Rock 'N Share #42

Welcome to Rock 'N Share Wednesday! 

Hey Shady Porch neighbors! I hope your week is going great!  It's  time again for the Rock 'N Share features and to link up your latest  inspiring projects! As always, I am loving your creative ideas and I thank you for taking the time to link up. Remember to Pin, Tweet, Google+, FB Share or Stumble the project before yours!
Let's all share the love!

Have fun and lets party!

LAST WEEK’S MOST VIEWED LINKS WERE:

Flower "Bed" from Penny’s Vintage Home
Leather Choker for Pendants (Tutorial) from Rena Klingenberg Jewelry Making Journal
Lemon Rice Croquettes -The French Way to Use Leftovers! from The Wilderness Wife
Awesome Sauce Mini Sandwiches from Todd & Lindsey
Build a Bench on a Budget . . . from Home Sweet Home #14

 
Thanks to all for joining the party!

If you were featured this week feel free to grab a Rock 'N Share feature button.  You can see ALL of the features at the Rock 'N Share Pinterest Gallery!

CLICK BELOW FOR THE LINKY PARTY!

Stuffed Strawberries...appetizer, snack or dessert

These stuffed strawberries make a pretty plate for cookouts, showers, wedding receptions, or 

on a Monday night, just because you can! That's exactly what the hubby and I did. We like spending time together in the kitchen; my hubby makes wonderful weekend breakfasts and he's quite the grill- and smoker-man, too! Anyway, I digress, we decided to whip up a little strawberry treat for ourselves.

Stuffed Strawberries

Ingredients
about 30 strawberries
1- 8oz bar of cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup of confectionery sugar (taste the mix and add more sugar, if needed)
We wanted our mix a little sweeter but due to sugar restrictions we added an additional 2 T. of Splenda rather than more confectionery sugar.)
3 T. shaved chocolate bark, for garnish

Directions - Wash and rinse the berries. Cut the leafy tops off and turn over to the tip end and cut in a + deep cross pattern to allow for the filling later.

NOTE - I had a roaring headache as we prepared the strawberries and, of course, I cut them as though they would stand on the tips rather than the crowns. Duh! So I went back through them and flattened the tips so they would stand up pretty (I blame the headache). Make it easy on yourself and put the cross-cut on the tip end! 

In a small bowl, mix the cream cheese and sugar until well blended. Place the cheese mixture in a piping bag or a zip top sandwich bag and cut the tip; now pipe the creamy mix into the strawberries. Garnish with chocolate shavings and serve...or chill and serve. (We just served.)

Adapted from Sam's Club - Heavenly Filled Strawberries

Other delicious fruity treats you might like!

Grape Salad...creamy and crunchy too!

Refreshing Summertime Strawberry Smoothies

Delightful Watermelon-Cucumber Salad

I am sharing at these great parties - Lil Luna, DIY Dreamer, Kitchen Meets Girl, Mostly Homemade, Oh My Creative, Lady Behind The Curtain,Tumbleweed Contessa,

Homemade Potato Salad - Quick Southern Recipe

If your family likes homemade potato salad (and who doesn't?), here is a quick fix method for preparing it, even on a busy week night. It is a simple southern recipe I learned from my mom, but with a modern convenience to speed up the process.

Homemade Potato Salad Recipe in 30 minutes or less.

First, I do not peel potatoes. I have learned that it is perfectly acceptable to leave the potato unpeeled, regardless of the type of potato I'm using. The potato peel has some health benefits, too.

Rinsed and cubed Idaho potatoes

However, if you don't think the kids will like the potato skin, the Yukon gold potatoes have very thin skins that virtually disappear once cooked.

The next thing is boiled eggs. we try to buy eggs on sale and boil about half of what we buy for garden salads, egg salad sandwiches, potato and macaroni salads as well as deviled eggs. Hard boiled eggs make a good snack, too. This means I usually have eggs ready to add to the potato salad, therefore I save boiling time.

The BIGGEST time saver is the microwave Zip-N-Steam cooking bags. I simply dice my potatoes, rinse and toss them in the bag. 8 minutes later, we are ready to mix up the potato salad!  
Continue reading for the full recipe! 

Rock N Share #41

Welcome to Rock 'N Share Wednesday! 

The Rock 'N Share grew again last week...that means more folks have the opportunity to see your creativity, ingenuity and talents! I want everyone to get their projects in the spotlight, so let's continue to help each other by Pinning, Tweeting, Google+, FB Sharing or Stumbling the party post in front of yours and any others you like!

Have fun and lets party!

Last week's most popular projects -

Mother's Day Brunch Picnic ideas : Ned Kelly Pies & a whole lot more by Domesblissity
Decorative Flip Flips ~ Gift Idea by VMG206
Painting Furniture--The Cute Hall Cabinet Makeover by Sunset Coast

IKEA bar stools spring makeover by now at home mom
Doritos Casserole by Tumbleweed Contessa 

Congratulations! Thanks to all for joining the party!

If you were featured this week feel free to grab a Rock 'N Share feature button.  You can see ALL of the features at the Rock 'N Share Pinterest Gallery!

Gourd Birdhouse: How-To

It's my favorite time of the year! Although it's a hectic time (I help my teacher-coach hubby by taking on the role of track statistician and Power Point creator for final review games) I can't help but stand in awe of the arrival of spring time! I raise the windows and listen to the birdsong; I smell the dogwoods and lilacs, and feel so very blessed.

Last year, I worked with pallet wood to make birdhouses/bird barns, and, this year, I am working with gourds. I grew these gourds several years ago, have given them ample time to dry, and now they are ready for projects!

To complicate my first gourd project a little more, I am just now learning how to use a wood burning tool (aka 'pyrography' tool) I received a few Christmases ago. So, my first wood burning project is a gourd birdhouse! Initially, I was just trying out each of the tips to see what effect they would produce.
I settled on flower patterns and a pseudo-weave pattern for the top of the gourd (roof). I had great fun doing this, but I must truthfully state that safety concerns nearly derailed the whole thing. Did you know that wood burning tools reach temps of 950 degrees Fahrenheit? I had no idea, and I really started this project ill-prepared. (The lessons I learned about the wood burning tool and the wood-burning process will be a topic for a later post.) Today I want to share the gourd birdhouse.

Rock N Share #40

Welcome to Rock 'N Share Wednesday! 

I love the Rock 'N Share party...I love seeing your creative efforts and being inspired! I was thinking about the party and ways to make it better and here's my thought...Let's help each other....we go to parties to share our hard work in hopes of inspiring others and getting some exposure so, why not guarantee it? Why not Pin, Tweet, Google+, FB Share or Stumble the party post in front of yours?  
Let's give it a try and see where is leads...have fun and lets party! 

Here is a simple rule of thumb...Ask yourself what you want people to do for you; then grab the initiative and do it for them! (Luke 6:31 - MSG)  

Last week's most popular projects -

Bandanas and Burlap by Back Porch Musings

Bedroom and Bath Update by Thrift My House

Bargain-ista Gift Basket by Bargainista

Make Personalized Garden Stepping Stones by Condo Blues

Root Beer BBQ Ribs by One Day At A Time

Congratulations! Thanks to all for joining the party!

If you were featured this week feel free to grab a Rock 'N Share feature button.  You can see ALL of the features from past Rock 'N Share parties here at the Pinterest Gallery!

Continue reading to join the party!