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I’m an Auntie Anne’s Pretzel Pro!

May 7, 2013 By 2 Comments

Recently, I had the honor of attending Auntie Anne’s Pretzel Academy, to learn all about the pretzel experience. I was more than happy to stand in for Bridgette, especially since pretzel tasting was involved. And, while I have always loved the sweet cinnamon sugar pretzel sticks that Auntie Anne’s has to offer, I will admit that I did not know a lot about the company.

 

 

Founded by Anne Beiler, Auntie Anne’s started as a stand in a farmer’s market where they were raising money to help counsel families in need.  And, as they say the rest is history!  Following Anne’s motto: ”Give, to Get Back, to Give Again” the company continues to grow and partner with great causes, such as Alex’s Lemonade Stand.

 

While in Lancaster, PA, home of Auntie Anne’s, I learned all about the pretzel making process and what makes their pretzels stand above the rest. From the special dough, which is shipped directly to the franchise stores, to the variety of pretzels offerings, Auntie Anne’s is like no other. They serve only the freshest pretzels, which are guaranteed to be fresh out of the oven, within 30 minutes of serving them.  And, this can be seen by how fast they are growing as they are now the world’s largest hand-rolled soft chain with more than 1,330 stores in more than 25 countries and 46 states!

I did learn the pretzel making process and now know that it is no easy task. The dough must take time to rise and then is hand rolled into that special shape we all know and love. I also was taught how to roll a pretzel from Anne herself, which was just a little intimidating! (brag moment) But, I must have learned well, since I won the pretzel rolling contest!

The best thing that I learned, is that I have a new favorite pretzel, which is the Almond Pretzel with caramel sauce! Super yummy!! Be sure to follow Auntie Anne’s on Facebook and Twitter, and keep checking back here on Experimental Mommy to keep up to date on all things pretzel.

This post was written by Renee of What Mommies Need.  Auntie Anne’s covered travel expenses for this trip but all opinions remain 100% honest.

Support the Arts and Join Me at the #BlickARA Twitter Party!

January 15, 2013 By Leave a Comment

My Mom is an artist, so art has always been an important part of my life.  Her beautiful artwork covered the walls of our home and she was always up for an art project.  While I didn’t get any of her artistic talent, I still enjoy trying to paint and be creative in other ways.  Now, my Mom is helping instill a love of art in my daughters and in the children she teaches art to at a local studio.  Keeping art programs in schools and after-school programs is important to me, so I am thrilled to be a part of the Blick Art Room Aid initiative.  Join me for a Twitter Party to learn more!

What: Do you believe art is an essential part of your child’s education? Then you already know how important art education is — and how schools are struggling to keep their art programs alive. That’s where Art Room Aid can help! A program of Blick Art Materials, Art Room Aid is helping teachers across the country enlist the aid of parents, families, friends, and other art advocates to fund their art projects and keep creative learning going.

Want to learn more? Join this Twitter Party to find out how you can support art education, make sure art continues to play a role in your children’s lives, and spread the word about Art Room Aid in your community. We’ll be discussing projects you can do with your own kids, and sharing sources of inspiration.

When: Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2 p.m. ET

Where: We’ll be on Twitter – follow the #BlickARA hashtag to track the conversation. See this Twtvite for more info and to RSVP: http://twtvite.com/BlickARA

Hashtag: #BlickARA

Prizes: We will give away five total prizes – two $25 Blick gift coupons, two $50 Blick gift coupons, and one $75 Blick gift coupon.

Hosts: @theMotherhood, @CooperMunroe, @EmilyMcKhann

Hope to see you there!

This post is part of a sponsored campaign through The Motherhood and Blick Art.  All opinions are my own.

Gaining Confidence in the Kitchen with Macy’s Culinary Council

January 10, 2013 By 2 Comments
Last night, I had the pleasure of attending a Macy’s Culinary Council cooking demonstration right here in New Orleans.  After the event, my loving husband says, “Why don’t you go share with the Chefs your recipe for ice.”  Yep.  That about sums it up.  Me at a cooking demo?  Believe it or not, I have gotten much better in the kitchen in the last seven months since being laid off from my job.  Partly from necessity (eating out is no longer in my budget) and partly because I have the time.  But you know what?  I am enjoying it.
I was very excited about attending the cooking demonstration and arrived with hopes of learning a few tricks and tips.  I was not disappointed.  Macy’s’ Culinary Council, which is comprised of a variety of the most well-known chefs in the cooking industry, has been hosting a nationwide tour in various Macy’s kitchens around the country.  Launched in 2003, the Council serves to inspire the way Macy’s customers shop, cook and eat at home while providing expert culinary advice with the aim of teaching customers how to cook and shop like a master chef.  Here in New Orleans, we were treated to a class instructed by chefs Nancy Silverton and Johnny Iuzzini.
Both chefs were friendly, knowledgeable and quite entertaining.  Chef Nancy started by showing us how to prepare your own salad dressing.  If I had any idea it was that simple, I would not have been buying bottled dressings all this time!  A few tips (in my own, non-chef words):
  • Do not store your olive oil in a clear container.  It breaks down faster that way.  Find a dark bottle for storage.
  • Pair your salad dressing to your salad.  Not every dressing should be offered with one salad…they just don’t go!
  • When using a head lettuce, massage the dressing into the leaves, otherwise you will just get the outside coated leaving nothing for the middle section.
  • When you have a recipe with very few ingredients, use only the best!
  • Pine nuts go rancid quickly. Who knew?
  • Always salt your greens before beginning to build your salad.
  • When building a salad, you should not throw greens in a bowl and add toppings. You want to get some of each ingredient into every bite.

Next, Chef Johnny Iuzzini (who is definitely not hard on the eyes), created two delicious desserts including a Pineapple-Polenta Cake with a Pineapple-Spice Sauce and a Chocolate Pudding with Devils Food Cake, Soft Cream and Candied Rose Petals.  I have never eaten rose petals before, but they were quite tasty! Here are a few tips from Johnny:

  • When making a cake, use cold butter and room temperature eggs
  • Mayo can be used as an ingredient to keep the cake moist due to it’s oil content
  • Mix a powder (like flour) with a granular (like sugar)
  • To ensure your pudding doesn’t get a “skin”, cover immediately with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

I truly enjoyed the cooking demo.  Check out your local Macy’s to see if the Culinary Council is coming to a store near you and don’t miss any of the action by following the Culinary Council on Twitter, too!

This post is the opinion of The Experimental Mommy.  Everywhere PR contacted me on behalf of Macy’s and I was compensated for my time and effort.  All opinions remain 100% mine.

New Orleans Mom’s Holiday Helper Event

September 25, 2012 By 3 Comments

Can you believe there are only 90 days until Christmas?  Have you started shopping yet?  If you are anything like me, I am starting to make lists but refuse to start buying until after Thanksgiving! Wouldn’t it be nice to know what the latest trends will be this holiday season before you set foot in the store?

I am excited to announce that I will be hosting a “Mom’s Holiday Helper Event” in partnership with two other New Orleans based Mom bloggers, Renee from What Mommies Need and Linzy from Crawfish Tales to help you do just that!  Together, we will host an invite-only live event here in New Orleans to showcase the latest trends, the hottest toys, the warmest fashions and the coolest electronics to a room full of 100 social media influencers and female consumers.

On November 9, 2012 from 7-9pm at the Kenner City Park Pavilion, attendees will get the chance to see and test products before they decide to put them on their holiday shopping list.  Enjoy a Mom’s Night Out and take home a few freebies, too!  And because it’s always better to give than to receive, we would love attendees to bring one new toy to the event which will be donated to the charity initiative “Toys for Tots.”

Kenner City Park Pavilion

If you are interested in having your product presented at the “Mom’s Holiday Helper Event” please submit a query for more information on sponsorship packages.  If you are interested in attending this invite-only event, please fill out this form so we can collect your email address!  Formal invites will be sent via email closer to the event.

Hope to see you there!

Carnival Cruise Lines Fun Ship 2.0 Project Comes to NOLA

August 8, 2012 By 7 Comments

Since starting this blog, I have had the good fortune of crossing a few things off my bucket list.  Attending a Broadway show, meeting celebrities and even sleeping in Cinderella’s Castle have been once in a lifetime opportunities.  But, a few things remain undone including boarding a cruise ship for a family vacation.

Living in New Orleans, home to one of the busiest ports in the United States, cruising is actually quite accessible.  But having small children, I thought a family cruise was best left for later years.  Earlier this month, I was excited to be invited to board the 2,052 passenger Carnival Elation docked at the Port of New Orleans for a private lunchtime event for the media.  We had the opportunity to sample Carnival’s specialty cocktails over a delicious meal and learn about the latest happenings within the company.

Carnival Cruise Lines has been sailing from the Port of New Orleans for nearly 20 years and now carries over 340,000 passengers annually making it New Orleans’ largest cruise operator.  Carnival deploys it’s newer and larger ships from the Port of New Orleans and now offers convenient four- and five-day departures while expanding its variety of seven-day itineraries.

This was my first time on a cruise ship, so I wasn’t sure what to expect.  Open boarding, I was awestruck by the grandeur of the lobby…this was no ordinary ship.  We proceeded to the Lounge and were treated to a plethora of cocktails and appetizers.  My favorite?  The Cucumber Sunrise and fajita bar!

After the tasting event, Carnival shared what’s next for the brand.  I was surprised to learn about the amenities that make the cruise line so family friendly! The Carnival Elation hosts a large pool and water slide area attached to a cute mini golf course.  But Carnival Cruise Lines is most excited about it’s new Fun Ship 2.0 program!  The Carnival Destiny will undergo an extensive $155 million renovation to implement the Fun Ship 2.0 concept.  After a 49-day dry dock, the ship will be renamed the Carnival Sunshine and docked at the Port of New Orleans.

One of the features I am most excited about is the addition of  Hasbro, The Game Show which will feature activities based on the Family Game Night TV series. Carnival has also partnered with EA SPORTS to design the ultimate hangout for sports fanatics!  Between playing video games and watching live sports events, guests can order from a full drink menu and popular sports bar snacks.  And for those guests who crave a good cocktail, the new themed bars and lounges will provide unique experiences and world class cocktails from expert mixologists.  We had the opportunity to meet the mixologist from Carnival’s Alchemy Bar who created the delicious Cucumber Sunrise!  The Alchemy Bar is a vintage-themed cocktail “pharmacy,” where guests will have a unique experience with interesting drink flavors and ingredients. The expert mixologists will “prescribe” concoctions from different fun categories or guests can also try their hand at creating their own custom cocktails.

I had an absolute blast hanging out with Renee from What Mommies Need and Trisha from NOLA Mommy.  With the new improvements, I absolutely cannot wait to take my family on a fun filled cruise one day soon.  I am thinking that the Carnival Sunshine may be the ship that completes my bucket list!  To keep up with the happenings of Carnival Cruise Lines, follow them on Twitter and Facebook.

This post is the opinion of the Experimental Mommy.  I was invited to the press event and received a gift bag for my time and effort.  All opinions are 100% mine.

WWE Raw Is For Girls, Too!

July 14, 2012 By 4 Comments

To say that my two princesses aren’t fans of wrestling would be an understatement.  But when I was contacted by the WWE to attend Raw held in New Orleans, I knew exactly who would love the tickets.  My husband absolutely loves his eight year old Goddaughter, Haley who is all about wrestling.  Even though I am a wrestling novice, Haley and her grandfather (aka poohPaw) love watching wrestling together and could talk about it for hours.

I was surprised to learn that the WWE Raw show is now rated PG and has an audience of 35% women!  So, I could not wait to hand over the tickets to Haley and her Grandfather.  Below is the review written by Haley, age 8.

The Best Memorial Day Ever

“When my mom told me that my Aunt Bridgette had VIP tickets to the Monday Night RAW in New Orleans for my poohPaw and I, I was so excited! I hurried and made signs to hold up!
I wore my red, white and blue John Cena shirt with my black skort and red Chuck Taylors with an American flag bow in my hair. My PoohPaw picked me up and we went to the Arena. When we got there we went to get our tickets at will call and then they allowed us to go sit inside instead of sitting outside in the heat! Our seats were AWESOME! We could see the ring and the wrestlers so good. My PoohPaw bought me nachos and an RC before the matches started.

Once the lights went out there were laser lights and fireworks. It made me jump out of my seat! It was loud and really cool! They showed lots of videos and different matches from the past. I saw C.M. Punk, WooWoo, Alex Riley, Big Show, Alberto Delrio, People Power, Teddy Long, Brotus Clay, Jerry The King Lawyer, and my favorite John Cena!!!


When Brotus Clay was fighting Big Show, Big Show threw Brotus Clay out of the ring and hit him with a metal chair. It was really cool to see them in action up close. Brotus Clay did not get back up so they had to call the paramedics to come get him. It took about 9 people to get him up on a board to carry him out.


Then when John Cena came out the crowd got real loud!!! There were lots of green lights and they played his song and everyone screamed YOU CANT SEE ME and did the hand signal!!! I had the best time with my PoohPaw that night. He and I LOVE watching Wrestling together. It is a great past time for him and I to be with each other. I am so thankful my Aunt Bridgette got us some AWESOME VIP seats to the best Memorial Day match ever!”

Thanks for the great review, Haley! 

Here are some more fun facts about the WWE:

  • The WWE Superstars and Divas visit schools across the country to promote anti-bullying as part of their be a STAR program.
  • Every year, WWE entertainers perform for our troops overseas.
  • Last year, WWE Superstar John Cena granted his 250th wish through the Make-A-Wish Foundation making him only one of four celebrities to have accomplished this achievement and he’s still granting more.

Don’t miss a thing by following WWE on Facebook and Twitter!

This post is written by Haley of Experimental Mommy. While tickets were received to facilitate this review, all opinions are 100% hers.

American Girl Cafe in NYC {Our Experience}

June 30, 2012 By 2 Comments

As a Mom of two girls ages 4 and 7, American Girl is part of our daily lives.  Both girls received American Girl dolls from Santa last year and have been inseparable ever since.  When the newest catalog comes in the mail, both of my daughters run to browse the pages and see what’s coming out next.  My oldest has really loved the American Girl books, too. This is one company that I can stand behind as they celebrate girls today and teach what they can become tomorrow.  I love their inspirational and educational stories told through historical characters and how these dolls encourage imaginative play in my home.

Because we live in New Orleans, my girls have no idea that there are actual American Girl stores and experiences (they think it exists only in catalogs and online).  So, I was thrilled to surprise them on a recent trip to New York with a visit to the American Girl Store and Cafe!  The store, which is located at 609 Fifth Avenue at 49th Street, features specialty shopping, private dining, birthday experiences, a doll hospital and the infamous doll salon.

Before we left home, I made sure that the girls packed their American Girls and we headed to NYC.  When we arrived at the store, the looks on their faces were priceless as they couldn’t believe there was a WHOLE STORE just for doll clothes and accessories!  After about 30 minutes of shopping, we headed to the American Girl Cafe for lunch.  As we entered, each girl was given a high chair so their dolls could enjoy the meal, too.  The Cafe is decorated in pink, white and black and is exactly how you would picture a tea party in your dreams.

For starters, we were served mini cinnamon rolls which were a huge hit, of course, followed by a tray of fruit, cheese and veggies.  The girls both ordered baked chicken strips with mac and cheese, while my husband and I got a spinach and strawberry salad.  The food was displayed beautifully and tasted great!  The servers really interacted with the kids and made them feel special and it was so fun to see my girls “feed” their dolls.

After lunch, we surprised my girls with a trip to the doll salon!  Before our appointment, the girls looked over the endless style options and selected the one just right for their doll.  When it was our turn, the doll was seated in a style chair and covered with an apron (just like a real salon!).  The stylist explained to the girls the best way to take good care of their dolls hair and we watched as she put every hair back in place.

Our experience at the American Girl Store and Cafe in NYC was incredible.  Both of my daughters had a great time and I am so glad that we made a memory that will last forever!  Take a minute to find an American Girl Store near you!

The post is the opinion of Experimental Mommy.  Complimentary meals at the American Girl Store NYC were provided, but all opinions remain 100% my own.

 

Pampers Salutes Most Valuable Dads with Eli Manning

June 25, 2012 By 8 Comments

What a whirlwind the past week has been for my family!  Over Father’s Day weekend, but before our Disney trip, we were whisked away to New York City to honor our Most Valuable Dad courtesy of Pampers.  My husband is an exceptional Father and surrounded by women at home, is the first to get on the floor and play princess with his two girls.  So on Father’s Day, he deserved a little manly pampering of his own.

Pampers has joined forces with Eli Manning, a new Dad himself, to honor the active role Dad plays in raising their little Miracles.  Once we landed in New York City, my family enjoyed a day of sightseeing including a subway ride to hop on the Staten Island Ferry.  My husband, a history teacher, loved playing tour guide to our two daughters as we sailed by the Statue of Liberty.

On Father’s Day, we were escorted to CitiField and were so excited to see our very first professional baseball game.  We were honored to be able to meet and interview Eli Manning, two time SuperBowl winning Quarterback and NOLA Native (I actually interviewed his Mom last year)!  To start the game, Eli Manning and his daughter, Ava, threw out the first pitch while MVDs where honored throughout the day.  I loved that the scoreboard included fun facts about the players’ Dads and several videos were shown carrying special messages for Dad from members of the armed forces serving overseas.  Although the Mets lost, we had a great time cheering on the home team with our giant foam finger!

Pampers isn’t done celebrating Dads this month! Check out their new website or visit them on Facebook to learn how to win some great prizes.  Ten Grand Prize winners will receive a $300 gift card which can be used for tickets to watch your favorite team and/or to purchase your favorite team’s merchandise plus a Little Tot T-Ball set valued at $19.99 plus tax!

How did you honor your Most Valuable Dad this Father’s Day? 

As a member of the Pampers Baby Board, my travel including airfare and hotel as well as game tickets was provided free of charge.  All opinions remain 100% mine own.

Louisiana Children’s Museum Debuts the Talk & Play Center

June 8, 2012 By Leave a Comment

With the kids off of school, my husband and I try to schedule fun and educational activities in order to spend quality time together.  However,  it’s summertime in New Orleans and it’s hot, y’all.  We find ourselves looking for as many air conditioned venues as possible and one of our go-to spots is the Louisiana Children’s Museum  located at 420 Julia Street.  My girls love visiting the museum especially to “make groceries” in the Little Winn-Dixie Grocery Store.

As you can imagine, we were all thrilled to be invited to take a sneak peek at the brand new Talk & Play Center last week.  Inspired by the children’s book “The Little Cajun Red Riding Hood” by Berthe Amoss, the New Orleans native and renowned cardboard artist Jacques Duffourc created a “green” space made entirely of recycled cardboard and repurposed exhibit pieces.

The Talk & Play Center is not only visually appealing, but aims to strengthen the early childhood needs of language and literacy development.  For children ages birth to eight, the second floor exhibit features the four key building blocks for language development: vocabulary, storytelling, phonetics and deciphering.

My daughters were both attracted to the Sapling Stage where they could use their imaginations by creating a puppet show.  I was amazed at how outgoing my normally shy children were after they donned a puppet!  My seven year old loved the Story Porch where loads of books are available along with quiet places to read while my four year old preferred to cook a good ol’ Cajun meal (complete with crawfish and crabs of course) in the Cajun Cottage.  However, my girls (and even my hubby) raved about the tunnel through the Cypress roots which they navigated with provided flashlights!

Check out a complete schedule of activities at the Louisiana Children’s Museum online or call (504) 523-1357.  Admission is $8.00 for adults and children over age 1.

This post is the opinion of the Experimental Mommy.  I was invited to attend this event free of charge however no compensation was received for writing this post.  All opinions remain 100% honest.

Ahi Tuna Salad Melt Recipe from SeaBest Seafood: Delicious and Easy!

April 6, 2012 By 2 Comments

As a Mom of two girls who also works outside of the home full time, dinners must be quick and easy.  Because we live in the New Orleans area, we definitely love our seafood.  But with so many excellent seafood restaurants on just about every corner, we rarely cook seafood at home.  To be honest, preparing seafood can be very time consuming…time that I just do NOT have.

I know that frozen seafood can make the process much easier, but the words frozen and seafood are never put into the same sentence in New Orleans.  So when I was invited to the SeaBest Seafood event, to say that I was a skeptic would have been an understatement.  But on my never-ending quest to find easy meal solutions, I was definitely curious.

About SeaBest Seafood:

“In 1950, the Frisch family opened a small, retail fresh fish store on West Beaver Street in Jacksonville, Florida called Beaver Street Fisheries. Together with their mother, brothers Alfred and Hans Frisch worked around the clock to expand their business. With a single truck, they procured a variety of fish from both the Gulf and Atlantic coasts by night, delivering their product fresh to Jacksonville area hotels, restaurants and grocery stores by day.

Over six decades later, the family-owned business that began as a street-side shop with just a handful of help has grown into a company employing over 400 dedicated men and women. During our growth, the Frisch family also introduced the Sea Best brand, a name that speaks to our longtime commitment of putting the highest quality seafood on America’s tables for the best price.”

As I walked into the venue, two appetizers greeted us: the Buffalo Shrimp Dip and the Scallop Egg Rolls.  Both were delicious!  As the event began, we were treated to a cooking demonstration of three entrees that would not only please our families, but would be easy to cook, too!  The one that I liked the most was the Ahi Tuna Melt.  Check out the recipe below:

Ahi Tuna Melt

Print recipe
Ahi Tuna Melt
Serves 6
Meal type Lunch
Website Sea Best Seafood

Ingredients

  • 3 Sea Best Ahi Tuna Steak
  • 3/4 cups Mayonnaise
  • 1/2 cup Carrots
  • 1/2 cup Celery
  • 1/2 cup Pickles
  • 2 tablespoons Fresh Dill (chopped)
  • 1 tablespoon Mustard (stone ground)
  • 6 Kaiser Rolls
  • 6 Swiss Cheese (sliced)
  • to tasteSalt and Pepper

Directions

Step 1 Season tuna steaks with salt and pepper.
Step 2 In cast iron skillet, sear tuna steaks 2-3 minutes on each side. Remove steaks while still pink in the middle and let cool.
Step 3 Roughly chop tuna steaks and mix together with mayo, carrots, celery, pickles, dill, salt and pepper.
Step 4 Fill rolls with mixture and top with cheese.
Step 5 Bake in oven at 400°F until cheese melts.
Step 6 Serve with frozen grapes.
Powered by GetMeCooking

All of the dishes we tried were absolutely delicious and tasted fresh.  Watching how easy it was to prepare seafood we normally do not purchase was definitely was an eye-opener.  I have the confidence in SeaBest Seafood to step outside of my comfort zone and try new seafood dishes.

Find out where you can purchase SeaBest and get a coupon, too!

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