Bertolli recently invited me to participate in a unique mealtime challenge. The goal? Create an elegant and memorable meal. The catch? I had just 1 hour from start to finish to do so! I was provided with Bertolli’s new frozen Meal Soups to help make this quick meal happen. So, is it really possible to create a fancy meal with only 60 minutes and one bag of frozen soup? I decided to chronicle my progress as I went, so you could see exactly what I did, how long it took me, and what the final result was:

4:18 pm: Set the table.

4:21 pm: Log onto Pinterest and look for napkin folding ideas.

4:24 pm: Can’t find anything on Pinterest, and a Google search yields some pretty tutorials that are far more complex than I want to take on right now. Then I remember that Sweet T Makes 3 has a tutorial on folding a pretty napkin in 20 seconds.

4:28 pm: Success! Thanks Jenn!

4:29 pm: Place a candle in the center of the table.

4:32 pm: Decide which soup to make.

4:36 pm: Decide on Tomato Florentine & Tortellini with Chicken, get pot out of the cupboard, add soup and water, turning stove on to high heat.

4:46 pm: Soup is chugging right along.

4:49 pm: Garnish plates with crackers while soup cooks.

4:56 pm: Soup has come to a boil. Reduced the heat and covered to simmer for another 5 minutes.

5:00 pm: Fill champagne flutes with soda water.

5:04 pm: Soup is done!

5:08 pm: Soup is finished, ladled in to bowls, and ready to eat – with 10 minutes and to spare! Bon Appétit!

So there you have it: A nice meal, ready in less than one hour! Jai and I both really enjoyed the soup – it’s a hearty combination of chicken pieces and cheese-stuffed tortellini shells in a delicious tomato bisque. I love how quick and easy it was to prepare! This dinner was fun and elegant, but not a lot of work. Keep this in mind the next time you have unexpected guests!

To learn more about Bertolli Meal Soups, visit their official website at VillaBertolli.com and keep up with them on Facebook and Twitter.

Yesterday, I shared my recipe for making quick and easy coconut rice & shrimp in the rice cooker. This dish used only three ingredients, was super simple, and turned out deliciously:

The coconut that I used was Tropical Traditions’ Coconut Flakes which I received for the purposes this review. As with all of the dried coconut products I have tried from Tropical Traditions, the Coconut Flakes are high in quality and taste. They are fantastic cooked into rice, giving it a soft texture and sweet taste that is addicting. And the coconut is good as a snack right out of the tub, too! Two thumbs up for another great coconut item from Tropical Traditions.

Disclaimer: Tropical Traditions provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product. This post contains affiliate links.

One lucky Contest Corner reader will win a 1-gallon pail of Coconut Flakes (2 lbs.) from Tropical Traditions! Here’s how to enter:

1. For your first entry, click here to subscribe to the Tropical Traditions Sales Newsletter. Then come back here and leave a comment on this post with the email address you used to subscribe! This step is required to qualify for the drawing.

Want extra entries? Do any of the following, and leave a separate comment for each one:

2. Write a post on your blog linking to this giveaway and Tropical Traditions. Then come back here and leave me the link!
3. Click here to visit Tropical Traditions’ Free Coconut Recipe website. Then come back here and leave a comment mentioning your favorite recipe!
4. Write about this on Twitter, then come back here and leave a comment with the link to your tweet! One Twitter entry per person. You can use the button at the bottom of this page to tweet with one click!
5. Click here to follow Tropical Traditions on Twitter. Then come back here and leave a comment with your Twitter username!
6. Subscribe to my blog updates by clicking here. Then come back and leave me the email you subscribed with!
7. Post Contest Corner’s button on your website – just copy and paste the following code, and let me know where you put it:

No time to cook, but need a recipe with “Wow” factor – perhaps for an unexpected dinner guest? Then I present to you a meal I created tonight using just one pot and three ingredients!

I recently received a 1-gallon pail of Coconut Flakes from our friends at Tropical Traditions to review. In brainstorming what recipe I might make using it, I looked through what I had on hand and noticed that I had some shrimp in the freezer that was due to be used. A quick search on Tropical Traditions’ Free Coconut Recipes website yielded this recipe for Coconut Shrimp and Rice. I ended up adapting the recipe to use in a rice cooker, and the results were phenomenal:

1 – 1 1/2 lbs frozen shrimp, thawed

Salt and pepper to taste

Step 1:

Measure out rice and shredded coconut and place into rice cooker.

Step 2:

Pour thawed shrimp into rice cooker on top of the coconut-rice mixture.

Step 3:

Add 2 cups water and mix contents together with a large spoon. When I was pouring the shrimp out of the bag, some of the water in the bag poured out with the shrimps, which added roughly 1-2 tablespoons extra liquid.

Step 4:

Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook.

Step 5:

Serve, and enjoy!

This meal has a fantastic combination of flavors – I love the contrast of the sweet coconut and fluffy rice with the delicious shrimp. When I was adapting Tropical Traditions’ Coconut Shrimp and Rice, Jai suggested adding the shrimp to the rice cooker instead of pan-frying them. It was a brilliant idea; the boiling water and resulting steam do a great job of cooking the shrimp. The best part is that it’s three ingredients, one pot, and no hassle! This would be great for a busy work night, or to serve to unexpected guests – the dish is decadent enough to be a “Company best” meal.

Want to try your hand at winning some free coconut flakes? Check back tomorrow for a special giveaway!

Disclaimer: Tropical Traditions provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product. This post contains affiliate links.

If you’re a long-time reader, you may recall that I reviewed a piece of ShaToBu Shapewear some time ago. I was recently invited to try one of their newest items, the High Waist Shaping Tight, and since I liked the last product that I tried I was happy to take them up on the offer. ShaToBu stands for “Shape, Tone, Burn”, and is dubbed the “Workout that you wear”, as it is intended to help you burn calories in addition to smoothing the silhouette. Since my last review, they have done more testing on the product with the aim of backing up that claim. University of Virginia Professor Arthur Weltman, PhD. conducted a study on the product, and this is what he had to say about the results: “We tested ShāToBu garments under controlled scientific conditions, and showed that when women wear them, their energy expenditure increases significantly during walking, which translates to more calories burned.” Here’s a video that explains the concept further:

I take everything that I read with a grain of salt, but I have to say that this does encourage me to wear my ShaToBu products more often – every little bit helps!

I received a complimentary ShaToBu Get Fit High Waist Shaping Tight in black, which is a favorite color of mine and always versatile! I’ve worn these tights twice so far. As with all shapewear, they are very snug, so it’s not something I would wear casually, but they are great for dressing up an outfit. I’ve been wearing them on my physiotherapy walks, and they are very cute and help with layering since we’re in the coldest time of the year! I thought the shaping on these was pretty subtle, so if you’re looking for a piece of shapewear that will really squeeze your figure, this may not be the thing you’re looking for. However, if you want a cute pair of tights and like the idea of possibly burning some extra calories, then perhaps you should check this out.

Another aspect that I like about the High Waist Shaping Tight is that it stays put. I stopped wearing pantyhose a few years ago and only wear over-the-knee hosiery or shaping tights now, because I was sick of the tendency that standard pantyhose has to slide down while you’re wearing it. ShaToBu tights aren’t going anywhere, so you don’t have to worry about them sliding down to your knees in the middle of a church (True story)!

Visit ShaToBu.com to learn more and check out their line of shaping products.

This article is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any illness or medical condition.

These days, you can buy almost anything online – from food to clothes and even items for “Man’s Best Friend”. I recently got an email from an online pet supplier named Mr. Chewy, who sell food and supplies for cats and dogs. Mr. Chewy offered me a coupon code so I could place a complimentary order to test out their services. I’ve mentioned our Grandma’s dog, Bob, a few times before, so I thought this coupon would be perfect to use to pick up some doggy treats for him!

Mr. Chewy says that it offers competitive pricing to brick-and-mortar stores. Pet food is not something I buy with any regularity since I don’t have a dog or cat, so it’s hard for me to make a direct comparison of Mr. Chewy’s prices to local stores. I have gotten a lot of pet food for free after coupons at the grocery store as I wrote about in this article, which I then pass on to my friends with pets. But prices vary depending on the type of pet food you need and the region that you live in; so it’s always a good idea to explore all your options – both online and off – when determining where the best deals are. Mr. Chewy would also be good for pet lovers who have difficulty leaving the house due to health issues, since it is delivered straight to your door.

Navigating the site was easy. Being thrifty, when I headed to the dog food section I immediately clicked “Low to high” so I could find the best deal. After comparing prices per pound, I quickly determined that Pedigree Complete Nutrition Small Crunchy Bites Original Beef Flavor Dry Dog Food was the least expensive brand. Ordering was pretty efficient – I didn’t have to search for a long time to decide what to get or what the best deal would be. I had a $50 coupon code, so I bought one 30-lb bag for $29.99 and one 20-lb bag for $19.99. The coupon had no minimum, so it automatically deducted my $49.98. Shipping is free on any order over $49, so my total spent out of pocket was a big fat zero! 50 pounds of dog food ought to keep Bob fed for a while.

One morning not too long after I placed my order, Jai opened the door and said “Woah!!” because there was a giant box outside. That’s when I knew that my order had arrived!

That’s a lot of dog food! Bob was thrilled. I really enjoyed using Mr. Chewy’s site – the order process was convenient and hassle-free from start to finish. Mr. Chewy gets two paws up!

It’s the age-old mystery: What happens to all those lost socks in the dryer? Mom of 3, Terriann, got fed up with MIA socks, so she and her partner Tony created Pair-a-Keets, a unique sock with a hidden built-in snap. When it’s time to toss them in the wash, simply snap your socks together to keep them paired up! And TWO lucky Contest Corner readers will each win a pack of Pair-a-Keets for each person in their family, so read on!

Jai and I each received a pack of Pair-a-Keets to try out. His were athletic men’s socks in black, which fit shoe sizes 9-12 1/2 (He wears a 10), while mine were a pack of white athletic socks, which are available for shoe size 5-10 – I generally wear an 8-9. The first thing we noted was the unique snap that sits hidden underneath the band of the sock. The metal bottom of the snap sits directly on the skin, so I was wondering if this might cause irritation, but I have very sensitive skin and experienced no issues. What both Jai and I noticed were that the bands on our socks were quite tight, although they were in the right size range, which athletic socks can have the tendency to be. I had no problems wearing them and for the most part forgot I even had them on, but at the end of the day you can feel a little bit of a squeeze and see that familiar mark on the skin that athletic socks leave. I’d love to see Pair-a-Keets expand their line to other types of socks – maybe a fluffy slipper sock?

As for the snap feature, I think the fact that you no longer have to sort and pair socks with Pair-a-Keets is fantastic and a time-saver. Just snap them together before throwing them in the washing machine, and you’ll save time while doing laundry and eliminate searches for the inevitable missing sock! They launder great and it really does simplify life to have both socks paired up. Pair-a-Keets offers socks for men, women, and children, with the kid’s line boasting fun characters that you can match up to help encourage kids to snap their socks together. In all, I think Pair-a-Keets is clever innovation and I’m looking forward to seeing what they come out with next!

TWO lucky Contest Corner readers will each win a 3-pack of Pair-a-Keets for each person in their family! Here’s how to enter:

1. For your first entry, click here to visit the Pair-a-Keets website, check out their socks, then come back here and leave a comment on this post telling me who would be wearing these socks if you win. (For example: Mom, dad, son and daughter) This step is required to qualify for the drawing.

Want extra entries? Do any of the following, and leave a separate comment for each one:

2. Write a post on your blog linking to this giveaway and Pair-a-Keets. Then come back here and leave a comment with the link!
3. Click here to follow Pair-a-Keets on Twitter, then come back here and leave a comment on this post with your Twitter username!
4. Click here to follow me on Twitter, then come back here and leave a comment on this post with your Twitter username! (PS: I follow back! )
5. Write about this on Twitter, then come back here and leave a comment with the link to your tweet! One Tweet per person – multiple tweets will be disqualified. You can use the button at the bottom of this post to tweet with one click!
6. Subscribe to my blog updates by clicking here. Then come back and leave me the email you subscribed with!
7. Post my button on your website – just copy and paste the following code, and let me know where you put it:

Although I am relieved that the hustle and bustle of the holidays is over – don’t get me wrong, I love Christmas, but the last few months have been exhausting! – one thing I always miss come January is the flavors of the season. I especially adore the seasonal coffees and creamers that are available in the fall and winter; I’ve been known to stock up on multiple bottles of pumpkin or peppermint coffee supplies after Christmas so I can enjoy them for as long as possible in the New Year! So when Godiva offered to send me a couple of complimentary bags of their limited-edition holiday flavors, you better believe I was excited to receive it! Godiva is well-known as a chocolatier, and also produce a line of delicious coffees. These are the special “Winter Flavors” which I received:

The holidays aren’t complete for me without a warm kitchen filled with fresh cookies, and Godiva’s Cinnamon Gingerbread Truffle coffee evokes the classic spices of the season. I loved this flavor, and it goes fabulously with my Ginger Cookies!

I’m a tad obsessed with peppermint, so I was really looking forward to trying Godiva’s Peppermint Mocha blend. This coffee has a distinctly chocolate flavor; you can definitely taste the “Mocha”. I’m drinking a cup of this as I type – yum!

Now that the holidays are over, these flavors won’t be around for long – stock up on these now while you still have the chance, or you’ll have to wait until next Christmas to try them! You can click here to locate a store near you. And be sure to click here to download a coupon for $2 off – who knows, you may even be able to find this on clearance!

Godiva Winter Flavors are perfect for anyone who is a fan of festive flavors, such as myself. And I know it’s a bit early to think about, but these would also make great hostess gifts for Christmas 2012! It seems far off, but it’ll be here again sooner than we think.

As I sit here contemplating whether I should bust out my Snuggie, I can definitely tell it’s January by the chill. So it stands to reason that the latest SpongeBob DVD release has a frosty theme! SpongeBob SquarePants: SpongeBob’s Frozen Face-Off is a Winter wonderful collection that contains the namesake special as well as six other episodes from the current eighth season. At this point, I own more SpongeBob DVDs than any kids I know, and what’s even funnier is that I have already seen every episode on here. Apparently I’ve been doing a good job of keeping up with SpongBob this season! My favorite episodes on this collection are “Accidents Will Happen”, where Squidward files a workers comp claim, much to Mr. Krabs’ dismay – but all is not what it seems; “Drive Thru”, where Mr. Krabs decides to add a drive-thru window to avoid patching up a hole in the wall; and “Sentimental Sponge”, which is like SpongeBob’s own personal Hoarders episode. This DVD also includes a bonus feature with 4 episodes from the Nickelodeon shows Fanboy and Chum Chum and T.U.F.F. Puppy. I haven’t watched either of those shows yet – Fanboy and Chum Chum comes on right after SpongeBob, but I turn the channel as soon as that theme song comes on.

Here are the full details and episode listing for SpongeBob SquarePants: SpongeBob’s Frozen Face-Off:

SpongeBob SquarePants: SpongeBob’s Frozen Face-Off Episode List:

Frozen Face-Off
Everyone in Bikini Bottom is participating in a worm-sled race to the South Pole.  The big prize: one million clams!  Will SpongeBob and the gang make it to the frosty finish line in one piece?

Accidents Will Happen
When Squidward gets hurt on the job, he threatens to take legal action unless Mr. Krabs agrees to wait on  him hand and foot.

The Other Patty
Mr. Krabs and Plankton find a common enemy in the popular new “Flabby Patty” restaurant.

Drive Thru
Instead of paying to patch up a hole in the wall of the Krusty Krab, Mr. Krabs decides to use it to make more money by turning it into a drive-thru window.

The Hot Shot
Tony Fast, Jr., the son of a famous racecar driver, teaches SpongeBob how to drive.

A Friendly Game
SpongeBob and Patrick build an indoor miniature golf course in SpongeBob’s house.

Sentimental Sponge
SpongeBob has trouble throwing anything away when he realizes how many memories are attached to all his possessions.

Running Time:       88 Minutes
Special Features:
·  Fanboy and Chum Chum episodes:
o The Last Strawberry Fun Finger
o Power Out
·  T.U.F.F. Puppy episodes:
o Snappy Campers
o Lucky Duck

SpongeBob SquarePants: SpongeBob’s Frozen Face-Off is available on Amazon – click here to buy now. I received a promotional DVD for the purposes of this review.

Since I’m Super Coupon Girl, I’m always researching new ways to find and redeem coupons and save on my grocery total. I’ve been hearing a lot about SavingStar lately and have been meaning to check it out, but things got so crazy last year with my health problems that most of my coupon-clipping sadly went by the wayside. I’m looking forward to gradually getting back to “Normal” and want to build my coupon stash back up again, so when SavingStar invited me to try their service and share my thoughts about it, this was the perfect opportunity to finally give it a go.

So what is SavingStar? SavingStar is a service that offers a unique type of eCoupon. Like other eCoupon websites, you register for an account and input your grocery store loyalty card information, then load coupons for specific items onto your card. But the twist is that instead of deducting these coupons at checkout, you instead have the amount deposited into your SavingStar account. Once the total in your account reaches $5, you can have the money transferred into your bank or PayPal account. Think of it as a kind of cashback system for brick-and-mortar stores – a little like Upromise, except you get the money provided to you directly and not put towards a college savings program.

I registered for an account so that I could learn more and start putting SavingStar to use. It was incredibly fast to register, and prompted me to enter my zip code so that it could provide me with a list of participating retailers in my area. Both Rite Aid and Fred Meyer participate in SavingStar, so it prompted me to enter my loyalty card information:

It appeared to enter both my cards without issue:

From there, you can navigate to the home page, look through their available coupons, and add any desired coupons to your card. It appears that once you add a coupon, it is added to all of your loyalty cards, but can be used one time only. So for example, if I add a SavingStar coupon for .75 cents off canned tomatoes, it will appear on both my Rite Aid and Fred Meyer cards, but I can only use it at one of the two stores – so if I buy canned tomatoes at Fred Meyer, I will not receive the SavingStar promotion at Rite Aid as well.

The main thing I was curious about was whether or not SavingStar promotions could be combined with paper coupons. Per their FAQ:

“SavingStar eCoupons will work whether or not you combine them with other services’ coupons, but they are not intended to be used this way. Generally, manufacturers state that it is against their policies for shoppers to redeem more than one manufacturer’s coupon for the same purchase. Using in-store coupons in combination with SavingStar eCoupons is not a problem.

In the future, we may implement mechanisms to limit the combination of SavingStar eCoupons with other manufacturer coupons.”

It’s a bit of a confusing answer, but what I gather is that SavingStar discounts are considered to be manufacturer’s coupons even though they work like a rebate (IE no savings in store, but rather a refund that you receive back).

In all, I think SavingStar has potential to be another useful tool for saving at the grocery store. The drawback is that you have to meet a minimum requirement to cash your savings out, but I would treat this like cashback from any online retailer – if you’re going to make the purchase anyway, you may as well check SavingStar first and see if they have any eCoupons available for the items on your list. I think this would make the most sense to use on items that you don’t have another manufacturer’s coupon for. I’m glad I finally got to check this service out and I’m sure I will be putting their eCoupons to use!

Since it’s a new year, it makes sense that our very first giveaway for 2012 centers around New Year’s resolutions! Tropicana’s Trop50 True Resolutions wants to help you stay on track and feel great in the New Year, so they are giving one lucky Contest Corner reader a $50 SpaWeek Gift Card to pamper themselves with. Read on for your chance to enter!

Tropicana Trop50 is a juice that offers reduced sugar and calories – something that a lot of people have on their minds right now, since the most common New Year goals tend to focus on health and fitness. Trop50 True Resolutions is a campaign that focuses on the “Real reasons” behind New Year’s resolutions. If you click here to visit their campaign page on Facebook, you’ll be able to share the motivation behind your New Year’s resolutions to receive a coupon good for $1 off Trop50, as well as an entry into their $1000 gift card sweepstakes. Coupons and contests, two of my favorite things!

Speaking of coupons, I recently received a free product coupon for Trop50 so that I would be able to try out the juice and share my thoughts with you. Jai was in charge of the shopping during that trip, and opted to try the Trop50 Lemonade. This juice takes it’s name from “50%” – meaning that it’s “Tropicana and ’50 percent’ less sugar and calories”. This juice comes in a large bottle and has a nice, tart lemonade taste – I wouldn’t have noticed that it had anything “Less” than an average lemonade, so it doesn’t taste like a “Diet” juice. Trop50 Lemonade is quite refreshing!

So is healthy eating your New Year’s resolution? Or do you have a different goal centering around your life, family, career? This year’s resolution is a little different for me. As much as I’d like to hit the gym, I can’t focus on any fitness goals other than my knee physiotherapy at the moment – and while gentle stretching is getting my kneecaps mobile again, it’s not much of a cardio workout! So this year, my resolution is to reduce stress in my life however I can; 2011 was a rough year with such limited mobility, so it’s no surprised that I’ve been incredibly stressed out. I’m going to do my best to reduce stress where I can and take care of myself. I’ll be keeping you posted on how it goes for me over the next few weeks and share more fun info from Trop50 True Resolutions, as well as offer you a few more exciting gift card giveaways – so stay tuned!

One lucky Contest Corner reader will win a $50 Spa and Wellness e-Gift Card from SpaWeek! These gift cards are valid at over 4,500 spas across North America and can be redeemed for local spa services in your area – how’s that for stress relief! Click here to visit SpaWeek for more details and to locate a participating spa near you. Here’s how to enter:

1. For your first entry, just leave a comment on this post and tell me: Do you have a New Year’s resolution? This step is required to qualify for the drawing.

Want extra entries? Do any of the following, and leave a separate comment for each one:

2. Write a post on your blog linking to this giveaway and Trop50 True Resolutions. Then come back here and leave me the link!
3. Write about this on Twitter, then come back and leave me the link to your tweet! One Twitter entry per person. You can use the button at the bottom of this post to tweet with one click!
4. Subscribe to my blog updates by clicking here. Then come back and leave me the email you subscribed with!
5. Post my button on your website – just copy and paste the following code, and let me know where you put it: