Thank you to everyone that entered by Santa Barbara Chocolate giveaway! Those of you that submitted product ideas they sound fabulous and I can't wait to see if the boys at SBC take some of those suggestions and make them into reality! Also HUGE thank you to Santa Barbara Chocolate for sponsoring this giveaway. They've pretty much ruined my chocolate expectations for life now.
So now you're wondering, who won??
Well, take a look below. They are arranged in order of grand prize winner all the way down to third prize winner. I'll be in touch so Jason and Justin can get you your delicious chocolates. Congratulations Kristen, Jessie S., Tamara A., and Dina J.!!!
If you didn't win, don't fret, don't forget you can still get 10% off your order using my special code chrisseskitchen.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Showing posts with label gifts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gifts. Show all posts
Saturday, April 5, 2014
Monday, September 2, 2013
Cones for the Cure Kick Off
Free ice cream. Curing cancer. These are both wonderful things! As a Christine's Kitchen Chronicles reader you're getting the inside scoop on how these two things go together.
I'm happy to announce the kickoff of this year's annual Cones for the Cure campaign. The Cure Starts Now and Graeter’s team up once again this September in their annual Cones for the Cure campaign. This two-week long campaign will take place September 4-16 at participating Cincinnati, Dayton, Columbus, Lexington and Louisville Graeter's locations to help spread the word about The Cure Starts Now and its mission to find the “homerun” cure for all cancers by focusing on pediatric brain cancer. It's a delicious way to support a precious cause.
During Cones for the Cure, guests that visit a Graeter’s store during the campaign period have the opportunity to donate a $1 or $5 “Cone for the Cure.” Graeter’s will also offer a $15 savings booklet for every donation of $5 or more to The Cure Starts Now.
Watch this short video to learn more about Cones for the Cure and Elena's Blueberry Pie special ice cream (Note: this video was created in 2011 so the date mentioned for the campaign is incorrect):
Remember how I mentioned free ice cream? All local Graeter's will also be offering free scoops of their Elena's Blueberry Pie Ice Cream from 3-8 PM on Wednesday, September 4th. Elena’s Blueberry Pie is a special flavor that was created in honor of 6-year-old Elena Desserich who was lost to cancer in 2007. Stop into your local Graeter's shop for this delicious treat and while you're there, please don't forget to make a donation. In 2012, nearly 40,000 people participated in the campaign which generated over $42,000 for The Cure Starts Now. With your help, here's to hoping the 2013 campaign is even more successful!
Can't make it on September 4th? Check back between now and September 16th for another free scoop date to be announced! Also, there will be a special online giveaway for one lucky reader.
I'm happy to announce the kickoff of this year's annual Cones for the Cure campaign. The Cure Starts Now and Graeter’s team up once again this September in their annual Cones for the Cure campaign. This two-week long campaign will take place September 4-16 at participating Cincinnati, Dayton, Columbus, Lexington and Louisville Graeter's locations to help spread the word about The Cure Starts Now and its mission to find the “homerun” cure for all cancers by focusing on pediatric brain cancer. It's a delicious way to support a precious cause.
During Cones for the Cure, guests that visit a Graeter’s store during the campaign period have the opportunity to donate a $1 or $5 “Cone for the Cure.” Graeter’s will also offer a $15 savings booklet for every donation of $5 or more to The Cure Starts Now.
Watch this short video to learn more about Cones for the Cure and Elena's Blueberry Pie special ice cream (Note: this video was created in 2011 so the date mentioned for the campaign is incorrect):
Remember how I mentioned free ice cream? All local Graeter's will also be offering free scoops of their Elena's Blueberry Pie Ice Cream from 3-8 PM on Wednesday, September 4th. Elena’s Blueberry Pie is a special flavor that was created in honor of 6-year-old Elena Desserich who was lost to cancer in 2007. Stop into your local Graeter's shop for this delicious treat and while you're there, please don't forget to make a donation. In 2012, nearly 40,000 people participated in the campaign which generated over $42,000 for The Cure Starts Now. With your help, here's to hoping the 2013 campaign is even more successful!
Can't make it on September 4th? Check back between now and September 16th for another free scoop date to be announced! Also, there will be a special online giveaway for one lucky reader.
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Pictures from Hawaii and a Giveaway!
As some of you may have known, I recently went on vacation in Hawaii where we spent 8 days on the beautiful island of Maui and then spent 4 on the Big Island. Kick back and relax as I recap some of our adventures in Instagram photos...then scroll down for a special giveaway!
As always, the first morning on the island is an early one because your body is still not adjusted to the new time zone. I took the opportunity to take in this gorgeous sunrise from near our condo.
After a perfect first day in Maui, we saw the sun do a full circle where it displayed this fiery "atomic blast" of a sunset. Which do you prefer? The calm pastels of sunrise or the fiery bold colors of the sunset?
Rest assured that there was A LOT of eating done while on the island. No visit is complete without shaved ice from Ululani's. This one was nearly the size of my head! But don't worry, I shared it with 3 others :).
Another sunset was witnessed at over 10,000 feet altitude at Haleakala Volcano (no filters).
Some days started with rain. But that was okay by me because with rain comes beautiful rainbows and there are many in West Maui!
Thankfully, the rain (mostly) held off for my brother-in-law's wedding which was the main reason that we came to these beautiful islands. Here he is with his stunning bride. It was a beautiful, intimate (9 guest) wedding!
We did the famed Road to Hana (for the second time) and thanks to Instagram filters, you'd never know how crappy and rainy of a day it was when we witnessed such beauties as the below Upper Waikani or Three Bears Falls.
We then said good-bye to our favorite island Maui and jet set off to the big island...
Err...did I say jet set? I know it's only a 30 minute flight but imagine our surprise when we walked up to a 9-person prop plane!! Seating was assigned based on weight so that the plane was balanced and I was right in the front. I was cool to see all the plane gadgets and watch the pilots operate them but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't slightly terrified at the thought of traveling in such a small plane. Thankfully, it was an uneventful and surprisingly smooth ride!
First stop on the Big Island was spending a few days on the Hilo side where we were greeted by more lush greenery and beautiful waterfalls...
Akaka Falls is 427 feet tall...greater than twice the height of Niagra Falls!
And this one is called Rainbow Falls. Can you guess why?
Yes, we went to the Volcano National Park and took photos of lava and the like but oddly, I don't have Instagram photos of those. We went to Punalu'u Black Sand Beach where we saw 5 Hawaiian green sea turtles basking in the sun. This looked like a baby and its mom or dad. Super cool!
Afterward, we spent a couple days on the Kona side where we made like sea turtles and basked ourselves in the sun of the beautiful Kohala beaches. When we couldn't take the heat any longer, we took in a bit of Hawaiian culture at Puuhonua o Honaunau National Park which is the site of an old refuge and former royal grounds.
And then came our last sunset (no filters)...goodbye Hawaii. Aloha 'oe, Aloha 'oe...until we meet again!
Did you enjoy my Instagram photos? If so, make sure you become a facebook fan because this is where I usually share these little gems. Creating a blog post of non-food photos is for special occasions!
While we were on the Big Island of course we had to stop by a local coffee farm to try their famous Kona Coffee. We chose a small, family-owned boutique type farm called Hula Daddy which was located up in the mountains above Kailua-Kona.
Now, Chris and I aren't exactly coffee drinkers but both of us came to appreciate the work that Hula Daddy takes to get a good brew. For example, we learned that it takes a coffee tree 4-5 years before it matures enough to bear beans. And then, that single tree will yield just ONE pound of coffee in a single year. That is, if the beans aren't attacked and ruined by things such as beetles. Coffee grows best in well-draining soil and so the young lava rock of Hawaii island provides a nice porous and nutrient rich growth medium for the plants to thrive. It also needs to be grown within a certain elevation range to provide the proper balance of temperature, sun, and rain. We learned that at Hula Daddy, they are an organic fair-trade farm (meaning employees are paid fare wages) and each bean is hand picked at the peak ripeness. Pick too soon and the bean is bitter. Pick too late and the bean is sour. Coffee, we learned, is not like other fruits that can be picked early and then allowed to ripen off the plant.
Once they are picked, they are hand sorted and sent to be dried. Some brews call for the sweet berry and/or membranes to be left intact whereas in most cases, these are taken off. A master roaster then uses heat to bring out the flavor and smell that we know and love. Hula Daddy uses small batches (maximum 10 pounds) and then each one is personally tasted by the master roaster before being packed.
Two types of coffee were available for sampling before and after the tour. As a non-coffee drinker I appreciated the smooth, non-bitter flavor. I learned that like a fine wine, coffee has a rating system and one of Hula Daddy's coffees is rated a 97! We ended our tour with the most fantastic tasting chocolate covered coffee bean that I've ever tasted. Yum!
The only way you can buy Hula Daddy's fantastic coffee is by visiting their farm or ordering online. But here I am offering you another option...by entering my raffle for a chance to experience this glorious coffee! Their coffee is generally sold as whole bean because the flavor is better preserved that way. However, at the farm you can buy some ground beans as a multi-pack. So, I saved one 2-ounce bag just for one of my special readers!
Good luck and thanks for reading!
Monday, November 19, 2012
SRC: Cinnabon Caramel Corn
Oh.my.word! I just might be in trouble now that I discovered this recipe. I've always loved gourmet popcorn and for awhile, I spent a small fortune on Dale and Thomas Popcorn. Now that I tried this recipe, someone's going to have to save me from myself!
For this month's Secret Recipe Club, I was introduced to Veronica's blog, Veronica's Cornucopia. She makes roughly a 2-to-1 ratio of sweets to meals and sides so I figured sweets were the way to go. I didn't have to search far because right in her highlighted popular recipes listings I found something that immediately caught my eye - Cinnabon caramel corn.
In making this recipe, I actually got to kill two birds with one stone. I'd seen recipes for homemade microwave popcorn floating around pinterest for quite a while now. It is said that all that is needed to create healthy, homemade popcorn was corn kernels, a paper lunch sack, and a microwave. I followed the directions and held my breath while watching the bag spin round and round on the microwave turn table. Then, like magic, I heard the kernels start to pop! Pop, pop, pop pop pop! Once it was done, I cautiously opened the bag and there they were. Fresh, fluffy, perfectly cooked popcorn that was made in under 3 minutes without oil, without scary microwave popcorn bag liner chemicals, and without a special machine. It was amazing!
Now, I could have topped my popcorn with a bit of salt, butter, and/or other seasonings and then stopped there for a pretty healthy, fiber-filled snack. But, I pushed onward knowing this batch of popcorn had a different destiny. Dutifully I used my microwave again to prepare the caramel and then coated my precious popcorn with the mixture. Then it went into the waiting oven and it got all caramelized and crispy. With each stir I had to "sample" the warm caramel corn to ensure it was progressing. Finally, it was done. Again, I could have stopped right here but no, it needed a bit more to complete its gourmet transformation. A quick drizzle with the almond bark and then another "sample". Perfection! I'm pretty sure I could have stood at my kitchen island and ate the entire pan warm and fresh from the oven. After it cooled, I "sampled" some more. Cinnamon and caramel and nuts and chocolate oh my! Needless to say, I was hooked!
Seeing how easy this recipe was, I promised my husband that I'd make him his own special batch drizzled with his favorite sweets combination, peanut butter and chocolate. This would make an excellent holiday and/or Christmas gift. Your friends will think you're such a crafty person and may not believe you when you say that you made it from scratch. They'll probably even beg you for the recipe ;).
Special thank you to April of the blog Angel's Homestead SRC ring leader and Debbi of the blog Debbi Does Dinner, our Group C Hostess! Please also check the blog hop to see what everyone else in Group C made this month!
By the way, have you shared then commented on each of my Mac and Cheese Monday posts? Each week there's a new chance to win either Mac & Cheese by Ellen Brown or Mac and Cheese, Please! by Laura Werlin! See here for full contest details. Good luck!
Cinnabon Caramel Corn
Ingredients
Directions
For this month's Secret Recipe Club, I was introduced to Veronica's blog, Veronica's Cornucopia. She makes roughly a 2-to-1 ratio of sweets to meals and sides so I figured sweets were the way to go. I didn't have to search far because right in her highlighted popular recipes listings I found something that immediately caught my eye - Cinnabon caramel corn.
In making this recipe, I actually got to kill two birds with one stone. I'd seen recipes for homemade microwave popcorn floating around pinterest for quite a while now. It is said that all that is needed to create healthy, homemade popcorn was corn kernels, a paper lunch sack, and a microwave. I followed the directions and held my breath while watching the bag spin round and round on the microwave turn table. Then, like magic, I heard the kernels start to pop! Pop, pop, pop pop pop! Once it was done, I cautiously opened the bag and there they were. Fresh, fluffy, perfectly cooked popcorn that was made in under 3 minutes without oil, without scary microwave popcorn bag liner chemicals, and without a special machine. It was amazing!
Now, I could have topped my popcorn with a bit of salt, butter, and/or other seasonings and then stopped there for a pretty healthy, fiber-filled snack. But, I pushed onward knowing this batch of popcorn had a different destiny. Dutifully I used my microwave again to prepare the caramel and then coated my precious popcorn with the mixture. Then it went into the waiting oven and it got all caramelized and crispy. With each stir I had to "sample" the warm caramel corn to ensure it was progressing. Finally, it was done. Again, I could have stopped right here but no, it needed a bit more to complete its gourmet transformation. A quick drizzle with the almond bark and then another "sample". Perfection! I'm pretty sure I could have stood at my kitchen island and ate the entire pan warm and fresh from the oven. After it cooled, I "sampled" some more. Cinnamon and caramel and nuts and chocolate oh my! Needless to say, I was hooked!
Seeing how easy this recipe was, I promised my husband that I'd make him his own special batch drizzled with his favorite sweets combination, peanut butter and chocolate. This would make an excellent holiday and/or Christmas gift. Your friends will think you're such a crafty person and may not believe you when you say that you made it from scratch. They'll probably even beg you for the recipe ;).
Special thank you to April of the blog Angel's Homestead SRC ring leader and Debbi of the blog Debbi Does Dinner, our Group C Hostess! Please also check the blog hop to see what everyone else in Group C made this month!
By the way, have you shared then commented on each of my Mac and Cheese Monday posts? Each week there's a new chance to win either Mac & Cheese by Ellen Brown or Mac and Cheese, Please! by Laura Werlin! See here for full contest details. Good luck!
Cinnabon Caramel Corn
Ingredients
- 12 cups Easy Microwave Popcorn (recipe follows)
- 1 cup roughly chopped pecans
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 3/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 cup Karo syrup (or honey makes a good substitution)
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) real salted butter
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 3 squares almond bark
For the Easy Microwave Popcorn
- 1/2 cup popcorn kernels, divided
- 2 brown paper lunch bags
- Place 1/4 cup of popcorn kernels into each bag. Fold the bag over in half-inch increments, twice.
- Place one of the bags in the microwave standing upright and set for 3 minutes (popcorn may be done after 2:30 to 2:45) or use the popcorn button if available. Listen carefully for kernels to stop popping. As soon as the popping stops, take the bag out of the microwave. Repeat with the second bag.
- Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
- Place popcorn and chopped pecans in a large bowl and set aside.
- Combine brown sugar and cinnamon in a 2 liter capacity microwave safe bowl. Mix well. Chop butter into chunks and place on top of the sugar mixture. Pour corn syrup over the top of everything. Microwave the mixture on high for 30 seconds and then stir to combine. Return to microwave and heat for 2 minutes. Remove and stir again. Then, return to the microwave for 2 minutes more.
- Remove from the microwave and add in vanilla and baking soda. Stir to combine. The mixture will foam and rise. Pour caramel mixture over popcorn and pecans and stir until well coated.
- Spread coated popcorn mixture onto a foil-lined jelly roll pan. Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Remove from oven.
- Melt almond bark according to package instructions. Using a fork, drizzle all over the popcorn mixture.
- When almond bark is hardened and popcorn is cool, break into chunks and enjoy!
Monday, August 20, 2012
Paper Cuts by Paper Crazy Girl
Happy Monday! Did you enjoy your weekend? I know I did. We were blessed with the most perfect weather for our outdoor dinner party. Not too hot, not too cold...just right!
Visit Kristine's shop, Paper Crazy Girl, to purchase some really cool, one-of-a-kind hand-crafted arts.
I'm going to share a recipe with you later today (check back a noon for another Secret Recipe Club reveal!) but in the mean time, I wanted to share something a little off topic but still very cool. My friend Kristine, lives in Japan and has this awesome talent to create intricate cut designs out of paper. She recently started an Etsy shop and would love if you'd check out her work!
Seriously, these are all made out of just PAPER!
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| I'm completely blown away by this horse-drawn carriage. How absolutely magical! |
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| My Asian friends would recognize this character, Old Master Q (Lo Fu Gee / Lao Fu Zi) |
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| Buy this Warrior Pose card from her shop right now! |
Visit Kristine's shop, Paper Crazy Girl, to purchase some really cool, one-of-a-kind hand-crafted arts.
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Product Review and Giveaway: Daelia's Beer Flats
Remember the good people at Daelia's that gave me those incredibly delicious Biscuits for Cheese to review and giveaway? Well, they added some new products to their lineup last month and they sent me some to review. Furthermore, one of you lucky readers get another chance to win some free yummies, too!
MANDATORY: Tell me which flavor of Daelia's Beer Flat you look forward to trying the most and what you'd serve it with.
You can receive UP TO THREE ADDITIONAL ENTRIES to win by doing any or all of the following:
Deadline: Friday, August 17, 2012 at 11:59pm EST.
Eligibility and Winner: Sorry, this contest is only open to those in the Contiguous 48 United States and Canada. The winner will be chosen at random using random.org and announced in a blog post by 12:00PM (noon) EST on Saturday, August 18, 2012. To claim the prize, the winner must email me at christineskitchenchronicles@gmail.com. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours of being announced, another winner will be selected.
Thanks for reading (and tell all your friends)!
Christine
Disclosure - This blog is a personal blog written and edited by Christine @ Christine's Kitchen Chronicles. The owner(s) of this blog was compensated with free products to provide an opinion on the products, services, websites and various other topics. Even though the owner(s) of this blog receives compensation for posts or advertisements, we always give our honest opinions, findings, beliefs, or experiences on those topics or products. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the bloggers' own. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider or party in question.
This product is called Beer Flats and they come in two flavors: Porter and Pilsner. These are artisanal flatbread crackers that are made with whole grains, craft beer, and butter. They are suggested to be served with cheese, cured meats, and/or dips alongside a good craft beer. I kept things simple time and served my Beer Flats with pre-made Sabra Classic Hummus (another favorite product of mine...hmmm...think they'll send me some to review, too?) and a block of Maple Cheddar Cheese.
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| Photo Credit: Emily H. |
Let's start with aesthetics. I like the packaging. The window makes it easy to see what the product looks like inside before you buy it and the tray keeps the crackers all tidy and helps to prevent breakage (ugh, hate broken crackers!). The porter is the darker colored cracker while the pilsner is the light one. Both look quite robust and I love the flecks of bubbly texture and salt.
After tasting Daelia's Biscuits for Cheese which I feel is much more "frou frou" and filled with many different complementing flavors I have to be honest and say that these fell a little flat for me (Oof, forgive the pun!).
After tasting Daelia's Biscuits for Cheese which I feel is much more "frou frou" and filled with many different complementing flavors I have to be honest and say that these fell a little flat for me (Oof, forgive the pun!).
The Pilsner was especially light in flavor on its own with just a hint of sweetness and a bit of buttery flavor. Very much like a large, plain pita chip and needing a pairing with quite a bit more oomph than what I had offered. I personally enjoyed the Porter much better. It had a wonderful rye flavor (did I mention I'm a sucker for rye?) though both Emily and Scott felt the flavor was too pungent (they are non-rye lovers...boo!...no wait...yah! More for me!). I would love to serve the Porter in the future with this Hot Reuben Dip that's still on my "to make" list. I think the flavors would work perfectly together and would be a great twist from the standard Rye bread pairing. My mouth waters just thinking about this...
So there you have it. My honest opinion on the latest offering from Daelia's. If I were you, I'd consider picking up the Porter Beer Flats from your local specialty store or Amazon and making the Hot Reuben Dip for poker night or the big game or something. Or, you could just enter to win some free Beer Flats here because Daelia's and I love you...
How to Enter
To enter to win a set of four (4) packages of Daelia's Beer Flats (two of each flavor: Porter and Pilsner; Approximate retail value of $32):MANDATORY: Tell me which flavor of Daelia's Beer Flat you look forward to trying the most and what you'd serve it with.
You can receive UP TO THREE ADDITIONAL ENTRIES to win by doing any or all of the following:
- Follow them on twitter @BeerFlats. Come back to let me know you've followed me in an additional comment to score an extra entry. (The additional comment part is really important!).
- Follow me on Twitter @ChrissesKitchen. Come back to let me know you've followed me in an additional comment to score an extra entry. If you're already following me, let me know too so my loyal readers get credit!
- Tweet the following about the giveaway: “RT @ChrissesKitchen @BeerFlats: #Win Daelia's Beer Flats #giveaway: http://tinyurl.com/d4o4rgp #beerflats”. Come back and let me know you've shared in an additional comment.
Last but not least, Daelia's Beer Flats and I would love if you'd follow us on Facebook too but we can't give you a credit for entry for that because it's now against their terms and conditions. So, you'd follow us out of the kindness of your heart ;). Follow Beer Flats. Follow Christine's Kitchen Chronicles.
Eligibility and Winner: Sorry, this contest is only open to those in the Contiguous 48 United States and Canada. The winner will be chosen at random using random.org and announced in a blog post by 12:00PM (noon) EST on Saturday, August 18, 2012. To claim the prize, the winner must email me at christineskitchenchronicles@gmail.com. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours of being announced, another winner will be selected.
Thanks for reading (and tell all your friends)!
Christine
Disclosure - This blog is a personal blog written and edited by Christine @ Christine's Kitchen Chronicles. The owner(s) of this blog was compensated with free products to provide an opinion on the products, services, websites and various other topics. Even though the owner(s) of this blog receives compensation for posts or advertisements, we always give our honest opinions, findings, beliefs, or experiences on those topics or products. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the bloggers' own. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider or party in question.
Saturday, July 14, 2012
WINNER of the Daelia's Biscuits for Cheese Giveaway
Before I jump straight into announcing the winner I just wanted to say thanks to Daelia's Biscuits for Cheese for sponsoring this fantastic giveaway. May it be the first of many sponsored opportunities on this blog! Also, HUGE thank you to my readers who follow along and enter. We do this all for YOU!
Time to announce the WINNER! Drum roll please....
Today's winner is...
Lucky commenter #15! And that commenter is Renata!
Congratulations, Renata!
For everyone else, stay tuned because Daelia's also sent me some of their latest products to review and giveaway! Hint: Who likes BEER?
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Bloggers Bake for Hope: Let the Bidding Begin!
Hi friends! In the spirit of paying things forward, I decided at the 11th hour to participate in a virtual bake sale fundraiser. It's called Blogger's Bake for Hope. Bake for Hope is a week long, nation-wide, 100% volunteer-run, bake sale event happening, the week leading up to Mother's Day. Proceeds donated to local Susan G. Komen for the Cure affiliates.
Bloggers Bake for Hope is a virtual bake sale. Bloggers donate their time, ingredients, and shipping costs so there are no expenses associated with this virtual bake sale. All proceeds from the bake sale will be sent to the Massachusetts Komen for the Cure.
Jen and Cara, two Boston area food bloggers and fellow What's Cooking Nesties have teamed up for a project called Bloggers Bake for Hope, a virtual bake sale as part of Bake for Hope. Jen serves up sweets at Beantown Baker, while Cara shares healthy, creative dinners at Cara’s Cravings.
The virtual bake sale will take place on May 4-6, 2011. Bloggers and bakers from across the country will agree in advance to donate baked goods. Buyers will make virtual pledges on the Bloggers Bake for Hope site, and at the close of the bake sale the highest bidders will be awarded the donated baked goods. They will make their donations via PayPal, and the bakers will then bake and ship their goods. Because the bakers are donating their ingredients, time, and shipping costs, there are no expenses associated with the virtual bake sale. 100% of the proceeds will be donated to the Massachusetts Komen for the Cure. Jen and Cara are challenging their fellow bakers and bloggers to help them raise $2000 through Bloggers Bake for Hope.
I wasn't sure what to contribute to the bake sale or if I should even participate. I mean, how embarrassing would it be if nobody bid on my item? And, I've never shipped cookies before so what if they all arrive broken or something? The latter was easier to grasp. There are so many resources on how to ship cookies it's a bit overwhelming but I'll figure it out. As for whether I should join in the sale and what to bake. Well, that was taken care of by polling my fans on my blog facebook page. The answer of what to bake was clear by a 2-to-1 margin! Grasshopper Cookie Bars.
Unfortunately after reading elsewhere on the website my assumption that as long as I submitted before the sale began was wrong and I realized that I missed the submission deadline (4/30) :(. So, you won't be able to bid on these babies in this virtual bake sale. Still, please visit Blogger's Bake for Hope and bid on the MANY delicious baked goods for sale! I have my eye on the truffles and Cara's rice crispies. What about you?
PS: I'll still take orders on those Grasshopper Cookie Bars and anything else if anyone's interested. ;)
Bloggers Bake for Hope is a virtual bake sale. Bloggers donate their time, ingredients, and shipping costs so there are no expenses associated with this virtual bake sale. All proceeds from the bake sale will be sent to the Massachusetts Komen for the Cure.
Jen and Cara, two Boston area food bloggers and fellow What's Cooking Nesties have teamed up for a project called Bloggers Bake for Hope, a virtual bake sale as part of Bake for Hope. Jen serves up sweets at Beantown Baker, while Cara shares healthy, creative dinners at Cara’s Cravings.
The virtual bake sale will take place on May 4-6, 2011. Bloggers and bakers from across the country will agree in advance to donate baked goods. Buyers will make virtual pledges on the Bloggers Bake for Hope site, and at the close of the bake sale the highest bidders will be awarded the donated baked goods. They will make their donations via PayPal, and the bakers will then bake and ship their goods. Because the bakers are donating their ingredients, time, and shipping costs, there are no expenses associated with the virtual bake sale. 100% of the proceeds will be donated to the Massachusetts Komen for the Cure. Jen and Cara are challenging their fellow bakers and bloggers to help them raise $2000 through Bloggers Bake for Hope.
I wasn't sure what to contribute to the bake sale or if I should even participate. I mean, how embarrassing would it be if nobody bid on my item? And, I've never shipped cookies before so what if they all arrive broken or something? The latter was easier to grasp. There are so many resources on how to ship cookies it's a bit overwhelming but I'll figure it out. As for whether I should join in the sale and what to bake. Well, that was taken care of by polling my fans on my blog facebook page. The answer of what to bake was clear by a 2-to-1 margin! Grasshopper Cookie Bars.
Unfortunately after reading elsewhere on the website my assumption that as long as I submitted before the sale began was wrong and I realized that I missed the submission deadline (4/30) :(. So, you won't be able to bid on these babies in this virtual bake sale. Still, please visit Blogger's Bake for Hope and bid on the MANY delicious baked goods for sale! I have my eye on the truffles and Cara's rice crispies. What about you?
PS: I'll still take orders on those Grasshopper Cookie Bars and anything else if anyone's interested. ;)
Saturday, April 9, 2011
2nd Blogiversary Giveaway: And the WINNER is...
Before I jump straight into announcing the winner I just wanted to say thanks to everyone that participated in my first blog giveaway. I had fun and hope you did, too! As I was keeping a record of all the comments I couldn't help but to do mock drawings along the way to see who would win should the contest have ended at that time :).
Alright, here we go. No more stalling. Time to announce the WINNER! Drum roll please....
Today's winner is...
Lucky commenter #32! And that commenter is brought to you by the letter S!
I'm so glad that blogs like mine inspire you to cook. If you are mysterious letter S, please email me at christineskitchenchronicles@gmail.com with your name and address by 12:00PM (noon) tomorrow (Sunday, 4/10). This will help me mail your prize out before I leave town so that you can begin enjoying it faster! If I don't hear back from you by the deadline above, I'll be forced to draw another name.
Congratulations, S!
For everyone else, I hope you had fun playing. Please continue to follow my adventures and leave a comment on what you'd like to see in the future: recipe requests, giveaway prize ideas, etc!
Alright, here we go. No more stalling. Time to announce the WINNER! Drum roll please....
Today's winner is...
Lucky commenter #32! And that commenter is brought to you by the letter S!
Congratulations, S!
For everyone else, I hope you had fun playing. Please continue to follow my adventures and leave a comment on what you'd like to see in the future: recipe requests, giveaway prize ideas, etc!
Thursday, March 31, 2011
2nd Blogiversary Giveaway: Autographed PW Cookbook!
Happy 2nd Blogiversary to me! Well...okay...it's not quite my 2nd blogiversary quite yet. But, I wanted to get this contest out there so that I can announce the winner on my 2nd blogiversary. That way, we can celebrate together! Mmm...okay...so the other real reason I'm doing it this way is because if I waited much longer, you'd have to wait until May when I got back from vacation to get your prize. And that would stink.
This is my first blog giveaway so please bare with me as I learn my way through things! Also, feel free to share your giveaway tips with me. This includes what you'd like to see in future giveaways (provided this works out well).
Since I'm a little blog with a not so big readership I don't have sponsors like Ree the Pioneer Woman or even some of the bigger Nestie bloggers. Heck, at this point in time I'm generating zero revenue through ads (such as Google or Food Buzz) so this blog is a pure labor of love and wanting to share my experiences with the world in hopes of being an inspiration. Thus, this gift is coming out of my own pocketbook and given to you from the bottom of my heart to say thanks for reading :).
Speaking of the Pioneer Woman, she was the inspiration for this giveaway! Ree came to Joseph Beth Booksellers in Cincinnati in February. A girl on the Cincinnati Nest board posted an FYI and I rounded up my friend Emily to go with me to the Black Heels to Tractor Wheels book signing. We got our line tickets about a month in advance so we were in the A Group for signing. AWESOME because this meant we were one of the first 25 people to meet Ree that night!
Ree was very comical and cute as a doll in real life. She kept saying how much she HATED speaking in front of crowds and was joking about how she was sweating profusely in her armpits the whole time so there would be no hugging during the meeting part of the evening. She spoke to the (large!) group for about 30 minutes and took some Q&A before breaking to do the signing. When it was our turn to meet Ree and have our books signed, I gave her a can of Skyline Chili (to share my favorite local food AND hopefully give her something to remember me by!) along with a handwritten note about my favorite recipes from her book, how she was a inspiration to me and included my blog address. She was so sweet and asked all about my blog. She even said maybe she'd visit sometime. (Though, I'm not holding my breath!)
She graciously signed three of my books, including one for you! This is an exclusive leather-bound edition of her best selling cookbook, Pioneer Woman Cooks.
Ree has autographed this book just for you, my special Christine's Kitchen Chronicles Readers! (Wow that's a mouthful...I really need a pithier name...any suggestions?!)
And just for a peek inside, here's one of my favorite recipes from the book. These cinnamon rolls are to die for! As Ree is always saying in her blog, don't worry about the amount of butter ;). It may not be the prettiest example but each recipe has step-by-step photo instructions so it's great for the novice and visual cooks. Interspersed throughout the book are also pictures and stories about her life on the ranch.
So you might be asking yourself, "How do I win myself this fabulous AUTOGRAPHED leather-bound special edition copy of the Best Seller book Pioneer Woman Cooks???". My friends, keep on reading...and thank you again for your support!
“Who inspires you to cook?”
Is it The Pioneer Woman? Your mom or grandmother? Or...maybe it's ME?? (Okay, seriously folks, if it's me, I'm very flattered but you won't increase your odds of winning by saying this haha!)
You can receive up to three additional entries to win by doing the following:
Eligibility and Winner: Sorry, open only to those in the Contiguous 48 United States (or shipping just might cost a fortune...). The winner will be chosen at random using random.org and announced in a blog post by 12:00PM (noon) EST on Saturday, April 9, 2011. To claim the prize, the winner must email me at christineskitchenchronicles@gmail.com. If the winner does not respond within 24 hours of being announced, another winner will be selected.
Thanks for reading (and tell all your friends)!
Christine
This is my first blog giveaway so please bare with me as I learn my way through things! Also, feel free to share your giveaway tips with me. This includes what you'd like to see in future giveaways (provided this works out well).
Since I'm a little blog with a not so big readership I don't have sponsors like Ree the Pioneer Woman or even some of the bigger Nestie bloggers. Heck, at this point in time I'm generating zero revenue through ads (such as Google or Food Buzz) so this blog is a pure labor of love and wanting to share my experiences with the world in hopes of being an inspiration. Thus, this gift is coming out of my own pocketbook and given to you from the bottom of my heart to say thanks for reading :).
Speaking of the Pioneer Woman, she was the inspiration for this giveaway! Ree came to Joseph Beth Booksellers in Cincinnati in February. A girl on the Cincinnati Nest board posted an FYI and I rounded up my friend Emily to go with me to the Black Heels to Tractor Wheels book signing. We got our line tickets about a month in advance so we were in the A Group for signing. AWESOME because this meant we were one of the first 25 people to meet Ree that night!
Ree was very comical and cute as a doll in real life. She kept saying how much she HATED speaking in front of crowds and was joking about how she was sweating profusely in her armpits the whole time so there would be no hugging during the meeting part of the evening. She spoke to the (large!) group for about 30 minutes and took some Q&A before breaking to do the signing. When it was our turn to meet Ree and have our books signed, I gave her a can of Skyline Chili (to share my favorite local food AND hopefully give her something to remember me by!) along with a handwritten note about my favorite recipes from her book, how she was a inspiration to me and included my blog address. She was so sweet and asked all about my blog. She even said maybe she'd visit sometime. (Though, I'm not holding my breath!)
She graciously signed three of my books, including one for you! This is an exclusive leather-bound edition of her best selling cookbook, Pioneer Woman Cooks.
Ree has autographed this book just for you, my special Christine's Kitchen Chronicles Readers! (Wow that's a mouthful...I really need a pithier name...any suggestions?!)
And just for a peek inside, here's one of my favorite recipes from the book. These cinnamon rolls are to die for! As Ree is always saying in her blog, don't worry about the amount of butter ;). It may not be the prettiest example but each recipe has step-by-step photo instructions so it's great for the novice and visual cooks. Interspersed throughout the book are also pictures and stories about her life on the ranch.
So you might be asking yourself, "How do I win myself this fabulous AUTOGRAPHED leather-bound special edition copy of the Best Seller book Pioneer Woman Cooks???". My friends, keep on reading...and thank you again for your support!
How to Enter
To enter to win an AUTOGRAPHED copy of the Pioneer Woman Cooks, just answer the following question in the comments section of this post:“Who inspires you to cook?”
Is it The Pioneer Woman? Your mom or grandmother? Or...maybe it's ME?? (Okay, seriously folks, if it's me, I'm very flattered but you won't increase your odds of winning by saying this haha!)
You can receive up to three additional entries to win by doing the following:
- Add me to your Google Reader, Facebook (Christine's Kitchen Chronicles) and/or Twitter (ChrissesKitchen). Come back and let me know you've subscribed to any (or all) of these in an additional comment to score an extra entry. (The additional comment part is really important!). If you're already subscribed, let me know too so my loyal readers get credit!...I know there's at least 60 of you ;).
- Use the Share It feature on the right menu to share on Facebook. Tell your friends "I entered to win an autographed copy of Pioneer Woman Cooks at @Christine's Kitchen Chronicles! Click the link below to enter, too." Come back and let me know you've shared in an additional comment. (Again, commenting is important...I'm not a mind reader, folks!)
- Use the Share It feature on the right menu to share on Twitter. Tweet the following about the giveaway: “RT @ChrissesKitchen: Cookbook Giveaway! Enter to win an autographed copy of Pioneer Woman Cooks: http://tinyurl.com/4hncgtn”. Come back and let me know you've shared in an additional comment.
Eligibility and Winner: Sorry, open only to those in the Contiguous 48 United States (or shipping just might cost a fortune...). The winner will be chosen at random using random.org and announced in a blog post by 12:00PM (noon) EST on Saturday, April 9, 2011. To claim the prize, the winner must email me at christineskitchenchronicles@gmail.com. If the winner does not respond within 24 hours of being announced, another winner will be selected.
Thanks for reading (and tell all your friends)!
Christine
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Product Review/Gift Idea: Custom Cookbooks from Tastebook
Are you still looking for the perfect gift for your mom, grandma, sister, friend, or just someone that plain loves to cook? If so, I have to highly recommend a custom cookbook company called Tastebook.
I ordered this product for my mom and mother-in-law for Mother's Day this past year. They aren't the most computer literate people but wanted copies of the recipes I was sharing online. This was the perfect way to capture some of my favorites from this blog as well as to organize family recipes. If you don't want to enter your own recipes, Tastebook also has pre-made themed books or you can select individual recipes from favorite sources like Food Network, Epicurious, and Food and Wine.
The books start at $19.99 (up to $34.99) and come in a very attractive hardcover binder that can include up to 100 vibrant colored pages and has dividers. The price is very reasonable given the quality (far exceeded my expectations!) and that a regular cookbook will run this much anyway. You can add/move around the pages to your hearts content. You can also buy a book with 100 pages and create it with say 50 recipes. The recipient would then get 50 page credits to add their own recipes later.
Checkout my book here as an example to get your creative juices flowing and making your own (or, flatter me and actually buy my book!)
I ordered this product for my mom and mother-in-law for Mother's Day this past year. They aren't the most computer literate people but wanted copies of the recipes I was sharing online. This was the perfect way to capture some of my favorites from this blog as well as to organize family recipes. If you don't want to enter your own recipes, Tastebook also has pre-made themed books or you can select individual recipes from favorite sources like Food Network, Epicurious, and Food and Wine.
The books start at $19.99 (up to $34.99) and come in a very attractive hardcover binder that can include up to 100 vibrant colored pages and has dividers. The price is very reasonable given the quality (far exceeded my expectations!) and that a regular cookbook will run this much anyway. You can add/move around the pages to your hearts content. You can also buy a book with 100 pages and create it with say 50 recipes. The recipient would then get 50 page credits to add their own recipes later.
Checkout my book here as an example to get your creative juices flowing and making your own (or, flatter me and actually buy my book!)
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