WIN THIS: Cocomama Quinoa Cereal

When I woke up yesterday at my parents' house, I checked to make sure that my Mother's Day post had gone live—and then I realized that I completely forgot to tell you about a product I had been sent to review. I cursed a bit, felt like the worst blogger in the world, took a deep breath and moved on. It was, after all, Mother's Day. Monday (today) would be a new post, I reminded myself, and it's never too late to share a really great product. And so, I present the following:

Cocomama Quinoa Cereal. It's all natural and gluten-free. And once again, it's quinoa which makes this breakfast cereal a bit different from your everyday bowl of oats. Quinoa is, as you might already know, an ancient grain that supplies a fairly decent amount of protein. And when you turn it into a cereal, as I have done in the past, it's quite delicious. And of course, healthy. Especially if you're leading a gluten-free lifestyle. (Click here, the brains behind Cocomama will tell you more.)

Back to the cereal itself. They sent me a few packets of the Banana Cinnamon flavor. Bananas? Cinnamon? Two of my favorites, so I couldn't wait to dig in. And I literally just dug into the packet above. The difference between this instant cereal and others? All you have to do is open the packet, put the cereal into a bowl and then warm it up. No water or milk required as the contents have already been cooked...in coconut milk, hence the name "Cocomama" (I assume).

And so that makes Cocomama cereal a great option for those on-the-go mornings. Or afternoons, if you don't mind eating breakfast foods for lunch. (I don't. YUM!) And really, you don't even have to heat it up. Bonus points!

But what does it taste like? Bananas and cinnamon, obviously. And it had a thick, rice-like texture. Basically, it was wholesome goodness in my belly. I can only imagine what the other flavors are like. Other flavors? Orange Cranberry, Honey Almond and Wild Blueberry. Yeah, I know. They sound divine. I think my only complaint at this point is that I have yet to find it in a store. But really, that's not a complaint because I (and you) can order it online. And who doesn't love ordering things online and getting a nice surprise from the mailman as a result? Nothing beats a good mail day.

Just like nothing beats a good day with family. As I indicated, we spent Mother's Day at my parents' house. We took my mom out to a place called The Mark for breakfast.

It was quite delicious. I was craving carbs so I ordered up their homemade granola, complete with yogurt and berries. Doesn't it look divine? I love it when food is presented so artistically.

Side note: Whenever I'm at home on a Sunday morning, I head immediately for the newspaper when I wake up. We don't get the newspaper at our house, and I miss the Target ad. Figured you should know about the following, if you don't already:

Looks like their fitness gear (at least some of it) is 20% off this week. So if you've been wanting something new in your home gym, now would be the time to invest. Target is the best, isn't it?

Now, let's go back to Banana Cinnamon cereal for a minute. Cocomama sent me a very generous box full of samples, so I'd like to share some of the deliciousness with you. And I figured you might, in honor of yesterday's holiday, like to share it with your mom. Or perhaps another mom you know and love, so I will send one lucky Daily Dose reader two packets. To enter, leave a comment below telling me your favorite way to eat quinoa. And since I'll need to get in touch with you for your mailing address, please include your email address in your comment as well. (If I can't get in touch with you, you won't win.) If you'd rather not do that, please send it privately to dailydose (dot) notes (at) gmail (dot) com. 

Further entries can be received by doing any of the following:

1) "Like" Cocomama Foods on Facebook.

2) Follow Cocomana Foods on Twitter.

3) "Like" Daily Dose on Facebook.

4) Subscribe to Daily Dose via email.

One winner will be picked at random. This contest ends on Friday, May 13 (yikes), 2011. I will announce the winner on Sunday, May 15, 2011. 

G'luck.