The Sewing Mom

This post brought to you by I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter. All opinions are 100% mine.

As I’ve mentioned on this blog numerous times, I have high cholesterol.  I manage my cholesterol through diet and prescription medication.  One of the items in my refrigerator that I probably use more than any other ingredient, is butter.  I have sticks of real butter for use in some recipes, but for the most part, I use butter that comes in a tub.  In other words, it’s not exactly real butter.  But, that’s okay, because it tastes like butter and it’s way lower in fat and all the things that can cause my cholesterol levels to go up.  I started out using a certain brand of tub butter, but recently switched to I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter spread.  Even my husband noticed the difference and we really like the taste!

Imagine my surprise when I learned about the Toast to the Red Carpet – LIVE, presented by I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! inviting movie fans to watch the live stream on Facebook, February 26 from 3-4pm (PST).  Celebrities will be dishing about the red carpet fashions plus there will be a culinary expert dishing real yummy foods along with recipes so we can make them at home too.

Speaking of recipes, here’s one I enjoy making because it tastes good and is super quick & easy.

First, cut chicken breasts into cubes.  Do the same thing with veggies like yellow squash, zucchini and bell peppers (use red, green & yellow).  Spray all of the ingredients with “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter” cooking spray, making everything good and wet.  Toss everything with rosemary and lemon zest.  Put it all onto skewers and pop into the broiler.  Cook until the chicken is cooked through, turning at least once.  After removing from the broiler, spray again lightly with the cooking spray and sprinkle with lemon juice.

I like to serve my kabobs with brown or dirty rice and a side salad.  This is a quick, tasty and low fat meal.

I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter is giving me a coupon for a FREE tub of I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter spread and I’m passing that coupon along to one lucky reader.  To win, leave a comment on this post telling me why you will be watching the Toast to the Red Carpet – LIVE, presented by I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!

All comments must be posted by midnight February 26 (CST) and only 1 comment per person please.  Also, you must have a mailing address in the U.S.A.  Don’t forget to leave your email address so I can contact you if you are the lucky winner!

This post brought to you by Puppies vs. Babies. All opinions are 100% mine.

Well, technically it the Puppies vs. Babies contest, but, as much as I think babies are cute, puppies are undoubtedly cuter in my humble opinion!  I mean really, have you EVER seen an ugly puppy?!

The Puppies vs. Babies online contest by Animal Planet let’s you be the judge, you get to decide which is cuter, puppies or babies.  Now, I must warn you , when you visit the contest website you are going to see tons of cute babies and even more cute puppies (because all puppies are cute!).  So be prepared, you are going to have a tough decision to make before casting your vote!  The prize to the winning puppy or baby is $5,000!

I still remember the 1st time we saw our little puppy.  We met the breeder at a roadside rest stop that happened to be half way between her home in Oklahoma and our home in Texas.   The breeder set the little dog carrier down in the grass and opened the door.  This tan colored pudgy little think with a short stubby tail came slowly out the door and stepped tentatively on the grass.  The breeder explained it was the first time the little one had ever touched grass!

Well, next thing we knew, that adorable little puppy saw my daughter and bounded directly to her and they’ve been best friends ever since!

Since that day, she of course grew, but she’s still adorable with her soft & floppy beagle ears and her curly pug tail, yes, she’s a puggle.  She and my daughter are still best friends and both are probably way too spoiled!

Anyway, be sure to submit your own photo and don’t forget to cast your vote by November 23.  Let me know what you think and I’m curious, who’d you vote for?

This is just a reminder, the Contest is nearing the end, so please don’t forget to enter by clicking here and following the directions!

Remember, you could be the winner of this great Freschetta Storage set and a coupon for a FREE Freschetta by the Slice!  The winner will be announced on Sunday,  May 1.

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of FRESCHETTA® for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

I received a coupon for one FRESCHETTA® By the Slice product and decided it was something I really wanted to try.  I work out of my home, so it’s iimportant for me to have good, quality products on hand for lunch for myself.  Sometimes I eat leftovers from the previous night’s dinner, and occasionally I make myself a sandwich, but I enjoy having something fresh and hot, something that makes me feel like I went out to eat like most people do for a work lunch.

Anyway, I headed to the grocery to use my coupon and was pleased to discover that FRESCHETTA® By the Slice comes in 4 different flavors:

* BBQ Recipe Chicken

* Vegetable Medley

* Chicken, Spinach & Mushroom

* Six Cheese Medley

I tried the chicken, spinach & muscroom, 3 of my favorite ingredients.  The following day, I popped my slice of pizza in the microwave and in just a couple of minutes, I was enjoying a delicious lunch.  I really enjoyed the flavor and the toppings all tasted pretty fresh.  The crust was a little bit thin in my opinion, but it still tasted good.

I know, now you’re wondering about the Contest. right?  Well, I want to share my good fortune and Freschetta wants to share their pizza with a lucky reader of my blog.  The prize?  A coupon for your very own free  FRESCHETTA® By the Slice. That’s not the only thing, the lucky winner will also receive a 6 piece Freschetta storage set which includes  a 34 oz. container, a 18.7 oz., container and a 12 oz. container, all with match silicone lids.

How to enter:

Leave a legitimate comment telling me what your favorite work day lunch is.  (legitimate means no spam and must be in a complete sentence).

One entry per email address please. (multiple entries will be deleted)

Contest will end April 30, 2011 at 11:59pm CST.

Feel free to check out FRESCHETTA® on Twitter at @FreschettaPizza and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/freschettapizza

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Dove Ice Cream. All opinions are 100% mine.

This has been a crazy couple of days. It started yesterday, after finishing work at noon, I headed out to due some errands. I had just walked into the pet supply store my cell phone rang. Surprisingly, it was my daughter calling from school to tell me she was sick and needed me to pick her up. Well, that shot the rest of my errands out the window! I grabbed the much needed dog food, paid the cashier and headed to the school.

After picking her up, I knew she hadn’t eaten lunch and wasn’t sure why she wasn’t feeling well. This is a kid who NEVER gets sick and hasn’t missed a day of school since 2nd grade. She said she felt hungry so I grabbed her a roast beef sandwich to go and we headed home. 30 minutes after getting her comfy on the sofa in front of the t.v., she was running to the bathroom throwing up. This happened several more times and I’m sure, all you parents know, getting anything done while your child is sick is pretty much never going to happen. I even had to have my husband stop by and grab me some deodorant, one of the items on my to do list that didn’t get done.

Today, she stayed home from school all day. It was rough because I do work from home, but I am on a very set schedule. I did what I could do make her comfortable, checking on her every hour or so until I got off at 1:30. I even managed to heat up a can of chicken noodle soup for each which she managed to eat… and keep down!

By this afternoon, I was ready for a break, any break! That’s when I decided to take a few minutes to myself and spend some time online. I discovered the Dove Ice Cream (which I had just purchased less than an hour before while at the grocery getting items for my daughter), has launched a new contest and let me tell you, this one is right up my alley because it’s all about “me time”!

The “My Mini Moment” contest DOVE® Ice Cream asks women to share their favorite mini moment of escape and one lucky winner could win one of 3 sensational mini-grand prizes: a mini-getaway to Napa Valley, Spa services for a year or a mini-home makeover. Women need to submit a photo and short essay at DoveIceCream.com/myminimoment by June 7, 2010.

Just like 70% of the 400 mothers that Dove Ice Cream Miniatures surveyed, I feel it’s important to take time for myself each and every day. It’s so easy to get lost in “motherhood” and I don’t want to lose myself. Taking time to be me makes me a better mom.

Be sure to enter the contest and express your favorite way to take a mini moment! I’m off now to indulge in my own mini moment with a Dove Ice Cream miniature! I don’t even have to feel guilty because they only have 70 calories or less!