I’m giving away this Pillsbury prize pack on my food blog. The prize pack consists of a white cookie jar, a Pillsbury canvas bag, and coupon for free cookies! You can’t beat that, now can you?
No need to pull out the weight loss supplements just yet. Don’t worry, I’ll make you work the calories off. Visit my review and giveaway post on the food blog and see what hoops you need to jump to win this prize pack 
I’m in the midst of party planning right now. My husband’s family is having their annual reunion this weekend and as we are co-hosting the event this year we have a little more preparation to do than showing up to party. I went shopping today and we started preparing some of the food tonight. Tomorrow, we’ll go help set up the tables, chairs and tents at my sister in law’s place. It’s a lot of work, but it’s going to be a lot of fun seeing everyone again and it’s going to be a veritable feast as all my sister in laws are great cooks.
As always, this is going to be a potluck event. We like doing it this way as it relieves one person from having to do all the work and spreading the tasks makes it easier on everyone. If you’re going to be attending or coordinating a potluck, here are a few things to remember found on The Busy Bee Lifestyle.
Ask Your Host For Direction - Not to their house! Ask for direction on what to bring or if there is a specific team for the party. After all, you wouldn’t simply buy insurance without getting an insurance quote first, for instance, would you? Well it’s the same for potlucks. I know, bad analogy. But the important thing is, always ask for direction from your hostess.
Choose Your Recipe - after you’ve gotten some guidelines from your host, then it’s time to choose a recipe. Try to choose a recipe that adheres to the theme if there is one or if the group attending is geared towards a specific interest, maybe you can focus your choice to fit their needs.
Prepare for Transporting Your Culinary Delight! - You’ve decided on a dish. Now you have to also consider how you’re going to transport your goodies in a safe and sanitary manner. There are now a variety of containers and serving dishes that are available.
Bring your dish prepared and ready to serve. It is always best to bring a dish that does not need to be warmed up or cooked. Try to avoid using your hosts kitchen as much as possible. They will greatly appreciate your consideration.
“Consider bringing a few copies of the recipe with you, especially if it is a sure winner! A list of ingredients is also helpful for guests with allergies.”
“Don’t forget to take your dish home with you! There’s nothing worse than being left with a pile of mystery platters after a party! If the host has not had a chance to wash your dish when you are ready to leave, go ahead and stash it in the car anyway – you can always wash it up at home.”
Follow these tips and you’ll be guaranteed a less stressful potluck. Your host will appreciate you and guests will be more able to enjoy what you brought.
We got a box of these Nature Valley Granola Nut Clusters just last week. As soon as I opened the box, I had three pairs of hands reaching in, claiming their favorite flavors. This is what happens when you have three home bound teens who have nothing better to do but plan on what they’re going to eat next. I keep telling them they keep eating the way they’ve been and no amount of time on the ellipticals or walking will help their growing behinds. lol! Of course, they come back at me with, “But mom, these are supposed to be 100% natural and good for you!” Hah! they’re good for you when you don’t eat the whole bag in one sitting!!!
Seriously, I explained to them that My Blog Spark sent us these to review so we should taste a little of each flavor then they can tell me what they thought; whether they liked it or not. This started another round of bartering…
“I’ll give your 4 roasted cashews so give me an equal amount of roasted peanuts. Same with the roasted almond.”
“We can give mom and dad the nut lovers one since it’s got a combination of all the flavors.” (aren’t they nice?)
What ended up happening? My husband and I got two clusters of each flavor. They were really good! If I wasn’t so tired I probably would have gotten in on the negotiation.
The verdict? THESE ARE REALLY GOOD, MOM!
Yep, they liked them. They liked them so much that they really were all gone by the end of the day. I’m not kidding. Considering that each bag is supposed to contain 5 servings and there were four bags in all, it means these monsters ate 20 servings worth!
About Granola Nut Clusters
New Nature Valley Granola Nut Clusters are bite size clusters of nuts, granola and a touch of honey - a 100% natural, wholesome and delicious treat for any time of the day. If you are a lover of nuts, you´ll love what Nature Valley has done with this powerful little snack. It is the perfect combination of sweet & salty flavor and crunchy texture made from natural nut goodness that you can see and taste. And with a resealable bag it´s perfect for sharing either on the trails or in your living room!New Nature Valley Granola Nut Clusters come in four tasty flavors; Nut Lovers, Roasted Almond, Roasted Cashew and Honey Roasted Peanut.
Oh, and in case you were starting to feel sorry for me for having such unruly toddlers in my house; I don’t have toddlers.
I have teenagers!
OK you can start feeling sorry for me now.
THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED
The winner is commenter number 372, Alexandrea M who said:
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This is a compensated review from BlogHer and Pantene Full & Thick
My hair was long, thick and shiny when I was younger. Then I got married and had kids. I was thrilled at how my hair reacted to pregnancy. It became lustrous and I could swish it around like the models you see on television and it would swing and sparkle just like on TV. The nine months soon passed too quickly and the honeymoon was over.
Post pregnancy, my hair started falling out. Then it started getting wiry and frizzy. Whatever it was that made it shiny and thick apparently came out with the placenta. That was my first pregnancy.
Then I got pregnant two more times. After three cycles of lusciousness during pregnancy and frizziness afterward, it’s taken its toll on my crown. What used to be so thick it is barely contained in a rubber band wound twice, is now so thin, I can wind the same elastic band around it four times. Talk about post partum depression, every time I picked up a handful of hair from my pillow or from the shower drain, it brought tears to my eyes. Not that I’m vain, mind you. I’m far from being vain. I was just scared of being bald.
It’s been twelve years since my last pregnancy and my hair has never recovered. I live with the way it is now, ravaged by age and hormones, thinning and even occasionally plagued by dandruff. I switch from one shampoo to the other that claims to be able to make my hair thicker and healthier all to no avail.
One constant that I always go back to though is Pantene and I’m not just saying that because I’m getting paid to do this review. I was glad when I received my free sample in the mail; it meant I didn’t have to buy any this month because I do buy Pantene on a regular basis. It’s my backup, fallback shampoo when all the extraordinary claims of other shampoos fail me. Pantene is there to pick me back up again, help me get over the dandruff that the other shampoos failed to get rid of and although it never really stopped my hair from shedding, it does make it look fuller and thicker than it is.
The shampoo that I received in the mail and am using now is thePantene Full & Thick. It does make my hair fuller although I couldn’t tell you the science behind it. If you’re really interested in the science, read up on it on the Pantene website. I have tried most of the other types of Pantene shampoo also, and I’ve always been very happy with the results. They don’t dry out my scalp, ergo no dandruff and unsightly flakes. Good thing too because I have a bad habit of touching my hair constantly and wearing black shirts. You know what I mean don’t’ you? Black just has a way of highlighting flakes like no other.
If you’re already a Pantene fan like I am or would just like to try it out, then this is your chance to win a year’s supply of Pantene (ARV $47.88) and a $100 Visa gift card!
This contest will run from July 1st to August 1st and here’s several ways you can win:
• Leave me a comment and tell me: If you could have any celebrity hair, whose would it be? (No duplicate comments, and you must answer this question or your other entries are void.)
Please leave me an comment for each additional entry you do:
• You may receive an additional entry by following me and mentioning this giveaway on Twitter and leaving a link to your tweet in the comments. Or simply tweet the following text:
RT @jmom Get Full & Thick Hair from Pantene plus $100! http://tinyurl.com/mu2ow8
• You may receive an additional entry by blogging about this contest and leaving a link in the comments.
• This giveaway is open to US residents, aged 18 and over
• Winners will be selected via random draw, and will notified by e-mail.
• You have 48 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.
• Please see the official rules here: Official Rules
Check out the rest of the BlogHer reviews for 8 additional chances to win!
It’s been a while since I plugged my food blog, so today, let’s talk food shall we?
Don’t have to pull out the diet pills yet, most of these meals are actually very healthy for you provided you consume them in moderation. Portion size is my biggest problem in my diet, but, that’s my battle. These dishes, I chose because they are quick and easy to prepare.
You can have them on the table in less than an hour. Perfect for the summer months when you don’t want to be spending all day in the kitchen. You want to be able to get in and out of there in a jiffy so you can go and do something else that is more fun. For me, that’s taking a book under the tree in the backyard and read until it gets too dark. Now only if I ever get around to writing up reviews for them, we’d be in business
Anyway, here’s a few quick recipes for you. See if you like any of them.
Easy Carbonara, Easy Wonton Soup & Chicken with Basil & String Beans
Baked Tilapia with Teriyaki Sauce & Onions, Fried Tilapia with Pasta and Asparagus & Pork Loin and Fried Rice
Anthony Bourdain went to the Philippines recently to film a segment for his show, No Reservations. While there, he was treated to lechon (whole roasted pig) which he declared as the best pig ever! This is the last segment of the show:
The whole episode is posted on YouTube, divided into seven segments, but if you don’t have cable like me, it’s as good as it’s going to get! I may be hunting some roasted pigs after watching the show but hey, there’s always weight loss pills if I go over too much. lol!
August 1st, 2009 at 12:57 pm
Wow that’s a good question! There are a few women who have hair I covet, tend to be hispanic women with dark hair because it can look SO glossy!
I’d say Penelope Cruz on a wavy hair day is what I wish I could morph my hair into.