I love, love, love the Howlin' Horseradish Dip Mix! I used the mix on hamburger patties a few days ago, which gave them a great kick, and the dip is really nice.  It has just the right amount of heat, and is just something different than what you usually find at parties.  It would be yummy as a sandwich spread, too. I think this mix would be a great addition to potato salad, or even deviled eggs.  Check out the "Try Our Recipes" section of my Tastefully Simple website for the Howlin' Blue Cheese Spread recipe to see what I want to try next.  That sounds so good!  The Howlin' Horseradish Dip Mix is one of the returning favorites products only available through the end of July, so don't wait too long!

Watermelon Keg

How cute is this for Summer parties??

Check out this great Watermelon Cooler recipe from Tastefully Simple!  How great is this for 4th of July barbecues?  Or try a non-alcoholic version; kids would love this!

Gnome, Sweet Gnome!

I have a thing for gnomes. I haven't had it for very long, and I think it's my mom's fault for buying me a garden gnome last year at Menards, but I totally dig them. The one garden gnome (and the giant mushroom he stands under) has now been joined by a gnome flag, a gnome sleeping in a hammock, and 3 small gnomes that guide you up the porch steps. I have a very small flower bed in front of my house, so that's a lot of gnomes for a small area.

Even more than I like my gnomes, I like torturing Christina, who I sit by at work, with gnomes. She hates them. She says she just doesn't like them, but I know that deep down, she's actually scared of them. Maybe she was attacked by one as a child, I don't know. Once in awhile they just show up on her desk. It's happened a couple times. I'm sure it will happen again, but you just never know when.

When the Autumn 2011 Idea Book came out almost a year ago, and this fantastic Gnome Garden stamp set appeared, I was so excited! I didn't get it until just a few months ago, though, which brings me to my point. Before too long, the Autumn 2012 Idea Book will be unveiled, which is very exciting! But that means that the stamp sets from last Autumn's book may be going away.

Whenever a new Idea Book comes out, all of the My Acrylix stamp sets from the previous book are still available. (Papers, embellishments, tools and accessories are only available from the current book, but the stamps carry over!) You can only count on them being available for ONE extra season, though! So when this Autumn's book comes out, unless the stamp set you've been looking at happens to still be in the book, you may be out of luck. Don't miss out on a favorite! Now is the time to go through the Autumn 2011 Idea Book and make sure you've picked up all the stamps you love. Now is the time to go through the Spring 2012 Idea Book and make sure you've picked up all the papers and accessories that you love. I hate missing out on something just because I took too long. So while we're all excited about the new products that are coming soon, don't forget to snap up the great products you've had on your wish list before it's too late! If you find any papers in that old Autumn book that you just have to have, make sure you check back for information on the "Perfect Pairs" special coming in July, and you just might be able to get them for free!

Want the Gnome Garden set pictured above to make cards for your own gnome-a-phobe friends? Follow the link below and just search for the word "gnome" before it's too late!  



Coming in July - Perfect Pairs!

It doesn't look like much...

See that little red half circle on the tip of my thumb? OUCH! Just because your Pampered Chef mandolin works without the safety guard if you're shredding... use the safety guard. Seriously. I shredded 6 potatoes with the guard, no problem. I got lazy and skipped it to do half of an onion (now that everything is wet with potato juice), and on about the third swipe, YIKES! You know the stuff in onions that makes you cry? It apparently is the same stuff that makes a freshly grated thumb tip sting. So no joke, use the guard. I thought I could still go at mandolin-speed, but I was wrong. Now every time I have to use the space bar, I'm reminded.

Blue Ribbon LEMON Blueberry Bars

Wow, so I tried something new the other day. Right now, the Tastefully Simple "Returning Favorites" are available, and the only one I had tried so far was the Howlin' Horseradish (which makes a WONDERFUL dip, and a great addition to ground beef when making hamburgers!). Yesterday I made the Blue Ribbon Blueberry Bars, and substituted the Mayer Lemon Infused Oil for some of the butter that the recipe calls for.

Oh my. They are like chewy oatmeal cookies with tart, juicy blueberries and little white chocolate chips, and just a hint of lemony brightness. One box makes an 8x8 pan, and they're so rich that a 2x2 piece is a nice size, which gives you 16 bars.

These are only available through the end of July. The Blue Ribbon Blueberry Bar Mix only requires 1 egg and 1 stick of butter to make it according to the box directions, so it's a nice thing to keep on hand when you just want to put together something quick and easy. I did have to bake mine a little longer than the instructions said before they browned on top. I took them out after 22 minutes and let them cool, but they were still too doughy in the middle so I put them back in the oven for a few more minutes. Might just be my oven, but do check that it gets a nice golden brown all the way across the top, not just around the edges.

Fabulous!

Your favorites are back!

Tastefully Simple has brought back several favorites from previous catalogs, just for June and July, and you can even get a free gift with purchase!  


Receive a FREE Viva Garlic! Alfredo Sauce Mix ($7.99 value!) as your gift with the Returning Favorites Collection! Perfect for summer meals and entertaining, this special collection of blasts from the past is available exclusively for a limited time.

• Blue Ribbon Blueberry™ Bar Mix

• Howlin' Horseradish Dip Mix™

• Meyer Lemon Infused Oil

• Green Tea Peppercorn Seasoning Blend

• Vanilla Bean Chiller™ Drink Mix

• FREE GIFT WITH PURCHASE:
 Viva Garlic! Alfredo Sauce Mix ($7.99 value!)

Of course all products are also sold separately, and these are only available through July 31, 2012.  Want to give your Absolutely Almond Pound cake an amazing twist?  Substitute Meyer Lemon Infused Oil for part of the butter, add some vanilla yogurt and poppy seeds, and you have an AMAZING summer dessert!  You entire family will love the Vanilla Bean Chiller Drink Mix, or for a grown up treat, add some vodka and Kahlua for a Vanilla Bean White Russian!   These recipes (and tons of others) are all available on the website; just click "try our recipes" in the top banner and you can search by product.  You'll be amazed at the versatility of these popular products.  Get them before they're gone!

Keeping Cool in Summer Heat

There are so many great reasons to love Tastefully Simple, but today I want to talk about the amazing host program.  As product parties go, TS parties are SO simple, and so much fun!  There are so many great perks for hostesses - half price items for bookings, free product based on sales, even MORE free product based on the number of orders, plus amazing host specials that change each month.  For example, you can earn COOl rewards in July - including free drinks, snacks and a colorful picnic cooler (up to $157.85 value)!  And hosting a Tastefully Simple party couldn't be easier!  I'll provide several samples for you to prepare, along with a shopping list and even little cups to put the samples in so you don't even have to dirty a bunch of dishes!  Aside from baking time (we can't have a party without Bountiful Beer Bread, can we?), prepping the samples for your party typically only takes about half an hour.  I'll give you invitations, checklists, everything you need for a succesful event.  The day of the party, I'll bring everything else we need:  plates, even MORE samples, catalogs, prizes, you name it!  All you need is a place for everyone to sit; I'll take care of everything else.  It's the perfect reason to gather friends together this summer!

WOW!  Summer can be very busy for families.  School is out, activities camps, VBS, family vacations and day trips... I know there are a lot of full calendars out there right now!  Close To My Heart has such a great special right now, though, that you will want to take a few minutes in June to shop, even if you don't have time right now to scrap!  During June, buy 2 My Acrylix stamp sets, get a 3rd free!  FREE!  How cool is that??  You know with everything going on this summer, you'll have plenty of pictures to scrapbook as soon as you have time, so make sure you have the perfect tools and stamps to finish those pages with flair.  Don't miss this special!