My Cheerios just got a little sweeter - Dulce de Leche

First, I just have to say that I LOVE Cheerios.  Multi Grain Cheerios are my favorite! (I still remember the first time I ate them.  We were on an airplane going someplace . . . weird that I don't remember where though.  They were serving breakfast.  Remember when they actually served food on a plane?!  I didn't want the hot food they were serving, so they brought me Multi Grain Cheerios instead.  I had never heard of them, and was actually a bit leery of anything labeled "multi grain" at that time.  I tended to prefer white, bleached, no grain visible foods.  I took a bite and was hooked.  With a touch of sweetness, they were delicious!  I've been buying them ever since.)  Anyway, back to the topic at hand.  We almost always have at least two varieties of Cheerios in our house.  The girls' choice is usually Honey Nut or Frosted (because who doesn't love that?!).  Though Apple Cinnamon and Fruity make frequent appearances as well.   So, when I was contacted by MyBlogSpark to receive and review Dulce de Leche Cheerios I was giddy with anticipation.  I hadn't seen them in stores yet.  In fact, I hadn't even heard of them.   I just knew I'd love them before I even tried them.

When the day finally came that the box with my Cheerios arrived outside my door I was thrilled.  I knew what I'd be having for breakfast the next day - Dulce de Leche Cheerios in my cute little polka dot bowl.  (Actually, to be honest, the bowl is actually much bigger than I expected.  I usually only eat about half that amount of cereal in the morning.)  So, I got the kids packed up and on the bus.  I poured myself a bowl of cereal and milk and I sat down to enjoy it.  I took a bite.  Hmmm?   I wasn't quite sure if I liked it or not.  The flavor was different than I expected.  It was light, but it tasted like something and I couldn't quite put my finger on it.  I took another bite.  It was pretty good.  Not "pure joy" when they hit my tongue, but good.  The more bites I ate, the more I enjoyed it.  I think that it was just not exactly what I was expecting.  The taste is hard to describe.  The strength of the flavor reminds me a bit of flavored coffee.  You can taste a hint of caramel in your caramel coffee, but it doesn't taste like caramel.  It  was a similar experience with this. 

Since my first taste, I've really come to enjoy Dulce de Leche Cheerios.  The box is nearly empty, and I will definitely be purchasing it again in the future.  I've found that I actually prefer eating them dry, as a snack.  If I'm going out to run errands, then I grab a small container, fill it up and munch while driving or between stops.  It fills me up, has a touch of sweetness (which is enough to keep me from grabbing a cookie from the cookie shop in the mall), and is easy to eat on the go. 

Unfortunately, this box has disappeared before I got a chance to try any of the recipes that I was sent.   With my next box, I'm definitely going to try to make the Dulce de Leche Apple Bread (though I think I'll crunch up the Cheerios a bit more than they did in their picture) and Dulce de Leche No Bake Cheesecake.  Which recipes are you excited to try with Dulce de Leche Cheerios?  All you have to do is tell me below for your chance to win a fun prize pack like the one I received!

Here are some of the recipes:

• Cheerios Dulce de Leche Snack Mix: http://bit.ly/DDLSnackMix
• Cheerios Dulce de Leche Popcorn Balls: http://bit.ly/DDLPopcornBalls
• Cheerios Dulce de Leche No Bake Snack Bars: http://bit.ly/DDLSnackBars
• Cheerios Dulce de Leche Apple Bread: http://bit.ly/DDLBread
• Cheerios Dulce de Leche Parfait: http://bit.ly/DDLParfait
• Cheerios Dulce de Leche No Bake Cheesecake: http://bit.ly/DDLCheesecake

Disclosure: The new Dulce de Leche Cheerios information, product, and prize pack have been provided free of charge by Cheerios and General Mills, through MyBlogSpark.

Cheerios and Reading - Winner

Congratulations to Shellyrm!  Random.org selected her as the winner of the Cheerios and Reading Winner.  You will be contacted via email shortly.  I hope you enjoy your Cheerios and Book Kit!

Cheerios and Reading - Two of my Kids' Favorite Things (Giveaway)

As a mom, I always want what is best for my kids.   I think that companies know this and bombard parents with ads that are full of information, opinions, thoughts, and beliefs that may or may not be true or provide full disclosure.  When I feel overwhelmed by the mass quantity of information, I tend to go back to the basics.  To me, the basics are things that I'm comfortable with.  Things that aren't necessarily glamorous or glitzy, but at least give me confidence that they won't do us any harm.  Some of our favorite basics are fresh fruits, Cheerios and books.   While educational videos for kids may or may not be beneficial and artificial sweeteners may or may not cause cancer, I've never heard anything bad about Cheerios or books (yet).  So, when MyBlogSpark contacted me to see if I was interested in sharing this information with my readers, I couldn't say no.

Through its annual New Author Contest, which kicked off March 22, Cheerios® cereal will make this dream a reality for one aspiring children’s book author. One Grand Prize Winner will receive a $5,000 cash prize and a possible publishing deal with Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, in addition to having his or her book featured inside Cheerios cereal boxes nationwide.

Founded on the belief that reading is a key building block for learning and life, the Cheerios New Author Contest encourages ambitious authors to write and submit an original story, in either English or Spanish, suitable for children ages three to eight. The contest, which is an extension of the Spoonfuls of Stories program, is part of the brand’s ongoing commitment to nurturing the whole child and connecting families by fostering a shared love of reading.

Laurie Isop, of Renton, Wash., won the literary lottery when she was named Grand Prize Winner of the 2009 Cheerios New Author Contest. Laurie, a small business owner, mother of two boys, and aspiring author since the age of 12, can now add “published author” to her resume. This spring, Laurie’s book How Do You Hug a Porcupine? will be featured in more than three million specially-marked boxes of Cheerios and will also be available in bookstores nationwide beginning this July.

Those who want to follow in Laurie’s footsteps and think they have the “write” stuff can visit www.spoonfulsofstoriescontest.com from March 22 through July 15, 2011 to find out more.

I don't know if they had this contest when I was still teaching, but if they did, then I wish I would have known about it.  My high school students wrote some of the most amazing children's books about the science topics we discussed in class.   The books were colorful, bright, attractive, educational, and just plain fun.  I'd love to have seen how they would have done.   However, since I can't go back in time, I'd also love to see how some of my readers do!  So get your thinking caps on and come up with something great.  Perhaps it is something you've been thinking about for years.  Maybe it is something you just thought about today.  If you are creative and want to be an author, now is your chance!  Good luck!

How would you like to win a box of Cheerios and a "Create-your-own" book kit for your kids (or yourself)? It might be just what you need to motivate you to write a book and perhaps win this year's contest.

Here's what you have to do for your chance to win.

Mandatory Entry: 

• Tell me what you think makes a children's book AMAZING.  Is it a catchy rhyme, a funny theme, a topic that makes you want to cuddle or something else?

Optional Extra Entries

• Follow me via GFC and leave your user name in the comments (sidebar)
• Follow me via twitter and tweet this giveaway using #myblogspark and @rmgm (Leave a link to your tweet in the comments)
• Like me on Facebook and leave your initials in the comments

Details:

• Only open to US residents
• Winner will be chosen using random.org
• Giveaway ends 11:59 pm ET on May 1, 2011
• Include your email address in your comment if it is not available on your profile page.
• Winner will have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen.
• Prize will be sent directly from MyBlogSpark. I am not responsible for lost or damaged products.

*Disclaimer - I received the same prize pack that my winner will be receiving.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.