Jennuine

Our 3rd Annual 4th of July Chili Cook-off was a big success!  There were FIFTEEN incredible chilis ranging from beef and chicken classics to chili verde, Portuguese sausage, and a vegetarian sweet potato-black bean.  The WATERMELON MARGARITAS from Yesterday on Tuesday were a huge hit!  The  recipe is simple, delicious, and is a definite crowd-pleaser!   I look forward to sharing all the details on how to host your own 4th of July Chili Cook-off, and share some of the winning recipes as well. As a salute to all of the creative 4th of July recipes and projects linked-up last week, I've put together this star-spangled round-up of features: ------------------------------------------- FABULOUS 4TH FOODS 1.   FIRECRACKER CUPCAKES from Inside BruCrew Life 2.   GEORGE WASHINGTON TRIBUTE TABLE from Jac o'lyn Murphy 3.   FESTIVE FOOD FLAGS from The Seven Year Cottage 4.   PATRIOTIC SONG SILLY STRAWS from Jac o'lyn Murphy 5.   RED, VINE

Do you like FREE? I like FREE!  Who doesn't?   Do you like to create, bake, sew, bead, etc? Read on... I recently spent the better part of an afternoon browsing through the thousands of craft supplies available through WholePort, mouth agape, getting so inspired and full of ideas that I feared my head might pop.   Perhaps I'm being a bit melodramatic, but here...look...some of the things I've been ogling: They have soap/candy molds, laces and trims, buttons, beads and cabochons, silicone baking molds, and that's just the start of it. (They even have real tattoo kits .  I kid you NOT!) So, here's the scoop, WholePort is offering anyone who has the desire, the opportunity to sample one of their products for free (they even pay the shipping).  Here's how it works... -----------------------------------   Every day,   YOU , our customers inspire us with your vibrant ideas and push us to see the beauty, the ingenuity, and t

Looking for something fun to do with your family in the San Francisco Bay Area this summer?  How do you like the idea of a place with hands-on, totally interactive exhibits --  a place where science and wonder meets fun and play?  Add to this getting up-close-and-personal with California wildlife -- from playful river otters and bobcats to eagles and kestrels and a window into an active beehive!   This past weekend, my family had the opportunity to attend the opening of the Backyard Science Exhibit at the  CuriOddysey Museum at Coyote Point in San Mateo (about 20 minutes outside of San Francisco).   We met up with Holly of 504 Main  and her crew, and the kids had a blast experimenting with gears, light, currents, cascades, and sounds.  Our kids range in age from 4 to 10; While the older ones really got in to the lessons and scientific principles behind each exhibit, the little ones were able to enjoy each experience at their own levels, with wonder and curiosity.

Homer called it "liquid gold."  Since ancient times, Olive oil has been prized by the people of the Mediterranean, not only for food, but for skin care, medicinal applications, and even religious ones. Like a fine wine, a good olive oil is influenced by the soil on which the olive trees grow, and can have a complex flavor profile with nuances of fruits, nuts and herbs or pepper.   I've been intrigued by the idea of baking with olive oil -- replacing a flavorless oil like vegetable or canola with more depth, richness, and flavor. I was inspired when Natasha of " 5 Minutes Just for Me " adapted a Barefoot Contessa recipe for Lemon Yogurt Cake. I recently made the cake, with a few adaptations of my own, and the results were nothing short of exquisite.  This Lemon Yogurt Olive Oil Loaf-cake is incredibly moist, rich, but not too heavy, and has the perfect balance of sweet and tart. The nuances of the olive oil definitely come through and harmonize bea

“The jelly - the jam and the marmalade, And the cherry and quince 'preserves' she made! And the sweet-sour pickles of peach and pear, With cinnamon in 'em, and all things rare--! And the more we ate was the more to spare, Out to old Aunt Mary's!” --James Whitcomb Riley Ahhh...one of my favorite things about summer is the summer fruit, with peaches at the tippy top of my list.  When the first peaches of summer hit the market, I'm quick to hoard. Yet even when my family has had their fill of the juicy, velvet-skinned fruit, we're always left with a few pounds that ripen to tender lumplings; ready to burst with sweet liquid sunshine! This presents the perfect opportunity to make the most blissful, pie-like preserves that a palette has ever had the pleasure to savor! This past weekend, we enjoyed the preserves as a topping for our "Dutch Baby". My Vanilla Bean Peach Preserves are made with loads of fresh, ripe peach

"Summer afternoon -- summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language." ~ Henry James Welcome to  "A Little Birdie Told Me..." Tuesday! If you're here to share a craft, recipe or project post, you'll find the linky and the specifics on how to  join the party after the features below. --------------------------------- Last week's party-goers shared some Summer Classics with a Fresh New Spin... --------------------------------- The Classic:  Flip-flops Becomes:   FLIP-FLOP REFASHION from Flamingo Toes --------------------------------- The Classic:  Lemonade  Becomes:   LEMONADE BEER WITH CHERRY RUM from Shugary Sweets --------------------------------- The Classic:  Watermelon Becomes:   WATERMELON "CUPCAKES" from Jac o'lyn Murphy --------------------------------- If you've been featured  (this w