4th of July fun…

It’s that time again…

Time to start planning our 4th of July menus!

We don’t have any big plans, but I just can’t let a holiday go by without some special food.

Here’s what I’m thinking:

This tomato-feta salad will be made for sure

And something grilled… maybe some burgers or steak kabobs

Fresh blueberries for a little something blue (and to satisfy my insane fresh-fruit cravings right now!).

Oh, and I am absolutely loving these red, white and blue strawberries from Taste and Tell

And since it’s perfect strawberry-season right now, maybe I’ll whip some up for us to snack on!

Aren’t they adorable?

There will be fun drinks for sure. (It wouldn’t be a holiday without them!)

I can pretty much guarantee the husband will be making his fresh-squeezed homemade margaritas

And maybe I will whip myself up some virgin blended piña coladas!

I’m hungry already!!

Do you have big plans for the 4th? Fireworks? Food?? Or just a mellow day at home?

fresh cherry almond yogurt parfaits

I am a huge fan of fresh fruit and yogurt parfaits. Something about the combination of flavors and textures just always makes me happy.
And this is one of my favorite combinations yet!

Fresh, juicy, sweet Bing cherries just couldn’t be any more perfect right now and I love the hint of almond complementing the cherries.

(I also discovered some amazing granola recently in our short visit to the Gluten Free world.

Udi’s has a great variety of all-natural gluten free granolas, and since they are still just as wonderful as any other non-gf granola, we are happily eating through our stash… even though we aren’t trying to have Bjørn eat gluten free anymore.)

Of course a generous topping of delicious granola is crucial for a great parfait!

Give this a try next time you’ve got a parfait-craving, or want to impress some breakfast or brunch guests. So fun!

Fresh Cherry Almond Yogurt Parfaits Recipe

Ingredients:
plain yogurt
pure almond extract
fresh cherries, pitted & halved
your favorite granola

Directions:
In a small bowl, stir together some of the yogurt with a splash of almond extract.

Layer in a mason jar or a pretty glass: cherries, almond yogurt & granola. Repeat layering as often as you’d like!

Serve immediately or store for up to several hours in the fridge.

Nutella-swirled Rice Krispies treats

Am I the only person who can’t seem to stay out of the kitchen when I have way too much other stuff to do?

Like packing for a week of camp with the kiddos?

And cleaning the house so the husband doesn’t have to go stir-crazy while we’re gone?

And getting all the laundry and dishes done so they’re not waiting for me when I get home??

Oh, I’m not?

Good.

Yesterday I decided that making Rice Krispies treats sounded way more fun than packing and cleaning.

First I made Andrew a pan of plain ones for the week (you know, so he doesn’t forget about me!)

And then I decided to make a pan of Nutella-swirled ones for you guys.

Ok, ok… they might have been for me. But, I totally would have shared them with you if you were here!

As it is, you’ll just have to make some for yourself and pretend I shared them with you.

Nutella-Swirled Rice Krispies Treats Recipe

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons butter
1-10oz bag large marshmallows
1/2 cup Nutella
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
8 cups Rice Krispies cereal

Directions:
Line a 9×13″ pan with foil and butter the foil generously; Set aside.

In a large bowl, melt the butter in the microwave for about 40 seconds. Stir in the marshmallows, coating with the melted butter and microwave an additional 1 minute 30 seconds, stirring after 45 seconds.

Stir the marshmallows well, until they are all smooth. Microwave a few seconds more if they aren’t smooth yet!

Drop the Nutella into the melted marshmallow mixture and microwave for another 20 seconds.

Pour in the vanilla and stir a few times, just to spread out the Nutella a bit. Don’t worry about mixing it all in.

Stir in the Rice Krispies until everything is evenly coated. Scoop the mixture into your greased 9×13″ pan and press down gently (get your hands wet and then shake off the excess water to make this process the least messy!).

Let cool for a bit before cutting for prettiest results. Or dig in right away if you have no one to impress!

a fun, new summery drink!

You all know I love to share fun new things with you when I find them.

This new summer-drink is no exception!

We (and by we, I mean my husband and friends, because being 7 months pregnant I am obviously not drinking these days!) recently discovered Michelob ULTRA Light Cider, a brand new different & fun summery drink.

I was bummed that I couldn’t have any, but my husband did a great job of describing it to me:

“It’s a fresh, crisp, very light & sweet summery drink. Almost like having a nice cold lemon-lime soda, but with a kick and a sweet hint of apple behind it. Very refreshing and very easy to drink, it makes you feel like you should be laying in the sun by the pool!”

Sounds pretty good to me! I am looking forward to trying it myself later this summer… hopefully over a glass of crushed ice, while I’m laying by the pool!

Michelob ULTRA Light Cider is a much lighter version of a traditional hard cider. 1/3 fewer calories*, much less heavy, sweet and just overall more refreshing. It would be a great substitute for your usual white wine or champagne!

And another fun little tidbit that makes me smile… It is naturally sweetened, made from hand-picked apples, and it also happens to be Gluten Free!

My eyes have recently been opened up to the world of Gluten-Free eating, and even though it’s not a need in my family right now, it still makes me happy to see more and more companies embracing the needs of people who used to have such a hard time finding fun new things that they could enjoy without worry.
If you’re looking for a refreshing treat next time the sun is out and you’d like to try something new, give this Light Cider a try!

Want to know more? Check out Michelob’s website (Sponsor’s Site) or the Michelob ULTRA Light Cider page on Blogher.com!

(Michelob ULTRA Light cider is available nationwide in six-packs of 12-ounce clear glass bottles… on their website there’s a handy little tool where you can plug in your zipcode for a specific list of stores where it’s available near you!)

*Michelob ULTRA Light Cider has 1/3 less calories than an average of the leading regular hard ciders, 120 cal./serving in light hard cider vs. 180 cal./serving in an average of the leading hard ciders!

**Dislaimer: This is a paid review for BlogHer and Michelob. I was given this product free to review. My opinions are my own (and my friends and family’s!) and only what I would say to you if you were sitting with me at my kitchen table!

no effort slow cooker cleaning

I have finally figured it out!!

After years and years of soaking, scrubbing, soaking & scrubbing over and over again to get my crockpot inserts clean after particularly stuck-on messes, I finally figured out the best and easiest way to clean them.

Want me to share?

Ok, here’s what you do:

1. Take your dirty, gross, burnt-on food crusted crockpot…

2. leave it in the base…

3. fill it up with hot water and a few squirts of dish soap…

4. turn it on LOW and walk away!

Let the soapy water ‘cook’ overnight, or even for a day or more if you’ve got a really big mess (think chili that sat in the slow cooker - on - for almost 2 days!).

When you’re ready, dump out the hot water, do a quick swish with a brush or rag and your crockpot will be clean as a whistle! (If it’s not, add more hot water and soap and just let it cook longer!)

Enjoy your clean slow cooker with no effort at all!

Does this make you as excited as it does me? I feel like I just gained years of my life back and a whole new joy-obsession with my slow cooker!!!

And, I will be making this slow cooker steel-cut oatmeal tonight. And not caring one bit about the burnt on bits that are pretty much inevitable!