Light Summer Snacks Featuring Melba Toast

Have you ever had an opportunity to try Melba Toast?  I know it’s hard to believe, but up until a week or so ago, I had never tried this crunchy little snack (and they’ve been around for 80 years!).  They’re great for snacking but I actually like the idea of using them as substitutes for higher calorie breads in recipes.  They’re available in eight flavors, four of which contain whole grains.  Here is a tuna recipe I found on their site that was actually really good (it’s dairy and egg free so my son is able to eat this):

Tuna Classic

Serves 4

4 – 3oz packets of White Albacore Tuna, fully cooked
2 Squirts Lemon Juice
1 1/2 Tablespoon finely diced Bermuda Onion (Red Onion)
1-2 stalks celery, finely diced (optional)
1/2 Tablespoon Garlic powder
2 medium dill pickles, chopped

Combine the above ingredients and spoon onto Melba Rye Toasts
Garnish with celery leaves

For extra flare, add your favorite hot pepper sauce or a pinch of turmeric powder

You can also snack on Melba Toast with hummus or make mini bruschetta with them by adding tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, and basil (season with salt and pepper if you’d like).  The most interesting recipe I saw included dipping them in chocolate!  Be sure to check out their site for more summer-inspired recipes.

Now through June 30, 2010, you can enter their “Dance Your Way to Hollywood” contest.  One winner and a guest will receive an all-expense paid trip to California which includes private lessons at 3rd Street Dance Studio and tickets to watch the television show taping (four-day, three night trip which includes air and hotel).  To enter, just visit Toast for Everyday Health.

“I wrote  this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Old London Melba Toast and received a sample to facilitate my candid review. Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

Sweeps Around the Web

Ceiva is giving away several prizes, just in time for Mother’s Day including:

Grand Prize Package

$1000 Delta Vacations Gift CardCEIVA Pro 80 Digital Photo Frame with designer silver-finished Swarovski crystal faceplate.

1-Year PicturePlan Photo Delivery Service

First Prize Package
CEIVA Pro 80 Family Pack

3 CEIVA Pro 80 Digital Photo Frames3 1-Year PicturePlan Photo Delivery Service

Second Prize Package
CEIVA Pro 80 Twin Pack

2 CEIVA Pro 80 Digital Photo Frames2 1-Year PicturePlan Photo Delivery Service

Third Prize Package
CEIVA Pro 80 Starter Pack

CEIVA Pro 80 Digital Photo Frame1-Year PicturePlan Photo Delivery Service

Deadline to enter is May 3, 2010.

Sono is giving away a House Full of Music (retails for $2,000).  Simply tweet with #Sonos about ‘why your #momrocks’ starting on Monday, May 3^rd for a chance to win. Contest ends May 6^th

Tropicana is giving away $1000…to 24 winners!  One for every hour of the day!  Head on over before 11:59 PM CST tonight to enter to win. (You must use 3 points to enter).

FYI…I’ll be updating this post throughout the day so check back for more!

I wrote this review while participating in the Tropicana Juicy Insiders Ambassador program by Mom Central on behalf of Tropicana. I received 12 free Juicy Rewards points and a $50 Visa gift card to use in redemption of the points and to facilitate my review.

Sweeps Around the Web

I interrupt this Earth Day series to bring you a whole slew of contests happening right now around the web.  While I don’t usually do this, the following contests I’m about to share with you are huge…the prizes are phenomenal…I would enter…so should you! By the way…all of the contests were hand-selected by me and you don’t have to jump through hoops to enter.  Good Luck!

Without further ado…here they are:

Bravado! Designs is giving away over $450 worth of prizes including their fabulous nursing bras and tanks.  Deadline unknown.

Near East is giving away monthly prize packs which include:

• A basket of delicious, 100% natural Near East products
• A beautiful international cookbook
• A gourmet spice rack complete with 40 essential spices
• One-year subscriptions to several gourmet food magazines

The grand prize is a A 7-day Mediterranean cruise for you and a guest.  Deadline is August 31, 2010.

GoodNites is giving away $2,500 towards your very own family adventure.  Simply tell GoodNites what Iggy’s next adventure will be and you’re entered to win.  Deadline is April 15, 2010 (hurry!).

Nuk is giving away product prize bundles every week through April 30.  Two winners will receive a $2,500 gift card to Babies R Us.  Deadline is April 30, 2010.

YouSendIt is giving away an Apple iPad, Solar charger, Amazon gift cards, and a YouSendIt T-shirt.  Simply fill out the form, letting them know how you plan to conserve this Earth Day.  Deadline is April 30, 2010.

Mutsy is giving away a Mutsy Easygrow High Chair.  Simply fan them on Facebook and leave a comment with your favorite Mutsy produt.  Deadline is April 30, 2010.

Elliott Lucca is giving away their Granada Tote in Linen along with skincare, bath, and body products from Bliss.  Deadline is May 5, 2010.

Cake Lingerie just launched in the US and is hosting a Mother’s Day giveaway.  Prizes include the following:

• Belli Skincare pack
• Bliss Maternity Cocoon Wrap
• Ilant Maternity Swimwear voucher
• OiOi Designer Baby Bag
• Szabo ‘Dress’ Denim Jean

Deadline is April 25, 2010.

Epson is giving away a TON of prizes in their scavenger hunt, including the grand prize of $50,000.  Deadline is May 31, 2010.

BabyPlanet is giving away an Endangered Species Stroller for Earth Day.  Deadline to enter is April 21, 2010.

Mom’s Best Naturals is giving away $500 and a Flip Cam in their Mother’s Day Contest.  Deadline to enter is May 2, 2010.

Cinnabon is giving away a $100 gift card.  Deadline is April 30, 2010.

Do you enter contests?  Do you like this type of information?  I’d love your thoughts to determine if I’ll continue to post this type of content.

I did not receive compensation for this post.  I simply wanted to share this with you.

Fresh Express’ Online Leaf Locator (Giveaway)

I could eat salad every day and never tire of it, granted it includes fruits, nuts, and fancy cheeses.  With two small children and a tightly packed schedule, I don’t have time to pull a head of lettuce apart to make a salad.  And the fact is, I’ve always preferred bagged salad over a head of lettuce.  It makes it so much easier to toss in all of my “extras” in just a few minutes.

Fresh Express, one of the leading salad makers, provides consumers with healthy, convenient ready-to-eat spinach, salads, and vegetables.  The company has committed to offering the freshest, best tasting products.  And because they truly believe in their products, they’ve launched an online Leaf Locator, designed to give you the “inside story” on what’s inside their bagged salads.  When you visit Leaf Locator, you’ll find out where the greens in your bag of salad were grown and cared for, and information about the lettuce and spinach growing regions that make them ideal for nurturing a variety of leaves.  You can also meet the people who made your salad.

Every bag of Fresh Express (excluding cole slaw and organic salads) has an id code that can be entered at the Leaf Locator. To celebrate it’s launch, Fresh Express is hosting a contest where 30 people will win a year of free salad (52 bags).  When you sign up to receive their Fresh Updates, you’ll automatically be entered.

Win It! Additionally, you’ll have a chance a year’s worth of free lettuce in a separate blogger contest.  To enter, simply sign up for Fresh Updates here.  Contest ends April 23rd at 11:59 PM EST.

Be sure to visit Fresh Express for recipe ideas and more information about their Leaf Locator.

Bumble Bee Foods…Helping You Bee Well For Life

Last month I shared with you a bit about Bumble Bee’s BeeWell For Life program (formerly titled BeeWell Miles).  To recap, BeeWell For Life offers resources and tools to motivate and help you achieve a healthy, active lifestyle.

If you decide to sign up for the site (which is free and provides a wealth of information), be sure to log the miles you walk, run or bike to be eligible for prizes and to help make a difference for Breast Cancer Network of Strength. Bumble Bee will donate 15 cents per mile logged between now and October 31, 2010. When they reach a goal of one million logged miles, Bumble Bee will make an additional $50,000 contribution for a total donation of $200,000.

And…if motivation to get fit and healthy in 2010 isn’t enough, the company just launched their new “Bee at the Walk” contest at BeeWell For Life.  Now through April 16th, you can submit a breast cancer related story via text entry, personal photograph or video, explaining why you should attend the Breast Cancer Network of Strength Mother’s Day Walk to Empower a BeeWell For Life National Ambassador in Chicago.  Those who log on to the site can vote for their favorite submissions and 5 finalists will be chosen from those votes.  A panel of Bumble Bee & Network of Strength judges will then make a final review of the finalists and select the winner. The grand prize will include:

• All expense paid trip for 4 to Chicago
• Meet and greet with the NOS team
• Tour of the FTD corporate location
• Bouquet of roses provided by FTD
• Flip camera (or similar video recorder) to document the experience

In addition to the grand prize trip to Chicago, entrants can also select if they would like to be entered to become a Team Captain for the remaining 13 cities. If selected as a team captain, they will be sent a branded Flip camera to record their experience at the walk.

If you’re looking for motivation, inspiration, education, and accountability to help you achieve your nutrition and fitness goals this year, check out BeeWell For Life.

I did not receive compensation for this post.  As a member of the Bee Squad, I receive information and product samples.

Banquet’s Thanks a Million Sweepstakes

My husband and I work very hard to ensure that on most nights, we have a home cooked meal.  But you know that I don’t like to cook.  And with two kiddos to look after, there are some nights when I get a little lazy and resort to take out or something that can be prepared in just a few minutes.

Banquet, a company that has been creating home-style frozen dinner meals for over 50 years, is giving away over $1 million worth of redeemable cash prizes through the month of April.  Just look for Banquet frozen-dinner meals with the “Thanks a Million” logo on the box.  Each of these boxes will contain a special game piece and your chance at one of 16,000 prizes worth $10 to $100,000 or a Banquet coupon.  This is the company’s way of saying “Thanks a Million” to their loyal customers.

I had not heard of Banquet meals until just recently, so we picked a few up to try them.  The varieties are typical American meals like Macaroni & Cheese, Chicken Fingers, and Spaghetti & Meatballs for kids, and Sweet and Sour Chicken, Turkey and Gravy, and Lasagna.  They’re quick and easy to make and taste good.  The one suggestion I would make is that I’d love to see the company come out with lower sodium versions.

For information, just visit their site.

I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Banquet and received a sample to facilitate my candid review. Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

Potato Fest at Souplantation *Giveaway*

This giveaway is now closed. Thanks for stopping by.  The winners are Sharon R., Karen, and Kathleen S. Congrats!

One of my favorite casual, kid-friendly, and affordable restaurants to eat at is Souplantation (aka Sweet Tomatoes in some parts of the country).  As I write this, I’m craving their corn muffins and focaccia bread and chicken noodle soup!  February is Potato Fest Month at Souplantation and National Potato Lovers’ Month.  Oh how I love my starches and what a great excuse to eat them (along with the fact that I need an extra 300 calories these days).

Potatoes are actually quite good for you (sans the cheese, butter, and sour cream).  They are low in calories, fat and cholesterol free and packed with potassium.  I prefer them baked but you can also mash, boil, or steam them.  To celebrate, Souplantation has a potato-themed menu that sounds absolutely delicious.  Check out some of their offerings this month:

•          Roasted Potato Foccacia

•          Cream of Rosemary Potato Soup

•          Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes with Bacon

•          Sweet Potato Corn Chowder

•          Bistro Potato Salad

•          Golden Yam Bisque

Be sure to check out the company blog, Facebook page or Twitter page for your chance to play “Hot Potato” and win free meal passes!

Win It! Three of you will win two passes each to Souplantation.  Simply leave me a comment with the name of a menu item from the site you’d like to try.  Comments will close on March 7, 2010 at 11:59 PM PST.  One comment per person, please (unless you do the extra credit). US residents only. Duplicates and comments not including the above information will be disqualified. Comments are moderated. If you don’t see your comment in a reasonable amount of time, send me an email. Bloggers and non-bloggers may enter. If you don’t want to leave your email address, please be sure to check back for my announcement on the winner. Please note that winners must respond within 48 hours of being announced/contacted or another winner will be drawn.

Want an extra entry? Do any or all of the following and receive an extra entry for each one.

Be sure to leave me a separate comment for each additional entry.

Follow me on Twitter AND tweet about the contest.

Vote for Rockin’ Mama for the Hot Blogger Calendar

Subscribe to my feed via email or reader.

Blog about this giveaway. It doesn’t have to be a separate post. Just include a blurb about it when you blog about other giveaways.

Click on one of the very cute buttons below and digg, stumble, fav, etc. Just let me know what you did in the comments!

I did not receive compensation for this post.

Pregnant? Enter To Win a Babymoon!

Right before our daughter was born, my husband and I took a trip up to Northern California for a “babymoon” of sorts.  We knew it was going to be our last trip without children for awhile.  My husband and I love to travel, but we’re staying close to home these days because traveling with two children (especially on a plane) is difficult.

If you’re expecting a baby, I highly recommend taking a trip with your significant other.  It could be something elaborate and exotic or a simple staycation.  The point is that once the baby arrives, time for yourself is not longer as abundant as it is right now.  Right now, Bright Starts is giving away a luxurious 7-night babymoon vacation to three lucky couples.  Relax and reconnect at an incredible U.S. Virgin Islands destination – St. Croix, St. John , or St. Thomas.

Here is what 3 very lucky couples will receive:
·        Airfare for up to four from anywhere in the continental U.S.
·        Seven night’s hotel accommodations
·        Spa treatment for the mother-to-be
·        Dinner for up to four people
·        $500 spending cash
·        Choice of activities

The sweepstakes ends November 30, 2010 and they will choose one winner after each 4-month giveaway period.  You can enter to win at Bright Starts and visit their Facebook page for more details details.

I did not receive compensation for this post.

Bizzie Mommy’s Mattress Giveaway

My friend Stephanie is wrapping up a fantastic giveaway (and I can’t believe I’m JUST now hearing about it).  Not only did she have an opportunity to review Sealy’s Posturepedic® Signature 11-Series mattress…she’s giving one away.

So what would I do with a new mattress?  Since I’m terribly sleep-deprived, I’m hoping the sleep I would get on it would be restorative.  I’ve never had a mattress with memory foam, and I could use some relief from the residual pregnancy back pain (dang hormones!).  The mattress has memory foam which is designed to relieve pressure on target areas of your body.

You only have until the 5th to enter Stephanie’s giveaway so hurry and head on over to her site!

Rethink What Matters…Bare Escentuals Wants To Hear Your Voice

As a busy mom of two, it’s not uncommon to find me out and about without makeup, hair pulled up in a clip, sporting jeans, a tank top, and flip flops.  This is my new reality.  And while I’m so happy to have two beautiful children, it’s definitely an adjustment to forego my previous beauty regimen because of time constraints.

In the coming weeks, I’ll be telling you about a fabulous (and all-natural!) makeup company called Bare Escentuals (I’m certain you’ve heard of it!).  Better yet, you’ll get an opportunity to win their bareMinerals SPF15 Foundation so be sure to come back!  I haven’t had a chance to try it out, however, the company states that it “feels completely weightless, but gives you all the flawless coverage you need.  Like you are wearing nothing at all.”

This past week, the company launched their new campaign, Rethink What Matters.  On their site, you’ll have an opportunity to share your opinion on a variety of topics and discuss what freedom really feels like.  By visiting the site and taking their short, five question quiz, you’ll be entered to win bareMinerals products (500 weekly winners).  Every week (on Friday) a new topic will be posted.  This week’s topic is “rethinking going bare in public”, and they’re giving away the Flawless Definition Mascara.

Bare Escentuals is a beauty brand that believes looking good is about enhancing what you have, rather than covering up imperfections with artificial products.  The company really wants to dialogue with women on what really matters when it comes to beauty.  You can follow them on Twitter and Facebook for more information about the campaign.

I did not receive compensation for this post.  I am working with Bare Escentuals on their campaign who provided the information above.

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