Strawberry Picking

There's something magical about a fresh picked strawberry: the sun on your back, the sound of bumble bees buzzing around your head and the occasional berry that "falls" into your mouth is a great way to spend the afternoon. Head off and go pick some strawberries, then come home and make some yummy jam. Just make sure the kids have old clothes on, because they are sure to come home with plenty of berry stains. Here's a great freezer jam to try with all those red delights you will be bringing home.

Progressive Dinner Party

I'm all for a good dinner party. There are several ways you can approach having dinner with your friends: 1. Cook the entire thing yourself, which would involve a lot of work, and sometimes a lot of money, but can be extremely rewarding 2. The good ol' pot luck, and have everyone bring a dish to share 3. A progressive dinner. 

Progressive dinners are a super fun, and different way to share a meal with several other families.

10 Car Camping Tips

When the kids were growing up we did a lot of camping. It was cheap, fun and got their energy out. We kept it simple, but always had a great time. When my father died in a car accident, the weekend after the funeral we were up in the mountains camping. It gave our family some time to ourselves, to be together, to reflect and be away from the distractions of the rest of the world. I think that's the thing I love the most about camping and hiking - the peace. Here are 10 tips to help make your next camping trip a success.

Banana Pops

I love ice cream. It’s one of my favorite foods, and if I could eat it every day without my backside spreading to create its own solar system I would. Unfortunately ice cream is reserved for those treat days that we set aside for ourselves every couple of weeks. BUT, I do make a treat in the summer time that is the next best thing to a big bowl of creamy deliciousness. It’s frozen, yummy, and feels like you are cheating by eating an ice cream bar. The best part? It’s good for you. 

August Holidays

Things have bee a little quite for me in the blogging world: I don't have much time to sit down to my computer these days, but I haven't forgotten. I am in the midst of starting up a new business, reorganizing my house, and - oh ya - my son's wedding this month! Holy  Crap!!! My son is getting married in two weeks! It is very surreal for sure. We are busy planning our big party - here are your reasons to have one of your own.

Apple-Blueberry Coffee Cake

Most of us are super busy these days and don't have time to sit down to eat a healthy breakfast. Lucky Charms and power bars seem to be the main stream for most, if breakfast is even eaten at all. However, with a little preparation the night before, you can wake up to an amazing breakfast all ready to go, and, depending on how big your family is, it can keep you going for several mornings.

Red, White and Blue Cookies

It doesn't take a lot of time and thought to make a fun holiday treat. These patriotic cookies were a snap to make and a huge hit at our party! The only extra time involved was sitting and picking out all of the blue and red M&M's, but it really only took about 5 minutes and was worth it.

Patriotic Pancakes

It's always the little things that can make the big differences and make an ordinary breakfast fun and festive. All we did was add vanilla yogurt, blueberries and strawberries to our morning pancakes and walla! - instant American Pride. These lovely pancakes put us all in the mood for the days festivities ahead.

July Holidays

Here are your reasons to party in July. Make each ordinary day an extraordinary one by celebrating the little things in life - and have fun!

Pepperoni Pizza Pull Aparts

Jess is home and getting ready to graduate next weekend. We decided to have her graduation party this last weekend, since we will have to make the 2 hour drive to her campus for the ceremony, we thought it would be too much for one day to try and do both. Pizza has been a staple in our house for years, so I wanted to make some, but wanted something a little different.  Here's what I came up with.