My Blog Spark: Frosted Toast Crunch Giveaway and Review~ 2/11

Momma Told Me: Put your tongue back in your mouth!

From the very beginning we are fascinated with out mouths. Long before we can truly appreciate the culinary nuances of Kraft Mac N' Cheese or Mom's Meatloaf, we experiment by 'tasting' anything that which fits. It starts with binkies and thumbs (for some even fists), and moves onto pencils, crayons, and teddy bears. We'll try to eat Play-Doh and Elmer's Glue, pennies, and even grass; of course, for the novelty of the experience, not in search of actual sustenance. Then, as we grow up we learn the world is full of much too many delicious choices to bother with Popsicles or pinwheels. And yet, we are just as careless of the quality. Eating, arguably one of the highlights of my day, should be equally about nutrition and content. With studies showing less than 14% of present adults consider overall nutrition when choosing meals, the education of such practices is more important than ever.

I'll admit, I'm a sugar addict. If it weren't for my immaculate dental hygiene, I'd likely be toothless by now. As a child, I favored cereals for the coolest Saturday Morning commercials, and most colorful boxes. The more gimmicks, the better, and I was a 'hounder'. I can't reason quite why, as Momma never let me get away with it, and never gave in, but I'd be the puffy eyed kid stomping their feet and clutching a box of cereal. Next to General Mills' Lucky Charms, my favorite was always Cinnamon Toast Crunch. There was just something special about the way these toasted squares would sparkle atop a sea of milk. The flavorful ribbons of cinnamon would always flavor my bowl for a wonderful incentive to 'finish' my breakfast. It was unlike any other cereal on the shelf, and full of wonderful sugar.

Now, it seems I always find myself making this anecdote, but common sense dictates (no matter the advertising or campaigns), sugar coated cereal is still sugar coated cereal. While the General Mills brand has done wonders with their Nutritional Guide campaign, and easy to read, front of the box, icons; even the company themselves note that these crave-able cereals are intended as part of a healthy breakfast. Teaching proper portion control, and monitoring your child's ad-ons (orange juice, fresh fruit, yogurt) for additional content, is still an important part of great parenting. Even I can't get away with eating a (heaping)bowl a day, as much as I'd like!

Making Shopping Market Tantrums all the more inevitable, is General Mills's newest Cinnamon Toast Crunch rollout; Frosted Toast Crunch. Adding a sweet coating of vanilla 'frost' to these cinnamon squares brings a whole new level of flavor to the classic breakfast treat. Thankfully, Frosted Toast Crunch is still a great source of Whole Grain (11g), with 9g of sugar per serving, and viable amounts of Calcium. This variety is also an active participant in the Box Tops For Education campaign, where buyers can clip Box Top vouchers redeemable by their chosen school for cash and much needed supplies. This is one of my biggest reasons to support the General Mills brand, and a wonderful program our local schools truly value.

My Blog Spark and General Mills sent me a Frosted Toast Crunch Prize Pack to sample this new variety, including; a box of Frosted Toast Crunch, branded Pitcher and Spilt Milk Bowl with Lickety Spoon (by Fred). How could I not feel like a kid again with this adorable Silicone Bowl and Tongue Handle spoon? The cereal itself held up better than I'd anticipated. I was glad to find the 'frosted' aspect was in fact a frosting (as you'd find on Cheerios or F. Flakes), rather than a sugar powder coating. I think the actual frosting technique has added a little extra crunch to the cereal squares, and even makes them hold up better in milk! The flavor is more vanilla than cinnamon, which makes me a little sad, but is wonderful for snacking (dry) or working into marshmallow squares.

My biggest gripe about Frosted Toast Crunch is it's lack of availability. Despite being released early January, it's still trickling into our local stores (and I live on the outskirts of a major Metro area). Additionally, when it is stocked, the blue box blends in with the Frosted Cheerios or Cookie Crisps boxes nearby, and I always overlook it! Needless to say, we've bought several boxes since our initial encounter, and hope to do so in the future!

What Daughter Says: Have a little fun with your breakfast, enjoy a dash of Vanilla with your Frosted Toast Crunch, and keep your tongue happy- so it doesn't wander!

My Blog Spark and General Mills would like to offer one Momma Told Me follower a Frosted Crunch Prize Pack, as showcased above!


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