As part of the Healthy Snacking Challenge, we’ve swapped out Orville Redenbacher SmartPop! for our usual after school snacks. I’m doing this to encourage my family as well as my readers to snack smarter.

Here’s why:

• snacking on 100-calories of low-fat healthy popcorn leads to less hunger and more satisfaction versus other snacks like almonds or pretzels
• popcorn is a good source of fiber, which fills you up and makes you feel less hungry
• Orville Redenbacher SmartPop! is low in fat and has zero grams of trans fats
• it’s also low in calories – just 100 calories for six cups
• one SmartPop! Bowl has 240 calories from 15 cups of popcorn. So if you go nuts and eat the whole thing, which I did the other day, it’s not going to pack on the pounds
• popcorn is a whole grain snack – just three cups of Orville Redenbacher's SmartPop! provides an entire serving of whole grain

My family and I have enjoyed this challenge because it’s been easy – and delicious – to do! It’s also a way to get the kids outside, because I don’t let them eat popcorn indoors most of the time. Too messy!

Check out the Orville Redenbacher’s Facebook page for a $1 off coupon

Try the Healthy Snacking Challenge yourself!

I’m giving away five boxes of Orville Redenbacher SmartPop! – one box each to five winners.

Here’s how to enter:

• Tell me in the comments below, what besides popcorn, is your favorite healthy snack.

You have until midnight MST on Friday, May 25, 2012 to enter.

ONE winner will be chosen at random. You must be willing to send me your full name and mailing address by May 29, 2012, so I can pass it on to Mom Central Consulting. They will mail out your box of Orville Redenbacher SmartPop!

I’ll announce the winner on this blog. I won't share your mailing info with the public, just your name. If you have a blog, I’ll link back to it when I announce the winner.

The giveaway is valued at approximately $4 per box and is only open to legal residents of the United States, 18 years of age and older. No purchase required. Odds of winning based on number of entries. ONE entry per person. FIVE boxes of Orville Redenbacher SmartPop! will be given away. Void where prohibited by law.

By submitting your name and email address, you agree to receive relevant promotional emails and contest follow up communications from This Mama Cooks! On a Diet in compliance with my privacy policy and giveaway rules.

_______________________
Disclosure: I wrote this review while participating in an ambassador campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Orville Redenbacher's and received Orville Redenbacher's SmartPop! products and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Orville Redenbacher Smart Pop! giveaway is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

As you know, I’ve teamed up with Ziploc to encourage Americans to eat more fresh. If you are a regular reader – you’ll notice, I’m already looking for ways to put a healthy spin on my family’s favorites. Earlier this year, Ziploc Brand partnered with best-selling author and TV personality Rachael Ray for the FreshOver Project, which includes the Ziploc Fresh Eating Survey – a city-by-city snapshot of food-related choices across America with insight into a metro area’s “freshness” ranking.

The Ziploc Fresh Eating Survey gives an interesting look into the most and least fresh cities across America. The top 10 “freshest cities” have residents who seek out and eat the freshest food options available, through farmer’s markets and gardening habits. The least fresh cities are where residents face obstacles to eating fresh, such as a high prevalence of fast food options and a lack of fresh food resources.

Do some of the cities surprise you, like Boston, D.C. and Minneapolis? Me, too! Plus, I was surprised not to see Denver in the top 20 let alone the top 10, so I did a little digging.

(GIVEAWAY INFO AT THE END OF THE POST!)

A closer look at the data

I wanted to compare one of the high ranking cities, Boston, with my closest metro area, Denver, which came in at No. 31. Considering that Colorado is one of the healthiest and “skinniest” states in the U.S.in my opinion, I was surprised it was so low in the freshness rankings.

Survey – What time of day are you most likely to make poor or unhealthy food choices?

Denver-Aurora, Colo.
Breakfast: 10.3 percent
Lunch: 20.7 percent
Afternoon: 25.9 percent
Dinner: 10.3 percent
Late night: 32.8 percent

Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, Mass. – N.H.
Breakfast: 10.7 percent
Lunch: 12.5 percent
Afternoon: 33.9 percent
Dinner: 14.3 percent
Late night: 28.6 percent

Amount of Farmers markets, CSAs and fast food establishments per city

Denver-Aurora, Colo. – rate per 100,000
Farmers Markets: 1.20
CSAs: 0.73
Fast Food estab: 52.4

Denver-Aurora, Colo. – total number
Farmers Markets: 31
CSAs: 19
Fast Food estab: 1355

Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, Mass. – N.H. – rate per 100,000
Farmers Markets: 2.35
CSAs: 2.15
Fast Food estab: 62.0

Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, Mass. – N.H. – total number
Farmers Markets: 107
CSAs: 98
Fast Food estab: 2822

Survey – How often do you eat foods containing fresh fruits and vegetables?

Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, Mass. – N.H.
Rarely: 5.3 percent
1-2 days weekly: 8.8 percent
3-4 days weekly: 10.5 percent
5-6 days weekly: 8.8 percent
Every day: 66.7 percent

Denver-Aurora, Colo.
Rarely: 3.4 percent
1-2 days weekly: 15.3 percent
3-4 days weekly: 11.9 percent
5-6 days weekly: 11.9 percent
Every day: 57.6 percent

Percent of residents with a garden

Denver-Aurora, Colo. - 21.1 percent

Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, Mass. – N.H. - 26.8 percent

I’m looking for more ways to incorporate fresh ingredients into my family’s meals.

Denver-Aurora, Colo.
Strongly agree: 59.6 percent
Somewhat agree: 26.9 percent
Neither agree nor disagree: 9.6 percent
Somewhat disagree: 1.9 percent
Strongly disagree: 1.9 percent

Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, Mass. – N.H.
Strongly agree: 56.6 percent
Somewhat agree: 34.0 percent
Neither agree nor disagree: 7.5 percent
Somewhat disagree: 0.0 percent
Strongly disagree: 1.9 percent

I feel like a good parent when my family eats fresh food

Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, Mass. – N.H.
81.1 percent: Strongly agree
10.8 percent: Somewhat agree
8.1 percent: Neither agree nor disagree
0.0 percent: Somewhat disagree
0.0 percent: Strongly disagree

Denver-Aurora, Colo.
80.0 percent: Strongly agree
11.1 percent: Somewhat agree
6.7 percent: Neither agree nor disagree
0.0 percent: Somewhat disagree
2.2 percent: Strongly disagree

Some quick conclusions

In Ziploc’s analysis, the categories were assigned the following weights, indicating the relative importance of each category:

• Greater weight – Fruit and vegetable servings and percent with a vegetable garden
• Medium weight – Farmers markets
• Lesser weight – Eats fresh fruits and vegetables, wants to use more fresh ingredients, presence of CSAs, and presence of fast food establishments

Boston’s and Denver’s numbers were fairly close except for How often do you eat foods containing fresh fruits and vegetables? According to the survey, Boston eats more vegetables. I guess all the tomatoes served in Boston’s North End and the potatoes in the clam chowder count for something, right? (I’m being sarcastic. Well, a little.)

Still, results would be very different if they used the Boulder/Denver metro area instead of Aurora/Denver. The results would have been “fresher” as we all know how vegetarian and vegan friendly Boulder, Colo. is. Boulderites love their community gardens, locally sourced food, farmer’s markets, organic produce, and healthy grocery stores, for sure!

Win a Ziploc FreshOver Goodie Bag (value $130)!

Recently several of the FreshOver Insider 5 bloggers attended a FreshOver event in New York with Rachael Ray. (You can watch a video recap here.) I’m giving away another Ziploc prize pack complete with a cooking wok, garlic press and other cooking utensils, a bottle of Terra Medi Extra Virgin Olive Oil, a box of Ziploc Perfect Portions bags, a Ziploc VersaGlass container, and assorted other products in a Baggu bag.

How to enter to win a Ziploc FreshOver Event Good Bag (value $130):

1. In the comments below, tell me your favorite way to make a meal fresh (adding vegetables or fruits, etc.).
2. Sign up for This Mama Cooks! Review’s RSS feed for ONE additional entry.
3. Sign up for my enewsletter for ONE additional entry.
4. Spread the word about this giveaway by submitting a link to this post on Twitter for ONE additional entry. You must leave a link to your tweet in your comment so I can check.
5. Follow @amnichols on Twitter for ONE additional entry.

If you have done any of these additional activities you MUST come back here and leave a comment telling me what you did. I will be checking!

Giveaway starts on May 10, 2012 at noon PST and ends on May 17, 2012 at 5 p.m. PST

Click here for the Ziploc Giveaway Official Rules

___________________
Disclosure: I have partnered with Ziploc^® and am being compensated for my posts. However, my opinions on the product are my own.

Results from the Ziploc Fresh Eating Survey-Denver vs. Boston {Win a FreshOver Goodie Bag} #freshover is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

Are you a fan of the Meal Makeover Moms? If so you may want to enter the Holland House/Meal Makeover Moms Sweepstakes. The sweepstakes is running through the beginning of June. Each month, one fan will be chosen to receive a meal makeover from the Meal Makeover Moms.

The first drawing took place in April, but there’s still time to enter for the May and June drawings. All you need to do is go to the Holland House Facebook page, like it then enter the contest. Winners will get the chance to talk with the Meal Makeover Moms about their mealtime challenges, have a favorite dinner recipe made over, and win a new set of cookware.

If you’re looking for some mealtime makeover inspiration, check out Holland House’s website. Some of the Meal Makeover Moms favorite recipes  include the Broccoli Beef Stir Fry featuring Sherry Cooking Wine, Multi Grain Pilaf with White Cooking Wine, and Cool Cucumber Dressing with White Wine Vinegar.

You can also check out some of my recipes using Holland House products like: Marsala Whipped Sweet Potatoes, Best Carne Asada Marinade, and Sautéed Rainbow Chard.

And check out these recipes from my fellow Mizkan Bloggers:

• Fresh Strawberries with Holland House Balsamic Vinegar & Sorbet
• Spring Vegetables: Grilled Asparagus
• Using Balsamic Vinegar to “Fix” a Sauce
• White Wine Pasta | Pasta con Vino Blanco
• World Harbor Island Mango Marinade Chicken Stir Fry

What favorite family recipe would you have the Meal Makeover Moms make over?

_____________________
Disclosure: Mizkan, the parent company of Holland House, provided compensation for this post. All opinions are my own

Win a meal makeover from the Meal Makeover Moms and Holland House #HollandHouseCW is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

(Photo Taken from Ziploc.com)

Ziploc® Perfect Portions™ Bags are the latest innovation from the Ziploc^® Brand. They're used for storing and freezing bulk foods and individual portions of poultry, meat, fish, and more. These are great if you shop the sales and stock up on items like ground meat, chicken breasts, and fish. They’re also much easier – and cheaper – to use than a food vacuum sealer.

Here’s how I use them when wild caught salmon is on sale. I love wild caught salmon because it’s delicious and full of healthy omega-3s! Did you know that buying a whole salmon is usually cheaper per pound than buying it in already cut up steaks? Just tell the person behind the fish counter that you’re interested in buying a whole fish. Then ask them if they’ll cut the fish into steaks for you. You should get the whole fish per pound price, but be sure to ask first.

When you get your salmon steaks home, open the package of fish, grab a Perfect Portions Bag and slip your hand inside the bag. Then grab the salmon steak through the bag, pull the bag over the fish while holding on to it.  Let go of the salmon steak, push the air out of the bag, twist it and then place it (and more wrapped salmon steaks) into a Ziploc® brand Freezer bag. Your hand never touches the raw fish, so you don’t need to worry about clean up or contamination. Plus, using the double bag system also help protect against freezer burn.

Try marinating your fish or meat before placing it in the Perfect Portions Bag. Then all you have to do is defrost and grill it!

Watch Rachael Ray demonstrating how she uses Perfect Portions Bags here.

Ziploc Perfect Portions Bags makes taco night easy

My neighbor likes buying ground beef in bulk during the stock up sales. She browns it and drains any fat by placing the cooked meat in a colander in the sink. (You can rinse cooked ground meat under the faucet to get rid of more fat. Then lay the meat on a paper towel to absorb any water or fat.) She then freezes it to use in later in her favorite recipes.

You can do the same thing with lean ground beef, turkey or chicken. Then weigh out a portion (usually a pound) of already cooked meat to use in spaghetti sauce, chili or taco soup. Just place the cooked ground lean meat in a Perfect Portions™ Bags and freeze for later use. Even better, in many recipes there’s no need to thaw out the meat. Just add it to your recipe while you’re cooking!

If you have taco night at your house, take it a step further and combine the browned meat with your favorite taco seasonings and cook it like you normally do. (Make a double, triple or quadruple sized batch.) Let it cool, then divide into a portion your family would normally eat (a pound or two depending on your family’s size and if you like leftovers). Add the already cooked up taco meat to a Ziploc Perfect Portions Bag and freeze. Then all you have to do is thaw out a bag in the refrigerator the night or morning before.

If you forget to thaw it out, just heat it up in the imicrowave. Ziploc Perfect Portions™ Bags can be used in the microwave on the defrost setting only. Place bag on a microwave safe dish and cook until warm. Do not overheat contents as the bag may melt. Instead, you may want to heat it up just enough to remove it from the bag. Then heat it up to the desired temperature and serve with no fat “refried” beans, grilled fajita veggies, homemade guacamole, fresh salsa, cilantro and corn tortillas.

Ziploc^® Brand products are available in grocery, mass merchandise and drug stores nationwide at suggested retail prices ranging from $1.09 to $4.59.

Enter the Great American FreshOver™ Sweepstakes

Ziploc® is hosting The Great American FreshOver™ Sweepstakes from February 29, 2012 through May 5, 2012. You can enter on the Ziploc® Brand Facebook page by “liking” the page and offering a FreshOver™ food idea tip or recipe.

During the sweepstakes, you can win access to exclusive Rachael Ray videos and tips, weekly prize drawings, coupons and one lucky grand prize winner will win a trip for two to experience the ultimate culinary experience in America’s food capital – New York City. Grand prize winners will stay in New York City for three nights and four days, can eat at the most sought after “fresh” restaurants and swap recipes with Rachael Ray. No purchase or payment of any kind is necessary to participate.

___________________
Disclosure: I have partnered with Ziploc^® and am being compensated for my posts. However, my opinions on the product are my own.

Healthy freezer cooking with Ziploc® Perfect Portions™ Bags #Ziploc #FreshOver is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

A few week’s ago I created a breakfast dish, Blueberry French Toast Casserole, to go with one of Lipton’s new green superfruit teas. There’s nothing better than toast and tea for breakfast!

At that time, I only had a few boxes to give away. However, now that I’m officially a Lipton Tastemaster Brand Ambassador, I have a wonderful Lipton tea gift basket to give away to YOU!

The Lipton Tea Lovers Gift Basket (approximate value $90) contains:

• a glass cordless electric tea kettle
• an on-the-go tea tumbler
• a wooden tea box
• three boxes of Lipton Green Tea Superfruit - Purple Açai and Blueberry,  Red Goji and Raspberry and White Mangosteen and Peach

Here’s how to win it:

Giveaway closed. Congrats to Shawna C.!

1. Tell me which Lipton Green Tea Superfruit you’re most interested in trying - Purple Açai and Blueberry, Red Goji and Raspberry, or White Mangosteen and Peach – in the comments below.
2. Sign up for This Mama Cooks! Review’s RSS feed for ONE additional entry.
3. Sign up for my enewsletter for ONE additional entry.
4. Follow me on Twitter @amnichols.
5. Spread the word about this giveaway by submitting a link to this post on Twitter for ONE additional entry. You must leave a link to your tweet in your comment so I can check.
6. If you have done any of these additional activities you MUST come back here and leave a comment telling me what you did. I will be checking!
7. Maximum amount of entries at This Mama Cooks! On a Diet is FIVE.
8. You have until midnight MST on Thursday, March 8, 2012 to enter.

ONE winner will be chosen at random. You must be willing to send me your full name, mailing address and phone number so I pass your info on to Lipton’s PR agency so they can mail you your gift basket. I’ll announce the winner on this blog. I won't share your mailing info with the public, just your name. If you have a blog, I’ll link back to it when I announce the winner.

The giveaway is valued at $90 and is only open to legal residents of the United States, 18 years of age and older. No purchase required. Odds of winning based on number of entries. Up to FIVE entries per person. ONE Lipton Tea Lovers Gift Basket will be given away. Void where prohibited by law. By submitting your name and email address, you agree to receive relevant promotional emails and contest follow up communications from This Mama Cooks! On a Diet in compliance with my privacy policy and giveaway rules.

_____________________
Disclosure: I also received a Lipton Tea Lovers Gift Basket and additional compensation from Lipton’s PR firm to run this giveaway. All opinions are my own.

Enjoy Lipton’s new green teas on me! {Lipton Tea Lovers Gift Basket give away} is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! is excited to announce their ULTIMATE Red Carpet Viewing Party on Sunday, February 26th on the I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! Facebook page from 3:00-4:30 pm PST. The show will include a roundtable discussion with some of Hollywood’s biggest stars and a food and wine expert known for her delicious recipes. 

You can also join in on the fun on Twitter in the week leading up to the big day by tweeting with I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! at @ICBINotButter and by using the hashtag #ToastRedCarpet.

Win an ULTIMATE Red Carpet Viewing Party Kit!

To help make this glamorous night one to remember, they’re providing me with a kit to give away full of the essentials needed to host the ULTIMATE Red Carpet Viewing Party!

The ULTIMATE Red Carpet Viewing Party Kit (approximate value $130) includes:

• Coupon for a free tub of I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!
• I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! recipes for you and your guests to enjoy during the show
• Stainless steel serving tray from Ralph Lauren
• Beaded butter spreader
• Black and gold cocktail napkins
• Set of four champagne glasses from Crate & Barrel
• Set of four personalized champagne glass charms from Winery Adventures
• Set of four cork toast coasters

Here’s how to enter:

Giveaway closed. Congrats to Jara C.!

1. Tell me who you want to win for best actor or best actress or for best movie (One comment please!)
2. Sign up for This Mama Cooks! Review’s RSS feed for ONE additional entry.
3. Sign up for my enewsletter for ONE additional entry.
4. Follow @amnichols on Twitter for ONE additional entry.
5. Spread the word about this giveaway by submitting a link to this post on Twitter for ONE additional entry. You must leave a link to your tweet in your comment so I can check.
6. If you have done any of these additional activities you MUST come back here and leave a comment telling me what you did. I will be checking!
7. Maximum amount of entries at This Mama Cooks! On a Diet is FIVE.
8. You have until  6 p.m. MST on Monday, February 20, 2012 to enter.

ONE winner will be chosen at random. You must be willing to send me your full name, mailing address and phone number by February 21st so I pass your info on to I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!’s PR agency. They will try to send out ULTIMATE Red Carpet Viewing Party Kit in time for the awards ceremony. While we cannot guarantee that it will get there in time, we’ll do our darnest!

I’ll announce the winner on this blog. I won't share your mailing info with the public, just your name. If you have a blog, I’ll link back to it when I announce the winner.

The giveaway is valued at $130 and is only open to legal residents of the United States, 18 years of age and older. No purchase required. Odds of winning based on number of entries. Up to FIVE entries per person. ONE ULTIMATE Red Carpet Viewing Party Kit will be given away. Void where prohibited by law.

By submitting your name and email address, you agree to receive relevant promotional emails and contest follow up communications from This Mama Cooks! On a Diet in compliance with my privacy policy and giveaway rules.

_________________
Disclosure: I was compensated for my time in running this giveaway. All opinions are my own. See you on the red carpet!

@ICBINotButter Red Carpet Viewing Party Kit give away #ToastRedCarpet is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

The yoga studio comes to you with #GaiamTV {one month subscription give away} is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

When Lipton asked me to pair one of their Green Tea Superfruit teas with a dish, the first thing that came to mind was the classic combination of toast and tea for breakfast. Lipton’s Superfruit teas come in three flavors (Purple Acai and Blueberry, White Mangosteen and Peach, and Red Goji and Raspberry) but which one to pick since they’re all delicious?

Then I came across this recipe for Overnight Blueberry French Toast with Blueberry Syrup at Real Mom Kitchen. It was a brilliant way to use up all those bread loaf ends I had in the refrigerator. (My kids refuse to use the bread ends for sandwiches, so I keep them in the freezer for use in stuffing or bread pudding.)

However, Laura’s recipe was rather decadent, so how could I health it up? After all, Lipton’s Green Tea Superfruit teas are full of good stuff like flavonoids, so why mess up their healthy goodness with a not so good for you breakfast? So I made a lot of substitutions like egg whites for half of the eggs and organic light coconut milk and rice milk instead of whole milk and cream.

The casserole was delicious and reminded me of cream cheese stuffed French toast – but without the guilt. Plus, it paired really nicely with the blueberry flavor of the Lipton tea.

Blueberry French Toast Casserole

Based on a recipe by Laura at Real Mom Kitchen

Serves 12

Ingredients:

• 14 slices organic whole wheat bread, cut into cubes (OK to use gluten free bread)
• 1 (8-ounce) package of Weight Watchers low fat cream cheese, cut in cubes
• 12 ounces organic blueberries (fresh or frozen)
• 6 large eggs
• 1 cup liquid egg whites
• 1/3 cup agave nectar
• 1 can (13.5 ounces) of organic light coconut milk
• 3/4 cup of rice milk
• blueberry agave syrup for drizzling

Directions:

1. Arrange 1/2 of the bread cubes in a greased 9 x 13 pan.
2. Sprinkle cream cheese cubes and blueberries evenly over the bread cubes.
3. Top with remaining bread cubes.
4. Mix together eggs, egg whites, coconut and rice milks, and agave nectar.
5. Pour over bread cubes and cover pan with foil. Let chill in refrigerator overnight.
6. Bake covered with foil at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
7. Remove the foil and bake for another 30 minutes or until fluffy and golden.
8. Drizzle blueberry agave over individual pieces when serving.

Get a FREE box of Lipton Green Tea Superfruit!

Want to try Lipton Green Tea Superfruit? If you’re one of the first THREE people to comment in the reply widget below, I’ll send you a FREE box!

Win more goodies from Lipton!

Now that I have shared what I would pair with Lipton Green Tea Superfruit, I want to know, how do you enjoy your tea?

Share your tea time must haves for a chance to win a year's supply of Lipton Tea, a tea kettle, a tea box, a mug/saucer set, a travel tumbler and a $50 gift card to Amazon.com! {$250 value}

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Lipton Green Tea Superfruit. The opinions and text are all mine. Official Sweepstakes Rules.

Starting your morning with Blueberry French Toast Casserole and Lipton tea {give away} is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

Recipe: Rachael Ray’s Greek Grilled Chicken & Vegetable Salad with Pita Bread
Recipe prepared by: Anne-Marie Nichols, Photo taken by: Anne-Marie Nichols

Have you had a chance to check out Rachael Ray’s FreshOver Recipe Guide on the Ziploc Facebook page? You can “like” the Ziploc Brand’s page and download Rachael’s exclusive FreshOver Recipe Guide. With every download, up to a maximum of 50,000 downloads, between 1/1/12 and 12/31/13, Ziploc^® Brand will make a $1 donation to the organization on the fans behalf, for up to a maximum $50,000 donation. To further support Yum-O!, Rachael Ray and Ziploc will donate an additional $200,000 during the same time period, no matter how many guides are downloaded.

I’ve been enjoying Ziploc and Rachael’s “freshed over” recipes for several reasons – they’re healthy and nutritious, easy to prepare, and delicious. I was especially excited to try the Greek Grilled Chicken & Vegetable Salad on my family. We all love Greek flavors like olives and feta. Plus, I knew the kids would love it because the chicken and salad is served in pita bread. It’s a really fun way to get your kids to eat healthy salad and vegetables. Plus, if you can find whole wheat pitas and reduced fat feta, even better!

Ziploc Brand Containers make recipe prep easy

With school and afterschool activities, sometimes we don’t get home until dinner time. While this recipe doesn’t take much time to put together once your prep is done, the prep itself is a bit extensive – lots of chopping and measuring. So I got everything ready the day before by making the dressing and chopping the vegetables and herbs, and storing them in Ziploc Brand Twist ’n Loc Containers. These containers also came in handy to bring leftovers to school and work.

You can save additional time by buying already chopped lettuce and crumbled feta cheese, instead of block feta cheese.

Recipe: Rachael Ray’s Greek Grilled Chicken & Vegetable Salad with Pita Bread Recipe prepared by: Anne-Marie Nichols, Photo taken by: Anne-Marie Nichols

Rachael Ray’s Greek Grilled Chicken & Vegetable Salad with Warm Pita Bread for Wrapping

Yield 4 servings - Level Easy

Prep 15 minutes - Cook 10 minutes

Total 25 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 1/3 to 1 1/2 pounds chicken breast tenders
• Salt and pepper
• 8 pita breads
• 1 ripe lemon, zested and juiced
• 3 tablespoon red wine vinegar, eyeball it
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, eyeball it
• 2 tablespoons fresh chopped oregano, 4 stems, stripped of leaves and chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives, coarsely chopped
• 2 hearts Romaine lettuce, chopped
• 8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
• 2 vine ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced
• 1/3 seedless or English cucumber, diced
• 1/2 red onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup flat leaf parsley leaves, chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat grill pan over high heat. Place chicken in shallow dish and season with salt and pepper.
2. Preheat oven to 275 degrees F. Wrap pita breads in foil. Place in warm oven and heat until dinner is served.
3. Combine lemon zest, juice and vinegar in a bowl and whisk in oil. Add oregano, garlic and whisk again to combine into dressing. Pour half the dressing over chicken tenders. Turn tenders in dressing to coat.
4. Combine remaining salad ingredients in a bowl. Pour remaining dressing over salad and toss well. The salad should be very lightly dressed. Season salad with salt and pepper and transfer to a large serving platter.
5. Grill tenders 4 to 5 minutes on each side. Transfer hot tenders to the salad lined serving platter. Remove pitas from oven and unwrap. Cut pitas in half and arrange around the edge of platter.
6. To serve, each person can pile grilled chicken and veggies into pita halves, wrap up on either side and enjoy!

Win a Ziploc Brand Prize Pack!

This prize pack includes kitchen gadgets, accessories for trips to a farmer’s market or an eating fresh gift pack with Rachael Ray’s Look + Cook cookbook, worth about $120.

Giveaway closed. Congrats to Julie H.!

How to enter to win:

1. In the comments below, tell me which recipe you want to try out from Rachael and Ziploc’s Recipe Guide.
2. Sign up for This Mama Cooks! Review’s RSS feed for ONE additional entry.
3. Sign up for my e-newsletter for ONE additional entry.
4. Spread the word about this giveaway by submitting a link to this post on Twitter for ONE additional entry. You must leave a link to your tweet in your comment so I can check.
5. Follow @amnichols on Twitter for ONE additional entry.

If you have done any of these additional activities you MUST come back here and leave a comment telling me what you did. I will be checking!

The giveaway begins on February 3, 2012 at 12:00 a.m. PST and ends on February 8, 2012 at 5 p.m. PST.

Click here for the Ziploc Giveaway Official Rules

___________________
Disclosure: I have partnered with Ziploc^® and am being compensated for my posts. However, my opinions on the product are my own.

Featured at Jennifer Cooks Fusion Friday

Rachael Ray’s Greek Grilled Chicken & Vegetable Salad with Pita Bread {Ziploc giveaway} #Ziploc #FreshOver is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

Every 45 seconds a child dies from malaria. It doesn’t have to be this way as malaria is both preventable and treatable. That’s why I’m joining Mom Bloggers for Social Good in supporting Malaria No More's Dream Big for Africa campaign.

Malaria No More’s mission is simple: to end malaria deaths in Africa by 2015. The world has known how to beat this disease for more than a century, yet it remains the number one killer of children under five in sub-Saharan Africa, claiming 781,000 lives a year. Proven items like a $10 insecticide-treated bed net will protect a mother and child from the mosquito bites that transmit the disease. This means that an individual can have a direct impact in the life of someone vulnerable to malaria. All it takes is $10 to buy a bed net and save a life.

This is why Smash star Katharine McPhee has joined the fight by making Malaria No More her charity of choice in 2012 and by hosting a contest to give one supporter the chance to accompany her on a trip to Africa with Malaria No More! While there, you and Katharine will help distribute life-saving mosquito nets and malaria medication.

How to enter the Dream for Africa contest

1. Text "DREAM" to 85944 right now to make a $10 donation to Malaria No More for a chance to travel to Africa with actress Katharine McPhee*. After making a donation, you'll be directed to an online form to complete your entry.
2. Fill out this form to complete your entry. We need your information so we have a way to contact you if you're chosen as a finalist and winner.
3. Look out for an email from us. If you're chosen as a finalist and winner, we will need you to take immediate actions.

Prize

• An action-packed trip to Africa with Smash star Katharine McPhee. You may travel to up to two African countries where you'll have a chance to hang out with the star, learn about malaria, and take part in life-saving activities. This trip will occur at the end of March 2012.

Deadlines

• The contest will close on Wednesday, February 16 at 11:59pm EST.
• Semi-finalists will be notified on Friday, February 18 and asked to complete additional entry requirements by the following Friday, February 24.
• One winner will be chosen and announced on Monday, February 26.
• Trip to Africa to take place at the end of March 2012.

Click here to view the Official Campaign Rules.

* A one-time donation of $10 will be added to your mobile phone bill or deducted from your pre-paid balance. Message and Data Rates May Apply. All charges are billed and payable to your mobile service provider. Service is available on Verizon Wireless, AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile. By participating you certify that you agree to the terms and conditions and you are 18 years or older or have parental permission. All purchases must be authorized by account holder. Donations are collected for the benefit of Malaria No More by the Innovative Giving Foundation and subject to the terms found at igfn.org/t. Privacy Policy: igfn.org/p. Text STOP to 85944 to stop; Text HELP to 85944 for help.

Dream Big for Africa with Katharine McPhee and Malaria No More is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!