Bringing books to breakfast and beyond

Bringing books to breakfast and beyond –



Cheerios expects to get millions more books into the hands of children via its “Cheer On Reading” literacy program, and also by expanding its partnership with the Little Free Library movement through a first-time crowd-sourcing endeavor.

Formerly known as “Spoonfuls of Stories,” the now 12-year-old program that distributes free books inside Cheerios boxes took on its new name last fall.

Its latest line-up of six bilingual books in English and Spanish hit store shelves on April 14 and will be available for a few more weeks. (An exclusive early-release chapter book is available in Honey Nut Cheerios, ahead of the book’s June release.)

Cheer-On-Reading

Crowd-sourcing for Little Free Library

For this year’s program, Cheerios promises exciting things, including book offerings by filmmaker Spike Lee and singer Jewel, a chapter book in three parts as well as Cheerios’ continuing partnership with the Little Free Library movement.

Please-Baby-Please

Little Free Library is an organization that champions free book exchanges in neighborhoods around the world. Last year, the nonprofit received 25,000 Spoonfuls of Stories books from Cheerios, and distributed them to Little Free Libraries around the world.

This year, Cheerios will help the Little Free Library organization raise money to build at least 50 of the units in the Dallas-Fort Worth area in Texas. Cheerios is doing so by teaming with Indiegogo, a crowd-sourcing site that helps people and organizations raise money online. The site went live on April 28 and will run through May 25.



“Each Little Free Library costs $350 to build, so our goal is to raise $17,500,” says Rachel Evans, integrated marketing communications planner for Cheerios cereals.

Cheerios will donate $100 for every $200 raised, up to $5,000. Money raised beyond the initial goal will be invested in building Little Free Libraries in rural areas outside Dallas-Fort Worth. Evans says Dallas-Fort Worth was selected because of the work of three community organizations – Big Thought, bcWORKSHOP, and Dallas Public Libraries – that have had a strong commitment to children’s literacy.

“We loved how motivated and excited the community has been toward literacy,” Rachel says.

This year’s line-up

Last year, 11 million books were given away in Cheerios boxes. The brand hopes to do the same this year with the seven books.

The six bilingual Spanish-English books can be found inside boxes of Cheerios, Multi-Grain Cheerios, Multi-Grain Peanut Butter Cheerios, Apple Cinnamon Cheerios and Chocolate Cheerios.

The chapter book – an exclusive early release for Cheerios – is split into three volumes and available in boxes of Honey Nut Cheerios, ahead of the book’s June release date.

Cheer-On-Reading

The book list includes:

-“1-2-3 Peas” by Keith Baker

-“Chicks Run Wild” by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen

-“Jump!” by Scott M. Fischer

-“That’s What I’d Do” by Jewel

-“Please, Baby, Please” by Spike Lee and his wife, Tonya Lewis Lee

-“Bear Says Thanks” by Karma Wilson

-“Phineas L. MacGuire…Gets Cooking!” by Frances O’Roark Dowell. (This is the chapter book available in Honey Nut Cheerios.)

Rachel notes that “Jump!” is a returning favorite that was part of the 2011 line-up of Spoonfuls of Stories. Cheerios promised to bring back a previous book and asked consumers to vote for their favorites via Facebook, and “Jump!” won.

Visit Cheer on Reading for more information.


Monte Olmsted

Monte Olmsted is a writer in Global Communications at General Mills, based in Minneapolis. He writes stories for "A Taste of General Mills" and internal company channels. He began his work with General Mills in 2012.
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Old El Paso Frozen Entrees

Old El Paso

Frozen Entrees

A Review

 Dinner, supper, the evening meal...

 

What's for dinner?...

 

Kinda the age old mom question isn't it?

Well today it got answered.. in a super easy way.

This is how it went down...
The door bell rang and I ran to answer it, not expecting anyone, I wasn't really dressed for company, but I dared to answer anyways {what can I say I'm super brave! haha }... Thank the good Lord it was the mail man. He has seen me frazzled, ragged, and sleep deprived plenty of times, so no worries about being in PJ bottoms ( at 1300) a 'cleaning' shirt, and old bra { got a mental picture going on yet? Can't scratch out your minds eye can ya?}

Today he had more then bills for me though.. he had a BOX {does anyone else besides me get all excited like a little kid when they get boxes in the mail?}. A good sized one too, not like when you get a tiny sample in the mail and it has an over packaged. This was a big box, and when I opened it, it had all sorts of goodies in it.

From cute Mexican themed plates, a teal ( did I happen to mention I LOVE teal?!) serving plate, 2 mini tongs, 2 margarita glasses, and 4 coupons for free Old El Paso frozen entrées.
I had hit the dinner jackpot!
I knew what we were having for dinner tonight!
Thanks to Platefull Co-Op and General Mills!
We got a couple of different things:

• Steak Fajitas  
• Chicken Enchiladas
• Steak Enchiladas
• Steak Burrito 

As for the steak fajitas, we had the corn tortillas already, and hubby put them in a skillet {click here for the pan we used and the review Ozeri Green Earth Ceramic Nonstick Frying Pan} with a little olive oil and toasted them {Yummy!}

 The food was shock-ly tasty! A lot of times with frozen meals you get food with no taste due to the freezing process. The meat was good and wasn't tough, the veggies tasted fresh, and it didn't take to long to make.
The enchiladas had a slight kick to them but nothing unexpected, we liked the steak better then the chicken. it seemed to have a little more taste to it but the chicken seemed to cook a little faster and they were in the over at the same time so that could have something to do with it as well. We will have to try them again just in case, that was the case.
We haven't tried the steak burritos just yet but I am sure they will be eaten in a day or so and I'll post a review on them when they are.

We all walked away from the table full which is always nice, and nobody complained that they didn't like anything which is always a good sign. I don't buy frozen meals very often but I think I may start buying these for the nights that we are running late and need a good meal or even just the nights that I don't feel like cooking but still need to feed the kids.

 Here is a pic of what was sent and the chicken enchiladas that I bought with one of the coupons

 

Isn't it all super cute?

Wanna share this post with others?

Please do!

 If you tweet about it please use #platefullcoop #thevisserclan in your posting!

*All items sent were free through Platefull Co-Op and General Mills in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are mine and have not been influenced in anyway.

Dark Chocolate Multigrain Cheerios®

 Dark Chocolate Multigrain Cheerios®

I have had the pleasure of trying out  Dark Chocolate Multigrain Cheerios® through Platefull CoOp and for those of you that know me also tend to know I am weird when it comes to foods. I'm not a big breakfast person and I WILL NOT eat anything that is soggy, getting soggy, or made to feel mushy it's just... * Gagging sounds*  gross.  So I was a little apprehensive with it being cereal, I'm not a big fan.... normally that is. I can't ever seem to eat it before it gets to the dreaded place... the softer side of things * gagging noises* .

But to my shock and awe I loved these Cheerios so much that I have been able to eat them before they got soggy. I feel full after a bowl of them and not like I need to have at least another 2 or 3 to feel like I have had anything at all, which is what I have had happen to me in the past and then I am eating the entire box just trying to get full. And a plus this is a cereal that not only I like but my family does as well!
 How flustering is it to walk onto the cereal isle in the supermarket with your kids only to be asked for 10 different boxes and kind, none of them being the same? Well since I coupon my kids know that even if they ask there is a good chance that they won't be getting what they are asking for.  But now that we all have ONE cereal that we all like I am able to but it with or with out coupons. Since I am not having to buy a bunch of different kinds I am saving all sorts of money! How Awesome is that?!

Want to learn more about the oh so goodness of  Dark Chocolate Multigrain Cheerios®? Then head on over to Cheerios to find out more.
Want to know more about Platefull CoOp? Head over there to find out more.

*Disclosure: The information and prize pack have been provided by General Mills through Platefull Co-Op.