4th of July Recipe Ideas

Welcome to my "Wow, it's almost the 4th of July. Where has the summer flown?" edition of Tasty Tuesday Parade of Foods.
With fresh fruit in season, it's a wonderful time to celebrate the 4th of July with festive recipe ideas. Things don't have to take a lot of time to be beautiful. I love using my glass ware for
serving fruit throughout the summer.

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I think everyone should make one of these cakes at some time in their life. :) You can make it from scratch or do it with simplicity and use a store bought cake mix.
Just celebrate patriotism with this yummy and fun Patriotic Cake.
Make this simple recipe interactive and educationally fun for little ones. While
you are making the cake, discuss with your family all the things
that make them feel courageous. Take turns placing the "stars"
onto the flag while stating one thing that makes this country
such a wonderful place to live and grow up.
photo credit: Aunt Owwee

INGREDIENTS:
30 - 35 strawberries
1 Sheet Cake 13 x 9 inches
1/2 cups blueberries
1 (12 ounce) tub COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed
DIRECTIONS:
Prepare 13 x 9 inch sheet cake. The sheet cake can be from
a package or a cherished family recipe. Remove stems from
strawberries. Top sheet cake with whipped topping. Place
strawberries and blueberries on whipped topping to create a
flag design. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Do you remember my Strawberry Cheesecake Truffle?
If not, you really need to bookmark that recipe. :)
Take the same instructions/recipe and make it perfectly patriotic by adding blueberries instead of the chocolate.

And lastly, show your American pride with this downloadable collection of craft projects to decorate, wear and entertain on the 4th of July. Find the perfect July 4th recipes to complete your celebrations.

It's 67 pages full of great ideas.
Sign up for FaveCraft's craft and recipe newletter and download this wonderful Recipe E-book. It has so many fun ideas.


So what do you do for the 4th of July? Do you have any special foods that "work for you" every year?

As always, please follow the simple guidelines or post will be deleted.
1. Include your post showing us your Tasty Tuesday recipe or ideas.
2. Link up below to the permalink of your post. To find out what yours is, simply click on the title of your post and grab the permalink from the address bar.
3. Link your post back to Balancing Beauty and Bedlam as a courtesy to me so everyone will know where to find more recipe inspiration.

Yard Sale Saturday Scores

Since I had the most surreal bedlam moment, which I will share at the end, my yard sale time was cut short this past Saturday. That didn't matter since I am at the point where I MUST get rid of things as soon as I bring new items home. It's not doing my organizational attempts any good when I have 25 "paint projects" in the queue.
The beauty of the treasures I bought this week is that I know exactly what I am going to do with them, and only one of the purchases takes up any room in my attic.

I love it when I can show you that patience on the treasure hunt is a virtue. I stated a few posts ago that I had been on the lookout for a glass cake plate, but hadn't found one in months....GUESS WHAT? And for a mere $2.
I am so excited. I have already used it to serve our hot pancakes, and even our cold cut cucumbers. Now, I am still searching for a perfectly plain crystal one without any design...I'll find it....someday. :)

I couldn't pass up this gorgeous piece of pottery for $1. I gasped when I saw the price. I googled the maker (Cal. orici 997 ), hoping it was valuable, but my search didn't reveal anything.
This green is just beautiful and since my kitchen opens up into the great room, the platter complements my green walls.
This leather tote is going to be filled with goodies for my niece as she goes away to college. It's much larger than it looks, and as a graduation present, I am filling it with lots of toiletries and treats.
Do you remember the first time you had to buy deodorant, shampoo and toothpaste in college? We all appreciated our parents a lot more on that day, didn't we? $0.50 for the tote.
As I was chatting with the lady who sold me the tote, she told me what great memories she had of using this flower holder to make dirt cake. WHAT? DIRT CAKE? My daughter JUST requested dirt cake for her birthday and I would never have thought of buying a really cute planter like this until the night before. I would have had to spend probably $6, and this cost me just $0.50 for the holder and the scooper.
I love to buy additional decorations for the upcoming holidays. This was another $0.50 find from the same lady. Yes, she was clearing out. It's wood and is a great size. The individual planks blow in the wind, and creates a neat effect.
A mug to hold the 4th of July silverware - $0.50, and a wallet to hold the $0.50. ;)
And the best find of the whole day...something totally practical that will save me TONS of money. A gentleman sold hundreds of quality paper plates and napkins. Won't these be wonderful for the 4th...

Fall chili served up in these bowls and Christmas cookies given as gifts on these plates?
You don't think I would have passed up on these with the huge family that I have, do you? :)
My husband was thrilled at the quality of the deal, it's the fact I am trying to clean out the attic that is the issue. :)
In the next few months I am going to do a few weeks of my Frugal Fashionista series and focus on clothes for teens, children, and even the older generation (yes, my mom agreed to model).
It will take one of my sons a bit of warming up to the idea. He wouldn't turn around to show me this great $1 Claiborne (for men) Vneck shirt and Liz Claiborne khakis.
The irony of this picture is that he knows I HATE it when he drinks out of the carton...it's not allowed..but I let him and he smirked the whole time I took this picture. Isn't it a sharp outfit?
Do your remember the sleeveless hot pink dress that I showed you this past Frugal Fashionista? Remember the point I made about the fact that outfits completely come together over a period of time. ONE DAY later, I found this purse. If you don't remember just how unbelievable of a find this is, take a look - seriously! It's the last picture. They look like the exact same fabric.


Isn't that such fun? I just LOVE yard sale-ing. It's definitely the only entertainment that I need.

I have my parents waiting for me in the other room, but I wanted to get this post linked up to Rhoda's.

The bedlam moment that I occurred as I was getting ready to go yard sale-ing? My dog was barking at 6:15am and I just thought she had to go to the bathroom. I groggily went downstairs to let her out, and as I opened the door, a HUGE mangy stray dog rushed in my house, along with my other outside dog and they began fighting in my kitchen. This stray dog had been sprayed by a skunk. I was scared to death that he could be rabid, and I knew I needed to get them out. I pushed them out with a stick. They were still fighting and now I saw that there was another dog outside.

(Since I am typing this in "real time," my family keeps yelling for me to come. I am being rude....so the story will continue...it's all good. Hours later, the owners were found for the strays, the fighting had stopped and all the dogs made nice. I, on the other hand, had an adrenaline rush going for the next four hours.)
I called my sis to tell her about my bedlam moment and we were just laughing so hard saying, "Can you believe this is really our life? Do you think anyone would truly believe all our bedlam? I can't believe this happened to me...only me."
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I'm adding this to my sweet blog friend, Heather's, "What makes me Smile" party. Yard sale-ing always makes me smile and choosing to laugh at my bedlam moments really makes me smile.
While you're there, check out her gorgeous tassles...those will definitely make you smile. :)

Frugal Fashionista Fashion Show

Welcome to my Frugal Fashionista Fashion Show.

For this week's Frugal Fashionista, I am giving you a "real life" look at what I wore each day.
As always, every single piece of clothing and accessories have been purchased second hand at yard sales or thrift stores. I purchased ALL of my outfits this week for a total cost of $28 for the entire wardrobe. This definitely "works for me."
I was at a home school conference Monday through Wednesday, so my choices needed to be a bit more dressy than sweats. :)

Monday - I dealt with my love of black dresses last week, and I should have just said that black pieces in general are my "go to" items for times I am in a hurry or indecisive. If I am rushed and have only minutes to get ready, I know that I can grab any variety of black pieces and it creates a classy look.

Total cost: $9.99
Sunglasses - $1 (yard sale)
Shirt - $1 (ys)
Necklace - $1 (ys)
Gab Shorts - $3 (thrift store)
Anne Taylor shoes - $3.99 (thrift store)

When I find shirts with a unique style twist to them, I snatch them up. I should have done a side shot because the fabric is cut longer around the hips and gives a unique look at the waist.

This is where you are thinking I'm trying to be "movie starish" with my sun glasses.
The truth? I had no make up on and didn't want to go apply some just for a picture. :)

A great pair of shoes elevates everything else in an outfit. For years, I didn't care a bit about shoes, so it's quite ironic that I now have quite a collection of them.
Five years ago, I rarely wore heels. Now I realize that the right shoe lengthens the leg, narrows the ankle, and slims the foot, or at least give that illusion (and isn't that what we care about)?
I still put comfort at a premium, so this heel is as high as I will ever go (and that's two inches higher than last year). ;) I will address choosing heels when Frugal Fashionista deals with shoes.
Tuesday - I love hues of green, and was thrilled when I found this silk shirt at the Salvation Army in Myrtle Beach (there is a total bedlam moment story with that purchase).

Total cost: $10.50
525 Shirt - $3.00 (thrift store)
9 and Company Capris - $4 (Junior League thrift store)
Hype brand shoes - $1 (yard sale)
Necklace - $0.50 (yard sale)
Earrings - $2

Ten hours earlier, this outfit looked much better...pardon the wrinkles. Again, another shirt with a unique twist. The sleeves are what got me. Look for those unique elements. This shirt was smooshed between a wrack of "trash," and I think I found a treasure from my hunt.
My day was just made when my youngest son pointed out that my feet looked like they were an 80 year old woman's. Ah...from the mouths of babes.
Over the course of two months, this entire outfit, with accessories, came together perfectly. Unfortunately, missing from the pictures was a fabulous blue/green bracelet that I wore for the day. This is a great example of the thrill of the hunt. I look for what I love and slowly outfits come together. The fact that I found so many things in the same color palette was just plain fun!

Wednesday - Am I going to say that this is the epitome of fashion?
No, but it's just fun, cute, and makes people happy when they see the pink. :)
My youngest daughter took this picture, and I probably should have checked it first. :) This spandex/nylon mix pink shirt is SO comfy, I could wear it every day. It's a style that looks great on every body size (even if you can't see it so well on this pic).

Total cost: $6

Shirt - $1 (yard sale)
Skirt - $1 (yard sale)
Croft and Barrow leather sandals
like new - yard sale $2
Jewelry - $2

Again, another fun, hot pink, casual look.
This dress is one I would wear around the house just because of it's comfort level.
And no, I would never wear the hat....it's actually in the Good Will box. ;)

Total Cost: $3
Dress - $2 (yard sale)
Flip flops - $1 (ys)

It completely matches my geraniums!
But shame, shame...this outfit is NOT complete without the necklace (which was left upstairs).
I forgot to get the picture in real time. :)

It has some beautiful bead work which makes it dressy enough for church if I throw a pair of nice shoes with it, but most of the time...
I wear it with these casual, flip flops. Now, is that a match or what? I found the sandals first, and then the dress. Yes, you can tell I wear these a lot.
Many people have remarked that their thrift stores are much higher in price than ours seem to be. I am thankful for the selection that we have, but I also don't buy things unless I feel that I am really getting a great deal, so that's what you are seeing. We have many thrift stores that mark items higher, but I have found the days when sales are offered or items are marked down, and only shop on those specified days. I can be much pickier at thrift stores because of the jack pots that I tend to hit at yard sales. That is where you will see your greatest values for any kind of items. When people have a lot of clothes to move, they will sell it to get rid of it, and then we can scoop it up and show it here. :) Thanks for letting me show my "scores."
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Posted at: Works for me Wednesday, Hooked on Houses...I'm hooked on frugal fashions. and
The Inspired Room\

I love seeing your Frugal Fashionista finds, but please follow these few "rules" so that everyone can join in.
1. Include your post showing us your Frugal Fashionista finds.
2. Link up below to the permalink of your post. To find out what yours is, simply click on the title of your post and grab the permalink from the address bar.
3. Link back to Balancing Beauty and Bedlam in your post so everyone will know where to come to find all the other fashion fun.
Thanks for playing along. It's so fun to encourage everyone that Frugality can be Fun and Fabulous!

Kraft First Taste Program

I posted about this a few weeks ago, but the offer was gone quickly. If you didn't get a chance to sign up to be a Kraft Taste Tester last time, try again. This gives you access to their Taste Tester site and you will receive coupons to try free Kraft products and then give your feedback.
Considering that I have printed a TON of coupons from Kraft and am taking advantage of all this free cheese, I must say....I LOVE KRAFT! Click banner below.
Sorry for the goofy spacing. I can't figure it out.

Glidden Paint - FREE National Paint Giveaway

Decisions like this KILL ME!
How can I pick out just one color of paint when there are SO many great ones on their palette?
Well, I had to make this decision quickly because Glidden is giving away a free quart of paint to YOU!
The page is loading VERY slowly because so many are taking advantage of their generous offer, but patience is a virtue...hurry, while supplies last through July 2. ;)

I chose turquoise. I am going to paint a $5 yard sale bench and put it under a shade tree.....yipee!

They're watching....

Reminder - Frugal Fashionista Fashion Show tomorrow -

Friday, June 26

mod·el·ing (mdl-ng)
1. The act or art of sculpturing or forming in a pliable material

It's amazing how my daughter watches me in the little things...
things I don't realize...things that pass me by without pause, but she notices.

She watches, she listens, she repeats...William Bennet stated, "there is nothing more influential, more determinant in a child's life than the moral power of a quiet example."
These precious pictures are a reminder of the power that I hold in the shaping of my childrens' lives. Whew- I don't take that lightly.

When I was looking through my camera card, I came across these two pictures that my daughter took of her favorite sandals.

My sweet Kindergartner wanted to be like her mommy.
She watched, listened and repeated.
She watched the little things, like her mommy taking pictures of silly feet for her blog, and she repeated what I modeled for her.
What else am I modeling, and I don't even know it?

mod·el·ing (mdl-ng)n.
3. The act or profession of being a model.

So on a very literal note, I do think we have just met the newest generation of Frugal Fashionistas.

Do you think I should pop her bubble by telling her that her most beloved sandals have seen their better days, and I was planning on throwing the ratty things away before I saw these pictures?
Are you kidding? If she thinks these close ups are worth a Frugal Fashionista blog post, so do I...
I desire to look through the "lens" of my daughter to always peel away the layers of bedlam and see the beauty.
Don't you want to be here in the morning when she sees her shoes are now "famous."
Oh, it's going to be priceless.
Posted at: Chatting at the Sky

How's that for a reminder to come join us tomorrow for our Frugal Fashionista Fashion Show?
Come link up and show off what great frugal finds you've found in the world of fashion.
I'll try and have the post up by midnight, so feel free to link up early. :)
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Enjoy these summer recipe inspirations....I LOVE this newsletter. :)

The Best Salad Ever - Asian Citrus Salad

As much as I love salad, I find that I stick to my favorite stand byes and don't venture out with interesting flavors nearly enough.
I am so glad that I broke loose with this Asian Citrus Salad. I would never have guessed that this blend of flavors would be so delicious. Now, the best salad ever? Yes, I know it's a matter of opinion, but I'm just saying - you won't be disappointed.
This has been a family favorite for years now and I literally can't make enough of it.
No matter how large I make the salad, it's gone....every time.

Now I wish that I could tell you exact amounts, but I have been making this salad for so long, I don't even know the original recipe. Add the ingredients to taste.
*Romaine lettuce
*radishes
*red onion
*grilled chicken (I add a bit of soy sauce on it).
*orange segments (typically I use drained mandarin oranges for ease)
*slivered, toasted almonds (I tend to omit due to cost, but they really add a great touch)
*Chow Mein noodles sprinkled on top



Tossing the salad in this home made Asian dressing is the ingredient that puts this salad in a category of its own. The beauty is that it only takes a few minutes to whip together. Why pay $10.99 for this at a restaurant when it will match any gourmet salad hands down? :)

My children will eat plates and plates of salad as long as this dressing is drizzled on top. I was first introduced to this recipe from the side of my PC dressing carafe. I could never share the recipe with any one since the exact amounts are not given, so I finally measured them out after years of being asked.

ASIAN DRESSING
Add the following ingredients and mix when finished:
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1 Pressed garlic clove
2 tsp. Sugar
1 cup Vegetable Oil (I use canola)

Give this a try...your kids will even eat radishes with this dressing, and that's quite a feat for any mom.
I told you I could never make enough. They literally took pieces of lettuce to get the last of the dressing.
What do you have to share for Tasty Tuesday Parade of Foods?

As always, please follow the simple guidelines or post will be deleted.
1. Include your post showing us your Tasty Tuesday recipe or ideas.
2. Link up below to the permalink of your post. To find out what yours is, simply click on the title of your post and grab the permalink from the address bar.
3. Link your post back to Balancing Beauty and Bedlam as a courtesy to me so everyone will know where to find more recipe inspiration.