way to wake up with Nutella. Woodbridge, VA posted the most eligible tweets, winning the top prize, a special visit from the Nutella Breakfast Tour Truck filled with free Nutella.

Local residents are invited to come out to celebrate the holidays and claim their free jar of Nutella while supplies last. Fans can also take a picture next to the giant inflatable Nutella® jar, enjoy festive music and spread some holiday cheer.

For more information and Official Rules for the Nutella Tour City Challenge, visit the Nutella USA Facebook page at www.facebook.com/NutellaUSA

WHEN: Sunday, December 23, 2012

10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

WHERE: Potomac Mills (Parking lot near Saks Fifth Avenue OFF 5TH and jcpenney)

Woodbridge, VA

* Handing out up to 5,000 13 oz. jars while supplies last.

About Nutella

Nutella® was first imported from Italy to the U.S. over 25 years ago by Ferrero U.S.A., Inc. The popularity of Nutella® has grown steadily over the years and it is the number one selling branded hazelnut spread in America.

Nutella® is a tasty hazelnut spread that gets its unique taste from the combination of hazelnuts, skim milk and a hint of cocoa. In addition, Nutella® has no artificial colors or preservatives. It can be found in grocery stores, warehouse clubs and mass merchandisers and is generally found near the peanut butter and sweet spreads section.

When used in moderation with complementary foods such as a glass of milk, piece of fruit or a glass of orange juice, and spread on whole grain toast, Nutella® can turn a balanced breakfast into a tasty one too. It can be a quick and easy way to encourage kids to eat whole grains, such as whole wheat toast, English muffins, toaster waffles and bagels. Nutella®. Breakfast never tasted this good®.

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12 Days of Giveaways: Firebirds Wood Fired Grill

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Published: 12/14/2012

We're 12 Days Away from Christmas, so I want to hit you guys with a few giveaway items!! First up, I've got a $25 gift card to Firebirds Wood Fired Grill in Woodbridge. This fairly new restaurant is located in my favorite place- Stonebridge at Potomac Town Center. Love Love Love :) The restaurant had us for a preview meal, and they've got a pretty amazing children's menu. My son got the children's salmon, and I'm not a seafood lover, but his fish was awesome. I really appreciated that there were some exciting and healthier grilled items, in addition to standbys like burgers. If it were me, though, I would probably choose Firebirds for a great date night. Nobody minded our children, and the volume level in the restaurant is that magical point where you can hear the people at your table but there's enough background noise to mask your children bemoaning the fact that someone else is currently using the ketchup ;)

The restaurant is beautiful inside, I love the waterfall concept bar display, the wine bottle wall, the stone and the fireplace. There is definitely tons of ambiance. Entrees include steaks, fish, chicken, pastas, and some delicious sounding salads. Yelp rates the restaurant between $$ (moderate) and $$$ (pricey).

Want to head to Firebirds for your own date night or happy hour? (It's so cozy and sleek inside- it'd be a beautiful place to meet up with girlfriends for a special drink!) Check out the Rafflecopter below and enter to win!! I'll be drawing all the winners for these contests on Christmas Day- my way of giving some presents to you guys :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

We were able to try a meal at Firebirds before offering this giveaway, also provided by Firebirds. Winner assumes all liability. All photo credits are to the Firebirds Facebook Page.

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(C/K)Han(n)uk(k)a(h) Craft

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Published: 12/08/2012

However you like to spell it, here's a fun Hannukah craft that's super easy! You'll need some candy canes, a baking sheet, and an oven.

Break the candy canes into pieces and make equilateral(ish) triangles on a greased cookie sheet and bake them for 2-5 minutes at 300 degrees. Take them out, stack one on the other, back in for one minute to set them together, and then out to harden. Use a metal spatula or board scraper, the plastic ones are too fat and roll the candy. These are SweetTart candy canes, and they're pretty yummy :) Blueberry ones would be cute and the right colors :) When they're hard, you wipe any non-stick spray residue off with a napkin, and then you can hang them up or eat them after you light your candles :) You can use little pieces all put together, too- actually my favorite one was all the different leftover colors together!"

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Halloween Frankenstein Pops

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Published: 10/31/2012

Since you guys seem to enjoy craft and food ideas, I've been trying to share more of them since I really like to Martha Stewart it up as much as possible.

I especially like it when it's REALLY easy. The Frankenstein Pops I shared on Facebook? They're so easy a four year old can do it.

Assemble your troops. You'll need frosting, sugar bones, sugar eyes, lollipop sticks, and black sugar or chocolate jimmies, oh, and marshmallows.

Step One: Get a bag of frosting out of your freezer. Here we have cream cheese frosting, vanilla buttercream, and hot pink lemonade buttercream. What's that? You don't make a double batch of frosting every time and freeze the leftovers for emergency cake-frosting? You don't MAKE your own frosting? Sigh. Yes, go ask Betty Crocker for a can of white frosting...that'll work, too.

Step Two: Plop your frosting into a bowl and microwave for about 30 seconds if it's room temperature, or about a minute if it was a popsicle when you put it in there. You're looking for fondue-consistency frosting.

Step Three: Curse yourself for not getting green food dye at the Walmart when you were JUST THERE. Remember that yellow an blue make green. Mix well. (These are Wilton gel dyes, which I love because they don't water down whatever you're tinting. However, for this, you could use the liquid dye you get at the grocery store, too. Wilton gels are sold at craft stores like JoAnn Fabrics and Michaels and Walmart stores)

Step Four: Pop a marshmallow onto a lollipop stick and dunk it in your frosting. Tap gently on the side of the bowl to remove any excess and then set the stick into a heavy glass cup set over a plate to let the frosting set just slightly (a minute or two, tops).

Step Five: After your frosting has had a minute to settle and drip off and excess, give your marshmallow a roll in the black sugar or chocolate jimmies to add hair.

Step Six: Add eyes (you could pipe these on, but this whole treat was inspired by the sugar candy eyeballs being on sale for $2) and imbed a sugar bone on either side of your Frankenstein's head. You could also pipe on a mouth, but if I was creating a monster, it would do my bidding without talking back. I'm just saying.

Optional Bonus Points For Step Seven: Pop some floral foam covered in a seasonal napkin inside your Frankenstein Can and go on a shock and awe campaign at your preschool party. Winning.

You could also do these heads with cake pops, you'd just want to form them into squares instead of balls. Witches would be cute, too, with purple frosting, a mini green m&m nose, and just the cookie part of an Oreo with a Hershey's Kiss glued on top with some melted chocolate.

Have fun!

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Giveaway: IHOP Simple & Fit

Published: 09/11/2012

One of the really hard parts about trying to be healthy is going out to eat, which, let's be honest, happens. We're in the middle of football season and hockey will start on the 15th, as well as scouts picking back up. Everyone's busy, and sometimes, even though you plan, you end up having nothing made for dinner! Or, maybe you're meeting friends or family for a special meal together. Whatever happens, you have to be able to eat out without completely ruining your diet.

(PS- I think I'm supposed to tell you to use IHOP for Breakfast, but in our family we believe that breakfast is an excellent dinner!!)

IHOP has had a "Simple & Fit" menu for a few years now, which helps patrons to select options from their menu with under 600 calories. At a restaurant with bacon and home fries on the menu, that's a pretty significant reduction! Starting this month, though, IHOP has added several new items including whole wheat waffles with blueberries, whole wheat pancakes with blueberries, and several new types of oatmeal, which is one of my favorite breakfasts when the morning starts turning cool! There are also whole wheat crepes and whole wheat french toast on the new menu, and everything comes with a lemon wedge instead of butter, which is really pretty genius since it gives you a little burst of flavor without tons of fat.

On the Simple & Fit menu, you can still find the traditional "pancakes/meat/eggs" that most of us associate IHOP with, but they've altered it to fit a more moderate lifestyle, using egg substitute and turkey bacon. I didn't get to try the egg substitute on our visit, but I know from my Max Muscle plan that scrambled egg whites are really good, especially with a little hot sauce, so I'd imagine the same is true for egg substitute, especially since I didn't get to try it because my kids ate it (they shared the whole wheat blueberry pancakes) albeit with ketchup, although they require tomato product, whether it's salsa or ketchup, on any type of eggs they eat. My third child ordered off the children's menu, which only lists options under 600 calories, and includes an option to make your own smiley face with yogurt, so you know that had to happen.

The new oatmeal comes in great flavors like Banana and Brown Sugar and Super Fruit (dried blueberries, dark cherries, cranberries, raisins, golden raisins, and you can also get almonds and walnuts). I opted for the Super Fruit the morning that we went and it was really tasty. I love dried fruit, so having it come portioned for me is important or I'll eat it all! I thought that the oatmeal was fantastic and it gave me that happy, warm, comforting feeling oatmeal always does. :)

Bad news- my images are apparently all corrupted...soooo, here's some pictures from another blogger!

http://www.momfiles.com/

And another one...

The Mom Reviews

Here in P-dubya-C (that's Prince William County) we have several IHOP options:

13718 Smoketown Road, Woodbridge

3914 Fettler Park Drive, Dumfries

8785 Centreville Road, Manassas (actual Manassas)

12901 Galveston Court, Manassas (Manassas where it's still really Woodbridge)

Want to go check out the new menu yourself? I've got a $50 gift card to your favorite IHOP store!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Contest closes on the 19th, note that as always, I'm not responsible for lost or stolen cards or for your personal experience, although we have always has a pretty quick and tasty time at IHOP ourselves.

PwcMoms was provided with a gift card to conduct our review of the new menu, however all opinions expressed here are my own.

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Smiley Face Pizzas

Published: 09/05/2012

As I shared a few weeks ago, I'm on a constant hunt for easy-to-eat foods for our co-op days. We tried out corn dog muffins, which were a hit with my kids, so I thought I'd switch it up for some vegetarian fare this time!

So pizza. Pretty easy. Easier than rotating pictures in your blog posts. True story. For these, we used whole wheat mini pitas as our base, leftover spaghetti sauce as our sauce, some part-skim mozzarella, and some bell peppers. My kids adore bell peppers, and snack on the red ones whenever they can get their hands on them.

I used the wrong end of a piping tip to cut circles, but a small cookie cutter or even a knife would help you get shapes just as well. You could use other veggies, too, to make your faces, but we had bell peppers, sooooo....we just went with it.

This one isn't rocket science. Place a mini pita on the pan, add sauce to your liking (I let the kids make their own, so you'll notice various levels of sauce and cheese application) and then funny face it up! Bake at 350 degrees until the cheese melts, but do not over bake or the pitas will become too crunchy to be enjoyable.

These were a big hit for us. We baked them the day before and ate them room temperature at CC for lunch. The kids thought they were great, and didn't mind that they weren't hot. My 8 year old ate two, but one was enough for each of the others.

Smiley Face Pizzas
4 Whole Wheat Mini Pitas
1/2 Cup Part Skim Mozzarella Cheese
1/2 Cup Marina or Pizza Sauce
Vegetables to top

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The Sweet Life Woodbridge 2012

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Published: 08/11/2012

Looking for something a little fun and different for this weekend? How about checking out The Sweet Life tour as it hits Woodbridge?

Claudia Johnson Photography via The Sweet Life Facebook

From their Goldstar.com deal (now expired) "About a dozen of the area's top treat-makers will be on hand to show off their decadent creations at this fun event. From cakes to cookies to pies and more, you can sample many of the sweets, with plenty of items available for purchase to take home as well. Whether you're planning for an event, you're an event-planner or you just happen to love baked goods, this pop-up shop brings all the best local bakers and confectioners together under one roof for you to enjoy. Admission includes access to the sampling floor, plus one beverage ticket."

Claudia Johnson Photography via The Sweet Life Facebook

This even takes place at the Country Inn and Suites and is described as a "bake sale with professional bakers", but you pay for your food up front with your entry fee. Tickets are available via Eventbrite and are $15 for adults and $8 for children. The event runs from 1pm-4pm today, and sounds like it'd be fun for the kids, but also would be a really fun afternoon with a few girlfriends, I think!

Head over and check out some of our local bakeshops and enjoy a sweet afternoon. It's supposed to thunderstorm today, so you need to be inside, anyway!!

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Corn Dog Muffins

Published: 08/08/2012

We love almost everything about our Classical Conversations group, with the exception of lunch. We don't do tables, we just sit on the floor, picnic style, but for some reasons indoor picnics don't go very well for my kids. My daughter spills something every week and then cries because she thinks she's in trouble. She's not in trouble, it's a laminate floor, very little she could have in her possession is going to mess the floor up. My boys try to avoid eating if humanly possible and blame it on the fact that it's hard to eat or they're uncomfortable. The only thing we've had any success with is lunchables, which I'm too cheap to buy on a regular basis, so they generally get turkey pepperoni, cheese, and crackers. Fruit goes relatively well as long as it's already cut and bite-sized. Veggies require ranch dressing and that's a whole other mess.

Anyway, enough whining.

I decided that in my last few weeks before classes resume at our campus I was going to head to Pinterest and StumbleUpon and try to find some bite-sized lunch options that I could make ahead, freeze, and toss in lunch boxes. The only real requirement is that they be easy to eat sitting on the floor. Today we tried corn dog muffins, which we did, in fact, eat sitting in my living room on the hardwood. The kids approved, and even said they were good enough to enjoy without ketchup and mustard, although that was their preference.

Not to be bothered by actually reading and following a recipe, this is what we came up with. Rather than using a mini-muffin pan (although we tried that, too) we actually preferred using the bottom half of our cake-pop pan. The recipe I'm providing here made 22 cake pop bottom sized corn dog muffins which were, in fact, easy to eat sitting on the floor.

Hot dogs totally creep me out. I broke one of the muffins open for you, but that's as good as it gets for me, people. The nice part about this is that you could change the hot dog portion for anything you'd feed your kids. These are reduced fat Hebrew Nationals, but you could use turkey dogs, veggie dogs, or whatever mixed-bag brand of choice your family enjoys. My kids all gave this two thumbs way up. Not the healthiest thing ever, but it's better for my sanity than listening to them ask if it's time for recess yet every 30 seconds for half an hour!

Corn Dog Muffins
1 box corn muffin mix (we used Jiffy, but Giant has Guaranteed Value for something like 44 cents this week!)
1/2 cup shredded cheese (ours is white cheddar which is why you can't see it)
4 regular sized hot dogs, cut in to quarters length wise and then chopped into small pieces
1 egg
1/2 cup of milk

Mix the corn muffin mix, egg, and milk. Add the cheese and hot dog pieces. You could also mix in chopped jalepeno if you were making this for spice lovers. If you're using a mini muffin pan, fill it about 3/4 of the way. If you're using a cake pop pan, just slightly under full baked perfectly for us. We did not find we needed to grease our non-stick type pans, but a spray of cooking spray will ensure success. Bake at 400 for 11-15 minutes, depending on the size of your mini muffin tin.

Have a suggestion for a bite-sized lunch option we should try? I'd love to try your recipe!! Email it or leave a link or directions in the comments below.

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Guest Post: Healthy Poolside Snacks

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Published: 08/01/2012

Beat the Heat with Healthy Pool Side Snacks

Freeze half bottles of water overnight, and fill with water in the am. Great for keeping your foor cold, and great when the kids want something cold to drink. Freeze a few full bottles that will last until you are readyto leave.

Freeze slices of bananas rolled in chopped peanuts. They are easy, pop in your mouth snacks and taste just like ice cream. Bananas are also a quick burning carb so they will keep up the kids energy level.

Packed full of protein, boiled eggs are easy to transport and filling. Veggie sticks are a given - by themselves, or great dipped in hummus for a little extra oomph!

Sweet, refreshing, and delicious! Never frozen grapes before? It is so easy.

Who says muffins are just for breakfast? Packed full of healthy carbohydrates, they are the perfect pool snack to give your kids lots of energy. Make them ahead, freeze them and then pull a few out for your next trip to the pool.

Laughing cow cheese is one of our favorite snacks. It is great to bring to the pool - fast and convenient. It is delicious spread on veggie sticks, apples, pears, and crackers.

Homemade Lunchables: Cheese, turkey, whole-grain crackers and your favorite fruit. Great for a pool-side snack or lunch!

Edamame: This simple and quick snack is packed full of protein and fiber.

Liz & Jim Faison run Fit For Christ Providing Complete Health and Wellness Programs for Individuals, Churches, Ministries and Corporations
They also run a FIT FOR CHRIST BOOT CAMP: Join them every Saturday, 8a at First Baptist Church Woodbridge, VA for 75 minutes of fun, fellowship and fitness. $10 Adults, children 9-15 FREE with a paying adult, otherwise $5.

As a special offer for PwcMoms.com readers:

August Offer: Buy 10 boot camps, get 10 free. Children 9-15 participating with a parent are FREE. Every Saturday. The certificate is good for one year, and can be used on a drop in basis.

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Review: The Frostie Moose

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Published: 07/17/2012

On Monday, we went to check out the Frostie Moose over at the intersection of Hoadly Road and the Prince William County Parkway. They were hosting a spirit night for our swim team, and who are we to not support the team, right?

Of course right. So, my husband claims that he's tried to take the kids before on two occasions and the store has been closed, even though their hours indicate they should be open. I can neither confirm nor deny that, but since he was asked for his input, there it is.

Frostie Moose serves up ice cream soft-serve style and features several permanent flavors as well as a flavor of the day, which you can find up on the board or by following them on Facebook. They offer limited indoor and outdoor seating, and their prices seemed very comparable to other ice cream shops in the area.

My kiddos went with a kiddie sized cone (which was pretty substantial in size) with sprinkles, and a chocolate milkshake and a cookie dough milk shake. Everyone was happy with their choices, and I thought the flavors were good (I snuck a bite from each kid- quality control check, you know how it is!) our only complaint was that the pieces of cookie dough in my son's shake were too big to come up the straw, despite the fact that he snagged a bubble-tea sized one. His sister was happy to eat them with a spoon after he slurped up all the ice cream, though.

The kids enjoyed the giant moose mural, the owner and her staff seemed friendly and quick, and all three munchkins said they would be happy to come back anytime. I appreciate, too, that they offer booster night options.

We enjoyed our visit, and think we'd definitely go back for another special treat night.

(pictures from the Frostie Moose Facebook page and Yelp.com because PWC Daddy refused to take pictures for me because he was afraid he'd get someone's face in them. Sigh.)

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Giveaway/Guest Post: Sweet Frog

Published: 07/01/2012

Out and About: Sweet Frog

I've seen the Sweet Frog sign from the road while visiting my favorite Chick-fil-A on Sudley Manor Drive and wondered what kind of establishment it was. After seeing that they are opening another store in Woodbridge (thanks Super NoVa Mommy!) I decided to check the place out online.

From www.sweetfrog.com:

SweetFrog is one of the fastest growing brands of premium, all natural, self-serve yogurt restaurants. Our concept is simple: SweetFrog is a bright, positive, family-friendly environment where customers can create their dessert, their way – at a very modest price point.......

SweetFrog was founded on the principles of Christianity and our belief in bringing happiness and a positive attitude into the lives of our consumers. At SweetFrog, F.R.O.G stands for Fully Rely on God – and we hope to be an example of that in every community.

After reading this, I knew I definitely had to check this place out in person!

The restaurant opens at 11:30am so I figured we would get there right when they opened. I was surprised to see people inside and some were even outside already eating their frozen yogurt! The outside of the store is inviting and has tables and chairs (behind the bushes) for patrons to enjoy their frozen treats.

The Goods!

Notice the hat she wore from home!

As we entered the restaurant, we were hit with the colorful, clean and bright atmosphere mentioned on their website plus those adorable green frogs! The self-serve frozen yogurt machines line the side wall in the back of the store . There are over 10 flavors to choose from--all of which are clearly labeled with the flavors and nutritional information! I thought it would be a little over whelming for a three year old to pick her favorite (it would've been for me if they didn't have my absolute favorite—coconut!), but she made her decision rather quickly. They do have taste test cups if you are having trouble making up your mind. :)

Brace yourself for the toppings bar!

You pick out the size cup you want and fill it up as much as you want with your chosen flavor(s). We got three of the smaller cups with the intentions of eating some in the store and taking the rest home. (Yes, we were good and took some home!) After filling up our cups, we headed to the toppings bar. Wow! I thought the frozen yogurt choices were overwhelming! There are at least 40 different toppings plus a variety of sauces you can add to your frozen yogurt. Be warned! You pay by weight, so be careful as the weight of those toppings adds up fast! My daughter had seen pictures online of the restaurant and thankfully knew ahead of time that she wanted mini M&Ms.

They weigh your cups up front and then you pay $0.42/ounce. (They do take credit cards.) Our three cups came to about $7.00. Not bad considering the price of ice cream treats at other places. We also got a customer appreciation card (which I saw by the register and had to ask for) which you earn one free frozen yogurt after purchasing ten. We are about a third of the way there!

Time to dig in! My daughter got strawberry frozen yogurt. It was so fresh and it appears to have real strawberries in it. I got the sugar free vanilla for my 14 month old. I was a bit more exotic with the coconut frozen yogurt with slivered almonds and mini chocolate chips. Everyone enjoyed our treat! It was hard to stop, but we did knowing we would have some more later!

They have a single bathroom (which is nice for taking both girls and a stroller in!) for boys and one for girls. The boy and girl frog adorn the appropriate door. The bathroom was clean and colorful. (Remember bathrooms are a pet peeve of mine!)

My only complaint was that they don't have bags or carriers for the frozen yogurt. They do have tops, so at least I could stack the containers up and carry them out to the car.

All in all, our trip to Sweet Frog made for a fun, little morning outing. We will definitely go back again and we might even bring Daddy with us. ;)

Even Horton had fun! (He joins us on many of our adventures as you will learn!)

Pros

·Kid-friendly

·Colorful and inviting

·Clean

·Decent pricing

·Yummy frozen yogurt

·Has high chairs

·Nice bathroom

·Ample parking

Cons

·No bags or carriers if you have leftovers or get it to go.

·Multitude of choices could be overwhelming for younger children.

Angela Pounders is a transplant to Manassas Park from Arlington. She is blessed to be a stay at home mama to two beautiful girls. As a former teacher (as well as preschool director and Children and Family Director), she is always on the look out for fun, easy and educational things to do with her girls. She also loves to share her ideas and is looking to start her own blog, Master's Daughter, by the fall.

Thanks to Angela for her awesome guest post on Sweet Frog!! We liked it so much we went to check it out ourselves, and the great team over at Sweet Frog Manassas is offering one lucky PwcMoms reader a $20 gift card to come out and treat their family! Winner must pick up and redeem their gift card at the Sweet Frog Manassas store. No purchase is necessary to win, PwcMoms was not compensated for this post, winner assumes all liability...you know the drill :)

To win, go and like Sweet Frog Manassas on Facebook and tell them you saw them on PwcMoms.com! Then, head back over here and leave a comment saying you did. Contest closes Monday night at 6pm. Winner may be notified via email, Facebook and/or twitter.

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Summer Fun Ideas- Make Your Own Ice Cream

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Published: 06/27/2012

There is nothing quite as good as homemade ice cream :)

Seriously.

One of the best parts about the process is that it's totally customizable! I have two recipes for vanilla ice cream that I love to use. One is literally brainless, and the other actually involves a measuring cup, but they're both delicious and no-cook. They're also eggless ice cream recipes, which is great if you have a child with allergies.

Recipe One
-1 Quart of Half and Half
-1 14oz can of Sweetened Condensed Milk
-2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

Mix until the sweetened condensed milk is fully incorporated. Freeze according to your manufacturer's instructions. (Most important part- if you have an ice-based freezer don't skimp on the rock salt!!)

Recipe Two
-2 cups milk (this freezes better if you do not use skim)
-1 pint of heavy cream
-1 cup of sugar
-2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

Mix the milk and sugar until the sugar is completely dissolved. Add the remaining ingredients and freeze according to your manufacturer's instructions.

What's that you say? You don't have an ice cream maker? No problem! Scoop 1/2 a cup of the finished ice cream mix into a sandwich size Ziplock bag. Put that Ziplock in another Ziplock and then put those two inside of a gallon size Ziplock bag and fill the bag with crushed ice and table salt. Take the whole shebang outside and have your kids shake it for about 10-15 minutes (you can even play catch with it). Take out the inside bags, dry quickly on a towel (salt water in your ice cream is gross) and you'll have some fresh soft serve!

Now, once your ice cream is done, you can eat it as is, or everyone can add their own toppings to an individual serving and set it in the freezer to firm slightly (or not, whatever, I'm not here to judge). Great mix-ins include:
-Chopped peaches, strawberries, bananas, or blueberries
-Peanuts, walnuts, pecans
-M&Ms, marshmallows, gummi bears
-Chopped girl scout cookies, chopped Oreos
-Crushed pretzels

Mix in whatever you'd like (note: if you want to make an entire batch of cookies and cream, it's 20 chopped Oreos. Just saying.) and enjoy your ice cream. I prefer to take mine poolside, but you can do whatever you want!

Have you ever made ice cream at home? What's your favorite recipe or flavor? Leave a comment (or a link) below!

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Readers Recommend: Best Pizza in Prince William County

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Published: 06/22/2012

When I asked a reader question about the Best Real Pizza in Prince William County, I got a TON of responses! From Deep Dish in Dumfries to Meat Lovers in Manassas, you guys have some serious feelings about Pizza!! Here are the responses! If you have a favorite location for the Best Pizza in Prince William County, be sure to leave a comment!!

Tony's in Bristow/Manassas/Bull Run/Haymarket x25

(Manassas Location is the Best, We moved to Manassas from Woodbridge to be closer to that place!)

Astoria's 123/Route 1 in Woodbridge x15

(My husband's favorite and he went to culinary school! Best in the area!)

Amici's Pizza off Hoadly Road x5

(Run by an Italian Family. If you pick it up you get Buy One Get One free for Large One-Topping)

Presto Pizza in Merchant Plaza x5

(Woman is from Sicily, Run by Italian Family, Great Customer Service, grows her own basil)

Padrino's in Dale City x4

Pizza Margherita in Gainesville x4

Lake Ridge Pizzaria x3

Brooklyn Brothers in Gainesville (x3)

Papa Petrone's Take and Bake x3

zPizza x3

Brothers in Montclair x2

L&B in Dale City x2

Costco Pizza x2

Ledos of Liberia

Pizza Time in Manassas

Vocelli's

Bella Vita in Manassas on Liberia

Roma Restaurant in Lake Ridge

Big Joe's in Manassas

Pizza Spot in Manassas Park

Joe's Pizza and Subs on Route 1

Armetta's

Pizzarama in Manassas

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Where do MamaMafia Dons Dine?

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Published: 05/25/2012

Where do MamaMafia Dons Dine?

It sounds like there should be a punchline to that question- but the answer is anything but a joke.

This week I was able to spend some time (okay, almost 5 hours) at Carmello's in Old Town Manassas. Y'all recommended Carmello's on our Reader Recommendation Restaurant Guide, and I've been wanting to try it ever since! Andrea from Real Housewives of Northern Virginia set up a tasting, and from the moment we walked in, I was completely sold.

Walking into Carmello's you'd never know that you're feet away from the Train Depot. Its warm colors and gold chargers invite you in, and even the sign glistens. This would be the perfect location for a wedding or rehearsal dinner meal, and they are able to offer multiple room sizes to meet group needs. Joining our dinner were Denise from Let Mommy Sleep/Mission Sleep, Rebecca from 3 Tiny Tyrants/Maguire Media Group, Laura from BeltwayBargainMom, and Micaela from SuperNovaMommy.

Denise, Me, Micaela, the awesome manager Jacob, Rebeca, Laura, and Andrea

Rebecca selected a bottle from their extensive wine list for us. There was what can only be described as the Cheesecake Factory Menu worth of wine on their list, but she picked out a fantastic red. Twice :) (Please note- all photo credit is to Real Housewives of Northern Virginia who shared with me since I forgot to charge my phone before dinner)

We were able to tour the restaurant. This is the wine room. Just for the reds.

We had so much fun chatting with the manager, Jacob. He selected a few dishes for us and I quickly shocked everyone since I love to cook and will try just about anything because I had never eaten ANYTHING that we had. I decided to try to handle it cultural-exchange style and just eat it :) It was all amazing, and I think I'm in love with scallops. (Yeah, say that you've never had a scallop before at this table of women and you get 5 horrified gasps followed by two "Well you can pass them over here if you're not gonna try them!")

Okay, cell phones don't do food justice (sorry Andrea). This is shrimp and scallops over saffron rice with artichokes in a delicious creamy sauce. I had never had a scallop before (gasp!) and am very selective about my shrimp, and since I'm not a seafood lover, let me say I loved all the seafood dishes here. Everything was fresh and not the least bit "fishy". Next we had veal medallions wrapped in bacon with a mushroom sauce, also over rice.

I had (shocker) never had veal. Also, let me confess to typically eating my meat "Well done, please, and then cook it a little more". I didn't lick the plate....but I thought about it. This literally melted in your mouth.

Next we sampled the seafood ravioli, which had salmon (never had) and lobster cream sauce (never had lobster, either). The salmon was probably the most out of my comfort zone, but the lobster cream sauce and I are now BFF's and I'm following it on twitter.

Now, all of this is very fancy and amazing, but it's of course special occasion/date night food. And, when you have your next special occasion, this is where you should go. Besides the food being amazing and the manager being friendly and knowledgable, the staff was attentive and I didn't see a single table that wanted for anything from water to clean forks.

But if you just need a little cocktail hour, Carmello's has you covered, too. This delicious Pizza Margharita (yeah, I'd actually had this before!) Is actually from the adjoining bar, Monza. If you're looking for a place for lunch, a light supper, or drinks with the girls, Monza has got to be it. In addition, let me share something with you:

On Mondays, Monza has $5 martinis from a list about a mile long. We sampled the pear, root beer float, grapefruit, a few I can't remember, and the awesome bar tender Jeff's espresso martini, which, if it were available at Starbucks, would land me in AA. Meeting up with a few friends after work (even if work involves chasing toddlers!) at Monza would be epic. With the same warm and upscale feel, but substantially more flatscreen TVs (playing the hockey game!!) Monza is a great guy-friend or girl-friend meet up.

Also, now that summer is approaching, keep in mind that on Friday and Saturday nights, the patio is open and the side street shut down to accommodate live music. What a great way to spend a warm summer night!

Carmello's- Entrees $23-30, elegant warm atmosphere. Going to the Hylton Performing Arts Center? Call ahead and bring your tickets and take advantage of their $35 Theatre Special before 6pm (Appetizer/Soup/Salad, Entree, Dessert). Plan Carmello's for your next occasion and you definitely won't regret it!

Monza- $5-$17, fun upscale atmosphere, great for meeting friends! Don't forget the $5 martini Mondays, and that pasta is $4 off before 4pm, so a late lunch is an option!

Denise, Rebecca and me. We like to segregate our Blondes and Brunettes when we dine out ;)

My group was provided with products or services for this review, however it represents my honest opinion, and I'd have written the same thing either way. Just saying :)

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Giveaway: Again Bags

Published: 05/25/2012

My dear friend Gaby is a crunchy tree hugging mama goddess. I both love that and hate that about her. Mostly love, except when she's using a much more extended version of the 10 second rule than I'm comfortable with. Gaby cloth diapers, recycles everything, and even though she's military, she moves her big industrial composter across the country with her family.

Me, not so much. I want to be green, but like the man said...

Picture from Issaquah Environmental Council

Can I get a witness?

Anyway, getting my kids to all convert to using one reusable water bottle a day was a huge step for me, and really, I only did it because I hate dishes, and I found really cute Sigg bottles with awesome designs.

This brings me to my point. I want to be eco-friendly, but honestly, I'm mostly motivated by things being easy and cute. Enter: Again Bags.

When we got ours in the mail, I was super excited. These great reusable baggies meet all of my requirements to actually make me a little more eco-friendly. I'm not ditching my car for a Prius yet or anything, but this is a step that anyone can take. Again Bags are laminated fabric with extra-wide velcro that keeps your food from escaping, and, let's be honest, we're not looking to lose our Annie's Organic Cheddar Bunnies. (Fine, they're Goldfish, don't judge me...I told you this is a process for me!) My daughter absolutely adored the patterns that arrived in the mail, and was really eager to take her snack-sized version of the apple print above to preschool.

Now, you may be thinking "Right, but eco-friendly is only good if it's not gross for my food". Absolutely true- but you can toss your again bags RIGHT IN THE DISHWASHER! I was dubious about that, but ours came out just fine! PWC Grandma came over and snagged one of the samples and also enjoyed it, but came up with our sole complaint which was that at between $6 and $9 a bag, you're probably going to have to build your collection of Again Bags over time.

Need a little less fru-fru and a little more man-card? They also have 2-ply versions in solid colors, which my boys think are really cool. Since we homeschool, I don't pack their lunches every day, but I do once a week for our co-op and we are also avid hikers, and these hold up really well when tossed in a backpack. They can even withstand being next to a sharpened pencil, which plastic versions (and I say this from experience) cannot.

I definitely think these nifty bags are worth the investment! The kids love using them, they're cute and easy to clean, and we're enjoying ours immensely.

Want to win your own? Leave a comment on this post between now and May 27th, and I'll pick a winner from the posts at midnight. Want an extra entry? Like Again Bags on Facebook and leave a comment that you did. Please note that, as always, your entry is the comment you leave stating your completed the task and not the like itself. This contest is now closed. Congrats to Megan K.

Again Bags provided PwcMoms.com with 7 various sizes and prints of bags to try, in addition to providing a set for the contest winner. Again Bags is furnishing the prize and the winner assumes all liability. Facebook is in no way involved with this contest. PwcMoms is not responsible for you feeling an urge to get a snack bag in every print available. While PwcMoms was provided with sample product, all opinions expressed in this piece are my own, and represent my honest opinion of the product provided.

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Chick Fil A Mother Son "Date Knight"

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Published: 05/15/2012

When it comes to fast food, nobody does it quite like Chick-Fil-A. From their friendly staff to great healthy options like grilled chicken nuggets and fruit cups, we're always really happy with our visits. Even their play places have always been clean at every location we go to. (Admittedly, we're not world travelers, but we have been to some CFA's in our time!)

One of the great parts about our local Prince William County Chick-Fil-A restaurants is that they're so kid-friendly! Whether it's family nights, movie nights, crafts, kids eat free, or special events, they're always fantastic about making sure your family can have fun! Last year, my husband and daughter attended the Father/Daughter Date night. My hubby was a little dubious about the whole thing when ~~I signed him up and didn't give him an option~~ he decided to go :). He wasn't sure what would make going with a reservation to fast food so special. However, they had a great time, and were so impressed that when Mother Son "Date Knight" came up, I knew my boys and I were going.

We went to the Woodbridge, Virginia Chick-Fil-A, and we were impressed by the set up! They turned the back half of the restaurant into a castle! The walls were draped with "stone" backdrop and they had balloons, crowns, and even cows with swords (see below)

Note the cocktail picks. :) The restaurant event took the time to give some fun talking points. My boys really enjoyed questions like "Would you rather live at the bottom of the ocean or on the moon?" and "Would you rather be a spider for a week or an elephant for a year?" They sound really silly, but it got everyone talking, and the tables around us all seemed to be enjoying them, too!

Next there was a "shield" we could use to make a family crest. On the back, it explains the different animals found on crests and what they symbolize. We decided to do an owl holding a fish because "Mommy wants us to make the wise choice, but we want to be crazy!" (Owls symbolize wisdom and fish symbolize energy).

The ever-friendly Chick-Fil-A staff (decked out with aprons and crowns) comes to take your order table side and delivers your meal on plates. You still pay, both for yourself and the kids, so plan accordingly. This is not a kids eat free night. However, you do get free dessert! We got to try the new chocolate chip cookies (which are way off in the cookie-to-chocolate ratio, and I mean that in a VERY good way!) and also had the option of a brownie or an ice dream.

Of course, the cow also made an appearance! We had a lot of fun and will definitely make plans to attend again in the future!!

You can sign up to get email alerts from your local Prince William County Chick-Fil-A Restaurant! You can also follow them on Facebook.

-Chick-Fil-A Bristow, Manassas Virginia
-Chick-Fil-A Woodbridge, Woodbridge Virginia
-Chick-Fil-A Signal Hill, Manassas Virginia
-Chick-Fil-A Sudley Manor Drive, Manassas Virginia
-Chick-Fil-A Virginia Gateway, Gainesville Virginia

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Kids Eat Free in Prince William County

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Published: 05/10/2012

Whether you are looking for a kid-friendly meal in Woodbridge, Haymarket, Lake Ridge, Occoquan, Manassas, or Gainesville, a play place may help, but kids eating free is the ultimate!

Please CALL FIRST before using this list. Restaurants make changes to their menus, policies, dates and times on a regular basis, but this is correct as far as I know as of the date of publishing. If you encounter a change, please leave a comment and let me know so I can correct it!!

Monday
Denny's 2 kids eat free with each paying adult. Drinks are not included. All locations.
Smokey Bones kids eat free from 5-7 p.m.; one child with each adult entree. 2601 Prince William Parkway Woodbridge
Los Toltecos True Mexican Cuisine offers a free child's meal with each adult entree. 4120 Merchant Plaza Woodbridge
Dumfries Pizza Hut Kids three-year-old and under are free for the lunch buffet and three to 10-year-olds are half price with each adult entree. 17982 Main Steet, Dumfries
At Cici's Pizza, kids three-years-old and under can have a free meal with each adult entree. 13600 Foulger Square Woodbridge
Amici's will give one free kid's meal to kids 10 and under for each adult meal purchase 12623 Galveston Court Manassas
Eggspectation has one kids meal free per adult meal purchased every Monday 8058 Crescent Park Drive Gainesville
Golden Corral offers free meals to children 3 and under with the purchase of an adult buffet every day 10801 Bulloch Drive Manassas
Columbus Grill, one kid's meal per adult meal every Monday and Tuesday 8349 Centreville Road Manassas
Salsarita's on Rte. 28 in Bristow (near Super Target). Free kids meals (1 per adult entree) from 3-7 p.m.
Cafe Rio in Manassas offers kids 6 and under a free quesadilla.

Tuesday

Denny's 2 kids eat free with each paying adult. Drinks are not included.

IHOP From 4-10 p.m. two children per adult eat free and drinks are $0.99. All Locations.
K2 Restaurant & Lounge From 5-8 p.m., children 12-years-old and under eats free with each adult entree. 14633 Jefferson Davis Highway Woodbridge
Moe's Southwest Grill On Tuesdays from 5-9pm patrons can receive one kids free meal with one adult entree. 12841 Galveston Ct, Manassas

Dumfries Pizza Hut Kids three-year-old and under are free for the lunch buffet and three to 10-year-olds are half price with each adult entree. 17982 Main Steet, Dumfries
At Cici's Pizza, kids three-years-old and under can have a free meal with each adult entree. 13600 Foulger Square Woodbridge
Mcdonald's inside the Walmart on Liberia Ave in Manassas. Kids' Night on Tuesdays from 5-9 p.m. Buy 1 Happy Meal, get 1 Happy Meal free.
At Applebee's on Tuesdsay, kids eat for $1. 13850 Noblewood Plaza Woodbridge
Uno's Kids Eat Free with purchase of adult meal. All day. 2680 Prince William Parkway Woodbridge
Bob Evans Kids eat free. One child per adult. 12 and under. 4pm-close. 14490 Smoketown Rd or 13900 Noblewood Plaza Woodbridge
Silver Diner in Woodbridge (near Potomac Mills). Kid's Night from 5-8 p.m. features a weekly activity such as a magician, etc. Kids who join their kid's club get a free kid's milkshake.
The Lion and Bull from 5-9pm, one kids meal free per adult meal purchased 5351 Merchants View Square Haymarket
Golden Corral offers free meals to children 3 and under with the purchase of an adult buffet every day 10801 Bulloch Drive Manassas
Red Hot and Blue, 4-9pm one free kid's meal per adult meal 8366 Sudley Road Manassas

Columbus Grill, one kid's meal per adult meal every Monday and Tuesday 8349 Centreville Road Manassas

Panda Express, one free kid per paying adult, nearest intersection is Smoketown and Prince William Parkway, Woodbridge

Cafe Rio in Manassas offers kids 6 and under a free quesadilla.

Wednesday

Denny's 2 kids eat free with each paying adult. Drinks are not included. All locations.

Cafe Rio in Manassas offers kids 6 and under a free quesadilla.

All American Steakhouse offers two kids free meals with an adult entree all day. 4179 Merchant Plaza, Woodbridge
Ledo Pizza offers a free kids meal per adult entree from 4-9 p.m. 8971 Ox Road, Lorton
Dumfries Pizza Hut Kids three-year-old and under are free for the lunch buffet and three to 10-year-olds are half price with each adult entree.17982 Main Steet, Dumfries
At Cici's Pizza, kids three-years-old and under can have a free meal with each adult entree.13600 Foulger Square Woodbridge
The American Steakhouse has kids eat free all day with the purchase of an adult meal. In the evening, they offer free face painting, too. 4179 Merchant Plaza Lake Ridge
Golden Corral offers free meals to children 3 and under with the purchase of an adult buffet every day 10801 Bulloch Drive Manassas
Buffalo Wild Wings, Kids eat 1/2 price from 5-8pm. Any participating location.

Thursday

Denny's 2 kids eat free with each paying adult. Drinks are not included.

Dumfries Pizza Hut Kids three-year-old and under are free for the lunch buffet and three to 10-year-olds are half price with each adult entree.17982 Main Steet, Dumfries

At Cici's Pizza, kids three-years-old and under can have a free meal with each adult entree. 13600 Foulger Square Woodbridge

Captain D's one free kids meal per adult meal purchased. 8911 Centreville Road Manassas

Golden Corral offers free meals to children 3 and under with the purchase of an adult buffet every day 10801 Bulloch Drive Manassas

Chik-Fil-A at Manassas Mall. Kid's Night from 5-8 p.m. and offers a free kid's meal with a paid adult meal.
Chik-Fil-A on Liberia Ave. in Manassas. Kid's Night from 5-8 p.m. and offers free kid's meal with a paid adult meal. Also features clown entertainment.

Cafe Rio in Manassas offers kids 6 and under a free quesadilla.

Friday

Cafe Rio in Manassas offers kids 6 and under a free quesadilla.

Denny's 2 kids eat free with each paying adult. Drinks are not included.

Dumfries Pizza Hut Kids three-year-old and under are free for the lunch buffet and three to 10-year-olds are half price with each adult entree.17982 Main Steet, Dumfries

At Cici's Pizza, kids three-years-old and under can have a free meal with each adult entree. 13600 Foulger Square Woodbridge

Golden Corral offers free meals to children 3 and under with the purchase of an adult buffet every day 10801 Bulloch Drive Manassas

Saturday

Denny's 2 kids eat free with each paying adult. Drinks are not included.

At Cici's Pizza, kids three-years-old and under can have a free meal with each adult entree. 13600 Foulger Square Woodbridge

Golden Corral offers free meals to children 3 and under with the purchase of an adult buffet every day 10801 Bulloch Drive Manassas
Qdoba on Liberia in Manassas has free kids meals on Saturday and on Sunday. They also have B1G1 free adult meals on Tuesdays so you can get a free kids meal or even order an adult size meal for your child and have leftovers.

Sunday

Cafe Rio in Manassas offers kids 6 and under a free quesadilla.

Denny's 2 kids eat free with each paying adult. Drinks are not included.

Hard Times Cafe offers one free child meal for ages 11 and under with each adult entree from 11 a.m.- 2 p.m. 14389 Potomac Mills Rd Woodbridge

Panda Express on Liberia Avenue has kids eat free with adult meal purchase.

At Cici's Pizza, kids three-years-old and under can have a free meal with each adult entree. 13600 Foulger Square Woodbridge

Qdoba has kids eat free all day with the purchase of an adult entree and drink. 2824 Prince William Pkwy Woodbridge

Golden Corral offers free meals to children 3 and under with the purchase of an adult buffet every day 10801 Bulloch Drive Manassas

Brass Cannon (in Stonewall Golf Club behind Wegman's). Sunday brunch buffet is buy one adult buffet get one free. Kids under 6 also eat for free.
California Tortilla in Bull Run Plaza in Manassas. Kids eat free on Sundays after 5 p.m. with a paying adult.
Carmello's in Old Town Manassas. Kids eat free on Sundays (open for dinner only).
Qdoba on Liberia in Manassas has free kids meals on Saturday and on Sunday. They also have B1G1 free adult meals on Tuesdays so you can get a free kids meal or even order an adult size meal for your child and have leftovers.

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Wegmans May and June Kids in the Kitchen

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Published: 05/03/2012

Sorry Wegmans Potomac shoppers- if you want to get in on the great kid-friendly kids in the kitchen programs at Wegmans in May and June, you're going to have to defect to Lake Manassas, with the exception of make a cake for mom.

Image taken from www.wegmans.com

Here's what's coming up:

May 12- Decorate a Cake for Mom, prices and times vary by location
May 12- Speedy Breakfast at Wegmans Lake Manassas, 11am or 2pm

May 26- Sugar and Spice at Wegmans Lake Manassas, 11am or 2pm

June 9- Cool Jammin at Wegmans Lake Manassas, 11am or 2pm

June 23- Ice Cream at Wegmans Lake Manassas, 11am or 2pm

As a reminder, sign up for these events in advance at customer service. With your shopper's card, they're just $5.

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Chick Fil A Mother/Son Date Knight May 14, 2012

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Published: 05/01/2012

I think that alone time with your kids is important. We love "mommy dates" and "daddy dates" because they let our children know how special and important they are to us.

I also love that Chick Fil A helps! It's nice to have an option that won't break the bank. My husband and our daughter did the Daddy/Daughter Date Night last year, and were really impressed by how special and affordable it was!

From CFA Signal Hill:

Mother-Son Date Knight is an opportunity for Moms to bring their son/s for a special, 'medieval' themed evening and a chance to have one-on-one time together. It is by reservation only. When you come to the restaurant, we will seat you and provide table side service. The restaurant will be decorated, there will be an activity for the mother and son to do at the table and we like to provide an Ice Dream Sundae Bar for you to enjoy as well!

To reserve your spot, visit the reservation page.

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Review/Giveaway: Wholesome Goodness

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Published: 03/08/2012

When it comes to feeding your family, I think it's safe to say that we're all walking a tightrope trying to balance nutrition with finances. Organics are the current "thing", but they're also really expensive. I know for some people, it's an expense they're willing to work for, and for others it's not at the top of the budget priority list.

That's why I was excited to check out the new Wholesome Goodness line, which made its way into Walmart stores in our area February 20th (they picked my birthday! way to go, guys!).

Wholesome Goodness is poised to be a go-between for families looking to balance eating healthy with not breaking the bank. According to Supermarket News, this line rolls out at about 30% less than market-leading alternatives, and the brand is free of several big "no-nos", including:
-No High Fructose Corn Syrup OR Artificial Sweetners
-No Trans Fat
-No Preservatives
-No Modified Food Starch
-No Artificial Colors or Flavors
-No MSG

All the products are also promised to be high nutritional density, low sodium, and whole grain.

Wholesome Goodness is a dry-goods company, so everything is shelf-stable. They produce nut milks, juices, sauces, dressings, chips, granola bars, salsas, trail mixes and more. We were able to sample several of their products

Our box contained "o" shaped cereal, dark chocolate trail mix, bbq sauce, oatmeal, chocolate almond drink, mild salsa, three kinds of chips, and apple cinnamon granola bars. My kids were THRILLED because I very rarely keep chips in the house, so they thought this was the Best.Day.Ever. (Plus, any day where a box comes in the mail is a good day, right?)

The first thing the kids broke into was the whole grain crisps and salsa. We thought the whole grain crisps were a lot like, ahem, "Solar" chips, but thinner. We really loved them!! The kids ate that entire jar of mild salsa in one sitting, too, so I'm assuming it was good- but I didn't get to try it. My kids are salsa fiends, and when I took the chips away, they moved on to dipping celery in it! We were also big fans of the tortilla chips, which have multiple grains and flax seeds. They are toasty and delicious! The "low sodium" aspect is definitely noticeable if you're a salt-a-holic like me, but once you adjust, they're quite satisfying, and I know they're better for my family, especially my husband, who comes from a long line of high blood pressure!

Also a huge hit was the bbq sauce, which we used on some grilled chicken tenders. The trail mix was for mommy, and I loved the size, the mix of salty and sweet, and that the chocolate was dark, so it wasn't too sweet. The chocolate almond drink is not as thick as the dark chocolate almond milk we typically buy for our daughter, and I wasn't a huge fan because of the texture difference, but my four year old thought it was delicious and easier to drink from her sippy cup (yes, I love my carpet, don't judge me), so she is now a huge fan. We weren't huge fans of the roasted veggie tortilla chips, they had kind of a burned flavor to us, but the cereal was yummy, and all in all we enjoyed the box of trial items. We haven't opened the oatmeal yet, but the next cold day we get, since it's snowing in March and all, we'll pop it open. Or, if it doesn't get cold again, we'll make cookies with it. :)

I really liked our trial of the Wholesome Goodness line overall. I also appreciate their goal of providing a healthier option for your family without breaking the bank. I would definitely recommend trying them, and will be picking up more flax-seed chips and chocolate almond drink for my daughter.

Want to win your own box from Wholesome Goodness and "try before you buy"? You can enter to win your own trial box in two ways!
1- Visit the Wholesome Goodness Facebook page and give them a like. Then come back and leave us a note that you did! Please note your entry is made by leaving a note on this website. Facebook rules prohibit "liking" as a condition for winning.

2- Visit the Wholesome Goodness Website and let me know in a comment below what item you'd most like to try.

3- Tweet this giveaway and leave a note with your tweet and time stamp.

You may enter up to 3 times for this contest, 1 time each way listed above. This contest will end on Saturday, March 10th at 12 noon, with the winner announced the afternoon of March 10th.

Disclosure Statement: Wholesome Goodness provided PwcMoms with free samples of their product and will be sending a reader similar materials. While items were provided for free, all opinions represented here are my own.

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Plan Ahead for: Wegmans Kids in the Kitchen

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Published: 02/06/2012

I'm a little perturbed that I'm having to type this again!! I was all planned out for this week and did all my blog posts this weekend (at the very reasonable hour of 3am Sunday morning) and today when I went to publish, it appeared that blogger only cared to keep the tags, dates, and titles.

Well that's not helpful!

Clearly this is God telling me that he approves of my typical method of waiting until the last minute to do any/everything.

Anyhow, Wegmans.

Wegmans is not just a grocery store- it's a shopping experience. My Uncle The Doctor (have you ever heard the joke about the difference between God and a Doctor? It was written for him.) lives near the flagship Harris Teeter store in North Carolina, which he refers to as the "Taj Ma-Teeter". When my Uncle The Doctor came to visit near the end of my grandmother's life, he kept going on and on and on about how we don't know good shopping. Knowing that my fiesty grandmother would have approved if she could speak, I tossed my Uncle The Doctor into the car and hauled him to Wegmans.

He wasn't "wrong" you understand, but I may have been right about something in this one, isolated incident.

With some people, you have to learn to take the victories when you can get them.....even if they won't fully admit it.

Wegmans has two Prince William County locations, and they offer some great looking Kids Cook classes for ages 4 and up! Tickets are required and are $5 per child/adult pair with your Wegmans Club card or $10 without a card. Sign up at the Customer Service Desk.

People- those Wegmans Club Cards are free. Let's be logical and just sign up for one, shall we? If you feel the need to spend the extra $5 you can mail it to me.

It's been my experience that cooking with your kids is fantastic. It gets them to eat what they made (even if it's healthy!) and it ensures that they'll be able to survive outside of your home on more than easy mac and top ramen. However, I do so love the idea of cooking with my kids at Wegmans since that means my kitchen can stay clean....assuming it was clean when we left for Wegmans.

Here's what's coming up:
February 11th-
We Heart Parties at Wegman's Potomac Mills. Three times slots are available at 10am, 12pm, and 3pm. We "Heart" Parties Valentine’s Day goodies are the main event! Join us to make Fruit Tarts, Heart-Happy Trail Mix, and Strawberry Smoothies—you’ll even get to create a card for someone special.

March 3rd-
Wegmans Lake Manassas: Build Your Own Pizza! Sign up your children to learn how to get involved in the kitchen and build their own pizza. They will make a Tandoori Naan Pizza with a whole grain crust and a Caesar Salad with strawberries and yogurt dressing! 11am or 2pm

March 10th-
Wegmans Potomac Mills The Secrets in the Sauce (Craveable Veggies!) Want to learn a special chef secret? This class will share just how easy it is to make any dish taste yummier with sauce! Learn how to add zip and flavor to all kinds of meals, including kid-friendly Lo Mein and Peanut Salad and veggies like broccoli and snow peas with 4 snazzy sauces! 12pm or 3pm

March 17th-
Wegmans Lake Manassas: The Secrets in the Sauce (Craveable Veggies!) Want to learn a special chef secret? This class will share just how easy it is to make any dish taste yummier with sauce! Learn how to add zip and flavor to all kinds of meals, including kid-friendly Lo Mein and Peanut Salad and veggies like broccoli and snow peas with 4 snazzy sauces! 11am or 2pm

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