Cucumber and Tomato Salad

This salad is just so good! And it is easy to make! This salad reminds me of the fresh vegetables of summer. Even though it has been a damp overcast kind of week, it brings the smell of summer to the house.

Cucumber and Tomato Salad

• 3 medium sized cucumbers or 6 mini cucumbers (I used mini’s)
• 1 (10.5 oz) container of grape tomatoes, halved
• 1 medium red onion, finely diced
• 6 sprigs of fresh dill (you can sub 1 tsp dill weed but fresh is best here)
• 1 cup zesty Italian salad dressing
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Quarter or halve the cucumbers depending on the size used, then slice into 1/4″ pieces.
2. Place the cucumbers in a bowl and add the grapes, onion, and dill.
3. Toss the cucumber mixture with the Italian dressing until evenly coated with salad dressing.  Add some salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.  The longer the better.

Recipe adapted from Bluebonnets and Brownies.

I saw this recipe on Real Mom Kitchen Blog

Quick Summer Fruit Salad

This fruit salad is a quick and easy one.  It also have a festive look to it because of the fruits used.  You can use whatever fruits that you like or are in season. You can whip this salad up in no time.  It calls for vanilla pudding mix but some people use lemon pudding that helps the bananas from turning brown.

Quick Summer Fruit Salad

• 1 (5.1 oz) pkg vanilla instant pudding
• 1 (20 oz) can pineapple tidbits with juice
• 1 lb. fresh strawberries, quartered
• 1 cup fresh blueberries (optional, I think marshmallows would be a yummy substitution)
• 3 bananas, sliced

1. In a bowl combine the pudding mix and canned pineapple with the juice.  Stir until well blended and all the pudding mixture has dissolved.
2. Fold in the strawberries and blueberries if desired.  Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
3. Just before serving, fold in the sliced bananas.

Adapted from Meals 4 Moms

I saw this on the Real Mom Kitchen Blog

Family and Friends - just so precious!

I was on Pinterest this morning, just pinning away and enjoying other's pins when I saw this one:

This pin just hit home for me. Family is so important and we all know that one way or another. Friends, especially friends that are described in the above, are very, very special. They are people who have met you and still like/love you even though they have seen you at your worst. They are people who you don't hear from them for months and the next thing you know, the phone is ringing and it is them asking how you are doing. It was as if they knew to call you or you knew to call them. They are the friends that can listen to you sound off about something insignificant and will let you talk and talk until you get it off of your chest. They put smiles on your faces and laugh with you being silly. They are the best of friends.


Call your friend, email them, or go see them. They may need you today.

Stretching Shoes - What a Great Idea!

This is so neat! I will have to try this! My shoe size is an 8W and it is difficult to find shoes that fit and are comfortable. So I saw this on the SoleFood Site and on Pinterest. The directions are easy, although I am not crazy about putting shoes in the freezer, and you have 2 methods. Take a look and try it - I will be trying it!


Check them out below.

Freezing Method: best for when full toe or heel needs stretching

What you’ll need:

• Ziploc bag 
• Water 
• Freezer 

Instructions:

• Fill the plastic bag about a third to half way full. 
• Let out as much air as possible from the bag. 
• Insert plastic bag of water into problem area of shoe. 
• Freeze the shoe overnight. 
• Let ice thaw for about 20 minutes before removing from shoe. 

Try on and repeat if necessary.  Enjoy your beautiful, comfy shoes!


Heating Method: best for a quick stretch on leather

What you’ll need:

• Thick socks 
• Hair dryer
• Leather conditioner 

Instructions:

• Put on the shoes while wearing thick socks (this will be a tight fit). 
• Heat the problem area of the shoe with your hairdryer. 
• Flex your feet for 30 seconds while heating. 
• Remove heat from shoes, but continue wearing until they’ve cooled. 
• Try on and repeat if necessary. 
• Apply leather conditioner to shoes to replenish the depleted moisture from the heat.

Still busy...

Last year I had bought some ABC panels that I was going to make wall hangings for my granddaughters. Today I got up and decided I would make one for my daughter. She does daycare in her house and this would help the children to learn their ABCs. So I used one panel and put borders on it with bright colors (I like bright colors!), added batting, and fabric for the back. Voila! (that's French), here it is:

So let me know what you think and any ideas that you have for the next three,

I have been busy.....

Hi! I have been busy doing some of the projects that I previously posted. I made another chalkboard placemat for one of my granddaughters. The colors are brighter and it shows up better. The black chalk fabric had to be primed first and that is why it looks hazy. Priming consists of rubbing chalk on it. Here is the link for directions: We All Sew .

The next thing that I did was finally sew a zippered bag. I have always been scared to death to sew zippers. I guess you could call me a zipperlockhead! I saw this on tutorial on Pinterest and finally tried it. The pinners said it was a good tutorial and was easy. It even has a lining! I need to do another one because this one was my first. It turned out OK but I learned a lot and thought of various modifications. Hope you like it. Here is the link for the tutorial  Zipper Lined Pouch Tutorial

The last thing that I tried was modifying the lemon bar recipe. I used strawberry pie filling instead of the lemon. The recipe is easy - 2 ingredients - angel food cake and pie filling. It is just so good!!! I haven't decided which one I like better. Future bars could be cherry, blueberry, and apple. Here is a link for the directions:2 Ingredient Lemon Bars

The Only Flag That Doesn't Fly

A friend sent me this picture and I was just so moved by it! I will not add anymore description except for the description included in her email.

Between the fields where the flag is planted, there are 9+ miles of flower

fields that go all the way to the ocean. The flowers are grown by seed

companies. It's a beautiful place, close to Vandenberg AFB. 

Check out the dimensions of the flag. The Floral Flag is 740 feet long and 390 feet wide and maintains the proper Flag dimensions, as described in Executive

Order #10834. This Flag is 6.65 acres and is the first Floral Flag to be

planted with 5 pointed Stars, comprised of White Larkspur. Each Star is

24 feet in diameter; each Stripe is 30 feet wide. This Flag is estimated to

contain more than 400,000 Larkspur plants, with 4-5 flower stems each,

for a total of more than 2 million flowers.

It's just beautiful!

Cordwood Home Design

When I saw the story on cordwood home designs, it sparked my curiosity. This home is made of firewood logs. It is green and energy efficient!

A framework of heavy timbers supports the roof. Inside the timber framework, 16-inch long chunks of firewood are stacked to build the walls. This house is built with cedar, but tamarack, pine and poplar work well. Mortar holds the logs in place and foam insulation fills any voids in the middle.

To save money, some builders use sawdust as insulation. The walls of a cordwood home have nearly twice the insulation value of a traditional home.
The ends of the logs are visible inside and outside, giving the house a distinctive look.

Glass bottles embedded in the walls bring beams of colored light into the living space. The wood chunks can be arranged in purposeful designs.

Rob Roy stated on the Green Home Building site: After studying the wide array of "natural building" techniques for several years, I have come to accept cordwood as one of the greenest of all: it uses what is often considered a waste material, creates an insulated wall that requires no further finishing or maintenance over time, and can be done by relative novices...what more could you want?"

As you can see below, the cordwood home is rustic, unique, and beautiful!

This cake sounds so good and it is healthy!!! It uses a box cake mix (makes it faster). What more could you want?

Photo by: Taste of HomeLemon Cake Recipe

Lemon Cake Recipe

Prep: 20 min. Bake: 25 min. + cooling
Yield: 15 Servings
Ingredients

• 1 package (18-1/4 ounces) white cake mix
• 1 package (3 ounces) lemon gelatin
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons water
• 4 egg whites
• 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 teaspoon lemon extract
• 4 drops yellow food coloring, optional

LEMON GLAZE:

• 1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/3 cup lemon juice

Directions

• In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, gelatin, water, egg whites, applesauce, oil, lemon extract and food coloring if desired; beat on low speed for 30 seconds. Beat on medium for 2 minutes.
• Pour into a 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until edges are lightly browned and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, for glaze, in a small bowl, combine confectioners' sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Drizzle about a third of glaze over cake; carefully spread evenly. Repeat with remaining glaze. Cool completely. Yield: 15 servings.

Nutritional Analysis:1 piece equals 225 calories, 5 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 266 mg sodium, 43 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 3 g protein.

Originally published as Lemon Cake in Light & Tasty April/May 2005, p27

Nurta Eats Like a Cave Woman!: So last night I cracked a coconut...

A friend of mine has started a new way of eating (it's not a diet) called Paleo. She also started a blog to record her progress and help others to understand this way of eating, fondly referred to as eating like a cavewoman/caveman. In trying to find out about Paleo and what is different with using it rather than other eating methods, I came upon a site on Nurta's blog called whole9life  that provides an explanation. You can refer to this site: http://whole9life.com/2010/05/the-paleo-pitch/ for more information.

The Whole9 Nutrition Elevator Pitch

I eat “real” food – fresh, natural food like meat, vegetables and fruit. I choose foods that are nutrient dense, with lots of naturally-occurring vitamins and minerals, over foods that have more calories but less nutrition. And food quality is important – I’m careful about where my meat comes from, and buy produce locally and organically as often as possible.

It’s not a low calorie “diet” – I eat as much as I need to maintain strength, energy and a healthy weight. In fact, my diet is probably much higher in fat than you’d imagine. Fat isn’t the enemy – it’s a great energy source when it comes from high quality foods like avocado, coconut and nuts. And I’m not trying to do a “low carb” thing, but since I’m eating vegetables and fruits instead of bread, cereal and pasta, it just happens to work out that way.

Eating like this is good for maintaining a healthy metabolism, and reducing inflammation within the body. It’s been doing great things for my energy levels, body composition and performance in the gym. It also helps to minimize my risk for a whole host of lifestyle diseases and conditions, like diabetes, heart attack and stroke.

If you go to my friend, Nurta's, blog at http://paleonurta.blogspot.com, you can read her progress and insight. It does sound interesting. This is her most recent addition to her blog:

Nurta Eats Like a Cave Woman!: So last night I cracked a coconut...: No really it's easy. I'm sure for paleo man/woman it wasn't as simple as it was for me. I used a flathead screw driver, hammer, and a vegg...