Holland House makes any meal more extraordinary and they are ready to prove that by offering free recipes on their Facebook page.  Their Everyday Cooking Sweepstakes offers one lucky winner each month a personal consultation from Meal Makeover Moms or your very own new cookware set.  Both would make great prizes just in time for Mother’s Day in May.

With Holland House you can add the flavor you desire while keeping your meals healthy for the family.  Holland House adds just the right flavor without making the kids turn up their noses.

Sweepstakes:

NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. Sweepstakes starts on 3/20/12 at 12:00:00 am CT and ends on 5/31/12 at 11:59:59 pm CT. Open to legal residents of the 50 U.S. and D.C. who are 18 years of age or older. Void where prohibited. For complete Official Rules click here. Sponsor: Mizkan Americas, Inc., 1661 Feehanville Drive, Suite 300, Mt. Prospect, IL 60056.

You must head over to their Facebook page to enter the sweepstakes for your chance to win.  Don’t forget to share it with your friends and family members on Facebook too.  You never know, if your friend or family member wins they may share with you all the details from their meal makeover consult.

Full Disclosure: I am a Mizkan Blogger Advocate and therefore product and compensation is provided for time spent sharing this with you. All opinions are 100% mine.

In honor of Mirror Mirror opening in theaters this weekend I am hosting a giveaway of a prize pack filled with One Bad Apple goodies.  I just love the apple shaped snow globe and you can’t go wrong with a compact mirror or chapstick for any princess.

Synopsis:
One of the most beloved stories of all time is coming to life in the motion picture event for the whole family, Mirror Mirror.  A fresh and funny retelling of the Snow White legend, Mirror Mirror features breakout star Lily Collins (The Blind Side) as Snow White, a princess in exile, and Oscar®-winner Julia Roberts as the evil Queen who ruthlessly rules her captured kingdom. Seven courageous rebel dwarfs join forces with Snow White as she fights to reclaim her birthright and win her Prince in this magical comedy filled with jealousy, romance, and betrayal that will capture the hearts and imaginations of audiences the world over.  The film also stars Armie Hammer (The Social Network) as the Prince, and Nathan Lane (The Birdcage) as the hapless and bungling servant to the Queen. Rated PG

I just had to share this hilarious social media spoof video with you all.  Of course we all love our social networks therefore I thought you guys would find this video amusing.

One (1) winner will receive:

• $25 Fandango Gift Card

• Mirror Mirror Tote Bag filled with lip balm, apple snow globe and compact mirror

How to Enter:

Leave me a comment and tell me who you want to win this Mirror Mirror prize pack for.

Additional Entries: (one entry per comment

• Follow @MommaDJane on Twitter
• Follow @AskMirrorMirror on Twitter
• Subscribe to MommaDJane RSS Feed
• Tweet the following tweet, leave permalink in comments

#MirrorMirror Prize Pack & $25 GC #giveaway to #win hosted by @MommaDJane thx to @AskMirrorMirror http://ow.ly/a0gM6

*Giveaway is open to all US Residents 18+ Entries will be accepted until Saturday, April 7th at midnight CST. Any and all comments after that time will not be counted towards giveaway entries. Reader must leave a method of contact within comment and must respond within 24 hours of contact, otherwise a new winner will be chosen. Random.org will be used to select a random winner from comments on this post.

Full Disclosure: All opinions are 100% mine.  Giveaway compliments of Relativity Media.

Disney on Ice’s Dare to Dream is coming to Dallas March 28th.  Every year since I was a little girl I’ve been attending the Disney on Ice events.  My grandparents and parents used to take me when I was younger and I continued the tradition with my kids.  We love it!

Gabby’s two favorite princesses are Rapunzel from Tangled and Tiana from Princess and the Frog.  Matter of fact Gabby has been growing her hair out lately and telling everyone she’s growing it as long as Tangled.  I can’t wait to see her face when she gets to see Tiana and Rapunzel ice skating.  The costumes and acts each year are beyond amazing.  It is like the real life characters walk out of the movies right onto the ice.

Experience Disney’s hilarious hair-raising escapade, Tangled; as Rapunzel, her unlikely companion, Flynn, and Maximus, embark on an uproarious journey that takes adventure to new lengths!  Boogie to the beat of the bayou with Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen in a magical, musical journey that all begins with a fateful kiss.  And fanciful dreams become reality as Cinderella meets her Prince Charming, with a glass slipper fit for an unforgettable fantasy come true.  All your favorite princesses take to the ice in a spectacular finale at the ultimate Disney Princess event of a lifetime!  Experience the beauty, sparkle, and spirit!

Where:
American Airlines Center
2500 Victory Avenue
Dallas, TX 75219

When:
Wednesday, March 28 – 7:30pm
Thursday, March 29 – 10:30am, 7:30pm
Friday, March 30 – 7:30pm
Saturday, March 31 – 11:30am, 3:30pm and 7:30pm (SPANISH Performance)
Sunday, April 1 – 1:30pm and 5:30pm

Tickets:
$75 (Rinkside), $45 (VIP), $30 and $15
Online: www.ticketmaster.com
Phone: Ticketmaster at 1-800-745-3000 toll free
In Person: Ticketmaster Locations, including Fiesta Mart & at arena’s box office

My family and I will be attending the Wednesday evening show.  Thanks to Feld Entertainment I get to offer one lucky reader a family 4-pack of tickets to see Dare to Dream Disney on Ice Wednesday, March 28th at 7:30 PM in Dallas, Texas.

Get $4 off ticket price for any performance by entering the code MOM4 at TicketMaster.  While you are waiting to see Dare to Dream on Ice download this free coloring page to build your child’s excitement.

How to Enter:

Leave a comment telling me out of the three princesses performing at Dare to Dream which your child is most looking forward to seeing.

Additional Entries: (one entry per comment)

• Tweet the below tweet and leave permalink in the comments

Enter the #giveaway hosted by @MommaDJane to #win #DisneyOnIce tickets http://ow.ly/9MoPF Dare to Dream

• Follow @MommaDJane on Twitter
• Subscribe to MommaDJane RSS Feed

The prize is for a family 4-pack of tickets ONLY.  You may NOT purchase additional tickets for seats next to the winning seats.  The tickets are good for the 7:30 PM show on Wednesday ONLY in Dallas, Texas.

*Giveaway is open to all US Residents 18+ Entries will be accepted until Sunday, March 25th at midnight CST. Any and all comments after that time will not be counted towards giveaway entries. Reader must leave a method of contact within comment and must respond within 48 hours of contact, otherwise a new winner will be chosen. Random.org will be used to select a random winner from comments on this post.

Full Disclosure: My family receives complimentary tickets to the Disney on Ice show in appreciation for spreading the word about the event.  All opinions are 100% mine.

Do you love Disney as much as I do?  Then please share this giveaway on Facebook.  While you are there head over and like MommaDJane Blog and join the conversation!

Last year the movie HOP came out at theaters just in time for Easter.  The month before I took the kids to see HOP we visited Universal Studios in Orlando and got to meet the characters from the movie.  The kids even got their autographs which was exciting for them.  Their Easter baskets were filled with HOP themed goodies and when we finally saw the movie in theaters we loved it.

About HOP
From the makers of Despicable Me comes an all-new comedy about candy, chicks and rock n roll! He was destined to be the Easter Bunny, but all he wanted to do was rock! When teenage E.B. (voiced by Russell Brand) leaves for Hollywood in pursuit of his dream to become a rockstar drummer, he meets Fred (James Marsden), an out-of-work slacker with his own lofty goals. Together the two encounter a series of hilarious mishaps and misadventures and in the end help each other recognize the importance of family.

This year you can fill your Easter basket with the perfect family Easter movie – HOP is available March 23 on Blu-ray & DVD!  The Blu-ray Combo Pack includes an All-New Mini Movie and additional content to extend the fun even more.  Plus it has 3 ways to watch so your family can enjoy HOP anytime, anywhere (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy)!

Thanks to Universal Studios Home Entertainment I get to offer one lucky reader a HOP movie prize pack!

One (1) winner will receive:

• HOP Blu-ray Combo Pack (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy)
• HOP Book Meet the Easter Bunny
• HOP Book Chicks vs. Bunnies

*Prize Pack valued $47.98

How to Enter:

Leave a comment telling me your favorite thing about Easter

Additional Entries: {one entry per comment}

• Follow @MommaDJane on Twitter
• Subscribe to MommaDJane RSS Feed
• Tweet the following tweet, leave permalink in comments

HOP on Bluray & DVD just in time for #Easter – Enter to #win #giveaway hosted by @MommaDJane for Easter prize pack http://ow.ly/9FoPt

Don’t miss the limited time special offers.

• Walmart – Pre-order HOP Combo Pack at Walmart.com and get a FREE download of the original soundtrack!

• Target – Receive free wearable bunny ears & printable Easter party kit when you Buy HOP on Blu-ray Combo Pack

• Best Buy – Get a free 7” Bunny Minion Plush when you buy HOP on Blu-ray Combo Pack

*Giveaway is open to all US Residents 18+ Entries will be accepted until Thursday, March 22nd at midnight CST. Any and all comments after that time will not be counted towards giveaway entries. Reader must leave a method of contact within comment and must respond within 24 hours of contact, otherwise a new winner will be chosen. Random.org will be used to select a random winner from comments on this post.

Full Disclosure: All opinions are 100% mine.  Universal Studios Home Entertainment is providing the prize pack to giveaway and a complimentary copy of HOP on Blu-ray to my family.

One of the things I learned about KFC and their mother company, YUM! is how much they believe in giving back and helping others.  We learned about Colonel Sanders’ passion for helping college students.  We heard the old story about the time he picked up a young man on the side of the road and gave him a ride to college, walked into the administration building and paid for his tuition.  Pretty amazing, isn’t it?

Still to this day KFC makes it their mission to help college students with scholarships through the KFC foundation.  They also believe in reuniting families.  Watch the below video to see a touching story where KFC reunited a mother and her children.  The twin daughters believed they were being given the opportunity to Skype with their mother while she was away in the military service.  As they sat down to Skype she surprised them by walking up behind them in the restaurant.  Only to the mother’s surprise, her own mother was there as well.  As if reuniting the family wasn’t enough KFC gave both twin daughters a scholarship to college.  The touching story actually brought tears to my eyes.

Community and giving back is extremely important to me.  It’s one of my main passions and something I try to work hard at even with the little I have.  KFC provided me with $500 worth of gift certificates to give away on my blog with no rules as to how to use them except they were only good in the United States.  I have two giveaways live now where four winners will be awarded with $100 each in KFC checks.  If you enjoy eating at KFC then I suggest you head over and enter to win.

For the last $100 worth of gift certificates I wanted to host a giveaway with the goal of giving back.  I’m donating $25 worth of KFC gift certificates to the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization.  I know many people have been affected negatively with the economy and those who volunteer to be a big brother or big sister are responsible for the costs of any playdates with the little sibling they are matched with.  That includes cost of meals, movies, games or other entertainment.  I thought if I could provide a few free meals maybe that would free up some money for their big brother/big sister to take them and do something fun and active.  Having a role model to spend quality time with truly changes the lives of these kids and in some cases, it’s the only role model they have.

The other $75 worth of gift certificates I would like to break up in increments of $25 each for three winners.  However, if you win the gift certificates will not go to you, they will go to the ‘need‘ you decide on.

What’s a need?  Well here’s my thoughts…  Do you know of a college student that is hardly scrapping by and could use $25 worth of meals to help them while they focus on their studies?  Do you have an organization of choice like Big Brothers Big Sisters that you would like to send $25 of KFC bucks to?  How about a single mother that could really use a break one night from cooking and a free meal would make her week better?

Of course there is no way for me to regulate this.  I have no idea if the person who wins will be honest or keep the gift certificates for themselves.  I’m going on faith with this one…

How to Enter:

Tell me who or what organization you would like the $25 worth of KFC gift certificates to go to and why.  If you win I will contact you for their shipping address.  There is no judging process, only random selection using Random.org.

*Giveaway is open to all US Residents 18+ Entries will be accepted until Sunday, March 18th at midnight CST. Any and all comments after that time will not be counted towards giveaway entries. Reader must leave a method of contact within comment and must respond within 24 hours of contact, otherwise a new winner will be chosen. Random.org will be used to select a random winner from comments on this post.

Full Disclosure: KFC provided me with the gift certificates to give away.  All opinions in this post are 100% mine.

]]> http://mommadjane.com/kentucky-fried-chicken-scholars-foundation/feed 35 http://mommadjane.com/scenes-cooking-kfc http://mommadjane.com/scenes-cooking-kfc#comments Fri, 09 Mar 2012 00:19:22 +0000 MommaDJane http://mommadjane.com/?p=8469

While in Kentucky visiting KFC’s mothership I was given the chance to tour their home facilities.  We got to meet their head chef and even cook along side of him.  It was pretty fun!  My friend, Elizabeth and I teamed up to cook our batch of chicken together.  Once we finished battering the chicken we were taught how important it is to lay each piece a specific way on the frying sheet.  The order matters to ensure cooking evenly between small pieces and larger ones since they all go into the frier together.

We had flour all over our arms and aprons.  I was even dusting flour off the toes of my boots when we were done.  Who said cooking isn’t fun?  It made me want to go home and play in a bucket of flour.  We sure laughed a lot which is a good sign, yes?  After all of us breaded the chicken, the KFC chefs fried it up and served us.  That’s right, we got to taste the chicken we cooked and lived to talk about it.  It was delicious!

Touring the Colonel Sanders museum was interesting.  When I came home to tell my kids about it the first thing T said was ‘Colonel Sanders is a real man?!‘ which I think a lot of people don’t realize.  Touring the museum would make the perfect history field trip for children.  We got to see the real desk that belonged to Colonel Sanders and even see the vault the secret recipe is locked in.  Several of the mom bloggers attempted to crack the lock with their own secret combinations but no one was successful.  The museum had a timeline displayed throughout the life of KFC and Colonel Sanders.  We saw the original buckets used for chicken and it was funny to see how many of us actually remember some of the older versions from when we were kids.

They created a video for me to share with a glimpse behind the scenes of my experience.  Enjoy!

How to Enter:

In a comment tell me how you prefer your chicken: crispy, original or grilled

Additional Entries: {one entry per comment}

• Follow @MommaDJane on Twitter
• Follow @KFC_Colonel on Twitter
• Subscribe to MommaDJane RSS Feed
• Tweet the following tweet, leave permalink in comments

Another chance to #win $100 to spend at @KFC_Colonel by entering 2nd #giveaway hosted by @MommaDJane {2 winners} #KFCFresh http://ow.ly/9xRQx

*Giveaway is open to all US Residents 18+ Entries will be accepted until Sunday, March 18th at midnight CST. Any and all comments after that time will not be counted towards giveaway entries. Reader must leave a method of contact within comment and must respond within 24 hours of contact, otherwise a new winner will be chosen. Random.org will be used to select a random winner from comments on this post.

Full Disclosure: I was provided with an all expense paid trip to Kentucky and given KFC gift certificates for my family to have a meal.  This is not a sponsored post.  I’m sharing my experience because I want to and all opinions are 100% mine.

Last week I traveled to Kentucky to visit the headquarters for Kentucky Fried Chicken.  The experience was extremely fun and interesting.  A bonus perk to attending the event was seeing several other bloggers that I call friends and meeting some amazing new people.  The staff at KFC were very welcoming and polite.  All in all I think everyone had a great time.

I’ve never worked in fast food before and outside of being a hostess when I was a teen, I’ve never really worked with food in a restaurant.  We were given a tour of one of the local fast food restaurants where we got to see how it all works from start to finish including putting on a hair net and going into the kitchen.  Did you know that KFC breads their fresh chicken each day and cooks it ready to order?  I’m not sure why this detail shocked me.  I guess when I think of fast food I think of some frozen breaded chicken being thrown into grease.  That sounds pretty nasty doesn’t it?  Seeing the process of them taking fresh chicken (never before frozen), breading it and then cooking doesn’t seem very fast for fast food.  It’s done just like I would do it at home except in a larger quantity in a larger frier.

Being a single mom of three kids keeps me pretty busy.  Actually being a working mother is what truly keeps me busy.  I’ll be the first to admit my family eats fast food.  I love to travel, take road trips and some days Gabby has appointments that take all day long so the best we can do is grab something to eat quick.  I believe in moderation and even on a lazy day I may grab fast food and won’t feel guilty about it.  My kids eat a pretty well balanced diet so splurging sometimes is nice.  Doesn’t fried chicken and mashed potatoes sound good?

KFC came out with their new chicken pot pies last Sunday.  The advertised special is $3.99 and they are BIG.  We were each given one to try and the chicken inside the pot pie was extremely chunky.  My parents used to prepare chicken pot pies often when I was younger and they were never this filled with chicken and veggies.  I was impressed.  They will make the perfect quick lunch to fill you up on a day you are out running errands.

KFC provided me with gift certificates to give away on my blog to a couple of lucky readers.  I have $200 worth of e-checks that I plan to break up for two winners to each receive $100!  $100 worth of KFC will go a LONG way.  The gift certificates are in increments of $5 so with Easter around the corner they would even make perfect little easter egg fillers for family and friends.  Because let’s face it, you could practically eat lunch for a year with $100 of KFC cash.

How to Enter:

Tell me in a comment what your favorite menu item is from Kentucky Fried Chicken

Additional Entries: {one entry per comment}

• Follow @MommaDJane on Twitter
• Follow @KFC_Colonel on Twitter
• Subscribe to MommaDJane RSS Feed
• Tweet the following tweet, leave permalink in comments

Enter the #giveaway hosted by @MommaDJane for a chance to #win $100 to spend at @KFC_Colonel {2 winners} #KFCFresh http://ow.ly/9ryuu

*Giveaway is open to all US Residents 18+ Entries will be accepted until Sunday, March 11th at midnight CST. Any and all comments after that time will not be counted towards giveaway entries. Reader must leave a method of contact within comment and must respond within 24 hours of contact, otherwise a new winner will be chosen. Random.org will be used to select a random winner from comments on this post.

Full Disclosure: I was provided with an all expense paid trip to Kentucky and given KFC gift certificates for my family to have a meal.  This is not a sponsored post.  I’m sharing my experience because I want to and all opinions are 100% mine.

Congrats to the two winners, Joseph and Kathryn!

The Monster Jam is coming to the Dallas Cowboy Stadium in Arlington, TX this coming Saturday, February 25th.  The event starts with a pit party where the fans can come down into the rink to get up close photos with each of the Monster trucks and meet the drivers.  The pit party lasts from 2:30 to 5:00 PM.  The main race starts at 7 PM.

Last year we had a blast attending the Monster Jam.  Noah still to this day will tell you he plans to drive Monster trucks when he grows up.  He is so excited about going again this Saturday.  The excitement of watching the trucks race and fly over the mounds in the stadium is worth every penny.  I was amazed at how the trucks would flip over and rip apart yet the drives would climb out without a scratch.  Last year a truck even caught on fire.

Noah thought it was awesome to take photos next to the big monster trucks.  The tires were larger than him.

Tickets for kids are 50% off regular admission price.  Find out full details at MonsterJam.com

I’m giving away a family 4-pack of tickets to the Monster Jam at the Dallas Cowboy Stadium

How to Enter:

Leave a comment telling me which is your family’s favorite Monster truck.

Additional Entries: (one entry per comment)

• Tweet the below tweet and leave permalink in the comments

Enter the #giveaway hosted by @MommaDJane to #win Monster Jam tickets in #DFW http://ow.ly/9adIx at the #Dallas Cowboys Stadium

• Follow @MommaDJane on Twitter
• Subscribe to MommaDJane RSS Feed

The prize is for a family 4-pack of tickets ONLY.  You may not purchase additional tickets for seats next to the winning seats.  The tickets are good for the Dallas Cowboys Stadium show ONLY in Arlington, Texas.

*Giveaway is open to all US Residents 18+ Entries will be accepted until Tuesday, February 21st at midnight CST. Any and all comments after that time will not be counted towards giveaway entries. Reader must leave a method of contact within comment and must respond within 24 hours of contact, otherwise a new winner will be chosen. Random.org will be used to select a random winner from comments on this post.

Full Disclosure: My family receives complimentary tickets to the Monster jam in appreciation for spreading the word about the event.  All opinions are 100% mine.

It’s that time of the year again… Monster Energy Supercross Invades the Dallas Cowboy Stadium in Arlington, TX.  On Saturday, February 18th the pit party will start at 12:30 PM where fans can join together to get autographs and photos up close and personal with the riders.  How exciting!

My kids had such a great time last year that they can’t wait to attend again.  The pit party makes it much more exciting, especially for my son.  It makes the whole experience come to life by being able to attend a meet and greet.  After the pit party comes to an end at 6PM the main event begins at 7PM.  That gives you plenty of time to find your seat, grab some popcorn and a drink before the show starts.

Good news is, I get to give away a family 4-pack of tickets to attend the Supercross at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium on February 18th.

How to Enter:

Leave a comment telling me who the Supercross fan is in your family.

Additional Entries: (one entry per comment)

• Tweet the below tweet and leave permalink in the comments

Enter the #giveaway hosted by @MommaDJane to #win Supercross tickets in #DFW http://ow.ly/90w3G at the #Dallas Cowboys Stadium

• Follow @MommaDJane on Twitter
• Subscribe to MommaDJane RSS Feed

The prize is for a family 4-pack of tickets ONLY.  You may not purchase additional tickets for seats next to the winning seats.  The tickets are good for the Dallas Cowboys Stadium show ONLY in Arlington, Texas.

*Giveaway is open to all US Residents 18+ Entries will be accepted until Tuesday, February 14th at midnight CST. Any and all comments after that time will not be counted towards giveaway entries. Reader must leave a method of contact within comment and must respond within 48 hours of contact, otherwise a new winner will be chosen. Random.org will be used to select a random winner from comments on this post.

Full Disclosure: My family receives complimentary tickets to the Supercross in appreciation for spreading the word about the event.  All opinions are 100% mine.

As you know, we had a blast at our Breaking Dawn party.  I sent out party invites that looked like Bella and Edward’s wedding invitation.  I hosted a Twilight Saga themed self-serve candy bar for the party guests.  I found some amazing free printables online and demonstrated how I used them for our Breaking Dawn table settings and made some great Breaking Dawn Christmas ornaments as party favors for each of the guests.
The party wouldn’t have been complete without serving Mushroom Ravioli.  Of course not everyone enjoys mushrooms so we also offered cheese and beef ravioli.  Garlic bread and caesar salad were on the side.  Thanks to Ragu the meal came together nicely making the dinner party a true success.

I’m not even going to lie, I bought the pre-stuffed ravioli.  With all the party preparations there was no way I had time to make ravioli from scratch, or should I say learn how to make ravioli from scratch.  I boiled it and let Ragu come to the rescue by adding the delicious sauce.  Instead of using the Traditional flavor I went with the Tomato & Basil Ragu sauce and tossed in some garlic then topped with cheese.

Thanks to Ragu I get to offer one lucky reader a chance to host their very own Breaking Dawn dinner party.  Are you a Twilight Saga fan?  Here’s your chance to bring everyone together to chat over dinner before or after seeing the new Twilight Saga movie – Breaking Dawn in theaters.  Even if you aren’t a Twilight Saga fan this is still a great opportunity for you to enter and host your own dinner party with friends on Ragu.  The randomly selected winner will receive a $300 American Express gift card directly from Ragu to cover the cost of your dinner party expenses.

How to Enter:

Leave a comment telling me – Team Edward or Team Jacob?  Or simply state why you would love to host a dinner party.

Additional Entries: {one entry per comment}

• Follow @MommaDJane on Twitter
• Follow @RaguSauce on Twitter
• Subscribe to MommaDJane RSS Feed
• Tweet the following tweet, leave permalink in comments

Enter the #giveaway hosted by @MommaDJane for a chance to #win $300 from @ragusauce to host #BreakingDawn dinner party http://ow.ly/7ZTkN

*Giveaway is open to all U.S. Residents 18+ Entries will be accepted until Wednesday, December 28th at midnight CST. Any and all comments after that time will not be counted towards giveaway entries. Reader must leave a method of contact within comment and must respond within 24 hours of contact, otherwise a new winner will be chosen. Random.org will be used to select a random winner from comments on this post.

Full Disclosure: MommaDJane is one of the selected Ragu Blog Ambassadors.  A gift card was provided to cover the expense of our home party.  All opinions are 100% mine, of course!

Congratulations, Jessie C!