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5-13-god-bless-the-usa

Dose of Sunshine Monday — God Bless the USA

By on May 27, 2013 in 4th of July, Holidays, Inspiration

Happy Monday and Happy Memorial Day! This is a wonderful day to give thanks to all those who serve or have served in the military. A BIG THANK YOU!

Both of my Grandfathers served in the military and sacrificed much to keep our country safe. (I can’t even imagine how my grandmothers worried when they went off to war…)

So I wish all of you a safe and happy Memorial Day and a time to reflect on all those who have sacrificed for our freedoms. We are blessed beyond measure.

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Taste Test Tuesday– Chocolate Souffle vs. Chocolate Molten Lava Cake

By on May 21, 2013 in Dessert, Favorite Things, Holidays, Inspiration, Recipes, Taste Test Tuesday, Valentines

It’s a great day. Not only is it Taste Test Tuesday, but my Dad is here for a visit! I knew that there needed to be CHOCOLATE for him. And he agreed to be a taste test panelist. (I may have gotten my love for taste tests partially from my Dad…we have been doing taste tests at home ever since I was a kid!)

So this is a special edition of Taste Test Tuesday. The taste test results will be posted next week, but today I am sharing the recipe for “Foolproof Mini Chocolate Souffles with Sauce.” Oh. My. Goodness. These little souffles are amazing. I got this recipe a couple years ago from my co-worker, Aubrey. (Hi, Aubrey!) And I’ve made them only a few times for special occasions, but these are some of the easiest and BEST Chocolate Souffles I have ever eaten!

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I’m going to challenge these homemade Souffles to a taste test versus  homemade Chocolate Molten Lava Cake! (I’ll share this recipe next week.) The Chocolate Molten Lava Cake is a favorite recipe of my daughter, Amber. (Hi, Amber!) They are both amazing recipes that I honestly don’t know which one will be crowned the winner!

I will have some more pictures and results for you next week. Until then, try this Chocolate Souffle Recipe. You’ll either be glad you did, or you’ll be cursing me for sharing such a tempting dessert that you crave weekly! 🙂

Foolproof Mini Chocolate Souffles with Sauce

 

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Chef’s Note:

This recipe may look intimidating, but it is rather simple, with just a few ingredients. And it is Foolproof. The first time I made it (for Valentine’s Day a couple years ago), I left the vanilla out of the souffles, so I added it to the chocolate sauce instead. They still came out delicious…proof: my husband ate TWO of them!

I like to serve mine with a little whipped cream and a strawberry on top, but if you’re a chocolate purist then you can certainly leave this part out!

Tip:

To help get the soufflé dishes out of the oven easily, bake them on a cookie sheet and then simply lift the cookie sheet out of the oven.

You may have noticed that one of the choices I categorized this under was “Inspiration”…if you are in need of a little inspiration, I’m convinced that these souffles will do the trick. Chocolate can be very inspirational, right?! 😉

I can’t wait to post the results. Until then, Enjoy every bite!

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Easy Mother’s Day Card

By on May 10, 2013 in DIY, Mother's Day, Paper Crafting

Mother’s Day is right around the corner! I can’t believe how fast these days are flying by. But I was inspired to create a Mother’s Day card by something my grandmother always tells me. She is in a nursing home after having a stroke and heart attack. She is such an inspiration to me because even in the middle of her recovery at the hospital, she told me a joke!

Each Friday I take her lunch. As I leave each time I tell her that I love her and she replies, “I love you more.” <3

So this card is designed around that sentiment. I hope you enjoy!

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The flowers are made from tissue paper cut out with a small 7/8″ scallop punch. The “stems” are made from baker’s twine. I made a short video how-to for you.

And now, as promised, here is the sentiment I made.

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You can download it free here, but please first like my page (in the right hand sidebar)

Then download it here:

5-13 Love you more  sentiment free download.

Have a lovely time celebrating mothers, grandmothers, and amazing women this weekend!

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Linking up to the challenge: http://www.simonsaysstampschallenge.blogspot.com/

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fiesta-tag-printable-small-withlogo-FLAT

Cinco de Mayo free printable

By on May 4, 2013 in Freebies, Holidays

Tomorrow is Cinco de Mayo, which for us means homemade Mexican Food! I have been out of town so I haven’t had much time to prepare or plan this year. But that is not going to stop me from still having a delicious menu and bright colors to decorate with!

If you are prepping last minute like me and need some colorful printables, I have one for you (actual size 2″):

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All you have to do is download, print and cut.

Use this on your table (I’m using it on my plates to add a little flair!), as a fun sign for food (think guacamole) or as a cupcake topper. My favorite idea is to tape 2 of these back to back on a long shish-kabob skewer and put it in a vase with flowers. I’d love to see this in a bouquet of sunflowers!

Our menu plan is: Carne Asada tacos with all the fixings, homemade garden salsa, chili con carne, and corn chips. For dessert: Fruit Salsa and cinnamon pita chips. I found some beautiful mangoes, apples, pears, blackberries and kiwi for our fruit salsa. Ole!

And because my husband insisted we may also be having TAPIOCA PUDDING! (Does that even qualify as an approved dessert on Cindo de Mayo?!) Either way, it is delicious!

Here are the free printables for you: (be sure to like my page first here:

Then download the printables with the link below this picture:

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fiesta tags full page (personal use only. I’d love for you to share these, but point back to my site for credit. Please do not alter, sell, or claim as your own. Thanks!)

I’d love to hear about your plans for Cinco de Mayo.

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Dose of Sunshine Monday — Earth Day Free Printable (Do not print)

By on April 22, 2013 in Freebies, Holidays

It’s Earth Day! And to celebrate, I thought I’d make you a free printable! But for Heaven’s sake, don’t print it. Because that would take paper, which is made from trees…and that might completely negate my good will toward Earth on this very special day.

So, maybe it’s not a printable. It’s just a little sign I created for you to enjoy on this day! 🙂

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And to further celebrate and pay homage to this day, here are some ideas:

1) Use real plates (not paper plates)…my son Nate would love this one! He is much in favor of NOT using paper plates

2) Plant something. A tree, a flower, a garden item.

3) Recycle.

4) Take some pictures of nature. Really appreciate it. (And share, share, share!)

Enjoy this beautiful Monday and enjoy our wonderful and amazing Earth! It’s a great place to live. 😉

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