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June Dairy Month

My kids are big fans of the Ice Age movies, and are excited about the upcoming release of Ice Age Continental Drift in theaters July 13th, 2012.  June is Dairy Month at Safeway/Vons, and right now you can get two free admissions to see the movie by purchasing $40 of dairy products.

One of the products I purchased was Fage Greek Yogurt to make one of our favorite family dinners before heading off to the movies.

Greek Pitas with Fage Greek Yogurt

Ingredients:

  1. ground beef- 1½ lbs
  2. onion, small- ½, peeled and minced (mince the entire onion and store half to use later in the week)
  3. pita bread pockets
  4. cumin- 1 tbspn
  5. salt- 1 tspn or to taste

Fage Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce

For Fage Greek Yogurt-Cucumber Sauce

  1. Fage 2% Greek Plain Yogurt- 2 7oz. containers
  2. cucumber- 1, peeled and sliced
  3. dried basil- 1 tbspn
  4. lemon pepper- 1 tbspn
  5. onion powder- 1 tspn

Directions:

  1. Brown beef in skillet with minced onion until cooked thoroughly, season with cumin and salt to taste
  2. Arrange beef mixture in pita pockets and top with Greek Yogurt-Cucumber sauce

For Fage Greek Yogurt-Cucumber Sauce

  1. Chop cucumber into tiny pieces
  2. In small mixing bowl combine chopped cucumber, yogurt, basil, lemon pepper and onion powder; mix well
  3. Serve cucumber sauce over pitas

Greek Pita Pocket recipe

Greek Pitas with Fage Greek Yogurt-Cucumber Sauce

 

Qualifying dairy products include many items like Sargento, Kraft, Yoplait and Dannon.  I purchased $40 of dairy products at Vons in one transaction, but customers have the entire month of June to accumulate dairy purchases to earn the free movie passes. If you don’t already have a Safeway/Vons Affiliate card, simply ask for one a check-out and use it to receive your June Dairy Month points.

June Dairy Movies

 

For more information about June Dairy Month, visit JuneDairyMovies.com, EasyHomeMeals.com or Facebook or follow #JuneDairyMovie.

I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Safeway #CBias #SocialFabric”, but the opinions and views expressed here are very much my own.

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June Dairy Movies

I love it when I’m rewarded for shopping and purchasing items that I normally buy.  This month is June Dairy Month at Safeway/Von’s, and what that means is when you purchase $40 of qualifying dairy items during the month of June, you receive a voucher code to redeem for two free movie tickets.

June Dairy Month

Last week I purchased dairy items like Fage Greek Yogurt to make my Greek Pita Pockets with Fage Greek Yogurt-Cucumber Sauce; and combined with dairy items from this week’s shopping trip, earned two free movie tickets.

 

Greek Pita Pockets with Fage Greek Yogurt-Cucumber Sauce

Recipe for Greek Pita Pockets with Fage Greek Yogurt-Cucumber Sauce

 

I’m redeeming my voucher code for tickets to the upcoming Ice Age Continental Drift movie in theaters July 13th.  During checkout, I received a voucher code printed from the Catalina machine.  Then I went to https://dev.activaterewards.com/JuneDairyMovies to enter my voucher code.

visit https://dev.activaterewards.com/JuneDairyMovies to redeem

after selecting my movie theater, I get my two tickets to print

For more information about June Dairy Month, visit JuneDairyMovies.com, EasyHomeMeals.com or Facebook or follow #JuneDairyMovie.

I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Safeway #CBias #SocialFabric”, but the opinions and views expressed here are very much my own.

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Food Photography Kitchen Makeover with GE Smart Energy Lighting

Food Photography Lighting

I spend a lot of time in my kitchen creating, cooking, photographing and writing.  Earlier this year I wrote about the importance of lighting for food photography in Recipe For A Great Food Photo.

Prosciutto with Melon and Fig

Food Photography In Natural Sunlight

 

Much of  my food photos are shot in natural sunlight through filters.  However, timing is not always on my side, and there are many occasions when I need to photograph indoors and at night.

It’s difficult to get indoor and nighttime photos to come out with the same vibrant color that outdoor sunlight gives, and many times they come out so yellow that not even photo enhancing can help.

Using flash photography is never an option for me because it gives off a glare, the same way that incandescent light bulbs can do.

Nighttime Indoor Food Photo

 

Time For A Makeover

I decided it’s time to give my workspace (also known as my kitchen) a lighting makeover.  It was time to bring outdoor quality lighting into my kitchen that allows me the versatility to work, photograph and videotape whenever I want.

 

Being energy efficient was also a major factor in my makeover decisions.  With some help from GE Energy Smart’s Bright From The Start CFL, I found that I can achieve better lighting with their hybrid halogen, and save on my power bill.  GE Energy Smart bulbs last 8 times longer and use 75% less energy than incandescent bulbs.

 

The “Before” Kitchen

Before the kitchen lighting makeover, my ability to work was limited by the time of day.  Dawn and dusk gave me natural filtered sunlight, with the remaining day receiving direct sun.  At night, my incandescent kitchen light bulbs gave off a yellow hue.

The “After” Kitchen

By changing my kitchen light bulbs to a soft bright light, I eliminated the “yellowish” tone from my indoor kitchen lighting.  And, by adding a light fixture like this hanging pot rack, I was able to direct the light to my kitchen counter top where I cook, photograph and write the most.

installed hanging lighted pot rack with GE Reveal Light Bulbs

 

 

Selecting A Light Bulb

Other than being energy efficient, other important factors in choosing a light bulb for me are brightness or “lumens” and “color temperature”.  Each light bulb has a rating that describes the color temperature from “warm” to “cool”.

 

I decided on the GE Reveal Light Bulbs.

GE Reveal Light Bulbs

 

According to the GE Energy Smart CFL Savings Calculator, I will be saving$65.70 this year on my energy bill for just my kitchen area, and $360 savings over the life of the bulbs, by switching to GE Energy Smart light bulbs.  With that savings, I can purchase a new set of stainless steel pans to hang on my new pot rack!

To calculate your savings, visit the GE Energy Smart CFL Savings Calculator:

GE Energy Smart CFL Savings Calculator

 

GE Reveal Light Bulb

Bright Lighting

With my kitchen lighting makeover, I can now work at whatever time of day I want.  Who knows, you may find me in the kitchen at 2 a.m. making my next creation.

 

food photo taken with GE

 

my kitchen lighting makeover with GE

 

 

More Savings! Download The Coupon

Download the coupon.  Save More Money with GE Smart Energy and Reveal Light Bulbs by downloading this coupon for $2.00 off your purchase.

 

I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and GE.  The views and opinions expressed here are very much my own. #CBias #SocialFabric

More information about GE Smart Energy and Reveal light bulbs can be found at GELighting.com, or follow on Twitter.com/GELighting or Facebook.com/GELighting.

More photos from my GE Smart Energy Lighting kitchen makeover can be found on my Google Plus album.

 

 

 

 

 

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50’s Diner Milkshake Party

50’s Diner Milkshake Party with First Street Ice Cream

Each year we celebrate my grandmother’s birthday with a fun themed party.  When you’re 84 I think every year is cause for celebration.  I’m the one always tasked with coming up with party themes, and this past year I could think of none better than a 50’s diner inspired-party with Diner Milkshakes made with First Street Ice Cream.

milkshake recipe

Planning The Party

Before heading off to Smart & Final, a great place to shop for party food, I made a list of what I need to make our yummy milkshakes:

Shopping List

  1. First Street Ice Cream in Chocolate and Strawberry
  2. First Street Whipped Cream
  3. First Street Maraschino Cherries
  4. milk
  5. plastic cups
  6. milkshake straws
milkshake party

Diner Milkshake party

 

Shopping For The Party

After planning was complete, it was time to shop.  At Smart & Final, I expectedly found everything I needed for my party and more.  I came across some gumballs and thought they would fit in perfectly with our theme.

I found everything at Smart & Final that I needed for our party and more

Making 50’s Diner Milkshakes

We made both strawberry and chocolate milkshakes for our party and they were a huge hit with our guests.

milkshake recipe

50's Diner Milkshakes

Homemade Milkshake Recipe

Ingredients:

  1. 4 cups First Street Ice Cream in Chocolate and Strawberry
  2. 2 cups milk
  3. First Street Whipped Cream
  4. First Street Maraschino Cherries
  5. 1 tspn vanilla extract

Directions:

  1. Place ice cream, milk and vanilla in blender
  2. Blend until smooth, just 5 seconds
  3. Pour into cups and top with whipped cream and a cherry

For a printer-friendly recipe version click here:  Homemade Milkshake Recipe

First Street Strawberry Ice Cream

 

blend milkshake ingredients until smooth

 

Strawberry 50's Diner Milkshakes with First Street Ice Cream

 

And, if you’re lucky enough to have someone you can bribe into putting on some roller skates and a retro apron to serve milkshakes, it’s a fun touch.  I’m fortunate to have my oldest daughter Rayana, who I can always count on to help me with family events.

time to serve!

 

50's Diner Party

50's Diner Milkshake Party

 

For more recipe ideas with First Street Ice Cream from Smart & Final visit them on Twitter and Facebook!

 

I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™. All opinions expressed herein are very much my own.

#CBias #SocialFabric



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