giveaways

try this: cooking with lawry’s *giveaway*

I had so much fun being a part of Philly’s Lawry’s Cooking Team. We were challenged to come up with a meal around a “holiday” dinner, so we decided to throw a Labor Day couples party.
We are total overachievers, so we went beyond the requested appetizer, main dish and side.. and came up with a bunch of recipes that were SUPER yummy!!
Here’s what we made:
Cheesy Baked Artichoke Dip
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (about 2 ounces)
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sour cream
1 tablespoon Lawry’s Seasoned Salt
pinch of salt
2 12-ounce can artichoke hearts packed in water, well drained,
chopped into 1/4-inch pieces
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 pitch Italian cheese blend, to sprinkle on top of finished dip
French-bread baguette slices, toasted or Gluten Free chips or crackers or celery for dipping

Whisk 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, mayonnaise, sour cream, and Lawry’s seasoning in medium bowl to blend. Stir in chopped artichoke hearts. Transfer mixture to 3-cup ramekin.
Sprinkle dip with 2 tablespoons grated Mexican cheese and paprika.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bake dip until heated through, about 25 minutes (about 35 minutes if chilled).
Preheat broiler. Broil until cheese melts, about 2-3 minutes.

Pineapple Salsa

1 pineapple, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1-2 tsp jalapeno pepper, chopped
1 tbsp grated ginger
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp Lawry’s seasoned pepper
2 tbsp fresh cilantro

Cook onion over low heat until translucent. Add pineapple, pepper, ginger, sugar and pepper and cook for about 5 minutes. Sprinkle on cilantro. Serve warm or at room temperature.


Lawry’s Rubbed Cedar Plank Salmon

¼ c brown sugar
2 tbsp Lawry’s seasoned pepper
1 Cedar Plank
3 pound salmon

Prepare Cedar Plank according to instructions. Mix brown sugar and seasoned pepper and rub over Salmon. Let sit for 20 minutes. Grill according to Cedar Plank instructions.

Corn on the Cob
Remove outer layers of corn husks
Soak corn in cold water for 20 minutes
peel back husks
dribble olive oil and shake on Lawry’s seasoned salt
push corn husks back around cob and grill for 20-40 minutes, turning every now and again
remove corn and serve

Grilled Balsamic Marinated Vegetables
Fresh local vegetables, cut into bite-size pieces
Lawry’s Balsamic Herb Marinade
Foil

line a dish with foil
mix vegetables in dish
cover with about half a bottle of marinade, cover with another layer of foil
refrigerate for a half hour to an hour
carefully flip over dish and close foil so that it incases the vegetables
Add another layer of foil
Place over a hot grill for 20-40 minutes, turning once. (The longer you cook the vegetables, the softer they will be.)

Dessert
Sweet and Spicy Strawberries and Peaches

1 lb strawberries
3 fresh local peaches
1 tbsp sugar
½ cup water
1 tbsp Lawry’s Balsamic Vinegar Marinade

cut tops of strawberries
slice peaches into slices
marinade in water, marinade, and sugar
place in foil
grill for 5-6 minutes
serve with vanilla ice cream or greek yogurt

Lawry’s Sweet & Seasoned Surprise
2 oz tequila
2 ½ teaspoon sugar
½ cup frozen strawberries
1/2 cup frozen pineapple
1/2 cup frozen peaches
Juice of ½ Lemon
Lawry’s seasoned pepper

Mix above in a blender.
Pour some Seasoned Pepper on a plate
Wet Margarita glass with a lemon and dip in Lawry’s seasoning
Enjoy this salty and sweet drink!

WIN IT!!

Lawry’s is offering one reader a giveaway package with: 16 oz Seasoned Salt, Balsamic Herb Marinade and a Seasoned Salt Marinade. YUMMY!!!

To enter: Leave me a comment! Tell me which recipe we made that you would try.
For an extra entry: Retweet this post on twitter using the #lawrys hashtag.
Rules: Entry is open to US residents, one entry per person mandatory, entry via tweeting once per day. Giveaway closes August 17th, 2011. Random winner will be selected via random.org Winner has 24 hours to respond to email or a new winner will be chosen.

 

Disclaimer: this campaign was sponsored by lawry’s and the motherhood. i was compensated for this post.
Check out our team’s posts:

travel safer – and cheaper with a gas card giveaway!

I don’t know about you, but we are road tripping all over the place this summer!  Now that we are a family of 5, we only fly when driving is absolutely out of the question.  Driving – especially with kids in the car — can be really stressful. All of us seasoned moms know about tricks like planning travel games, packing snacks, organizing the driving route, and securing the perfect road trip music playlist to help make the ride easier. But what about your car?  The NAIC has five tips for a stress-free summer road trip:

  1. image via naic.org

    Confirm your car insurance is active and premiums are up-to-date. Have a current copy of your insurance card in the car.

  2. Check to see if your policy includes roadside assistance. You can be covered for towing, fuel delivery, lockout service, jump-starts and more. (Our insurance offers this for like $5 a month. Totally worth it!)
  3. If renting a car, check if your current policy includes coverage, and verify limitations with your agent. Some credit cards offer rental coverage, so check with your credit card company to determine if that is an option.
  4. If rental car coverage is not included in your policy, consider adding an insurance rider for a small fee or purchasing coverage from the rental car company. Make sure you don’t duplicate benefits from your existing auto, health or home insurance policy.
  5. Verify your homeowners or renters insurance covers the theft of personal items from a car, especially if you are planning to carry expensive items in your car such as golf clubs, video or digital cameras or laptops.

WIN!!

To help make your summer travel even more painless, the NAIC if offering one lucky Girlymama reader a $50 Shell gift card!

Mandatory Entry: Leave a comment telling me one of your favorite road trip destination!

Extra Entry #1: Leave a SEPARATE comment telling me you subscribed to Girlymama’s feed by email or in a reader.
Extra Entry #2: Leave another comment telling me that you Girlymama on Twitter!
Extra Entry #3
: Leave another comment telling me you visited the Insure U Online site.
Extra Entry #4: Leave another comment telling me in what way you promoted this contest (i.e., posting about it on your blog or Facebook, or  Tweeting about it.

Contest ends Tuesday, July 5th at noon. Entries such as “Enter me” or “I want to win” will NOT be counted. Winners will be selected by Random.org, announced back here on this post, and notified via email with further instructions. If I don’t hear from the winner in 48 hours, I will be choosing a new winner.


DaySpring: Our Faith at Home *GIVEAWAY*

As a family, we constantly are striving to incorporate our faith around our home. A few things we do:

  • We have a shelf of kid’s Bibles and devotional books in our hallway, right outside the kids’ bedrooms, where they can easily access them on their own.
  • My girls both write their memory verses on their mirror with dry erase markers every week, so its displayed where they’ll see it.
  • We have prayer cards for missionaries on our fridge, along with their memory verses.

This month, I was so excited to receive a gorgeous piece of art for our walls with one of my favorite verses.
I put it right in the hallway above our bookcase. I love it. We see it every time we walk up the stairs – and its such a reminder of how we want to live our lives! (And I’ve already had someone ask me where we got it!)

I’m already looking at another one! I would love to get this one, with Joshua 1:9 on it for our mudroom. I would love for this to be the last thing we see before leaving the house:
There are tons of great deals on wall art like these on sale this month on DaySpring!

WIN IT!

How would you like to pick up some gorgeous (in)spired deals for your home? DaySpring is offering one lucky Girlymama reader a $35 gift certificate to DaySpring!!

Mandatory Entry: Leave a comment telling me one of your favorite Bible verses!

Extra Entry #1: Leave a SEPARATE comment telling me you subscribed to Girlymama’s feed by email or in a reader.
Extra Entry #2: Leave another comment telling me you became a Girlymama Facebook fan or that you Girlymama on Twitter!
Extra Entry #3
: Leave another comment telling me you’re a fan of DaySpring on Facebook or Twitter!!
Extra Entry #4: Leave another comment telling me in what way you promoted this contest (i.e., posting about it on your blog or Facebook, or  Tweeting about it.

Contest ends Monday, May 23rd at noon. Entries such as “Enter me” or “I want to win” will NOT be counted. Winners will be selected by Random.org, announced back here on this post, and notified via email with further instructions. If I don’t hear from the winner in 48 hours, I will be choosing a new winner.

disclosure: i received this dayspring product to facilitate this review. i was not compensated financially and, as always, all opinions are my own.

tangled: our new favorite movie *giveaway*

**giveaway is now closed! congrats to our winner, jen!**

We love Tangled. LOVE it.

We saw it in the theater and the whole family loved it. It was cute, funny, exciting – and of course has a happy ending! My son loves Maximus, the horse. (I loved the strong female lead – Rapunzel was brave and sweet!)  I was crying along with my 8-year-old at the sweet ending. And one of the highlights of Gracie’s life was meeting Rapunzel at Disney a few months ago!

So of course the day the Tangled Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack came out we bought it! (And can we give a collective “THANK YOU” to Disney for the Blu-Ray/DVD Combo pack!? I don’t know about you, but I have children who do not understand the concept of “The blu-ray disc doesn’t play in the car!”) We’ve watched it at least three times and have loaned it out to two friends already.

And Gracie’s current favorite toy? This adorable Disney Toddler Rapunzel. She’s barely put it down since she got it. Its been to a party, a picnic, the dentist and school. Just since Saturday.

Toddler Rapunzel

WIN IT!
One lucky Girlymama reader will win a Tangled Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack AND a Disney Toddler Rapunzel!!

Mandatory Entry: Leave a comment telling me if you’ve seen Tangled yet!
Extra Entry #1: Leave a SEPARATE comment telling me you subscribed to Girlymama’s feed by email or in a reader.
Extra Entry #2: Leave another comment telling me you became a Girlymama Facebook fan or that you Girlymama on Twitter!
Extra Entry #3
: Leave another comment telling me you’re a fan of Tollytots on Facebook!!
Extra Entry #4: Leave another comment telling me in what way you promoted this contest (i.e., posting about it on your blog or Facebook, or  Tweeting about it.

Contest ends Wednesday, May 11th at noon. Entries such as “Enter me” or “I want to win” will NOT be counted. Winners will be selected by Random.org, announced back here on this post, and notified via email with further instructions. If I don’t hear from the winner in 48 hours, I will be choosing a new winner.

disclosure: i received a tangled dvd/blu-ray combo pack and a toddler doll to facilitate this post. i was not compensated for this post and, as always, all opinions are my own.

aboutone – online family management for busy families *giveaway*

**giveaway is now closed! congratulations to our winner, comment #4, Kellyn!**

Are you a busy busy family who has trouble getting and staying organized?

(Did anyone NOT raise their hand?)

If so, let me introduce you to AboutOne.

Logo
AboutOne is an online family management system with a touch of magic.  It is one place that is accessible anytime, anywhere from any device. In just seconds you can store, secure, and manage what matters most: precious memories and household information.

I don’t know about you, but I need all the help I can get! I can’t wait to see how AboutOne will help me manage our 5 busy schedules and zillions of pieces of information we need to keep our household running!

How would you like to win a one year membership to AboutOne? Well, you can! Here’s how to enter:

Mandatory Entry: Leave a comment telling me you need help!
Extra Entry #1: Leave a SEPARATE comment telling me you subscribed to Girlymama’s feed by email or in a reader.
Extra Entry #2: Leave another comment telling me you became a Girlymama Facebook fan!
Extra Entry #3: Leave another comment telling me in what way you promoted this contest (i.e., posting about it on your blog or Facebook, or  Tweeting about it.

Contest ends Friday, December 17th at noon. Entries such as “Enter me” or “I want to win” will NOT be counted. Winners will be selected by Random.org, announced back here on this post, and notified via email with further instructions. If I don’t hear from the winner in 48 hours, I will be choosing a new winner.

***

Screen shot 2010-12-06 at 11.37.18 PM This giveaway is a part of the Holiday Extravaganza Digital Campaign, sponsored by Playmobil. To learn about more opportunities to win these prizes with other participating bloggers, click here to head over to the Holiday Extravaganza Facebook page.

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Playmobil. I received one of the product I am giving away to facilitate this post and was compensated for my time in running this giveaway. As always, all opinions are my own. Prizes will be sent directly from the company giving away the item. Christmas delivery is not guaranteed.

rice krispie treat holiday challenge *$100 gift card giveaway*

**this giveaway is now closed! congratulations to our winner, comment #65 – Heather!**

Around the 4th of July, I was involved in a recipe challenge with Rice Krispies and the Motherhood.com.   I had a great time (as did my kids who LOVE Rice Krispie Treats almost as much as their mama), so when Rice Krispies asked me if I'd be interested in a holiday recipe showdown, I was in!   

Our challenge this time around was to create a "holiday Rice Krispies Treats show-stopper recipe."

Gulp.

The kids and I put our heads together and talked about what our favorite holiday treats were. Candy Canes was topping the kids' list. But for me… my favorite holiday treat is a Starbucks Peppermint Mocha. The first time I see that on the menu board, I know that the holidays have truly arrived! And I will use any excuse – ANY – to snag one while they're in season. I may or may not have had one just this afternoon. (Ahem.)

So, I'd like to present…

Peppermint Mocha Treats

DSC_0566-1  4 tbsp butter
1 bag mini marshmellows
8 oz chopped semisweet chocolate (chips are fine)
1 tbsp strongly brewed coffee
6 cups Rice Krispies
3/4 cup Andes creme de menthe baking chips

  • In a large saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons butter over low heat. Add 1 bag (10 ounces) of mini marshmallows; cook, stirring, until melted.
  • Add chocolate and coffee; cook, stirring, until the chocolate is melted. Remove from heat. Quickly fold in 6 cups of Rice Krispies and 3/4 cup creme de menthe chips until mixed.
  • Coat an ice cream scoop (or your hands) with nonstick cooking spray; scoop mixture onto parchment paper, forming clusters. Let set and enjoy!

I brought these babies to church on Sunday for coffee hour piled high on a hige plate. Everyone who saw them (sitting next to the big plate of boring old regular Rice Krispie Treats I had also brought) and they were like, "WHAT are THOSE?!?" And, not to toot my own horn, but people were RAVING about how good they were. The plate was empty in minutes and I had to promise to bring back more next Sunday for people who missed out.

So what is more fun than Peppermint Mochas and using Christmas as an excuse to eat Rice Krispie Treats for breakfast? Well, how about your chance to win a $100 Visa Gift card? Simply leave a comment on this post telling me your favorite way to eat Rice Krispies Treats!!

THEMOTHERHOOD HOLIDAY RICE KRISPIES TREATS EXCHANGE BLOGGER GIVEAWAY

Abbreviated Rules. No Purchase Necessary. Begins no earlier than 12:00:00 AM (ET) on 11/29/10 and ends no later than 11:59:59 PM (ET) on 12/21/10. For complete Official Rules, go to http://web.mediacdt.com/docs/motherhoodholiday
Open to legal residents of the fifty (50) United States and District of Columbia who are 18 years of age or older at time of entry. Subject to complete Official Rules. Void where prohibited. Sponsor: TheMotherhood; www.TheMotherhood.com

disclosure: This post and contest are sponsored by Rice Krispies and the Motherhood.com. I was compensated for my time in writing this post and running this giveaway. As always, all opinions are my own.

tassimo T20 *giveaway*

**giveaway is now closed! congratulations to our winner, #27 – Megan!**

On to the next giveaway!

Remember a week or so ago when I said I needed a Starbucks in my house?

Well, I now have one. Meet my new best friend:

Brewbot
This is the new Tassimo Hot Beverage System. And this baby can make you a Starbucks Latte in about a minute. I am in heaven!! This thing makes amazing coffee – and believe me, I know coffee!  I've fought this trend, arguing that I don't have enough counter space, I don't want to buy the discs, etc. But the discs are surprisingly affordable (especially in bulk on Amazon!) and are certainly cheaper then actually going to the coffee shop.
The Tassimo T20 is so cool – it makes coffee, tea, cappuccino, latte, crema, espresso and hot cocoa in about one minute.  And it uses unique bar code technology allows the brewer to read a bar code on each T disc and deliver a tasty cup each and every time. Each T disc's bar code signals to the machine the optimal amount of water and temperature required.

How did I get one? Well, I was here at the Holiday Extravaganza when EVERYONE there got a Tassimo T20!!


(I'm not in the video – I was standing next to the girl taking the video!)

How would you like to win a Tassimo T20 Hot Beverage System? Well, you can! Here's how to enter:

Mandatory Entry: Leave a comment telling me who you'll give the T20 to this holiday (giving it to yourself is totally valid 😉
Extra Entry #1: Leave a SEPARATE comment telling me you subscribed to Girlymama's feed by email or in a reader.
Extra Entry #2: Leave another comment telling me you became a Girlymama Facebook fan!
Extra Entry #3: Leave another comment telling me in what way you promoted this contest (i.e., posting about it on your blog or Facebook, or  Tweeting about it.

Contest ends Friday, December 17th at noon. Entries such as "Enter me" or "I want to win" will NOT be counted. Winners will be selected by Random.org, announced back here on this post, and notified via email with further instructions. If I don't hear from the winner in 48 hours, I will be choosing a new winner.

***

Screen shot 2010-12-06 at 11.37.18 PM This giveaway is a part of the Holiday Extravaganza Digital Campaign, sponsored by Playmobil. To learn about more opportunities to win these prizes with other participating bloggers, click here to head over to the Holiday Extravaganza Facebook page.

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Playmobil. I received one of the product I am giving away to facilitate this post and was compensated for my time in running this giveaway. As always, all opinions are my own. Prizes will be sent directly from the company giving away the item. Christmas delivery is not guaranteed.

kid’s prize package from backyard safari outfitters *giveaway*

**giveaway is now closed! congratulations to our winner, #51, Jennifer!!**

Our first giveaway this week is a really cool set of toys and outdoor gear for kids from Backyard Safari Outfitters. My kids love being backyard explorers – they trompse through the woods behind our house on "Explorations" and come back with all sorts of trash treasures that they have picked up discovered. They are going to go crazy with this kit – especially when we  go camping this summer!!

In this giveaway, you will get:
2408004-2T
a Backyard Safari Cargo Vest,

2408404-2T
Backyard Safari Binocs,

2408206-1
Megaview Periscope,

2450904-2T
Bug Vacuum,

2417206-1
and a Backyard Safari Adventurer Kit!

Yes, ALL of that! Approximate Retail Value is $91.95. Want to win?

Here's how to enter:

Mandatory Entry: Leave a comment sharing what little one in your life would love to be a Backyard Safari Adventurer!
Extra Entry #1: Leave a SEPARATE comment telling me you subscribed to Girlymama's feed by email or in a reader.
Extra Entry #2: Leave another comment telling me you became a Girlymama Facebook fan!
Extra Entry #3: Leave another comment telling me in what way you promoted this contest (i.e., posting about it on your blog or Facebook, or  Tweeting about it.

Contest ends Friday, December 17th at noon. Entries such as "Enter me" or "I want to win" will NOT be counted. Winners will be selected by Random.org, announced back here on this post, and notified via email with further instructions. If I don't hear from the winner in 48 hours, I will be choosing a new winner.

***

This giveaway is a part of the Holiday Extravaganza Digital Campaign. To learn about more opportunities to win these prizes with other participating bloggers, click here to head over to the Holiday Extravaganza Facebook page.

Disclosure: I received one of the product I am giving away to facilitate this post and was compensated for my time in running this giveaway. As always, all opinions are my own. Prizes will be sent directly from the company giving away the item. Christmas delivery is not guaranteed.

playmobil 1.2.3. farm *giveaway*

**giveaway is now closed! congratulations to our winner, #50, Julie B!!**

Our first Holiday Extravaganza Digital giveaway is from our sponsor Playmobil. We are BIG Playmobil fans in the Girlymama household! As a mom and a former preschool teacher, I think their toys are amazing and Playmobil is one of my absolute favorite brands of toys. I love toys that encourage creative, imaginative play and do not require batteries. Such toys are so important to development!

This year, Colin will be finding the 1.2.3. Large Farm under the tree Christmas morning:
6750

The Large Farm is perfect for ages 18 months and up! It features an adorable farmyard setting with separate living quarters and stables. My son will love offloading the bales of animal feed from the cart with the winch and placing them in the loft (his dad is an engineer, can you tell?). And one of the best parts of Playmobil? Packing up afterwards is super easy: fold up the sides of the building and everything is stowed away. Perfect!

Would you like to win the 1.2.3. Large Farm? Here's how to enter:

Mandatory Entry: Leave a comment sharing what little one in your life would love this adorable 1.2.3. Large Farm!
Extra Entry #1: Leave a SEPARATE comment telling me you subscribed to Girlymama's feed by email or in a reader.
Extra Entry #2: Leave another comment telling me you became a Girlymama Facebook fan!
Extra Entry #3: Leave another comment telling me in what way you promoted this contest (i.e., posting about it on your blog or Facebook, or  Tweeting about it.

Contest ends Friday, December 17th at noon. Entries such as "Enter me" or "I want to win" will NOT be counted. Winners will be selected by Random.org, announced back here on this post, and notified via email with further instructions. If I don't hear from the winner in 48 hours, I will be choosing a new winner.

***

Screen shot 2010-12-06 at 11.37.18 PM This giveaway is a part of the Holiday Extravaganza Digital Campaign, sponsored by Playmobil. To learn about more opportunities to win these prizes with other participating bloggers, click here to head over to the Holiday Extravaganza Facebook page.

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Playmobil. I received one of the product I am giving away to facilitate this post and was compensated for my time in running this giveaway. As always, all opinions are my own. Prizes will be sent directly from the company giving away the item. Christmas delivery is not guaranteed.

load of giveaways. brace yourselves.

This week, I'm saying Happy Christmas and a Merry Holiday to all of you with a whole week of amazing giveaways! Most of these giveaways are part of the Chester County Moms now famous Holiday Extravaganza which benefits Toys for Tots.

Tft_logo The primary goal of Toys for Tots is to deliver, through a new toy at Christmas, a message of hope to less fortunate youngsters that will assist them in becoming responsible, productive, patriotic citizens. In Over the 62 years of the U. S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program, Marines have distributed more than 400 million toys to more than 188 million needy children. In 2008, Marines and volunteers distributed over 16.2 million toys to 7.6 million children
 from their nationwide donations. Monetary donations are also accepted via paypal and credit cards. Additionally, interested donors can donate a vehicle, donate via ebay, or donate in someone’s honor or memory, through this webpage. It is an organization that you can be proud to support!  My nextdoor neighbor is a retired Marine, so we're big supporters of Toys For Tots! Last week, I had the privilege in playing a small  part of an event last week that gathered almost 1,400 toys… in one evening. It was estimated to be the biggest collection in Pennsylvania! 

HE logo
Those girls pulled off an amazing feat in my opinion! And as one of the (several) bloggers offering a digital version of the Holiday Extravaganza, I'm pleased to share with your some fun giveaways this week!

So sit back, grab some coffee, take a break and good luck!!

Screen shot 2010-12-06 at 11.37.18 PM As a member of the Holiday Extravaganza Digital Campaign, this post ( and the giveaways part of the campaign) have been sponsored by Playmobil.