The Tropics

**As a member of Purex Insiders, I recieved a full sized box of Honey Bunches of Oats, Tropical Blends. However I have not been paid for this review, and all opinions are my own.**

With Spring just right around the corner, I am having visions of warmer weather, longer days, kids playing outside and of my husband starting "my garden".

Of course whenever I  complain about it being cold in So. California, I don't get a lot of sympathy. True we don't have frigid temps or snow, however there was a time (about 2.5 years ago) that I lived on a tropical island. Where it never got below 88*. For 3 years. After living on Guam, anywhere else is cold!

How about you? Are you dreamng of a tropical vacation? I wish I coud tell you that I could send you on an all expense paid trip to some warm, sunny tropical island...alas, I can't. If I could send you to one, well...I would send myself!

However, I can do something to take your taste buds on a vacation, with Honey Bunches of Oats
Tropical Blends!

Thanks to being a Purex Insider, I got a free box to sample. Mmmm, it was so yummy! There were the yummy flakes and bunches that we all know and love BUT, you could also taste the chopped mango and the coconut. Yum, yum and yum!

I also had a bowl and topped it with a banana! Just a little bit more tropical flavor.

My hubby and boys (maybe it is a boy thing?!) don't like coconut. So they were not interested in trying it. But my daughter and I were all over it. Delish!

Have you ever tried this flavor? Honey Bunches of Oats have come out with a lot of new flavors, have you  tried any of them? What is your favorite flavor? Or do you just like the original?

If you would like to try these for free, head over to my FB page and enter to win 2 coupons good for a free full sized box!

crock pot Beef and Broccoli

A few weeks ago, I made this delicous recipe. My sister asked me to email it to her, but I decided to just post it here instead. This is NOT my recipe. I participated in a Cooking Thursday blog carnival where Renee posted it. I am always happy to pass on a great recipe though...as long as we give credit where credit is due right? So here is Renee's recipe (with a few little insights from me) and my family gobbled it up!

2lbs. of beef, chopped into cubes and trimmed of fat (knowing this would be in the crockpot all day, I went with a pretty cheap cut of meat)
3 cups of beef broth
1/2 c. soy sauce
1 small onion, finely diced
2 TBSP brown sugar
4 lg. garlic cloves, minced
16 oz. mushrooms (fresh or canned if desired) my family doesn't like mushrooms but I do. So I put them in!
2 16 oz. bags of frozen broccoli, thawed
4 TBSP of water
2 TBSP of corn starch

Directions:
1) Combine broth and soy sauce in a crock pot.
2)Add onion, brown sugar, garlic and mushrooms.
3) Stir in beef cubes
4) Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours
5)About an hour before serving, combine water and corn starch and mix well.
6)Stir mixture into crockpot
7)Add broccoli and cook on low for an additional 30-60 minutes until broccoli is crisp tender.
8) Serve over rice
9) ENJOY!