Since this is a last minute thing, the giveaway is only open to entries for today, so enter quick.

Good luck!

Hershey’s S’mores Giveaway

Hershey’s has provided me with a S’mores Kit to giveaway to one lucky reader. The contest closes at 11:59 p.m. on July 28. One winner will be selected via Random.org on July 29 and will be notified via email. The winner must reply within 72 hours or another winner will be chosen. Contest open to U.S. residents only.

To Enter: Leave a comment on this post about your favorite s’mores memory.

Extra Entries:

• Like both Hershey’s Say S’mores! AND Sarah’s Cucina Bella on Facebook. Then, leave a comment here saying you did. (1 per person)
• Follow @SarahWCaron on Twitter. Then, leave a comment here saying you did. (1 per person)
• Like Sarah’s Cucina Bella on Babble’s Top 100 Food Mom Blogs. Then, leave a comment here saying you did. (1 per person)

This post is part of my participation in the Hershey’s “Say S’mores” Promotion. All opinions expressed are mine.

I was recently contacted by Del Webb, an active adult community builder, about the Cook for the Cure events they are hosting across the country to benefit the Susan G. Komen For the Cure foundation. The Susan G. Komen For the Cure foundation is dedicated to education and research in the search for a breast cancer cure.

The folks at Del Webb asked me to share some information about the Cook for the Cure events, which are happening through the 24th (see the Del Webb Facebook page for a full list of events). If you are in the neighborhood, drop by one!

Here’s some information about the events from Del Webb:

From July 15-24, 45 Del Webb communities across the nation will be hosting the events. They are free, open to the public and will feature:
Cooking demonstrations

• Food samplings
• Live entertainment
• Silent auctions
• Raffles, prizes and more

Attendees are invited to come eat, enjoy the Del Webb lifestyle and enter to win KitchenAid® small appliances. Those interested in attending can find a community nearby and RSVP on Del Webb’s website.

Cooks for the Cure challenges America to host 1,000 dinner parties to raise money for breast cancer research and community outreach programs. Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, the event has raised a collective $8 million for the foundation since 2001.

KitchenAid Mixer Giveaway

Del Webb has also provided me with a pink KitchenAid hand mixer to giveaway to one lucky reader. The contest closes at 11:59 p.m. on July 24. One winner will be selected via Random.org on July 25 and will be notified via email. The winner must reply within 72 hours or another winner will be chosen. Contest open to U.S. residents only. Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery of the mixer.

To Enter: Leave a comment on this post about your experience with breast cancer.

Extra Entries:

• Post a pink-themed summer goodie recipe (or a link to the recipe) on the Del Webb Facebook page. Then, leave a comment here saying you did. (1 per person)
• Like Sarah’s Cucina Bella on Facebook. Then, leave a comment here saying you did. (1 per person)
• Follow @SarahWCaron on Twitter. Then, leave a comment here saying you did. (1 per person)

Disclosure: This giveaway is sponsored by Del Webb. I was not provided with complimentary product or compensation of any kind. The words and opinions expressed here are my own.

Who likes milkshakes? This girl! While I have never been a fan of those triple thick, can’t get it up a straw, milkshakes (hello, tummy ache!), I am a huge fan of the slightly thinner, creamy, cold variety. And this year, I finally learned how to make ‘em. Thanks to Bobby Flay.

Earlier this year, Shawn bought me a copy of Bobby Flay’s Burgers, Shakes and Fries, which is a great book — and perfect if you want to learn to make a mean burger, killer shake or … perfect fries. So it was using that book that I conquered my inability and started making awesome shakes. But just for me. Until today, I never shared.

What?

I was practicing!

Today’s milkshake was Bobby Flay’s Banana-Milk Chocolate Crackle Milkshakes from that cookbook. It’s a rich, creamy milkshake that isn’t too thick. It has the perfect balance of vanilla and banana, and is dotted with smooth bits of milk chocolate. It’s divine. And making it? It takes all of five minutes and just a few ingredients. Easy as it comes.

I tested the milkshake this afternoon while the kids were at school. Oh, it was good. So, seeing as I had extra ingredients, I decided to surprise my kids with shakes of their own when they got home from school.

I think they liked them. Seeing as there was nothing left when they were done.

Scrappy went for a look ...

Scrappy was disappointed. The little bellies were definitely not.
Are you a milkshake fan?

Click through and scroll all the way down for a chance to win a signed copy of Bobby Flay’s cookbook.

Banana-Milk Chocolate Crackle Milkshake
serves 2 (8 oz portions)
Recipe from Bobby Flay’s Burgers, Fries, and Shakes

1/4 cup whole milk
1 large very ripe banana, peeled and cut into quarters
1 2/3 packed cups vanilla bean ice cream
1 oz milk chocolate, melted and still warm

Add the milk and banana to the blender and blend briefly, for about 5 seconds, leaving the mixture still chunky. Add the ice cream and blend until smooth, about 30 seconds. With the blender running on low, drizzle in the milk chocolate. It will harden on contact, leaving little bits of sweet, smooth chocolate all throughout.

Serve immediately.

—

Now, who wants to win a signed copy of Bobby Flay’s Burgers, Fries, and Shakes?

Giveaway Closed!

Congrats to Lynda, the winner of this cookbook.

Disclosure: The prize for this giveaway was provided by Hellman’s because of my affiliation with their Club Sandwich program. That didn’t influence the content of this post. In fact, I already owned a copy of this book and made the shake from my own (sadly unsigned) copy. Hellman’s gave me two signed copies, but I already gave one away to the biggest Bobby Flay fan in my family, leaving one for this contest. That is all.

Mwah! Love the shaped cookie trays that we used for these.

The little chefs ... before they baked up a storm.

Pressing the cookie dough into the cookie tray openings ... We used premade dough to make it speedier.

Decorating frenzy. I iced the cookies with a simple icing made from powdered sugar and water. Then the kids went crazy with sprinkles.

Sampling the goods ...

Will's sporty creations ... his cookies are well done, but he's okay with that.

Can you say sprinkles everywhere? But that’s what this was all about … letting the kids go wild making something themselves. And they enjoyed every second of it.

To make these cookies, we used Wilton Cookie Pans, which I bought just for the occasion. They are nonstick pans with 12 places each to press cookie dough into. I used premade cookie dough from the grocery store, so that the prep work would be minimal and the kids could do most of the making themselves. In using these pans, I learned that the cookies will bake quickly — so watch them. I cooked these 3 minutes less than the package suggested, but they still were pretty well-done.

Then I whipped up an ultra-simple icing of powdered sugar and water. No measurements here, I just mixed until I got the desired consistency. Once that was brushed on, it was up to the kids to decorate them with whatever sprinkles they wanted.

Now, I am so excited to tell you about a contest that encourages you to let your kids get messy in the kitchen too. The Clorox Cook Up a Mess Contest, which is going on now, asks you to submit your best photo of your kids making a mess in the kitchen. And the prize? It’s fabulous. Really.

If you need some inspiration for your own mess making, click “Need Some Inspiration” at the bottom of the Clorox entry page on Facebook.

And a note on cleaning up … to clean up sprinkles, I start by sweeping up whatever I can and tossing that into the garage. Then I use my handheld vacuum to suck up anything left. As for the icing, which got everywhere, that requires something more heavy duty like Clorox Clean-Up Cleaner. Clorox Clean-Up is also awesome when you are working with raw eggs (like you would if you were making the cookie dough yourself) since it removes any residue from the egg that ends up splashes across the counter.

Disclosure: I was compensated for my time in creating this post by The Motherhood and Clorox. But any opinions are my own.

A friend of mine made this cake for me last year. It was delish.

Can a blog have a birthday? Or is it better referred to as an anniversary? Whatever the case, five years ago today, I sat down at my old laptop and wrote the very first post ever for Sarah’s Cucina Bella. Coming from a journalism background, I hemmed and hawed about publishing it without an editor to double check and and finesse it a bit … But finally, I hit publish and there it was.

I wasn’t really sure where this blogging thing would lead, but I was hoping it would open doors into food writing for me. It did, and I am forever grateful.

The cool part though? One day, someone I didn’t know left me a comment. People — beyond my friends — were reading! Writing this blog has been so much fun over the past five years, and I am excited for what the future will bring. Thank you so much for reading Sarah’s Cucina Bella.

To celebrate, I wanted to do something a little different this year.

Sarah’s Cucina Bella Birthday Giveaway!

It might be my blog’s birthday, but you are getting the present (well, one of you anyway).

One lucky reader will receive a 1-year-subscription to either Bon Appetit, Everyday Food or Cooking Light magazine (their choice).

To enter, simply leave a comment below telling me your favorite post ever on Sarah’s Cucina Bella and why.

You have from now until Friday, November 12, at 11:59 p.m. to enter. The winner will be chosen at random using a Random Number Generator application. Be sure to leave a valid email address so that I can contact you.

Disclosure: This giveaway is being paid for by me as a thank you to my readers. Just me.

I spent a good part of the last few months researching in preparation for going green. In a way, it felt counter-intuitive because I put off starting until I was sure I could start and continue with success. Part of my concern is with the aspect of where we get our food. My area of Connecticut is startlingly devoid of butchers, for instance. And finding things like wheat, flour and sugar that isn’t from a giant company and shipped for thousands of miles is pretty much impossible.

Some decide to take drastic measures for their green pursuits, much like No Impact Man is doing. That’s just not me. The more gradual change I am taking will ultimately be more sustainable in my life.

Want to know more about my green transition? Check out Operation Green, a weekly column by Cate of Sweetnicks and I on Well Fed On The Town. It appears every Monday.

I recently wrote about the Kenmore PRO line of appliances for The Cook’s Kitchen over at The Well Fed Network. The relatively new product line has professional equipment styling with a more affordable price (it doesn’t have all the bells and whistles either, but looks like it should). Have you seen these appliances on Top Chef and fallen in love? Or maybe you have them at home? Perhaps you’ve been oogling them in Sears? If you are in love with Kenmore PRO, it’s time for you to put your love into words. Read all about the Kenmore PRO: How Do I Love Thee? contest sponsored by Sears and The Well Fed Network here. The deadline for entries is Monday, June 20 at 11:59 p.m.