I am attempting to give the amazing Alouette Cheese Fall Gourmet Cheese Giveaway to the randomly selected winner. The first winner was contacted three times via email and her name was published on the blog. Unfortunately, she never contacted The Cheap Gourmet to confirm her mailing address.
On Wednesday evening, a second winner was randomly selected by Contest Machine. The chosen winner is Jennifer Phillips of Indiana (yeah, Hoosiers! my home town!). Jennifer, if you are reading this please contact me no later than midnight tonight to claim your Alouette Cheese prize. Two emails have been sent to you using the email address provided when you entered the contest. Check your spam folder just in case the emails didn't arrive in your inbox.
If Jennifer has not claimed the Alouette Cheese giveaway prize by this 11:59pm EST on Friday, November 6th, I will select a third winner. This time, I will use a different selection method.
If you entered the Alouette Cheese contest, please submit your name, email address, phone number and mailing address (no P.O. Boxes) via the Comment box below. Please note, all comments are moderated and I will not publish your personal information.
If Jennifer does not claim her prize, I will select a person from the entrants who provide their information via the comment box below TODAY.
In order to be entered into the final drawing for the Alouette Cheese prize, you must have previously entered and you must provide your contact information as per the instructions above.
The final winner will be selected and contacted by email and phone. If I am unable to reach you, I will select the next person on the list until I find someone who confirms their mailing address. I need to submit this information to Allouette Cheese immediately so they can send the prize to the winner.
Don't delay! If you want a second chance at winning the gorgeous cheeseboard, free cheese and various other goodies, send your contact info to me TODAY!
Good Luck!
The Cheap Gourmet
P.S. Please take a moment to download The Cheap Gourmet's complementary "Gourmet Wine and Cheese Menu" by clicking on the link below. This is in PDF format and requires Adobe Reader.
Samantha's suggestion to slow down and savor life is "When taking the bus home, get off a few stops earlier and enjoy the walk".
I couldn't agree more with Samantha's suggestion. It's amazing the wonderful things you can see, smell and hear when taking a leisurely stroll. Not to mention, walking is great exercise that increases endorphin production and makes you feel good!
Congratulations Samantha. Please check your email for instructions to confirm your mailing address. Once you have confirmed your address, I will submit to Corrinne, the marketing director of Alouette. Your prize package will be sent directly from Alouette.
May your gift help you create many slow down and savor life moments for years to come! Congratulations!
To those who entered, but did not win, don't worry. The Cheap Gourmet will continue to offer a variety of contests and prizes throughout the year.
In case you missed the previous post, I have created a wonderful Wine and Cheese menu planner complete with recipes for finger foods, fruit and veggie trays, dips and desserts. The menu is in PDF format and requires Adobe Reader to view.
It's not too late to enter the Alouette Cheese Gourmet Fall Cheese Party Giveaway. But, you better hurry because the winner will be selected at midnight on Halloween night, October 31st. My dear friend, Maeme, was gracious enough to open her home and host The Cheap Gourmet's wine and cheese party. It was a huge success and tons of fun. Here's Maeme enjoying one of Alouette's spreadable cheeses.
Kim, shown below, brought two bottles of Chocolate Wine, which was a big hit. After all, who doesn't love chocolate? The chocolate wine is definitely more of an after-dinner dessert wine. A small glass or two is the perfect accompaniment with a piece of dark chocolate and a slice of brie cheese. Thanks for the chocolate wine Kim. It was delightful!
We indulged in a bounty of finger foods, salads, veggie tray, fruit platter, nuts, candies, crackers, breads and cheeses. As you can see, everyone loved the luscious Alouette cheeses and were extremely impressed by the gorgeous cheeseboard that's part of the Gourmet Fall Cheese Party giveaway.
Delane loved Alouette's spreadable spinach and artichoke dip.
Bonnie's favorites included the spreadable Sundried Tomato and Basil and and Creme de Brie.
I have compiled a Wine and Cheese menu which includes several of the dishes served at The Cheap Gourmet's Wine and Cheese party. I hope you enjoy the recipes and wish you the best of luck in the drawing.
The winner of Alouette's Slow Down and Savor Life Gourmet Cheese giveaway will be announced on the blog on Monday, November 2nd, 2009. The winner will be notified via email to confirm the mailing address for their prize. If the winner does not respond within three days, a new winner will be selected at random. Be sure to check the blog and your email to see if you win!
I am thrilled to announce this month's contest. Readers of The Cheap Gourmet blog will have a chance to win a bountiful prize from Alouette; an industry leader in cheese making. Alouette is sponsoring the "Let's Slow Down and Savour Life Wine and Cheese Giveaway." One lucky winner will receive a Gourmet Fall Cheese Tasting Party Giveaway valued at $150.
Entering Alouette Cheese, "Let's Slow Down and Savour Life Wine and Cheese Giveaway" is simple. All that is required is to post a comment via the entry form below sharing what you do to slow down and savour life.
I'll begin...My tip for slowing down and savouring life is to reserve a minimum of one night per month to share good food and conversation with your best friends. Keep it simple by serving an assortment of cheeses, cheese spreads, crackers, breads and fruits. And, don't forget the wine or sparkling cider!
ALOUETTE GOURMET FALL CHEESE TASTING PARTY GIVEAWAY DETAILS:
The Cheap Gourmet is hosting Alouette's "Let's Slow Down and Savour Life Wine and Cheese Giveaway". Readers will receive ONE entry by submitting their favorite tip for slowing down and savouring life in the box provided via the entry form.
The Gourmet Fall Cheese Tasting Party Giveaway begins October 5th and ends at 11:55pm Eastern Standard Time on October 31, 2009. The winner will be selected at random through the contest hosting site of Contest Machine. Contest is open to legal US citizens aged 18 and older. See contest entry form for additional terms and conditions.
The winner will be contacted via the email address provided in their entry on November 1, 2009. The winner will have three days to claim their prize. Otherwise, their entry will be disqualified and a new winner will be selected.
Upon verification of their prize, the winner must provide their mailing address to Alouette Cheese. The Gourmet Fall Cheese Tasting Party Giveaway prize will be awarded directly through Alouette.
Individuals who submit more than one entry will automatically be disqualified.
PRIZE DETAILS:
The winner of Alouette Cheese "Let's Slow Down and Savour Life Wine and Cheese Giveway will receive the following items:
Mariposa Gourmet Two-Toned White Teak and Bamboo Wooden Cheese Board with Wine and Cheese Accessories
Stainless Steel Cheese Name Picks with marker
Customized Cheese Rating Cards with Pens (party of 10)
Alouette recipe cards for entertaining
Alouette coupons for Baby Brie, Spreadable and Crumbles
Slow Down and Savour Tips
Submit your slow down and savour tip via the entry form below. Watch your inbox on November 1st to see if you are a winner. Additionally, the winners name will be posted on The Cheap Gourmet blog. Good Luck!
The Alouette logo emblazoned on the two-toned wooden cheese board.
The Alouette cheese board provides two fold-away compartments which store cheese and wine accessories. Cheese accessories include a fork, cheese spreader and cheese cutter. Wine accessories include a cork screw, wine ring and stopper.
Compartment doors slide underneath the elegant wooden cheese board for easy storage.
On September 11, 2009, we launched the First Official Cheap Gourmet Contest. All that is required is to vote for your favorite food and enter your email address by filling out the form below. One lucky winner will receive an adorable "Barker's Dozen" Greeting Card gift pack containing 13 happy-yappy cards with envelopes packaged in a reusable vinyl tote.
Each 5x7 greeting card is graced by a photograph of dogs in action - running, playing, swimming, sleeping. Beneath the photo is an appropriate caption guaranteed to bring love and happiness to the recipient. Cards are blank inside so you can write a personal note, include your favorite Cheap Gourmet recipe, or photos of yourself, family or beloved pets.
There is no "catch" to The Cheap Gourmet Contest. Your email address will only be used to notify you when you win the contest. One lucky winner winner will be chosen at random at midnight on October 2, 2009 and notified by email on or before October 5th. The "Barker's Dozen" Gift Pack will be mailed directly to your home or office at no charge to you.
With each sale of Dog Caption Cards, 25-percent of the proceeds are donated to animal rescue organizations. If you would like to offer support to our furry friends or interested in selling the cards to raise funds for your local animal shelter, visit www.HappyDogCards.com. (You can also earn 25-percent of each sale by joining the affiliate program!)
In the meantime, simply select your favorite food and enter your email for a chance to win. Only ONE ENTRY per email or ISP address.
P.S. Stop back often as we will be hosting another contest next month. We will be offering an amazing Cheese and Wine party gift set valued at $150. Stay tuned - you're going to love all the future Cheap Gourmet Contests!
Last weekend my husband and I attended a birthday celebration for friends who were both turning 60. Being such a milestone birthday, friends and family organized a semi-surprise party and planned a feast for royalty.
In July, I ordered mini cupcake pans from Easy Bakeware, which I had not had a chance to try out. Several years ago, another friend of mine taught me how to make cupcake cakes. The guest list included several children and I thought mini cupcakes would be a great way to keep them away from the "grown-up" cake until it was ready to be served.
I was preparing several dishes for the party and needed to save a little time, so I purchased boxed cake mixes and canned icing. Overall, I baked about 225 mini cupcakes. Although I only had two 12-cupcake mini muffin pans, the Easy Bakeware made the process a breeze!
I used mini muffin paper baking tins and filled each about 2/3rd's full of batter. Baking time per batch was 13 minutes at 425 degrees Fahrenheit. I used three types of cake batter - French Vanilla, Dark Chocolate and Butter Chocolate. The Butter Chocolate was by far my favorite; although all of them were quite tasty and addicting!
Next, I cut a cardboard moving box into a 24"x18" rectangle and covered it with foil. I had purchased decorative letters and colored sprinkles at the store. For the cupcakes used for the mini cupcake cake, I spread the icing evenly using a small icing knife, then placed one letter on each mini cupcake.
As you can see, I used white frosting for the cupcakes with letters. It reads: "Happy 60th Birthday Maeme and Carl". I alternated flavors on each row. The first, third and fifth row are French Vanilla cupcakes, while the second and fourth rows are chocolate cupcakes.
Using some of the extra mini cupcakes, I created little islands on the sides to fill in the extra space. I purchased paper palm trees attached to a toothpick. These palm trees gave me fits because they had this teeny-tiny square adhesive covered in paper. The paper had to be removed and the palm trees stretched out and attached to the other side. Considering it was 4am when I was finishing up this cake, not all the palm trees came out uniformly. As they say, it's the thought that counts!
I used the butter chocolate mini cupcakes to create the islands and used a piping bag to swirl the icing. I placed 3 to 4 "island" cupcakes together and then placed one on top of the stack to create the illusion of an island. I then used white icing to pipe around the edges of the cardboard and topped with colored sprinkles.
This was my first attempt at making a cupcake cake and while it isn't perfect, it was certainly a huge hit at the party. I placed the remaining cupcakes on dessert trays and when we departed the party, I noticed only 3 were left. The cupcake cake was completely devoured.
Not only was the cupcake cake a lot of fun to make, it didn't take much time and the guests absolutely loved it. Homemade gifts are always a great way to make people feel special. Even though I used boxed cake mixes, I could not have been more pleased with the final product.
If you are wondering how I transported the cake, I simply covered it loosely with foil. The palm trees helped keep the foil off the icing. I drive a Toyota Rav4, so the cardboard platform fit perfectly in the tailgate area. We drove extra careful to make certain we didn't need to make any sudden stops or take corners on two wheels ;-)
The possibilities of cupcake cakes are endless. Grocery stores, dollar stores, and party stores carry a wide range of novelty items that can be used to create all kinds of theme cakes. If you don't own a pasty bag and piping tips, you can place icing inside a sandwich bag and snip one corner off. Piping the icing on the cupcakes is considerably more efficient than using an icing spreader.
After using the EasyBakeware muffin pan, I can honestly say that I will be converting ALL my bakeware to this brand. The pans are made from silicone (I think!) and are super easy to clean. The muffins popped out easily and there was little mess to clean up.
EasyBakeware is currently offering FREE bakeware. You can receive any piece of bakeware for free, but will have to pay the shipping cost of $7.95. I've seen this type of bakeware in stores and the average retail price is $19.95 to $24.95 per piece!
If you're like me and love to bake, I highly recommend giving EasyBakeware a try. Click on the banner below and take advantage of the free offer before it's too late.
Baked spicy macaroni and cheese with ground beef and bacon casserole is one of our family favorite recipes. This one-dish meal is a cheap gourmet version of America's all-time favorite comfort food. It pairs well with a fresh salad and piping hot dinner rolls.
Baked spicy macaroni and cheese with ground beef and bacon casserole is a great dish to take to pitch-in parties and cook-outs. It can be served for lunch or dinner, as an entrée or side dish, and makes a great leftover meal that can be taken to work and reheated in the microwave.
This Mac' and Cheese casserole can be transformed into a healthier version by using whole wheat pasta, substituting ground beef with ground chicken or turkey, and using turkey bacon instead of pork. I have used low-fat cheddar cheese in the past, but found it to be a bit too rubbery in this particular recipe. I hope you, your family and friends enjoy this macaroni and cheese recipe as much as we do!
BAKED SPICY MACARONI AND CHEESE WITH GROUND BEEF AND BACON CASSEROLE Serves: 6 Prep Time: 20 minutes Bake Time: 10 – 12 minutes
INGREDIENTS: 1 to 2 Tablespoon Olive Oil 1 pound lean Ground Beef, Chicken or Turkey 6 slices Bacon, (Pork or Turkey) 1 16-ounce box Corkscrew Pasta (or Elbow Macaroni, Penne or Bowtie) 1 or 2 Jalapeno Peppers, seeds removed and diced 2 medium cloves Garlic, minced 1 16-ounce jar Ragu Cheddar Cheese Sauce 1 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese 1 teaspoon dried Oregano 1 teaspoon dried Basil Salt and pepper, as desired
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 2. Place bacon strips in large skillet and cook over medium heat approximately 4 to 5 minutes per side. Bacon should be crisp on both sides for ease in breaking into smaller pieces. 3. Transfer cooked bacon to a plate lined with paper towels to soak up grease. 4. Crumble ground beef into skillet, allowing it to cook in the remaining bacon grease. Stir frequently and break up any large pieces using a spatula.
5. Using a 3-quart pot, add 2 quarts of water, pinch of salt and a splash of olive oil. Bring to a boil, add pasta and cook as per package instructions.
6. While ground beef and pasta are cooking, wash jalapeno peppers, remove seeds and dice. If you prefer super spicy, chop entire pepper including the seeds. 7. Remove skin from garlic cloves and mince. 8. Break bacon into bite-size pieces and add along with jalapeno peppers and garlic cloves to ground beef during the last 3 to 4 minutes of cooking. 9. Lightly grease a 9x12 baking dish with olive oil. 10. Drain pasta using a colander and transfer to baking dish.
11. Drain hamburger mixture in colander and rinse with water to remove excess grease. 12. Add hamburger mixture and Ragu Cheddar Cheese Sauce to pasta. Gently stir to incorporate ingredients.
13. Top casserole with shredded Cheddar Cheese. Evenly sprinkle with dried Oregano and Basil.
14. Place Mac' and Cheese in the oven and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until cheese melts and begins to turn brown on top.
15. Using oven mitts, remove casserole from oven. Allow to sit for 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to dinner plates and serve immediately.
Introducing Gourmet Fresh Fruit Club: Helping You Succeed in Fruit and Veggie Day!
In celebration of our new "Fruit and Veggie Day" program, I'd like to introduce you to Clubs of America Gourmet Fresh Fruit Club. Joining the club will make it so much easier for you to participate in the Fruit and Veggie Day program because each month you will receive five pounds of seasonal gourmet fruit delivered straight to your door.
The Gourmet Fresh Fruit Club offers perfect freshly harvested and handpicked fruit directly from the grower. Each 5-pound order includes succulent, ready-to-eat fruit bursting with flavor. Each month, Gourmet Fresh Fruit Club members receive two different kinds of fruit harvested by hand at the peak of the season.
Recognized as a prominent gift club specialist,Clubs of America has been in business since 1994. They know what it takes to satisfy their customers and go above to ensure members are completely satisfied with their product order.
Every Monthly Fruit Club order is backed by an ironclad 100-percent satisfaction guarantee. There are no subscription requirements. Club membership can run for the length of time you specify. Choose from one month to twelve month programs. Should you decide to order a one-year subscription, Clubs of America is currently offering an instant $25 savings.
In addition to receiving the world's finest gourmet fruit, members also receive Fruit Expeditions™, a monthly fruit club newsletter containing interesting facts on current selections, along with opportunities to stock up on your favorite varieties at discounted prices.
Fresh Fruit Club makes an excellent gift certain to be enjoyed by everyone who receives it. Currently, all orders include free shipping. If you are looking for high-quality, freshly picked gourmet fruit, join Clubs of America Monthly Fruit Club today. Both your wallet and your body will be glad you did!
Click on the banner below to place your Monthly Fruit Club order today!
P.S. Visit TheCheapGourmet.com each Friday to download your free "Fruit and Veggie Day" menu planner.
The past few weeks, I've been adding several updates to The Cheap Gourmet blog. Many of these changes have been behind-the-scenes, so I wanted to provide easy access links to help you locate the newly added sections.
First, The Cheap Gourmet has joined forces with Fatigue Be Gone to provide weekly "Fruit and Veggie Day" menu planners. Each Friday through the end of August, we will provide free menu planners consisting of fruit and veggie recipes. Learn more about this exciting (and free!) nutritional program and download the first issue of Fruit and Veggie Day Menu Planner via the "Fruit and Veggie Day" Announcement.
Second, I have added a new "Cooking Contests" section. This will be a work-in-progress and new contests will be added on a frequent basis. The contests are listed alphabetically by expiration date. I am a huge fan of cooking contests and want this section to be easy to navigate so you receive the fullest benefit. Any comments and feedback on the "Cooking Contests" section will be greatly appreciated.
Third, in case you missed it, Easy Bakeware is currently running an awesome special. EasyBakeware offers a wide range of baking and cooking items. Presently, they are offering FREE Bakeware. You can order one item for free, but need to pay the cost of shipping and handling. I ordered the red silicon mini muffing tin and the cost of shipping was $7.95. You can order as many items as you'd like. Upon checkout, Easy Bakeware deducts the cost of the most expensive item, which you will receive for free. Check out the Easy Bakeware post for further details.
Last, but not least, I am working on creating recipe categories. Many readers have commented it has become increasingly difficult for them to locate their favorite recipes and asked if I could arrange them by category. I am happy to accommodate your request and will be working on this throughout the month. At present, The Cheap Gourmet offers nearly 200 recipes, so this project might take a few weeks to complete.
As always, I appreciate your feedback and comments. My goal is to make The Cheap Gourmet your preferred cooking and bargain shopping website. If there is anything you would like to see more or less of, feel free to contact me via the "Contact Me" link or by posting a comment below.
Thank you for your patronage and I look forward to hearing from you soon!
I am excited to announce "Fruit and Veggie Day" ~ a fun way to improve your health. Fruit and Veggie Day is the brainchild of my friend and business associate, Viveca Stone-Berry. Viveca is the founder of FatigueBeGone.com and author of "Fatigue Be Gone Jumpstart Guide"; a step-by-step guide for easy transition into a healthy, energetic lifestyle.
Fruit and Veggie Day isn't some far-fetched diet plan where you are forced to eat nothing but kiwi or strawberries for a week. In fact, it isn't a diet at all. It is simply making a conscious decision to eat nothing but fruits and vegetables for an entire day once a week. Give it a try. You'll be amazed at the difference it makes!
An entire series of events surrounds Fruit and Veggie Day, which you can read about further down in this post if you would like. It's really a great story, but not everyone cares to hear the details. For those of you who like to cut to the chase, this section is for you.
Each Friday, The Cheap Gourmet and Fatigue Be Gone will publish a new Fruit and Veggie Menu Planner. This gives you time to shop over the weekend. On Monday, we commit to eating only fruit and vegetable dishes throughout the day.
We invite you to participate in this energizing nutritional experiment and interact with us. Share your fruit and veggie recipes. Ask questions. Offer feedback and suggestions. Share your results.
In reality, you can't get much cheaper than eating fruits and vegetables and they are far better for your body than fast food or processed garbage. Research shows eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and fiber offers a host of health benefits.
This experiment is presented compliments of The Cheap Gourmet and Fatigue Be Gone. There is no fee. We aren't charging for the menu plans. You don't have to interact if you don't want to, but we'd love it if you did.
All you have to do is:
Stop by the The Cheap Gourmet blog each Friday to download your menu plan.
Or, subscribe to The Cheap Gourmet RSS feed (upper right corner) or Viveca's newsletter. It's that simple.
Every week through the end of August we will publish menu plans consisting of two Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner recipes, plus six healthy snacks. Choose one recipe from each category and follow the plan outlined in the guide.
We hope you enjoy the recipes and reap an enormous boost in energy. Feel free to share the Fruit and Veggie menu planners with friends, family, co-workers and neighbors. We look forward to hearing from you and thank you for joining us in our journey toward vibrant health!
Viveca and I met in a health and wellness forum. We both suffered from similar ailments and were sick and tired of being sick and tired. In our quest to feel better we tried a myriad of products, remedies, alternative therapies and nutritional programs.
Viveca has recovered from adrenal fatigue; a little-known disorder that affects nearly 80-percent
of Americans. Throughout her quest to regain her energy, Viveca went to
various doctors and specialists and tried numerous prescription
medications, nutritional products, alternative therapies and altering
her diet. She shares her experiences, along with what worked and what
didn't in "Fatigue Be Gone Jumpstart Guide" ebook.
A few weeks ago, Viveca and I were conversing by phone and she told me that she and a friend visit local food markets each weekend to purchase their fruit and veggie day
menu items. There's nothing better than spending a few hours with a
good friend and discovering a plethora of fresh (and oftentimes
organic) fruits and veggies. If you would like to locate local Farmers Markets visit LocalHarvest.org.
Each Monday Viveca, her husband, Michael, and her friend eat nothing but fresh fruits and vegetables. They juice, create smoothies, make fruit salads, vegetable salads and even desserts! When
she told me this story, I wanted to join in the fun.
Although we live
in different states and can't shop together, we can offer support,
share recipes and feel great together. As we discussed inviting our
friends and family to join us, we were struck with the idea to share
our concept with readers of our blogs. After all, the more the merrier
(and energetic!).
We decided to offer complimentary Fruit and Veggie Day menu planners each week for the rest of the summer. Many of the recipes are extracted from "The Diva Diet"; a cookbook I wrote for people suffering from autoimmune disease.
If you're tired of feeling tired all the time, I HIGHLY recommend Viveca's guide. For less than $10 you can discover simple techniques to help determine if you are suffering from adrenal fatigue. Printable questionnaires can be filled out and provided to your doctor. She even reveals one simple home test that only requires a small glass of water and your spit. It's amazing what your spit can reveal about your health.
*This ebook is sold through Clickbank; the most trusted provider of information products. It's backed by a 30-day 100% money-back guarantee. You have nothing to lose, and a whole lot of energy to gain. I don't mean to come across sounding like a sales pitch. It's just that Viveca's book changed my life and helped me regain my energy. I'm excited to share it with others because it feels great to feel great!
In closing, we are excited to have you join us in Fruit and Veggie Day. If the mood strikes you, please Tweet us, or post a link to Facebook or Myspace, or Stumble us. Our goal is to help people feel better and have plenty of energy to enjoy life!
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