Hi! It's Kristen! I love summer! So far, my summer has been filled with lazy weekend afternoons in the sun with friends, grilling anything that looks tasty, hiking with the d...

Tags: Summer, Trends, Mai Tai Tiki Pops, Beer Snow Cones, Red Hot Summer Trends, Grillside Guacamole, No Heat Week, Popsicles, Frozen Pops, Frozen Treats

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Hi, Kristen here! ...

Tags: Cupcakes, Summer, Betty 10, Fruity Fro-Yo Fun Bars, Tiki, Fun Bars, S'mores Hand Pies, Summer Trends, Mai Tai Tiki Pops, Beer Snow Cones, S'mores Grilled Cheese, Garden Fries, Red Hot Summer Trends, Mai Tai, Pickles, Betty Crocker Trends, Grilled Cheese Tacos, Guacamole, Icebox, Snow Cones, Grillside Guacamole, Veggie Burger, Sriracha

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As summer is winding down and kids are headed back to school, are you planning to do anything that you do “every year?”  Maybe it is going to the state fair or spending the day school clothes shopping, or heading up to the cabin or out on the lake one last time?  Creating rituals that you do every year can be a great way to develop memories and also times to look forward to. I’ve been meaning to blog about what we do each July Fourth.  Usually we entertain and grill, but we also play a game every year.  The game is called Know your America, and I originally heard of it when I received it as a gift when I was probably ten years old.  The ga...

Tags: activities, cooking, July 4th, summer, dessert, Mr. Sun Cupcakes, games

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Last week we had some guests over for dinner, and I helped their teenage son actually make the dinner himself.  He had made a list of things to do this summer and the list included learning how to grill and how to make brownies from scratch.  Hearing this, I offered to give him a cooking lesson and help him make dinner.  As we set about making a menu, he informed me that he cooks all the time, that he makes ramen noodles almost every day.  I told him that he would learn much more than how to microwave noodles! We started out marinating chicken, which...

Tags: brownies, summer, grill, chicken marinade, scratch baking, teenagers, bored, burger

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Hi Again, Kristen Here! It may not be the dog days of summer yet but it has been pretty toasty up here in Minnesota. Don’t get me wrong… I’m loving it! But, my four-legged furry friend is having a harder time getting through the heat then I am.  I’d like to introduce you to… Nugget; my 9 month old labradoodle puppy.  She does everything at about 100 mph… no joke. So, last night I made her something special... pupsicles...

Tags: Frozen Treat, Summer, Pets, Puppy, Pupsicles, Dog

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Here in Minnesota we seem to have skipped spring and headed straight into summer. Temps were in the 90s yesterday and weather forecasters are predicting more of the same today. I officially kicked off the season with an impromptu al fresco dinner with my friend Lisa. She suggested we  grill so I rolled my charcoal grill out of the garage, dusted it off and rummaged around my recipe collection until I found one in which I had all the ingredients on hand (not a simple task, mind you). Lisa volunteered to do the grilling which was fine by me. She rounded up the charcoal while I got the chicken ready. The recipe was quite simple; just a rub made of garlic, dried herbs, boui...

Tags: chicken breast recipe, grilling, summer

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I once heard some great advice for eating healthier: when you want to dive into something unhealthy like ice cream or chips, eat three healthy things first and then decide if you want the food you craved.  By the time you eat one or two healthy snacks, chances are you’ve forgotten about the indulgence.  I ddn't think it would work, but it did.  After nuts, a bit of fruit, or a low-fat string cheese, I found myself forgetting about junk.  I think this is a good practice for kids too, especially as they are home ove...

Tags: kid-friendly, fluffy orange dip, fruit, healthy choices, summer

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My friend (and former neighbor) Kelly asked me for some food and drink ideas for the party that marks the opening of her neighborhood’s private pool.  She is chairing the event for the first time.  The neighborhood is tight knit and the pool becomes the social center during the summer, especially for kids and moms.  I used to live in that neighborhood and loved to see the kids taking lessons and training for swim meets when I went past the pool.  The pool facility has a very nice clubhouse with areas for eating indoors and on a large patio.  Kelly plans to use the large grills for making hotdogs and hamburgers. She wanted ideas for unfussy salads and memorab...

Tags: cake, party, salad, chex, planning, summer

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