Natural Foods Review: Annie’s P’Sghetti Loops

Grade: B+

Annie’s Brand In General: A+

I am a huge fan of Annie’s Homegrown. I’ve been buying their macaroni and cheese religiously for years now and I love reading the back of the box or corner of the label where they so cleverly describe their products, what’s in them and why they do what they do – they make the simple act of picking up a spoon and eating their product seem like a special occasion, an insider secret and something to be proud of. As you should be.

So when I decided that I was craving Spaghetti O’s but didn’t want me or my two year old eating such garbage for a meal, I decided that if anyone would have the answer, it would be Annie’s. And of course, they did. The first can we tried was Annie’s P’Sghetti Loops which are basic loop shaped pasta in a tomato & cheese sauce with soy meatballs. I was a bit hesitant about soy meatballs and worried that all the extra sodium that isn’t in the Annie’s products would be that magic ingredient that makes Spaghetti O’s taste good in spite of my better judgment, but I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. These were really good. Now admittedly the soy meatballs were not my favorite part, but they weren’t half bad and the rest was just plain delicious. And my son actually loved the meatballs and devoured them right away.

For the less adventurous readers saying, “Sorry but I’m not eating a soy meatball,” don’t worry. Annie’s has got you covered, too. They offer both Organic Bernie O’s (with both bunny and O shaped pastas) and the Annie’s All Stars which has, you guessed it, all star shaped pasta, both in that classic tomato and cheese sauce. I  think those will end up becoming favorites in our household now, or at least whenever I get that craving for a Spaghetti O’s type fix.

Annie’s Homegrown sells all kinds of foods, from breakfast cereals to macaroni and cheese, they also sell Chedder Bunnies (a variation of goldfish crackers that are bunny shaped instead), Bunny Grahams, skillet meals and fruit snacks. I’m planning to stock up on a few of these goodies the next time I go to the grocery store because Annie’s P’Sghetti Loops have done the trick of reminding me why I love the Annie’s Homegrown brand.

About the Momma:

Jen @ mommablogsalot.com

Jen is a Stay at Home Mom and Loving Wife. Spends too much time online reading RSS feeds and posting in her blog. If you haven’t heard from her in awhile, she’s likely lost in a good book, sleeping or watching Grey’s Anatomy.

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House of Dark Shadows

Review:
House of Dark Shadows by Robert Liparulo

After reading the first paragraph, I could tell that this book is well written and attention grabbing. I loved that it is filled with modern references to movies, songs, books, and people ? a la Gilmore Girls (just more nerdy). I also liked the strong sense of family unity, genuine love, and mutual respect. I find this lacking in most modern entertainment sources ? television, movies, and literature.

Some negative points include the fact that the entire book takes place in the span of a few days. That was too surreal because it felt like the events should have spanned weeks or months. I also correctly predicted the plot twist at the end, which was too typical of this genre. Even though it was a little annoying that I predicted the plot twist, it did not take away from me liking the book in the end.

Upon reading the ending, I still wished I had book two within reach. Knowing there?s more books coming, I don?t expect a resolution of the King family problems in book two either. All in all, the author is a great storyteller with a vivid imagination that truly draws the reader into the story and I can?t wait to read the sequel.

Product Description:
Dream house . . . or bad dream?

When the Kings move from L.A. to a secluded small town, fifteen-year-old Xander is beyond disappointed. He and his friends loved to create amateur films . . . but the tiny town of Pinedale is the last place a movie buff and future filmmaker wants to land.

But he, David, and Toria are captivated by the many rooms in the old Victorian fixer-upper they moved into–as well as the heavy woods surrounding the house.

They soon discover there’s something odd about the house. Sounds come from the wrong directions. Prints of giant, bare feet appear in the dust. And when David tries to hide in the linen closet, he winds up in locker 119 at his new school.

Then the really weird stuff kicks in: they find a hidden hallway with portals leading off to far-off places–in long-ago times. Xander is starting to wonder if this kind of travel is a teen’s dream come true . . . or his worst nightmare.

About the Momma:

Amanda @ funkEpunkEmonkE.com

Mrs. Suzzi Heartbreaker is a homemaker, roller derby vixen,

freelance web architect, boutique owner, wife, and mother of two girls. She is a supermom and loves it.