
Put Your Best Plate Forward!
Something special for you today – KitchenAid is challenging home cooks across Canada to put their best plate forward by doing what they love for the cure: cook! Enter….the Culinary Showdown!
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What is the Culinary Showdown?
An all-star lineup of Canadian chefs, including Lynn Crawford, Chuck Hughes, Mark McEwan, Vikram Vij and Corbin Tomaszeski are recruiting foodies to compete on their team for the first-ever KitchenAid Cook for the Cure Culinary Showdown. Hosted by actor Dean McDermott, this extraordinary challenge gives culinary enthusiasts the opportunity to fundraise for a chance to cook alongside celebrity chefs in the type of team cooking challenge normally reserved for TV. Food lovers can register and begin fundraising today at cookforthecure.ca.
Eep! How amazing is that! A chance to cook alongside some of the best Canadian Food Network chefs and all for an amazing cause – to help realize the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation’s vision of creating a future without breast cancer!
The chance get up close and personal with your favorite culinary idols are quite good, too – The top 50 fundraisers across Canada will win the opportunity to work alongside renowned chefs and put their own culinary skills to the test. Fundraisers who raise at least $2,500 will participate in the Culinary Showdown’s Celebrity Chefs School, where they’ll learn tips and techniques from the top chefs. Finally, participants who raise a minimum of $1,000 will watch the culinary battle as a member of the event’s audience.

As part of putting your best plate forward, I’m also excited to share a tip directly from the multi-talented Chef Chuck Hughes here with you, courtesy of KitchenAid Canada! Among other shows, Chef Hughes can be seen on the Food Network & Cooking Channel’s Chuck’s Day Off and will be at the Culinary Showdown on December 7th, 2013. He shares one of his plating tips here with you:
Mise en place!!! It’s how every professional kitchen gets ready for service.. get a sharp knife…a good one! Stable cutting board…Set yourself up like a pro. Measure out your ingredients and get everything ready to rock at 95 %….then right before the guests arrive …put everything together and add the finishing touches!
Thanks for the advice, Chuck! I love it!
And my tip for today:
Have fun planning your event by incorporating a theme! Whether it be for Thanksgiving, Halloween or a pink theme for Cook for the Cure, use colors and/or decor to tie it all together – guests will enjoy the special touches and you’ll even find your own excitement grow during the preparation!

For my Cook for the Cure gathering, I made pink lemonade cupcakes topped with pink marshmallow icing for dessert and co-ordinated the flower toppers. Recipe and topper how-to coming soon. And a little heads-up for you… another fun Cook for the Cure Giveaway also coming along with it!

And now, in honor of Cook for the Cure, a Raspberry Ice KitchenAid Stand Mixer giveaway!

Raspberry Ice KitchenAid Stand Mixer Giveaway! CLOSED!!!
Prize: One Raspberry Ice KitchenAid Stand Mixer!
WINNER!!!
Congratulations goes out to comment #256, Monika Saito! I will be contacting you shortly to get your mixer to you!
Thanks again to KitchenAid Canada for sponsoring this giveaway!


Details:
- This giveaway is for Canadian residents only. U.S. residents, Jenny of Picky Palate is giving one away here if you’d like to enter! Sorry, my international friends outside of the United States and Canada! I am unable to do the same for you right now!
- The winner will be chosen randomly at www.random.org.
- The contest closes at approximately 7pm EST on Sunday November 3rd, 2013.
- Leave all your comment entries here, not on Facebook.
- Official giveaway rules here.
- Please read all contest entry details etc. below
HOW TO ENTER: CLOSED!!!
You have at least 5 chances of winning – each option below gives you one chance. Choose the options you like!
If you already do any of the following, you don’t have to do anything but leave a separate comment saying you already do. For example, if you already like my Facebook page, just leave a separate comment here saying you already do.
CLICK HERE to ‘like’ Sweetopia on Facebook
If you’d like to share on Pinterest, below is a summary of the instructions. Please make sure to let your Pinterest followers know the comments need to be on this blog post, not on the pin itself: GIVEAWAY CLOSED!!

Thanks to KitchenAid Canada for sponsoring this giveaway!
Good luck, friends!
xo,
Marian






I’d love the opportunity to win. Thanks for this amazing give away!
I’d like to win!
Oh my gosh, this would be amazing to win! I’ve had a rough month after a car accident and taking care of my sister who is in a halo brace. So this would be such a treat and surprise to win! This beauty would look lovely on my counter top also 🙂
Pinned on Pinterest:http://www.pinterest.com/pin/55521007879777344/
Shared on Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/amber.hodge.50/posts/754633891229457
I’d love to win this mixer! I need one so bad so I can finally start my own home business.
I already like Sweetopia on FB (Amber H)
would love to win this!
I follow Sweetopia on Google+ (Amber H)
pinned!
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/156711262007422754/
Second entry- I pinned this!
already following on google plus! (Maggie Wallace)
I would love to win this beauty!!
I follow you on Instagram, and like your page on facebook
I would love to win this!
Thanks for the great giveaway!
I pinned it!
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/485966616012292059/
What an awesome giveaway, I would love to win one!!! 🙂
Oh my, I’d love to win one of these beauties! And the cause is one near to my heart.
I liked your Facebook page and I also follow your amazing creations on Instagram!
I would really like to win! My kitchenaid is almost worn out, and I need to replace it!
i PINNED a photo http://www.pinterest.com/pin/204491639304103202/
I like you on facebook
This would be amazing to win! Thanks.
i would absolutely love to win this mixer. i’ve only ever had a hand mixer and the motor is definitely starting to go. this would be great!
I follow you on google +
Shared and Liked on my Facebook page.
i liked you on facebook 🙂
I would love to win this giveaway!
I like you on Facebook
Such a beautiful mixer! I would love to win it.
I pinned this, as well! http://www.pinterest.com/pin/496170083918281863/
I would like to win. Thanks!
Pinned
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/170925748331174431/
FB Share
https://www.facebook.com/KellyDSaver/posts/621422587908540
I Like Sweetopia on Facebook(Kelly D Saver)
I shared this post on Facebook 🙂
I would absolutely LOVE to win this! 😀 Mine died 3 Christmases ago making fondant (shame on me… I cried ;)) and I need one for Christmas goodies!!! 😀
I have liked your page on Facebook for a long time 😀 love your work!
I added you on Google Plus! 😀
Love seeing your posts in my Facebook newsfeed! Would love to win this contest!
so pretty!!!!
Thank you for the wonderful give-away!! I would love to win that amazing coloured Kitchen Aid mixer 🙂
Pinned, shared, liked.
Would love to have this since I bake nearly everyday and my current one is breaking down after over 10 years of use.
Would absolutely love to win this mixer!!
I have pinned your lemon aid cupcake picture. Can’t wait for the recipe 😀
here is the link if you need it http://www.pinterest.com/pin/476748310525041222/
I would love to win this Raspberry Ice KitchenAid Stand Mixer
I like Sweetopia on Facebook
I would LOVE to win!!
Pinned the cupcakes on my cake and inspiration board! 🙂
I would love to win. Love the colour 😀
shared on facebook with pleasure 🙂