Sunset does it again!

Good ol' trusty Sunset Magazine. I tried another recipe tonight and it was fabulous. Light, healthy and tasty. I didn't have green onions so I left them out and I'm not a fan of Italian parsley, so I left that out too.

{photo: Sunset}

Tomato "Bruschetta" with Tuna and Cannellini Salad

This is my 95th post! You know what that means...giveaway is coming closer. I also finished my first sewing project in awhile this past weekend. I can't wait to share, but my hubby is in China until Saturday and I don't have anyone here to take pics for me :)

Delicous!

A summer must try, the best part is its healthy...not to mention quick! My girlfriend Kathy turned me onto Sunset Magazine and their recipes after she made a few tasty items when we were together. Recently I tried this:

{compliments of Sunset}

Mediterranean Summer Salad

Date

One of my goals this summer was to have a few dates with my two boys. I've managed a few with Davis, more than my hubby....he's been traveling alot.

We got back from Black Butte yesterday and had a great time. I thought we should end the vacation with a trip to the Zoo this morning, just Davis and I.

We had a GREAT time!

S'mores

Today is National S'mores day! While perusing my blog roll on Google Reader, I came across this major holiday announcement on Skip to My Lou. I decided why not participate in this great day?! Davis hasn't ever had a S'more before and of course Dottie always loves a little treat at night.

I decided to try the recommendation on Skip to My Lou and we used these cookies:

Davis wasn't sure what was going on with the flame and Marshmallow!

He was very interested in the cookie though

Who would turn down a S'more?! My kid, he didn't want it.....

soooo Mommy enjoyed!

I gotta say, the cookies were KILLER! I really don't know that I would do it any other way now.

Great Food, Great Friends! - updated -

This past Saturday it just so happened that some friends (Steve/Jessica Stalberger, Lins/Nick Kralj and Kathy/Jess Fry) all had the evening free....what better than to BBQ on a nice summer night.

We had 7 kids under the age of 3 over. The kids didn't really know each other, but played so well and had a ball splashing in the water...even the smaller babes!

I have to brag, I've got some cool friends and all of them have good taste in food. We had delicious dishes and have done a recipe exchange. Here is the lovely menu:

DRINKS

White Peach Sangria (see recipe below)

Pacifico

APPETIZER

Caramelized Maui Onion Dip

MAIN COURSE

Beer Can Chicken

Israeli Couscous

Asparagus Summer Salad

Potato Salad (still working on getting the recipe)

Dessert

Banana Dessert (see recipe below)

Mint Julep (watch out this one will get ya!)

I'd love to post pictures showing all this wonderful food, and how I set up the bar with chalk fabric and wrote Sangria on it (Eddie Ross would have been proud), and had Mason Jars as the cups....but I didn't snap a single picture of the setting and food....I did however take pics of the cuties...

Banana Desert:

1 small box instant vanilla pudding, make with 1 3/4 cup milk.

2 (8 ounce) tubs of cool whip, 4-5 bananas, 1 box graham crackers.

Mix pudding for pie recipe, but don't use quite as much milk (see above) Let sit to thicken. Mix into pudding one tub of cool whip.

1. Using 9 x 13 glass pan spread a small amount of pudding mixture on the bottom to cover it.

2. Layer with graham cracker squares

3. Layer with sliced bananas

4. 1/2 pudding mixture

5. Repeat steps 2-4Spread second tub of cool whip over top completely. You can sprinkle with cocoa powder if you want. Cover with plastic wrap. Place in fridge overnight.

Mint Julep

1 coffee tin & lid

1 can frozen lemonade thawed

gin (fill up the empty lemonade can)

1 cap full of mint extract (I found this at QFC, it was hard to find)

1-3 TBSP. powdered sugar

Fill coffee container with ice, Pour in lemonade, gin, mint extract, and powd. sugar. Mix really well.

White Peach Sangria

1.5 bottle dry white wine

1 bottle prosecco or cava

1/2 c peach brandy (I didn't have this so I didn't add it)

1/4 c triple sec

1 cup peach puree or nectar (I used peach nectar juice from TJ's)

1 cup sliced peaches

1 bottle gingerale or club soda

Ok, so I didn't know what I was doing in fact I was going to do this recipe, but when I asked the TJ's wine guy what I should buy he whipped this out of his wallet. So here is my instructions, do whatever feels right to you I don't think you can screw up Sangria.

1. Morning of, mix together wine, triple sec, fruit of choice...strawberries/peaches/apples and grapes. Put in fridge and let soak before party.

2. When ready to serve pour in proseco and gingerale. Sweeten with Agave Nectar or simple syrup if desired.

** I doubled this for a group of 8, we did have some left over **

Randoms

{flickr}

I just thought I'd post some random things since its been awhile and I haven't been sewing these last few weeks....

1. Have you heard of Google Reader? It really is spectacular! I may be the last person in the blog world to use it, similar to Face Book.....so let me know if you use it. For those of you who don't and love looking at other people's blogs its really a good tool. You plug in all the sites you like to visit. Then when you log into your blog, you click on the dashboard link at the top. From there you click on view in google reader. It shows you what blogs are updated! For me, everyday I'd click on all my peeps and my eye candy area to see who updated....now it just tells me! Love it!

2. 89, this will be my 89th post! Which means I'm close to 100. At the 100 mark I will be doing a giveaway! So check back.

3. Got any good summer grilling recipes? Of course I only do quick-n-easy ones. Share on people!

Ok, thats really it. I saw some adorable fabric the other day, some of this with a very cool coordinating fabric. I think I'm going to make an apron for my lovely friend Erica with it and it will be in the latest Angry Chicken's apron submission. Stay tuned!

Quick Sew

If you enjoy sewing you'll enjoy this project. I found the tutorial on Olive and Addy, it links to this site. I used most of her modifications and it worked great. I haven't ventured into make clothes before, but it was fun. Took just a few hours (would have been faster if I cut correctly the first time) and I'm happy with the final product....which doesn't happen very often. I seem to pick things apart that I make, its kind of annoying even to myself. All that is left is to anchor the elastic, but since I didn't measure her myself I thought I would have her try it on first to make sure it fit properly.

Get sewing friends!