Rolling Out A New Sponsorship Program annndddd... The Winner of the Delallo Giveaway!

This first month of dabbling in having ads on my blog has taught me quite a bit.  I am still a newbie, but I am pretty sure I know what direction I want to take with sponsorships on my blog from here on out.  
Starting this week, I will be reducing the amount of ad spots that will be available on my blog.  I want to comfortably give each of my sponsors the attention they deserve, as well as have plenty of time to be the stay-at-home mama I want to be.  I will be eliminating the A Quart sized ads.  Honestly, I feel I pretty much gave the same attention and social media promoting to my A Quart sized supporters as I did to my A Peck sized supporters.  So, why not just do away with the A Quart sized ads and keep the Pecks?  

There will be six A Peck sized ads available for purchase each month for $6 each.  That is a 200x200 ad spot in a prominent rotating position on my sidebar.  A Peck package will also include:

• Lots of promoting on my Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest pages.  
• You will also have an option for 1-2 group guest posts (themes chosen by me) and the option to participate in a group giveaway.  

I will only have four A Bushel sized ad spots on my blog for purchase each month for $8 each.  That is a 250x300 ad spot near the top of my sidebar.  The A Bushel package includes:

•  Everything that the A Peck package has 
• An option for an individual supporter spotlight post, an individual guest post, or an individual giveaway (or a combination of any of these).  To see what an individual supporter spotlight on my blog looks like, CLICK HERE.  P.S.  These will NEVER be titled "Sponsor" anything.  Let's be real for a sec.  How many of us ever click on a new post when the word "Sponsor" is in the title??  Not very often in my experience.
• You will also have first dibs on co-hosting any link-up parties I host that month, such as my monthly Pinspiration in the Kitchen Party.  

Now,  here is what I am really excited about. :)  Every month I will have one (just one) Friendship Bread ad spot available.  What is a Friendship Bread ad spot?  How many of you have ever made Friendship bread?  You know where you need a friend to give you a starter first, and then you make your bread and pass it on to the next friend?  Well, this is a little like how my newest ad spot is going to work. ;)  I am going to give one blogger or small shop owner a 250x300 ad spot on my blog with all the fixings for FREE.  Yep, no cost.  The only requirements is that you be a smaller blog (200 GFC followers or less) or be a fairly small or new shop.  Just apply for the ad, and if I feel you mesh well with my blog and that I can help you grow your readership or customer base then I will approve you!  Easy, peasy.  (See my Sponsor page for the promo code to go ahead and apply for the Friendship Bread ad spot.)  My hope is that if I am able to help you grow a bit that maybe you will turn around and offer some love to another new blogger or etsy shop owner. :)

Okay, so why should you consider supporting me over or in addition to all the other awesome blogs out there?  First, my blog is growing.  And quickly.  I have seen over 100% growth in my followers in the past 30 days.  I also have a fabulous Twitter presence.  I have over 560 followers and none of them are spam bots.  I weed those out about two times or more a week.  I want real followers, not numbers. 
I follow my supporters on every social media outlet I use- Twitter, Facebook, GFC, Pinterest.  If I am promoting you, talking about you, singing your praises, you will know. :)  I am happy to say that I have built some lasting relationships with most of my sponsors, and will probably not be falling off their grid if they decide to not renew ads with me for next month.  

I only accept ads from sponsors that I can get 100% behind.  I like their blogs.  I like their content.  I adore their shops.  In all honesty, I cannot promote something that I cannot believe in.  

As far as group guest posts and group giveaways go, I try to keep them themed and relevant.  For my August group giveaway, I hosted a Blogger Appreciation giveaway- all ad spots, blog planner, blog design prizes.  Not a hodge podge of this and that.  To see this giveaway, CLICK HERE.
For the group guest post, I asked my Supporters to share their #1 money saving tip.  September's may be your go-to football party recipe, or on the cheap laundry tricks.  You get my gist. ;)

I really feel how much exposure you get with me, how much traffic you get by sponsoring me has a lot to do with how willing you are to communicate with me- to let me know when you have a post or giveaway happening that you really want promoted, if you are willing to participate in the group posts and giveaways and get that information to me, etc.  In my experience, my Supporters who communicated with me well got the most out of their sponsorships with me.  I wish I could be a mind reader, but alas I am not. ;) So, just let me know what I can do to help you. 

Last but not least, I will still do button swaps with any blogs that would like to.  I will just not be using Passionfruit to do these.  If you look under Blogs I Love... on my right sidebar, you will see where your button would go.  Just send me an email at thefrugalfoodiemama@yahoo.com if you would like to request a button swap and we can make that happen. :)

I look forward to collaborating with each of my future Amazing Supporters and hope that you will be one of my next ones!  If you have questions or concerns about how my sponsorship works, please do not hesitate to email me. :)
CLICK HERE to go directly to my Sponsor page and get started!

And now for the winner of the Delallo Pomodoro Fresco Sauces Giveaway!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Foodie on a Budget: Arrabbiata Bloody Mary

It is Sunday, and Sundays mean brunch, right?  When I think of Sunday brunch, I think of Belgian waffles, fluffy omelets, crispy bacon... and bloody marys!  ;)

Did you ever think of making your next round of Sunday brunch bloody marys with pasta sauce?  Me neither until I was trying to come up with something clever to use my Delallo Pomodoro Fresco Spicy Arrabbiata Sauce.  Why not a spicy bloody mary? ;)

What you will need:

1 shot of vodka (or a little more... whatever ;) )

1 cup of Pomodoro Fresco Spicy Arrabbiata sauce

1/2 cup of water

juice from 1/2 a lime

a few dashes of celery salt

a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce

You will note that I left hot sauce out of this recipe.  Hot sauce is really not necessary in this cocktail.  Trust me on this.  ;)

Basically toss all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with some ice.  Shake well, and then strain into a tall glass filled with ice.  I do stress to make sure you strain the drink.  Unless you like a little chew to your bloody mary.  Garnish with lime, olives, pickles, celery... whatever floats your spicy little boat.  This recipe makes enough for one large (think about 16 oz) bloody mary.  

Well, you know I have to ask.... Have you entered the Delallo Pomodoro Fresco Sauce giveaway yet?  Well, what exactly are you waiting for?  ;)

CLICK HERE to enter!

These all ^^^^ could be yours, my friend! :)

Foodie on a Budget: "Homemade" Creamy Tomato Tarragon Soup

I took a little shortcut with this recipe and used a jar of pasta sauce for it.  But I did go a little fancy and used a jar of the Delallo Pomodoro Fresco Creamy Vodka sauce.  (Oh yes... I am shamelessly plugging my giveaway sponsor right now. ;) )  Making creamy tomato soup at home is beyond simple and easy on a budget.  One spoonful of this "homemade" tomato soup and I doubt that you will ever pop open one of those red and white cans again.

What you will need:

2 tbsp of butter

1 tsp dried tarragon

1 jar of Delallo Creamy Vodka pasta sauce

1 cup of water

1/2 cup of half & half

Yep.  That is it!  Pretty simple, right?

In a medium sauce pan, melt the butter over medium heat.  Add the tarragon and saute for just one minute.  Pour in the jar of sauce, the water, and the half & half.  Mix well.  Cook over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes.  And you are done! :)

*This recipe makes about 4 generous servings of soup.

So easy you really have no excuse not to try this recipe.  I served our bowls of creamy tomato soup topped with a little parmesan cheese and a sprinkle of tarragon.  And of course, there was a grilled cheese on the side.  I mean, you really can't do tomato soup without the grilled cheese.

Jarred pasta sauces are not just for serving over pasta anymore. ;)

Want to win your very own jar of Delallo Pomodoro Fresco Creamy Vodka sauce?  (Along with the four other jars of sauce in the Delallo Pomodoro Fresco line?)  Then, you need to CLICK HERE and go get yourself entered!  Yes, that is right.  Delallo Italian Marketplace is going to give one of my readers (Ummmm... maybe you!) all five of the sauces in their Pomodoro Fresco line.

Garlic Barbecue Beef Brisket Recipe & A Delallo Giveaway!

Okay, so you may have noticed my last two Pinspiration in the Kitchen posts have been inspired by pins from the Delallo Pomodoro Fresco Pinterest board.  (Oh, you didn't notice?  Click here for the Chicken Cacciatore with Pomodoro Fresco Tomato Basil sauce.  And here for the 1...2...3 Cheesy Baked Ziti with Pomodoro Fresco Marinara sauce.)  

All of this hype has been leading up to this moment...  A fabulous giveaway sponsored by my wonderful friends at Delallo Italian Marketplace!
A few weeks ago, these lovely jarred sauces came to me in the mail...

These are the Pomodoro Fresco sauces, Delallo's newest pasta sauce line.  These sauces retail for $8.99 each, but you could be the lucky winner of all five of them this week! :)

Yep, that is right.  The entire Pomodoro Fresco line can be yours for free!

Most of you know that I love to make my own pasta sauces from scratch.  But these sauces have changed my mind about jarred pasta sauces (well, at least about Delallo's pasta sauces ;) ).  Look at the ingredient label here for the Delallo Pomodoro Fresco Tomato Basil sauce...

See anything you can't pronounce? ;)

But first, let me share with you all my recipe for Garlic Barbecue Beef Brisket I made using the Pomodoro Fresco Roasted Garlic sauce...

What you will need:

2lb beef brisket or roast

Salt & pepper

2 tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 jar Delallo Pomodoro Fresco Roasted Garlic Sauce

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1/4 cup cider vinegar

1/4 cup brown sugar

For the BBQ sauce later:

2 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 tbsp brown sugar

2 tbsp ketchup

A couple of dashes of hot sauce

Start by seasoning the beef brisket with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a skillet.  Brown all sides of the brisket.  Place the chopped onions in a slow cooker, and then all of the rest of the ingredients through the 1/4 cup of brown sugar.  Mix well. 

Add the browned beef brisket fat side up in the sauce in the slow cooker.  Placing the fatty side of the brisket facing up will ensure that the oils from the fats will baste the brisket as the meat slowly cooks in the slow cooker.  Ladle some of the sauce over the brisket.  Cook on Low for 6-7 hours, basting the meat with the sauce every hour or so if you are able to.

When the brisket is finished slow cooking, add 3-4 ladles of the sauce from the slow cooker into a small sauce pan over medium-high heat.  Whisk in the Dijon mustard, brown sugar, ketchup, and hot sauce.  Continue cooking, whisking frequently until the BBQ sauce is thickened, about 10 minutes.

Next, remove the brisket from the slow cooker and place on a large cutting board.  Shred the beef using a knife and fork, and then return it to the sauce in the slow cooker once shredded.

I served our shredded Garlic Barbecue Beef Brisket on thick crusty bread and topped it with a generous amount of the homemade BBQ sauce and slices of pickle.  

Now are you ready to win all five of the new Delallo Pomodoro Fresco sauces?? 

Just use the Rafflecopter form below to enter! :)

** This contest is only open to U.S. residents.  Apologies to my international friends.  Please see the Terms & Conditions in the Rafflecopter form below for all rules and restrictions.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Pinspiration in the Kitchen- 1...2...3 Cheesy Baked Ziti

Today I am again sharing a recipe that I pinned from one of Delallo's Pinterest boards.  This time I made their 1...2...3 Cheesy Baked Ziti..  (Click here for the recipe.)

This recipe called for Delallo Pomodoro Fresco Marinara Sauce...

This recipe was so easy to throw together!  The name of this dish is spot on. ;) I just boiled and cooked the ziti (I used whole grain to offset some of the cheesy guilt that was about to ensue.), mixed it with the ricotta, mozzarella, and sauce, and then dumped it all into a greased baking pan.  I topped it off with a little more sauce and some shredded mozzarella and parmesan cheese and baked for 25 minutes.  You can see the delicious result below...

 

 If you are looking for a tasty and easy dinner for a busy weeknight, then you have found your go-to dinner recipe.

To go directly to this pin for repinning, click here.

To see all my Pinspiration in the Kitchen posts, click here.

Pinspiration in the Kitchen- Chicken Cacciatore With Pomodoro Fresco Tomato Basil Sauce

I came across the recipe for Chicken Cacciatore shortly after I started following the Delallo Pinterest boards.  Those of you who have been following my blog for a while know all too well about my love affair with Delallo.  For a year, I lived in Greensburg, Pennsylvania just 15 minutes away from the Delallo Italian Marketplace in Jeannette.  (If you need a refresher, please CLICK HERE for the blog feature I wrote on Delallo on my former blog, Short & Sassy in Suburghia.)  My husband and I loved Delallo's so much that we ordered all of our wedding cakes from their bakery and drove them 2 hours over the state line. ;)

Okay, I got off course there. Back to the Chicken Cacciatore!  I was fortunate enough to receive a sneak peak of their five new Pomodoro Fresco Sauces...

Their Chicken Cacciatore recipes calls for their Pomodoro Fresco Tomato Basil sauce.  I know, I know... I am always advocating to make your own sauces from scratch, but take a looks at this...

Do you see anything above there that you cannot pronounce?? Exactly! :)

I did my own spin on the Delallo recipe (which you can find by clicking here), and decided to throw everything into the Crock Pot.  I still seasoned and floured the chicken thighs and browned them.  But then I threw them in the Crock Pot and covered them with the veggies and the rest of the ingredients including the Pomodoro Fresco Tomato Basil sauce.

The only changes I made ingredient wise is that I used red wine instead of white.  I actually didn't have any white on hand, and you all know how I am about using what you already have on hand. ;)  I cooked everything in the Crock Pot on Low for 6 hours.

It turned out rich in flavor. The chicken thighs just fell off the bone.  I served it over rice, but you could use any pasta you have on hand as well.

To go directly to this pin for repinning, click here.