Three Color Salad

In Rachael Ray's cookbook she had suggested a Three Color Salad (Insalata Tre Colore) to serve with Tuesday night's Bel Aria Chicken and Pasta.

While this salad is nothing more than a blend of different lettuce(s)...aw crap... another one of those instances when I'm not sure if lettuce even has a plural form. Aw shucks! Back to what I was saying. While this salad is nothing more than three different types of lettuce (why not lettuces?) and topped with a shallot balsamic vinaigrette it was a nice blend of flavors compared to it's dinner co-star.

Since I didn't make a new recipe yesterday since we had leftovers to finish up, which we didn't, I was left with nothing else to post today. Being that I don't want to leave any of my readers hangin' and missing me deeply this just had to make it's way on the blog.

Three Color Salad (Insalata Tre Colore)

Rachael Ray 365: No Repeats A Year of Deliciously Different Dinners

Makes 4 servings

Stars of the Show for the Salad:

Since the local market didn't have a head of radicchio or a bulb of endive I opted for what they did have, a bag of Dole Field Greens salad mix. Easy just feels so good.

• 2 romaine hearts, chopped
• 1 bulb endive, chopped
• 1 head radicchio, chopped

Stars of the Show for the Shallot Balsamic Vinaigrette (My made up name for the dressing not hers.)

• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 shallot, minced
• 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• salt and black pepper

And Action:

Heat olive and shallots in the microwave for 30 seconds. Let stand for 5 minutes. Whisk in the balsamic vinegar and sprinkle in salt and pepper to taste. Keep the dressing separate from the greens until time to serve. Pour over the salad greens. Enjoy!

Today is the LAST day for entering the Gorton's / Ortega Giveaway! With as few entries as there are your chances of winning are pretty good. Just click HERE, leave a comment and your email address! Simple.

Happy Veterans Day Mr. Sideline Chef and thank you for your years of service in the United States Marine Corps!

Bel Aria Chicken and Pasta

Looks like we are riding the roller coaster of ups and downs that we call Rachael Ray's recipes. Tonight was a down compared to Sunday night's Chicken Francese with Wilted Spinach. The ingredients list sounded like a meal that both Mr. Sideline Chef and I would enjoy.

As I was laying out the ingredients I just wasn't getting that "I'm so excited to make this my taste buds are in overdrive" feeling. I had thought about just calling it a night and having Mr. Sideline Chef run to Taco Bell and pick me up a fresco bean burrito with guacamole. After eating this I really wish I would have gone with that idea.

Rachael Ray had put in a side note on this recipe about how this is her take on a dish prepared at an opera cafe in New York City, Caffe Taci. If I was deciding on whether or not to visit their cafe off of her take on their dish I would most definitely have to pass.

Bite-sized chicken pieces are browned in a pool of olive oil and butter and once cooked set aside until after the mushrooms get done browning. To the mushrooms hot peppers are added and a splash of their juice. Dry white wine was added to create a sauce with the addition of the starchy water from the pasta. The rigatoni is added to the skillet and it is tossed with the Parmesan cheese blend and parsley. Served alongside a piece of crusty Italian bread and a three-color salad, insalata tre colore.

Mr. Sideline Chef and I agree that this dish was like eating the hot peppers straight out of the jar because none of the flavors from the chicken or garlic sauteed mushrooms came through. What a disappointment. The highlight of the meal was the salad that Mr. Sideline Chef wouldn't eat because the dressing didn't sound like something he wouldn't like, because it wasn't ranch dressing, and then dipping my bread in the dressing that settled to the bottom of my salad bowl.


 One thing that bothers me more than her hit or miss recipes is that the serving sizes are for men of the Pittsburgh Steelers stature. If you're a calorie counter I'm sure you wouldn't even want to see how many calories are in a serving. Sure wasn't worth eating rabbit food the whole day to save my calories for this.

If you think you'd have better success or an inventive way to recreate this by all means knock yourself out!

Bel Aria Chicken and Pasta

Rachael Ray 365: No Repeats A Year of Deliciously Different Dinners

Makes 4 servings

Stars of the Show: These stars must be on the "D List" with Kathy Griffin.

• salt
• 1 pound rigatoni pasta
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tbsp butter
• 1 1/2 pounds chicken tenderloins, cut into large bite-sized pieces
• black pepper
• 1/2 pound cremini (baby portobello) mushroom caps, thinly sliced, or 4 portobello caps, gills scraped out, halved and thinly sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 4 Italian hot red cherry peppers, drained and chopped, plus a splash of the pickling juices from the jar - They did not have these in our local market so I just substituted it with Tabasco hot peppers.
• 1/2 cup dry white wine - I used sauvignon blanc.
• 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more to pass at the table
• handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• crusty Italian bread

And Action: I should have stopped before I began.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta. When it comes to a boil, salt it and add the rigatoni. Heads up... you'll need two ladles full of the cooking water to be added to the sauce just before the pasta is drained.

While the pasta is boiling, heat a big, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tbsp olive oil and 1 1/2 tbsp of butter. When the butter melts into the oil, add the chicken to the skillet, season with salt and pepper, and brown for 2-3 minutes on each side. Transfer the chicken to a plate. It will finish cooking through when added back to the sauce later. (My chicken cooked completely through after the 6 minutes.)

Return the pan to the heat and add another tbsp of olive oil, the remaining butter, then the mushrooms and garlic. Cook until the mushrooms are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Salt and pepper the mushrooms after they brown. (If you salt them when they are first added to the skillet, the salt will draw out the liquids and slow the browning process.) Add the hot peppers and a splash of the pickling liquid to the pan. Add the white wine and scrape up the pan drippings with a wooden spoon. Cook the wine down for a minute, then place the chicken back into the pan and cook for a couple more minutes.

Before draining the pasta add 2 ladles of the starchy water to the skillet. The starchy water will help the sauce form and adhere to the pasta. (This seems like a joke since this doesn't even have a sauce that adheres to the pasta.) Add the drained rigatoni to the skillet. Turn off the heat and toss the chicken, mushrooms, and pasta together for a minute or two sprinkling in the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Garnish with the chopped parsley and serve with the crusty Italian bread and if you choose the Three-Color Salad. (Recipe to come tomorrow.)

Just a reminder: You only have 2 days left to enter the Gorton's / Ortega Giveaway! All you need to do is click HERE and leave a comment and your email address. So simple and who doesn't love free?

Chicken Francese with Wilted Spinach

If doing a complete 180 is having "Girl's night in" and having a meal like this... I'll never choose going out again. This meal was on the menu lineup as one I thought Mr. Sideline Chef would have enjoyed it. He received a phone call late on Saturday night informing him he had to pack his bags for Dallas, TX for Sunday morning. I wasn't going to let this recipe roll around in my head any longer than Sunday night. A good girl friend as company would be equally nice and much needed.

That morning I spent a good three hours cleaning the house top to bottom and then when the hunger monster hit I stood in the kitchen 2 1/2 hours making Potato Pierogies thinking that would make a great snack. After that project was over it was time to make myself presentable for my guest. That only entailed throwing on a pair of jeans and a shirt without any bleach spots on it and what the hell, I straightened my hair. No makeup thanks to good genetics a giant zit. Now that I had a clean house, looked halfway decent, and had a snack in my system I was ready to begin dinner.

After the 2 1/2 hours already spent preparing something, Rachael Ray's Chicken Francese with Wilted Spinach, sounded like more work than it actually turned out to be. 20 minutes! The entire meal was prepped, prepared, and plated. I am a notorious non-mise en place kinda girl and it was still an under 30 minute meal like her cookbook says. Just what I needed after a busy day of "homemaking".

The chicken took an egg bath and was fried in olive oil. As it was cooking I was hesitant since it looked like a chicken omelet being cooked. Pushing on. After they were done cooking a wine wine sauce was made which splattered all over the stove and then was poured on top of the chicken. Plattered and sitting under foil. The wilted spinach made for a quick and easy side dish. A little garlic added to hot oil and then the spinach wilted down, obviously why they call it wilted spinach. Popped a couple pieces of crusty Italian bread in the toaster and dinner was served. Family style. We dug in.

Both of us are "watching" what we eat and both plated what was 1/2 of a serving size to start. It was love at first bite. Neither of us talked. Who are we kidding? We just stuffed our faces. We ended up leaving Mr. Sideline Chef a meager portion of the spinach and two tiny pieces of the chicken. It was just too good to stop eating. The chicken was moist and flavorful and the sauce was mopped up with the bread. My chicken when cooked on a stove top has never turned out like this before. Thank god it was girl's night in and after the food coma set in after the kid was already in bed so I could crawl to my room for the night.

I would rate this recipe as being nice enough to serve to guests and elegant enough for a romantic sit down with your guy. Poor Mr. Sideline Chef had to listen to me rant and rave over the phone about how wonderful this dinner was only to take two bites of it reheated the next night for dinner. Looks like a dinner remake is in order.

Chicken Francese with Wilted Spinach

Rachael Ray 365: No Repeats A Year of Deliciously Different Dinners

Makes 4 servings, that is unless you have two ravenous women who claim it is their "day off" from "dieting".

Stars of the Show:

• 1 1/2 pounds chicken breast cutlets - I cut 3 chicken breasts into 4 pieces each so 12 total pieces for easy portioning of serving sizes.
• 2 tsp poultry seasoning
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour - Could even use half the amount.
• 2 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk - I think using one egg and the egg yolk would be enough.
• A splash of milk or half-n-half - I used half-n-half since it was sitting in the fridge getting close to it's 7 days since opening date.
• 4 tbsp butter
• 3 garlic cloves, 1 crushed, 2 chopped - Mine were all just minced since I buy it in the jar.
• 1/2 cup dry white wine - Sauvignon Blanc was used.
• A handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley - I used dried since that was what I had on hand.
• 1 pound spinach, tough stems removed, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
• crusty Italian bread for mopping up the sauce

And Action:

Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken cutlets with salt and pepper and the poultry seasoning. Dredge the chicken in flour. In a small bowl, beat the eggs and egg yolk with the splash of milk or half-n-half and season with a little salt. Add 2 tbsp olive oil to the skillet, then add 2 tbsp of butter. When the butter melts into the oil, add the crushed garlic clove to the skillet. When the garlic sizzles in the oil, coat the chicken in the egg mixture, then add to the hot pan. Cook the chicken on both sides until golden, 6-7 minutes total. I did 4 minutes on each side. Transfer the chicken to a plate and tent loosely with foil to keep warm. Add the wine, step back, and deglaze the pan by whisking up the drippings. Reduce the wine for 1 minute, then add the remaining tbsp of butter and the parsley to the pan. Pour the sauce over the chicken.

Return the skillet to the heat. Add the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil, then add the chopped garlic and let it sizzle. Wilt in the spinach, turning it to coat, and season with the salt and pepper, and nutmeg. Serve the spinach alongside the Chicken Francese and the crusty Italian bread to mop up the sauce. Or after the guests have left lick the plate clean.

*In the cookbook Rachael Ray had added a tidbit about Limoncello being a great after dinner dessert on it's own or drizzled over lemon sorbet or vanilla ice cream. I had sent Mr. Sideline Chef to the liquor store to pick some up for me on Saturday night because I "had" to have it. I attempted to drink it on it's own and I guess I am what they refer to as "weak sauce" because I couldn't bring myself into my college partying days of throwing shots back. I've turned into a cheap date and thus don't drink unless we go to Hooters and the guys are buying me shots of Patron. Stories for another day.

Just a reminder: You have 3 days left to enter the Gorton's / Ortega Giveaway. Just click HERE and leave a comment and your email address! That easy!

Potato Pierogi

F.Y.I... Making Potato Pierogi for a snack is not recommended unless you can stand to listen to your stomach growling for 2 1/2 hours while you lovingly labor over these little guys. If you are willing to let your inner hunger monster go a little bit hungry then I believe these are well worth the effort. If you don't want to punish the inner hunger monster than I suggest starting these immediately after you have your breakfast or lunch so that way by the time they are ready you will be ready for a snack and keep the monster quiet.

I have only had Potato Pierogi once. Is the plural Pierogies? I only ask because in the original recipe when they direct to add half the batch to the boiling water they refer to them as Pierogi. I don't think Pierogi sounds right. I'm going with Pierogies. *Slapping myself on the hand if I'm wrong. Even if I'm wrong I'm still going to say it.* I've only had frozen Potato Pierogies and was turned off by their mushy texture. That experience made me reluctant to give these guys a try.

Throwing caution to the wind and giving it a here goes nothing attitude I forged ahead.

Pierogi Dough... see now why doesn't Pierogies work here? No wonder why the English language is so hard to understand. This is one of those times I wish Mrs. Wolfe, my high school English teacher, was here to explain it to me. Ugh! Sorry. Getting sidetracked as usual. Pierogi Dough, all dough for that matter, intimidated me. While I was mixing the ingredients and before kneading it for 7 minutes what I had looked like a flaky mess. After all of the therapeutic kneading I was left with a more formed dough and after a quick run to the computer to verify what Pierogi Dough should look like I was feeling more confident.

Boiling the baking potatoes and making the filling was a piece of cake pierogi. Mash all of the ingredients until smooth and viola! The most time consuming part is dividing the dough into 16 equal portions, rolling them out to 3 1/2 inch circles, filling the rounds with a rounded tablespoon of mashed potato filling, and then crimping them shut. Obviously after making 16 of them I still had difficulty sealing them shut because two of them broke open during the boiling stage. So I ended up with 14 of them and down one serving size.

By the time I got to browning them in the skillet I couldn't wait to try out my hard work and see if the Potato Pierogi could redeem itself from the frozen food flop.

Heavenly! First bite in was doughy with a smoothness from the mashed potato. They are very hearty on their own. Dipped in sour cream or not they were delicious and well worth the time spent in the kitchen preparing a snack for just myself since my toddler was taking a nap.

Potato Pierogi(es)

MyRecipes.com and Cooking Light, April 2004

Makes 8 servings (2 pierogies and 2 tsp sour cream) or 7 if you pull a Pretend Chef move

For the Pierogi Dough, Stars of the Show:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 large egg
• cooking spray

And Action:

Lightly spoon the flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and salt in a large bowl. Combine the sour cream , water, oil, and egg, stirring with a whisk. Add sour cream mixture to the flour mixture and stir until well combined. (Once again don't pull a Pretend Chef move and use a whisk for that step. The dough got stuck between the wires until the light bulb went off and I grabbed for the wooden spoon instead.) Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic (about 7 minutes). Place dough in a bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat the top. Cover and let rest for 15 minutes.

Potato Pierogi, Stars of the Show:

I would recommend cutting the ingredients in half because I ended up with more than half of my potato filling leftover even with filling each dough round with a hefty tablespoon of the filling.

• 1 pound peeled baking potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes - That was 3 potatoes for me.
• 1 tbsp minced fresh chives or green onions - I used green onions since that was what I had on hand. I think this amount was too little to add any flavor so I recommend increasing this amount.
• 2 tbsp sour cream
• 2 tbsp egg substitute - I don't care to buy the egg substitute and instead just beat an egg and used 2 tbsp of it.
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp white wine vinegar
• 3/4 tsp salt
• Pierogi Dough
• 2 quarts water
• 1 tbsp butter, divided
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup sour cream - I didn't even measure this amount out since I was the only only eating them. Since I'm all about serving sizes I just used a teaspoon and scooped out 2 tsp onto my plate.

And Action:

Place potatoes in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer. Let simmer for 10 minutes or until tender. Drain. Place potatoes back into a bowl (I just returned mine back to the pot. Why dirty another dish?) and mash until smooth. Add the fresh chives or green onions and the next 5 ingredients and blend well.

Divide the pierogi dough into 16 equal portions, shape each into a ball. Working with one portion at a time (cover the remaining dough to prevent it from drying out) roll each ball out into a 3 1/2-inch circle on a lightly floured surface.

Spoon 1 rounded tablespoon of the potato mixture onto half of the dough round. Bring opposite sides of the dough round together. PINCH tight to seal. Repeat until all the dough rounds have been filled and pinched closed.

Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. Add half of the pierogies; cook 7 minutes or until done (they will rise to the surface when ready). That statement confused me because mine were starting to rise after only a couple of minutes. I kept them boiling for the full 7 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and place into a colander. Repeat until all the pierogies have been boiled.

Heat 1 1/2 tsp butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. (I had to turn my heat down to medium since mine were starting to burn.) Add 8 pierogies and cook 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Remove the pierogies and keep warm by placing foil over them. Repeat adding 1 1/2 tsp butter and browning the remainder. Sprinkle the cooked pierogies with 1/8 tsp salt and serve with the sour cream.

Just a reminder: The countdown is now 4 days for entering the Gorton's / Ortega Giveaway. Just click HERE and leave a comment and your email to enter.

If you are also interested in winning a $45 CSN store gift card please check out my fellow foodie's blog HERE and follow her directions for entering. Isn't free always nice? While you are on her blog check out all of her delicious recipes as well!

Gorton's and Ortega Giveaway

So far there are only 2 entries that have qualified for the Gorton's/Ortega Giveaway and 5 people will win! You could be an instant winner just by posting here (click the link(s).

Even if you don't have a use for the Gorton's and Ortega full-value coupons you could pass them along to someone who might. I am extending the deadline to close on November 12th, 2010 at 6:00 a.m. due to the lack of interest. I am hoping the lack is due to the fact that most people take the weekend off. Thank you once again for checking out my blog!

Chocolate Sheet Cake with a Quick Caramel Pecan Frosting

Halloween morning I set out with my Mickey Mouse Steelers loving fan and headed to Bed, Bath, and Beyond to pick up a 15"x10" jelly roll pan to make a cake. I only had a 13"x9" pan in the house and being the amateur baker that I am I did not realize that I could use that size and just adjust my cook times. Plus it was an excuse to take the Mouse out of the house and show him off and get a new kitchen toy. After searching the two baking aisles no jelly roll pan in the size I needed was found. Kinda bummed I left the store with my other purchases, a set of mesh strainers, a glass pitcher, and a green platter. I'll just Yahoo! it or call my mom who is my go to for every cooking question imagineable.

I must have missed the memo in my inbox for how easy it is to make a cake and forever put an end to my "oh I'll just turn the batter into cupcakes" kick I was on. Chocolate cake, you do not intimidate me any longer. Caramel sauce, you still had me scared until I concurred you. I had horrifiying thoughts of Mr. Sideline Chef being called into the emergency room for third degree burns caused from a sticky pecan substance stuck on the victims forearms.

In any case, if you have missed the memo as well, be scared no more! Chocolate cake and a quick caramel frosting are easy peasy lemon squeezy! Lame. I know. Moving on... After the chocolate cake cooled on the wire rack the frosting was spread on and I'd like to say it went on smooth but it was caramel and my frosting spreading skills are nonexistent.

I flubbed and forgot to add the vanilla extract to the cake and just decided to double the amount in the frosting. It still worked out and the cake was incredibly flavorful. That was a close one. I also had a few moments where I had to run away from the stovetop from my "constant" stirring to quickly reposition a baby out of 2 two year olds war paths, breakup a toddler dispute, and even let the dogs out on the porch a couple of times and nothing was burnt. It could have gone bad.

I ate chocolate cake for dinner. I had a big lunch and it was justified. I shared a slice with my son and we both inhaled it. My stomach must now be ultra sensitive to too much sugar because after having what they consider a "serving size" my stomach ached. I decided to cut the servings in half for today and see if that would be enough to satisfy my chocolate tooth and not have my stomach aching.

Mr. Sideline Chef who is not a cake fan thought it was, "Good", with a smile on his face and the itty bitty chanted my chocolate cake before dinner praises! Yea... I can be that kind of mom on occasion. I've never made cake before so this was a rule breaking moment in the Pretend Chef household. The mama of the other two children was practically licking the cutting board clean of the caramel frosting when she came to pick them up and said it smelt good from outside. Yes, I am the neighbor cooking up what you wish you were enjoying. Knock on the door next time and you might get lucky. Only on occasion am I stingy and draw the blinds so no one can see in and know what's cooking. I honestly did this yesterday for the Chipotle Spiced Macaroni and Cheese when a known "serial-knock-on-the-door-right-as-dinner-is-ready" neighbor walked by.

If a birthday is coming up or another occasion make this for someone special!

Chocolate Sheet Cake with Quick Caramel Pecan Frosting

MyRecipes.com and Southern Living's September 2005 issue

Makes 15 servings

Stars of the Show: Chocolate Sheet Cake

• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup cocoa - I used Hershey's naturally sweetened cocoa powder.
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt

And Action:

1. Cook the first 3 ingredients in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, until the butter melts and the mixture is smooth, remove from the heat.
2. Beat buttermilk and the next 3 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer, beating until just blended. (Batter will be thin.) I am glad the directions stated this because this is when I'd be calling my mom or Yahoo!-ing how my batter should look. Pour into a greased and floured 15x10 inch jelly roll pan. *Tip: Don't use flour. Why would you want there to be white on the bottom of your cake. I don't recall which Food Network show I was watching but I picked up the trick to use the cocoa powder instead.*
3. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a wooden toothpick comes out clean. Cool cake completely in pan on a wire rack.
4. Pour the Quick Caramel Pecan Frosting on top spreading evenly to the edges.

Quick Caramel Pecan Frosting

Stars of the Show:

• 2 (14 oz) cans sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans

And Action:

1. Place all ingredients in a heavy 3-quart saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, 3-5 minutes or until the mixture reaches a pudding-like thickness. Remove from heat.
2. Stir in the chopped toasted pecans.

On the recipe's website they also had a variation for a quick caramel coconut pecan frosting. Mr. Sideline Chef turns his nose up to coconut so that wasn't even going to make it into this cake's frosting. Feel free to make it this way if you want.

Just a reminder... Entry for the Gorton's / Ortega Giveaway is now open! Make sure you comment here on this post (We Have Our First Pretend Chef Giveaway!!!) and best of luck! No entries have been made yet so your chances of winning are 100%. Easy!

We Have Our First Pretend Chef Giveaway!!!

   Gorton's and Ortega Giveaway

The fabulous people over at Gorton's and Ortega have offered me an opportunity to host a giveaway and help spread the spicy fish love. No, no, no. You don't have to use the products together but you do HAVE to try their products if you haven't already.

If you are looking for a way to put your creative kitchen cap on then I recommend you checking out their recipe challenge and entering yourself in for a chance to win any one of their prizes up for grabs.

Who better to recall eating shrimp tacos four days in a row than Mr. Sideline Chef himself? If you don't remember let me help jog your memory: Chipotle Spiced Shrimp and Mango Tacos, Sauteed Onion and Poblano Shrimp Tacos, SOUTHWESTERN-STYLE SHRIMP TACOS (I'm sorry for shouting this one at you. It just has me all excited with just how delicious it was. Try it tonight... better yet... hold off for when you win the prize, if you do, and make them when your coupons come in.), and last but certainly not least, Salsa Verde Shrimp Tacos and Jalapeno Shrimp Tacos.

With Gorton's products readily accessible in the frozen food section of your local grocer there is never a need to have a last minute panic of, "What's for dinner?" ever again. Ortega on the other hand, you might have to do some detective work to find out where to buy so you don't end up pulling a Pretend Chef move and have yourself burning daylight and gas. No matter how or when you try these products one thing is certain, you can be confident that what you set in front of your family will be great quality and even better tasting than a meal from a drive thru!

If the thought of winning free products has tickled your fancy then look below to see how you can enter to win my giveaway.

Gorton's and Ortega Giveaway

*5 Lucky Winners (Chosen randomly.) will each win (1) full-value Gorton's seafood coupon and (1) full-value Ortega coupon.*

Entries open on November 4th, 2010 at 9:00 p.m. (CST) and close on November 12th, 2010 at 6:00 a.m. (CST)

For an automatic entry (1) all you have to do is: Leave a comment on this page below telling me what products your family enjoys from Gorton's and/or Ortega and if you win what products are you wanting to try. Please make sure your email address is included in the comment. If you do not leave an email address I will have no way of contacting you unless you are or become a Follower. Thank you!

But wait, there's more ways to earn more entries (each bulleted point earns you 1 extra):

• Follow my blog or already have been following... For those following me already, that was pretty easy wasn't it?
• Sign up for Gorton's newsletter.
• Try an Ortega recipe and post a photo on your blog with a "shout out" link to my blog.
• Become friends on Facebook with either Gorton's and/or Ortega.
• Subscribe to my blog by email notifications.
• Post about my giveaway on your blog with a direct link to my blog.

In the comments section below answer the automatic entry question and if you completed any of the above bulleted points make sure to post a new comment for each telling me which one you accomplished. Best of luck! Make sure to check back on Friday morning (November 12th, 2010 at 9 a.m. CST) to see who the 5 lucky winners are.

If you are one of the 5 lucky winners please be ready to supply me with your mailing address so I can notify Gorton's/Ortega of your win and have them send you your prize!

Disclaimer: Nothing fishy here. The thoughts posted above are entirely my own and I have not been told what to blog about. Please note this giveaway is available to residents of the United States of America and Canada. Sorry to all of my international followers, especially this fantastic blogger.