How Would You Build America's Better Sandwich + 2nd Annual Oroweat Contest

The coupons for product redemption, information, and gift card have been provided by Oroweat® Bread so that I could try the product and share my thoughts and information about Oroweat®. The opinions expressed in this post are my own and do not reflect the opinions of Oroweat® Bread.

How would you build your perfect sandwich creation?

Mine would be piled high with smoked turkey, colby jack slices, juicy fresh tomatoes and creamy slices of ripe avocado for some healthy fats and oils. It would all be served up on slices of Oroweat® Original Oatnut, one of my all-time favorites!

I don't think sandwiches ever have to be boring, you just need to find a good bread that you love and ingredients to keep you fueled for the day.

You will always find a nut or multi-grain option of bread in our home. My husband is a huge fan of the Oroweat® Country Potato Bread - It is perfect for a good old fashioned Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich.

As a child I liked to see just how much I could stuff between two slices of bread... sometimes My Mom must have suspected I was part snake, with my desire to unhinge my jaw for a serious sandwich creation!

Oroweat® Whole Grain Sliced Breads are my favorites, but I also like to switch things up with the Oroweat® Sandwich Thins® Rolls. I like the flavors available and the soft texture of their bread products. They are the perfect complement to my favorite fillings whether they are meats, cheeses, veggies or crisp bread and butter pickles! 

All of Oroweat® Whole Grain Sliced Breads and Oroweat® Sandwich Thins® Rolls contain:

o   3 to 4 grams of fiber per slice or thin

o   Zero grams of Trans Fat

o   No High Fructose Corn Syrup

o   Cholesterol free

Look for the Whole Grain Stamp found on all of Oroweat® Whole Grain Sliced Breads and Oroweat® Sandwich Thins® Rolls to see how this fits into the daily recommended 25-38 grams of fiber^[1] and 48 grams of whole grains per day^[2]. 

So all you have to add is the good stuff to make your sandwich your own.

My sandwhich is piled high with mayo, lettuce, tomato, colby jack cheese, smoked turkey, avocado slices and a thin smear of honey mustard. What do you think? I think my creation would fit in nicely with the "Fueling Good" category in America's Better Sandwich contest. If you haven't heard about the contest, see below for how to enter, what you can win and how with your entry Oroweat® will donate to Feeding America.

Oroweat® Bread is excited to launch the second annual “America’s Better Sandwich” Contest! The sandwich architect whose filling matches the goodness of Oroweat® Bread will win a grand prize of $25,000. You can choose to use any of the Oroweat® Whole Grain Sliced Breads, including the new Healthfull® bread varieties, or any of the Oroweat® Sandwich Thins® Rolls varieties for your entry.

There are 5 great categories to create for, and there will be one ($5,000 category prize) winner selected for each:

• “Creative Classics” (nutritious spins on sandwich creations that have stood the test of time, such as grandma’s club sandwich, BLT or other old-time favorites)
• “Fueling Good” (these sandwiches should incorporate ingredients that help boost your energy such as healthful fats, protein, fiber and iron)
• “Open-Face Artistry” (sandwiches are works of art for the world to see, and these snacks and meals announce their ingredients—like sharp cheddar or tasty tuna— sans second slice, highlighting bold colors and textures)
• “Breakfast in Bread” (these sandwiches, featuring nutritious breakfast favorites like eggs and yogurt, invoke images of cozy mornings in bed or boisterous brunches with friends)
• “Love, Healthfully” (celebrate our new Healthfull® Breads with innovative recipes that play off nuanced, foodie-approved ingredients like honey, flax and sunflower seeds)

Entries will be accepted June 15^th - August 23^rd, online consumer voting will take place September 21^st - October 18^th, and the winners will be announced on National Sandwich Day- November 3^rd.

Oroweat®  bread will donate one loaf of bread (up to 100,000 loaves) to Feeding America for each valid entry submission during the entry period and vote received during the online voting phase of the 2015 “America’s Better Sandwich” Contest

[1] http://www.eatright.org/Public/content.aspx?id=6796

[2] http://wholegrainscouncil.org/whole-grain-stamp

So, what would be on your better sandwich creation?

5-Hour Energy - Yummification Winners Announced!

This post was sponsored by 5-hour ENERGY® with samples, a gift card, information about the "Yummification" video contest , and an additional gift pack provided by the makers of 5-hour ENERGY®. All opinions and experiences are mine alone.

Do you remember when I mixed up my own little Pineapple Coconut Splash in the name of 5-Hour Energy's Yummification contest?

Well, the winners have been announced and I wanted to share all the delicious and creative recipes that caught the eye of the judges!

First Place ($50,000 prize): “Pomelimelade” by Tim Merlau, Los Angeles, CA

This winning submission mixes a Pomegranate 5-hour ENERGY® shot with limeade, and then takes us on a musical journey through all that can be accomplished over several hours (spoiler alert:  it’s a lot). 

You have to check out their clever and unique video. I can see why he won, and I will have to try out this winning combination. I think it will make you want to have a "Pomelimelade" as well. 

Watch it here: http://vimeo.com/106595987

And the 2nd and 3rd place winners are:

       Second Place ($30,000 prize): “Ramalamadingdong” by Mark Golembeski, Los Angeles, CA

o   The second place video helps us turn that 2:30 feeling frown upside down by mixing a 5-hour ENERGY® shot with lemonade.  This video has it all: a clown, a puppy, a guy in a tutu, and much more. 

o   “Ramalamadingdong”

§  1 glass Lemonade

§  1 shot of Berry 5-hour ENERGY® 

·         Third Place ($10,000 prize): “Arnold Power” by Zac Sheorn, Lugoff, SC

o   The third place winner reminds us that you don’t have to be good at sports, but mixing a Pink Lemonade 5-hour ENERGY® shot with decaffeinated iced tea helps keep you refreshed while practicing.  And practicing. 

o   “Arnold Power”

§  1 glass Decaf Iced Tea

§  1 shot of Pink Lemonade 5-hour ENERGY® 

Check it all out on the 5-hour Energy site: 
 http://5hourenergy.com/yummification

Now, what do you plan to mix with your 5-hour ENERGY?

Light and Cheesy Pasta Primavera and an Upcoming Kitchen Drawer Contest

 I am part of the Good Cook Blogger Program and received these products for review. All opinions and experiences are my own. #‎goodcookkitchenexprt‬ #KitchenDrawerContest

Every good cook has a drawer full of tricks, kitchen gadgets and recipes that save time, effort or both. Hungry crowds need meals to please and sometimes simple is best. I have several recipes and favorite tools that get a better work out than others, and this Light & Cheesy Pasta Primavera combines some of my Spring staples.

Yes, I was going for something simple, something that didn't leave me with a sink full of dirty dishes and little time left over for my family. I was going for something delicious and comforting. I immediately thought of pasta, cheese and the seasonal vegetables of Spring. And that is how this little twist on Pasta Primavera was born.

Fresh peas have made an appearance on the farm and this short window of time is always an exciting one. My kids are more than willing to both pick and shell peas for our meals. Even if you fancy yourself a pea "hater", you should give the freshly picked and freshly shelled legume a try. Sweet and bursting with flavor, they are nothing like the bland or tough version available the rest of the year.

So grab one-pot, a few simple ingredients and just a couple of tools to create a fun dinner tonight!

Speaking of kitchen tools...

First grab a can opener. Mine recently cut it's last can lid and I replaced it with this Good Cook model. This Safecut 4-1 Can Opener is my new drawer favorite. We tend to dull or break a can opener every few years and this model is very easy to use. It leaves a smooth cut edge on both the lid and can top and also serves as a cap twister, bottle opener and tab puller.

Anytime I can get multi-use out of a gadget, I am a happy Mom.

I chose to go with chick peas for this pasta to save me time and add in a good protein source while keeping this dish inexpensive. Seems like the price of meat just keeps going up, doesn't it?

Then since all the action is going on in one big pot, grab yourself a Utensil Pot Clip. This is a new item in my kitchen drawer and it has already saved me from a lot of drips and dribbles on the counters and around the stove. Even with the rim of my pot, the clip held and was a convenient way to keep my cooking spoon handy.

As a Mom who cooks for more than one dietary need in the family, I was thrilled to have a clip. This is a great and easy way to keep all my stirring spoons separate and prevent cross contamination from low-pro and regular dishes.

Another fun item to note is this Double-Sided Flip Measuring Spoon. Have you seen these? As opposed to having a drawer full of loose measuring spoons to sift through, this spoon combines a 1/4 tsp., 1/2 tsp., 1 tsp. and 1 Tbsp. measure that you can just "flip" to the correct size. I am going to deem this the ultimate in travel gadgets and would love to see these in vacation homes.

Have you ever stayed somewhere that boasts a fully stocked kitchen to find that some of the measuring spoons are conveniently missing? And of course you really need those?

Yeah, I have been there... and it isn't pretty.

Other essentials that I have used recently (and you may have noticed) in my recipes are the Egg Separator and  the SMART Ice Cream Scoop. I used both when I made Custard Style Strawberry Ice Cream.  Both handy and well made, I know I will be using all these tools all Summer long in my kitchen.

The beauty of this dish is all in the simplicity. One pot, the pasta cooks and veggies are added at the end of the cooking time. Then as everything gets drained, the sauce is created, it all goes back into the pot and gets seasoned and dusted with a generous helping of freshly grated Parmesan Cheese.

So easy!

Very few dishes.

Need I say more?

Light & Cheesy Pasta Primavera

You Will Need:

• 1 cup vegetable stock
• 8 oz. Gemelli pasta
• 1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced thin
• 2 c. baby chard, roughly chopped
• 10 oz. fresh shelled peas
• 1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• zest of one lemon
• 1/2 c. finely grated Parmesan
• salt and pepper to taste

Begin by boiling your pasta, with vegetable stock added,  in a large stock pot according to the package directions. Just 3 minutes before the pasta is done, add the zucchini and chard to the pot. For the final minute, add the fresh peas and chickpeas. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water and drain the pasta mix in a collander.

While the pot is free, add in the butter and melt gently over low heat. Turn off the burner and add the lemon juice and zest. Add the pasta mixture back to the pot and toss to coat. Add the Parmesan and season to taste.

Now, wasn't that easy?

Build Your Kitchen Drawer Sweepstakes

You know those great kitchen tools I shared earlier? Well, they are part of Good Cook's featured products for their upcoming Sweepstakes. There are many fun ways to win, make sure your kitchen drawer is well stocked and even enjoy 25% off everything on the goodcook.com site!

Sweepstakes runs June 2nd, 2014 - July 14th, 2014

Head over to goodcook.com during the sweepstakes period and create your own essential kitchen drawer filled with 15 items of Good Cook products and gadgets.

Keep an eye out for the "ADD ME" icon on products to add to your drawer. I hope you will add a few of the items I highlighted above...  And don't worry if you can't narrow it down, there will be featured Kitchen Expert Bloggers to help with pre-made drawers they suggest.

More fun on Facebook June 2nd - June 7th

Head over to the Good Cook Facebook page for 5 days of even more chances to win great kitchen items. There will be instant winners and everyday you have a new chance to submit your drawer of products for  a chance to win.

There are so many great prizes available and chances to deck out your kitchen drawer with soon-to-be new favorites. I hope you will join me starting June 2nd.

An InLinkz Link-up

New Tillamook Tillabars and the #BacktoSummer Contest

I received samples in order to facilitate an honest review. All opinions and experiences are my own.

It has started to heat up around here. Lase week we even reached 96 degrees, for Oregon in May, that isn't so common. It was hot and we were all eager to get outside and play. For days like these I like to keep an assortment of frozen treats in the freezer.

Of course, my tastes are a little different from my kids'. I like something with a little chocolate, or a little salted caramel, or even with a little coffee flavor.

These Tillabars were everything I wanted and then some. My ultra picky husband was pleasantly surprised at the high quality chocolate and smooth ice cream. I would say that kids would love them (ice cream, chocolate, what is there for them not to love?), but these are a great treat for more mature tastes as well.

Ice cream bars just grew up.

The Tillabars come in 4 lucious flavors:

• Lemonilla 
• Mooocha Latte 
• Old-Fashioned Vanilla 
• Salted Caramel Swirl

And though I adore high quality chocolate, the Lemonilla Tillabar blew me away! I was sure the Mooocha Latta would have been my favorite since I adore coffee flavored anything. It was good, and a close second, but the Lemonilla stole my heart. It wasn't the usual artificial lemon flavor found in sweets and ice creams. It was tart, but slightly sweet and perfect for me. The tart lemon sorbet perfectly complimented the white chocolate coating. 

Just a little happiness on a stick for Mom.

So while my kids enjoy their cold treats this Summer, I will be keeping a stash of Tillabars reserved just for me and my husband. He can have the Old-Fashioned, the Lemonilla are all mine.

You can check out all the nutritional information and ingredients for the Tillabars, as well as all their other delicious products on the Tillamook website.

Check out the #BacktoSummer Contest

From now until Monday, May 26th, you can enter for a chance to win a Summer supply of Tillabars! Yeah, that is over 45 bars. Join in the fun on Instagram and Twitter.

I know you are already sharing your warm weather fun on both Twitter and Instagram, so why not follow Tillamook, tag your shares with #BacktoSummer and see if you come into an ice cream bar windfall. You can find more information and rules in the Tillamook community.

Good luck!

Get Baking with the Pillsbury Bake-Off - Winning Recipes + Enter Your Own

Baking kit sent courtesy of #PlatefulCoOp in order to help me write this post. All opinions and exeriences are my own. #BakeOff

I don't really need an excuse to roll up my sleeves and get baking. I have never entered a baking competition though... I have lots of respect for the talented folks who have submitted their culinary creations to Pillsbury's Bake-Off each year.

I was sent a copy of the Pillsbury Bake-Off 100 Winning Recipes and some supplies to get me baking. I found and had to try out the Cream Cheese Brownie Pie.

With a Pillsbury pre-made pie crust, Pillsbury brownie mix and few other ingredients, I was able to quickly make this beauty.

Yes, I can see why this recipe was a winner!

Ready to don an apron and break out your creative genius? Hurry, the entry deadline for the next recipe category is May 9th! Start creating a recipe for your chance to win $1 million dollars in the Pillsbury Bake-Off® Contest.

Enter online at www.BakeOff.com. Official 46th Pillsbury Bake-Off® Contest Rules and FAQs

Lay's Do Us A Flavor, What is Your Winning Recipe?

I participated in an Ambassador Activation on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Lay’s. I received a promotional item to thank me for participating. All opinions and experiences are my own. #DoUsAFlavor 

I bet you would guess that I am always in the kitchen. Well, not all the time...but, it is my favorite room of the house! Because of my love of all things domestic, I often get my kids involved with me. I really want them to enjoy cooking and feel comfortable in the kitchen.

There is so much to teach them.

How to combine flavors is a skill I hope they both pick up before they leave home. Recipes are great, but it can be a lot of fun, and handy, to be able to change things up with either ingredients on hand or  flavor favorites. My daughter's favorites right now include macaroni and cheese, cheese pizza and pancakes. Both kids are becoming proficient at pancake flipping.

It is time together that I cherish. I know they do, too. Since I am always in the kitchen, they are constantly asking what they can do to help. Now my kitchen helpers can set the table, do a lot of my mixing and even whisking. Currently my son and I are working on folding. It is a work in progress. As he learns to read I know our fun in the kitchen is really just getting started.

Over the past few months I have shared several of my family's favorite foods and flavor combinations. Now, a few of these might even translate into other foods... maybe even potato chip inspiration. I believe the inspiration and memories behind our favorite dishes impact we feel about them. What do you think?

Would you turn any of my flavor creations into a Lay's potato chip flavor?

There is still time to submit your idea for Lay's next great potato chip flavor. The Lay's "Do Us a Flavor" contest is running now through April 5th, 2014.  And who wouldn't want potato chip fame nationwide and a chance to win a million dollar grand prize? See Rules A judging panel of chefs, foodies and flavor experts will narrow down the contest submissions to four flavors. These four flavor finalists will then be fully developed by Frito-Lay's and unveiled for sale nationwide this Summer. From there it is up to the fans to decide who will take home the grand prize. 

And this year, contest entrants have even more creative freedom. The can  choose the perfect style of chip to fit their flavor. Make yours Lay’s Original, Lay’s Kettle Cooked and/or Lay’s Wavy potato chips. What would you like to bite into? Would it be a new family favorite...nationwide? Submit your entry on the Lay's Do Us a Flavor site.

Ready to #DoUsAFlavor? 

Stay connected with Lay's on their Facebook page and on twitter.

“Cheers to 20 Years” with Oregon Chai - Facebook Giveaway

I was sent a sample pack of Oregon Chai products in exchange for this promotion, but Oregon Chai is still what I drink by choice. All opinions and experiences are, as always, my own.

In college, here in Oregon, I fell in love with Oregon Chai. It was the perfect thing to get me through all those cold and rainy mornings on campus.

Smooth and flavorful, it warmed me from the inside out. It was pretty much love at first mug.

Recently I found out Oregon Chai also came in these fabulous K-Cups. Yeah, that rocked my world.

To celebrate the 20^th Anniversary of Oregon Chai and to thank  longtime supporters and chai devotees, Oregon Chai is offering Facebook fans the chance to win a three-night adventure for two to their hometown of Portland,Oregon. They are giving away 20 daily prize packages for 20 days, including custom anniversary mugs and chai.

You can enter this "Cheers to 20 Years" with Oregon Chai Facebook contest now through February 17th. And when you enter on the Oregon Chai Facebook Page daily, you will also receive a $1 OFF coupon for Oregon Chai and a $2.50 OFF coupon for Oregon Café Espresso Concentrate each time you enter.

Good luck and happy sipping!

Kitchen Shortcuts - From Prepping Onions to Pasta with Golden Grain

This post was sponsored by Golden Grain Pasta. All opinions and experiences are my own. 

I am just an average Mom.

Most days there just aren't enough hours to accomplish everything I want to, let alone need to do. Of course I always have to do the basics like get the kids going in the morning and put meals on the table.

So I try to work smarter... not harder. I have some shortcuts up my sleeve.

The folks at Golden Grain pasta also love shortcuts. In fact, they created Pot-Sized Spaghetti, you know, the size of the pot? This saves the step of needing to break the pasta to make it fit. Cool, right?

 I found these at my local grocery store. The clerk scanned my purchases and then grabbed the boxes again.

"Huh." she said.

We started in on a discussion about the brilliant ideas that someone nabbed first. She mentioned that she had always wondered why no one was selling pot-sized pasta.

Well, now there is.

Besides just sliding into my boiling pot of water without a fuss, these smaller boxes fit much easier in my pantry, too. Yay!

Well, the pot-sized pasta idea may already be taken, but I bet we all have some kitchen shortcuts up our sleeve that are worth mentioning. Golden Grain pasta wants to hear about it.

Right now you can head over to Golden Grain's  Facebook page and enter the "Show Us Your Shortcut"  contest. There are two ways to win in this fun contest.

Enter - Upload a photo and share your shortcut on the brand's contest page for a chance to win $500. You can see my submission below. Entry is quick and easy. Then get all your friends to vote for you.

Vote - Head over and vote for your favorite, you can vote daily, for a chance to win weekly $100 prizes. How easy is that?

My shortcut has to do with onions. I see to use onions in just about every dish that I make. Most of my soups, sauces and sautes all begin with dicing onions, a chore I hate. Instead of shedding a tear before each meal, I pulse up several onions all at once in my food processor. Then I fill a ziplock bag and freeze them to use as needed later in the week.

No crying... no spoiling... onions ready to go when needed.

Like my shortcut? I would love your vote! Just follow this link to my "Show Us Your Shortcut" entry (Andrea, Roseburg)

This contest ends March 19th, 2014. Good luck and let me know what your shortcut is. I would love to check it out.

Enter the Purex More Time For Mom Sweepstakes

 I am a Purex Insider. All information about this sweepstakes was provided by Purex. All opinions and experiences are my own.

As a Mom do you enjoy the kids being at school so you can pursue some of your passions? What do you do with all that extra time?

Me? I love to craft, read and knit. Domestic, aren't I?

I would never turn down a chance to add to my stash of yarn, books or other supplies. Purex is running a sweepstakes, just like the Purex Facebook page and enter on the sweepstakes tab for weekly prizes.

Prizes are:

• Oct. 16 – 22: Cosmetics Shopping Spree
• Oct. 23 – 29: Scrapbooking Shopping Spree
• Oct. 30 – Nov. 5: Home Décor Shopping Spree
• Nov. 6 – 12: New Wardrobe Shopping Spree
• Nov. 13 – 19: Kindle Fire!

Entry is easy - http://insiders.purex.com/MoreTimeforMom?id=200

Goodluck!

Spread Some Creativity with Jif - Enter the Most Creative Sandwich Contest

I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting (#MC) for Jif. I received a promotional item as a thank you for participating.

Peanut butter was a staple in my home growing up and today I enjoy eating mine with my family. Not just for lunch, I love mine with toasted bread and sliced bananas for breakfast, or mixed into a wrap sauce for dinner.

Well, Jif is currently hosting their Most Creative Sandwich Contest - challenging peanut butter sandwich enthusiasts out there to create an original sandwich recipe that includes 2 tablespoons of your favorite Jif product.

Parents of children ages 6 - 12 can submit their original recipe for a chance to win and be crowned this year's recipe winner. They will also win a $25,000 college fund and a trip to New York City!  Check out some of the finalists from last year's contest.

My son and I have our thinking caps on and plan to whip up an entry together in the kitchen. My favorite so far is a Phad Thai wrap using salted peanuts, rice noodles, bean sprouts and our favorite Natural Creamy Jif.

Be sure to enter before the deadline, November 8th. Check out the full contest rules for more information.

Would you like a chance at a $25K College Fund 

and a trip to NYC?

Enter the Help Your School Excel with Excedrin Contest

*Disclaimer - This post is part of a sponsored campaign with Excedrin® and MomSelect. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The start of the new school year may or may not have come with it's own headaches. Did you get all the supplies your child wanted, I couldn't find a Minion notebook last-minute for my son, or did you get the teacher you or your child hoped for?

In  in a recent survey by the makers of Excedrin®, 69% of parents said that they were excited for their child's first day of school. Interestingly enough, 44% of parents also say they expect to get a headache during the back to school season! I know that I expect to be part of that 44%, what about you?

Headaches have become a regular occurrence in my average day. With 3 kids to keep up with and life's little surprises in there too, I have to take a pain reliever at the first sign of pain. I just can't afford to let a headache or migraine keep me from my day.

Since my son is in Kindergarten this year I am trying to set some habits to cut-down on the Back to School headaches. First, I bought him a special folder for all the important papers from his teacher to go into. We open up his backpack and take a peek in the folder everyday after school. I also have him sit down and talk to me about his day right when he gets home. Over a snack we are communicating about what happened and if anything is coming up. My husband and I have also kept the lines of communication open with my son's teacher and principal about his medical issues. I am trying to be proactive from the start to hopefully avoid too many unnecessary frustration or problems.

Of course, I know I am not immune to something going wrong this year. For those times at least I can grab some Excedrin.

Excedrin is not only helping out busy parents like me, but your purchase could also help with the Back to School headaches of your teachers or school. What school couldn't use a little extra money? With every purchase of Exedrin, you can enter for a chance to win $10,000 for your child's school.

Enter the "Help Your School Excel with Excedrin" sweepstakes on Facebook for the chance to be one of five lucky winners. Be sure to enter your UPC code by September 15th, 2013. You can find complete sweepstakes rules on the Excedrin Facebook page.

Cascade #MyPlatinum - TLC for my Dishes, Dishwasher and Food

*I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Cascade. I received a product sample to facilitate my review and a promotional item as a thank you for participating.

I must admit, even though I own a dishwasher, I am a chronic pre-washer. Yes, I am a little overzealous about making sure our dishes are spot-free and clean.

But let me explain. Growing up we didn't always have a dishwasher. When we did, the dishwasher in our rental was often old or gutless. I grew up with the idea that a dishwasher just sanitizes the dishes, it can't remove food. So, I soak, I scrub and then I load the dishwasher. The whole process from sink to cupboard can take up to 3 hours. As a food blogger, and busy Mom, my dishes just pile up.

Lately my husband has been pitching in more around the house. The baby is coming this week and by the end of the day I am exhausted and ready to run and hide from our dinner dishes. The biggest problem is, I married someone who doesn't believe in pre-washing. Oh, the horror!

There is nothing worse than opening up the dishwasher the following morning to find the food is now "sterilized" onto the dishes. You know what I mean? The heat cycle has done it's magic and now that dried on food is going to be even harder to chip off the dishes than before? I might as well break out the sandpaper.  Oh, yeah...

Each week I try to share my best recipe photos here on the blog. No one want to pin or recreate a meal that is presented on dirty, streaked or smudged dishware. I need my flatware to shine and my glasses to show off what is inside them, not stuck on them. All my tempting close-ups would be in vain without sparkling dishes.

So to cut down on my workload and put my best dishes forward, I tried Cascade Platinum Pacs. Usually I buy both dry dishwasher detergent and then a rinse aid to help keep my machine at it's best. Again, my old girl can use all the help she can get. These handy little packs cover both jobs.

No measuring, no pouring, just grab a pack and pop it into the detergent tray. Close the lid and run the dishwasher. It was simple and fast, and I am sure even while baby-sleep-deprived I will be able to do it. No more spilled detergent or overfilled trays is another bonus for me.

How did they stack up? Well, my dishes came out clean, spot-free and without any of the dried on food they went in with. I was also happy to just toss in a pack and turn on the machine. Simple is good, right?

Some other fun facts about the Cascade Platinum Pacs include:

• Contains the Grease Fighting Power of Dawn
• Fights Tea & Coffee Stains
• Helps Prevent Hard Water Filming for a Sparkling Machine
• Contains Tough Food Enzyme Action

Get Your Food Noticed

We eat with our eyes even before we can taste the food. This is evident on sites like Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest. Even simple food's presentation can be enhanced with sparkling dishes and Cascade is partnering up with Gail Simmons, Top Chef judge and editor of Food+Wine Magazine, to discuss why this is important. Check out her tips from prep to plating and how Cascade Platinum can help. Learn more on the Cascade Facebook page and their Youtube page.

Enter the "My Platinum" Instagram Contest

I love taking food pics and Instagram has made sharing my culinary fun in the kitchen even easier. This month you can join in Cascade's "My Platinum" contest just by uploading photos related to their weekly themes. Register on the "My Platinum" contest site, then tag your photo with both #MyPlatinum and @MyCascade.

Each week, 2 lucky contestants will win a brand new Whirlpool Dishwasher, and one grand prize winner will get a Platinum kitchen makeover!

Here is the contest schedule:

• Week 1: My Platinum Plate (Entry Period: 6/3-6/9) - Show your best dish styled from the sparkling plate up.
• Week 2: My Platinum Bite (Entry Period: 6/10-6/16) - Show your best bite and most creative use of sparkling silverware.
• Week 3: My Platinum Clink (Entry: 6/17-6/23) - Show how you serve up creative concoctions in sparkling glasses. Cheers.
• Week 4: My Platinum Table (Entry Period: 6/24-6/30) - Show your sparkling tablescape for your most special celebrations.

So, are you a pre-washer? Want to change?