4th of July Picnic

Parades, picnics, and fireworks… Our forth of July celebration, is this weekend and it’s always a blast. My family’s tradition is to do a potluck picnic. Everyone gets to make their specialty dish and share it with the whole family. My Mom makes the best tuna salad and my sister’s cheezy potatoes are unforgettable. I bring a layered fruit salad, it’s patriotic and the kids love it!

Here’s my recipe…

16 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature

12 tablespoons powdered sugar

2 cup whipping cream

3 teaspoons lemon juice (fresh)

4 cups blueberries

4 cups strawberries

Fresh mint leaves (to garnish)

In a medium mixing bowl, place the cream cheese, lemon juice, and powdered sugar. Whip with an electric mixer until fluffy. Slowly add whipping cream, a little at a time, and continue beating until the cream is incorporated and the mixture is fluffy. Into a large glass bowl, spoon a layer of blueberries into the bowl, then a layer of whipped cream mixture. Add some strawberries or raspberries, then another layer of whipped cream. Continue until the bowl is full, then garnish with mint leaves.

If you don’t feel like being in the kitchen, here are some great patriotic desert items that are sure to please the crowd. http://www.fruitfreshup.com/catalog.asp?prodid=628238&showprevnext=1 http://www.fruitfreshup.com/catalog.asp?prodid=627450&showprevnext=1

Grab your lawn chair and let the fireworks begin!

Creative Wedding Centerpieces

I was recently contacted at work, by a bride, looking for unique wedding centerpieces. Her future husband didn’t like the idea of spending money on flower centerpieces that just end up getting thrown away and wanted a more practical solution. She discovered our website and decided our custom carved watermelon boats would make the perfect centerpieces for their wedding.
http://www.fruitfreshup.com/store.asp?pid=25253&catid=19911
Her inquiry got me thinking…how much does a floral wedding centerpiece cost? Here’s what I learned, on average, floral centerpieces can run anywhere from $75 - $160. Now multiply that by the number of tables, ouch, that can take a bite out of your budget!
Here are some ideas for do it yourselfers that are inexpensive and fun and easy to do.
1. Fill different size and shaped glassware with your favorite candies. Add ribbons and candles and you’ve created sweet centerpieces that your guests can snack on all night long.
2. Fill a glass bowl with water and float gerber daisies and tea lights.
3. If you like the idea of flowers but not the idea of throwing them away. Try potted plants. They are reasonably priced and can be transplanted into your garden.
4. Use some framed pictures of the bride and groom to secure a balloon bouquet.
5. A glass bowl filled with fruit and greens is always a winner.
6. Candles, candles and more candles displayed on a mirror to reflect the light make a romantic centerpiece. Add flower petals and greens for an even softer feel.
With a little creativity you can create unique centerpieces that reflect your personality and save you some money too.

Stay Hydrated...

My kids never drink enough water. So when the heat is on this summer, I’m serving watermelon. This delicious fruit is 92 % water, full of vitamins and antioxidants, and a lot more fun than a glass of water.
There are over 200 varieties of watermelons, so mix it up and try something new. Have you ever tasted yellow watermelon? Yellow watermelons are even sweeter than traditional red melons and they add a great splash of color to a fruit salad.

How to pick the perfect melon:
Look for a round, oval or oblong melon that feels heavy for its size.
A heavy melon, is a juicier melon.
Avoid melons with soft spots or bruises.
If purchasing pre-cut melons, they should be firm in the center with a bright flesh.

Try out this recipe for Watermelon Ice to help cool off this summer.
6tbsp Sugar
4 Lime Leaves
½ c Water
1 ½ lbs. Seedless Watermelon
In a saucepan, over medium heat, add water, sugar, and lime leaves. Cook until sugar dissolves and remove from heat. Pour into a large bowl and cool. Remove watermelon rinds, chunk and pulse in a food processor until it becomes slushy. Stir into sugar mixture. Chill 4 hours, strain and freeze until firm. Thaw in refrigerator for ½ hour before serving.

Here's to staying cool!

Fruit Stamping

I was out shopping for greeting cards yesterday and had sticker shock. The average price for a card was $4. Like everyone else, I’m trying to cut back on my spending. On the next rainy afternoon, I have the perfect project for the kids and me. Creating our own greeting cards is not only economical but hand made cards are more sentimental.
Here’s all you need…
1. Apples (Or Other Fruits & Vegetables)
2. Sponge Brushes
3. Paper Plates
4. Card Stock, Construction Paper or Fabric
5. Paint (Tempra, Watercolor or Fabric Paint)
6. Black Felt Tip Markers

Instructions:
Create Your Stamp
Cut an apple in half. Experiment with your apples (or other fruits and vegetables) by cutting them different ways. Cut through the top and out the bottom to make a 'traditional' apple print, cut through the middle to make apple 'star' prints. Cut the apple into quarters for a different print also! Remove the seeds before stamping.

Put the paint onto paper plates, one color per plate.
Place a sponge brush on each plate. (sponge brushes work great because you can control of the amount of paint, painted on your apple. Too much paint makes the print goopy.)
Brush the paint onto the apple slice. Stamp it onto paper, cardstock or fabric.
Lift the apple slice gently off the page to reveal your print.
Be creative with your project, use different shapes and colors when stamping. Stamp large sheets of paper and use for wrapping paper. Cut out your apple stamps, punch a hole, add a ribbon and use them as gift tags. You can also use fabric paint to make apple print T-shirts, towels, tote bags etc!

Happy Stamping!

Fresh, Local, Fun!

A trip to the farmers market is something my whole family looks forward to. My favorite market opened last weekend, it’s located on a lovely village street, next to an old historic water mill. What a treat it is to buy direct from the farmers. They offer everything!!! Fresh fruits & vegetables, baked goods, fresh roasted coffee, specialty foods, home made sausage, natural fed beef, local wine, cheese, fresh cut flowers, herbs, plants, maple products, honey and so much more! This market even has entertainment, that’s right; when I was there, they had a musician playing and a storyteller entertaining the kids. If you haven’t visited your local farmers market put it on your to do list. If you need help finding the one closest to you, check out this informative website… http://www.localharvest.org/.
You’ll enjoy the freshest harvest and save a few dollars too!

Hurray, picnic season has officially begun!

I love planning a picnic. Whether it’s for the whole family or a romantic outing for two, a successful picnic starts with packing the perfect basket. Here are some tips I use when organizing my basket.
- Be sure to load your basket with enough plates, cups, utensils and napkins.
- Bring along an insulted cooler to keep highly perishable items cold.
- Pack the items you’ll use last, like trash bags and antibacterial wipes at the bottom of the basket.
- Line the bottom of your basket or cooler with ice packs and place the most perishable items closest to the cold source.
- Pack all food in plastic, water tight containers.
- Beverages can be frozen to help keep the food and the drinks icy cold.
- Last but not least, don’t forget to pack the sunscreen, the bug spray and ahhhhh yes, the sunglasses.

Now you can kick back, relax and enjoy the summer.

On The Grill

It’s planning time for my next gourmet dinner group. This month’s theme is “on the grill” and I’m bringing the dessert. I searched the internet looking for ideas and found some tasty looking recipes for grilled fruit.
What a great way to usher in summer!
Since the grill should still be hot and all you need is sliced fruit and cooking oil, it should be easy! Here’s how…
Select the fruits you want to grill. Since it is my first time grilling fruit, I selected pineapple. Hard fruits like apples, pears and pineapple are easiest to grill because the keep their shape and texture while cooking. To make my life even simpler, I’ll pick up some pre-cut pineapple slices from the grocery store. To grill, place the pineapple slices on a clean, oiled cooking grate. If you have a sweet tooth, you can add a bit of brown sugar to help sweeten the fruit. Grill the pineapple over high heat for about 1 minute per side or until browned.
I’ll be serving mine warm, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of chocolate syrup.

So fire up the grill and let the party begin!
Next time, I’m trying grilled bananas!