A Big #BrunchWeek Giveaway!

Oh, hi! I got so excited about kicking off #BrunchWeek with my Orange-Rosemary Mocktails yesterday that I completely forgot to share this post about the prizes that you can win by entering in our giveaway! And there are LOTS of them!

Our sponsors, who happen to be pretty awesome, have been so generous in putting together some prizes for a few lucky brunch-lovin' readers. So, without any further ado, here are 9 good reasons why you should enter to win! {Pictures above correspond with prizes below.}

Prize #1:

Bob’s Red Mill is giving one lucky winner a variety of flours, baking mixes, grains, a cookbook, Bob’s Red Mill tote bag, whisk, spatula, scale and Bob’s Red Mill gift card.

About Bob’s Red Mill: Trust, honesty and integrity. The three principles their business is built on. Their packaging is a great example of this commitment: clear bags that let you see the high quality of every one of their products. By producing the very best in whole grain foods, they are able to fulfill their commitment to help look after more and more people through better nutrition.

Prize #2:

OXO is giving one lucky winner a prize pack containing the following OXO tools to host a successful brunch, Egg Beater, Flip & Fold Omelet Turner, 3-in-1 Egg Separator, Batter Dispenser, Mini Silicone Flexible Pancake Turner, Batter Bowl, Medium Silicone Spatula, 4 piece Mini Measuring Beaker Set, Muddler, Angled Measuring Jigger.

About OXO: OXO’s mission is dedicated to providing innovative consumer products that make everyday living easier.

Prize #3:

California Walnuts is giving one lucky winner a 14 cup Cuisinart Food Processor.

About California Walnuts: The California Walnut Board was established in 1948 to represent the walnut growers and handlers of California. The board is funded by mandatory assessment of the handers and the California Walnut Commission, established in 1987 is funded by mandatory assessments of the growers.

Prize#4:

Grimmway Farms is giving one lucky winner a 5-speed, 5 attachment Kitchenaid Immersion Blender. Perfect to chop and shred fresh carrots, whip up a smoothie or blend a carrot soup. Some fresh carrots will be included to practice with.

About Grimmway Farms: The story of Grimmway began in 1968, when brothers Rod and Bob Grimm set up a roadside produce stand and planted that would blossom into today’s Grimmway Farms. Grimmway has become one of the largest growers, producers and shippers of fresh and processed carrots in the world. They are the leading supplier of organic produce with 75+ organic product offerings.

Prize #5:

Baloian Farms is giving one lucky winner a Calphalon Unison Sear Nonstick 13” Wok, plus some fresh veggies to practice with.

About Baloian Farms: Since, 1917, Baloian Farms, a family operated business which includes 4 generations of Baloian leadership, has been growing premium fresh fruit and vegetables. Today, Baloian Farms has become one of the largest growers, producers and shippers of fresh bell peppers on the West coast.

Prize #6:

Woot Froot is giving one lucky winner a Nostalgia Electrics Margarita Maker. Perfect for brunch drinks or slushies during the summer. They will also be sending some freshly sliced, peaches and nectarines to practice with.

About Woot Froot: The story of Woot Froot begins 25 years ago, when owner Kim & Eric Gaarde began their careers in the peach and nectarine business working for farmers. They learned the business and were content, but one day a simple question changed it all. “Why isn’t anybody doing fresh-cut peaches and nectarines?” People told Kim it was impossible and she didn’t accept the answer, so she left her job and started her own R&D company to find out. After many years of research and, trial and error Woot Froot freshly cut peaches and nectarines were created!

Prize #7:

Dixie Crystals | Pure Cane Sugar is giving one lucky winner an assortment of sugar and a branded apron to wear while cooking their brunch week recipes.

About Dixie Crystals: Since 1917, Dixie Crystals® has been the South's choice for high-quality sugar and sweeteners. Our pure cane sugar products are all natural, non-GMO and provide consistently delicious results.

Prize #8:

Whole Foods Orlando is giving two lucky winners gifts baskets. The first Morning Mimosa Basket contains: Authentic French Brioche, 365 Everyday Value™ Maple Syrup, 365 Everyday Value™ Organic Cinnamon, a Whisk. Allegro® Breakfast Blend Coffee, a bottle of Prosecco, 365 Everyday Value™ Orange Mango Juice. Whole Foods Market Champagne flutes (2). Micro Plane and a Medium Mixing Bowl. The second Breakfast-in-Bed Basket contains: 365 Everyday Value™ Whole Wheat Pastry Flour, 365 Everyday Value™ Pancake Mix, 365 Everyday Value™ Organic Fruit & Nut Granola, a French Press, Allegro® Breakfast Blend Coffee, Friordifrutta™ Wild Lingonberry & Rose Hip Fruit Spread, Allegro® Organic Breakfast Blend Tea, Allegro® Organic Northwest Minty Green Tea, Allegro® Coffee Cup, a Mixing Bowl and a Whisk.

Prize #9:

Bonne Maman is giving five lucky winners a jams and jellies prize pack.

About Bonne Maman: Bonne Maman Preserves and Jellies, produced in France, are all-natural, with no artificial coloring, no high fructose corn syrup or no preservatives added. Everything in Bonne Maman Preserves and Jellies could easily be found in your Grandmother’s kitchen cabinet.

The FINAL giveaway will take place Thursday, May 8th from 7pm to 8pm EST during our Twitter chat where you will have a chance to win 3 additional jam and jelly packs from Bonne Maman, 1 pack of premium Washington apples from Stemilt Growers and this gorgeous mandolin from Vidalia Onions -- make sure to JOIN US !

Are you as pumped as I am? Then make sure to enter using the Rafflecopter widget below! It will be up on all the #BrunchWeek posts this week for your convenience. And don't forget, the more tasks you complete the higher your odds of winning {but you don't have to do all of them if you don't want to}.

Terms & Conditions:
Mandatory Entry: Leave a comment with What is your favorite Brunch dish?
Many more ways to enter in the Rafflecopter widget, below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway is open to residents of the United States only, age 18 & older. The #Brunchweek 2014 giveaway runs from Monday, May 5, 2014 7:00a EDT through Saturday May 10, 2014 at 11:59p EDT. Winners will be randomly chosen and announced on May 11th. Winners will also be contacted by email and will have 48 hours to respond to the email. If a winner does not respond in that time a new winner will be chosen. For more information, see the full terms and conditions in the Rafflecopter widget.

Disclosure: 

California Walnuts, Bob’s Red Mill, Oxo, Dixie Crystals, Whole Foods Market Doctor Phillips, Grimmway Farms, Woot Froot, Vidalia Onion, Baloian Farms, Stemilt and Bonne Maman are providing the prizes free of charge.  I have received product related to these brands to use for #Brunchweek. All opinions stated are my own.

Brunch Week: Pineapple-Basil Tea

What's not to love about brunch?

It's late enough in the day that it doesn't require an early wake-up {I'm not a morning person}, and early enough that you don't have to feel guilty about spending a few hours nibbling and chatting with friends.

It allows for larger portions since you're combining two meals of the day. {Right?}

It makes drinking champagne or vodka before noon perfectly acceptable behavior.

It combines the best of breakfast and lunch with room for indulgences that don't usually appear until after dinner.

In short: Brunch rocks.

And this week, as we gear up for the culminating brunch event of the spring -- Mother's Day -- I'll be sharing a whole collection of brunch recipes compiled by a talented group of food bloggers who love brunch as much as I do. {Hi gals!}

But the Brunch Bonanza doesn't just stop there. {Because what fun would that be?}

We're also going to be giving you an opportunity to win some absolutely fantastic prizes {20 of them, to be exact!} from the best sponsors. Ever.

These generous folks have put together some must-have items that are perfect for getting your brunch on at home!

We are so grateful to have such amazing sponsors for Brunch Week who have given us a fabulous bunch of incredible (INCREDIBLE!) prizes for our giveaway.

Prize #1:

From California Walnuts one lucky winner will receive:

A KitchenAid Artisan 5-Quart Stand Mixer model number: KSM150PSGA. Mixer comes with: 2-piece pouring shield, 5-quart stainless steel bowl, flat beater, dough hook, and wire whip. A Walnut Prize Pack containing 1lb burlap bag of fresh California Walnuts, 1 portion control tin, 1 heart shaped cookie cutter, 1 flexible cutting mat, 1 mini spatula, 1 chip clip and 1 water pouch. .

Prize #2: (but with lots of winners)

From Lodge Cast Iron one lucky winner will receive:

One lucky winner from the rafflecopter below will receive a Lodge Cast Iron Skillet, three silicone pieces (a hot handle holder, a pot holder and a trivet). In addition, one lucky participant from our TweetChat on Sunday May 5th from 2-3pm Eastern will also win a Lodge Cast Iron Skillet and the three silicone pieces. PLUS five lucky participants will get a set of the three silicone pieces. (Search for hashtag #BrunchWeek to follow along. Use the hashtag in tweets during the chat to enter to win). AND, everyone who comments in our PinChatLive on Saturday May 11th between 2-3pm Eastern will also be entered to win one prize of a Lodge Cast Iron Skillet and a set of three silicone pieces and 4 prizes that contain three silicone pieces each. (For the PinChatLive go to The BrunchWeek Pinterest Board at 2pm on May 11th and comment on the questions pins there. Refresh your screen often so you don't miss any new questions).

Prize #3:

From Flavors of Summer one lucky winner will receive:

 

A Flavors of Summer Entertaining Package including (get this!) a $100 gift card to Sur la Table! In addition to the amazing gift card, this entertaining package includes a variety of goodies including cookbooks, kitchen utensils, entertaining partyware like a chip and dip server, beverage container and more. From free products, to fun stuff for decorating - you'll be able to make the most of your next summer party.

Prize #4:

From Black Gold Farms one lucky winner will receive:

A Martha Stewart Collection Kitchen Prize Package including a 3 quart Enameled Cast Iron Casserole, Magnetic Spice Grinders, a Pot Clip, Cheese Grater and a Silicone Head Spatula.

Prize #5:

From the Food and Wine Conference and #SundaySupper:

The Food and Wine Conference is being held in Orlando, Florida from July 19-21st at the unbelievably beautiful Rosen Shingle Creek. Speakers include Sara Moulton (of Food Network fame), Michael Green (a true celebrity in the wine and spirits world) and Jaden Hair (cookbook author and creator of Steamy Kitchen). This prize is for a single Full Conference Pass with a value of $250. (Accommodations can be booked at the Rosen Shingle Creek at a highly discounted rate for all conference attendees).

Prize #6:

From Bob's Red Mill one lucky winner will receive:

A Bob's Red Mill Kitchen Prize Pack: A beautifully emblazoned Bob's Red Mill canvas tote bag containing the Bob’s Red Mill Cookbook, assorted Bob’s Red Mill products, a Salter® Baker’s Dream Aquatronic Baking Scale, Norpro® Silicone Heat Resistant Spatula, Best® Standard French Whip and a $40 Bob’s Red Mill Gift Card.

Prize #7:

From Whole Foods Orlando one lucky winner will receive:  

The Whole Foods Orlando Breakfast In Bed Basket: Mixing Bowl, Allegro Organic Breakfast Blend Coffee, Allegro Coffee Mug, Cooking Whisk, Microplane, Delamotte Champagne, 365 Organic Amber Maple Syrup, Whole Pantry Cinnamon Sticks, French Brioche and a $25 Whole Foods Market Gift Card

Prize #8:

From Whole Foods Orlando one lucky winner will receive:

      

Whole Foods Flavorful Delights Basket: Full of fun items and ingredients to play with in the kitchen: 5 qt Colander,, Servino Homemade Pastas, 365 Organic Balsamic Vinegar, Macadamia Oil, Marmigiano Regiano, Key Lime Savory Oil, Branfords Original Hot Sauce, Cheese Grater, Vosges Black Pearl Bar Chocolate, Vosges Fire Bar Chocolate, R.C. Buck’s Gourmet Rub – Sweet Orange Habanero, Divina Pickles – Sweet Watermelon Rind, Composta Di Fragole – Strawberry Compote with Modena Balsamic Vinegar, Sabatino Tartufi – Truffle and Honey

Prize #9:

From Stonyfield Organic one lucky winner will receive:

A Stonyfield Kitchen Prize Pack: A Prize Pack full of yogurt fun From Stonyfield Organic Yogurt is just ONE of the amazing prizes in our #BrunchWeek 2013 giveaway.Preserve Colander, Preserve portable yogurt carrier, Preserve cutting board, Stonyfield cookbook, Stonyfield oven mitt, Travel sandwhich carrier made out of 100% reused plastic bottles, Stonyfield water bottle, Stonyfield tote bag, 10 free cups of Stonyfield Greek.

So cool, right?

You know what else is cool?

This refreshing Pineapple-Basil Tea.

I love pineapple anything. The sweet, tropical flavor just screams "relaxation" to me. Paired with herbal, fragrant basil and robust black tea, it's heaven in a glass. And the perfect beverage for a leisurely brunch with friends or family. It's an unexpected twist on a brunch staple, and the perfect thing to sip on while enjoying all of your favorite dishes.

Make sure to check out the other scrumptious recipes shared today by the lovely ladies of Brunch Week, and check back this week for many more brunch ideas!

Beverages

Watermelon Rosemary Champagne Cocktail by Vanilla Lemonade
Pear Hibiscus Brunch Cocktail by Rachel Cooks
Strawberry Rose Sangria by The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
Mocha Frappuccino by Around My Family Table

Eggs

Tomato and Mozzarella Quiche by Love and Confection
Cherry Tomato and Chorizo Omelette by Katie’s Cucina
Asparagus and Bacon Quicheby Confessions of an Overworked Mom

Meat, Poultry and Fish

Bacon Canapés with Oranges and Maple Yogurt by Cook the Story
Chicken Bacon Ranch Panini by Sweet Remedy
Pancetta Wrapped Chicken by Jane’s Adventures in Dinner

Breads, Grains, Cereals and Pancake-type Yums

Spinach and Goat Cheese Muffins by Culinary Flavors
Overnight Blintz Bake by White Lights on Wednesday
Bananas Foster French Toast by by Cravings of a Lunatic

Desserts

Cinnamon Raisin Bread by Katie’s Cucina
Mrs. Lund’s Fresh Plum Cake by The Vintage Cook Chocolate Chip Banana Bundt Cake by Take A Bite Out Of Boca Strawberry Scones by Kokocooks
Strawberry Mascarpone Tart by Kelly Bakes

Fruits and Veggies

Honey-Watermelon Soup by Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Don't forget to try your luck on winning one of the giveaway prize packs... if you could choose, which would you want to win?

Ready to enter?? GOOD LUCK!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Disclosure: I was not compensated for this post, but am among a group of bloggers to receive free products and promotional items from a few of the sponsors mentioned above. As always, all opinions are my own!

Pineapple-Basil Tea
Adapted from Southern Living

For Pineapple Syrup:
1 cup water
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups fresh pineapple, chopped

For Tea:
3 cups water + 6 cups cold water
8 black tea bags
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped


1. In a medium saucepan, combine water, sugar, and chopped pineapple and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Pour the pineapple mixture into the blender and process until smooth. {You may want to cool it slightly as hot liquids can be dangerous to blend at high speeds!} Pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a pitcher, pressing on the pulp.

3. Meanwhile, bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Add the teabags and boil for about a minute, then remove from heat and allow to steep, about 10 minutes. Toss the teabags after steeping. {Or, check out these 10 cool things you can do with used tea bags!}

4. Add the tea to the pitcher containing the pineapple mixture, along with the chopped basil* and 6 cups of cold water. Stir well to combine. Refrigerate to chill.

Serve over ice and garnish with pineapple slices if desired.

*I found that I wasn't a big fan of the little floating basil leaves while I was sipping, so it might be a good idea to serve this tea with a straw. :) Alternatively, you can infuse the tea with the flavor of the basil leaves by adding it to the water while the tea is steeping, then straining out the leaves before pouring it in the pineapple mixture. This way, you have the flavor of basil without the floating particles!