best dessert

Totally Tasty Tuesdays

Holy Busy Summer, Batman!

We've started swimming lessons, Emma had her 4th birthday, Father's Day, gardening, blogging, etc.

I am half tempted to postpone TTT until school starts back up, but it's so fun seeing what everyone links up that I don't think I could do it. We'll see.

I have to show you Emma's pics that I took. She is too cute, if I say so myself.

Yeah, we sorta love her.

On to the party!

Homemade Flarp! aka Gak!

Ok. This is a craft rather than a recipe, but when I saw this, I had to make it for my kids.

Had to.

And then when it turned out so awesome, I had to blog about it.

Had to.

We know it around here as Flarp. The {clears throat}farting putty. Some people know it as Gak.

Whatever you call it, it's pretty cool. Especially once you see how it's made.

Ingredients

2 (4 oz. each) bottle of glue

1-2 tsp. Borax

water

small plastic container

mixing bowl

food coloring

How You Do It

Grab your stuff.

You can find the Borax in the laundry isle. The original recipe called for Elmer's glue, but I used a different and less expensive brand and it worked just fine.

Empty the bottles of glue into the mixing bowl. Fill the empty bottles of glue with water and put the lids back on. Shake 'em like a Polaroid picture. Empty into the mixing bowl with the glue.

Add some food coloring. I used the Neon colors and lots of it to make the color bright.

Stir together. Set aside. Add 1/2 cup warm water to 1 tsp. of Borax in the plastic container like a plastic cup or small Tupperware bowl and stir till pretty well dissolved. Pour it into your glue bowl. Stir and you will see that it instantly thickens up and gets all stringy. Set your spoon aside and use your hands to continue mixing. Trust me, it's the only way to do it. If you notice after awhile that it's still messy and not coming together, add another tsp. Borax to about 1/8 cup warm water and stirred to dissolve. Then I mixed it in with the rest of the Flarp. Perfect! Store it in a plastic zip close bag or other air tight container.

This is one craft I don't mind. No mess if you do it right.
Note: Since this does contain Borax, make sure your little ones don't eat it. Wash hands after playing with it.
Borax is a cleaning agent/laundry agent and is not intended for going in the mouths. So basically, use responsibly, you know?

If you want more science-y info go here.

Printable Version

This may have been linked to these parties.

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Benefits of 100% Natural Orange Juice

This post brought to you by Florida Orange Juice. All opinions are 100% mine.

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about 100% Florida Orange Juice. This is a follow-up post.

Hectic schedules often make it challenging to maintain a healthy diet and manage a balanced lifestyle, but consuming a diet rich in nutrients is important to give us the energy and nutrition we need to help conquer the day. Nationally recognized nutrition expert, Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, RD, has partnered with the Florida Department of Citrus to offer some practical tips to work healthy habits into your spring routine – from the kitchen, to the gym, to your outdoor patio – to get the most out of the season.

Nutrition Tips from Kathleen Zelman, MPH, RD

· Jumpstart your morning with a nutritious meal that includes protein, fruit and energizing nutrient-dense carbs.
o Think you don’t have time for a complete breakfast? Blend your favorite fruit with Florida Orange Juice and low-fat yogurt for a convenient, on-the-go smoothie.
o Want to jazz up your weekend breakfast? Substitute 100 percent Florida orange juice for water in your pancake batter to give your meal a zesty, new taste.

· When looking for a snack, think outside the box before trying to satisfy your cravings from roadside convenience stores or airport kiosks.
o Plan ahead and take a cooler with portable, smart snacks that fit your on-the-go lifestyle like nuts, hummus with veggies, granola bars and 8-ounce cartons of 100 percent orange juice that will help give you the energy and nutrients you need to get through your travel day.

· Outdoor grilling and dining is a great way for your family and friends to enjoy the warmer weather.
o Protein is a vital part of your daily diet, as it provides nutrients and may help satisfy hunger longer than most fats or carbohydrates.
o Choose leaner cuts of beef, pork, and poultry to grill and pair your protein with other nutrient-rich foods, such as high-fiber fruit, vegetables, whole grains and healthy fats. Add 100 percent Florida orange juice to marinades for poultry and pork for a refreshing citrus zing and pour a glass of 100 percent orange juice to accompany your meal.

Did You Know About 100 Percent Orange Juice?
Background Information

· One 8‐ounce serving of 100 percent orange juice is a good source of potassium and folate and an excellent source of vitamin C.
o These are three important nutrients that are under consumed in the United States, according to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

· One serving of 100 percent orange juice is more nutrient dense than many commonly-consumed 100 percent fruit juices.[1]
o A refreshing glass of 100 percent orange juice has no added sugars or artificial sweeteners, which may be found in many fruit juice cocktails and sports drinks.

· A key recommendation of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans is to increase fruit intake.
o One 8-ounce glass of 100 percent orange juice provides half of the USDA-recommended daily fruit intake for most adults, based on a 2,000-calorie diet.

I love orange juice when I'm sick. It's part of my get-well routine. It also helps me feel better when my hypoglycemia acts up. That's low blood sugar, just so you know. That's the first thing I grab when I get that feeling. It usually helps after a few minutes of drinking orange juice. So grab a glass and drink up!

You can keep up with Florida Orange Juice on Facebook and Florida Orange Juice on Pinterest.

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Gluten-Free Cherry Clafoutis

Gluten-free dessert is solved. A luscious cherry clafoutis, no sugar.

My cherry clafoutis has a little secret. Well. Two secrets. Wait. Actually, three. At least. It's a clafoutis bursting with secrets. But first, I must mention something.

Are you listening, darling?

Put down your iPhone for a moment, will you? You can text later. When you're not driving. Or brushing your teeth- hazardous especially if one attempts texting while scrubbing one's used-to-be-pearly-enough whites (before the advent of dental bleaching) with a vibrating rechargeable toothbrush. Vanilla mint toothpaste can spatter in shockingly wide and impressive arcs, inflicting remarkable damage upon various household goods and personal items including tidy, stacked baskets of freshly folded jeans and t-shirts still cozy-warm from the dryer in the basement, I am sorry to tell you.

But I digress. Back to dessert.

Read more + get the recipe >>

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My Memories Freebie...Crowns!

Being an affiliate for MyMemories.com means that when they give me freebies, I get to pass it on to you. You can download these without the software, but if you want to be able to customize it, you need the software. Want to buy it? Go here and use my code STMMMS57863

to get $10 off and another $10 to use in the store. That makes it only $20 for the software!

Today's freebie is crown templates. What kid doesn't love a party crown for their birthday, or maybe just a crown to be a prince or princess for the day. These crowns are a big hit with both the boys and the girls. You can even customize your crowns with pictures or ages by using MyMemories software.

Kit #1

Kit #2

Kit #3

All freebies will now be MyMemories Suite Compatible. What does that mean??? It means that you can now load the freebies directly into your MyMemories Suite Software, and then completely customize them with any paper and embellishments that you have.

Using MyMemories Software to Customize your Crown

Download template file and install it into your software
Using MyMemories Suite, choose Create Album From Designer Template and find your project
Now you can add pictures, print and enjoy the provided template, or customize it with your own papers and embellishments.

TIP:
You can right-click on the white guide and lock it in place to keep it from moving while you are working. Make sure this is the top layer of your project before printing.

Instead of adding the paper as a background paper, you can add it as an embellishment so that you can move the paper around. This is especially useful when using papers with stripes or circles, so you can decide which part of the paper you want to use.

Once it is added as an embellishment, you can now select the paper and move it into the position you want it. Save and print on cardstock.

Crown Tutorial

1. Print your Crown templates on cardstock and gather supplies. (Recommended supplies: craft knife, cutting mat, metal edged ruler, small scissors, stapler)
Print out template page

2. Using the craft knife and metal edged ruler cut along outside line.
TIP: a small pair of scissors could be used as an alternative, especially when adding decorations to the top points of your crown
Cut out crown

3. Align bottom edges and staple together.
Staple sides togther

4. Repeat on other side to form a circle.

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VtechKids Switch & Go Dinos

This post brought to you by VTechKids. All opinions are 100% mine.

Preston got a fun package in the mail. It's the new VtechKids Switch & Go Dinos.

He received Horns the Triceratops and Sliver the T-Rex. Preston had just gotten home from farming with his dad and when I showed him the toys, he was excited. It took a minute to figure out how to switch the dinos over to cars and back again, but then he had the hang of it and could do it on his own {Preston is 7, but I think younger kids would need help changing them over}.

Features:

Interactive LCD Screen (allows kids to switch the eyes and driver faces), easily morphs into 2 awesome toys, sound effects for the car and dino, bringing them to life, kids can learn facts about dinosaurs when in dino mode.

Feel free to leave comments like who you would buy these for. Buy today on Amazon. Along with the Triceratops and T-Rex, there is T-Don the Pteranodon and Tonn the Stegosaurus. They retail for $15.99 which is great considering you get two fun toys in one.

I love that Preston is having fun and learning at the same time. They study Dinosaurs at school so he will know even more about them when school starts back up. Plus they are just cool! He hasn't put them down all night.

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Totally Tasty Tuesdays

Yes, you are in the right place!
Mandy's Recipe Box has undergone a re-design. I have been loving Ashton's DIY blog design tutorials and decided to remake my blog. I love the fresh new look. Thanks to Ashton for her smarts!

My little garden is coming along. I really want the zucchini and tomatoes to hurry and grow. Fresh veggies right out of your own backyard just can't be beat.

I haven't even had to weed it. Because my husband has been doing it. Yes. Reason #893 that I love the man.

Our anniversary is coming up on the 30th and it will be 12 years! Amazing.

Emma's birthday is coming on Father's Day this year. She just got her hair cut {she wanted it short like a friend of Hannah's, which is chin-length, but I got her talked into Hannah's length}just below her shoulders and my sil put a green and a blue extension in it. She's a little rock star. Now that I think about it, she had a pink extension in last year on her birthday. Must be the Summer/Birthday tradition.

I hope you're staying cool {or warm on some of these crazy weather days}and having lots of fun in the sun!

Here's the #1 viewed recipe...