A Fairy House and a Guest Post

Hello, friends!  If you've seen those fantastical fairy houses for fairy gardens that all the garden centers and gift shops are starting to sell but can't afford the large price tags involved, this sweet little project is just for you.  I've got an adorable little fairy house to share with you but there's a little trick...you'll have to visit Diana Rambles to see how its done because that's where I'm guest posting today.  :)  

And while you are visiting Diana, be sure to take a peek around her blog - she's got fun crafts/DYI projects and an awesome toffee bark recipe!

Garlic Parmesan Steak and Mushrooms

You know you've hit on something good when the hubby takes a bite and says "I hope you took a picture of this to put on your blog!"  

Cheeseburger and Fries Hot Pockets

We eat a lot of leftovers in my house.  When I was growing up there wasn't a lot that went to waste.  Growing up in the country you learn that every part has its purpose and almost everything can be used for something if you can just figure out what it is.  The thought of throwing away food just because we ate it the night before was just not a concept that was even considered.  Farmyards and barns are usually full of odds and ends just waiting for a job and I look at my fridge the same way.  The trick is to use the leftovers in a way that they are not recognized as the same meal.  If you keep an open mind when considering your ingredients and you always keep a few favorite basics on hand the possibilities become virtually endless.

This little cheeseburger and fries pocket was born out of - leftover cooked ground beef, a package of shredded hashbrowns in the freezer, ketchup, mustard, relish, shredded colby jack, and a recipe for pizza dough.  

KFC Fried Chicken Tacos

Got a few leftover pieces of fried chicken?  The gang will never know they are eating leftovers with this tasty taco.  

Hawaiian Yogurt Parfait

You've heard it before but I'll say it again - yogurt parfaits are one of the most popular snacks, desserts, side dishes in our house.  They are easy, quick and inexpensive to make.  Best of all, its easy to be creative because there are a ton of pantry and fridge tidbits that make for great parfaits.  My daughter created this cool little snack for herself and her brother last night after hockey - its one of the things I don't mind them eating if they are starving while I am cooking dinner.  Sliced bananas (at 9 she can slice them herself with a butter knife), vanilla yogurt and a dollop of pineapple ice cream topping.  We didn't have any on hand but a sprinkling of macadamia nuts or coconut would be perfect.

It's Hot - Fire Up that Grill!

We are having what is officially a scorcher here in Michigan, land of the ever-changing weather, and when its this hot and the A/C is running all the time that means those grills get fired up.  If you are looking for some inspiration to change up your usual grilling routine, there are a lot of great ideas out there but I am drooling over these offerings being featured at Carole's Chatter...including my Open-Faced Bacon Burger recipe pictured above.  If you haven't stopped by Carole's Chatter before, she's got a great site categorized by ingredient or food type such as breakfast.  Clicking on the food name takes you to not only tips on what goes well with an item and how to prepare it, but also to a link-up so you'll find a list of tasty recipes posted by all kinds of bloggers to open up a world of new ideas to inspire your cooking! Here are a few more of my grill-friendly recipes for you (some of these were done in the skillet or broiler but work equally well for grilling):

Shish-Kabobs
Deluxe Grill Packets
Herbed Sweet Corn and Lemon Pepper Chicken Drumsticks
Blackened Chicken Legs

Kids Cook - Tortilla Soup

My daughter came home with a recipe she was very excited about making.  One of the summer camp theme weeks had been "kids cook" and they had researched recipes online and copied ones they wanted to try making into little construction paper cookbooks.  I don't know where she found the original recipe but it turned out excellent - although we did make a few substitutions based on what we already had on hand.  It has good spice but not too hot for kids.  It was easy for her to make - she used the mini food processor to dice the veggies herself.  Not a drop of this soup went to waste!

Farmer's Market Friday - A Round-up

Life has changed well-laid plans and I have been unable to make it out to another farmer's market to do a feature so here instead is a round-up of farmer's market posts, articles and recipes from around the net.  There are some lovely folks and a lot of great information here so be sure to check them out.  Happy Friday!

Sites with links to local farmer's markets:

http://www.farmersmarket.com/
I Love My Farmer's Market
Local Harvest
USDA National Farmers Market Directory

Bloggers and articles talking about farmer's markets:

The New Elizabeth - The Top 5 Reasons I Enjoy Going to My Local Farmer's Market
The Owl's Skull - Bees, Basil and Summer Spaghetti (The Farmer's Market is Open!)
Fia's Maine Kitchen - Farmers' Market Fresh (Part 1)
Indiana Insider Blog - Tips for a Trip to the Farmer's Market
Tilly's Nest - A Farmer's Market
Vienna Patch - Could You Shop Only at the Farmer's Market?
Agoura Hills Patch - The Benefits of Shopping at Your Local Farmer's Market
Eating Well - 7 Reasons to Eat and Cook from the Farmer's Market

Farmer's market recipes:

Southern Living - 37 Summer Farmer's Market Recipes
FarmFresh.org - Recipes in Spanish and English
AllRecipes.com - From Farm to Table (recipes sorted by the vegetable or fruit)

A Peek at the Pallet Garden

Here's a look at what's growing (and what's not) in the pallet garden:

First off, let's just pretend that giant burdock is not thriving by the chair...

Your New Favorite Sandwich

This buttery, spicy, gooey sandwich will be your new favorite.  Not only for its awesome richness but also for the easy at which you can whip together a tray of them and impress guests of any age.  This is another creation introduced to me by my mother-in-law.  She usually makes a tray or two of these at Christmas to appease the restless crowd while we await the main meal.