Are you hosting a summer get together this summer (or this weekend?)?  Deviled eggs are a staple at any summer get together but this recipe has a twist – with potato salad!  Serve this up for your next get together and people will be coming back for seconds.  In fact, you may want to make a double batch just incase!  This appetizer would go great served on our Mariposa canape plates we featured yesterday!

Potato Salad Deviled Eggs

Serves 16.  Prep time: 15 min.  Cook Time: 15 min.  Ready in 1 hour.

Ingredients

• 8 eggs
• 1 large potato, coarsely chopped
• 2 teaspoons pickle relish
• 2 teaspoons mustard
• 4 teaspoons creamy salad dressing (such as Miracle Whip®)
• salt to taste
• ground black pepper to taste
• paprika for garnish

No more unflattering bulge from bulky belt buckles!  This flat, undetectable and adjustable belt instantly gives you a sleeker, slimmer look!  The Invisibelt Clear Belt in Naked provides an instant slimming effect while not bulking up your clothing.  This amazing belt lays flat under tops and against your pants and adjusts just like a bra!  The original size fits sizes 0-14 and the plus size fits up to a size 4x.  This is one addition you will wear every day–especially in the spring and summer months when clothes are less bulky and more revealing!

With the 4th of July coming up this weekend, we thought it would be fun to share some 4th of July party ideas that are sure make your get-together a sparkling success!  We can’t help but to think about all the ways to make decorating  tablescapes, and other festive decorations, unique, pretty, relaxed and fun! Stars and stripes are an obvious choice, because those details scream 4th of July. Need some help brainstorming too? Here are some inspiring ideas to get you going.  (some photos courtesy of www.marthastewart.com)

Do you dress up your dog for special occasions, holidays, because it’s raining, or any other reason?  The clothing available for dogs now astounds us and although very cute, do you think our dogs care what they’re wearing on any specific day?  Dog apparel can be as simplistic as our Dapper Dog Dog Tie (as shown in the photo) or as complex as boots, a sweatshirt and pants! We would like to think that our dogs feel extra special when they’re dolled up and we’ll go ahead and admit, we have fun shopping for them as well.  So go ahead, indulge yourself (and your dog!), go ahead and dress them up.  After all, they’re man’s best friend.  Don’t they deserve the best?

Our ‘Look At Me Designs’ tank is the perfect summer tank for your wardrobe!  These fun tanks come with removable flowers that you are able to mix and match to fit  your mood or outfit!  The flowers are attached to the tank by a snap, which allows them to stay on throughout your day but makes for easy removal for the next wear!

If you are looking for a unique accessory and want to make a statement, ‘Look At Me Designs’ has something that will fit your individual style. When you wear one of their signature pieces you can be assured that no one else in the world will ever have the same item as you.  All of their designs are eco-friendly, made with 100% organic cotton and embellished with recycled materials!

Have your kids just gotten out of school and now you’re finding that you have a lot of time and you’re looking for fun things to do together?  If heading to the pool, zoo, or baseball games don’t strike your fancy, how about cooking with them?  Cooking together is a great way to introduce your kids to the kitchen, as well as involve your kids in a fun activity!  They will be so excited to see and taste the cookies they just helped to make-we promise!  Inviting your kids into the kitchen is a great way to spend time together. And when the recipes you’re preparing are colorful and kid-friendly, they’ll enjoy cooking even more!  So tie on the aprons, grab your supplies, and get ready to make messes – and memories – with these recipes for the young, and the young at heart.

Edible Nutty Putty

• YIELD: Makes 1 1/2 cups (serving size: 1 tablespoon)

• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1 cup instant nonfat dry milk
• Decorations: colored sugar, candy sprinkles, raisins (optional)
• Stir together peanut butter and honey in a big bowl. Add dry milk, stirring until blended. Spoon a small amount onto a plate. Shape and decorate it anyway you wish before gobbling it up. Store remaining putty in the refrigerator in an airtight container up to 1 week.

Alphabet Chicken Soup

• YIELD: Makes 10 cups soup (serving size: 1 cup)
• COOK TIME: 30 MINUTES
• PREP TIME: 5 MINUTES
• COURSE: Soups/Stews
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 carrots, chopped
  • 2 celery ribs, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 (32-ounce) containers reduced-sodium, fat-free chicken broth (we used Swanson)
  • 2 cups chopped cooked chicken
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/2 cup uncooked alphabet-shaped pasta
  • 1 Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until hot. Stir in onion, carrot, and celery. Sauté vegetables in hot oil 5 minutes; add garlic, and sauté 1 minute or until vegetables are tender and mixture smells good. Stir in broth, chicken, and thyme. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes. Stir in pasta, and cook 8 minutes or just until pasta is tender.

Puddin’ Heads

Plain Vanilla Pudding
Decorations: cereal, grapes, blueberries, orange slices, strawberries, kiwifruit, gumdrops

Preparation

• 1 Spoon Simple Vanilla Pudding into a serving bowl, and use decorations to create fun faces.
• Note: Breakfast foods like cream of wheat and oatmeal are also fun to eat when they’re transformed into happy faces.

Recipes courtesy of:  www.myrecipe.com

One of the new lines we’re carrying this spring is the all new, all natural Scotch Nail Polish line and we are VERY excited about this!  We’re sure you’ll fall in love with this non-toxic, eco-friendly nail polish alternative.  This water-based formula conditions nails and delivers long lasting color.  These contain no toluene, dibytyl phthalate, acetone, formaldehyde, or heavy metals.  After using conventional and damaging polishes, improving the state of your nails does take time, however.  If you have dry, parched nails, your first couple coats of polish may chip or streak. But don’t be discouraged, it’s just part of the process. As you continue to use these conditioning polishes your nails will become healthy and strong, allowing your polish to shine!  These polishes contain a very short ingredient list: water, acrylic polymer emulsion, and non toxic colorants.  How great is that?!

For the perfect, long-lasting manicure, follow the manufacturer’s steps for a perfect manicure!

1. Remove any existing nail polish and buff nails.
2. If you have dry, parched nails, you may experience chipping or streaking of your polish. To hydrate, simply apply a drop of jojoba oil to nail bed and buff. Buffing drives the natural oils into the nail so Scotch Naturals WaterColors can adhere better.
3. Wash hands with soap and water to rinse remover residue and buffing dust.
4. Dry hands and nails thoroughly.
5. Apply 1-2 coats of polish. Allow time in between coats to avoid streaking No base or top coat needed.

One last tip, after a few days, you can rebuff nails using the smooth side of the buffer for a new shiny finish.

*Please remember, this is a water-based nail product. It’s best to wait three minutes between applying coats and we encourage painting tips and toes before bed, allowing polish to dry and adhere overnight. Continued use of Scotch Naturals WaterColors in conjunction with our specially formulated remover will improve the health of the nail and promote long lasting polish adhesion.

Anyone who plans on throwing a  Memorial Day party likely wants it to go over well with their guests. When throwing a BBQ, however, there are quite a few variables that need to be taken into consideration. As with anything else, proper planning can help you to prevent things from going wrong.  As long as you plan ahead, throwing a fantastic Memorial Day BBQ doesn’t have to be difficult.  Menu planning and preparation is probably the most important aspect of party hosting. You’ll want to make sure that you’ve got plenty of food available for your guests, as running out of food can quickly ruin a BBQ. Always buy more than you need, as it’s better to have leftovers than to run out early. Choose options that will appeal to a wide group of people, and try to hold back on making anything too exotic. Also, you may need to have one or two vegetarian options available depending upon whether or not some of your guests stick to vegetarian diets.  If you want to have the most fun possible at your party, it may be wise to plan a few activities or games, such as the local game craze-cornhole, bocci ball, or volleyball!  It’s generally a good idea to have something set up that kids can participate in, if children will be in attendance.   Planning activities ahead of time can help to ensure that there isn’t a dull moment throughout the duration of the party.  When hosting a get together, it’s important to remember that catering to your guests is one of the most important aspects! The more you can do to make yourself available, the more enjoyable the party will be for those in attendance.  You don’t want to spend the whole day in the kitchen, do you?  Be sure to enjoy yourself as well this Memorial Day weekend!

We found this short video from celebrity party planner, Colin Cowie, that contains some great decorative ideas for your party!  Go ahead, watch it.  It’s definitely worth your time!  http://www.colincowie.com/video/holidays/throw-a-memorable-memorial-day-party

Spring is here and it’s the time of year for planting!  Our Gardener’s Journal and Calendar will help keep you right on track in your garden for this year, and years to come!  This 56 page hard-back garden journal is full of witty gardening quotes and is ready to record a year in the biography of your garden, day by day, month by month. Plan plantings and pruning, record your bounty and blooms and compare the current year with previous ones. There is a spot for recording daily temperatures and a grid for laying out your garden design. Three bound-in envelopes are perfect for holding plant tags and snapshots. The journal is not year specific so it can be started any month!

Jot down your gardening successes and failures. Does a particular plant not grow well by the front door? Did a new perennial bloom longer than you had expected? Keep track of your vegetable yields and variety favorites. These notes will keep you from making the same mistakes twice, and they can help you continue your gardening success in other areas.  Most importantly, enjoy your garden, but spend your time wisely. Don’t rely on your memory from season to season. Creating a simple garden journal provides a personalized reference to help you accomplish more each season in your favorite outdoor space – the garden.

With Mother’s Day this Sunday many of us are trying to plan a special day, or event, for Mom.  There are so many great things to do around the city in honor of this special day that we wanted to share some of these with you!  If you’re thinking of taking Mom to brunch, Metromix Cincinnati has a great list of restaurants that are offering stellar Mother’s Day brunches (http://cincinnati.metromix.com).  If the sun is out, taking the family to the Cincinnati Zoo (http://cincinnatizoo.org/) is always a great option and the Zoo is, once again, offering FREE admission for all moms on Sunday!  While you’re there, both moms and kids alike will love seeing the Zoo’s first baby giraffe, born just over a month ago!  The Cincinnati Museum Center will be featuring a Mother’s Day brunch and while you’re there, you could take in the Cleopatra Exhibition (http://www.cincymuseum.org) or see Tornado Alley on the Omnimax Screen!  Another fun idea would be to take mom for a viewing of the Cirque Du Soleil ‘Ovo’ show, which will hopefully still be running (weather permitting)!  Tickets are available at: http://www.cirquedusoleil.com.  If Mom is a nature lover and the weather permits, taking her for a tour of Spring Grove Cemetery is a must!  The Cemetery will be giving out free carnations to all Mom’s on Sunday.  The Cemetery is a nature-lovers haven!  Another great idea for nature lovers is the Butterflies of Brazil exhibit at Krohn Conservatory-Moms get in free on Mother’s Day at The Butterfly Show!  This event runs from 10am-5pm and  will definitely be a hit (http://www.butterflyshow.com/).

With all of these fun options, we’re sure your mom is going to have a wonderful Mother’s Day!  Let us know what your plans for Sunday are-we would love to hear them!