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Showing posts with label giveaway. Show all posts
Showing posts with label giveaway. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

LUSH Giveaway at WITC this week!

I'm almost ready for the holidays! To get into the spirit, I stopped by LUSH and stocked up on all sorts of holiday goodies. Be sure to swing by my lifestyle blog - Wilde in the City - for a chance to win this adorable gift box from LUSH!!!



Sunday, November 9, 2014

Soup Winner & Quick travel update

I am so happy to be home after a long, long, long journey. If you have been following my instagram, then you may know that I spent that past week and a half in Southeast Asia. Specifically, the boyfriend and I visited Angkor Wat in Cambodia and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This is the reason why I haven't chosen a winner for my fun Soup Season giveaway yet!

Thank you to everyone who stopped by to enter to win! I loved reading about your favorite fall eats. I really want to go to the grocery store and get to cooking some of your dishes in my new kitchen! Okay, it's time to announce the winner!


Congratulations Margie!!!  Be sure to e-mail me with your address and Swanson will send along your prize package in a jiffy. Let me know if you make something delicious!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And here are a few of my photos from Cambodia. I am currently going through three different cameras, sorting and organizing over one thousand pictures. I'll be posting a complete update to both Cambodia and Kuala Lumpur over at WITC.



Monday, October 27, 2014

It's Soup Season & it's a Giveaway!!!

It's fall. Which means it's time for apple cider, miniature candies and soup. There is just one problem. Right now, my kitchen looks like this...



The boyfriend and I moved into our new house about six weeks ago. We have been painting, renovating and generally making a mess since the moment we got the keys. For this reason, I was so excited when I was contacted by Swanson Broths and asked to try out some of their new soup starters.



I got a sample of their Thai ginger broth soup starter last year (from the boyfriend who works in CPG sales) and absolutely loved it. Rather than having to add dozens of herbs and spices to create the necessary flavor for a Tom Yum soup, Swanson had taken care of it all. The Thai broth is currently out in grocery stores and totally worth a try. The new broth starters for this year are Tuscan Chicken and Louisiana Cajun.



I decided that yesterday was the day to finally make something in my new kitchen. We have been eating out just about every meal since the move and I was getting sick of it. Even with my kitchen in shambles, I was able to cook up this amazing soup for lunch. All I had to locate was a knife, cutting board and stockpot. Rather than going with one of the broth based soup starters, I chose to make a heartier potato soup and I used the traditional cream soup starter.



Out of sheer laziness and mild curiosity, I decided to use the recipe on the back of the carton. Generally I would have had everything I needed for this recipe in my house. However, since we are living in a construction zone and I haven't done a serious grocery run since August, I had to go to the grocery store. We needed everything except thyme, salt and pepper.



Even with my grocery run, this soup was done in under 90 minutes and oh my god was it amazing! It was a new sensation to have the house smelling of bacon, rather than paint. So good. Topping the soup with sour cream, cheese and more bacon made it unbelievably filling and the perfect lunch for this crisp fall day. I can't wait for my leftovers tomorrow!



Not only am I bringing you this delicious-looking recipe today, I've teamed up with Swanson Broths to bring you a "Soup-er" giveaway! (Ha! Sorry.)  Now it's your time to try out the new Swanson soup starters and get something gorgeous to serve them as well!

The first entry is just for stopping by today and finding this giveaway! Leave a comment in the usual place and let me know your favorite fall meal. You can earn additional entries by following the directions in the rafflecopter widget.  One lucky winner will receive the following...



One elegant, white soup tureen
Four white soup bowls (the same style as you see in the photos above)
Four chevron cloth napkins
One carton of each of the following Swanson products
   - Swanson Chicken broth
   - Swanson Chicken stock
   - Swanson Cream Starter traditional
   - Swanson Cream Starter, 25% Reduced Fat
   - Swanson Flavor Infused Louisiana Cajun Broth
   - Swanson Flavor Infused Tuscan Chicken Broth

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The giveaway will run from today (October 27) through November 3rd at 11:59pm. Rafflecopter will randomly choose a winner and I will contact the winner via e-mail. Swanson will ship out the goodies directly to the lucky winner! Sorry, this giveaway is only open to US residents.

Good luck everyone!

And BTW, our lunch may have looked lovely and serene. 



But pull back from the table and you see the chaos we've been living with! Yes, we're eating on a table that is meant to sit outside on our patio. And also yes, those chairs are completely splattered with paint. I can't wait until the house is finished!

Disclosure: I received a sample of these Swanson products for review purposes. The opinions are completely my own based on my experience. Swanson is also sponsoring this soup season giveaway. 

One Year Ago: Halloween Mallomars
Two Years Ago: Cheesy Polenta with Sausage
Three Years Ago: Povitica
Four Years Ago: Butternut Squash Soup

Loaded Potato Soup
Adapted from Swanson Broths

I started off planning to use the traditional cream starter. After I cooked up my bacon and saw how much grease they produced, I went with the reduced fat cream starter and cut it with some of the chicken broth. You can use vegetable broth if you want to keep the recipe vegetarian.

8 ounces thick cut, peppered bacon
3 large Russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 large white onion, diced
3 stalk celery, diced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon thyme, crushed
1 carton (3 cups) cream starter, 25% reduced fat
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon chopped chives
1/4 cup sour cream

In a large stockpot over medium heat, saute bacon until crispy. Remove bacon from the pot and lew drain on paper towels. Pour out all but 2 tablespoons of bacon grease.

Add potato, onion, celery and salt and toss to coat in bacon grease. Cook for 5 minutes, until potatoes pick up a little bit of color. Add garlic and thyme and saute for an additional minute.

Add cream starter and chicken broth and stir until smooth. Reduce heat to low and cover pot with a lid. Maintain soup at a low boil for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove lid and add half of the cheddar cheese and half of the bacon. Stir and let simmer for 2 minutes.  Portion out heaping ladles of soup and top with cheese, bacon, sour cream and chives. Serve with a chunky piece of bread for scooping up every last drop of soup!

Friday, November 1, 2013

Thanksgiving Kitchen Tools Giveaway!!!


Welcome to the Thanksgiving Kitchen Tools Giveaway! One lucky reader will win a bucket load of Thanksgiving kitchen tools.   
Prize: $243 worth of kitchen goodies perfect for thanksgiving (items seen in image will be produced if available, otherwise equivalents will be substituted)
Rules: Use the Rafflecopter form to enter daily. Besides the mandatory email address entry, all other entries are optional. Holly’s Helpings is responsible for prize fulfillment. Giveaway ends 11/21 at midnight PST and is open to the US.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Chocolate Malt Marshmallows

As you read this, boyfriend and I are cruising around the Caribbean.  Depending on what time you read this today, we may be rappelling through waterfalls, sitting on the beach or stuffing ourselves with buffet food. 

We are on a cruise vacation because I wanted a nice, calm, relaxing break from work.  Our past few vacations have been anything but relaxing, with the trekking to far flung foreign lands, managing several different foreign languages and packing in as much sight-seeing as we could.  You want to go on a calm vacation, do not go to Bangkok.  You want a relaxing vacation, do not go on a trek around Europe.  You want to sit still for more than ten minutes, do not go on vacation with boyfriend.


This boyfriend of mine has energy for miles.  While vacationing on a white sand-ringed island last year, we decided to spend the day at the beach.  Snorkels, beach towels and Gatorade in tow, we made our way to a quiet and secluded beach overlooking the neighboring islands.  I laid my beach towel out, dropped my sandals in my bag and went to wade in the warm Caribbean water.  Having decided that was enough movement for now, I made my way back to our beach towels and realized I was by myself.

Boyfriend had wandered off.  Figuring he couldn't go too far (I had his shoes), I decided to wait for him by reading a magazine (okay, I was doing logic puzzles.  I'm a big old nerd!).  I kept hearing rustling noises in the bushes behind me, but we had been hearing that all week.  The noise was always birds.  A half hour later, boyfriend strolls up the beach from a completely different direction from where I last saw him.  When I inquired about where he was, his answer was simple.  "I was looking for monkeys!"


No, boyfriend isn't crazy.  We were on St. Kitts, which is an island with a bountiful monkey population.  He didn't find any monkeys on his little tour of the beach bushes and this wasn't his last trip off the beaten path.  When offered two options - the easy way - or - the way that requires climbing over rocks and shimmying down perilous ledges - boyfriend will always pick option 2.

This is why we are spending the day canyoning, rather than sitting on a beach and baking in the sun.  And you know what?  I wouldn't have it any other way.


Since I'm away this week, I didn't want to leave you feeling sad.  I realized there were two things I could do to make my absence a little easier. 

1. Chocolate malt marshmallows!

2. Throw a giveaway while I'm away! 

What am I giving away?  If you have been following the Candy Month hype on my twitter account, I mentioned giveaways!  This is the first of two that will happen this month.  (Oh just wait for the second, it will be delicious!)  I'm giving away one of my favorite candy cookbooks to one lucky reader!  This book gave me so much help and insight in the first few months of Candy Challenge 2011.

The Giveaway is now closed!  Congratulations to the winner - Amy Marantino!

Now it's your turn to give it a try!  This giveaway is for one brand new, shipped fresh from Amazon, copy of
Chocolates and Confections at Home with the Culinary Institute of America!


And...

How can you make candy without a thermometer?  You'll also receive the very same thermometer that I have come to love.  It's digital, has an alarm and two settings (oil & candy).



How do you enter?  There are so many ways!  Do them all and get up to 6 chances to win!

1. Simply comment on this post and tell me which candy recipe was your favorite from Candy Challenge 2011 (you can find the recap on the tab at the top labeled "Candy Collection")  Or maybe which candy you would like to try (or have made!).

2. Subscribe/follow/RSS Wilde in the Kitchen so you don't miss out on a single post!  Leave me a comment saying that you did!

3. Follow @WildeKitchen on twitter and leave me a comment here saying that you did so!

4. Tweet the following on twitter (or something along these lines!) and let your friends know about our fun giveaway!  Leave a comment here saying that you did so!

I just entered to win a copy of Chocolates and Confections at Home from @WildeKitchen so I can make candies at home too!  Enter to win at wildeinthekitchen.blogspot.com

5. Like Wilde in the Kitchen on facebook and leave me a comment, you know the drill.

6. The last and the most involved way to earn a chance to win...  Take part in the Wilde in the Kitchen Relay for Life Bake Sale!  Happening on May 17-18, I will be fundraising for Relay for Life and need your help!  Up for sale will be several popular Wilde candy treats and I would love to have you all help out! 

Drop me an e-mail [wildeinthekitchen @ hotmail (dot) com] and let me know if you would be interested in making a baked good/sweet confection for the bake sale!  For more information on the bake sale, check out Sundays post.

If you already do any of the above, like you already follow me on Twitter, you can leave a comment stating that fact.  That's cool, we're already friends!

Giveaway is open from April 24, all of the way until Tuesday, May 1st! The Giveaway is now closed, thank you everyone for entering!

Disclaimers...  This giveaway is open to those in the United States and Canada.  Sorry international friends, I'm not good with shipping abroad!  I have no affiliation with the publishers or writers of this cookbook, I just think it's awesome and want to share!

Saturday, October 1, 2011

Blue Moon Burger Bash 2011

Did you know that this weekend is the Food Network - Food and Wine Festival in New York City this weekend?  The city smells of delicious food, it's flowing with wines from all over the world and it's abuzz with some of the best chefs around.

Last night, boyfriend and I were lucky enough to attend the Blue Moon Burger Bash.  The evening was set underneath the Brooklyn Bridge, in the old Tobacco warehouse in Brooklyn bridge park. 


What did Burger Bash entail?  Twenty-one of some of the countries greastest chefs doling out some of the most delicious burgers you'll ever taste.  Those of you that know me are a little puzzled right now, those of you who are new friends might be curious as to why. 


For the past fifteen years, I haven't had a steak, hamburger or other beef product, yet there I was yesterday, walking through the smoke from all the grills. It has been many, many years since I've had a hamburger and last night was a good night to start having burgers again.


Mini hamburgers, quarters of hamburgers, burgers on focaccia, burgers on brioche.  There were sides of fries, pickled zucchini and cole slaw.  Tables were slinging gougeres, potato chips and some seriously delicious fried pickles (thank you Custom Burgers!).  With over twenty burgers to try (and one hot dog), boyfriend and I were getting a little full. 


We decided to try and hit as many stands as possible, but split the tables offerings.  How the judges ate each and every single burger, I have no idea.  We probably ate ten and were completely full.  Who were the judges?  You might be asking...  Well, we got to rub elbows with some of Foods biggest stars!

Andrew Zimmern, I think he was sad there was no Brain Burgers..
Guy Fieri, although he only showed up at the very end of the evening...
Bobby Flay, busy stomping for his table "Bobbys Burger Palace"
Duff Goldman and his delicious milkshakes!
And...  The lady of the evening...  Whoopi Goldberg!

Oooo, Whoopi likes this burger!
Some other fabulous people we got to meet were Giada DiLaurentis, Anne Burell and Sunny Anderson.  While it was fun meeting some of my favorite Food Network personalities, the people who deserve the most attention were the chefs behind the tables.  These people made me happy that I broke my fifteen year burger drought.




After eating way too many hamburgers and seriously delicious hot dog, boyfriend and I had decided on our personal favorites.  We voted (using our Blue Moon token) for some pretty delicious hamburgers and I would recommend you check these places out next time you're in their neck of the woods...

My favorite - Benoit's Lamb Burger.  It should be of no surprise, that after fifteen years of not eating beef, I went with a lamb burger.  Not that I didn't enjoy quite a few of the beef burgers!  This lamb burger was topped with roasted tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini confit, raw fennel and sat inside of the most delicious bun I've ever had, a small focacci with black olives.

Boyfriends favorite - Porter House New York's - Two Bites Burger: it's the COPPA.  It was the first one we had and one of my favorites as well.  Boyfriend said it tasted like nachos.  It was an all-beef patty, topped with hot coppa, hand-pulled mozzarella and jammy roma tomato.

My favorite side - There were two.  First, Custom Burgers fried pickles.  Crunchy and tangy, these were some seriously delicious bites.  Second, Smash Burger was doling out miniature cones of bourbon caramel ice cream covered in magic shell and peanut brittle.  I love Shake Shack, I just hate waiting in that long line!  Go on a rainy day to get fast service.

Boyfriends favorite side - Abe & Arthur's Truffle fries.  This was the judges favorite burger, we thought that the fries really made a complete meal.  We ate all of the fries.

Now, you might not be able to head to New York City (or New Jersey) and hit up these delicious burger joints, so I brought something back for you!  Boyfriend and I got to attend a cocktail party before the event where Andrew Zimmern was signing books and answering questions.  I got two extra copies, just for you!  If you're a fan of Andrew Zimmern, like to eat weird foods or are just looking for a good read, you should enter my first giveaway!

Look!  Two signed copies of Andrew Zimmern's new book!

To enter the giveaway you have a few options!

Most importantly - Leave a message and tell me about your favorite burger!

To get additional entries, do any of the following, then leave me a message saying that you're done so!  You can really rack up entries if you do all of these things!

1. Follow Wilde in the Kitchen on Twitter (@WildeKitchen)
2. Tweet about the giveaway on Twitter, tell your friends, they like to read too!
3. "Like" Wilde in the Kitchen on Facebook
4. Subscribe to Wilde in the Kitchen, join the party!

The giveaway closes on Wednesday, October 5th at 10:00pm.  From the first few chapters that I've read, this book is a pretty fun read!  Good luck everyone! 

And, meet my new best friend...


Not really, I grabbed him mid-burger bite, right before he had to run off to the stage!
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