Awesome Giveaway!!

Okay, do you remember last December I did three different posts about Brie?  Brie that I was wrapping in puff pastry dough, with varying degrees of success?

Of course you remember, because my posts are SO incredibly important in your busy life.

Since you probably don't remember (and you have a life), here are the posts, just to refresh your memory or introduce you (if you're new since then) to the horror that was my version of Brie en Croute.

Brie Wedge Oddly Wrapped in Puff Pastry Dough

Brie, Revisited

and, finally,

Brie III.

In the final post I describe how I was contacted by the marketing firm that handles Président Cheese, among other things.  And - clearly feeling sorry for my first ugly attempt at wrapping Brie - they sent me a sample of their new Brie Log and assorted other goodies as well.

Well.

Last week I got an email from them again!  And I was asked if I'd like their Holiday Entertaining Kit, which would contain Brie, a lovely cheese board, and other goodies.

And I must have been filled with the holiday spirit (or sleep deprivation), because I asked if I could have a giveaway and have them send that Holiday Entertaining Kit to one of my readers.

And they said Sure!  Cheese for Everyone!

Okay, they didn't say that.  Just cheese for some lucky winner.

I asked if they could send me pictures, so I could make people salivate show people what they'd win, and just today I received the images and a complete listing of what you get.

First, you get a package:

Ooooooh!

And then, when you open it...

 
 Brie!  Not one, not two, but THREE! BRIE! LOGS!

But wait!

That's not all!

Keep looking!

Oooooh!  Cheeeeeeeeeeeeeseboard!

Pretty cool, huh???

So, besides the cheese itself, here's what lurks within the box:

Fabulous, no?

Colin Cowie Colby Cheese Board and Tray with Accessories

Crate & Barrel Placecard Holders (Set of 8)

Crate & Barrel Place Cards

Bold Point Pen

Deluxe Lunch Cooler (Red)

So, want to win this lovely Holiday Entertaining Kit for yourself?  I thought so. 

Here's what you need to do:

In the comments section of this here post, tell me what sort of entertaining you'll be doing (or not doing) this holiday season.  Do you go very casual?  Have everyone bring a dish?  Or is it Champagne and shrimp cocktail on little trays?  Do you invite lots of people or have smaller, more intimate gatherings?  Or do you prefer not to play host/ess?  Would you rather just throw on something snazzy and head out to someone else's party? 

Whatever you do, I am nosy and want to hear all about it.

And, since this seems to be what all the cool giveaway kids are doing, if you post about this in your blog or mention it on Twitter, put a link to your post or tweet in the comments section as well, and consider yourself entered again.

Sound okay?

Well, it had better, because I'm done with the typing for the moment - I have paper and glitter to mess around with, and then cookies to bake, and I need to stop chattering.

Contest will run from RIGHT NOW THIS VERY MINUTE ONCE I HIT "PUBLISH" until...um...Sunday, December 6th, at 12:00 noon, eastern standard time. 

After that deadline, I'll try to rope some family members or pets into helping draw a name out of the lizard tank or something, OR, if no one wants to help me any more, I'll use Random.org and pick one of you that way.

And before I go, I have to send a big Thank You! to Tasia for getting in touch with me and working with me on this giveaway. 

So ready?

On your mark, get set, COMMENT!

Comments

[Susan Whetzel]

I have you know, I DO remember that/those cheese posts, because I was JEAL-OUS when you got the Brie Swag. So Jealous!! Of course, i also love you, so, I was jealous in that happy for you way.

Now. Christmas. i will be forced to trapse 4 hours away to the hole in the Earth also known as My In-Laws House, where for 3 1/2 days I will be locked in my spare room with air mattress having stomach cramps, as I always get stomach cramps when I am there, probably because i have issues about using the bathroom away from home, and especially THERE since the walls are paper thin and I just KNOW they are all standing outside the bathroom door giggling. So, it crawls back up and I am left with - Stomach Cramps.

Maybe that isn't the story you were looking for. Oh well. merry Christmas! (Now, hand over the cheese.) :0)

[Katie Nickerson]

OOH! This is an awesome giveaway!

Well, last year I got to play hostess, so this year we are going to my parents house and my in-laws house for Christmas (they live in the same town and we just hop back and forth between houses). Anyway - so that means I won't be doing too much entertaining, but I will probably bring some dishes to share and of course, if I win I will have to bring the cheese/cheeseboard to show off and share with everyone.

FYI, I've been reading your blog for awhile now and I love it! Some of your stories just have me in stitches! This is my first time commenting, though. So, hello!

[Sarah Holmes]

Awesome stuff. I don't entertain but I do go to a nice cookie exchange party and I we all bring snacks.

[Helia Martin]

This is my first Christmas in GA. No family to spend it with. I am going to open my home to a few who have no one to share the holiday spirit with. My home is small so I am keeping it to a few . We don't like to see anyone alone for the holidays. Been there done that and it is sad. I would love to have the Brie package to share. I will have a few New England treats to share as well. I am so looking forward to playing hostess. Doesn't happen as often as I like.

[chocolatechic]

Any entertaining that we do is low key and casual.

We always have family over, and it is always fun.

PS. I'm having a give away on my blog as well.

[Margaret]

How cool. I have never had brie. This would be a great chance to try it.

[Kassy]

Nice giveaway!! Our entertaining is always low key! Usually just immediate family and lots of good food and fun...just the way I like it :)

[susanna]

Swedish Christmas Eve at my mom's. I'm already salivating!

[Tracey]

Fun giveaway! We'll be celebrating Christmas Eve at my in-laws like we always do and then I'll host a lunch get together on Christmas for our families. It's usually just our parents and my husband and I so it's not too stressful.

[Kat]

For the first time ever, Christmas isn't at our house. Instead, it's over the mountains and far away.
I need to find something to take.
I know, how about some fabulous brie in an awesome cooler?!

[sarah]

that looks so amazing!! I generally do a few open houses for my various things that i sell and always have casual appetizers and desserts for those...then we do pot luck dinners w/both sides of the families, and a dessert w/my mom's family. thankfully, i just have to cook, not host for those so i can make everything and then leave the house a mess!

[laurie]

We always go to my Grandma's for Xmas. We used to have breakfast for dinner every Xmas Eve. However, my brother now hates it, so we have had to change our plans. This year we are having lasagna on Xmas Eve. Scones and pastries for breakfast and then dinner time we head to my Dads house for Xmas and dinner there. Where, I have asked my step-mom to have breakfast for dinner as a dig on my brother. ;)

[Angela LaMunyon]

Yum! I absolutely LOVE brie! (and cheese in general :) I just hosted my first Thanksgiving without much of a hitch, but thankfully we'll be venturing out for Christmas. Since we don't have kids, we still make the rounds. Christmas Eve at my husband's extended family, about an hour away. Spend the night on my Mom's couch for early AM Christmas (she still has kids at home) then off to my in-laws for immediate family stuff and then to my Aunt's for my extended family. Yes, this is usually all in a 24 hour period! When we have kids, this will definitely be cut short :)

We do, however, have gatherings with friends at our house at least once a week and usually a before Christmas and after Christmas party with friends at our place, so something like this would be perfect!

[Autumn Frederickson]

My family has had a tradition as long as I can remember. My father is an American Baptist minister, and my family's developed quite a large extended branch composed of our church members. Every Christmas eve, the entire wonderful branch is invited over for a sort of supper composed of all sorts of edible goodies. There is the usual crew that my family sees on a regular basis outside of church. And then are those we couldn't bare to forget - elderly, singles, those looking for a warm welcome and a bit of holiday cheer. People have come and gone. There are those who've passed away and those who've moved away. But it's important to my family that no one's left alone on Christmas eve. If they know someone hasn't got family nearbye, they're quickly bustled to our house after the service for a hot mug of cider and munchies. Everyone has a lovely time, and our house is packed to overfilling. It's a chance for people to gather and feel loved and welcomed. So it's a good family tradition.

[Allison]

jayne- i do have a life, but i also have a deep love of cheese. so i definitely remember your brie posts! please tell the cheese people to send some my way!
i don't do too much holiday hosting. i'll have my sister over for a day of cookie-baking and movie-watching, and i'm having some friends over for soup and chatting. casual all the way. i'm looking forward to attending parties, but hosting not so much.

[GradualDazzle]

I like to make candy at Christmastime, particularly one special kind of candy that our family has adopted as its signature, a praline-ish fudge-ish substance known as Aunt Bill's Brown Candy. Dunno who Aunt Bill was, but her candy is a traditional favorite in my family. The fun of it is in the making of it, too -- takes two people (except for my grandmother, who inexplicably is able to make it by herself), so it fosters togetherness and teamwork.

[Lynne]

Ooh Cheese!!

Love reading the stories of Christmas, I am in London, UK so the traditions are probably a bit different over here.

My Christmas has usually been Christmas Day just for Bob and Me, we don't go with UK tradition and have a turkey, as we aren;t that keen, but have a HUGE rib roast of beef with all the trimmings: here that means, yorkshire pudding, roast potatoes, roast parsnips, brussel sprouts with chestnuts, carrots, green beans with bacon and onions, lots of gravy made with the meat juices.

Before that we usually have something fishy. Maybe smoked salmon with horseradish cream or gravlax & mustard sauce and blinis with them both, maybe garlicky prawns & squid, something light.

After the beef (oofff) we have a rest, then a little port wine jelly to refresh, and then the Christmas Pudding with cream. I turn off the lights and set light to the pudding in fine traditional fashion. (I have been known to pour the lighted brandy from too high a height and set light to the table, but hey! it was very pretty...)

then coffee, Bendicks Mints, and a snooze.

I needed the rest because Boxing Day was always the Family Buffet. Not so many people now, as the family is rather fragmented so it won't happen this year, but I would spend the days before Christmas making a selection of salads, cakes, mince pies, cold joints of meat, maybe a roast salmon.

Last year I made:
Roast Beef (from Xmas day)
Roast Ham
Salami & Parma Ham
Prawn Marie Rose Cocktails
Shell on Prawns

Peperonata
Beetroot & Carrot salad with sesame seeds
Rice Salad with sweetcorn, peas, celery, red peppers
Pasta and Broccoli salad
Tabbouleh
Potato salad with spring onions (scallions) and vinaigrette dressing
Green Salad
Tomato salad with balsamic vinegar dressing

Tiramisu
Christmas Squidgy Log with whipped chantilly cream
Mince Pies

Bowls of chocolates and fruit around the house for picking at.

All the food laid out in the kitchen, and the table at full length and laid with all the pickles and condiments I have in the house. Everyone would collect their plate of food and then we would all sit down, pull our crackers, put our hats on and tell silly jokes. Good trad stuff.

This year will be quite different. My mother is very frail - she came to us last year but had to go home early as she found the stairs just too difficult (and our bathroom is upstairs, we don't have a downstairs cloakroom). So I will be taking everything for Xmas dinner to her home (about 200 miles away) and cooking it there so she isn't alone for Xmas. So a travel full Xmas day, and then a rest the day after!

[Karla McMurrin]

Hi!
I've never tasted Brie, but LOVE your blog. We hosted for Thanksgiving (soup, sandwiches, easy stuff) and will go all out for Christmas, hosting again because we have the biggest house. Potential of 25 people, on the Saturday after Christmas. Turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and whatever everybody else brings. I actually like baking better than cooking, so I hope to have a bunch of cookies and candy made up by then (I can dream!)Martha Stewart, I'm not, but I enjoy getting the whole family together.

[judith]

we ususaly have a small party, pot luck, I make a roast, and everyone brings something (though I do suggest, cause I got tired of 10 trays of cupcakes!) and during the party we Burn acorns, and read our future in the ash's. It's a very old time yule tradition, it's amazing what you can see in the ash's!

[Shelly]

We usually go to my brother-in-law's house on Christmas Eve. That means four families with around 15 kids, plus grandparents and great-grandparents. We all do it potluck with the host providing the main course. This year, I want to try something different and have everyone to our house for chocolate fondue on the weekend before Christmas. I'd like to be free to stay home and hang out with our kids on Christmas Eve.

So, we'll see how that chocolate fondue goes with so many people! It could be really fun and yummy, or we could be looking at a huge disaster. Luckily, we're to the point where the youngest kids are three years old, so we're not juggling babies anymore.

[Michelle McGlynn]

I really enjoy reading your website, it's lovely! Besides that, I looooovve any kind of cheese and could live off of it...seriously.
Ok, so Christmas as usual with my immediate family, just my parents and brother. Small, sometimes dsysfunctional, family gatherings with tons of fabulous food. My brother's birthday is on Christmas eve and we always celebrate that first. This year I plan to bake a LOT more thanks to inspiration from food bloggers. And starting now, I plan to repeat "Eat, drink, and be merry" to myself as many times a day to truly embrace the holidays. I need to remember the power of positive thinking!

[Jenna]

How sad is it that I read the first paragraph and immediately thought, "Ooh! I remember those posts!"

Anyhow, entertaining - I actually like to entertain in small groups. Having a few friends over for tea and cookies, or games or what have you. I'm probably going to do a few small things like that this season, but since I'm going out of town and have a lot of work before the end of the year, I won't be doing any major shindig.

[Amanda Newton]

We have a new baby so we are keeping it simple. We will cook the main dish and a few sides and I will let my mom bring the rest. We usually go low key for the holidays. More time to visit and laugh.

[Kimmer]

Any entertaining we do is pretty casual, most of it at other houses. Still big fun, though!

[femmelasoleil.wordpress.com]

We're in the works of planning our Yule ritual this year. Some years I'm on the planning committee, sometimes not. We gather at our local Universal Unitartian church and have a lovely ritual usually filled with music (people bring hand drums, guitars, flutes and the like) singing and - of course - LOTS of food.

Everyone brings a dish of some sort to set on a main table and we eat and eat and eat.

Another friend of mine hosts a "Longest Night" party the evening of the Winter Solstice. We (again) bring lots and lots of food and eat and eat and eat... and then eat some more. We stay up all night to welcome the sun and longer days returning.

For now I have a very tiny apartment so I will probably not host. However, I like to help with the planning of these events and always bring something tasty to eat!

[femmelasoleil.wordpress.com]

That sounds awesome! I'll have to bring that up to my group!

[Jolea]

Hey there! Although the gift set is lovely, I don't have much use for it living down here in the Caribbean, trying to keep my suitcases light for when I head back to the states, I just wanted to stop in and say hello! Merry Christmas and keep up the good work! Oh, and... I particularly like it when Scratchy picks the winner... :)

[Racheal]

pretty much all of our entertaining is casual and I have 3 parties on the books so far. Family, then friends and then the co-workers. I'm already drowning in recipes & and plans...but I love it. It's my time to play!

[Christina]

It's our first Christmas in our new house. I'm not doing Christmas but I get to do second Christmas in January for family that will be out of town. It will be casual and we will probably grill something.

[KC]

My holiday entertaining usually consists of a potroast, some bottles of red wine, and good friends.

[Judith/jomamma]

Since there is already a post from a Judith and it's not me (Judith in Texas) I'll use my blogname.

We'll probably be having the Bluegrass pickers over several times before Christmas and we may even go to a couple of 'pickings' at other homes. I had thought about preparing one of your yummy creations, there are certainly plenty to choose from. I made a fantastic Teramisu the other day and I hope to try that again sometime this month.

[Beatrice]

I am drooling! I loooooooove Brie and I would love to try the logs. I've been jealous since you posted about them a few months back.

I don't do entertaining myself. I live in an apartment which is way too small and way too messy for visitors. I dream of having a place that is clean enough to do entertaining...

I do help out with Christmas entertaining at my parents' house, though. We're all vegetarian, so no meat during the holidays. I like to think that we're so good at the recipes we make that no one ever complains. One of my holiday favorites are these toffee cookies that my dad makes. They're made of chocolate, saltine crackers, a butter/sugar mixture, and chopped pecans on the top. Another favorite is cream cheese roll-ups. Tortillas with cream cheese, ranch dip mix, and chopped olives. Our favorite holiday entree is tofu pot pie.

Holidays at my parents' are very casual. My brother's fiancee's mother is entertaining this year as well, and her family is much more formal. I'm rather worried about saying the wrong thing!

[Di]

Oooh, cool stuff! As for entertaining... Not sure if I'll manage to pull anything off this year with my crazy work schedule. But what I like to do is an appetizers & desserts sort of party. I do a few hot appetizers (mini pigs in blankets, savory palmiers), some sort of dip w/veggies & bread, some homemade crackers. And several small bite desserts, including an assortment of Christmas cookies.

[Di]

Just realized that I have no idea how to link to a tweet. But you can see it on my profile: http://www.twitter.com/diskitchennotes.

It says: Check out this cool giveaway from Jayne (@barefootkwitch): http://tinyurl.com/yknnlv5

[Inga]

I love to hostess and attend parties. Whatever we do we will be including the jalapeno jelly(from my garden) over cream cheese served with Simply Naked Pita Chips. Delicious!

Inga

[Elecia Fogg]

ooh, this is a GOOD giveaway!! I love brie, but have never made and thus do NOT have one of those cool cheese trays!! Oneof my holiday thinsg that I do is have a Chrismakuh party with my father, sisters, my kids and husband. Because both families have different faiths, but we still like to get together and exchange gifts and merriment. I try to incorporate traditions of both holidays - Christmas and Hannukkah. We'll have eggnog, make a clay menorah, do the dreidel, have christmas cookies, and yes Jayne I BUY the potato latkes.... :) I like cooking and baking, but those things with the peeling and grating, and mixing and puring and frying, well it's just too much for me. :)

[Sarah]

I'm doing my favorite kind of entertaining...the kind where I go to someone elses house! I will probably bake something as a contribution though! :)

[Amy]

I go to someone else's house. My place is way too small to entertain for the holiday's

[Ruth Ann Ryan]

What a neat idea. If you go visiting and your assignment is to bring a cheese assortment, what better way to travel with them. My husband has a brother and three sisters. Every year one sister will call and say "we're coming up". Boy do we have a house full then. I usually bake something different every day in Dec. They always wait to see if I can top my number of varieties each year. We also take treats to one another's home when we visit.

[Erin Valerie]

First of all, what a cool idea and how sweet of you not to just keep this fabulous prize for yourself!

Anyway, when it comes to holiday parties, we do a little of both. My husband and I love to throw parties even though our apartment isn't that large (1000 sqf), but it's clean and nicely decorated, so I don't mind all that much.

For the first 3 years that we lived here, we threw a 'White Elephant' party. The first year was the best, I invited nearly everyone we knew thinking 'oh, people won't come, people are busy...' boy was I wrong, we had about 40 people crammed into said apartment, but they weren't fussed about the space (or the heat!).

The food that year was great too, my husband was given a gift card to Trader Joes from his boss, so we had things like crab cakes, mini feta and carmelized onion tarts, etc. I made some things too: crockpot beef stew, cranberry-cream cheese pinwheels, mulled wine...

Then, we did the white elephant game. Basically everyone brought a wrapped gift and put it under our Christmas tree. Then they all drew numbers and the 1st person chose a gift and opened it. The next person could either steal that gift or open a new one, and so on. It's best to have the last number. The game gets crazy and it's really fun!

This year, we have been invited to someone else's party and I must say, it will be nice to get out of my own kitchen and not clean up for 2 days afterward. Besides, we went to Europe this fall and it broke the bank, so my husband said in no uncertain terms 'no Christmas party.' Ah well, maybe next year. =)

[Darlene]

I love throwing our tree trimming party every year, inviting all our family. I serve crab rolls, a cheese ball & mushroom spread with crackers to snack on and make a festive Tortellini Soup for dinner with Italian bread. The green spinach & red tomatoes in the soup recipe are very Christmasy looking. Christmas music, love and laughter abounds, it's just the best.

[Pamela]

To me entertaining is just a reason to bake something and try new recipes :), and I can always use another reason for that. :)

[Mara]

Party, entertaining? Nope, no can do. Instead, I'll be working an overnight shift for each and every winter holiday. So, maybe I'll bring in chips and salsa, or pasta salad, or something else that will keep. Of course, cheese would do nicely :)

[Megan]

Usually... I let my sister (Erin Valerie, who commented above) or friends do the entertaining. But this year i'm helping with a get-together to celebrate an annual music project we collaborate on called The Christmas Friends (which is at www.thechristmasfriends.com, of course). There has been talk of Christmas cookies, so i'm thinking i'll make shortbread, which is just an excuse to eat butter. Another fun thing i look forward to every year is tamales on Christmas morning.. nom nom.

By the way, i'm a long-time lurker, first-time commenter.

[twitter.com/Feeba]

Every December, right about now, I begin to panic because I have not started baking or shopping. And I have a very full schedule the next two weeks. So, basically, in my spare time I run to the store, buy obscene amounts of butter, make cookie dough, and wait and wait until I have a free day. Then I go baking and decorating crazy. Then I have trouble finding enough people to give all my fattening treats to, but as soon as my kitchen has recovered I feel well enough to begin my shopping. And then I have sort of a zen moment because the stress is just too ridiculous to wrap my head around, and I'm the person shopping on December 23rd with a dazed smile on my face. Ah, I can't wait to do it again this year!

I'm sure I go to some holiday parties in there at some point, but it's all a blur. The only one I remember is on Christmas Eve we go to the house of a family friend who has a tree-cutting business and we have an enormous bonfire with all of the branches he's saved for weeks.

[Angela Murphy]

We always spend Christmas at my house! Christmas Eve we either have something easy like chili or sometimes we go all out and do a finger food smorgasboard with roasted shrimp, bbq sausages, dips, veggies, cheese tray and whatever else we can think of. We usually have steak or lasagna for Christmas, but this year we're going traditional and having turkey, dressing, green bean casserole and giblet gravy. I'm going to experiment with icing some gingerbread cookies this year. I got some cute woodland creature cookie cutters from IKEA and I'm going to play with those.

BTW, I love your blog Jayne! You inspire me to stop being a chicken and try new things. Thanks a bunch!!

[Prudy]

I'll be hosting a kid's pancake breakfast, a work party for my husband's co-workers, a family Christmas party...and hopefully that's the extent of it. I'll also have family for Christmas Eve dinner at my place. I'd be sure to serve the cheese if I had some!

[Liz]

The most social thing I'm doing this holiday season is spending Christmas Eve and Day with my family. We all do the church thing on Christmas Eve, and then we'll spend the morning Christmas Day at my dad's house, and Christmas afternoon at my mom's. Christmas dinner is always fondue, three courses starting with cheese and ending with chocolate. And this year as a gift for my dad, I'm attempting to recreate the Christmas cookies my grandmother made every year. She passed on a couple of years ago, and the actual recipes are lost, but I'm going to do my best.

[Jenna]

I am hitting two houses this Christmas, my grandmother's house and my mother's house. I would love to take this set to each house for a yummy cheese tray before dinner! The bag would be so handy in transit, since they live two hours away :)

Thanks so much for your blog, your cats are so cute, and I love your pumpkin creations!!

[Amy]

CHEESE! Everything is better with cheese!

This year will be a little different with having some family move close to us, so I'm not sure yet how things are going to happen. Normally we do host a get-together on Xmas Eve where I provide the main dish & some other food and then everyone brings a side/dessert with them.

But on Xmas/Yule- its just me and hubby. For a lazy and special lunch I like to get crackers and smoked sausage slices and of course CHEESE and spicy/sweet mustard and have a mini indoor picnic. It's become tradition for us. :)

Anyway- thanks for the chance to win!