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When I was little, my mami taught me how to cook as soon as I could reach the back-burner of the stove. I helped make rice, beans, soup, and any other dish she thought I could handle. As I got older and into my tween/teenage years, I no longer helped her cook, but instead would often cook half of the meal when I got home from school by myself.

My daughter has shown an interest in helping to cook since she was about 2 years old. At first, we’d let her “stir” things or have her play with a bowl and spoon as either one of us did the real cooking. But, now that she’s 4 and becoming (a little) more coordinated and can reach better, she actually helps quite a bit. She still stirs, but she can also put ingredients together, layer, and “cut” with some help. She loves to help and I love to see her be so proud of helping the family. Plus, I love that she has an interest in cooking. It makes for some fun times in the kitchen.

Of course, one of the very first things she “cooked” was Rice Krispies Treats with her dad. How easy is it for her to throw the marshmallows into the pot and help stir? So, when I was contacted by The Motherhood about participating in the Rice Krispies Summer Recipe Challenge, I happily accepted knowing it would give my baby girl and I a chance to have some fun creating a Rice Krispies recipe.

The challenge included working with 9 other bloggers and figuring out the clues we each received in a mystery box. After putting the clues together, we realized our challenge was Fourth of July’s “cooler” when kids help create Rice Krispies Treats recipes. This meant that our recipes needed to include a “cooler” (i.e., frozen or cold) ingredient. Here’s what we made.

Cheesecake Rice Krispies Treats Squares

Instead of using a traditional honey graham crust for your cheesecake, I used the Rice Krispies Treats as the “crust.” Here’s what you’ll need.

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 package (10 oz.) regular marshmallows
• 6 cups Rice Krispies cereal
• 1 box No-Bake Cheesecake dessert (minus crust)

To make the rice krispies treats, melt the butter and add the marshmallows. Once the marshmallows are fully melted, remove from heat and add in the cereal. Stir to coat well and press into a 9 in. pie pan to make the “crust.” This is the really tricky part, since it can be quite messy and the rice krispies treats are a little sticky to work with. But, after much laughter and work, my baby girl and I were able to get it pressed into the bottom of the pan to make our “crust.”

While the rice krispies treats cool and settle, prepare the cheesecake according to the box instructions. Remember you won’t need the crust included in the box, just the filling. Pour the filling into your pie pan over the rice krispies treats and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Once you take it out of the fridge, cut into square pieces, serve and enjoy!

Oreo Rice Krispies Treats Squares

This is a variation of the above recipe, using Oreo No-Bake dessert, for the chocolate lovers out there.

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 package (10 oz.) regular marshmallows
• 6 cups Rice Krispies cereal
• 1 box Oreo No-Bake dessert (minus crust)

Prepare this dish, the same way as the cheesecake squares, except that you’ll use a 8 in. square pan instead of a pie pan (though you really could use a pie pan, if you wanted to). Again, remember you won’t need the crust that comes with the box, since your rice krispies treats will be the “crust.”

If you want to see what the other bloggers participating in this challenge created, visit their blogs for some yummy recipes:

• Mommy Mandy: http://www.mommymandy.com
• Naptime Chef: http://www.thenaptimechef.com/
• Mom’s Favorite Stuff: http://www.momsfavoritestuff.com
• The Plus Size Mommy: http://www.theplussizemommy.com
• GirlyMama: http://www.girlymama.typepad.com/
• Zen Mama Ventures: http://zenforyou.dalefg.net
• The Mommy Insider: http://www.themommyinsider.com
• Mommin’ It Up: http://momminitup.com/
• Pretty Pink Momma: http://prettypinkmomma.blogspot.com

I also have a quick 24-hour giveaway in conjunction with this challenge. One of you can win a Rice Krispies Treats Cookbook. To enter, just leave a comment on this post and let me know what fun Rice Krispies Treats recipes you’ve tried in the past, or if you stick to the traditional treats. Contest ends at 5 pm EST on June 24th. I’ll choose a winner using random.org and contact him/her via e-mail. Note: View official giveaway rules here.

Disclosure: As a Rice Krispies Brand Ambassador for TheMotherhood.com, I was compensated for participating in this challenge.

Photos by Melanie Edwards (apologies for the blurriness – I am no good at food photography apparently). Badge provided by The Motherhood.

Disclosure: In conjunction with hosting this giveaway, I will receive two months of personal assistant service from TaskUs.com and a 2-night stay at Hyatt Place.

What does every busy working parent need? Besides more sleep, of course – that’s not something I can help you with.

Take another guess. Go ahead….give up? Oh ok.

Personal assistant. Am I right?

I know there’s been many times I’ve said, “If only I had a personal assistant to…” – you fill in the blank. From keeping up with work, the house, finances, our families, and the many many responsibilities we have every day, maintaining your sanity can be hard at times. We work hard to achieve work-life balance in our lives and we need every little bit of help we can get. In fact, a recent national study conducted by Hyatt Place found that the number of Americans struggling with work-life balance has nearly doubled to 71% since 2006.

It seems that one of the reasons we’re having a harder time finding our balance is that we’re no longer splitting up our various roles. The average 2010 American is instead multitasking all day, every day. Some interesting stats from the study:

• 83% of Americans said they often take care of work matters from home
• 59% stated that they often handle personal matters at work
• 62% of respondents said they are constantly multitasking
• On average, someone working from home is doing five tasks simultaneously

Sound familiar?

To help with your busy multitasking life, Hyatt Place is currently giving away 2 months of virtual personal assistant service to 20 people. The service will be provided by TaskUs.com and you can enter through April 9.

But, you can enter for an even better giveaway right here. In addition to the 2 months of virtual assistance, you can also win a 2-night stay at a Hyatt Place hotel of your choice. Oh, and, two of you will win!

Giveaway

Two readers will win a 2-night Hyatt Place hotel stay and 2 months virtual personal assistant service from TaskUs.com

How to Enter

If you’d like to enter this contest for a 2-night stay/2 months service package, simply leave a comment below and tell us why you need a personal assistant.

For extra entries:

1. Tweet about this contest with a link back to this post and include @modernmami in your tweet. You must leave a separate comment with a link to your tweet for your entry to count.
2. Become a fan of ModernMami.com on Facebook and leave a comment on this post with your Facebook name.
3. Subscribe to this blog via email and leave a comment with the email you used to subscribe. (You can use the email field to do this instead of putting your email in the comment if you prefer.)
4. Subscribe on friendfeed and leave a comment with your friendfeed ID.
5. Write a blog post on your own blog sharing with your readers why you need a personal assistant and make sure to link back to this contest page in your post. Leave a comment with your post link.

All entries must be in by Wednesday, April 7 at 11:59 pm EST. Make sure to leave a separate comment for each entry. The winners will be chosen using Random.org and will be notified via email. (Please be sure to provide a valid email address with your entry.

Additional Contest Information

• There are no blackout dates for the Hyatt Place hotel stay.
• The TaskUs.com personal assistant service hours must be used by August.
• Official rules for the nationwide Hyatt Place sweepstakes can be found on the contest website.

Disclosure: As a Nintendo Brand Enthusiast through Brand About Town, I received a copy of the Wii Fit™ Plus game and the opportunity to host a Wii Fit Plus yoga party free of charge. No other compensation received. In addition, Nintendo has given me a Wii™ system and the Wii Fit Plus bundle (Balance Board™ & game) which I am giving away for this contest.

A few months ago, a few of my friends and even some family, got together on a Sunday morning and headed downtown to have a Wii Fit™ Plus yoga party. This was my first duty as a Wii Fit Plus Brand Enthusiast. It’s such a hard job. I swear. Ok, fine, I can’t lie. I just get to have fun and bring you along with me for the ride.

I wasn’t sure what to expect since all I had been told was that we’d have a yoga session and get to learn about the new features of Wii Fit Plus. I already owned Wii Fit™ and loved it, so I was excited to get together with friends and do some yoga together. When I arrived, I started giggling like a school girl when I saw this:

My husband rolled his eyes so far up that I’m surprised they didn’t get stuck in the back of his head. My mom on the other hand, giggled along with me. She’s awesome.

Once inside, I couldn’t help but keep smiling. The set-up was NICE! There were cushions, yoga mats, and 10 TV/Wii Fit stations with each one having a Buddha statue and candle underneath. It was very peaceful and soothing and the party hadn’t even started. There were also the most adorable fruit smoothies in shot glasses, which was good because many hadn’t eaten breakfast. The guests, I mean. Not me. {ahem}

Our party started with an awesome trainer guiding us through the new options of Wii Fit Plus and later showing us some yoga poses that we’d try out as a group. What I love is that you can now create your own exercise routine, track your calorie burning, and customize your workout based on what you ate. Then we broke out into partners.

We saluted the sun.

We were trees.

We were warriors.

After a break for lunch, we had a chance to play the new balance games. I love love love the Rhythm Kung Fu and Rhythm Parade games. I also like the multiplayer function that’s now available. Add some mimosas to the party and we definitely had a fun time trying to balance ourselves.

It was a lot of fun and all who attended had a great time. We all want to know when we can have another party!

Oh, and did I forget to mention that all attendees received their very own Wii Fit Plus bundle? Imagine their surprise when the boxes came out!

Thanks Brand About Town and Nintendo for the awesome party and opportunity to share with friends and family! The trainer and entire team were wonderful and need to come to my house to make sure I work out regularly. Just saying.

Now for your very own fun!

Giveaway

You too have a chance at trying out the new Wii Fit Plus and its features! One of you can win not only the Wii Fit Plus bundle with a board, but also a Wii SYSTEM. The winner will receive both. That’s right ladies and gentlemen…LOVE ME!

Find out how to enter…

How to Enter

• If you’d like to enter this contest, leave a comment answering the question: “How will you fit some fit in with Wii Fit Plus from Nintendo?“

All entries must be in by Monday, April 5 at 11:59 pm EST. The winner will be chosen using Random.org and will be notified via email. (Please be sure to provide a valid email address with your entry so I can contact you.)

Additional Contest Rules

• The prize will be awarded together as one gift to include (1) Wii system and (1) Wii Fit Plus to a single individual.
• Contest is only open to U.S. residents over the age of 18.
• Contest is not open to my family members and/or Nintendo employees.

Disclosure: This post is part of a “I Heart Beef” campaign with TheMotherhood.com on behalf of The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. I will receive compensation for sharing my memories with you, but my opinions are mine. In fact, I have always loved beef.

We are what you would call meat lovers. That is to say that we could never be vegetarians. The word itself is one that would get you looks of “Are you crazy?” in our family. Now that’s not to say there’s anything wrong with being a vegetarian (Seinfeld anyone?), it’s just that we are carnivorous by nature.

Join me in a flashback real quick…

We had only been married a few months. Times were tough, of course, as is normal for a young couple just starting out. We were living off of rice, beans, and PB & J sandwiches. (How’s that for multicultural?) Since meat was the biggest expense on our grocery bill at the time, I began to make it last as long as I could. One day, after a tiring day at work, I came home and decided not to cook any meat that night. I remember my mami would sometimes make a great meal out of just yellow rice, beans, and a big salad. I opted to do the same.

A proud new wife, I set a plate of my home-cooked dinner in front of my husband and said “Buen provecho!” as I sat down across from him. He looked down at his plate, looked back up at me and said, “Where’s the meat?”

I can still remember that day. We laugh about it now, of course, but believe me that every meal since then has had some sort of meat in it. As I said…meat lovers.

Image from Wikipedia

And, though we’re equal opportunity meat lovers, this post will be all about the beef. We often ate beef growing up in a Puerto Rican house. From carne molida to bistec encebollado to barbecuing steaks at parties, many meals I grew up eating – and some of my favorites – involve beef. One of my all time favorites is bistec encebollado. I wish I had a nice video showing you how to make it, but I didn’t have time to make one right now (Note to self: Make video in the future!). So, I’m going to give you the basic recipe.

Image from CSU Meat Sciences

The key to making bistec encebollado is that you have to use cubed steak. If you can’t find it pre-packaged, just ask the butcher to run a piece of beef through the machine and it’ll come out cubed for you. Then, you really only need some onions and the basic ingredients for making sofrito – a staple when cooking Puerto Rican food.

Image from Puerto Rican Recipes Online

Recipe for Bistec Encebollado – Puerto Rican Cubed Steak with Onions

Ingredients

• Cubed Steak
• Onions
• Cooking Oil
• Adobo
• Meat Tenderizer
• Black Pepper

Cooking the Steak

1. Season el bistec with adobo, black pepper, and meat tenderizer.
2. Cut your onions into nice ring slices.
3. Using a large covered pan, heat a bit of cooking oil.
4. Put your steaks in and drizzle a little water under to help create steam.
5. Cover the pan and cook on low-medium heat.
6. When the steak is tender and nearly done, add your onions on top of the steaks.
7. The steak will cook slowly on low heat and the onions will wilt creating a perfect combination of steak and onions.
8. I highly suggest you serve over white rice and red beans with a side of tostones. Heaven!

I apologize for the lack in detail with the ingredients and the steps, but it is true to how I and everyone in my family cooks. We do not measure and just go along pouring items into the pot.

If you want to get some more ideas for cooking with beef, check out Beef It’s What’s for Dinner, which has many recipes, videos, and information for buying, cooking, and handling beef. February is actually “I Heart Beef” month so have fun looking up fun ideas for dinner this week; they even have a Quick Meals section with simple recipes fit for any busy parent.

Now, let’s get on to the contest.

Giveaway

One of you will win a $100 Omaha Steaks gift card!

How to Enter

If you’d like to enter this contest for a $100 Omaha Steaks gift card, simply leave a comment below and share your favorite memories of making everyday occasions special with beef and let me know your favorite recipe from the Beef It’s What’s for Dinner site.

For extra entries:

1. Tweet about this contest with a link back to this post and include @modernmami in your tweet. You must leave a separate comment with a link to your tweet for your entry to count.
2. Follow @BeefForDinner on twitter and tweet them with a recipe you like from their site.
3. Become a fan of ModernMami.com on Facebook and leave a comment with your Facebook name.
4. Become a fan of Beef It’s What’s for Dinner on Facebook.
5. Subscribe to this blog via email and leave a comment with the email you used to subscribe. (You can use the email field to do this instead of putting your email in the comment if you prefer.)
6. Subscribe on friendfeed and leave a comment with your friendfeed ID.
7. Write a blog post on your own blog sharing with your readers something you found helpful on the Beef It’s What’s for Dinner site. Make sure to link back to this contest page in your post. Leave a comment with your post link.

All entries must be in by Sunday, February 28 at 11:59 pm EST. Make sure to leave a separate comment for each entry. The winner will be chosen using Random.org and will be notified via email. (Please be sure to provide a valid email address with your entry.)

When my daughter was born, I was very late in sending out her baby photo along with an announcement of her birth. I  never actually sent out a formal announcement per say; I opted to do that via email. I sort of just sent out her photo to close friends and family with a small note. I still kick myself for not doing so. If we ever have another baby, I will definitely take one of the nicest photos and create a little photo announcement to send out.

In the meantime, I really want to get into the habit of sending out cards more often to our loved ones at different times of the year: Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Back-to-School, etc. Of course, a picture of our baby girl would definitely brighten up their day when they receive the card. Let’s face it, they don’t care about my husband and I anymore – all the love now goes to our daughter. And that’s fine.

So, when I was recently approached by the owner of Photo Card Creations, I figured it was the perfect opportunity for me to get some ideas going. I no longer have any excuses with sites such as these, where you can order custom photo cards. Photo Card Creations specializes in wedding thank you cards and invitations, birth announcements, and holiday cards, just to name a few. They have tons of card designs and a variety of different paper. With Valentine’s Day around the corner, it’s a good time to order any personalized Valentine’s Day cards for sending to your family. Thanks to Photo Card Creations, you have the chance to create your own cards for Valentine’s Day or any upcoming occasion you have.

Photo Card Creations is offering ModernMami.com readers a 15% discount off ANY of their photo cards. This promotion is ongoing and can be used more than once. However, it cannot be combined with any other promotions. Enter “Link15” in the Promo Code field on the checkout page to receive your discount.

You can also enter the contest below for a $50 coupon!

Giveaway

One of you will win a $50 coupon towards the purchase of any cards at Photo Card Creations. The coupon can be used once towards the purchase of 75 or more cards and cannot be combined with any other promotions.

How to Enter

If you’d like to enter this contest for a $50 coupon, simply leave a comment below telling us your favorite card choice from the Photo Card Creations site.

For extra entries:

1. Tweet about this contest with a link back to this post and include @modernmami in your tweet. You must leave a separate comment with a link to your tweet for your entry to count.
2. Post to your Facebook profile about this contest with a link back to this post. Leave a comment with the link to your Facebook status.
3. Become a fan of ModernMami.com on Facebook and leave a comment with your Facebook name.
4. Subscribe to this blog via email and leave a comment with the email you used to subscribe. (You can use the email field to do this instead of putting your email in the comment if you prefer.)
5. Subscribe on friendfeed and leave a comment with your friendfeed ID.
6. Write a blog post on your own blog and link back to this contest page. Leave a comment with your post link.

All entries must be in by Wednesday, February 10 at 11:59 pm EST. Make sure to leave a separate comment for each entry. The winner will be chosen using Random.org and will be notified via email. (Please be sure to provide a valid email address with your entry.)

Disclosure: I was not compensated for sharing this information with you and hosting this contest.

Photos courtesy of Photo Card Creations

A couple of months ago, I had the pleasure of joining the Little Debbie Share-a-Thon crew and helped hand out free cupcakes at one of our local malls. Little Debbie went around the nation with those cute little cupcake cars spreading word about Little Debbie Cupcakes and asking people to share their smiles. You can read all about it on the Little Debbie Share-a-Thon site.

I had a lot of fun making my own video inside the cupcake car and just handing out cupcakes to mall shoppers. Who can resist a free chocolate cupcake, right? Apparently? Lots of people can. I was shocked when folks actually said no to a free cupcake. They’ve got much more will power than I do. But, most happily took a cupcake and some even came back for more! And the kids were ecstatic!

The nationwide tour is over now, but you can still enter to win your very own Little Debbie Cupcake Car or other prizes via the Share-a-Thon Giveaway site. You know you want one. Even my husband said he’d drive around in a cupcake.

Plus, you can also win cupcakes right here from me! Again, WHO can resist chocolate cupcakes?

Giveaway

Three of you will win a prize pack of 4 boxes of Little Debbie cupcakes.

How to Enter

If you’d like to enter this contest for a Little Debbie cupcake prize pack, simply leave a comment below letting me know if you’ve seen the Little Debbie Cupcake Car around.

For extra entries:

1. Tweet about this contest with a link back to this post and include @modernmami in your tweet. You must leave a separate comment with a link to your tweet for your entry to count.
2. Post to your Facebook profile about this contest with a link back to this post. Leave a comment with the link to your Facebook status.
3. Become a fan of ModernMami.com on Facebook and leave a comment with your Facebook name.
4. Subscribe to this blog via email and leave a comment with the email you used to subscribe. (You can use the email field to do this instead of putting your email in the comment if you prefer.)
5. Subscribe on friendfeed and leave a comment with your friendfeed ID.
6. Write a blog post on your own blog and link back to this contest page. Leave a comment with your post link.

All entries must be in by Wednesday, February 3 at 11:59 pm EST. Make sure to leave a separate comment for each entry. The winner will be chosen using Random.org and will be notified via email. (Please be sure to provide a valid email address with your entry.)

Disclosure: I was compensated for participating in the Little Debbie Share-a-Thon tour at a local mall and also received Little Debbie goodies. But, I already ate chocolate cupcakes before working with Little Debbie.

Photos courtesy of Little Debbie

Viernes Social is back! This week, we have another fun contest for you.

I received a 2010 Entertainment Book from Airfoil Public Relations to review. In the past, I’ve bought the Entertainment Book on my own, but found that I didn’t use it as much as I would have liked to. For some reason or another, I would always forget it at home, or forget to look in the book before making a purchase. Before I knew it, the coupons had expired and it was time to purchase the next year’s book.

This time, though, I wanted to make sure to take full advantage of the coupons. It helped that I received the 2010 Entertainment Book before 2009 was even over. I’ve already taken advantage of quite a few coupons to purchase discounted movie tickets, as well as save a few bucks on various restaurant meals. There’s even a few coupons for completely free items (no purchase required) that I need to use.

My trick this time around? I put the Entertainment Book in the door of our car. That way, whenever we’re out and about on the weekends, we can check to see if there are any coupons we can use before we make a purchase or buy some food.

Want to save money in 2010? One of you will win your own 2010 Entertainment Book for your zip code or you can choose another location for your book (like Orlando, Hawaii, San Francisco, etc.) if you want to save money while on vacation.

Giveaway

One of you will win a 2010 Entertainment Book for the location of your choice.

How to Enter

If you’d like to enter this contest for a 2010 Entertainment Book, simply leave a comment below letting me know if you’ve used the Entertainment Book before.

For extra entries:

1. Tweet about this contest with a link back to this post and include @modernmami in your tweet. You must leave a separate comment with a link to your tweet for your entry to count.
2. Post to your Facebook profile about this contest with a link back to this post. Leave a comment with the link to your Facebook status.
3. Become a fan of ModernMami.com on Facebook and leave a comment with your Facebook name.
4. Subscribe to this blog via email and leave a comment with the email you used to subscribe. (You can use the email field to do this instead of putting your email in the comment if you prefer.)
5. Subscribe on friendfeed and leave a comment with your friendfeed ID.
6. Write a blog post on your own blog and link back to this contest page. Leave a comment with your post link.

All entries must be in by Thursday, January 14 at 11:59 pm EST. Make sure to leave a separate comment for each entry. The winner will be chosen using Random.org and will be notified via email. (Please be sure to provide a valid email address with your entry.)

Disclosure: I received a free 2010 Entertainment Book for review. No compensation received.

Back in late-September, I attended the Nestle Family Blogger event along with 18 (or so) other bloggers. We learned a lot about the different Nestle brands, initiatives, and the overall atmosphere at their California headquarters. What I was most surprised about was the amount of brands owned by Nestle that I already used on a near-daily basis.

With New Year’s this week and the holidays wrapping-up, there is still time to enter Nestle’s Holiday Memories Photo Contest for a chance to win a $500 gift card (and some other prizes). You have until 1/4/10 to enter their contest.

But, you can enter another contest, right here on this post.

Giveaway

One of you will receive a gift package consisting of free coupons for products from Toll House, Carnation Evaporated Milk, Carnation Breakfast Essentials, Stouffer’s, Juicy Juice and Boost Kid Essentials, as well as products from Wonka and Rasinets. You will also get a 4×6 silver photo frame and the Carnation holiday recipe guide, which has recipes you can use year-round, really. The total prize is valued at about $40.

How to Enter

If you’d like to enter this contest for a Nestle Family gift package, leave a comment below with your preferred Nestle brand. (mandatory entry)

For extra entries:

1. Tweet about this contest with a link back to this post and include @modernmami in your tweet. You must leave a separate comment with a link to your tweet for your entry to count.
2. Subscribe to this blog via email and leave a comment with the email you used to subscribe. (You can use the email field to do this instead of putting your email in the comment if you prefer.)
3. Subscribe on friendfeed and leave a comment with your friendfeed ID.
4. Write a blog post on your own blog and link back to this contest page. Leave a comment with your post link.

All entries must be in by Friday, January 1 at 11:59 pm EST. Make sure to leave a separate comment for each entry. The winner will be chosen using Random.org and will be notified via email. (Please be sure to provide a valid email address with your entry.)

Disclosure: I will receive the same gift package from Nestle that is being given away. No other compensation received for hosting this contest.

I CAN.NOT believe Christmas is just 2 days away. And for us, really, the celebrations begin tomorrow. Nochebuena (Christmas Eve) is the day that we all get together and have our family get-together and big dinner. Good food, sharing memories from when my brothers and I were young, and creating new memories for my baby girl. I get to spend this time with my husband, daughter, and my parents. I love it.

I’ve never really taken count as to how much money goes into creating a meal for so many people. Even when I hosted Thanksgiving dinner at my house last year, I didn’t keep track; I just bought what I needed. But, I know that it can quickly add up. This year, I’m watching our money more closely and plan to do this even more so as 2010 comes around. One thing I’m doing to save money this year is buying presents for only the children in our family. The adults have agreed to this and it works out great for everyone, since it can be hard to find presents for grown-ups who already have a lot of things, anyway.

How can you save money with your holiday cooking? Well, Walmart is providing tips for cooking a Christmas Dinner for Eight for $30 as well as a New Year’s Party for Ten under $40. The Walmart Holiday Meals site has recipes from Food Network chef Aarón Sánchez with tips on how to create an affordable meal. The $30 Christmas meal for eight starts with the following ingredients:

• One 10-pound spiral cut half-ham
• Three 8-ounce cans Del Monte Green Beans
• One 10-pound bag of Russet potatoes
• One 12-count package of Sara Lee dinner rolls
• One 10 inch Pumpkin Pie

Aarón then takes these ingredients and spices them up to create dishes like Ham with Mango Jalapeño Glaze, Chipotle Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes, and Green Bean & Mushroom Picadillo. He does the same for the $40 New Year’s Party meal and even spices up Egg Nog to create a Coquito-like drink.

Want your chance to shop Walmart and create an affordable meal? Even if not in time for the holidays, you can always appreciate saving money when cooking.

Giveaway

We’re going to do a super-quick giveaway due to the time crunch. Two of you will win a $30 Walmart gift card.

How to Enter

If you’d like to enter this contest for a $30 Walmart gift card, leave a comment below sharing your own favorite holiday memory or your money-saving tips. (mandatory entry)

For extra entries:

1. Tweet about this contest with a link back to this post and include @modernmami in your tweet. You must leave a separate comment with a link to your tweet for your entry to count.
2. Subscribe to this blog via email and leave a comment with the email you used to subscribe. (You can use the email field to do this instead of putting your email in the comment if you prefer.)
3. Subscribe on friendfeed and leave a comment with your friendfeed ID.
4. Write a blog post on your own blog and link back to this contest page. Leave a comment with your post link.

All entries must be in by Saturday, December 26 at 11:59 pm EST. Make sure to leave a separate comment for each entry. The winners will be chosen using Random.org and will be notified via email. (Please be sure to provide a valid email address with your entry.)

Disclosure: I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Walmart. In addition, I received a Walmart gift certificate to thank me for taking the time to participate and two to offer as a giveaway.

Photos from Walmart Holiday Meals site

This week’s Viernes Social highlights a Latina-owned company. We’re featuring KC Tees, an LA-based company that makes Latina-inspired graphic t-shirts. Their shirts have messages in both English and Spanish, including Peace (Paz), Love (Amor), Faith (Fe), and Fuerte (Strong), among others. As told by the owner, “the line was created with the objective of inspiring integrity, respect and self-esteem with messages we can all embrace.”

I was contacted by AvantGarde Communications Group regarding KC Tees and received the Amor shirt to try out. I don’t normally like to wear shirts with phrases on them outside the home. I’m not sure why exactly; it’s just something I rarely do. But, this shirt might have a chance, since I like the colors and the feel – super soft!

KC Tees donates 10% of every purchase to Para Los Niños – a non-profit family service organization. And they’ve given me a coupon code to share with you: 15% off using coupon code: MAMI (Expiration Date: 1/31/10).

One of you has a chance at winning their Mamacita shirt! For those that may not know, mamacita is a term of endearment used by many Latinos for not only their moms, but young girls too. I often call my daughter mamacita or mamita, depending on what comes out first. So if you wear this shirt, know that you’ll be in good company.

Giveaway

One of you will win a Mamacita t-shirt from KC Tees, like the one pictured above, in your chosen size.

How to Enter

If you’d like to enter this contest for a Mamacita t-shirt, simply view the available shirts and leave a comment below telling me which design is your favorite.

For extra entries:

1. Tweet about this contest with a link back to this post and include @modernmami in your tweet. You must leave a separate comment with a link to your tweet for your entry to count.
2. Subscribe to this blog via email and leave a comment with the email you used to subscribe. (You can use the email field to do this instead of putting your email in the comment if you prefer.)
3. Subscribe on friendfeed and leave a comment with your friendfeed ID.
4. Write a blog post on your own blog and link back to this contest page. Leave a comment with your post link.

All entries must be in by Wednesday, December 23 at 11:59 pm EST. Make sure to leave a separate comment for each entry. The winner will be chosen using Random.org and will be notified via email. (Please be sure to provide a valid email address with your entry.)

Disclosure: I received a free Amor t-shirt from KC Tees. No compensation received.