Grow Your Own MUSHROOMS Giveaway!
CONGRATS to the winner SUSAN B.!
Yes, that is right, you heard correct – you can now grow your own mushrooms at home, and one of my lucky readers will get a kit to do just that!
Recently I was contacted by a wonderful company – Back to the Roots asking if I would be interested in sampling their product, for free and if I liked it, doing a giveaway on my blog. I was definitely into this – we love mushrooms in this house, but not only that, I really liked what I learned about the company and its founders.
From their website: “Back to the Roots was founded by Alejandro Velez & Nikhil Arora during their last semester at UC Berkeley in 2009. Two months away from graduation, and heading into the corporate world of investment banking & consulting, they came across the idea during a class lecture of being able to potentially grow gourmet mushrooms entirely on recycled coffee grounds. Inspired by the idea of turning waste into wages & fresh, local food, … from what was an urban waste stream, Back to the Roots has since grown to create the Grow-Your-Own Mushroom Garden which lets anyone, across the country, grow their own gourmet mushrooms at home as well!”
This is the kind of company, people and efforts I can easily support. I just love the ingenuity of Alejandro and Nikhil to come up with such a creative way to use waste products to produce food – and GOURMET MUSHROOMS at that! Who doesn’t love that?
Not only that, but they are using their success to help others! They have a facebook campaign going on where if you post a picture of the grown product on our wall, they will send a sustainability curriculum and donate a kit to an elementary school of your choice.
Features of the Grow Kit:
• Grow up to 1 1/2 lbs of tasty pearl oyster mushrooms
• Multiple crops (at least 2, though some have got up to 4!)
• Grow your first crop in as little as 10 days!
• Just 3 Easy Steps – Open, Mist, and Harvest (spray mister included).
• All indoors – just set on a kitchen window sill and mist twice a day (mister included)
• The soil inside is 100% recycled coffee grounds – safe & sustainable
• 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed
BABY MUSHROOMS!
You can learn more about their community efforts on their blog or follow them on Twitter for more updates! – these are two guys you definitely want to keep up with!
So, onto the “review” part of this post. I really love this product – it is fun and easy to use! We got our first harvest in about a week, and I am currently working on the second. Everyone that came over to our house and saw the kit was really intrigued by it, and even more so when they found out it was made from recycled coffee grounds. Who wouldn’t be? That is just awesome!
We decided to use our first harvest to make some delicious GF (gluten free) mini pizzas. I have found a wonderful millet, flax and brown rice flat bread (kinda like a tortilla) and we make mini pizzas once or twice a week. For this version, we used the mushrooms from the kit as well fresh bufala mozzarella and some prosciutto and fresh basil from the garden. They were delicious!
I think this would be a great gift to send to someone for their birthday (if they are a foodie) or maybe for the holidays – any family that has kids will love this!
So who wants to win a kit of their own???
How to Enter The Back to the Roots Mushroom Grow Kit Giveaway:
Anyone is welcome to enter, provided doing so does not violate any local laws of your place of residency. US entries only for this one, due to shipping restrictions, and all participants must be over the age of 18.
Please remember that for your entry to count, you must leave a separate comment for every entry you make and make sure to include your email address in the spot provided when you fill out the comment form.
1) DO THIS FIRST (REQUIRED): Tell me what you would like for me to make with my second harvest – if you have a link to a recipe, even better! I will make the winner’s recipe, and link to your blog, if you have one (provided that it is gluten free!)
Optional ways to get more entries:
2) Blog about this giveaway describing why you want to win the kit, and link your post to this giveaway. (1 extra entry)
3) Subscribe to The Leftover Queen RSS feed. (1 extra entry)
4) Enter your email address to Subscribe to Email Updates. (1 extra entry)
5) Subscribe to my newsletter (see box on top right of my blog). (1 extra entry)
6) Tweet and tell your friends to sign up for @leftoverqueen Daily Emails or RSS feeds. (1 extra entry)
7) Fan The Leftover Queen on Facebook. (1 extra entry)
8) Follow The Leftover Queen on Twitter and tweet @leftoverqueen with a link to the giveaway. (1 extra entry)
If you are already a fan of The Leftover Queen and have done all or some of the above, and wish to enter the contest just write that you already subscribe to the newsletter, facebook page or RSS feed, by email, etc. Make sure to leave a separate comment for every entry.
Why Enter?
1) Because it is free
2) You can grow your own mushrooms at home!!!
3) Because mushrooms rule!
The winner will be announced on this post Friday, July 29, 2011. The winner will be drawn at random and contacted on July 29th. The winner has until Monday, August 1 2011, by 10 AM, EST to respond before another winner is chosen.
PS – if you are a Foodie Blogroll member, you also have a chance to win a kit! Check out the details here
Posted to Simple Lives Thursday
Dan Fountain - July 27, 2011 at 8:49 pm
Oh I’m on your FB too. And I love your posts and blogs! 🙂
Danielle - July 27, 2011 at 8:56 pm
I’d love for you to try the Creamy Mushroom Orzo with Cheese that I’ve made. Here’s my recipe originally from Annie’s Eats: http://josephswife.blogspot.com/2008/05/after-racking-my-brain-for-good-starch.html
And if you want to try your hand at making gluten-free orzo you could try this recipe (not mine): http://www.adventuresofaglutenfreemom.com/2010/11/homemade-gluten-free-egg-free-orzo-pasta/
Danielle - July 27, 2011 at 8:57 pm
I follow on FB
Danielle - July 27, 2011 at 8:59 pm
I tweeted! And already follow @simmworksfamily
http://twitter.com/#!/simmworksfamily/status/96384116299284480
Averyl Minori - July 27, 2011 at 9:00 pm
I’m going to steal Dan Fountains idea because I can see it about the Leave a comment form: Crab & Mushroom Chowder. That sounds amazing!!
Averyl Minori - July 27, 2011 at 9:00 pm
I am a fan on FB.
Averyl Minori - July 27, 2011 at 9:01 pm
Subscribed to email updates!
Averyl Minori - July 27, 2011 at 9:02 pm
Subscribed to your newsletter too!
Can you tell I really want to win!!
Averyl Minori - July 27, 2011 at 9:05 pm
Oh, and I just posted this on my fb page. Does that get another entry?? LOL
erin - July 27, 2011 at 9:24 pm
oh my goodness! chris and I are in LOVE with this! Oyster mushrooms are my favorite…and the best recipe (which isn’t much of a recipe) and the main way we eat them is just pan fried in butter until they are brown and crispy on the edges. Sprinkle with course sea salt! They become like a meat-substitute kind of chip!
SO GOOD!!!
Susan B - July 27, 2011 at 10:35 pm
I subscribed to email and I follow you on facebook too. My daughter loves mushroom soup! HOpe I win this!
Ley - July 27, 2011 at 10:53 pm
THIS IS SO COOL! I could totally grow this in my crappy little apartment!
Okay…I think you should make something similar to this:
http://amazingwellnessmag.com/pan-seared-scallops-with-shallots-wild-mushrooms-and-arugula/
It’s a Pan Seared Scallops recipe with Shallots, Wild Mushrooms and Arugula. I’m a sucker for anything scallop-related, and this recipe’s style sounds right up your alley. Whaddya think??
Ley - July 27, 2011 at 11:00 pm
I like you.
…on Facebook. 😉
RC - July 27, 2011 at 11:41 pm
I love any type of mushroom roasted with balsamic and garlic, but just fresh sliced over salad greens with tomatoes, goat cheese, and arugula is simple and satisying!
RC - July 27, 2011 at 11:45 pm
I just tweeted to sign up for your daily e-mails or RSS feeds. – @I_Love_Cayenne
Meg - July 27, 2011 at 11:45 pm
I “like” you on Facebook. 🙂
Meg - July 27, 2011 at 11:45 pm
I’m subscribed to your email updates. 🙂
Meg - July 27, 2011 at 11:46 pm
I subscribed to your newsletter! [how was I not already signed up for this??]
RC - July 27, 2011 at 11:47 pm
I now “like” the leftover queen on Facebook! Can’t believe I haven’t found this blog sooner….so interesting, fun, and informative!
Rebecca P - July 28, 2011 at 12:24 am
Perfect timing! I am planning on making a mushroom lasagna with rice noodles this week.
It would be a great homeschooling experiment for us also, growing mushrooms!
Rebecca P - July 28, 2011 at 12:24 am
I just found you a few days ago and “liked” your Facebook page.
Meg - July 28, 2011 at 12:56 am
I blogged about it, too! 🙂
http://megdickey.wordpress.com/2011/07/20/grow-your-own-mushrooms-giveaway/
(and shared the post on Facebook, too. 🙂 )
Meg - July 28, 2011 at 12:57 am
Also, I like the idea of mushrooms on steak… such tasty simplicity. 😉
Leisha - July 28, 2011 at 1:05 pm
I have subscibed to your feed for 1 entry
Leisha - July 28, 2011 at 1:05 pm
I am already a newsletter subscriber for entry
Leisha - July 28, 2011 at 1:07 pm
I am a FB fan for 1 entry!
Merci 😉
Leisha - July 28, 2011 at 1:15 pm
Oops…..got so excited I got my entries out ouf order….I would love for you to make a mushroom gravy that could be used for lots of different applications – yum o!!
try this one…..http://www.livestrong.com/article/338168-gluten-free-mushroom-gravy/.
angie - July 28, 2011 at 3:27 pm
daily tweet http://twitter.com/#!/FotoMacro/status/96662916446695424
angie - July 28, 2011 at 3:28 pm
daily follow tweet http://twitter.com/#!/FotoMacro/status/96663036454125568
angie - July 28, 2011 at 3:30 pm
I subscribe via google reader.
angie - July 28, 2011 at 3:31 pm
I subscribe via email.
angie - July 28, 2011 at 3:32 pm
I like you via FB as Tofu Fairy.
angie - July 28, 2011 at 3:32 pm
I get your newsletter.
Lisa - July 28, 2011 at 6:32 pm
I love mushrooms!
Jen - July 29, 2011 at 12:37 pm
I would love to grow my own mushrooms – they are my baby’s favorite!
Make mushroom curry – I’m not sure if I have a recipe posted on my blog – but I make curry sauce with chicken, onions, garlic, other veggies, and loads of mushrooms. Yum!
Jen - July 29, 2011 at 12:38 pm
I “like” you on FB!
Susan B - July 29, 2011 at 4:10 pm
Thank you again! I intend to make pizza with these mushrooms, and possibly try them in a soup recipe that my daughter loves. I’ll have to dry some in the dehydrator. Now I have to figure out how to keep the cats away from this. I can see they’ll think of it as a giant cat toy.
Rachel - July 30, 2011 at 2:10 pm
I found this post too late to enter the contest, so I just ordered the kit. Thanks for doing the legwork on the company, explaining how cool it is, and tempting me with pics of yummy mushroom pizza! Your blog is wonderful–keep up the great work.
Sue - August 5, 2011 at 3:47 pm
Miss the contest!
I love to buy the mushroom scraps at the supermarket to save some money. Depending how you cook them (I stir fry them) the mix of mushrooms gives a very good and different flavor.