Staying Organized with the Samsung 4-Door LCD Refrigerator with Apps {Gift Card Giveaway}

Tell me if this sounds familiar. You head downstairs first thing in the morning, pour your first cup of coffee while looking through bleary eyes and sit down in front of the calendar to remind yourself what you need to accomplish that day. Ah yes, soccer practice for the kids, appointments to schedule, dinner to be made...you know, the usual. You turn on the television and flip to the Weather Channel to check out the day's forecast (God forbid you actually step outside to check the temperature).

Next, you stand in front of the freezer, door wide open, and realize that all you have for dinner is chicken breasts...again. What the heck are you going to do with chicken breasts to stop your family from saying, "Can't we get takeout tonight"? And then you realize you won't be home in time from soccer practice to turn on the rice so that it will be ready in time for dinner. Better leave a note for the husband to turn on the rice when he gets home.

If you're like me, this is a standard scenario for the morning. More often than not, at least one of the items on my mental "to do" list gets forgotten because organizing myself in a coherent fashion is not one of my strong points. In fact, I would say that I am the queen of random notes. Little pieces of paper, covered with well-intentioned reminder notes, litter my work area in the kitchen. Guess how efficient that system is. It's a wonder that I get anything done at all.

What I really need is one central place where I can organize all of this information. That's where the Samsung 4-Door LCD Refrigerator with Apps comes in. That's right - WiFi...in your fridge.



If this beauty was sitting in my kitchen, I could check the weather report, figure out what the heck I was going to do with that chicken by looking up recipes, and leave my husband a note about turning on the rice, using the post-it function.



I haven't come up with a name yet, but I'm sure I'd have to christen this new kitchen companion with a down-to-earth, sensible name. Madge, Mabel...something like that. Not only would she keep me organized in my daily tasks, but Madge would store and food in a very novel way. Besides the Wi-Fi, one of the coolest features about this fridge is the FlexZone Drawer. The drawer is divided into four sections which can each be set to a different temperature so that you can store a variety of food and drinks at the proper temperatures.



If you would like more information about this amazing appliance, head over to the Official site

This fridge would do wonders in solving my organizational issues. Now I want to hear from you.

Imagine your dream appliance to solve a vexing problem for your chance to win $100 Best Buy gift card.

No duplicate comments.

You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry
methods:

a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post

b) Tweet about this promotion and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment
on this post

c) Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to that post in a comment on
this post

d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about
an alternate form of entry.

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older and runs from 7/25-8/19/11.

Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail.

You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be
selected.

The Official Rules are available here.

Head to the BlogHer round-up page for more chances to win.
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Tackling the Fitness Giant

This is sponsored content from BlogHer and Reebok.

There is something a little different about my New Year's resolutions this year. Six days after all of the New Year's revelers have stumbled over the words of Auld Lang Syne and the calendar has flipped to 2011, I will be reaching a milestone of my own. The big 4-0! In past years, my resolutions involved exercising more and eating healthfully for the purpose of fitting into my old jeans or being beach-ready by the time summer rolled around. While those end goals are still at the back of my mind, my objectives are now coming from a different perspective.

Over the years, adjusting from the single life to the satisfying life of being a wife, mother to young boys, and a professional, I had several epiphanies. First, it is necessary to stay in shape simply for the purpose of keeping up with two boys. There is not a lot of sitting down and playing quietly in our house. On any single day, we may wrestle in the family room, shoot hoops in the driveway, practice game-winning touchdown throws, and pull a wagon around the neighborhood to collect glass bottles from 20 to 25 homes. Sitting still is not an option.



Second, I know that I want to be around for many years to come. My boys will be hitting milestones of their own, my husband and I have places in the world we want to explore and, someday, there will be grandchildren and even great-grandchildren to enjoy. I don't want to miss a moment of that. While exercise and healthful eating does not guarantee that I will live a long and healthy life, research shows that engaging in these habits can help ward off certain diseases and live with general good health.

Lastly, the frequency I exercise and the way I eat effects how I feel, the amount of patience I have, and how mentally sharp I am during the day. Believe me, there have been many times that I have fallen off the exercise wagon. The effect on my mental focus and my self-confidence is profound. It is a struggle to start up again, but the rewards are instantaneous and always positive.

So, what are my New Year's resolutions? My running partner and I are going to work on increasing our mileage, with the goal of running a half-marathon in the spring. With my increasing age (ahem) and the issues of decreasing bone-density, it is time to get serious about strength training. As for eating - well, that's a tougher one. You see, I am a food blogger, which means that I cook ALOT. Of course, that also means that I have more control over how I eat. I resolve to work in more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains - in snacks, as well as at mealtime.



Along with the a regular exercise program, I am interested in trying some of those cute, comfy-looking shoes, such as Reebok EasyTones, that promise toning benefits. Really, who doesn't want to tighten their thighs and butt while just doing daily errands and running after the kids? To learn more about Reebok EasyTones, visit the Official site.

Whether or not I fit into my skinny jeans by the end of 2011, I am looking forward to claiming that I embraced turning 40 and enjoyed becoming strong and healthy, both mentally and physically.

For a chance to win a $100 Visa gift card, please answer the following questions in the comment section:

"What are your physical and mental wellness resolutions for 2011?"

Please, no duplicate comments.

You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post
b) Tweet about this promotion and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post
c) Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post
d) Read the official rules for alternate form of entry.

This giveaway is open to US Residents aged 18 and older
Winners will be selected via random draw, and will notified by e-mail, so please be sure that you leave an email address.
You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.

For more chances to win, visit the Exclusive Offers section on the BlogHer round-up page.

This giveaway runs from January 4, 2011 to 5pm PST on January 16, 2011.

Visit the Official Rules.
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McCormick Cookie Swap Giveaway & Recipe

(This giveaway is now closed. Thanks to all of you who commented.)

McCormick, who make many of the spices and extracts that you find on your grocery store shelves, are getting into the holiday spirit with a virtual cookie swap. Simply "like" their Facebook page and then start baking. Share your recipes and photos and find inspiration in all of the cookie recipes posted by others. What better way to kick off the holiday baking season?

In addition to the cookie swap, McCormick is teaming up with baker and cookbook author, Lauren Chattman (see the giveaway information below to win her book and other great prizes). On Monday, December 6th at 8:00 pm EST/7:00 pm CST, Chattman will be conducting live cookie demonstration. She will provide invaluable baking tips that will help you put out batch after batch of holiday cookies. Plus, she will choose one recipe from McCormick's Facebook fans to feature and demonstrate. That means one of you!

Be sure to check out the Double Chocolate Ginger & Hazelnut Cookies I made with McCormick spices.

Here's all you have to do:

1. Like the McCormick Spice Facebook page page and connect with a community of fellow flavor fanatics.

2. Swap recipes on the wall as part of the McCormick Virtual Cookie Swap. Share your cookie ideas, draw inspiration from others, post photos and try something new in the kitchen.

3. Watch the live Webcast hosted by Lauren Chattman on December 6, 2010 at 8:00 p.m. EST/7:00 p.m. CST. She’ll offer her “trade” secrets for a successful swap, demonstrate tasty new recipes and highlight one lucky fan’s cookie from those posted to Facebook as part of the McCormick Virtual Cookie Swap.

Plus, McCormick has been kind enough to provide a special gift package for one of you.

The gift package includes:

* A special holiday selection of McCormick extracts and spices
* Martha Stewart collection holiday cookie cutters
* Crate & Barrel mini spatulas
* Red mixing bowl
* Cookie Swap! book by Lauren Chattman



For a chance to win the gift package:

Leave a comment, telling me about your favorite holiday cookie recipe.

For additional chances to win:

1) "Like" McCormick Spice on Facebook. Leave a comment here to let me know you did so.

2) Follow me on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway, using this message, "Enter to win a McCormick cookie swap gift package on @cookincanuck's site. http://bit.ly/e76vid" Then, come back and leave a comment to let me know you did so.

3) "Like" Cookin' Canuck on Facebook. Leave a comment here to let me know you did so.

4) Subscribe to Cookin' Canuck's RSS feed or subscribe via email (left sidebar under Recipe Index). Leave a comment here to let me know you did so.

Please, no duplicate comments.

This giveaway is open to US Residents aged 18 and older
Winners will be selected via random draw, and will notified by e-mail, so please be sure that you leave an email address.
You have 48 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.

The deadline for this giveaway is Friday, December 10th at 5pm PST.

Good luck and happy baking!

Disclaimer: This giveaway is being provided by McCormick spices. I am not being compensated for this review and believe in the quality of the McCormick products.
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Incredible Egg Tour & A Giveaway

(Congratulations to Donna - comment #19 - for winning the giveaway!)

Flimsy jumpsuits, hair nets, and booties are not really my thing. Well, that is if you discount those unfortunate days of high school dances in the 80s when DEVO fans liked to “whip it” all over the dance floor. However, I was happy to don the requisite garb last week as I traipsed through the hen houses at the Willamette Egg Farm in Oregon with a group of fellow food bloggers.

Unless you live in a cave on a remote mountaintop, you are aware that the egg industry has taken some heat over the past several months. Fear of salmonella poisoning resulted in one of the country’s largest egg recalls and prompted many families to dump cartons of eggs into the garbage. Fear of this type of poisoning is not unwarranted but, unfortunately, the media often takes a rather one-sided view in this type of situation.

When I was invited by the American Egg Board to learn about the process of bringing eggs to the table, from raising chicks to packaging eggs, I was intrigued. Here was an opportunity to witness sanitation conditions first hand and ask questions that are on many people’s minds.

Now, this trip was not all about chicken and eggs. We were treated to a tour of the vineyards at Domaine Margelle, owned and run by our gracious hosts, Steve and Marci Taylor. Dinner was cooked and served in the chateau by a local chef from Silverton, Oregon.





The next morning, wining and dining behind us, we got straight down to business. The bus drove us to the buildings owned by the Satrum family, who founded Willamette Egg Farms in 1934. They currently have approximately 2 million chickens and the operation, spread across a few locations, produces 1.6 million eggs per day. Now those are some prolific chickens.



The first building we visited housed the cage-free chickens in a large open space, outfitted with a variety of floor, roosting, and nesting areas. In addition, there were doorways to the outside pen through which the most adventurous chickens wandered for a change of scene.



Clearly fascinated by us, the chickens perched on our feet, pecking at our pant legs and investigating our cameras with their bright eyes and curious beaks. And what a noisy lot they were. One rather bold bird flew up and landed on Jennifer’s (see blogger list below) shoulder, from which she earned the name “Triple C” for her calm, cool, and collected demeanor throughout the experience.



In addition to the cage-free areas, we observed two other housing systems – aviary and conventional. In the aviary system, the birds are in cages for four hours in the morning, when they lay their eggs. The distinct advantage to this system is that the eggs are laid on a litter (manure)-free surface, which is in contrast to the eggs laid in a cage-free system. After the productive morning hours are over, the chickens have the chance to roam out of the cages.

The conventional system is a much more confined environment for the chickens. Six to eight chickens are housed in each cage. While the chickens are at a disadvantage in terms of roaming space, it was evident that this system is very sanitary. The air in these houses was much clearer than that in the cage-free areas.



When I asked Greg Satrum which housing system he prefers, putting all economic considerations aside, he referenced a system recently put into place in the European Union. It is a caged system that allows for roosting areas and increased square footage for each chicken. While this system is not yet approved for the United States, Greg hopes that it will become the standard in several years, assuming the necessary studies prove that it is in fact a viable system.

We spent the afternoon with Howard Helmer, the world’s fastest omelet maker (making an astonishing 427 omelets in 30 minutes gives him this title) and chef Jeffrey Saad, host of The Cooking Channel’s upcoming show, United Tastes of America (debuts November 16th) and runner-up on The Next Food Network Star.



Both men are enthusiastic and passionate about eggs and teaching others to cook them properly. Moving between our cooking stations, they offered tips, humor, and patience as we worked to improve our omelet-making, poaching, and scrambling skills.



Mary Donkersloot, RD, Los Angeles-based nutritionist, offered some interesting nutritional facts about eggs. Eggs, which store half of their protein in the yolk, offer heme protein, which is easier for the body to absorb than the iron found in spinach. They are also high in lutein, selenium, zinc, and zeaxanthin, which are key ingredients in preventing macular degeneration.

While I came away with some newly found egg preparation skills and many new friendships, the most important take-home message was regarding egg farming. Like any other section of the food industry, there are many egg farmers who are diligent about following the necessary sanitation and safety practices to insure the quality and safety of their product. These farmers should not be vilified because of a few of their farming brethren who do not take the necessary precautions. I, for one, will continue to serve eggs to my family on a regular basis. For a quick, healthy, and tasty meal, they simply cannot be beat.

Here are some of my favorite egg recipes:

Asparagus Frittata with Smoked Paprika, Thyme & Feta Cheese
Baked Eggs with Summer Vegetables & Capers
Caprese Frittata with Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Fresh Mozzarella & Basil
Greek Baked Eggs with Leeks, Kalamata Olives & Goat Cheese
Potato-Crusted Quiche with Pancetta, Sun-Dried Tomatoes & Spinach

The giveaway:

The lucky winner will win these three items:

1 Simply Calphalon Enamel 8-inch Covered Omelet Pan
1 Cuisipro Silicone 8-Inch Egg Whisk
1 OXO Good Grips Silicone Flexible Omelet Turner

To enter, please respond to the following question in the comments section:

"What is your favorite egg dish?"

Please, no duplicate comments.
This giveaway is open to US Residents aged 18 and older
Winners will be selected via random draw, and will notified by e-mail, so please be sure that you leave an email address.
You have 48 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.

Entries will be accepted until Saturday, October 16, 2010, 9pm PST.

Bloggers who attended this event:

Amy of She Wears Many Hats
Susan of She’s Becoming Doughmesstic
Jennifer of Savor the Thyme
Michelle, standing in for Mandy of Gourmet Mom on the Go
Lynn of Lynn’s Kitchen Adventures
Kelsey of The Naptime Chef
Erin of Prudence Pennywise
Kristy of The Wicked Noodle

Disclosure: This trip and giveaway items were paid for by the American Egg Board.
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