The apocalyptic attack on the 12 colonies may have taken the humans by surprise, but now you can follow the action through the eyes of the Cylons as they initiate all-out war against their makers.

Win a copy of Battlestar Galactica: The Plan (Universal Studios Home Entertainment), and experience this futuristic fight for survival from the Cylons’ perspective. But you’ll have to act fast, the deadline is Sunday November 8th at midnight PST.

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We’re running a Guacamole Day contest here on Sonoma on the Cheap (3 winners get a prize pack of Wholly Guacamole and Salsa as well as other goodies). In order to enter, you need to go here and post a comment suggesting either something to mix in with Guac, or a wine pairing.  Mix ins are so far, mostly expected—sour cream, lime, onions. But the wine pairings are getting interesting… [Read more →]

A new Häagen-Dazs store is opening in Santa Rosa Plaza this weekend. At the Grand Opening celebration (this Saturday, August 15 2009 starting at 10 am), Häagen-Dazs will give the first 500 customers  free scoops of their favorite ice cream flavors. There will also be a contest—the winner gets a year’s worth of ice cream (do they know how much ice cream I can eat?!?)

Our sister site, Taos on the Cheap, has a Summer of Love sweepstakes free online, to win a fabulous $4000 trip for two to the heart of the Land of Enchantment

The prize inlcudes airfare, hotel, some great restaurant meals, $1000 certificate to spend in a Taos art gallery, museum admissions, a Harley-Davidson tour (if you have a motorcycle license), and a choice of outings (ski, raft, balloon, golf, or llama trek)–the whole deal. Enter before July 31 (and if you win, take me with you…)

 If you haven’t visited Clos du Bois’  www.ToastToWomen.com yet, now’s the time. You can send a free e-card (they’ll donate $1 per card sent to WomenHeart, an organization dedicated to women’s heart health) and you can enter to win a gym tote full of stuff valued at $150 (yoga mat, water bottle, pedometer, MP3 player, etc) .

They’re giving away one gym bag just for Sonoma on the Cheap readers (odds are much better than the giveaway open to everyone). To enter go to www.ToastToWomen.com and click on the “Enter to win heart smart gear” icon in the bottom right-hand corner of the homepage. When entering, use the promotion code, “Sonoma”, to be entered into the exclusive Sonoma on the Cheap drawing. The winner will be drawn on the last day of May.

The Vineyard Cookbook giveaway ends on June 1, 2009. To be entered, just add a comment (before June 1) to any post that starts with “Picnic” —tell us your favorite picnic food, favorite picnic spot, favorite (or worst, picnic story). One commenter will be chosen at random to receive a copy of the Vineyard Cookbook.

Paradise Ridge Winery’s Wednesday Night Wine and Sunsets are a great way to celebrate hump day. And Hopmonk Taverns‘ Chef Billy Reid has a way with a sandwich—his Hopmonk Reuben is a classic, and his grilled cheese is the ultimate adult comfort food: cheddar, gruyere, and ham, on parmesan crusted sourdough bread. So Sonoma on the Cheap asked him to come up with some picnic recipes to accompany a Wednesday evening sunset picnic—and he came up with a couple great recipes to share with us. [Read more →]

This picnic is pretty easy to put together; roast two chickens for dinner earlier in the week and save one to slice cold on the picnic (or pick up some of Hop Kiln wineries roat chicken with yucatansunset dry rub), throw together an easy but elegant Insalata di Farfalle the day before (to allow to flavors to blend), make a  bisoctti di Anise, and buy a salami, some pesto, and crusty bread. 

Ron R. Stainer, Chef de Cuisine, Hop Kiln Winery & Kenwood Inn and Spa, who created this menu, suggests pairing this menu with HK Generations 2007 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay. “This unfiltered Chardonnay gracefully displays appealing French oak flavors framing the complex finish with nuances of apricot, pears, and green apple that are broad and expansive, keeping a rich tropical fruit profile,” he says.

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Clos du Bois Winery and Womenheart has created a web site to help support women’s heart disease awareness and prevention (www.ToastToWomen.com).

On the site, you’ll find heart healthy menu ideas from the WomenHeart’s ALL HEART Family Cookbook, festive Rosé spritzer recipes featuring Clos du Bois wine,  and the opportunity to send free, personalized e-cards to the special women in your life. For every e-card sent, Clos du Bois will donate $1 to WomenHeart.

On the site, there is a sweepstakes to win a gym tote full of stuff. But Clos du Bois Winery has done one better for Sonoma County. In addition to the Gym tote prize available to everyone who enters, there will be another given away exclusively to readers of Sonoma on the Cheap.

Enter the contest by logging on to www.ToastToWomen.com and clicking on the “Enter to win heart smart gear
” icon in the bottom right-hand corner of the homepage. When entering, use the promotion code, “Sonoma”, to be entered into the exclusive Sonoma on the Cheap drawing. The winner will be drawn on the last day of May.

Valued at $150, the gym tote includes:

- A portable pedometer to keep track of your movement

- A personal yoga mat to keep you flexible

- A durable water bottle to keep you hydrated

- An MP3 player to keep your toes tapping

- A plush gym towel to keep you dry

Nearly one-third of all female deaths are from heart disease—send a free e-card to a friend (mom, aunt, grandmother, mentor, your choice) and help Clos du Bois support WomenHeart.

Celebrating 31 years of  ”Harmony From the Roots Up”—and continuing its focus on progressive ideals, community activism, and uplifting music—this year’s Harmony Festival features:

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