Food Lion Frugal Cook Off Fabulous Fun and a Giveaway
As I have said before starting this blog has made me step out and do things I never would have thought of doing. Interviewing an author on a television show, meeting and interviewing members of the Carolina Railhawks soccer team, prescreening of movies, trips, and product reviews to name a few. But nothing would prepare me for the day when I opened my email to find an invitation to take part in the Food Lion Frugal Cook off. I was a little hesitant at first but I decided that this would be an awesome opportunity to grow as a person and also a chance to give the blog more exposure. To say I was nervous would have been an understatement.
As the days approached for the cook off I mentally planned my wardrobe because I did not want a wardrobe malfunction like what happened with da Luz. With that settled I waited for the email to let me know who my teammate would be. I was given a name but at the last minute she backed out and I was assigned a new partner, Jen from Jael Custom Designs. All I have to say is that God was smiling down on us- because we hit it off immediately. Having only gotten each other’s names the day before the cook off we scrambled for ideas of things to cook.
Now here is where the Frugal Cook Off gets tricky. We had no idea what protein we would be getting we knew that it would be chicken, pork, fish or ground turkey. But we also did not know what would be in the Food Lion Pantry as well. So brain storming was all that we could do.
Then the day of the Cook Off came, with my youngest two daughters and hubby in tow, I arrived at the Driftwood Southern Kitchen to take part in the challenge. Jen and I would be 2 of 8 bloggers that were chosen to compete that night.
Once I checked in with Allison, the PR rep, the nerves started in. Allison was so friendly and greeted each blogger with enthusiasm as well as with our own apron personalized with our name as well as our blog’s name. How cool was that? Once everyone arrived it was on the main event.
We were given 10 minutes to plan our meal (a main dish and two sides), 10 minutes to shop (Oh and did I mention we couldn’t go over $15.00) and 45 minutes to prepare it. Our surprise protein was pork. So we made Parmesan Crusted Pork Chops. You may remember I shared that recipe a few weeks ago. For our sides Jenn took the lead and made yummy sautéed spinach and parmesan noodles. We were the first ones done preparing our meals. The folks from Food Lion said it was a Frugal Cook Off record. Because we were the first ones finished we were also the first ones to present our dish to the judges. Food Lion had assembled an awesome panel for our judges.
They were Mike Hall, Director of Operations for Food Lion, Ashley Delmar from the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina, Delony Spraggins, Director of Operations for Food Lion and Alex Butler, the cohost of My Carolina Today from WNCN.
They were all so friendly and encouraging to all of the contestants. Although we did not win, I am glad I took part in this cook off. I made some new blogging friends Kelly from Kel’s Cafe of All Things Food and Rachel from Fit Triangle Mom as well as Jen. And I experienced something that I have never done before. Even though it was fun, I was exhausted and ready to go home by the end of the night.
For participating in the Food Lion Frugal Cook Off- Food Lion gave each blogger a swag bag filled with Food Lion Products as well as (2)$100 Food Lion gift cards. One for me to keep and one for me to giveaway. Interested in winning a gift card just use the rafflecopter below to enter.
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- Accepting the Fiverr Challenge #FiverrHustle
- Carolina Railhawks The Icing on the Cake
A frugal meal for me is making a big pot of chicken noodle soup and you get a couple meals making it.
Lasagna is pretty inexpensive and feeds a large family!
We like to make homemade spaghetti and meatballs with venison. The meat we have on hand, and the sauce is nothing more than tomato paste, spices, onion, mushrooms and garlic. Makes a huge pot and usually makes 4 batches to freeze.
I make a pot of spaghetti for an inexpensive meal. I usually try to make extra so that we can have it for lunch the next day.
Sounds like it was a fun event. I would love to attend one of these one day. We don’t have a Food Lion around here though unfortunately.
We typically will cook a large batch of chili and freeze a bunch. Makes a LOT of frugal meals!
I love a good giveaway. Chili cookoffs are so much fun! I’ve only been in one but I’ve tasted many.
My frugal food tip is reuse left overs to make new dishes. I also love to prepare freezer meals ahead of time.
It sounds like such a fantastic cook off – I love that they were so kind and interactive with you.
Good for you for stepping outside of your comfort zone and trying something new! I haven’t quite gotten there yet but I’m working on it!
My frugal idea is to make different meals with chicken. I took leftover baked chicken and made chicken salad.
I always love watching cook-offs like that! I’m not creative enough to take part in one, but they seem like a lot of fun.
My frugal idea is a pot of beef vegetable soup with grilled cheese sandwiches.
Those pork chops must have been delicious. It’s great to learn new recipes to introduce to your family during the week.
A frugal meal for us is soup and sandwich. Usually tomato soup with grilled cheese.
That’s awesome that you got to participate! I can’t even imagine how nervous I would be to be in a cook-off!
we do a family cook off but this cookoff sounds like a really good time .
I find a big pot of stew is a great cost effective dish. We get a few meals out of a pot.
My frugal meal idea is soups. Soups are tasty, can be frozen if you make a big batch and are usually pretty inexpensive to make.
A frugal recipes for me is anything pasta! Oh I hope I win, my son had a food lion in VA!
My best frugal idea for a meal is Spagetti! A box of spagetti and a jar of tomato sauce is so cheap! You can feed four people with that for under $5!
Wow! That looks like such a fun event! I’m glad you enjoyed it!
sounds like fun! What did you make?
My favorite frugal meal is upcycled vegetables for a pot of soup! It is great after a holiday and you have leftover veggie tray.
My favorite frugal meal is making a whole chicken and using the left overs to make shredded chicken rolled tacos. That and left over hamburger to make tacos
We do amazing spaghetti and garlic knots.
A frugal meal–spaghetti add butter, Italian herb bread crumbs and tuna. Or brown some hamburger-throw in some bottled sauce add to spaghetti–You do sound like you had a great if exhausting time!
A frugal meal for me is Ramen soup and if broccoli is on sale you can bump up the nutritional value by adding some broccoli florets as well. 🙂
Looks like a lot of fun! Awesome giveaway here on too!
Such a FUN and rewarding experience. I too would of been very very nervous! Congrats!
What a fun event. This makes me sad that I missed a cookoff that I was invited to here in Boston this past summer. It sounds like you guys had a blast.
A frugal meal for my family is chicken and beef enchiladas. I make up several pans at once and then freeze for a later time.
What a great experience to have! You may not have win the cook-off, but you’re still a winner for doing something so different. 🙂
What a great experience! I love making any kind of pasta dish, not only will my kids eat it if it has pasta its very budget friendly.
Aww! Looks like you had a blast!
Frugal meals here are taking something we had last night or the night before and creating something new and tasty.
We might have roasted chicken one night and then chicken soup the next.
A frugal meal for me is using my leftovers creatively. I made chicken the other day and saved the juice (natural chicken broth) then used that in potato soup for the family. They loved it! YUM>
Sounds like such a great event, I would have loved to participate. We do not have a Food Lion here that I know of (still learning my way around town!), I used to always shop there back home.
A frugal meal for my family is frozen pizzas. They are very Cheap and easy to make in no time.
Congrats on getting chosen! It sounds like you had a lot of fun. You are much braver than I am, I’m still panicking over having my picture taken for a bio!
We do tuna wiggle. Easy to make and cheap.Tuna, peas, in a white gravy over crackers. Old New England recipe that everyone says doesn’t sound great but can’t stop eating once they try.
That looks like fun. My challenge everyday is to make my frugal meals. Stretching the leftovers is fun to do to.
I love this event! It must have been totally fun to participate! MY frugal meal would be coconut curry chicken. Using chicken breast and things in the pantry I can make this in 15 minutes
How fun! I’d love to be in a cook off it looks exciting but also stressful, and I love that kind of thing!
What an awesome program! I wish we had a Food Lion local to us!
Since I love to cook and eat this looked like a blast! I bet it was so fun to attend!
This looks amazing! What an awesome experience, you deserve to be super proud of yourself.
I love to cook, but I don’t think I’d be able to do a cook off! I would be too nervous! It sounds like a lot of fun, though.
You can never go wrong with a big pot of pasta, easy to make, liked by all, and feeds an army!
That sounds like it was SO MUCH FUN! Like a Master Chef challenge! (Love that show!) Sounds like you aced it!
so proud of you Melissa, what a fun event, blogging changes daily and full of surprises.
What a great fun outing! I would be a ball of nerves to plan and cook with such limited time!
Yes exactly like a master chef challenge. The judges used those words exactly.
Thanks MAria, It was a struggled but I figured if I want this blog to grow I need to more exposure.
Ohh.. a food cook-off?! That sounds like such an amazing experience. How fun. – katy
I always have to shop frugal my favorite is mac n cheese with tuna an dpeas now that’s a cheap meal
What a great cook off! FOOD lion seems to have great deals and fun!
We don’t have a food lion near us. Great opportunity for you and your readers!
I would love to do this someday what a fun event! Chili is a frugal meal in our house. I love it with fritos, hot dogs, on a potato, or by itself. You can make it so many ways and stretch it. 🙂
T/hat sounds like it was a fun event. Also, it’s a wonderful opportunity for you.
Wow that looks like an awesome event. Great giveaway.
I had no idea Food Lion did this. I bet it was an amazing experience.
You’re braver than I am. I’m not sure I could have done it under the pressure! It sounds fun though!
This sounds like it was a fantastic event and what an exciting experience it must’ve been for you!
That would have been very nerve-wracking although it sounds like you had a good time. I know I could not have risen to that occasion because I am just not that good of a cook. Sounds like your meal was a winner to me.
This sounds like so much fun. I have always wanted to be part of a cooking competition. I would love to try some of those pork chops!
That sounds like so much fun – I’d LOVE to do something like that. Although, as much as I like to think I can cook, I’d probably freeze and end up undercooking my meat.
That sounds like such a fun event! I think for me, spaghetti is pretty much as frugal as it gets.
There isn’t a Food Lion near me, but I’ve shopped there while on vacation and loved it – but then again, I was on vacation and that makes everything better! 😉
Wow, this sounds exciting and nerve-wracking at the same time! You should be proud of yourself!
Pasta is such a huge staple in our household. The kids love it!
My favorite frugal meal is buying a whole chicken. For the first meal I will roast it. We’ll have homemade gravy from the juice in the roaster pan, potatoes and vegetables with it. After we are done eating we will pull the chicken apart. Bones and fat go in a pan with water and seasoning for slow boil. We’ll use that for a future meal like chicken and rice or egg drop soup. We’ll use the chicken meat and leftover gravy to make a pot of homemade chicken noodle soup. We even make our own noodles.
It is such a great thing that the market is encouraging frugal cooking. That shows concern and respect for their customers’ pocketbooks.
How fun that you got to take part in this. I think it sounds like a lot of fun too!
You stepped out of your comfort zone, met friends, networked and had good food. Sounds like a fun time had by all.
Sounds like such a fun experience! Who cares a bout a win? 🙂
This reminds me of those cooking shows on television. I love planning recipes that include chicken as the main ingredient.
Spaghetti and meatballs or meat sauce is my go-to inexpensive family meal. My kids love it and my husband and I tolerate it.
Well that’s one of the beautiful things about blogging. It forces you out of the comfort zone sometimes. I love that! Good for you. You should be proud and I can only imagine the nerves!
Cook offs are always so much fun! I haven’t attended one in a while. It brings out creativity and I love that
We love having breakfast for dinner. Eggs, pancakes and fruit are all very affordable.
I think all of the food lions in my state closed down. But a cook off what be so much fun.
My best frugal ideas are:
1. As so many others said, soup because you can throw in what you have, make a lot and free rest
2. Breakfast for dinner
3. Pasta carbonara because we always have eggs, bacon and parmesan
A frugal meal for us is taking a rotisserie chicken, eating it for dinner then using the carcass to make chicken and rice soup.
I would make a big pot of Chili with fresh bread. It would make quite a few meals with the leftovers.
We love tuna melts and mac n cheese. I add seasonings, garlic, cajon spices, onions, relish to the tuna mixture, on bagels. This is one of our favorite frugal meals. 🙂
I would say try to grow some of your own food, like tomatoes and cucumbers. Also freeze herbs, since you seldom need the whole bunch when you buy them fresh.
frugal meal idea= pad thai with ramen noodles!
hot dogs and mac & cheese!
I like to make hotdogs for a frugal meal