Where are your pistachios grown?

We have fields spread throughout the sunny San Joaquin Valley in Lost Hills, Wasco, and McKittrick just to name a few cities.

Are pistachios happy on the farm?

You betcha! The warm days and cool nights work in harmony to create the perfect growing conditions for our pistachios. We also practice sustainable farming methods to help promote a happy environment.

What happened to the pistachios with red dye?

Pistachios were dyed red in the past to hide their imperfections. Thanks to our advanced farming methods, we no longer need to dye the pistachios since they never touch the ground!

Will you ever make chipotle flavored pistachios? 

Wonderful Pistachios currently does not feature a chipotle flavor. You can, however, find flavored pistachios from our friends at Everybody’s Nuts Pistachios. Their portfolio of flavors include Garlic & Onion, Salt & Pepper, and Sweet Chili – check them out!

Have any questions for the Pistachio Expert? Leave them in the comments and stay tuned to see if your questions are answered in the upcoming weeks!

Name: Perla G.
Merchandising for us since: 10-22-2008
You’ll find my displays in: South Texas Region H-E-B Grocery Stores

Q: What does your day typically consist of?

My day starts fairly early in the morning, and I basically make sure that all product is fully stocked and readily available for our consumers. My daily objective is to make sure to leave an impression after every store call. I stock product, build displays, and make sure to get some consumer engagement.

Q: What’s your favorite part about being a merchandiser?

I enjoy meeting new people on a daily basis. Consumer feedback is golden.  I enjoy listening to the likes, dislikes, and suggestions from our consumers as well as the appreciation I receive every time I walk into one of my stores.

Q: What is your favorite season or annual event to create displays for?

My favorite season is Christmas. Although stores are crowded, this is one of the best selling seasons for us and I love keeping busy.

Q: How long does it typically take to finish a display? 

Some displays can take up to three hours but on average I would have to say about an hour and a half.

 Q: The toughest part about being a merchandiser is…

Not being able to be at every store as often as I would like.  Sometimes I wish I could clone myself to be able to be at two locations at the same time.

Q: What is the secret to creating a successful display? What’s the secret to being a successful merchandiser?  

The secret to creating a successful display is LOCATION!  LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION!  No matter how large and tactful a display is, it is only successful if it is placed in the right location. The secret to being a successful merchandiser is ATTENDANCE!  As a merchandiser our presence in the store is key.

Q: List 3 items you’ll always find in a merchandisers pocket:

1. Box cutter

2. Coupons

3. Cellphone 

Q: What is one thing we don’t know about merchandisers?  

Our feet are in pain at the end of the day!

Q: A merchandiser knows he/she has done their job when…

It shows on paper!  Sometimes we don’t realize what an impact we have in our store sales until we see it in black and white.

1. Roasted Beet Salad with Arugula Pistachios and Goat Cheese Recipe: we think pistachios give this veggie recipe a nice added crunch and makes for a nice lunch that won’t leave you in a food coma for the rest of your workday.

2. White Chocolate Chip Cookies with Pistachios and Sea Salt: your editor loves anything that involves sea salt and cookies (or caramel). Toss some pistachios in there and you have an instant winner.

3. Pistachio Gelato: a refreshing dessert for those hot summer days when you just need to cool down.

4. Chocolate-Pistachio Apricots: talk about presentation! This quick-and-easy recipe will make anyone look like a professional dessert chef.

5. Baked Honey Oatmeal with Raspberries and Pistachios: could you eat cake breakfast? So could we, no thanks to our sweet tooth. These mini oatmeal cakes are the next best thing.

5. Farro with Braised Greens, Pistachios, and Ricotta: a sophisticated dish that only takes 30 mins to complete that will definitely impress your guests.

Have any great pistachio recipes of your own? Share them with us in the comments!

 Photo courtesy of Danielle Scott

Thanks to everyone who sent in entries. As stated, the two grand prize winners will receive a gift basket including pistachios from both Everybody’s Nuts and Wonderful Pistachios in addition to other stellar swag.  Six runner-ups will score free pistachios if they are on the winning square each quarter.

Click to enlarge the football pools below. Everybody’s Nuts team on the left, and Wonderful Pistachios on the right.

Everybody’s Nuts represents NYG

Wonderful Pistachios represents NEP

May the best nuts win. Good luck and let’s get ready for a good game!

The Game: Everybody’s Nuts vs. Wonderful Pistachios

We will choose which brand represents the actual football teams playing on the big day. Contest runs from 1/30/12 – 2/2/12.

How to Enter:

• Choose a team (Everybody’s Nuts or Wonderful Pistachios).
• Include “Everybody’s Nuts Pistachio Pool” OR “Wonderful Pistachios Pistachio Pool” in the email subject line
• Email us your full name, city/state,  and email to contest@getcrackin.com.

We will randomly assign you a square for the team you chose. Contest is limited to the first 100 people per brand (200 total) who sign up and entries must be received by 2/2/12. Your submissions should include all the requested information to be a valid entry.

The Prizes:

• Six Runner-Ups: each quarter, we’ll be awarding two free bags of pistachios from each brand to whomever is on the winning square.
• Two Grand Prize Winners: the winner will receive a gift basket including pistachios from both Everybody’s Nuts and Wonderful Pistachios, a highly coveted Wonderful Pistachios bowl (pictured below), and an Everybody’s Nuts T-shirt.

• You may only enter on behalf of yourself and you may only enter once.
• Full names attached to the email address must match up with your legal name.
• Lastly, you cannot enter your husband, sister, second cousin, dog or fish (you get the idea). Let’s keep it fair. Kapish?!
• Fans from Canada are able to enter, excluding those from Quebec (sorry, guys)…

We’ll publish the completed pools on our Facebook page and the blog on February 3rd, 2012 so you can see your information before game day. See our official rules for more details.

Our hats go off to Jessica Bushee whose two daughters are pictured below doing their best Clay Matthews “Predator” move (too cute).

Our 25 Runner-Ups are:

1. Andy Hague
2. Ashley Dougherty
3. Audrey Sherrill
4. Brook McCann
5. Chris Maria
6. Dawn Rios
7. Donna Gray
8. Doreen Sharpe
9. Edward Goebel
10. Jeri Hassell
11. Judith Jensen
12. Kathy Jager
13. Kristi Biggar
14. Lauren N. Blackwelder
15. Lydia Vierson
16. Maria Pilat
17. Mark Kilburn
18. Nancy Schneider
19. Stephanie Kelsey
20. Teresa Fowler
21. Teresa Harvey
22. Theodore Esteghamat
23. Tracy Moore
24. Tracy Stevens
25. Victor Bustamante

We will be contacting all winners via email, so please keep your eyes peeled!

THE BIG GAME: PISTACHIO BOWL CONTEST
OFFICIAL RULES

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN IN THE BIG GAME: PISTACHIO BOWL CONTEST (“CONTEST”).  Entry into this Contest constitutes your acceptance of these Official Rules.

CONTEST ENTRY DATES: Contest begins January 30, 2012 at 9:00 a.m. Pacific Standard Time (“PST”) and ends February 2, 2012 at 11:59 p.m. PST (“Contest Entry Period”).

WHO MAY ENTER: Open only to legal residents of the fifty (50) United States and District of Columbia and Canada (excluding residents of Quebec, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam) who are at least eighteen (18) years old at time of entry. Void in Quebec and where prohibited by law.  Contest subject to all applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations.  Employees of Paramount Farms International LLC (“Sponsor”) and its parents, affiliates, subsidiaries and advertising and promotion agencies, and such employees’ immediate family members (parent, spouse, sibling, child, and their respective spouses, regardless of where they reside) and those living in their same households, whether or not related, are not eligible to enter or win.  Participation constitutes entrant’s full and unconditional agreement to these Official Rules and Sponsor’s decisions, which are final and binding in all matters related to the Contest.  Winning a prize is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements set forth herein.  Sponsor reserves the right to verify eligibility qualifications of the winners.  Contest is subject to all applicable federal, state, provincial and local laws.

CONTEST ENTRY/OBJECTIVE: Submit your team choice – Everybody’s Nuts or Wonderful Pistachios – to participate in the 2012 Pistachio Bowl Game Pool.

HOW TO ENTER: To enter, send an email with the subject line “Everybody’s Nuts Pistachio Pool” or “Wonderful Pistachios Pistachio Pool” along with your full name, city/state and email address (collectively, “Entry”) to Sponsor via email at contest@getcrackin.com during the Contest Entry Period.  All Entries must be received by 11:59 p.m. PST on February 2, 2012 to be eligible.  No purchase necessary.  Any Entry that does not include all required information and adhere to the foregoing and following requirements will be considered void and will not be considered in the judging of this Contest.

CONDITIONS OF ENTRY:

Contest is limited to the first 100 people per team choice who submit eligible Entries during the Contest Entry Period.  Each Entry will be randomly assigned a square on the Pistachio Bowl Game Pool.  The completed Pistachio Bowl Game Pool will be published on Sponsor’s Facebook pages (www.facebook.com/wonderfulpistachios and www.facebook.com/everybodysnutspistachios) and Sponsor’s blog (www.getcrackin.com/topic/news/) on February 3, 2012 so contestants can see their information before the Big Game.

Sponsor will assign each pistachio brand to represent one of the football teams playing in the Big Game on game day.

All Entries must be received by 11:59 p.m. on February 2, 2012.  Limit one (1) Entry per person for the entire Contest Entry Period.  Entries received from any person or e-mail address in excess of the stated limitation will be void.  Entries generated by script, macro or other automated means or with the intent to subvert the entry process are void.  All Entries become the property of Sponsor and will not be acknowledged or returned.

Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify any Entry for any reason, in its sole and absolute discretion.

Due to a potential high volume of Entry submissions, Sponsor cannot verify receipt of an Entry or placement in the Pistachio Bowl Game Pool.  Entries submitted via Facebook, Twitter or any other method of entry other than the entry requirement set forth herein will not be considered.

WINNER DETERMINATION:

Contestants can watch the Big Game on February 5, 2012 and see if they are winners in the Pistachio Bowl Game Pool.

The Grand Prize winners will be determined at the conclusion of the Big Game.  First Runner-Up Prize winners will be determined at the conclusion of each of the 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd quarters (two (2) winners per quarter) of the Big Game.

All winners will be determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion.  Sponsor’s decisions are final and binding.

WINNER NOTIFICATION: Winners will be announced and notified by Sponsor within three (3) after the broadcast of the Big Game.  Winners will each be notified by e-mail, phone and/or mail and may be required to execute and return an Affidavit of Eligibility and Liability/Publicity Release (or if a resident of Canada, a Declaration), where lawful, and an IRS W-9 form as well as any other documents which may be required by Sponsor, all of which must be received fully-executed within seven (7) days of date printed on notification or he/she may be disqualified. If after three (3) attempts to contact a potential winner, Sponsor has been unable to do so, he/she will be disqualified. Any Canadian resident who is a potential winner of a prize must correctly answer a time-limited mathematical skill-testing question administered by telephone without assistance or mechanical or electronic aid in order to receive a prize.  If a selected Canadian potential winner cannot be reached by telephone within a reasonable time period or answers the skill testing question incorrectly, as determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion, he/she may be disqualified.  In the event it is determined that a potential winner has not complied with these Official Rules, has failed to execute and return any required documents within the specified time period, has made false statements or prize notification is returned as undeliverable, then potential winner will be disqualified. Should a winner make any false statement(s) in any document required by Sponsor or prize supplier, such winner will be disqualified and required to promptly return to Sponsor the value of his/her prize. If a potential winner is disqualified for any reason, or if a potential winner refuses their prize, at Sponsor’s discretion, the prize may be awarded to an alternate winner. Further, Sponsor reserves the right to forfeit or award any unclaimed or leftover prizes at its sole discretion.
PRIZES: There are exactly eight (8) prizes available to be won in this Contest as follows:

(a)   Grand Prize (2): Each Grand Prize winner will receive one (1) case (25 bags) of Wonderful® Pistachios, one (1) case (12 bags) of Everybody’s Nuts® Pistachios, one (1) Pistachio Bowl and one (1) Everybody’s Nuts T-Shirt.  Approximate Retail Value (“ARV”): US $224.75 each prize.

(b)   First Runner-Up Prizes (6): Each First Runner-Up Prize winner will receive one (1) bag of Everybody’s Nuts® Pistachios and one (1) bag of Wonderful Pistachios.  ARV: US $10.99 each prize.

Total ARV of all prizes = US $515.44.

All prizes are awarded by Sponsor.  All prize details are at Sponsor’s sole discretion. Prizes are awarded “as is” with no warranty or guarantee, either express or implied by Sponsor. Winners are solely responsible for all federal, state and local taxes (including income and withholding taxes) and any other expenses, costs or fees associated with acceptance and/or use of the prizes not specified herein as being awarded. Delivery of prizes to winners are subject to the express requirement that they submit to Sponsor all documentation requested by Sponsor to permit them to comply with all applicable U.S., state, local and foreign tax reporting and withholding requirements, including, without limitation, an IRS Form W-9.  All prizes will be net of any taxes Sponsor is required by law to withhold.  All taxes imposed on prizes are the sole responsibility of the winners.  In order to receive a prize, winners must submit any tax documentation requested by Sponsor or otherwise required by applicable law, to Sponsor or the relevant tax authority, all as determined by applicable law, including, where relevant, the law of the winner’s state of residence.  If a winner cannot accept a prize as stated, such prize will be forfeited in its entirety and, to the extent feasible, may be awarded to an alternate winner. Winners may not substitute, assign or transfer prizes or redeem prizes for cash, but Sponsor reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to substitute a prize (or any portion thereof) with one of comparable or greater value.  LIMIT ONE (1) PRIZE PER PERSON FOR THE ENTIRE CONTEST.  Neither Sponsor nor its agencies are responsible for lost, late, stolen, misdirected, delayed or damaged prizes.  Additional restrictions may apply.
GENERAL CONDITIONS: Winning constitutes permission (except where prohibited by law) for Sponsor and its designees to use a winner’s name, Entry, hometown, likeness, prize won, and photo and video (all at Sponsor’s discretion) for future advertising, publicity in any and all media now or hereafter devised throughout the world in perpetuity, without additional compensation, notification or permission. Sponsor, Contest parties and their respective officers, directors, agents, representatives and employees (collectively, “Released Parties”) are not responsible for lost, late, misdirected, damaged, stolen, altered, garbled, incorrect, incomplete or delayed Entries or votes; all of which will be void. Released Parties are also not responsible for problems uploading or downloading any Contest-related information or materials from the Contest Web Site or any other web site or for any other technical malfunctions of electronic equipment, computer on-line systems, servers, or providers, computer hardware or software failures, programs, applications, phone lines, failure of any Entry or vote to be received by Sponsor on account of technical problems, traffic, congestion on the internet or the Contest Web Site or any other web site, or for any other technical problems including telecommunication, miscommunication or failure, and failed, lost, delayed, incomplete, garbled or misdirected communications which may limit a contestant’s ability to participate in this Contest. Released Parties are not responsible for any other errors or malfunctions of any kind, whether network, printing, typographical, human or otherwise relating to or in connection with the Contest, including, without limitation, errors or malfunctions which may occur in connection with the administration of the Contest, the processing or judging of Entries, the submitting or tabulating of votes, the announcement of the prizes or in any Contest-related materials. Mass Entries or votes or Entries or votes generated by a script, macro or use of automated devices may, at Sponsor’s sole discretion, be disqualified. Sponsor reserves the right to modify, suspend or terminate the Contest in the event it becomes infected by a computer virus or is otherwise technically impaired, and to cancel or suspend the Contest in its entirety should tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures or other causes corrupt the administration, security, fairness, integrity or proper play of the Contest and, if terminated, at Sponsor’s discretion, determine the winner using all non-suspect, eligible Entries received up to time of cancellation using the judging procedure outlined above. In the event of a dispute regarding Entries received from multiple users having the same e-mail account, the authorized subscriber of the e-mail account at the time of Entry will be deemed to be the contestant and must comply with these Official Rules. Authorized subscriber is the natural person who is assigned the e-mail address by the Internet Service Provider (ISP), on-line service provider, or other organization responsible for assigning e-mail addresses. Sponsor reserves the right at its sole discretion to disqualify any individual (and void his/her Entry and vote) it finds to be tampering with the Entry or voting process or the operation of this Contest or website, intending to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass any other contestant, Sponsor or any of its representatives or to otherwise be acting in violation of these Official Rules. CAUTION: Any attempt by a contestant to deliberately damage any web site or undermine the legitimate operations of the Contest is a violation of criminal and civil laws. Should such an attempt be made, the Sponsor reserves the right to seek damages and other such remedies from any such contestant to the fullest extent permitted by law and to disqualify such contestant from the Contest.
MISCELLANEOUS CONDITIONS: By participating in the Contest, contestants (i) agree to be bound by these Official Rules, including all eligibility requirements, and (ii) agree to be bound by the decisions of Sponsor and judges, which are final and binding in all matters relating to the Contest. Failure to comply with these Official Rules may result in disqualification from the Contest. Sponsor reserves the right to permanently disqualify any person it believes has intentionally violated these Official Rules and void all associated Entries and/or votes.
RELEASES: By entering the Contest, contestants agree to release and hold harmless Released Parties from all claims, liability or damage caused or claimed to be caused, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, in connection with participation in this Contest, or acceptance or use of the prize, the substitution of a prize in accordance with these Official Rules, the administration of the Contest, the operation of the website or Released Parties’ use of any of the rights granted herein. Released Parties assume no responsibility for the conduct of any contestant or voter or the responses of anyone appearing in any Entry.
ARBITRATION AND CHOICE OF LAW: Except where prohibited by law, as a condition of participating in this Contest, contestant agrees that (1) any and all disputes and causes of action arising out of or connected with this Contest, or any prize awarded, shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action, and exclusively by final and binding arbitration under the rules of the American Arbitration Association and held at the AAA regional office nearest the contestant; (2) the Federal Arbitration Act shall govern the interpretation, enforcement and all proceedings at such arbitration; and (3) judgment upon such arbitration award may be entered in any court having jurisdiction. Under no circumstances will contestant be permitted to obtain awards for, and contestant hereby waives all rights to claim, punitive, incidental or consequential damages, or any other damages, including attorneys’ fees, other than contestant’s actual out-of-pocket expenses (i.e., costs associated with entering this Contest), and contestant further waives all rights to have damages multiplied or increased. All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Rules, or the rights and obligations of contestants and Sponsor in connection with this Contest, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the substantive laws of the State of California, USA without regard to California choice of law rules.
WINNERS LIST: If you would like the names of the winners (available after February 22, 2012), please send a self-addressed stamped envelope no later than March 22, 2012 to: Pistachio Bowl Game Pool Contest Winners, c/o Paramount Farms International LLC, 11444 West Olympic Blvd., Suite 310, Los Angeles, CA 90064.  Residents of Canada may omit return postage.
SPONSOR: Paramount Farms International LLC, 11444 West Olympic Blvd., Suite 310, Los Angeles, CA 90064.

We need you to help keep our nutty ramblings on topic and fun to read, so please submit your questions! Each week, we’ll provide a response to one of your questions, bringing you one step closer to pistachio enlightenment.

“But how does one reach pistachio nirvana,” you ask?

By posting your pistachio inquiries and curiosities in the comments section so we can all become pistachio gurus. Looking forward to your questions, and as always, GET CRACKIN’ and start askin’!

xoxo,
Wonderful Pistachios

To help you get started, take a look at our helpful writing guidelines below…

Be an expert: make sure you’ve tried the product so your review is accurate.
Be precise: use descriptive language to help invigorate our senses.
Be honest: give those who haven’t tried our product true insight into what it’s really like.

Ready to get crackin’ on your critique? You can write a review here. 

Enter by doing one of the following

1. Email us a video of your signature touchdown dance -OR-

2. Email us a photo of your best touchdown pose -OR-

3. Email your answer to this question:  Why do you deserve to get crackin’ during the big game?

We’d also love to see you incorporate a bag of Wonderful Pistachios into your photo or video but no purchase is necessary. ALL ENTRIES MUST BE SUBMITTED VIA EMAIL to contest@getcrackin.com no later than 1/27/12. Leaving a comment on this blog will NOT COUNT as an entry.

Key Points to Remember:

• No trademarked logos of any kind. Make sure they aren’t in the background either. Turning your team jersey inside out may get around this rule.
• No copyrighted background music.
• No obscene language (duh!)
• Photos may be of your children or other family members.
• Have fun and be creative!

Judging Criteria: Entries will be judged on creativity and originality that are inclusive of the key points mentioned above. See our official rules for more details.

Tell a Friend: Encourage your friends to enter. Tweet this blog post with the hashtag #WPtouchdown or go to our Facebook page and share the post about this contest.

The Prizes:

• Grand Prize (1): One case of Wonderful Pistachios and one case of assorted flavors of Everybody’s Nuts Pistachios for all your snacking needs. We’ll also ensure your package arrives before game day — February 5th — so you and your friends can get crackin’.

• Runner Up Prizes (25): One free bag of Wonderful Pistachios

Just because your favorite player can’t celebrate in the end zone doesn’t mean you can’t either! Don’t forget to keep an eye out for our Wonderful Pistachios’ game-day inspired bins at a grocery store near you.

WIN TWO CASES OF PISTACHIOS FOR THE BIG GAME CONTEST
OFFICIAL RULES

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN IN THE WIN TWO CASES OF PISTACHIOS FOR THE BIG GAME CONTEST (“CONTEST”).  Entry into this Contest constitutes your acceptance of these Official Rules.

CONTEST ENTRY DATES: Contest begins January 13, 2012 at 12:00 a.m. Pacific Standard Time (“PST”) and ends January 27, 2012 at 11:59 p.m. PST (“Contest Entry Period”).

WHO MAY ENTER: Open only to legal residents of the fifty (50) United States and District of Columbia (excluding residents of Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam) who are at least eighteen (18) years old at time of entry. Void where prohibited by law.  Contest subject to all applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations.  Employees of Paramount Farms International LLC (“Sponsor”) and its parents, affiliates, subsidiaries and advertising and promotion agencies, and such employees’ immediate family members (parent, spouse, sibling, child, and their respective spouses, regardless of where they reside) and those living in their same households, whether or not related, are not eligible to enter or win.  Participation constitutes entrant’s full and unconditional agreement to these Official Rules and Sponsor’s decisions, which are final and binding in all matters related to the Contest.  Winning a prize is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements set forth herein.  Sponsor reserves the right to verify eligibility qualifications of the winners.  Contest is subject to all applicable federal, state, provincial and local laws.

CONTEST ENTRY/OBJECTIVE: Submit: (i) a video of your or your spouse or child’s signature touchdown dance; (ii) send a photo of your or your spouse or child’s best touchdown pose; or (iii) your answer to the question: “Why do you deserve to get crackin’ during this year’s big game?”.  See below for additional entry requirements.

HOW TO ENTER: To enter, send your video, photo or answer along with your full name, city/state and email address (collectively, “Entry”) to Sponsor via email at contest@getcrackin.com during the Contest Entry Period.  All Entries must be received by 11:59 p.m. on January 27, 2012 to be eligible.  No purchase necessary.  Any Entry that does not include all required information and adhere to the foregoing and following requirements will be considered void and will not be considered in the judging of this Contest.

CONDITIONS OF ENTRY:

Each Entry must comply with the following requirements:

(1)   Contestant must submit:

1. A video of his/her signature touchdown dance or a photo of his/her best touchdown pose;
2. A video of his/her spouse or child’s signature touchdown dance or a photo of his/her spouse or child’s best touchdown pose; or
3. An answer to the question: “Why do you deserve to get crackin’ during this year’s big game?

(2)   Contestant and his/her spouse and child must not wear any clothing with any team logo, symbol, emblem or other trademark in the video or photo;

(3)   Each video or photo must not contain any image of any team logo, symbol, emblem or other trademark in the background;

(4)   Videos should not include any copyrighted music (whether in the background or sung by the contestant or his/her spouse or child) unless it is an original composition written by the contestant; and

(5)   Videos should not include any obscene language.

(6)   Contestant must be the parent or legal guardian of the child(ren) in the video or photo submitted.

The inclusion of a bag of Wonderful® Pistachios in a video or photo is highly recommended, but is not required to enter into the Contest and will not increase your chances of winning.

Winners will be selected based on the Judging Criteria (as defined below).

All Entries must be received by 11:59 p.m. on January 27, 2012.  Limit one (1) Entry per person for the entire Contest Entry Period.  Entries received from any person or e-mail address in excess of the stated limitation will be void.  Entries generated by script, macro or other automated means or with the intent to subvert the entry process are void.  All Entries become the property of Sponsor and will not be acknowledged or returned.

Contestant warrants and represents: (a) he/she is the sole and exclusive creator and owner of the Entry, including all rights therein, and that the Entry has not won any previous awards or competitions; (b) Contestant has the full and exclusive right, power and authority to submit the Entry and to grant Sponsor the rights to the Entry, including but not limited to the worldwide copyright; (c) no part of the Entry has been published, or; (d) no rights in the Entry have been previously granted to any person, firm, corporation or other entity. Sponsor reserves the right in their sole discretion to disqualify any Entry at any time in the event it is determined that the Entry is offensive, inappropriate, not in keeping with Sponsor’s images or if it is determined that the Contestant has not otherwise complied with these Official Rules.  If the Entry contains any material or elements that are not owned by the Contestant and/or which are subject to the rights of third parties, the Contestant is responsible for obtaining, prior to Entry of the Entry, any and all releases and consents necessary to permit the use and exhibition of the Entry by Sponsor in the manner set forth in these Official Rules.  Sponsor reserves the right to request proof of these permissions in a form acceptable to Sponsor from any participant at any time.

Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify any Entry for any reason, in its sole and absolute discretion.

WINNER DETERMINATION:

Judging will begin after the Contest Entry Period.  All eligible Entries received during the Contest Entry Period will be judged by a select panel of Sponsor’s employees who will serve as judges to determine the Grand Prize winner and the twenty-five (25) First Runner-Up Prize winners (collectively, “Winners”).  The judging will be based on the originality and creativity of the Entry which shall be determined at the judges’ discretion and criteria (“Judging Criteria”).  In the event of a tie, an additional “tie-breaking” judge will determine the Winner(s) from among such tied Entries based on the Judging Criteria. Sponsor reserves the right to select fewer than twenty-six (26) Winners if, in its sole discretion, it does not receive a sufficient number of eligible and qualified Entries.

Judges’ and Sponsor’s decisions are final and binding.

WINNER NOTIFICATION: Winners will be announced and notified by Sponsor within three (3) after the Contest Entry Period.  Winners will each be notified by e-mail, phone and/or mail and may be required to execute and return an Affidavit of Eligibility and Liability/Publicity Release (“Affidavit/Release”) and an IRS W-9 form as well as any other documents which may be required by Sponsor, all of which must be received fully-executed within seven (7) days of date printed on notification or he/she may be disqualified. If after three (3) attempts to contact a potential Winner, Sponsor has been unable to do so, he/she will be disqualified. In the event it is determined that a potential Winner has not complied with these Official Rules, has failed to execute and return any required documents within the specified time period, has made false statements or prize notification is returned as undeliverable, then potential Winner will be disqualified. Should a Winner make any false statement(s) in any document required by Sponsor or prize supplier, such winner will be disqualified and required to promptly return to Sponsor the value of his/her prize. If a potential Winner is disqualified for any reason, or if a potential Winner refuses their prize, at Sponsor’s discretion, the prize may be awarded to an alternate Winner. Further, Sponsor reserves the right to forfeit or award any unclaimed or leftover prizes at its sole discretion.
PRIZES: There are exactly twenty-six (26) prizes available to be won in this Contest as follows:

(a)   Grand Prize (1): The Grand Prize winner will receive one (1) case (25 bags) of Wonderful® Pistachios and one (1) case (12 bags, assorted flavors) of Everybody’s Nuts.  Approximate Retail Value (“ARV”): US $209.75.

(b)   First Runner-Up Prizes (25): Each First Runner-Up Prize winner will receive one (1) 8oz. bag of Wonderful® Pistachios.  ARV: US $5.99 each prize.

Total ARV of all prizes = US $359.50.

All prizes are awarded by Sponsor.  All prize details are at Sponsor’s sole discretion. Prizes are awarded “as is” with no warranty or guarantee, either express or implied by Sponsor. Winners are solely responsible for all federal, state and local taxes (including income and withholding taxes) and any other expenses, costs or fees associated with acceptance and/or use of the prizes not specified herein as being awarded. Delivery of prizes to Winners are subject to the express requirement that they submit to Sponsor all documentation requested by Sponsor to permit them to comply with all applicable U.S., state, local and foreign tax reporting and withholding requirements, including, without limitation, an IRS Form W-9.  All prizes will be net of any taxes Sponsor is required by law to withhold.  All taxes imposed on prizes are the sole responsibility of the Winners.  In order to receive a prize, Winners must submit any tax documentation requested by Sponsor or otherwise required by applicable law, to Sponsor or the relevant tax authority, all as determined by applicable law, including, where relevant, the law of the Winner’s state of residence.  If a Winner cannot accept a prize as stated, such prize will be forfeited in its entirety and, to the extent feasible, may be awarded to an alternate Winner. Winners may not substitute, assign or transfer prizes or redeem prizes for cash, but Sponsor reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to substitute a prize (or any portion thereof) with one of comparable or greater value.  LIMIT ONE (1) PRIZE PER PERSON FOR THE ENTIRE CONTEST.  Neither Sponsor nor its agencies are responsible for lost, late, stolen, misdirected, delayed or damaged prizes.  Additional restrictions may apply.
GENERAL CONDITIONS: By accepting a prize, a Winner (on behalf of him/herself and his/her spouse and/or child) grants to Sponsor and its designees the right to use a Winner’s name, Entry, hometown, likeness, prize won, and photo and video (all at Sponsor’s discretion) for future advertising, publicity in any and all media now or hereafter devised throughout the world in perpetuity, without additional compensation, notification or permission. Sponsor, Contest parties and their respective officers, directors, agents, representatives and employees (collectively, “Released Parties”) are not responsible for lost, late, misdirected, damaged, stolen, altered, garbled, incorrect, incomplete or delayed Entries or votes; all of which will be void. Released Parties are also not responsible for problems uploading or downloading any Contest-related information or materials from the Contest Web Site or any other web site or for any other technical malfunctions of electronic equipment, computer on-line systems, servers, or providers, computer hardware or software failures, programs, applications, phone lines, failure of any Entry or vote to be received by Sponsor on account of technical problems, traffic, congestion on the internet or the Contest Web Site or any other web site, or for any other technical problems including telecommunication, miscommunication or failure, and failed, lost, delayed, incomplete, garbled or misdirected communications which may limit a contestant’s ability to participate in this Contest. Released Parties are not responsible for any other errors or malfunctions of any kind, whether network, printing, typographical, human or otherwise relating to or in connection with the Contest, including, without limitation, errors or malfunctions which may occur in connection with the administration of the Contest, the processing or judging of Entries, the submitting or tabulating of votes, the announcement of the prizes or in any Contest-related materials. Mass Entries or votes or Entries or votes generated by a script, macro or use of automated devices may, at Sponsor’s sole discretion, be disqualified. Sponsor reserves the right to modify, suspend or terminate the Contest in the event it becomes infected by a computer virus or is otherwise technically impaired, and to cancel or suspend the Contest in its entirety should tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures or other causes corrupt the administration, security, fairness, integrity or proper play of the Contest and, if terminated, at Sponsor’s discretion, determine the winner using all non-suspect, eligible Entries received up to time of cancellation using the judging procedure outlined above. In the event of a dispute regarding Entries received from multiple users having the same e-mail account, the authorized subscriber of the e-mail account at the time of Entry will be deemed to be the contestant and must comply with these Official Rules. Authorized subscriber is the natural person who is assigned the e-mail address by the Internet Service Provider (ISP), on-line service provider, or other organization responsible for assigning e-mail addresses. Sponsor reserves the right at its sole discretion to disqualify any individual (and void his/her Entry and vote) it finds to be tampering with the Entry or voting process or the operation of this Contest or website, intending to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass any other contestant, Sponsor or any of its representatives or to otherwise be acting in violation of these Official Rules. CAUTION: Any attempt by a contestant to deliberately damage any web site or undermine the legitimate operations of the Contest is a violation of criminal and civil laws. Should such an attempt be made, the Sponsor reserves the right to seek damages and other such remedies from any such contestant to the fullest extent permitted by law and to disqualify such contestant from the Contest.
ASSIGNMENT OF RIGHTS: Contestant hereby acknowledges that Entry and all other materials of every kind whatsoever created by contestant relating to the Contest (collectively, the “Work”) are a “work made for hire” (as that term is used in the United States Copyright Act) for Sponsor, and Sponsor is the sole and exclusive owner, in perpetuity and throughout the universe, of all right, title and interest in and to the Work, including without limitation all copyrights in and to the Work (and all renewals and extensions thereof now or hereafter provided by law) and all the rights therein and thereto, and may exploit the Work (and all rights therein) in any manner throughout the world without restriction. Without limiting the binding effect of any of the foregoing provisions, in the event that any part of the Work is not deemed to be a “work made for hire” for Sponsor, then contestant hereby irrevocably and exclusively grants and assigns to Sponsor (or, if any applicable law prohibits or restricts such assignment, contestant hereby grants to Sponsor an irrevocable, perpetual, royalty-free, transferable license of) unlimited right, title and interest in and to such Work, including, without limitation, all rights of every kind and nature (whether now known or hereafter devised, including all copyrights therein and thereto and all renewals and extensions thereof), throughout the universe, in perpetuity, for all purposes, in any and all media, whether now known or hereafter devised.
By submitting an Entry, contestant acknowledges and agrees that Sponsor may obtain many submissions under this Contest and that such Entries may be similar or identical in theme, idea, format or other respects to others submitted under this Contest and/or other contests staged and/or sponsored by the Sponsor, and waive any and all claims contestant may have had, may have, and/or may have in the future, that any composition, film and/or other works accepted, reviewed and/or used by the Sponsor (or its designees) may be similar to his/her Entry. Contestant acknowledges and agrees that the Sponsor does not have now, nor shall any of them have in the future, any duty or liability, direct or indirect, vicarious, contributory, or otherwise, with respect to the infringement or protection of any copyright in and to contestant’s Entry.
MISCELLANEOUS CONDITIONS: By participating in the Contest, contestants (i) agree to be bound by these Official Rules, including all eligibility requirements, and (ii) agree to be bound by the decisions of Sponsor and judges, which are final and binding in all matters relating to the Contest. Failure to comply with these Official Rules may result in disqualification from the Contest. Sponsor reserves the right to permanently disqualify any person it believes has intentionally violated these Official Rules and void all associated Entries and/or votes.
RELEASES: By entering the Contest, contestants agree to release and hold harmless Released Parties from all claims, liability or damage caused or claimed to be caused, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, in connection with participation in this Contest, or acceptance or use of the prize, the substitution of a prize in accordance with these Official Rules, the administration of the Contest, the operation of the website or Released Parties’ use of any of the rights granted herein. Released Parties assume no responsibility for the conduct of any contestant or voter or the responses of anyone appearing in any Entry.
ARBITRATION AND CHOICE OF LAW: Except where prohibited by law, as a condition of participating in this Contest, contestant agrees that (1) any and all disputes and causes of action arising out of or connected with this Contest, or any prize awarded, shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action, and exclusively by final and binding arbitration under the rules of the American Arbitration Association and held at the AAA regional office nearest the contestant; (2) the Federal Arbitration Act shall govern the interpretation, enforcement and all proceedings at such arbitration; and (3) judgment upon such arbitration award may be entered in any court having jurisdiction. Under no circumstances will contestant be permitted to obtain awards for, and contestant hereby waives all rights to claim, punitive, incidental or consequential damages, or any other damages, including attorneys’ fees, other than contestant’s actual out-of-pocket expenses (i.e., costs associated with entering this Contest), and contestant further waives all rights to have damages multiplied or increased. All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Rules, or the rights and obligations of contestants and Sponsor in connection with this Contest, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the substantive laws of the State of California, USA without regard to California choice of law rules.
WINNERS LIST: If you would like the names of the winners (available after February 22, 2012), please send a self-addressed stamped envelope no later than March 22, 2012 to: Win 2 Cases of Pistachios Contest Winners, c/o Paramount Farms International LLC, 11444 West Olympic Blvd., Suite 310, Los Angeles, CA 90064.
SPONSOR: Paramount Farms International LLC, 11444 West Olympic Blvd., Suite 310, Los Angeles, CA 90064.

Want to get in on the action? Send us any videos that you think capture the wonderful world we live in, and we’ll share it with the rest of our fans. We’ll also dedicate that Wonderful Wednesday to you. All links can be sent to facebook@paramountfarms.com.

P.S. We also love videos with pistachios in them (especially Wonderful Pistachios)!

Did you catch today’s video on our Facebook?

Don’t forget to tell your friends to Like our Facebook page. More fans equals more prizes! Next stop: Rochester, New York at 200,000 fans.

E. Allen
Thrisa Allworth
Windy Bedsaul
Maria Belcher
Annette Bondy
Caren Buckley
Annette Canfield
Anna Cartwri
Sandra Hoops
Brittany Rowe
Destiny Deadwylier
Tristie Downs
Abhishek Duggal
Robert Espinoza
Ailema Fernandez
Stacie Fischer
Meg Flisek
Michelle Gray
John Gulich
Patty Hack
Carla Hardy
Betty Harrison
Frances Hinton
Brooke Hoke Parr
David Hungate
James Krzeminski
Suzanne Laird
Kim LaTour
Elizabeth Lee
Mary Lohr
Hellen Manning
Desiree Miller
Jeff Miozzi
Alyscia Needham
Molly Odum
Rhonda Phillips
Heather Prusinski
Sharon Ramsamooj
Meg Soper
Marilyn Stanley
Dana Stoop
Michelle Strange
Betty Keller
Pamela Summers
Cindy Tony
Anna Violette
Diane Wallace
Brenda Willingham
Kerry Zach
Yvette Zamora

A study at the Eastern Illinois University concluded that people who had to get crackin’ on the in-shell variety consumed less calories than those who consumed shelled pistachios. We know nothing will stop you from getting those tasty morsels out of their shell (not even a closed nut), but do you prefer shelled over in-shell? Even if it means eating a few more pistachios?

Luckily, Wonderful Pistachios has your back regardless of which variety you prefer. Check out our Roasted & Salted In-Shell Pistachios and our Roasted & Salted – Shelled Pistachios.

Have a good argument for why shelled nuts reign supreme? Write a review and tell us why you’ve decided to bypass the get crackin’ so you can immediately start snackin.

End this debate: which pistachios do you love better – shelled or in-shell? Leave your answers in the comments section of this blog!

In honor of the new year we hope you party like it’s 1999, celebrate like it’s 2012, and eat pistachios like they’re going out of style. Our 2012 resolutions consist of:

1. Showing more crack, so you can get crackin’
2. Drinking more water
3. Eating less sodium via our Roasted No Salt and Roasted Lightly Salted pistachios
4. Being Green: we’re green on the outside, so why not be green to the environment!

What are your 2012 New Year’s resolutions?

Photo courtesy of tungphoto

1. Wonderful Pistachios Spring Campaign: for the first time ever, pistachios are advertised in the spring! An early start for us.

2. Keyboard Cat Get Crackin’ ‘Cross America Tour: this summer, Keyboard Cat has been fearlessly traveling across the nation where he’ll ultimately end up in the Big Apple for his final show. With each passing milestone, Wonderful Pistachios has been giving out prizes to our dedicated Facebook fans.

3. Wonderful Pistachios 400: the Wonderful Pistachios gang headed out to Richmond, Virginia where we were the entitlement sponsor for the WP 400 , gave out awesome swag, and hosted a pistachio tasting.

4. Get Crackin’ Commercials: this year’s cast featured the Mr. Bill, Kermit the Frog, Crystal the Monkey, Angry Birds, Khloe & Lamar, your favorite internet meme the Honey Badger, and more!

5. The Hunt for the Golden Pistachio: Wonderful Pistachios joined forces with Rovio to bring you the first ever branded Angry Birds game.

>>What was your favorite moment of 2011? Share it with us in the comments!<<

1. Airtight Containers
Probably the best and most effective, air tight containers will keep your pistachios from absorbing moisture and going stale. You can also store them in the freezer or refrigerator for maximum freshness (just be sure to thaw the frozen ones). If you’re looking to store your pistachios for an extended amount of time, we suggest this route.

2. Re-sealable Bags
Need to store your pistachios for a day or until your next snacking session? Yours truly has found re-sealable bags to be a good way to store pistachios for a couple of days or less.

3. Rubber Band or Tape
For the truly addicted, storing pistachios means only for a few hours. Try wrapping a rubber band around the bag or re-sealing it with a bit of tape! We fancy, huh?

Have any other great ways to store your pistachios? List all the ones we forgot to mention in the comments!

Photo courtesy of Danielle Scott

1. Pistachios lend themselves to two serious tasks during the holidays: eating and DIY crafts. Turn your empty pistachio shells into a beautiful wreath or Christmas tree ornament.

2. Pistachios are perfect for any occasion, not just the holidays : ball games, on-the-go, camping trips, and more!

3. Our pistachios are already roasted (take that, chestnuts!) — simply shell and eat.

4. Wonderful Pistachios come in sodium-free and lightly salted versions for the health conscious.

5. Our holiday bag is a perfect stocking stuffer.

6. Roughly 30 pistachios equals 100 calories.

7. You’ll never starve on another holiday plane ride again — pack them in your carry on!

8. Cracking open pistachios will prepare your nimble fingers for opening gifts.

9. Dodge food comas induced by massive holiday meals and turkey.

10. You can’t eat a Kindle Fire.

Have any other great reasons we forgot to mention? Leave your answers in the comments section of this blog.

To help you get started, take a look at our guidelines below…

Be an expert: make sure you’ve tried the product so your review is accurate.
Be precise: use descriptive language to help invigorate our senses.
Be honest: give those who haven’t tried our product true insight into what it’s really like.

Go to our product page here to start writing your review.

Limited to the first 75 received photos.

• Must include a bag of Wonderful Pistachios in the photo
• One set of codes per person (please don’t use fake accounts to obtain more codes) 
• No Photoshopped images
• Email to goldenpistachio@getcrackin.com
• MUST include the subject line: Wonderful Pistachios free code offer

As a side note, we love our Wonderful Pistachios fans and want to reward as many people as possible.  Please only submit one photo per person so that many people can share in the fun!

xoxo
 

We’ll continue to update this list as our sales force lets us know where the stickers are.

A&P
New Jersey

ALBERTSON’S
Pacific Northwest

BASHAS
Arizona *coming this week*

BI-LO
North Carolina | South Carolina | Virginia

BIG Y
Connecticut | Massachusetts

BROOKSHIRE
Tyler, TX
Shreveport, TX

CUB FOODS
Minnesota

DIERBERGS
St. Louis

DOMINICK’S
Illinois

GIANT CARLISLE
Hershey, PA

GIANT EAGLE
Frederick, MD
Cleveland, OH
Erie, PA
Pittsburgh, PA

GIANT LANDOVER
Washington, DC
Bethesda, MD
Columbia, MD
Frederick, MD
Gambrills, MD
Hyattsville, MD
Lanham, MD
Marlow Heights, MD
Towson, MD
White Marsh, MD
Burke, VA
Gainsville, VA
Purcerville, VA
Rockville, VA
Springfield, VA
Warrenton, VA

HAGGEN/TOP
Pacific Northwest

HANNAFORD
Maine | Massachusetts | New Hampshire | New York | Vermont

HARRIS TEETER
Alabama | Georgia | North Carolina | South Carolina | Tennessee | Virginia
Washington, DC

H.E.B.
N Austin, TX
Conroe, TX
Harlingen, TX
Mcallen, TX
Mission, TX
New Branfels, TX
W Houston, TX
Katy, TX
Round Rock, TX
S San Antonio, TX
Weslaco, TX
Woodlands, TX

INDY
Central Illinois

JEWEL
Chicago (partial)

KING SOOPERS
Denver, CO

KROGER
Indianapolis, IN
Fort Wayne, IN
Bloomington, IN
Terre Haute, IN
Shreveport, LA
Cincinnati, OH
Columbus, OH
Arlington, TX
Carrollton, TX
E. Dallas, TX
N. Dallas, TX
Denton, TX
Frisco, TX
W Houston, TX
Katy, TX
Lewisville, TX
Mesquite, TX
Mckinney, TX
Plano, TX
Rockwall, TX
Tyler, TX
Michigan | North Carolina | South Carolina | Virginia | Georgia | Tennessee | Alabama

MARS
Baltimore, MD

MARTINS
Culpepper, VA
Winchester, VA
Martinsburg, WV

MEIJER
Chicago (partial)

PATHMARK
New Jersey | New York

PRICE CHOPPER
Connecticut | New York | Massachusetts | Pennsylvania | Vermont

PUBLIX
Alabama | Florida | Georgia | Tennessee

QFC
Pacific Northwest

RALPHS
Southern California

RANDALLS
E. Dallas, TX
Denton, TX
Lewisville, TX
Mesquite, TX
Rockwall, TX

ROCHE BROS.
Massachusetts

SAFEWAY
Denver, CO
Washington, DC
Bowie, MD
Frederick, MD
Gaithersburg, MD
Gambrills, MD
Georgetown, MD
Germantown, MD
White Marsh, MD
Hanover, MD
Hyattsville, MD
Marlow Heights, MD
Towson, MD
White Marsh, MD
Burke, VA
Gainsville, VA
Rockville, VA
Springfield, VA
Warrenton, VA
Rockville, VA
Seattle, WA
Arlington, TX
Carrollton, TX
Frisco, TX
Georgetown, TX
N. Dallas, TX
W. Houston, TX
Katy, TX
Mckinney, TX
Plano, TX
Culpepper, VA
McClean, VA
Pacific Northwest
Arizona *coming this week*

SCHNUCKS
St. Louis, MO
Illinois (west) | Kentucky (west)

SENDIKS
Wisconsin

SHAWS
Massachusetts | New Hampshire | Rhode Island | Vermont

SHOPPERS
Gambrills, MD
Hyattsville, MD

SHOP & SAVE
St. Louis

SHOPRITE
New Jersey | New York

SMITHS
New Mexico | Utah

SPARTAN
Michigan

STATER BROS.
Southern California

STOP & SHOP
New England | New Jersey | New York

STRACK AND VAN TIL
Illinois

SUPER FRESH
New Jersey

SWEETBAY
Florida

TOM THUMB
E. Dallas, TX
Denton, TX
Lewisville, TX
Mesquite, TX
Rockwall, TX

TOPS
New York | Pennsylvania

ULTRA FOODS
Illinois

VONS
Southern California

WALDBAUMS
New York

WEGMANS
Maryland | New Jersey | New York | Pennsylvania | Vermont

WEIS
Hershey, PA
Martinsburg, WV

WINN DIXIE
Bradenton, FL
Clearwater, FL
St. Pete, FL

WOODMANS
Illinois | Wisconsin

Los Angeles (December 1, 2011) – Developed exclusively for Wonderful® Pistachios, the Angry Birds game phenomenon soars to new heights with the launch of “The Hunt for the Golden Pistachio,” the first-ever fully branded, custom Angry Birds game released in the U.S. Office productivity will likely take a nosedive, as the captive 8 million+ users who already play the game online (optimized on Google Chrome browsers) can, for the first time, win one of 20,000 prizes totaling at a retail value of more than $300,000 for doing what they love most – playing Angry Birds.

The “hunt” begins December 1 when consumers log on to www.getcrackin.com to play the game and win big prizes. The first two levels are open to players globally. Throughout the month of December, U.S. residents older than the age of 18 can earn prizes in levels three and higher by sharing aspects of the game on Facebook and Twitter or entering a “Get Crackin’” code found on specially marked bags of Wonderful® Pistachios. Once they enter the code, players will be able to find and crack open hidden in-game Golden Pistachios that may lead to real-life rewards. Prizes range from free pistachios and Angry Birds plush toys to $25,000 cash. Players will have to act fast for their chance to win because on December 31, 2011, the opportunity to win big ends. After that, all levels of the game will be open to all players.

The custom game is part of a larger partnership between Wonderful® Pistachios and Angry Birds creator Rovio Entertainment, and represents the latest phase in the tremendously successful “Get Crackin’” campaign, where Angry Birds took center stage along with a nutty cast of other characters who show off how they crack open pistachios in the iconic ad spots.

“The ubiquitous consumer adoption of Angry Birds and pistachios makes this partnership a natural fit,” said Marc Seguin, senior director of marketing, North America for Wonderful® Pistachios. “We’re excited to give consumers the snacks they crave with pistachios and feed the frenzy for new Angry Birds content with the launch of this game.”

How “The Hunt for the Golden Pistachio” works:

• Levels 1–2: After logging on to www.getcrackin.com, gamers can play the first two of five levels.
• Levels 3–5: To play for prizes, players over the age of 18 in the U.S. can obtain a “Get Crackin’” code, found on specially marked bags of Wonderful® Pistachios, and can also earn plays by sharing the game through social networks Twitter and Facebook.
• Players will randomly see Golden Pistachios within levels 3–5; if gamers successfully hit and crack open the pistachio, they may instantly win one of 20,000 prizes.

“We’re delighted to be working with Wonderful® Pistachios,” said Peter Vesterbacka, CMO of Rovio Entertainment. “We think our fans will get a kick out of cracking pistachios and playing their favorite game for the opportunity to win great prizes!”

The game, which will continue online after the promotion ends on December 31, 2011 also features custom backgrounds designed to capture iconic imagery for Wonderful® Pistachios. This includes the California orchards where the nuts are grown and harvested, the factories where they are processed and a “Pigskin Classic” football game where the pistachios are enjoyed. The game was developed in conjunction with Fire Station, an in-house advertising agency for Wonderful® Pistachios and took more than three months to develop.

About Wonderful® Pistachios
The Wonderful® Pistachios brand features upscale, premium packaging and a bold contemporary look, appealing to a sophisticated, health-conscious consumer.  Wonderful® Pistachios are grown in Lost Hills, California, part of the San Joaquin Valley, the agricultural heartland of California.  Grown, processed and packaged by Paramount Farms, Wonderful® Pistachios are available at retail outlets and grocery stores nationwide including Albertsons, Giant Eagle, Kroger, Safeway, Vons and Wegmans, and are available in a variety of sizes. For more information about Wonderful® Pistachios or the “Get Crackin’” campaign, visit www.getcrackin.com, www.facebook.com/wonderfulpistachios and www.twitter.com/getcrackin.

About Paramount Farms
Part of Roll Global LLC, headquartered in Los Angeles, California, Paramount Farms is one of a group of privately owned, affiliated companies that comprise the largest farming operation of tree crops in the world. In addition to pistachios and almonds, Paramount Farms is also the largest producer and exclusive grower of the California Wonderful variety of pomegranates. Sister company, Paramount Citrus, is the largest orange and lemon packing facility in North America, the majority of which come from its own orchards, and the largest grower of Clementine mandarin oranges in the United States.

About Angry Birds

Angry Birds from Rovio Entertainment has taken the gaming world by storm. Rovio launched Angry Birds in December 2009, Angry Birds Seasons in October 2010 and Angry Birds Rio in February 2011. Since their release, the games have achieved more than 500 million combined downloads across all platforms, and Rovio has expanded the franchise into merchandise, entertainment and book publishing. Most recently, Rovio launched the Moon Festival update for the game Angry Birds Seasons. The first Angry Birds print publication will also be available soon.

Some additional wonderful stats about the Honey Badger commercial:

- 12th most shared advertisement out of 20 in October, according to Mashable

- 57th most shared advertisement for 2011, beating out ads from Skittles and Pepsi

- 147,039 shares in the past 365 days and counting!

Honey Badger is so bad ass. Encore! Encore!

Aside from being an ideal stocking stuffer, our 18 oz. holiday bags ($9.99-$12.99) make a great gift for any occasion. Stock up and hand ‘em out to family and friends — and if you’re lucky enough– maybe they’ll reciprocate the gesture by sharing a few. Use our store locator to see where these are available near you.

Did you say chestnuts roasting on an open fire? Of course you didn’t!  You meant pistachios (but without the fire). Just make sure to give the wonderful gift of pistachios this holiday season.

We also think that this is the perfect homemade holiday gift for a kind neighbor or your child’s teacher.  (PS: The Paramount Crunch is seriously addictive!  Beware!)

Paramount Crunch

8 oz bag puffed corn
8 oz butter
8 oz brown sugar
4 oz light corn syrup
1 tsp baking soda
8 oz crushed Wonderful Pistachios
12 oz whole Wonderful Pistachios

Bring butter, brown sugar and corn syrup to a boil.
Stir and boil for 2 minutes, remove from heat and add baking soda, stir until incorporated. Pour over the puffed corn and pistachios, mix well.
Place mix on greased sheet trays and bake at 250* for approx. 45 minutes.

White Chocolate Pistachio Bark

1 cup salted, chopped Wonderful Pistachios; ¼ cup reserved
1 pound white chocolate; finely chopped
1- 11″ x 17″ baking sheet lined with parchment paper

To melt chocolate – DO NOT BURN – temp. sensitive
- Using a microwave, place 3/4 of chocolate in a microwave-safe glass or ceramic bowl (set aside remaining chocolate)
- Program microwave at 50 percent power
- With bowl uncovered, heat chocolate for 30 seconds then stir
- Repeat, heating for 30 seconds until almost all the chocolate in the bowl is melted, about 3-6 minutes total
- Add reserved chocolate and stir constantly until completely melted and smooth
- Stir in 3/4 cup pistachios
- Spread 3/4 of the chocolate about 1/4 inch thick, on the parchment
- Sprinkle with remaining pistachios
- Allow bark to cool until hard, at least 20 minutes
- Break into pieces

Recipes created by:

 See what the rest of the foodie crew is bringing to the table and tell us what you would bring on Twitter by using the hashtag: #pullupachair.

Cocktails, Appetizers, Salads and Breads:
Liquor.com: Thanksgiving Cocktails
The Kitchn: Goat Cheese Panna Cotta Topped With Canned Cranberry Jelly Cut-Outs
Big Girls Small Kitchen: Braided Biscuits
Epicurious: Chestnut and Sherry Soup
Yahoo! Shine: Spicy Caramelized Onion Jam With Goat Cheese
YumSugar: Kale and Chard Salad with Pomegranates and Hazelnuts
Whole Foods Market: Mixed Green Salad With Pears, Hazelnuts, Blue Cheese and Homemade Croutons

Mains:
FN Dish: Alton Brown’s Good Eats Roast Turkey
BlogHer Food: Root Vegetable Pot Pie With Cheddar Biscuit Crust

Sides:
Cooking Light: Fennel, Sausage, and Caramelized Apple Stuffing
Bon Appetit: Maxine Rapoport’s Turkey Stuffing
EatingWell: Green Bean Casserole
Serious Eats: Ultra-Crispy Roasted Potatoes
Oprah.com: David Chang’s Roasted Brussels Sprouts With Asian Vinaigrette
Food Republic: Cavatappi With Fontina and Fall Vegetables
Healthy Eats: Green Bean Casserole With Crispy Shallots
Real Simple: Brown Sugar-Glazed Carrots With Rosemary and Pecans
The Daily Meal: Bacon Brussels Sprouts
AP/ J.M. Hirsch: Ginger-Pear Cranberry Sauce
Food52: Mashed Potatoes with Caramelized Onions and Goat Cheese
Food.com: Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes
Food & Wine: Swiss Chard and Leek Gratin
All You: Sweet Potato Bake

Desserts:
The Blender/ Williams-Sonoma: Deep-Dish Apple Bourbon Streusel Pie
Southern Living: Pumpkin-Pecan Cheesecake
Cooking Channel: Apple Bread Pudding
Fox News: Ginger Molasses Sugar Cookies
Gourmet Live: Pumpkin Coconut Panna Cotta
Melissa Clark: Sweet Potato Ginger Custard Pie
MyRecipes.com: White Chocolate Cheesecake With Cranberry Currant Compote

We contact all of the winners via Direct Message or tweet. If your name is listed here and you have not been contacted, please leave a comment on this blog so we can reach out to you. Make sure to fill out the email section before submitting your comment so we know where to write you.

Want to know how to enter our daily contest that ends on 11/11/11? Click here.

Winners for 11/7/11:

@kayshaugh
@crypticmama
@annie_riley2008
@BML2006
@jkozloff
@doctortiffany
@Jeneric10
@PolskaMagdelina
@contestweiner
@okiegirl48
@meandmonkeyHI

Winners for 11/8/11:

@question10
@LoveMyVDub
@BrokenPisces
@wimplesnapper
@jgriffin1648
@mcgraw14me
@DevinOsborn
@happylittlefish
@news_junkie
@Fowler6

Winners for 11/9/11:

@Coll6233
@Samfor3
@xstitchschool
@jennyk9923
@WendyLimauge
@mellanhead
@sweepster000
@ibereesecup
@zingx
@srarrlite

Winners for 11/10/11:

@laroyal06
@maybefrugal
@JodysDobie
@born2boop
@cameosilver
@eyewonit
@ladylisa1
@CoreysCorner
@txcotton
@MissingLynxx

Winners for 11/11/11:

@joAnna_saldana
@szuklich
@candypo
@pircy23
@lcprize
@StevenFoust1
@mercantilempori
@SanaaColeman
@superschaley

*If you are one of the winners for 11/11/11 please follow us and send @getcrackin a direct message on Twitter with your address.

The Prize

Plain and simple: We’ll be giving away 10 bags of our highly coveted pistachios to 10 random winners each day. Read our official rules for more details.

Sweepstakes Directions

Send us a tweet with the link to your favorite Get Crackin’ ad to @getcrackin and include #ilovethisad to be entered. Contest ends 11/11/11.

Video Links

Mr. Bill: http://youtu.be/zTttQ98Jnco

Honey Badger: http://youtu.be/y-e4vu_wL-M

Twins: http://youtu.be/bUkR0MYLYZg

Angry Birds: http://youtu.be/ArJBk7NOYzo

Khloe & Lamar: http://youtu.be/ciCdz8irrtk

Kermit the Frog: http://youtu.be/RswMhmRp_zo

Example Entry

Sweepstakes Rules & Prizes

No purchase necessary to enter or win in this contest.  Sweepstakes is open only to legal residents of the fifty (50) United States and the District of Columbia, who are at least 18 years of age at the time of entry.  Void where prohibited by law.  Employees of Paramount Farms International LLC (“Sponsor”) and its parent, affiliates, subsidiaries and advertising and promotion agencies, and such employees’ immediate family members (parent, spouse, sibling, child and their respective spouses, regardless of where they reside) and those living in their same households, whether or not related, are not eligible to enter or win.

Sweepstakes begins 11/7/11 and ends 11/11/11 (“Entry Period”).

To enter, send a tweet to Sponsor (@getcrackin) with: (1) a video link to your favorite Get Crackin’ ad, (2) the Twitter handle “@getcrackin” and (3) the hashtag “#ilovethisad”(collectively, an “Entry”).  Limit one (1) Entry per person per day during the Entry Period. You must include all three components (video link, @getcrackin, #ilovethisad) for your tweet to be a valid Entry.  Any Entry that does not include all required information and adhere to the foregoing and following requirements will be considered void and will not be considered in this Sweepstakes.

Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify any Entry for any reason, in its sole and absolute discretion.

A winner will be selected in a random drawing each day during the Entry Period from all eligible Entries received.  Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible Entries received.  Winners will be notified within three (3) days of each drawing by phone, mail, email and/or Twitter Direct Message.  If Sponsor is unable to contact a winner within a reasonable time period or a winner is not in compliance with these Official Rules, prize will be forfeited and, at Sponsor’s discretion and time permitting, an alternative winner selected.  If a winner is disqualified for any reason, or if any winner refuses his/her prize, at Sponsor’s discretion, the prize may be awarded to an alternate winner.

50 Prizes: Each winner will receive one (1) 8 oz. bag of Wonderful® Pistachios.  Approximate retail value (“ARV”): US $ 9.99 per prize.  Total ARV of all prizes: US $ 499.50.  All prizes are awarded by Sponsor.  All prize details are at Sponsor’s sole discretion.  Prizes are awarded “as is” with no warranty or guarantee, either express or implied, by Sponsor.  Winners are solely responsible for all federal, state and local taxes (including income and withholding taxes) and any other expenses, costs or fees associated with acceptance and/or use of the prizes not specified herein as being awarded. Winners may not substitute, assign or transfer prizes or redeem prizes for cash, but Sponsor reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to substitute a prize (or any portion thereof) with one of comparable or greater value.  Additional restrictions may apply.

General Release: Entrants, by participating, agree that Sponsor and its parent, affiliates, subsidiaries and advertising and promotion agencies and all of their respective officers, directors, employees, representatives and agents (collectively, “Released Parties”) will have no liability whatsoever for, and shall be held harmless by entrants against, any liability, for any injuries, losses or damages of any kind, including death, to persons, or property resulting in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, from acceptance, possession, misuse or use of a prize or participation in this Sweepstakes.  Each winner, by acceptance of prize, except where legally prohibited, grants permission for Sponsor and its designees to use his/her name, address (city and state), photograph, voice and/or other likeness and prize information for advertising, trade and promotional purposes without further compensation, in all media now known or hereafter discovered, worldwide in perpetuity, without notice or review or approval.  Released Parties are not responsible for lost, late, incomplete, inaccurate, stolen, misdirected, undelivered or garbled Entries, or e-mail; or for lost, interrupted or unavailable network, server, Internet Service Provider (ISP), website, or other connections, availability or accessibility or miscommunications or failed computer, satellite, telephone or cable transmissions, lines, or technical failure or jumbled, scrambled, delayed, or misdirected transmissions or computer hardware or software malfunctions, failures or difficulties, or other errors or difficulties of any kind whether human, mechanical, electronic, computer, network, typographical, printing or otherwise relating to or in connection with the Sweepstakes, including, without limitation, errors or difficulties which may occur in connection with the administration of the Sweepstakes, the processing of Entries, the announcement of the prizes, or in any Sweepstakes-related materials.  Released Parties are also not responsible for any incorrect or inaccurate information, whether caused by site users, tampering, hacking, or by any equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the Sweepstakes. Caution: Any attempt by an individual to deliberately damage any website or undermine the legitimate operation of this sweepstakes may be a violation of criminal and civil laws, and should such an attempt be made, sponsor reserves the right to disqualify and seek damages and other remedies (including attorneys’ fees) from any such individual to the fullest extent permitted by law.  Should any portion of the Sweepstakes be, in Sponsor’s sole opinion, compromised by virus, worms, bugs, non-authorized human intervention or other causes which, in the sole opinion of the Sponsor, corrupt or impair the administration, security, fairness or proper play, or submission of Entries, Sponsor reserves the right at its sole discretion to suspend, modify or terminate the Sweepstakes and, if terminated, at its discretion, select the potential winners from all eligible, non-suspect Entries received prior to action taken or as otherwise deemed fair and appropriate by Sponsor.

Governing Law: Sweepstakes is governed by the laws of the State of California, with venue in Los Angeles, California, and all claims must be resolved in the appropriate state and federal courts of Los Angeles, California.  Sponsor’s failure to enforce any term of these Official Rules shall not constitute a waiver of that provision.

Winners’ List: For the names of the winners, send a self-addressed stamped envelope to: Get Crackin’s “I Love This Ad” Sweepstakes Winners, c/o Paramount Farms International LLC, 11444 West Olympic Boulevard, 3^rd Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90064.

Sponsor: Paramount Farms International LLC, 11444 West Olympic Boulevard, 3^rd Floor, Los Angeles, California 90064.

What you’ll have to do:

Head over to the Lakers Nation site and watch our Khloe & Lamar Odom commercial for video clues. After that, take the quiz and tweet your score to @LakersNation. You can view the contest here. 

Good luck!

What you’ll need: a stainless steel measuring cup (or something similar), an X-Acto (utility) Knife, and a regular knife.

Directions

1. Scoop out the insides of the pumpkin with your stainless steel measuring cup.

2. Shave down the inside of the pumpkin where your logo is. We recommend a stainless steel measuring cup because of it’s sharp edges and ability to easily shave the insides of the pumpkin down. You’ll want to shave down the pumpkin enough to cut it with your utility and regular knife.

3. Begin cutting out the logo with your utility knife to provide a guide for when you’re ready to cut with the regular knife.

4. You’ll probably have several rounds of taking your utility knife to clean up the letters once you’ve carved the bulk of them out.

Voilà! Our finished product with a pistachio centerpiece included:

Things you’ll need: a printer, Wonderful Pistachios logo, X-Acto (utility) knife, black marker, and a notepad (or something similar).

1. Print your Wonderful Pistachios logo out. We simply copy and pasted it into an MS Word document and increased the size of the image.

2. Place your printed logo on the back of your notepad. Note the black tabs on certain letters — draw these on your letters to keep the entire letter intact. Using your X-Acto knife, cut the letters out (but do not cut out the black tabs). Cutting slits into the top and bottom will help you curve the letters on the pumpkin.

3. Tape on your stencil and shade in the letters using a marker.

4. Repeat with other stencils.

You’ll find an image of our Wonderful Pistachios logo in the gallery below, and stay tuned for Part 2 where we’ll show you the most efficient way to cut out the intricate letters.

Have any other tips and tricks for pumpkin carving? Leave them in the comments! We also invite you to post photos of pistachio-related carved pumpkins on our Facebook wall.

1. Pistachio Shells as Art

Crafty blogger — SwapnaSridhar — envisioned pistachio shells as art by using a hodge-podge of leftover items around the house. See how a cake base and painted pistachio shells created an image of this lovely peacock.

2. Christmas Ornaments

The age-old craft of creating Christmas ornaments never gets old. Better Homes and Gardens uses their pistachio shells to emulate a pine cone.

3. Fashionable Brooch

New York Fashion Week has nothing on these colorful brooches. If you’re feeling like your outfit needs a pop of color, try recreating these by Reloved.

4. Fruit Bowl

Pistachio shells are pretty good at holding their tasty treats inside, so why not create a bowl to hold equally delicious items like fruit…or more pistachio shells? Instructables shows you how an appetite for pistachios and Elmer’s glue can create a fruit basket.

5. Mosaics

Create eco-friendly mosaics with dyed pistachio shells and pasta. We deem this a fun project for the little ones — especially if they go out and collect other organic elements (twigs, leaves, etc) for their creations. We think Quirky Momma does it best with her twig-framed artwork and napkin holder designs.

Have you turned your pistachio shells from trash to treasure? Post your ideas in the comments or any photos on our Facebook page.

Helpful Writing Guidelines

Be an expert: make sure you’ve tried the product so your review is accurate.
Be precise: use descriptive language to help invigorate our senses.
Be honest: give those who haven’t tried our product true insight into what it’s really like.

Click on which Wonderful Pistachios product you’d like to review:

Roasted and Salted In-Shell Pistachios
Roasted No Salt
Roasted and Salted – Shelled
Roasted Lightly Salted

And if, for some reason, you’re unable to locate our product at a store near you, Amazon ships these tasty morsels worldwide.

North America:

Mexico
Canada

South America:

Brazil

Europe:

Belgium – Dutch, French
Germany
Italy
Poland
Romania
Russia
Switzerland – French, German, Italian
United Kingdom

Middle East

Arabic
English

Asia

China
Korea
India

Have you seen our product somewhere overseas? Take a picture and upload the photo to the Facebook wall — we’d love to see our jet-setting and international friends!

Photo by UW Digital Collections

This week, we chose seven creative ways to open a pistachio provided by YOU — our wonderful fans.

1. The Resourceful

“I crack it open with my teeth. But when I had braces, I would get a spoon and crack it open,” writes Diana V. Where there’s a will, there’s a way. (Kudos to Diana for using everyday household items to spare her braces the burden of having to get crackin’.)

2. The Carpenter

“When I get one that doesn’t have a little opening, I use a tack hammer,” says Patricia G. “It’s small enough so I don’t mash my fingers. Can’t let it go to waste!” (That’s our motto, too: waste not, want not.)

3. The Athlete

“I bounce a basketball on it,” says Danielle A. (Mr. Lamar Odom would be proud.)

4. The Baker

“Roll over on it,” exclaims Michelle. “I use my rolling pin. It’s good for dough but perfect for crackin’ Wonderful Pistashios shells.” (Glad we aren’t the pistachios at the mercy of Michelle’s rolling pin.)

5. The Sharp Shooter

“Shoot the pistachios using a sling shot with a basket underneath to catch the nuts,” explains Russell H. “The shells fly away and the pistachios fall into the basket.” (Only a cowboy could hit a bullseye like that.)

6. The Intellectual

“I spread them all out on a table, and slam a hardcover book on top of them” says Jery L. (How refined!)

7. The MacGyver

“I sometimes use the nail clippers to squeeze it open,” reveals Nicole W. “Not the clipper part. The handle makes a good nut cracker.” (Who knew???)

So what’s your especially creative way to open a pistachio? Leave your answer in the comments! Clever answers may be featured in future blogs.

What color is the handle of the hammer that causes Mr. Bill’s inevitably painful fate?

As an added bonus, we’ll include a coupon for a free bag of pistachios along with the signed ball, so make sure you watch the video to get the correct answer.

To enter: leave your answers in the comments, be sure to list your email, and see our official rules for details. We’ll publish all your answers once we’re ready to award the prize. Contest ends 10/12/11.

Good luck, and may the best Wonderful Pistachios fan win!

1. Where can I get coupons for Wonderful Pistachios?
We regularly announce coupons on our Facebook page, so keep checking back!

2. Where can I find Wonderful Pistachios?
Use our store locator to see which markets sell our product near you. If you’re unable to find a store, you can also purchase Wonderful Pistachios on Amazon.com. Notice our product is no longer available in your store but once was? Make a special request to your produce manager — we’ve heard success stories of markets bringing our product back!

3. Do pistachios fall off the tree naturally?
When it’s time to harvest our pistachios, we use a mechanical shaker that grabs a tree by the trunk to shake all the pistachios off. Watch a video of the process here.

4. What’s the best way to crack an unopened pistachio?
If there’s a tiny opening, wedge your pistachio into a sharp corner and you should be able to get your pistachio out!

5. Will Wonderful Pistachios ever come out with flavors?
We have no plans to release any flavors, but check out our friends Everybody’s Nuts. They currently feature three different flavors: Salt & Pepper, Garlic & Onion, and Chili Lime.

6. Are pistachio shells really poisonous?
The pistachio shell itself is not poisonous, but it’s very important for the harvested fruit to be hulled and dried within a 24 hour period. They go from our trees to the storage facility within a day to avoid contaminants.

7. What’s your customer service contact number?
You can contact our customer service at 877-450-9493 or you can write to us online with any feedback or complaints.

8. What does a pistachio tree and fruit look like?
A picture is worth a thousand words! Check out our Harvest 2011 album on Facebook.

9. Why are pistachios so addictive?
Because they’re lean, mean, and green!

10. Can pistachio shells be used for anything besides being tossed in the trash?
Try grinding them up and tossing them in the garden — they’ll provide a protective force field that will deter snails and slugs from trespassing.

Have additional questions we didn’t answer here? Leave them in the comments, and we’ll get you answers!

What makes Wonderful Pistachios so…Wonderful?

As always, this contest is open to any US resident ages 18 and up, answers must be left in the comments section of the blog, and you can find out more details in our official rules. Contest ends 10/1/11. Good luck!

UPDATE: Congratulations to Scott G. for winning this contest! We’ve contacted you via email about your prize.

If you haven’t already done so, you can also enter to win an autographed basketball by Lamar Odom until 10/4/11 here!

OFFICIAL RULES

GET CRACKIN’S “WIN AN AUTOGRAPHED JERSEY BY CHAD OCHO CINCO” CONTEST

No Purchase Necessary TO ENTER OR WIN in GET CRACKIN’S “WIN AN AUTOGRAPHED JERSEY BY CHAD OCHO CINCO” contest (“contest”). A Purchase WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR Chances Of Winning.  Open to Legal Residents OF THE FIFTy (50) UNITED STATES AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA (EXCluding residents of Puerto rico, GUAM and u.s. Virgin islands), who ARE AT LEAST 18 YEARS OLD AT THE TIME OF ENTRY.  Void Where Prohibited.  Employees of Paramount Farms International LLC (“Sponsor”) and its respective parent, affiliates, subsidiaries and advertising and promotion agencies, and such employees’ immediate family members (parent, spouse, sibling, child, and their respective spouses, regardless of where they reside) and those living in their same households, whether or not related, are not eligible to enter or win. By participating, entrants agree to be bound by these Official Rules and the decisions of the Sponsor, which are binding and final on matters relating to this Contest. Winning a prize is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements set forth herein.  Sponsor reserves the right to verify eligibility requirements of the winners.  Contest is subject to all applicable federal, state, provincial and local laws.

to enter: Between 12:01 a.m. Pacific Standard Time (“PST”) on September 28, 2011 and 11:59 p.m. PST on October 1, 2011 (“Entry Period”), (i) visit Sponsor’s blog on www.getcrackin.com, (ii) answer the following question: “What makes Wonderful Pistachios so…Wonderful?”, (iii) follow the directions provided therein to enter any required information, and (iv) submit (your, “Entry”).  All Entries must be received by 11:59 p.m. PST on October 1, 2011 to be eligible. Limit one (1) entry per person and per e-mail address for the entire Entry Period.  No purchase necessary.  Any entry that does not include all required information and adhere to the foregoing and following requirements will be considered void and will not be eligible.  Entries received from any person or e-mail address in excess of the stated limitation will be void.  Entries generated by script, macro or other automated means or with the intent to subvert the entry process are void.  All Entries become the property of Sponsor and will not be acknowledged or returned.

CONDITIONS OF ENTRY:  Contestant warrants and represents: (a) he/she is the sole and exclusive creator and owner of the Entry, including all rights therein, and that the Entry has not won any previous awards or competitions; (b) Contestant has the full and exclusive right, power and authority to submit the Entry and to grant Sponsor the rights to the Entry, including but not limited to the worldwide copyright; (c) no part of the Entry has been published, or; (d) no rights in the Entry have been previously granted to any person, firm, corporation or other entity. Sponsor reserves the right in their sole discretion to disqualify any Entry at any time in the event it is determined that the Entry is offensive, inappropriate, not in keeping with Sponsor’s images or if it is determined that the Contestant has not otherwise complied with these Official Rules.  If the Entry contains any material or elements that are not owned by the Contestant and/or which are subject to the rights of third parties, the Contestant is responsible for obtaining, prior to Entry of the Entry, any and all releases and consents necessary to permit the use and exhibition of the Entry by Sponsor in the manner set forth in these Official Rules.  Sponsor reserves the right to request proof of these permissions in a form acceptable to Sponsor from any participant at any time.

Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify any entry for any reason, in its sole and absolute discretion.

PRIZE JUDGING: After the Entry Period, all eligible Entries received will be judged by a select panel of Sponsor’s employees who will serve as judges to determine the winner of the Contest (“Winner”).  The judging will be based on the originality and creativity of the Entry, which shall be determined at the judges’ discretion and criteria (“Judging Criteria”).  In the event of a tie, an additional “tie-breaking” judge will determine the Winner from among such tied Entries based on the Judging Criteria.

Judges’ and Sponsor’s decisions are final and binding.

WINNER NOTIFICATION: The Winner will be announced within three (3) days after the judging.  The potential Winner will be notified by e-mail, phone and/or mail and may be required to execute and return an Affidavit of Eligibility and Liability/Publicity Release (“Affidavit/Release”) as well as any other documents which may be required by Sponsor, all of which must be received fully-executed within seven (7) days of date printed on notification or he/she may be disqualified. If after three (3) attempts to contact a potential Winner, Sponsor has been unable to do so, he/she will be disqualified. In the event it is determined that a potential Winner has not complied with these Official Rules, has failed to execute and return any required documents within the specified time period, has made false statements or prize notification is returned as undeliverable, then such Winner will be disqualified. Should a Winner make any false statement(s) in any document required by Sponsor or prize supplier, such Winner will be disqualified and required to promptly return to Sponsor the value of his/her prize. If a Winner is disqualified for any reason, or if a Winner refuses their prize, at Sponsor’s discretion, the prize may be awarded to an alternate Winner. Further, Sponsor reserves the right to forfeit or award any unclaimed or leftover prizes at its sole discretion.

PrizeS (1): The Winner will receive a jersey autographed by Chad Ocho Cinco.  Approximate Retail Value: US $50.00.  All prizes are awarded by Sponsor.  All prize details are at Sponsor’s sole discretion. Prizes are awarded “as is” with no warranty or guarantee, either express or implied by Sponsor. Winners are solely responsible for all federal, state and local taxes (including income and withholding taxes) and any other expenses, costs or fees associated with acceptance and/or use of the prizes not specified herein as being awarded. Winners may not substitute, assign or transfer prizes or redeem prizes for cash, but Sponsor reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to substitute a prize (or any portion thereof) with one of comparable or greater value.  Additional restrictions may apply.

General Conditions: Winning constitutes permission (except where prohibited by law) for Sponsor and its designees to use winner’s name, Entry, hometown, likeness, prize won, and photo and video (all at Sponsor’s discretion) for future advertising, publicity in any and all media now or hereafter devised throughout the world in perpetuity, without additional compensation, notification or permission. Sponsor, Contest parties and each of their respective officers, directors, agents, representatives and employees (collectively, “”Released Parties”) are not responsible for lost, late, misdirected, damaged, stolen, altered, garbled, incorrect, incomplete or delayed Entries or votes; all of which will be void. Released Parties are also not responsible for problems uploading or downloading any Contest-related information or materials from the web site or for any other technical malfunctions of electronic equipment, computer on-line systems, servers, or providers, computer hardware or software failures, phone lines, failure of any Entry or vote to be received by Sponsor on account of technical problems, traffic, congestion on the internet or the web site, or for any other technical problems including telecommunication, miscommunication or failure, and failed, lost, delayed, incomplete, garbled or misdirected communications which may limit a contestant’s ability to participate in this Contest. Released Parties are not responsible for any other errors or malfunctions of any kind, whether network, printing, typographical, human or otherwise relating to or in connection with the Contest, including, without limitation, errors or malfunctions which may occur in connection with the administration of the Contest, the processing or judging of Entries, the submitting or tabulating of votes, the announcement of the prizes or in any Contest-related materials. Mass Entries or votes or Entries or votes generated by a script, macro or use of automated devices may, at Sponsor’s sole discretion, be disqualified. Sponsor reserves the right to modify, suspend or terminate the Contest in the event it becomes infected by a computer virus or is otherwise technically impaired, and to cancel or suspend the Contest in its entirety should tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures or other causes corrupt the administration, security, fairness, integrity or proper play of the Contest and, if terminated, at Sponsor’s discretion, determine the winner using all non-suspect, eligible Entries received up to time of cancellation using the judging procedure outlined above. In the event of a dispute regarding Entries received from multiple users having the same e-mail account, the authorized subscriber of the e-mail account at the time of Entry will be deemed to be the contestant and must comply with these Official Rules. Authorized subscriber is the natural person who is assigned the e-mail address by the Internet Service Provider (ISP), on-line service provider, or other organization responsible for assigning e-mail addresses. Sponsor reserves the right at its sole discretion to disqualify any individual (and void his/her Entry and vote) it finds to be tampering with the Entry or voting process or the operation of this Contest or website, intending to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass any other contestant, Sponsor or any of its representatives or to otherwise be acting in violation of these Official Rules. CAUTION: Any attempt by a contestant to deliberately damage any web site or undermine the legitimate operations of the Contest is a violation of criminal and civil laws. Should such an attempt be made, the Sponsor reserves the right to seek damages and other such remedies from any such contestant to the fullest extent permitted by law and to disqualify such contestant from the Contest.

ASSIGNMENT OF RIGHTS: Contestant hereby acknowledges that Entry and all other materials of every kind whatsoever created by contestant relating to the Contest (collectively, the “Work”) are a “work made for hire” (as that term is used in the United States Copyright Act) for Sponsor, and Sponsor is the sole and exclusive owner, in perpetuity and throughout the universe, of all right, title and interest in and to the Work, including without limitation all copyrights in and to the Work (and all renewals and extensions thereof now or hereafter provided by law) and all the rights therein and thereto, and may exploit the Work (and all rights therein) in any manner throughout the world without restriction. Without limiting the binding effect of any of the foregoing provisions, in the event that any part of the Work is not deemed to be a “work made for hire” for Sponsor, then contestant hereby irrevocably and exclusively grants and assigns to Sponsor (or, if any applicable law prohibits or restricts such assignment, contestant hereby grants to Sponsor an irrevocable, perpetual, royalty-free, transferable license of) unlimited right, title and interest in and to such Work, including, without limitation, all rights of every kind and nature (whether now known or hereafter devised, including all copyrights therein and thereto and all renewals and extensions thereof), throughout the universe, in perpetuity, for all purposes, in any and all media, whether now known or hereafter devised.

MISCELLANEOUS CONDITIONS: By participating in the Contest, contestants (i) agree to be bound by these Official Rules, including all eligibility requirements, and (ii) agree to be bound by the decisions of Sponsor and judges, which are final and binding in all matters relating to the Contest. Failure to comply with these Official Rules may result in disqualification from the Contest. Sponsor reserves the right to permanently disqualify any person it believes has intentionally violated these Official Rules and void all associated Entries and/or votes.

RELEASES: By entering the Contest, contestants agree to release and hold harmless Released Parties from all claims, liability or damage caused or claimed to be caused, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, in connection with participation in this Contest, or acceptance or use of the prize, the substitution of a prize in accordance with these Official Rules, the administration of the Contest, the operation of the website or Released Parties’ use of any of the rights granted herein. Released Parties assume no responsibility for the conduct of any contestant or voter or the responses of anyone appearing in any Entry.

ARBITRATION AND CHOICE OF LAW: Except where prohibited by law, as a condition of participating in this Contest, contestant agrees that (1) any and all disputes and causes of action arising out of or connected with this Contest, or any prize awarded, shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action, and exclusively by final and binding arbitration under the rules of the American Arbitration Association and held at the AAA regional office nearest the contestant; (2) the Federal Arbitration Act shall govern the interpretation, enforcement and all proceedings at such arbitration; and (3) judgment upon such arbitration award may be entered in any court having jurisdiction. Under no circumstances will contestant be permitted to obtain awards for, and contestant hereby waives all rights to claim, punitive, incidental or consequential damages, or any other damages, including attorneys’ fees, other than contestant’s actual out-of-pocket expenses (i.e., costs associated with entering this Contest), and contestant further waives all rights to have damages multiplied or increased. All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Rules, or the rights and obligations of contestants and Sponsor in connection with this Contest, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the substantive laws of the State of California, USA without regard to California choice of law rules.

WinnerS’ LIST: For the name of the Winner (available after October 15, 2011), send a self-addressed stamped envelope to: Chad Ocho Cinco Jersey Giveaway Contest Winner, c/o Paramount Farms International LLC, 11444 West Olympic Blvd., 3^rd Floor, for receipt no later than November 15, 2011.

Sponsor: Paramount Farms International LLC, 11444 Olympic Blvd., 3^rd Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90064.

This Contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Chad Ocho Cinco.  You understand that you are providing information to Sponsor.  The information you provide will only be used for the administration of this Contest and in accordance with these Official Rules.

To Enter: leave your answer in the comments section of this blog. The contest is open to anyone ages 18 and up, answers are limited to one per person, and check out our official rules for more details. Answers will be judged on originality and creativity, so use your imagination!

If you don’t win this round, we have four more to give away (we’ll be giving away one each week) so check back for next week’s question. Winners will be contacted via email — please remember to list it when leaving a comment and this information is only viewable to us.

For more pistachio crackin’ ideas, visit our YouTube channel where you can watch our new cast of characters. See how Khloe & Lamar get crackin’ below.

 UPDATE 10/4/11: Congratulations to our winner Diana V. We’ve contacted you via email about your prize!

OFFICIAL RULES

GET CRACKIN’S “WIN A BASKETBALL AUTOGRAPHED BY LAMAR ODOM” CONTEST

No Purchase Necessary TO ENTER OR WIN in get crackin’s “win a basKetball autographed by lamar odom” contest (“contest”). A Purchase WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR Chances Of Winning.  Open to Legal Residents OF THE FIFTy (50) UNITED STATES AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA (EXCluding residents of Puerto rico, GUAM and u.s. Virgin islands), who ARE AT LEAST 18 YEARS OLD AT THE TIME OF ENTRY.  Void Where Prohibited.  Employees of Paramount Farms International LLC (“Sponsor”) and its respective parent, affiliates, subsidiaries and advertising and promotion agencies, and such employees’ immediate family members (parent, spouse, sibling, child, and their respective spouses, regardless of where they reside) and those living in their same households, whether or not related, are not eligible to enter or win. By participating, entrants agree to be bound by these Official Rules and the decisions of the Sponsor, which are binding and final on matters relating to this Contest. Winning a prize is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements set forth herein.  Sponsor reserves the right to verify eligibility requirements of the winners.  Contest is subject to all applicable federal, state, provincial and local laws.

to enter: Between 12:01 a.m. Pacific Standard Time (“PST”) on September 27, 2011 and 11:59 p.m. PST on November 2, 2011 (“Entry Period”), (i) visit Sponsor’s blog on www.getcrackin.com, (ii) answer the following question: “What is your most creative way to crack open a pistachio?  Tell us how you get crackin’!”, (iii) follow the directions provided therein to enter any required information, and (iv) submit (your, “Entry”).  All Entries must be received by 11:59 p.m. PST on November 2, 2011 to be eligible. Limit one (1) entry per person and per e-mail address for the entire Entry Period.  No purchase necessary.  Any entry that does not include all required information and adhere to the foregoing and following requirements will be considered void and will not be eligible.  Entries received from any person or e-mail address in excess of the stated limitation will be void.  Entries generated by script, macro or other automated means or with the intent to subvert the entry process are void.  All Entries become the property of Sponsor and will not be acknowledged or returned.

CONDITIONS OF ENTRY:  Contestant warrants and represents: (a) he/she is the sole and exclusive creator and owner of the Entry, including all rights therein, and that the Entry has not won any previous awards or competitions; (b) Contestant has the full and exclusive right, power and authority to submit the Entry and to grant Sponsor the rights to the Entry, including but not limited to the worldwide copyright; (c) no part of the Entry has been published, or; (d) no rights in the Entry have been previously granted to any person, firm, corporation or other entity. Sponsor reserves the right in their sole discretion to disqualify any Entry at any time in the event it is determined that the Entry is offensive, inappropriate, not in keeping with Sponsor’s images or if it is determined that the Contestant has not otherwise complied with these Official Rules.  If the Entry contains any material or elements that are not owned by the Contestant and/or which are subject to the rights of third parties, the Contestant is responsible for obtaining, prior to Entry of the Entry, any and all releases and consents necessary to permit the use and exhibition of the Entry by Sponsor in the manner set forth in these Official Rules.  Sponsor reserves the right to request proof of these permissions in a form acceptable to Sponsor from any participant at any time.

Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify any entry for any reason, in its sole and absolute discretion.

PRIZE JUDGING: Every Wednesday during the Entry Period, all eligible Entries received during the applicable week will be judged (each, a “Weekly Judging”) by a select panel of Sponsor’s employees who will serve as judges to determine one (1) winner for such applicable week (collectively, “Winners”).  The judging will be based on the originality and creativity of the Entry, which shall be determined at the judges’ discretion and criteria (“Judging Criteria”).  In the event of a tie, an additional “tie-breaking” judge will determine the Winner(s) from among such tied Entries based on the Judging Criteria. Sponsor reserves the right to select fewer than five (5) Winners if, in its sole discretion, it does not receive a sufficient number of eligible and qualified Entries.

Judges’ and Sponsor’s decisions are final and binding.

WINNER NOTIFICATION: Winners will be announced within three (3) days after each Weekly Judging.  Potential Winners will each be notified by e-mail, phone and/or mail and may be required to execute and return an Affidavit of Eligibility and Liability/Publicity Release (“Affidavit/Release”) as well as any other documents which may be required by Sponsor, all of which must be received fully-executed within seven (7) days of date printed on notification or he/she may be disqualified. If after three (3) attempts to contact a potential Winner, Sponsor has been unable to do so, he/she will be disqualified. In the event it is determined that a potential Winner has not complied with these Official Rules, has failed to execute and return any required documents within the specified time period, has made false statements or prize notification is returned as undeliverable, then such Winner will be disqualified. Should a Winner make any false statement(s) in any document required by Sponsor or prize supplier, such Winner will be disqualified and required to promptly return to Sponsor the value of his/her prize. If a Winner is disqualified for any reason, or if a Winner refuses their prize, at Sponsor’s discretion, the prize may be awarded to an alternate Winner. Further, Sponsor reserves the right to forfeit or award any unclaimed or leftover prizes at its sole discretion.

PrizeS (5): Each Winner will receive a basketball autographed by Lamar Odom.  Approximate Retail Value (“ARV”): US $560.00 each prize. Total ARV of all prizes: US $2,800.00.  All prizes are awarded by Sponsor.  All prize details are at Sponsor’s sole discretion. Prizes are awarded “as is” with no warranty or guarantee, either express or implied by Sponsor. Winners are solely responsible for all federal, state and local taxes (including income and withholding taxes) and any other expenses, costs or fees associated with acceptance and/or use of the prizes not specified herein as being awarded. Winners may not substitute, assign or transfer prizes or redeem prizes for cash, but Sponsor reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to substitute a prize (or any portion thereof) with one of comparable or greater value.  Additional restrictions may apply.

General Conditions: Winning constitutes permission (except where prohibited by law) for Sponsor and its designees to use winner’s name, Entry, hometown, likeness, prize won, and photo and video (all at Sponsor’s discretion) for future advertising, publicity in any and all media now or hereafter devised throughout the world in perpetuity, without additional compensation, notification or permission. Sponsor, Contest parties and each of their respective officers, directors, agents, representatives and employees (collectively, “”Released Parties”) are not responsible for lost, late, misdirected, damaged, stolen, altered, garbled, incorrect, incomplete or delayed Entries or votes; all of which will be void. Released Parties are also not responsible for problems uploading or downloading any Contest-related information or materials from the web site or for any other technical malfunctions of electronic equipment, computer on-line systems, servers, or providers, computer hardware or software failures, phone lines, failure of any Entry or vote to be received by Sponsor on account of technical problems, traffic, congestion on the internet or the web site, or for any other technical problems including telecommunication, miscommunication or failure, and failed, lost, delayed, incomplete, garbled or misdirected communications which may limit a contestant’s ability to participate in this Contest. Released Parties are not responsible for any other errors or malfunctions of any kind, whether network, printing, typographical, human or otherwise relating to or in connection with the Contest, including, without limitation, errors or malfunctions which may occur in connection with the administration of the Contest, the processing or judging of Entries, the submitting or tabulating of votes, the announcement of the prizes or in any Contest-related materials. Mass Entries or votes or Entries or votes generated by a script, macro or use of automated devices may, at Sponsor’s sole discretion, be disqualified. Sponsor reserves the right to modify, suspend or terminate the Contest in the event it becomes infected by a computer virus or is otherwise technically impaired, and to cancel or suspend the Contest in its entirety should tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures or other causes corrupt the administration, security, fairness, integrity or proper play of the Contest and, if terminated, at Sponsor’s discretion, determine the winner using all non-suspect, eligible Entries received up to time of cancellation using the judging procedure outlined above. In the event of a dispute regarding Entries received from multiple users having the same e-mail account, the authorized subscriber of the e-mail account at the time of Entry will be deemed to be the contestant and must comply with these Official Rules. Authorized subscriber is the natural person who is assigned the e-mail address by the Internet Service Provider (ISP), on-line service provider, or other organization responsible for assigning e-mail addresses. Sponsor reserves the right at its sole discretion to disqualify any individual (and void his/her Entry and vote) it finds to be tampering with the Entry or voting process or the operation of this Contest or website, intending to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass any other contestant, Sponsor or any of its representatives or to otherwise be acting in violation of these Official Rules. CAUTION: Any attempt by a contestant to deliberately damage any web site or undermine the legitimate operations of the Contest is a violation of criminal and civil laws. Should such an attempt be made, the Sponsor reserves the right to seek damages and other such remedies from any such contestant to the fullest extent permitted by law and to disqualify such contestant from the Contest.

ASSIGNMENT OF RIGHTS: Contestant hereby acknowledges that Entry and all other materials of every kind whatsoever created by contestant relating to the Contest (collectively, the “Work”) are a “work made for hire” (as that term is used in the United States Copyright Act) for Sponsor, and Sponsor is the sole and exclusive owner, in perpetuity and throughout the universe, of all right, title and interest in and to the Work, including without limitation all copyrights in and to the Work (and all renewals and extensions thereof now or hereafter provided by law) and all the rights therein and thereto, and may exploit the Work (and all rights therein) in any manner throughout the world without restriction. Without limiting the binding effect of any of the foregoing provisions, in the event that any part of the Work is not deemed to be a “work made for hire” for Sponsor, then contestant hereby irrevocably and exclusively grants and assigns to Sponsor (or, if any applicable law prohibits or restricts such assignment, contestant hereby grants to Sponsor an irrevocable, perpetual, royalty-free, transferable license of) unlimited right, title and interest in and to such Work, including, without limitation, all rights of every kind and nature (whether now known or hereafter devised, including all copyrights therein and thereto and all renewals and extensions thereof), throughout the universe, in perpetuity, for all purposes, in any and all media, whether now known or hereafter devised.

MISCELLANEOUS CONDITIONS: By participating in the Contest, contestants (i) agree to be bound by these Official Rules, including all eligibility requirements, and (ii) agree to be bound by the decisions of Sponsor and judges, which are final and binding in all matters relating to the Contest. Failure to comply with these Official Rules may result in disqualification from the Contest. Sponsor reserves the right to permanently disqualify any person it believes has intentionally violated these Official Rules and void all associated Entries and/or votes.

RELEASES: By entering the Contest, contestants agree to release and hold harmless Released Parties from all claims, liability or damage caused or claimed to be caused, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, in connection with participation in this Contest, or acceptance or use of the prize, the substitution of a prize in accordance with these Official Rules, the administration of the Contest, the operation of the website or Released Parties’ use of any of the rights granted herein. Released Parties assume no responsibility for the conduct of any contestant or voter or the responses of anyone appearing in any Entry.

ARBITRATION AND CHOICE OF LAW: Except where prohibited by law, as a condition of participating in this Contest, contestant agrees that (1) any and all disputes and causes of action arising out of or connected with this Contest, or any prize awarded, shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action, and exclusively by final and binding arbitration under the rules of the American Arbitration Association and held at the AAA regional office nearest the contestant; (2) the Federal Arbitration Act shall govern the interpretation, enforcement and all proceedings at such arbitration; and (3) judgment upon such arbitration award may be entered in any court having jurisdiction. Under no circumstances will contestant be permitted to obtain awards for, and contestant hereby waives all rights to claim, punitive, incidental or consequential damages, or any other damages, including attorneys’ fees, other than contestant’s actual out-of-pocket expenses (i.e., costs associated with entering this Contest), and contestant further waives all rights to have damages multiplied or increased. All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Rules, or the rights and obligations of contestants and Sponsor in connection with this Contest, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the substantive laws of the State of California, USA without regard to California choice of law rules.

WinnerS’ LIST: For the names of the winners (available after November 30, 2011), send a self-addressed stamped envelope to: Lamar Odom Basketball Giveaway Contest Winners, c/o Paramount Farms International LLC, 11444 West Olympic Blvd., 3^rd Floor, for receipt no later than December 30, 2011.

Sponsor: Paramount Farms International LLC, 11444 Olympic Blvd., 3^rd Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90064.

This Contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Lamar Odom.  You understand that you are providing information to Sponsor.  The information you provide will only be used for the administration of this Contest and in accordance with these Official Rules.

Jakob Rosenberg

and

Kathleen Marler

We hope you’ll enjoy fulfilling your need for speed safely with these remote controlled cars, and we’ll contact you via email.

Wondering how you can win prizes? Keep an eye on our blog posts or Like our Facebook page and help Keyboard Cat get to his next destination (and don’t forget to tell your friends).

Once we hit 125,000 fans 250 lucky winners will get a Snack Simply T-Shirt and a bag of Wonderful Pistachios. See if you’re one of the lucky winners who’ll be crackin’ this round (listed alphabetically by last name):

Don’t forget to tell us your favorite WP 400 moment at the Richmond International Raceway by leaving a comment!

What was your favorite moment of the Wonderful Pistachios 400 race on Saturday?

Leave your answer in the comments section of this blog be sure to fill out the email address section of the form so we can contact you — all information is private and not visible to others. Only one entry per person (18+), winners will be contacted via email, and contest ends on 9/21/11. See our official rules for more details.

We have two cars to give away! Leave a comment responding to the above question on this blog, and you might be racing this bad boy around the block in no time.

OFFICIAL RULES

WONDERFUL PISTACHIOS 400 TOY CAR CONTEST SWEEPSTAKES

No Purchase Necessary TO ENTER OR WIN. A Purchase WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR Chances Of Winning.  Open to Legal Residents OF THE FIFTy (50) UNITED STATES AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA OR CANADA (EXCluding residents of quebec, puerto rico, GUAM and u.s. Virgin islands), who ARE AT LEAST 18 YEARS OLD AT THE TIME OF ENTRY.  Void in quebec AND Where Prohibited.  Employees of Paramount Farms International LLC (“Sponsor”) and its respective parent, affiliates, subsidiaries and advertising and promotion agencies, and such employees’ immediate family members (parent, spouse, sibling, child, and their respective spouses, regardless of where they reside) and those living in their same households, whether or not related, are not eligible to enter or win. By participating, entrants agree to be bound by these Official Rules and the decisions of the Sponsor, which are binding and final on matters relating to this sweepstakes. Sweepstakes is subject to all applicable federal, state, provincial and local laws.  Sponsor reserves the right to verify eligibility requirements of the winners.

to enter: Between 12:01 a.m. Pacific Standard Time (“PST”) on September 15, 2011 and 11:59 p.m. PST on September 22, 2011 (“Entry Period”), (i) visit Sponsor’s blog on www.getcrackin.com, (ii) answer the following question: “What was your favorite moment of the Wonderful Pistachios 400?”, (iii) follow the directions provided therein to enter any required information, and (iv) submit.  All entries must be received by 11:59 p.m. PST on September 22, 2011 to be eligible. Limit one (1) entry per person and per e-mail address for the entire Entry Period.  No purchase necessary.  Any entry that does not include all required information and adhere to the foregoing and following requirements will be considered void and will not be eligible for the prize drawing.  Entries received from any person or e-mail address in excess of the stated limitation will be void.  Entries generated by script, macro or other automated means or with the intent to subvert the entry process are void.  All entries become the property of Sponsor and will not be acknowledged or returned.

Drawing:  Potential winners will be selected in a random drawing held within three (3) after the Entry Period from all eligible entries received.  Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received. Potential winners will be notified within three (3) days of the drawing by phone, mail and/or e-mail and may be required to execute and return an affidavit of eligibility (or if a resident of Canada, a Declaration), a liability release and, where lawful, a publicity release within seven (7) days of date of issuance. If such documents are not returned within the specified time period, prize notification is returned as undeliverable, Sponsor is unable to contact a potential winner within a reasonable time period or a potential winner is not in compliance with these Official Rules, prize will be forfeited and, at Sponsor’s discretion and time permitting, an alternate winner selected.   Any Canadian resident who is a potential winner of any prize must correctly answer a time-limited mathematical skill-testing question administered by telephone without assistance or mechanical or electronic aid in order to receive a prize. If a selected Canadian potential winner cannot be reached by telephone within a reasonable time period or answers the skill testing question incorrectly, as determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion, he/she may be disqualified, and, at Sponsor’s discretion, the prize will be awarded to an alternate winner.  If a potential winner is disqualified for any reason, or if any potential winner refuses their prize, at Sponsor’s discretion, the prize may be awarded to an alternate winner.  Further, Sponsor reserves the right to forfeit or award any unclaimed or leftover prizes at its sole discretion.

PrizeS (2): Each winner will receive a Wonderful Pistachios remote controlled toy car inspired by the Wonderful Pistachios 400 race.  Approximate Retail Value (“ARV”): US $75.00 each prize. Total ARV of all prizes: US $150.00.  All prizes are awarded by Sponsor.  All prize details are at Sponsor’s sole discretion. Prizes are awarded “as is” with no warranty or guarantee, either express or implied by Sponsor. Winners are solely responsible for all federal, state and local taxes (including income and withholding taxes) and any other expenses, costs or fees associated with acceptance and/or use of the prizes not specified herein as being awarded. Winners may not substitute, assign or transfer prizes or redeem prizes for cash, but Sponsor reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to substitute a prize (or any portion thereof) with one of comparable or greater value.  Additional restrictions may apply.

General Conditions: Released Parties (as defined below) are not responsible for lost, late, incomplete, inaccurate, stolen, misdirected, undelivered or garbled entries, or e-mail; or for lost, interrupted or unavailable network, server, Internet Service Provider (ISP), website, or other connections, availability or accessibility or miscommunications or failed computer, satellite, telephone or cable transmissions, lines, or technical failure or jumbled, scrambled, delayed, or misdirected transmissions or computer hardware or software malfunctions, failures or difficulties, or other errors or difficulties of any kind whether human, mechanical, electronic, computer, network, typographical, printing or otherwise relating to or in connection with the sweepstakes, including, without limitation, errors or difficulties which may occur in connection with the administration of the sweepstakes, the processing of entries, the announcement of the prizes, or in any sweepstakes-related materials.  Released Parties are also not responsible for any incorrect or inaccurate information, whether caused by site users, tampering, hacking, or by any equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the sweepstakes. CAUTION: ANY ATTEMPT BY AN INDIVIDUAL TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE ANY WEBSITE OR UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THIS SWEEPSTAKES MAY BE A VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS, AND SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, SPONSOR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO DISQUALIFY AND SEEK DAMAGES AND OTHER REMEDIES (INCLUDING ATTORNEYS’ FEES) FROM ANY SUCH INDIVIDUAL TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW. Released Parties are not responsible for injury or damage to participants’ or to any other person’s computer related to or resulting from participating in this sweepstakes or downloading materials from or use of the website.  Persons who tamper with or abuse any aspect of the sweepstakes or website or who are in violation of these Official Rules, as solely determined by Sponsor, will be disqualified and all associated entries will be void.  Should any portion of the sweepstakes be, in Sponsor’s sole opinion, compromised by virus, worms, bugs, non-authorized human intervention or other causes which, in the sole opinion of the Sponsor, corrupt or impair the administration, security, fairness or proper play, or submission of entries, Sponsor reserves the right at its sole discretion to suspend, modify or terminate the sweepstakes and, if terminated, at its discretion, select the potential winners from all eligible, non-suspect entries received prior to action taken or as otherwise deemed fair and appropriate by Sponsor.  Entrants, by participating, agree that Sponsor, and its respective parents, affiliates, subsidiaries and advertising and promotion agencies and all of their respective officers, directors, employees, representatives and agents (collectively, “Released Parties”) will have no liability whatsoever for, and shall be held harmless by entrants against, any liability, for any injuries, losses or damages of any kind, including death, to persons, or property resulting in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, from acceptance, possession, misuse or use of a prize (including any travel or activity related thereto) or participation in this sweepstakes.  Each winner, by acceptance of prize, except where legally prohibited, grants permission for Sponsor and its designees to use his/her name, address (city and state), photograph, voice and/or other likeness and prize information for advertising, trade and promotional purposes without further compensation, in all media now known or hereafter discovered, worldwide in perpetuity, without notice or review or approval. In the event of a dispute regarding entries received from multiple users having the same e-mail account, the authorized subscriber of the e-mail account at the time of entry will be deemed to be the entrant and must comply with these Official Rules. Authorized account subscriber is the natural person who is assigned the e-mail address by the Internet Service Provider (ISP), on-line service provider, or other organization responsible for assigning e-mail addresses.  The Sweepstakes is governed by the laws of the State of California, with venue in Los Angeles, California, and all claims must be resolved in the appropriate state and federal courts of Los Angeles, California.  Sponsor’s failure to enforce any term of these Official Rules shall not constitute a waiver of that provision.

WinnerS’ LIST: For the names of the winners (available after October 1, 2011), send a self-addressed stamped envelope to: Wonderful Pistachios 400 Toy Car Sweepstakes Winners, c/o Paramount Farms International LLC, 11444 West Olympic Blvd., 3^rd Floor, for receipt no later than November 1, 2011. Residents of Canada may omit return postage.

Sponsor: Paramount Farms International LLC, 11444 Olympic Blvd., 3^rd Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90064.

More photos on the way, but take a look at our gallery that gives you a quick recap of the weekend where you’ll find everything from Gunny signing autographs to Kevin Harvick at Victory Lane. Enjoy!

Look, up in the sky, er, screen! It’s a bird, it’s a monkey, it’s a honey badger! Add in Kermit and a Kardashian, Winklevoss twins and a trio – and there’s only one thing it can be – the third series of the Wonderful® Pistachios “Get Crackin’” advertising campaign. The much-anticipated spots sped onto TV screens earlier than ever – on September 10 during the inaugural “Wonderful Pistachios 400″ NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Richmond International Raceway.

Season three’s stars make up one nutty constellation: Khloé Kardashian Odom and her Los Angeles Lakers husband Lamar Odom; iconic American amphibian and green activist Kermit the Frog; furry fashion plate and comedienne of “Hangover 2” and “Night at the Museum” Crystal the Monkey; Facebook twins and Olympians Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss; YouTube phenomenon and hysterical narrator of the “Honey Badger” video “Randall”; 1970s “Saturday Night Live” iconic sensation Mr. Bill™; and last, but not least, video game and social media marvel Angry Birds.

“Wonderful Pistachios is thrilled to come to our third year with three firsts for our talent – first TV commercials for Khloé and Lamar, the Winklevoss twins and Honey Badger by Randall,” said Mark Masten, vice president of global sales and marketing, Paramount Farms. “We’re also honored to have Kermit and Disney’s ‘The Muppets’ in our campaign – the first time that Wonderful Pistachios has supported a film’s theatrical and home entertainment releases.”

The collection of commercials debuted September 10 and will roll out over four months during primetime favorites such as “Modern Family,” “The Amazing Race,” “Parks and Recreation” and “The X Factor.” The ads are sure to get attention during the broadcast of the highly anticipated 63^rd Primetime Emmy® Awards and season debut of “Dancing with the Stars.” The Kermit spot will air in the weeks leading up to Disney’s “The Muppets” big screen release on November 23 and again, prior to the home entertainment release.

In addition to the commercial spot, Angry Birds will release a special-edition version of the game incorporating pistachios as an element toward the end of the year.

“Pistachios aren’t just for the holidays anymore – as sales show, consumers are changing their mindset and including pistachios on their shopping list all year round,” added Masten. “Advertising during different times of the year has resulted in double-digit sales increases which helped drive our decision to start the television rotation sooner than in previous years.”

Wonderful Pistachios’ harvest of new commercials include:

• Angry Birds do it on the fly. The feathered farce that has defied the generation gap of gaming makes its advertising debut. However this time, it’s not pigs but pistachios that are the name of the game. With one catapulted bird, a pig gets hit and cracks the nut… high score! Low calorie!
• Khloé and Lamar do it as foreplay. Known for their playful nature on and off the camera, this too-big-for-TV romance comes unshelled over something new – a pistachio. Lamar taunts Khloé like only he can… over and over again teasing her with what he’s snacking on and she wants, of course. Khloé never gets her pistachio, but we hope she does get a kiss… offscreen.
• Kermit does it ’cause he’s green. While it may not be easy being green, Kermit has done it literally – and figuratively – for years. In this frog’s tongue-in-cheek spot, he talks to the audience about how he’s been green/environmental for years…just like pistachios. After all, they come in a biodegradable container – a shell! Other snacks are green with envy.
• Crystal the Monkey does it for her fans. There’s no monkey business on the red carpet when Crystal is on the scene. But she does steal the show and gets the paparazzi snappin’. As Crystal struts her stuff in a green evening gown, the crowd beckons out to her, “Who are you wearing?!” and “What’s in your purse?!” Waving to her fans, Crystal’s purse suffers a wardrobe malfunction to reveal its contents – pistachios! Let’s just say that makes Crystal go head over heels. Are those “Chimpy-Choo?”
• The Winklevoss twins do it cautiously. The handsome duo was catapulted into the Hollywood spotlight as their story was told on the silver screen. The two take to the small screen to parody their own story. Sitting at a desk with two nameplates – Mr. Winklevoss and Mr. Winklevoss – Tyler cracks open a pistachio with one hand in a cool and unique way. Cameron tells him that the way he cracked it was a good idea and that could be huge. Tyler then asks, “Think someone will steal it?” They look at each other and then turn to the audience and say in unison – “Who’d do that?”
• The Honey Badger does it badass. The National Geographic YouTube video made famous by the over-the-top narration of “Randall” sets the Honey Badger against another enemy – the pistachio! Nothing is too much for the Honey Badger who quickly grabs a snake and whips it around to crack the nut open.
• Mr. Hands does it for Mr. Bill. Fans won’t have to wait for vintage SNL clips on YouTube to catch this clay character anymore. The “Saturday Night Live” star meets up again with Mr. Hands who lends a hand… this time cracking open a pistachio… and Mr. Bill’s hand! Ohh nooooooo!
• A Priest, a Rabbi and a Minister sit at a bar… and do it as a joke. Cliché gets commercialized when one of the oldest jokes in the book gets crackin’. As the three men of God sit down at the bar, the narrator’s joke gets the traditional drum roll and cymbal “rim shot” to add the final punch line.

The third season also welcomes back talent from the previous year including Snooki, R. Lee Ermey, Keyboard Cat and the Peanuts’ Charlie Brown and Lucy. The $30M campaign will be complemented by social media activities and promotions throughout its television rotation.

About Angry Birds

Angry Birds from Rovio Entertainment has taken the gaming world by storm. Rovio launched Angry Birds in December 2009, Angry Birds Seasons in October 2010 and Angry Birds Rio in February 2011. Since their release, the games have achieved more than 350 million combined downloads across all platforms, and Rovio has expanded the franchise into merchandise, entertainment and book publishing. Most recently, Rovio launched the Moon Festival update for the game Angry Birds Seasons. The first Angry Birds print publication will also be available soon.

About Disney’s “The Muppets”

On vacation in Los Angeles, Walter, the world’s biggest Muppet fan, his brother Gary (Jason Segel) and Gary’s girlfriend Mary (Amy Adams) from Smalltown, U.S.A., discover the nefarious plan of oilman Tex Richman (Chris Cooper) to raze the Muppet Theater and drill for the oil recently discovered beneath the Muppets’ former stomping grounds. To stage “The Greatest Muppet Telethon Ever” and raise the $10 million needed to save the theater, Walter, Mary and Gary help Kermit reunite the Muppets, who have all gone their separate ways: Fozzie now performs with a Reno casino tribute band called the Moopets, Miss Piggy is a plus-size fashion editor at Vogue Paris, Animal is in a Santa Barbara clinic for anger management, and Gonzo is a high-powered plumbing magnate. With secret, signature celebrity cameos, Disney’s “The Muppets” hits the big screen November 23, 2011.

About Wonderful® Pistachios

The Wonderful Pistachios brand features upscale, premium packaging and a bold contemporary look, appealing to a sophisticated, health-conscious consumer. Wonderful Pistachios are grown in Lost Hills, California, part of the San Joaquin Valley, the agricultural heartland of California. Grown, processed and packaged by Paramount Farms, Wonderful Pistachios are available at retail outlets and grocery stores nationwide including Albertsons, Giant Eagle, Kroger, Safeway, Vons and Wegmans, and are available in a variety of sizes. For more information about Wonderful Pistachios or the “Get Crackin’” campaign, visit www.wonderfulpistachios.com, www.getcrackin.com, www.facebook.com/wonderfulpistachios and www.twitter.com/getcrackin.

About Paramount Farms

Part of Roll Global LLC, headquartered in Los Angeles, California, Paramount Farms is one of a group of privately owned, affiliated companies that comprise the largest farming operation of tree crops in the world. In addition to pistachios and almonds, Paramount Farms is also the largest producer and exclusive grower of the California Wonderful variety of pomegranates. Sister company, Paramount Citrus, is the largest orange and lemon packing facility in North America, the majority of which come from its own orchards, and the largest grower of Clementine mandarin oranges in the United States.

Mr. Bill is a Trademark of Dreamsite Productions, Inc.

Don’t forget to check our Facebook and Twitter pages for exclusive updates throughout the day and the Weekend Schedule of Events so you aren’t lost.

Be there, or be square (oh yeah, and get R. Lee Ermey’s autograph on this sweet card we’ll be handing out)!

We won’t really be in full effect until tomorrow, so don’t forget to visit us again on Saturday for a chance to meet R. Lee Ermey — star of the Wonderful Pistachios commercial and Full Metal Jacket movie. He is this year’s grand marshal and will be signing autographs in our tent on Saturday before the race starts. Come rub elbows with celebs and take a breather in our air-conditioned sanctuary! Also check our Weekend Schedule of Events for other notable happenings throughout the weekend.

So, who will you be rooting for during the race?! Hope to see you there…

Wonderful Pistachios Pace Car

The evening will be highlighted by Wounded Warriors saying the pledge, Danny Rodriguez, the singing NY police officer, singing God Bless America and the U.S. Army Infantry Division Band performing the National Anthem.

Rounding out the pre-race festivities announced last week, R. Lee Ermey “The Gunny” – a retired U.S. Marine and real-life Drill Instructor – will salute the troops by asking the drivers to start their engines and Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi – a New Jersey resident and daughter of a volunteer New York fireman – will pay tribute to firefighters by passing the flag-waving duties to Frank Siller, founder of the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation whose brother, Stephen Siller, lost his life on September 11^th, 2001.  Ermey and Polizzi are part of the Wonderful Pistachios advertising campaign.

Fans will be handed 4” x 6” American flags as they enter the stands and are encouraged to wave them in tribute to America during the concert, God Bless America and National Anthem.

In addition, fans attending the event, ABC-TV and MRN Radio broadcasters announcing the race, and the track announcer, will all go quiet for a three-lap moment of silence from laps 9 through 11 at the ¾-mile oval.

The three-lap moment of silence, in which all fans attending the race are again encouraged to wave their American flags, is the culmination of many 9/11 tributes and patriotic activities being planned by NASCAR race tracks, teams, sponsors, licensees, drivers, and fans in special recognition of the anniversary.

This patriotic pre-race will serve as the “opening ceremonies” for the Wonderful Pistachios 400 “One Last Race to Make The Chase” NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race.  When the checkered flag flies Saturday night, September 10, the field will be set for the 2011 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.  Tickets for Saturday’s event to be a part of the most patriotic pre-race ever start at $45 in advance and can be purchased online at www.rir.com or by calling 866-455-7223.

What were your first thoughts when we called to say you’ve won?

Wow! This can’t be happening…Hey, what did I say in that entry that was good enough to win? Wife is going to LOVE this. — Tom Price, 1st Place Winner

I wasn’t sure if it was for real or not! I was extremely happy because after having season tickets for the past 15 years, I was going to be able to go due to financial hardship. Funny how things work out! — Beth Banocy, 1st Place Winner

When I first found out that I won, my jaw dropped to the floor and my buddy that’s going with me almost wrecked his vehicle when I called him. I’m so excited that it is the last race before the chase begins so tempers will be high and the action will be awesome. — Michael Huntsberry, 1st Place Winner

My thoughts when you called and said I won the grand prize was, “Is this real; did I really win?!” I can’t wait to take an amazing vacation to the east coast! — Morganne Foster, Grand Prize Winner

I first thought it was a sales call — a nice voice on the phone — it’s true! LOL. — John McCall

My first thought was, “What contest?” I didn’t even remember entering since I enter things and I’ve never won before so I didn’t give it another thought…My husband and I love going and checking out the pits where our favorite cars go and maybe pick up a souvenir! — Ali Brown, First Place Winner

Official countdown to the race: 3 DAYS! Hope you’re ready.

• The first big Labor Day in the United States was observed on September 5, 1882 with its origins being traced back to Canada.

• The Sunday following Labor Day is known as Labor Sunday and devoted to spiritual aspects of the labor movement.

• Wikipedia notes that forms of Labor Day celebration include: picnics (our favorite), BBQs, fireworks, and a last chance for college students to party before the semester starts.

• For all you fashionistas, high society considers this the last day to wear white, so consider yourselves warned!

Have a great three-day weekend, and we hope you’ll kick back and crack open your favorite nut!

Thursday, September 8

Thursday kicks off our action-fueled weekend with a concert by country music extraordinaire, Dierks Bentley. Tickets range from $35-$55 and proceeds will benefit the Cullather Brain Tumor Quality of Life Center. If you’re in the giving mood earlier in the day, head over to the Blood Drive in the Old Dominion Building taking place from 12-5pm. Parking lots open at 4pm for all you hardcore tailgaters who intend on firing up the grill all three days.

Friday, September 9

Lasso up the family and head over to Chevy Fan Fest – a free interactive hospitality area that features games, show cars, and driver appearances that’s open to the public from 10am-7pm (also open Saturday). Drivers will also be going through a series of practices from 12-6pm.

Saturday, September 10

Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines! Don’t miss driver introductions at 7pm and watch the flag drop at 7:30pm! There’s also a post-race Spring Chase Celebration that will be crackin’ for all you party animals.

But most importantly, Wonderful Pistachios shenanigans will be happening all three days. We’ll be giving away free pistachios, hosting a game, and lounging around in our chill zone – a place for you to cool down and escape the sun’s rays for a bit. Did we mention R. Lee Ermey — this year’s Grand Marshal — aka our “Drill Sergeant” from last year’s commercial and retired United States Marine Corps drill instructor, will be signing autographs on Saturday from 11am-4pm? Come by and say hello!

Photo by Sherri Vegas

Wonderful Pistachios 2011 Race Car

Take a photo with the Wonderful Pistachios 400 race car on September 10

Take a look at our gallery that showcases our pistachios at their best:

Wondering how you can win one of the many prizes we’re giving away? Head over to our Facebook page where you can enter the contest and have a chance to win the grand prize — a 1980s Vintage Digital Midi Keytar!

Morganne Foster, Colorado

Congrats to Morganne for telling us how she would get crackin’ at the Wonderful Pistachios 400!  Her VIP Experience prize package includes: Four Torque Club tickets to watch the Wonderful Pistachios 400 in style, four general admission tickets to Friday night’s Virginia 529 College Savings 250 race, airfare, lodging, transportation and more.

But wait – there’s more! Our 25 First Place finalists get two General Admission tickets to the Wonderful Pistachios 400 plus Wonderful Pistachios 400 schwag (hat and t-shirt).

1. Ed Ahart, Arizona
2. Beth Banocy, Virginia
3. Christal Bardfield, Virginia
4. Aleathea Brown, Virginia
5. Bill Budka, Maryland
6. Jack Burke, California
7. Amy Cyzick, Virginia
8. Kate Dexter, Georgia
9. Evaline Guzman, Kentucky
10. Sue Hahn, Hawaii
11. Jeff Hare, Arizona
12. Harley Harris, West Virginia
13. Renee Hicks, Virginia
14. James Hooker, Virginia
15. Michael Huntsberry II, Maryland
16. Greg Jackman, Indiana
17. David Kiefer, Michigan
18. Anthony Krug, Virginia
19. John McCall, Texas
20. Mary Nichols, Georgia
21. Tom Price, North Carolina
22. Katy Tierney, Virginia
23. Bethann Trippiedi, New Hampshire
24. Rodney Wallace, Texas
25. Justin Walley, Massachusetts

We will be contacting the first place winners via email.

So do you feel the need…the need for speed?!  Congratulations once again to all our winners, and we hope to see all of our Wonderful Pistachios fanatics there!

P.S. Didn’t win this time? Don’t sweat it! Check our Facebook page regularly for upcoming contests.  And why not congratulate the winners on our Facebook page?

Photo by Charles & Hudson

You may have seen the mentions on Twitter regarding the other folks, but we might as well give you a sneak peak straight from the badger’s mouth.  Click in to see the Pistachio Queen battle her latest nemesis, that crazy, nasty honey badger.

LOS ANGELES (July 27, 2011) – Last week, Paramount Farms, the world’s largest vertically integrated grower of pistachios and almonds, received the “Game Changer of the Year” award from Grow-California for their groundbreaking Wonderful® Pistachios “Get Crackin’” advertising campaign. The ceremony took place during the inaugural Agriculture Innovation conference, which was held on July 20 – 21, at the University of California, Davis.

The California “Game Changers” in Agriculture Innovation were chosen by a selection committee comprised of investment banks, venture capital funds, academia and agriculture industry experts from more than 300 original inquiries and nominations.  The accolade, which was one of only 13 that was presented to California agricultural industry leaders, was presented to Paramount Farms by California Secretary of Agriculture, Karen Ross and USDA Rural Development State Director, Dr. Glenda Humiston.

“We are honored to be one of the first companies to receive this inaugural award from our agriculture peers and community,” said Mark Masten, vice president of global sales and marketing, Paramount Farms. “This recognition validates Paramount Farms as an industry leader that has paved the way for marketing and advertising in the agricultural industry.”

The “Get Crackin’” integrated advertising and marketing campaign propelled a Q4 2010 double-digit sales jump for Wonderful Pistachios, cementing the brand’s fourth-place position within the $12 billion “salty snack” category traditionally dominated by chips.   After eight new television spots aired October through December 2010 in a $20 million national advertising campaign, Paramount Farms’ Wonderful Pistachios brand experienced a 21 percent dollar sales leap on top of the company’s 233 percent increase the prior year when the campaign debuted.

To expand consumption of pistachios as a year-round snack, Wonderful Pistachios will crack the industry-advertising ritual once again.  After being the first pistachio to be advertised on television in 2009, the brand will be coming back for a third time in September 2011, with an entire new cast of nutty characters.

In addition to receiving the award, Masten also participated in a joint panel discussion titled, “California’s Game Changing Success Stories:  Hear from 4 of the Best” where he was accompanied by three other winners from Blue Diamond Growers, Lundberg Family Farms and Musco Family Olives.  For more information about the California Agriculture Innovation conference and the “Game Changer of the Year” awards, visit http://www.grow-california.com.

Visit the Wonderful Pistachios Facebook page to get all the details.

We would also love to hear from you. Please write a review on our products page and tell us what you love (and don’t love) about Wonderful Pistachios. All suggestions are welcome. We look forward to hearing from you and thanks for taking the time.

By the way here’s a list of the Facebook winners and congratulations to all of you.  We’ll mail them out today per the address provided.

April Estepp
Arlyne Feintuch
Barb Stewart
Bridget Baker
Carol Bauer
Carol Garrison
Chris Lewis-Thoelke
Deanna Sandberg
Heather Wolfe
Jeff Hurst
Karen Wildman
Kristine Eastridge
Laura Young
Liana Langford
Michelle Watwood
Payje Bier
Sarah Bauer
Simone Edwards
Teresa Blake
Vicky Tryon

1. Wonderful Pistachios, the brand, debuted in 2007.
2. California pistachios are generally of the Kerman variety.
3. Wonderful Pistachios comes in Roasted & Salted, Roasted No Salt, Roasted & Salted Shelled and in a variety of flavors (available outside of the United States).
4. Pistachios are one of the oldest flowering nut trees.
5. Pistachios are one of the only two nuts mentioned in the Bible (Genesis 43:11).
6. Humans have eaten pistachio nuts for at least 9,000 years.
7. Pistachios are related to the cashew, mango and spice sumac.
8. The word pistachio comes from Latin – pistacium.
9. In Iran, pistachios are known as the “smiling nut.”
10. In China, they’re called the “happy nut.”
11. Pistachios are also known as the “green almond.”
12. Pistachios were featured in the fabled Hanging Gardens of Babylon.
13. The Queen of Sheba made an official declaration that pistachios were an exclusively royal food.
14. In the first century A.D., Emperor Vitellius introduced Rome to the pistachio.
15. Apicius, Rome’s Julia Child of the first century, includes pistachios in his classical cookbook.
16. In America, pistachios were once dyed red to disguise shell imperfections and make the nuts stand out in vending machines.
17. Until the 1970′s, no U.S. pistachio industry existed.
18. Iran is the largest producer of pistachios in the world.
19. California produces more than 300 million pounds of pistachios, about 98 percent of the domestic crop.
20. California is the second largest producer in the world.
21. Pistachio ice cream was invented by James W. Parkinson in the 1940′s.
22. Pistachios grow in heavy grape-like clusters surrounded by a fleshy hull.
23. Pistachios ripen in late summer or early autumn.
24. The pistachio kernel fills inside the shell so vigorously that it splits the shell.
25. February 26th is recognized as World Pistachio Day.
26. Pistachio trees are wind-pollinated.
27. One male tree will produce enough pollen for 25 nut-bearing females.
28. Female trees produce their first nuts at about age five.
29. A pistachio tree can bear fruit for up to 200 years.
30. Pistachios are harvested using mechanical tree shakers.
31. Pistachios must be hulled and dried immediately to preserve their delicate quality.
32. Pistachio orchards bear nuts in “alternate-bearing” cycles, i.e., their crop year is heavy one year and light the next.
33. Trees require about 1,000 hours of temperatures at 45 degrees F or below for good production.
34. If you are sitting under a pistachio tree and you hear the shells cracking open, it is a sign of good luck.
35. Pistachios are naturally green with a purple hull (skin).
36. In India and China, pistachios are usually given as a gift during Diwali and Chinese New Year.
37. The shelf life of an in-shell pistachio is about one year.
38. Pistachios have been known to absorb moisture from the air and will become stale if not safely stored.
39. Shelled pistachios, however, are best eaten within four months.
40. Pistachios taste great!!!!

RICHMOND INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY AND WONDERFUL PISTACHIOS GET CRACKIN’ – AND RACIN’ – WITH NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES RACE ENTITLEMENT

Wonderful Pistachios 400 Marks “One Last Race to Make The Chase”

Richmond, VA (July 13, 2011)—Wonderful Pistachios, which has been rallying people to Get Crackin’ for three years, will now be revving people to Get Racin’ as the entitlement sponsor of Richmond International Raceway’s September 10 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. The Wonderful Pistachios 400 showcases one of the most anticipated racing events of the season, as it marks “One Last Race to Make The Chase.”

The multi-year race entitlement signifies Wonderful Pistachios’ entrance into the sport of NASCAR, and it couldn’t happen at a better time and place. When NASCAR descends upon America’s Premier Short Track, some of the best drivers in the world will battle for the final spots in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Wonderful Pistachios will be sold at concessions stands during Richmond’s race weekend, as well as at most International Speedway Corporation tracks.

“When NASCAR followers gather around the track or television to cheer on their favorite drivers at Richmond International Raceway, Wonderful Pistachios wants to be the winning snack,” said Mark Masten, vice president of sales and marketing, Paramount Farms – the supplier of Wonderful Pistachios.  “The Wonderful Pistachios 400 will introduce millions of fans to the lowest-calorie, lowest-fat nut that’s fun to eat with friends and fellow fans.”

“Our ‘One Last Race to Make The Chase’ weekend just got even better with the addition of Wonderful Pistachios to the race weekend,” said track president Dennis Bickmeier. “The Wonderful Pistachios 400 at Richmond International Raceway will be one of the most exciting and anticipated events of the season and we’re happy to have them along for what is sure to be a wild ride.”

The Wonderful Pistachios 400 carries significance in relation to the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Because it is the final race before The Chase, drivers will be vying for valuable spots in NASCAR’s championship. New for 2011, the top 10 drivers in the point standings earn a berth, with two “wild card” spots up for grabs. The “wild card” drivers are the two with the most wins in spots 11-20, meaning there could be a plethora of contenders.

Tickets are on sale now for the Wonderful Pistachios 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race, featuring Jimmie Johnson, Denny Hamlin, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, Carl Edwards and all of your favorite drivers battling “under the lights” at Richmond International Raceway on Saturday, September 10. Advance tickets start at $45 and can be purchased online at www.rir.com or by calling 866-455-7223.

The weekend begins on Friday, September 9, with a full day of on-track activity, highlighted by the Virginia 529 College Savings 250 NASCAR Nationwide Series race “under the lights.” Friday’s ticket includes Fas Mart Pole Qualifying and practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and WRIC-TV8 Pole Qualifying and practice for the NASCAR Nationwide Series. Friday’s tickets start at $30, with children 12 and younger admitted free with a ticketed adult in general admission sections. For tickets and information, log on to www.rir.com or call 866-455-7223.

About Wonderful® Pistachios
The Wonderful Pistachios brand features upscale, premium packaging and a bold contemporary look, appealing to a sophisticated, health-conscious consumer.  Wonderful Pistachios are grown in Lost Hills, California, part of the San Joaquin Valley, the agricultural heartland of California.  Grown, processed and packaged by Paramount Farms, Wonderful Pistachios are available at retail outlets and grocery stores nationwide including Albertsons, Giant Eagle, Kroger, Safeway, Vons and Wegmans, and are available in a variety of sizes. For more information about Wonderful Pistachios or the Get Crackin’ campaign, visit www.wonderfulpistachios.com, www.getcrackin.com, www.facebook.com/wonderfulpistachios and www.twitter.com/getcrackin.

About Richmond International Raceway:

Richmond International Raceway, known as America’s Premier Short Track, offers exciting night racing action and a commitment to the fan experience. One of the most popular facilities among drivers and fans in all of motorsports, Richmond International Raceway annually hosts all of its major events—two NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races, two NASCAR Nationwide Series events and one NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race—under the lights on its ¾-mile D-Shaped oval. The unique layout consistently produces the thrill of side-by-side racing, coupled with high enough speeds for a superspeedway feel. Combined with first-class amenities (including the state-of-the-art Video Scoring Tower) and a focus on the fans, guests at Richmond International Raceway can expect to experience what “Racing Perfection” truly is. For tickets to events at Richmond International Raceway, call 866-455-RACE or visit www.rir.com online. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

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CONGRATULATIONS TO:
Ashley Baker
Celeste Zipperer
Steven Fitzgerald
Gloria Robinson
Justin Ewer
Jennifer Hollis
Kristen Phelps
Dana Shirley
Mary McQuirt
Rhonda Gardner
Kimberly Pastva
Robin McINtosh
Susan Sheridan
Crystal Washington
Wanda Capps

Check to see who won last time here.

Snacking is all the rage, and nothing snacks better than Wonderful® Pistachios. Grown in California, Wonderful® Pistachios are sun-ripened and dry roasted to meet the highest quality standards of food aficionados. Pistachios are one of the lowest-calorie, lowest-fat and among the highest-fiber nuts, offering a variety of vitamins, minerals and beneficial phytonutrients.

And, just in time for your next party, small gathering, or me-time everyday snack, try Wonderful Pistachios in any one of the following six unique pistachio pairings that will elevate the buttery, creamy, one-of-a-kind taste of pistachios to a whole new level. You’ll find each individual flavor in these delicious pairings to be entirely distinct, yet enhanced when enjoyed together. So, go ahead – take a crack at these craveable combos:

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Wonderful Pistachios + Chinese Sesame Noodle Sticks + Wasabi Peas + Asian Beer or Iced Green Tea

Take the savory-nutty flavor of Wonderful Pistachios up a notch with the spicy kick of wasabi peas and the salty crunch of sesame noodle sticks in this trinity of contrasting flavors and textures. Pair with a crisp, refreshing Asian beer to chill out this uber-hot, uber-cool flavor pairing.

How to serve: Fill a trio of serving bowls with Wonderful Pistachios, wasabi peas and sesame noodle sticks…then, get ready to crack and crunch!

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Wonderful Pistachios + Lime Tortilla Chips + Watermelon Chunks Sprinkled with Chili-Lime Salt + Margarita or Fizzy Limeade

A pop of color; a pop of flavor. See how crunchy pistachios pop in Latin flavor combinations as they deliciously mix and mingle with the tart crunch of lime tortilla chips and the cool taste of refreshing watermelon lightly dusted with chili-lime salt. The spicy-sweet notes make for a can’t-get-enough combination. Accompany with margaritas on the rocks or fizzy limeade, and your fiesta will be popping in no time.

How to serve: Fill colorful bowls with Wonderful Pistachios, chunks of fresh watermelon sprinkled with Mexican chili-lime salt, and lime tortilla chips. Try nestling the watermelon serving bowl in ice to keep the melon chilly and the presentation cool!

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Wonderful Pistachios + Cured Olive & Salami Skewer + Rosemary Parmesan Popcorn + Chianti or Chilled Pomegranate Soda

The subtle earthiness of pistachios really ignites when paired with its Mediterranean counterparts, rosemary-parmesan popcorn and olive-salami skewers, rounding out this savory snack trio.

How to serve: Fill two bowls – one with Wonderful Pistachios and the other with popcorn tossed with a splash extra-virgin olive oil; minced fresh rosemary and grated parmesan. Skewer oil-cured pitted olives with slices of artisanal salami and serve on a small platter alongside pistachios and popcorn.

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Wonderful Pistachios + Aged Gouda + Gala Apple Wedges Drizzled with Lavender Honey + Cold Ginger Beer or Cold Ginger Ale

Yum, yum, yum. A hint of salted, dry-roasted pistachios counterbalances the caramel-like sweetness of aged Gouda blend to blend naturally with the crisp juiciness of Gala apples. Lavender honey adds a fragrant sweetness to this pairing and accents the salty crunch of the pistachio to make it the star of the show.

How to serve: Thinly slice Gala apples and arrange on a platter; drizzle with local lavender honey and serve alongside chunks of aged Gouda and bowls brimming with Wonderful Pistachios.

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Wonderful Pistachios + Chevre Cheese Balls Rolled in Poppy Seeds + Dried Apricots + Greyhound or Grapefruit Soda

Your guests will be raving about this pairing, so don’t be surprised to see this flavorful combo at their next party. The creamy texture and buttery flavor of pistachios meld with the subtle goodness of Chevre cheese, an ideal contact to the sweet dried apricots. The bright, citrusy flavors of the grapefruit beverage offer the perfect pairing to the creamy goat cheese and chewy, tasty apricots.

How to serve: Roll soft Chevre cheese into marble-sized balls then coat in poppy seeds. Fill a bowl with Wonderful Pistachios and place in the center of a platter surrounded with the cheese balls and apricots.

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Wonderful Pistachios + Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies + Fresh Strawberries + Iced Latte or Glass of Milk

Kids love salty, nutty fun-to-eat pistachios and combined with the sweetness of a chocolate chip cookie and fruity strawberry, this combo is the perfect all-American classic mix of sweet and savory. Serve as a kid-pleasing after-school treat or share with colleagues during an afternoon work break. The break room never had it so good!

How to serve: Set a bowl of Wonderful Pistachios on a platter surrounded with cookies and whole, fresh strawberries.

Since we just reached 50,000 fans, we’re giving out free bags of pistachios to 10 random winners who registered to win. It’s totally impromptu and you totally HAVE to register to be eligible for any future prizes! We’ll be mailing out free bag coupons today!

Congrats to:
Anne Meehan
Katie Atwood
Shaun Tucker
Cara Esquibel
Christine Bolles
Danielle LaForest
Jamie Webb
Cassie McNabb
Kelly Simpson
Angelina Haglund

Recipe Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
1 3/4 cup butter, cut into small cubes
4 eggs
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup chopped Wonderful Pistachios

Melt chocolate and butter over a double boiler. While chocolate is melting, whip eggs and sugar in a large bowl until well blended. Add the melted chocolate and vanilla to the eggs. Stir to blend completely. Stir in the flour. Spread the batter evenly into a parchment lined and buttered 9 inch baking dish.

Bake at 325 degrees for 40 minutes, rotating the pan after 20 minutes.

Cool before adding the ganache.

Pomegranate Ganache

1/2 cup POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped in separate bowl

In a saucepan heat pomegranate juice and sugar over medium-high heat until reduced by half.

In a blender add all ingredients and blend until vinaigrette has thickened slightly and is well-mixed. Adjust seasoning as needed.

Spread ganache evenly on cooled brownies and top with chopped pistachios.

Kitchen tip: Make ahead and keep refrigerated up to a month.

Total prep time: 20 minutes
Makes 15 brownies

Pistachios are purchased in Mexico mostly in the streets. During traffic jams (and when is there NOT a traffic jam in Mexico City?) vendors go out on the street to offer a small bag of pistachios (aka “pistachos” en Español), for the equivalent of $1.00, to drivers stuck in traffic. Other vendors travel around on a tricycle with different kind of snacks. Of course, when people want more than a little 10 gram bag they go to the convenience store and buy brands like Wonderful Pistachios.

Mexican people are very fond of pistachio ice cream and they use the kernels on salads, but they are mostly eaten as snacks.

Which summertime pistachio commercial is your favorite? And who would you love to see in the 2011 fall campaign?

Four tickets will be given out to “lucky fans” who will be recognized during each Sunday home game. And let me tell you… the seats are up close and personal near all the best baseball action! So come down two hours prior to the game for a chance to win!

May 15
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We cultivate, propagate and harvest our crops using the industry’s most environmentally innovative methods and, in partnership with industry leaders and universities, Paramount Farms invests millions of dollars in research, technology and talent to increase yields and improve quality while minimizing our impact on the earth.

Source: Tori Ritchie – sign up for her weekly recipe email: recipes@tuesdayrecipe.com

I wanted to share this with you before the weekend because it would be a great choice for Easter (or any spring feast you might be cooking up). It’s adapted from the River Café in London and while I’ve never eaten there, I find that the cookbooks by owners Ruth Rogers and the late Rose Gray give the finest interpretation of Italian food outside of Italy. That’s why I chose this pistachio recipe for my Italian cooking class last weekend. That and the fact that I love saying “pistachios” in Italian because it’s pronounced pis-takk-i —for some reason that cracks me up. However you say it, Easter’s a big deal in Italy so why not enjoy a tortina di pistacchi.

Serves 8 | Prep time: 25 minutes | Bake time: 50 minutes

1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, plus additional for greasing pan, at room temperature
1 lemon, preferably Meyer lemon
1 vanilla bean
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup slivered almonds
3/4 cup shelled unsalted pistachios
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Glaze
1/2 cup shelled unsalted pistachios
1/4 cup sugar

Preheat the oven to 325°. Grease bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan with some butter and line bottom with a circle of parchment paper.

With a zester, grate the lemon peel (reserve lemon). With the tip of a sharp paring knife, split the vanilla bean down the center and scrape out the seeds. In a food processor, pulse the 1 cup sugar with the peel and vanilla bean. Transfer to a bowl. In the same processor bowl, pulse the almonds and pistachios until finely ground, but do not let go to paste.

With an electric mixer, beat the butter and lemon-vanilla sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides the bowl between each addition. Beat in the lemon-vanilla sugar, then with a spatula fold in the flour and the nuts. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and shake to even it, but do not worry about smoothing the top. Bake until a skewer comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Set on a rack to cool for 10 minutes, then loosen edges of cake with a kitchen knife and remove sides of pan. Invert cake and remove bottom of pan and peel off parchment paper, then invert right side up on a serving plate (or just serve from pan if you can’t bother with all that.)

For glaze, squeeze juice from reserved lemon. Roughly chop pistachios by hand. In a very small pot, bring the lemon juice to a boil with the sugar and cook until syrupy. Stir in the pistachios and pour over the cake. Cut into wedges to serve.

I will contact the winner via Facebook on Monday.

GRAND PRIZE: One case of Wonderful® Pistachios; one case each of the three flavors of Everybody’s Nuts; and one Wonderful® Pistachios backpack. <52 likes>

SECOND PRIZE: One case of Wonderful® Pistachios; one case of Everybody’s Nuts; and one Wonderful® Pistachios backpack. <30 likes>

THIRD PRIZE: One case of Wonderful® Pistachios and one Wonderful® Pistachios backpack. <7 likes>

APPETIZERS
SOFT SHELL CRAB | buttermilk marinated soft shell crab breaded in seasoned cornmeal served with raddichio slaw and Wonderful Pistachios pesto
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 380.8, Total Fat: 24.2 g, Cholesterol: 122.0 mg, Sodium: 890.0 mg, Total Carbs: 31.1 g, Dietary Fiber: 4.3 g, Protein: 13.0 g

POMEGRANATE AND PISTACHIO SALAD | mixed greens, yellow beets, dolce gorgonzola, Wonderful Pistachios, and a pomegranate dressing
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 246.8, Total Fat: 20.9 g, Cholesterol: 0.0 mg, Sodium: 39.0 mg, Total Carbs: 12.9 g, Dietary Fiber: 4.8 g, Protein: 5.0 g

ENTRÉES
ORGANIC FREE RANGE CHICKEN ROULADE | stuffed with goat cheese and Wonderful Pistachios, served on polenta, with sautéed kale
Calories: 939.6,Total Fat: 50.0 g,Cholesterol: 208.0 mg,Sodium: 358.9 mg,Total Carbs: 43.6 g,Dietary Fiber: 7.8 g,Protein: 78.4 g

TEXAS GRILLED BRUSCHETTA | Strube Ranch, Texas waygu beef grilled to medium rare and sliced served with grilled sourdough bread, baby spinach, heirloom tomatoes and a jalapeno aioli
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 557.6, Total Fat: 26.0 g, Cholesterol: 87.7 mg, Sodium: 635.1 mg, Total Carbs: 37.5 g, Dietary Fiber: 2.8 g, Protein: 32.2 g

GRILLED VEGETABLE ENSEMBLE | sweet potato, eggplant, portobello, roast red pepper, stacked and seasoned with ginger chimichurri, and served on polenta
Calories: 424.4,Total Fat: 13.1 g,Cholesterol: 9.6 mg,Sodium: 490.7 mg,Total Carbs: 65.5 g,Dietary Fiber: 10.2 g,Protein: 11.8 g

DESSERT
FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CHIPOTLE CAKE |Total Calories: 360 Total fat: 25.4 Cholesterol: 121.1 Total Carbohydrate: 28.7 Protein: 5.4g

CHOCOLATE BREAD PUDDING AND CRÈME ANGLAISE | Amount Per Serving, Calories: 565.3, Total Fat: 36.1 g, Cholesterol: 266.9 mg, Sodium: 401.9 mg, Total Carbs: 52.9 g, Dietary Fiber: 2.6 g, Protein: 11.9 g

NEW YORK STYLE CHEESECAKE WITH POMEGRANATE GLAZE | Amount Per Serving:Calories: 248.8, Total Fat: 23.6 g, Cholesterol: 125.8 mg, Sodium: 206.6 mg, Total Carbs: 3.0 g, Dietary Fiber: 0.0 g, Protein: 6.6 g

PISTACHIO CRÈME BRULEE IN A BUTTERNUT SQUASH BOWL | Calories: 528.6,Total Fat: 48.4 g,Cholesterol: 367.9 mg,Sodium: 53.2 mg,Total Carbs: 20.6 g,Dietary Fiber: 0.0 g,Protein: 5.1 g

Try the Travaasa Pistachio Cluster recipe.

Begin with:
Wonderful Pistachios
Honey
Lemon zest
Chipotle powder
Cocoa powder

* Add enough honey to make it sticky and sprinkle the cocoa and chipotle powder lightly over the mix.
* Zest one lemon and fold everything together by hand.
* Scoop the mixture out onto a silicone mat.
* Put them in the oven at about 300 degrees F and let them toast for about seven minutes.

Chef Ben Baker’s cooking tip:
The key is not to touch them until they have cooled completely. If you try to move them too soon, they will fall apart.

Even if you can’t enjoy them with us, try them out at home and let us know how you thought the flavors went together. We’ll be posting actual photos over the next couple days.

SXSW Snack Pairing #1
Wonderful Pistachios + Chinese Sesame Noodle Sticks + Wasabi Peas with Asian Beer

Flavor Insights:
Get crackin’! Take the flavorful yum of Wonderful Pistachios up a notch with the spicy kick of wasabi peas and salty crunch of sesame noodle sticks in this trinity of contrasting flavors and textures. Pair with a crisp, refreshing Asian beer to chill out this uber-hot, uber-cool lounge-inspired flavor pairing.

Insights from Kathy Casey:
Recommends a beer like Tsing Tao or another light and refreshing Asian beer.

Suggestions for Serving:
Serve whole, in-shell Wonderful Pistachios alongside wasabi peas and crunchy Chinese sesame noodle sticks (not mixed together).

SXSW Snack Pairing #2
Wonderful Pistachios + Lime Tortilla Chips + Watermelon Chunks sprinkled with Chili Lime Salt with Margarita or Fizzy Limeade

Flavor Insights:
A pop of color; a pop of flavor. See how Wonderful Pistachios pop in Latin flavor combinations as they deliciously mix and mingle with the tart crunch of lime tortilla chips and the cool taste of refreshing watermelon lightly dusted with chili lime salt. The spicy sweet notes make for a can’t-get-enough combination. Accompany with margaritas on the rocks or fizzy limeade and your fiesta will be popping in no time.

Insights from Kathy:
Reccomends a well-ripened watermelon served very cold. For the chili lime salt, she recommends the Tajin brand. May consider serving the melon on skewers or pu pu picks (two pronged mini-serving forks). For the margaritas, serve on the rocks, made with high-end silver tequila, blended with fresh lime and agave.

Suggestions for Serving:
Fill separate, colorful bowls with chunks of fresh watermelon sprinkled with Mexican chili-lime salt, whole in-shell Wonderful Pistachios, and lime tortilla chips.

SXSW Snack Pairing #3
Wonderful Pistachios + Spicy Dark Chocolate + Mini Churros or Kettle Corn sprinkled with Cinnamon with Dark Roast Coffee

Flavor Insights:
Coffee has never had it so good. This addictive south-of-the-border trio is a little bit sweet, a little bit spicy with just a dash of aromatic cinnamon to take it over the top. The dark roast coffee accents the cinnamon flavor and the salty richness of Wonderful pistachios, while making the most of the bittersweet chocolate notes…perfect for a pleasant caffeine kick any time day or night.

Insights from Kathy:
Recommends choosing the Kettle Corn sprinkled with cinnamon option. Suggests serving the chocolate broken into random, bite-sized pieces – recommends Theo’s Dark Chili Chocolate (or other artisan chocolate brand).

Suggestions for Serving:
Serve Kettle Corn in a large bowl alongside a bowl of whole, in-shell Wonderful Pistachios. Display bite-sized pieces of chocolate in shallow bowl or on a serving platter.

SXSW Snack Pairing #4
Wonderful Pistachios + Mini Red Velvet Cupcakes + Fresh Raspberries with Chilled Champagne

Flavor Insights:
D-E-C-A-D-E-N-T. Red velvet cupcakes marry red raspberries bringing fresh, fruity flair to this luscious combo, while Wonderful pistachios add texture, richness and life to this perfect flavor union. Toast the happy trio with a glass of effervescent champagne to play up the fresh fruit flavors and add even more nutty love…bubbles, anyone?

Insights from Kathy:
Very specifically recommends that “the champagne be chilled overnight in a walk-in cooler.” Said that often caterers will put it on ice right before the event and it doesn’t chill appropriately. Suggested a brut, such as St. Michelle’s brut. Suggests cream cheese frosting for the cupcake frosting, with a raspberry on top or finely chopped pistachios.

Suggestions for Serving:
Place a bowl of whole, in-shell Wonderful Pistachios on a silver tray and surround the bowl with mini red velvet cupcakes. Scatter the tray with fresh raspberries.

The line-up for this epic outdoor party includes headliners Dan Deacon, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart as well as Heavy Hawaii, Diamond Rings, Dirty Beaches, Writer, Manhattan Murder Mystery and more!

Don’t forget to tweet at us (@getcrackin) at the concert to meet The Pistachio Queen and her royal crew and be sure to include the hashtag “#pistachiosxsw” in your tweets!

StyleCaster Presents Hit The Lights
Saturday, March 19th, 2011 @ 1 PM
Cheer Up Charlie’s
1104 East 6th Street
Austin, TX 78702
All ages, 21+ to drink
RSVP: rsvp@stylecaster.com

Artists: Dan Deacon, Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Heavy Hawaii, Dirty Beaches, Diamond Rings, Writer, Manhattan Murder Mystery, Austra, We Are Enfant, Terrible, Computer Magic, TV Girl and Superhumanoids