Salamonie Summer Festival Pageant

Last weekend my niece Kinsey participated in Warren’s annual Salamonie Summer Festival Pageant!  My sister in-law Lisa asked me to help get Kinsey ready for the pageant.  I was excited to help but a little nervous because I am not a professional hair stylist! “Good thing I watch Toddlers and Tiara’s, the show is a total train wreck but I can’t stop watching it”. To prepare for the pageant Friday night Eric and I headed over to Dathen and Lisa’s for dinner. After dinner Lisa and I discussed clothes, hair, and accessories. I even had a chance to practice a couple hair styles!  Then pageant morning arrived and I headed back to the house and I started curling Kinsey’s hair about 2 hours later it was complete.  Kinsey was so patient with me.  After all the curls were complete we headed into town for the pageant! Kinsey was so excited but I was still nervous.  I knew I had to change her hair 3 times with only about 15 for each new style.  They started the pageant with interview, then casual wear, hobby, and finally beauty.  Kinsey did a great job! She answered all the questions with full sentences and she was her adorable self!  She did not win a title but she had a blast and that is all the matters in the end.  Kinsey has already asked Lisa to do the pageant again next year!

Bacon Bacon Dip

This is one of my favorite party dips! I call it double bacon dip! A few years ago my sister

in-law Lisa bought be a spice mix from Tastefully Simple.  All you had to do was add equal parts of mayo and sour cream and I think it was called bacon bacon dip.  Everyone seemed to enjoy the dip but I did not always have the packets on hand so I decided to create my own recipe.  Creating my own recipes is something I pride myself on.  With  help from my Mom, “who has a very sophisticated pallet” we recreated this dip!

1 ½  cups mayo

¾ cups sour cream

1 pack of bacon

1 bunch of green onions

Garlic, Salt, & Pepper to Taste

-Cook Bacon and Crumbled into Small Pieces

-Thinly Slice Green Onions

-Mix Sour Cream, Mayo, Bacon, Green Onions

-Season with Garlic, Salt, & Pepper to Taste

-Chill For At Least 2 Hour Before Serving

-Serve with Crackers

-Enjoy

Meet Miss Annabelle

Have you ever heard the phrase it take a village to raise a child.  Well, that phrase was also correct for little Miss Annabelle’s photo shoot Friday afternoon.   This photo shoot took 3 women and a baby to make it run smoothly.  I love taking pictures but newborns are the most unpredictable! As soon as Kristi undressed Annabelle she was not happy but with a little Mommy magic Kristi had her calm and I started snapping away.  After I loaded the pictures on my computer I sent a couple to Kristi’s cousin Jamie to edit.  She has some new software and has wanted a few pictures to edit.  So, like I said this was a three person job.  Kristi was the baby whisper, I was photographer, and Jamie edited all the images!  We make quite the team!

Trifle Strawberry Shortcake

Lately Eric and I have been invited to several cookouts so I have been on the hunt for quick, easy, delicious recipes.  Last Friday our friends Jon and Candis invited us over for a cookout.  I was supposed to bring a dessert and dip for an appetizer.  As I am walking through Meijer just hours before the cookout, I still had no idea what dessert I was going to make and then I came upon the strawberries!  Who doesn’t love fresh strawberries?  Right next to the strawberries they had angel food cake on sale then the recipe started forming in my head!

Ingredients

1 Large Tub of Cool Whip

1 Pack of Instant Vanilla Pudding

1 Large Tub of Whipped Cream Cheese

2 Pounds of Strawberries

2 Packs of Strawberry Glaze

1 Angel Food Cake

                                               I Chopped the Strawberries into Bite Size Pieces

                                                                            I Cubed the Angel Food Cake

                                                                    Add the Glaze to the Strawberries

    In a Separate Bowl Mix the Cool Whip, Cream Cheese, and the Powder of the Vanilla Pudding

After I Had all Three Parts Prepped I Started to Layer it

First I Layer the Angel Food Cake then the Filling and Topped it with the Strawberries and I repeated the Process Until the Bowl was Filled.  This Recipe Will Make Two Trifle Bowls Full.  Friday We Went to Jon and Candis's and Saturday We Had Friends To Our House "So I Had Enough For Two Bathces"                               

                                                                 The Finished Product "Yummy"

Flower Power

When we moved in our yard was covered with snow! So we had no idea what we would find when spring came! We found lots of weeds and over grown plants.  So one day I walked outside and pulled everything up except the little tree.  Eric was less than thrilled with my work but he did agree that there was no rhyme or reason to the landscaping.  The flower bed set empty for 2 weeks, and then our neighbors gave us a bunch of mulch.   Once we laid the fresh mulch we decided we should add a couple plants and some flowers to add a little curb appeal to our house! This is not our ideal landscaping but plants are expensive so we settled for what was within our budget! We bought a couple zebra grasses, some hostas and a flat of petunias.  We have been enjoying doing projects around the house together.  We are both learning a lot about being home owners and how to work as a team and compromise!

                                                                         Max Enjoying the Yard

CHINESE COLESLAW

In the summer Eric and I are invited to several cookouts and parties! I was looking for an easy go to summer party recipe.  I did not have to look to far, my boss Jerri had the perfect solution!

CHINESE COLESLAW

 1# pkg of fresh slaw mix from the produce dept

2 pkg of oriental ramen noodles, crumbled

1/2 cup sunflower seeds

1/4 cup slivered almonds

1/4 cup canola oil

1/4 cup sesame oil

1/4 cup sugar or equivalent splenda

1/3 cup apple or rice vinegar

Optional--soy sauce

1 bunch of green onions, chopped

Mix oil, vinegar, sugar/splenda, flavor packet from the ramen noodles, and optional soy sauce to make the dressing. Mix slaw, nuts, seeds, onions, and dressing. Chill and serve.

I served this at Annabelle's Sprinkle! I had 4 people ask me for the recipe! I always think if others ask you for the recipe then you know it  was hit!

Annabelle's Sprinkle

I am always looking for a good reason to throw a party! My best friend Kristi gave me the perfect opportunity to throw a fun party this month! She was expecting her second child but her first little girl! I threw a Couples Baby Shower for Bowen (her first child).  I know that it is not typical to have another shower so I put a spin on the traditional Baby Shower and threw Kristi a Sprinkle.   In my opinion Annabelle is not any less important and I wanted to celebrate her also.  Annabelle decided to come into the world a little early so she was in attendance for the party!  I think the sprinkle was a hit! Close friends and family had the chance to meet the newest addition to the Brouwer family!  There was plenty of food for all and lots of laughs to go around!  

                                                            Annabelle Rayne Brouwer

My favorite part of planning a party is thinking of all the small details. I made this banner out of scrapbook paper! Crafts like this are time consuming but inexpensive and Kristi will be able to use this for future birthday parties. 

                                                                        It's not a party without cake

  I ordered these off www.coolpacifiers.com! Personalize items are always a great gift!

                                                            Compliments of Jessica

                                                     Another inexpensive way to decorate

                                     I set up a onesie decorating station for Kristi's nieces

                                                                Mommy & Annabelle

Meeting Benjamin

2 weeks ago Eric and I had the honor of meeting our nephew

Benjamin James Strobel.