Can I take a moment to tell you a story? Really, it’ll only take a a few minutes…
Once upon a time I was invited by my friends at Kroger to go to Cincinnati to experience a new product they were launching. They were a little secretive with the details… here’s the information I was given: We’ll present you with some of our most fresh, favorite ingredients so you can turn them into a signature All Things Heart and Home creation in a professional test kitchen!
I asked my daughters… “do you think this is a cooking contest…will I have to cook by myself or on a team…really, what do you think?”
They all said…” I’m sure you’ll cook with a team…just do it Mom-you’ll be fine…”.
So although I feel better micromanaging and over planning, I flew to Cincinnati ready for surprises! Here are my new BFF’s who were on this adventure with me. (Some are bloggers and some are Kroger peeps)
I was a tad nervous that first morning after breakfast…just a tad. We were about to find out a little bit about why we were there!
In the meeting room, everyone had a list of 3 healthy ingredients. Mine were : Salmon-Cranberries-Brown Rice.
Each of us would be coming up with a dish to make, using these ingredients…of course we would be adding other ingredients as we decided on our recipe…
I’m fairly certain the photographer caught me the instant I realized what was going on…I think I was saying:
“I’ve NEVER – EVER cooked ANY kind of fish before!”
I was pretending to laugh in this shot…but really I was fighting back hysteria…
Here, I’m pretending to be calm…but actually, in my mind… I was in prayer…help! 🙂
Can you guess what most everyone did the moment we saw our ingredients?
We Googled.
We absolutely pulled out our smart phones and phoned a friend and her name was: Google.
And at that moment…I made up my mind that if I ever again give birth, my child’s name will be Google.
(not to worry…that’s never going to happen)
But here’s the thing about Google…she’s not stingy with information. As a matter of fact, if you aren’t careful your head can explode with TMI!
Just as I was about to short circuit because of all the salmon recipes, I got some help from the sweetest food blogger, Becky, with The Vintage Mixer (she’s a pro) -she suggested marinating the salmon in maple syrup and soy sauce…YUM! Maple syrup and soy sauce focused me…I then found 2 recipes for rice pilaf and combined them…whew…
In a matter of minutes, everyone had a grocery list made and off to Kroger we went…
Have you ever grocery shopped with a photographer? He was super nice but it was a challenge for me to keep the panic off my face 🙂
With bags and bags of groceries loaded into the limo we headed to Cincinnati State where our original 3 ingredients waited for us…
Some of you guys know me…you know I was nervous, but at this point it turned into sheer joy! That kitchen was amazing…
And seeing all of the beautiful – healthy ingredients was inspiring…sweet potatoes, cranberries, chicken, lamb, salmon, blueberries, carrots…
I have no idea how long we cooked…there was chopping and browning and simmering and baking…
The energy level was high and everyone was super focused…but once, for just a moment I paused… and do you know what I realized? Amidst the nerves and the rush… there was a whole lot of joy happening in that kitchen…
We each plated four servings and you guys wouldn’t believe all the goodness … (And I will absolutely be cooking salmon again! Who knew I could do it???)
Still, after being in Cincinnati for 24 hours, we weren’t certain what new product line Kroger was launching! But the big reveal would come at dinner that night!
We had a beautiful dinner at a restaurant called The Sleepy Bee…
This dinner was a foodie’s dream…a chef served and announced each course …
And the inspiration ingredients for each dish were the same ingredients that we cooked with earlier in the day!
Every bite was sheer delight…
And at some point, while we were savoring that amazing food, our friends at Kroger announced their new line of Premium Pet Food- Abound! All of the nutritious ingredients we cooked with earlier in the day and were eating right at that moment, are the key ingredients in Abound Pet Food.
This pet food has been two years in the making. It’s not your typical pet food peeps, it’s premium food with all natural ingredients and NO fillers like corn, soy or wheat, NO artificial colors, preservatives or flavors and NO animal by-product meal.
For the pups in your life there are lots of flavor combinations of the dry food, like: Chicken and Brown Rice, Salmon and Sweet Potato, Lamb and Brown Rice. There are also wet food choices: Chicken Vegetable Stew, Lamb and Brown Rice Stew and Salmon and Sweet Potato Stew…not to mention a selection of treats!
And for you guys who adore your kitties …(I’m excited for Reba-the-Cat to try some of these!) The dry Food:selections are: Salmon and Brown Rice and Chicken and Brown Rice. On top of that there are LOTS of choices when it comes to wet food and treats!
I also love that Abound is partnering with Best Friends Animal Society – their logo is on every bag of Abound Pet Food and will help raise awareness of the Best Friends Society’s no-kill mission-and bring attention to the more than 9,000 pets that are killed in America’s shelters every day…
When I came home from my trip I had some bags of Abound dog and cat treats waiting… Boo, Bella, Bindi, Ollie and Reba-the-Cat are over the moon about them.
And after seeing first hand how much time and science went into developing this pet food, ( not to mention that I’m so excited about being able to buy their premium pet food at the same place I shop for my own food!) I’m planning to (slowly) switch my little farm over to Abound Pet Food. 🙂
Ya know sweet friends, my Kroger buds were so gracious to include me in the trip so I could learn first hand all about their new premium pet food…but I think you know me well enough to know…the opinions here are all mine…
Sending love ~ xo
*****UPDATE*****
Lots of you guys let me know that you don’t have a Kroger near you…BUT: Kroger is sometimes listed under a different name (Fry’s, Ralph’s, QFC, Fred Meyer etc.) so you may have one near you under a different name! Click HERE and click on “All Kroger Stores” to see if they have a store near you! xo
ps…Over the next few weeks, on Facebook, I’m going to be introducing you to the other bloggers that I met on the trip…be sure to follow me HERE so you can meet some new and amazing friends!
Glad you enjoyed yourself in Cincinnati Robin. That is where I am from and grew up in Kroger!! I will have to try the new dog food for my three beagles Maggie, Little Bit and of course Snoopy(my grandsons named him). We have been long time supporters of Best Friends. Love them!! Take care.
Sue…I LOVE Cincinnati!!! We stayed in the city and there was no shortage of beautiful places and restaurants that served fantastic Gluten Free food! I think they’re way ahead of Atlanta on the GF front! You have 3 beagles!!! Aren’t they the sweetest breed? Love the names, I grew up w/ a pup named Snoopy 🙂 (I love Best Friends too…)
What an awesome experience. Coincidentally, I have a Bella and an Ollie (Oliver). I feed them organic without fillers because my Oliver get’s yeast infections in his ear from wheat. We made the change years ago and it’s been great. Nice to know there are more companies jumping on the band wagon.
Marla, I can’t believe you have a Bella and an Ollie (mine is Oliver too!) … I love that you already feed your pups food w/ out fillers! We love our furry family members don’t we? xo
I’ll be looking for it at my local Giant Eagle. We do not have Krogers.
I am so glad you blogged about this today! My sweet Anney, a mix beagle/spaniel has just now started getting yeast infections in her ears after all these years…she’s 15 and half, proudly…:) As I researched how to care for her yeast infections as naturally as possible, the first thing I found was to change her diet….so off to my local Kroger I will be going. Thank you Robin!
Glenis,
As soon as we made the switch the yeast infections disappeared. GF was the answer for our dog and I believe you will find the same results.
Absolutely couldn’t WAIT to read this one!!! So, so, so excited for you. What an adventure! And not one single ounce of anything but Joy showed on your face.
And over the last couple of months, I’ve put Clyde on a GF food. Will definitely try this new one from Kroger! Who knew?!
Love you. Thank you. So stinkin’ proud of you!!! xoxoxoxo
Julie, I knew you’d feed Clyde GF! xo
Awesome! I can’t wait to find this on the shelf! I hope they keep the price down a bit though. I love my little guy Scout so price aside it might be worth it. What an adventure for you!:-) great pictures!
So much fun, mom! I’m so proud of you for stepping out of your comfort zone and doing this. xoxo
Robin! How fun to be chosen to do this and how courageous of you to jump on a plane and dive right in! So proud of you! I was holding my breath all the way through-on pins and needles wondering what the reveal would be. Such a clever way to announce this new brand of dog food! Wish we had a Kroger near us. We, too, buy the food with no additives, fillers, dyes, etc.- its truly the only way!
While following your pictures on Instagram during your Kroger trip, I couldn’t wait for your blog post! You must of felt like you were on a show on “Food Network”. 😉 Great job! You did not look nervous at all, either. I know I would of been!
I do not have Kroger’s out here but that dog and cat food sound wonderful! Wish they would stop putting soy in human food too as there is so many products I can not eat anymore because of my soy intolerance.
Anyway, you did wonderful!!! I was cheering you on through your pictures on Instagram and I knew you would come up with a delicious dish. I have never cooked with fish before either!
Love and hugs, sweet friend!!!
Eileen, Kroger is sometimes listed under a different name (Fry’s, Ralph’s, QFC, Fred Meyer etc.) so you may have one near you under a different name! Check out https://www.kroger.com/storeLocator?hash=findStoreLink and click on “All Kroger Stores” to see if they have a store near you! xo
Sounds amazing Robin and I’m so glad you had fun. You made me laugh and for that I’m grateful. The pet food sounds really good, but I don’t have a Kroger store either I think they bought Harris Teeter. I wonder if they’ll carry it?????
Diana… Kroger is sometimes listed under a different name (Fry’s, Ralph’s, QFC, Fred Meyer etc.) so you may have one near you under a different name! Check out https://www.kroger.com/storeLocator?hash=findStoreLink and click on “All Kroger Stores” to see if they have a store near you! xo
Sounds like fun. How do your dogs like the food?
Elaine, we haven’t tried the food yet…we started w/ the treats to see how they agreed with their very sensitive tummy’s ! They love the treats and no tummy issues! ox
What a wonderful experience and such a clever way to introduce the pet food! Wish we had Kroger’s here!~~Angela
Angela, Kroger is sometimes listed under a different name (Fry’s, Ralph’s, QFC, Fred Meyer etc.) so you may have one near you under a different name! Check out https://www.kroger.com/storeLocator?hash=findStoreLink and click on “All Kroger Stores” to see if they have a store near you! xo
I’m laughing because of how similar our posts are!!! What a fun few days we had! I’m so glad to have met you.
What an awesome post! It was like re-living all the fun…. and cooking angst! hehe! It was so great to meet you!
Diane, I loved meeting you too! You and I are so similar in the way we love animals except you’re really GREAT at training yours! xo
Where is Kroger dog food sourced & manufactured?
Hi Judy! I sent an email to friends at Kroger asking them your question and this is what they sent back…I hope this helps!
ABOUND food and treats are manufactured in the United States and at least 98% of ingredients are sourced from within the U.S. All of ABOUND’s ingredients are sourced and produced at the highest quality standards and meet ALL FDA, AFCO, and applicable regulatory requirements.