Monday, January 02, 2012

Friends (and A Giveaway!)

***GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED***CONTEST WINNERS DRAWN***

Back when I was in high school, a friend and I used to have a ritual for escaping from study hall. Open campus allowed us to hop in her car and hit the nearby grocery store for Frosted Strawberry Pop-Tarts and chocolate milk. We would "flip U's" --for those of you not into our small town lingo, that means cruise the main highway, from one end to the other, making U-turns in parking lots to turn around and do it again and again and again--, solve the world's problems, and stuff ourselves with those sweet treats. As mundane as that may sound, I have very fond memories of those aimless hours of driving around.

These days, that friend lives across the state, keeps up with her three daughters, volunteers in her community and church, wrangles her husband, and has her own very successful business. We stay in touch through Facebook, but I can't remember the last time we saw each other, much less shared a sweet treat. If we could both escape for a moment, I would make a platter of Bite-Sized Winter Fruit Tarts and some coffee. This would be my grown-up replacement for Pop-Tarts. Sweet cherries and raisins are balanced with tart, dried cranberries and earthy walnuts to fill tiny little tarts baked in a mini muffin tin. Perfect for sharing with a treasured friend over a cup of coffee...and even portable, if we had the urge to flip U's again.

However, my awesome friend has an even better treat to share with YOU, my friendly blog readers. That very successful business that I mentioned? She is a Pampered Chef consultant. For the past 14 years, this home-based business has provided a steady income for her and her family while offering flexibility for their hectic schedules. She has earned amazing trips and had fun while she worked. It truly has been a dream job for her, and she loves to share the impressive and useful products of Pampered Chef.

She loves to share these great kitchen products so much that she has sponsored this FIRST EVER (wow!) BLOG GIVEAWAY for On My Plate. Rhonda has provided a $50 Pampered Chef Gift Certificate to share with one of my lucky readers. Awesome, right?!? But, wait! There is more!

That great act of friendship inspired me. I have been wanting to do a giveaway here On My Plate f.o.r.e.v.e.r., but haven't been organized enough to get it done. I have decided to add my own $50 Pampered Chef Gift Certificate. This one will be available to "friends" on Facebook.

Yep. You read that correctly. In the next week, you have 2 different options/chances to win $50 from Pampered Chef. What will you buy with your gift certificate? A mini muffin pan to bake Bite-Sized Winter Fruit Tarts? Those great stackable cooling racks from A Few of My Favorite Things? Stoneware or a batter bowl? What would you love to own? Tell me, and it could be yours.

Here are the two ways to win a $50 Pampered Chef Gift Certificate:
  1. Comment here, on THIS blog post, and share with me which Pampered Chef product you dream of owning and what you would use it to make. BONUS: Name gets thrown in the hat an extra time if you plan to try a recipe from On My Plate.
  2. Head over to Facebook and "like" On My Plate (https://www.facebook.com/OnMyPlate) AND comment on the post there for THIS blog post. Again, tell me which Pampered Chef product you can't wait to own and how you want to use it. And again, BONUS  entry for checking out a recipe shared On My Plate.
Each comment will be entered for drawings on January 10, 2012. One drawing will be held for the blog comments, and one drawing will be held for the Facebook comments. Awesome? Awesome.

BTW--because of a little spam/troll issue, I do moderate comments. Don't panic if it doesn't appear immediately, I will check frequently and authorize all entries for the gift certificates. ALSO--If you choose to comment anonymously (and not register with Blogger), please be sure to include your first name or nickname in the comment so that I can identify when you win. Thanks!

Disclaimer or whatever: This blog post is sponsored by my incredible friend, Rhonda. While Rhonda is a Pampered Chef consultant, Pampered Chef is not sponsoring this giveaway. It is a personal venture in the name of friendship from myself and my friend. Opinions stated are purely my own. 

***GIVEAWAY NOW ENDED***CONTEST WINNERS DRAWN***


1 (21 ounce) can cherry pie filling
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 pastry for double-crust pie (homemade or ready-made refrigerated)
2 tablespoons sugar
 
Combine cherry pie filling, cranberries, raisins and nuts in a medium bowl; set aside.
Roll pie crust on a lightly floured surface.
Cut 48 1 and 1/2 inch circles from pie crust with a biscuit cutter or glass.
Place tiny rounds of crust into mini-muffin pans.
Fill each crust with 1 teaspoon of filling mixture.
Cut 48 small stars (or other shape) from remaining pie crust (re-roll dough as necessary).
Place one small star on each tiny tart.
Sprinkle each tart with sugar.
Bake at 350F for 15 to 18 minutes.
Cool on wire rack.
Store loosely covered. (48 mini tarts)


Check back here On My Plate or on my Facebook page for the announcement of the winners on January 10, 2012. Good luck, and go love your friends! 

***GIVEAWAY NOW ENDED***CONTEST WINNERS DRAWN***

29 comments:

  1. Love this blog and would love to win. I love my Pampered Chef Cookie scoop, batter bowls and the spatulas. I use them a lot especially during the holidays. I want to try many of the products. I also like many of the recipes posted on this blog. The desserts especially.

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  2. Hey Anonymous! Thanks for the comment, but it would be great if you left a name for me to identify you when you win. :-) You don't have to register with Blogger, but adding a first name or nickname to the comment would be great! Thanks for checking out the blog, and good luck!

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  3. I would love to own the Pampered Chef Trifle Bowl with a cover. My family loves fresh fruits in custard sauces so I would make a trifle such as your Lemon Blueberry Angel Food Trifle. We have our own blueberry bushes and strawberry plants so this would be an elegant way to serve the fruits from our garden. The lemon cutard and angel food cake combination sounds delicious. Debra S.

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  4. I've been wanting a stackable cooling rack for quite some time - and the insane amount of cookie baking I did before Christmas proved that getting one is quite necessary. I'd also like a cookie press so I can make my grandma's spritz cookies. Yummy.

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  5. I would love to have the microplane course grater (to grate fruit/veggies to make Bizzy Lizzy muffins at home!)

    I would also love to have the corer so I could core whole apples, fill then with a cinnamon, brown sugar/oat mixture and bake them.

    I would also love to have the apple wedger to quickly cut up apples for my kids!

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  6. I want to make the pumpkin gooey cake! Looks fantastic!

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  7. As far as Pampered Chef products...I think I'd want a food processor. But I'd also like to stock up on basics like spoons and spatulas (I LOVE their spatulas). And I totally want to try those tarts!! They look amazing. As well as the zucchini salad with prosciutto salad. Yum!

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  8. Frankie, I'm in desperate need of a new spring form pan and a mini cheesecake pan for some bite-size treats of my own. ;)

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  9. Thank you so much for this giveaway! I am thinking I would love to try the Cauliflower Rigatoni recipe at some point...the Pampered Chef product I would like to own and don't yet is the batter bowl (how have I never picked this up?), and I would like it because I can make ANYTHING in it, and the lid! A great idea! Thank you for the giveaway!!!

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  10. I would love to have the Pampered cehf pizza stone and make your Eggplant Parm pizza!

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  11. I'd use the Bamboo Knife block set to chop the walnuts to make the Bite Sized Winter Tarts (they look divine!)

    P.S. My friend Whitney and I tried your Peppermint Fudge for Xmas baking and it was wonderful! Thanks for the recipes :)

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  12. I would love the mixing pitchers they are too cool for school

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  13. My kitchen is so sad-sad-sad that I could use just about anything. But I've always wanted a good chopping knife just like Julia Child.

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  14. My favorite pampered chef item is by far the stoneware!! I love the pizza stone and have used it forever. I would love the stoneware casserole and have been saving my pennies!!
    The recipes are wonderful!!
    Aunt Mary

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  15. as someone else already mentioned - due to the sad state of my kitchen i could really use anything from them. i would likly start w/ either the bamboo mixing bowls or just a good basic knife. though if they could find me one - i would dearly love a cherry pitter. which brings me to what i would make - those brownies w/ cherry sauce on your blog look wonderful......

    jacquieastemborski AT comcast DOT net

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  16. I would love anything from Pampered Chef. I haven't been to a party in years. Thank you!

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  17. Maybe not very exciting, but I'd stock up on kitcheny things like the easy read measuring cups, the citrus squeezer, and rubber spatulas.

    I'd totally make your Individual Fruit Cobblers, which I've had bookmarked forever!

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  18. It'd start with the <a href='http://www.pamperedchef.biz/rhonda?page=products-detail&categoryId=122&productId=16731&itemId=1718">pastry mat</a>!

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  19. I've been meaning to try to bake my mom's old apple pie recipe, so I'd get the pie saver, pie crust shield and pie plate.

    The tarts look great but I've never been a Cranberry fan. That might not stop me from trying though.

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  20. Well Fran, you know me. I love to bake. And believe it or not, I haven't bought new cookie sheets for about 5 years. And have recently inherited a few oldies (but goodies) from my husband's grandmother that passed away earlier last year. I would most certainly use the Pampered Chef certificate for new cookie sheets. I have 3 stackable cooling racks from Pampered Chef and use them all of the time. But would love to get some new cookie sheets so that I could try out your "White Chocolate Lime Cookies."

    Tasty! (And that's two flavors that I would most certainly take a diet-break from)!

    Thanks to you both for a fun contest.

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  21. I would love to try some of the stoneware from Pampered Chef, and probably do some baking with it.

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  22. Amy Smolik (bennie411)January 6, 2012 at 4:02 PM

    What an awesome giveaway! There's so many little gadgets that are fun from Pampered Chef and I enjoy the ones I have. Adding some spatulas or a tiered tower for appetizers would be right up my alley.

    And, I'm sadly reminded I STILL need to make your chicken enchilada dip. But I always enjoy your writing and seeing what's on your plate!

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  23. Thanks to your blog, I have procrastinated in house work this morning, am drooling over your recipes AND have a Pampered Chef "wish list"!!
    My hubby, as well as I, would absolutely LOVE the Biscuits and Gravy Breakfast Roll and the Sauteed Herbed Mushrooms. A couple others that caught my eye were the Cauliflower Rigatoni and Pasta with Roasted Cauliflower, Sage and Browned Butter. Unfortunately these are all "no-no's" for me right now, but I will be able to prepare and enjoy them in moderation soon!!!
    You can never have to many kitchen gadgets!!! I am the proud owner of many Pampered Chef items and have been to some of your friends shows, she is AMAZING!! I would love to add to my collection the mini scoop & measure set, 2 cup prep bowl set, salad chopper (I can prepare my salad with these and serve in my bamboo salad bowl set from Pamp. Chef) and last, but not least, the decorator bottle set. My mom would be so proud if I followed in her footsteps decorating cakes!!! I do NOT see that happening, but would enjoy decorating cakes/treats for my family, friends and students.
    Enough procrastinating...time to go sort laundry and dig into housework!!
    Sincerely, "Anonymous"....aka Diane Harkin

    **When I tried to publish my comment, I had to go with "Anonymous" as I didn't seem to have the "technological knowledge" to comment with the options provided!!

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  24. I am still wanting the PC pizza stone!! I read on one of the comments about the trifle bowl w/a LID-how cool! I would love to have that as I like to make trifles, but hate using plastic wrap or foil.
    I would love to try those bite-size fruit tarts-yum!

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  25. Hey Fran, Thanks for this give away! I have lots of PC stuff too but there are a few I dont have but want... If I won the $50.00 gift I'd get the bisquet cutters, the stainless steamer and the can opener. Not in that order but still items I would use and love to have. Thanks for Blogging! Hugs! Bren

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  26. The Pampered Chef ladyJanuary 9, 2012 at 6:44 PM

    So many great ideas of what to use the certificate on! Using the Trifle Bowl this weekend for a bridal shower -- I too love the lid. Makes it handy for hauling in the cooler for family reunions and 4th of July parties. The baking products -- the Easy Read Measuring Cups are a must have! And stones, love the Deep Covered Baker. Potatoes baking in there right now. Good luck to everyone!

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  27. I'd love that Silicone Floral Cupcake Pan

    Ladytink_534(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  28. I would love the stackable cooling racks from Pampered Chef. I made Spinach meatballs tonight what a great way to sneak a veggie!!

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  29. I am ashamed to admit that I don't have a SINGLE Pampered Chef item in my kitchen, even though I've heard awesome things about all of their products for years! I was lucky enough to sample your White Chocolate Lime Cookies a few years ago and have yet to make them myself, so that's definitely on my baking To-Do list, as well as the Pumpkin Gingerbread with Warm Caramel Sauce. O.M.G. Now I'm hungry, and it's only 8:30 AM. :-/

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