Orange Blossom Frescas - A beverage for the Morning After

I know this is a strange day to post about a refreshing, cold beverage, being we’re in a midst of a Snow Advisory but I’ve been drinking Orange Blossoms with Cranberry and Mint all day long and it’s just too good not to share. I started making Infused Waters out of necessity. Being a poor college student and wanting some variety in my daily menu, I just took fresh fruit and picked some mint that was growing wild on campus and let it ferment for a few hours in ice cold water. But I had no idea that my inexpensive yet delicious beverage actually had roots in Spanish Cuisine a.k.a Aguas Frescas or Fresh (cold) Water! Aguas Frescas is super easy to make. Just slice up some fruit, I like citrus the best, add a few sprigs of mint and place all of it in a pitcher, add water and chill. But you can make it more complicated by adding several different fruits or herbs. Sometimes I like to add a tsp or so of Rose Water to give the beverage a delicious fragrance. AllRightsReserved@BigBlackDog

http://bigblackdogs.net/looking-for-a-good-alternative-to-soda/

People who have sons People who have sons For those who have sons & those of us who are happy that we don't. And you also find out interesting things when you have sons, like... 1. A king size waterbed holds enough water to fill a 2000 sq. ft. house 4 inches deep. 2. Gimme S’more. Sep22 Nothing says fall, bonfires, and gooey deliciousness like a s’more. Nothing. But the thing is, s’mores don’t have to be reserved for special outdoorsy occasions. If you get creative enough you can squeeze them into your daily food pyramid just about anywhere. (And who’s going to say no to that?!) Cheeky Kitchen & Slow Cooker Gooey Chocolate Cake - StumbleUpon I’m meeting a new friend for lunch today. And an old friend for line-dancing tonight. And I’m feeling rather spoiled about it all.

How to win Rock-paper-scissors every time I admit it. When I first heard there are actual tournaments for Rock-paper-scissors, sanctioned by the World Rock Paper Scissors Society, I laughed. I mean seriously, $50k to the winner of a game that requires no skill whatsoever? Absurd. Recipes from Kevin & Amanda This post is in partnership with French’s Sweet Yellow Mustard and Spicy Yellow Mustard. I received compensation to write this post through the Sweet and Spicy Influencer Program. All content, photos, and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting sponsors that allow me to create new content for Kevin & Amanda! Today I’m partnering with French’s Mustard to bring you this fabulous Honey Garlic Shrimp. This quick and easy dinner is SO fresh and light for summer!

Salted Caramel Cupcakes & We are not Martha One of my very favorite flavor combinations this time of year is salted caramel. I actually fell for the sweet/salty combo when I found myself always buying the salted caramel hot chocolate at Starbucks a few winters back. It was soul-warming and lovely and very easy to become addicted! Since fall is officially here now I decided what better way to end the weekend than by baking some seasonal cupcakes. I was caaaa-raaaa-ving cupcakes. And caramel. Terrarium Centerpieces The other week, my good friend Stephanie and I planned out a craft weekend. Our mission: Terrariums. Not the kind you keep lizards in, but the kind you can seal up and watch the moss grow. It was fun, cheap, and easy, and while we were creating them I realized how awesome they would be as centerpieces at a wedding. They are totally unique, creative, and beautiful. We each made four of them, which just goes to show they are not even that labor intensive.

Joy the Baker — I feel like I’m grasping tight to the things around me these days. I’m probably the first to shrug off the change of season, the change of moving cities, and the change of traveling a ton as no big deal…. but it all adds up to matter and I have to admit I feel a little crazy in the brain. This season I’ve started a new workout routine. Since I’ve moved away from my beloved SoulCycle in California, I’ve started practicing Bikram Yoga in New Orleans. I’m terrible. Who knew bending could be so dang challenging? Oreo and Peanut Butter Brownie Cakes - StumbleUpon So, after being gone all last week, this has been catch up on the house week. Mostly laundry actually. Man, who knew that a weeks worth of laundry from 5 people could be so daunting. Yikes!!

A Cozy Kitchen » Avocado Fries I have a particularly tragic memory of looking at rental houses with my friend when he first moved to LA and finding one that actually had an avocado tree in the backyard. I mean, a tree that was taller than the house and was heavy with ripe avocados This memory is tragic because my friend didn’t rent the house. If he had, I would have had a never ending supply to feed my avocado addiction.BTW – what are avocados, a vegetable?

*Simply Scratch*: Bacon Wrapped Jalapeños I have three words for you… BACON….WRAPPED….Jalapeños! Have you heard of any three words that sound more delicious than that?? And as much as I would love to take credit for this recipe, I can’t. This isn’t an original recipe… but it’s a darn great one!