It's a PINTASTIC Friday! And week in pics, too!

Wow, we've had some crazy weather this week. Lots of rain and local flooding. Our summer nights are starting to free up now, too, thanks to the sports seasons for both kids wrapping up this week. I love watching them play, but could do without running all over the place for games and practices! We are also counting down for our vacation. Getting really excited!

Are you on Facebook? I'm reaching a milestone with my followers. If you aren't following Crazylou on Facebook, click HERE and press "like"  and share my page with your friends. I will be giving away a fabulous prize once I hit that milestone!

Here are some pictures from this week, which you probably have seen if you follow me on Instagram (find me @crazyloucreations):

 

 

Did you catch the Super Moon over the weekend? I love how bright it was.

 

 

A neighbor of mine had a gathering at her house where we learned how to make our own homemade, natural products. I'll be doing a blog post about this soon! It was fun!

 

 

All of this rain has my herbs growing like crazy!

 

 

Here are my favorite PINS of the week, which will also be PINNED again to my PINASTIC Friday Board!

 

 

This salad looks so refreshing! YUM! Check it out over on lmld.org!

 

This is taking the ice cream cakes to an entirely new level! Can't wait to make this for our next gathering! Get the scoop over at Blooming on Bainbridge!

 

 

Anyone else need to know this? Visit Creative Green Living for the how-to!

 

 

Have a great weekend! Can you believe 4th of July is already next week?????

 

 





 

 



Tasty Tuesday - Strawberry Bruschetta

I love strawberries. I love bruschetta. So why not put them together? This is perfect for summer gatherings. It's simple, light and fresh. I prepared these for the Zac Brown Concert we attended with our friends a few weeks ago, but they would make a perfect snack, light lunch or appetizer for any occassion. I found this recipe over at Annie's Eats--you should check out the blog, she has some fantastic recipes over there!

Strawberry Bruschetta
adapted from Annie's Eats

Ingredients
1 c. strawberries, diced
1 Tbls. sugar (1/2 packet of Truvia)
1 Baguette, sliced on an angle
4 oz. Goat Cheese (I didn't use all of the cheese)
1 Tbls. Olive Oil
2 tsp. Balsamic Vinegar
1/4 c. Fresh Basil, minced
Fresh Cracked Black Pepper

Directions
Combine the strawberries an sugar and let rest for about 30 minutes. Place your baguette slices on a cooking sheet, spray with cooking spray and slightly toast them in the oven. I suggest 350 for a few minutes. It just firmed up the bread enough to hold all the juices in. Next, spread a thin layer goat cheese on the bread. Top each piece of bread with a spoonful of strawberries. Drizzle with Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar. Finish off with basil and pepper to taste. Serve and enjoy!

For a printable version, click here.

Better Way to Read Your Favorite Blogs

Hello! How's today going for ya?

Before I started my own blog, I was a HUGE blog reader. Still am. It takes a lot of time to visit bookmarks of blogs or if you've mastered Google Reader, you can simply look at your list and scan through which blogs you want to visit today. However, Google Reader is going away on July 1st.  This means that bloggers, like me, that rely on this service to give you a heads up on my blog posts need to find an alternative. It also means that readers, like you, have to find an alternative, too.

I've got the solution for you! You may have noticed the new addition to my side bar a few months ago. Today, if you haven't already, I need you to click on it and subscribe to follow my blog that way! (please, and thank you!)

Once you click on the button, you will be prompted to sign up for BlogLovin'. They make it real easy for you--you can sign up through Facebook or email. Choose whichever one strikes your fancy!

As soon as you’ve created an account you can search for and follow your favorite blogs (like Crazylou), categorize them however you like and read all unread posts either by date posted, category or blog name.

Another cool thing with Bloglovin’ is that viewers can comment on posts directly since they’re already seeing the post from the blog. No more having to click through from a reader to comment.

You can also choose to get a daily email with all your blogs listed. This is a great feature to keep updated on all those fantastic posts! If you follow many blogs on Google Reader, click over here to get the scoop on how to transfer them over to BlogLovin'.

Any questions, just ask!
 

PINTASTIC Friday & Week in Review

It's finally Friday. I think I say that every week! Today I am heading out to a golf outing for work. Any day not spent behind the desk and computer is a good day--even if I don't do so well on the links!

Did you see my post yesterday about our House Party Super Soaker Party? SO. MUCH. FUN. Check it out here. How about Father's Day--we had absolutely gorgeous weather here in IL for the weekend--it was a busy day, but I got to spend it with all my top pops in my life!

Hailey made her dad breakfast (in bed) for Father's Day. She did this all by herself. I didn't get this for Mother's Day, so I think she likes him more than me. Yes, I have issues!

Here is a picture of me and my dad. This is where I get my silly craziness from.

Hailey loves driving the lawn mower around Nanny & Papa's yard. I remember doing this, too. Only I would be wearing my Walkman!

The loves of my life. Dad and kids. Great pic!



On to my top PINS of the week! Oh, and I've created a special PINTASTIC Friday Board on Pinterest. Be sure you follow it!

Our family loves Nutella. This is on my list to bake! Check out Sally's Baking Addiction for the recipe.

I've been making home cleaners for a few years, but haven't found a good toliet bowl cleaner. Gonna have to try this one by diy Confessions.

Maybe it's the marketing person in me, but I love fonts. Aren't these cute? Go get them over at The Crafting Chicks.

Thank you for joining me. Have a great weekend!





House Party Super Soaker Party with Nerf & Cheetos

Over the weekend, I had the awesome pleasure of hosting a House Party with Nerf's Super Soakers and Natural Cheetos Puffs. What a fun time! The kids played and munched all afternoon long! Here are a few pictures from the party:

After playing and getting soaked, the kids took a break and snacked on Natual Cheetos Puffs, hot dogs, fruit and lemonade.

Even the adults loved the All Natural Cheetos!

House Party gave us printables for a variety of awards to pass out, too!



Thank you to:

The Super Soakers were awesome! They were easy to use and fired the water really far. Lots of fun!

The Simply Natural Cheetos were a huge hit with everyone. Parents liked them because of the ingredient list and the lack of orange fingers! Kids liked them because they were good and "puffy"! Of the twelve bags they sent us, we had one left.

The party was a success and I think the 50 people that attended would agree--these awesome products will bought in the future (thanks to the coupons they provided us, too!)

If you want the opportunity to host your very own House Party, simply visit their website, sign-up and apply! I can't wait for the next opportunity to host another House Party! We had such a blast at this party that my son requested this happen every summer! I think we just might do that!

Tasty Tuesday -- Pasta Salad

Remember a few weeks ago I participated in a Recipe Swap with Candy Girl? Candy Girl swapped and shared this on my blog. Today I'm sharing what I swapped over on her blog. This is a fresh and light pasta salad. It's a perfect side dish any summertime gatherings you might be attending! This salad is perfect for Spring and Summer, when asparagus is at its prime (and when you need to worry about the salad sitting out for a long time)! I made this for our Mother's Day cookout and it was a hit! Hope you enjoy it!

 

Pasta Salad with Asparagus and Basil Vinaigrette

Adapted from Cook’s Country

Serves 8-10

Ingredients

1 box pasta (any type is fine)

1 lb fresh asparagus

¼ c. pine nuts, toasted

1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved

1/4 c – ½ c shredded Parmesan cheese

Dressing

6 Tbls. Olive Oil

½ c chopped fresh basil

3 Tbls. Lemon juice

1 shallot, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

½ tsp salt and pepper (each)

 

Whisk the dressing ingredients together in a large bowl (large enough for the pasta salad).

Steam asparagus until tender. I used the Steam Bags, but use your preferred method. When tender, run under cold water. Pat dry. Cut into chunks. Place in bowl with dressing.

Prepare pasta as directed on box. Drain. Toss in bowl with dressing and asparagus.

Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or until chilled. Just before serving, add in pine nuts, tomatoes and Parmesan. Stir to combine. If you make the salad a day in advance, freshen up with a spoonful of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice.

This would go perfectly next to hamburgers, grilled chicken or pork chops! So fresh and tasty!

 

PINTASTIC Friday!! Week in Review!

Hi. How are ya? I posed this question on my personal Facebook Page--"give me an example of when NO NEWS IS GOOD NEWS and then I'd believe it." Do you have an example? I'm really trying to think positive, but its killing me not having the answer!!

This weekend we are hosting a House Party Super Soaker Party! My kids are very excited! Have you heard of House Party? You sign up (for free) and can apply to be a party host. If you are chosen as a host, you receive a Party Package (ours included 5 Nerf Super Soakers and 12 bags of Cheetos!) and agree to hold a party to test out the goods! What fun! I'll be sharing my party details next week!

Here's what happened in pictures this week:

We attended an outdoor concert at Alpine Valley to see the Zac Brown Band. We broke records that night with their largest attendance to date! It was a lot of fun!

I also gave blood this week. I always feel great after giving blood. Do you give blood?

Wednesday afternoon we received horrible storms in our region. Luckily, our neighborhood only received a nice steady downfall, some lightening and thunder!

My daughter's turn to bring treats for soccer--she picked cake balls! She helped make them!

Now...on to the PINS!

With 4th of July Right around the corner, these would be super cute on the table! Visit It All Started With Paint for all the details.



I'm pretty sure everyone can benefit from reading this post about Stinky Sandals! Thanks Frugal Fun 4 Boys!

I've been making my own taco seasoning for about a year now, but this one sounds amazing! Head on over to Involving Color to find out what spices are included!

Have a great weekend! See you next week! Oh and HAPPY FATHER'S DAY! And if you still need a quick gift, be sure to check out my DAD ROCKS last minute picture frame and my Father's Day Survey Printable!





Tasty Tuesday--Slow Cooker BBQ Ribs

It's TUESDAY!!! Which means it times for a tasty treat. These are finger-lickin' good ribs! And they couldn't be any easier than putting them into the slow cooker before work and then slapping them on the grill for 5 minutes when you get home! We served them along side with the Crispy Smashed Potatoes I shared with you last week.

Slow Cooker BBQ Ribs

Ingredients

2-3 lbs Country Style Pork Ribs
1 can beer
3 Tbls Liquid Smoke
Italian Seasoning, Montreal Steak Seasoning, Garlic Powder, Dried Chopped Onion (to taste)


Directions

Place ribs in the slow cooker. Pour beer over ribs. Add Liquid Smoke. Sprinkle seasonings over ribs. Make sure to lift the top ribs up so that all ribs get covered. Set temperature on low. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. If you are able, add BBQ sauce on the ribs after about 5 hours. Otherwise, add the sauce to the ribs at the end.
Preheat grill. Add ribs to grill and cook about 5 minutes on each side, basting with BBQ sauce. Serve immediately.

Our family absolutely loves these ribs. They are perfect for busy families to have a delicious, finger-lickin' meal at the end of a hectic day with very little effort.

Enjoy!