Disney Family.com is offering an “On the Road With Family.com” kit to one lucky reader! The kit promises to keep children comfortably entertained during car or plane trips this summer and will put an end to the dreaded “Are we there yet?” questions while allowing families to share their favorite family vacation destinations.

The travel kit includes a plush kid size travel pillow, a copy of Dr. Seuss’s There’s a Map in My Lap, a travel game kit, notepad and pen and adorable tote bag (a $30 value). Please share your favorite family vacation destination spot in our comment section for a chance to win; a winner will be chosen at random.

Also, make sure to visit Disney Family.com Travel to help with all your vacation planning needs as the site provides a unique resource for parents providing a combination of expert reviews, parent recommendations, and age-appropriate points of interest for family-friendly destinations on any budget.

One of the many great features on the site is a list of “Cities on a Shoestring” where parents can find inexpensive or free activities to do in cities around the country. The site also includes tips for hassle free air travel, videos of popular family destinations, and safety travel tips.

HOW TO ENTER

You can enter the contest by leaving a comment about your favorite family vacation destination spot!

It’s that simple!  Ends on July 3rd!

This has been made possible via the lovely ladies at Mom Generations

Have you noticed some of the platters I’ve been using in my photos? They are from Southern Living at HOME.  I have to say, I was quite surprised by the beauty and quality of these pieces.  I’ve never had much for entertaining purposes and while these can be used anytime, I enjoy bringing them out for my photos or when company is over.

You’ll be seeing more of this stuff along with other items I think would be great for entertaining with, cooking with, and even giving as a gift.  All are/will be available for purchase so check out the Mercantile often because I’ll also have specials and giveaways of course!

I really do like having nice things to serve my food on because I work hard making those meals for my family and friends.  I take pride in our get-togethers whether it’s a regular ol’ barbecue or dinner with the boss!

Do you care what you serve your food in when you have friends or family over?  What are some brands that you enjoy?

By the way, I could have showed the catalog pictures of the serving pieces but I wanted to keep it real and show you how the average person can even make bread look good:)

Tomorrow’s recipe is Baked Squash so stay tuned for that!

Today only, you can get Paula Deen’s The Deen Family Cookbook for $16.58! It’s QVC’s Today Special Value and only lasts one day at that price. NOT a member? Signing up is EASY! If you do, you’ll get a $10 credit! (for new members only) Let me know if you sign up for the first time! Would love to welcome you to the QVC family:)  If you want to know why I heart QVC, check out some of my favorites from there.  Also, many of Paula Deen‘s other products on QVC are on easy pay! It’s like layaway but you get the product right away!

This will ship out on April 7th so that you can receive it hot off the press! This is great for people like me who just can’t run out to the store when it’s released. I order everything almost online!

The cookbook looks fabulous! I’m watching Paula Deen now on QVC and she is fabulous. The food looks amazing and absolutely delicious.

About the book:

Come and get it, y’all! Paula Deen made a name for herself whipping up down-home family recipes. Now, in The Deen Family Cookbook, Paula shares step-by-step instructions so you can fix all her family favorites–and serve ‘em up for your family!

Combining the two things Paula loves most–food and family–this book features a heapin’ helpin’ of more than 140 brand-new recipes from Paula; her sons, Jamie and Bobby; her brother, Uncle Bubba; and the rest of her food-lovin’ clan. From corn-and-crab puffs and chicken and dumplings to red velvet whoopee pies and banana spice cake with peanut butter frosting, this book will have you cooking–and eating–like Paula’s kinfolk in no time at all.

More than just a cookbook, this volume also contains full-color photographs of Paula, her relatives, and the Southern surroundings that inspired her good ol’ fashioned dishes. Of course, you’ll also find colorful shots of Paula’s prepared recipes–enough to make your mouth water!

These are the recipes that have been passed down in the Deen family from generation to generation. With this durable hardcover edition of Paula Deen’s The Deen Family Cookbook, you can make them the recipes that are handed down in your family, too.

* Paula Deen, author
* Hardcover
* 288 pages
* Full-color photos
* Chapters include: Nibbles, Snacks, and Sandwiches; Appetizers, Soups, and Salads; Main Dishes; Casseroles and Pasta; Sides and Veggies; Breakfast and Brunch; Good Food That’s Good for You; Desserts and Sweets; Beverages
* Published April 2009

GUESS WHAT! If you want to win one, leave a comment here telling me what you love about Paula or her recipes!

BONUS: Come back each day and tell me something new you like about Paula or her recipes and earn an extra daily entry:)  That gives you a total of 6 chances to win, fair for everyone!

Ends on April 5th at 10pm CST.  Good luck!

Remember my Shrimp Stroganoff Casserole? Well, it’s in the April issue of Taste of Home! I found out a while back that it was going to be in there and was so excited! I was told it had been made in several of the Taste of Home testing kitchens and they were giving it thumbs up all around, which made me feel very good.

Casseroles really are making a comeback it seems even though they’ve always been a part of our family’s meal time.  You really can make a lot with very few ingredients which is great for big families and freezes well for smaller families.

I love breakfast casseroles, dessert casseroles, and of course casseroles that serve as a main dish.  I don’t think I could have ever fed 50 cowboys & cowgirls without a casserole!

Thanks for letting me brag a little!

P.S.  They took a good picture of the dish but I think mine is better…..just sayin’

P.P.S.  If you don’t have cream of shrimp, cream of chicken will do!  I get asked that a lot;)

This is mine…..well, maybe their shrimp looks better than mine huh?  lol

My weight loss goals this year include more healthy recipes and taking baby steps to going green, so having the chance to try this grill pan out made me more than happy.

Some facts you should know right away about this line that makes it special, is that it is 100% PFOA FREE!  A very important factor for people living green.  The line is dishwasher safe and can go in the oven up to 500′.  It’s of some of the highest quality you can find out there and the company, Scanpan has been around for over 50yrs and has a very good reputation.

Believe it or not, I have NEVER owned a grill pan.  *gasp*  We grill outside all the time but during the winter and on ugly days, it’s nice to be able to use the grill inside for some healthier eating.  Today we decided to do hamburgers and of course my husband took over because the one thing he cared about, was the grill marks!  Men!

The handle does get hot (because it’s oven safe obviously) but lucky for you, they provide you with a handle sleeve.  What I cared about though, was the cleanup.  Am I right??  You know how grill pans or anything with grooves can be a pain to clean right.  I was very pleased with the cleanup with this pan.  I had no trouble at all and the food had been there for about 3hrs so it had time to “stick”.

Everything cooked evenly, the grill marks turned out great, and cleanup was a breeze.  Definitely a great pan and if you care about living green, eating healthy, and high quality cookware, then this line is for you.  I cook nonstop for my family and for the ranch cowboys so I need cookware that will last.  It is slightly on the pricier side but you get what you pay for.  I’m all about quality and the Scanpan Professional line fits the bill.

Want to win one? Well lucky for you, I have a Scanpan Grill Pan to giveaway to one lucky reader! Valued at about $150.

TO ENTER:

Leave a comment on this post telling me what you would cook in your grill pan OR what steps you’re taking to eating healthier or live greener.

Additional ways to enter. You may do one or all but each one you do should be left in a separate comment.

• Blog it and tell me how bad you want this baby!
• Tweet it and include @ACowboysWife and the link to this giveaway.
• Stumble it and/or Facebook it.
• Subscribe by Email or by Reader!

This giveaway ends on March 30th (which happens to be my birthday) at 10pm CST,  or until comments are closed.  For more info on how I run my giveaways, read the “official rules“.