Broccoli & Cauliflower Salad

This salad has been a staple at our family parties for YEARS. I'm not sure where my mom found it, but it's seriously one of my most favorite things on this planet. And there are so many variations and things you can add or change about it to make it yours. Normally I add cashews and craisins, but I didn't have either of those things and it tastes perfectly yummy without them. I love a good, versatile recipe! (I'm eating it as I type this. I may have to go get me a second bowl. Good thing it's veggies!)

Ingredients:

Broccoli
Cauliflower
Bacon
Mayonaise
Vinegar
Sugar

Optional:

Cashews
Craisins

Directions:

Cover a cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Place the strips of bacon on the foil and put in the oven. Turn heat on to 400º. (Don't turn the heat on until the bacon is in the oven.) Let it bake for 17-20 minutes, checking on it during the last few minutes to make sure it doesn't burn. When it's done, put the bacon on a plate covered in a paper towel to soak up the fat. When it's cooled, crumble the bacon up.

While the bacon is baking, chop your broccoli and cauliflower and put it in a bowl. Add your cashews, craisins or any other things you'd like to throw in there.

For the dressing:  Mix together the mayo, vinegar and sugar. I've never measured any of these things, I just add them to taste. If you like it more vinegar-y, add more of that. Start small and add more of each ingredient until you get the taste you like and amount you need. You don't want to soak the salad, but give it a thin coating. Trust me, you don't want to soak it. :S

Once the bacon is cooled and crumbled, add it to the bowl with the other ingredients, then add some dressing and toss it all together. Add the dressing a little at a time until you get what you want in there.

And you're done!

Life Lessons From Nature

Teresa Collins (Notations)

I am thrilled to be a guest poster for the Scrapbook Steals blog today! They are the most fun people over there, and have fantastic daily deals on scrapbook supplies TWICE a day. And their blog is always full of such fun scrapbooking ideas.

Here is a sneak peek of the project I have created, using the papers from Teresa Collins "Notations" line. I LOVE this line! The neutral colors makes it go with anything! I know first hand when Teresa designs a line, she makes sure that it is as versatile as possible for all you crafters and papercrafters out there. This line is also the steal of the day!

For the full post and instructions, click HERE.

{WINNER WINNNER}

The winner of the photoshoot giveaway is . .. . .

Congratulations, Barbara! I am so excited to do some romantic, fun pictures for you and your husband!! I've sent you an email. We'll get something scheduled!

Thank you so much for entering, everyone! If you didn't win, I am hosting another giveaway over on Brookie's Baby Bargains blog. You can enter to win:

• Photoshoot (click HERE)
• Free print (click HERE)
• Perfectly Posh Prize Pack (click HERE)

Good luck!!

A Turn Behind the Camera

One of my kid's most favorite things to do is to take my little Canon Powershot and wander around taking pictures. I absolutely adore seeing the world through their perspective, and seeing what they take pictures of. Mostly of themselves or each other. lol! Or their snacks. I thought it would be fun to post of few of their images.

Here are a few from Hunter:

A few weeks ago, I took Bridger out on a few photoshoots with me and let him use the Canon so he could be my assistant. He did get a few fun shots of our people and he got a ton of (I think) SUPER cute ones of himself for me. He never lets me take his picture when I have him dressed all cute and nice, so I guess I'll take whatever cute pics I can of him! hahaha

I didn't have any that Alayna took right now. I'll have to turn her loose with the camera and see what she comes back with. :) I love that they get so excited about doing anything creative.

New Wheels

Ok, so I've had this brilliant plan forming for a couple of weeks now. I'm going carless. For reals. I'm getting rid of Bruce Greenapple (this is what my kids came up with to name our minivan, which gives you an insight into their personalities. LOL) and we're going to start biking it. Or walking it. Or public transportating it. Or for those trips to Nana's & Papa's house, we'll give in and Enterprise it. ;) (They have fantastic weekend specials, just sayin'.)

My new plan will mean extra money each month. No gasoline or having to carry vehicular insurance will make my bank account happy. I'm really looking forward to that aspect of this plan.

My new plan will mean extra exercising EVERY DAY. I'm SUPER looking forward to this part of the plan.

My new plan will mean waking up extra early. I'm not so much looking forward to that part of the plan. BUT I know once it's a habit, then it's a habit and won't be a big deal. I'm hoping I can time it so that I can get the kids to school and my youngest to daycare in time for me to hit the gym for some weight training before I pedal myself on over to work. Luckily my gym is just a few blocks from work. I even got my youngest into a new daycare that is also a couple of blocks from work.

This plan will mean I have to force myself to be organized and prepared. I'm looking forward to pushing myself in this regard. Meal prep, gym things, kid's things, work things. It's about time I get back to being organized this way. It will be good. Hard, but worth it.

The only problem with my new plan is figuring out WHICH bike to get myself. I really have no idea what is a good bike. LOL! Luckily, the guys at work all bike, and can help me put a bike together. (I totally could on my own, I just don't have the tools for it. C'mon! I used to build sets for theatrical productions, I think I can handle putting together a bike, right? ;)

These first three look sturdy, like they could handle hauling a bike trailer.  

I like the red one because, well, it's red. I need no other reason. 

The yellow would be good, it would stand out if we did any evening riding.

This one is just cute. And it's red. And it has that thing over the wheels that I could strap my gym bag or anything I need to. But could it haul a trailer? I don't want to order it and then find out it's not equipped to hitch the trailer to. GAH. Really, this one is my favorite. Pretty much for the extra places I could strap things to. And it's cute. And red. My top two requirements for basically anything. ;)

Decisions, decisions. No matter what I end up getting, I am SO EXCITED to get going on this!

Travis & Rita

Had a blast at Liberty Park with these two! Travis always has the most beautiful women he brings along to shoot with! And it was such a gorgeous day, I could have stayed in the park all day long!

Newborn Shoot

Kira & Paul

Ok, these two have got to be one of my most favorite couples. Ever. So fun. So cute. So patient with my little photo assistant, Bridger, who wouldn't get off the tractor. lol! Oh man, he's so fired. haha!

Festival of Colors

Today was the first day in a couple months now that I haven't had a weekend FULL of photoshoots. Although my daughter did have dance pictures scheduled, I wasn't the photographer for them. ;) So we took full advantage of our "day off" and went down to the Holi Festival of Colors with our friend Skip. We had SO MUCH FUN!! It was so nice to just go crazy and throw colored powder at random people.

What an amazing day. THANK YOU SKIP!!!!

If you haven't been to the festival, you should definitely put it on the calendar for next year!