{Easy Recipes} Yogurt Biscuits + Chobani giveaway + Dolce Gusto winner announced!

For a quick weekday breakfast, yogurt's my go-to dish-to-go. But I also enjoy how versatile yogurt can be. For a healthier Caesar salad, I use plain Greek yogurt instead of dressing. For baking, much like pumpkin puree or applesauce, yogurt is a great healthy substitute for oil, shortening, or butter.

So when Chobani offered to send us some yogurt and fulfill a giveaway to one lucky HLFD reader, we happily agreed. We love the lemon, mango, and pineapple flavors, but use plain Greek yogurt most often.

I've been fighting a cold now for about a week, so I decided to bake some biscuits to go with the French Onion soup my husband was making for me. I used a recipe found in Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything (a great resource that every kitchen should have!). I love making biscuits - they're so quick and easy to make. These ones were best served hot with the soup or with jam and hot tea.

Read on for the recipe, details on our Chobani giveaway, and the announcement of the Dolce Gusto giveaway winner!

Yogurt Biscuits (adapted from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything)

Ingredients (makes 10-15 biscuits depending on size)

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
5 tablespoons cold butter
1 cup 2% plain yogurt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. 

2. Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl and rub butter into mixture to thoroughly blend until it resembles coarse meal. 

3. Stir in yogurt until mixture forms a large ball. 

4. Drop 1-2 tablespoons of dough onto an ungreased baking sheet. 

5. Bake 12-15 minutes until golden brown. Serve within 15 minutes.

Thanks to Chobani, we're able to offer one lucky HLFD reader some delicious yogurt! For readers living the U.S., you'll have a chance to win three 32oz containers: 0% Plain, 2% Plain, and 0% Vanilla. Each container features a recipe to help inspire you with ways to cook/bake with the yogurt. And to celebrate Chobani's launch in Canada, this giveaway is also open to our Canadian readers who have a chance to win one 32 oz container of the 0% Plain yogurt (the Canadian version unfortunately does not have the recipe printed on it just yet)

To enter the giveaway, simply:

 

Leave a comment telling us what you like to cook/bake with yogurt.

This contest is open to residents who live in the continental US. and Canada and the winner will be chosen via Random.org.  The contest will end on 12/26/2011 at 11:59 pm EST and the winner will be announced the next day (12/27/2011).  Good luck!

And the winner of our Dolce Gusto coffee maker giveaway (as determined by Random.Org) is Amy Beth Marantino who commented "I gave a special young man a spiderman web blaster. He was thrilled to no end." Congrats Amy! We'll email you with details on claiming your prize.    

 

FTC Disclosure: Prize provided and fulfilled by Chobani. I did not receive any compensation for this post though I did attend a Chobani kitchen event, enjoyed  complimentary small bites made with yogurt and received some yogurt. All opinions expressed are my own.

{Giveaway} Dolce Gusto Piccolo coffee machine

Dolce Gusto Piccolo coffee machine. Photo courtesy of Nescafe Dolce Gusto

 Having a tiny kitchen means that we have very limited counter space. So any kitchen gadget that we opt to have around has to be compact, useful on a daily basis, and have multiple uses.  That's why we're fans of the Dolce Gusto Piccolo coffee machine.


This cute little guy doesn't take up a lot of space and is great for a dinner party because you can serve a variety of different drinks (hot and cold coffees and cappuccinos). And the multiple uses? Well, I like using it for hot water - perfect for teas! You do have to watch the pour (it doesn't automatically stop), but that helps you adjust how strong you want your coffee.



Dolce Gusto has kindly offered us the chance to give a Dolce Gusto Piccolo coffee machine to one lucky HLFD reader. To enter the giveaway, simply:

Leave a comment telling us your favorite holiday gift that you've either given or received.

This contest is open to residents who live in the continental US. and the winner will be chosen via Random.org.  The contest will end on 12/19/2011 at 11:59 pm EST and the winner will be announced the next day (12/20/2011). 

FTC Disclosure: Prize provided and fulfilled by Dolce Gusto. I did not receive any compensation for this post though I did attend a Dolce Gusto event, enjoyed a complimentary meal and received my own machine. All opinions expressed are my own.

{Sweet Treats} Trader Joe's Macarons and Giveaway Winner Announced

After dragging my husband all over NYC last March to sample macarons, you could say I have an affinity for these little guys.  They can come in so many different colors, making them perfect for a stylish party!  But my favorite ones at Maison du Chocolat cost $2.50/each , which can add up quickly when you want a few dozen for a bridal shower or to entertain a group of friends at home.

So when I saw a box of 12 macarons (6 vanilla, 6 chocolat) in the frozen dessert section of my neighborhood Trader Joe's, I instantly grabbed it.  At only $4.99/box (less than 42 cents/macaron), I wanted to try them for my next party.  Though not nearly as good as the best macarons I've ever eaten, the Trader Joe's macarons are surprisingly pretty tasty, not to mention much more affordable.

   To serve, you just need to let the macarons defrost for 30 minutes.  The chocolate was my favorite of the two.  It had a rich chocolate ganache filling.  The vanilla isn't bad - just much sweeter with more of a buttercream filling.  I'm definitely going to have to stock up on a few boxes for my next party (if I can get a hold of more - my store keeps running out of them!)

And now for our CSN Stores $55 Giveaway winner!  I just wanted to thank all of you for entering the contest.  All of your responses helped me put things in perspective.  Though the contest has ended, I'll be reading and re-reading your entries because when I feel blue, they put a smile on my face.  So, again, Thank You!   

Using Random.org, the winner is commenter #5 or Heather Sebastian.  She said, "I'm thankful for my kiddos and my health!" Congratulations Heather, we'll be contacting you with your prize.

{Giveaway} Win a $55 Gift Certificate to CSN Stores

If you won a $55 Gift Certificate to CSN Stores, what would you get?  It's a tough choice, as CSN Stores carries everything from wardrobes to cookware.  We like the colorful stock pot and baking dishes from Le Creuset, enjoy using our Emeril Cast-iron pan, and find our Cuisinart hand blender indispensable for making smoothies. 

How to enter:

Make sure you follow us (either from: Google Friend Connect, RSS, Twitter, Facebook, or via email) and leave a comment below stating what are you thankful for? (It's Canadian Thanksgiving on Monday and we thought it made for a great excuse to remind us of all of the wonderful friends and family we have in our life!)

Contest is open to residents of the US, Canada, and the UK.  Only one entry per person please.  Contest winner will be determined by Random.org.  Contest closes at 11:59 PM EST on Oct 31st, 2010 with the winner announced on Nov 1st, 2010.  Good luck!

{Giveaway} QR Code Skanz Bracelets

When you meet someone new, how long does it take you to get that person's phone number, email address, Twitter handle, and more? For us, we love meeting people - both personally and professionally - at events, conferences, parties, etc. Usually we exchange business cards - and end up with a whole pile we need to sort through and enter into our phones.

So when I learned about Skanz bracelets, I knew I wanted to try them out. What are they? They're QR codes (those funky barcode squares I've seen popping up everywhere). When you scan the QR code with a QR code reader on your phone (I use the Skanz QR code reader on my Droid phone), up pops a screen with all of your contact information. Your new friend/contact can download a CSV file with all of your information or simply press the buttons that link to all of your social media and traditional contact information.

After I bought one and wore it to various events, so many bloggers were intrigued and wanted one too. I reached out to Skanz (which also happened to be a new local small business) for a special discount code to offer to my readers.  Enter highlowfooddrink to get 20% off your purchase at Skanz.com. (expires 10/15/2011)

As an added bonus, I have one Skanz bracelet (retail $9.99) to give away to one lucky HLFD reader! All you have to do to enter is:

Share this post via Twitter (cc: @highlowfooddnk) or Facebook (link to our Facebook page) and leave a comment below saying you've done so.

The contest will run until 10/15/2011 at 11:59 pm EST (which is also when the 20% off promo code "highlowfooddrink" expires).  The winner will be chosen via Random.org.  Since I am mailing the prize out, I'm opening it up to anyone anywhere!  Good luck!  

FTC note: I bought my initial Skanz bracelet and sticker. Skanz.com provided us with additional Skanz bracelets and stickers.  We did not receive compensation and all opinions expressed are entirely our own. 

Coconut M&M's and Black + Blum Giveaway Winner

 Happy Friday!  It's been a drizzly day here in NYC, but nothing brightens our mood more than a little sweet treat! We spotted this elusive package of Limited Edition Coconut M&M's at Pioneer (a grocery store known more for its beer selection than anything else) and loving all things chocolate and coconut, wanted to try them for the first time.

Love the special designs! And though there's no actual coconut in the chocolate, I did enjoy the coconut flavor in these m&m's.  It's like having a secret pina colada in the middle of the day!

And now, let's announce the winner of our Black + Blum giveaway!  Using Random.org, the winner is Cindy Waffles who commented,

"The Box Appetit lunch box would be awesome! I enjoy packing my lunch every day."

Congrats Cindy! We'll contact you about your prize.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Black + Blum plus Choose Your Own Giveaway!

We love kitchen gadgets and good design, so when I checked out the New York International Gift Fair (NYIGF) last month, I was happy to come across black + blum.  I got to meet Dan Black and Martin Blum, the designers behind black + blum.  Many of their products are ergonomic and clever (some are even sold here in NYC at the Museum of Modern Arts (MOMA) store).  And not only did we get a chance to try out their Spudski Potato Masher, Salad Tongs, and their Box Appetit lunch box, but we also got them to provide a giveaway opportunity for you!

Looking like a ski pole, the Spudski Potato Masher is a fun and comfortable tool to mash potatoes.  It's funny how I never thought of cooking while I mashed snow during cross-country skiing, but this really works! I can imagine kids and ski bunnies having a blast with this masher.  The masher also unscrews from the pole for easy storage.

The next item we tried out was their Box Appetit lunch box.  We liked all of the different compartments in it - it helped keep our bread from being soggy by our salad.  The container also sealed well, preventing spillage.  All of the parts feel sturdy, though when sealing the container, we felt that the clips on the side may break and snap off.  The lunch box also includes a fife (fork+knife) and sauce container.

My favorite item of the three that we tried out were these Salad Tongs.  Having storage issues in our tiny NYC apartment isn't a problem when we can display these cute Salad Tongs on our dining table (plus it's a plant that will never need watering!)  The tongs work well to toss and serve salad, while the pot is great to hold/mix salad dressing.

And now for the giveaway! Black + Blum is generously giving away any one of these items (winner's choice!).  All you have to do is:

1. Leave a comment below stating which Black + Blum item (Spudski Potato Masher, Salad Tongs, or the Box Appetit lunch box) you would like to win and why. 

Additional entries:

2. Subscribe to us via email.

3. Follow us on Twitter and tweet about this post.

4. Friend us on Facebook and share this post.

5. Follow us on Google Friend Connect.

6. Subscribe to us via RSS

Contest closes on Sept 30th , 2010 at 11:59 PM (EST) and is only open to US and Canada residents.  The winner will be announced on Oct 1st and will be chosen through Random.org.  Good luck!

Almond and White Chocolate Chip Cookies plus $60 CSN Stores Winner Announced!

Do you ever have a craving? I always crave sweet treats, but generally won't have them on-hand.  It's too easy to finish off a bag of Oreos, so if I want something sweet, I have to make it myself.  My husband was out with the guys - which meant I had our whole tiny kitchen to myself.  I emptied out the pantry and decided to make these comfy, soft cookies to share and enjoy.  Served with a glass of milk, these Almond and White Chocolate Chip cookies were the perfect treat to satisfy my craving!

Almond and White Chocolate Chip Cookies (makes 24-36 cookies, depending on size)

Ingredients:

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp cocoa powder

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 cup butter

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

1 cup chopped almonds

Directions:

1.  Take out butter to soften.  Preheat oven to 375F.

2. Combine flour, salt, baking soda, and cocoa together.

3. Combine sugar, butter, and vanilla extract together in a separate bowl.  Add eggs and beat together.

4. Mix the bowls together.

5. Fold in almonds and white chocolate chips.

6. With a small ice-cream scoop, drop scoops of cookie dough onto cookie sheets.

7. Bake for about 10 minutes.

8. Cool on wire racks, then serve.

And now for the winner of our CSN Giveaway!  The winner, as determined by Random.org, is Jennifer McLachlan who liked my handmade necklaces. Congratulations! We'll be emailing you soon with your prize!  Thank you for everyone who entered.  We have a few giveaways in store for our readers, so keep an eye out for them!

Giveaway! $60 gift certificate to CSN Stores

Have you ever had a stranger unexpectedly brighten your day?  Maybe s/he put money in your almost-expired parking meter. Or s/he paid for your coffee.  For me, it was a salesgirl who complimented me on the necklace I made, encouraged me to start selling them, and bought a couple of them from me.  So when we were given the option to use or give away a $60 gift certificate from CSN Stores, we knew we wanted to pay it forward and make someone's day.  With over 200+ online stores, you could shop for dining room sets, cookware, or even new shoes.

All  you have to do to enter is:
1. Leave a comment about what you like about our new High/Low Food/Drink Boutique.  (We just launched it, including my handmade necklaces, and want to hear about your favorite products)

And 4 more bonus entries:
2. Follow us on Twitter (@highlowfooddnk) and tweet: "Enter to win $60 @csnstores gift card from @highlowfooddnk Details here: http://bit.ly/asGFm7" (Leave a comment saying you've done so with your )
3. Follow us on Facebook and leave a comment saying you've done so.
4. Follow us on Google Friend Connect and leave a comment saying you've done so.
5. Subscribe to our RSS feed and leave a comment saying you've done so (This includes subscribing via email).

Winner will be determined using Random.org and announced on Tuesday, Sept 7 (entries due Sept 6 at 11:59pm EST, max 5 entries per person).  Contest is open to Canadian and U.S. residents only.  Good luck!

$60 CSN Stores Giveaway Winner Announced

We're finally back in NYC!  For the past month, I've been on 7 planes, stayed in 6 hotels, gone through 6 different airports, 3 time zones, and visited 2 countries.  My hubby and I have attended 3 weddings and numerous business meetings, but have managed to have some great food adventures!  From San Francisco to (upcoming posts on) Toronto and the Midwest, we've sampled so many regional eats that we cannot wait to share with you!

But enough about us - you want to know who won our giveaway contest!  Thank you to everyone who entered - we liked reading about your favorite posts and store items.  Congratulations to The Canady Family (who liked our cupcake tank top)!  You have won a $60 online gift certificate from $60 CSN Stores.  We will email you about your prize.

Winner Announced for Food Truck Drive-In tickets 06/26 in NYC

Thanks to everyone who entered our giveaway for 4 tickets to the Food Truck Drive-In on 06/26 as part of the NYC Food Film Festival.  It looks like people really love the Wafels n' Dinges truck !  We also loved your favorite movies - Ratatouille (how can you not love a movie that was advised by Thomas Keller?), Chocolat (France + chocolate + Johnny Depp!), and Like Water for Chocolate (don't we all sometimes taste the emotions and passions we put into our cooking?)

So many great entries, but only one can be the winner. We used Random.org to decide for us.  The winner is Christine (whose favorite food-related movie is Like Water for Chocolate).  Christine writes the beautifully photographed and sweetly-written blog Fresh, Local, and Best.  Christine, we will email you the tickets and cannot wait to see the event photos you send us!

As a reminder, we still have one more giveaway (ends 6/27) for $60 from CSN Stores. 

Giveaway: Win a $60 Gift Certificate from CSN Stores!

June is my favorite month.  The weather is beautiful, the farmer's markets (along with my mom's vegetable garden) are bountiful, and my birthday happens at the end of it (yes, to my husband's chagrin, I like celebrating my birthday for the whole month).  For us, we'll be celebrating through food/drink adventures while we travel for weddings, business, and catching up with friends and family (You'll see where, including the city pictured above, throughout the next few posts).  But for you, we have a great giveaway!  From a bathroom vanity to a DVF travel tote to even Le Creuset cookware, CSN Stores features these and many other items in its over 200 online stores.  We're giving one of our lucky readers a $60 gift certificate to use in any one of CSN Stores online sites.


You have a maximum of 5 chances to enter. To enter, leave a comment for one or all of the following, by June 27th, 11:59PM EST:
1. Name your favorite High/Low Food/Drink post or your favorite item from our HLFD store
2. Follow this blog on Google Friend Connect
3. Follow us on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway
4. Subscribe via email or RSS to this site
5. Link this giveaway on your website (send us your link!)

We will choose the winner with Random.org and announce who wins the $60 gift certificate by June 28th.  Please note that this contest is only open to residents of Canada and the U.S.

{Giveaway Winners} Virtual Baby Shower Giveaway Winners Announced!

After hundreds of comments, we have enjoyed our week of giveaways in conjunction with A Little Bit of Spain in Iowa and Fresh Local and Best.  I wanted to thank our readers who have entered the contests and welcome new readers who found us through this giveaway.  Don't worry if you didn't win - we often host giveaways so there will be more chances opportunities in the future!

And now for the winners (as determined by Random.org)...

The winner of the Bravado nursing tank is Noelle (Opera Singer in the Kitchen) who would love the tank in the dark plum color.

The winner of the KidCo baby food mill is Janeen who wrote, “I always like to puree potatoes or winter squash.  Janeen is a Spain in Iowa commenter and subscriber. (Diana will be emailing you).

The winner of the BECO Baby Carrier is Trisha who wrote, "I am a baby wearing mom to my sweet little girl.  I enjoy it because I know it is wonderful for her since she feels safe and content close to my heart and it has also been a lifesaver for me.  I love that I am able to get some chores done throughout the day!  I would really love to try a Beco carrier...I only have a short wrap at the moment and think the convenience of a buckle carrier would be wonderful.  Thanks!"

We will be emailing the winners and coordinating with our sponsors to make sure you get your prize soon! Congratulations to all!

{Giveaway} BECO Baby Carrier

 Have you been enjoying our week of giveaways for Christine's Virtual Baby Shower?  (There's still time to enter our other giveaways here and here).  Our final giveaway is a good one - the Beco Baby Carrier ($129 retail value).  This baby carrier would be a great gift for any mom or mommy-to-be.  More information on the baby carrier plus how to enter after the jump!

About the Beco Baby Carrier

If you’re not familiar with the Beco Baby Carrier, it’s Diana's favorite backpack style carrier which allows you to carry a newborn up to a 45lb toddler on your front or back.  According to Beco, "Designed by a babywearing parent, active sailor and rock climber, Gabby Caperon. Beco combines perfect ergonomics, excellent weight distribution and stylish design from top quality fabrics. Each carrier is handmade by a skilled seamstress in facilities which apply high social and economical standards. Sustainability and minimal impact of our production on the environment is important to us. We strive to provide the best quality, safe products and friendly customer service."

Diana loves this baby carrier because as her child got older, she wanted a back pack carrier to be able to carry her baby as she commenced on her daily chores.  She states, "A back pack style carrier allows you to carry your child from 5 months old on your back. If you have a fussy baby, it soothes them and they enjoy the ride usually falling asleep right on your back.A back pack style carrier can literally be a life saver for any type of mami. For this reason, it’s my number one product that I recommend for any new mami to be and the reason this virtual baby shower came to be."

This baby carrier is the perfect gift for Christine because she loves to get out on walks, take trips to San Francisco, go out to restaurants, and frequents the NYC farmers market.  And now, this perfect gift (with a retail value of $129) can be yours too!

To enter leave a comment from one of the options below…

• If you are not currently a baby wearing mama… Why would you enjoy carrying your baby?
• If you are currently a baby wearing mama… What’s the best thing about carrying your baby?
• If this would be a gift for someone else… Why would this be a perfect gift for a mom or dad?

Extra Entries…

Leave a separate comment for each entry, a total of 6 extra entries.

• Subscribe to receive my posts via email. (1 entry)
• Become a fan of Beco Baby Carrier on Facebook and share on your wall (1 entry)
• Become a fan of High/Low Food/Drink on Facebook and share on your wall (1 entry)
• Blog about this giveaway and link back to this post (2 entries) Please leave 2 separate comments that you have done this.
• Follow me on Twitter and tweet about the giveaway. (1 entry) (copy and paste)@highlowfooddnk Backpack Style Baby Carrier #Giveaway! http://bit.ly/foMood #babywearing

Please remember to leave a separate comment for each entry, or your extra entries will not count!

More chances to win!

For five additional entries…

I created special cupcake toppers for Christine's Virtual Baby Shower and would love for you to download and print them out, and then use them to decorate any dish you make for our virtual baby shower party.  From cupcakes to sliders, these printables will look great on any party dish.

For the 5 extra entries, either take a photo of your dish with the toppers and/or write up a blog post with the photo and send the photo or link to highlowfooddrink(AT)gmail(DOT)com with a subject line of "Christine's Virtual Baby Shower Cake Topper".  Click Here to Download the Toppers on Scribd.

Even More chances to win!

Visit Diana from A Little Bit of Spain in Iowa and Christine from Fresh Local and Best and comment to win on their sites for even more chances to win. We’ll each be doing a random generator from our comments and from those winning 3 comments we’ll again put it through the random generator to come up with one winner for each gift!

The official rules

The giveaway ends April 1, 2010 and is open to the Continental US only. The winner will be chosen by random.org.

{Giveaway} Baby Food Mill for Christine's Virtual Baby Shower

Our giveaway week continues with your chance to win a Baby Food Mill for you or any new mama/mommy-to-be you know!  I'm not a mom, but I have plenty of baby showers baby birthday parties to attend and this Baby Food Mill would be a great gift.  I'm running this giveaway together with Diana from A Little Bit of Spain in Iowa.  Since she has first-hand experience with this product, I'll let her explain why she loves the Baby Food Mill. (More information on how you can enter this giveaway after the jump!)

Diana writes,"There is nothing more important than feeding your child the same nourishing foods that you eat to start developing healthy palates.  When my babies turned one and were really ready to start with solids I used a baby food mill to puree small portions of the foods my family was eating.  From the get go, whatever my family ate, my baby did as well.  This has really helped in getting them accustomed to eating the same foods my family does.

A baby food mill is so easy to use and a cinch to clean up.  I used a mini food processor as well, but the clean up alone often had me reaching for my food mill.  What I love about this version is that it comes with a carrying case.  It makes it so easy to throw it in the diaper bag and have it with you wherever you go.  Whether your at a restaurant or visiting family, it’s convenient to pull out, puree a small portion and feed your baby.

Having a food mill saves you money from having to buy jars of food and really… have you tasted those baby foods in a jar?!!  Trust me, your baby can tell the difference from homemade food and processed baby food in a jar as well.  I’d rather get my baby accustomed to real food versus processed."

How to Enter Baby Food Mill Giveaway

Mandatory entry:  For your first entry, leave a comment as to what you would puree with this Baby Food Mill.

For an additional 3 entries:

• Subscribe to receive High/Low Food/Drink posts by email 
• Like High/Low Food/Drink on Facebook and share the giveaway on FB
• Follow High/Low Food/Drink on Twitter and tweet the following, { I entered to win a Baby Food Mill on @highlowfooddnk http://bit.ly/fTin0F #giveaways! }

 That is a total of 4 entries!  Please remember to leave a separate comment below for each entry! If you do not leave a separate comment for each entry they will not count!

More chances to win!

For five additional entries…

I created special cupcake toppers for Christine's Virtual Baby Shower and would love for you to download and print them out, and then use them to decorate any dish you make for our virtual baby shower party.  From cupcakes to sliders, these printables will look great on any party dish.

For the 5 extra entries, either take a photo of your dish with the toppers and/or write up a blog post with the photo and send the photo or link to highlowfooddrink(AT)gmail(DOT)com with a subject line of "Christine's Virtual Baby Shower Cake Topper".  Click Here to Download the Toppers on Scribd.

Even More chances to win!

Visit Diana from A Little Bit of Spain in Iowa and Christine from Fresh Local and Best and comment to win on their sites for even more chances to win. We’ll each be doing a random generator from our comments and from those winning 3 comments we’ll again put it through the random generator to come up with one winner for each gift!

The official rules

The Baby Food Mill giveaway is open until Midnight, March 30, 2011. A winner will be announced shortly after. Contest is open to the Continental United States. The winner will be chosen by random.org. 

Also, if you haven't entered our last giveaway for the Bravado! designs Nursing tank, click here.

{Giveaway} Bravado Nursing Tank for Christine's Virtual Baby Shower

Photo courtesy of Christine Kim

Remember last week when I posted about fellow foodie Christine’s virtual baby shower?  Well, the shower games have now begun and the week of giveaways starts today!  Lovely Christine and baby foodie-to-be Alexander are doing well and looking great.

For the first prize, Diana from A Little Bit of Spain in Iowa has gotten bravado! Designs to gift a Nursing Tank to both Christine and one of our readers.  Many of my friends are new moms and some of them have talked about the difficulties of feeding their newborns.  Since I'm not a mom, I'll let Diana explain why she loves this Nursing Tank plus more information on how you can win this Nursing Tank (for yourself or for someone you know) after the jump!   

Diana writes:  "When I was nursing my babies I used a nursing tank almost every day.  What I enjoyed most about them is that they allow you to nurse comfortably in public.  They keep your tummy hidden and allow you and your baby easy access to your breast when you need it by simply unclipping the tank at your shoulder.  When I saw the bravado Designs tank what I really enjoyed about this was the support this tank offers."

According to bravado! Designs

The Essential Nursing Tank – What You’ll Love:

• Built in Bra: Proprietary design gives you a full support (molded) built in bra on the inside, a beautiful shape and cottony comfort, all in one!
• Great for nursing in public: perfect to wear every day – nursing in public, around the house, going to yoga class, lounging or as sleepwear.
• Long in length: Imagine…you’ll look terrific, feel great and it is easy to nurse in public because it provides tummy coverage where you need it. Our nursing tank is long giving you a beautiful and flattering shape that’s fitted but not clingy.
• Maternity Tank and a Nursing Tank: Fabric gently stretches while retaining its shape after washing. A two for one value as you can wear it as a maternity tank while pregnant and then continue to wear it as a nursing tank while breastfeeding.
• Cotton Nursing Tank: Soft, high-quality cotton/spandex outer fabric isn’t see through, even in white
• Full Access: Cups unclip at the shoulder and drop down and away from your body to give baby full access to your breast, providing you and your baby with skin-to-skin contact which is essential, specially when establishing a breastfeeding rhythm.
• Discrete Nursing Clips: allow full breastfeeding access and only you will know this is a nursing tank.

How to Enter bravado! Designs Nursing Tank Giveaway

Mandatory entry:  For your first entry, we’re asking that you visit bravado! Designs by clicking here and let us know which color of nursing tank you would like!

For an additional 5 entries:

• Subscribe to receive High/Low Food/Drink posts by email
• Like bravado! Designs on Facebook
• Like High/Low Food/Drink on Facebook and share the giveaway on FB
• Follow bravado! Designs on Twitter and tweet the following, { I signed up to win an @BravadoDesigns nursing tank on @highlowfooddnk virtual baby shower http://bit.ly/hw8tTf #giveaways! }
• Follow High/Low Food/Drink on Twitter and tweet the following, { I signed up to win an @BravadoDesigns nursing tank on @highlowfooddnk virtual baby shower http://bit.ly/hw8tTf #giveaways! }

 That is a total of 6 entries!  Please remember to leave a separate comment below for each entry! If you do not leave a separate comment for each entry they will not count!

More chances to win!

For five additional entries…

I created special cupcake toppers for Christine's Virtual Baby Shower and would love for you to download and print them out, and then use them to decorate any dish you make for our virtual baby shower party.  From cupcakes to sliders, these printables will look great on any party dish.

For the 5 extra entries, either take a photo of your dish with the toppers and/or write up a blog post with the photo and send the photo or link to highlowfooddrink(AT)gmail(DOT)com with a subject line of "Christine's Virtual Baby Shower Cake Topper".  Click Here to Download the Toppers on Scribd.

Even More chances to win!

Visit Diana from A Little Bit of Spain in Iowa and Christine from Fresh Local and Best and comment to win on their sites for even more chances to win. We’ll each be doing a random generator from our comments and from those winning 3 comments we’ll again put it through the random generator to come up with one winner for each gift!

The official rules

The bravado! Designs giveaway is open until Midnight, March 28, 2011. A winner will be announced shortly after. Contest is open to the Continental United States. The winner will be chosen by random.org. 

Good luck everyone!

{Giveaway} SuperBowl Prize Pack: popchips and FreshDirect

We are so excited that our NY Giants are in this Sunday's SuperBowl! We haven't finalized our menu yet, but were thinking that our Yankees-themed party would be a great start (swapping out the logos for the NY Giants of course!) Plus, if I can find my helmet molds, I'll be making these jello shots in Giants blue!

So help get you started on your menu, we've partnered up with @FreshDirect and @PopChipsNY to bring you this great SuperBowl snack giveaway! Here are the details:

Tomorrow (Wed, Feb 1st), just tweet us your favorite healthy snack and include hashtag #FDSuperBowl

One winner will randomly be selected and only tweets with the hashtag will be counted. Good luck!

Legal stuff: Contest is open to NY, NJ, CT residents (that's where FreshDirect delivers) and will be randomly selected using Random.org. Contest ends Wed, Feb 1st 11:59PM EST with the winner announced via Twitter on Thursday, Feb 2nd.

About FreshDirect

FreshDirect is the leading profitable online grocer in the U.S. with customers in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. It is known for its fresh-from-the-farm foods and brand-name groceries at everyday low prices, all delivered to customers’ doors. FreshDirect’s food experts rate all produce and seafood every morning and give each item an Expert Quality Rating to help customers choose what is best and in-season. FreshDirect customers can enjoy over 600 Entrees and Side Dishes, made fresh daily by professional chefs using the finest, freshest ingredients. FreshDirect ranks 70th on Internet Retailer’s Top 500 Guide®. For more information, please visit www.freshdirect.com.  For updates, follow us on Twitter: @freshdirect and on Facebook: facebook.com/FreshDirect.

about popchips:

popchips™, an all-natural line of popped chips. thanks to the magic of popping, popchips™ offers a snack so tasty and crispy that you won’t even notice it’s (we hesitate to say) healthier. for more information, pop over to popchips.com. And to get the latest updates, become a fan on facebook or follow them on twitter.”