Category Archives: Food and Drink

Learn about Wine with Me and California Wine Club! {Review, Discount Codes, and a Giveaway!}

Contests, Food and Drink, Giveaways, New posts, , , ,

I have been on a quest to learn about wine for a few years.  Over the last few years, if you asked me what effort had I made to learn about wine, and if I answered honestly, I would say “Not much”.. until the opportunity fell into my lap a few weeks when I received two bottles of wine from The California Wine Club.

Before I received the two bottles of wine The California Wine Club sent, I wouldn’t buy wine for home, choose wine at a restaurant, or drink wine because I was ignorant about how to really ‘taste’ wine, how to choose wine, what glasses to use, etc..

So here I am, on my quest to learn about wine and I realized that the first and most important step for me was to…stop worrying about it!   Worrying about which type of wine to choose and which wine glasses to use kept me from buying or trying ANY wine.  What fun is that? That sure didn’t get me very far.

I was thrilled when I received my first of three monthly wine shipments from California Wine Club, last week.  After I received the shipment, I planned two of our week’s meals according to the wine.  The first of which you’ll see in the photograph above.  I paired a pasta & alfredo sauce meal with a Chardonnay.

California Wine Club

I was sent two bottles of wine via California Wine Club’s Premier Club membership, their oldest and most popular wine of the month club. The Premier Club is a great way to learn about wine and the California wine scene, perfect for the wine novice (that’s me!) or aficionado. Just $36.45 per month plus shipping, handling and applicable sales tax.

I enjoyed the first bottle of wine with my husband.  We probably didn’t use the right wine glasses, but that’s ok.. I’m just getting my feet wet with my wine education.  I prefer fruity wines and this Chardonnay served just that.  This is a light wine with tropical fruit flavors and a hint of vanilla.  The delicate crispness went of this wine very well with our pasta meal.

CWC Food and Wine Pairing App
CWC Food and Wine Pairing iPhone App Screenshot

Want to impress your husband and friends?  
You can become an instant wine and food pairing expert!

California Wine Club has a new iPhone/iPad app out called CWC food and wine pairing wheel (iTunes download link).
This, free for a limited time, food and wine pairing wheel app makes it easy to find the right wine to go with your meal.  Next time you go out for a date night, don’t rely on the server to tell you what wine would go well with your meal.  Decide for yourself by using the food and wine pairing wheel app.  It’s simple to use, just choose a meal type from the list across the top of the app; poultry, seafood, pasta, starters, cheese, or dessert, and then spin the wheel below the list to choose the type of food you will be enjoying.  Under each type of food, Lobster for example, you will get a list of results.  For Lobster, the recommended wine is Chardonnay and two types would be Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc.  Easy, isn’t it?  Don’t forget to use the app while you are grocery shopping.
The app is now free so hurry and download CWC Food and Wine Pairing Wheel app before CWC begins charging for this very useful and easy to use app.

 

Connect with California Wine Club:

Discount Code Offers:

1. Use code mommyinsider to get 10% off every gift order you place.    Wine makes a fabulous holiday gift.. don’t forget to stock up for Thanksgiving!

2. If you would like to try The California Wine Club, you can use the same promo code and not only will you get 10% off your first month, but you will also get an extra bottle of wine in your first month’s shipment just for being a The Mommy Insider reader!   There is no obligation to stay past the first month.

 Win a One Month Premier California Wine Club Subscription! {Ends 10/18}

We are giving a lucky reader a one-month Premier subscription to The California Wine Club.

Mandatory Entry:

Go to California Wine Club’s Facebook page or follow Follow California Wine Club on Twitter and mention that The Mommy Insider sent you!

Then leave a comment below telling me which you did and why you’d like to win.

3 extra entries:

  • Blog about this giveaway as a separate blog post on your own blog
  • Add a comment to any non-giveaway posts on this site (must be relevant to the post you are commenting on).  Tell me in the comments below what post you commented on.

2 extra entries:

  • Like The Mommy Insider on Facebook
  • Follow @mommyinsider on Twitter
  • Subscribe to my email newsletter or RSS  feed
  • Tweet about this contest (up to 4 times per day). Your Tweet MUST include the name of the item being given away, my Twitter handle (@mommyinsider), the word giveaway, and a link to this post.
    Example tweet: “I entered to win a 1 month California Wine Club membership from @mommyinsider!  You can enter here: http://wp.me/plszx-2tV  #Giveaway”

*****
Contest Rules
This contest is open to U.S. residents 21 and older. Utah residents are excluded from this contest. No P.O. Boxes.
Entries accepted through 11:59pm EST October 18th.
The winner will be chosen at random and will be contacted via email.  Winner must respond within 24 hours or a new winner will be chosen.
One IP address per household.
*****

Disclosure: I was offered a one month subscription to California Wine Club for review purposes.  My opinions are 100% my own and are not influenced in any way.  I write only about products and services that I have used and enjoy, unless otherwise stated.  You can read my full Disclosure Policy here.

 

Alicia Hagan, Editor

Gold Medal White Whole Wheat Flour Review and Giveaway {Ends 10/10}

Contests, Food and Drink, , , ,

Gold Medal White Whole Wheat Flour
First I have to say thank you to the fabulous friend of mine who came over to our house and made these cookies from scratch for us as for this review.  My family and I enjoyed on these delicious chocolate chip cookies very very much!
Why didn’t I bake the cookies?  Because I was sort of running around like a crazy woman, trying to get ready for a work trip, trying to get regular work done, not to mention that this friend is known for making some reallllly good cookies!  The cookies seemed more flavorfull than usual and I realized that was because the flour has such a delicate flavor that it didn’t drown out the yummy goodness of the vanilla, brown sugar, and chocolate chips in the cookies.

 

With Americans looking for ways to add more whole grain to their diets, it’s the simple choices that can make a difference, like making the effortless switch to new Gold Medal® White Whole Wheat flour. Available in grocery stores this September, Gold Medal White Whole Wheat flour can help you bake it great with the goodness of whole grains!

Unlike most whole wheat flours that are made from hard red spring wheat, Gold Medal White Whole Wheat flour is made with hard white spring wheat. So, it´s whole grain, but with a similar taste and texture to all-purpose white flour.

Perfect for family favorite recipes like breads, pizza dough, cookies, muffins and brownies, Gold Medal White Whole Wheat flour bakes up golden and has a milder flavor than baked goods made with regular whole wheat flour.

Start by simply substituting whole wheat white flour for 25 to 50 percent of the recipe’s flour content.

You may wish to add an extra tablespoon or two of the liquid used in the recipe when substituting Gold Medal White Whole Wheat flour or decrease the amount of flour by one to two tablespoon for recipes that call for all-purpose flour.

From breakfast to dessert and everything in between, find classic recipes that use Gold Medal White Whole Wheat flour at www.bettycrocker.com and make adding whole grain to your daily routine even easier, without sacrificing on flavor.

Connect with Betty Crocker:

Enter to Win a Gold Medal White Whole Wheat Flour Prize Package including:

  • A VIP coupon for a sample of Gold Medal White Whole Wheat flour
  • Instructions for conversion
  • Cookie Jar
  • Recipe Cards

Mandatory Entry:

Leave a comment below telling me what you would bake with Gold Medal White Whole Wheat Flour or what your most fond baking memory is.

3 extra entries:

2 extra entries:

Entries accepted through 11:59pm EST 10/10/11.
No P.O. Boxes
U.S. mailing address only
All entries must be recorded in the comments below, in order to count (EX: link to Tweet, Facebook post, blog post, etc).
The winner will be notified via email and must respond within 24 hours.  If the winner does not respond, a new winner will be chosen and notified.
The prize package will be sent by MyBlogSpark.  We are not responsible for shipping.


Disclosure: The Gold Medal White Whole Wheat flour product, information, and giveaway have been provided by Gold Medal through MyBlogSpark.

Alicia Hagan, Editor

Recipe & Giveaway: Chicken Fajita Grilled Pizza with Ragu Pasta Sauce {Win a $200 Gift Card! – Contest Ended}

Contests, Food and Drink, New posts, , ,

Congratulations, Amie won this giveaway!

As you might know, I am a Ragu “Mom’s The Word On Dinner” Ambassador, and I’m very proud and excited about that as you’ll see in this post.

Being a Ragu “Mom’s The Word on Dinner” Ambassador gives me the opportunity to branch out with our dinner recipes and cook some delicious meals, one of which I enjoyed with my family this week.

This week’s fun Ragu recipe was Chicken Fajita Grilled Pizza with Ragu Sauce.

Grilled Chicken Fajita Pizza with Ragu Pasta Sauce

Here is the Chicken Fajita Grilled Pizza with Ragu Sauce with a few customizations:

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 2 large poblano or medium green bell peppers
  • 1 large red onion, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
  • 2 (12-inch) prebaked pizza crusts
  • 1-1/2 cups Ragú® Old World Style® Tomato & Mozzarella Pasta Sauce
  • 3 cups shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese (about 12 oz.)
  • 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
  • 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
  • Customizations we made: 12 mushrooms, anchovies

Directions

  1. Lightly coat chicken and onion with oil, then season, if desired, with salt and ground black pepper. Grill chicken, onion and peppers, turning once, 8 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked and vegetables are tender. Don’t be alarmed when the peppers turn black while grilling. The skin will easily peel or slip off after cooling. Wrap peppers in aluminum foil; let stand 5 minutes, then remove skin and thinly slice.
    Thinly slice chicken; set aside. We also sprayed one dozen mushrooms with olive oil spray and grilled them.
  2. Grill top side of pizza crusts 1 minute; remove from grill. Evenly spread pizzas with Ragu® Old World Style® Tomato & Mozzarella Pasta Sauce, then evenly top with chicken, vegetables and cheese. Grill pizzas, covered, 3 minutes or until cheese is melted. Sprinkle with cilantro. Serve, if desired, with additional heated Sauce and diced avocado.

My entire family enjoyed the pizza and my son even added a few anchovies to his three slices! My daughter enjoyed a couple of plain sauce and cheese slices while my husband put red peppers and onions on his slices.

This is a quick and easy meal to prepare and as you read above, pizza toppings can be customized for everyone in your family.

Be sure to visit the recipe section of Ragu’s website where you will find recipes for even the pickiest of eaters!

Connect with Ragu

Read my previous Ragu “Moms The Word on Dinner” posts here:

Win a $200 Gift Card! – Contest Ended

We are giving a lucky reader $200!

To enter, tell us your favorite pasta sauce memory or creative use of pasta sauce. It can be a recipe, something funny that happened with pasta sauce, or tell us how you use pasta sauce besides on pasta.
Get extra entries for following The Mommy Insider on Twitter and on Facebook.
Tweet this: “I entered to win a $200 gift card from TheMommyInsider.com & @ragusauce here: http://bit.ly/qibYd2 You can enter to win too! @mommyinsider”
Be sure to tell us what you’ve done in separate comments below.

Entries accepted through 11:59pm September 22nd. This contest is open to U.S. residents ages 18 and over only. No P.O. Boxes.

This Contest has Ended!

Disclosure: This is part of a campaign for which I am an Ambassador for the Ragú® Mom’s the Word on Dinner Program. Visit www.facebook.com/ragusauce to join the conversation.

Alicia Hagan, Editor

Food Tip: How Do You Spice Up Your Pasta? A Tip for Picky, Pasta-Loving Families

Food and Drink, New posts, , , ,

I am a huge fan of pasta.  I could eat pasta 21 times a week (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) if I had enough in the house to fix.  Maybe that’s why these extra 10 lbs won’t come off?  I’m also a huge fan of sauce!  Yet another reason why I’m struggling with these extra 10 lbs.

As you might know, I am a Ragu “Mom’s The Word On Dinner” Ambassador, and I’m very proud and excited about that as you’ll see in this post.

Ragú® - Brand Ambassador campaign

That brings me to this week’s featured “Moms the Word on Dinner” video on the Ragu Facebook page which is about how families spice up their pasta.

How do I spice up my pasta you ask?  Good question!

Because everyone in my family has differing taste buds (to the extreme!), I prepare what I call ‘meals with options’.
For example, I cook angel hair pasta or my daughter’s favorite, rigatoni.
Then I will place a few sauce options and pasta ‘toppings’ as my kids call them, on the table.  Pasta toppings might include sautéed chicken, shrimp, red peppers, peas, and cheeses, to name a few.  Sauces include red pasta sauce, alfredo sauce, and lemon butter, most often coming from a what I like to call.. a jar.. full of ingredients that I can pronounce.

I don’t believe in forcing a child to eat a meal or a food that they have tried and don’t like so I am OK with offering my kids variations of a meal at dinner time.  I have found ‘meals with options’ to be a good solution for my family.

Plus, the table looks really pretty when it’s covered in small bowls full of colorful ‘toppings’.

Chime In..

How do you spice up your pasta? Do you have a special sauce recipe, favorite sauce or  pasta topping?  Please share in the comments below.

 

Alicia Hagan, Editor

Review: LAND O LAKES® Cinnamon Sugar Butter Spread – YUM!

Food and Drink, ,

My son hates syrup.. “with a passion” I’d always say.  He doesn’t even like to touch a plate or bowl that syrup has been in.  However, he loves butter as does my daughter.  I think it’s appropriate to say to a server at a restaurant, “They’ll have butter with their pancakes please”.   While I was away at BlogHer in San Diego a couple of weeks ago, a package of Land O’ Lakes Cinnamon Sugar Butter Spread arrived at my house via FedEx and my husband and kids didn’t even consider waiting for me to be home before trying the Cinnamon Sugar Butter Spread.  Apparently they are able to make pancakes when I’m travelling but not when I’m home.  Interesting, huh?

Land O' Lakes Cinnamon Sugar Butter Spreak

My husband and son agreed that Land O’ Lakes Cinnamon Sugar Butter Spread is “awesomely amazing”.  My husband didn’t feel like he had to drown his pancakes in syrup like he normally does.  In fact, he didn’t use any syrup!

Land o Lakes Cinnamon Sugar Butter SpreadI LOVE that LAND O LAKES® Cinnamon Sugar Butter Spread has no artificial ingredients and is made from ingredients I can pronounce including cream, sugar, canola oil and cinnamon.

For those of you who are big fans of cooking, LAND O LAKES® Cinnamon Sugar Butter Spread can be used for baking too!

Learn more about how you can add LAND O LAKES® Cinnamon Sugar Butter Spread to your favorite foods at www.LandoLakes.com or on Facebook.  They have some great recipe ideas on the website.

 

Disclosure: The LAND O LAKES® Cinnamon Sugar Butter Spread product, and information have been provided by Land O´Lakes through MyBlogSpark.