Link and Greet #23

Party And Features 

Well summer is definitely here in the South (USA) ....H.O.T.... hot......Its so hot that if you don't get to the splash pad by 10am it becomes the steam pad........... I hope you all had a great week.  I certainly enjoyed visiting all of your blogs and checkin' out your projects...... It is always so hard to feature just five...... So I've decided to start a new post  biweekly featuring links with common themes, like the "Fourth of July" I'll be using links from the past three parties and posting it on monday.   So stay tuned!

Homemade Toothpaste

A cheaper alternative

to the pricey all-natural brands....which I have found out are not so natural.  If you're like me you're super careful what you buy for your family.   I lost faith in that little label that is stamped on all our US products, when they found arsenic in the apple juice.  Now I read every ingredient and google it.  So here's what I found out.  Glycerin is not bad but its bad for your teeth.  It is the first ingredient in the $5 name brand natural toothpaste I was using.  Glycerin coats the teeth and prevents them from remineralizing..........

Berry-Melon Salad

A Healthy Easy Summer Salad

This is one of my favorite salads to make in the summer time.  It's so light and refreshing....the orange-honey dressing is sweet and tangy, it goes just perfectly with the strawberries, cantaloupe and fresh baby spinach .......and for a change try using raspberries and honey dew melon.......... The best part about this recipe is how easy it is........Whether you are making it as a side for a big meal or as a meal in itself this salad is sure to be a big hit this summer........

Link and Greet #22

Party and Features

Are you social? I try to be but it can be a bit overwhelming at times....As a blogger I understand how important it is to network every where I can......I really love Pinterest and I'm finally  gettin' the hang of my facebook page, but last week as I was posting my Top 5 party links on G+ I realized that every entry I had been makin' for the past few months was set to private. I was the only one who could see them.  I don't know why they have to make it so complicated. I really don't understand the whole circle, following, hanging out thing.......

Fried Green Tomatoes

Southern Cookin'

 There are so many things you can do with a green tomato.  You can make Chow-Chow(relish) or fish pickles(pickled green tomatoes good for eating with catfish)........but the best way to eat 'em is fried.  Here in the south fried green tomatoes are a staple along with grits and collard greens.  If you read my latest gardening post then you heard about my poor tomatoes keelin' over from to much rain.  I had to pick 'em all green ........hence the Fried Green Tomato post.  I hope you enjoy 'em as much as we did........

Summer Gardening Part 3

Stormy Weather

The last few weeks have been a nightmare in the garden....30" of rain fell in 48 hours and then it's rained every other day since.  Our garden has never had any problems with drainage before.....but it just couldn't handle that much that fast.......so this weeks garden update will not contain a breathtaking photo.....instead I'm gonna keep it real and share our devastation.............Mud past your ankles, wilted tomatoes and an opportunity to teach our boys more than just gardening...... 

Hershey Bar Cake

Bulk Mix Recipe Ideas

I found this recipe in my Mother-in-laws recipe book.....she used to make it quite often and the kids love it.  It has layers of  white cake, cream cheese, chocolate pudding, whipped topping and Hershey's candy bars on top.  Her recipe called for half a prepared cake mix.......I use my bulk white cake mix to make it, you can make it either way............you could also make this cake with a chocolate cake mix and use a vanilla or white chocolate pudding....and Butterfinger or Reeses would be great on top too.......

Link and Greet #21

Party and Features

Last weeks party was amazing ya'll are so talented!  I hope you had a wonderful week......as for me it was a sad one on the gardening front...... last week we got about 30 " of rain in 2 days....In fact it's rainin' right now.   I'm afraid all my lovely tomatoes are not going to survive.  I'll post the devastation later............But for now it's party time and time  for the top five links from last week..................

Bulk White Cake Mix Recipe

Save Time And Money

  

This recipe makes baking from scratch a snap.  It is super moist and will make the perfect foundation for your favorite frosting.  If you'd prefer a yellow cake mix just substitute the regular shortening for butter flavored shortening and you'll have a lovely golden buttery cake. 

  

CMC is in the process of creating several dessert recipes using this mix so stay tuned..........

Western Turquoise Beaded Bracelet

Jewelry Making

If your looking for an inexpensive yet unique gift to make try this Western inspired bracelet.  It has four different elements wood, metal, stone and leather with a buffalo head nickel button for a clasp.  The following step by step pictorial includes another color option.........and there are no special tools required.  All the supplies are available at you local craft or fabric store.  This project is super easy if you can thread a bead and tie a knot you can make this in about 10 minutes............ 

Tomato Cage Planter

Planting for the cure

I went to the garden center the other day intending to purchase some forth of July inspired plants.  I was thinking red geraniums, white petunias and something blue.  Instead I was distracted by the display of lovely pink "Plant for the Cure" flowers.  My Mother, Mother-in-Law and two of my Aunts are Breast Cancer survivors, so I decided to do the whole front porch PINK! And I had the perfect planter in mind to house all those beautiful pink blooms.....a tomato cage..........I had got the idea from the shopin' channel.........

Link and Greet #20

Scenes from the Heartland

Hey ya'll I'm finally back home and ready to party again.  We went home to visit the Grandparents in Oklahoma and Texas and had a lovely time.  Since I didn't have a party last week I don't have any features to share with you but.....I have a few pictures we took while we were visiting that I thought you all might enjoy.  My husband got a new camera and I think he took about a million pictures.......here are just a few of my favorites... 

Sugar Syrup

Eliminating High Fructose Corn Syrup 

I'm not going to get into the stats showing how HFCS is bad for you just check out this website.  We try very hard to avoid the nasty stuff. When we drink sodas we drink Sierra Mist made with real sugar and it is so much better tasting than the other lemon lime drinks.  I don't buy very many processed foods but sometimes I'll have a recipe that calls for corn syrup and It just kills me to have to use it.  So I decided to make my own out of sugar........

Best Banana Bread

Bad Bananas

I always seem to have bananas going bad on the counter.  The natural thing to do with them is to whip up a batch of Banana Bread.  But if you don't have time, peel them and wrap them in plastic wrap then place 'em in the freezer.  Make that banana bread later or add them to a fruit smoothie.   If you do make Banana Bread with 'em I'd like to share my favorite recipe.......It's moist inside and the outside doesn't get sticky and I guarantee it won't go bad setting out on the counter....because it will be gone in no time : )