Congrats to winner: MochaDad

In my Outback Steakhouse is for Serious Foodies (Like Me!) post, I mentioned that I would be giving one of you my $100 Outback gift card. (I took my husband to Outback for the Fourth of July so he’s over not wanting me to give it away.)

Normally, $100 is not a whole lot of money for dining – it just about covers a family of four. However, Outback’s new menu offers 15 meals under $15, starting at $9.95 – with a steak meal for only $9.95. That started me to thinking…

The gift card winner could feasibly take their family of four out to dinner (15 x 4 = $60) AND still have money left over to take one or two other people out along with them! It would probably even be less because Outback’s menu for kids under 10 is priced from $4 – $7. (You could use the extra to share Outback’s famous “Bloomin’ Onion” appetizer or their scrumptious “Chocolate Thunder From Down Under” dessert.)

So, I’m doing something a little different with this giveaway. The gift card is not just for you. It is also for the person whom you are going to treat to dinner with it. Who do you know that “deserves” a steak (or shrimp, lobster, ribs, chicken, lamb, etc.) dinner?

-Is it an amazing single mom and her kid?

-Is it just someone who’s down on their luck due to the impact of the recession?

I could go on and on about the different types of people who inspire me personally, but I won’t. Rather, I’ll let you do so.

To win the $100 gift card, please let me know whom you would treat to an Outback Steakhouse dinner and why in the “Comments” section below by July 31st.

For additional entries:
1. Link to this giveaway post on your blog.
2. Follow me on twitter or friend me on Facebook.
3. Leave a comment on any of my other (non- giveaway) posts until July 31st.

Good luck!

(To see other contests & giveaways around the web, visit Contesting Monday or Contest Monday.)

I was in “foodie heaven” last night while attending an Outback SteakhouseTasting Event. While there, Outback’s Co-Founder and Head Chef Tim Gannon and Dave Ellis, Vice President of Research & Development shared about the company’s chef-inspired food at reasonable casual dining prices. It was obvious that both men love / are passionate about what he does.

They emphasized that “great food comes from great ingredients”. As such, everything in their restaurants is made from scratch. Since Outback was voted “#1 Best Steak” in a 2009 Zagat survey of National Full Service Restaurant chains, they must be doing something right! What impressed me the most (after eating various menu offerings) was that Outback has managed to serve such a variety of quality foods at such reasonable prices. (I’ve mentioned Outback’s new menu that offers 15 meals under $15, starting at $9.95 – with a steak meal for only $9.95 – on this site before.) I found out that the way that they are able to do so is because commodity prices are going down in this economy, so they can buy food at better rates. In addition, they have re-designed their menus to combine foods in order to be able to offer such competitive prices.

It was interesting to learn the “behind the scenes” information about this family-friendly company of restaurants. However, smelling and tasting the food made the event extra wonderful. For instance…in the past, I was not a fan of lobster. It tasted like “wet chicken” to me. After tasting Outback’s lobster, my mind has been changed. I LOVE lobster. (I leaned that the smaller the lobster tail, the better the taste. Maybe that was the problem in the past…) Anyway, take a glimpse of what I ate (click to enlarge):

And Dessert…

The room was dimly lit, so my photos are a little dark, but you get the overall picture. All I have left to say is that after chatting with my friends Beth and Issa and meeting fellow diners Aly and Jonathan, I “waddled” out after the tasting event! Oh yes, I do have one more thing to let you know. At the end of the event, Outback gave me a gift card for $100. My husband is not too happy with me about this, but I’m going to give it to one of you later this month. Stay tuned…

Discount
-Custom Made For Kids: If you use the code “summer2009”, you will receive 20% off personalized book orders placed by September 21, 2009.

Father’s Day
-Care.com: They are offering some cute FREE Father’s Day coupons that you can download at Coupons for Dad. (They are also offering a 15% promotional code to sign up for Care.com (simply enter “DAD15” and receive 15% off the cost of a Care.com membership.

-Outback Steakhouse: Every Dad who eats at their restaurant this Father’s Day weekend will receive a $10 gift certificate towards his next visit. (Restaurants will be open at 11AM that Sunday so you can take him for lunch or dinner.) Plus (if you’re especially budget-conscious), they are still running their 15 meals under $15 promotion.

Helpful Site
MomActive: This new site is geared towards supporting moms with fitness and healthy living. One of the co-founders lost over 100 lbs. after the birth of her son – how inspiring! (There is also a MomActive radio talk show.)

Discounts
-If you want to eat out and save money at the same time, here’s a good deal: Outback Steakhouse has reinvented its entire menu this month featuring 15 meals for under $15 starting at $9.95. Classic favorites and new creations such as The Sweet Glazed Roast Pork Tenderloin, Shrimp en Fuego, Ribs and Alice Spring Chicken are all under $15 dollars. Not bad…

-NYC-area residents: Until March 29th, TADA! Theater is offering $50 off all Spring Break and Summer Camps. Click here for the details.

For Bloggers
-Cathy Larkin’s “How PR Peeps and Mommy Bloggers can Work Together” is an informative read. It includes a “dream list” of what a PR pro would like to find on a Mommy (or any specialty) Blogger’s site.

-Nancy Martira has a great post “What PR People Wish Bloggers Knew” on Publicly Relating. It’s a Q&A with a PR Account Supervisor regarding getting pitched from bloggers. (I agree with one commenter – Quantcast numbers are so off. Compete is much more accurate.)

Interesting Sites
-Are you feeling like a bad mom? If so, then, read this post “Bad Mom: 25 Random Things” where “Bad Mom” Caron Guillo lists 25 things that make her feel like a bad mom and calls on others to follow suit. (She’s in good company!)

-Goalforit.com: This site helps both adults and kids set, manage and achieve their goals online with FREE tools that track and record progress. I think that parents will especially like the customizable “Kids’ Goal & Chore Chart”. (You can see a video on how it works here.)

-WAT-AAH!’s Challenge: “Will your kids choose water over soda?” In this challenge, mothers will receive WAT-AAH! (a sugar-free water brand made specifically for kids by kids and their mothers) samples with instructions to put the bottled water in the fridge, next to sodas and other sugary drinks. Mothers will be asked to write, photograph or videotape their kids’ choices, responses and reactions to WAT-AAH!. “Challenge” information and ongoing results are available at www.wat-aahchallenge.blogspot.com.