Scrapbook Pages

After doing some errands this morning I had some time to scrap this afternoon. Here are the 5 layouts I finished

 My little brother Aaron is a wonderful baseball player

 Christmas pics from NYC december 2012

 Cover page for my Hawaii album. This is from our March 2013 Anniversary trip

 Pictures from our neighborhood from the Hurricane

 Love these pics of Aaron playing baseball

Engagement Party Handmade Items

I started making some items for my sisters engagement party we're hosting the end of August. I found the frame idea on pinterest and got the frame on sale at AC Moore. The silver pails I had, just embellished to match the colors I'm going with and they're perfect for cutlery. I made two baskets for forks because I plan on keeping one on the dessert table. The altered letters I also got at AC Moore and add some of my favorite chevron paper and washi.Some of the colors photographed a little dark, but everything goes with my gray and robins egg blue theme.

Grilled Lemon Chicken Skewers

Not sure why this photo will only go up sideways, but had to share this recipe. I marinated these a little longer than the recipe stated to (I marinated them before work). These were great and even tasted delicious the next day for lunch. Here's the link to the recipe:

http://www.foodiecrush.com/2013/06/grilled-lemon-chicken-skewers/

Greek Tortellini Salad

I found this recipe on one of my favorite food blogs and was a great summer salad. Will definitely be making it again before the end of the summer. Here's the link to this amazing recipe:


http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/greek-tortellini-salad/

San Diego Zoo

If you ever make it to San Diego you definitely have to check out the zoo. It's one of my favorite attractions in the area and wanted to share some of my favorite animal pictures I took this week.

Lemon Vinaigrette Potato Salad

This is a great refreshing summer salad, that's different then your usual potato salad because there is no mayo in it. This was a great side dish for the steaks we grilled up.

• 3 lbs red potatoes cut into 1" cubes
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp fresh basil
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp grated lemon peal
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 small onion, finely chopped

1. Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 10-15 minutes until tender.
2. In a bowl combine olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, lemon peel, herbs, salt and pepper. Mix and set aside.
3. Drain potatoes, place in large bowl, add onion and drizzle with olive oil mixture.
4. Serve warm or chill until serving.

New Dining Room Floor

So we had to unexpectedly change out our floor in the Dining Room. We had a bunch of tiles crack and since it was the old tile from the previous owner and they no longer make it we had to change it out. So we picked out a laminite wood floor and I love it. Here is the before and after:

Chocolate Chip Cookie Brownie Bars

These were a great dessert and so easy to make. I'd definitely make it for your next party. Here's the link to the recipe:

http://www.bakedbyrachel.com/2013/02/chocolate-chip-cookie-brownie-bars/

Flag Cake

I found this recipe on pinterest and the only difference I made was I spread cool whip over the top of the cheesecake before adding the fruit. Here's the link to the recipe:

http://www.theprettydelicious.com/gettig-in-the-spirit-fourth-of-july-desserts/

Stuffed Burgers

We got a burger stuffer from Williams Sonoma a few years ago, but you can stuff burgers without it. We picked up poppy seed rolls as something different. These burgers are stuffed with mushrooms I sauted and a bacon cheddar cheese I found at the supermarket. I love trying out new cheeses and in the summer I love to try them with our burgers. We served these with sliced grilled potatoes. There is nothing like a grilled burger in the summer.

Flatbread Pizza

We love to grill in the Summer. So when I saw these flatbreads at the supermarket I had to pick them up. I added our favorite sauce, sliced fresh mozzarella and mushrooms I had left over from a previous dinner. We definitely will pick these up again. The thin crunchy crust after being grilled was amazing. Was a quick and wonderful week night meal, especially after a long day at work.

Wildflowers

So last year I bought some wildflower seeds to put on the side of my yard. They really came up great this year and I love the mixture of flowers. The colors are amazing and the flower on top was huge, I had to hold the stem down just to get a good picture. I love gardening and always try new things so our yard looks nice. Can't wait to see what comes up next year. I got my seeds from etsy last year, they were a great price and this mixture was definitely worth it.