A Product Favorite -Sally Hansen Salon Effects

Sally Hansen doesn't know who I am, nor does she know that I really like one of her products, Sally Hansen Salon Effects Nails. This product allows you to have nail effects that you only used to see in salons. These are nails that have a patterned effect or in our case, glitter. We have tried them before and had a good expereience with them both times. They are easy to apply and are much like stickers. Don't be fooled though. These nails will last for ten days as the box suggests and will not show any wear or chips like other polishes. It takes only moments to apply them and the colors and styles are very popular with teens.

For all of the colors and styles, look here:
http://sallyhansen.com/products/nails/nail-color/salon-effects-real-nail-polish-strips

It's a Wrap - The Weekend Comes to a Close

It has been a busy weekend filled with the right amount of to-do's, activities, and family fun.  Paige had her dance recital on Sunday and she did a wonderful job.  I'll be sharing those pictures later in the week.  We wanted to squeeze every last drop out of the weekend so we went to the Waterpark tonight for a picnic dinner.  It is our family favorite summer picnic dinner to have Hawaiian bread sandwiches, chips and fresh fruit followed by dippin dots ice cream.  It was the true start to our summer vacation.

 



Three Sisters


I hope everyone had a restful holiday weekend and they are ready for the week ahead. For us it is the crazy busy last week of school!

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!!

I hope every one has a safe and happy Memorial Day weekend!

It's National Blueberry Cheesecake Day!

Not blueberry cheesecake.  Image from Artfire.

I love blueberries.  In fact, I love them so much, that at this time of year when they are readily in season, I often feel like Violet Beauregarde from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.  That is why I was excited to learn that today is National Blueberry Cheesecake Day.  I am not usually a fan of cheesecake which is weird because I love cream cheese but I will just say that the blueberries definitely make it taste delicious.  They make everything taste delicious.  Blueberries are also good for you as they contain vitamin C, fiber, manganese and they are a powerful antioxidant.  I know this because the blueberry council told me so here:  http://www.blueberrycouncil.org/nutrition.php

Blueberries

These websites have some great blueberry recipes:

http://www.blueberry-recipe.com/blueberry-cheesecake.html

http://allrecipes.com/Recipes/Fruits-and-Vegetables/Fruits/Blueberries/Top.aspx

My favorite recipe using blueberries though is a blueberry sauce recipe that I received with a pint of blueberries at Target years ago.

My favorite Blueberry Recipe- Blueberry Sauce

2 cups of fresh or frozen blueberries
1 lemon zest
juice of one lemon
1 cup of sugar
1 Tablespoon of Cornstarch
2 Tablespoons of butter

Melt the butter in a saucepan.  Add in the cornstarch and stir until a paste is formed.  Add in the blueberries, sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice and bring it to a bubble.  Turn down the heat to medium and allow it to thicken over the next 30 minutes.  Stir as needed.  Do not use a wooden spoon as the sauce will stain.  Serve the sauce warm over pancakes, ice cream or yogurt.  Delicious!

A Recipe: Don's Favorite Apple Cake

Despite tornado warnings and taking shelter at a local elementary school safe room, I was able to bake a cake this evening which I consider no small feat. Luckily, we are all fine but our hearts go out to those who have lost loved ones and property in the devastating storms across the country this week.  As I write this post, they are evacuating the Rangers Ballpark because of a tornado outbreak in the area.  The weather radar is unlike any I have ever seen in Texas.  There is rotation in several areas at once with heavy hail throughout local counties. 

We have a lot to be thankful for tonight. 

Don's Favorite Apple Cake
1 cup of oil
2 eggs
2 cups of sugar
2 cups of flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups of grated apples (Granny Smith's work well)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix oil, sugar and eggs.  Add flour, soda, apples and then vanilla.  Pour into a greased bundt pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 60 minutes.  Do not open the oven for the first 30 minutes or the cake will fall.  Cool for 1 - 2 hours and serve.

A Product Favorite - Blue Agave Sweetener

The makers of Wholesome Sweeteners Organic Blue Agave have no idea who I am nor do they probably care but this is one product that I tried only once and I was hooked.  Initially, I was looking for a substitute for my husband who uses honey in his coffee each morning.  I liked the idea that it was a low glycemic sweetener but I never thought about using it myself.  That was until I tried a little in my tea one evening and then I poured a little on my plain yogurt.  It was delicious.  I love that it isn't as thick as honey and it is very versatile.  It can be used as a glaze on fruit, as a syrup on pancakes and a little goes a very long way.  I hope to start trying baking with it and using it in even more recipes.  As a general rule, 3 parts agave is equal to 4 parts of sugar.  Have you ever tried Agave and if so, what recipes have you used it in?

This particular brand of Agave was purchased at Costco.

A Craft: Patriotic Wreath

This was a very easy wreath that I made using balloons in red, white and blue.  I wanted something for Memorial Day Weekend which would also work for 4th of July.  I re-used a foam wreath form that I had from a previous wreath and I bought 12 inch round balloons in the three colors.  I ended up using approximately 250 balloons for the whole project.  I attatched them to the form with floral pins.  I bought mine very cheaply at Wal-mart and they are in the crafting area of the store.  The entire project took less than an hour to make and I love how it turned out. 

Have a Happy Monday!