~Memorial Day 2012~

I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday weekend, whatever you are doing. We went to a beautiful wedding yesterday evening. It was out in the country and I danced my bum off until the wee hours in a huge, old barn. It was wonderful.

God Bless our brave men and women in the military!

~type you soon~

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~Vegetable Tian Recipe~

I’ve had my eye on this vegetable tian. It’s so beautiful and looks so yummy.

What is a tian you ask?  Tian is a French word that describes an earthenware square or rectangular casserole dish.  A tian can be a variety of dishes but originally referred to a Provencal-style mix of vegetables that are cooked, baked or roasted in a gratin style. Their presentation is appealing and I love that you can play with the colors

2 tbsp olive oil (divided)

1 large sweet yellow onion cut in half and sliced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1-2 russet potatoes, unpeeled

1 zucchini

1 yellow squash

3 large Roma tomatoes

Sea salt, freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Dried thyme, to taste

3/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Coat a baking dish with olive oil cooking spray. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the onions and saute until translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 60 seconds. Spread the onion mixture on the bottom of the greased baking dish.

Slice the potatoes, zucchini, squash and tomatoes in 1/4 inch thick slices. Layer them alternately in the dish on top of the onions, fitting them tightly into a spiral, making only one layer. Season with sea salt, black pepper and dried thyme, to taste. Drizzle the last tablespoon of olive oil over the top.

Cover the dish with tin foil and bake for 35 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Uncover and sprinkle the Parmesan cheese on top and bake for another 25-30 minutes or until browned.

Enjoy!

~type you soon~

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Lipstick Personality Test

I saw this chart when I was vacationing in Southern California and it made me laugh. It's a personality test based on the shape of your lipstick. I never knew there was such a thing. Of course I immediately began digging around in my purse to find lipstick for a comparison. It looked most like the first one, Similar to the original shape, and I can see those personality traits in me.

What does yours lipstick about you?

~type you soon~

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~Refreshing Sun Tea~

My family and I love sun tea—especially on a hot day. It’s so simple to make; a glass pitcher or jar, tea bags, water, and sunshine. It doesn’t get any easier than that.

We have been drinking a gallon of it a day! Our favorite is “Sweet Tea”, if you are from the south you know what I’m talking about. We first tasted sweet tea in Louisiana and were hooked.  Some of the best sweet tea I’ve ever tasted was in Texas (I believe it was at McAlister’s Deli. I drank so much I was sick).

We don’t make sweet tea that often at home because I’m afraid we’ll rot our teeth out. We make a basic sun tea and “spice” it up by adding lemon or mint. Lately we have been adding a few Tazo Passion tea bags and it’s very good.

Sometimes we drink it just plain.

Ahhh... Here's to summer!

~type you soon~

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~SECRETS~ is FREE today on Amazon

Secrets is going to be free today and tomorrow on Amazon! Click on over and get your free copy.

Amazon US

Amazon UK

~type you soon~

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~Changing Your Home With The Seasons~

I have several friends who convert their home or several rooms from winter to summer.  I’ve never really swapped out throws, pillows, rugs, and drapes to ring in the new season. But I love these winter /summer transformations.

 Winter

Summer

Winter 

Summer

Winter

Summer

Winter

Summer

Winter

Summer

~type you soon~

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~Home Made Body Scrub~

This is a repost of my favorite body scrub.

Summer is fast approaching and the thought of getting into a swimsuit makes me cringe. So in my efforts to try and get my “winter body” even remotely close to being a “summer body” I have decided the neglect must stop. It’s crunch time!

I read in Cosmo awhile back that coffee can help reduce cellulite if it is scrubbed on the body. Now, I LOVE coffee and the thought of rubbing it all over my body sounded pretty damn good to me. So off I went into the kitchen to make my own coffee scrub.

This scrub is wonderful! I am addicted to this stuff. I LOVE the way it makes my skin feel and the way it smells. I should point out, the first time I used it, I crawled into bed and my hubby turned to me and glanced at my nightstand…seeing nothing he glanced back to me and looked at me curiously, “Did you make coffee?” he had asked. I’m not kidding…you’ll smell like a pot of freshly brewed coffee after you use this scrub so please be aware of that. Also, this stuff is seriously rough…I wouldn’t recommend using it on your face. I make a batch and store it in a canning jar and keep it in my shower all the time.

Brown Sugar Coffee Body Scrub

2 cups of coarsely ground coffee (buy the super cheap stuff just make sure it’s caffeinated)

1/2 cup raw sugar (I’ve tossed in a little brown sugar too)

2/3 tablespoon of olive oil

1 teaspoon almond (or vanilla) extract

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and then transfer and store in a tightly sealed container. I use a mason jar.

Use scrub in shower on damp skin! 

~type you soon~

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~Spilling Flowers & Plants~

I’ve been working in the yard like crazy for about a week. Things are coming along and I can't wait for summer.

I have several large pots (and one broken one) and I wanted to do something fun with them. I like this idea.

~type you soon~

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