Raspberry Bars TO DIE FOR!!

I was pretty much MIA this week because...I ...went back to work!!!! Though I have been a flight attendant for the past 10 years I have not flown a trip in about two years until this week. I felt it was time to get back on the horse and thankfully it worked out so perfectly that I was able to work with friends which, of course, made my entry back to the FA world oh so much better. Since I was happy to be back (and thankful to not be flying with strangers on my first trip back!) I wanted to make sure and bring a special treat for the gals...enter these kick ass Raspberry Bars!!

I mentioned them a few days back when revamping that old coffee table. I got the original recipe from my Foodie Friday party last week and was so pleased with the results I had to make another batch just to prove how easy they were... OK, really because we scarfed the first batch so fast that I ran out before I could pack some up for my trip!! The original recipe came from Betty at Baking and Cooking a Tale of Two Loves but in true me fashion I tweaked it just a bit. Here is the super simple way to make these...AND DON'T MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE I DID BY ONLY MAKING A HALF BATCH!! You will be sorry and YOU WILL have to go back and make another one because these are sooo good and will not last long....

You will need:

• 2 c. flour
• 3/4 c. sugar
• 3/4 c. butter
• 1 Flax egg (1 TB ground flax mixed with 3 TB warm water) OR 1 lg. egg, beaten
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 1 1/4 C Raspberry Jam or whatever kind of jam you want...honestly I didn't measure but I made sure it was way more than originally suggested...we like a good jammy layer. I also heated the jam on the stove for a minute to make it easier to spread.
• Half a bag of mini chocolate chips...obviously, you could use the regular ones but I think the minis are cute! :)
• 1/2 c rolled oats

Cream the butter, sugar, and flour together. Add in the Vanilla, flax egg (or reg egg) and mix well. Once mixed reserve one cup of dough for the topping and press the rest into a 9x13 pan. I lined my pan with tinfoil to make it easy to clean and make it easy to remove the whole raspberry bar to cool and cut later. Once the dough is pressed into the pan add your layer of jam. Again, I made sure to warm mine a bit on the stove to make it easy to spread on the dough. Next take your reserved cup of the dough and stir in the oats and chocolate chips. With your hands, gently crumble the whole mixture on top of your jam layer. When you run out gently press down and pop that baby in the oven!! 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes. Just keep an eye on it and once it is brown on top your raspberry bars are done!! Once the pan cools a bit you can remove the bars by grabbing them by the tinfoil and lifting them out.

Here is the picture play by play...

Mix sugar, flour, vanilla, butter, and Flax egg or egg...

Line your pan with tinfoil...

Spread out your jam in a nice even layer...

Mix your 1 cup reserve with the oats and chocolate chips...resist the urge to eat raw dough...

Crumble the mixture on top...

Out they come...

Wait for the pan to cool then gently lift the tinfoil out with raspberry bars and all. Wait a bit longer to let it cool and set then peel back the layer of tinfoil to delight in your delicious treat...

Cut into bars and enjoy!!

Naturally, we could not wait for them to cool before digging in which resulted in burnt tongues due to that extra thick (um...and extra HOT!) layer of jam!! I am happy to say it did not scar us emotionally (though slightly physically) and we were back to it within 5 minutes...we tend to have a very short memory when it comes to food related injury...

So that's it! Simple, sweet, and barely any clean up...my kind of treat!! :) Make sure to join us tomorrow for Foodie Friday to link up your latest and Greatest.

Bianca Raspberry Bars, Chocolate Raspberry bars,

Linking up to the following: It's So Very Cheri, Thrifty Decor Chick, Keeping it Simple, Today's Creative Blog, Organize With Sandy, New Nostalgia, All Thingz Related, Hope Studios, The Thrifty Home, My Backyard Eden, DIY by Design, Tip Junkie, At Home With K, Someday Crafts, Night Owl Crafting, A Little Tipsy, Beyond The Picket Fence, The DIY Show Off, The Shabby Chic Cottage, Stuff and Nonsense, At The Picket Fence, Tales from Bloggeritaville, Fireflies and Jellybeans, Tatertots and Jello, The Shabby Nest, Home Sweet Farm, Finding Fabulous, Between Naps on the Porch, Dittle Dattle, Organize and Decorate Everything, Coastal Charm, Miss Mustard Seed, The Frugal Girls, Chick on a Shoestring Budget.

GIVEAWAY!! How 'Bout Some Chick Hardware??

***GIVEAWAY CLOSED***

Whats more chic than Chick Hardware? In my opinion...nada. Nothing. Not one thing.

A few weeks back I was introduced to Hiedi from Chick Hardware. At the time she was just about to hit 100 followers and there was a big ole giveaway goin' on...ya'll know how I love me a giveaway!! I found my self jumping over to the Chick Hardware Etsy page to pick the piece I most enjoyed and keep my fingers crossed so I could win...I didn't win. Not only didn't I win but I didn't win any of the 3 giveaways I entered with the 20 plus entries total. Bummer...but it didn't much matter as I had already made up my mind to buy one of her pieces (but it would have been oh so much better to have won). And then, as luck would have it, Heidi and I hit it off after I found a minor glitch in one of her buttons and wrote her with the new code to fix it. A bloggy friendship ensued and last week, low and behold, I opened my mail to find a neat little package addressed from Heidi...

OK - my camera wasn't cooperating in terms of lighting but here is my new favorite piece of jewelry...

I LURV IT!!

Heidi makes beautiful jewelry and, among it, she has a collection of pocket watch style pendants. Besides my adorable owl, she has crowns, silver balls and recently this creative lady added skeleton keys, filigree, and even the Eiffel tower...not the real one - you know, like, a mini one!! These items are not only chic but super cute AND affordable - you know I wouldn't be this hyped up if it weren't affordable. Each of the following are...wait for it...wait for it...under 20 BUCKS!!

But the fun doesn't stop there - Heidi even has a special something for Mothers Day...a personalized Mama Bird Necklace! Or perhaps bracelets are more your style??

Seriously cute, right?? This little sampling is only scratching the surface of what Heidi can do!! For her entire selection (which she just added to this weekend!!) make sure to pop by the Chick Hardware Etsy page. Make sure to order Mom's gift soon so you can get it in time for Mothers Day and, while you're at it...through in a little something for yourself. We all know YOU DESERVE IT!! :)

I was honored by Heidi's generosity that I am happy to pay it forward. Because I love ya'll so much - I am going to award one lucky winner a $20 credit towards Chick Hardware so you can try to win your very own piece!! The rules are quite simple...

***GIVEAWAY CLOSED***

Bianca

A Coffee Table Joe Could Be Proud Of...

Not any Joe, ya'll, your cup of Joe!!

A mid winter trip to the city during a snowstorm in rush hour landed me another Craigslist Super Buy for a mere 15 smackaroos. Here is how this frumpalicious table looked when I first brought her home...

Kind of Blah and Boring but a hearty piece made of solid wood...I simply couldn't resist and certainly nothing a good coat of white can't fix!! Of course, since then this baby has been drifting from room to room in hopes of a decent makeover. First the family room, then the living room, then back to the family room for a party, then back to the living room where she sat undisturbed for at least 2 months. Well, the time has come. Time to rip off the braces, trade the glasses in for contacts, and tame that frizz. It is makeover day here at LBR!!

First things first...Start sanding! I use a Ryobi 5 inch orbital sander...I bought it a few months back for the door project and, though it isn't as powerful as one would hope, it gets the job done.

OK - you caught me...the first pic is from the door project but the camera was charging and you know I have patience to wait!! Anywho, I had to take to hand sanding to get the legs and sides done...

When painting it isn't necessary to sand the finish down to the wood - all you need is a good scuffing. I did the top REALLY well because I know it will be getting a lot of use and I wanted the primer to have a good hold of the wood. I may have gone a bit overboard but I was soooo in the zone!

Once she was sanded I dusted her off with a tack cloth and went to priming. I used 2 coats of Kilz Premium Primer with a few hours in between. You will notice I didn't take too much time fixing up her imperfections...wood putty is super stinky and for this piece I didn't mind showing off a bit of her past life...she is an antique, after all! Here is the first coat of primer...

and the second...

After that I waited 48 hours for the primer to cure REAL GOOD before I painted. I Waited and Waited...and waited. Have I mentioned how impatient I am...yeah, I thought so...

Since the weather was crappy outside I had to paint inside...painting inside = NO SPRAY PAINT!! I had to hand paint it which I feared would cause brush strokes but I referred back to the Painting Queen, Centsational Girl, and got me some paint conditioner as suggested. This is my first time using the stuff and I have to say I was quite impressed! Using a conditioner gave me a little more time to fudge around and touch up if my strokes weren't quite even...or if i happen to notice one of about thirty Bubba hairs that wound up on my ticky tacky paint job. It just goes with the territory...

I added a few tablespoons floetrol to my trim cup and filled it up with some leftover white semi gloss I happened to have lying around. Mix mix mix and the painting began... SIDE NOTE - there was no exact floetrol to paint ratio with the small amount I was mixing so I put in about 1-2 TBS in my trim cup...refer to instructions for larger quantities but this seemed to do the trick just fine.

First coat of paint...plus a gratuitous Bubba shot....

Second (and FINAL!!) coat of paint...

It is still a bit wet in this picture hence the moussed up "wet look" we all aspired to achieve in the 80's but I can assure you she dried like a charm. I love that you can still see the wood grain even after 2 coats of primer and 2 coats of paint!

I used then brushed on two thin layers of SafeCoat Acrylacq for added waterproofing and durability. I use the same technique when making my old office desk so I was sure it would withstand the test of wear and tear....I can not believe I still haven't posted that project!! I am, like 6 months behind on that one...ooops....

Once everything had cured up and dried I took some time to put the original hardware back on. My original intentions were to paint them another color but, for now, I am going to try them on as they are.

Give me a week or two and I'll probably be spraying them either oil rubbed bronze or maybe something a little more fun like red, yellow, or green for a little pop of color...let's see where the day takes me! One thing is for sure, whatever I do I will certainly be keeping you in the loop! Here are a few shots of her all finished up!

How bout a close up of 2 of my favorite Joe coffee table books?

The perfect spot to stop for breakfast...oh, and a cup of Joe if you'd like...

Don't worry - Ill be including the recipe for these goodies sometime this week!! Stay tuned for that because they are SUPER simple and so so delicious!!

What were you up to this weekend? Any special painting projects? Did you take advantage of the super weather and get outside? WE DID!! Feel free to leave a comment and let me know what's happening in your part of the world!

Linking up to the following: It's So Very Cheri, Thrifty Decor Chick, Keeping it Simple, Today's Creative Blog, Organize With Sandy, New Nostalgia, All Thingz Related, Hope Studios, The Thrifty Home, My Backyard Eden, DIY by Design, Tip Junkie, At Home With K, Someday Crafts, Night Owl Crafting, A Little Tipsy, Beyond The Picket Fence, The DIY Show Off, The Shabby Chic Cottage, Stuff and Nonsense, At The Picket Fence, Tales from Bloggeritaville, Fireflies and Jellybeans, Tatertots and Jello, The Shabby Nest, Home Sweet Farm, Finding Fabulous, Between Naps on the Porch, Dittle Dattle, Organize and Decorate Everything, Coastal Charm, Miss Mustard Seed, The Frugal Girls.

Bianca

Foodie Friday #6 - Appetizers and Desserts

I wanted to thank you all so much for helping me spread the news on Foodie Friday. It is rare for E to be off on a weekday so it definitely helped get the party going without me having to do all the pimping...I mean, primping! :) Just for kicks, how bouts' we do the same this week? Link up your dishes and send an email to a one foodie friend to let them know to pop on over and link up as well. The more people to party the more traffic your recipe and blog will get...makes sense, right? Last week we had 100 recipes...let's see if we can hit 115 this week!

I am on an appetizer kick as of late...anyone catch the Spicy Black Bean Dip I blogged about Tuesday? Tasty!! Anywho...I thought I would shed some light on some of the tasty apps that caught my eye this week...

Beet Hummus - Once Upon a Tomato

Liz at Once Upon a Tomato linked up my newest best friend...or a version of it. The Beet. See how beautiful this yummy hummus spread looks? It looks even yummier (word? hmmm...) when paired with the amazing picnic lunch she served it with...you absolutely MUST check out the spread on her blog. That is one picnic I am sad to have missed! This talented lady can cook, garden, and is an amazing artist ta boot!! Don't believe me? Check out her Etsy shop here...beautiful work!

Asparagus Parmesan Tart - Footprints From Otter Hill

Deb at Footprints From Otter Hill thrilled me by linking up this fabulous savory tart. OK, in all fairness this could go either way, main dish or appetizer, but given the amount of butter that seems to grace a puff pastry for the sake of your arteries (and fitting it into this post) I shall classify it as an appetizer. I think this would be a perfect app with a bottle of wine, some good music, and great conversation. I also think it would pair nicely on a nice warm evening, under the stars and sitting on our brand new wooden deck off the side of the house...hint hint, E... If you haven't popped over to check out Deb's blog now is a great time to say hello!

And in true LBR fashion...we tend to over indulge on apps so often that we have to skip the main meal but we never ever skip dessert...

Chocolate Peanut Butter Whoopie Pies - Things That Make You Say "Mmmmmm"!

Karyn at Things That Make You Say "Mmmmm"! is genius when it comes to whipping up desserts!! I am so happy she hopped over to our party last week because this gal can make a mean Whoopie Pie...amongst other things!! Peanut Butter? Oh, yeah, baby. After My Mom and I foraged our way through Maine on The Quest for the Perfect Lobsta Roll I wondered if our next trip should be in honor of Maine's official State Treat...the Whoopie Pie. Surely those are in season year round... If you are in the mood for some super delicious treats make sure to stop by and see Karyn. If you ask me, she is the dog's tuxedo!

Push Up Popsicles - Em-agination

Push Up Popsicles are Emily's Frankenstein creation which came form combining her love of 2 classic frozen treats - the style of the creamy orange Push Up we all loved as kids mixed with the flavors of The Jello Pudding Pop infamously pushed by good ole Bill Cosby. That man haunted my every childhood foodie craving daydream when, in the 90's and completely out of no where, they discontinued the best frozen treat every to be created. Oh, and don't be fooled - the new pudding pops on the market are not the same...they are just a mocked up version of the what the originals once were. Anyway - Emily took her love of the Pudding Pop and brought it to the 21st century with a classy adult twist. Hooray for Emily and her Em-agination! Want to create some of your own? Emily can tell you where to buy your very own...just ask her!!

Thanks, Ladies, for all your hard work and delicious recipes! Make sure to pick up your Featured Button at the bottom of my right sidebar!!

NOW ON WITH THE PARTY...

There are no rules to this linky party except...duh duh duh done...

• It would be super nice if you want to Follow Me, your hostess with the most-est...while you're at it, leave a comment if you so desire!

• Your link MUST be a food related item, duh! It can be a recipe, a specific dish you are craving, a new foodie product you just found, a specific restaurants specific dish...it can be a picnic you had - I really don't care! Just make me want to eat it!

• Add my button or a clickable link to your post or side bar so others can join in - they are located on the bottom of the right sidebar...Walnuts or Garlic? I dig em' both! I don't want to delete posts but this is kind of a scratch my back Ill scratch yours sort of thing...

• Try not to post and run - check out another recipe and see what's cookin' elsewhere! You may just learn something!

• And, don't forget, this week try to invite at least one fellow foodie to join in the party!

Here is what I'll do in return besides hosting this fabulous bash of course...

Each week E and I will pick a recipe (maybe a few) to try out for our weekend feasting. If we likey - we will feature your recipe and blog the following Friday. If we don't likey...well, we won't mention you at all. We all know the golden rule - if you don't have anything nice to say then shut up!

Let the mouth watering, drool inducing, stomach grumbling fun BEGIN!! I'm Hungry...

LET'S EAT!!

A Fiesta For Your Mouth...

I am in the process of working on some home improvement projects so I can satisfy your DIY cravings later...for now I leave you with this simple dip to pump up the volume on your next fiesta...Perhaps Cinco De Mayo??

If you have kids in the 4-14 range or if you yourself can remember being a slightly immature young one, you all know the little song I am about to sing for ya...

Beans Beans the magical fruit,

The more you eat the more you toot,

the more you toot the better you feel,

Beans Beans the magical fruit!

Charming, right? This is such a versatile fruit...oh, just go with it. And yes - it is magical and for those who don't eat it often it will indeed make you toot! But the thing they don't mention is how NUTRICIOUS and versatile beans are...well, maybe that is the magical part? Regardless, this dip is da bomb if I do say so myself. It is super simple to make, super healthy (but not in that horribly tasteless kind of way), and again - VERSATILE!!

Want some?? I know you do...first let me do a little lecturing and then we can begin...

You all know I am a bit of a health nut. I no longer eat meat, I do not eat eggs and milk (though I do love me some cheese!), and we eat a multitude of veggies, fruits, whole grains, legumes, and nuts throughout the week. So please listen when I tell you...

DRIED BEANS are where its at!!

Most canned beans have added sodium, preservatives, and/or the cans are lined with chemicals such as BPA. Now I ain't a saint - I eat a fair amount of unhealthy crap too...but the best part of dried beans is that they are CHEAP!! The other nice thing is you can make a huge amount of beans ahead of time and freeze them for future use. This little tip has drastically cut down the amount of time I spend soaking then pressure cooking me ole' beans! Oh - and if you weren't sold on dried beans yet let me provide one other little nugget...there is no waste such as cans to recycle!! Most bulk items come in plastic bags (I guess you have to use something) which are easily reused or recycled. Removing my soap box now...

So - let's get cracking and whip up a batch...shall we??

1. Presoak your beans - you can do it overnight or for a few hours. Presoaking dry beans helps them cook faster and also releases gasses which will help for better digestion...Do I need to spell it out for ya??

2. Place soaked beans in the pressure cooker and cook until it starts to scream...then let it go for about 10 minutes. I don't really have a good timing structure down for this because everyones pressure cooker is different and ours happens to be on its last leg so it is super crazy...

If all this seems to much for you then just use your canned beans!! Use 2 cans and please, for the love of the Food Gods, RINSE THE BEANS VERY WELL!!!!

Here comes the easy part...

Throw 2 cups of cooked beans (or 2 cans...it doesn't much matter if you are off a bit) in the cusinart and let er rip...

Slowly add 1/4 cup water. If you want the consistency a little thicker add less - thinner add more. A lot of people will use olive oil instead of water but it is sooooo not necessary. Using water keeps the fat content down while making your bean dip a healthier alternative to store bought dips.

It's done! But that is too basic...let's spice things up a bit...

1 Tbsp Cumin
1/2 tsp Cayenne

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Now you have yourself a little Mexican black bean dip with a kick! This dip is perfect on its own with some tortilla chips but check out the following if you want to kick it up a few more notches:

• As a spread for sandwiches
  

• To give a little oomph to a burrito

• How 'bout layered on some nachos with chips, cheese, salsa, guac, olives...I could go on and on!

• Add diced avocado to the mix and it becomes a whole other animal

• Look a little plain? Sprinkle with some room temp salsa right on top...a fiesta for the stomach, I tell ya!

• Ohhh - and the doozy of all doozies - Put a layer of cream cheese in a Pyrex, layer this on top, top with shredded cheese and bake at 350 till bubbly...HOLLA!!!

This little dip doesn't last long in our fridge. We use it for just about anything! Also - when last minute company stops by, I always have leftover frozen beans that I can whip up to make something quick and easy.

Looking forward to Cinco De Mayo - Who's bringing the Margaritas?

Do you have any quickie recipes floating your boat this week?? Feel free to drop a comment and dont forget to link them up to Foodie Friday this week!!

Bianca How t

Linking up to the following: It's So Very Cheri, Thrifty Decor Chick, Keeping it Simple, Today's Creative Blog, Organize With Sandy, New Nostalgia, All Thingz Related, Hope Studios, The Thrifty Home, My Backyard Eden, DIY by Design, Tip Junkie, At Home With K, Someday Crafts, Night Owl Crafting, A Little Tipsy, Beyond The Picket Fence, The DIY Show Off, The Shabby Chic Cottage, Stuff and Nonsense, At The Picket Fence, Tales from Bloggeritaville, Fireflies and Jellybeans, Tatertots and Jello, The Shabby Nest, Home Sweet Farm, Finding Fabulous, Between Naps on the Porch, Dittle Dattle, Organize and Decorate Everything, Informal Home, Simple Home Life.

Joey Totes Winner

Thank you to all who participated in the Joey Totes Earth Day Giveaway. My goal was to bring them from 221 "likes" on Facebook to 250. We wound up at 241 - oh so close!! Either way I am sure they are elated with their new fans and those of you who took advantage of the 50% off deal will be elated with your new totes!!

FYI - The Joey Totes 50% off Promo Code is still working!! Type in BUYJOEYS and update your cart to see it reflected. Also - if you buy $25 or more they will throw in FREE shipping!!

The lucky winner of the drawing for one set of Joey Totes is:

I know a lot of people think it's not lucky to be first in line for a giveaway but, there you have it, Liz ain't felling that way now!! Congratulations, Liz - email me with your mailing address and Joey Totes will send them out!!

Once again - The Joey Totes 50% off Promo Code is still working!! Type in BUYJOEYS and update your cart to see it reflected. Also - if you buy $25 or more they will throw in FREE shipping!!

As for LBR - stay tuned this week for an update on our closet project, my Craigslist Freebie, a coffee table makeover, and don't forget to pop in for Foodie Friday!!

Bianca

Foodie Friday #5 + Earth Day GIVEAWAY!!

Happy Earth Day!!
LOOKING FOR THE GIVEAWAY? CLICK HERE!!!

via

NOW ON WITH THE PARTY...

Last week we had lots of great recipes and, of course, my super long Lobsta Roll post. Thanks to those of you who were able to read through the whole thing without falling asleep!! :) I know it was a long one but I promise to keep it brief from now on...and at the urging of E who is my editor (although not a very good one if you have noticed the amount of spelling and grammar mistakes I make!).

First off, I want to thank both BJ and Melissa for introducing me to The Pioneer Woman...ummm...never heard of her before you ladies linked up. Yee Hah...I am in for some real tasty treats!!

BJ at Sweet Nothings and her Fab Buttery Rosemary Rolls... If ya'll haven't met BJ then pay close attention here - SHE IS PAULA DEAN IN DISGUISE. I am totally serious. Ignore the photos on her site - I am 99.9% this is Paula acting with a moniker. For realz...and I totally agree with Paula BJ, you CAN eat these suckers with jam. Sweet and savory were meant to be!

Do I even need to tell you how these babies struck my fancy?? Oh, they struck it all right!! The combination of lemon and raspberries is so fresh...it's like a crisp summer morning before the sun wakes up...or, in reverse, a cool summer evening right before the sun goes down. Whatever way you slice it, these Raspberry Lemonade Angel Food Cupcakes are pure heaven!! Did Someone Say Party...no, really, Did Someone Say Party is responsible for these delights. Make sure to pop over and see what else Gretchen and Heather have been up to. They are so so close to 100 followers...I am sure if we all joined in we could get them up to the big 1-0-0!!

Thanks to the ladies at Turbo Bubblegum and these Creamy Chicken Taquitos (Healthy Version) my life can begin again. You see, when I was a younger gal living in the city I became addicted to 7-11's Jalapeño Cream Cheese Taquitos. They would sit on those hot rollers under the neon heating lamp and sing out to me like the Sirens to Odysseus...."Buy me, Eat me, I am healthy...I swear..." - right...final last words. Though I proved to be captured a time or 2 by their whispering sweet nothings, much like Odysseus, I eventually prevailed. I said no more to the rampant taquito and moved on with my life...though it was never quite the same.

Ask anyone on a diet...it is very hard to cut out an entire food group (especially one that is made of creamy cheese and a jalapeño kick) without always remembering the source of your addiction and it's sweet renderings plastered to your hips and thighs. I am happy to say, since seeing these healthier more growns up (yes, I misspelled it on purpose because it is oh so much funnier this way) version for this older and wiser gal, I will soon be back in the boat attempting to steer this Odyssey toward Taquito Heaven! How is it possible these lovely ladies only have 18 followers...surely we won't leave them hanging!!

ANNDDDD - In honor of Earth Day I thought I would share this special link with you!! Kim at Too Much Time on My Hands linked up with this Homemade Vegetable Wash. Honestly, I can not believe people were ever buying veggie wash...especially when it now seems so easy to make!! Seriously, folks...isn't there something else you could do with that money...like send it to me if you want... :) Kim has a super cute blog with a name that keeps screaming in my ear...oh, wait, that is E freaking out over another new project when there are sooo many others left to finish. I know we have ALL been there!! Go stop in and say hello - Kim is a crafty chick who would LOVE to hear from you!!

And that's it for my FEATURES this week. Ya'll know I am often running behind so if I didn't give you a shout our this week make sure to pop back in next week... If you were featured please make sure to grab a button on my right sidebar!!

NOW - Let's try something FUN today!! My hubs is off work today so I won't have as much time to "rally the troops" to get this party rockin...how bout ya'll tell one blogging buddy to pop over and link up?! It will help you all to get your recipes seen and it will free some time for me to spend witt E!! Sound good??

There are no rules to this linky party except...duh duh duh done...

• It would be super nice if you want to Follow me...while you're at it, leave a comment if you so desire! These certainly are not mandatory - I am happy to have you here either way!

• Your link MUST be a food related item, duh! It can be a recipe, a specific dish you are craving, a new foodie product you just found, a specific restaurants specific dish...it can be a picnic you had - I really don't care! Just make me want to eat it!

• Add my button or a clickable link to your post or side bar so others can join in - they are located on the bottom of the right sidebar...Walnuts or Garlic? I dig em' both!

• Try not to post and run - check out another recipe and see what's cookin' elsewhere! You may just learn something!

Here is what I'll do in return besides hosting this fabulous bash of course...

Each week E and I will pick a recipe (maybe a few) to try out for our weekend feasting. If we likey - we will feature your recipe and blog the following Friday. If we don't likey...well, we won't mention you at all. We all know the golden rule - if you don't have anything nice to say then shut up!

Let the mouth watering, drool inducing, stomach grumbling fun BEGIN!! I'm Hungry...

BUT WAIT - DID YOU ENTER THE JOEY TOTES GIVEAWAY? CLICK HERE NOW TO ENTER!!

LET'S EAT!!