Vote Early ~ And Often!

Good news, gang, for two of our Bloggy Friends and POPrs Giveaway Winners. They're Blogging for the Gold, and need your help.

I was so tickled to get back-to-back e-mails from these gals. First from Veronica, of Supermarket Serenade fame. Those of you who visit Veronica's site know that it's an All Recipes, All the Time kinda place.

Well, Veronica's got a chance to win a $25,000 kitchen makeover from Crisco ~ that would be Twenty-Five Thousand Big Ones, folks ~ for her Carribean Chicken with Roasted Mango Sauce. Veronica made the Top Five, and needs your vote, please!

I'm not electioneering or anything (that's Hot Tub Lizzy's job, ya know!), but to vote for Veronica, please visit Crisco is Cooking, and do just that. You have to register, but it takes a couple quick seconds, and it's free. I'm told there's one vote per e-mail, but we Smarty Pants Bloggers know how to get around that, right?

And speaking of Smarty Pants Bloggers, don't you love Kathleen over at Katydidandkid? Well, this intrepid gal pal is one of 10 finalists in the Protect-a-Bed Blogher '09 Scholarship Competition!

Kathleen made it to the Top 10, and has a chance to win $300 ~ that's 300 Clams, folks! ~ to help fund her Chicago trip to BlogHer this summer. Polls close at Noon next Monday the 18th.

Please help our gal pals out. Please vote early ~ and often!

Veggie Mom~and Pop'rs~Exclusive!

Editor's Note: Before we start Today's Post, I'd like to ask you to help do a Bloggy Friend a favor. Mr. Fairway, Hubz to my friend Melissa B., is a finalist in the 2009 Bloggies. Please Click Here to vote for Mr. Fairway's Golf Blog as Best Sports Blog!

OK, I know...I'm supposed to pay homage to The Great Ground Hog today. Well, I. Just. Can't. Do. It. Especially since I just know that he's gonna see his shadow today and run back in his burrow...which, of course, means Six More Weeks of Winter!

Instead, I'd like to be a little more upbeat, and highlight one of Uncle Lynn's new Pop'rs Pals. In fact, Kathleen, of Katydid and Kid won a recent Pop'rs Giveaway! And yes, that's one of Kathleen's Yogurt Parfaits, with Stawberry Pop'rs on top. Rush on over there Right Now, and ask her for the recipe!

Anyway, Kathleen hosts a Featured Blogger every Friday, and guess who was up last week? Why, Veggie Mom, of course! Click Here to get the full scoop.

Kathleen asked some Probing Pop'rs Questions, and was quite the investigative reporter. So, we wanted to reprint those, along with Veggie's Awesome Answers. Right Here. Right Now. So sit back, relax, and consider yourself entertained!

Kathleen: What is your blog about?
Veggie: It’s about the health of the whole family…as the blog subtitle says, “Food, Family and Fun.” This means everything from eating healthy to the Adventures of The Pop’rs Family. Oh, and I throw in some randomness every so often, to keep it interesting!
Kathleen: Where does your blog title come from?
Veggie: My BIL, Uncle Lynn, asked me to start the blog as a vehicle to get his new seasoning product, Pop’rs, better known. Pop’rs are a fun, healthy way to encourage folks to Eat Their Veggies! Among other things, of course.
Kathleen: When and why did you start your blog?
Veggie: I think I answered part of that with the last question. But I’ve always been interested in writing, and Uncle Lynn asked me what I thought of the proposition of doing a blog that was targeted at family issues. My first post, entitled “Let’s Get Poppin’!” was published June 16, 2008. Eat Your Veggies! sort of evolved from there. After a few tentative posts, I think I found my niche in the Blogosphere. I really don’t know if there are a lot of “hybrid”-type blogs out there like mine. By that I mean that I try to focus on our family, but at the same time I’m trying to get Uncle Lynn and his product, Pop’rs, better known in the blogging community.
Kathleen: What would you like to add to your blog in the next year?
Veggie: I’m looking at redesigning it right now. You know, so I can incorporate more great info without all that cluttered, claustrophobic feeling. I’d love to do a regular interview feature with Uncle Lynn and some of the folks who have tried Pop’rs and really like them.
Kathleen: What are some of your favorite blogs?
Veggie: Oh, gosh, that’s a difficult question to answer! I have to say that Zander and Me, Fractured Toy, If Mom Says OK and Living and Loving Every Minute of It! really speak to me, on different levels. But I love all the bloggers I’ve met so far on this adventure, and hope to meet many more thoughtful people along the way.
Kathleen: What is one of your pet peeves about blogs or bloggers?
Veggie: I really don’t get irritated, except just a tad at the Lurkers out there. If you’re going to go to the trouble of visiting a blog, why not leave at least a little “Hello” to let someone know you’ve been there? It's nice to know that someone’s been paying attention, I guess.
Kathleen: What advice would you have for any new bloggers?
Veggie: I say speak from your heart, and you can’t go wrong. I think folks in the cyber community want to hear honest, from-the-heart dialogue. They love to hear family tales, or silly little stories about office interactions. You don’t have to be all serious all the time and pontificate about Great Things. Just be yourself! Get out there and make friends with other bloggers. These friendships create traffic and the traffic creates a buzz, and before you know it, you’ve taken off, and there’s no looking back!
Kathleen: What is something that people might not know about you?
Veggie: I’m left-handed, I can say the alphabet backwards, and I have a crush on Will Smith. Oh, and I detest lima beans. I don’t even know if Pop’rs could jazz those up enough for me!

Things Are Poppin' Around the Blogosphere!

First of all, Enter our Bloggy Pop'rs Giveaway Carnival. Today's the last day to enter! We're announcing the Winner tomorrow via our entry in Candid Carrie's Friday Finish Foto Fiesta. So get clicking and commenting right away!

Next, Uncle Lynn has a new Pop'rs Logo! Did you see it in the sidebar? Way cool, I'd say! Sorta adds some extra Ooomph! to his Great Product, don'tcha think?

And in another corner of the Blogosphere, Michelle from Honest & Truly, and a recent Pop'rs Giveaway Winner, spilled the other day about Mr. Man's Pop'rs Obsession.

"I'm not sure where he got the idea," Michelle says, "but he decided he wanted Pop'rs on his corn. I'm not going to discourage him from trying new things, so I put a few pieces of corn on the side of his plate and let him put a couple Color Burst Pop'rs on it (yep, Color Burst--kind of a fruity flavored one, not Butter, which would make more sense). And...he liked it. So I put Pop'rs on all of the corn, and he proceeded to have a grand old time eating them."

You might remember Mr. Man as star of one of our Awesome Infomercials during our New Year's Giveaway earlier this month. That's Mr. Man, the Young Pop'rs Fan, at the top of this post, enjoying his Pop'rs-infused dinner. Mommy Michelle is today's SITS Featured Blogger, so stop by and share some Comment Love with her!Also, our Great New Pop'rs New Years Giveaway Winners have all received their Awesome Pop'rs Prizes, and are giving them a whirl. Caroline, from Caroline's Crafts, bragged about her haul the other day: "If you get a chance," Caroline enthuses, "check out Eat Your Veggies! It is a fun site and you can learn more about Pop'rs and how they can encourage healthy eating." Thanks for Sharing the Bloggy Love, Caroline!

Last but not least, Kathleen, another recent Pop'rs Giveaway Winner, features a Special Blogger each Friday. Guess who she picked to feature tomorrow? Why, you're very own Veggie Mom! Please tune in to Katydid & Kid tomorrow to hear me dish about a wide range of topics, from my pet peeves to my obsession with Will Smith.

Please click on over to visit with these Lovely Ladies today, OK? And keep those comments coming!

Such a SWEET Giveaway!

Time is running out for you to enter our Great New Pop'rs Thanksgiving Extravaganza! To get started, Click Here. Then, Click Here, Here and, of course, Here and Here, before, at last, Clicking Here, Here and Here!! And then, of course, you must Click Here!

Remember--you get one entry for each comment. This Great Giveaway closes at 11:59 p.m. on Thanksgiving Eve. The more you comment, the better your chances of winning! And send me a recipe at veggiemom@poprs.com for another entry! If you comment on all my posts from this past week plus send in a recipe, you'll be Living La Vida Loca!

And, speaking of which, we've got a Sweet Recipe for ya today! Kathleen, she of Katydid and Kid, sent me this Delish Dish, which she makes each Turkey Day and for Christmas, too. Enjoy!

Kathleen's Sweet Potato Biscuits

1 2/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 sweet potato (10 ounces)--baked, peeled and pureed
1/4 cup cold half-and-half
2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Preheat the oven to 425°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, nutmeg, baking powder and salt. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in 3/4 cup of the pureed sweet potato and the half-and-half and mix just until the dough comes together.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead gently 6 to 8 times, just until the dough holds together. Roll or pat the dough into a 9-by-7-inch rectangle about 3/4 inch thick. Sprinkle the dough with the sesame seeds and pat them in. Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into 12 squares. Arrange the biscuits 1/2 inch apart on the prepared sheet and bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve hot.