The Healing Powers of Chocolate

In recent months I have become something that I have never considered myself before.  I've tacked on a new label to my persona, something that I'm often loathe to do, but am fully embracing in this particular situation.  That thing that I have decided to become, friends, is... A Contestant.

No, no game shows or bull riding or whatever other freakish thing just came to your mind (I know how you think).  I'm talking about contests.  Lotteries of sorts.  Have you ever been flipping through a magazine and seen an advertisement for a sweepstakes with a grand prize all-expenses paid, luxury, vacation, cruise, kitchen makeover, ten thousand dollars, life-time supply of whatever?  Well, I've been entering those contests.

You see, back in April I won some dried mushrooms through the Foodie Blogroll (check out their widget to the right).  It was exceptionally fun to be randomly selected to win a box of dried fungi, which I love.  So much fun, that I started entering into the FB contests every month.  Then in August, I entered into the Foodbuzz/Oroweat Summer Grilling Recipe Contest, which I won.  Still a little bit overwhelmed by that one.

So once I'd tested the waters with this contest entering business and found that sometimes I do actually get really great stuff, I jumped head first onto the wagon.  Now I enter contests every time I come across one.  Win a Vitamix, or a weekend in wine country.  My favorite contests to enter, though, are the ones whose prizes are books.  Food books.

That is why I am proud to fill you all in on this contest that I'm currently hoping (fingers, toes, arms, legs... everything is crossed!) to win.  The prize is a book.  About food.  About chocolate.  And I'll go even further.  The prize is a book about the healing properties of chocolate.  Did you just get chills?  Me too.

 

Foodie Blogroll Wild Mushroom Giveaway: I'm a Winner!

When it comes to winning things, you know, through raffles and whatnot, my luck runs a little below average. Not to say that I've never won anything. There was that DVD player scored at a work Christmas party several years ago, and I've hit about $50 total in scratch-off lottery tickets in my lifetime. Let's face it, though, those are pretty meager stats for almost thirty years of living.

What a surprise then when I logged into my gmail account a couple of weeks ago to discover that chance had worked in my favor, and that I'd won a Foodie Blogroll Giveaway! The prize? One bag each of dried morel and porcini mushrooms courtesy of Marx Foods. Five ounces total of delicious, earthy, dehydrated fungi had my name written all over them. Porcini! Morels, people!

OK. So maybe this doesn't sound like much. I'll admit, it's no $35 million from Powerball, but for a seldom-selected-for-random-prizes, mushroom-loving individual such as myself, I might as well have just bid within $100 on the Showcase Showdown and taken home the new car, the jacuzzi and the 10-piece dining room set. I was pretty darn excited about my winnings.

So you may be wondering what this Foodie Blogroll thing is. You may also be curious about the steps necessary for you to join this community of bloggers and to enter into contests for awesome food-related goodies each month. Luckily, it's incredibly easy and lot's of fun. First things first, you'll want to head on over to the Foodie Blogroll website and register your blog. The website is really easy to use and the support team is very helpful in getting everything up and running.

Once you've got that blog of yours approved for the Blogroll, you're free to enter into the monthly contests, most of which only require a quick comment for entry. So painless, so worth it.

Just a few, short days after that golden email notification, I received the much anticipated package via UPS containing my loot. Marx Foods adorned the sides of the cardboard vessel with the words "Goodies Inside!", as if I needed anymore temptation!

Goodies is an understatement, my friends. These 'shrooms are fine fungal specimens, ready and waiting for entry into some fabulous, fragrant cuisine. I'm thinking soups, pasta, and maybe a little wild rice action. Keep an eye out for upcoming mushroom recipes. Check out these morels. Gorgeous!



Much thanks to Marx Foods and The Foodie Blogroll!