Sunshine in my pocket

Sunshine Watercolor card

By KariV on July 6, 2013 in Paper Crafting

Happy Holiday weekend! I’ve been working on sunshine and watercolor cards lately. I am sharing one today that makes me feel happy.

I love the look of the watercolored sun rays and sunset. And of course the colors are some of my very favorites right now.

Linking up with the Mojo Monday 300 Celebration.

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Patriotic Card

By KariV on July 4, 2013 in 4th of July, Holidays, Paper Crafting

I have a quick patriotic card to share with you today!

I love how this turned out! So glittery and colorful…perfect for this day.

Supplies:

White cardstock card, Michaels
Red heavy wrapping paper, Staples (yes, that’s wrapping paper!)
Blue glitter paper, JoAnn’s
Happy die cut, Simon Says Stamp
4th die cut, Cricut (Lyrical Letters cartridge)
Blue gemstones, K&Company
Black dashed lines, Micron .08 black pen

Linking up to SSS Patriotic Challenge.

Happy 4th of July to YOU!

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A Berry Happy 4th of July!

By KariV on July 4, 2013 in 4th of July, Holidays

I love adding berries to make for a festive breakfast, brunch, dinner or dessert! This year I included strawberries, blueberries and blackberries to our breakfast.

So just pick up some berries for an easy way to add festive color to your menu.

Have a very Happy 4th and be safe out there!

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4th of July Picnic in the Backyard

By KariV on July 3, 2013 in 4th of July, Dinner in Minutes, Holidays, Recipes

It’s that time of year for BBQs, Picnics, family gatherings! I love an easy backyard picnic for the 4th of July and today I am sharing with you a fantastic (and easy) family meal!

The menu:

So Tender BBQ Ribs (check out this easy tip for getting the most tender ribs in a short period of time)
Lemon Picnic Pasta (my favorite picnic food!)
Salad with shredded carrots, cheese, tomatoes and cucumbers
Chocolate Chip Muffins
Watermelon

The decor:

Root Beer Bottles filled with Primroses
Easy Paper pockets

I had so many empty Root Beer bottles from our Root Beer Taste Test and I just knew they would come in handy! So I took some scrap fabric in red and white gingham, tied it around the bottles and added some stars and jute rope. I just traced and cut those stars from scrapbook paper that I had in my stash. It’s great to use what you have around the house for a centerpiece! Then I cut some primroses from the backyard and put them in the center of our table. Cost: $0!

When you serve BBQ ribs, you need some wet napkins right? So I made a double-sided pocket and put some Wet Wipes in one side, and Laffy Taffy (for a few jokes) on the other side. Then I set it all up outside on the backyard patio.

I set up the food buffet-style for our guests to pick and choose what they wanted. Easy foods like watermelon, muffins, and make-your-own salad are perfect for an outdoor meal! And back in the silver bowl is my favorite Lemon Picnic Pasta!

And don’t forget those BBQ ribs! (There’s my hubby the Grill Master…thank you for the perfectly grilled BBQ ribs!)

Here’s the secret for easy and FAST bbq ribs: first, pressure cook them in water to cover half-way up the ribs and set the timer for 45 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally. Be careful when you remove them from the pressure cooker…they are already SO tender and ready to fall apart! Then, put them on the grill and brush on your favorite BBQ sauce. Grill for a few minutes on each side. Oh, these ribs are so delicious and so tender…better than restaurant ribs! (really)!

We had so much food that we literally had to use two plates! I picked up those darling gingham plates from the Dollar Store and they sure made it look like a real picnic. 🙂

With just a few touches and a little extra attention, you can throw together a fun and easy picnic BBQ that everyone will love. I wish you a happy and safe 4th of July!

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Taste Test Tuesday — What is “Sugar Bread”? (Nephew in charge)

By KariV on July 2, 2013 in Taste Test Tuesday

Surprise! I’m back with a Taste Test Tuesday. Normally, I only publish these taste tests every other week and this is not the regular week. However, my 5-year-old nephew said he had a good idea for a taste test and he wanted to conduct this taste test!

So, of course, I agreed! I mean, how can you say no to this face:

When I asked him what the taste test was, he said “Sugar Bread!” and he needed:

Bread
White Sugar
Brown Sugar
Bowls for mixing (preferably bright colored, plastic bowls – hey, these are not my rules, that’s exactly what he specified!)

We had cinnamon bread and so that is what we used. G gave me some detailed instructions for the preparation, and I hope I can accurately report them back to you. 🙂

First, you put white sugar in one bowl and brown sugar in the other bowl.
Second, break up the bread into bite size pieces in each bowl.
Third, mix together thoroughly (it’s ok to use your hands)

And there you have it! Sugar Bread! (Yes, G came up with this recipe all by himself.)

Once the Sugar Bread was made, G assembled the taste test panel. All the judges told him which one they liked the best. When the taste test was over, I asked G which Sugar Bread was the winner.

And he looked at me and said, “I like them both!” (only instead of the “t” sound he uses an “s” sound…so it was: “I like them bose!”) So there you have it, both delicious. And a very unique recipe developed by a 5-year-old!

Which one would YOU declare the winner?

I hope you enjoyed this special edition Taste Test Tuesday. Stay tuned for our next taste test: Sweet Pork (Cafe Rio Style)…and our recipes DON’T use any soda. See you then!

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