Pasta Giveaway Winner & Foodie Pen Pal Reveal

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

I first want to start by saying I'm feeling incredibly thankful that I am able to sit here and write this post today.  Unlike so many others in the tri-state area, I woke up this morning to an apartment that is heated, powered and free of any real damage from the nightmare that was Hurricane Sandy.  My iPhone is charged and I have complete access to Facebook and Twitter.  More importantly, I know that none of these things matter.  It is not lost on me that so many have not been as lucky as I have.  People have lost their lives, their families and their homes.  But one thing we can all count on is the resiliency and strength of our nation, our state and more particularly, our beloved New York City.  Now more than ever, I'm so thankful and proud to be a New Yorker.  My heart goes out to any and everyone affected by this disaster. 

In addition to being Halloween, today is the last day of National Pasta Month.  That doesn't mean we can't celebrate all year round with tasty & nutritious pasta recipes! Especially since we know that Pasta Fits into a healthy lifestyle!  Also it's time to announce the winner of my Pasta Prize Pack giveaway! 

Congratulations Tiffany!  I'm so excited that you'll be receiving this awesome Pasta Fits prize pack, including Dreamfields® Spaghetti, Mueller's® Whole Grain Spaghetti, Heartland® Gluten Free Wheat Free Penne, Ronzoni Healthy Harvest® Spaghetti, Ronzoni Garden Delight® Rotini and an Ultragrain Pasta® Spaghetti Spoon!

Please send me your contact information and we'll get your prize sent out to you! 

And finally...Today is the October Foodie Pen Pal Reveal Day! :)

Here's what the program is all about...

-On the 5th of every month, you will receive your penpal pairing via email. It will be your responsibility to contact your penpal and get their mailing address and any other information you might need like allergies or dietary restrictions.

-You will have until the 15th of the month to put your box of goodies in the mail. On the last day of the month, you will post about the goodies you received from your penpal! 

-The boxes are to be filled with fun foodie things, local food items or even homemade treats! The spending limit is $15. The box must also include something written. This can be anything from a note explaining what’s in the box, to a fun recipe…use your imagination!-You are responsible for figuring out the best way to ship your items depending on their size and how fragile they are. (Don’t forget about flat rate boxes!)

-Foodie Penpals is open to blog readers as well as bloggers. If you’re a reader and you get paired with a blogger, you are to write a short guest post for your penpal to post on their blog about what you received. If two readers are paired together, neither needs to worry about writing a post for that month. 

-Foodie Penplas is open to US & Canadian residents.  Please note, Canadian Residents will be paired with other Canadians only. We've determined things might get too slow and backed up if we're trying to send foods through customs across the border from US to Canada and vice versa. 

To get more info on Foodie Pen Pals or to join for October, visit The Lean Green Bean or click the icon below.  

This month my Foodie Pen Pal package came from Lauren over at Lauren Living Locally.  Thanks, Lauren! :)  I really love the concept of her blog, which follows her adventures in cooking food from local farmers markets and CSAs.  

Here's what she sent:

Kashi TLC bars

Sea's Gift Seasoned & Roasted Seaweed Snack

Lara Bar (love them)

Celestial Tea

The cutest baby Tabasco sauce! (I told her I liked spicy things)

Homemade Granola 

Once again, big thanks to Lauren for my FPP package this month!  

You can head over to The Lean Green Bean FPP link up to check out what other pen pals sent and received this month.  And if you're digging this program, sign up by November 5th to participate! 

Happy Eating, Happy Halloween and Stay Strong Everyone! :)

National Pasta Month Recipe & GIVEAWAY!

October is one of my favorite months for many reasons.  The leaves are changing color, pumpkins are everywhere and Halloween fun is just around the corner! Oh and it's National Pasta Month!  Pasta is one of my favorite foods and as a runner, it's definitely a staple in my diet.   And I'm not alone!  According to the National Pasta Association, the average American consumes 20 pounds of pasta each year.  So to celebrate Pasta Month, the folks at Pasta Fits provided me with a pasta pack so I could make and share a tasty pasta recipe with all of you!  And if that's not exciting enough, they're also giving PB&P readers a chance to win a Pasta Prize Pack for themselves! 

Before we get to the recipe & giveaway, let's talk about why I love pasta so much!  First of all, pasta is tasty and nutritious!  It's a naturally low fat, low cholesterol, low sodium food that contains plenty of B-vitamins, folic acid, magnesium and Vitamin E.  Whole wheat versions can also pack a bigger nutritional punch with increased fiber and protein.  Another reason to jump on the pasta-loving bandwagon is that it is extremely cost-effective.  The average price per pound of pasta is just $1.45, making it a great way to eat well on a budget.  Last but not least, pasta is super versatile.  Pasta fits (get it?!) into so many healthy dishes that you'll never get bored.  Add seafood, vegetables, beans, heart healthy oils or lean meats to your favorite pasta for a completely nutritious and delicious meal.  There are just so many pasta-bilities! ;)

 [Keep in mind: one serving of pasta is 2 ounces uncooked, or for those of us that don't know what the heck 2 oz means...about one cup cooked]

Make sure to visit the Pasta Fits website or Pinterest page to find some inspiration for your own pasta meals.  But first start with my fall-inspired pasta recipe using a few things I love--pumpkin, spinach and goat cheese!

Whole Wheat Pasta with Spinach and Creamy Pumpkin Goat Cheese Sauce

(Recipe makes ~2 servings)

4 ounces (1/3 box) of Ronzoni Healthy Harvest Whole Grain pasta

2 Tbsp butter

1/2 onion

1 clove garlic

4 Tbsp flour

3/4 cup skim milk

1 1/2 cup pumpkin puree

2 oz goat cheese

Sprinkle to taste: salt, nutmeg, cinnamon

 1-2 cups spinach, sauteed

1.  Bring pot of slightly salted water to a boil.  Cook Ronzoni's Healthy Harvest pasta until al dente (about 6-7 minutes).  Drain and set aside.

2.  Melt butter in a skillet and add chopped onions and garlic.  

3.  Stir in flour to create a roux.  Add milk and pumpkin puree, stirring continuously.

4.  Add goat cheese until melted into sauce.

5.  Add spices to taste/preference.  (I had a little bit of a heavy hand with the cinnamon because I love it!)

6.  Toss cooked pasta in pumpkin sauce and add sauteed spinach.

7.  Enjoy! 

Nutrition Facts (per serving): 480 calories, 10g fat, 59g carbohydrates, 19g protein, 12g fiber.

And now for the Pasta Prize Pack GIVEAWAY! 

Not only did my friends at the National Pasta Association share the gift of pasta with me, but they'd like to share it with you too!  Enter my giveaway for a chance to receive the products shown above.  

Here's what you'll get:

Dreamfields® Spaghetti
Mueller's® Whole Grain Spaghetti
Heartland® Gluten Free Wheat Free Penne
Ronzoni Healthy Harvest® Spaghetti
Ronzoni Garden Delight® Rotini
Ultragrain Pasta® Spaghetti Spoon

This giveaway ends at midnight on October 30th, 2012.  The winner will be randomly selected by RaffleCopter and announced on October 31,2012.  Good luck! :)

There are a few ways to enter the giveaway, but make sure to leave me a comment telling me why YOU love pasta!!! Leave a separate comment for each entry!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: As always, the thoughts and opinions on this blog are mine alone. I was not compensated for this post. The National Pasta Association provided one Pasta Prize Pack for myself and one for a PB&P reader.