Time for Strawberries

Warm weather and summertime means it is time for strawberries,  Strawberry pie, strawberry drinks, and just plain strawberries are all delicious during the summer.  Here is a great recipe, and it is an old favorite of the summer cookout.

No-Bake strawberry icebox cake is delicious and combines many of your favorite things.  You can find more great strawberry recipes at The Kitchn.

No-Bake Strawberry Icebox Cake

Serves 8 to 12

2 pounds fresh strawberries, washed and patted dry
3 3/4 cups heavy cream, divided
1/3 cup confectioners sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon rosewater, optional
4 sleeves (about 19 ounces, or 24 to 28 whole crackers) graham crackers
2 ounces dark chocolate, finely chopped

Take out a few of the best-looking strawberries and set them aside for the garnish. Hull the remainder of the strawberries and cut each berry into thin slices.

With a hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer, whip 3 1/2 cups of cream until it just holds stiff peaks. Add the confectioners sugar, vanilla, and rosewater(if using) and whip to combine.

Spread a small spoonful of whipped cream on the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking pan, or a similarly-sized platter. Lay down six graham crackers. Lightly cover the top of the graham crackers with more whipped cream, and then a single layer of strawberries. Repeat three times, until you have four layers of graham crackers. Spread the last of the whipped cream over the top and swirl it lightly with a spoon. Add a few more strawberries.

To make the ganache, heat the remaining 1/4 cup cream until bubbles form around the edges, then pour over the chopped chocolate. Let it stand for a few minutes, then whisk until the mixture is thick and glossy. Drizzle this over the layered dessert with a spoon, or transfer to a squeeze bottle and use that to drizzle.

Refrigerate for at least four hours, or until the crackers have softened completely. Garnish with additional berries.

Recipe Notes
Building the cake on a platter instead of in a pan: You can build this cake in a 9x13-inch pan as I mention above, or you can build it up on a platter as shown here. Either way works nicely. The 9x13 pan makes it easier to transport the cake, but if you're staying at home, the platter makes it look a little fancier. You don't need to do anything differently when building it on a platter. I do, though, like to smear a bit of cream on the bottom of each cracker as I add it to the stack to keep it steady and in place.

A New Twist On An Old Favorite

(Image courtesy of Jakkrit Nooklaew)

Spring is drawing to a close, but there's still time to enjoy the fresh tastes that come with the season! It seems that no matter what kind of gathering is going, a Sangria will fit the menu perfectly! Rather than sticking with the same old routine, give your tried-and-true Sangria recipe a little pick-me-up. Maureen Petrosky from thekitchn.com walks us through her favorite spring Sangria recipe. If you're ready for something delicious and easy to make, keep reading.

When making sangria, you need four things: wine, a spirit, usually sugar, and fruit. I chose to use limoncello as my spirit in this sangria; this liqueur is already plenty sweet, so I skipped using any additional sugar.

The sparkling rosé, while it's semi-dry, isn't nearly as sweet as those pink wines labelled white zinfandel or blush. Rosé champagne is elegant, with incredible bubbles and great structure. What's great structure? Well it's a beginning, a middle and an end that can hold their own when paired with all sorts of food and in this case, fruits for our Sangria.

This pitcher of sangria is perfect for brunch or enjoying happy hour tonight on your porch. With very little effort you'll have a gorgeous drink to sip that is equally as delicious to kick off your weekend.

Spring Sangria

Serves 6

3/4 cup limoncello
1 cup fresh raspberries
1 cup hulled and quartered fresh strawberries
1 bottle chilled demi-sec rosé champagne
1 lemon, thinly sliced, seeds discarded

In a large pitcher, combine the limoncello and the strawberries. Top with the chilled rosé champagne and stir in half of the lemon wheels.

Pour the sangria into ice filled stemware. Scoop some fruit into each glass and garnish with a lemon wheel.

Recipe Notes
You can also make this with a non-sparkling dry rosé wine.

Sleep Like A Baby Tonight

(Image courtesy of Jeff Hill)

We’ve all been there. Late at night your mind is buzzing with different tasks you didn’t quite get completed at the end of the day. Sometimes all the stress from the day can stop you from resting at night, creating a frustrating cycle of sleeplessness

Getting a good night’s sleep doesn’t have to be a struggle.This list of tips, courtesy of apartmenttherapy.com, will have you snoozing in no time. Don’t believe us? Keep reading to learn more!

1. Do The Dishes - It's a proven fact that we're more likely to eat at home and make dinner ourselves if the area in which food preparation happens is clean. It's easy to cook dinner and leave cleanup for later, but making sure the dishes are done before the morning routine starts makes for a healthier day. Breakfast is a snap, dinner is easy and best of all the dishes are easy to do. Doing them each night eliminates those little bits of crusty stuck on food that can take extra time to scrape off later.

2. Pick Up Outerwear - It's easy to come home, take off your jacket, your shoes, your hat and get comfy! After all, that's what a home is for! But if your home is anything like ours, more than a days worth of shoes on the floor can be a disaster. Literally. Making sure that stray bits of clothing and shoes have been returned to their closets and baskets makes other chores on our list easier throughout the week. No one wants to clean their space before they can clean their space. Knowing you have a few minutes to spare to vacuum is easy when you don't have to tidy before hand!

3. Replace Entertainment - Most often our days are filled with busy stressful things and after our projects, homework or activites are done, there's nothing more we want than to sink into our couch with a snack and a great dvd or video game. The downfall to such habits usually necessitates a little clutter out in the open. Game boxes, dvd cases, controllers, remotes... they can seem simple and harmless, but keeping it in check each night means our main living spaces are ready to go for the next nights fun. Plus it keeps things at bay in case impromptu guests come over.

4. Tie Off Trash - Each morning before we leave the house we take the trash out. It's a great way to keep our space clean and to prevent having to drag more than 1 bag outside at a time. Because if more than 1 bag goes out at a time, that means there was a bag sitting and waiting in your home. And although it's easy to do (we've been there too), the thought of a bag of trash just hanging out is kind of... gross. By tying it off each night, it's ready to grab as we walk out the door to walk the dogs. We don't have any fuss, mess or frustration. We also have smaller bags than most, so if this isn't applicable to you, then adjust it as it works with your home.

5. Make A List - It seems silly, but there's nothing more annoying that having been out all day, only to return to discover you forgot to pick up something important. Shampoo, toilet paper, copies that needed to be made, whatever the case may be, a simple list of things that need to be picked up or done the next day can be quite freeing. We put the list in our pocket on the way out the door and it helps us keep track of the things on our agenda.

Keep It Clean

(Image courtesy of Mazalli)

This is a problem that stretches back to our childhoods - the dreaded messy bedroom. What is it about the space that we sleep in that just seems to get so jumbled up all the time? If you’re having trouble keeping your room neat and orderly it can take its toll on your sleep habits and your ability to relax!

It doesn’t take much to keep your bedroom more presentable and comfortable. Check out these quick steps from apartmenttherapy.com to have your room looking it’s best in no time at all!

1. Change The Sheets There's just something about a freshly made bed that reminds me of my mother. It's like a linen-filled guilt trip that instantly makes the rest of the room more dirty and shameful. By starting here you're willing yourself to make everything else in the space amazing to live up to the crisp, clean standard that sheets set.

2. Remember that Everything Has Its Place One of the most difficult assaults that our bedroom undergoes is the constant struggle for everything to find its place. It's been admittedly more difficult since a recent move and so things have been slightly in upheaval — but by making sure all the little things have a home, it ensures they're not on your floor or furniture. Make a list of everything that hits the floor or top of your dresser for a week and work on creating a solid home for those things. Belts beware, you're about to get a permanent home so I'll quit stepping on you in the middle of the night!

3. Surface Clean Once a Week It's easy to forget about cleaning the surfaces in your bedroom. Schedule time during your week (a few minutes every Saturday morning, for example) to wipe down electronics, furniture, windowsills and mirrors. When you do it each week instead of once a year, it can happen on a commercial break while watching Top Chef even (though there's actually enough commercials on Bravo to clean your entire house by!). Done!

4. Pick Up After Pets In our house we have two dogs. One sleeps in her own dog bed, the other dives under the covers with us. It's easy to assume that as long as one of them isn't yacking up dinner that there isn't much to clean up after. They're easy-going laid back type dogs that don't require much maintenance — but the more I looked, the more I was wrong. I know my bedroom would be a healthier place if I took the time to vacuum the sheets, dog bed and floors every other day like I do my sofa (for the same reason). It would also help pick up the stray fluff from gutted toys. My bedroom isn't a dog cave, but things would stay fresher longer if this was implemented.

5. Thin Down, Throw It Out, Donate It Away It's easy to accumulate clothes, shoes, and accessories you're not 100% in love with. If you don't tailor your clothes then quite often you find yourself struggling to find things that fit just right. Often pieces in your closet will be a little short, a little funky, a little tight, a little baggy — a little "something" that makes you not 100% in love with them. Get them out, thin out what you have and let the things you love shine. You'll always be happy to get dressed and have less to put away or hang up. Our bedroom is extra guilty of this, but "enough is enough" and we're headed to the thrift store this weekend!

Declutter Digitally

(Image courtesy at Aaron Patterson)

Let’s face it - us and technology are inseparable. No matter where we go, we all typically are carrying phones, ipads, smart watches and, no matter what, most of us are always within five minutes of a computer. With all this tech floating around, it’s easy to start hoarding digital documents.

Though they don’t take up physical space, digital files can quickly bog down your gadgets and slow down your systems. And if you don’t have an adequate system for organizing your files, your productivity can suffer! If you need help decluttering your tech-side check out these easy tips, courtesy of apartmenttherapy.com, will have you clearing megabytes in no time! Keep reading to learn more.

I read a remarkable statistic the other day: When Benjamin Franklin died, he had over 70,000 pages of documents in his home. Today, you and I can easily carry around that much data on our smartphones. Admittedly, our data probably isn't anywhere near as brilliant, but the ease of storing this information means we accumulate far more digital clutter than we need.

If you've got five minutes and would like to reduce the amount of digital clutter in your life, try these quick tricks:

1. Delete Unused Apps: It's ridiculously easy to figure out what applications you're not using on your computer. On a Mac, simply organize Applications by date last opened and whatever is on the bottom is used the least. On a PC, simply check the application info to see when you last used the application, if at all.

2. Outlook's Email Sweep: It's easy to get lost in a pile of old emails. Between social networking alerts and daily newsletters, your inbox is probably cluttered. For Outlook users, Sweep makes it possible to delete these emails automatically by setting timers. For example, you can set a rule to delete all Groupon emails after they haven't been opened for 10 days. You'll also notice you can choose to delete ALL emails from a sender when you delete one.

3. Use Finder to Delete Drafts: If you're on a Mac, Finder's search feature is handy for finding files across your hard drive quickly and simply. Every few months, I search for the word "DRAFT" and delete any drafts that are older than a year. Ultimately, I've decided the final version of a file is what I will need to reference in the long term. Try to come up with a timeline that makes sense for you.

How do you keep your digital life decluttered?

Sip Into Summer

(Image courtesy of Chetbox)

Now that summer is here, many people forego heavier drinks for light and fruity cocktails - but what get together would be complete without a fantastic glass of wine? If you’re like us, the idea of sipping a heavy red wine during the hot, sticky summer months just doesn’t sound appealing.

If you want to give your wine list an upgrade for the summer, this article from apartmenttherapy.com has just what you’re looking for. Peruse this list of light, fruity summer wines to find your next favorite!

Vinho Verde

In Portuguese this translates to green wine and it’s the perfect drink for hot nights in Lisbon. A young, tart white wine this one is a crowd pleaser as it’s easy on the palette and great for drinking in the sun or after a long day in it.

Caprice de Colombelle

This French wine is robust for a white and has great notes of pear that evolve on the tongue. It goes well with chicken dishes or Brie cheese. This wine is pretty widespread as far as its exportation in the States so ask your local wine merchant if they carry it (and if they don’t, to start to!)

Santo Wines

These Greek wines from the island of Santorini are all delicious! From the sparkling wine to the dry red Vedema (as seen in the image) these wines are Dionysius approved. If you ever get to Santorini, a visit to this winery is a must as it sits high on the hills giving a view of the entire island and the caldera.

Wollersheim Winery’s Prairie Fumé

This semi-dry white wine believe it or not comes from Wisconsin. Naturally yes, it pairs well with cheese being from the land of cheese, but the experts at Wollersheim Winery, who won Winery of the Year at the San Diego International Wine Competition in 2012, know what they’re doing. The Prairie Fumé has won more awards than we can list here, including, “Blockbuster Wine of the Year” for its delicious orange and grapefruit flavors. Pairs well with grilled foods, pasta and seafood.

Sineann Yates Conwill Vineyard’s Pinot Noir

You don’t have to say goodbye to reds in the summer but you will want to lighten your palette’s load. Do that with a great Oregon Pinot Noir, fruity and light but still with plenty of evolution as it travels down the tongue, this wine is one to savor on a special summer night – we recommend the 2012 vintage.

Do you have a favorite warm weather wine or recipe? If so, share it with us!

Well That's Pinteresting!

(Image courtesy of Greg Habermann)

It can be tough deciding on new decor for your living space. If you're like us, when in need of some creative ideas for decorating you wander over to Pinterest to see what other fantastic creations other users have put together. By designing boards with specific areas of interest, finding your new couch or coffee table is easier than ever.

Though Pinterest is pretty intuitive, there are still a few strategies you can use to make the platform even more manageable. If you're wondering how to use Pinterest to your advantage, take a look at these easy tips from apartmenttherapy.com. You'll be a Pinterest decorating all-star in no time!

Decide on a budget: This is my first step when I'm using my Pinterest to save a little cash. Yup, an item may be beautiful but if I don't choose to pay over five hundred dollars for a swing arm bedside lamp, there's no point in pinning it to this board (though it may go on the dream bedroom board).

Let your gut be your guide: Though you may have decided you want a beige sofa, if you find yourself drawn to that red couch, pin it. After a few days of pinning, when you take a look at your board, you may find that you've pinned a dozen red couches. Maybe it's time to rethink your decor around that red couch you really want instead of the beige one you think you should be buying.

Consider using a secret board: If you have a number of followers who are likely to repin the items you're coveting, especially if they're things that are one of a kind or limited stock, you might want to make this particular board secret. True, there are only a limited number of secret boards but, if you're actually using this board to pin items you are about to purchase, this board will soon be deleted.

Use one board per item you are actually ready to buy: This board is less inspiration and more perspiration: ie, it's a board that you're putting to work to help you make a decision on something you're prepared to plunk down cold hard cash on. ideally, the lifespan of this board will only be a few months.

Overpin before looking at your board and making a decision: Give yourself at least a few days of pinning before you look at your board. That way you'll have enough choices to compare and contrast before picking the one that best matches your needs in terms of price and style (and discovering that you really want a red couch!)

Shy away from repinning: I learned this one the hard way. I'd repinned a rug from someone else's board and when I went to purchase it, I discovered it was out of stock (and had been out of stock for a few months!). If you do repin something, take a few moments to click through to the actual site and make sure it's something that is in stock and purchasable (not just an inspiration photo from someone's blog).

Give yourself a time frame: In that same vein, if you're using Pinterest to find actual items to purchase, give yourself a timeline within which to do it, since items do get sold out or become discontinued.