Purina Pro Plan Selects {and a giveaway!}

This is a sponsored review by BlogHer and Purina.

Meet Max. We often refer to him as our first born son. Yes – our dog is a member of our family! My family had dogs growing up, but they were never really family members. But just about 5 years ago, Max joined our family. My husband and I were planning on getting a dog, but we were in the process of remodeling our house, and we were living in my in-laws basement until the house was livable. And then one day, a co-worker of my husband’s came into work with this little guy.

My husband called me and told me to come to his work, where we both immediately fell in love with this little fellow. We ended up buying him from the co-worker – even though he wasn’t originally for sale and even though we were almost homeless at the time! But he stole our hearts and was automatically our first child.

I know that this is a food blog, and you may be wondering why I am writing about my dog here. Well, because we consider him a member of our family, what he eats is very important to us. I wouldn’t give my daughter a bowl of second-rate food, and I won’t do that to my dog, either!! So when I had an opportunity to try out Purina’s Pro Plan Selects, I jumped right in! I know that nutrition is not only important for your children, but also for your children with fur!

Max is a bit of a food snob and a picky eater, so taste is also very important. I poured some of the dog food into his bowl, and Max gobbled it right up! With great ingredients like chicken, turkey, beef and salmon, it’s no wonder he loved it! Do you need some more reasons that this is a prime dog food?

• All Pro Plan Selects formulas are made with real, natural chicken, turkey, beef and salmon as the #1 ingredient.
• They use whole grain barley and brown rice for highly digestible sources of carbohydrates.
• They also include high-quality sources of protein including egg protein and pea protein.
• Every formula is created without corn, wheat or soy and artificial colors, flavors and preservatives.

All you have to do is look at the label to know that this is a great way to show your dog that you love him/her!! Purina Pro Plan Selects is only available at pet specialty stores, but your pet is totally worth that extra trip!

Blogher and Purina are giving one of my readers a $100 Visa card. Think of all the dog food you could buy with $100!!

Rules:

No duplicate comments.

You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

• Leave a comment below and let me know what you do to show your pet that you love them. If you don’t have a pet, just let me know!
• Tweet about this promotion and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post
• Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post
• For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

Giveaway dates are : 4/4 – 5/4

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older.
Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail.

You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.

The Official Rules are available here.

For other chances to win, check out the Round Up page.

Please visit our sponsor HERE.

Want to try out Purina Pro Plan Selects?  Get a coupon HERE!

Make Every Night Amazing {and a giveaway!}

This is a sponsored review from BlogHer and Stouffer's.

CONTEST IS CLOSED - CONGRATS TO MCANTU1019 WHO IS THE WINNER!

Everyone tells you, but I don’t think you really realize how much your life actually does change after you have kids. Adjusting to one child has been a challenge, but throw in a newborn and I know my life is going to be crazy! I remember the early days of our marriage when we would both get home at night and we could spend time together, watching tv and cuddling on the couch. These days, nights are filled with Mickey Mouse and playing games and bedtime routines. But just because you have kids doesn’t mean that you can’t still have “couple’s time!”

These last couple years, I have realized just how important that couple’s time is – you need that time to re-connect. And I feel like it’s especially important for me, since I am a stay at home mom and I’m not interacting with other adults on a daily basis. But sometimes it’s hard – especially since my husband’s schedule has him working late several nights a week. So what do we do to make sure we are still having that adult time? Food, of course!!

After the kids go to bed, it’s a perfect time to have adult time at the table. Reconnecting over food is always a great way to go! Turn down the lights, light some candles, and enjoy dinner time – just the two of you. Since my husband does work later most nights, going out is not always easy, so a simple dinner at home is a great way for us to spend some time together. And I don’t know about you, but sometimes – after a day of chasing after a 2-year old, trying to keep a house clean, and taking care of the duties of the day - sometimes a big fancy dinner is the last thing I want to worry about. In comes Stouffer’s Sautes for Two! I was sent 2 versions to try out at home, and I’m being completely honest here – the Grilled Chicken and Asiago Tortelloni was the best frozen meal I’ve ever had. Both my husband and I agreed on that. The Gorgonzola Steak entrée was equally delicious. We both agreed that they were restaurant quality – and that we’d rather spend the evening at home together over good food than to fight the crowds going out!!

Good food, good company – the perfect way to spend a romantic night at home!!

Blogher is giving one of my readers a $100 Visa card. Just think – if you win, you can fill your freezer with these delicious meals! You have 4 ways to enter to win:
No duplicate comments!

1 – Comment below and let me know how you make your ordinary nights extraordinary with your significant other.
2 - Tweet about this promotion and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post.
3 - Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post.
4 - Visit the official rules for additional forms of entry.

The giveaway runs from March 17 – April 11, 2011.
This giveaway is open to US residents age 18 and older.
Winners will be selected via random draw and will be notified via email.
You will have 72 hours to get back to me, or a new winner will be chosen.
The official rules are available HERE.

Check out the Blogher.com round-up page for this giveaway HERE.
Find out more about our sponsor HERE.

Campbell's AdDress Your Heart Giveaway

GIVEAWAY CLOSED!

The winner is Cheryl F.{The Lucky Ladybug}  Congratulations!

Did you know that heart disease is the number one killer in women?  But the good news is that we can take action against this preventable disease!

And right now, Campbell's has teamed up with Monica Potter and NFL mom Deborah Johnson to raise awareness for this disease.  Both Potter and Johnson walked the red carpet in Campbell's red dresses at the Women's Day Red Dress Awards.

“I am proud to be a part of Campbell’s ‘AdDress Your Heart’ campaign and wear this red dress to help raise awareness of the cause and honor my father who I lost to heart disease,” said Potter. “I hope to rally moms and everyone across the country to stand up and fight this disease by choosing heart-healthy foods, exercising and helping me spread the message that heart disease is preventable.”

And you can help, too! Potter and Johnson have shared their heart-health stories on video at CampbellsAdDressYourHeart.com and are asking others to address their hearts. For every video view through March 31, 2011, Campbell will donate $1 to the American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women movement, up to $625,000. This is part of the overall $3.6 million donation Campbell has committed to the organization by 2012.

The Campbell's Soup Company is also committed to promoting heart health through many of their products.  Not only are they active in donating money and raising awarenss though their AdDress Your Heart program, but Campbell's also offers more than 100 convenient, great-tasting products that fit into a heart-healthy lifestyle. This selection includes all 25 Campbell’s® Healthy Request® soups, Low Sodium V8® 100% vegetable juices and Prego® Heart Smart™ Italian sauces. All of these products have been screened and verified to meet the American Heart Association’s certification criteria to display its heart-check mark.

And Campbell's is giving away an assortment of hearth healthy products to one of my readers!!  The prize package will look like the one pictured above, but contents may slightly vary.


Here's how you can enter:

Mandatory: Comment below and tell me if you use any heart healthy products or foods, and if not, what you are going to do to change.

Extra entries:
*Go to www.campbellsAdDressYourHeart.com and  watch one of the videos. Then come back here and let me know that you have.
*Follow Taste and Tell on Facebook
*Share this giveaway with your Facebook friends
*Follow Taste and Tell on Twitter
*Tweet about this giveaway
*Follow Taste and Tell via RSS feed.
Note: for any of the extra entries, make sure you leave a separate comment for each.

Details:
*This giveaway will go from today until 1:00pm MST on Thursday, March 3rd. The winner will be announced on March 4th..
*Please make sure you leave a way I can contact you - either via blog or email. If you don't, I will automatically choose a new winner.
*This giveaway is open to US residents

**Disclosure - Campbell's provided me with a gift package and is providing the winning package to one of my readers.  All opinions expressed are my own.**

Kroger Cart Buster Giveaway

GIVEAWAY CLOSED

The winner is Averie who said:

Averie said...

Fave way to save money is buying what's on a store-buy/club-card sale 

Congrats!!

 -------------------

I don't know about you, but I love saving money at the grocery store!  From February 27th through March 12th, shop Kroger’s biggest-ever promotion and find the hottest prices around on more than 35 brands, across more than 60 categories from General Mills, P & G, Nestle, Pepsi and Kroger Banner Brands. During the Cart Buster Savings Event, you’ll find great savings in almost every department at the Kroger Family of Stores, which includes Kroger, Ralph’s, King Soopers, City Market, Dillons, Smith’s, Fry’s, QFC, Baker’s, Owen’s, Jay C Food Stores, Hilander, Gerbes, Food4Less, Pay Less Super Markets and Scott’s Food & Pharmacy.

Here are just a handful of the great brands participating in the event: Multigrain Cheerios, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Pillsbury, Betty Crocker, Hamburger Helper, Yoplait, Progresso, Totino’s, Green Giant, Cascadian Farm, Tide, Charmin, Bounty, Pampers, Pantene, Crest, Iams, Febreze, Old Spice, Bounce, DiGiorno’s, Nestle Toll House, Juicy Juice, Coffee-Mate, Edy’s, Stouffer’s, Lean Cuisine, Hot Pockets, Nestle Candy, Purina and many more! 

And there's even more!!  All through the promotion, you can visit Kroger.com/CartBuster where there will be a special promotion every day.    

And guess what?  I'm giving away a $25 gift card, courtesy of Kroger and MyBlogSpark!  This would be a great chance to take advantage of these great sales!

Here's how you can enter:

Mandatory:  Comment below and tell me your favorite way to save money on groceries.

Extra entries:
*Follow Taste and Tell on Facebook
*Share this giveaway with your Facebook friends
*Follow Taste and Tell on Twitter
*Tweet about this giveaway
*Follow Taste and Tell via RSS feed.

Note:  for any of the extra entries, make sure you leave a separate comment for each.

Details: 
*This giveaway will go from today until 1:00pm MST on Tuesday, March 1st.  The winner will be announced on March 2nd..
*Please make sure you leave a way I can contact you - either via blog or email.  If you don't, I will automatically choose a new winner.
*This giveaway is open to US residents

*Disclosure:  This giveaway is sponsored by the Kroger Family of Stores and General Mills/Nestle & P&G through MyBlogSpark.  All opinions are my own.

McCormick Valentine's Day Giveaway

GIVEAWAY CLOSED!!

The winner is Stacie who said:

Jeramey, Stacie Jaylee & Alexis said...

My favorite is red cake made from scratch:)

February 11, 2011 5:20 AM  

 

 

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 Ok, I know this is totally last minute.  I feel so badly, because I agreed to do 2 McCormick giveaways, then didn't follow up to get more information about them.  And now it is a few days before Valentine's Day, so whoever wins won't quite get their package before Valentine's Day.  But who says you only bake your sweetie treats on Valentine's Day??  So this will be a really quick turnaround - you have less than 24 hours to enter!!

This giveaway includes:

* “I Heart You” McCormick Apron
* Valentine’s Cookie Cutters from Crate and Barrel
* Valentine’s Dish Towels from Crate and Barrel
* Valentine’s Spatula from Crate and Barrel
* Sweetheart Candies
* Valentine’s Cupcake Papers from Crate and Barrel
* Valentine’s Sprinkles
* McCormick Red Food Color
* McCormick Vanilla Extract
* Relationship Recipe Matrix and Two Recipe Cards

I loved the "Relationship Recipe Matrix."  It gives great ideas of what to bake for anyone - no matter their relationship - in your life!!  And if you haven't planned out your Valentine's Day baking yet, make sure and visit www.mccormick.com for tons of great ideas!

Here's how you can enter!

Mandatory:  Comment below about your favorite Valentine's Day treat.

Extra entries:
*Follow Taste and Tell on Facebook
*Share this giveaway with your Facebook friends
*Follow Taste and Tell on Twitter
*Tweet about this giveaway
*Follow McCormick on Facebook
*Follow Taste and Tell via RSS feed.

Note:  for any of the extra entries, make sure you leave a separate comment for each.

Details: 
*This giveaway will go from today until 1:00pm MST on Friday, February 11th.  The winner will be announced on February 11th..
*Please make sure you leave a way I can contact you - either via blog or email.  If you don't, I will automatically choose a new winner.
*This giveaway is open to US residents

*Disclosure:  I was sent one of these gift packs from the good folks at McCormick.  They are sending out the winning package.  All opinions are my own.

Campbell's Kitchen Giveaway #3

 GIVEAWAY CLOSED!  The winner is Dawn who said:

Dawn said...

Campbell's tomato soup (made with milk and served with a grilled cheese sandwich)

Congrats Dawn! 

-------------------------

I loved reading your answers to yesterday's giveaway!  It made me realize that our best meals can be anywhere - from fine dining to that hole in the wall restaurant to a night home alone with your someone special. Today is the last of the Campbell's giveaways.  This one is probably my favorite - just because of one item.  Do you see that bag of chocolate in the front?  It is a 2 pound bag of chocolate.  Godiva chocolate.  I got a bag of it for myself as well - that's how excited I am about it!  I've been looking for the perfect recipe to use it on!!

Onto the giveaway... This giveaway includes: *1 red Campbell's soup T-shirt size large *1 Campbell's cookbook - 4 Ingredients or Less *1 Pace Family Recipe Round-Up Cookbook *1 2 pound bag of Godiva chocolate *1 Campbell's water bottle And here's how you can enter! Mandatory:  Comment below and tell me your favorite flavor of Campbell's soup. Extra entries: *Follow Taste and Tell on Facebook and share this giveaway with your Facebook friends. *Follow Taste and Tell on Twitter and retweet this: Come and enter to win goodies from the Campbell's store & @tasteandtell! http://bit.ly/gNtXJR *Follow Campbell's Kitchen on Facebook or Twitter *Follow Taste and Tell via RSS feed. Note:  for any of the extra entries, make sure you leave a separate comment for each. Details:  *This giveaway will go from today until midnight MST on Wednesday, February 2nd.  The winner will be announced on February 3rd. *Please make sure you leave a way I can contact you - either via blog or email.  If you don't, I will automatically choose a new winner. *This giveaway is open to anyone, anywhere!!

*Disclosure:  I was sent on a shopping spree at the Campbell's store, courtesy of Campbell's Kitchen.  I'm just sharing the love with all of you!!  My trip to Philadelphia and Camden was also paid for by Campbells.

Swanson Chicken Ultimate Football Challenge {and Giveaway #2 at the bottom!}

 GIVEAWAY CLOSED!!  The winner is momof2girls who said:

momof2girls said... I love eating with my family at Rainforest Cafe in Las Vegas. The kids are entertained by the decor and the food is great.

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What a whirlwind of fun!!

As I mentioned, I was chosen as one of 3 finalists chosen for Swanson's Chicken Ultimate Football Challenge.  I went to Philidelphia, PA and Camden, NJ to participate in a cook-off, trying to win the title.  I'm so glad that Laura of Real Mom Kitchen was one of the other finalists, and I had a travel buddy since we both are in Utah!

The trip started off a little rough.  We were supposed to fly out at 7:10am, but our flight was delayed.  We were a little worried because we had a connecting flight in Chicago, and if we missed that connection, we wouldn't make it to Philadelphia in time for dinner.  But luckily, our second flight was delayed, and we were able to run from plane to plane, just in time.  (But then as we got on the runway, the flight got delayed for another 45min-1hr...) 

Laura and I were the last ones there, but we made it to dinner at Tinto.  I think I was more excited about this dinner than I was for the cook-off.  Tinto is one of Jorge Garces' (the Iron Chef!!) restaurants in the Philadelphia area.  And it was very cool, because it was restaurant week, so we got to sample many of the dishes there!  We were greeted by many employees of Campbell's and their other brands - and they were all wonderful company for the night!

I loved everything I ate. In fact, everyone raved about almost all of the food.  The sea bass had mixed reviews, but no one complained about anything else!  My first course was La Peral Cheese (semi-firm, bleu, pasteurized, cow & sheep's milk), and Chorizo Pamplona (smoky pork sausage, hint of garlic).  For my second course, I had Beef Brochette (hanger steak, cider, guindilla aioli, crushed peanuts) and Duck Montadito (duck confit, serrano ham, black cherry, la peral spread).  And for dessert, I went with the Bananas y Azafran (chocolate cake, caramelized bananas, saffron crema).  That cake - which was more like fudge - was so rich.  I don't think any of us finished our piece!  I was trying to think of what my favorite dish was, but it was all so amazing.  Easily one of the best meals I've had.

Early the next morning, we headed to the Campbell's headquarters in Camden NJ.  We were taken to the Campbell's Kitchen for a light breakfast and a few introductions before the competition began.  I was so surprised and delighted to learn that their test kitchens are set up just like any home kitchen would be.  In each kitchen, they had different appliances and cookware - the stuff most of us cook with at home.  They really do aim to make sure their recipes can be duplicated in the home kitchen!

We had a few minutes to familarize ourselves with the kitchen we were assigned and to go over our recipes.

And here was my competition:

Laura from Real Mom Kitchen

and Cathy from Hazzard in the Kitchen (wearing her game face!)

Let the competition begin!!

There was a photographer there as well as a videographer.  I didn't take many pictures during the actual competition, so these are shamelessly stolen from the Campbell's Kitchen twitter page!!

We all finished in the hour and a half time limit.

My Chicken, Bacon and Cream Cheese Mini Taquitos with Avocado Ranch Guacamole

Laura's Quick Chicken Enchilada Nachos

and Cathy's End Zone Empanadas with Roasted Red Pepper Poblano Dip

It's kind of funny, because I wasn't nervous with the camera man and the video man in my face the whole time, but when we went before the judges, I all of a sudden got nervous!

And the winner is.....Laura with her Quick Chicken Enchilada Nachos!!

Win or lose, I just had a lot of fun.  I was glad to get to spend some time with these other wonderful bloggers, as well as with so much of the Campbell's staff.  They were wonderful and welcoming and just all around nice people.  I wish my trip wouldn't have been so short, but it was packed full of fun!

 

 

And although I didn't get to see much of Philly, I did manage to snap a few pictures from the window of our car.  It's definitely a place I want to come back to visit and explore one day.  Our driver said that it is a city full of stories, and that's my favorite kind of place!!


And finally - onto the giveaway!!

This giveaway includes:
*1 Pepperidge Farm Cheese cutting board & kit (there are also cheese knives underneath the board)
*1 Campbell's cookbook - Potluck for All Occasions
*1 Pace Family Recipe Round-Up Cookbook
 *1 box of Godiva truffles

And here's how you can enter!

Mandatory:  Comment below about your favorite dining experience.

Extra entries:
*Follow Taste and Tell on Facebook and share this giveaway with your Facebook friends.
*Follow Taste and Tell on Twitter and retweet this:

Come and enter to win goodies from the Campbell's store & @tasteandtell! http://bit.ly/hFHijK

*Follow Campbell's Kitchen on Facebook or Twitter
*Follow Taste and Tell via RSS feed.

Note:  for any of the extra entries, make sure you leave a separate comment for each.

Details: 
*This giveaway will go from today until midnight MST on Tuesday, February 1st.  The winner will be announced on February 2nd.
*Please make sure you leave a way I can contact you - either via blog or email.  If you don't, I will automatically choose a new winner.
*This giveaway is open to anyone, anywhere!!

*Disclosure:  I was sent on a shopping spree at the Campbell's store, courtesy of Campbell's Kitchen.  I'm just sharing the love with all of you!!  My trip to Philadelphia and Camden was also paid for by Campbells.

Campbell's Kitchen Giveaway #1!

GIVEAWAY CLOSED!  THE WINNER IS KEERSTEN, WHO SAID:

Keersten said...

and I get you in my rss feed.

January 27, 2011 9:25 PM

 CONGRATS KEERSTEN!

I'm hoping to have a write up of my trip last week done by tomorrow, but I didn't want to put off the giveaways!  As some of you know, I received a little shopping spree at the Campbell's Store while I was visiting the Campbell's Kitchen.  I came home with some great stuff.  But instead of doing 1 big giveaway, I decided to 3 giveaways to share the love!  Today is the first giveaway and I'll have one on Thursday and 1 on Friday.  Make sure you come back to enter to win each set of goodies!

Up first:  this prize package includes:
*1 black Campbell's hooded sweatshirt - size XL
*1 Campbell's cookbook - Weeknight Cooking
*1 Pace Family Recipe Round-Up Cookbook
 *1 5.75 ounce bag of Godiva Dark Chocolate Caramel Gems

And here's how you can enter!

Mandatory:  Comment below about your favorite dinner tip.

Extra entries:
*Follow Taste and Tell on Facebook and share this giveaway with your Facebook friends.
*Follow Taste and Tell on Twitter and retweet this:

Come and enter to win goodies from the Campbell's store & @tasteandtell!  http://bit.ly/exZRTm

*Follow Campbell's Kitchen on Facebook or Twitter
*Follow Taste and Tell via RSS feed.

Note:  for any of the extra entries, make sure you leave a separate comment for each.

Details: 
*This giveaway will go from today until midnight MST on Monday, January 31st.  The winner will be announced on February 1st.
*Please make sure you leave a way I can contact you - either via blog or email.  If you don't, I will automatically choose a new winner.
*This giveaway is open to anyone, anywhere!!

*Disclosure:  I was sent on a shopping spree at the Campbell's store, courtesy of Campbell's Kitchen.  I'm just sharing the love with all of you!!

Lucky Leaf Pot-A-Cakes {and a Giveaway!}

Ok, so ultimately, I love to cook and bake from scratch.  But it's not always feasible, and sometimes I really need a shortcut.  This recipe today is a shortcut recipe - but the final product is so tasty!!  The folks at Lucky Leaf wanted to know if I'd like to try some of their premium pie filling, and I was excited when I also received some recipe cards.  This recipe was a prize winner, so of course I had to try it out!  The only problem?  The recipe calls for 8 10-ounce baking cups.  Well, I don't have 10-ounce baking cups, so luckily, it also gave instructions for a one dish method.  And really, I didn't make it for a fancy occasion, so the one dish method worked just fine!

You can't really tell by looking at the above photo, but this dessert is filled with all sorts of deliciousness.  A pie filling on the bottom, topped by a cream cheese/pudding mixture, and topped with a streusel cake.  There is nothing about that that I don't love!  And pretend there is icing on top - mine is missing because somehow, I managed to run out of powdered sugar.  But even without the icing, this was delicious!

If you are looking for something different to put on the table for dessert after your Christmas meal, this is a great recipe!

Lucky Leaf Pot-A-Cakes
from Lucky Leaf

1 21-ounce can Lucky Leaf Premium Blueberry Pie Filling
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1 3.4-ounce package (4 serving size) French vanilla instant pudding
1 1/3 cups whipping cream
1 17.4 to 18.3-ounce package cinnamon streusel quick bread mix
2/3 cup water
2 eggs
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 350°F. Divide pie filling among eight 10-ounce custard cups or ramekins (for one dish recipe see below). Set cups on a large baking sheet; set aside. 

In a large bowl beat cream cheese with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Beat in pudding mix. Gradually beat in whipping cream until well combined (mixture will be thick). Spoon evenly over pie filling in cups. 

In another large bowl combine quick bread mix, water, eggs, and oil. Stir until combined but slightly lumpy. Spoon 1/4 cup of the batter over the cream cheese mixture in each cup. Sprinkle evenly with all but 1/4 cup of the packaged streusel mixture. Spoon remaining batter over the streusel (batter won't cover the streusel layer). Sprinkle with reserved streusel. (Note: Cups will be full.) 

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into top portion comes out clean. Cool slightly. If desired, drizzle tops of cakes with icing* before serving. Serve warm. 

*Icing: If your quick bread does not contain an icing packet, in a small bowl combine 3/4 cup powdered sugar, 2 teaspoons milk, and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla. If necessary, stir in additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, to make drizzling consistency. 

One Dish Method: Prepare batters as above. Spread pie filling in a 3-quart rectangular baking dish. Dollop pudding mixture atop. Spoon on about 1/2 of the batter and sprinkle with all but 1/4 cup of the streusel. Spoon on remaining batter and sprinkle with reserved streusel. Bake in a 350°F for 40 minutes. Cool slightly and drizzle with icing.     

And now for the giveaway!

What can you win?

A selection of Lucky Leaf Premium pie fillings - perfect for the holidays!

Here's how you enter:

Mandatory:  Comment on this post and tell me your favorite pie or recipe that uses pie filling.

For extra entries:  (Please leave a separate comment for each)

• Follow Taste and Tell via Facebook, Twitter, or RSS Feed
• Share this giveaway via Facebook or Twitter

This contest is open to US residents and will run through Wednesday, December 22nd.  The winner will be chosen randomly and will be announced on December 23rd.

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The prize package for this giveaway was donated by Lucky Leaf.  I was not paid for this post and all opinions expressed are my own.

Cheesy Taco Bean Dip {And a Giveaway!}

GIVEAWAY CLOSED!  

The winner is Marci H who said:

tristatecruisers said...

i like using taco seasonings in chili--it's great for that extra kick :)

I'm sending you an email Marci - congrats!!

One of my very favorite flavors to cook at home is Mexican/Tex-Mex.  Taco night?  I'm a total fan.  In fact, I think that soft tacos were the first thing that my husband and I made together when we were dating.  And to this day, tacos are what I turn to when I'm feeling like something easy for dinner, or when I just have that craving for tacos!!

And what makes taco night easier than Old El Paso?  Especially at this time of year when time is short but everyone still needs to eat.  Why not take some help from the store?

When I started thinking about tacos the other day, I got the Tex-Mex bug and all of the sudden, I was thinking of all sorts of recipes I wanted to make.  But the one that kept coming to me was a taco dip.  As much as I love 7-layer dip, it wasn't what I was craving.  I wanted something warm.  So I grabbed a few recipes online and combined a few things and came up with this recipe.  The perfect Cheesy Taco Bean Dip!  This recipe makes a TON - so be ready to share!

Cheesy Taco Bean Dip

1 pound ground beef

1 package Old El Paso Taco Seasoning

1 pound cheddar cheese, shredded

1 8-oz. bottle taco sauce (not salsa)

1 16-oz. can refried beans

1/3 cup water

8 oz. sour cream

In a skillet, brown the ground beef.  Add the taco seasoning and cook as directed on the package.

In a separate pot, Stir the beans and water together.  When warmed through, add the cooked taco meat.  Stir in the cheese and cook until melted.  Stir in the sour cream.

Serve warm with tortilla chips.

And now for the giveaway!

What can you win?

A packet of original Old El Paso Taco Seasoning, a Cactus Chip & Dip Serving dish, a set of 3 Fiesta Chili Pepper serving dishes and a $10 gift card to purchase your taco fixings.

Here's how you enter:

Mandatory:  Comment on this post and tell me your favorite way to use taco seasoning!

For extra entries:  (Please leave a separate comment for each)

• Follow Taste and Tell via Facebook, Twitter, or RSS Feed
• Share this giveaway via Facebook or Twitter

This contest is open to US residents and will run through Tuesday, December 21st.  The winner will be chosen randomly and will be announced on December 22nd.

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The prize package for this giveaway was donated by Old El Paso through MyBlogSpark.  I was not paid for this post and all opinions expressed are my own.

Harmon's Back of the Store Tour

I am such a bad blogger!!  I've been meaning to blog about this for almost a month now - how does the time get away from me?

I often get jealous of people that live in New York City, or Seattle, or lots of places in California.  Gorgeous farmer's markets, fresh seafood, any ingredient you can imagine is right at your fingertips.  Here in the middle of Utah?  It's not always so easy. But years ago, I found my secret weapon - Harmon's grocery store.

So needless to say, when I got an email inviting me to a "back of the store" tour at Harmon's, I was all in.  In fact, it was supposed to be my last day of work, but I took off one day early just so I could attend this!!  It was held at the beautiful store on Bangerter in Draper.  Can I just say right now that I want to move to Draper now - just so that I can be near this store?

We started off with a chat with the Vice President for the Customer - Bob Harmon, and the Culinary School director, Bob Bryant.  (Yes - they have a culinary school at the Draper location.  Check out these classes!)  Bob Harmon talked about the history of the store, and some of their values and beliefs.  Let me tell you - if I wasn't sold on this store before, that would have sealed the deal.  I didn't realize how much education and support that they give to their employees.  They send their employees all over the world to educate them about the food that they are selling.  The head of the bakery?  A CIA graduate.  The cheese department manager?  She got to go to Italy.  These people know what they are talking about!!

We headed down through the store - and these are just a few of the highlights.

1st - their gelato is a-ma-zing!  I have been tempted many times to drive the 30 minute drive up there just so I can have a treat!!

Next up - my favorite department - CHEESE!!

I could seriously be happy, just visiting their cheese counter every day and trying a new cheese.  There are TONS to choose from - I don't know anywhere in Utah that has a better selection.  And they know what they are talking about, too!

We got to sample some of their salami and an amazing cheese - and I wish that I would have written down what it was.  I have seriously been thinking about it for the whole past month!  (so if any of you that were there remember what it was, I'd love to know!!)

And the Parmigiano-Reggiano?  The real deal.  Straight from Italy.

Not only do they have great imported cheeses, but a great selection of local cheeses as well.  Like this Peppercorn Gouda from Rockhill Creamery.  I will definitely be trying this one of these days!

Just check out this selection of blue cheeses.  You aren't going to find a selection like this anywhere else!

The next stop was the produce department.  The produce department is actually the first reason I fell in love with Harmon's.  If it is to be found in Utah, you will find it at Harmon's!  Things like turnips, which I needed for a recipe recently - I could spend my day going from grocery store to grocery store looking for them, or I can go to Harmon's where I know I'll find them!  And if it's grown locally, Harmon's will have those products in the store from local growers.  That means a lot to me - supporting local business, being friendlier on the environment, and let's face it - it always tastes better when it's local!

I had my first try of a fresh fig.  I've never even seen fresh figs anywhere else around me!

And this is what I think is called a refractometer.  (Correct me if I'm wrong!)  It actually measures the sugar content in fruits.  That way, they know if what they are selling is worthy of being on their shelves.  And they only put out as much fruit and vegetables as will sell in one day - that way you're not getting produce that has been sitting on the shelf for a week!

There meat section is also pretty impressive.  See that picture above?  Dry aged beef.  My mouth was watering.  I can't wait for a special occasion to make my hubby a fancy dinner with some of those steaks!

And then there's seafood.  I didn't know this, but Harmon's doesn't sell seafood that has been frozen.  It's all fresh.  Their crab legs were amazing, and I even tried my first oyster!

After I ate it, I realized I probably shouldn't have done that since I'm pregnant, but I knew I could trust that it was fresh!  And yes - I actually did like it.  It was a little bit slimy, but it tasted mostly like the sauce that was on it.  I would definitely eat oysters again in the future!  (Thanks to Frieda for taking and sending me the picture!)

Their bakery does not look like a grocery store bakery.  There were some delicious looking confections.  And I loved that the head baker said that she gets to pretty much do what she wants and she gets to get creative.  A little different than most grocery stores where all you can find are those cupcakes with the spray-painted frosting on top!

Their bread section is equally impressive.  All of their breads are preservative and additive free. 

Other sections included the deli, which serves up dishes, sides and salads that are all made in house.  They have a very fresh salad bar, as well as Chinese food, soups, and even a wood-burning pizza oven!

This grocery store really is top of the line.  (Especially this location!!)  I was already a Harmon's fan, so they didn't need to sell me, but I also learned so much and was so happy to have this experience!  If you are in Utah and haven't checked out this grocery store yet, I guarantee you'll be sold on your first visit!

It was also great to meet and get reacquainted with some great Utah bloggers.  And being that I'm so late posting this, most of them have already posted about our experiences, so click through to see what they had to say!

Laura from Real Mom Kitchen
Nisha from Healthy Mom's Kitchen
Gabi from The Feast Within
Frieda from Frieda Loves Bread
Carriann from Sweet Basil
Lisa from Gourmified
Mariel from Or So She Says

*Disclosure:  I was not compensated for this review.  I am a Harmon's shopper, and wanted to share my love of the store with you!!  I was offered an afternoon of learning about the store - along with lots of samples and a delicious lunch - but was not required to write a review.

Ricotta Gnocchi with Tomato Sauce and a Giveaway!

CONTEST CLOSED - WINNER IS:

TASHA FROM THE BRICK KITCHEN!

CONGRATULATIONS!

I sometimes think that I am the most forgetful person alive.  Seriously.  You tell me something, and I'll probably completely forget 10 minutes later.  And I think it's even worse when I'm pregnant.  So I feel a little silly - I was sent some coupons from the wonderful people at Président® and Precious® cheese to try some of their products - and they sent along some extras for one of you!  Every week, I planned on making something with one of their cheeses, and every week I would forget.  Well, I finally remembered - and now the coupons are about to expire!  So - this is going to be a quick turnaround giveaway - so I can get these out to one of you as soon as possible so that one of you will be able to try out these wonderful products!


This recipe is one of those that falls under "this is so easy you don't even need a recipe".  But this is a perfect recipe to have on hand for one of those nights when you have 15 minutes to get dinner on the table.  I know that December is a super busy month - so these kinds of recipes really come in handy right now!!


Ricotta Gnocchi with Tomato Sauce
adapted from The Skinny Cheese Cookbook


serves 4


1 pound gnocchi
1 cup tomato sauce - homemade or store bought
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, finely minced or grated
3 tablespoon Ricotta cheese
Fresh parsley, for serving


Bring a large pan of water to a boil.  Add the gnocchi and cook until it rises to the top of the water - 3 to 5 minutes.  Drain and set aside.


Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan.  Add the garlic and cook until fragrant.  Add in the tomato sauce and cook until warmed through, about 3 minutes.


Turn off the heat and stir in the ricotta cheese.  Add the gnocchi and stir to combine.


Serve with a sprinkling of fresh parsley.


And now for the giveaway!


The winner will receive 6 coupons - 3 coupons for FREE ricotta cheese, and 3 coupons for FREE feta cheese - all from President and Precious.  


Plus - anyone can go to www.greatcheese.com/skinny to download a free cookbook!

Here's how you enter:


This is a simple one with a fast turnaround - just leave a comment letting me know your favorite dish that features cheese.  Easy as that!
This contest is open to US residents and will run through Thursday, December 9th.  The winner will be chosen randomly and will be announced on December 10th.  These coupons do expire on December 31st, so you'll need to use them quickly!


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The coupons for this giveaway were donated by Precious and President Cheese.  I was not paid for this post and all opinions expressed are my own.

Cookie Swap Giveaway!

GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED!  CONGRATS TO DAWN, WHO SAID:

Dawn said...

I love to make and decorate Gingerbread men with my daughter. I like to give friends and neighbors our Christmas card with gingerbread men cookies. They are large so I give one cookie per person.

DECEMBER 6, 2010 4:49 PM 

Since December is full of cookies and baking, how about a virtual cookie swap?

Tomorrow - Monday, December 6th, McCormick is hosting it's very first Virtual Cookie Swap!  McCormick and the author of Cookie Swap - Lauren Chattman, will be joining together on Facebook for this fun event.  Joining in is easy:

1 - Like the McCormick Spice page on Facebook
2 - Check out recipes and swap some of your favorites on the McCormick Facebook wall
3 - There will be a LIVE webcast from Lauren Chattman on December 6th at 8:00pm EST.  She will give hints on throwing a successful cookie swap, she'll share some great recipes, and she'll even highlight one of the recipes that one of the Facebook fans shares on the McCormick page!!

And just to get us in the mood for this virtual cookie swap, I'm having a giveaway!  In the giveaway package is:

• A special holiday selection of McCormick extracts and spice
• Martha Stewart collection holiday cookie cutters
• Crate & Barrel Mini-Spatulas
• Red Mixing Bowl
• Cookie Swap! By Lauren Chattman

So much fun stuff - and a great way to get you started on a cookie swap of your own!

Here's how you enter:

Mandatory:  Comment on this post and tell me your favorite cookie to give and/or receive at a cookie swap.


For extra entries:  (Please leave a separate comment for each)

• Follow Taste and Tell via Facebook, Twitter, or RSS Feed
• Follow McCormick Spice on Facebook
• Share this giveaway via Facebook or Twitter

This contest is open to US residents and will run through Sunday, December 12th.  The winner will be chosen randomly and will be announced on December 13th.


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The prize package for this giveaway was donated by McCormick.  I was not paid for this post and all opinions expressed are my own.

Oven Fried Chicken Tenders - and a giveaway!

Contest is closed - the winner is Kim from Stirring the Pot!  Congrats Kim!

I remember the day I brought my daughter home from the hospital.  I was elated and excited - and scared to death.  No matter how many books you read or how many classes you take, you can never really be prepared for that moment that you realize that you are a mom and that you are in charge of the life of another human being.

As your child grows up, you realize that some things come naturally, some things you run to your mom, sister or best friend for answers, and other times - your child will leave you scratching your head, not knowing what in the world you are supposed to do.

Before I had any kids, I had this idea in my head that I would never have one of what I call "chicken nugget" kids.  You know the kind - the ones that will only eat one food and no matter what the rest of the family is eating, that child has his or her chicken nuggets (or whatever the food may be!)  I was going to have a well-rounded child that was a good eater.  And, really, for the most part, I've been pretty lucky.  At 1, she was eating anything - from enchiladas to egg rolls.  But as she's gotten older, her eating habits have definitely changed.  And this week - at almost 22 months - all I can get my daughter to eat are goldfish crackers, toast, and fruit snacks.  Oh, and chocolate - she'll rarely turn down chocolate!

So baffled at what I am supposed to do, I decided to make her chicken fingers for dinner.  Every child likes chicken fingers, right?  As I was cooking, I was writing this blog post in my head about how as a child, it was always a treat to get chicken fingers, and how I was finally able to get my child to eat something besides goldfish crackers and fruit snacks.  And all the words from that blog post went down the drain as she spit them right out.  I sure am hoping that this is just a stage that she will quickly get over!!

But don't let her be the judge of the taste of these chicken fingers.  I love making chicken fingers with panko bread crumbs, because you can bake them in the oven and still get the crunch that usually only comes with frying!  This is a chicken finger dinner you can feel good about feeding your children!

Oven Fried Chicken Tenders
adapted from Progresso.com

serves 4

1.25 pounds chicken tenders or chicken breasts, cut into strips*
1/4 cup flour
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
1 cup Progresso Panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 425F.  Line a baking sheet with foil, then put a baking rack on top.  Spray the baking rack with cooking spray.

In one shallow dish, place the flour.  In a second shallow dish, mix the egg and the water.  In a third shallow dish, place the panko bread crumbs, the Parmesan and salt and pepper.

Dip each chicken strip into the flour, then the egg mixture, then the bread crumb mixture.  Place on the cooling rack.  Spray lightly with cooking spray.

Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until no longer pink and the coating is golden brown.

*Chicken tenders are usually so much more expensive than chicken breasts, so I'll just take each breast and cut it into strips.  Depending on the size of the breast, you can usually get 3-4 strips per breast.

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Giveaway time!!  CONTEST CLOSED

If you have never cooked with Panko bread crumbs before, you really need to give them a try!  Head over to Progresso's website for a coupon for $1 off any Panko bread crumb flavor. And check out how you can win a trip for 2 to Napa to join Chef Michael Chiarello for a food-filled weekend!

Want to win a box of Progresso panko bread crumbs and Michael Chiarello's new cookbook Bottega?

Here's how you can win:

1.  Leave a comment and let me know if you've used panko bread crumbs before and your favorite way to use them.  If you've never used them before, just let me know!
2.  Subscribe to Taste and Tell via Twitter, Facebook or RSS feed.  Leave a separate comment for each.

This giveaway will end next Wednesday, November 24th at 11:59pm Mountain time.  The winner will be notified via email, so make sure there is a way for me to get a hold of you!

Disclosure - This giveaway was provided by My Blog Spark via General Mills.