Month

June 2014

Thirsty Thursday: Watermelon Slushies

Summer Vacation is officially here! While we have set up a nice little routine for each day, with a few things to do so we aren’t bored, it is a loose schedule around here. We have been soaking up every single bit of summer. In fact, I don’t think there has been one day of June where my little one hasn’t had her bathing suit on, even if it has been to run in the sprinklers. As for me, I dozed off with the kids yesterday after a morning spent playing outside and it reminded me of when they were just little babies snuggled up on my chest. I wasn’t passing that moment by, so we all napped instead of chores. It’s summertime!

With watermelon so plentiful this time of year, my little guys are always asking for it when we walk to the market, and I happily oblige. With the weather getting hot, it is a refreshing treat, but blended up with plenty of ice and some lemon, it is a perfect THIRSTY THURSDAY treat on a super hot summer day.

 

Watermelon Slushies (makes one large slushy or three kid sized slushies)
2 cups watermelon cubed
1/3 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (about 2 medium lemons)
1 lemon zested
2 TBS sugar
2 cups ice

 

In a blender, add all the ingredients, and blend until desired consistency.

 

This drink is best enjoyed after a day in the sunshine! For those that are so inclined, a shot of Bicardi Limon or even Absolut Citron might give this treat an adult zing.

If you like summertime slushies or blended drinks, try this recipe orange cranberry coolers. Or for all things beverage related, check out the THIRSTY THURSDAY page for recipes for all kinds of drinks, cocktails, and all things drinkable!

Want to read more about all things domestic with a touch of humor? Become a Home Everyday follower! For blog updates or to see other places I write such as ChicagoNow or Chicago Parent follow Home Everyday on FacebookTwitter, and Pinterest.

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Thirsty Thursday: Father’s Day Chelada

In preparation for today’s Father’s Day installment of Thirsty Thursday, I asked Brian what his favorite cocktail is because. His response, “I don’t have one.” To which I responded, “Me either. There’s just so many!” and he said, “No, I like beer.” Silly Brian, beer is a mixer too! I’ve made lemonade shandy and black velvets, and I knew I would be able to try something else to treat him for Father’s Day.

 

Brian loves Mexican cuisine, so when I found a Mexican cocktail called a Chedlada made with beer, I knew he would love it. It is simply adding some salt and lime to a Mexican beer, and it is refreshing and perfect for a summertime BBQ. Of course, it wouldn’t be Thirsty Thursday, if I didn’t customize things a bit. Brian’s favorite brew in the summertime is Goose Island 312, which is a light wheat beer.

 

Father’s Day Chelada (makes one cocktail)
1 small lime juiced
Course salt
1 bottle of 312 Urban Wheat Ale

 

In a bowl add half the lime juice and dip the rim of the glass into the juice. Then, immediately dip the rim of the glass into salt. This will rim the glass with just the right amount of salt.

 

Next, add the rest of the lime juice to the glass.

 

Next, pop open a beer a pour over lime juice. (NOTE: Homer Simpson bottle opener is optional.)

 

You can garnish with a slice of lime. Enjoy outside while waiting for a burger to cook up on the grill.

 

Happy Father’s Day!

If you like summertime cocktails, try this recipe for a minty mojito or a cherry rum and coke. Or for all things beverage related, check out the THIRSTY THURSDAY page for recipes for all kinds of drinks, cocktails, and all things drinkable!

Want to read more about all things domestic with a touch of humor? Become a Home Everyday follower! For blog updates or to see other places I write such as ChicagoNow or Chicago Parent follow Home Everyday on FacebookTwitter, and Pinterest.

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Breaking Some Rules: Lemon Blueberry Layer Cake

There are two rules that I break all of the time.

1.) Don’t head to the supermarket when hungry.
2.) Don’t be pinning things and surfing for recipes when hungry.

The other day I broke rule number two, when I saw an awesome recipe from Sally’s Baking Addiction for Lemon Blueberry Layer Cake. For those that don’t know I LOVE the combination of lemon and berries you can tell by my recipes for lemon blueberry cookies and fresh pink lemonade. Looking at recipes while hungry, led to me breaking rule number one.

However, if being wrong creates this delicious cake, I don’t want to be right.

There are two other rules that I break all of the time too.

3.) Don’t adapt baking recipes as it is a delicate balance.
4.) Give a cake ample time to cool before frosting.

Ok, I’m a rebel, what can I say. I adapted the recipe and I waited as long as I could, but we just couldn’t wait anymore!!

Lemon Blueberry Layer Cake (adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction)

CAKE
3 cups all purpose flour + 1 Tbs reserved
1 Tbs baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar packed
4 eggs
1 Tbs (yes a tablespoon) of pure vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
3 or 4 lemons zested and juiced (should yield about 1/2 – 3/4 cup of juice)
2 cups fresh blueberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease and flour two 9 inch round cake pans set aside.

In a large bowl, sift together 3 cups flour, baking powder and salt and set aside. In another bowl, toss together blueberries and reserved flour and set aside. (NOTE: this will keep the blueberries from sinking into the bottom of a cake, my mom taught me this trick and it can be done with raisins and chocolate chips in breads and cakes too.)

With a stand mixer or large mixing bowl with hand beaters, cream together butter and sugars until well blended. Then, add eggs, vanilla, and mix until incorporated.

Next, add slowly add the flour mixture and mix until just combine. (NOTE: don’t over mix it is ok if you can still see some flour in the mixture.)

Then, add buttermilk, zest, and lemon juice and mix until incorporated.

Next, using a spatula carefully fold in blueberries.

Finally, pour mixture dividing evenly between two cake pans and bake 26 – 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Remove cake from oven, and cool slightly for about 7 minutes in the pan. Then remove from pan let cake cool on a cooling rack about 1 hour. (NOTE: The cake should be cool to the touch before frosting, but if it is still a little warm because you cannot wait anymore that is fine too).

FROSTING
1 16 oz can Betty Crocker Vanilla frosting
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 lemon zested and juiced.

In a small bowl, whisk together ingredients.

When cakes are cooled, put one cake on a plate and put half the frosting in the middle of the cake and spread out with a spatula letting it fall over sides. Top with second cake, and add the rest of the frosting to the top and spread out and fall over sides. Garnish with blueberries.

Now, go break some rules, you little rebel you!

You know you want to.

If you like this post and would like to read more about all things domestic with a touch of humor, become a Home Everyday follower! For blog updates or to see other places I write such as ChicagoNow or Chicago Parent follow Home Everyday on FacebookTwitter, and Pinterest.

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Unplug and Play: 50 Games That Don’t Need Charging: A Book for Kids of all Ages

While the kids aren’t quite out of school yet, my mind is
already thinking about when we are all home. (All day. Every day.) I have been
looking forward to summer, and love rest and relaxation, but I also have been
trying to plan ways to keep the kids busy while we are at home. (All day. Every
day.)
When I was asked to take a look at Unplug and Play, 50 Games That Don’t Need Charging by Brad Berger,
I was thrilled to have a one stop shop for games and activities to do with
the kids that doesn’t require much other than some paper, pencils, and a watch.
This book is filled with 50 different games and puzzles that
you can play with your family and friends, and not one of them requires you to plug in the Wii. The games are divided into types of games for easy navigation throughout the book, and while each of the games has specific examples and rules, our favorite part was how adaptable some of the games were to the people who were playing them.
Don’t get
me wrong, we have always been a fan of board games in our house, but there is
just something nice about not having to travel with our small version of Chess
or Battleship (all those pieces!). Also, because of Unplug and Play our first instinct when heading out to a restaurant or to a waiting room won’t be to grab the iPad to keep everyone busy. Now we have some games we can all play together. I am especially looking forward to bringing it this summer when we hit the road for vacation.

Upon first glance of the book, I have to say I was worried
that my kids wouldn’t be able to play many of the games as they are younger. The
games require reading and writing skills, however, I was happy to see that many
of the games give very basic rules and principles that can easily be adapted
for kids of any age.
For some of the games, we played teams where kids would be
paired up with an adult, and for others the kids were able to draw pictures.
Also, I tried to simplify some of the rules by making the listing games less,
and the matching  and grouping like games with pictures. This is definitely a book our kids can
grow into, but also that is very adaptable for early readers and kids who are
almost ready to read.
Also, because I can just keep it in my purse for when we are
out and about, I was thinking it would be fun for I cannot wait to bring to my
next family party, girls night out, or even as an alternative to watching a
movie with some friends.

Unplug and Play is
available on Amazon. Can you imagine trying to buy 50 different apps or 50 different board games? Trust me, this book is well worth it. 
For more information about Unplug and Play: 50 Games That Don’t Need Charging you can visit www.bradbergergames.com or check out the Tween Us interview with author Brad Berger.

If you like this post and would like to read more about all things domestic with a touch of humor, become a Home Everyday follower! For blog updates or to see other places I write such as ChicagoNow or Chicago Parent follow Home Everyday on FacebookTwitter, and Pinterest.


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A May 2014 Wrap Up

Happy Sunday, readers. I typically shy away from posting on the weekends. However, I realized that I kind of miss doing my monthly wrap-up posts. They are a great way to look back, and they actually help me to plan for the upcoming month.

May finally brought with it nice weather in the Midwest, which meant plenty of recipes using fresh and vibrant flavors like mild pineapple salsa. Also, in Spring I cannot get enough of salads, so I shared my favorite tips for making the perfect salad.

In addition to spending more time outdoors planting and playing, I have also loved the opportunity to take my laptop outside and get some work done on the patio. It has been a great respite from being huddled up inside. My friend Kari of A Grace Full Life blog, invited me to a blog tour where I shared more about my writing process and to continue the trend I asked my friend Elizabeth of The Circular Home to share her process as well.

Then, for Thirsty Thursdays (my favorite day of the week and yours) in May I was able to try out some of my new favorite drainable recipes! To get ready for The Kentucky Derby I shared two recipes for mint juleps (Irish Mint Julep, and Virgin Julep Tea) fit for whether your guests like alcohol or not. Then, I tried out some flavored waters by using some fruits and herbs to freshen things up as things heat up. The kids loved trying out a recipe for pure vanilla milkshakes, and I was able to re-create some fresh pink lemonade from one of my favorite movies.

In May, I was also given the opportunity to partake in a wonderful day with hhGregg and Maytag to discuss happy homes, and Home Everyday was able to offer its second every giveaway!

Finally, May saw the first every installment of #FridayFail, where I the first of many stories of mistakes made when it comes to DIY. Let’s just say, we have been much better about checking our light bulbs around here.

Looking back at May, I cannot believe how busy it was, and how fast it went by. Summer is here which means it is time to start sharing some outdoor, and perhaps I will be able to do some painting outside.

If you like this post and would like to read more about all things domestic with a touch of humor, become a Home Everyday follower! For blog updates or to see other places I write such as ChicagoNow or Chicago Parent follow Home Everyday on FacebookTwitter, and Pinterest.


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