Tastefully Childish

Last week my oldest daughter and I took advantage of the gorgeous weather and scooted to the Chelsea Piers Mind, Body Studio and Sports Center to celebrate Dannon’s newest product, Danimals® SuperStars Fat Greek Yogurt for kids.  Upon arrival, my daughter snapped a shot with the adorable mascot and headed in to try a sample of the new yogurt!  She absolutely loved it.  She then headed upstairs to participate in a variety of sports activities which included basketball, steal the bacon, and tug of war (her favorite).

While the the kids were upstairs, bloggers were able to learn more about the product from the Danimals® team.  Danimals® SuperStars are available in 4oz 4-count packs in five delicious flavors made specifically for kids, including: Strawberry Slide, Strawberry Banana Sprint, Cotton Candy Thrill, Mixed Berry Half-Pipe and Cherry Rush. The names of the flavors make it fun for kids and more exciting for kids to eat. The yogurt has a creamy, mousse like texture. Pull back the top of the yogurt for fun Disney facts.

Image from Dannon

After learning about Danimals® SuperStars Fat Greek Yogurt, pediatrician, author of Mommy Calls, and fellow mom, Dr. Tanya discussed healthy habits, the benefits of Danimals® SuperStars, and answered questions from guests.  Information she provided:

• Added sugar? Remember all dairy has naturally occurring sugar.  Danimals have a low amount and Dannon is working to lower the added sugar content more.
• Yogurt has live active cultures which are beneficial in digestive health, especially when you are sick.
• Kids need 20g of protein per day.  Adults need 50g.  Good sources of protein other than meat include eggs, beans, & 3 servings of dairy (greek yogurt).
• Dairy has calcium for bones and vitamin D.
• Greek Yogurt is great to have in the morning, as a snack, and is also great for dipping bagels in.
• Start kids on Whole Grain bread early on.  When buying bread and grains make sure there are at least 3g of fiber per serving.
• Kids need at least 60 minutes of exercise a day.

For more information about Dannon Danimals® SuperStars Fat Greek Yogurt see the Danimals SuperStars Fact Sheet, visit https://www.facebook.com/danimals,  http://instagram.com/dannonyogurt, or follow @Dannon on Twitter.

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Last week I attended a Girls Night Out with 50 other influential mom bloggers at the New York International Auto Show. The event was hosted by SheBuysCars, Toyota and Dr Oz: The Good Life, a new magazine. Guests received massages. We talked about leading women in the auto industry.  Audrey McClellan and Vera Sweeney from Getting Gorgeous gave tips and trends for Spring included wearing plaids and adding color using statement necklaces or bright nail polishes on your nails.

Toyota provided safety tips for driving which included always pulling over when eating, giving snacks to your kids, or answering phones. Your car tends to go to the direction your eyes are looking, so if you are looking at something other than the road your car will swerve towards that direction you are looking.  This was clearly demonstrated on the simulator provided at the event. I was able to take a “ride” in the TeenDrive365 simulator.  Participants in the simulator were asked to check texts, change the radio station, or take a drink of water while driving.  While doing that you will see yourself swerve in the other lane or crash.  You don’t realize how little things, like taking a sip of water can be so distracting while driving.  You should definitely check it out if you attend.

After the event we had the chance to walk around the different exhibits and check out the latest cars.  Walking around I had many fond memories of my childhood.  My father is in the car business so we always made a visit to the DC auto show.  The New York Auto Show tops it and is one of a kind.  If you haven’t made it to the show yet, and would like to make an evening of it after work (it’s open until 10) or round-up the kids and head there this weekend.  The Auto Show will be at the Javits Center until April 27!  Don’t miss the classic cars, a personal favorite!

Need tickets? I am having a flash giveaway for 4 tickets which begins now ends at 6pm tonight, April 23.  I will e-mail a promo code once a winner is chosen.  To enter (please leave a comment for every entry):

• Leave a comment with the make of car you drive or your dream car.
• Follow me on twitter @tastefulychldsh.
• Tweet about the Giveaway (comment with link)
• Like on Facebook

Happy Easter to you and your family!

CHEESE, please!  Words I hear often in my house. My girls LOVE cheese and my usual picky eaters aren’t picky when it comes to cheese. It’s an ingredient in all of their favorite meals; mac and cheese, pizza, ravioli, grilled cheese, to name a few. If cheese isn’t in their meal, they ask for cheese on top or on the side. They also ask for cheese as a snack in cubes or on crackers.

Last week, we celebrated National Grilled Cheese Day with Arla Dofino Cheese and Kelsey Banfield, Autor of The Naptime Chef Blog at one of my favorite spaces in NYC, FreshmadeNYC.  The space was filled appetizers and meal ideas using the Arla Dofino brand of cheese.  Samples of the many flavors and varieties of Arla Dofino Cheese which includes a delicious range of family-­‐ friendly cheese flavors such as Havarti, Gouda, Edam and Fontina. Arla Dofino cheeses are naturally good, free of added hormones and crafted with quality, natural ingredients in an environmentally friendly way.  It was Cheese Heaven for cheese lovers like my two little girls (and myself).  On the menu; pizza, fruit, cheese skewers with fruit, mac & cheese, and grilled cheese.

In celebration of National Grilled Cheese day, Kelsey Banfield shared her grilled cheese favorites using Arla Dofino cheese. Her creations included Havarti and Pear Grilled Cheese, Havarti Prosciutto & Fig Grilled Cheese, and Havarti, Tomato & Arugula Pesto Grilled Cheese (click links for recipes). All of the grilled cheeses were made with Arla Dofino cheese. My girls loved the Havarti and Pear. She also shared tips for entertaining including starting with an empty dishwasher, creating a cheese platter using variety with mild flavors like creamy havarti or gouda to keep the picky eaters happy, and whatever you serve should be eaten in two-bites or less.

I’m always looking for new ideas for lunch and snacks.  Kelsey had wonderful cheese- inspired ideas including quesadillas, making your own lunchable, mini quiches, and english muffin pizzas.   I will definitely try these and will mix it up using the different varieties and flavors of Arla Dofino cheese.

My daughter walked away with this block of cheese to share with family on Easter. A great suggestion at the event was to carve it and serve fruit or I may even put eggs in there for an Easter decoration.

Thank you for a wonderful evening! My girls walked away trying new recipes and discovering new foods they enjoy!

Disclaimer:  I did not receive compensation for this post all opinions expressed are my own.  I received cheese, a lunch bag from dwell studios, and car service for attending the event.  All opinions expressed are my own unless noted.  Information in italics are from a press kit.