Family Review Network

Wordless Wednesday Herman T’s

momstart — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 11:00:12 +0000

Friday Link Up – September 3

Tammy — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 10:01:05 +0000

Welcome to the Family Review Network Link Up. Each Friday, giveaways from some of the members of the Family Review Network will be featured here so you can try your luck at winning some of the products they’ve had a chance to review.

FOR EVERYONE

Three Different Directions – Digital Photo Frame Keychain (Sep 6/US)
Three Different Directions – $20 Barnes & Noble EGift Card (Sep 6/US)
Play That Now – Memphis Beat Tshirt & Hot Sauce (Sep 6/US)
Simply Stacie – Yoga Clothing product of choice (Sep 6)
Contest Corner – GoodGoes.org Pedometer (Sep 6/US)
Contest Corner – 3 Guitar Picks & Memphis Original BBQ Sauce (Sep 6/US)
Contest Corner – Retractable Badge Holder (Sep 7/US)
Simply Stacie – Ascenta Product of Choice (Sep 7)
Three Different Directions – Lulu.com Photo Book (Sep 7/US)
Three Different Directions – Wordlock Product (Sep 7/US)
Three Different Directions – zozi.com $100 activity credit (Sep 8/US)
Three Different Directions – Simply Spray Party Kit (Sep 9/US)
Contest Corner – Safecracker PC Game Giveaway (Sep 9/US)
Three Different Directions – TI-Nspire Math Makeover Package (Sep 11/US)
Contest Corner -Disney Villains: Simply Sinister Songs CD (Sep 12/US)
Mommy Living the Life of Riley! – Outdoor Waterproof Blanket (Sep 15/US)
Three Different Directions – Energizer Batteries (Sep 16/US)

FOR HER

Simply Stacie – ResVitale Pack (Sep 8 )
Simply Stacie – Herbal Hugs Body Pack (Sep 9)
Three Different Directions – SoftLips 100% Natural Lip Care Products (Sep 15/10)
Three Different Directions – RumbaTime Watch (Sep 16/US)

FOR KIDS

Three Different Directions – WordGirl Tricks & Treats DVD (Sep 5/US)
Three Different Directions – Set of 3 National Geographic Kids books (Sep 6/US & Canada)
CPA Mom – Dinosaur Train products (Sep 7)
CPA Mom – New Explorers Club CD (Sep 8 )
Three Different Directions – Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem Nintendo DS game (Sep 8/US & Canada)
CPA Mom – Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Road Rally DVD (Sep 9)
Three Different Directions – Pedia-Lax Fiber Gummies (Sep 9/US)
Three Different Directions – Tigger Pook-A-Looz & Hello Kitty Clip-On (Sep 9/US)
Simply Stacie – Veggie Tales Sweet Pea Beauty DVD (Sep 9)
Three Different Directions – Star Wars Clone Wars Backpack (Sep 10/US)
Three Different Directions – Benjamin and Bumper to the Rescue Make A Mouse Kit (Sep 12/US & Canada)

ESSENTIALS FOR BABY & THE NEW PARENTS

Contest Corner – Lafe’s Organic Baby Lotion (Sep 6/US)
Simply Stacie – Songs of Elvis Lullaby CD (Sep 9)
Mommy Living the Life of Riley! – $25 Babies ‘R’ Us Gift Card (Sep 17/US)
Mommy Living the Life of Riley! – Head Snuggler from Melrose Kids (Sep 18/US & Canada)

FOR THE HOME

Three Different Directions – Tropical Traditions Organic Rolled Oats (Sep 3/US & Canada)
Three Different Directions – Assortment of Carolina Pad products (Sep 5/US & Canada)
CPA Mom – Fogless Shower Mirror (Sep 6)
Contest Corner – Terro Fruit Fly Traps (Sep 6/US)
Contest Corner – ZacPoor Autographed Poster (Sep 8/US & Canada)
Simply Stacie – JUICER Express (Sep 8 )
Three Different Directions – Breyers YoCrunch Fruit Parfait Yogurt Coupon (Sep 9/US)
Three Different Directions – 10 Minute Solution for the Wii (Sep 10/US)
Contest Corner – Glade Fragrance Collection Candle (Sep 12/US)
Mommy Living the Life of Riley! – SurfShelf Treadmill Desk and Laptop Holder (Sep 16/US)
Mommy Living the Life of Riley! – GreenSmart Laptop Sleeve of choice (Sep 19/US)
Mommy Living the Life of Riley! – Fanimation Fan of Choice (Oct 12/US)

BOOKS, MOVIES & MUSIC FOR GROWN UPS

Three Different Directions – Rock Symphonies CD (Sep 3/US)
Three Different Directions – The Women in Jesus’ Life book (Sep 4/US)
Three Different Directions – Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! book (Sep 7/US)
Simply Stacie – Prescription Audio (Sep 7)
Simply Stacie – TurboFire Workout (Sep 7)
Contest Corner – Tamar Kaprelian Poster & CD (Sep 7/US)
Three Different Directions – Chicken Soup for the Soul: Runners book (Sep 8/US & Canada)
Three Different Directions – Select Editions book (Sep 12/US)
Contest Corner – The Apprentice book (Sep 12/US)
Contest Corner – Thriving Ivory “Through Yourself & Back Again” CD (Sep 13/US)
Three Different Directions – Gooseberry Patch Keepsake Cookbook (Sep 13/US)
Play That Now – My Boys: The Complete Second and Third Seasons DVD (Sep 13/US)
Play That Now – Thriving Ivory “Through Yourself & Back Again” CD (Sep 14/US)

LIST YOUR GIVEAWAYS HERE:

Say Cheese!

SeeryusMama — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 11:15:31 +0000

I’m embarrassed to admit it, but I haven’t had my daughter’s picture taken as much as I have my son’s.

You know, it’s that second kid thing.

I have good intentions…I do and then it just never works out the way I want.

Paige is having her pictures taken on Monday – and I hope it goes well. She’s in that stage of wanting to see every picture after it’s taken. The luxury kids have these days!

I’m not leaving my son out, much to his delight (you know, 10 year old boys), he’s going to have to show his pearly whites too. We’re going for the matchy-matchy look and I”m sure that will please him. Johnny will be wearing a red polo and jean shorts while Paige will be wearing a lady bug dress.

I hope the pictures turn out!

If you have more than one child, how do your photo sessions add up?

Wordless Wednesday Costume Supercenter

momstart — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 11:00:54 +0000

Costume Supercenter supplied photos to different Family Review Network Members. This is a photo of Elizabeth’s daughter from A Nut in A Nut Shell. Elizabeth is better known in the blog world as blueviolet and has been blogging since October 2008. She has quirky sense of humor, and loves to find fun and laughter in everyday moments. Through her blog, she shares her thoughts on parenting, family, life, and interesting products with her readers.

Just In Time for Labor Day – Herman T’s BBQ Sauce

Kailani — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 00:44:08 +0000

If you’re like a lot of other families across the country, you’ll probably be spending the upcoming Labor Day holiday outdoors BBQ’ing. I know we are! So we’re turning to Herman T’s BBQ Sauce to ensure that all our guests have a fun and delicious time!

The FRN members had the opportunity to review Herman’s BBQ Sauce for themselves. Here’s what they had to say:

The Art of Random Willy-Nilllyness: I would recommend this sauce to anyone. It also has less calories than the grocery store stuff. It is made with an all natural mix of powders that contain no MSG or other chemicals. Also one pouch will make up to 3/4 gallons of sauce. That is a lot of sauce for the price! And if you want to get crazy, you can doctor it up. The next time I use Herman T’s, instead of the water, I am trying beer. I think it will have a really good taste. I also used the BBQ powder as a dry rub on the chicken before I grilled it. Overall, Herman T’s is some finger licking good stuff! I can’t wait to grill out again!!

Contest Corner: The consensus was that the steak was good, but we couldn’t really taste the sauce. I think this would be best appreciated as a topping for meat rather than a marinade, so that you could really enjoy the flavor – although it didn’t help that I ran out of ketchup, so I only made 1 cup of each sauce. I tried a piece of steak marinated in each flavor; I was afraid that the “Hot” variety would be too intense for me – I have a very low tolerance for spicy foods – but it wasn’t outrageously spicy, so I was able to enjoy it. I had fun sampling Herman T’s BBQ Sauce and I look forward to trying it in other dishes!

Busy Working Mama: Herman T’s BBQ sauce mix is unlike any sauce I’ve tried before. It is a dry mix that you combine with water and ketchup to create your own BBQ sauce. I love the fact that you can make as much or as little as you want – use a tablespoon for a smaller serving or the whole packet for a giant vat. I tried the original version and really liked the flavor. This week I also made pulled pork in my crock pot and added some of the Herman T’s spicy BBQ sauce to the pot to simmer with the pork. It was delicious!

Two Monkey’s & a Washtub: We live in Texas, need I say more? We BBQ all the time and are always trying out new BBQ sauce. This is some good BBQ sauce mix. What I really like (regardless of my initial apprehension) is that you can mix it up yourself, so if you need it a little thicker you can reduce the level of water. If you can’t take the heat, you can add a little more ketchup. We even tried it as a dry rub on chicken and it turned out really yummy! You can make as much as you want when you mix it up and it will keep in the fridge, but I can say it tastes great warm off the stove! This sauce has a great flavor, not too spicy, not too much tomato flavor, and not too salty!

Marvelous Mommy: We started with the original mild. David mixed everything together and we tasted it. Overall I loved it…even more than our usual BBQ Sauce!! David said “I knew you’d like it. It tastes like ketchup.” He liked it but he still added his own twist on it {like he does everything} before he put it on our ribs. He added some Herman T’s Spicy “Hot” for a kick and some whiskey, Jack Daniels to be exact. David smoked the ribs on the grill for about 4 hours. We ate baked beans and corn on the cob {from our friends garden} with it!! It was delicious! We also had that same friend over for dinner and he enjoyed it as well!

A Nut in a Nutshell: First I tasted the mild sauce and then I tasted the spicy sauce. Honestly, I really couldn’t tell that much of a difference between the two, maybe just the slightest bit more heat with the spicy. I thought both of them had a slightly sweet flavor, and the catsup taste was quite noticeable. That’s not a bad thing, but I would have preferred the spice to overtake the catsup flavor. I might experiment next time and add a bit more dry mix than it calls for. I really liked whipping up a sauce that’s fresh not bottled, and knowing that it contains no chemicals or MSG makes me feel good about eating it and serving it.

Forgetfulone: Here in Texas, it’s not only the meat and the grilling that has to pass the test, it’s the sauce. The regular sauce is both sweet and tangy. And the spicy sauce has a little kick, which my husband loves. I even tried it, and it was spicy, but not Habanero-pepper-spicy, thank goodness! The great thing about the pouches is that they have a longer shelf life than bottles. Plus, you only need to make the amount you want for that particular meal, but if there are leftovers, they will keep in a closed container in the refrigerator.

Armymom’s Place: Herman T’s Sauce Mix was a hit…I doubled my recipe for meatloaf, and the entire thing was gone! There wasn’t enough! All the kids wanted more! Number 4, doesn’t like BBQ sauce at all. Usually I have to leave a section of my meatloaf, well, naked! She always tells me that it is “too spicy”. Not this time! She couldn’t get enough! In fact, she was quite upset when she was told there was no more. To the point of tears! Mr. Herman T. Jones, you have my seal approval! If my daughter will eat it with no problems, everyone else will love it! And that’s the truth!

The Thrifty Things: It’s not like the bottled BBQ sauce one buys in the stores. This is a mix which is whipped up from scratch and is still ready in only ten minutes. I didn’t need any fancy ingredients either–just water, ketchup and the BBQ mix. It’s available in two varieties, mild and spicy “hot.” The great thing about this sauce is I could make as much or as little as I wanted. It would be fresh each time. This sauce has a rich, thick texture and is slightly sweet. I made barbequed chicken and the whole family gave it a “thumbs up.”

So for a tasty BBQ Sauce that’s sure to be a big hit, stop by Herman T’s BBQ Sauce and check out their flavor selection. One package sells for $7.95 and 2 packages goes for $15.oo. Enjoy!

Here are more FRN reviews to check out: