Menu Banner

Category: Giveaways

  1. Tuesday, August 1, 2017

    Happy Summer! Albion Fit Swim Giveaway!

    I am currently sitting in a beach house in Woods Hole, MA on Cape Cod. The weather is perfect and we are hitting the beach every single day this week. Basically, I don’t ever want to go back to real life.

    Albion Fit Mid-Summer Swim Giveaway on This Week for Dinner (@janemaynard)

    This year I have a new swimsuit, thanks to Albion Fit, and I have been loving it on our East Coast vacation. I am loving the suit this summer. LOVING. It’s comfortable, I love the fabric, and people keep asking where I got it. (Click here for a link to the suit. You can also get my suit in black, but I don’t know why you would because the Antigua pattern is awesome.)

    The founders of Albion are dear friends of ours and Liz and I thought it would be fun to do a swim giveaway for a little mid-summer fun! So let’s get right down to it! Who doesn’t want a cute new suit in the summertime?

    HERE’S HOW TO ENTER! Simply comment on this post telling us your favorite Albion swimsuit! One randomly-selected commenter will win an Albion swimsuit of their choice!

    BONUS INSTAGRAM ENTRY! You can also enter the giveaway on Instagram! Simply click here and leave a comment on my Instagram post about this giveaway with the name of your favorite Albion swimsuit AND tag a friend in that comment.

    All comments, both here on the blog and on Instagram, must be posted by Midnight PT on Saturday August 5, 2017.

    Good luck and happy swimming!

    The winner of this giveaway was Mary Beth, who commented, “These are beautiful suits! I am loving the Grace off the shoulder one-piece!” Congratulations! And thank you to all who entered!

     

    Posted by Jane Maynard at 12:27 pm   40 Comments
    Categories: , , Tags: , , |

  2. Thursday, May 11, 2017

    Fudgy Thumprint Chocolate Chip Cookies + A Fair Trade Mother’s Day

    Guess what? I have another fun Mother’s Day post for you, complete with an easy, delicious recipe and an equally delicious giveaway!

    Recipe for Easy Fudgy Thumbprint Chocolate Chip Cookies from @janemaynard

    Each year I create a post in conjunction with Fair Trade USA to celebrate Mother’s Day and this year is no exception! As usual they sent me a box of goodies (which we will be giving away to one of you lucky people in just a moment) to inspire a Mother’s Day baking project.

    Recipe for Easy Fudgy Thumbprint Chocolate Chip Cookies from @janemaynard

    This month has been super busy and as Mother’s Day has approached I haven’t had a lot of time to bake. Normally when Fair Trade sends me a box of goodies they include a baking mix from Immaculate Baking Company. I haven’t ever used the mixes in my posts because I normally create my Fair Trade recipes from scratch. This time, however, I decided to embrace the ease of the cookie mix, adding a fun twist to make it special.

    First off, the Immaculate Organic Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix is so, so, so good. Whether or not you add my fudgy thumbprint you’ll be happy with this mix. But the fudgy addition really takes these cookies over the top. Today’s recipe kind of had a longer journey than most of my recipes. First I tried to make cookie cups with a fudgy center but it just didn’t work practically or visually, but they tasted amazing. So then I tried stuffing the cookies, which worked pretty well but not exactly what I envisioned. So then I tried a thumbprint and it worked! The fudgy “button” goes so beautifully with these cookies and you will love them, especially since it’s so easy to throw this dessert together! How Fair Trade Helps Women

    The most wonderful part of this recipe is that using Fair Trade ingredients means you can celebrate strong women and mothers throughout the world by supporting their livelihood. I’ve read so many stories about how Fair Trade helps women in so many countries and I love it when I can incorporate as many fair trade ingredients as possible into my recipes. The infographic above is a great summary of why Fair Trade is so cool! For today’s recipe I used the Immaculate Organic Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix as well as Guittard’s Extra Dark Chocolate Chips, so it’s a Fair Trade double whammy! The recipe is below…but first…

    Fair Trade Goodies Giveaway!

    The giveaway! Fair Trade will send one of you lucky people the same gift box I received, which includes product from the following companies:

    To enter the giveaway, all you need to do is a leave a comment on this post before Midnight PT on 3/25/17! That’s it! Easy peasy…as easy as today’s recipe, which I will give to you now! The randomly-selected winner of this giveaway was Comment #24 Michele. Congratulations, Michele!

    Recipe for Easy Fudgy Thumbprint Chocolate Chip Cookies from @janemaynard

    Fudgy Thumbprint Chocolate Chip Cookies
     
    Print
    Prep time
    Cook time
    Total time
     
    A fair trade-friendly recipe that is easy and delicious!
    Author:
    Serves: 22 cookies
    Ingredients
    • 1 Immaculate Baking Company Organic Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix
    • ½ cup dark chocolate chips (Guittard is my favorite and they are Fair Trade!)
    • ¼ cup sweetened condensed milk
    • Pinch salt
    Instructions
    1. Preheat oven to 375ºF (or 350º for a dark non-stick pan).
    2. Follow directions to mix the dough for the cookie mix.
    3. Once dough is mixed, put chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk and salt in a small microwave-safe bowl. Cook on high in the microwave for 45 seconds, then stir until all chocolate has melted.
    4. Let chocolate mix cool for a few minutes. While the chocolate is cooling, create 1-tablespoon rounded cookie dough balls. With your thumb press a well in the center of each cookie dough ball, then place ½ teaspoon blobs of the chocolate fudgy filling in the center. If the chocolate is sticking to your fingers a lot, just get your fingers a little bit wet with water. Keep in mind, the shape of the chocolate will look how it looks after baking as it did before, so if you want the chocolate nice and smooth, smooth it out before baking!
    5. Bake for 9-11 minutes. Let cool before eating.

     

    Posted by Jane Maynard at 2:15 pm   32 Comments
    Categories: , , , Tags: , , , , |

  3. A Beautiful Up-Cycled Mother’s Day Giveaway + Maybe The Easiest Mother’s Day Craft Ever (as in, NO WORK FOR MOM)

    Sponsored by General Mills Cereals

    Happy almost Mother’s Day! To celebrate I have a fun and EASY craft idea for the kids in your life as well as some love for TO THE MARKET, one of my most favorite companies. And a beautiful giveaway that will have 20 winners (woohoo!).

    To The Market Up-Cycled Cereal Box Necklaces

    As you know I’ve worked with General Mills Cereals in the past. They approached me recently about coming up with a fun craft idea using up-cycled cereal boxes with my kids. I AM NOT A CRAFTY PERSON. But when I told my kids about the project they were all in. You see, they are crafty people. I’m not entirely sure they are my children. Anyway, my kids were doubly in when they learned they would have to eat some of their favorite, yummy cereals, Lucky Charms, Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Honey Nut Cheerios, in order to make the craft happen (empty cereal boxes are a necessity!). Basically, this is their favorite post on my blog ever.

    Up-cycled Cereal Box Mother's Day Flowers

    As a lovely Mother’s Day gift, General Mills Cereals sent me a necklace and bracelet set from TO THE MARKET. TO THE MARKET is a company that sells survivor-made goods from around the world. I’ve written about TO THE MARKET before and founder and CEO Jane Mosbacher Morris is one of my favorite people. She was even on my podcast at one point! (It’s one of my favorite episodes, by the way. Jane is the BEST.) Anyway, TO THE MARKET is helping SO MANY WOMEN and their products are beyond lovely. I have a very special place in my heart for their work.

    To The Market Up-Cycled Cereal Box Necklaces

    The jewelry that General Mills Cereals sent was created by Haitian TO THE MARKET artists, with beads made from up-cycled cereal boxes. The beads are gorgeous. You simply cannot believe they are made from cereal boxes. Both my girls are enamored with the jewelry (I think Anna might steal it) and felt very inspired for their own cereal box crafting!

    Up-cycled Cereal Box Mother's Day Flowers

    Up-cycled Cereal Box Mother's Day Flowers

    Which brings us to today’s craft. For real this is the best craft ever because the parent doesn’t have to do ANYTHING. Just give the kids some empty cereal boxes (the more colorful the better!), scotch tape and colorful straws. Then say, “Go make flowers!” All three of my kids, from ages 5 to 12, had a blast cutting up the boxes and getting creative. Anna’s flower ended up being three dimensional, Cate made an adorable bumblebee for the bouquet, and Owen went completely off book and made a ladybug with a heart to show that the ladybug loves me. I consider it all a crafting success! And I didn’t lift a finger. (Well, okay, I helped clean up the billions of cereal box cuttings strewn about the kitchen. But it was worth it.)

    Up-cycled Cereal Box Mother's Day Craft

    Lucky for our family my beloved mother will be here for Mother’s Day this year. She will be taking home the best bouquet ever!

    Giveaway time! General Mills Cereals and TO THE MARKET are providing TWENTY of you lucky people with your own necklace made with upcycled cereal box beads. You can’t buy these necklaces, so this is the only way to get one! Here is how to enter: (Comments must be posted by Midnight PT May 25, 2017.)

    BONUS BONUS BONUS: If you head on over to TO THE MARKET’S Stories Blog, they are also giving away these necklaces and you can enter there, too! Yippee! Winners were randomly selected and have been notified via email. Thank you!

    Happy Mother’s Day!

    I partnered with General Mills for this post because they are committed to strengthening communities around the world through remarkable initiatives, nonprofits and causes that help strength people and the planet. General Mills Cereals partnered with TO THE MARKET to create these handcrafted pieces of jewelry from up-cycled cereal boxes as part of this commitment and to celebrate all the moms, caregivers, aunts, sisters and special heroes who fill the world with love.

    Learn more about General Mills Cereals and its delicious line of cereals including Honey Nut Cheerios, Lucky Charm, Cinnamon Toast Crunch and many more at www.generalmills.com/cereal.

    Posted by Jane Maynard at 8:37 am   50 Comments
    Categories: , , Tags: , , , , |

  4. Tuesday, January 31, 2017

    It’s the Blog’s 10th Birthday! Plus French Chips Recipe!

    Please note: The giveaway in this post is now closed. Recipe is below!

    Well, that 10 years sure went by quickly.

    French Chips Recipe (aka French fries that look like chips!) from @janemaynard

    Today is This Week for Dinner’s 10th birthday! Happy Birthday, Blog! I seriously can’t believe it. If we’re going by birth order, the blog is technically my second child. 😉 I didn’t start a blog to start a blog, I just wanted to share my weekly menu with my brother if I happened to plan one. That’s it. And then it grew. And then I made a logo. And then I promised my friends my secret hot fudge recipe if they told their friends about the blog (and, yes, the recipe is still a secret). And, just like that, 10 years have passed, with over 520 weekly menu posts, oodles of recipes and so much other crazy stuff that has happened because of the blog it blows my mind. I feel incredibly grateful for the gift this blog has been in my life and look forward to many more blog birthdays. And of course I am eternally grateful to all of you who keep it going, with your comments and your weekly menus and your simply being here to read my words and make my recipes. Thank you!

    To celebrate I have food. And a KitchenAid giveaway. Are you ready? Here we go!

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BPNomk9DEvt/?taken-by=janemaynard

    Normally for the blog’s birthday I share some sort of chocolate. But today we’re going with my second favorite food group…French fries. Well, actually, French chips. Or should that be chip fries? Or French fry chips? Whatever you decide to call them (I’m going with French chips), these are your new favorite homemade French fries. They are basically French fries shaped like chips, although much thicker chips, which is why they are not really chips at all. Unless you’re in England. Then, yes, they are chips. Anyone confused yet?

    Nate and I recently took the kids to Liberty Public Market by the San Diego harbor for lunch (which, by the way, is our new favorite place to eat. It’s awesome.) One of the food vendors, Mastiff Sausage Company, serves French fries that are shaped like discs and they are amazing. (Click here to see a picture!) No, really, why doesn’t everyone make French fries in this shape? The disc gives you the perfect proportion of potato to crispiness. It’s genius. If you’ve been around the blog for a while you know that when I get obsessed with a food from a restaurant, I generally have to figure out my own version. Enter today’s recipe for French chips. Which, coincidentally, leads into today’s giveaway!

    Making French Chips (aka fries that look like chips!) with the KitchenAid stand mixer food processor attachment - recipe included, from @janemaynard

    Making French Chips (aka fries that look like chips!) with the KitchenAid stand mixer food processor attachment - recipe included, from @janemaynard

    THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. THANK YOU! To celebrate the blog’s 10th birthday, KitchenAid is generously giving one of you lucky commenters their brand new KitchenAid® Artisan® Mini 3.5-Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer in Honeydew (to match This Week for Dinner’s colors! So cute!) along with the Food Processor with Commercial Style Dicing Kit attachment, which will work on standard-sized stand mixers as well.* Where do I even begin? First, have you seen the new mini stand mixers? THEY ARE SO CUTE I CAN’T STAND IT. Also, this food processor is my first stand mixer attachment and, well, I’m a believer. Slicing my potatoes for the French chips was crazy fast and easy. I was ready to make 10 pounds of fries. The retail value of today’s giveaway is $649.98, so, um, yes you need to enter! (And a huge thank you to KitchenAid!)

    KitchenAid Artisan Mini 2.5-Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer in Honeydew

    Here’s how to enter the giveaway!

    • Simply comment on this post to enter! That’s it!

    Of course we have bonus entries! You must leave a separate comment for each bonus entry that applies to you:

    Please note: Winner must be a resident of the United States. All comments must be posted by Midnight PT on Tuesday, February 28, 2017.

    The giveaway winner was comment #174, Christie! Her bonus entry for following This Week for Dinner on Pinterest got her the win, but here’s her original comment: “10 years! I know I’ve read since near the beginning, so that is just crazy. Congrats!”

    French Chips Recipe (aka French fries that look like chips!) from @janemaynard

    Let’s get to those French chips, shall we? They are crispy on the outside, perfect on the inside, not quite a fry and not quite a chip. Also, mine are not shaped like discs because my potato was too big for the food processor’s feed tube, but I like my triangle-shaped French chips. They’re cute! In addition to the French chips, I also have a recipe for a seasoned salt to go on top. It’s a little salty, a little smoky, a little sweet…and a lot delicious. Enjoy!

    And Happy 10th Birthday, This Week for Dinner!

    French Chips
     
    Print
    French fries shaped like chips are the best French fries ever. You're welcome. (Thanks to Mastiff Sausage Company in San Diego for the inspiration!)
    Author:
    Ingredients
    • Russet Potatoes (1 large potato per 2 servings)
    • Canola or Vegetable Oil
    Instructions
    1. Place a cooling rack over a cookie sheet lined with paper towels and set aside.
    2. Slice the potato into thick discs. Alternatively, use the KitchenAid food processor attachment with the slicing disc. You want medium-thick discs. If you are using the food processor attachment and your potato is too wide for the feed tube, cut the potato into quarters lengthwise - your final fry shape will be a triangle instead of a disc, but it still works beautifully. The thickness on the food processor should be set around the center point for thickness.
    3. Soak sliced potatoes in water for 30 minutes up to overnight (put the bowl in the fridge if you're going for a long soak). Remove potatoes from the water and pat dry with a towel or paper towel.
    4. In a heavy-bottomed medium-large pot, heat 1-2 inches of oil. (For 1 potato I did 1 inch of oil.) Monitor the temperature of the oil with an instant read thermometer and bring the oil to 325º F. (On my stove the knob was around 6 on a scale of 1-10). It's okay if the temperature goes a little over 325º as the temperature will drop when you add the potatoes.
    5. Carefully add about ½ potato's worth of the fries/chips to the heated oil. Keep an eye on the temperature, adjusting the heat on the stove if necessary. Cook the fries for 4-6 minutes, until they just barely start to brown. I stir them fairly regularly while they cook.
    6. With a large slotted spoon, remove fries from the oil and place on the prepared cookie sheet with the cooling rack. Cook the next batch of raw potatoes, repeating the process above.
    7. Once all the potatoes have been fried once, raise the burner's heat to bring the oil to 350º F (about an 8 on a scale of 1-10 on my stove). Cook the fries in batches once again, this time cooking the fries for 2-5 minutes, until they are a nice golden brown color. Remove from the oil and drain on the prepared cookie sheet with cooling rack.
    8. While the fries are still hot, pat gently with a paper towel, sprinkle with salt or seasoned salt (see recipe below), flip and repeat.
    9. These fries are obviously best served hot, but they are still really good even after they've cooled. Enjoy!

    Recipe for seasoned salt, perfect for french fries, from @janemaynard

     

    French Chips Seasoned Salt
     
    Print
    Author:
    Ingredients
    • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
    • 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
    • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
    • ½ teaspoon black pepper
    Instructions
    1. Mix everything together! All done!

     

    *All colors are subject to availability. The prizes include:
    1. Artisan® Mini Stand Mixer in Honeydew (KSM3311XHW)
    1. Food Processor with Commercial Style Dicing Kit (KSM2FPA)

    Posted by Jane Maynard at 8:05 pm   455 Comments
    Categories: , , , Tags: , , , |

  5. Sunday, August 21, 2016

    Week 500 Weekly Menu – Let’s Celebrate!

    The giveaway described below is now closed. Thank you to all who entered! Winners are listed below!

    Today is a big milestone for my blog. It’s my 500th weekly menu post. FIVE HUNDRED. Five hundred Sundays in a row I have posted. No matter what. Yes, some of those posts didn’t have menus (like when I had babies or traveled to Africa or whatever). But most of those posts did include a weekly dinner plan and, more importantly, a place where our little community could come together to support and help one another get dinner on the table each week! I know these weekly posts have helped our family immensely over the years. I hope that it has helped some of you, too! In related news, I looked up the Week 1 Menu post. Oh man, we’ve come a long way from half a menu and only one comment from my friend Margo (thank you, Margo!).

    I think it’s time to celebrate the big 5-0-0, don’t you? We’re doing two special things this week in honor of the big occasion.

    The 500th Weekly Menu from @janemaynard, including favorite recipes from the blog and a fantastic giveaway!

    Celebratory Act #1: Menu #500

    First, I need to post a menu! This week’s menu is completely, totally, 100% UNrealistic and is actually a list of some (although not all) of my most favorite recipes on the blog. This seems like the best 500th menu I could pull together and is most certainly my dream menu (I would never in a million years make all of these recipes in one week, but it sure would be delicious!) Here are the links to all the recipes (links are also included in the downloadable PDF, which you can access by clicking the menu image above or by clicking here). As usual, please share your own weekly menu in the comments! (In fact, when you share, well, see celebratory act #2 below!)

    Celebratory Act #2: An awesome GIVEAWAY that you all need to enter!

    You guys. For real. Today’s giveaway is golden. I was able to get some of my favorite kitchen brands to donate all kinds of wonderful items for the 500th menu giveaway. AND we’re going to have three winners! Winner #1 will receive every last thing you see listed below. (Winner #1 is a lucky dog.) Winners #2 and #3 will each receive the first item on the list below (that beautiful 6-quart casserole from KitchenAid, which we will get to in a moment). Not too shabby, my friends!

    Here is how to enter the giveaway (prizes must be shipped within the US):

    • Leave a comment, any comment, on this post before Midnight PT on Sunday 8/28/16. That’s it!
    • BONUS ENTRY: Leave an additional comment with your menu for the week! (You must leave a separate comment to get the bonus entry.)
    • BONUS ENTRY: Follow This Week for Dinner on Facebook! (If you already follow, that counts! You must leave a separate comment to get the bonus entry.)
    • BONUS ENTRY: Follow This Week for Dinner on Pinterest! (If you already follow, that counts! You must leave a separate comment to get the bonus entry.)

    This giveaway is now closed. Here are the winners!

    • Ana was our grand prize giveaway winner! Her Pinterest bonus entry (#82) is what got her the prize, but here is her initial comment! “Jane, congrats on reaching 500! I’m in awe of you! What a generous prize!! Would absolutely love to win!!”
    • KitchenAid Casserole Winner #1: Nora B (#214), who said: “Wonderful giveaway!”
    • KitchenAid Casserole Winner #2: Barbara (#118), who said: “Congrats on your 500th menu. They are a huge help to me on those weeks when I just can’t think of anything to cook.”

    You may be wondering what the giveaway actually is.  Here we go!

    KitchenAid's Professional 6-quart Cast Iron Casserole is functional and gorgeous. from @janemaynard

    • KitchenAid Professional Cast Iron 6-Quart Casserole (retail value $249.99): I love KitchenAid and they are always willing to provide the most wonderful gifts to celebrate my blog’s milestones. This cast iron casserole (with a lid that also works as a cast iron grill pan) is GORGEOUS and I love it so much. As I  mentioned, all three winners of the giveaway will receive one of these for their very own (you get to pick the color, but I gotta tell you, you’d be crazy not to pick Fiesta Blue. Really, it is so pretty.)

    Reliable's Steamboy 200CU Steam Floor Mop is my new favorite, we use it all the time! from @janemaynard

    • Steamboy 200CU Steam Floor Mop from Reliable (retail value $99.00): I’ve had my Steamboy since the start of the summer and it is my new favorite. It is just so easy to clean the kitchen floor and my 9-year-old Anna loves cleaning with it, which has actually been very helpful! I also love that there are zero chemicals involved. I use it once or twice a week and am so happy this steam mop is in my life.

    Force of Nature Green Cleaning Kit from @janemaynard

    • Force of Nature Kit (retail value $89.99): This is another new green cleaning tool we have in our home that is really cool. I actually just got mine, so I don’t have a lot of experience with it yet, but so far I love it. Basically you make a cleaning agent that is powerful, effective, chemical-free and safe. I’ve really tried to cut back on chemical use in our home for many reasons and this gadget will help tremendously.

    le creuset butter crock - one of my favorite kitchen items! from @janemaynard

    • Le Creuset Butter Crock: You should all own one of these by now because I talk about it enough. But I have a sneaking suspicion a few of you may still need one. Into the giveaway it goes!

    silpat half-sheet baking mat, a must have for any home baker! from @janemaynard

    Q Squared NYC Melamine Dishes - Perfect for Entertaining! Knoll Gardens Pattern | from @janemaynard

    • Q Squared NYC’s Knoll Gardens Serving Bowl with Provence White Salad Servers: Q Squared makes the best melamine dishware around and their new Knoll Gardens pattern has stolen my heart. (Note: the salad servers are not pictured above but are included in this giveaway.)

    Magic Chef Microwavable Cookware from @janemaynard

    • Magic Chef Microwave Cookware Set: Earlier this year I worked with Magic Chef to do recipe demos at a huge housewares show in Chicago to show off their new microwave cookware, which just hit the market! My favorite thing about this cookware is how it allows you to harness the steaming power of the microwave to cook all kinds of things, like perfectly tender chicken and heavenly chocolate lava cakes.

    KitchenIQ's Better Zester from @janemaynard(Better Zester photo credit: KitchenIQ)

    • Better Zester from KitchenIQ: Everyone needs a good zester in their life, and everything I’ve ever gotten from KitchenIQ has been awesome (including their knife sharpener, which I use every day!).

    The Smood from Dreamfarm (@janemaynard)(Smood photo credit: Dreamfarm)

    • Smood from Dreamfarm: Dreamfarm makes incredibly fun kitchen gadgets, many of which I own and love, and this one is no exception!

    live fashionABLE scarves from @janemaynard, supporting women in Ethiopia

    • ONE Beaded Bracelet, ONE T-Shirt and a fashionABLE Scarf: One of the very best things that has come out of having my blog is working with ONE. The work they do is inspiring and really making a difference and I am grateful to be a part of that work. Go ONE! And fashionABLE! (fashionABLE is a company I discovered through ONE and the work they do is amazing. And I love their scarves and have like a bazillion of them.)

    A huge THANK YOU to all of these companies for making this giveaway possible!

    Here’s to another 500 menus! (Oh man, can you imagine? Am I going to be posting these until I die? That would not be a bad thing, actually. ;))

    Posted by Jane Maynard at 8:33 pm   300 Comments
    Categories: , Tags: , , |

  6. Thursday, July 21, 2016

    Perfect Summer Dishware {Plus a Giveaway!}

    It’s summertime, which means two things. One, we need to do something fun. Two, you need good dishes for summer entertaining. How about I combine the two by doing a giveaway (fun!) of my most favorite melamine dishes (perfect for summer)? Let’s do it.

    Q Squared NYC Melamine Dishes - Perfect for Entertaining! Knoll Gardens Pattern | from @janemaynardPictured: Knoll Gardens Serving Bowl

    I’ve been working with Q Squared NYC for some time now and continue to love their dishes and serveware year after year. Not only does Q Squared have gorgeous designs, but the quality of their melamine is top notch. I know you think you know melamine, but this melamine is just so much better than what you normally see in stores – thick, heavy (in a good way!) and just plain pretty. You can click here to learn more about what melamine is (I just discovered myself that it’s an organic-based material!) and why Q Squared’s is so lovely. We have a set of Q Squared plates we use every day. I’ve been cleaning them in the dishwasher for years and they look as good as new. And my kids have yet to break anything made by Q Squared. Their dishes are indestructible!

    Q Squared NYC Melamine Dishes - Perfect for Entertaining! | from @janemaynard

    While our family uses Q Squared dishes every day no matter where we eat, I am especially grateful for the dishes when we are eating outside. I have zero worries about anything getting broken. And I love hosting parties and taking food to potlucks because it means I get to break out all of my awesome Q Squared serving platters and trays. I kid you not, I get compliments on them every time.

    Q Squared NYC Melamine Dishes - Perfect for Entertaining! Royal Lapis Pattern | from @janemaynardPictured: Royal Lapis Dinner Plate, Salad Plate and Bread & Butter Plate

    Since it’s summer, I think you need a little Q Squared loveliness in your life, too! You have two options to make this happen. First, go shopping and use the code JANE20 to get 20% off everything at Q Squared (code is valid through Labor Day 9/5/16). I promise you will love whatever you buy! Your second option is to enter the summer giveaway below!

    Q Squared NYC Melamine Dishes - Perfect for Entertaining! Knoll Gardens Pattern | from @janemaynard

    To celebrate their beautiful new summer collections, including the Knoll Gardens and Royal Lapis patterns you see in this post, Q Squared is giving away a 12-piece dinnerware set to one of you lucky people! To enter, leave a comment below telling us which pattern you would choose. That’s all you have to do! Click here to view all of the collections. Be sure to leave your comment telling us your favorite pattern by Midnight PT on Friday, July 29, 2016.

    I don’t want to influence you too heavily or anything, but I am head-over-heels in love with my new Knoll Gardens dishes. They are GORGEOUS. I mean, the Royal Lapis is gorgeous, too, but Knoll Gardens really has me smitten. 😉

    Happy Shopping!

    Thank you to Q Squared NYC for sponsoring today’s post and hosting the giveaway!

    Posted by Jane Maynard at 8:12 pm   197 Comments
    Categories: , Tags: , , , |

  7. Wednesday, March 30, 2016

    PB&P Sandwiches (aka Pear Brie and Prosciutto Grilled Cheese) + A Tasty Giveaway!

    Forget PB&J. Or PB&H. Today I give you PB&P! And it has nothing to do with peanut butter. But it is a sandwich. And it has everything to do with savory pear sauce, brie and prosciutto. That’s right, pear brie prosciutto grilled cheese sandwiches…PB&P! And this sandwich is scrumptious.

    PB&P Sandwiches, aka Pear Brie Prosciutto Grilled Cheese Sandwiches from @janemaynard

    It’s springtime, so fruit is in the air. (Along with love, but that’s another blog post for another blog, really.) Libby’s hired me to develop a recipe using one of their canned fruits to celebrate the spring season. I immediately thought of canned pears (one of my favorite foods growing up!) and wanted to try out a fun savory twist. Enter the PB&P.

    PB&P Sandwiches, aka Pear Brie Prosciutto Grilled Cheese Sandwiches from @janemaynard

    I love brie in a melted state. And I love the combination of salty prosciutto with sweet fruit. And I love bread. So, basically, today’s sandwich is the love of my life. The sandwich itself is quite simple – bread, sliced brie and prosciutto with a smattering of savory pear sauce. The layers of flavor are delicious, and the texture is perfect. Oh, and by the way, the savory pear sauce is so good and beyond easy to make. And, even though this is a great sandwich for springtime, by using canned pears it not only simplifies the recipe, but you can make this any time of year!

    PB&P Sandwiches, aka Pear Brie Prosciutto Grilled Cheese Sandwiches from @janemaynard

    PB&P Sandwiches, aka Pear Brie Prosciutto Grilled Cheese Sandwiches from @janemaynard

    Before we get to the recipe, Libby’s has a giveaway for you today! One lucky winner will receive this super cute Crate & Barrel Six Bottle Spice Box along with an assortment of Libby’s Fruit, so you can get creative in the kitchen, too! Simply leave a comment on this post to enter! Comments must be posted by midnight PT on Wednesday, April 6, 2016 and prize must be shipped within the U.S.

    Savory Pear Sauce for PB&P Sandwiches, aka Pear Brie Prosciutto Grilled Cheese Sandwiches from @janemaynard - Libby's Spring Giveaway

    Good luck to all on the giveaway…and now for the recipes! Enjoy!

    PB&P Sandwiches (aka Pear Brie Prosciutto Grilled Cheese)
     
    Print
    Prep time
    Cook time
    Total time
     
    Author:
    Serves: 1
    Ingredients
    • 2 slices good quality bread
    • 1 thin slice prosciutto
    • About 4 thin slices brie
    • 1-2 tablespoons savory pear sauce (see recipe below)
    • Butter
    Instructions
    1. Heat a frying pan over medium heat about 5 minutes.
    2. While pan is heating up, spread pear sauce on 1 slice of bread.
    3. On the second slice of bread, place the brie slices evenly to cover then top with prosciutto.
    4. Put the sandwich together, then butter the top.
    5. Place sandwich butter side down in the pan, then butter the other side (that is now facing up).
    6. Cook sandwich over medium heat until both sides are golden brown.

     
    Savory Pear Sauce
     
    Print
    Prep time
    Cook time
    Total time
     
    Author:
    Serves: 1 cup
    Ingredients
    • 1 15-ounce can Libby's pear halves, drained but reserving 2 tablespoons of the juice
    • 1 tablespoon thinly sliced onions (about ⅛ of a small onion)
    • 1 teaspoon olive oil
    • ⅛ teaspoon salt
    • ⅛ teaspoon ground ginger
    • Couple shakes of ground pepper
    Instructions
    1. Heat olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Once hot, add onions and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
    2. Add 2 tablespoons of the pear juice to the pan, then the drained pears. Break the pears up with a spatula a bit. Add salt, ginger and pepper and stir well.
    3. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to about medium-low, making sure to maintain a simmer. Simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally and smashing up the pears each time you stir. The final consistency should be saucy with lumps.

    This post was sponsored by Libby’s – I received compensation in exchange for work performed. Price per serving for the PB&P sandwich is approximately $2.00.

    Posted by Jane Maynard at 5:38 pm   22 Comments
    Categories: , , , Tags: , , , , , |

  8. Monday, February 8, 2016

    Farmer, Author and Activist Diana Prichard Discusses Migrant Farm Workers, Farming and Food (Ep. 26)

    This Week for Dinner Podcast #26: Farmer and Author Diana Prichard

    Today on the podcast I chat with Diana Prichard, a pig farmer from Michigan who blogs at RighteousBacon.com. In addition to farming, Diana is an author, activist and fellow podcaster! She is also working on a documentary called Farmworker: How Immigration Feeds America. Basically, I don’t know how she does it all. I really enjoyed my conversation with Diana and am so happy to share it with you today!

    We have a fun giveaway to go along with today’s episode! Diana is giving away a free download of her app to one of you lucky people! The app is called Farm2Table and is based on her children’s book The Cow in Patrick O’Shanahan’s Kitchen. It’s adorable. I love it and can’t wait to get my kids on there exploring the story, videos and matching game. If you’d like to throw your hat in the ring to win the app, just leave a comment below! Comments must be made by Midnight PT Monday 2/15/16. (Also, the app is only $2.99, so if you don’t win, well…it’s definitely worth 3 bucks!)

    Shownotes:

    It’s easy to listen to the show!

    • Via the web: Just click play below!
    • Via an app: For iPhone and iPad, subscribe to the This Week for Dinner Podcast on iTunes and listen to it through the purple Podcasts app. For Android devices, use the Stitcher, Podcast Addict or Pocket Casts apps. In all cases, launch the app, then search for This Week for Dinner Podcast. The benefit of using an app: once downloaded, you can listen to the show without an Internet connection.

     Other Stuff!

    Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

    Subscribe: Email | RSS

    Posted by Jane Maynard at 9:05 pm   3 Comments
    Categories: , Tags: , , |

  9. Monday, December 21, 2015

    A Hand-Drawn Holiday Giveaway: Chelsea Harp Designs

    holiday gifts & giveaways on thisweekfordinner.com from @janemaynard

    Last year I had all kinds of giveaways set up for the holidays, but this year I took it easy. But I think we need a little bit of giveaway fun around here, don’t you?

    On Friday I mentioned an Etsy shop that I recently discovered that I am loving. Chelsea Harp Designs sells hand-drawn prints, featuring quotes and sayings perfect for many places in the home and the holidays!

    Chelsea Harp Designs: Oh Come Let Us Adore Him print

    Chelsea graciously sent me my favorite Christmas print of hers, Oh Come Let Us Adore Him. It looks beautiful on our Christmas mantel, and I’m even thinking of framing it to hang all year.

    Be sure to check out Chelsea’s shop – her prints are perfect for gifting!

    Giveaway time! For this giveaway we will have three winners! Each winner will receive the “Cook Eat Be Happy” print, which I absolutely LOVE. Simply leave a comment on this post to enter the giveaway!* The 3 random winners for this giveaway were comments #30, #40 and #41. Congratulations, ladies!

    Chelsea Harp Designs: Cook Eat Be Happy print

    Happy Holidays!

    *Comments must be made by Midnight PT on Monday, December 28, 2015. 

     

    Posted by Jane Maynard at 1:48 pm   41 Comments
    Categories: , , Tags: , , , |

  10. Wednesday, December 16, 2015

    My First Meal Delivery Service Experience: Sun Basket Review and Giveaway!

    Over the last few years, monthly box subscription companies have exploded, delivering everything from beauty supplies to clothes to crafts for kids. Most recently, meal delivery kits have become increasingly popular and I have been very intrigued by them. Sun Basket, a meal delivery service founded in San Francisco, recently contacted me about working together and I jumped at the chance. I have really wanted to try one of these services out and Sun Basket was especially appealing to me (I’ll explain why below).

    Sun Basket meal delivery service review by @janemaynard

    If you haven’t heard of a meal delivery kit, let me give you a quick rundown. A company mails food to your house, with recipes included for cooking the meals. You don’t have to shop, you don’t have to meal plan, you just cook and eat! Like I mentioned, I’ve been intrigued by these services and definitely had some questions about the whole process. First and foremost for me was concern over excessive packaging, but I also had questions about quality of the food, difficulty of the recipes, and whether or not we would actually like the dinners in the end.

    Sun Basket meal delivery service review by @janemaynard

    Sun Basket meal delivery service review by @janemaynard

    Sun Basket is one such meal delivery company that services customers in California, Arizona, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Utah, Idaho and Nevada. What was immediately appealing to me about Sun Basket was their emphasis on sustainability, choosing seasonal, organic ingredients and sourcing responsibly from West coast farms. Plus, Chef Justine Kelly of the famous Slanted Door in San Francisco develops their recipes!

    Sun Basket meal delivery service review by @janemaynard

    So, how was my experience with Sun Basket? It was great! From the moment the box arrived on my doorstep to the moment we ate our Sun Basket meals I was impressed with the service. Here are a few things that stood out:

    • Remember my worries about packaging? Well, your Sun Basket box comes with a prepaid return label, so you can easily ship back the box and all the packing materials to be recycled and/or reused. That’s like 1,000 points right there in my book.
    • The recipes were clearly printed on beautiful cards, complete with pictures and well-written instructions, and the food was good quality.
    • The recipes tasted great! We ordered pork stir fry, pappardelle with butternut squash, and north Indian red bean stew. All three recipes were tasty, but the pork stir fry was especially awesome. With a service like this it’s always fun, too, because there are often ingredients and spices included that you don’t buy on a normal basis, so it makes cooking interesting.
    • The kids tried all of the recipes. (Well, Owen didn’t. He doesn’t try anything these days, so he doesn’t count.) I would say the food was fairly kid friendly, although Nate and I definitely liked some of the recipes more than the girls did. The food has a bit of a gourmet bend to it, but it’s still easy to prep.
    • Pricing is $11.49 per meal, and you can order Sun Basket boxes in quantities of 2, 4 or 6 meals.

    Sun Basket meal delivery service review by @janemaynard

    I think for a family situation like mine with multiple children, I personally wouldn’t rely on a meal delivery service 100% of the time as it would get expensive and the kids don’t always love “fancier” food. However, Sun Basket’s meals were delicious and appealing to our family and I would definitely use them again. Having their meals on hand, perhaps in the freezer, would be awesome. If I lived alone or with just one other person, however, I would definitely order from Sun Basket all the time!

    So, there you have it! My first experience with a meal delivery service and I really enjoyed it. Sun Basket was a great company to work with and the food was delicious.

    Sun Basket meal delivery service review by @janemaynard

    If you subscribe to Sun Basket, be sure to do so through the links in this post to get $30 off your first order!

    You know that when I write about products or companies I always like to give something away and today is no exception! Sun Basket is giving away a box complete with 3 meals for 2 people, just like what I received. The winner will be able to choose their meals from the available menu. Delivery must be in California, Arizona, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Utah, Idaho and Nevada. If you don’t live in one of those states, still enter the giveaway and gift it to a loved one on the west coast! Please follow the instructions for entering the giveaway in the Rafflecopter box below.

    a Rafflecopter giveaway

    Thank you to Sun Basket for sponsoring today’s post.

    Posted by Jane Maynard at 11:44 am   No Comments
    Categories: , Tags: , , |