First off, where has the month gone? I swear I sneezed and we are now mid-month. Less than 1 month until I speak at Blogher Food (yes, I’m speaking and may or may not be a little intimidated) and Food Blog Forum Orlando is THIS WEEKEND! Each month I’ve done a month-long giveaway with some of my favorite products and foods. This month I’ve not only got my favorite products but also new products out on the market!
Y’all know how much I love my Better Zester. I feel like it is the number one kitchen gadget every home cook should own! And the box grater… well the one thing that annoyed me with my old box grater was grating and then having to scoop up all the cheese or veggies… this one has a handy little bottom that captures everything!
Let’s also talk about grilling. Grilling season is in full effect in my home. I love making kabobs! Fire Wire Grilling Tools (made by the same people of Edgeware) have some awesome skewer options! You’ll also get these skewers!
One lucky winner will have the chance to win the following: Box Grater and Better Zester from Edgeware & Fire Wire – one loop cable, one set of the double prong skewers. Please enter the mandatory option and “like” the Facebook pages for additional entries. Must reside in the United States and be 18 years of age or older. If the widget does not load please click on the link below.
Who is ready to kick-off Brunch Week with a bang? Today I’m sharing (along with other bloggers) a massive $1,800+ giveaway that is up for grabs! We are so grateful to have such amazing sponsors for Brunch Week. They have given us a fabulous bunch of incredible prizes for our giveaway. So let’s take a look at all the amazing giveaways, shall we?
A KitchenAid Artisan 5-Quart Stand Mixer model number: KSM150PSGA. Mixer comes with: 2-piece pouring shield, 5-quart stainless steel bowl, flat beater, dough hook, and wire whip.
A Walnut Prize Pack containing 1lb burlap bag of fresh California Walnuts, 1 portion control tin, 1 heart shaped cookie cutter, 1 flexible cutting mat, 1 mini spatula, 1 chip clip and 1 water pouch. .
One lucky winner from the rafflecopter below will receive a Lodge Cast Iron Skillet, three silicone pieces (a hot handle holder, a pot holder and a trivet).
In addition, one lucky participant from our TweetChat on Sunday May 5th from 2-3pm Eastern will also win a Lodge Cast Iron Skillet and the three silicone pieces. PLUS five lucky participants will get a set of the three silicone pieces. (Search for hashtag #BrunchWeek to follow along. Use the hashtag in tweets during the chat to enter to win).
AND, everyone who comments in our PinChatLive on Saturday May 11th between 2-3pm Eastern will also be entered to win one prize of a Lodge Cast Iron Skillet and a set of three silicone pieces and 4 prizes that contain three silicone pieces each. (For the PinChatLive go to The BrunchWeek Pinterest Board at 2pm on May 11th and comment on the questions pins there. Refresh your screen often so you don’t miss any new questions).
A Flavors of Summer Entertaining Package including (get this!) a $100 gift card to Sur la Table! In addition to the amazing gift card, this entertaining package includes a variety of goodies including cookbooks, kitchen utensils, entertaining partyware like a chip and dip server, beverage container and more. From free products, to fun stuff for decorating – you’ll be able to make the most of your next summer party.
A Martha Stewart Collection Kitchen Prize Package including a 3 quart Enameled Cast Iron Casserole, Magnetic Spice Grinders, a Pot Clip, Cheese Grater and a Silicone Head Spatula.
The Food and Wine Conference is being held in Orlando, Florida from July 19-21st at the unbelievably beautiful Rosen Shingle Creek. Speakers include Sara Moulton (of Food Network fame), Michael Green (a true celebrity in the wine and spirits world) and Jaden Hair (cookbook author and creator of Steamy Kitchen). This prize is for a single Full Conference Pass with a value of $250. (Accommodations can be booked at the Rosen Shingle Creek at a highly discounted rate for all conference attendees).
A Bob’s Red Mill Kitchen Prize Pack: A beautifully emblazoned Bob’s Red Mill canvas tote bag containing the Bob’s Red Mill Cookbook, assorted Bob’s Red Mill products, a Salter® Baker’s Dream Aquatronic Baking Scale, Norpro® Silicone Heat Resistant Spatula, Best® Standard French Whip and a $40 Bob’s Red Mill Gift Card.
Prize #7:
From Whole Foods Orlando one lucky winner will receive: The Whole Foods Orlando Breakfast In Bed Basket: Mixing Bowl, Allegro Organic Breakfast Blend Coffee, Allegro Coffee Mug, Cooking Whisk, Microplane, Delamotte Champagne, 365 Organic Amber Maple Syrup, Whole Pantry Cinnamon Sticks, French Brioche and a $25 Whole Foods Market Gift Card
Whole Foods Flavorful Delights Basket: Full of fun items and ingredients to play with in the kitchen: 5 qt Colander,, Servino Homemade Pastas, 365 Organic Balsamic Vinegar, Macadamia Oil, Marmigiano Regiano, Key Lime Savory Oil, Branfords Original Hot Sauce, Cheese Grater, Vosges Black Pearl Bar Chocolate, Vosges Fire Bar Chocolate, R.C. Buck’s Gourmet Rub – Sweet Orange Habanero, Divina Pickles – Sweet Watermelon Rind, Composta Di Fragole – Strawberry Compote with Modena Balsamic Vinegar, Sabatino Tartufi – Truffle and Honey
A Stonyfield Kitchen Prize Pack: A Prize Pack full of yogurt fun From Stonyfield Organic Yogurt is just ONE of the amazing prizes in our #BrunchWeek 2013 giveaway.Preserve Colander, Preserve portable yogurt carrier, Preserve cutting board, Stonyfield cookbook, Stonyfield oven mitt, Travel sandwhich carrier made out of 100% reused plastic bottles, Stonyfield water bottle, Stonyfield tote bag, 10 free cups of Stonyfield Greek.
Disclosure: I did not receive product or compensation to take part in #BrunchWeek. All prizes were provided by the above sponsors. As always all opinions are my own!
Who loves gorgeous glass jars? Me! Last year, I found myself drooling over a wide variety of Weck Jars. That’s when I reached out to them to find out if they wanted to partner with me. Given that I’m a food blogger I’m always looking for “food props”. I knew that Weck Jars would make for some gorgeous food storage vessels for my variety of photos that I take throughout the year. Let me just tell you that I don’t just use them for food photography. We actually store food in these beauties.
I make blueberry granola parfaits in the morning, store leftover spicy enchilada sauce, and my favorite recipe for whipped herbed feta (coming to the blog in a few weeks). Eventually, one of these days I will learn how to can and then these jars will really be getting a great work out! That is what Weck Jars are really made for… canning–not food photography props. But hey… use what you love? Right?
Now let’s talk about this giveaway.One lucky reader will have the chance to win
First off, I want to apologize for being absent for the past week. I was visiting Utah for a Craft/DIY conference for my other blog: Sew Woodsy. While there, I got to meet up with my friend Heidi from Foodie Crush and meet Maria from Two Peas and Their Pod! It was a fun and unexpected surprise to see them and a few other food bloggers at SNAP!
Ok so, enough about me… let’s talk about todays fabulous giveaway — $25 gift certificate to Glass Dharma! Most people who know me in real life know that I’m a pretty eco-friendly type of gal. I drive a hybrid vehicle that gets just about the best gas milage on this planet, I recycle like a rockstar, and have a robust garden where my husband and I can provide some of our vegetables and herbs for our daily meals. Before a few months ago, I had no idea that glass straws existed! I am a straw person and whenever I can I drink my beverages out of straws. In the past–it was mostly plastic and sometimes paper. However, after learning about glass straws I’m now hooked! Its just another way I can help our planet. I love that the glass straws are reusable verse being disposable like in the past. Using glass straws is just one small step to help remind you that there are so many other products on the market that are also reusable.
Together, we can make a difference that greatly impacts our environment!
One lucky winner will receive a $25 gift certificate to Glass Dharma to purchase the straws of their liking. Please fill out the rafflecopter widget below (if it does not load please click on the link). All comments will need to be approved. If you don’t see your comment appear right away do not be alarmed. Giveaway ends 4/30 at 12:00 p.m. a Rafflecopter giveaway
Disclosure:Glass Dharma provided me with glass straws to review and keep. One winner (per mandatory entry) will win a $25 gift certificate to Glass Dharma. As always, all opinions are my own.
Do you love going to a good party? Well, I have a treat for you today. I’m hosting a Springtime Progressive Dinner Party with some of my favorite blog friends tonight! From the table scape to appetizers, sides, the main course, and of course drinks and desserts–we all have it covered. And of course we can’t have a dinner party without giving one lucky guest the most amazing giveaway ($650 total value).
I always love bringing an appetizer to a dinner party, so that is what I’m bringing to the party tonight. In an effort to constantly continue to challenge myself I decided to break out of my comfort zone and make one of my favorite appetizers… Mini Crab Cakes. For some odd reason, they have always intimidated me and I just made them for the first time over Easter. I know–its crazy talk. But I’m so weird like that.
These Mini Crab Cakes are super easy to make. The best part is that you can put the filling together ahead of time and fry them just before your guest arrive, transfer them to a warm oven on 200 degrees Fahrenheit and then serve them once your guest are at your dinner party. I looked at over a dozen recipes and none seemed to really hit me. It wasn’t until Ina’s recipe. It is chocked full of veggies and y’all know me. I love me some veggies!
This recipe also called for cooking the veggies in tasty butter and olive oil. Whenever I’m cooking I love to use Land O Lakes® Butter Half Sticks. The butter stays fresher longer, and like most recipes I find myself only needing 2 tablespoons to a half stick of butter. A few months ago if you would have looked in my butter compartment in my refrigerator you would have seen a handful of half used butter sticks. Now, because of the half sticks you will see one half stick open at a time! Love the connivence and the idea that my food is staying fresher longer!
Back to the Mini Crab Cakes… Your guest are going to not only be impressed you cooked up a fancy appetizer, but they will be in love once you tell them how easy it really is to make crab cakes. Oh and the cilantro lime sauce that accompanies these crab cakes can be made either the day before or right before your guest arrive. The sauce is cool and refreshening!
In a large sauté pan, place the 2 tablespoons Land O Lakes® Salted Butter, 2 tablespoons oil, onion, celery, red/yellow bell peppers, parsley, hot pepper sauce, Worcestershire sauce, Old Bay seasoning, and pepper. Cook over medium-low heat until the vegetables are soft, (about 15-20 minutes). Cool the vegetables to room temperature.
In a large bowl, break the lump crabmeat into small pieces (double check to ensure there are no crab shells). Add the bread crumbs, mayonnaise, mustard, and eggs to the bowl. Add the cooked mixture of vegetables and mix well. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Shape into bite-sized crab cakes (about 1 tablespoon each).
For Frying:
Heat the Land O Lakes® Salted Butter and olive oil over medium heat in a large saute pan. Add the mini crab cakes to the pan and fry for 4-5 minutes on each side, until browned. Drain on paper towels. To keep them warm place them on a foiled line baking sheet in the oven on 250 degree.
For the Cilantro Lime Sauce:
In a large bowl, add mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, lime zest, cilantro, garlic powder, and dash of pepper. Mix well until incorporated. Place in the refrigerator until ready to serve the mini crab cakes.
This recipe is brought to you by Katie Jasiewicz of Katies Cucina
Now take a look at all the amazing recipes brought to our Springtime Progressive Dinner Party from my fellow blogging friends!
And now for the largest giveaway to ever hit Katie’s Cucina! One lucky winner is going to win $650 worth of product so they can host their very own dinner party. Here is what is up for grabs:
One winner will be drawn at random using random.org. Must complete the mandatory question to be eligible. Please wait for rafflecopter widget to load–if it does not load please click on the link below. Giveaway ends on April 15, 2013 at 11:59pm.
Disclosure:I did not receive any compensation or product for participating in the Springtime Progressive Dinner Party. I love these brands and wanted to reward my readers with an amazing giveaway! Land O Lakes®, Le Creuset, and Dreamfarm all provided the prizes for the giveaway. As always all opinions are my own.
It’s my birthday today and because of that I wanted to do a giveaway today (and a HUGE giveaway tomorrow).
We love breakfast in my house. Most mornings I don’t have the luxury of putting together a beautiful and large breakfast spread. In an effort to save money we eat breakfast at home 99% of the time. If I’m not making blueberry granola parfaits for breakfast, I’m pouring Honey Nut Cheerios into a bowl, adding milk and if I want to get real crazy I’ll add some fresh berries to my bowl of cereal.
Happy first day of April! (Fun fact: my mom had false labor with me on April fools day! I started making the funnies at a very young age). All joking aside… no fooling you here today. I’m sharing this month’s Facebook Exclusive Giveaway: 7 Boxes of Dreamfields Healthy Pasta! I love Dreamfields pasta and what better way to commeorate my birth month than to giveaway a box of each of their 7 cuts of pasta.
Disclosure: I received pasta from Dreamfields pasta; however, I was not compensated nor required to write about them. This is a brand I buy on a regular basis and enjoy eating. One winner at random will win 7 boxes of Dreamfield Pasta. As always, all opinions are my own.
Who loves glorious freshly baked bread? Italian Bread to be exact. 2013 is a year of self-enrichment. I’m so happy to say I’ve accomplished one of the many goals I made for myself this year; baking fresh bread at home. I contacted the amazing people over at King Arthur Flour to assist me in my bread making endeavors. They sent me an Italian Bread Pan, product coupons, and instant yeast to get me started! I knew if I was going to introduce bread to my readers I wanted it to be in partnership with King Arthur Flour.
Some of you might remember the bread making class I took in January. That is really what jump started it for me. I waited a whole 2 months from the class until I tried bread on my own. The first time I made this Italian Bread it tasted delicious but was very flat. After talking with my friend Terri from Love and Confections she told me I probably over-proofed. So I went back to the drawing board and made it again. This time cutting my proofing time by 15 minutes each round. The bread still came out a tad flat, but not as bad as last time. So when I go to make this recipe again–I will have cut the proofing time in half. Third time is a charm, right?
Making your own bread at home to me is very satisfying. Just last week I made my entire dinner from scratch. I had this leftover Italian Bread, I made spaghetti from scratch, a hearty bolognese, harvested my own lettuce and tomatoes and even made my own dressing. 100% from scratch. I had to pat my self on the back–it made me very self satisfied. Like I’ve accomplished a lot in life. The little things right? Oh, and I also realized that this isn’t ideal oh about 95% of the time. Because who has all day to cook a meal that is gobbled up in less than 30 minute?
Regardless, if you have time or not. Make time–if you’re cleaning on a Saturday, work on making a loaf of bread. You’ll impress everyone who consumes it and you’ll be satisfied at the end of the day with the fruits of your labor.
Please wait for the rafflecopter widget to load. If it does not load please click on the link below. Giveaway ends on 4/15 at 12:00pm. Open to US residents ages 18 and up. One winner will be chosen at random.
Dislaimer: I received one giveaway package from King Arthur Flour. I was not compensated nor required to use one of their recipes. As always all opinions are my own.
Happy first day of spring! I realize that this is an understatement for some as they shovel their way out of their homes. But for me… since I live in Florida, spring is really here. My garden is flourishing (you would know this if you follow me on Instagram since every other picture is of my garden, right now). So what better way to kickoff the first day of spring than to make a batch of my quick and easy Raspberry Lemonade Pops!
When the fine folks over at Zoku contacted me to do a giveaway I couldn’t pass it up! I’ve been eyeing this revolution quick pop maker for a while now. I also figured what better way to kick off spring than to show you how easy it really is to make ice pops with Zoku. The sky is the limit when it comes to ice pop flavors. I think my husband and I have made ice pops every night for the past two weeks. We experimented a little but mostly reached for prepared items already in our refrigerator. I love Simply Lemonade, so I used the Raspberry Lemonade to create these easy Raspberry Lemonade Pops. No need to mix and concoct my own flavor when I can make my favorite drink into an ice pop! (btw… Simply Lemonade has no clue who I am–its just a brand that I buy on a weekly basis!)
These pops are super refreshing and I can’t wait for summer to get here because I can see us indulging in these on hot summer nights. We also tried traditional lemonade (which was equally delicious). We tried thinning down Chobani yogurt and that was good (and a little tangy). We poured gatorade in the pop maker one night and those we felt would be perfect treat after the gym or when your sick!
So you might be wondering how to use the Zoku Quick Pop Maker? In just a few steps you get ice pops and there is no need to plug in this machine and make excess noise! Here is a quick video from Zoku on how to use the Zoku Quick Pop Maker.
Ok, enough about my easy Raspberry Lemonade Pops (or the infinite number of flavor options). Let’s get on with this fun Zoku giveaway.
Please fill out the Rafflecopter widget below for a chance to win (if the widget does not load please click on the link). Mandatory question must be entered to be eligible to win. *If your question does not appear right away it is because it needs to be approved–please be patient. Giveaway open to United States Residents. Giveaway ends April 1, 2013 at 12:00pm.
Disclosure:I received a Zoku Quick Pop Maker for review purposes and to keep. I was not compensated in any way. One lucky reader will win a Zoku Quick Pop Maker per giveaway guidelines. As always all opinions are my own.
A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to sit in on a live webinar with Land O’Lakes® Butter. Hosted by Becky Wahlund, Director of the Land O’Lakes Test Kitchen, Ree Drummond from The Pioneer Woman. These lovely ladies also had the help from the Kitchen Conversations blogger panel:
The live webinar was to talk about 2013 food trends! First off, I have to say that Ree was just the sweetest person ever and I hope to one day meet her. So humble and genuine and quite the comedian–who knew?
So back to food trends… a fun topic that I wouldn’t normally spend a lot of time thinking about until this webinar. I mean we all see what the current food trends are thanks to Pinterest. I see quinoa in every other post, cauliflower seems like the current “it” vegetable, and all things ethnic.
Here is what everyone picked for the 2013 food trends:
Becky – Quick and Easy Meals
Ree – Meatballs!
Julie – Asian Cooking
Brenda – Ancient Grains
Maria – Popcorn!
Sommer - Comfort Food Gone Global
If your on Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram you can follow the conversation and recipe ideas by searching for the hashtag #KtchnConvo. One thing that came up often during the chat was the Land O’Lakes® Butter Half Sticks. If you use butter often you’ve been in this place before… you have 5 sticks of half used butter. Some with just one tablespoon and others with 2-3 tablespoons left. Why not get the half sticks instead. Makes sense, right? It will keep your butter fresher longer! Brilliant, right?
So I’m sure by now everyone is intrigued to learn about this fantastic giveaway. Not only do you get to sample the new Sauté Express® Sauté Starter and you’ll receive a coupon to stock up on Land O’Lakes® Butter Half Sticks. Your also entering for a chance to win a few beautiful pieces of kitchenware from Anthropology and a Le Creuset Cast Iron Skillet!
Giveaway Includes:
One coupon for Land O’Lakes® Butter Half Sticks
One coupon for Sauté Express® Sauté Starter
Anthropology Serving Bowl
Anthropology Half Stick Butter Dish
Anthropology Measuring Spoons
Le Creuset Cast Iron Skillet
Please wait for the rafflecopter widget to load. If it does not load please click on the link. One winner will be chosen at random. Giveaway open to USA residents 18 years of age or older. Giveaway ends on 3/24/2013 at 12:00 pm
Disclosure: The author received product samples and a gift package from Land O’Lakes, including a serving bowl, measuring spoons, butter dish and skillet, for recipe development and review purposes. All opinions are my own.
I'm Katie Jasiewicz: home cook, food blogger, and recipe developer. I’ve always had a love for cooking, and more so in the past few years a love for eating!
Join me on a culinary adventure where life always tastes good. {more}
Happy first day of spring! I realize that this is an understatement for some as they shovel their way out of their homes. But for me… since I live in Florida, spring is really here. My garden is flourishing (you would know this if you follow me on 
I'm Katie Jasiewicz: home cook, food blogger, and recipe developer. I’ve always had a love for cooking, and more so in the past few years a love for eating!
Join me on a culinary adventure where life always tastes good. 
