Archer Farm's Freeze Dried Berry Blend

Oh, freeze dried berries, how I love thee! For those of you who have been reading this blog for awhile, you know that I love freeze dried berries.

A couple of weeks ago, my husband spotted something that we haven't seen before at Target: Archer Farm's Freeze Dried Berry Blend. Of course, I had to buy a bag-or two-or three.

I had the berries with my cereal the next morning. I liked that they added a little variety. The blend includes strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries. The one thing that I do not like about the blend: it is heavy on the blueberries.

I will use this blend to add a little variety to my berry addiction. However, I do prefer the packages that are strictly strawberries or raspberries.

If you are interested in trying a bag, they cost me $3.49 for a 1.5 oz bag. To compare to the Archer Farm's Freeze Dried Strawberry Slices, they are $3.49 for 1.2 oz, so a little savings there!

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A Trip to the Arlington Heights Farmers Market

Farmers Markets are not only a great place to find some wonderful, local produce, but they provide an excellent opportunity to learn about other small business in the area.

My daughter and I love to peruse (and sample) the baked goods at our local market in Arlington Heights. Every time that we go there, we stop by the St. Roger Abbey booth. The French nuns of St. Roger Abbey make many delectable French pastries. We love to pick up a fresh baguette, some croissants, and/or a tart or two. The pastries are light, buttery creations. When you buy from St. Roger Abbey, you are helping to support their missions helping the poor. So, it is nice to contribute to this cause by purchasing the nuns' creations.

The last time that we visited the market, we were drawn to Yummy Pie Company's booth. They had mini and jumbo pies that looked fantastic! I was particularly drawn to their hand pies. The hand pies are small, fold-over pies. Basically, they give you the indulgence of eating a little pie without going overboard. Since I have a sweet tooth that I like to indulge without doing too much damage to my diet, these are perfect for me! My daughter and I settled on a blueberry hand pie. The crust was buttery, flaky--perfect. The inside had the perfect amount of a sweet blueberry filling. I will definitely be adding Yummy Pie Company to my regular rounds at the Farmers Market. I think that I will bite the bullet and try a mini pie next! Give them a try if you are out at the market. You can also order your pie ahead of time if you have a particular treat in mind or you can have your pie delivered in certain locations.

Hand pie, yum!

If you are looking for something to do this weekend, consider venturing to a farmer's market. The one in Arlington Heights is on Saturdays June 9th-October 20th from 7:30AM-1:30PM. The market is in the commuter lot on Vail behind the library.

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Aqua Globe: an Infomercial Product that Works

Normally, I steer away from infomercial products (except for the topsy turvy). But, some of them actually work well. One product that works well happens to be the Aqua Globe.

I absolutely love my Aqua Globes! We actually bought a set years ago for my daughter because she was obsessed with the commercial. We tried them out and found them to be a great way to water plants. They are an awesome way to keep plants watered while out of town. Also, I love to use one with plants that I somehow always for get to water.

I did learn, though, that you need to be careful when using Aqua Globes. If you do not make the hole for the globe first, you will fill the tip with soil. This clogs the globe and water will not come out. I also make sure that my globe is working before leaving it unattended. Otherwise, you will come home to a full globe and dry plant!

Thanks to my daughter for following under the spell of Aqua Globes!

**The opinions in this post are 100% mine. I did not receive any compensation for this post.

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Fireworks Craft for Fourth of July!

While assisting at a daycare years ago, I learned a neat craft for the Fourth of July. We used baby's breath dipped in paint to make "fireworks" on a piece of construction paper. I adapted this craft so that my daughter could have a fun art session this afternoon making fireworks!

For the craft, we used dark blue construction paper, various paints, and parts of different plants. We used our elements from nature to dip in the paint and create different splashes of color on the construction paper. As you can see from the picture, we tried to pick items that would create different designs on the paper. I thought that this project was a great way to show my daughter how you can manipulate objects to create some really cool, unexpected things--a way of thinking outside of the box.

Here are our creations:

This project is really easy and a fun way to use your imagination. We had fun surveying our yard for objects to make the best fireworks. Then, we had fun determining how to put our artwork together. We also did the project outside, so we were able to enjoy the weather! I am glad that I had this one in may bag of tricks--my daughter was occupied for quite some time!

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Blackberry Farm: A Hidden Treasure

As you can tell, my family gets a little restless when the weather is nice. We love to be on the go and checking out the world around us. One of our travels took us to Blackberry Farm in Aurora.

Blackberry Farm is a living history museum but offers so much more! On a pleasant day, we could easily spend a few hours there. 

The first thing you will notice when entering the park is that it is spacious and scenic. There are many buildings spaced throughout the park where children (and their adult personal assistants) can learn about history from pioneer days through the Victorian era. I think that the spacious nature of the park really lends itself to not overwhelming the children. So, I found my daughter much more engaged with learning about history than I expected---even when she was only four.

She loved sitting at the desks at the school house 

and writing on a slate. She also was very engaged with the blacksmith demonstration. 

One of the buildings at the park houses the Early Streets Museum. This museum is one of our favorites. It gives you a snapshot of what a downtown area would look during the Victorian Era a music shop, pharmacy, toy store, and a general store. The display really brought history to life and it was neat to see my daughter asking about what she saw in each scene.

The park has also interwoven some activities that scream "children love this place!" There is a train that circles a pond and takes you to a cabin. There is also a petting zoo and an area to ride pedal tractors. Additionally, there are pony rides and a carousel. All of these activities are added in the price---a la carte pricing can be a little annoying!

There is food available at the park. However, we usually prefer to pack a picnic lunch. There are plenty of great spots for a picnic!

The buildings do have some slightly different hours than the park itself so check out the website for info. 

Blackberry Farm is located at 100 S. Barnes Rd. in Aurora.

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Simple Sugar Scrub for a Spa Day!

My daughter and I like to do special things together when we have a day off. She read about a mom-daughter spa day at home and was very excited to do it. (We have done things like this in the past, usually involving back massages. You know--about 30 seconds for mine and 10 minutes for hers.)

We whipped up an easy sugar scrub this morning and pampered ourselves a little. With my daughter's attention span of about two seconds, we only successfully executed the sugar scrub. She was ready to move on before we could create any other spa treatments! In a few years, I am sure she will understand the importance of a little pampering!

Our recipe:

3 Tbsp granulated sugar
2 Tbsp baby oil
2-3 drops lavender

We mixed the ingredients in a small bowl. Then, we wet our hands and put a little of the scrub into our hands. We rubbed our scrub into our hands and rinsed our hands off in warm water. Next, we patted our hands dry and applied a lavender moisturizer. A nice little treat!

Our materials.

The finished scrub.

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Smuckers, Yosicle, and Haribo Coupons for Those with Ice Cream on the Mind:

I thought that I would share some coupons that I ran across this afternoon. There are coupons for $1.00 off of two Smucker's ice cream toppings, $1.00 off of one Yosicle product, and $.30 off of one Haribo product, 4 oz. or larger.

So, just add ice cream and you can make a nice sundae with the Smucker's topping and some Haribo candy. Or, if popsicles are more of your thing, you can give a Yosicle a try!

Just click the links above for the coupons!

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Fun at Barnes & Noble's Lego Building Event

My daughter and I were able to attend a Lego Building Event yesterday and had a fun time! There was a little more to the event than I was expecting!

The children could choose between two sets for building--Harry Potter's lab and a lemonade stand. My daughter initially picked Harry Potter's lab. However, since there were fewer kids than the store was expecting, all of the kids attending got to make and keep both sets!

 

In addition to constructing the lemonade stand and lab, the kids each had to write a little story about the sets. I thought that the story was a nice touch that added to the activity. The kids were invited to share their stories. My daughter was the only one to do so! Too funny!

Barnes & Noble also provided a little liquid refreshment for the participants. Each child received their own mini cup of frozen lemonade. A cheer from the crowd erupted when the lemonade was brought out!

Next month, Barnes & Noble will have a Leapster event. The store we went to did not know what the event would entail. After this event, we will definitely be looking forward to it!

(By the way, my daughter is playing with her new Legos as we speak!  Thank you Lego and Barnes & Noble!)

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Website Wednesday: Do Yoga With Me

The other day, I was inspired to do some yoga. I have dabbled with it in the past and really loved it. I would really get back into it, but have failed at following through.

Anyway, I was looking around the internet and found a site with some great yoga videos. Do Yoga With Me has a ton of videos with varying class levels and times. Each focus on a different body part or function. Additionally, the website has meditations and instructionals on breathing. The website is free--a nice plus!

I thought that I would share this find in case someone is looking for a similar resource!

Image via stock.xchng.

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Roadtripping: Wildlife Prairie Park

When looking through our pictures today, I noticed some that were taken at Wildlife Prairie Park outside of Peoria, Illinois. My husband and I have been going there for ages and are actually disappointed whenever we fail to visit when in Peoria!

Wildlife Prairie Park focuses on many animals that are native to Illinois as well as some that were brought by the pioneers. The Park serves as an engineer for conservation, education, rescue, and rehabilitation.

While the Park has much more to offer, we love to just amble through the animal areas. We especially love to look for bison in the pasture.

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Paper Kite Craft: Our Fun Little Project

The other day we stopped over at the Raupp Museum in Buffalo Grove. They currently have a fun kite exhibit! As part of the exhibit, they have a free kite craft for the kiddos. My daughter opted to bring one home to construct for her father for Father's Day. We assembled it today. It was pretty easy to do and makes for a pretty easy craft for summer days!

Materials:

Construction Paper
String
Ribbon
2 Wooden Skewers
Scissors
Stapler
Tape
Crayons or Markers

First, my daughter decorated her paper kite. The kite shape had already been cut out by museum staff.

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An Evening at the Chicago Botanic Garden

Last evening, we had to get out to stretch our legs. Since we had not been to the Chicago Botanic Garden in awhile, my husband suggested that we go there. Also, since we are members of the Morton Arboretum, our parking is free---that always makes for a nice spur of the moment adventure!

We arrived at about 6:45PM. We were pretty surprised that there were not too many people milling around the Garden since it was a lovely evening. In fact, the Garden was pretty dead.

With the Garden being so quiet, quite a bit of wildlife popped out. We saw bunnies, mice, chipmunks, butterflies, and all sorts of birds. We were also able to take our time ambling around as opposed to being part of a herd.

Additionally, we ventured into the greenhouse area. I think that this actually may have been the  first time that we explored the greenhouses! My daughter especially loved checking out the cacti in the arid climate greenhouse.

While looking at the Garden's website today, I noticed that they have free plant giveaways a few days a week for kids. 

Here are the dates and times:

May 16- October 7

Wednesdays - Fridays 11AM-3PM

Saturdays and Sundays 11AM-4PM

The seeds or seedlings are given away in the Fruit and Vegetable Garden while supplies last. Care information and recipes are available.

Here is a list of what is given away:

• June – Blondkopfchen Heirloom Tomato 
• July – 'Mrs. Burns' Lemon Basil 
• August – Dwarf Blue Curled Scotch Kale

• September – Grandpa Admire’s Heirloom Lettuce

A nice little event to watch out for!

 

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Summery Caprese Sandwiches

My husband and I absolutely love the Caprese Sandwiches at one of our favorite restaurants, Cooper's Hawk. When I ran across a recipe the other day, I thought, 'We have to make these!' This recipe would be a great one to use with goodies from the garden--it uses fresh basil and tomatoes.

The other night, my husband made the Caprese Sandwiches for dinner. Not only did I have a yummy dinner, but I didn't have to make it myself!

Here is the recipe adapted from one from My Recipes:

Ingredients:

4 slices sourdough bread
1 Tbsp olive oil
10 fresh basil leaves (rinsed)--we used Thai basil from the garden
1 medium sized, ripe tomato
4 oz fresh mozzarella, sliced to fit on sandwich
salt and pepper
Balsamic Vinegar

***The recipe calls for the sandwiches to be broiled. However, I negated the olive oil and baked one for myself today and it came out just fine!***

Brush one side of 2 pieces of bread with a little olive oil. Place it oil side down on a baking sheet. Layer with basil, tomato, and mozzarella. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Put another bread slice on top of each sandwich. Brush with a little olive oil.

Broil sandwiches. Once the tops are golden brown, flip the sandwiches. Continue to broil until the "new" tops are golden brown and the cheese is melted.

**The original recipe did not call for balsamic. Once my sandwich was ready, I peeled off one slice of bread and drizzled some (ok, a lot) of balsamic on my sandwich. I think that the balsamic really brings it together!**

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Finally--a Nice Strawberry out of the Topsy Turvy!

Finally--a decent-sized strawberry out of my Topsy Turvy!  The strawberry plants in the Topsy Turvy have not had a problem producing strawberries. However, most of them have been small and shriveled. Now, it seems like we are making progress! We also have a number of larger green ones. Hopefully, we will get strawberries out of it yet!

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Barnes & Noble Free Lego Building Events!

Barnes & Noble Stores will be holding free Lego Building Events this month! Kids will be able to hone their Lego building prowess while building with other Lego fans! A number of the stores in my area have listed that there will be giveaways. Some even specified that kids will be given a small Lego kit.

Space is limited in this event. Check here to see what stores in your area are participating. If your store is not listed, give them a call to see if they are participating. You do need to register for the event.

Barnes & Noble will be holding a couple more hands on events this summer. I will keep you posted! If you are a member of the B&N Kids Club, you should get an email notifying you of the upcoming special events!

Some of these events are already occurring this weekend, so please check with your local store right away if you are interested!

If you are looking for more free events this summer, remember that Barnes & Noble also has storytimes. Check the Barnes & Noble event section for further info.

Image via stock.xchng

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Flat Stanley Makes the Grade

Now that the school year is over (*sniff*), it's time to reflect on my favorite school project my daughter and I worked on: Flat Stanley.  I was unfamiliar with FS until she came home with the assignment.  But I immediately thought, "What a great idea for a project!"...mailing him out to a far-away recipient who is willing to write my daughter back with the adventures and activities they'd had with FS.

I was surprised to learn that Flat Stanley was first conceived as a children's book in 1964.  It wasn't until 1995 that the Flat Stanley project was launched by a Canadian schoolteacher.  It was meant to facilitate letter-writing by students to each other by documenting where FS has gone with them.

My daughter's first grade reading teacher sent home a request for the name and address of anyone (child or adult) who could participate. Realizing that my world of far-flung contacts has shrunk dramatically since I stopped working, I put out a plea on Facebook asking for volunteers.  I was surprised by those who responded; ultimately we sent FS to three people.

While one FS volunteer was foiled by technical obstacles, we got two solid, entertaining FS adventures back, complete with emailed pictures.  Thank you to my two cousins, Elizabeth, who wrote a funny and educational tale of life on a farm in Lowell, Wisconsin; and to Gail (Elizabeth's mom), who sent the story of their road trip to South Carolina -- complete with beaches, jellyfish and a visit to Bubba Gump's seafood restaurant.

I actually think this is a great project for parents to undertake with their kids (maybe a summer diversion?).  Check out the Flat Stanley literacy project at www.flatstanley.com.  There, I learned, there is even an iTunes app that sends the character digitally around the globe.

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Pennsylvania Road-tripping with Roadtrip-a-Matic

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of PA Tourism for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Since I have family in the great state of Pennsylvania, I am there frequently. Being totally unable to sit still, I am always looking for something to do. So, Visit PA's Roadtrip-a-Matic is perfect for my family.

Roadtrip-a-matic supplies various itineraries for pa-roadtrips. They are categorized by interest and by region. Pennsylvania is a big state! So, if you are looking for something in the East near the Delaware River, you can choose from the roadtrips there. If you are traveling through the Lake Erie area, you can peruse options there.

PA Tourism has highlighted different itineraries for all tastes. There are some of the typical categories such as history or outdoorsy options. However, there are some that are a little different such as several art trails, golf trails, and ideas for photographers. Of course, for us parents, there are also the all important "Kidsylvania" trip options.

Something that I truly love about these roadtrips--not only do they include attractions, but they also include dining and hotel options. Sometimes, when you are out of your normal element, you have a hard time choosing where to stay and eat. With these roadtrips, PA Tourism has made it easy for you!

Since my family and I will be traveling through both Erie and the southern area of Pennsylvania this year, I will definitely be able to use some ideas from the roadtrips. If we are in Erie and in the need of a meal, I may try the Brewerie at Union Station. When I am in the Philadelphia area, I plan on heading to the Reading Terminal Market. I hear nothing but great things about it! We are planning on checking out Gettysburg this year so we may tour some of the homes suggested on the roadtrip.

If you are planning a trip to or through Pennsylvania, I definitely recommend taking a look at pa-roadtrips for ideas. Even if you are not going to be at location for the "full" roadtrip, you can take ideas from the itineraries. Additionally, many links are provided with the itineraries, thus providing you with more resources. What a great resource!

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Foam Football Beer Bottle Holder: Our Father's Day Craft

This Father's Day, we decided to combine my husband's two loves---beer and football---into a craft. So, my daughter and I made a football-inspired, foam beer bottle holder for him.

This project did not require many materials. However, it did keep my daughter engaged for quite a bit of time.

Materials needed:

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Tree-Mendus Fruit Picking at Tree-Mendus in Michigan

Over the last few years, we have become addicted to picking fresh fruit in Michigan. We have tried the cherries, blueberries, and peaches and have loved them all. One of the spots that we frequent for picking is Tree-mendus Fruit in Eau Claire.

The last two years we have been able to pick cherries at Tree-mendus. We just picked some this past weekend and my daughter has not been able to resist them. She has eaten bowlful after bowlful!

Tree-mendus has tons of u-pick options throughout the year. Take a look at the fruit ripening chart and you will see the wide variety of sweet cherries, tart cherries, peaches, pears, plums, nectarines, and apricots. We have picked both cherries and peaches at Tree-mendus and had a great time.

They have an area for picnicking if you are making a day of it. They also have a country store with many fruit products-preserves, juice, cider, etc. The store is very welcoming and even has a porch swing in a shaded area. Additionally, they have an easily accessible restroom located at the store. Sometimes finding a restroom at a u-pick location can be challenging. Fortunately, it is covered here!

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Scrapbooking Our Goodbye to First Grade: Using the Just My Style Scrapbook

After the sting of ending first grade and becoming a second grader wore off (yes, my daughter cried over the prospects of starting second grade next year--aren't I supposed to do that?), I sat her down to put together a scrapbook. She came home with about a kabillion papers over the last two weeks, so I thought that a scrapbook would be the perfect way to handle the deluge. It so happens that she received a scrapbook kit for her birthday. Awesome!

She received a Just My Style Scrapbook. When we opened the kit, we were pleasantly surprised by all of the supplies it contained. It contained all sorts of paper, stickers, a fancy scissors, glue, and a purple pen. Definitely enough to keep my little one busy!

Look at all of the fun, festive supplies!

       
The kit is very simple and easy to use. My only complaint is that the scrapbook is a little small--not your standard length and width. So, of course, my daughter had issues that she could not fit all of the memories that she wanted to in there!

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Tiesta Tea Giveaway Winners!

Thank you to everyone who participated in our Tiesta Tea Giveaway. The three lucky winners are: Krista Morgan, T.h. Ransom, and Madeline Brubaker.

I will be emailing all of the lucky winners about their prize! I am sure that they will be all excited about trying some of Tiesta Tea's fabulous products!

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Food Drive and Bikes in Mundelein Sunday!

I am sure that many of you in the midst of cleaning and organizing your homes as the seasons change. This weekend, Creatively Caring and the Chicago Russian Riders are teaming up for a food drive in Mundelein. They will be collecting non-perishable items such as cereal, granola bars, breakfast bars, and protein bars. So, if you find some spare items while cleaning your pantry or can grab a few when out at the store, drop them off in support of this great cause. The food collected will be donated to a local pantry. Here are some more deets:

• Where: Starbucks parking lot route 60 and 83 in Mundelein
• When: June 10th from 9AM-10AM
• Why: Together, we can make a positive impact on the community. A little goes a long way!
• How: Look for the Creatively Caring boxes for drop off. 

The kiddos can also get their picture taken with a bike at the event. Cool! If you have a motorcycle, there will be a ride to Lake Geneva and back starting at 10AM. (There will be a stop for lunch.)

Creatively Caring's Mission: "We provide opportunities for families to get involved in hands-on community service projects that help people, animals, and the environment."

Thanks to the Way 2 Good Life for the heads up on this event!

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Excuse Me, Do You Have Any Milk?

Last night, my daughter asked for a glass of milk. Since she is able to get milk on her own, I told her to go ahead and pour herself a glass.

It seemed like it was taking her awhile to get a glass of milk, so I went into the kitchen to check on her. Immediately, I noticed that her little blue Ikea cup was filled to the brim. She must have seen the alarm in my face because she looked up, all wide-eyed, and said, "The milk expires today."

I asked her if she was trying to drink it all because of the expiration date. She nodded sheepishly. I chuckled and explained to her that she did not need to finish all of the milk and that, most likely, the milk would still be ok the next day.

Thinking about this has made me laugh all day. However, I am also wondering why she was concerned about wasting the milk when she has no qualms about staying in the shower for nearly half an hour? The minds of kids!

Photo via stock.xchng

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Michael's Father's Day Crafts and Passport to Imagination

Michael's is really bringing it with craft options for the kids this month. There are a number of Father's Day crafts leading up to the big day. Some are free and some require the purchase of a product. Here is a run down:

June 9 10AM-12PM Father's Day Frame with purchase of frame
June 10 1PM-3PM Father's Day Keychain -- free
June 12 6PM-8PM Father's Day Mug with purchase of mug
June 15 6PM-8PM Father's Day Duct Tape Wallet -- free
June 16 10AM-12PM Father's Day T-shirt with purchase of t-shirt

June 19 - July 28 Michael's will be holding its Passport to Imagination craft program. The program will feature crafts representing different countries throughout the summer. Just like the Make It - Take Its, some will be free and some will involve the purchase of a product. There will also be some craft projects that the kids can take home. Check with Michael's for more details on the projects and the times they will be offered. If you check the Passport to Imagination section on Michael's website, you will also find specific info on how to make the projects on your own, info about the nations profiled, and some coloring pages.

Image via stock.xchng

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White Bean Salad: Perfect for Summer Barbecues

Earlier this year, I discovered a simple and tasty White Bean Salad recipe by Cooking Light that is very easy but tastes great. The original recipe actually uses roasted chicken. However, I have found that the recipe holds it own without the chicken, making it a great side or a meatless meal on its own!

I have made this salad for a couple of BBQs now and it has been quite the hit! Take a look below:

The salad is pretty colorful and is a good opportunity to use fresh tomatoes and basil from your garden. The dressing is a light dijon-vinaigrette. Check on Cooking Light's website for this recipe and other great recipes!

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Reminder: Tiesta Tea Giveaway Ending June 4, 2012

Just sending you a friendly reminder to enter our awesome Tiesta Tea Giveaway. We will be giving away a tin of Tiesta Tea to three lucky winners! Tiesta Tea is great, flavorful, high quality tea, so you definitely will want to get in on this giveaway!

Go ahead and check our previous post for details.

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