Free Popcorn for National Popcorn Month

The Popcorn Factory wants to encourage you to celebrate Nationa Popcorn Month and they are giving away FREE POPCORN to 31,000 people!

I've reviewed a few Popcorn Factory products here and love the popcorn tins to have on hand during the holidays or to give as gifts.

To get a free Try Me Popcorn Trio which includes cheese, caramel, and jalapeno flavored popcorn, just visit The Popcorn Factory website . Shipping costs do apply ($5.99) but you'll also receive a $10 promo code to use on your next purchase...like a huge tin of your favorite flavor.

Which flavor will you get?

Janine

Disclosure: I received nothing but a press release announcing the free popcorn. I just thought this was a cool offer and wanted my besties (that's you guys) to hear it first!

Perdue makes dinner AND Lunch a Little More Fun Review & Contest)

Perdue chicken and a thermos can do a lot for a boring lunch

Here is how Perdue brought a little more joy into my life...especially around dinner time.

I hate cooking dinner.

There, I said it.

Especially during the summer when it stays light so long and the dinner whiny hunger creeps up on you without warning. Suddenly it's 6:00 and I've done nothing to prepare a meal! Sure, I have a few go-to easy dinners but they get boring. Enter Perdue Whole Grain Crispy Chicken Strips. Throw some frozen veggies in the microwave and cut up some fresh fruit and I've got a great meal.

I hate packing school lunches

There, it feels good to say that too.

The monotony of making sandwich after sandwich and chips and applesauce or yogurt. If it's so boring to prepare every day, it's got to be borning to eat, right? Enter Perdue Whole Grain Chicken. I heat it up in the morning and put it in their thermos with some ketchup and voila! Smiles abound! It's easy for me to make and adds variety to the lunch routine.

Share how Perdue and Crayola can add fun to your family dinner and win great prizes!

Perdue and Crayola have teamed up to celebrate fun family dinners as a way to encourage families to take the time to sit and enjoy this important meal together. Simply upload a photo or original drawing that shows how your family brings fun to the dinner table for a chance to win a Family Cruise as well as other great Perdue and Crayola prizes!

Disclosure: I received a coupon for a free sample of Perdue Whole Grain frozen chicken at no charge. This blog post and my participation in the Twitter party make me eligible to win prizes. Also, it's damn good chicken. All opinions are my own and no one reviewed or approved this post prior to publishing.

P.F. Chang's Take-out Dinner Without the Drive

The closest P.F. Chang's restaurant to me is a) not very close and b) not convenient to get to.

So, I was really excited to sample the new P.F. Chang's Home Menu frozen entrees (for two) at the Unilever Penthous party during BlogHer10.

I sampled the beef & broccoli...it was really good.

Once I got home I used the coupon for a free sample to try the Ginger Chicken and Broccoli.

Oh it was really good.

Here's what I liked about the new P.F. Chang's frozen meals:

There is enough for two people but if you add additional meat (in this case I added some leftover chicken) and rice there is still plenty of flavor and I could stretch it out to feed all four of us.

The taste was very nice and not too sweet or salty like other frozen meals.

At nearly $9.00 a bag this is pricey but again, I easily stretched it and I'm ok paying a little more for better flavor - I certainly cannot flavor my homemade Chinese food as well!

The sause comes frozen in small cubes for better melting and mixing.

before photo

Close-up on a frozen chunk of sauce

frozen sauce

And I love that it had LOTS of the broccoli florets..not just pieces of stem. A nice, solid amount of veggies and chicken!

finished product - P.F. Chang's Ginger Chicken and Broccoli

For more information on P.F. Chang's visit the website and check your grocer's freezer.

Janine

Disclosure: I received a coupon for a free P.F. Changs Home Menu entree as well as a fancy set of chopsticks and chopstick rests from Unilever. All opinions are mine and this post not reviewed prior to publishing.

Twofer Thumbs Up for Avocados!

Avocado is for Babies

The Twofer have always loved avocados. It was a great first-food for many reasons:

it's portable and doesn't need to be warmed

It's got lots of 'good' fat for brain development plus other healthy vitamins and minerals

I don't mind eating the leftovers (only 50 calories per ounce plus sodium and cholesterol free!)

It was also the very first 3-syllable word the girls could say at nearly 1 year of age. (I swear, ask Grandma! She was there!) They pronounced it: ah-bo-ba-doh

Avocado for Bigger Kids

As the girls have grown they continue to enjoy avocado in guacamole, in salad, and on sandwiches.

One of our family favorites is chicken salad with Old Bay Seasoning (very Maryland) and served with slices of tomato and avocado. The saltiness of Old Bay pairs beautifully with a creamy avocado and a juicy tomato.

image via jronaldlee on Flickr because this is better than any photo I can capture

Old Bay Seasoning isn't just for crabs you know. You can use it with steamed shrimp, on french fries, and in tuna salad too. Here's our recipe for chicken salad with Old Bay to be served with tomato and avocado:

1-2 cups of cooked chicken (boiled, leftover from the grill, rotisserie, or canned)

1/4 cup of chopped celery

1/4 cup of mayo (or to taste)

1 tsp of Old Bay

1/4 tsp pepper

1 hard boiled egg chopped (optional)

Check out the 'Big Hit' Avocado Contest

Mexican Hass Avocado Importers Association (MHAIA) held a contest to find great game day recipes and award prizes! You can see the 'hometown' players, the MVP winner (who won $5,000) and get recipes for your next party at the Big Hit contest site.

For more blog posts about The Twofer and food visit:

Let's cut to the crust, shall we?

Caviar vs. Fish Sticks

The Mister's review of Ragu

Janine

I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Mexican Hass Avocado Importers Association. Mom Central also sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.

A Pasta Sauce That Takes Care of Your Heart

How do you choose pasta sauce?

The Mister ONLY buys a certain brand.

I usually purchase what's on sale.

My mom gets low or no-salt.

Which got me thinking, is there a healthier pasta sauce out there? Aren't the all just tomatoes, olive oil, and preservatives?

Aparently not! I was asked to review a new kind of sauce from Francesco Rinaldi and here's what I learned...

Francesco Rinaldi ToBe Brand of Sauce Has Pasta Sauce with DHA Omega 3

Omega fatty acids may reduce the rist of heart disease and each serving of Francesco Rinaldi ToBe Healthy pasta sauce has 64mg of DHA Omega 3. These sauces have been certified by the American Heart Association and have earned the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval.

Francesco Rinaldi ToBe Healthy comes in 4 flavors:

Tomato & Basil

Garden Vegetable

Garlic & Onion

Spicy Marinara

How do they taste?

We got to review the Tomato & Basil and Spicy Marinara sauces

What I liked...

The Twofer love it and it's a great way to know they are getting a little Omega3 on the weeks we don't eat fish.

The Mister loved the spicy sauce and is no longer restricted to his ONE brand.

The sauces comes in a 16-ounce jar and retail for just $2.49 which is a great price for a healthy food.

 So, knowing that some sauces really are healthier than others, will it change what you buy?

Janine

Disclosure: I received two jars of Francesca Rinaldi ToBe Healthy sauce at no cost for the purpose of this review. All opinions here are mine and this post was neither reviewed nor approved prior to publishing.