I love to win things, don’t you? It’s so much fun! That’s one reason for my first-ever contest on Bargains Rock! But I wasn’t satisfied with just ONE contest, so I have a few contests coming your way over the next weeks. I had hoped to get enough for “12 Days of Christmas” but we’ll just go with what I have now and maybe more will join us!

I’d like to introduce you to my friend Abby Scalf, a Tastefully Simple consultant in Lake County, Illinois. Tastefully Simple is a home taste-testing company. The products are sold primarily through home parties in which hosts and their guests sample 18 different food products, including popular favorites like Bountiful Beer Bread or Spinach & Herb Dip Mix, as well as seasonal offerings.

“Tastefully Simple offers a variety of breads, seasonings, sauces, pasta kits and desserts,” explains Abby. “All of our items are either open and enjoy, or add one to two ingredients to use. Also, all of our items offer a personal guarantee of satisfaction. If you don’t like an item you’ve purchased, you can exchange it with me or get a refund. I want to make sure you love it.”

Abby became a consultant for Tastefully Simple because she loved the product. “I absolutely love to cook, but having a family, I—like many others—don’t have much time to cook. I enjoy that the products are reasonably priced and very versatile. I love that you can spend $8.99 on a seasoning pack and use it in many different ways,” she says.

I can vouch for the versatility of Tastefully Simple products, having been a customer for 10 years. I personally love the Bountiful Beer Bread, Spinach & Herb Dip Mix, Bacon Bacon, Onion Onion, Seasoned Salt, Garlic Garlic, Key Lime Cheese Ball Mix, Absolutely Almond Pound Cake Mix, Oh My! Chai Drink Mix, Merlot Sauce, Dried Tomato & Garlic Pesto Mix, Truffle Fudge Brownie Mix, Vidalia Onion Dressing, Balsamic & Basil Dipping Oil, Warm the Oven! Savory Cheese Dip Mix, and Pomegranate Chipotle Sauce. Sure, you can use the seasonings to make dip, but there are some great recipe ideas on the Tastefully Simple website. My husband enjoys putting the Bacon Bacon on his macaroni and cheese. I sprinkle it and Spinach & Herb Dip Mix on my baked potato. I also put the Spinach & Herb Dip Mix in my tuna salad. And the Pomegranate Chipotle Sauce is YUMMY! I love it with chicken—nuggets, grilled breast, rotisserie, whatever! A friend of mine told me she likes to stock a few of the Tastefully Simple desserts in her pantry for an occasion when she needs a quick dessert for a party, such as Nana’s Apple Cake Mix or the Absolutely Almond Pound Cake Mix.

The best way to try the products is to host a Tastefully Simple party. Schedule a date with Abby (via email or phone listed below), invite some friends, get the food ready and have a delicious time! Abby is offering a special gift to those who a book a show from this promotion. Mention to her that you read about her and Tastefully Simple on Bargains Rock and you will get a free bonus gift at your show. That is on top of the newly improved hostess program! (Hosts are welcome too, but for the sake of simplicity, I am going to stick to the female hostess.)

Tastefully Simple hostesses now receive 10% more in free product. For example, an average $400 show would give a hostess $50 in free products of her choice. She would also receive $15 more in product when her show has 15 individual orders. But wait, there’s more!! I’ll throw in some Ginsu knives (KIDDING!). Seriously though, a third new reward involves guest bookings. For each booking a hostess has off of her party (up to 5), she receives any item in the catalog for half price! Abby shared that a recent hostess earned over $115 in free products of her choice based on show sales. She was able to stock up on her favorites and get some great gifts!

In January, Tastefully Simple is introducing three new slow cooker sauces, which Abby is very excited about (as am I! I love my slow cooker!) and would like to share with you and your friends at a party featuring the sauces. Hostess and guests will receive recipes for using the products! Abby is currently booking weekend and weeknight shows, so call or email her to book your date now!

If you are unable to have a party but would like to purchase products, you may do so at anytime online at Tastefully Simple (consultant #0090938) or by calling Abby at 847-502-1908. Through Dec. 16, a $50 order will get you a free Bruschetta Cheese Ball Mix, which Abby was raving about. I have not had the pleasure of trying this one yet, but if it’s anything like the other Tastefully Simple products, it will ROCK! Items are shipped within two business weeks, which may make a gift purchase a little hard to guarantee before Christmas. However, gift certificates are available and may be purchased from Abby. Just call or email her at scalf13@sbcglobal.net to order one.

Abby has generously offered to give away a very nice gift to one lucky Bargains Rock reader. The prize pack is one box of the ultra-fabulous Bountiful Beer Bread, a package of The Trio (Bacon Bacon, Garlic Garlic, and Onion Onion dip mixes), and a Bruschetta Cheese Ball Mix! How can you get it? I’m glad you asked.

How to enter the contest:

1) Visit Abby’s site here and look at the products. Comment here (or below if you’re reading on the website and not in email) and tell me which one you would like to try. THIS FIRST ENTRY IS MANDATORY! You must do this one first; all the rest are “bonus” entries.

2) Tweet the following on Twitter: “Win a Tastefully Simple prize pack @BargainsRock http://bargainsrock.com/blog/?p=2368″ then comment here with the tweet URL in your comment; you may do this one time per day before the contest ends Dec. 15.

3) Blog about this contest and get 5 additional entries; comment here with the blog link here.

4) Subscribe to my blog newsletter or RSS feed, and comment here for an entry. You must confirm the email address (via feedburner) to be a valid subscription. If you already are a subscriber, just comment and let me know. Tell me why you subscribe!

5) Place an order with Abby before the contest ends Dec. 15. (She will confirm that you did.) You will get an extra 10 entries. Comment here that you did and tell me something you ordered (*unless of course it’s a gift for me* hee hee!).

6) Book a show with Abby before the contest ends Dec. 15. (She will confirm that you did.) You will get an extra 30 entries. Comment here that you did and if you tell me when your show is and want an extra guest, maybe I’ll come!

7) If you don’t have a Twitter or a blog but still want to share this contest with others, you can email the contest information (forward this blog post or cut and paste into your email) to 10 friends. CC me at bargainsrock@yahoo.com and then comment here to let me know you did it. You will get an extra 5 entries for every 10 people you share the contest with!

The contest ends at 11pm CST Dec. 15. This contest is open to residents in the United States only, please. I will pick the old-fashioned way (names in a bowl) with my kids doing the name pulling the next morning and I will announce winners Dec. 16. It is imperative that you put your correct email in the comment form so I may contact you if you win. If I cannot reach you within 48 hours, I will pass the prize along to another person.

Let’s have fun and good luck!

EDIT: CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED. WINNER TO BE POSTED 12/22/09. ALL ENTRIES INCLUDED UP UNTIL 12/21/09 10pm CST.