Country Crock, Eating Right, and a Giveaway! {Contest Closed}

I gotta tell you.  I can find a way to turn even the healthiest of ingredients into junk food.

Blueberry pie.

Broccoli smothered in cheese.

Carrots dipped in buttermilk ranch dressing.

So when I heard that Country Crock was encouraging families to be eat more vegetables and to use a healthier alternative to butter, I knew I wanted to do it.  

Normally, we will have a deep fried chicken breast with  pasta smothered in cheese, butter and oil with strawberry shortcake for dessert. 

How on earth was I going to make the a healthier meal and make it fit into the new USDA guidelines??

Challenge accepted grasshopper.

(and I soon realized it was a lot easier then I thought!)

I decided to add some of the magnificent zucchini that is growing in the garden.  My husband thought it would be a great idea to grill it, so the kids could see just how beautiful it is.

He cut up 1/2 inch to 1 inch slices and coated with a teaspoon of EVOO and some spices.

Since we are a family of six and since we are trying to be conscience of portion size, I made three chicken breasts instead of five. (the 5 month old doesn't eat grilled chicken quite yet)

These were simply marinated in terriyaki sauce and then grilled right along side the zucchini.

Instead of pasta we went with an USDA approved organic rice.

Surprisingly, one of my favorite substitutions ended up being some fresh cut strawberries.  Its amazing how that healthy sweetness trigger my brain that I was full, in the same way the cake would have.  

Now, I love butter.  I thought I was going to miss it in my quest for cooking better.  

After doing some research, I realized that  Country Crock is a healthier alternative to butter,  but with all the flavor!  With Country Crock I could even get calcium and Vitamin D!   Goodbye nasty trans fats!

So I went all in.  And decided to make a Bearnaise sauce. 

I adapted this recipe from Micheal Ruhlman.

1 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice

2 tbsp finely diced white onion

1 tsp kosher salt

2 egg yolks

1 1/2 sticks melted Country Crock

2 tbsp oregano

Put lemon juice, onion, and salt in blender.  Pulse a few times to combine.  Add egg yolks and fully incorporate. (about 1 minute)  Add hot melted Country Crock to blender (blender should be on low speed) in a slow stream.  Remove mixture from blender and mix in oregano with a spoon.

I would recommend following his directions (full video as well), as I did not have an emulsion blender.  

Gotta tell ya. The flavor of the chicken and zucchini when the bearnaise was lightly drizzled over top... was... well...

perfection.  

Guilt free indulgence.

It was also delicious on the white rice!  So with less than a tablespoon of the Bearnaise, we were able to deliciously flavor the entire plate.

Well.  Except for the strawberries. 

My kids gobbled up that zucchini.  They gobbled up their rice.  They smiled as they ate their strawberries.

They even went so far as to have seconds of the grilled zucchini!

Now wouldn't you enjoy seeing that delighted expression on your families faces right after they eat something that you know is better for them???  

Think you want to try incorporating vegetables into your everyday meals?  If you do be sure to leave a comment and tell me how it went!

When you do, you will be entered to win a $100 Cooking.com gift card!

Now how easy is that? :)

No duplicate comments. This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.

You may enter between August 24 – September 30th.

 

         

BlogHer.com Promotions & Prizes Page: http://www.blogher.com/country-crock-review

Sweepstakes Rules: http://www.blogher.com/country-crock-sweepstakes-official-rules

 

Comments

[Couponchickey]

i think grilling the veggies and letting them watch is a great idea..i am hoping to have a full garden next year...so grilling idea is great. i will be trying this!!

[Grishma]

aaahh what a great giveaway! I would love to win this one :) I am a vegetarian, so we eat it everyday as a main dish, side dish whatever way you can imagine. We love vegetables. Healthy, fresh n vibrant :)

[Caroline @ chocolate and carrots]

I recently added zucchini to pancakes and brownies. Sooo good! Thanks for the giveaway Amanda!
http://chocolateandcarrots.com/2011/08/zucchini-brownies

[Jenny]

We love vegetables here!

[Amanda]

You know what, just tonight I roasted my corn on the cob for the first time. I've been roasting broccoli and cauliflower on my stone jelly roll pan, but tonight I decided to try my corn on the cob. DIVINE!!!! I love all roasted veggies. I said tonight, "I don't ever need a pot of boiling water again!"

[Britiney @ Consider the Lilies]

I've just been serving more fruits and veggies with each meal and fewer carbs like potatoes and rice. My family still gets full, but on healthier foods and I've even lost weight! Thanks for a chance to win!!

[Elisa]

I try to cook a vegetable with almost every dinner in some form. The kids love them - praise the Lord!

On non-butter: If you're up for a challenging-to-the-American-norm read, check out The Maker's Diet by Jordan Rubin - very eye-opening and the margarine-type stuff may never be seen again! Also, Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon - whoa! We aren't hardcore the way these folks are, but it certainly was an education of the much needed variety.
God Bless - Elisa

[Dorothea]

I do try to incorporate more fruit and vegetables into my meals, and the easist (and most delicious) way for me lately is to enjoy my food as simply prepared as possible. Normally I roast my vegetables in the oven with a drizzle of oil, salt, and pepper - yum!

[Pat R]

I love all vegetables so it is easy to get my daily requirement. I've recently added home grown beets to our dinner menu. Delicious!

[Becky]

I've been trying to add grated or steamed/pureed veggies into things like spaghetti sauce and mac and cheese. My husband isn't big on veggies right now, but I'm hoping if I start sneaking them in, then he'll warm up to the taste! I love 'em in/with EVERYTHING!

[Liberty Pike]

I have been adding spinach to everything possible. If you add it at the last second, it wilts enough to go with cooked food but not too much that the nutrients are gone. Same for zucchini. Plus I have been using a lot of veggies out of my own garden or getting them from my local farm stores.

Skinnychef.com is a great resource for healthy recipes. I can't sing the praises of that website enough! She has a book too, "Secrets of a Skinny Chef," and posts "Under 30 Minutes" recipes along with many others on her blog. :)

[Allison]

I'm in grad school so it's hard to find time to cook in general. Most nights I'm not home til about 8pm so I make Lean Cuisine. Lately I've been buying bags of frozen broccoli, carrots, or mixed veggies and plating everything (frozen meal included!) so it feels more like a "meal." The veggies help to fill me up more than just the frozen meal would.

[Janis]

My dear bekah has food neophobia and vegetables are one of the things she will not eat. However, tonight at dinner she asked for celery. I of course, jumped up and got her some - hoping for a small miracle. She then proceeded to smother it in fruit dip (which is nothing more than marshmellow fluff and cream cheese). BUT she did put it in her mouth and lick it off. Little steps...little steps! :)We'll keep trying! :)

[Jodi P]

I am lucky, my kids love veggies! I recently tried giving them carrots which they have always disliked and they even ate them! I also have been adding shredded zucchini to everything in an effort to use it up...they don't even know it's in there...recently I added it to my stuffing of my stuffed peppers!

[Kari]

I sneak chopped zucchini and carrots into our spaghetti sauce and the kids usually don't even realize it.

[darcie]

Girl, you can even make ZUCCHINI look great! I don't know how you do it...but you've got me tempted to try! I did stir fry some veggies last night (& drowned them in a delish sauce) to help get them down the old pipe! HA! xoxo

[Debbie]

Zucchini bread is pretty delicious too!

[Mary C.]

Using as many vegetables from our garden and letting the girls have their "own" garden area has really helped them want to eat veggies. I agree with grilling (or roasting in the oven) the veggies; it gives them so much more flavor.

[Wendy]

We eat quite a few vegetables because somehow they are my kids favorite food. (they didn't get it from me, mine is chocolate!) Lately, we have been putting some of the vegetables in the smoker when we smoke meat. That gives it a fantastic new flavor!

[Karri S.]

We've just started grilling peppers (red, green, orange, and yellow) and also peaches. They're delicious!

[Liz]

A key for us was having our own garden this year. Hard to ignore veggies when they are right in front of you!

[Shari]

We eat lots of salad at our house, but we try to vary the types of vegetables we use. The more colorful, the better the family seems to like them!

[sandra]

we try to incorporate vegetables with at least dinner

[Trooppetrie]

we found out that our daughters love frozen peas. not cooked, just pour frozen peas on there plate and they eat them FROZEN, crazy

[Jon]

We love making salads!

[Hannah H.]

Growing up my mom had us eat vegetables every lunch and dinner, no questions asked. My sister's kids get upset if they don't have veggies on their plate. I don't technically have kids, but the kids I nanny don't like most vegetables. Letting them help grow them in the garden and pick the veggies helps, and sometimes if I offer it to them over and over they finally take it. Hopefully one of these days they'll eat them without complaints!

[Amy]

Yes, I always try to add more veggies into my family's diet as much as possible. As you said, it's happy to see your family and loved one is happy to see what you create and you know the dish is better for them. I think leading my example is important, the kids would see that. Thanks for a chance to win this wonderful giveaway.

[kay swederski]

I liked your meal - I am always looking for something new to do and side dishes are always the hardest.

[zeemaid]

I'm not eligible for the contest but I just wanted to say how delicious everything looks. BTW pasta isn't all bad if you make it a side instead of the main meal and go for whole wheat. :)

[Susan Smith]

I try to serve vegetables on the side or in the meal to incorporate more vegetables in our diets.

[Susan Smith]

http://twitter.com/#!/susan1215/status/107602981188411393

[Kristina]

Pancakes are a favorite in our household. I recently found a recipe for zucchini pancakes. Tasty, colorful and a bit sneaky. Breakfast for dinner anyone?

[Ruth Hill]

This is something I have done on a regular basis--especially lately. I have made it a point to add in more vegetables--even when the recipe does not call for it. It has made the food very tasty and much healthier.
ruthaw_1974@yahoo.com

[jessica edwards]

I really should add more veggies...

[Jesika]

I love veggies and always cook with them. My kids, especially the monkey in the middle, tend to pick around them. I'm always trying new recipes to incorporate veggies in a way that the kids find acceptable.

[Mary Beth Elderton]

A few years ago I began to half the meat and make it up with finely chopped veggies for Tex Mex and Italian dishes--with the same seasonings, no one seems to notice the difference. I've also been adding smashed beans to hamburgers and meat loaf. We have started using guacamole on some of our sandwiches rather than mayo. These small changes--that don't actually make a difference in what we feel like we are eating--add a lot of veggies and really cuts the fat.

[Kelly Massman]

I like adding extra veggies (cooked or uncooked) to salads! Variety, plus we eat it pretty well!

thanks also for a chance to win!
kmassmanATgmailDOTcom

[Debbie Bellows]

your dish above looks wonderful! We love all types of vegetables

[Debbie Bellows]

i tweeted here:

http://twitter.com/#!/bellows22/status/108020950129328128

[shel]

My mom always taught me that no dinner is complete without a veggie and I've always made sure we had one or two with every meal. My kids have grown up loving veggies...I even put carrots in my chili and now my kids won't eat chili without carrots.

[shel]

Tweeted;
http://twitter.com/#!/auntiethesis/status/108052067611967488

[Selinda]

I would definitely like to incorporate more veggies into our meals.

Thanks!

[Juli]

I love fresh veggies in the summer. I eat tomatoes like a raw apple - messy, but good! Marinated veggies are always good too.

[Jennifer]

I try to put more veggies in casseroles than the recipe calls for....

[Valerie Ippel]

Incorporating zuccinni in a chocolate loaf is always a good way to sneak in extra veggies - and the kids love it!

[Marcia]

My kids eat vegetables at each meal, but it can be monotonous... corn, carrots, peas, and broccoli are the staples. I'd love to get them to eat more variety.

[Leslie Sieburth]

My kids love slices of toast for breakfast. Olive oil rosemary bread. They will accept no alternatives to Country Crock! And I couldn't be happier.

[Monica K]

Looking forward to trying this recipe!

[Tracy]

I'm a vegetarian, so it's really all about the vegetables. My garden is overflowing, so a lot of Greek salad and grilled veggie sandwiches. And I need to can and freeze some tomatoes this weekend so we can enjoy them all winter.

[Katie C]

One of my favorite meals is Barilla Plus pasta (it has more protein than other pasta, so it's better for you, right?) with some butter or Country Crock and some Birds Eye steam fresh veggies mixed in. Just make the pasta, put the veggies in the microwave for 5 minutes and throw it all together! It's not as good as fresh veggies, but works better for a busy single girl like me!

[Londa]

I know I'm lucky, but my kids love vegetables! Raw. Sliced. No dip. Crazy kids! We are eating fresh salsa like crazy these days, too! I think they love their vegetables because their daddy loves them and makes them seem like the biggest treat ever! {good daddy} He needs $100!!! :)

[kim]

i love vegetables! and the 100 would help greatly with my budget. moving in with my boyfriend is costly! he eats a lot!

[Linda K]

My husband and I have lost a lot of weight the last few years. We started exercising more and eating better. We have been eating more fruits and vegetables. I love grilled vegetables but I am trying to get my husband to eat more.

[Andrew Dankleff]

I'm going to make sure i incorporate veggies in every meal of the day!

adankleff at gmail dot com

[Karen@SurvivingMotherhood]

Mmmmm. I love veggies. But my kids act like I'm torturing them when I remind them to 'Eat your vegetables.' *sigh*
They were gone one week this summer and I made grilled vegies on tortillas for hubby and me. *Oh, yum!*
Will continue trying to convince them that vegetables really are good.

[Lori]

I'm having so many problems getting my kids to eat vegetables. I've tried raw, roasted, grilled, boiled, covered in cheese, dipped in ranch, and the frozen bags already flavored and cooked in the microwave. No luck. BUT my favorite way to eat vegetables right now is roasted in the oven. Hope to be brave enough to try grilling them soon.

[cc]

I'm lucky that my kids love veggies.

They prefer raw carrots over cooked, demolish artichokes, and eat either broccoli or green beans. Frozen peas, served cold is one of their new favorites. I know it's weird but they like it.

I grew up on country crock and started using it regularly a few months back. I'm so glad I did. My kids used a ton of butter because it was hard to spread around. Country Crock is spreadable which means they use much less.

P.S. Your dinner looked great.You should try grilled peaches/apricots. So yummy.

[CarinaRdz]

My husband is not a vegetable eater, which is unfortunate. This summer however I have been trying to incorporate more fresh fruit and beans into our meals. My husband is a long road before we get him more interested in vegetables but for my little guy (14 months) I've been blending vegetables into other things for example: hummus with spinach, breakfast muffins with vegetables in it. And he loves peas! Which I encourage of course.
I notice that my skin feels so much better when I eat my vegetables.

[Lisa H]

This summer my garden died early from neglect, so I've really had to put more effort into getting fresh vegetables onto our plates. For some reason my kids tend to prefer raw veggies to cooked, so we end up with plates of cherry tomatoes, carrot sticks and celery sticks for our side dishes. :)

[Eugenie]

Right now I'm grilling pizzas with garden fresh tomatoes and basil and mozzarella. I like to eat what's in season and local. Rhis is best time of year to buy and eat veggies. I grill eggplants sliced or whole to make baba ganoush.

[Lee]

I like to sneak veggies in some of our favorite dishes like adding fresh garden peas or diced asparagus or broccoli to mac and cheese. The veggies taste better that way and everyone eats more.

[mami2jcn]

We've been eating more salads and adding carrots and broccoli as side dishes.

[mami2jcn]

tweet-http://twitter.com/#!/mami2jcn/status/110422484846772224

[Amanda Sakovitz]

we try to have veggies every night with dinner and I also try to eat salad at least once a week.

[Elena]

We eat salads with fresh veggies every day.

[Elena]

tweeted-http://twitter.com/#!/ElenaIstomina/status/110459867650723840

[CathyH]

With two huge gardens this year we have been eating great! It's a relief that Country Crock is good for you because we use it a lot!

[Julie]

Carrots with hummus = never fails

[Fab Kate]

I've found that I love steamed and grilled veggies, and have stopped buying canned foods in favor of fresh. I've also learned that everything tastes a little better on a bed of some sort of greens.

[Jeanette Hurd]

Want to try this meal with my grands. Some like veggies and some don't.

[angie]

I always try to cook at least one kind of veggie per meal even if it's just steamed broccoli. I just don't feel right if I don't have any veggie all day!

[Jessie C.]

I'd love to incorporate more veggies into our everyday meals.

[Jessie C.]

tweet.http://twitter.com/#!/tcarolinep/status/111319163590553600

[John Joseph]

I try to mix tomatoes and carrots into salad and eat veggies that we like the taste of so it comes second nature and you dont think eww yucky food thats healthy

[anne]

we have a garden in the backyard filled with wonderful veggies. I cook with them and use them in salads. What a lovely post and photos. many thanks.

[Melanie]

I try to make more veggie-heavy salads for each meal.

[Leah]

The kids love Broccoli and they love carrots, so we put them into everything!

leahforlove at aol dot com

[Leah]

http://t.co/t1wZri4

leahforlove at aol dot com

[Jenny B]

My kids LOVE veggies so....no need to sneak them in here!:)

[Tina M]

My family love vegetables. I cook vegetables in every meal

[Tina M]

http://twitter.com/#!/HappyTina0115/status/111648256001454081

[Cyndi]

We grill squash or zucchini almost every night. Love it!

[jo evans]

Saute fresh garden carrots ~ dab with Country Crock and a bit of fresh dill!!!

[Jennifer M]

We make a point to add veggies to every meal of the day. We've recently been hooked on Cauliflower mash - it has very little taste so it goes with everything! We also love fresh, home-grown tomatoes and bell peppers.

[Angie Mc.]

Thankfully, my family loves vegetables.

[Lauren]

I've never had a problem incorrperating veggies! My 2 yo loves them! The other day I gave him a 1/2 of a cookie after dinner while I was clearing the table and he pushed it aside and pulled the bowl of broccoli closer to him and started chowing down on the greens!! I'm not sure how we managed to get a kid who won't eat regular pizza but loves asparagus and spinach pizza - but I'll take him!

[Dana]

I have tried putting shredded zucchini and carrots in muffins and such and that works well, but my daughter has texture issues and gags every time we try veggies!

[Bethany]

I've started putting carrots in my tomato sauce - everything from chili to spaghetti. It helps keep the sauce a little sweet (what can I say, I'm a yankee) AND helps get more veggies!

[Wendy]

Having a brand new grill, I'm excited to grill anything, especially fresh veggies from our garden. I love our grill basket & use it all the time, especially for veggies so they don't fall thru the grates. My favorite is balsamic vinaigrette to marinate cherry toms, mushrooms, onions, potato, green & yellow bell peppers.

[Erin]

I'm adding more veggies into our meals by going to the farmer's market. No one can pass up on beautiful, fresh produce.

[Valerie]

It's easy to sneak veggies onto a nice, cheesy panini!

[Stacey Johnson]

My kids don't like carbs and are veggie fanatics, so its pretty easy to incorporate them into every meal. We eat them on a daily basis.

[chastidy S]

I try to have veggies with every meal. We have a small garden and when the kids help grow it the are more likely to eat it.

[Melisa]

We signed up for a CSA this summer, so we've been eating lots of veggies!

[Anne Ayers]

We always grill our garden veggies during the summer...especially the zuchinni!!!!!!

[Beth Anne]

I try to incorporate as many fruits and vegetables into everyday meals as possible. I even sneak them into places when I can :) I've gone as far as to put shredded zucchini into brownies and everyone loved them!

[Love2Create]

Yes I would love to! I grill zucchini and my hubby and kids love it...i would LOVE to try that sauce you mentioned above!! Thank you for the opportunity!

[michelle]

actually all of those processed "butter like" spreads are MUCH worse for you than actual butter. they're made with hydorgnated vegetable oils which studies are showing are more responsible for rises in heart disease than a natural ingredient like butter.

i understand that your blog is pushing certain products which sponsor your writing, but i think it's irresponsible for you to advocate the use of these products as "healthy alternatives" to women who trust you and your opinions without doing any actual research.

why don't we as a society go back to food which is actually food vs. something manufactured by in a huge plant by science? if you're so concerned about the negative health effects of butter, just eat less of it! learn to make yourself healthy with portion control instead of eating more of something that is "low fat".

[Ashley R N]

Agree with comment above! We love butter around here but try to use in moderation. I love most veggies, but how to get a toddler and husband to enjoy too??

[Andrea D.]

I try to add extra seasoning when having vegetables in or on the side of any meal. It helps to sneak them in for me and my family.