Kid Review of Pictureka!

He's played it four times since dinner yesterday! William gives a kid overview of this new game.

GIVEAWAY: Pillsbury Gift Pack--Winner Announced

I love MYBlogspark!  Yesterday the FedEx guy dropped off my gift box to try out (courtesy of Pillsbury). Inside I found a set of cute pizza plates, a FREE coupon for Pillsbury pizza crust, and a Hasbro board game "Pictureka.")

Needless to say, BOTH the kids and I were thrilled!

Pictureka! is called a "fast find it game" and reminds us all of those I SPY books where you have to find the tiny object in the photo. My son (8) LOVED it (he's an enthusiastic kid when it comes to board games). The entire family played it. It's a fast game, and there was a bit of challenge for everyone. All in all, I'd give it thumbs up. Plus, if your a Spanish-speaking family, all the game cards a bilingual!

The pizza plates hold one generous slice of pizza, so you'll need another dish if your serving up salad or any side dish. I've got the free coupon and will likely grab the thin crust version since I'm more a fan of the "New York" style pizza than deep dish (my hubby would disagree!).  

With Pillsbury Pizza Crust, you and your family can make your own fresh-out-of-the-oven pizza just the way you want it! Everyone can load their favorite toppings on to the ready-to-bake pizza crust and enjoy a fresh, hot pizza in minutes. You can personalize your meal even further by using the Classic Crust for a thicker, soft crust or the Thin Crust for a pizza that’s a bit crispier and just as delicious. So round up your little chefs and make their favorite night of the week even more memorable.

When we make the pizza, I will report back.

Meanwhile YOU can print a 40c off two pizza tubes from Pillsbury here. You can use up all the free Ragu pizza sauce we all have on hand from Jewel's Your Bucks deal!

Would you like to win a similar gift pack from Pillsbury/MyBlogspark? The pack contains:

1 coupon for a FREE container of Pillsbury pizza crust (Traditional or Thin Crust)

1 Pictureka! game from Hasbro

4 melamine (plastic) printed pizza plates.

To enter, leave me the answer to this question:

What is your favorite thing about family pizza night?

 

For an additional entry, leave an answer to this question:

What special memories do you have of pizza night from your childhood or what other activities you like to incorporate into family pizza night (i.e. games, movies, etc.)?

One winner will be drawn at random on Monday, May 3, 2010 at 5pm via randomnumber.org.

PLEASE leave me a way to contact you via email. If I cannot contact you (no email or an anonymous entry) I will draw another number. Sorry!


Note: the information and product was provided to me by Pillsbury through MyBlogSpark as part of the Pillsbury Pizza Crusts “Family Pizza Party” Spark

Mom's Recipe: Southern Style Baked Ziti

I haven't tried this yet, but my mom swears that she's served it several times and the guests love it, so here goes. Report back if you make it and what you thought of it.

Southern Style Baked Ziti

Serves 10

• 1lb box of ziti, or penne or rotelle
• 1lb. ground Italian sausage
• 1 med. onion, chopped
• 2 carrot,s grated
• 3 celery sticks, chopped
• Garlic to taste (chopped)
• 1 can of whole tomatoes (crushed) (28 oz can)
• 6 oz. of basil pesto
• 15 oz. of ricotta cheese
• 9 oz. fresh spinach
• 16 oz. mozzarella shredded
• 12 oz. shredded Italian cheeses

Cook the pasta till al dente. Set aside.

Brown sausage in a pan, then remove and add onion, celery, and carrots with garlic in some olive oil. Sauté till limp.

Add tomatoes, pesto and the ricotta and simmer.  Add to the sauté pan. 

In a separate container mix the washed spinach, the Italian chesses. 

Layer the pasta mix and spinach into glass baking dishes coated with pam. Sprinkle the mozzarella on top and bake at 375F for approx. 20 min till the cheese is golden and melted.

The Truth about Bottled Water

I was appalled to see we ship millions of plastic bottles to landfills in India! A must see.

Another cute video on how to shop Walgreens

I love these little videos that coupon moms have been posting on the Internet! Note she explains the policy that at Walgreens you must have as many items as you have coupons (only affects when you are stacking).

Walgreens 101: Learn the Basics of Shopping at Walgreens from Coupon Divas on Vimeo.

ooo this is fun: Free Sample Showcase

I read about this over at mashupmom.com

Sign up to receive a free sample box of products from USPS--yes THAT USPS, the United States Postal Service of all things. If selected you will receive a box of sample goodies in May (current list shows Reeses, Nescafe, Aveeno, Secret, Ben-gay etc but they may differ).  I know you're already thinking "great, more junk mail," but in this case you might get a neat item you haven't tried, and typically samples come with coupons. If you don't like the items, consider donating them to a shelter or pantry.

Great new video on coupons and organic products

I think it's totally great that Couponmom.com is posting new videos on how to save money at the grocery store. This new video is on organic shopping and well worth the 8 minutes if you're curious on how she does it.