Food Finds (Courtesy of Kind Friends of Nom Nom Nom Mom)

In the past week, I've been the recipient of great kindness and along with it, great food finds from 3 Mom Friends. 

I came across the 1st of the yummy finds while volunteering in Katrina's Toddler class.  To go along with the week's theme of Halloween, the Toddlers' snack of the day while I was there were scrumptious mini Pumpkin Pancakes from Trader Joe's, and made with ease & love from fabulous friends & teachers, Ms. Debi & Ms. Nancy.  They were kind enough to extend the snack to me, since I so tirelessly (haha!) volunteered to help most of the brave Toddlers dip their bare feet in white paint to make cute ghost pictures for Halloween.   After successfully (for 1/2) and unsuccessfully (for the other 1/2) trying to convince each child how fun the feet dipping was, I was ready to partake in snacktime.  Once I knew that the snack of the day was something from Trader Joe's I had no doubt it would be delicious, as I've never gotten anything bad from this unique grocery store.  And true to form, the pancakes were so yummy with just the right amount of pumpkin essence and sweetness.  And even better, all the Toddlers, including my very own toddler were asking for more.  I also commend my Friends who entertain and teach these Toddlers the art of tasty and healthy eating, which during the childhood years, can be a challenging feat considering all the picky palates of this age group.  The next time you're shopping at Trader Joe's pick yourself up the pumpkin pancake mix while it's still in season, as it's sure to be a hit with your kids & adults alike. And thanks to SWSM Toddler I class & Ms. Debi & Ms. Nancy for sharing in the sweetness of the day.

The 2nd food find came to my window in the form of my friend, Ms. Sharon, aka Sugar Mama ~ custom cookie designer extraordinaire.  While I thought that maybe she was presenting me with her sweet treats, I was pleasantly surprised with the savory goodness about to enter my world.  While waiting for carpool activity to commence, Ms. Sharon got out of her car, came to mine, and presented me with a share of a new found favorite ~ Pita Pal Pearl Couscous!  Try saying that 3 times!  Better yet, try eating it 3 times & then some, and you won't be disappointed!  Ms. Sharon was so kind enough to think of me and share in this healthy container of delicousness...How blessed and lucky am I!  She obviously knew of my interst in the activity otherwise known as nom-nom-nom-ing.  I was so excited to receive this, since the main ingredient in this food was Pearl Couscous, aka Israeli Couscous, bigger in size to the fine couscous one might more typically be familiar with, and in my opinion more substantial and just cuter than the typical variety, but I digress.  Anyway, other ingredients include fresh parsley, red pepper, black olives, spices, sea salt, and the best ingredient listed on the container~a lot of love!  You can't go wrong.  I graciously thanked Ms. Sharon for her kindness in sharing, and I couldn't wait til lunchtime to try the new food find.  When lunch finally came around, I happened to be at my parents' house since I dropped the Girlies off from school with the intention of heading back to the office, but not before I was able to taste a new piece of loveliness that awaited me in that colorful container.  OMGoodness!  Pita Pal Pearl Couscous is deliciousness, and even better ~ healthy deliciousness, and even lots better~my parents liked it.  And when they learned it is available at Costco, their favorite place on Earth, I think they nearly left the lunch table to head on over to buy more containers of it along with any other random thing one can purchase while getting lost in the world known as Costco.  The next time you're at Costco, head to the refrigerated section and search for this fabulous healthy eating kind of find.  I'm so glad Ms. Sharon found it, and passed the find on to me, and in so doing I now give you the tools to find it too!  Enjoy!

I love that 2 items that I shared with you here were shared with me elsewhere.  I love that because of the kindness of my friends and their fine tastebuds, I too now have the opportunity to share in that kindness with you and share in the food finds of the day.  Here's to sharing that kindness with your family & friends who also enjoy the love of eating!

One last note, it's rather fitting that on this Halloween Eve, just before all the trick-or-treaters come to your doorstep, that this post shares in the new treats that happen to make their way into my basket, so to speak...Thanks, Friends!