Things have been hectic around here lately, mainly due to me being a complete idiot and overbooking my summer. So much to do, so little time, and so many concerts to go to. Next up, Lady Antebellum. I’m pretty excited about that one. There’s also the beach, a few birthdays, July 4th, lots of homemade ice cream, the eventual probability of having a crab boil in our backyard, and even a few baby celebrations. Not mine, by the way. I always feel the need to clarify when the subject of babies comes up. No matter how much I would love to have another darling kitty for Brenna to play with, I’m pretty sure her Daddy has a different opinion. As for real babies, I think we’ll leave that to everyone else. Brenna’s enough hard work as it is. So what am I excited about lately? Make sure to scroll down and see.

1

How brilliant is this Butter Knife? No more ripping the hell out of bread while trying to spread butter.

2

This Pittsburgh Salad from 4 Sons ‘R’ Us is literally making me drool. Fries on a salad are an absolute genius idea. So very decadent. They need to be an everyday thing.

3

I’m looking for books for an upcoming beach trip because my bookshelf is looking a little empty. So far, Two by Two by Nicholas Sparks is the only book I’ve seen that interests me. What books have you read lately that were too good to put down? I need help.

4

Y’all, please don’t forget to kindly head on over and cast your vote for Spring Greens Quiche in Eggland’s Best Foodtography Contest. You can vote once a day per email address from June 19th through July 2nd. I appreciate your love, support, and more importantly your vote. Fingers and paws crossed y’all. Also, don’t forget to go check out the original recipe for Spring Greens Quiche to see what all the fuss is about.

5

Brenna had a little chat with Cleo and his mommy over at Made by Cleo and managed to work out a special deal for all of y’all on gorgeously handmade cat collars and accessories. You can use the code “Brenna15” to get 15% off of any order. Brenna has many of these collars herself and absolutely loves them.

6

I’m currently waiting for my new Rifle Paper Co. Keds to arrive at my front door. Until then, I’m stalking Amazon for all of the other gorgeous Rifle Paper Co. products to add to my MUST HAVE list, including this “Let’s Do This” Notepad.

7

I really, really, really NEED to make these Caramel Shrimp Banh Mi (Caramel Shrimp Vietnamese Sandwiches) from Karen’s Kitchen Stories. They were Karen’s contribution to this month’s Fish Friday Foodies, which I not only hosted but also created a recipe for. My Summer Caprese Shrimp Salad Roll is almost certain to knock your socks off and become a summer favorite. So many seafood sandwiches and so little summer. What’s a girl to do?

8

Got an extra 7.5 million dollars hanging around? Harry Connick, Jr. is selling his Home in Connecticut. It has 11,600 square feet and sits on 4.61 acres of land. I’m pretty sure that’s enough room for just about anyone to spread their wings.

9

While wandering around on Taste of Home this week, I stumbled across this recipe for Watermelon Jelly. I’m intrigued, to say the very least, and the fact that they show it on ice cream has me even more interested. Should I make it happen? Is it a good idea?

10

Have y’all noticed a little something different on my blog posts lately? There is now a handy Pinterest-worthy picture at the bottom of each post. All of these recipe prompts are also available on our “Pinterest Recipes” board in case you’re looking for a particular recipe. I hope to one day catch up with all of the past recipes; please be patient.

11

Feeling the need to make ice cream this summer? Then you definitely need to check out Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams at Home Cookbook before getting started. Remember when I said that my bookshelf was empty? I have a feeling that this cookbook is going to be on it soon, or at least in my hands while I’m lounging on the beach enjoying the hot summer sunshine.

12

Molly Yeh is one of my all-time favorite food recipe bloggers, mostly due to the fact that everything she makes looks so dreamy. So, I was pretty excited when she started talking about throwing a bridal shower for her sister-in-law. She certainly didn’t fail to disappoint with her Chocolate Chip Rosemary Scones. Make sure to head on over to her blog and check out all of the photos from the big event. It’s pretty much cuteness overload.

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Next week, I’m joining a bunch of other food recipe bloggers for #CookoutWeek, which means I’ll be spending a lot of time in the kitchen and hopefully creating a new twist on this Summer Crockpot Crazy Corn. Stay tuned for more info and enjoy the sunshine.