Lunch time options *

*information for this post was in part supplied by Hormel Foods through their Hormel Extended Family Blogger program. No compensation was received for this post.

I don't know about you, but at my house one of the biggest challenges is the answer to the question - "what's for lunch?".

During the week, during the school year, it is of course easier, because we either buy or pack and packing is usually a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or luncheon meat. Then, when the weekend comes (and summer days not at daycare or camp), it seems that the kids (and my husband) are tired of sandwiches and are looking for other options. If we have leftovers, that of course is one option, but when our schedules are busy like they are right now, we tend to have a lot of meals from the freezer for dinner and I generally pack those without leftovers. So, we are usually left trying to find other options.

One option that we have enjoyed for years are Hormel Compleats. Ready to go, easy to microwave meals that are shelf stable. (Of course, we don't just enjoy them on the weekends, they also make great options for a packed lunch for my husband and I during the week.) I love that I can grab one and take it to work and keep it at my desk for lunch.

I was glad to learn that they have recently launched some new cheesy pasta varieties. I can't wait to try the Three Cheese Chicken Pasta and the Smoky Bacon Parmesan Rigatoni.

Hormel® Compleats® cheesy pasta varieties are perfect for today’s busy, on-the-go moms who are looking for convenient, protein-rich foods to power them [and their families] through their day.

Hormel® Compleats® cheesy pasta varieties are shelf-stable and ready to eat in just 60 seconds. These microwave meals fit perfectly into people’s busy everyday lives, while still providing consumers with the taste of comfort that they crave.

Made with real cheese, the new line offers a variety of satisfying flavor selections for consumers to choose from. The product is available in the following real cheese flavors:

• Mac and Cheese
• Italian Herb and Cheese Rigatoni
• Three Cheese Chicken Pasta
• Cheesy Ravioli
• Creamy Cheese and Basil Tortellini
• Smoky Bacon Parmesan Rigatoni

Aside from the new varieties, Hormel® Compleats® are available in over 40 different varieties so you will be sure to find a dish you love.

What is your greatest challenge at lunch time? Do you have a favorite, quick lunch dish? What is your favorite pasta variety?

No compensation was received for this post. All opinions expressed are mine or those of my family. I am completing this post as a participant in the Hormel Foods Extended Family Blogger program. Hormel Foods provided some product and some of the information for this post.

Dial It Back - Fruit2O Mommy Party #gotitfree *

* no compensation was received for this post. I received information and product to share with friends as a host of a Fruit2O MommyParty.

I don't know about where you live, but here in North East Ohio, it was a rather cool Memorial Day weekend. Last year, it was close to 90 every day of the weekend - trust me, I was sweltering at an all weekend baseball tournament. This year, it was closer to 60. In some ways, a cool weekend was nice, but in others it made the weekend more of a challenge. For instance, the kids were asking about setting up the slip'n slide. I'm not sure exactly what they were thinking, wearing jeans and sweatshirts and thinking that it would be warm enough for a swimsuit and water. In addition, we had to move our picnics indoors - leaving us with less place to eat and hang out than we have when we can use picnic tables and the table on our deck. Thankfully, we did all of our picnic-ing and marshmallow roasting on Saturday and Sunday, because Monday turned out to be not only cool, but also wet!

One of the fun features of our weekend gatherings, was the Fruit2O Mommy Party (dads and kids were included!) that we incorporated into our gatherings. In fact, instead of having just one party, it was more like 2 1/2 - spanning Saturday and Sunday. Everyone seemed to enjoy trying the variety of flavors that we received in the party pack, as well as the additional bottles I picked up at the store on Friday evening to make sure that we had plenty on hand for the gatherings. We used some fun temperature sensitive cups to serve up samples (and really all of the beverages over the course of the weekend). It reminded me a little of those Hypercolor t-shirts that were all the rage 25 years ago. The kids thought it was fun to watch them change colors and then to see the track of where they had drank the water.

There were several flavors of the water that we got to experience at the party - Strawberry, Raspberry, Cucumber Lemon, Grape, and Watermelon. Unfortunately, the two new flavors, Cucumber Lemon and Watermelon, I wasn't able to find at my local store, so we only had a little to sample and share for those flavors. I had picked up two 6 packs (on special for only $2.50/6 pk at my grocery store), one each of Strawberry and Raspberry, for the party, anticipating that the samples we had wouldn't be enough. We drank them all, so it was a good decision on my part.

Everyone seemed to enjoy the water. The water has a nice subtle fruit flavor, enough to taste and identify the flavor, but not so much that the flavor was overwhelming. We had some disagreement about whether the cucumber or lemon flavor was more prevalent in the Cucumber Lemon water. We talked about the available flavors and decided that the lemon was the one we were least likely to buy, because you could just as easily get the flavor with a lemon wedge or a bit of lemon juice in your water, but the other flavors really offered a nice change of pace from 'plain' water. Even the little kids enjoyed the water, with one little girl asking for more juice when she finished hers.

The water was a great beverage option for the picnics. It wasn't hot out, but the drinks were still refreshing and a nice accompaniment to our dinners and snacks.

One of the other things that we checked out briefly was the Fruit2O Dial it Back Facebook App. The app 'audits' your Facebook posts and make suggestions on where you might want to dial it back and show a little restraint. You can even check back to see what your progress is in dialing it back.

Above is my report. You can see that I evidently spend my time talking about the kids, the weather and sports. It doesn't surprise me, seeing as how my kids have had lots of spring sports that involved us wearing winter coats and gloves and snow. You can check out the stats on your posts, by heading to www.dialitback.com, clicking on Like and then running the app. While there, be sure to enter to win in their daily prize giveaway, too.

As the guests headed out, I gave them a coupon to pick up their own 6-pack of water to enjoy at home. Luckily, I still have one more for me and I will be on the watch for the Cucumber Lemon or Watermelon to show up at my local stores.

No compensation was received for this post. I received information and product to share with friends as a host of a Fruit2O MommyParty. I was selected to be a host of a MommyParty through my participation in MomSelect. All opinions shared are my own or that of my family.

Happy Memorial Day!

Thank you to all the men and women who have bravely served our country.