Strawberry Salad and a Fantastic Cookbook Giveaway!

One thing I love most about strawberries, besides their sweet, juicy deliciousness, is their versatility. I love the fact that they can be used in both sweet and savory dishes. This strawberry salad is fantastic! I am all over the balsamic dijon dressing, the goat cheese, the pine nuts, the greens...and of course, the luscious strawberries.



I found this recipe in a terrific new cookbook titled, Strawberry Recipes for Everyday. It features California Strawberries. Don't get me wrong...I'm all over my local Oregon strawberries but... California, with all of it's beautiful sunny days, pumps out some mighty yummy berries as well.

I received two of these lovely cookbooks in my mailbox...One for review and one to share with one of you! Isn't that fun?!! You will love this cookbook. It's full of gorgeous photos and yummy strawberry recipes. There are breakfast recipes, appetizers and snacks, sweets, main courses, salads and beverages.

This cookbook is available in both print and E-book formats.

Chinois Strawberry and Goat Cheese Salad
slightly adapted from Strawberry Recipes for Everyday

Ingredients

Balsamic Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup Balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
1 tbs. garlic, chopped
1/2 tsp sugar
1 cup soybean oil
salt and pepper as needed

Fried Wonton Strips:
3 oz wonton skins
vegetable oil as needed
salt as needed

3 pounds spring mix or mesclun salad (I subbed baby arugula and baby spinach)
1 1/2 quarts fresh California strawberries, stemmed and sliced
3/4 cup toasted pine nuts
4.5 lbs fresh goat cheese, crumbled

To make Balsamic Vinaigrette:
In blender jar, purée vinegar, mustard, garlic and sugar. With motor running, slowly drizzle in oil until vinaigrette is thick and emulsified. Season with salt and pepper.

To make Fried Wonton Skins:
Cut wonton skins into 1/4-inch strips. Deep-fry in 350°F oil until crisp and golden. Drain on paper towels; sprinkle lightly with salt.

To assemble each salad:
Toss 4 cups spring mix, 1/2 cup strawberries, 1 tablespoon pine nuts and 3 ounces goat cheese with 1 1/2 tablespoons Balsamic Vinaigrette. Mound on salad plate; top with 1/4 cup Fried Wonton Strips.

Yield: 24 servings
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To enter my giveaway:

Please visit the California Strawberries website. Come on back over here and let me know if anything caught your eye.

Like California Strawberries in FB.

Let me know you'd like to win.

Oh yes, please, please, please, leave me a way to reach you if you should win. :)

Giveaway open to everyone far and wide until Saturday night at midnight PST.

Hugs to you all and have a super week!






Read more...

Gear up for Summer Giveaway!!

I have a slight addiction to bags and totes so I can't tell you how thrilled I was to receive this adorable insulated party cooler for review from Veeshee. Are you familiar with Veeshee? Well, if not, you've been missing out! A girl or guy could get completely carried away and shop herself silly! They have an amazing selection of quality party totes, cosmetic bags, beach bags, diaper bags, wine totes, tennis bags, handbags, yoga totes, laptop bags, lunch totes... They also carry plush robes and towels, spa wraps, shower curtains, umbrellas... They even have lots of goodies for teen, kids, babies...even pets. Best of all, anything and everything your heart desires can be monogrammed! I just love that!

The Veeshee website is so much fun to play around on, too. You can type in your preferred words or initials and they show up on the product you're interested in. You can play around with colors and fonts....Really Cool!



I was so excited when my package arrived. It was thoughtfully packed in this lovely box.



It was even wrapped in turquoise tissue paper. I felt like I was unwrapping a gift.

Gifts are good! ;)



The fine people at Veeshee have allowed me the pleasure of giving away a choice of either a Party Cooler like the one I received (there are two patterns to choose from) or this fun insulated Wine Tote. Both of these will be perfect for keeping things cool during the rapidly approaching summer months.

To enter:

One entry for each of these.

-Visit the Veeshee website and let me know which bag or accessory is your favorite.
-Follow theUngourmet
-Follow theUngourmet on Facebook
-Tweet about this giveaway
-Post about this giveaway on your blog

I guess that's enough, right?!

Note: Veeshee is only able to ship within the U.S. at this time.

Please leave a separate comment for each and PLEASE leave me a way to reach you by email. :)

I will randomly choose one winner on Easter Sunday. :0)

Happy Wednesday!






Read more...

Spring Millet Salad...and a fabulous giveaway!

I truly live in the land that spring forgot! Today we reached a high of 45 degrees. I don't believe March or April have seen a single day without rain. It's so miserable I've resorted to a few fake and bake sessions just to keep my spirits up.

Since I haven't figured out how to change the weather to suit my fancy, I decided to bring a little "Spring" to the dinner table. The veggies in this salad add a nice pop of color and the goat cheese and prosciutto are fabulously salty and bold and add a great dimension of flavor. The millet was easy to work with and was a nice break from rice or couscous. I love that it's gluten free as well!

Spring Millet Salad
by theUngourmet

Serves six or more

Print recipe

1 cup uncooked millet
2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
4-5 slices of prosciutto, cut into thin strips
1 tbsp canola oil
4 oz crumbled goat cheese
1 1/2 cups 365 Everyday Value frozen peas and carrots, thawed
thinly sliced chives for garnish
salt and cracked pepper to taste

In a medium saucepan bring stock to a boil. Add millet and reduce heat to low. Cover and cook for 25 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Place in a large bowl and allow to cool to room temperature. While millet is cooking, heat oil in a small skillet and cook prosciutto until crisp.

Add the prosciutto to the millet and toss. Add the goat cheese and veggies and give it another toss. Salt and pepper to taste and garnish with chives. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

This is such a lovely salad. I'm thinking it will be a perfect Easter dinner side dish. :) Mmm. Bring on the ham and deviled eggs!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now on to an exciting giveaway!



Lisa at the Nourishing Homemaker has generously supplied me with a sample of her wonderful lotion bar and has allowed me to give another bar away to one lucky reader as well. Lisa created her lotion bars in an attempt to help her son with his severe eczema. The results were greater than they could have imagined.

My husband suffers from skin rashes on his torso that worsens in the wintertime. The doctors have prescribed many creams and ointments but nothing seems to do the trick. My son also has cracked itchy skin behind his ears and we've tried everything under the sun to get it to heal. Today I applied Nourished Skin to my son's ears twice and I was pleased to find that it didn't sting like most other treatments have. My son says it feels really soothing and he loves the scent the beeswax brings. I've also been applying it to my dry heels and then putting on nice thick socks before bed. It's making my feet quite happy! I have a great feeling about Lisa's lotion bar. The price of the bars is so reasonable and a little goes a long way.

Hop on over and visit Lisa's Etsy shop and her wonderful blog. Then leave me a comment and let me know you'd like to win a bar of Nourished Skin. I'll pick one winner randomly on Sunday night.

Happy Spring!






Read more...

Mini Cat in the Hat Cupcakes and a Winner!

March 2nd we celebrate the birthday of the marvelously creative Dr. Seuss. Theodor Geisel aka Dr. Seuss was born on March 2, 1904. Kids from 1 to 101 continue to be filled with delight while reading the likes of Cat in the Hat, Green Eggs and Ham, One Fish, Two Fish, Horton Hears a Who, The Grinch, The Lorax... Over the years my kids and I have snuggled up on the sofa together, diving head first into the wacky and whimsical world of Dr. Seuss.

I found this fun Cat in the Hat cupcake idea while visiting Gordon Gossip. Our cupcakes turned out a bit droopy compared to the ones over there. We plan on attempting them again tomorrow. ;)

Which Dr. Seuss book is your favorite?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I also wanted to congratulate Holly at the Peppered Pantry. Holly you are lucky number 21 and the proud owner of a fun new beach bag from Simply Bags. Email me with your color preference, what you'd like embroidered on your bag and your shipping info and I'll get it over to Simply Bags. ;)


So the writer who breeds more words than he needs, is making a chore for the reader who reads. -Dr. Seuss

Today you are you, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is youer than you. -Dr.Seuss

Be sure to hop over and take a peek at Seussville, it's a fun and silly website to hang out and explore.




Read more...

Simply Bags-Beach Giveaway

This morning we awoke to a little winter fun. A dusting of the white stuff lightly blanketed our backyard....more a sheet than a blanket really but still fun for nine year old boys. :)

The chilly morning caused my mind to wander. It meandered off to this amazingly warm and sunny day we enjoyed on the Oregon Coast last summer.



We rarely manage to hit the coast on a day like this one. Usually the wind is whipping and the rain is pelting. On this particular day we couldn't have asked for finer weather.



Spring and summer are just around the corner! Are you ready? Do you have the perfect beach bag yet? No?! Well, do I have a fun giveaway for you, courtesy of Simply Bags!

Aren't these terrific? The colors are so bright and cheery! No beach? That's just fine. These bags are terrific for any little getaway you can dream up. The giveaway includes your choice of these two yummy colors and personalized embroidery.

To enter:

1. Hop over to Simply Bags. Come back over and tell me which bag is your favorite.
2. Like Simply Bags on Facebook.
3. Follow the Ungourmet.
4. Follow the Ungourmet on Facebook.
5. Follow the Ungourmet on Twitter (my tweets are protected so please request and I'll accept.)
6. Tweet about this giveaway.

Each of these gives you another entry so remember to leave a separate comment here for each one.

Giveaway open until Sunday night to U.S. only. Good luck!! ;)




Read more...

ChicoBag Giveaway!

I'm so in love with ChicoBag bags and totes! They take reusable shopping bags to a whole new level. They are so fun and spunky! They are also strong and sturdy and can stand up to all sorts of cramming, packing and stuffing of groceries, farmer's market finds, antiques, thrift store trash to treasures, diapers, bottles, teacup chihuahuas.... Whatever you need to get from point A to point B. ChicoBag reusable bags will get the job done!

Over the past two years I have had the chance to give away a three pack of ChicoBag produce bags and to give you the 411 on a fun and spooky Halloween bag design contest.

This time I'd like to give away one of the new fun and flirty Blossom Collection bags ChicoBag has to offer. This one just happens to be in my favorite color... pink. This collection just screams springtime!! There are four different designs to choose from in the collection and they are all completely fabulous!

This one is my favorite!

Here are the giveaway rules:
1. Hop on over to ChicoBag and let me know which bag or tote is your favorite.
2. Follow Chicobag on Facebook.
3. Follow theUngourmet.

Please leave me a separate comment for each. Contest Ends this coming Sunday, February 20th.

Don't miss out! ;)

Disclaimer- The opinions expressed here are completely my own. I received no compensation from ChicoBag other than the free samples shown above.

Read more...

valentine cake and a lovely blog birthday giveaway

My how time flies! It seems like just yesterday my daughter was sitting in her high chair happily playing with wooden spoons and spatulas while I prepared dinner. Yesterday we signed her up for high school (starting next fall)! It's also amazing to me that it has been two years since I began my blogging journey. I've learned so much and made so many friends. It's fun to look back at some of my first posts and find comments from fellow bloggers I still hear from and visit to this day. You are so dear to me and I value your friendship so much. It's great to see how we've all grown as time has gone by. I was just thinking that I will feel a bit of sadness and loss when one of us quits blogging and we lose touch, never having met in person. I guess that's how it goes with blogging.


Anyway, I wanted to throw I little party over here, complete with chocolate cake and these fun gifts! I am giving away an hors d'oeuvre cookbook full of great photos and tasty recipes, a tin box of cute kitchen sticky notes, a fabulously bright and springy dish towel from Crate and Barrel, and best of all, a pair of cupcake earrings designed especially for theUngourmet by one of my favorite designers, Molly the Pirate!


Let's take a closer look at these cuties!! Of course I had to have a pair as well. Luckily Molly had enough beads to make an extra pair. ;) I just love them! Be sure to pay a visit to Molly's Etsy Shop, you will fall in love!


So, help yourself to a slice of cake and put your entry in.

Follow my blog for one entry. Follow me on Facebook for an extra entry.

I will keep this giveaway open until Wednesday February 9th. I will then use Random Generator to pick one lucky winner. This giveaway is open to all of you, no matter where you live....well, unless you live on Venus or Mars. ;)

Thanks for stopping by. Happy Weekend!






Read more...

roasted garlic and veggie pasta and yet another giveaway

I recently had an opportunity to sample a terrific whole grain pasta from a company called Jovial. Jovial pasta is made from the most ancient variety of wheat called Einkorn. Einkorn is packed with fiber, protein, minerals, B vitamins, the powerful antioxidant Lutein and Thiamin. This pasta is masterly crafted in Italy by expert pasta artisans. It is also sustainably packaged in cartons made from eighty percent recycled cardboard. All of these facts are very impressive but, I have to say, what impressed me most was the wonderful flavor and texture of this pasta.



I've tried other varieties of whole grain pasta and I have found the texture to be a bit gritty and unappealing. I was so impressed with Jovial's whole grain pasta. In addition to spaghetti, they also make a nice Penne Rigate, Fusilli, and Rigatoni. If gluten is an issue, you are also in luck because they have a fantastic gluten-free brown rice pasta as well.

I came up with this terrific Roasted Garlic and Veggie Pasta Toss. No specific recipe here. First I drizzled a bit of olive oil over a few cloves of smashed garlic and some fresh cut veggies. I seasoned the garlic veggie mix with kosher salt and roasted in a 400 degree oven for about twenty minutes. Then I tossed the garlic and veggie mix a with a nice helping of Jovial Einkorn Whole Grain Spaghetti and garnished with feta, cracked pepper and fresh basil. It was a healthy and delicious meal.

Look for Jovial pastas at Whole Foods and some Market of Choice locations. The company plans to add new locations weekly so keep an eye out.

Jovial sent me an extra box of pasta for one of my lucky readers. I would love it if I could afford to ship worldwide. Unfortunately, I'm on a tight budget at the moment so I have to stick with U.S. shipping only. Simply leave me a comment letting me know you'd like to be a part of this giveaway. Oh, and don't forget to leave me a way to reach you! I'll leave this giveaway open through Sunday night. Best of luck to you all!





Read more...

fun ChicoBag halloween contest for kids

I wanted to let you know about a fun contest going on until the end of October over at ChicoBag. Kids ages 1-13 have an opportunity to design an eco-friendly Halloween bag with the "Spirit of a Green Halloween" theme. If your child's design is chosen it will be featured on next year's Halloween bag.

Even if you're not up for entering the contest you can still pick up a cute bag like the one pictured above in plenty of time for your little ghost or goblin to stash their loot. There are actually two terrific designs to choose from.

Hop over to ChicoBag and get in on the fun!

Oops! I forgot to mention there is a cash prize for the 1st and 2nd place winners!!





Read more...

a fun kid-friendly cookbook and a giveaway

Have you seen this fun new cookbook yet? It's called Picture Me Cooking and it's so much more than your run of the mill cookbook. It's a cookbook, photo album and activity book all in one! Children ages 3 and up will enjoy this book.



There are beautiful color photograph to go along with each recipe. And what's really fun are the plastic sleeves for placing your own photographs of you and your kids cooking up the recipe.



Picture Me Cooking contains recipes for Breakfast, Snacks, Drinks, Lunch, Dinner and Dessert. Also included is a section on kitchen safety, kitchen math, and a spot for adding in your own family favorites.



What a fun way to make memories and spend quality time with our kids, grand kids, nieces, nephews, God-children...

I received 2 copies of Picture Me Cooking. One for review and one to give to a friend or loved one. I thought it would be fun to give the extra copy to one my bloggy friends!

Leave me a comment and let me know you'd like to win. If you have a favorite kid-friendly recipe, feel free to mention it in your comment. I will keep this giveaway open until midnight Wednesday, August 25th. The 25th will be my son's 9th birthday! Giveaway open to US and Canadian readers.

Be sure to hop over to the Picture Me Cooking blog! There is lots of fun stuff going on over there!

Stay tuned! My kids and I will be cooking one of the recipes from the cookbook in the next day or two. :)





Read more...