A brand-new Northgate Market opened in Anaheim on July 20th and it’s beautiful! I don’t often use that word to describe a grocery store but in this case, it’s completely appropriate!
Northgate decided to throw a giant community party in the parking lot, in honor of the Grand Opening and generously offered to provide the first 300 customers in line with a free bag of groceries.
There must have been about 1000 people in that line and it turns out that 100 more free bags of groceries were handed out additional guests, making 400 recipients total. That is so generous!
Several sponsors were also on hand at the event, greeting shoppers in the line outside, as well as pass out goodies to them. Inside the store, there was mariachi music and folklórico dancers continuing the celebration.
Have YOU Heard of Northgate Markets?
If you aren’t familiar with Northgate Markets yet, they are successful group of grocery stores run by the Gonzalez Reynoso Family.
Their stores are known for offering a sizable section of domestic and imported Latin American grocery goods to customers, however, they also offer so much more than that. (Keep reading to learn more.) Personally, I love to give my business to establishments that are not only family run, but run based on family values.
Northgate Markets Have Evolved
If you saw any of the pictures I posted on my Instagram during the Grand Opening celebration, you got a peek inside how wonderful all of the store’s offerings are. I had more than one person bring up the topic of speaking Spanish or needing to speak Spanish to go into this market. I’m bilingual, and speak fluent Spanish,but I can assure you that you don’t need to Speak Spanish to shop at Northgate. Also, you’ll notice that the labels, signs, and even store advertisements are also printed in both Spanish and English.
After touring and shopping at this store, I could see how considerate they were in planning what to offer customers. I was pleasantly surprised to see an extensive variety of organic fruits and vegetables, in addition to other sought-after organic foods.
I was amazed when I passed several different sections of Grab-n-Go items, including family meals. There were salads, cut up fruit, sandwiches, tamales, sopas, so many choices! I wish I worked next door so I could come over at lunch and “Grab n’ Go” every day!
5 Things That Wow-ed Me About Northgate Market!
I don’t even know where to start with this. The entire store is amazing! In addition to regular and Latin American groceries, the store also has several specialty food areas. Here are just 5 of my favorite areas in the store:
- The amazing produce section which features a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, including organics, and offering some exotic and hard-to-find items. I should also mention how great the produce prices are. Just look at the prices on the signs in my pictures!
- The seafood selection and ceviche bar is the place for seafood lovers to come.There’s a huge selection of all kinds of fish, ceviche, and even sushi!
- Guacamole made to order (that you can sample) and a salsa bar
- The in-store working tortilleria was where I spent a good amount of time. It’s so much fun to see exactly how the tortillas are made from masa to where they’re packaged. You can even sample fresh, hot tortillas out of the oven. It’s the place many shoppers come when they’re looking for the freshest ingredients for their authentic meals.
- The coffee bar is located at the front of the store and offers a variety of coffees and drinks. It’s the perfect place to grab “cafe para llevar” or “coffee to go” at the beginning of your shopping trip! By the way, they also sell Pan Dulce here, in case you can’t make it to the other side of the store where the panderia is!
- I think my most favorite part of the store was the panaderia/bakery area! I have a big sweet tooth and a weekness for pan dulce. Between the smells of freshly baked break, the case of freshly baked cookies, and all of the other goodies, this was the place I spent the most time in the store!
So, if I haven’t made it clear yet, you need to stop by the newest Northgate Market in Anaheim. I know you’re going to love it as much as I did! The new Northgate Market is located at 2030 E. Lincoln Ave. Anaheim, CA 92086. 
Here are just a few of the other Orange County Northgate Market locations:
- W La Palma Ave / Anaheim: 720 W La Palma Ave, Anaheim, CA 92801
- W 17th St. / Santa Ana: 1623 W 17th St., Santa Ana, CA 92706
- Lincoln Ave / Buena Park: 6991 Lincoln Ave, Buena Park, CA 90620
To locate a Northgate Market in LA, Orange County, or San Diego nearest you, go here.
Connect with Northgate Markets on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Solving Back-to-School Challenges
It’s important for kids to start their day off with good nutrition though. They need to eat in the morning, before school, so they can power through a morning filled with learning. My ideal vision of breakfast for my daughter includes a glass of 
In the afternoon, after school, my daughter is always famished. I like to give her a snack after school. Luckily she’s a milk drinker, so I give her another serving of 
Let’s Talk About a2 Milk®
I found my a2 Milk® in the dairy section of the Ralph’s I shop at, but it’s available at other retailers as well. To find a store nearest you that carries it, click 
So are you ready for Back-to-School? Somehow it rolls around whether we want it to or not! What are some of your favorite ways to make sure your kid(s) get the necessary dairy servings in their daily diet? Do you have any favorite after school snack recipes? Share with me.
Special Menu Offerings for Dietary Restrictions 
Some of My Favorite Menu Items
I will fully admit that I’m a creature of habit and find it necessary to order a couple of the same items on every visit. Obviously pizza, but I also can’t resist the Greek Town Special salad, Fresh Knots, and Meatball Sliders. 
When they recently added Sweet Knots to the menu I could (previously only get them in the terminal at LAX), my life was complete! 
Fresh Brothers Gives Back to the Community
They Offer Birthday and Team Parties 
Let Them Cater Your Special Occasion
Our friends were raving about how delicious the food was! They were also pleased to learn that we now have a location close by. I can tell you first-hand that your guest of honor will be beyond ecstatic if you serve Fresh Brothers Pizza at your party. I know mine was!
Why I Love Fresh Brothers MOST
Have you visited a Fresh Brothers Pizza location yet? What was your favorite menu item? Share with me in the comments.
Feeding my family a well-balanced meal is a priority for me, but it can also be a challenge. I often feel like I run out of creative meal ideas, especially ones that are quick and simple to prepare. As a mom, I think it’s just natural for me to be on the lookout for meals that will wow my family. I want to be able to answer with something exciting when I get the infamous question, “Mom, what’s for dinner?”. 
I make a lot of chicken dishes for dinners but wanted to prepare something a little different and new so I whipped up a batch of “Baked Crispy Chicken Tenders“, using panko crispy bread crumbs.(Please see full recipe below.) These help give chicken tenders a crispier texture than just regular baked chicken. I don’t like to fry a lot of foods, I prefer to oven-bake so using these bread crumb crumbs on chicken gives them a little extra “crunch” without having to fry them. 
My trick is to brown up the panko bread crumbs with a little butter in the skillet before using them on the chicken. Let me just share that doing this, instead of using them straight out of the box on the chicken, makes the chicken extra yummy and is a definite kid pleaser! 
Let’s Talk About Cleanup
Scotch-Brite® Scrubbing Dish Cloths are a new product and they seriously take all of the headache out of cleanup! I found them at Walmart, on the “Paper and Cleaning” aisle and can’t rant enough about them to you. 
First of all, they’re cute and don’t look like standard dish cloths. (I like to keep my kitchen stylish.) They’re available in 3 colors: tan, coral, and navy and are priced just under $5.00 at Walmart for a 2-pack. (I bought mine for $4.98.) By still giving you the versatility of a dish cloth, Scotch-Brite® Scrubbing Dish Cloths make cleaning things, like stuck on messes from my chicken tenders dinner, far easier! They basically combine the best of a high quality dish cloth with the power of Scotch-Brite® scrubbing dots for a quicker and easier clean. 
One of the things I like best about them is the fact that they will not scratch any surface! With non-scratch scrubbing power I can clean other areas in my kitchen, in addition to using it on the dishes, without worrying about damaging anything. Another one of my favorite things about them is how sturdy they are and the fact that you can wash and re-use them, which helps you stay “green” in the kitchen. Also, right now at Walmart, there’s a $1 off instant redeemable coupon available on the product that you can redeem at the register when you check out! 
Shared Responsibility in the Kitchen
So, I printed up this cute little printable, framed it, and stuck it in a frame. (To print out your own copy, click 
By stocking our kitchen with Scotch-Brite® Scrubbing Dish Cloths, I just made everyone’s life easier! For more recipes and cleaning ideas, visit
Ingredients
On July 16, Rubio’s invites Southern California residents to its 5th annual Rubio’s CoastFest in Oceanside, Calif. One of the largest organized beach cleanups in San Diego, CoastFest includes a celebration of the ocean with live music, complimentary food and drinks, a beer garden, and dozens of activities for guests of all ages.
The festivities at the Oceanside Pier will kick off at 10 a.m. with community members going the extra nautical mile at a beach cleanup hosted by I Love a Clean San Diego. To get in on the cleanup action, you can register at 
Music festival – Guests are invited to visit the main stage throughout the celebration for free live music from a collection of local Southern California bands, as well as giveaways from 94.9 FM and KSON 97.3. Standout musical acts include The Mowgli’s, a Los Angeles-based group incorporating rock n’ roll, indie-folk and heartfelt ballads to create a quintessential California sound; and Broken Stems, a rock band that seamlessly blends classic rock with blues, soul and reggae. 
Beer Garden – Guests 21+ can enjoy a cold brew at the beer garden featuring local craft selections or sip from a selection of Rubio’s featured wines and Sangria. All proceeds from the beer garden will benefit I Love A Clean San Diego.
Rubio’s works to be a friend to the ocean year-round with a majority of its seafood being sourced from sustainable fisheries, recycling plastic and glass bottles in restaurants whenever possible, using eco-friendly plates and to-go containers, supporting ocean focused causes, and being a member of the Blue Business Council. For more information about the 2016 CoastFest, please visit 
Ruby’s Sliders, small in size but big in flavor, are available in three mini-sized variations. American Sliders: Super-juicy, all-natural USDA choice beef, served sizzling hot on grilled Kings Hawaiian Sweet Rolls, topped off with tasty Ruby Sauce and caramelized onions.
Candy Shake Extravaganza: Candy lovers, get your taste buds ready to experience the new decadent, thick and creamy shakes! The decadent Peanut Butter Snickers shake is made with real chunks of Peanut Butter Snickers, the M&Ms shake is loaded with nuggets of M&M morsels, or try crunchy, peanut buttery flavor of a Butterfinger shake.
In honor of the new Candy Shake Extravaganza, Ruby’s is launching a Show Us Your Shake Face photo contest, where fans are encouraged to share photos of their shake face – that deliriously happy face you make when you drink a delicious Ruby’s shake, using the tag #RubysShakeFace for a chance to win a pair of Go City cards, the ultimate multi-attraction passes. (Visit 
Then, I came across these adorable “Finding Dory” sprinkles. How could I not do something with these? So, I bought them both! 
Once I was home, I almost immediately opened the box of M&M’s® and starting to separate out the “Dorys” and the “Nemos”. You know all the blue and orange ones? (Do you ever do that?) I actually ended up sorting all of the candies and finally made a big heart! 
Since my mind is pretty much always snack-focused, I popped a couple bags of popcorn in the microwave and separated out any un-popped kernels.
In my cupboard I found some pretzels and some cute yellow, green, and blue sprinkles. In my opinion, sprinkles are magical! 
Finally, I grabbed a large bowl and started to combine the ingredients. First the popcorn and the pretzels, followed by the M&M’s®. Then the sprinkles. I saved the little “Finding Dory” candies for last so they’d land right on top! I love how cute the snack mix turned out! 
I love how the popcorn, pretzels and M&M’s® taste together. It’s the perfect combination of salty and sweet. For some reason, I always have cute little snack boxes in my stash, so I had to serve them in a coordinating box! I’m hoping they’ll help me to speak “Whale”! Yep, it’s all about “Finding Dory”!
I try to be creative with ways to save money on our weekly grocery bill. I watch the weekly ads, cut coupons whenever possible, and even get a rewards card at certain stores. 
Last week, I experienced a whole new way to save on groceries. I was invited to try out grocery shopping at new ALDI. I found one in my area and I LOVED it and am super excited to share about it with you! 
If you haven’t heard of ALDI yet, it’s an amazing store offering quality groceries at great prices. You’ll soon be seeing even more ALDI locations pop up in Southern California, too! 
I’m at the point in my life where I don’t place as much importance on fancy marketing as I do affordability. As I mentioned before, ALDI offers groceries at amazingly low prices to customers. Ninety percent of the groceries ALDI sells are under its own ALDI-exclusive brands, which are regularly tested to make sure they taste just as good, if not better, than the national brand. ALDI-exclusive brands include:
Take a look at my own personal grocery haul in the picture above! I was amazed at how far my money went at ALDI. There were so many great deals and I was wow-ed by the selection they offered. I found so many of my weekly necessities and the pricing of the produce. There were so many organic offerings, too. I was beyond impressed with the selection of cheeses. There was even a whole aisle of wine to choose from! 
Premium, natural, and organic food should come at prices affordable for all, putting quality staple grocery items within everyone’s reach, don’t you agree? 
One thing you should know about shopping at ALDI is that they don’t provide bags to shoppers to put their groceries in. This helps keep their overhead cost down, translating into lower prices for you, the consumer. Honestly, we should all be bringing reusable shopping bags with us wherever we go anyway. When you pay for your groceries, the cashier places your items back into the shopping cart, and you have the option of either bagging them yourself or putting them in your car without a bag. I suggest coming prepared. (For a nominal fee, ALDI does have both paper and plastic bags for purchase.) 
Another way they keep costs low for shoppers is by putting shoppers in charge of their own grocery carts. Before you walk into the store, you can obtain a grocery shopping cart by leaving a quarter deposit, which unlocks the cart for you. At the end of your shopping trip, when you return your cart, you get your quarter back. This is such a clever system. Honestly, it’s not hard to return your cart to the entrance of the store. (I always do this anyway!) 
The Melt’s menu is built around a simple key principal: better comfort food for today’s kids (and adults). They feature a variety of our favorite All-American classics on the menu, but prepare them in a way that doesn’t leave you feeling with discomfort or heaviness you sometimes take away from a typical “comfort food” meal. 
The Melt uses only the freshest ingredients, including locally sourced produce for their menu items. They’re nostalgic about their no-artificial-flavors-necessary offerings like ooey, gooey grilled cheeses melted to order. They offer juicy burgers made with a custom blend of Angus and Wagyu beef, chicken sandwiches, comforting homemade soups, and mac n’ cheese with real aged cheese. 
Oh and did I mention their all-natural sodas and shakes? You won’t find any artificial color or sweeteners used in them. Their handmade shakes are delicious! 
The Melt offers a great kids menu. The portions are hearty and are served with sliced apples. We added a salad onto ours. 
I believe our most favorite item on their menu, hands down, was the Mac Daddy! It’s a grilled cheese sandwich made with an Aged Sharp & Mild Cheddar Cheese Blend, Macaroni, and Bacon, served on grilled Artisan White Bread! This sandwich is everything!
The Melt prides itself on the ability to create some real happy moments for its customers, using quality ingredients including everything from high fructose corn syrup free-ketchup to artisan-baked buns to the season’s peak produce. As a parent who’s trying to feed her family the best food choices, this makes me a “real happy mom“!