Talking World Map

I've ordered from Lakeside Collection for years and have been totally satisfied with their products.  I just ordered this interactive talking world map - and I can't wait to receive it.  Great gift idea for back to school...or birthday...or Christmas for the kids' room!

Insanely Cute!

Found these SO CUTE - little girls' shoes at Target - i wanted to buy them all!

They are a brand called Cat & Jack - and they're so unique!

Pretty Purse!

One of my favorite stores in Austin TX is Strut - where I recently purchased this cute purse for fall - it's reversible - it has a zipper pouch attached, and a crossbody strap!  So it can be worn so many ways.  And the taupe/eggplant colors go with everything.

Can't wait to carry it!

Dip in the Skillet

Made this today for lunch and it might be my new FAVORITE dip - it was amazing!

Here's the recipe...

And here's how it turned out... (I used black beans instead of pinto and just cooked the ground meat (didn't have patties to crumble!))

Zucchini Flatbread

This zucchini flatbread is so good and easy to make!

preheat oven to 475.

Just oil a baking sheet and roll out room temp pizza dough to the size of the sheet, then oil the top as well...and sprinkle on thinly sliced zucchini.  Season with S&P. Bake 20 minutes.

Meanwhile thinly slice salami and grate Provolone cheese.  Sprinkle that on top and heat another 2-3 minutes. Cut into triangles and serve.

that's it!

RETIRE - a fun party

My sister just retired from work and her daughter gave her a surprise party on a family camping trip.  I love the "bucket list" theme, and the buckets that spell out the word RETIRE - where each bucket included a gift for retiring that started with each letter.  R was for relaxing - so she got a massage gift certificate, E for exercise so she got a pair of workout pants  , T for time with grandkids so the kids made her cars, I for  indulge so she got  a gift card for a pedicure, the second R for redecorate with a gift card to World Market,  and the last E for eat better with a gift card to Whole Foods!

Isn't that the coolest thing?  Notice the simple decor of pine cones and moss, mixed among the rustic tin servers...so pretty!

Aliens for Dinner

Why not make kids' food fun?  I happen to enjoy eating food that's been made into little aliens...or crabs...too!

Slice a piece of pound cake (I used frozen (thawed before eating) cinnamon pound cake in the grocery store).

Slice strawberries in half then make a V, to make the pinchers.  And sliced slivers for the top of the head.

Use small shaped cookie cutters (I only had stars) for the tops.

Use blueberries for the legs..

Melt chocolate chips and use a toothpick to draw a face. (we forgot the mouth!)

Or create your own!

Herb Hummus

I LOVE making homemade hummus - it tastes 10X better than store bought!

Just tried this new recipe and it's delicious! Just serve with veggies and/or crackers/chips

Veggies Delish!

This was a most delicious veggie sandwich, super flavorful and easy to put together!

I hollowed out wheat bread a bit, then slathered on a bit of pesto (make it or buy one premade)

In a skillet I grilled spiralized zucchini, carrots and onions, and tossed in some cherry peppers until they popped. I also tossed in pine nuts the last minute or two.  I seasoned with S&P. This was the filling for the sandwich.

Delish!

Twelve Bucks!

This is the time of year for sales on sandals and these cute flats were twelve bucks at Target!  There were lots of sale shoes!

Two for Fall

Sometimes, summertime clearance doesn't just include items worn only in the summer.  I have plans for these scarves ($6.99 each!) to wear with camel and gray, come the cooler months.  I don't like infinity scarves at all, and these are just regular scarves, they're soft, and really really cute!

Found them at Charming Charlie!

The Jelly Between Your Toes

When I shop, I love hitting 3-4 stores and heading straight to all of the clearance shelves.  At Old Navy this weekend, these cute jellies were on sale for $4.49.  They're super comfy, in a neutral shade for matching everything, and what a great deal!

Arugula Dip

We had this dip for a snack at a picnic/concert tonight and it was a winner!

2 1/2 cups packed arugula
zest and juice from half a lemon
1/2 cup mayo
1 small garlic clove
pinch of red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp kosher salt


Place all in the blender and puree until smooth!

we enjoyed it with veggie chips.

Risotto with Bacon

Found this cool risotto package at World Market, made it according to the directions.  Added butter, Parm, and then cooked and crumbled bacon.

Put it in a thermos and voila! Lunch was made!

And it was so very tasty...

For Her Jewelry

My daughter bought this cute jewelry organizer at Target for her 4-year old, to organize the jewelry she inherited from her great-grandmother.  It's so cute!  Then a friend of mine also saw it, and went to buy one and noted the three colors - and that it was only $3!!!  (It's located in the front area of all the goodies under $5).

Pancake Bar

Have you thought of having a pancake bar for your kids this summer?

Here's how:

Using a countertop skillet, let the kids draw with the batter using little plastic bottles.

Provide bowls with toppings:  bananas, blueberries, strawberries, almonds, chocolate chips, m&ms, butter, whipped cream, and syrup.

They will love it!

Fun Finds!

I love to browse World Market.  Today these are two things we found that were so fun!

There was a display for Road Trips from earlier in the summer, and they were clearancing out the chips and drinks - so this bag of chips was like 40 cents and the drink was 14 cents!  Jackson Hole Huckleberry soda!

The summer toys were 50% off and we scored this cute wooden croquet set for kids!  Originally $44.99 so half off that!  EVERY kid should know how to play this classic game!

So fun...

Retro Camper Light!

I really love night lights, and I especially like changing them out in my bathrooms with the different seasons.

I stumbled upon this cute retro camper night light at Kirklands (comes in teal, as well) and it was on sale for five bucks!  There were a few other night lights for that price as well!

Isn't this cute?  (They have tabletops ones for $10)  You'll have to go in the store for this one below, as I don't see it on line.

Tie-Dyed Wipes!

Color camp is what we're calling our time away with our kids' kids, and we are focusing on different colors each day.  Today we mixed colors in a craft where we tie-dyed wipes!  Yes, wipes!

Take a wipe, pinch it in the middle and place three rubber bands tightly around the wipe in three spots.  Using markers, press the colors you choose into the wipe between the rubber bands,  Remove the bands and hang the wipes to dry!  So fun.

Pillows to Color

Found these cute pillows that came with markers, at Marshalls. We bought them for a trip. The kids are enjoying coloring them - it takes quite a while - but they're so happy when it's done!  And it's their pillow for the rest of the trip...

Grilled Leftover Sandwich!

i needed to use up some leftovers today...arugula pesto, chopped veggies, and grated cheese, as well as some multigrain bread.

i spread on the pesto, then topped with the veggies and the cheese and grilled a sandwich in a little butter!

delishly crispy and tasty!  oh, and crunchy pickles were a great side, as well as orange slices.

Freebie!

At Target today, they had these cute first aid pouches (in a pretty print, as well) that were free if you bought three first-aid items from the shelves below.  There were lots of options, but I purchased the three things in the photo, and was so excited to get the pouch free - with the zippered compartments inside!

Organized!

I have looked high and low, in every store I can think of, to find stackable paper shelves for my table in the kitchen.  The kitchen table has these two shelves, and I wanted something cute to put papers in, papers that we usually have strewn all over the table.

This sturdy gray (cardboard) set from Office Depot fit the bill.  None of the others, wood or metal, worked for what I needed.  And they slid around, weren't the right height, or were not a good color.

We put these together, and I'm very satisfied, because they're gray - so they match my kitchen, as well.

Not sure they'll last forever, but they will last a good while, and I'm pleased.  Yay.

I couldn't find them on line, but they're $19.99 each and they're gray cardboard - called a Literature Sorter!

Orange Shortbread Fingers

I made these this week, and I love them!  The little flecks of orange peel are the best!

3/4 c flour
3 T cornstarch
1/4 c plus 2 T sugar
1 orange peel, grated
1/4 tsp salt
7 T unsalted butter, chopped

preheat oven to 300, grease an 8 inch square pan.

in a med bowl, sift flour and cornstarch.

add 1/4 cup sugar, orange peel, and salt.

Spread out in the pan, and score it with a knife, into fingers.

Sprinkle sugar over the top and bake.

i lost the baking instructions...but i just kept in the oven til browned on the edges...

score and cut, and enjoy.

Sponge Holder

I love Uncommon Goods, but most of their items are pricey.  However, there are some things that are just too cute and cool to pass up...

like this sea stone sponge holder!

Arugula, Veggies & Rustic Bread

We had a big loaf of rustic bread, and some leftover veggies in the fridge. After making the pesto, we put it all together for lunch and it was really good!

Arugula pesto  -

3-4 cups fresh arugula
olive oil (drizzle in til consistency of pesto)
lemon juice (1 T)
toasted walnuts (1/2 cup - 3/4 cup)
salt to taste

Blend it all in a processor until smooth.

Veggies for topping -

cucumber
carrot
broccoli
lemon juice

Blend in processor just til coarsely chopped
salt to taste

Rustic bread -

cut  into squares

Serve it all together like you would bruschetta!

Steak Nachos

Steak nachos!

Line a baking sheet with foil and spread it with half of a large bag of nacho tortilla chips.

For the topping:

Green chile sauce
Grated cheddar
Red onion

(hint:  make sure sauce is chunky, or pour on top of the cheese, so the chips don't get soggy)

Then place the pile in a 400 degree oven for about 12 minutes or until cheese melts.

Top with thinly sliced radishes, chopped cilantro, and cooked and cubed skirt steak

Serve with lime wedges

Enjoy!

Make Your Bed

My dad was given this book, he read it, and passed it on to me. The author, Admiral William H. McRaven, the Systems Chancellor at the University of Texas Austin, wrote this book about "little" things he learned while training to be a Navy Seal.  He says you  have to do the little things right in order to do the big things right!

It's an easy read, short chapters, but they're packed with nuggets of wisdom...and I really like the title!

Simple Supper

This Nashville chicken and a side dish of corn is SO GOOD and such a great idea for a picnic or just for a simple supper.

The chicken basically was just dipped in buttermilk and then cayenne pepper and garlic powder (and salt) was added to the cornstarch/flour mixture - then fried as usual.

The side dish of corn is super yummy.

heat a cast iron skillet over  mid-hi heat and add 1 T olive oil.  shuck and then coat 4 ears corn with olive oil and grill about 6 minutes.  then transfer to a cutting board.

in a bowl, finely grate 1 lime, then the juice of the lime.  whisk in 2 T mayonnaise and 1/4 tsp chili powder. cut the corn from the cob and add it in, as well as parmesan cheese, scallions, chopped jalapeno (no seeds) and cilantro - and toss.

it's delicious!

BLT on a skewer

BLT with a twist!

 havarti dill cheese with cooked bacon on bread spread with mayo and grilled, then cut into squares.  toss romaine with your favorite dressing, and skewer it all with cherry tomatoes, too! (for my dressing i mixed grainy mustard with lemon juice, grated Parm, and a tiny bit of sugar, and pepper)

we had chopped avocado alongside...

Toy Bonanza!

World Market had their summer toys half off and look at this loot!  Great for summer, or for saving for Christmas!!!

Go before the sale is over!