Earth Day 2012 will be celebrated on April 22nd. Are you ready to go green?
This year more Americans than ever will re-examine how their lifestyles and choices impact the environment.
Global warming, greenhouse gases and carbon footprint have become household terms, and today it seems that everyone is working on ways to be green!

Looking for an environmentally friendly wine? We suggest The Crossings, a New Zealand wine that is part of Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand,
a group founded by growers from all the grape growing regions. The Crossings Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, and Unoaked Chardonnay are all
sustainably grown and delicious! What is better than enjoying a great glass of wine while knowing you are doing your part in the “green” movement?

The Crossings wines all pair very well with a plethora of delicious natural foods. Try white poultry, vegetables, grains,
and even desserts with all of these varietals – you surely will not be disappointed with any of these!

Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand was developed to provide a ‘best practice’ model of environmental practices in the vineyard
and winery, guarantee better quality assurance from the vineyard through to the bottle, and address consumer concerns
regarding products which are made taking care to respect the environment.

For more information about Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand and The Crossings visit http://www.nzwine.com/ and www.thecrossingswines.com

Shared by: The Plus Size Mommy

Happy Earth Day!

Disclosure- I was sent a sample of wine from The Crossings Wines for sharing this great info. with my readers.

I have been  a fan of Ree Drummond’s the moment I first read her blog; The Pioneer Woman. I met her briefly in Chicago at Blogher one year, and I was so astonished by her beauty and was so glad to see how down to Earth she is and Real. These are 2 characteristics I look for in Popular or Celeb people. And she was everything I hoped she would be.  I just found out that she has another cookbook that came out on 3/31/12. I have watched her on The Today Show cooking, and she really looks like she enjoys it (which since she is so real I just know she really does), and she makes it look so easy. Which I know her recipes are easy to do and delish, since I have made some myself (her Apple brown betty is my fave).

Well, since I just found out about her new book, I wanted to share it with you. It only cost’s $20.99 from Food Network Store. By buying on this site, you will save $9, but also can have the opportunity to get FREE shipping, and also you get a bonus –  Signed Bookplate !!!!

The books are out of stock right now but as soon as they come in, I will be buying a few, 1 for me, and a couple more for gifts (these make awesome gifts).

Here is the Book Description, as found on FoodNetworkStore.com  :

“I’m Pioneer Woman. And I love to cook.
Once upon a time, I fell in love with a cowboy. A strapping, rugged, chaps-wearing cowboy. Then I married him, moved to his ranch, had his babies . . . and wound up loving it. Except the manure. Living in the country for more than fifteen years has taught me a handful of eternal truths: every new day is a blessing, every drop of rain is a gift . . . and nothing tastes more delicious than food you cook yourself.

The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Food from My Frontier is a mouthwatering collection of the simple-but-scrumptious recipes that rotate through my kitchen on a regular basis, including Perfect Pancakes, Cowgirl Quiche, Sloppy Joes, Italian Meatball Soup, White Chicken Enchiladas, and a spicy Carnitas Pizza that’ll win you over for life. There are also some elegant offerings for more special occasions at your house: Osso Buco, Honey-Plum-Soy Chicken, and Rib-Eye Steak with an irresistible Onion-Blue Cheese Sauce. And the decadent assortment of desserts, including Blackberry Chip Ice Cream, Apple Dumplings, and Coffee Cream Cake, will make your heart go pitter-pat in the most wonderful way.

In addition to detailed step-by-step photographs, all the recipes in this book have one other important quality in common: They’re guaranteed to make your kids, sweetheart, dinner guests, in-laws, friends, cousins, or resident cowboys smile, sigh, and beg for seconds. (And hug you and kiss you and be devoted to you for life.)

I hope you enjoy, devour, and love this book. I sure did love making it for you. ”

This Description alone is just as mouthwatering and beautiful as her Blog, writing, photography, herself, and more.

If your looking for new recipe’s to try, a present for a friend/family member who loves to cook, recipes that are easy to make and taste sooo sooo good, please consider The Pioneer’s new book!

The Plus Size Mommy

Disclosure- This is NOT a compensated post. I wrote this post on my own simply because The Pioneer Woman inspires me, I love her cooking, and I am so excited about this new book, and cannot wait to get one!  All research was done by me, and all idea’s/suggestions/ and personal comments are my own.

I am excited to announce the winner of the Pork Prize Pack (The Prize Pack includes : a $25 Costco Gift Card, a Taylor Instant Read Meat Thermometer, and a USB Flash Drive with Pork info.) is :  JANICE COOPER ! Please email me your name, address, and phone # within 48 hours to win (11/1/11 3:20 EST. now)  and I will have the company mail the prize pack out to you!

My email is : plussizemommy@gmail.com please use Pork Prize in the subject line.

Thank you Very much for entering and ENJOY!

The Plus Size Mommy

Disclosure –  Prize are being sent to the winner at no cost to me. I also received the same items from the company.  I am not responsible for lost or broken prizes. Please email me once you have received your prize, so I know you have. Thank you. Thank you to The Motherhood.com and Costco for asking me to participate in this project.  I’m receiving compensation plus entry into a sweepstakes from Costco throughTheMotherhood.com in exchange
for my pork tenderloin post. All opinions are my own.

In a recent blog post I had told you about it being National Pork Month, and that I was celebrating by creating my own recipe for Pork Tenderloin. All of this was asked of me by TheMotherhood.com and Costco for the Blogger Pork Challenge.

So, I wanted to share with you now, a video and my recipe that I came up with (below):

Harvest Pork Tenderloin

Boneless Pork Loin (5 lbs.)

2 bags of mixed dried fruit (example: prunes,apricots, peaches, pears, apple slices, any fruits you like)

3 Tbsp. of butter

3 Tbsp. of virgin olive oil

Salt

Freshly Ground Black Pepper

1 Cup of Spiced Apple Wine (or you can substitute white wine)

Milk

Cut your Pork Tenderloin into 2 pieces, each being about 8 inches long.

Stand one piece of Tenderloin on end, and use a BBQ Skewer to put a hole down the middle of the Loin, just as if you were skewering a giant hot dog from end to end.
Then move the skewer around to enlarge the hole. After enlarging with the skewer then use a handle of a wooden spoon to enlarge it even more.

*The awesome thing about the Costco Pork Tenderloin, is that it is already cut in 1/2 lengthwise so you do not have to do the step above! *

Then lay out your dried fruit on a wax paper so that you can pick and choose easily. Then insert fruit one at a time, alternating colors, and keeping the fruit in sequence. (ex. prune, apple, aprico – prune, apple, apricot.
This will make it beautifully colored when you cut it into slices and all of the harvest colors are showing.

Repeat this with the other 1/2 of your Pork Tenderloin as well.

Next, brown the outside of your Tenderloins, use tongs to turn so that they are browned all over. Salt and Pepper your pork so that it is seasoned all over.

Put into a roasting pan large enough to hold both roasts, and deep enough to hold the milk and wine.

Pour in the Wine.

Skewer the ends of the Pork so that they won’t fall apart during cooking. (you can also sew them)

Pour enough milk into the pan so that it reaches up to the sides of your tenderloins.

Cover with a lid and place into the oven at 350 degree’s F

Bake for up to 2 hours or until the meat doesn’t resist when poked with a tip of a sharp knife.

Remove from oven, cover loosely with foil and let your Loins rest for 10 – 15 minutes before cutting.

Do not use juices leftover in the pan as a gravy, it won’t be good.

Slice the Tenderloin into 1 inch thick pieces and arrange on a platter.

Serves 6 – 8 family members, or guests.

This was so fun to make and I loved seeing how it would turn out. This was a recipe from my Great Great Gramma that I revised to make it into my own recipe. So this is definitely part of a Family recipe.

Link Love :

More recipes and tips: Costco’s “In The Warehouse”

Resources about Pork PorkBeInspired.com

Resources about the MANY Cuts of Pork available.

*Temperature Update: In May, the USDA reduced the temperature guideline for pork loins, chops and roasts from 160 to 145 degrees F, with a three-minute rest. This will yield a juicy, flavorful product that may be pinker in color than most home cooks are used to. Ground pork, like all ground meat, should be cooked to 160 degrees.

In Honor of National Pork Month being Celebrated at Costco, we would like to give you a chance to WIN a Pork Prize Pack.

The Prize Pack includes : a $25 Costco Gift Card, a Taylor Instant Read Meat Thermometer, and a USB Flash Drive with Pork info.

Here is How to Win:

Mandatory Entry: Leave me a comment telling me your favorite cut of Pork with a recipe for it.

For Additional Entries:

Follow me on Twitter I am @plussizemommy please comment and let me know you did.

Follow me on Networked Blogs, just look over in my right sidebar and click “Follow this blog”

Give this post a Stumble on StumbleUpon, all you have to do is click the “SU” Green and Blue button under “Bookmark Us”
section on my right sidebar, comment and let me know you have.

This giveaway is for continental USA winners only. This giveaway starts NOW and ends on 10/30/2011 at 9 PM EST.
Winner WILL NOT be notified. Winner will be chosen via random.org and then listed in a separate post.(so please look for it on the 30th). Winner will have 48 hours to respond to claim their prize.Prize will then be shipped from the company directly. Winners who do not reply within 48 hours of winner post will be disqualified and a new winner will be chosen.
PLEASE LEAVE separate comments for each entry. Otherwise you will only receive entries based on how many comments you
leave.

Thank you for visiting and entering and GOOD LUCK!

The Plus Size Mommy

Disclosure: I’m receiving compensation plus entry into a sweepstakes from Costco throughTheMotherhood.com in exchange
for my pork tenderloin post. All opinions are my own.

The week of October 17 (This week), Pork Tenderloin is on Sale for $2.00 off per package of pork tenderloin, in honor of National Pork Month at Costco. Pork Tenderloin is a wholesome cut packing tons of flavors, ounce for ounce, pork tenderloin is as lean as a skinless chicken breast.

This week I am in a challenge to create a “Family Favorite” recipe using this cut of Pork for my family. I will be posting that recipe, along with pictures, later this week plus a $25 Costco Cash Giveaway for YOU to try and win!

For even more recipes and tips please visit Costco’s “In The Warehouse” provides flavorful recipes and tips for preparing featured cuts of pork. Check back weekly for fun, new information on Costco’s featured cuts. You may also want to visit PorkBeInspired.com for info. on all of the different cuts of pork and about the best, healthiest way to cook Pork.

Things that stuck out at me as I read through the websites listed above were how many cuts of Pork there are (There are so many choices!). The many many ways you can cook pork.  There are also some great freebie cook books on there as well. So, you definitely will want to visit to grab those!

And did you know that Pork tenderloin is heart healthy & is endorsed by the American Heart Association?  Yep! It is true. The pages also tell the best ways to handle and store Pork, which I feel is a very important thing to know with any foods this information.

An Important Temperature Update: In May, the USDA reduced the temperature guideline for pork loins, chops and roasts from 160 to 145 degrees F, with a three-minute rest. This will yield a juicy, flavorful product that may be pinker in color than most home cooks are used to. Ground pork, like all ground meat, should be cooked to 160 degrees.

I hope you will all come back at the end of this week to see what Pork Tenderloin Recipe I chose as our Family Favorite. And also for your chance to win the $25 Costco Cash!

Happy National Pork Month!

The Plus Size Mommy

Disclosure: I’m receiving compensation plus entry into a sweepstakes from Costco through TheMotherhood.com in exchange for my pork tenderloin post. All opinions are my own.

I know how tough it can be at times to come up with something new to make for dinner. I get tired of the Same Old Same Old as well. So I would like to share with you some recipes I have received as part of my Ragu Ambassadorship. This is the first in the series. I like this one because it is healthy for everyone, kids like it (since it is pizza), it is quick to make, ingredients do not cost a lot (some you may have on hand), It is versatile, you can make it for lunch, dinner, party appetizers, after school snack, and tailgating parties.

Chicken Fajita Grilled Pizza

What to Shop For:

1 LB. boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 large poblano or medium green bell peppers

1 large red onion, cut into 1/2 in. thick slices

2 (12 in) prebaked pizza crusts

1 1/2 Ragu Old World Style Pasta Sauce

3 Cups shredded Monterey Jack or Cheddar Cheese

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

Lightly coat chicken and onion with oil and then season. Grill chicken, onions, peppers, turning once 8 minutes, or until chicken is cooked thoroughly and vegetables are tender. (Don’t be worried if peppers turn black while grilling). Wrap peppers in aluminum foil, let stand 5 minutes, then remove skin and thinly slice. Thinly slice chicken and then set aside.

Grill top side of pizza crusts 1 minute then remove from grill. Evenly spread Ragu Old World Style tomato and Mozzarella  pasta sauce. Then evenly top the pizza’s with chicken, vegetables, and cheese. Grill pizza’s, covered, for 3 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Sprinkle with Cilantro, Serve.

This recipe makes 8 servings prep time is 30 minutes, and cook time only 15 minutes!

Connect with Ragu

• Connect with Ragu and the “Moms The Word on Dinner” Ambassadors on Facebook here.
• Connect with Ragu on Twitter here

Happy Grilling! 

The Plus Size Mommy

Disclosure-  All recipe information was supplied by Ragu. I am being compensated as part of this Ambassadorship. This is part of a campaign for which I am an Ambassador for the Ragú® Mom’s the Word on Dinner Program. Visit www.facebook.com/ragusauce to join the conversation.

On Tuesday, Sept. 27th Cold Stone Creamery® and the Make-A-Wish Foundation® are inviting everyone to take part in the 10th Annual World’s Largest Ice Cream Social. From 5-8 p.m., all Cold Stone locations will be giving away a FREE 3-ounce portion of the Sprinkled with Wishes Creation, Sweet Cream Ice Cream mixed with Brownie, Rainbow Sprinkles and Fudge. Guests are encouraged to make donations to the Make-A-Wish foundation during this event. Additionally, throughout the entire month of September, every Cold Stone store nationwide will sell paper wish stars for $1 each to help raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. This is the 10th year Cold Stone Creamery has supported the Make-A-Wish Foundation and they have raised over $4 million to help change the lives of children with life-threatening medical conditions. Everyone is encouraged to make a donation to ensure that the 10th annual ice cream social is the most successful yet.

I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream For Ice Cream, And also help a child with a Dream!

Shared By:  The Plus Size Mommy

As you may have already read in a previous post, I have been chosen to be one of the Ragu Dinner Club Ambassador’s for the new campaign they are working on called : Mom’s The Word On Dinner. Mom’s The Word On Dinner is a social media program that gives mom’s a forum to tackle and share their dinnertime dilemmas with other mom’s. (I told you there was wonderful surprises coming).

As part of the program I am sharing with you another video about the topic of : Dinnertime – Battle or Bonding?

From menu mishaps to creative conflicts, we know dinner can be considered chaos to some and a celebration to others. So who better to settle the debate than you? We’d love to hear more about where you stand when it comes to friendly dinnertime debates.

In our home how I battle chaos is that everyone must at least try 3 bites of everything on their plate. I make up the plates, because if I allow my kids to do it, there won’t be any new foods on them. Also, it is important that you do not ask your children what they want, just give it to them. Asking them if they want pea’s entitles them to say, “No” but just putting peas on their plate and using the 3 bite rule, then you know they will have to eat at least 3 bites of the pea’s.

Also, I refuse to make more than one meal at dinnertime. If someone doesn’t like what we are having for dinner, well then that is fine, they do not have to eat it, but if they are hungry and want something else, they have to make it themselves. This rule even applies to my 3 yr. old, because she can make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and actually loves doing so. I don’t however let her get away with this every night.

I have always fed my children healthily we always have vegetables for our meals. I always keep in mind what my pediatrician has told me, that your child’s stomach is only about as big as their fist (same like their heart) so I also don’t over fill my kids plates. And another thing I learned from my nutrition health provider is that the meat should be no bigger than can fit in the palm of your hand (or for kids, their size hand).

These are rules I live by as a mom. It helps to keep the chaos down, and keep dinnertime sane. Oh, and we ALL sit down and eat dinner together. Call me old fashioned but no one leaves the table until everyone is done. Also no games, toys, electronics, no television, or anything at the dinner table. It is a time of day when we all sit and relax and enjoy each other’s company and learn about the day’s events. I find this cuts down on chaos as well. After all, you never saw Opie leaving Aunt Bea’s table, acting up, or watching television during supper!

Now, for this giveaway, you are going to have to do a little work, after all $300 is on the line here!!!  YES, it is true, your not seeing wrong, ONE of YOU (my readers) will be the winner of $300 !!!!!  That sure could go a long way with your grocery shopping. And buy you a TON of Ragu Sauces!!!

There are 3 MANDATORY(M) items that MUST be completed in order to use any bonus entries. Those who do not complete these entries will be disqualified and any bonus entries will not count.

M1 –  Visit the “Mom’s the Word On Dinner” Facebook page. view the latest video (which is about “How Do You Spice Up Your Pasta”)  Like the Facebook page and then leave a comment on How You Spice up your Pasta.

M2 - Leave me a comment with a recipe using  your favorite Ragu sauce (can be a spiced up recipe or not)

M3 - Like Plus Size Mommy on Facebook , follow my blog (right sidebar), and also follow me on Twitter.

After completing these 3 steps you will earn your first entry. Leave me a comment letting me know you have completed ALL 3 Mandatory steps = 1 comment. (If you do not complete all of these, you will be disqualified until they are complete).

BONUS (B) ENTRIES : 

B1- Leave your favorite pasta recipe on the Ragu Facebook page. Comment with the link to your recipe post = 1 entry

B2 – Visit the Ragu Facebook page and give your tip(s) for dinnertime, leave me the link to each tip = 1 entry per tip (up to 4 tips each day separate comments please) = up to 4 entries.

B3 – Leave me a comment and share some dinnertime tip(s) on here and for each comment (separate) = 1 entry

B4 – Share the link to this post on Twitter, to let other’s know about this giveaway. Include the hashtag #RaguSauce and @RaguSauce  within the tweet along with the link = 1 entry per tweet (up to 5 times per day) = possible 5 bonus entries per day.

B5 – Write a blog post on your blog about this giveaway, Ragu, and the “Mom’s The Word On Dinner” Facebook page, and link it back to this post  = 10 bonus entries.

There are MANY ways to enter but make sure you complete the 3 Mandatory steps first.

This giveaway is for 1 (ONE) Winner –  $300.oo AM EX Gift Check’s (They work like a Gift Card) . This giveaway is for continental USA winners only. This giveaway starts NOW and ends on 9/13/2011  at 9 PM EST. Winner WILL NOT be notified. Winner will be chosen via random.org and then listed in a separate post (so please look for it on the 14th). Winner will have 48 hours to respond to claim their prize. Prize will then be shipped from me. Winners who do not reply within 48 hours of winner post will be disqualified and a new winner will be chosen.

As promised here is my video of my children and I paying it forward by using Clear American water. Our mission was to find random people who we thought may be thirsty and want a drink of Cold Refreshing Clear American Water.

I hope you like the video, and I would love to hear your thoughts about Clear American Bottled (or canned) Water. Please leave me a comment.

How are you going to Pay It Forward today?

The Plus Size Mommy

Disclosure: This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias, which is a vendor for Cott Beverages Inc., the manufacturer of Clear American® brand beverages. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Someone special is having a birthday on Aug. 25th, it is Rachael Ray!
Every Day with Rachael Ray magazine editors are asking their baking savvy readers and all Rachael fans at large to help them celebrate her birthday by making Rachael a birthday cake. And I was asked to help in her Birthday Celebration!

And, if you want in on the celebration? The Magazine asks that bakers make a homemade treat from the pages of the August issue that is on stands now. They can choose from any of the four birthday cakes on pages 31-32 or select any ingredient found in this issue and use it in their own cake recipe.

I couldn’t pass up the chance to celebrate with one of my favorite gals on TV. Here is a Video my kids and I made to help Rachael Celebrate!

By the way, our cones were Carrot Cake Cones, and we purposefully left off all of the “ice cream topping” so we could write Happy Birthday on them. This was a very fun project, and we loved working together to make the cone cakes.

And, if you do decide to make a one of the cakes from the Aug. issue, Simply create Rachael’s birthday cake, snap a photo and post it on www.Facebook.com/RachaelRaymag. Check back on August 25th (her actual birthday) to find out which cake will land a shout-out in an upcoming issue and a possibly a big thank you from the birthday girl herself. The winning entry will be mentioned in the next issue of the Magazine and exposure on RachaelRayMag.com.

Have fun, and enjoy your family time baking a great, yummy cake! Even though your making a cake in celebration of Rachael, you are the one’s who get to eat it!!!

Oh, and by the way, Don’t forget to pick up a copy of her Sept. Magazine, it is in store’s NOW too.

Happy Birthday Rachael!

The Plus Size Mommy

Disclosure – I was not compensated for this post. The only compensation was the fun my family had participating in this celebration.