Five for the 4th.... {Featured Five & Giveaway Reminder}

Thought I'd do a Special Red, White & Blue Featured Five this week....


So festive...
Short & sweet.... I'm on vacation after all.... 

Independance Punch
from Big Bears Wife

Flag Cake Pops from My Juice Cup

Fourth of July Whoopie Pies from
Gerry at Foodness Gracious!  

Red, White & Blue Sangria from Recipegirl

Super cute berries from Sisters Cafe

or Champagne Soaked berries
 instead byMinistry of Alcohol?

***ALL PHOTO CREDITS TO THE POST REFERENCED,

HUGE Thank you to all for letting me repost****

Oh YEAH! That was your one for Good luck I guess!!
But even LUCKIER is this reminder to YOU that this could be your lucky day!

LAST CHANCE TO ENTER JUNE GIVEAWAY!

Round THREE of my 12 THINGS I LOVE GIVEAWAY! 

An awesome hanging pewter measuring spoon set {a new one not this one from my wall LOL!} from Purple Dragonfly Boutique...  BUT WAIT.... that's not all!   When I told the girls at Purple Dragonfly about my giveaway they said they want to add a SURPRISE to the winner.... they are sweetening the pot!

CLICK HERE TO ENTER!

THIRSTY THURSDAY & An AMAZING Guest Post {Grilled Peach Bourbon Old-Fashioned}

Well, to say I'm EXCITED about this post 
would be a superfragilisticexpialidocious understatement...
Today I'm introducing you to Jennie!
I've followed her blog forever but we "met" officially because Jennie is a fellow Food Story Judge just like CJ.
I simply adore her blog!
The Messy Baker... HA! The PERFECT Baker....
great stories, incredible photography and just one of my very happy places.
She'll be one of yours too so head on over AFTER you check out this 
A. MAY. ZING. Post :)

Thanks again Jennie!!

Hi, all! I'm Jennie from The Messy Baker, and I'm here filling in for Heidi while she's out of town. Can I just tell you how much I adore Heidi. Well, I do. She's the queen of cocktails, and always has something amazing shakin' up. I totally stalk her site for the best cocktail recipes. The girl has perfected my favorite cocktail, the mojito. In honor of Heidi and our love of cocktails, I decided to make a grilled peach bourbon old-fashioned. That's right, you heard me. Doesn't it sound delicious? It totally is! 

HAPPY NATIONAL CHOCOLATE PUDDING DAY {& an awesome guest post!}

With any luck I'm lounging on a beach in Key West as you read this.... or at a minimum I'm bellied up to a Tiki Bar avoiding the Tropical Storm that's blowing by.... No matter what I'm doing, I'm on VACATION!  That said, I've got a couple treats lined up for the week from my fellow Food Story Award Judges and CJ is my first {which is appropriate as she was my first Guest Blog!}

So, without further adieu, I'd like to welcome CJ from Food Stories Blog, CJ is an awesome lady with a fun blog that is all about the STORY behind food.... whether it's Picture saying a 1000 words or a Food Holiday.... she's your girl!

Thanks CJ for stopping by.... when you are done here go check her out there!

Hello ... I am C.J. from Food Stories and I am so excited to be joining you today on  National Chocolate Pudding Day . I've only been blogging for a few months and this is only my second guest post so thank you, thank you, thank you for joining me in this foodie adventure. It will certainly be difficult to contain my excitement but I will try :-) Thank you Heidi for extending this opportunity!

Cloudy With A Chance of Cocktails {Featured 5!}

Leaving for vacation TOMORROW!!!

Yay me!

Supposed to Rain the whole time!

BOOOOO Weatherman!

I'm calling it Cloudy with A Chance of Cocktails....

YAYYYY ME!

But before I go.... 

my favoritest 

of all this week were.....

A little Rhubarb Simple Syrup

 inspiring a NEW Mojito!

YAY Sheena 

at Butter vs. Burpees!

Looks stunning :)

I hate it when I'm predictable 

but put the words 

HONEY CHILI SAUCE

in your title and you are SO in!  

Thanks Jessica at OH CAKE  

Just LOOK at these 

Spring Rolls would ya?

Jenn over at Home Skillet 

made some fudge this week 

that I swear I could rationalize as being "healthy" 

I'm waiting quietly.... 

and then I'm eating a whole batch!

Isn't this picture DELICIOUS? 

 Seriously? 

200 declines  

Crazy Trolls they are.... 

read this post, 

LYAO 

then make Waffle Pizza  

I adore you 

Kita at Pass the Sushi

Laura at Wylde Thyme 

got me with her

 Lobster Rolls this week..... 

take me to a seafood shack 

in Rhode Island would ya? 

Looks YUMMY!!

ONE FOR GOOD LUCK?

Well.... it's one that I *heard* was coming..... 

I even SAW a picture.... OMG.  

Then it appeared in time! How's THAT for luck?

The Mango Martini! 

WOOT WOOT Anita at the Hungry Couple :)

***ALL PHOTO CREDITS TO THE POST REFERENCED,

HUGE Thank you to all for letting me repost****

HOUSEKEEPING:

A round of applause for Arva from I Live in a Frying Pan! She has a GREAT blog and was our May Winner of the Food Stories.... CHECK HER OUT!

****DON'T FORGET TO check me out on the 26th.... I may be out of town BUT some awesome Guest Blogsfrom my fellow Food Story Judges... CJ from the Food Stories Blog is guesting to celebrate National Chocolate Pudding Day AND on Thirsty Thursday the 28th.... the Messy Baker's Jennie is guesting one kick a$$ cocktail..... DO NOT MISS THIS! OMG!!!!

HEY DONTCHA KNOW?????****** JUST a little more than a week left to enter My & the Purple Dragonfly Boutique's AWESOME JUNE GIVEAWAY!!!!

& Last But NEVER LEAST.....

HUGE SHOUT and sincerest Thank You to Chocolate, Chocolate and MORE for the Sunshine Award... so, so, so, made my day :) 

THIRSTY THURSDAY: Would you like some toast with your jam? No Thanks. {Sweet Kentucky Sip}

Sweet Kentucky Sip

 So, last week I had the pleasure of popping into One Flew South and our Barkeep was the dynamic Tiff this visit..... fortuitously, one of Tiff's admirer's brought her in a jar of homemade preserves on his way through so Tiff immediately mixed up a quick batch of "sips" for us all and let me say, I'm no Whisky drinker but OH MY was this smooth.... a mighty fine sip I would have to say!
I recreated it for you for this fine Thirsty Thursday....

WHAT YOU NEED:
4 ounces Whisky of your choice
{I used some good old Early Times Kentucky Whisky}
1 tsp jam..... I used Dickinson's Blackberry Preserves

WHAT YOU DO:
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice add whisky and jam and shake it like you mean it, at least for a couple minutes, then strain into a rocks glass and enjoy with a couple "rocks."

Very.  Nice.

Happy National Martini Day!

ATTENTION! ATTENTION!
It's National Martini Day dontcha know!

Just thought I'd take a moment to share a few of my favorite Martini Recipes....

Boulder Locavore's Classic Martini

The Hungry Couple's Springtime Martini

My Mochatini!

and if these don't strike your fancy.... pop over to BARFLY


where there's a whole slew of awesome martinis awaitin' like the LEMON CREAM PIE MARTINI, the Sapphire Martini , the GODIVA CHOCOLATE MARTINI or perhaps some Blueberry Martini Jello Shots?
Whatever you decide.... CHEERS!

Oh, this is a FOOD Blog? {Rock Shrimp Marinara over Linguine}

Rock Shrimp Marinara 

Sometimes it would appear that I forget this is a food blog.... 
and I've got a serious backlog of yumminess that I swear I need to share.....
This recipe in particular was positively YUMMY.
Guess I'm not really a flog blogger yet 'cause I cannot ditch that word.....
I wonder if I get an extra cake plate if I can compensate.
Alas, it is what it is and this was YUMMY!

So, let's get to the FOOD!  

Rock Shrimp Marinara 

WHAT YOU NEED:

1 48 oz. Chopped Tomatoes {I used POMI of couse}

1 48 oz Strained Tomatoes {again, POMI}

3 TBSP good tomato paste

1 TBSP olive Oil

1 small onion diced

1 TBSP minced garlic

2 TBSP fresh chopped parsley {or 2 tsp dry}

2 TBSP fresh chopped basil {or 2 tsp dry}

1 TBSP granulated garlic

1 TBSP dried oregano

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup Cabernet

1 & 1/2 lbs. rock shrimp, peeled {or whatever seafood you like... bay scallops, shrimp}

WHAT YOU DO:
Heat Olive Oil over medium heat then add onion and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes then add everything BUT the seafood and stir well, reduce heat to low and simmer for 30-45 minutes.  15 minutes before you want to eat heat your pasta water on high.  10 minutes before serving cook your pasta to al dente as per instructions and increase heat to medium high, add seafood and cook stirring frequently for 7-10 minutes until seafood cooked {no longer pink}.


This was super easy & so good....


DIG IN!  

Happy Monday & A Photo A Day

I've sure been having fun with my PhotoADay... 

such a cool idea.  Here's my 1-15...

I'd love to see yours if you are playing too!

Happy, Happy Father's Day to Mine & Yours!

I hope you are having a great Father's Day... I just wanted to wish a Happy Happy Father's Day to My Dad, My kid's Dad {a/k/a my Husband :)}, my Father-in-Law and last but NEVER least my Uncle who is like a second Dad to me :)and share a few pics to CELEBRATE!

The many faces of the old guy... a/k/a Daddy a/k/a PopPop

David & I and of course the 3 beasts.... Kady, Kyra & Dylan

My Father-in-Law, Loyd, with Kady & My AWESOME Uncle Dinty & I in the SWAMP!

XXOO

Sunday S'Mores & a Guest Post with Treats and Trinkets

S'mores Cookies

HAPPY SUNDAY S'MORES!

I'm VERY excited that my fellow Food Story Judge trusted me to fill in over on her "place" for Sunday S'Mores. 


Hope You'll pop over to Treats & Trinkets to check out the recipe for these awesome cookies and visit while you are there!

The Mile High Club & A Father's Day Menu

Oh get your mind out of the gutter this isn't the 70s for goodness sake, we were just a club, like the Mickey Mouse Club or Secret Handshake Club!

WTH am I talking about? Well, I had a super fun flight from Hartford to Atlanta yesterday and thought I'd shout of to our awesome Delta bartender in the sky.... Liscious Willams III.... I AM NOT MAKING THAT UP! I swear, he showed me his ID and everything because after a few de-Liscious drinks {yeah I went there} when he said his name, I didn't have a filter and basically said.... you are making that UP! 

Neither Snow Nor Rain Nor Heat Nor Gloom of Night Stays Young Grasshopper from Delivering Her Featured 5!

What a week.... I bring you my Featured 5 from a hotel room in Springfield Massachsetts this week!

So even though no cooking by the Grasshopper Girl the rest of you kept it rolling....

for starters.... Nicole at Nicoleander Kitchen spent her Sunday stuffing little tofu cubes with some super yummy orzo stuffing.... I've never used tofu but this will be what I make as my maiden voyage.... so awesome.

Then Jenn @ Home Skillet came by with some seriously yummy looking Beef Yakitori.. the glaze looks and sounds pnenominal!

I don't know about you but ALL WEEK LONG I kept seeing S'mores, S'mores & more S'mores and interestingly enough I am Guest Posting over at Treats & Trinkets on Sunday about..... yup S'Mores! But this one grabbed me & I saved it for the Feature.... pretty sure I saw it on Foodbuzz Top 9 AFTER I chose it.... just sayin'  Anyhow, Kita at Pass the Sushi.... thanks for the lovely S'mores Bars. 

And while we are talking S'mores.... I also saw this yummilicious S'more Fudge....

I know, I know,

 I'm degenerating into my SWEETS again....

but sometimes that's just what you get! 

Thanks Big Fat Baker!  YUMMY :)

So, when David & I first were dating and then married we were on a quest for the BEST Tiramisu.  Everywhere we went if the offered it we ordered it.... don't know that other than getting a bit rounder we ever really dubbed a BEST.  But, it's a dessert near and dear to me forever.  When I saw Baker Street boasting Tiramisu BREAD. 

I was like.  Shut. UP! I'm so trying this....

One for good luck you say? 

Well, here I am innocently minding my own business

when in pops Kelly from over at Eat Yourself Skinny with.... freaking FUNFETTI DIP.

  I was momentarily speechless

{and that doesn't happen often}

and then she proceeds to say that it's not a diet buster. 

 Overcome that's what I am.

***ALL PHOTO CREDITS TO THE POST REFERENCED,

HUGE Thank you to all for letting me repost****

HOUSEKEEPING:

check me out Sunday at Kim's Treats and Trinkets....

posting a S'mores recipe on her Sunday S'mores

in case you haven't seen ENOUGH of them

click that link and check out

the Messy Baker's S'mores Shake, REALLY Jennie?  OMG!!!!

 

and of course.... JUST My & the Purple Dragonfly Boutique's AWESOME JUNE GIVEAWAY!!!!

THIRSTY THURSDAY: If I wasn't Laying Down I'd Faint {& A Watermelon Spritzer Recipe}

Watermelon Spritzer

 Miss me?

It's been kinda crazy and I've been out of pocket. 

I had to head north unexpectedly. 

le sigh. 

My Great Auntie lives in MASS and my Aunt Susan got a call that things were not going well, and she & I hopped on a plane.

When we walked in, 

she grabbed our hands and said

"If I wasn't laying down I'd faint!"

God I love her.

Alta & I in 2011 {yes, she's 105 here!}

Did I mention Alta is 106 years old?

Yes ONE HUNDRED & SIX.

And she's a freaking rock star.

If I didn't know it would kill her {literally} I'd move her to Florida.

{although I'm considering writing the Donald to see if he will pay to move her in a safe way so we can love her full time--- do you have a connection?}

But, in the meanwhile, we cannot. 

and we do the best we can....

and thus, among other things, no blog.

Except I planned ahead for Thirsty Thursday :)
So, need a drink?
I do.
Have a Watermelon Spritzer

WHAT YOU NEED
1 cup watermelon juice (crush watermelon in a tall cup and strain )
4 ounces White Wine {I like dry.... if you use sweet then skip the simple syrup}
1 ounce simple syrup
1/2 ounce lime juice
6 torn mint leaves
ice
lime wedge and mint leaves for garnish

WHAT YOU DO
Place the watermelon juice, wine, simple syrup, lime juice, and mint leaves into a cocktail shaker, muddle well. Then fill halfway with ice, shake well and strain the drink into a wine glass. Garnish with lime & mint.

Ahhhh, can you imagine being 106? 

You'd REALLY want one of these {or a VO & soda...}!

You mean you can Just EAT them? {Strawberry Recipe Round Up}

Champagne Mojito

I see a strawberry and I think.... hmmmmm, what kind of drink can I make? like for instance a Champagne Mojito :) 


Carla over at Chocolately Moosey on the other hand spends a whole week celebrating National Strawberry Week and tops it off with an AWESOME round up of the best of the best.... and yes a few of mine slipped in there <3


Go check her round up out!

Thanks for including me!  XXOO

HAPPY WORLD GIN DAY! GINSANITY CHAPTER IX: Quick Ruthie get the flag.... it's Happy Hour! {Basil French 75}

Basil French 75

OK, so much to my chagrin I had no mint today for my Happy Hour.... have I told you when I was growing up my folks actually had a flag they hung every summer evening that said Happy Hour?  LOL, I kid you not.  I would kill for that flag.


Anyhow, back to my mint conundrum...


So, I called my friend/neighbor Barbie.... NOPE
I accosted PopPop... is he growing it yet?  NOPE


DAMN.
Plan B.
Basil....
So, fistful of basil, lemons and some champagne I Google for an assist and who woulda thought it.... 
MARTHA came through.


BASIL FRENCH 75 
{only very slightly modified}
thanks & credits to Martha Stewart

WHAT YOU NEED:

5 basil leaves

2 slices lemon in quarters

1 ounce simple syrup

2 ounces gin

1/2 ounce lemon juice

Ice

4 ounces Champagne {brut}

WHAT YOU DO:

Muddle basil leaves with 1 lemon slice and simple syrup in a shaker. Add gin, lemon juice, and a little ice. Shake well and strain into glass. pack with ice and top with Champagne.

Your are Welcome. You SURVIVED the day & I was waiting with an awesome idea.