CSN Giveaway WINNER!

Happy Valentine's Day, Lovelies!

The winner of my latest CSN Stores giveaway is......

Andrea, congratulations! I'm so happy for you! I hope you enjoy your prize!

If you didn't win, don't lose heart. I'll host another giveaway really soon!

A Valentine's Day Present for my Readers

It's time for a....

GIVEAWAY!



Dear Friends,

This will be our second Valentine's Day together! Thank you for visiting my humble little blog. Thank you for your encouraging comments -- I love it when you leave me notes! To celebrate YOU, readers, I've teamed up with CSN Stores again. I'm giving away a $50 code good at any of CSN's 200+ sites!

What will you use your code for? It's up to you! Here's how to enter:

1. Be a public follower of this blog via Google Friend Connect. This is mandatory for entry. Leave a comment. Be sure I can contact you, either via your Blogger profile or by leaving your email address in your comment. 
2. Extra Entry: Leave a link to the product you'd most like to buy from any CSN site. Again, make sure I can contact you if you're the winner!
3. Another extra entry: Tell me how you plan to celebrate Valentine's Day this year, either with your partner or your child, or your friend, or yourself!

This giveaway is open to US residents only. I will use Random.org to select a winner from all entrants on Sunday, February 13, 2011. All entries must be received NO LATER THAN 11:59 p.m. Eastern on Saturday, February 12, 2011.

Best of luck! And thanks again!

Announcing Something Exciting...

What would you do with a cool $50 from CSN Stores? Would you pick up a new laptop messenger bag?

Or maybe you're in the market for a new baker's rack. This one would look stylish in the kitchen!

No matter what you're looking for, you can find it at csnstores.com. I've been fortunate to work with CSN stores as a preferred blogger for several months now, doing giveaways and reviews. I think very highly of the company, and I look forward to giving one of my lucky readers the chance to get to know CSN Stores, too. Look for the giveaway very soon!

CSN GIFT CODE WINNER

And the winner is...

Comment number 41:

Congrats, Jenn! :)

GIVEAWAY CLOSED! $50 CSN Stores Shopping Code!

If you read many blogs, including this one, you've heard of CSN Stores by now. CSN Stores is actually many stores rolled into one convenient site. You can find so many wonderful bargains there. How would you like your very own $50 shopping code to spend as you please?

I'd love to give you one! CSN Stores has provided me with a one-time-use $50 code for one of my lucky loyal readers. How will you use it? You could pick up a new espresso machine, or a waffle iron, or a top-of-the-line knife set. You might venture out of the kitchen for a massaging recliner, or a wheelbarrow, or even a treadmill. You're in charge. You can buy whatever your heart desires.

Here's how to enter:

THANK YOU! GIVEAWAY CLOSED!

You have lots of opportunities to enter to win this fabulous prize! Please, leave a separate comment with email address for each entry. All entries will be validated before acceptance. Entries must be received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on Sunday, November 14th, 2010. Drawing will be held via Random.org on Monday, November 15th. Winner will be notified via email and will have 48 hours from time of notification to respond. In the event that I am unable to reach the winner, a new winner will be selected.

ONE winner will receive a ONE TIME USE shopping code worth $50.00. Drawing open to residents of United States and Canada (Canadian residents please note: code CANNOT be applied toward international shipping charges. You will be responsible for that cost.)

Ways to enter:

• MANDATORY: Follow this blog via Google Friend Connect. You must be a public follower to enter. Leave a comment with your email address. ONE ENTRY
• Optional: Leave a comment telling me what you'd spend your $50 on. Leave a comment with your email address ONE ENTRY
• Optional: Blog about this giveaway. Leave a comment with your email address. TWO ENTRIES (leave two comments)
• Optional: Post to your Facebook page: I want to win a $50 CSN Stores Shopping Code at All Home Cooking. All Year Long. and leave a link to this giveaway. Leave a comment with your email address and the URL to your FB post. ONE ENTRY EACH DAY (Leave a new comment each day)
• Optional: Tweet about this giveaway: I want to win the $50 CSN Code at http://tinyurl.com/2ecyzkm @michelle_cooks ONE ENTRY EACH DAY (Leave a new comment each day with email address and your Twitter ID)
• Optional: Follow this blog on Facebook. ONE ENTRY (Leave comment with email address.)
• Optional: Comment on any other post on this blog. ONE ENTRY PER COMMENT (Leave separate comment for each instance)
• Optional: Follow my other blog, 360 Lunch Boxes, publicly via Google Friend Connect THREE ENTRIES (Leave separate comments).

Good luck!

And the Winners Are....

Congratulations to the following winners of a coupon good for a free loaf of Rudi's Organic Bakery bread! I've contacted you via email, and you have 48 hours to respond.

Winner 1:

Comment #3:

Congrats, Jenn!

Winner #2:

Comment # 16:

Congrats, Lisa!

Winner #3:

Comment # 23:

Congrats, Kerrie!

Winner #4:

Comment # 1! (It is said that the first comment in a giveaway is cursed and never wins! It won today!)

Congrats, Stephanie!

And last, but not least, winner #5:

Comment # 22:

Congrats, Kelly!

Thank you to all who entered. To the winners, I'll be emailing you shortly. I hope you enjoy your Rudi's breads as much as I do!

Rudi's Organic Bakery Review & Giveaway

image courtesy Rudi's Organic Bakery

The moment has arrived: I'm here to talk to you about some fantastic breads. Have you heard of Rudi's Organic Bakery?

I love to bake bread. I can make it all: sandwich loaves, burger buns, dinner rolls, corn tortillas, flour tortillas, bagels, English muffins, and more. However, I don't always have the time, and if I'm honest, I don't always have the inclination to bake bread. I only bake bread when time and desire are both present. When I can't bake it myself, or don't want to, I turn to Rudi's. Rudi's Organic Bakery churns out top-quality breads that I can trust.

Trust. Let's talk about that for a moment. These days, it seems there's always something negative on television or in print about the food industry. It can be hard to trust those that manufacture our foods. After all, we're putting our lives in their hands! Therefore, it's important to me to find companies who cook with ingredients I know and would use in my own kitchen. It's important to me that my family's foods are:

• all natural
• organic if possible
• full of flavor
• fresh
• from a company who I can feel comfortable supporting.

Rudi's fits the bill. Let's break it down:

All Natural

• "Made with stuff you can pronounce and ingredients you recognize" -- Rudi's

The ingredients in the Honey Sweet Whole Wheat: Organic whole wheat flour, water, organic honey, organic wheat gluten, organic evaporated cane juice, yeast, organic high oleic sunflower/safflower oil, sea salt, organic oat flour, organic vinegar, organic molasses, cultured organic wheat starch, organic barley malt, ascorbic acid, natural enzymes

• No synthetic ingredients
• No chemical pesticides
• No high fructose corn syrup

Organic

• Rudi's is USDA certified organic -- at least 95% of the ingredients are organic
• Organic foods are produced without chemical pesticides or fertilizers -- Important for your health and the environment

Full of flavor

Are they ever! Rudi's makes some of the best breads I've eaten! They have a strong, pleasant aroma, great, soft crust, wonderful, chewy texture, and lots of flavor.

The Cinnamon Raisin bread is addictive! It's thick slices are loaded with raisins, cinnamon, and sunflower seeds. It's such a wonderful treat, with a taste so rich and so filling that you have to read the nutritional information to make sure you're not actually eating dessert! Each slice has THREE grams of fiber! Topped with a smear of cream cheese and a sprinkling of ground cinnamon, Rudi's Organic Cinnamon Raisin bread is heaven on your plate.

My whole family enjoyed the Spelt Ancient Grain bread. Full of great stuff, like spelt, quinoa, flax seeds, kamut, amaranth, and millet, it's a bread that's delicious, chewy, and good for you.

Honey Sweet Whole Wheat was my Picky Eater's favorite bread. The other day, I made her some round sandwiches for her lunch box, and she asked for the crusts to munch on while I was making lunch. Any healthful bread that gets the Picky Eater Stamp of Approval is a winner with me, too. The nutritional facts for this bread are wonderful: 100 calories, 1 gram of fat, and 3 grams of fiber for each generous slice.

Country Morning White is a classic white bread.

 While all those grains in the other Rudi's Organic line are full of goodness and things we ought to be reaching for, sometimes, you just need a white bread. Reach for Rudi's. It's soft, yet sturdy, and has a deliciously rich, smooth taste. We found it to be the perfect bread for grilled cheese sandwiches.

Fresh

• Rudi's Organic Bakery breads have a shorter shelf life than other store-bought breads. I love that. It tells me that they avoid all those weird chemical preservatives that other companies use.
• The breads taste fresh baked right out of the package.

From a Company I Feel Comfortable Supporting

Rudi's Organics has a values list that I love. Go read them. They'll put a smile on your face.

And while you're there, check out who Rudi's partners with. The names include:

• 
  
  The Organic Trade Association
• 
  
  Community Food Share
• 
  
  Imus Ranch for Kids with Cancer

Rudi's is a fun, upbeat, positive company. Check out Rudi-isms for another smile. And connect with Rudi's on Facebook and Twitter. They love to hear from their fans.

Now that you know all that about Rudi's, how would you like to try a loaf for yourself, on the house? You can win one of five coupons for a free Rudi's Organic product. Here's how to enter:

• 
  
  You must be a public follower of my blog via Google Friend Connect to win.
• 
  
  Leave a comment telling me which product you'd like to try. Visit Rudi's to see all their great organic bakery products. Please include your email address if it's not available in your profile. If I can't contact you, you can't win.
• 
  
  Entries must be received by Monday, August 30th, at 11:59 p.m. I will use Random.org to select five winners on Tuesday, August 31st and notify them by email and here on All Home Cooking. All Year Long.

Rudi's Organic Bakery sent me one loaf each of Cinnamon Raisin, Spelt Ancient Grain, Honey Sweet Whole Wheat, and Country Morning White for my review. No other compensation was received and the opinions in this review are strictly my own.

Something Fresh is Coming...

I'm looking forward to sharing my thoughts on Rudi's Organic Bakery products with you early next week. At that time, you can enter to win one of five free Rudi's Organic products! That's right! Five winners! See you soon!

Meanwhile, check out my recipe for Fresh Strawberry Cake with Cream Cheese Icing. It's what Picky Eater chose for her birthday dinner dessert. Yep, today was Picky Eater's seventh birthday. She opted for bacon, sausage, eggs, and toast for dinner, with strawberry cake for dessert. Good choices all around. Here's the birthday girl this morning:

***SodaStream WINNER***

And the winner is...

Comment #69....

Congratulations, Amy! You win the Fountain Jet Soda Lover’s Start-up Kit (approx. $100 retail value.) It includes the Fountain Jet, CO2 makes over 100 liters of soda, 2 reusable carbonating bottles, a sample pack of flavors, and 3 full-sized flavors of your choice! I'll be contacting you by the email address you provided to get you your prize!

Didn't win? Buy yourself a SodaStream today. I'm sure you'll love it!

Winner of Georgia Prize Pack!

...and the winner, chosen by Random.org, is Follower #80 out of 235...Tractor Mom!

I've sent Tractor Mom an email. She has 48 hours to respond.

Tractor Mom will be receiving a box filled with Georgia and Fort Benning goodies, including, but not limited to:

Georgia Honey
Local Pecans
Pecan Goodies
Soldier's Spouse-made items
...and more!

Thanks, loyal followers! Stay tuned for more great giveaways, recipes, and reviews.

**WINNER** Easy LunchBox System

And we have a winner! Thank you for the enormous response to this giveaway! Seventy entrants!

Our winner, drawn by Random.org, is Comment #19:

Julia! Congratulations, Julia!

Julia said...


I think the subway sandwich with fruit and veggies looks delicious!



I will be contacting you via the email address you provided to get your information!
 
 
Didn't win today? You can still get a set! Act now before the back-to-school rush! Consider shopping through my affiliate store, please. The link can be found in the left sidebar on my blog.
 
Happy Cooking!

CLOSED **GIVEAWAY** An Eco-Friendly Lunchbox System!

It's good sense to cook at home. It costs less. It's better for your body. And it's better for the environment, too. But what happens when you need to eat away from home?

Frugal-minded folks automatically think, "Well it's simple! Brown bag it!" Great idea. Except that it can be wasteful and add extra expense to your meals, as well as extra trash added to the landfill.

Enter Easy LunchBoxes. These handy gems are the green way to "brown bag" your lunch. By using one of these containers and the handy cooler, you eliminate the need for zip-top baggies AND the paper lunch sack. Score one for you, and one for Earth.

Recently, I won an Easy LunchBox System and Cooler and wrote about it here on my blog. My favorite thing about Easy LunchBoxes? They allow me to pack waste-free lunches for my children! I don't have to buy bags! I don't have to buy aluminum foil! At the end of lunch, there's nothing to be thrown away.

Even though school's out for the summer, we've been using our four containers each day. I make Snack Packs for my kids, which has been wildly popular around my house. And my kids can take lunch with them when we're on the go to the pool, the playground, the orthodontist..anywhere!

The containers are generously sized and are appropriate for kids and adults alike. The main compartment is big enough for a sandwich, and the two side compartments generously house most anything you can think to put in them. The cooler is big enough for a reusable beverage container, a cloth napkin, utensils, fruit...you name it..but not so big that it fe4els bulky to carry around.

Here are a couple of the things I've done with my set:

A salad that my daughter created, flat bread, grapefruit segments, and homemade vanilla pudding with sprinkles made a satisfying, "green" lunchbox for school lunch!

A Bento-style lunch without the rice: bunnies and butterflies, leaves and trees, swirly carrot "flowers" and yummy strawberries made this On the Go meal for my daughter.

Fresh watermelon, Greek yogurt with fresh blueberries, and a candy necklace kit. A Snack Pack for a busy summer day!

What would you do with an eco-friendly lunchbox system like this?

Kelly Lester, the owner of Easy LunchBoxes, has generously provided a set of FOUR Easy LunchBox containers and ONE cooler to one lucky reader here at All Home Cooking. All Year Long. I'm so excited for one of you to get the opportunity to try this set out for yourself!

Here's how to enter:


#1. MANDATORY ENTRY: Visit EasyLunchBoxes.com. Leave a comment here telling me what you like best about Easy LunchBoxes. INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS IN YOUR COMMENT.


Other entry opportunities (LEAVE SEPARATE COMMENTS FOR EACH ENTRY):


#2. Visit the photo gallery of yummy lunch possibilities. Leave a comment telling me which one looks yummiest to you. INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS IN YOUR COMMENT.


#3. Follow BOTH Easy LunchBoxes AND All Home Cooking. All Year Long. on Twitter. Leave a comment with your Twitter. Leave a comment with your Twitter name and let me know you're following. INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS IN YOUR COMMENT.

#4. "Like" BOTH Easy LunchBoxes AND All Home Cooking. All Year Long. on Facebook. Leave a comment letting me know you have clicked LIKE on both. INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS IN YOUR COMMENT.


Here are the rules:

1. One winner will be chosen from all entries via Random.org and will receive a set of FOUR Easy LunchBox containers and lids and ONE lunch cooler in winner's choice of color (chosen from black, dark red, olive, aqua, or purple).
2. Sorry, folks, but this giveaway is limited to folks in the United States and Canada.
3. You cannot have won an Easy LunchBox system in the last three months.
4. You MUST include your e-mail address in your comments.
5. All entries will be verified.
6. Random drawing will be held FRIDAY, JUNE 11th, 2010, shortly after 10:00 a.m. Entries must be in by 9:59 a.m Eastern time on Friday.
7. Winner will be notified by e-mail and announced on this blog. Winner will have 48 hours to write back or an alternate winner will be drawn.

Good luck! :)

Waste-free School Lunches

Day 146.

I'm not the greenest mom on the block. There's much more I could do to live a greener lifestyle. But one thing I'm adamant about is packing a waste-free lunch. I haven't always felt this way, but throughout the school year, I couldn't help but notice how many plastic zip-top bags, plastic wrap, and aluminum foil we were using in our children's school lunches!

I was being frugal by not purchasing ready-made snacks and drinks, but our typical school lunch consisted of the following:

• a sandwich in a zip-top bag
• carrots or other crunchy veggie in a zip-top bag
• fruit (in its own wrapper most times)
• a snack - muffin, cookie, bar - in a zip-top bag
• juice or milk in a thermos
• paper napkin

If I made that lunch each of the 180 school days for my two children, we would have used 1,080 zip-top bags and 360 napkins! And that's just in one school year.

I'm converted. I believe in waste-free school lunches. So I've spent the past two months researching various companies, trying to decide which lunch system would work best for us. I had them narrowed down to a few companies.

Then, I won an Easy Lunchbox System, courtesy of Kelly at Easy Lunchbox, at a giveaway held by Keli of Feeding Four.

I'd seen a few reviews of the Easy Lunchbox System around the web, and was curious about it, but not ready to commit to a purchase because of my reservations. I was worried that the containers would feel flimsy and breakable, in particular.

I'm glad I had the chance to try it out! I'd like to share with you my thoughts on the system. Here are the pros and cons as I see them:

Pros:

• They cost less than most of the other lunch systems I'm considering. A set of 4 containers with lids runs $13.95. The cooler that fits the containers perfectly costs $7.95.
• They're just the right size for lunch. There are three compartments of varying size. The cooler comfortably holds the container, a thermos, a piece of fruit, a napkin, utensils, and an ice pack.
• They are free of BPA, PVC, lead, phthalates, and vinyl.
• They're dishwasher safe.
• The lids are colorful, which my girls loved. They enjoyed choosing which color to take to school with them the past two days.
• The lids are easy for tiny hands to open and close easily.
• the containers are NOT flimsy at all. I was expecting the tray those Lunchables by Oscar Meyer come in, but they are harder plastic and feel much more substantial and durable.

Cons:

• This is a big one for me: The containers are manufactured in China. I really am trying to buy USA-made as much as possible.
• The lids don't fit completely securely. I would not suggest this as a lunch kit for a rough and tumble child who is likely to flip his lunchbox upside-down. If they're kept in the cooler, straight in like intended, they won't spill. But kids don't always follow those rules, do they?
• The container is not leak-proof. See last point. Today, I sent the girls with pudding, but I put a small piece of waxed paper over the pudding to secure it. It's advised that you use a small piece of plastic wrap over any semi-liquid foods and you're not supposed to put liquids in the compartments.

In all, I'm pleased with my winnings! I've had fun creating waste-free lunches for my girls the last two days. I wish school wasn't ending tomorrow so I could play some more! Next school year, I'll keep using this lunch system, as well as keep my plans to buy a couple different ones. Maybe early next fall I'll compare the ones I choose.

Here are a couple of the lunches I made this week:

Main compartment: Egg Salad on lettuce with homemade Wheat Crackers. Side compartments: homemade Granola and cucumber rounds. A thermos of milk, some grapefruit, and a cloth napkin added to cooler.

Main compartment: Salad consisting of lettuce, cucumbers, carrot shreds, corn, wheat germ, dried cranberries, and cheese; homemade flat bread. Sides: Homemade vanilla pudding with jimmies; grapefruit. Thermos of milk and a cloth napkin added to cooler.

*Although I won this lunch system at a giveaway, I was not compensated for my review. My opinions are strictly my own.

A Giveaway, Something from Scratch, and Growing Fruits and Vegetables

Day 95.

In five days, I will celebrate my 100th day of blogging! To celebrate, I'd like to give away some of my favorite kitchen items. I haven't decided on everything I'm putting in the box, but here are a couple things I'm sure will be in there:

• White Lily Flour (There is none better in my opinion!)
• A bench scraper (A baker's best friend!)
• Vanilla extract
• 3 Madagascar Vanilla Beans to get you started making your own extract
• course AND fine sea salt
• some of my favorite coffee for you to enjoy on your kitchen break :)

I'll be picking up some essentials throughout the week and I'll keep you updated!

To enter:

1.  One entry for commenting here with your favorite recipe from my blog so far.
2. An extra entry for following (public followers only) via google. Please post a comment here letting me know you're following.
3. TWO extra entries for blogging about my blog in general or about my giveaway on your own blog, and linking back to mine. Post a comment here with the link back to your post.

I'll use random.org to choose a winner. Drawing will be on Saturday, April 10th, after 6 p.m. eastern time.

********************

Now, onto my gardening projects. I love fresh produce. What better way to get fresh produce than to grow it myself? I am growing in containers, as I live on a military installation and we're not supposed to grow in the ground. That does limit what I can grow, but I think I've done well. I'm growing cherry tomatoes, red and green bell peppers, potatoes, strawberries, rosemary, thyme, parsley, basil, and hot peppers. Here are a few pictures of my baby plants. I can't wait until we can go out on the back porch and pick some fresh foods and eat them.

Top to bottom: my first red strawberry, a bell pepper plant, and potatoes before being covered.

On the cooking front:

Yesterday, I was able to get back in my kitchen and it felt wonderful. I made Cornish Game Hens with Rice Stuffing, and a garden salad. Everything was so fresh and full of nutrients that our bodies all needed so badly after all the salty, greasy, processed foods we've been eating lately.

Cornish Game Hens with Rice Stuffing
Serves 4

What You Need:

• 4 Cornish game hens (about 1 pound each)
• Salt and pepper
• 1 cup of cooked rice
• 1/2 cup chopped mushrooms (I used baby bellas)
• 1/2 cup chopped white onion
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 3/4 cup shredded cheese (Swiss is nice)
• 4 Tbsp butter, cut into 1 Tbsp slices
• Melted butter for basting the hens

How it's Done:

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Rinse out the hens and pat dry. Lightly salt and pepper each hen, inside and out. Set aside.
3. In a mixing bowl, combine rice, mushrooms, onion, garlic, and cheese. Mix well.
4. Divide filling evenly between hens, stuffing them quite full. Push a pat of butter into each hen.
5. Place breast side up in a baking dish with high sides.
6. Cover with foil. Bake 30 minutes. Remove foil. Bake an additional hour, basting with melted butter every 15 minutes or so.

Enjoy! I hope you all have a wonderful week. I am unable to do a menu plan this week, as I never know what my in-laws are going to want to do or eat. Next week, I can get back to my usual planning, cooking, and baking.

I Won! I Won!

Day 77.

Today, the mailman left me a present on my doorstep. It was the package of goodies I won at Michelle's Blog, Girl Gone Granola. She sent me a box of regional goodies that are half gone already. The things she sent are so delicious and new to us and fun! Here's what she sent and what I thought about it:

*Couger Mountain Apple Walnut Cookies. Mmmmmmmmmmmmm..These were so good. They were chewy in the middle, as if slightly underbaked, and tasted like fresh apple cookies. We all enjoyed them, and yes, they're gone.

*Dancing Goats Blend Coffee. I haven't gotten to try this yet, as I'm still getting through my Pike Place blend from Starbucks. Incidentally, Starbucks got its start with its Pike Place shop in Washington!

*Sauerkraut. Homemade! My husband is super excited about this, and my in-laws are coming to visit soon, so I'll be serving brats to go with this!

*Blueberry Jam. More homemade. I love homemade things. I am the only blueberry lover in my home, so I get to keep it All To Myself. Yum! It's going to go so well with my homemade English muffins this weekend.

*Almond Roca. My husband and two daughters devoured this immediately. I didn't even get to taste it. Can you tell we don't buy much candy around here? They loved it.

*Seattle Chocolates Pike place Espresso Dark Chocolate Truffle Bar. Again, candy in our house. It went quickly. We all got to try this and loved it. Yes, my babies consumed espresso-laced dark chocolate. And they were very happy to do it. :)

*Aplets and Cotlets. ...but if they thought I was sharing these, they were mistaken. Admittedly, I was afraid to try them. They look weird. I'm so glad I did. No one's getting one of these. Luckily, I found a recipe for them. I can make them at home. Or, I can order them online. But I can't resist trying my hand at them, and they serving them to folks I know. These are heavenly. HEAVENLY.

So, Michelle, thank you for this wonderful, generous surprise. I love every bit of it. And my family thanks you.

Be on the lookout: As a condition of this giveaway, I agreed to host one of my own. Look for it early this summer, when I'll share some yummies from the good ol' south. And don't forget: I'll be hosting another giveaway to celebrate my 100th day of blogging, on April 10th! Look for details on April 1st.