The Sargento "Ultimate" Cheeseburger at The Filling Station

CHEESE....I am in LOVE with cheese!!  Chunks, slices, sticks, even the ooey gooey kind on my cheeseburger! 

Did you know nine in ten burger-eaters like cheese on their patties?  More than half would forgo French fries to top their burger with cheese!  

What kind of cheese do you like on your burger?  44% of Americans list Cheddar as their favorite natural cheese for burgers.  I'm usually a lover of straight up American cheese.  But have you ever tried Sargento Natural Blends Deli Style Sliced Colby-Pepper Jack cheese?  That's what Miami's own The Filling Station topped their Sargento's "Ultimate Cheeseburger" entry with!

Today the boys and I went on an adventure to downtown Miami to sample The Filling Station's Ultimate Cheeseburger.  The only word I can use to describe this cheeseburger.....AMAZING!  No lie!  I'll be honest, I was hesitant to try it since there is a fried egg on the top, but WOW, I couldn't get enough of it!  It was so big that I couldn't finish it all.  And don't even get me started on The Filling Station's delicious seasoned tots...

Funny sayings on the walls.

The Filling Station is an awesome little dive-bar/restaurant nestled in downtown Miami.  It has really cool Micro-Brews on tap & bottle including Sierra Nevada Torpedo IPA.  Yum!  You know Adam on "Man vs. Food?"  Check out ADAM’S EIGHTEEN WHEELER
(named for Adam on “man vs. food”).  Bet you can't finish it!!



Have you voted yet?  You can vote for The Filling Station's Ultimate Cheeseburger at www.Facebook.com/SargentoCheese.
Oh yeah, Miami's in the lead!!


If you want to make this awesome burger at home, check out the recipe I posted at Celebrate the 4th with "America's Ultimate Cheeseburger" by Sargento.   

And did I mention you can win free cheese from Sargento??  Oh yeah!!  Enter here:

a Rafflecopter giveaway




Be sure to follow Filling Station on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheFillingStationGarageBar – Tell them The Exhausted Mom sent you!

Disclosure: I received products and compensation from Sargento Foods Inc. and The Motherhood as part of my participation in this campaign. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this post are my own.


Alexis

Find Your Perfect Scent & Win A Year Supply of Gain!

Laundry, we all have it.  I feel like I'm ALWAYS doing laundry.  It's my nemesis.  IT NEVER ENDS!!    But alas, I don't like to walk around with dirty clothes...not to mention I like to smell good.

Gain, the well-known laundry detergent, has launched an anything but ordinary, interactive YouTube experience that helps consumers celebrate what makes them unique and find their perfect scent match.

From the clothes we wear to our signature scent, we’re all unique. Did you know that 96% of U.S. Americans said that smelling good is an important part of feeling confident and 86% of U.S. Hispanic consumers feel it is important for their personal scent to match their personality.

To help consumers find their perfect scent match, Gain has launched an interactive YouTube video questionnaire in Spanish with Gain matchmaker, “Dr. Aroma” and in English with actress and comedian Wanda Sykes.  Gain created a one-of-a-kind, digital experience to help the consumer find their own unique scent match based on their personalities. “Dr. Aroma” & Wanda Sykes take people through a series of questions in order to help pinpoint their perfect scent match from Gain’s anything but ordinary line up of scents.  (You can toggle between the English and Spanish language version via a language selector button featured on the Gain YouTube Page.)  With scents like Hawaiian Aloha, Butterfly Kiss and Sunflower & Sunshine, people will be sure to find the one that is perfect for them.

Wanda Sykes matched me with Sweet Sizzle...I think those two words describe me well!  I'm sure the smell does too. 

Are you ready for the best part?

YOU can win a YEAR SUPPLY OF GAIN!  (That's 320 loads of laundry!)  Here's what you have to do:

Find your perfect scent match at www.youtube.com/Gain.   

Once "Dr. Aroma" or Wanda Sykes have told you your perfect scent match, come back here and answer the question that matches it.  The winner will win a YEAR SUPPLY OF GAIN! Swoon!!!

But hurry...contest ends July 19th!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

You can also share your new scent with friends on Twitter and Facebook so they can join in on the fun!

And don't forget to save the date!

@Gain will also be hosting a Twitter Party on July 17^th from 9-10PM EST with.  There will be 5 amazing prizes and not to mention a grand prize of a Year Supply of Gain! Save the date.  Hashtag: #GainTuAroma

Gain detergent is currently available at drug, grocery and mass stores. With detergents and fabric softeners, dryer sheets, dish washing liquids, scent boosters, dryer bars and more, Gain will fill every room in your home with anything but ordinary scents. To learn more about Gain, visit ilovegain.com. 


What's your perfect scent?  I can't wait to read about your scents and your answer to the quirky questions that match!

**Disclosure:  Although I was compensated to advertise this giveaway, all opinions are my own.

Alexis

Celebrate the 4th with "America's Ultimate Cheeseburger" by Sargento

Nothing says The Fourth of July like a BBQ, apple pie, and fireworks.   When I think of BBQs, I think of hamburgers...better yet, CHEESEBURGERS.  Meaty, juicy, cheesy burgers.  Big, small, regular, sliders, whatever.  Burgers are the way to go.  


Sargento is geared up for the ultimate summer cheeseburger showdown!  Everyone's favorite cheese company has created the “America’s Ultimate Cheeseburger” contest on the Sargento Facebook page.  Sargento has asked chefs in New York, Miami, Chicago, Milwaukee and San Diego to square off and create a cheeseburger featuring their city or state’s famous culinary flair and Sargento all natural, never processed cheese.  

Since I live in Miami, my vote is going toward The Filling Station Cheeseburger.   You can try their recipe at home.




"The Filling Station Cheeseburger"

Photo courtesy of Sargento

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Serves: 1

Ingredients
• 8 oz. ground chuck
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Garlic powder
• Onion powder
• 1 fresh kaiser roll
• 3 slices of peppered bacon
• 4 slices of Sargento® Natural BlendsTM Deli Style Sliced Colby-Pepper Jack Cheese
• 1 medium sized egg

Balsamic Caramelized Onions:
• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 Tbsp. butter
• Pinch salt
• Pinch pepper
• 1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

Garlicky Mustardy Mayonnaise:
• 1 Tbsp. mayonnaise
• 1 tsp. fresh minced garlic
• 1 tsp. spicy mustard

Directions:
• Shape beef into patty.
• Prepare Balsamic Caramelized Onion. Season patty with salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder.
• Sauté onion in a nonstick pan with butter, salt and pepper. When the onion is cooked soft add vinegar and stir until absorbed. Remove onions to bowl and wipe pan clean.
• Place bacon on baking sheet, sprinkle lightly with cracked black pepper and bake according to package instructions. Prepare Garlicky Mustardy Mayonnaise by mixing mayonnaise with garlic and mustard.
• Place burger patties on grill and cook to desired doneness. Top with cheese and cover until cheese is fully melted. While the burger is cooking, cook the egg over easy in a skillet and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Place burger with cheese on bun. Top with peppered bacon, onions and egg. Spread the Garlicky Mustardy Mayonnaise on top of the bun. Double Bacon Cheeseburger.

Now, it’s your turn to play a part in cheeseburger history!  Cast your vote on the Sargento Facebook page to help crown “America’s Ultimate Cheeseburger.”

***Disclosure:  I received products and compensation from Sargento Foods Inc. and The Motherhood as part of my participation in this campaign. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this post are my own.

Alexis

Can I Really Work and Blog??

*disclaimer:  all you "seasoned" bloggers, this is old news to you...this is for the other "newbies" out there!

School hasn't even officially started yet (at least not with students) and I'm already stressed about how to maintain my new obsession while trying to educate children!  Not to mention that Blogger, Facebook, and Twitter are blocked at my school.  I can only use my iPhone for so long...it's just too small.  What's a girl to do when trying to grow a following and reach the world?


After voicing my concerns to Smarty Pants Mama and my sister, they gave me advice on the vast world of social networking and how to "do it all." 


Since I can't blog while at work (and I LOVE making lists), I plan out my posts for the week.  I found blogging calendar form at Living Locurto.  It's cute and useful!  I print a few at a time because I like to see the future.


Then I designate one night to pushing out 3-4 posts.  The night changes depending on after school activities, what's good on TV, and whether or not my husband is home.  How do I do that?  One way is to create posts using a word document and then posting them to the blog later.  But my preferred way is by writing the posts on my platform and scheduling when the post will be live.  This has saved me A LOT of time!

This was going well for me while I was home.  I could tweet and share on Facebook all day in between activities with my kids.  This way all of my followers could see my new posts.  But now that I'm back at work all day, how would anyone know that I wrote a new post?

That's where Smarty Pants Mama came in.  She let me in on a little secret.  (I don't think it's a secret to the rest of you, but for me it was HUGE!)  Since I use TweetDeck while tweeting, I can schedule my tweets as well!  WOO HOO!  I love to plan ahead... It's especially useful for my Sundays when I'm usually away from the computer all day.
If you choose to do this on TweetDeck, keep in mind that the time is military time.

I know I have a lot more to learn, but hey, it's only been 2 months...

Do you have any more planning or time saving techniques when blogging? Please share!
 
Alexis