Tequila Lime Tart

I never promised that my posts would be entirely original or even feature projects created by me personally. So, I have to take this opportunity to brag on my dear husband who baked a spectacular birthday treat for me. Craving the sweet-and-tart flavor of a summer lime dessert, I suggested this recipe (Family Circle, July 2009 issue) to him.

Does the photo not say it all!? I mean, the man even garnished the top with crust crumbs and lime slivers! It was delicious, and I highly recommend the recipe (but please note, the baker is already taken).

Seasonal Color on a Budget

Planting perennials as the core of your landscaping and filling in with annuals based on the season can be a cost-effective way to ensure interest and color all year long. In my front bed (shown above), the perennials are already well-established and consist mostly of shrubs and groundcover.

Since I was on a tighter budget this year but still craving that burst of color for spring/summer, I got resourceful and divided two large mounds of perennial white Mexican petunias into 12 smaller clusters and spread them throughout the front of the bed in a checkerboard pattern. Then I purchased 24 dark purple salvia plants and four 1-gallon snapdragon mixes to fill in the gaps (shown below).


Like icing on a cake, you don't want to skip the mulch! It not only provides vital nutrients to the soil and captures moisture for the plants, but you can't deny it's aesthetic value. When I put down a fresh layer of mulch, it makes everything look new even though only a few of the plants have changed.

All in all, I spent $21 on flowers and $6 on mulch for the front bed that should last me until the fall. Not a bad price for instant curb appeal!

Polka Dot Birthday

Polka dots were the theme for my sweet daughter's first birthday. I made her invitations by printing the details on a simple flat stationery card, then I used a circle cutter to make the balloon shape and attached the striped paper behind it.

I made her a circle-cut banner, hole-punched and tied together with ribbon; it was suspended across the window in the main party area.

Her 4-inch, two-layer smash cake was topped with homemade strawberry frosting (a little runny in consistency, but what can you do when your guests have already arrived!?). Party goers were served cupcakes with buttercream frosting and pastel M&M "polka dots." Foods shaped like circles were also a hit: bowls of cucumber wheels and crinkle-cut carrots with ranch dressing and fruit kebobs of alternating cantaloupe balls and grapes.

When we had Party #2 for local friends (I know, I know...from now on I'll only throw ONE party per year!), I was able to recycle much of the decor, including the circle pendants for the windows and extra balloons.

Weekly Meal Planning Tool

For those of you looking for a system that integrates your recipe organization with weekly meal planning, consider this option.

I keep a three-ring binder with recipes I've clipped from magazines or printed out and taped or glued on the pages. Everything in the binder fits in a category like "Main Dishes," "Appetizers/Sides," "Breads and Breakfast," "Beverages," and "Desserts."

I do my meal planning once a week by picking out recipes and slipping them inside a clear page protector in the order I plan to use them. Then I hang the page protector filled with full-page recipe clippings on my fridge with magnets.

When it's time to cook something, I pull it down off the fridge and bring it to my work area where it remains spill-proof while I cook. Then I move the front sheet to the back and the next recipe is displayed for the following day's meal. At the end of the week, I return the recipe sheets back to the binder and start over.

Note: If one of the meals I've planned isn't in my binder, I put a sticky note in the mix of the week's recipes with the cookbook's name and page number for easy reference.

Confetti Fleece Rug

A spinoff of the "rag rug," I made this two-color fleece rug for my daughter's nursery. Besides several hours of tedious work while watching TV, the whole project only cost $25.

Supplies:

• 2 yards dark pink fleece
• 2 yards light pink fleece
• 1 fish net (from craft store)
• fabric scissors

Instructions:
Using fabric scissors, cut fleece into 1x6-inch strips and tie in alternating colors to the fish net. You should have enough fabric to make a 3.5 x 5 rug. Just trim the net down to the size you want. Fluff the rug and you're done!

Ladies Spa Evening

Invite your girlfriends over for a relaxing evening of homemade spa treatments! These luxurious ideas are adapted from the book, Home Spa: Cleanse, Refresh, Relax by Jennie Harding.Make a "buffet" of spa treatment options by setting out all the ingredients along with cloth and paper towels for easy cleanup.

Geranium & Olive Oil Foot Scrub | Individual ramekins of sea salt on a tray make it easier for your friends to mix up their own foot scrubs and take them to where they are sitting to do the treatment. Simply use small, circular movements to rub the scrub all over feet. Wipe excess off with a towel after massaging in for 5-10 minutes.

Recipe:

• 2 t. fine sea salt (exfoliator)
• 6 T. extra virgin olive oil
• 20 drops essential oil of your choice (geranium or lavender oils work well)

Herbal Foot Soak | In small glass vases, display fresh garden herbs: thyme (cleansing and refreshing) and rosemary (stimulating and warming). Lavender essential oil (skin rejuvenating and soothing) can be substituted for the fresh herbs, if preferred. A generous bottle of milk makes for a luxurious option, adding a splash to the warm water. Soak feet in herbal water for 15 minutes to allow time for infusion.

Recipe:

• Large plastic bowl filled half-full with warm water
• Handful of herbs or 10 drops essential oil
• Splash of milk (optional; softens the skin)

Marshmallow Swizzle Sticks

I served these yummy marshmallow swizzle sticks along with homemade hot cocoa at a holiday party last week. The peppermint flavor punches up your average cup of cocoa, not to mention they make for a pretty and festive display! I bought the swizzle sticks in the dollar bin section at Target, but regular skewers would work too if you don't mind losing some of the "bling." :) They also make great Christmas gifts for co-workers and neighbors when packaged with a couple of packets of instant hot cocoa and (not-your-cheesy-holiday-type) white mugs.

Here's the recipe:

1. Make a thin glaze from powdered/confectioner's sugar and milk.
2. Crush candy canes or peppermint candy.
3. Dip marshmallows first in glaze, then in crushed candy.
4. Place marshmallows candy side up on a sheet of wax paper to harden.
5. Pierce one or two marshmallows on each swizzle stick or skewer.
6. Arrange on tray and serve with hot cocoa.