July Pinterest

Sob, sob...summer is halfway over!  I'm regretting a bit, now that we are at the midpoint, not doing another summer bucket list!  I felt like it made us remember to do something fun and a little-bit out of the ordinary, if not everyday, then every other day.  I could probably get one started now, but there is a bit of organizational work involved and being that I'm rather anal about organizing, I'm not feeling ambitious enough!  Regardless, our first month of summer went great!

 We started off by heading out to the US to visit with some cousins and other extended family that is scattered throughout, Michigan, Florida, Europe, and then us Ontarians.  It was a relaxing start to the summer! 

In celebration of Canada Day (July 1, for the un-Canadians) and all the yummy strawberries we had at our local u-pick patch I made this strawberry pie.  I've never actually made a plain strawberry pie, because I always thought it needed another berry to pair it with, but was super impressed with how delicious strawberry pie is!  I'd also like to add that we love white chocolate and since I was doing up some strawberry tarts at the same time I paired the strawberries with a white chocolate chunk to make them extra yummy.  When I cut into the pie I decided to melt some white chocolate and drizzle it over the top with whip cream....wouldn't eat it any other way now!

**While I specifically remember reading a blog the day I made this pie so I could do something with my leftover crusts I cannot find the pin on Pinterest or the blog, but if you search for strawberry pop tarts you can find something similar to what you see here!

On the last day of the u-pick strawberries being open for the season we snagged one final bag full that we ended up taking camping.  There are so many fun camping ideas on Pinterest.  This was the one I decided to try since it looked quick and easy.  (Dip strawberries in marshmallow fluff.)  Then you were to skewer the dipped strawberry and roast it over the fire.  It was a good combination, but I had problems with the strawberries staying on the stick as they were getting a bit on the juicy side.  As well, the marshmallow fluff wanted to slide off the strawberry as it heated up.  My sister decided to roast a regular marshmallow and then stuff the strawberry inside of that.  She also thought of adding the strawberry to a smore.  Also an awesome pair!  With the chocolate it was a little bit like a gourmet, albeit much messier, version of a chocolate covered strawberry.  (If you have a hard time finding the marshmallow fluff, it was by the ice-cream cones and toppings in our grocery store.) 

Marshmallow fluff strawberry via Rebekah's Pinterest via Cookie Cutter Frosting

My brother's birthday falls in July and since he has been staying with us it was up to me to make a birthday cake.  I made this yummy sounding lemonade cake.  I was told by the critics that it was not very lemony tasting, but I thought it was perfect.  The frosting really made it...but I'm kind-of a huge fan of cream-cheese frostings.  Aren't my decorating skills amazing?  The sprinkles are supposed to be his first initial, a "D" and he was turning 22, but since I didn't have quite that many candles we made do.

Lemonade Cake via Rebekah's Pinterest via My Recipes




Some days you just need an activity to keep the kids busy so you can finish up a project or make supper or clean up a houseful of disaster.  (Obviously trying to make another pitch for Pinterest here.)  I've had this activity (or the supplies for it) stuck in the cupboard since March, but had decided to wait until warmer weather hit when M&M and Moose could do it outside.  Using cornstarch and shaving cream, mixed, you were supposed to be able to make a kind of snow anytime of year.  However, it didn't work quite as I expected.  I think it would have been better if I had more shaving cream to add to the cornstarch as the "snow" didn't want to stick together enough to form into much of a ball.  The kids had fun running between the sprinkler and their bowls, so I guess the whole fun/occupied idea did work, if not exactly in the way I thought.  The recipe called for 2 boxes of cornstarch to 1 can shaving cream, but I would not dump the entire two boxes out before you start mixing in the shaving cream, or it will not be sticky enough.

Fluffy Snow via Rebekah's Pinterest, but no viable from there link :(

Cinnamon buns (from a can) are a tradition around our house on Saturday mornings.  However we have gotten a little picky and prefer the cheap kind over Pillsbury's version.  I'm forever the sale shopper tho and often pick up Pillsbury's version when they are on sale, thinking common these are Pillsbury, they have got to taste good.  Then after making a can I realize why they aren't so great and am left with a second can in the fridge.  I saw this idea of putting canned cinnamon buns in the waffle maker and decided to try it with the Pillsbury roll we'd had in the fridge for far too long.  They were a fun way to change up our Saturday morning staple and much easier than making a batch of waffles.  We added the icing sugar after cooking and a wee bit of maple syrup as well.

Cinnamon buns via Rebekah's Pinterest via Food Pics Go






We also had fun making these sweet sugar swirl cookies and rolling them in sprinkles.  They've also been a hit, although I prefer my own sugar cookie dough from my Better Home and Garden cookbook.  This dough is very chewy (in a good way).  Similar to those sugar cookies you buy in the store with frosting and sprinkles on top.  It might just be that they need the frosting to take a bit of the dryness out.  Some of my cookies ended up pretty big and while the kids love the big ones I preferred the small ones: you got more sprinkles per mouthful!

Swirled Sugar Cookies via Rebekah's Pinterest via Joysama Images





This was a chocolate chip crack cake that I made when we went to a last minute get-together with some family and friends.  It was yummy, quite sweet, but great with vanilla ice-cream.  It was also very quick to throw together at the last minute.

Chocolate Chip Crack Cake via Rebekah's Pinterest via The Cozy Little Kitchen

Enjoy the second half of your summer!

June

  When I thought May was hectic, I was anticipating that June would go a little slower.  Somehow the month is gone and I have yet to post all our Pinterest yumminess.  I feel like my relationship with Pinterest is slowly waning.  Or perhaps it's just gone from a totally crazy addiction to something that relates more to normal life?!  Anyways...glad summer is upon us! And while I wish that our schedule will be more relaxing for a few months, so my Pinterest interest can take back over, I can't quite envision days of relaxing by the pool, watching the kids swim while I pin away.  But I will try to keep it in mind so that when we end up running around with craziness I will sit back, relax and find need those lazy days of summer to regain our equilibrium!

I'm glad to say I squeezed in a couple of crafts last month.  The first was a quick sewing project for Moose.  M&M received a beautiful homemade dress from her Grammy for her birthday last month. We have our annual church convention in June that we dress up for and so Emma's new dress was put on the list of clothes to pack.  My type A personality shines when it comes to special occasions as I have to have all four of us matching.  We all had yellow and black to match M&M, excluding Moose.  I whipped up this tie from some of the leftover material of the dress.  Literally....whipped it up the day before we left.  Easiest sewing project ever!!!   Only adjustments I'd make for next time is use more material that can hide the elastic neckband.  Moose's head is rather oval and more elastic would make it easier as it just barely squeezes over his egg shaped head.  I meant to take a picture of him in it, but here's the version before it was tied around the neckband.

Toddler Ties via Rebekah's Pinterest via Vanilla Joy

Second craft was a little present for the many teachers who are special to M&M.  Found this idea on Pinterest and the schoolgirl had fun helping me paint and pot the flowers.  We did the smaller sizes for the teachers and support staff that she sees less of and the big ones for the teachers she has all day.  Also a fun and quick project.  She did a great job with her name and heart on the back.  She started out the year knowing the E in her name, progressed to a backwards spelling, and got it perfect by the end, among a few other things.

Thank You Pot via Rebekah's Pinterest via Brenda Writes A Blog

I had some cilantro that I wanted to cook with and I felt like shrimp would be really yummy with it.  It was good, although nothing exceptional.  The hubby would have liked a bit more sauce with the shrimp, and I was wanting the sauce to be creamier, rather than so overpoweringly lemony.  That being said, I often find that we don't get enough of a sauce when doing oil based pasta's at home.  I'd like to know how the restaurant's do it.                                                       

Cilantro Shrimp via Rebekah's Pinterest...no recipe as the blog has been removed : (

 

 

I made several versions of these muffins last month and this month.  They were delicious either way.  The original recipe was Inside out carrot cake muffins.  Instead of having cheese cream frosting like the cake version, you slipped the cream cheese inside for a yummy surprise.  The first time I didn't have any carrots that I wanted to be rid of, but I did have some bananas that were on their way out, so I did a banana muffin with the cream cheese surprise.  The second time I tried the original recipe and I'd say both versions were equally good.  Being partial to banana bread myself...they might take the cake, so to speak.  Instead of the giant sugar crystals on top, I used a mixture of brown sugar, butter, and flour. 

Inside Out Carrot Cake Muffins via Rebekah's Pinterest via Recipie by Photo

Here's to more mornings of sleeping in!! Have a relaxing summer.