Quick Summer Dessert

One of my favorite summer treats is strawberry shortcake. (Especially now, when the strawberries are in season!) The next time you have a little free time, make a pound cake and stash it in the freezer. Now when you have unexpected company, just pull it out and serve fresh strawberries and whipped cream over the slices. It freezes remarkably well and works perfectly with summer fruits. Looking for something a little more gourmet? Toast the cake slices on the grill for a fun twist. A frozen homemade pound cake is always the ace in my pocket for a quick summertime dessert!

Golden Egg

Last week's golden egg hails from Goodwill. I snagged a cute brand new pair of Nine West sandals for $5! I got them for my mom, but alas, they didn't fit her. Now I'm faced with the terrible burden of wearing them myself. Oh the horror! Here are the little beauties:

Mood Lifter

Spring is now in full swing and I don't know about all of you, but my schedule is getting more crowded by the day. Don't get me wrong, I love it, but sometimes the clutter in certain places of my house can start to overwhelm. The worst area for me is my desk. It turns into the island of misfits (you know what I mean if you're a Rudolph fan). For example right now, there's a vacuum cleaner attachment, a clean fork, matches, and sunscreen taking up residence on my desk. Anyway, the goal is to achieve a sense of peace when I sit down to my transformed oasis. I'll let you know how it goes. Oh what the heck, I'll do  before and after pictures! I'll have to post the "after" picture later today, so bear with me...

*This picture is sure to make you feel better about your house-keeping skills!

Summer Strawberries!

If you are fortunate enough to live in an area with you-pick strawberries nearby, then you probably need recipes to help use them up. Here is a "recipe" of my favorite fruit salsa. I use the term recipe loosely, because it is not exact. It is however, extremely refreshing, healthy, and delicious!

Strawberry Salsa
2 cups chopped strawberries
2 Tablespoons of strawberry jam
2 kiwi fruits, chopped
1/2 lime, juiced
zest of 1/2 a lime

Combine all and add more jam or lime to taste. Serve with cinnamon tortilla chips.

Cinnamon tortilla chips
Place flour tortillas on a sprayed cookie sheet. Spritz with water and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake at 400* till crisp. Break into bite sized pieces.

Clean that keyboard!

My computer keyboard has become horribly dusty. It haunts me every time I sit down to use it. Well, I've discovered a quick, easy, and free way to clean in between the keys: a paintbrush. Just grab a clean paintbrush and sweep away the dust. It worked perfectly! No more buying compressed air-in-a-can. I always thought it was morally wrong to have to purchase air!

Fun Mother's Day Gift

These bottlecap magnets are a perfect gift for Mom! They add a personal, yet stylish touch to your fridge while managing to be entirely functional. Imagine that! I made some of my late grandparents at Christmas and slipped them into my mom and sister's stockings. (Yes, we still get stockings! No one should ever have to give up getting a stocking.)

What you need:
Bottlecaps (use twist-off ones so they don't bend)
Craft glue
Resin (you can find this at Michael's)
Small magnets (find them at Michael's)
Pictures

Cut your picture into a small circle to fit inside the bottlecap.
Glue the picture to the inside of the cap and let dry.
Glue the magnet to the back of the cap and let dry.
Follow the mixing instructions for the resin and pour into the bottlecap til' almost flush with the edges.
Let the resin set for 24 hours.

Here's the finished product:

Foam Soap Recipe

I love the foam soaps that are widely available these days. No more sticky gooey soap! I've found a great "recipe" for your own homemade version. It literally takes less than 30 seconds to make! It costs just pennies to make and you can customize your own scents. The Castile soap is so much gentler on your skin too!

Here's all you need: Castile soap, essential oil, an old pump bottle

Step 1:

Add 1 Tablespoon Castile soap and a few drops of essential oil to bottle; fill up bottle with water.

Step 2:

Wait. There is no step 2. It's that easy!!

Luscious, foamy soap!