Here in Virginia, we are in the midst of Spring indecisive weather. Yesterday, it was raining. The day before, it was 80 degrees and sunny. The day before that, it was fifty degrees, but also raining. And the day before that, it was somehow both cold and sunny. Meanwhile, the leaves are all appearing on our trees, our magnolia is about to bloom and our azaleas are already starting to shed their petals. We are big fans of this time of year because of all the fascinating things that are going on in the world all around us. It makes for interesting teaching and science opportunities with our kids.
Just this weekend we took advantage of free time (now that Beyond Bacon is off to the printer) and took a farm tour at Chicama Run Farm. We saw Spring welcome all the baby farm animals, including less than week-old baby goats and piglets! Of course, the boys were most excited to get to gather their own eggs, which the hens are now laying in plenty that nice weather, fertile soil and bugs a-plenty have arrived!
Our kids have started to catch various critters that have now emerged, especially the emerging cicada Brood II (we’ve been finding exoskeletons!). And all of them have started varying seedlings at school that now sit in various places around the house awaiting to be planted.
And, perhaps most exciting for me, the farmers’ markets have opened up! Suddenly, we can have access to locally grown fresh lettuces and greens and even strawberries! Our fridge is packed with all kinds of delicious foods just waiting to be prepared and consumed.
So, with all this excitement, we thought it would be fun to prepare a Spring giveaway! We think you’ll like this one – everything you’ll need to take advantage of the Spring! Remember all of these vendors were generous enough to donate these prizes, please express your appreciation by visiting their sites and patronizing their goods. What are we giving away, you ask?
Le Creuset
Yes, that’s right. The folks who make my very favorite pot of all time (the giant cobalt Dutch oven often featured in our stews and braises) are donating not one, but two enamelware spring colored pots to our grand prize winner! These pots are incredible. I have never used anything that I have loved as much as my Le Creuset equipment. We personally use and love these pots so much you will find them featured in photos throughout Beyond Bacon.
And the reason is, the pots hold heat evenly like cast iron but without the difficult clean up and maintenance. They work on both stove top and in the oven and are so effective you’ll find yourself turning your burner and oven to lower temperatures for the same result. Not to mention, they’re so pretty they are perfect for to display in your home! Our grand prize winner will win:
Caribbean Blue 3.5 quart braiser and a bright and sunny Soleil Yellow 5.5 quart round French oven for your soups and stews
Dreamfarm
After months of chopping the same root vegetables, stewing them for hours, then huddling around a hot stove for warmth, once Spring hits we just want to eat some fresh vegetables! Let’s celebrate the new season with new equipment from Dreamfarm. How about the Dreamfarm Vebo? It’s a BPA-free basket tool to use for a fantastic combination: veggie boiling, steaming and straining. We’re constantly using multiple tools to accomplish all the stuff you can do with just this one little basket!
Dreamfarm is also giving away a set of Chobs, their handy color coded cutting board legs that allow easy distinction between your raw meat side and your vegetable chopping side, how smart!
Gardener’s Supply Company
How about you brave souls that attempt to grow your own food? Gardener’s Supply Company is offering a Salad Bar Garden Planter to our grand prize winner! Do you want to grow herbs and vegetables but your space is limited to how much you can devote to planting? Here’s a perfect solution for you: a tall table sized planter that is compact enough to be place anywhere, even on an apartment balcony! You’ll have no excuse not to grow your own herbs or greens.
But that’s not all our generous gardening friends have offered! If you are a second or third place winner, you will receive this charming colorful Tubtrug for all your garden hauling needs!
(Equipment not included)
EPICbar
The first thing I think of in Spring is the color green. Of trees and bushes blooming and fertile grass arriving. And you know who likes green grass? Cows! The folks at EPICbar have created a delicious bar that combines the best of both worlds – the fruit & nut bar you love meets the grass-fed jerky you need for protein – into one epic bar!
Don’t find yourself at Seven-11 compromising your food quality standards after a long hike or romp at the playground. Enjoy hours on end away from home being fueled by EPIC! They make delicious bars that combine jerky with nuts, dried fruit and spices formed into a high impact, high nutrition snack bar you will love! Not only are they 100% paleo-compliant and low on the glycemic index, they’re made with meat from sustainable, grass-fed animals!
Are these not the sweetest wrappers you’ve ever seen in your life?
Sounds too good to be true, yes? Well, here’s something even better: our grand prize, second prize and third prize winners will receive an assortment box with all three of their flavors plus apparel from EPIC! And um, we’ve got our eye on one of their t-shirts…
The Giveaway!
Grand Prize
- Le Creuset 5.5 Soleil Yellow French oven
- Le Creuset 3.5 Carribean Blue Braiser
- Dreamfarm Chobs
- Dreamfarm Vebo
- Garden Supply Company Salad Bar Garden
- EPICbar assortment and apparel
2nd Prize and 3rd Prize
We will select a winner at 12 AM on May 28th. To enter, follow the rules in the Rafflecopter app below. In order to enter you must complete the first few steps, in order to support our generous vendors. Then, you are eligible for quite a few extra entries, all which help your chances!
When you enter keep in mind Matt’s rules of giveaways:
- Please have a valid email address that is accessible by me. I cannot use my dowsing rods to attempt to find which bytes form your contact address!
- Please follow all the rules so I don’t get frustrated by invalid entries. Nothing makes more of a sad panda than picking a winner who I have to disqualify.
- Please respond within 48 hours or I will have to pick a new winner! I have a certain set of skills that make me a nightmare to people who don’t respond: the ability to randomly draw again.
- Please be a US resident. My mana is too low to cast a Teleportation Spell!
May the odds be ever in your favor!
