The Other Mama's Birthday Bash- Day 1- Homemade Gourmet Giveaway

This giveaway is now closed. The lucky winner per Random.org is commenter #79- Rachel from The Jordan Journal. Hope over to tell her congrats... or that you're mad at her. Whatever helps you sleep at night.

I love food. Most of the time I like to cook it. All of the time I like to eat it. Hence my neverending hip issue.
But enough about me.

Wait! This week is ALL about me! It's my birthday {on Thursday, but we- meaning "I"- celebrate all week} so this week is going to be jam packed with fun. One of my favorite things to do is host a blog giveaway. So, there will be FIVE- that's right- FIVE different themed giveaways here this week highlighting my favorite things.

I can't give away sarcasm or 80s music, so I'm going with some of my other favorites: food, jewelry, blogging, God and home accents. I should have probably put God first, but He's not 'till later in the week and He gets it.

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I am turning 31 this week which means I was born in 1978. When pictures were grainy and bottle feeding was cool {See? I've always loved food}:

Apparently I would only fall asleep on my dad's chest.
Here is the first picture of me and my dad. Isn't he a cute young thing? He was 26!

Here I am with Other Mama {after whom this here bloggity blog is named}. Please notice the stylish hospital curtains in the background. Pictures weren't just orange-y brown in this time period; the whole world was orange-y brown.

And here we are getting home. I am going to take a guess that I wasn't in a car seat.
I also think my mom possibly wore that night gown home.

I know for a fact, though, that I was in a baby gang and already knew my gang signs. It's in my orange-y brown baby book.

Back to eating: I have always been a big fan. My mom and dad say that I went through a period where I didn't eat anything yellow, though. No bananas, eggs, cheese, etc. They said I would throw anything yellow across the room.

I can assure you it has been a good 30 years since I have thrown or even backed my chair away from any sort of cheese, so you'll be happy to know I'm over that.

These days I'm into yummy foods that will work for my whole family. Because I HATE to make different meals for my kids. Anybody else?
I have found something that is one of my FAVORITE things that I want to share with you. It's Homemade Gourmet- have you heard of it? It's a company that was created by a mom who wanted to have home cooked meals for her family, but needed more time to make them. So, she started with mixes that make dinner prep easy.

My good friend Melanie is a consultant with their company and I have been hooked ever since I had my first taste! The food is delicious {it REALLY doesn't taste like pre-packed space food- trust me- I know about space food}, it is very reasonably priced and it is EEEE-ZEEEE.

They have TONS of products! I love and have used the pie mixes, bread mixes, skillet dinners and cookie mixes. The thing I have made the MOST, though is the 4 Meals in 4 Minutes. These allow you to prep meals in zip top bags and freeze them. Then you bring them out of the freezer and plop in a crock pot for dinner!

I ♥ a crock pot. Throwing something in a crock pot and turning into a wonderful meal is the best feeling! You really didn't have to cook!!

I mentioned my affection for Homemade Gourmet in this post and- whodathunkit- Tami VanHoy, the founder of Homemade Gourmet stopped by. She writes an amazing food blog called Around the Table With Tami and a fantastic and uplifting spiritual blog called Food for the Soul.

Tami and I have kept in touch and it's safe to say that I love her more than I should love an internet friend. She is SO very kind that she sent me a little birthday gift to share with you.

Today's giveaway is the Let's Make Dinner Collection from Homemeade Gourmet. It's a package chocked full of 17 mixes that will make 20 meals {you can freeze or eat right away} for your family. Are you excited? That's a month's worth of weeknight meals that you don't have to cook!!! And I assure you you will have leftovers for lunch or the weekends.

It arrives in this tiny unassuming box:

Then you open it to find your recipe list and these cute little mixes:

Then you start opening and realize that it's a TON of stuff!!

And that the recipes are SUPER easy to make! You put meat, the mix and a few other {sometimes just one other} ingredients together. Then you smoosh in a ziploc bag! That's it!!!

It has recipes with everything from BBQ to Mexican and from Chipotle Raspberry Chicken to Slow Cooker Meatloaf.

If you work or are tired at night, you will love this. Or if you just want to have more time with your family, spouse or cats, you will love this. If you like food, do I have to say it? you will LOVE this!

And would you like to know why I'm so excited? Because Tami sent me one for my birthday, too!! I am overwhelmed at her generosity and so thankful to be able to extend it to you!

So, here's how you enter to win:
* Leave a comment in the comments section. To do this, click the word "COMMENTS" directly below this post. Then type in the big blank section and click post. Easy peasy.

* You have to leave your e-mail address with your comment. If you know your e-mail is attached to your Blogger account, then that's fine, too. Want to do this and don't know how? Read my quick tutorial on it here.

* One entry per comment.

* But you can gain another entry by becoming a blog follower and then leaving a comment to tell me so. If you already are a follower, then you can click for another comment to let me know that.

* Or you can Tweet about this giveaway and reference the post and leave a comment to tell me you did.

* Or you can write about it on your blog and link to this post and leave a comment to tell me you did. {WOW that's a lot of ways to enter!!}

* One winner will be chosen on Thursday at noon and will be notified via e-mail.

*If you are not the lucky winner and still want to know more about HG or their wonderful products, Melanie is offering a 15% discount to anyone who e-mails her with orders. Please click her name back there to go visit her and find out more. There is a button to e-mail her questions and I'll be happy to answer any questions you have, as well.

OK! Comment away! Someone is going to win and it might as well be you!

Happy Birthday Bash! I'm excited!!