Friday, April 23, 2010

Everything but...and a Giveaway!

Hi guys! Friday at last!! I have lots to cover, so I'll try to keep the words to a minimum.

First up, have you heard about Sabrina's I Love Salad! Challenge? Go to her blog and check it out. My contribution? One of my favorite mixes- a Greek type salad containing spinach, cucumbers, artichokes, carrots, feta cheese & dried cherries, topped with olive oil and vinegar:




Second, I saw this recipe on the Fruit Not Fat blog for granola bars and knew I wanted to give them a go. I followed the recipe exactly (for once) and used two varieties of Galaxy Granola:

The outcome:



These bars PUFF up big time!! They're yummy, but more cakey like than granola bar like:

Third, lots of fun BAoK action going on:
  • Lindsay gave Madeline two fun BAoK gifts that really made her day!
  • Janetha (queen of BAoK in my book) gave Lauren a fun Starbucks gift card for her birthday
  • Melissa sent Sarah some Odwalla bars (because she can't get them in Canada)
  • And my fellow future housewife ;) Julie sent me the SWEETEST package containing TJs coffee (love it!) and the best protein powder flavor ever...because she knows how much Josh enjoys it hahaha (you're the best!)
Keep the BAoK going! Emails, cards, anything! Share the blogger love.
Ok, finally...for the giveaway! I mentioned previously that I had won tickets to the 2010 Taste of the Nation in Greenville, SC. I have one ticket to giveaway! If you want the ticket, please leave a comment below letting me know! The contest will be open until Monday, April 26 at noon. The winner will be randomly selected.
Have a great weekend!! What are you up to?


54 comments:

Jessica @ How Sweet said...

Those bars look awesome! I love when they are thick and soft. Have a great weekend! :)

Heather said...

Those bars look so good! Makes me want to back a batch tonight!

Enjoy your weekend! :)

itsawrap said...

You always have the best giveaways! I would love a ticket :)

Naomi(Onefitfoodie) said...

i have SO MUCH granola! i am so wanting to make those bars!

Lauren @ Eater not a runner said...

Those bars look awesome, I do love my Galaxy Granola :-)

madeleine said...

Erica, thanks for the BAoK shout out!!! Linds definitely made my day with her surprise treats:)) BTW, the granola bar recipe looks awesome! I wonder how it would turn out with egg whites only? I might have to get cooking next week;)

Lindsay @ http://pancakesnpajamas.blogspot.com/ said...

Hey sister! Of course your bars have my tummy growling!!! I've never put artichokes on my salad, but you know I will now! Can't wait to see you Sunday. Thanks for the encouragement on my last post!!

Pining for Pinterest said...

I want a ticket!!! I would not even have to drive far since I live in Greenville :)

Jessica said...

that's my kind of granola bar - CAKE!
Have a great weekend!

Molly said...

Wow I love how puffy those bars got ! Yummy!

Stephanie @cookinfanatic said...

I totally need to try making those bars, I have some galaxy granola that needs using and these look sooooo goooood!

Katie said...

I'm so proud of the BAoK progress! I'll be getting on that this weekend. Random Acts of Kindness are so spontaneous and lovely!

This weekend I'm catching up with friends I haven't seen in a while. Enjoy yours!

Ana said...

I love artichoke hearts and feta, that salad is eight down my alley ;) Thanks for the granola bar recipe, I need to get some galaxy granola.

Right now I have been busy finishing up loads of schoolwork. One more and I can officially say I am done with undergraduate school!! Can't wait to be free and have more time to blog, haha :)

Hope you are having a great Friday!

Beth @ DiningAndDishing said...

I'm so excited for this weekend! A big group of friends and I are heading to a winery for the day on Sat. and then in the evening a few of us girls are going out to celebrate my friend who just became single!! haha :) I hope you have an awesome weekend too!!!

Jenna said...

Those bars are calling my name I think! :)

Not up to much this weekend. I do have to go grocery shopping for the first time since getting back from vacation, so I am actually really excited for that. Nerd alert, right here!

Jessie (Vegan-minded) said...

Wow, your salad and those bars both look so good! Although I have not been formally doing a salad challenge, I am definitely trying to eat more of it on a weekly basis. Enjoy your weekend! :)

Holly said...

oohhh those bars look fantastic! must go scout out that recipe.

yay for BAoK! what a fabulous way of giving back - i love that you are doing this project and will be contributing soon.

this weekend...RUNNING AN 8K RACE! woot woot!

Tracey said...

WOW - those bars are puffy!

I need to pick up some of that Galaxy granola. I'm having a hard time finding some granola I really like.

Anonymous said...

Those bars look great- going to check out the recipe right now!

Don't enter me because I am too far away, but have a blast at Taste of the Nation. So jealous ;)

Holly said...

That is crazy timing because I've been craving salads like MAD lately! (Think it's the warm weather). I'll definitely check out her challenge! Isn't feta cheese on salads THE best?

Hope you have a fantastic weekend, girl!

Tiffany said...

wow, i would LOVE to win a ticket to taste the nation!! i've always been envious of people who can go to food events! oh and those bars definitely look more like blondies than granola bars, but nonetheless look amaaazing! now if only i had some galaxy granola to make some with... :P

Jenny-Lee said...

i live in gvegas and would LOVE a ticket to check it out :)

ummm, those bars look ridiculously good.

Lauren said...

Ummm do I want a ticket?!?!! What kind of question is that??? :) LOL, I would DIE for a ticket! :)

Lauren said...

Ummm do I want a ticket?!?!! What kind of question is that??? :) LOL, I would DIE for a ticket! :)

Esi said...

Don't enter me into the giveaway bc I wouldn't be able to go, but just wanted to say, have a fab weekend! I'm off to SF for a couple days.

Lazaro Cooks said...

Beautiful salad. Good luck with it, I hope you win. Cheers!

Maria said...

Love that salad! I went to Combat today, will do Pump tomorrow. I am also spending time with my niece and nephew and we have a dinner party this weekend. Have a great weekend!

Jane Beall said...

I'm interested in the ticket!

Anonymous said...

Love the granola bars!

The Blonde Duck said...

I'm not a salad girl, but I love Greek salads.

And I love the puffy granola bars! They look like oatmeal scotchies!

Bridget said...

MMm I want a bar that puffs!! Haha. Those looks really good...I want to work on a bar for my friend who's alergic to tree nuts (she can still have PB), and she's preggers so she wants a good snack with some protein. I'll have to get cracking on that!

I wish I could go to Taste of the nation!! Sadly just a tad too far ;) Happy Friday Erica!!

Jessica said...

Salads are my FAVORITE! Those bars also look pretty amazing : )

Michelle @ Find Your Balance said...

Thanks for telling me about the I love salads thing! Have a good weekend :-)

BroccoliHut said...

What a delicious salad--I think I need some artichokes in my life, pronto!

Angelalovesfood said...

Sabrina is so creative, her recipes are simple and I bet they are really good. Those granola bars look so soft! Checking the recipes out now!

Stacey said...

I absolutely love Galaxy granola. I think I will check out that recipe.

kris | iheartwellness.com said...

Ok, these bars look flippin good! I must go find the recipe!!

Mmm this coffee sounds so good. I just love coffee, but have limited myself to 1 cup a day....sniff sniff...

Have a great weekend love!

XXOO

Andrea @ CanYouStayForDinner.com said...

Bars look delicious, and so does the salad- I just love the big salads- esp with feta!!!

I'm just trying to spend a lot of time with my family this weekend. I hope you have a wonderful few days!!

Julie said...

gah! can i win this contest? i'll walk to south carolina..

those bars look HUNKY girl! so delicious :) i've got to find some galaxy granolas pronto!

speaaaaking out housewives i haven't watched last night's episode yet but my sis did and said it was perrrrty good :)

and you HAVE to let me know how fruit punch is. i'll be really upset if you drink it and turn into the koolaid pitcher. i will then regret sending it to you ;)

Nicole Carrillo said...

Ohh granola cake-like bars! It'd be like eating a slice o' good old fashion cake, only, oat-filled! I likey! haha, hope you have a great weekend!!

Janetha @ meals + moves said...

holy moses. those bars look like some amazing cookie cake bar hybrid and i WANT ONE! i wish i could go to TOTN. i love their events. thanks for the shout out. you are the queen in MY book!

CaSaundraLeigh said...

I bet I would like those bars--I tend to like cakey textures vs crunchy. Your BAoK movement could possibly take off like Operation Beautiful--who knows!

Anonymous said...

Fun examples of BAoK!

I should get some dried cherries for salads. I love them in Larabars and I love dried fruit in general in my salads, so I'm sure I'd love them in salads too.

We don't have much planned - run this morning, movie and dinner with my parents, swim + bike brick tomorrow. That's about it. :)

teresa said...

what wonderful packages! the bars looks amazing. enjoy your weekend erica!

Deva (Voracious Vorilee) said...

I just wanted to coment to say how YUMMY those bars look! We are planning on seeing a movie with some friends this weekend, hanging out, and cleaning house :-)

tam said...

Those bars look pretty damn good to me! x x

Krista said...

So glad to see the BAoK is catching on! I think it's such a great idea.

I'm off to check out that bar recipe! Have a great rest of the weekend, Erica!!!

Paige (RAN) said...

Oh my goodness those bars look yummy:) I need to use up some of my granola to make something out of it. I have about three half full bags, hehe.

Anonymous said...

I'm glad there is an AND in front of the giveaway and it's not everything but a giveaway... your creation looks so wonderful!
Katherine

whatkateate said...

I need to do some more BAoK. I did give some of the ladies some coupons for Sunshine Burgers today at our blogger meetup though! Im paying it forward :) Have a great Monday!

Being Healthier said...

those look SO yummy and delicious I wanted to eat my computer screen!

Lori Lynn said...

Oh I love this blog site from your favorite Auntie Lori Lynn :)!!

Dawn (HealthySDLiving) said...

Mmmm the muffins look good! I haven't been able to find canned pumpkin either! :/
Glad you had a great meetup! I wish I lived closer to other bloggers!

Averie @ Averie Cooks said...

Wow so much great food!! The bars and the granola treats you made in the last post...you are just too sweet to bring all your girls some goodies!

and going over to an instructors house...i bet there was alot of vino and laughter and i bet it was a ball!

blogger meetup....OMG you all are too cute! Your hair looks stellar, not sure what you're talkin bout :)

I would love to meet: You!!!!
xoxo