I Love New Orleans (GIVEAWAY)
Categories: Giveaways, Louisiana Cuisine
Ahh New Orleans. I used to not appreciate the city at all. All I would relate to New Orleans were the potholes, the murders, and the questionable people walking around everywhere. I saw all of the negatives and it made me thankful to live in the suburbs.
2005 came, and the unimaginable happened. Katrina hit. I used to want to be a meteorologist in school, and would WISH for a hurricane to come near us so I could experience it like the Weather Channel people do (and also, take off of school). Well, Katrina devastated New Orleans. A lot of my family and friends had to rebuild and lost priceless items. My immediate family lucked out, since they live slightly West of New Orleans. (If you’re just west of a hurricane, you seemingly get less of a punch than if you were dead center or just east of it.)
After Katrina hit, all I longed for was New Orleans. The happy New Orleans that I was so blind to originally see. I remember tearing up listening to the 12 Yats of Christmas that December. That February, I went to my first Mardi Gras parade in 2006 since the storm. The city had a mildew-y odor, but I didn’t care. It was New Orleans, and things were coming back. Things still aren’t completely back, 5 years later, but the spirit is stronger than ever!
When I first read about Disney making an animated movie, called The Princess and the Frog, set in New Orleans, I was excited. When the movie came out on DVD (I haven’t gone to a movie at a theater in ages…$10 for one ticket…hecks to the no!), I watched like a giddy 6 year old. ::disneyfreak::
I would smile when I saw St. Louis Cathedral, drool when I saw Tiana serving beignets, tear up when her family shared gumbo with the neighborhood, and giggle when Tiana helped the VooDoo lady make her gumbo “the bee’s knees” with a little Tabasco sauce. 
So, to kind of give a shout-out to this movie, which I highly recommend, I’m doing a giveaway. I know most of these items aren’t nationally available in stores, so I want to share some of the featured foods from the movie (with a little bit of lagniappe/something extra) to one lucky reader!
Included in this package:
- Cafe Du Monde’s beignet mix (heaven on a plate, basically)
- Cajun Gumbo Mix
- Tabasco Sauce
- Tony Chachere’s Seasoning (good in just about EVERYTHING)
- Jambalaya Mix
- Dirty Rice Mix
Want to know how to win? Leave a comment about what your favorite NOLA dish is or what NOLA dish you’re interested in trying.
You have until Monday, May 17th to enter. This giveaway is only valid to readers in the continental U.S.
More ways to win (and please comment each time you do one of these)
- Follow me on Twitter
- Become a Fan on Facebook
- Mention/Retweet this giveaway on Twitter (leave the link of the tweet)
- Subscribe to this blog
That means you have 5 chances to win this Louisiana Feast!! Laissez les bons temps rouler!!
**Products from this giveaway are provided by The Nifty Foodie.**
Great giveaway! I love Jambalaya!
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I bought myself the movie and still haven’t gotten a chance to watch it! I’d LOVE to try beignets.
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I LOVE gumbo, and I’ve always wanted to try Beignets! I’ve been trying to convice my BF we need to take a vacation to New Orleans. Maybe one day.
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Neat giveaway! I’ve never been to New Orlean’s, but my sister lives in northern LA & I’ve visited her (the Shreveport area). I was nervous to try some of the foods down there becuase I’ve never experienced them! The thing I think I’d most like to try would be gumbo, because I’ve never had it! Same with jambalaya, actually! Great giveaway, fingers crossed:)
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I also follow your blog on google reader!
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For YEARS I have been dying to take a trip to New Orleans and have beignets at Cafe Du Monde. It’s #1 on the list. Making my own beignets would be amazing and tide me over until I can book that vacation!
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Oh and I follow you on google reader
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I have always wanted to try Beignets!
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I follow you on twitter already.
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I am subscribed also.
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I am subscribed and I’ve always wanted to try Beignets…in the movie Princess & the Frog she makes them, too! It’s such a cute movie!
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Jambalaya!!! Ironically hubs and I were just talking last night about me needing to visit NOLA since I have never been
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And I’m a follower…of the Google reader variety
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and of the twitter variety : )
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Definitely Beignets!!! Love dirty rice too!
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I’d love to attempt beignets!
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I’ve really wanted to try to make my own Gumbo
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P.S. I already follow you in Twitter
(Heck, I helped you pick your twitter name)
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P.P.S. I ‘Like’ you in Facebook… of course
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P.P.P.S. I tweeted about your giveaway – http://twitter.com/FrenchieWBee/status/13745241492
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P.P.P.P.S. I subscribe to this blog through my Google Reader!
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HEY!!! I would LOVE this. I really enjoyed my time in NOLA when I went in December. I think it is by far one of the most distinctive U.S. cities I have ever visited. It’s a beautiful place. I was trying to convince my husband to buy a house in the Garden District
I would love to be able to recreate some of the food I ate while there. By the way, if you are looking for a very, very special occasion restaurant I highly recommend John Besh’s August (if you haven’t been already). It was one of the best fine dining experiences I’ve had in a long time. LOVED IT!
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The Nifty Foodie Reply:
May 10th, 2010 at 3:23 PM
I’ve actually never been! We have an anniversary coming up though hehe!
Thanks for the rec!
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I love lots of New Orleans foods- red beans & rice, jambalaya, gumbo, po’ boys, muffalettas, crawfish
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I will here embarrassingly admit that I’ve never tried any NOLA-type food but after seeing the disney movie I’m dying to try jambalaya. and the beignets looks amazing too!
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I follow you on twitter (@latte_love)
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i am also subscribed to your new blog (which looks great by the way!)
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I <3 Cafe Du Monde beignets and Cafe Ole!
When I'm there, I eat breakfast every morning there.. there is nothing better than a fresh beignet and a hot cup of cafe ole.
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I love jambalaya!! It’s screams NOLA to me.
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I also follow on FB!
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Andplusalso I follow on Twitter too.
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Girl! That is a fantastic prize!!
My all time favorite has to be the Alligator Cheesecake at Jacques-Imo’s on Oak Street! I <3 it!!
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Gaaaaahh! I went to nola for the first time last year, for a wedding, and absolutely loved it. It really is such a unique American city. I loved the people I met, the awesome wedding traditions (I’d never heard of a second line before) and, of course, the food. Cafe du Monde was a post-wedding hangover pit stop. So yeah, I love beignets and love New Orleans! Definitely want to go back.
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I went to NOLA after Katrina to help with clean-up. It was an amazing experience and I was so glad that I could help. I learned a lot about myself on that trip.
I love Cafe Du Monde’s beignets. OMG. So Yummy. I’ve tried to make my own gumbo which was absolutely delicious, but nowhere near as good as the gumbo I had there. Or the shrimp po’boy or jambalaya (I have a pretty decent jambalaya recipe – thank you, Paula Dean).
I think it’s pretty clear that I heart food.
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and I finally remembered to tweet about the giveaway
http://twitter.com/craftysmurfette/status/13807732642
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I love NOLA food… and I’m current craving Cafe du Monde’s beignets as I read this
Definitely my favorite!
I am also a Twitter follower and a subscriber!
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I love them all but I really want to try making Gumbo!
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My favorite thing is probably a po boy, but beignets are amazing too!
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I’m a fan on Facebook now as well.
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i follow you on twitter!
and i love new orleans! i’ve been bringing volunteer groups of my students down for three years now and i just had my bachelorette party down there
I love me some beignets! (ok, so I’m a vegetarian…most nola food isn’t up my alley, but i love seeing everything!)
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Beignets all the waaaaay!! LOVE!
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Oh, I’d love to try beignets!!!
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And I already follow you on twitter
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oh man! I <3 hush puppies (though more southern than specifically NOLA). and beignets – obvi!
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Yum!! I don’t think I can pick just one, but I grew up eating beignets every sunday and it was a great memory!
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Gumbo please. I’ve always wanted to go to NO!! I know one day I will!
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I absolutely LOVE New Orleans. It’s definitely one of my favorite cities we’ve visited. Every time we go, I make sure to get some jambalaya. I’d love to try to make it on my own!
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I subscribed!
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I am DYING to try beignets for the first time. My sister’s new BF (a NOLA boy) made them for her from scratch! (I know… we think he’s a keeper haha) I make a pretty mean jambalaya myself.
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I’m following you on Twitter now too!
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I also re-tweeted about the giveaway! http://twitter.com/NatalieG720
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Great giveaway! I love chicken gumbo (not much of a seafood person) and the beingets at Cafe Du Monde. We’re hoping to take a trip back to NO sometime soon!
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Just tweeted
http://twitter.com/_elouise/statuses/13921564495
Oooh, and my BIL uses Tony Chachere’s seasoning almost everytime he cooks.. it is so. good.
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I am following you on my reader!!!
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I’m a twitter follower!
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I’m a facebook fan
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My favorite dish to eat in NOLA is DEFINTIELY beignets! I bought some of the mix you’re giving away to make for my fiance, and he devoured them! However, now that I moved back to FL I can’t find the mix anymore! I am sooo sad!
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I tweeted about it (QueButtons) – http://twitter.com/QueButtons/status/13926216906
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I love Shrimp Po’Boys with remoulade sauce. YUM!
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I follow via Google Reader
)
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I follow you on Twitter @AZinAugust
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I tweeted: http://twitter.com/AZinAugust/status/13942446036
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This is an awesome giveaway! I am most excited about the famous Cafe du Monde beignet mix. Last year, two of our friends moved to NOLA and we gave them Cafe du Monde gift certificates, but I am dying to try them myself!
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I also retweeted and follow you on Twitter.
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And subscribe via Google reader. P.S. I made the banana chocolate chip loaf bread you recommended and it was fantastic! It will definitely go into the regular circulation of recipes at my house!
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My favorite NOLA dish is crawfish etouffee!
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I also follow you on twitter (@kmays)
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Grew up going to NOLA at least 2x a year, it’s one of my vary favorite cities! I don’t think I can really pick a favorite Cajun dish. Although red beans and rice have long been one of my favorite comfort foods and my birthday dinner of choice for my entire childhood.
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Favorite dish has got to be red beans & rice. I could eat it all day long!
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I follow @blackcatkitchen
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And now a fan on FB
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