Monthly Archives: August 2012

Pepperidge Farm Celebrates 75 Years- Founded on a Mother’s Love!

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For as long as I can remember, Pepperidge Farm has been around producing some of my favorite treats! Everyone loves when I buy a bag or two…or three… of their yummy cookies. I have even been known to stash a bag away, so that I can enjoy them after everyone else has gone to bed!  Pepperidge Farm is known for their premium quality noms and they have been cranking them out for 75 years!! Pepperidge Farm founder, Margaret Rudkin, began baking in her Connecticut kitchen in 1937, to address her son's allergies. What started back then, has grown into a leading provider of premium quality fresh breads, crackers, cookies, and frozen bakery items. Thank goodness for Moms and thank goodness for kid's with allergies!!! ;)

Few brands have a larger portfolio than Pepperidge Farm, which is known and loved for its many products touching the lives of families across the globe.

Pepperidge Farm’s heritage is rich and very much alive today as the company—founded on a mother’s love for her son—continues Margaret’s mission to deliver the very best products (from wholesome fresh bakery items to must-have snacks), many of which are staples in American homes today.  Here are some fun facts about the company:

  • On August 15, 1937, the first “official” loaf of Pepperidge Farm all natural, whole grain bread was sold in a store for 25 cents.

  • By September 27, 1939, one million loaves of Pepperidge Farm bread had been sold.

  • Pepperidge Farm® Goldfish crackers were originally made and marketed in Switzerland as “Goldfish Tiny Crackers” before being brought to the U.S. by Margaret Rudkin in 1962.

  • The first flavors introduced stateside were Lightly Salted (Original), Cheese, Barbecue, Pizza, and Smoky.

  • The late Julia Child used to love to serve Goldfish crackers as an appetizer before dinner.

  • Pepperidge Farm is committed to accelerating snacking and baking advancements in the future as evidenced by the 34,000-sqare-foot Innovation Center opening this fall at the company’s headquarters in Norwalk, CT

  • Annually, the brand produces about 558 million Milano® cookies—enough to cross the United States more than 7 times—and bakes approximately 206 million loaves of bread

  • Today, Pepperidge Farm employs more than 5,000 people and operates plants in nine towns

  • Each year, Pepperidge Farm uses about 390 million pounds of flour

Pepperidge Farm has no intention of slowing down; in fact, there is much more excitement coming your way! This 75th anniversary year, they will introduce 35 new products. Margaret Rudkin would be proud. And to think, it all started with a loaf of all natural, whole grain bread that she sold in her store for 25 cents… Wow! Here's a little sample of what's in store for you this fall:

Pepperidge Farm Simple Natural Breads (Honey Wheat & Honey Oat)

Goldfish Bread (Brown Sugar & Cinnamon varieties)

Pepperidge Farm Caramel Apple Swirl Bread

Pepperidge Farm Jingos! Snack Crackers &

Pepperidge Farm Milano Slices Salted Pretzel Cookies

The good folks at Pepperidge Farm sent me a few items to sample and review…here's what I received:

First, I want to mention the new crackers: Jingos! These are sure to become favorites at your house, just like they now are in mine! They come in 3 varieties: zesty Lime & Sweet Chile, savory Parmesan Garlic & smoky Fiesta Cheddar. I could not decide which one I liked best… so I kept eating them to try to help me come to a decision! ;) They are all bursting with flavor and you will not be able to put them down, trust me! Definitely a winner!

Next, I tried the Milano Slices… just imagine the yummy Milano cookie, with chocolate and salted pretzels bits on top. Yep, you got, delicious!!! Very addicting- you've been warned!

The Milano Melts were divine!  Crispy chocolate cookie with a velvety vanilla creme center…yeah, that'll work!! ;) And work it did!

And last but not least, everyone's favorite.. Goldfish Crackers! I think every mom knows how important Goldfish Crackers are. They are our go-to snack…moms have been packing Goldfish Crackers in their diaper bags for decades!!  They are made with real cheese, have 0 grams of trans fat and no artificial preservatives. Winner and still champion!!!

When my guy saw the Goldfish bag… he could hardly contain his excitement! 

     

I want to wish Pepperidge Farm a very happy 75th anniversary and I look forward to another delicious 75!! Keep up the great work!! 




Disclosure: This review was made possible by Mom Spark Media. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Pepperidge Farm for the tasty samples!

PhotoCardCreations.com Giveaway!!

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I adore photo cards! They are so much more personal than store bought ones.  I would much rather send someone a card that I made myself; everyone seems to really enjoy receiving them. Photo cards are a great way to keep in touch in this digital age. Don't you get excited when you go to the mailbox and see a card that someone has sent you? Of course you do! We all do! Sure emails & texts are great too, but there's nothing like having something tangible, that you can hold in your hands; something you can show off to friends and family… something you can put up on the mantle. 

PhotoCardCreations.com is a leading online retailer of premium custom thank you cards, announcements & invitations.  They specialize in wedding, baby, party & holiday cards.  They are passionate about providing exceptional quality products & customer service.  They are excited about their new Online Design Tool, which was recently implemented and the over 100 new card designs that will be added in 2012!  The new design tool makes ordering much easier by allowing customers to design, view & approve their cards online!

With the kids returning to school, birthday parties are on the horizon. Take a look at some of the party invites Photo Card Creations has to offer. Once the kids get settled into their new school routines, the holidays will be upon us. Why not create your own holiday cards this year?! It's tons of fun and the kids can even help you make the cards by giving you their input. 

      

GIVEAWAY!

Photo Card Creations is offering all my Mommy Powers readers a chance to win 25 FREE Custom Cards (S&H included)!  They are working hard at adding new card designs every week and would LOVE your feedback!  Open to US residents over the age of 18. (Disclosure, I will also be receiving custom cards to review. All opinions expressed here are my own.) 

                                      

a Rafflecopter giveaway

San Diego, CA…Home of Sea World, Legoland and … the Homeless?

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We went on summer vacation recently. One of the places we visited was San Diego, CA.

Now don't get me wrong, Mommy Powers LOVES San Diego! There is so much to do there, and the beaches are wonderful. You can tour US Naval ships, go to Sea World or take the kids to Legoland, just to name a few. If you're like me, one of your first stops is the beach! 

We have visited San Diego before, this was not our first time there…but it was my first time looking around, I mean really looking around. Looking past all the touristy stuff, and what I saw shocked and saddened me.

We arrived in San Diego late at night, it was almost midnight actually. We got our rental car and made our way to the hotel. We stayed in downtown San Diego. What I saw as we drove to our hotel hurt my soul. They were everywhere, on every street we passed, on every sidewalk. They are the homeless of San Diego.

Neither I nor my spouse could believe what we were seeing, the sidewalks were lined with homeless people. Some were laying on cardboard, some on blankets and some on the bare concrete. Most of them were already asleep, a few were still awake. I thought about pulling out my camera and taking a photo, just so I'd have "proof"… but I was literally in shock at the number of people I was seeing sleeping on the sidewalks. My husband mumbled something about, "I hope this place looks better in the daylight." I just could not wrap my mind around the sheer number of homeless people I was seeing.

The next day, we awoke, looked out the window and all looked well. I guess everyone had already gotten up and cleared the sidewalks…you never would have known they were there just a few hours earlier. We began our sight-seeing and I noticed a large number of shelters and soup kitchens in the nearby vicinity. I also noticed homeless mulling around on the street corners, playing cards, dominoes. We went on a bus tour of San Diego and at one of the stoplights, there was a rather large congregation of people gathered on the sidewalk, just hanging out. A few of the tourists on the bus were staring at them, when one shouted out, "Yes, we are the homeless people of San Diego!" Again, I thought about taking photos, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. I didn't feel it was the right thing to do, I did not want to strip  them of whatever small speck of dignity they might still be holding on to. (In the future, if I feel led to photograph a homeless person, I will do it-but I do not believe it would have been the right thing to do in this instance.)

The daytime was a lot easier for me to handle than nighttime. As soon as the sun began to set, hordes of homeless would seemingly appear out of thin air. All of them looking for just the right spot on the sidewalk to settle in for the night. My heart ached as I looked at them, wondering what each of their stories were. How did they end up out on the street? Did they have any family? Do their family members know where they are? So many questions flooded my mind. I wanted to do something for them, anything, I wanted to help them. I wanted them to know that I cared and that I valued their lives. But I didn't know what to do. How do you help that many people? I prayed for them, asking God to keep them safe.

All those people came from somewhere, they are someone's brother, father, mother, sister, son, daughter, someone's baby. Something went wrong in their life and now they are sleeping on the sidewalks in downtown San Diego. I may not be able to reach out to each and every one of them, but I can write about them. I can spread the word and hopefully draw attention to their plight. These people need help, they need a place to live. They are human beings, just like you and me.

Have you recently visited San Diego? Did you notice the large homeless population? 

There but for the Grace of God, go I.