Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Del Monte Add Some Garden Contest

Most people I know could use a few more servings of fruits and vegetables in their day. I’m a vegetarian and still tend to come up heavy on the carbohydrates and low on the fruits and vegetables. In order to help encourage people and give some advice on how to get more vegetables in our diets, Del Monte is having an ‘Add Some Garden’ contest on Facebook. They are offering fantastic prizes throughout such as kitchen appliances, and $25 or $500 gift cards to Williams Sonoma.

Please visit the Del Monte Facebook page from November 5th through February 4th for full details and to enter!

There will be five phases during the contest in which Del Monte will feature a different canned variety every two weeks. Fans will have five days during each phase to submit their best tips, and consumers will be able to vote for their favorite tip during the second week of each phase

The five winning tips for each phase will then go head-to-head for a chance to win a Grand Prize culinary travel adventure, valued at $10,000, which will be announced February 15th

Week One was Green beans (November 5- November 18): My family really wanted to think outside the box for this one so we decided to make a green bean pizza! We took all the normal steps to make a regular cheese pizza and then drained a can of Del Monte green beans and pressed them between paper towels to remove any excess water. Added them and baked as instructed. We are huge fans of pizza and really enjoyed it with the subtle taste green beans offer.


Week Two is Corn (November 19- December 2): For this we decide to have another household favorite, spaghetti macaroni. We just use macaroni shells, which we cooked according to the instructions, and added our favorite tomato based pasta sauce. This time we also added a can of drained Del Monte whole kernel corn to the sauce. It really added a nice crunchy texture and the corn flavor complemented the pasta sauce quite well.


Week Three is Tomatoes (December 3- December 16): For this we made bean dip using refried beans, a can of Del Monte diced tomatoes, and just a dash of garlic. It was such a tasty treat and a perfect way to sneak some garden into your snacking!


Week Four is Peaches (January 7- January 20): For this I will make a regular boxed cake and add a drained can of Del Monte peaches after blending. Just drop them over the top of the cake once you have it in the pan, that way they are spread out - they will sink while it bakes. To really add to the taste replace some or all of the called for water on the cake instructions with the juice you drained off the fruit - that makes it extra sweet and moist. I love a recipe that is so much better than the effort you put into it!

Week Five is Pears (January 21- February 3) We love crumbles and I made an extra easy and extra tasty pear crumble. To make this spread a can of Del Monte pears in a baking dish and put in enough juice so that they don’t stick to the bottom.  Then spread a box of spice cake mix evenly over the pears. You will need 1/2 cup of margarine - closely space small dollops of the margarine evenly on top of cake mix. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes. This was dead easy and very tasty.


Del Monte canned fruits, vegetables, and tomatoes contain the same essential nutrients as fresh varieties and Del Monte fruits and vegetables are grown in the best growing regions of the United States, providing you with a consistently quality product. The majority of Del Monte products are picked at the peak of ripeness and canned on the same day, to ensure nutrients and flavor are locked in. All this makes a difference you can taste!

Del Monte has generously offered one lucky My Empty Nest reader a Del Monte gift pack just like the one they provide me, which includes: Five (5) Del Monte canned varieties- Green Beans (1), Corn (1), Diced Tomatoes (1), Peaches (1), and Pears (1) and a $25 Visa gift card. Please use the rafflecopter below to enter. Open to US residents 18 and older. Winners have 48 hours to respond by email before another winner is chosen.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Disclosure: The Del Monte product, information, and two gift packs have been provided by Del Monte. My opinions are my own and may differ from yours. My Empty Nest is not responsible for prize fulfillment

38 comments:

  1. I'm a total veggie nut. I eat them with everything.

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  2. I try to slip veggies into everything I cook. We are a veggie loving family so it's not hard to include them with every meal. Veggie pizza is a big favorite

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  3. love zucchini...wish i could get it fresh all year long..it goes good in so many things..even desserts!

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  4. What a fun review. I love a challenge.

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  5. lOVE BROCOLLI & TRY TO PUT IT IN EVERYTHING IF THEY'D LET ME!

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  6. I try to make veggies and have ranch dip or ketchup for my son to dip them in.

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  7. I like raw veggies with ranch dressing..it is a good snack

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  8. I like to eat veggies with most all meals.

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  9. I love to add veggies on my pizza and with pasta

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  10. I always try to add some vegetables somewhere in our meal...alot of times we will have a small side salad along with our dinner!

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  11. Make a salad is the easiest way for me :)

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  12. We love veggies and try to incorporate with almost every meal, being green bean casserole, broccoli or others

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  13. I eat veggies all the time. I try to eat them in season especially in salads during the summer. In the winter I love to make vegetable soup and load it up with veggies!
    Thanks for the great giveaway!
    Pam B.
    wvpamb at gmail dot com

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  14. I eat them for snacks instead of junk food. Even if it's green beans!

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  15. Fruits and vegies are the mainstay of my diet. I build my meal around them.

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  16. i try to eat them all the time, and especially when i get salads i load them full with the veggies:) and we try to have a veggie every night with our dinner:)

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  17. I make all kinds of things w/Del Monte veggies, I just used tomatoes and chilis in my Chili, I spice up corn, casseroles, all kinds of great dishes.
    Kaci Guisinger harrison

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  18. My favorite thing to eat for a meal is a chef salad with everything on it but I can't eat that for every meal, a couple nights ago I made Irish stew, but occasionally I love to make veggie lover pizza. thank you for a great giveaway. Happy holidays

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  19. If I'm in a hurry and looking for a quick lunch or snack I'll cook up some ramen noodles and add corn or peas and carrots to it so that it's not just noodles and is a bit healthier.

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  20. I make a lot of casseroles and always use vegetables mixed in so the kids eat them.

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  21. I add peas to just about every casserole as well as salads.

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  22. I try to make veggies and have ranch dip

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  23. we always have a veggie with dinner and with lunch!

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  24. I like to throw together a salad for extra "garden"

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  25. canned fruit at dinner, and vegetables of some kind with dinner as well. Tortilla stacks are one of my favorite ways to use vegetables, because you can use just about anything and its great for leftovers :)

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  26. I try to add beans to various casseroles replacing some of the meat.

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  27. I usually use them as a side dish.

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  28. We always include a small salad with dinner!

    skkorman AT bellsouth DOT net

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  29. My favorite way to add garden to my meals, which my wife does not approve of, is to eat french fries or tater tots as often as possible.

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  30. We can usually find canned veggies on sale for 3 for $1, so they are almost always served as a side dish

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  31. I like to put load of veggies in stews and soups!

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  32. I hide veggies in meat, such as canned carrots or beets in meatloaf. The picky eaters in my house never taste it and therefore never know :)

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  33. We have steamed veggies with almost every meal anyway, but I regularly add veggies to most things I cook. Chili is loaded with corn, carrots, beans, tomatoes, even celery and barbecue chicken is mixed with grated carrots!

    Thanks!
    h4schaffer at gmail dot com

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  34. we eat alot of vegetables with dips

    lmurley2000@yahoo.com

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  35. I eat alot of salads.
    rounder9834 @yahoo.com

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  36. I love to put tons of veggies on my pizzas!

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