One of the benefits of running a pretty successful food blog is that every once in a while people make me a few offers I can’t refuse.  In this case, the Safeway family of stores suggested that I give Yoplait’s Fiber One yogurt a try and tell you guys what I thought about it.  They also gave me the option of offering a Safeway Fiber One gift pack consisting of a $50.00 gift card valid at Safeway, Von’s, Dominick’s, Tom Thumb, Genuardi´s or Randall’s.

To me that sounded like a win-win, so I said sure!

I got my gift card from Safeway and Fiber One through MyBlogSpark, along with a coupon for a package of yogurt in the mail yesterday, headed down to my local Safeway and picked up some yogurt (and other stuff.  I mean hey, I had $50.00 to spend.  I took advantage of it!)  I just gave the Strawberry yogurt a go for breakfast and…

It tastes like strawberry Yoplait.  It’s exactly what I expected.  Thick, rich and creamy. No funky aftertaste or strange textures.  It’s good yogurt, suitable for whatever it is that you use flavored yogurt for.  The plus’ are that this particular yogurt has only 50 calories, 5 grams of fiber and 0 grams fat.  It’s a great way to ensure that you or your family members are getting the recommended amount of fiber in their diets.

I gotta say that I can’t find anything bad to say about the product, I’d recommend it to family and I recommend it to you if you like Yoplait. You get a little added benefit from the fiber and still get a good cup of yogurt in the process.  If you hit your local Safeway before the 9th of February you can get 2 4-packs for $4.00 and give a couple of flavors a try at just about half the regular price, too.

Now on to the fun part!  The peeps at Safeway want me to give one of you guys a $50.00 Gift certificate good at any one of the Safeway family of stores, and I want someone to get it!

All you have to do is leave a comment letting me know what flavor of yogurt is your favorite, which you’d like to try, or how you use flavored yogurt (other than just eating it straight out of the container, that is.)

I’ll pick a winner at random from the comments on Thursday morning. I know it’s short notice, but I have other things to give out over the course of the next week as well.  The fun just never stops around here!

Get those comments in.  I really want someone to get the card!

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If you’re one of the millions of Americans that think making delicious Asian inspired meals at home is out of their reach, think again.  You only need to know Three things to create stunning restaurant quality dishes at home.  Cook it hot, cook it fast, and make sure the seasonings are right. With those three tips and a few simple tools you can have an exciting meal on the table in minutes.

I admit that I am no novice when it comes to Asian cooking.  If you’ve followed this blog for any length of time you’ve seen at least two dozen Stir Fry recipes and many more Asian dishes. It’s a passion of mine and it started with the same seasoning mixes that bring you this post.

Sun-Bird seasonings were my fist introduction to what great Asian food could be.  Even now that I can produce many Asian inspired dishes from memory, I still have a packet or two of Sun-Bird seasoning mixes in my pantry.  They’re awesome as marinades and as a quick base for something more complex.  They’re also pretty darned satisfying on their own, especially when I’m in a serious hurry or out of a key ingredient for a sauce. (Follow the link above for a great Stir Fry Recipe using Sun-Bird Stir Fry Seasoning Mix.)

On top of all that, If you hit your local grocer and check out the Sun-Bird lineup in the Asian foods aisle before October 31^st, you can enter to win one of 15 Blu-Ray™ Disk players. Good food, great movies and great recipes.  What more could you ask for?

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If you’ve thought of dieting, but have been worried that you’ll never be able to manage to make all the complicated recipes or live with the bland food, why not consider a diet food delivery service? Now, I would never be one to suggest dieting through the holiday season unless your health requires it.  It’s just not the time to worry about your waistline. (And Ladies, any man that tells you it is time to worry about your weight is not worth your time or just too vain to worry about!)

I do know that there are many people who will be worried about it once the season is over.  A diet food  delivery service might be a good choice, especially if you are on the go or otherwise just can’t seem to get to the store to buy the bland diet food alternatives at the local market.

BestDietFoodDelivery.com specializes in the delivery of diet foods.  You can order online and have what you need sent straight to your door instead of dealing with the hassle of shopping. Just imagine having your nutrisystem approved items arrive each week without ever having to worry about it.  You can also opt for the wildly popular and physician recommended zone diet food delivery service.

Hey, I’m not saying you need to go on a diet.  How would I know whether you do or you don’t?  All I’m doing is giving you another option if you happen to decide on your own that you need to.  That decision is between you and your doctor.  You did tak to your doctor about it first, didn’t you?

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The lovely Jill McKeever of SimplyDailyRecipes.com shows off the latest in foodie fashion

For those who haven’t popped in to the main Cooking… by the seat of my Pants! site lately, you may be unaware that we now have our very own CafePress store.  It’s only got a few things in it at the moment, but I try to add more daily, so keep checking in to see if we have something that might interest you!

I’m also very pleased to announce that our very first sale went ot my dear friend Jill, who looks absolutely stunning in her new gear, don’t you think? I’m open to any ideas that you may have for inventory, and eventually hope to have hundreds of choices for you, from CbsoP swag to funny bits and bobs that may interest your relatives.  Take a look or drop me a comment!

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And even if you have, is it somewhere safe?  Keeping your backups on the same machine you’re backing up, or even in the same building is not only a little silly, but it’s dangerous.  If stored on the same machine, even if it’s stored on a seperate drive, a power surge can take your backup out at the same instant it takes out your machine.  If stored in the same bulding a fire, flood or other catastrophe can, and will, take your backups out right along with your home or office.  Neither one of these options makes a lot of sense.

Using and online backup service can help prevent critical data loss, whether it’s business data that you can’t afford to lose or your family photos (which I would DIE if I lost), you’ll never have to worry about your local copy being damaged again. To me, that’s worth the cost of admission, my friends.  And at $.95 per month for 150gb of backup space or 2 gb for free, the price of admission isn’t going to break the bank. iDrive offers backup clients for both Mac and PC, so you’re covered no matter which operating sytem you use, so compatibilty isn’t a problem.

I bet you’re asking yourself “He’s sure pushing this one pretty hard.  I wonder if he uses iDrive?”

That would be a good question, and the answer is “Yes, I do.” I’ve seen far to many systems, even those that were running perfectly, suddenly fail.  I store not only my personal files on iDrive, but my business files as well.

Give iDrive a try.  What do you have to lose?  It’s free to check out and less than $5.00 a month to ensure that your important files stay safe, secure and happy, whether your computer does or not.

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If you are based in the UK and have been looking for ways to improve your career options, but don’t have the time to attend a traditional university, then Distance Learning courses from Kaplan Open Learning are probably the opportunity you’ve been looking for.

Kaplan Open Learning makes it relatively simple to attain a degree without ever having to set foot in a regular classroom.  All of their programs are taught online and taken at the pace and availability of the student, which means you have the chance to change your station without ever having to leave the position you currently hold, a large plus if you’ve ever considered the traditional route and were wondering how you’d find the time to balance work and school.

Kaplan offers courses in enough different subjects to help you widen your career path.  Courses include Criminal Justice, Business Management, Entrepreneurship, Marketing, Sales Management and Internet Marketing. In addition, they also offer a full BA Hons & BA Hons (Top-Up) degree in Business & Management to help you move your way up in the career of your choice.

Kaplan’s courses follow a work based approach, so you know that your studies will relate directly to the real world, rather than to some outdated business model that no longer applies to the career you’re in.  This is not only a plus to you, but provides an advantage over other courses that may have become mired in curriculum, rather than keeping up with trends in business and the world marketplace.

If you’re in the UK and have been considering the ways in which you can improve your career, your life and your income, looking into what Kaplan Open Learning has to offer could just be what you’ve been waiting for. Residents of the UK who have annual household incomes of less than £30,000 may be eligible for grants, and some or all of the tuition may be paid.

So if you’ve been wanting to move up in the world, give it a shot.  What do you have to lose?

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Ah, back to school.  There’s nothing a parent loves to hear more, especially if the summer has conspired to keep the more youthful members of the family indoors for extended periods. Of course, the kids might not find going back to school as welcome a thought as their parents do, especially if it’s the first day in a new school.

I remember my first day of high school.  It was nothing short of terrifying.  In fact, even though it’s a normal part of every child’s life, I can honestly say that the only thing I’ve ever done that was more nerve wracking than starting my high school career was my first week of basic training in the Navy, but at least there I didn’t have to worry about whether what I was wearing was in style.  We all knew that our bell bottoms were rather hilarious, especially when paired with black socks.

If you haven’t taken the time to try to get your school age children organized, now might be the time.  And a label maker might be just the help you need to avoid the most feared call in a parent’s world…

“Moooooooom! Have you seen my <insert lost item-that-will-inevitably-be-found-in-the-bottom-of-the-backpack here>?”

Label makers aren’t what they were when we were kids.  Not only do they print the same way that an inkjet printer does, but they are quick, too.  Add in some Color labels for a bit of additional help in locating that missing whatever-it-is, and you’re in business, with more time to devote to actually getting the little monsters darlings to do their homework.

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If you want to get the most out of your outdoor spaces, teak furniture should probably be on the list of items to consider. The benefits of teak patio furniture are legendary.  With luxurious elegant looks, resistance to even the most daunting conditions and extremes in humidity, teak outdoor furniture is simply the gold standard when it comes to natural outdoor furniture materials.

If you’re thinking that outdoor furniture styles are still like something out of the 1950’s, think again.  todays outdoor furniture is designed to be an extention of your living space, and in some cases the furniture may be more elegant than the furnishings in your home. I for one would be extremely happy to serve my family and friends in any outdoor space that is furnished with teak.  Why settle for something you’ll have to replace in just a few short years when you can have the beauty and longevity of 100% natural and sustainable teak furnishings?

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Shopping.com and Dealtime.co.uk are eCommerce search engines. The first is a U.S. targeted site and the second is targeted at the British market. An eCommerce search engine will search for the stuff you need at various merchants and get you the best prices available for those products. The advantage of having one based as a U.K. company is that my good friends in England don’t have to convert prices from U.S. Dollars to Pounds Sterling before making their purchases.  Convenient!

Say you’re a food blogger looking for a new digital camera.  If you’re in the U.S., you go to shopping.com and do a quick search for “Cheap Digital Cameras“.  You’ll get a list sorted by best match, all in U.S. Dollars.  Too easy, Dude!

If you’re in the U.K. just do the same search for “Cheap Digital Cameras” at dealtime.co.uk and viola! The same list, with a focus on where you can get the stuff for less in your market! Brilliant!

These may be names you know and they may not.  either way, it’s a great way to get the stuff you want at aprice you can afford, and aggregate serches are just cool!

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I know I talk a lot about coupons and discount codes. You can bet as the economy continues its spiral into fuel price nightmares and shortages in produce due to the spate of natural disasters the U.S. has been facing, I’ll be bringing you even more information on the topic.

This week’s code alert focuses on www.1-coupons.com. They’ve got some great offers going, like this offer where you can get free shipping and save 10% on your order from BodenUSA.com. Who can’t use a discount on some new clothes? To top that off, they’ve got deals on merchandise from Target, Half.com and my personal favorite, Wine.com along with a hundred or so others. (perhaps More).

We’re all looking to save a few dollars, and that situation is just going to get more drastic as the problems facing our economy get more severe. I’ll bring you all the deals I can find as time allows here. Hopefully I’ll get some good deals from chains that are near you or the places you’d shop anyway, like these deals from Buy.com. In any case, I’ll be on the lookout for any great deals I can find for all you guys, so keep checking back.

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