July Fourth Trifle

Much, much easier.

How to Make a Flag Cake for the Fourth of July

How much fun is this? 

Here's how.

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This Patriotic cake

Mix Up Your Workout

I'll admit it. I was initially intimidated about leaping into a Zumba class but I found a Really Basic YouTube Video that has worked as a starting point for our MWF exercise group. I wouldn't say that it's totally Dumbed Down but some might. Who cares. Our confidence is growing. AND, most importantly, we have fun while actually getting that cardio completed.

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Blackened Salmon with Mango-Avocado Salsa

Loved this mix of flavors. 

recipe

More For the Dog Lovers In Our Group

Adore this!

Thank you, Joan! Wonderful.

Bacon-Egg-Puff-Pastry Breakfast

This definitely could be our Father's Day Breakfast. OMGOSH. Mascarpone and bacon both in one place. Whoa. 

the recipe

Putting Your Pie Together

While berry season's in full swing why not try one of these creative pie concepts? Forget making the crust from scratch/although it's not that difficult. Instead head to Trader Joe's for their packaged/prepared pie crusts which are excellent.

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Two Brothers Unforgettable Forty-Mile Journey

Must watch. Here IS what courage looks like.

Braden and Hunter Gandee already had a special brotherly bond. But it was made all the stronger this weekend.

Seven-year-old Braden was born with cerebral palsy, a condition that makes the muscles in his legs difficult to control. He wears braces and can only walk with the aid of a walker. For years, his 14-year-old brother Hunter has been like a “second pair of legs” to Braden, their mom, Danielle Gandee, said. Hunter picks Braden up and carries him piggyback-style whenever the little guy needs a lift.

Kids: How Memories Are Stored...and Retrieved

A fascinating article. Thanks, W!

more

Homemade Cherry Ice Cream

Delicious. My recommendation would be to chop pitted cherries more finely than the recipe suggests. I used a food processor and then chilled the cherries before adding them to the ice cream maker during the last few minutes. So fresh and flavor filled. Also, forget using a single cherry pitter. Instead check out those that pit multiple cherries at once, such as this one.

recipe

Ultimate Paper Sculpture

Crazy. Wow. Unbelievable. Thanks, Joan.

The Single Best Exercise for Toned Arms, Says Science

I'm in.

Here's more info and the single, most important exercise!

The Advantages of Seasonal Eating

Read the rest of this excellent article.

Losing Weight May Require Some Serious Fun

Precisely. This makes so much sense.

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Learning About Happiness

An extraordinary documentary about what truly matters. The numerous interviews/stories clearly illustrate/underscore the many scientific studies about what makes people happy. 

Commonsense Quote

Well said. And worth considering as you begin your day. Not YOUR day/MY day. 

Memories

So worth watching again. And again. A tad too close to home.

Thank you, Susan B. 

More Vegetable Spring Rolls

A great summer salad substitution. This is a terrific alternative to the rice paper vegetable wraps posted earlier.

Where to find brown rice wrappers? Amazon, of course. Superior, I think, to the traditional white rice wrappers.

Finally, we all enjoyed the sauce included in the link below.

more

Creative Thai Life Insurance Commercial

LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS.

Thank you, Gerda!

Rice Paper Vegetable Wraps

Fresh and fun. I've always been too intimidated to try these. What was I thinking? The most time-consuming/tedious part is slicing and dicing which is made much easier with a mandoline and julienne peeler. The rest is a cinch.

The following video shares a simple rolling strategy I found very helpful.