I truly watched the Super Bowl this year to see the commercials. One thing I can say – Budweiser spent a great deal of money on ads. But for me, the dogs did it for me. My absolute favorite featured a Great Dane who understands the value of a good bribe. That commercial was too funny.

Secondly, the overweight pooch who is inspired by the Volkswagen to shed extra pounds – so creative and heartfelt. How cute is it when he’s staring at himself in the mirror? Doritos really shined for me with their granny using the lil’ baby to snag the coveted chips from his bratty brother. Too cute.

1. Great Dane Dorito Bribery

2. Volkswagen Dog Loses Weight

3. Doritos Granny and Baby Make a Good Team

What commercials do you adore this Super Bowl?

There’s a lot going on when you peer into a bowl of Kashi GoLean Crisp! Toasted Berry Crumble. You see granola, flecks of red and blue, and lots of interesting pieces that Kashi describes as a “naturally sweetened multigrain cluster cereal.”

Dotted with cranberries and wild blueberries, the combination of flavors, texture and healthy benefits makes this cereal an excellent option.

Highlights of the Cereal

Lower Calorie: The majority of granola cereals are typically more than 200 calories per serving, but this Kashi GoLean Crisp is only 180 calories per serving.

High Fiber and Protein: This is an incredibly high-fiber cereal (love it!) with twice as much fiber as a one-cup serving of blueberries and just as much protein as having one egg. There are also 18 grams of whole grains, which will satisfy one of the three servings recommended on a daily basis.

Easy on the Teeth: I took one look at the multigrain clusters and thought for sure they’d feel like I was chewing rocks, but the Kashi GoLean Crisp is just what it says – crispy. The light crunch is easy on the teeth.

Perfect for Breakfast and Snacking: Not only does the cereal jumpstart your morning, but it also provides a tasty snack for lunchboxes, hiking, camping, long car trips, and on-the-go energy. At times, I swear I detect a honey graham flavor.

By the Numbers

One ¾ cup serving equals 180 calories (35 calories from fat).

• 8 grams of fiber (a whopping 30% of your RDV)
• 9 grams of protein (14% RDV)
• Phosphorus – 15% RDV
• Magnesium – 10% RDV
• Iron – 8% RDV
• Potassium – 7% RDV

Instead of heading towards snacking disaster, I’ve been relying on healthy, filling alternatives to tide me over until dinner. My new favorite go-to snack (which doubles as a nice side dish) is a Cucumber Salsa Salad that I’d like to think my mother and I created together. She was making a cucumber and tomato side salad with Italian salad dressing. I wanted the same, BUT didn’t want the calories of the oily dressing.

Mom suggested that I substitute the dressing with a couple of tablespoons of this Grandessa salsa that she bought at Aldi’s. We used Artichoke Garlic Mild Salsa, which is only 10 calories per 2-tablespoon serving. I also added 1/8 cup of crumbled blue cheese to enhance the overall taste. You can certainly experiment with different salsa flavors – I’m going to try Sweet Onion next. With the blue cheese crumbles, the recipe below is a little over 100 calories and can feed two people as a side or make a really filling snack.

Cucumber Salsa Salad

• 1 cucumber (sliced – I like to cut my slices in half)
• Fresh salsa (4 to 6 tablespoons)
• Blue cheese or feta cheese crumbles (~1/8 cup) [optional]

Mix all ingredients and enjoy.

Disclosure: This post was written in participation for Kathleen’s My Favorite Things Thursday.

Thanks to Hip 2 Save for posting the money-saving tip that got me a more than free Brita water pitcher. I purchased the slim Brita model at Walmart using a coupon for $4. The original price was $8.97. There is also a mail-in rebate for $10, which means that you actually make money with this deal. Scanning the comments of the original post, it may take a long time (they say 6 to 8 weeks), but the rebate check is $10 no matter what.

To Get this Deal, Use the:

• $4 off coupon for Brita pour-through pitcher – from your Sunday newspaper [Smart Source]
• $10 mail-in rebate form for buying a Brita water pitcher or faucet mount system

My sweetie likes eating his soup and cereal with a really big spoon, but this is ridiculous. I placed a Lucky Charm marshmallow to show you its size, but I still don’t think the picture really shows just how large this spoon is.

As we begin to increasingly rely on the Internet and online opportunities for cutting everyday costs, SavingStar is a new service that makes it easier to save money on groceries.

Since SavingStar’s eCoupons are completely paperless and 100% digital, you save time and energy by not having to clip or print coupons – an eco-friendly factor that also avoids wasting printer ink and paper. The eCoupons are accepted at more than 100 chains in 24,000 stores.

How Does SavingStar eCoupons Work?

1. It is free to join SavingStar. You will have to register your grocery and drugstore loyalty cards on SavingStar. Enter your zip code to see where the eCoupons are accepted. For my neck of the woods, the coupons are good for Tops, Wegmans, CVS, Rite Aid, and Price Chopper.

2. When you use your card at a checkout like you normally do, your savings are automatically added to your SavingStar account within 2 to 30 days – depending on when the store sends the purchase information to SavingStar. (Note: Your savings are not given at the time of checkout at the store, and they are not printed on your receipt).

3. Once your accumulated savings in your SavingStar account reach $5, you can pick your method of payout. You can have it deposited into your bank account, sent to your PayPal account, receive an Amazon gift card, or make a donation to American Forests.

SavingStar eCoupons are updated each week – saving you money on products, such as Pepsi, Wet Ones, Lipton Tea, and my personal favorite, Lay’s Kettle Cooked Chips.

If you want to take advantage of grocery coupons that help you stick to your budget, consider registering at SavingStar.com today.

Disclosure: I will receive a $25 gift card for spreading the word about this money-saving opportunity. I have already created an account with SavingStar and will register my loyalty cards to test it out myself.

How can I resist a bag of giant Twizzlers? Weighing a whopping 25 ounces (1 lb 9 oz) , there are about 40 Twizzlers in the bag – each measuring more than 16 inches long. They are so long, you only need just one to satisfy a craving and they are really fun to look at. You will surely surprise your Twizzler-loving kiddies with a bag of these. For adults, the Twizzler website suggests that you can utilize the licorice by making a bow for a gift box. Kids often enjoy biting off the ends and using as a drinking straw. 1 extra long Twizzler equals 60 calories and the product is marketed as a low fat snack.

Cool Fact: According to the Guinness Book of Records, the longest licorice twist ever made measured 1,200 feet (370 m) and weighed 100 pounds (45 kg). It was made at the Y&S Candy Plant in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and was submitted into the record books in 1998. Y&S Candies, which manufactured Twizzlers candy is one of the oldest confectionery firms in the United States (dating back to 1845) and was acquired by Hershey Foods in 1977.

Have you ever seen someone put hot sauce on their potato chips? If so, then Pringles Roasted Garlic Hot Sauce is an ideal chip to try out – offering a little extra flavor (garlic) that will appeal to the rest of us. I find this Pringles flavor interesting. It’s not my favorite, but I’m strangely attracted to it. If I pass by the can, I will snag one or two, but I haven’t piled a short stack onto a plate. Both the garlic and hot sauce flavors come through with each bite.

One serving of 16 chips equals 150 calories with 80 calories from fat. You get 1 gram of fiber and 1 gram of protein. A small amount of calcium, iron, and vitamin C is also found in one serving. However, total fat count equals 9 grams with 2.5 grams of saturated fat.

The coconut-caramel cookies with the chocolate drizzle known as Samoas in Girl Scout cookie world are one of my favorites, so naturally I jumped at the chance to try Edy’s Slow Churned Samoas Cookie ice cream. Caramel flavors (including ice cream) usually do not float my boat. I’m like *this close* to saying the Samoas Cookie is my current favorite Edy’s ice cream flavor, and as luck would have it – it’s a Limited Edition.

Generous pieces of Samoas Girl Scout cookies are scattered throughout the light vanilla and caramel flavored ice creams. There is no caramel (the ooey gooey stick kind) in this ice cream. It’s a delightful mixture of ingredients and flavors.

Edy’s Girl Scouts Samoas® Cookie Ice Cream offers rich, creamy flavor that doesn’t taste like it has 50% less fat and 30% fewer calories. You can easily mistake it for premium ice cream texture and flavor. A ½-cup serving is 120 calories (40 from fat) with 3 grams of protein. There is 6% of your daily recommended value of calcium.

This limited edition is only available from January to April.

With a monthly $5 foot-long sub special and tons of sandwich combinations to choose from, Subway is now offering a selection of new turkey subs – two of which fit into healthier diet plans and one for those looking for a spicy, cheesy splurge:

• Turkey B.L.T. – bacon and turkey; 320 calories per 6 inches; 7 grams of fat
• Turkey Melt – melted cheese over turkey; 320 calories per 6 inches; 7 grams of fat
• Turkey Jalapeno Melt – melted cheese, jalapeños, and Chipotle Southwest sauce; 430 calories per 6 inches

Subway also offers a special featured footlong for $5 as part of a monthly promotion. In January, the Chipotle Chicken & Cheese is the highlight of the month – melted cheese topping chicken pieces with a Chipotle Southwest Sauce. Other footlongs that are routinely offered for $5 at Subway include Meatball Marinara, Black Forest Ham, Veggie Delight, B.L.T., Cold Cut Combo, and Spicy Italian.

My favorite is Black Forest Ham with tomatoes, lettuce, Provolone cheese, jalapenos and light mayo on 9-Grain bread. What’s yours?

Up for grabs is one $10 gift card to Subway & two (2) Nutella Breadsticks-to-Go packs.

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