G'Day! And a Giveaway!

Now, you totally know where I went, right?

My company sent me to Brisbane, Australia to lead some software training, and I'm almost recovered from the 14-hour time difference and two stints of 24-hour travel to get there and back.  Whew!  But it was a fantastic experience, especially because I spent my one day off taking a river boat tour out to the Lone Pine Koala Preserve to see some furry natives.  It was such a fun - and beautiful day - that it made my whole trip worth it.

Friday Fun: Hangry. (And a winner!)

image via Pinterest

hangry
	A state of anger and irritability resulting from being hungry. Karen: What is up with you? You are being so annoying. Nini: Ugh. I didn't eat breakfast and I am starving. I am really hangry.

Tell me I'm not alone in this!  Even before I had issues with hypoglycemia, waiting too long to eat would put me in a state of simultaneous grumpy, tired, and sad.  I called it being wilty.  But now, it's progressed to straight up "hangry."

For whatever reason, I only know of this affecting women - are you men truly not affected by extended periods of not eating??  Is there some biological reason for this?

Lunchtime!

And our winner!!  Thanks to Random.org, lucky #14 won!




Wehaf, I'll email you right away, and as soon as I can get a shipping address from you, I'll get your winnings into the mail!  Congrats!!

Saucy Mama... WINNER!

Drum roll please!!!  We have a winner for the Saucy Mama prize pack:

Comment #10 is the lucky duck!

Gena - please email me (skeddy@gmail.com) with your shipping address so that I can send that info on to Saucy Mama!

Saucy Mama Comments are Fixed!

Hey, All!

Yesterday, Blogger was having major issues and some accounts couldn't post comments.  Boooo!  I know that I tried commenting on a few blogs out there and got stuck in an endless loop of Blogger forcing me to login over and over and over again. 

But today, all seems to be functioning well.  So, scoot on over and enter our Saucy Mama giveaway before Friday night!  All you have to do is leave a comment - easy peasy lemon squeezie :)

Saucy Mama Giveaway Page!

Saucy Mama.. GIVEAWAY!

My recipe yesterday included an ingredient that many of you might not have tried out just yet.  That's because it's a new item in the Saucy Mama kitchen.  And just because Saucy Mama loves spreading the love, she's letting all her recipe contest entrants host a giveaway of three of her new items!!

One bottle of Pacific Rim Ginger dressing, one bottle of Tarragon Lemon mustard, and one bottle of Sweet Heat marinade!

All you have to do to enter is comment below, saying how you might use these Saucy Mama goodies! 

Good Luck!

Fine Print:  One entry per person.  Giveaway open to US residents only.  The prize will be shipped to you directly from Saucy Mama, so please be patient as they ship out 50 prize packs to all the individual blog winners.  Entry comments will be closed on Friday, May 27 at midnight EST.

American Egg Board News & Giveaway!

I was enthused when the American Egg Board forwarded me this new information about eggs and their cholesterol content:

According to new United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) nutrition data*, eggs are lower in cholesterol than previously thought. The USDA recently reviewed the nutrient composition of standard large eggs, and results show the average amount of cholesterol in one large egg is 185 mg, 14 percent lower than previously recorded. Consuming an egg a day fits easily within dietary guidance, which recommends limiting cholesterol consumption to 300 mg per day.

The analysis also revealed that a single large egg now contains 41 IU of Vitamin D, an increase of 64 percent from 2002. Eggs are one of the few foods that are a naturally good source of Vitamin D, which plays an important role in calcium absorption, helping to form and maintain strong bones. The amount of protein in one large egg - 6 grams of protein or 12% of the Recommended Daily Value - remains the same. The high-quality protein in eggs provides the energy families need to perform their best on important days.

Eggs are all-natural, and one egg has lots of vitamins and minerals all for 70 calories. At less than 15 cents a piece, eggs are an affordable and delicious breakfast option. For more information on cholesterol and the nutritional benefits of eggs, along with egg recipes and cooking tips, visit http://www.incredibleegg.org/.

*In 2010, a random sample of regular large shell eggs was collected from locations across the country to analyze the nutrient content of eggs. The testing procedure was last completed with eggs in 2002, and while most nutrients remained similar to those values, cholesterol decreased by 14% and vitamin D increased by 64% from 2002 values.

This is great news! To celebrate this good news The American Egg Board has offered 1 Money Saving Maine-iac Reader a set of 2 Poach Pods and 1 Egg Timer. These are so cool I want a set!

You know here at the Hewson house we are big on egg breakfasts. Here are a few egg recipes I have shared with you in the past:

• Breakfast In A Mug
• Fiesta Quiche
• Breakfast Pizza
• Toad in the Hole - Cooking with Kids

Want to win?!  Hop over to Money Saving Maine-iac and enter to win a set of 2 Egg Pods and 1 Egg Timer.  Giveaway ends 3/5/11.

Good Luck!

   

5 Meals in 1 hour {menu plan giveaway!}

I have been wanting to discover how to make my life in the kitchen easier for a long time now.   I've been researching freezer cooking and once a month cooking but I have to say I've been a bit intimidated by the process.  Enter Michelle from Make 5 Dinners in One Hour.  She has an easy weekly plan where you spend one hour in the kitchen preparing for five nights of meals. 

I received a months worth of meals broken down into 4 weekly menu plans.  Each week contained two sheets.  The first was a detailed grocery list broken down into categories like dairy, canned, and produce.  This made it easy to check my pantry for what I may have already had on hand and cross it off my list.  It also made shopping easy...no need to create a new list!  I just took that list right into the store with me.  She also includes tips and tricks on here.  The other sheet contained the menus.  It is broken into 3 easy to follow columns:  Menu, Ingredients, Assembly Directions.

I went through all 4 weeks of menus and chose the one that I thought my family of picky eaters would most like.  It included recipes such as Cheesy Ham and Potato Casserole, Slow Cooked Tortellini Stew, and Shrimp Roll Ups.  When I was ready to begin I followed her list of kitchen tools and pulled out everything I would need.  I layed out all of the ingredients and began following the assembly directions.  One hour and 15 minutes later (yes, it took me a tad longer than an hour BUT I'm slow in the kitchen) I had 5 meals in the fridge and ready to go for the week ahead.  Each day all I needed to do is pull out the prepared ingredients and follow the cooking instructions.   She pairs each meal with simple side dishes like a bagged salad or frozen veggies to make completing the meal a cinch! 

What I really liked about her menus is that she marks which ones are good for freezing.  If you are ambitious you could make 2 weeks worth of meals.  Pop the ones that are marked freezable in the freezer and keep out the ones that are best fresh.  In just 2 hours of prep time you'd be set for the next 2 weeks!

WIN!



Michelle is currently offering her menu planning service for $15 for 3 months of menus, which is only $1.25 per week.  What you get is weekly menus complete with a grocery list, assembly instructions and heating instructions.  You can contact her over at her blog AND you can enter to win a month of menus here!  She is offering two of our readers 1 free month of her menu service. 

Entering is easy!  Just leave us a comment and tell us your favorite trick for saving time in the kitchen.  Please be sure to leave an email address for easy contact. 
(leave in the form of lifeinthebatcave AT yahoo DOT com to avoid the spam bots)

Want a few additional entries?  Leave a comment for each entry.
Follow From Blah to Ta-Daa
Grab our Button!  Be sure to leave a link so we can see it on your site. 

Contest is open until Sunday, November 28

Congrautlations to Mippy and Angelene!  Winners have been contacted via email. 

Saucy Mama Stovetop Stew

Hi, everyone!  As you may have noticed, all of the ladies here at From Blah to Ta-Daa are doing a Saucy Mama theme week with our recipe posts.  Saucy Mama sent us a sampler of her products so that we could create a recipe to enter her contest!  Each of us also gets to give away that same sampler on our individual blogs, so make sure you come visit to enter!

I'd been trying narrow down which recipe to post for the Saucy Mama contest (I've made 3 so far!), when we got a tiny glimpse at Fall weather last weekend.  That 10 degree temperature drop (and 20% humidity drop) was all it took for me to settle on making stew.  But I didn't feel like lugging out my crock pot and making a big, planned-out ordeal of a meal.  I wanted a simple stew, and I wanted it done within the hour.  So, I made it in a heavy saute pan, right there on my stovetop.

Some tips for making a quick stew:  Use only tender cuts of meat.  Cook the potatoes in a separate saucepot while you make the stew and add them in at the end.  Chop your veggies and meat into smaller pieces than usual so that they cook faster.  Use a sauce - like the Saucy Mama marinade - with lots of flavor.

We both loved this stew, and Bo didn't hesitate before going back for seconds.  I rate it a 4 Spoons, he gives it a 5 Spoons (but we've always known that he's a meat and potatoes kinda guy).  I also made a roast chicken with a Saucy Mama marinade that was honest to goodness amazing.  I didn't have time to photograph it for you, so I'll try to make it again and get it posted in the next few weeks.

Enjoy!




Saucy Mama Stovetop Stew

2 c. potatoes, cut into 1" pieces

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 lb. beef tenderloin tips (or tenderloin cut into 1" pieces)
1/2 c. flour

1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 c. carrot, diced
2 Tbsp. minced shallot
8 oz. mushrooms
1/2 c. red wine

1/2 c. low-sodium beef broth
1 c. water
1/2 c. Saucy Mama Cracked Pepper Marinade

Fill medium sauce pan with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add pinch of salt and potato pieces to the pan and cook over a low boil for 8-10 minutes, just until fork-tender. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat oil and butter in a heavy saute pan over medium-high heat. While the pan is heating, toss tenderloin tips in the flour to lightly coat. Add meat to heated pan and saute until browned, about 5 minutes. Remove to a plate and set aside.

Reduce heat to medium and add the additional tablespoon of butter to the pan with the carrot, shallot, and mushrooms, and saute until softened. Deglaze the pan with wine, scraping up any bits on the bottom of the pan, and reduce until nearly evaporated. Add in the meat and cooked potatoes, and then stir in the broth, water, and Saucy Mama Cracked Pepper Marinade. Simmer over medium heat until thickened, about 5 minutes.

Ingredient Lineup:

After browning the tenderloin, saute the veggies until tender.

Add in the liquid ingredients and Saucy Mama Cracked Pepper

Marinade, and simmer until thickened.

I love Autumn!!

Be sure to come visit me at ~~ my personal blog ~~ to

enter my giveaway and win this whole set!

Chipotle Shrimp Salad

Ingredients:
1/4 vegetable oil
4 Tbs. white vinegar
1 Bottle of Saucy Mama Lime Chipotle Marinade
1 1/2 cups cooked corn, fresh, frozen or canned
2 1/2 cups shrimp, fresh or frozen (thawed), peeled and deveined
2 red bell peppers cut into slices
12 cups baby spinach

For the Dressing:
Whisk together vegetable oil, vinegar and 2 Tbs. Saucy Mama Lime Chipotle Marinade

For the Salad:
1.  Marinate the shrimp in the Saucy Mama Lime Chipotle Marinade for 15-20 minutes
2.  Heat grill to medium heat
3.  Spray grill basket with nonstick spray
4.  Place pepper strips in grill basket and grill for 10 minutes, turning occasionally
5.  Add shrimp to grill basket and cook approximately 2 minutes on each side (shrimp will turn orangey-pink when done)
6.  Let peppers cool and then dice.
7.  Divide spinach among 6 plates
8.  Top with shrimp, peppers and corn
9.  Drizzle with dressing

For another great recipe and a  chance to win a Saucy Mama product pack hop on over to  Life in the BAT Cave and find out how you can enter! 

Fiesta time with Lime Chipotle chicken and Mexican Rice

Lime Chipotle Chicken Saucey Mama Style



4 Chicken breasts sliced into strips
1 1/2 C Saucey Mama Lime Chipotle Marinade
3TBS Lime Juice
Sprig of Cilantro
Red Bell Pepper-




Marinate the chicken in the mixed sauce, grill on med. low heat until chicken is throughly cooked through
,
Add the Bell Pepper slices and turn up the heat to medium high to help the sauce reduce and intensify. While Sauce is finishing prep your toppings



Topping options:
Sliced green onions
Diced Tomatoes
Sliced Avacado
Sour Creme
Shredded Cheese
Black or Pinto beans (or refried if you like)


Easy Mexican Rice

1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
1 cup of long grain rice
2 1/2 cups cold water
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. garlic salt or 1 tsp. garlic powder
3/4 cup of tomato sauce
pinch of Cumin
1/8 C of chopped Red Bell Pepper

In a skillet heat oil over medium heat, add Bell pepper until it becomes traslucent, Add rice and cook until lightly browned. Mix in water and remaining ingredients, bring to a boil.

Cover and simmer until rice is tender.

Perfect for a party since you only have one or two things to cook and then each person can top as they wish. :) A Burrito bar!!!


We rated the whole dish as a 4spoon I am thinking 4.5. The Rice alone was a 5 Spoon.
:) We have eaten it twice in the last week!


***now for a chance to win the whole line of Saucy Mama's sauces seen above- run over to THE BUZZ and enter to win!!!

Zucchini Pie and Curious Chef Giveaway!

Curious Chef was nice enough to send me a cute pepper cutting board, a veggie peeler and a 3 piece knife set to review. My kids are thrilled to pieces to have knives of their own that they can use! Thank you Curious Chef!

We put these items to use during another Kids in the Kitchen week and the kids all pitched in to help me whip up a yummy quiche for dinner.

Ingredients:
3 cup zucchini, sliced paper thin
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 cup Swiss cheese, cubed
4 eggs
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup Bisquick mix
1/2 tsp. salt

The Prep:

The kids used their new cooking tools to peel the zucchini, chop the onion and cube the cheese

I sliced the zucchini paper thin

Lets Get Cooking!:

Beat eggs, oil and Bisquick for one minute.

Mix in zucchini, cheese and onion.

Pour into quiche dish or pie plate.

Bake at 350 F for 35 minutes until light brown.

Our ratings:

Baby Girl had as much fun eating it as she did making it and asked if she could rate it a 10. She has asked for this for dinner at least once a week since we first made it.

The hubs and I both gave it 5 spoons rating and it will return to our dinner table!

Your chance to win!

Now it is your chance to win something from Curious Chef for your kitchen! Visit me over at Life in the BAT Cave to enter to win a kitchen timer.

Don't forget to visit each of the other girls here on Blah to Ta-Daa and enter all of their great giveaways too!