Cooking with Ragu at the Unilever Test Kitchen

You might remember my first visit to the Unilever Test Kitchen when I learned all about cooking and baking with I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!  I was lucky enough to be invited to another fun blogger event there recently, this time for Ragu sauce.   This gathering was appropriately scheduled for dinnertime, so I had my husband take a half day off and I waited for my car to arrive.  My driver, a.k.a. Mario Andretti got us there an hour early.  I was relieved to see that some of my fellow Philly Social Media Mom friends were in the same boat – so it turned out nicely that we had the time to chat.

Once we got rolling, we met and mingled with Head Chef Sarah Page, dietician Felicia Stoller and quite a few other friendly people representing Ragu.  All while taste-testing a yummy appetizer using the newest Old-World Style Ragu sauce which has two servings of vegetables packed into a 1/2 cup of sauce.  It’s still the same great flavor and smooth texture, but it has a thicker consistency which prefer.  How’s that for concealing your kids’ veggies?

I remembered seeing something on the invitation about recipes and cooking, but must have missed the fact that we’d actually be doing the cooking.  I couldn’t believe they were going to trust us mom bloggers with sharp knives and open flames, this was going to be fun. 

The Challenge – Cook a dish incorporating the new Ragu Old-World Style sauce that will take no more than 45 minutes from beginning to end, and then we’re all going to taste everyone’s dishes.  No pressure.  All of the ingredients and supplies were laid out for us, and let me tell you – these were some quality ingredients.

This is what I grabbed from the pile:

• A 1 lb. box of ziti
• 1 of each: an onion, red pepper and yellow pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• Bowl of uncooked shrimp
• Package of fresh mozzarella (I couldn’t resist)
• 1 Jar of Ragu

First, I started boiling the water for the pasta.  Did you know that you’re supposed to time cooking from when the water re-boils after you’ve added the pasta.  I didn’t, and it’s written right on the box!

Next, I chopped the onion and peppers and began to sauté them on medium-high heat until they cooked through.

I added densley chopped garlic cloves mid-way through.  It was smelling great.  Once the veggies were almost done, I added the shrimp and cooked them for just a few minutes.  They’re done as soon as they turn pink.

After the pasta was done, I strained the pot and added the Ragu sauce.  I tossed in the contents of my skillet and transferred to a serving dish, and then added thin slices of fresh mozzarella.  I wasn’t sure how to make the mozzarella melt more easily and I didn’t want to overcook the shrimp (there’s nothing worse).  One of the talented cooks in the kitchen had the idea to cover the dish in foil and just let it rest on the stovetop of one of the ovens and that did the trick.

Then the fun part: We all got to pig out.  This was the spread.  Mine is in front and center, and it was yummy but was not my favorite dish out of them all.  There was a yummy veggie lasagna, eggplant parmesan and chorizo with pineapple pasta dish that were my favorites.

Here’s a photo of me with Sarah Page, before the cheese-melting process began. There are a ton of other professionally taken photos on the Ragu fan page. 

No compensation was received for this post.  I received free transportation to this event.  A big thank you to the folks at Ragu and Weber Shandwick for putting this together; I had a wonderful time!

We just enrolled for Makin’ Music Rockin’ Rhythms Classes!

If the cool autumn temperatures weren’t enough of a reason to be excited, I have a newfound reason to look forward to fall.  Emma and I will be attending the fall semester of Makin’ Music Rockin’ Rhythms classes!  As you may have read, Emma just loves music and dancing, and I think she’s going to have a blast attending this class. 

Makin’ Music Rockin’ Rhythms is a music class geared toward babies and toddlers ages 0-3.  The program has received several awards for the Philadelphia region, and last year received the 2009 Nickelodeon Parents Pick Award.

The class is available every day of the week except for Sunday at either 9:45 or 10:45 in the morning.  Naptime is normally around 11:00am, so I was hoping to get into the 9:45am class, but the Marlton, NJ location was only open for the later session.  We will try it out and see what happens. The fall semester starts the week after next, on September 14th.

You’ll see me tweeting when we go, and I’ll post our experience once we start to attend.

No compensation was received for this post, but we have been enrolled in the Makin’ Music Rockin’ Rhythms program for the fall semester in order to facilitate our candid review of our experience.

Peddler’s Village Event and Giggleberry Fair Giveaway!

 Contest Closed -Congrats to Sheila Comment #20
A few weeks back I let you all know about the free event for Mommy Bloggers that Mama’s Little Helper had organized.  Today was the big day, and we arrived at Peddler’s Village bright and early and ready for a good time.  I hadn’t been to Peddler’s Village in about a decade and I did not remember it being as large as it is.  For those of you that aren’t familiar, Peddler’s Village is a shopping destination for the entire family, with great boutiques, restaurants and pubs, and fun activities for children—all in a quaint old-world village setting.

We all gathered at Giggleberry Fair to enjoy some play time.  Once we stepped inside, Emma’s face lit up.  There were carousels, balls and rides galore at first glance, and she knew she was in for a special treat today. One of the main attractions, Giggleberry Mountain, is a huge indoor obstacle course with balls flying all over.  This was perfect for the older kids, but not for my 20-month-old.  She wanted out just as soon as we stepped inside.  Not to worry, there were plenty of other things for her.  Like the Grand Carousel (right).  This was the longest-lasting carousel ride I’ve ever encountered.  Emma loved it.  And the mini carousel ride (left) was pretty great too.

We spent a lot of time in the Giggles Discovers play area for the young lads.  The water table was one of the highlights, along with the slide and firetruck. 

Then we went back out to the main area and looked into the fun mirrors while waiting for another carousel ride.  Emma kept touching her head as if to say, “How can this be?”.  She looks like one of the coneheads here. It was too funny—I was laughing out loud like a crazy person.

Once all of the mommy bloggers and their kids worked up an appetite, we took a stroll through along the brick path through the village while looking at all of the beautiful shops and taking in the scenery.  It is so beautiful here.  It’s even more so in the wintertime with all of the Christmas decorations and lights.  But we were in for something even better, Sweet Lorraine’s.  They had a delicous spread laid out for us including sandwiches, salads and made to order pasta.  The macaroni and cheese was heavenly.  Sweet Lorraine’s has free kids meals and face painting on Monday evenings.  We will definitely be back there when we return to Peddler’s Village.

This was such fun, and we can’t wait to visit again!

GIVEAWAY!
One lucky reader will win two passes to Giggleberry Fair!
*Each pass includes admission to Giggleberry Mountain, Giggle Discovers, unlimited rides on the Grand Carousel and ten free tokens.

Mandatory Entry: Leave a comment below telling me your favorite attraction at Peddler’s Village, or if you’ve never been, what you’re most looking forward to.

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Win two passes for unlimited fun at Giggleberry Fair in Lahaska, PA http://bit.ly/aR6QRW @villageinsider @girlgonemom #giveaway

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No compensation was received for this post. I received the product sample in order to facilitate my candid review. Contest is open to US residents 18 and older with a street address (no P.O. box or APO) and closes at Midnight EST on August 31st.  The winner will be selected using Random.org. See giveaway rules before entering. GOOD LUCK!

Mom Blogger Day at the Philadelphia Zoo

I’ve been wanting to take Emma to the Philadelphia Zoo ever since she learned to walk.  Some of the best memories of my childhood were made there, as the school system I attended is only about an hour away.  There were many field trips organized throughout the school year, and since my mother was a stay-at-home mom, she attended most of these trips along with my class.   The Philadelphia Zoo is a 42-acre Victorian garden that is home to more than 1300 animals, many of them rare and endangered.

I couldn’t wait to relive those moments of my childhood again through my daughter, and experience the same joys and wonders of nature through her fresh eyes.   Since it’s been so unbearably hot and humid this summer, we had planned on waiting until fall to visit, but when we were invited to attend the Mom Blogger Day on August 3rd, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to explore.

We got to the front gate right on time that morning and we checked in at the special desk set up for Mommy bloggers.  The helpful staff provided us with a small backpack filled with park information, admission tickets and special passes for some of the extras available at the zoo.  When passing through the entrance gates, the staff member read my tickets and asked, “What is a Mommy Blogger.”  I didn’t have my elevator pitch ready but I managed, and I promised Frank that I’d give him a shout out in my post.  Hi, Frank!

After that was done, we made our way over to see some of the outdoor exhibits and amazing creatures when a staff member alerted us that the baby giraffe was outside.  Apparently, this baby is a big deal.  When we saw her with our own eyes, we could see why.  This is first giraffe calf born at the Philadelphia Zoo in 13 years.  If you’d like to cast your vote on what she should be named, go here.  The options are Abigail, Patricia and Shari.  Which is your favorite?

At 11:00am there was a Rock n Roar Concert featuring Two of A Kind so we had to check that out.  Emma had a wonderful time dancing and socializing with the other kids, and we enjoyed resting on the lawn for a few minutes until we were off to the next thing.  Which happened to be the Reptile and Amphibian House.  This offered a nice break from the heat for all of us.  If there had been a pencil on display in there we still would have gone!  But luckily, there were some cool reptiles, turtles and even alligators inside.

After lunch, we paddled our way around the bird lake in a Swan Boat.  Don’t tell anyone, but we took an extra lap around.  It was that fun!  There were way more rides than I remember going on.  The Amazon Rainforest Carousel is brand new, and what kid doesn’t love a carousel?  There is also a large indoor treehouse, a train ride and more.  I have to admit that I was disappointed when I learned that the big train I remember riding on is no longer there.  I believe it used to run around the entire park.

LEGO sculpture of the Golden lion tamarin.

There were many creatures of habitat exhibits throughout the park.  These are life-size replicas of endangered animals using LEGOS by Sean Kenney, a LEGO certified professional.  This was almost more amazing than the real animals they represent!  This collection is being featured though October, and it really is worth a visit to the park to just see this in person.

Another highlight for us was Emma’s very first pony ride.  We were able to choose between a pony, camel or draft horse, and I think the pony was the perfect choice.  After the pony ride, we enjoyed brushing this cute goat.  There was really so much to see and we got a ton of great pictures that I’ll be sharing with you in upcoming posts. 

The Philadelphia Zoo was the very first zoo U.S. zoo which opened in July of 1874 with an admission price of 25 cents.  These days, an adult pass will run you $18.00 and children 2-11 get in for $15.00.  Children under 2 are admitted free of charge.  Some of the special rides like the Zoo Balloon, train, pony rides, swan boat etc. are available at additional charges. 

A big thank you to the Philadelphia Zoo for providing complimentary passes for my family so that we could explore what the zoo has to offer.  I have not been compensated for this post, but wanted to share the fun times we had there.

BlogHer New York, as a newbie.

After purchasing my ticket six months ago, I waited patiently for August to come.  All of this time leading up to BlogHer, I daydreamed about what it would be like to meet and mingle with other bloggers, share past experiences and learn from one another.  In blog land this conference is a big deal, and when it practically came to my front door, I just had to get a piece of it.

My expectations were set a bit too high, and I think that’s where I went wrong.  I naively thought I’d have a chance to meet more of the folks I’d gotten to know around the blogosphere and on twitter and that I’d come home feeling educated and empowered. 

The Conference
This was my first time attending any blogging conference. As someone who has worked exhibits in a past life, I knew only half of it. There were sessions, exhibits, suites, meals and private parties going on all at once. I found it overwhelming trying to squeeze everything I had planned to do when there wasn’t possibly enough time in which to do it. Logistics definitely played a part since private events were spread throughout the city. 

I learned very quickly that it was much more beneficial to part with friends and go it alone to try and accomplish your own agenda. I’m embarrassed to say that I only attended a few sessions.  Saturday seemed to have more learning potential, but I was late to the one session that I really wanted to attend.  Not even room to stand.

BlogHer was a bit too much for a blogger’s first conference, in my opinion.  If I had come from far away like many others did, that would have made matters worse.  You can’t come to the Big Apple and ignore all of the excitement and must-see sites.  I’m thankful that I live close enough to be able to visit when I’d like.

The Hotel
I didn’t feel like the Hilton was well-equipped for such a large conference.  The elevators were overcrowded, the hotel was confusing to navigate, the beds were small and uncomfortable and the WiFi was spotty.  The staff tried their best to help, I’ll give them that, but sometimes I couldn’t even connect using the high-speed cable.

The Private Parties
There were a ton of private events—way more than I expected.  I was invited to attend three of them: Martha Stewart, Unilever, and Nate Berkus.  At the Martha Stewart Event on Thursday, I had never felt so lonely in a crowded room.  Thankfully, I made pals with Jeff, who was actually on the Martha Stewart blogging show that I attended back in January.  It was hot and hectic, but also one of the more interesting and creative events I attended.  Unfortunately, Martha Stewart was only there briefly before many of us were let in.  Here are few photos.

The Unilever event was held on Saturday morning.  It was a pleasure to meet with some of the PR ladies I’ve worked with as well as other bloggers and experts while experiencing Unilever brands.  Unfortunately, I arrived too late for the pampering, but those who got there early enough were treated with hairstyling and other treatments.

 

 

 

 

Later that day was the Nate Berkus Launch party that I had been anticipating the entire time.  Nate Berkus?  Party?  What’s not to love.  I loved that the gathering was more intimate and that we all got face time with Nate and the show producers.  It looks to be an exciting new show.  More on this later, but enjoy this terrible shot of me and Nate.

The Television Celebrities
I was also able to get my photo taken with Bruce Jenner and Tamra Barney.  I also got a terribly blurry snapshot of the Jimmy Dean Sun guy and I saw Naomi Campbell on the street but I didn’t dare pull out a camera. 

 

The Overall Experience
Overall, BlogHer was a great learning experience for me.  It provided the opportunity to finally put faces to the names, whether it be other bloggers or people I’ve worked with or want to partner with.

But for my immediate future, I’d like to focus my attention on smaller, more intimate conferences that directly relate to what I do and what I want to do.  It was kind of like being a freshman in college, where you don’t necessarily know what your major should be, but you can get a taste of what’s out there, what’s possible.  The sky’s the limit, really!

I’ll have more about the above events and photos with friends coming very soon!  In the meantime, I’m going to be watching and reading about all of the sessions I missed!

Free Mommy Blogger Event at Peddler’s Village in Lahaska PA!

Attn: Mommy bloggers in the NJ/DE/PA area!  I wanted to share information on an event that Mama’s Little Helper is hosting.

If you’re in my area, chances are you’ve shopped at Peddler’s Village.  It’s a quaint shopping destination in the country and it is so beautiful there!  On Wednesday, August 18th Mommy (and Daddy) bloggers are invited to a Free event there!

Event Schedule for August 18th

10 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Giggleberry Fair, Routes 202 & 263, Lahaska, PA
215-794-4047
Join us on Wednesday, August 18, for a Free Mommy/Daddy Blogger Event
at Peddler’s Village! We will all meet at Giggleberry Fair to discover
a world of fun for all ages! Kids and parents will be climbing
Giggleberry Mountain, a four-story maze & obstacle course, then
stretching their imaginations at our new interactive play zone,
Giggles Discovers!, taking a twirl on the Grand Carousel and testing
their skills at the green-rated arcade games in The Game Room!

12:00 p.m.  Meet the Merchants Stroll through Peddler’s Village!
As we stroll to lunch at Sweet Lorraine’s Café through the Peddler’s
Village Main Green we will be greeted by Village merchants who will be
handing out samples, goodies and coupons for their shops.

12:30 p.m. Lunch at Sweet Lorraine’s Café, Route 202 and Street Road,
Lahaska, PA 215-794-4040
Enjoy a cold buffet lunch at Sweet Lorraine’s Café of Peddler’s
Village. After lunch, feel free to return to play at Giggleberry Fair
or explore the shops and attractions of Peddler’s Village.

Visit the official invitation for more information on how to RSVP.  And let me know if you’ll be attending because I’ll be there!