Aloha Friday on Saturday Graduation Day

Today our youngest child will graduate from high school. What an exciting time. While preparing for this post for Aloha Friday a meme sponsored by the blog An Island Life I began to think about what I would say to my son today. I want him to know we are proud of him and love him very much. So my question today for you is

What would you say to your child or friend on day of graduation?

Crab Cakes

3/4 lb cooked shredded crab meat
1 cup bread cubes
2 small eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon french mustard
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 teaspoon pepper
Brush cooking surfaces with butter or margarine. Combine all ingredients and place in triangular pockets. Lower lid, latch in top position and cook 4-6 minutes or until done.

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No Heat Needed Recipe : Mango Salsa

3 ripe mangoes, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 cup red onion, diced small
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
1/2 - 1 tsp. chipotle chile with adobo sauce, chopped fine
1/4 cup honey
2 limes, juiced, or 2 Tbsp.
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh jalapeno
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Mix together the lime juice and honey. Mix everything else together, stir well, and season to taste. Let marinate for at least 30 minutes before serving.

You can add fresh sweet red or green pepper to stretch the salsa.

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Pink and Delicous Popcorn

check it out on a fellow bloggers page here

Happy Birthday Have a Good Time Mr. George Strait enjoy some rodeo nuts

George Strait (George Harvey Strait) was born on Sunday, May 18, 1952 in Poteet and he is a famous country musician from United States.

These nuts are sweet and crunchy, just like the kinds you’d find at stadiums or fairs. Any mix of nuts will work, though I chose to use almonds and walnuts.

Ingredients

1 egg white

1 1/2 cups unsalted walnut halves

2 cups unsalted almonds

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup chai latte mix (I used Trader Joe’s brand)

Pinch of salt

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 250F and grease a large rimmed baking sheet.

In a medium mixing bowl, beat the egg white until it is white and frothy with soft peaks. Fold in the nuts, stirring until they are all coated with the egg white.

In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, chai and salt. Add the sugar to the nuts and stir until all of the sugar is sticking to the nuts.

Spread the nuts onto the baking sheet. Bake at 250F for one hour, stirring every 15 to 20 minutes, until the nuts are dry and the sugar doesn’t come off on your fingers when you touch them.

Make Ahead and Storage

These nuts will stay fresh for 2-3 weeks when stored in an airtight container (if they even last that long!)

recipe source Savvy Eats

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 Create and Inspire

Bulldog Graduation

Tommorow night our youngest child will graduate from high school. Since our school colors are purple and white since we are the fighting bulldogs I searched high and low to find a yummy cake that would be perfect for the occasion When I located this recipe here I knew that this recipe would be perfect.

This is a great Filipino purple yam cake

2 1/2 cups cake flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup ube (purple yam), cooked and finely grated
3/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup corn syrup
7 egg yolks, lightly beaten
1/2 cup vegetable oil
7 egg whites 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup white sugar
6 drops red food color
6 drops blue food coloring
1 (12 ounce) jar macapuno (coconut preserves)
1 cup evaporated milk, chilled
3/4 cup white sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1 drop violet food coloring

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Line bottoms of 3 - 9 inch pans with parchment paper, but do not grease. Mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. Place grated ube in a large bowl. Mix together 3/4 cup milk and 1 teaspoon vanilla; gradually blend into ube until smooth. Blend in corn syrup, egg yolks, and oil. Beat in flour mixture until smooth; set aside. In a large glass or metal mixing bowl, beat egg whites with cream of tartar until foamy. Gradually add sugar, then red and blue food coloring, continuing to beat until stiff peaks form. Fold 1/3 of the whites into the batter, then quickly fold in remaining whites until no streaks remain. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the center of cake bounces back when lightly tapped. Invert pans on a wire rack and let cool upside down. When cool, run a knife around the edges to loosen cake from pans. Fill between layers with coconut preserves, then frost top and sides with butter icing.  To make Butter Icing: Combine evaporated milk and 3/4 cup sugar. set aside. Cream butter until light and fluffy; gradually add sugar mixture, and continue beating to desired spreading consistency. Add food color, one drop at a time until desired tint is achieved.

Friendship Friday

Question Of The WeekWhat’s your favorite way to spend the weekend?
Do you have anything special planned for this weekend?
What are your favorite weekend activities?
Share your thoughts

My  answer
love to spend the weekend with family No matter what we do we always have fun. I also  love to attend festivals and historical events.

well my youngest son graduates from high school to me that is a great achievment all 6 have graduated from hs YEAH!!!

Yummy Rhubarb and Berry Dessert

This taste of home recipe brought back many sweet memories for me. My mother had a large garden including fruit trees, berry bushes, rhubarb and yes a massive garden. She canned and put up for winter we harvested and enjoyed in season We always had enough to share with friend or family as well. Mom always believed in sharing what the good lord gave us.

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Life As Mom Ultimate Recipe Swap

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup packed brown sugar

3/4 cup old-fashioned oats

1/2 cup butter, melted

1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1-1/2 cups diced fresh or frozen rhubarb

1-1/2 cups sliced fresh strawberries

1-1/2 cups fresh blackberries

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/2 cup water

Vanilla ice cream

Directions

• In a small bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, oats, butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla and cinnamon. Set aside 1 cup for topping; press remaining crumb mixture into a greased 8-in. square baking dish. Top with rhubarb, strawberries and blackberries.
• In a small saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch. Stir in water. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in remaining vanilla. Pour over fruit; sprinkle with remaining crumb mixture.
• Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until bubbly. Serve with ice cream. Yield: 9 servings.

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The Stainless Steel Store

here in southern Illinois there are many local vineyards and wine makers. The one thing we never know what to do is how to display the wine in our kitchen in a fashionably way. This Blomus winerack would help us out with this problem. It looks very attractive and would be great storage and display for the wine that we like to share on warm summer nights with friends.

I admire the look of Blomus Stainless Steel and find it not only attractive but useful. This corkscrew would come in very handy on the nights we are simply chilling and want to relax and sip on some wine or on occasion may even spark for some champaign.

Attractive blomus kitchen would impress the hardest critic. The blomus stainless towel hook would come in very handy to hold your favorite towel in a handy place. No matter what you are looking for you may find it very easily in the Stainless Steel Store.

Skinny Water Giveaway

I have teamed up with Be Rich Be Frugal to present to you this wonderful review and giveaway of Skinny Water. If you're looking for the perfect sports drink that will thoroughly quench your thirst, this is the drink for you. Read on for the full review.....

Here's the skinny:

I have never been keen on drinking energy drinks, diet drinks, or anything along those lines. It's not that I am protesting against them, it's just that every time I decide to give it a try, it is always a disappointment in the flavor department. Honestly, they all taste like watered down juice to me. Nice try.

As many times as I have been disappointed, I have still kept on with my search for the right sports drink that I can truly enjoy. I don't drink soda so my sweet go-to thirst quencher is juice. Although it is a better alternative, the amount of sugar that juice contains is still rather high. If there is a diet/sports drink that can offer me some flavors I can enjoy minus the sugars and calories, I would stock up on it as if there's going to be an apocalypse. No lie.

Just as I have exhausted myself in the search to find the right drink, a great acquaintance of whom I have been so blessed to meet, directed me to another lady who was looking for people to try out their new line of sport water. Excited yet skeptical, I shot out an email with the request to try it. Immediately, I got an answer back with an enthusiastic communications director who didn't hesitate to allow me to give it a try. A week later, a big box of sports drinks landed on my door step and the 5 year old in me jumped on it like it was a gift on Christmas day.

Honestly, I don't really know what happened next. I believe it went like this:

My husband helped me open the box and upon making it's presence known to me, these sport waters seemed to have sung a melody as I nudged away the lid of the box so I can get a better look at it. I delved in and the first bottle I picked up, with all its slenderness and lure of a luxurious treat, said on its label,

Skinny Sport Water

0 Calories

0 Sugar

0 Sodium

0 Guilt

WHAT?! I couldn't believe it. With all its benefits and the 0 calories, sugar, etc., how could it pack in any flavor? All I can say is, boy was I wrong. The first flavor I tried was Goji Black Cherry. As the first drop of this amazing sport drink touched my taste buds, my eyes immediately shot open wide and I found myself gulping down nearly a third of the bottle. It was delicious. I really couldn't believe that this was in any way a sport drink. My husband glanced as me as I looked at my bottle of Goji Black Cherry Skinny Water in amazement. He's long known about my quest for a good sports drink and how many times I have been disappointed. Without a word, he held out his hand for me to hand my bottle over to him. I watch him take his first gulp and with a knowing smile, I nod at him as he nearly finishes the bottle. This is really happening....

I have found THE sport drink that I have longed for for so long. I am not one to rave about a product unless I truly believe that it is well worth it. And this? This is worth raving about. It has the perfect sweetness minus the weird thickness in the back of your throat you get from drinking sugar substitutes. It is also so refreshing. I've taken a bottle with me on my morning run and it really keeps me hydrated. 

I can't wait to have everyone try it, including you! Because the people of Skinny Water are absolutely amazing and beyond generous, they are providing me with a set of Skinny Waters to give to my readers! One lucky winner will win a set of 12 Skinny Waters sent straight to their home. 

To enter, simply do the tasks on the Rafflecopter widget below and you're set to have a chance to win! 

Good luck, everyone! Thanks for entering!

*I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.*

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Kid Basix Review

Hot weather is in our neighborhood and it does not look like it will be going away any time soon. My little man and princess will be desiring a drink quite often and the best thing is I can offer them their own drink that will be easy for them to use. Kid Basix makes a wonderful safe sippy 2 that is perfect for hot summer days.

I admire the dust cup because if you are around little ones very much you realize that the cup they use are often sat on the ground, dragged with them onto the play toys and may even be thrown on the ground. The dust cap on the Safe Sippy 2 helps to protect dirt from getting onto the spout of the cup. Worried about the drink spilling upon travel and moving about no worry the safe sippy 2 has a travel plug that works great to keep the drink from spilling.

Kid Basix created the Safe Sippy cup with safety in mind making sure that it was Bisphenol A free as well as free of other harmful chemicals. We love this because with so many things out in the world that we have to worry about KidBasix makes it possible not to have to worry about their sippy cups.

The Safe Sporter is another Kid Basix product that in my opinion makes the world safer and easier for our youngest members.

With a mud cap a bit different than the dust cap as it is more round and ensures that nothing hits the spout. Instead of a spout that is complete like a nipple the safe sporter comes with a pull spout that goes up and down when ever the child is using it. Makes the child feel as if they have moved up a step allowing them in my opinion to gain more self esteem.

With hot weather on the horizon and like I said all ready in our neighborhood you should check out the Kid Basix safe sippy 2 to ensure that your child stays hydrated in the heat. Find a retailer of Kid Basix products near you or order online from the Kid Basix website and get free shipping when you purchase $50




we recieved both a safe sporter and a safe sippy 2 for review purposes. The thoughts and opinions shared in our post were ours alone

Get a free Mutsy Easyrider

Mutsy wants to make sure you and your baby are always riding in style with their  "Buy a 4Rider or 4Rider Light and get and Easy Rider Free. Simply visit the mutsy online store at store.mutsy.com  choose the color of your Easyrider from what is in stock. You must have both a 4Rider (or 4Rider Light) and an Easyrider in your cart and enter code freerider12 (case-sensitive) on the last page of checkout to receive FREE Easyrider. Both strollers must be purchased at the same time and be shipped to the same address. Does not apply to previous orders. This special starts today 5/15 and ends 5/31.

Celebrate The Chocolate Chip

National Chocolate Chip Day

When: Always on May 15th

National Chocolate Chip Day celebrates and enjoys sweet, tasty chocolate chips. Chocolate chips are a great invention, and certainly deserve a little recognition. After all, where would chocolate chip cookies, cakes and muffins be without the chocolate chip!?

Chocolate chips are popular in cooking and baking, for a wide variety of breads, cakes, and cookies. There is an almost endless number of recipes. They are also used in decorating. Have you ever had chocolate chip pancakes? How about chocolate chips in trail mix? If you've never had these, then you're leading a sheltered life.

Rare is the leftover chocolate chip. If you don't use the whole bag, you and/or your kids will likely eat them as a snack before they make it to the storage container.

Chocolate Chip-Ice Cream Dessert

1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® chocolate chip cookie mix
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 egg
1 bottle (7.25 oz) chocolate topping that forms hard shell
1 container (1.5 quart) chocolate chip-cookie dough ice cream (6 cups)
1. Heat oven to 375°F. Spray bottom and sides of 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray. In large bowl, stir cookie mix, butter and egg until soft dough forms.
2. On ungreased cookie sheet, make 5 cookies by dropping dough by tablespoonfuls. Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack.
3. Meanwhile, press remaining dough in pan, using moistened fingers (dough will be sticky). Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
4. Spread 1/3 cup chocolate topping over baked crust. Freeze 10 to 15 minutes or until chocolate is set.
5. Meanwhile, remove ice cream from freezer to soften. Spread softened ice cream evenly over chocolate-topped crust.

6. Crumble 5 baked cookies; sprinkle over ice cream layer. Drizzle remaining chocolate topping over cookie crumbs. Cover; freeze 2 hours. To serve, let stand at room temperature 5 minutes before cutting. For serving pieces, cut into 5 rows by 3 rows. Store covered in freezer.

Happy Birthday Mr. Smith & Pulled Pork Sandwich

Emmitt Smith was born on this day May 15, 1969. He was born in the state of Florida where he played football for the University of Florida. He would earn his fame by playing football for the Dallas Cowboys. Emmitt would become the NFL's al time leading rusher and would win the Superbowl XXVIII MVP award in 1994. If you are a fan of the Dancing with the Stars show then you may remember that Smith won the competition. Smith is also a husband and father of four children. Happy Birthday Mr. Smith and for your birthday I will share a recipe that many Texans love

1 large onion, chopped

6 garlic cloves, peeled

1 pickled jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped

2 teaspoons of Chipotle chile powder

1 Tbsp tomato paste

2 Tbsp Dijon mustard

3/4 cup distilled white vinegar

1 teaspoon paprika

1/3 cup ketchup

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1 bay leaf

Salt

3 lbs of pork butt shoulder roast, trimmed of excess fat

Hamburger buns

1 Purée all of the sauce ingredients (everything except the bay leaf, the pork and the buns) in a blender until smooth. If you have extra time, marinate the pork in the sauce overnight or for several hours before cooking.
2 Put sauce, bay leaf, and pork into a large pot and add 1 quart of water. Bring mixture to a boil and simmer, covered, turning frequently, for 2 hours or until the meat pulls apart easily with a fork.
3 Remove from heat and cool pork in the sauce. When cool, remove the pork from the sauce and shred into small pieces. Set aside.
4 Reduce the sauce by two thirds. Add the pork back to the sauce. Salt to taste. Remove bay leaf before serving. Serve hot over open-face hamburger buns.
Serves 6 to 8.

recipe source: Simply Recipes

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 Get Your Brag On Hooking Up With HOH

Blogger Opportunity

I must say that I am new to all the awesome blogger opportunities out there. I have just started participating in a few and recently found a new one. You may be interested in this as well. This time the prize being given away is skinny water and you can sign up for your chance to be involved and for more information at https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dHQ1YjBSS2FqZksxcVQ2cHlDaGNpQUE6MQ

Ritchie Valens

Ritchie Valens born in May 13, 1941, had many hits in the 1950's. His hit songs include Donna (written for his girl friend), come on lets go, and La Bamba all were released in 1958. On February, 3 1959, Ritchie Valens died at the age of 17 in a plane crash. Others who also died in plane crash were Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper and the plane pilot. This day came to be know as "The Day Music Died".

Breakfast In Bed

One of my good friends was sent breakfast in bed and I thought what a wonderful idea. This is what she was presented with

If you want to serve up someone special something check this recipe out for breakfast burritos

12 6-inch flour tortillas

Mission Flour Tortillas $1.89
Flour Tortillas, Fajita Grande, Texas Size
thru 2012-05-15

Homeland

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12 eggs

2/3 cup milk, light cream, or half-and-half

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 11-ounce can whole kernel corn with sweet peppers, drained
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions

1 cup shredded reduced-fat or regular Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeno peppers (4 ounces)

Salsa

                             

Wrap tortillas in a stack in foil; heat in a 350 degree F. oven for 10 minutes to soften. (Or wrap tortillas in microwave-safe paper towels; heat in microwave oven on high about 1 minute or until softened.)                            

Meanwhile, in a large bowl beat together eggs, milk or light cream, salt, and pepper.                           

To scramble eggs, in a very large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add egg mixture. Cook, without stirring, until mixture begins to set on bottom and around edge. Add corn and 1/4 cup of the green onions.                           

Using a large spatula, lift and fold partially-cooked eggs so the uncooked portion flows underneath. Add cheese. Cook over medium heat until cooked but still glossy and moist. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with remaining green onions.                              

To serve, spoon eggs into a serving container and place tortillas in a tortilla warmer or basket. Let each person spoon eggs onto tortilla and roll up. Serve with salsa. Makes 6 servings.

Special Aloha Friday On Mothers Day Sunday

This is a special mothers day edition of that special Aloha Friday meme hosted by An Island Life. The reason it is so special is because the last few days I have taken the time to spend with many of my loved ones and again today I will be going to see a few others that I have often considered myself a second mother to and a second grandmother to his children. I have been given a chance to give the love that was shared with me by so many wonderful ladies,  mothers and grandmothers in my life time. It is my chance to share with them life lessons and love that goes with it.  The most rewarding part watching them grow up into the individuals they become. So today on this Mothers Day Sunday I share with you and Aloha Friday question

Are you a mother? If you are what are you doing today? What is your favorite part of being a mother?

Microwave Recipe : Brownies

1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

Mist an 8-inch, square microwave-safe baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Place butter and cocoa powder in a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high until butter is melted, 30 to 90 seconds, depending on power and size of your oven (check it every 15 seconds). Add sugar and whisk to combine. Let mixture cool slightly, then whisk in eggs and vanilla. Stir in flour. Scrape batter into prepared baking dish. Microwave on high until brownies are just set in center, 4 to 7 minutes, depending on power and size of your oven (after 4 minutes, check batter every 15 seconds). Let brownies cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Cut brownies into 8 squares and serve.

All You
JULY 2007

Made By You Monday @