Summer and fresh-picked blueberries go together perfectly!  Everyone could use a little blueberry ice cream to celebrate the season, don’t you think??  Try one of these yummy recipes to make any day of the week extra special. 

Don’t miss the amazing looking tarts or scones…sweet blueberry perfection for sure!

5 Summer Blueberry Recipes

Fresh Blueberry Ice Cream –  Your Homebased Mom

Blueberry Popsicle Recipe – A Simple Pantry

Glazed Lemon Blueberry Scones – Sally’s Baking Addiction

Lemon Blueberry Cupcake Recipe – The Cake Blog

Blueberry Tartlet Recipe – Spache the Spatula

Don’t these recipes sound amazing?  Which one is your favorite?  I think I might need to try the ice cream first!

~Kim

Your next table runner doesn’t need to cost a ton to make a big impact!  Check out this fabulous painted table runner that can be made to match any theme.

It’s so much better than something you’ll find in the store…get creative!

Start with some basic fabric bought by the yard or use a drop cloth.  Get the full directions and paint details at We Are Scout.  What a fantastic idea, and I’m in love with this table arrangement.

Looking for some more interesting ideas for your next gathering?  Check out our Food & Entertaining Section.

Have you ever painted a table runner, curtain or rug?  I’d love the hear about it!

~Kim

Nothings says summer like a slice of watermelon…or a watermelon pinata!  Now, that’s cute!

Creating your own DIY pinata isn’t as hard as you think.  Follow this awesome tutorial from Oh Happy Day and you’ll be all set for a little party fun!

I love, love, love this cactus pinata!  I think I need one of these hanging in my house!  Click here for all the details on how to create your own cool cactus.

Maybe a pineapple is what you need?  This DIY Pineapple Pinata by Studio DIY will rock your next picnic!

Pineapple projects have been catching my eye lately.  What about you?  Do you like this fun fruit as much as I do?  Well, if you do, you won’t want to miss these awesome pineapple ideas…

25 Pineapple Crafts and Printables!

Have you ever made a pinata?  I’d love to hear about it.  Happy summer!

~Kim

This is a simple way to dress up a cake for any holiday party!  Have you ever noticed how some of the best ideas ever are rather easy?

Create a DIY Falling Leaves Cake Topper in minutes, and be ready to accept lots of compliments when you arrive at the party.  Not a bad thing, for sure.

You’ll find a free template and step-by-step instructions by The Sweetest Occasion on Momtastic!  It’s such an inspiring idea!  Then you can move on to top off a cake with Christmas trees for Christmas.  The possibilities are endless!

~Kim

This is a yummy collection of fall donut recipes…try a new one every week!  That sounds like a winning plan to me!

LaCasa de Sweets has an amazing recipe for Pumpkin Pie Doughnuts…get outta here!  Yum!

Oh my goodness…Apple Cider Donuts!  What more do I need to say??? Say Yes has a heavenly recipe perfect for a crisp fall afternoon.

Everyone will love these Baked Cinnamon Donuts {by fit, fun & delish!}…a classic!!!

Chilli & Tonka know how to whip up something special in the kitchen!  Check out these Pumpkin Donuts with Buttermilk Glaze…wow!

 Looking for something new to bake?  You’ll flip over these Salted Caramel Apple Cider Donuts by Monday Morning Donut!

Make some of these and share…Baked Apple Donuts by The Cake Blog.

 This is for my chocolate lovin’ friends…Dark Chocolate Chip Baked Doughnuts with Maple Espresso Glaze!  Climbing Grier Mountain knows how to bake up something amazing, that’s for sure!

Which one are you going to try first?  That’s a hard one to answer, right??

~Kim

DIY Party Decorations – 10 Inspiring Ideas!

Party decorations can get expensive, so why not make them yourself?  These fabulous DIY party decorations are out-of-this-world beautiful and can be created at a fraction of the cost.  Oh, and of course they end up being totally custom for your party and don’t look store bought…just sayin’!

Take a look at these inspiring ideas…

{Paper Rosettes DIY – Design Dazzle}

{DIY Geometric Lanterns – Oh Happy Day}

{DIY Party Blowers – Juneberry Lane}

{Fringe Paper Party Lantern – A Bubbly Life}

{DIY Confetti Throwers – Oh Happy Day}

{DIY tissue paper tassel – The Smith Nest}

{Flower Garland Balloon – Tikkido}

{Petal Party Lanterns – Modern Party Ideas}

{Painted Polkadot Balloons– A Subtle Revelry}

{DIY Honeycomb Garland – Oh Happy Day}

You might like this post of super easy and creative DIY cupcake garland!

I’m sure you found an idea or two that you love.  Do you have a favorite?

~Kim

Southern Beer Battered Shrimp Recipe

One of my favorite foods in the whole entire world…shrimp.  Shrimp are amazing no matter which way they are cooked, but it’s really hard to beat fried shrimp.  Living in the south you learn a bit about shrimp and which ones are the sweetest, biggest, or best for your shrimp salad or scampi recipe.  There’s a huge difference and my favorite shrimp are always from Key West or Savannah.  Luckily, we’re close to both areas.  We’ve even caught our own shrimp in the Keys!

Now that you know just how serious shrimp are around here, you’ll trust me when I tell you this Southern Beer Battered Shrimp recipe is something you should keep on hand.  This is the best batter ever!

Here’s a look at what I made the other night for dinner.  It’s a rather traditional type meal around here that reminds us of Sunday Supper at Grandma’s house.  That’s hard to beat, right?!

I started with about 3 pounds of beautiful Savannah shrimp that Tim’s grandma brought home with her on a trip to visit family in Savannah.  Grandma Shuman usually brings back some type of food…she’s awesome like that.

You’ll notice these shrimp are large and light colored. 

Here’s what you’ll need for the batter…

• 1 cup beer
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• salt & pepper to taste

This should give you enough batter for about 1 1/2 pound of shrimp.

Slowly blend the beer into the flour.  Add salt and pepper. 

Now, cover it and let it sit at room temperature for a couple hours.

Prepare your shrimp.  You can drink any leftover beer while you work…you can’t just waste it!

Remove the shell up to the tail.  I usually remove all the legs at the bottom first to make the shell easier to peel off.

Devein your shrimp by using a sharp knife to cut along the back of your shrimp and run it under cold water to wash away and yucky looking stuff.

Repeat this step over and over again.  It always seems to take forever…but it’s worth it!

Once your batter is ready and your shrimp are cleaned it’s time to fry them up!

• Fill up a large pot half way with oil and heat it up to 350 degrees
• Pat 4-5 shrimp dry with a paper towel…this is a key step!
• Dip them in your batter and let them drip a second over the bowl
• Gently drop them in the oil and fry them for 3-5 minutes.
• Remove them and let them dry a bit on some paper towels
• Repeat until you’ve fried them all up!

While you’re waiting on the shrimp to fry you can snack on peanuts…

These are Georgia peanuts…also brought back from Savannah.  They are small, but super sweet and yummy.  If you are ever passing through Georgia this is the type of peanut you’ll find at the local fruit and vegetable stands.

They are a bit of work, but they’re worth it.

I always have cocktail sauce for me and tarter sauce for my husband.  The waffle fries just go together with shrimp and always disappear fast.

You could use this batter for fish, oysters or anything else.  It’s light and goes perfectly with seafood.

There you have it…the best fried shrimp recipe ever!

Are you a seafood lover?  What’s your favorite?  Shrimp, oysters, lobster?

~Kim

It’s the perfect time of year for dreamy picnics and enjoying the outdoors with food, friends and family.

This weekend I’m finding inspiration from these amazing picnics and DIY picnic baskets.  From simple to chic, these are all easy and so much more than a basic picnic of sandwiches.

I hope you’ll find these as inspiring as I do…happy weekend!

Inspiration by Your Home Based Mom – Mason Jar Picnic

Inspiration by Wasteland – Beach Picnic

Inspiration by Dot Coms for Moms – DIY Picnic Tote

Inspiration by Little Emma – Simply Sweet Picnic

Inspiration by Oh Happy Day – Picnic Basket Printables

Inspiration by Frosted Petticoat – Wedded Picnic

Inspiration by Style Me Pretty – DIY Picnic Baskets

Do you have a favorite? 

~Kim

Flavored water is hot…or should I say “cool” right now!  There are so many recipes out there that are perfect for entertaining or a day by the pool.  I just found this Rosemary Orange Water Recipe that sounds amazing!  A slice of orange always seems to make everything taste better! 

Have you made any flavored waters yet?  Care to share a favorite?

Oh my gosh!  I could enjoy a glass of sweet punch right now!  These are the perfect recipes for a hot summer day, picnics, parties, weddings, or even an afternoon by the pool…that sounds good!

I found some yummy and eye catching punch recipes to make you want to have a party just so you can make punch!

Take a look at these beautiful drinks…

{Party Punch Recipe – Erika Follansbee}

{Hibiscus Ginger Punch Recipe – The Ktchen}

{Cherry Punch Recipe – Mother Earth Living}

{First Kiss Punch Recipe – A Beautiful Mess}

{Rose Punch Recipe – Martha Stewart}

{Perfect Springtime Punch – Petit Elefant}

{Prosecco Berry Punch – More}

Which one looks best to you?  Do you like lots of fruit?  Do you have a favorite punch recipe you’d like to share…just leave it in the comments below.

Any day of the week can be special when you have beautiful punch to share with friends!