Best of the Weekend 106...and Everything is Green!

Welcome to the 106th Best of the Weekend Link Party!

What a difference a week makes. 
Everything around here is finally green!
The grass is green.
The trees are green.
My flower box is brimming with newly-planted green herbs.
My thumb is green, after all the planting I've done.

And...all of my features this week are green!
I promise you I didn't set out to find a theme...
It just sort of happened. 

************
Once again, let me introduce our co-hosts...
 
 Lisa: Cooking With Curls|FB|Twitter|Google+|Pinterest |Instagram

Deb: Cooking On The Front Burner|FB|Twitter|Google+|Pinterest|Instagram

Sheryl: Lady Behind The Curtain |FB|Twitter|Google+|Pinterest|Instagram

Cindy: Little Miss Celebration |FB|Twitter|Google+|Pinterest

Ginnie: Hello Little Home|FB|Twitter|Google+|Pinterest|Instagram

Amy (me!): Ms.Toody Goo Shoes|FB|Twitter|Google+|Pinterest|Instagram

 I'm sad to say that one of our co-hosts...Lisa, from Cooking with Curls ... 
will be leaving Best of the Weekend, after tonight's party.
We'll miss partying with you, Lisa,
but we will be sure to visit you at your blog 
to see what fantastic recipes you are cooking up!
 
Remember that each co-host selects her own favorite posts, 

giving you a better chance of being featured each week,

so be sure to check out Ginnie, Cindy, Sheryl, Deb and Lisa,  
to see if you were featured on their blogs.

And...we'll be pinning our features to a 
Pinterest "Best of the Weekend" Features board!

Follow Cindy Eikenberg (Little Miss Celebration)'s board Best of the Weekend Features! on Pinterest.

This week's most clicked link was:

 Lt. Brad Wilbank's Best Bbq Crock-pot Chicken from Best of Long Island and Central Florida
This sure beats lighting the grill! 
The ingredients have my mouth watering.   

My features for this week are... 

Homemade Rosemary and Lemon Dressing from Living Chic on the Cheap 
I know exactly how I'm going to use some of the rosemary I just planted. 

 Parmesan Panko Asparagus from Five Heart Home 
 Asparagus is delicious on its own, but breaded?
That's what I call over-the-top yumcious-ness.

Indian Saag Paneer Recipe  from My Natural Family
The ingredients in this dip have me swooning. 
Give me some naan bread, and I've got me a meal!
 

Tropical Green Smoothie with a Secret Ingredient
by Clover House
When I saw what the secret ingredient was, I flipped!
I never thought of adding this to a smoothie, but I can't wait to try it.  

17 Clever Vegetable Garden Hacks from One Little Project at a Time
There are so many great ideas in here - and some can be used for flower gardens, too.
I especially like the water bottle trick.

And now, you've got the green light...link away!

An InLinkz Link-up

Snippets of Late Spring Around My House

Is May really almost over?

It's not that this has been the nicest May, weather-wise;

nor has it been a particularly good month, personally...

still, I'm not so ready to shut the screen door on it just yet.

Although I look forward to summer more than any other season, 

I don't want it to get here too quickly. 

I've been doing my best to savor spring, 

but I'd like to be able to press a slow-mo button right about now.

Maybe I'll have to invent one that slows down time, and go on Shark Tank. 

Late spring and early summer is when my house is at it's best.

Oh, wait - I think I say that about fall, too.

Whatever. 

Here are a few snippets from around the house.

 *************

Lots of planting being done. 

 Most of the Rhododendrons took a beating this winter,

but not this one.

Someone moved into the new bird house.

And someone moved into the vent.

We can't turn the fan on in the bathroom,

or we'll blow them out. 

No luck with hummingbirds yet :(

Angry bird.

Angry me.

Brand new lantern, gone.

Tiny Lilies of the Valley.

Mini Flower Power in the kitchen.

Wheels.

Wheel of Misfortune...

It cracked during the last storm.

Grand old rusty flag.

Love me some lavender.

So, although I'm dismayed that May may be over...
  soon it will be June, and I'll be over the moon.
Bring it. 

Linking with:

Best of the Weekend 
Let's Get Real
Metamorphosis Monday 
Tweak It Tuesday
The Scoop  
Treasure Box Tuesday
Lou Lou Girls Fabulous Party 
Wake Up Wednesday
Wow Us Wednesday  
Home and Garden Thursday
Share Your Style  
Idea Box
Home Sweet Home

Cantaloupe-Tomato Salad with White Balsamic Vinaigrette: My Diet Continues

Do you tend to eat less in the summer?

I definitely do...although "less" is sometimes still too much!

I'm happy to say that I've been really, really good the last couple of weeks, 

and lost two pounds.

I was even pretty disciplined over this holiday weekend...

keeping my portions small, and having no more than a bite of dessert. 

Just three more "ell-bees" to go!

The trick will be keeping it off over the next several weeks,

with lots of food challenges ahead.

We've got dinners with friends, birthday parties, and a wedding.
Temptations everywhere! 

But...I'm feeling motivated, because additional weight 

is not the souvenir I want to come home with from vacation. 

Last night for dinner, we used up leftovers from the weekend's barbeque...

steak, potatoes, cole slaw, tossed salad. 

Because I'd be forgoing the potatoes and the creamy cole slaw, 

I wanted to make another side dish that I'd actually enjoy eating.

And you know me...it had to be e.a.s.y.

The time was ripe -- and so was my cantaloupe --

to make a salad that my cousin had brought on Mother's Day...
a cantaloupe and tomato salad with mint.

Although her salad was delicious,
I wanted to change mine up a bit by adding a different dressing.

I found this recipe at Relish.com, and modified it a bit to suit my own taste. 

It is SO good, and SO refreshing.
I hereby declare that it will be my go-to side dish of Summer 2015!

If you make this, there is one thing you must promise me.

You MUST use a sweet, ripe cantaloupe.

Repeat after me:

Sweet. Cantaloupe. Only. 

If you cut open a cantaloupe and it's not sweet, don't make the salad. 

Seriously. 

You'll be disappointed.

The dressing recipe is enough for two batches of this salad.

Feel free to cut it in half, or reserve half for another use.

I made the full recipe,

and now I have home-made dressing for the rest of the week.

I suggest that you make it a couple of hours before serving,

and let it sit out at room temperature,

so that the cantaloupe picks up some of the mint flavor,
and the salad has time to marinate. 
But, it's fine if you make it right before you serve it, too. 

Cantaloupe-Tomato Salad With Mint, and White Balsamic Vinaigrette

Recipe adapted from Relish.com

3 cups cantaloupe, cut into small chunks (about 3/4 of a medium cantaloupe)

1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

1/2 cup fresh mint, chopped

For vinaigrette (Makes enough for 2 batches of salad):

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Combine cantaloupe, tomatoes and mint.

Whisk oil, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper in a small bowl.  

Add *half* of the dressing to salad; toss well. 

Reserve remaining dressing for a second batch, or another use.

 I was happy that I ended the holiday weekend with another healthy meal 
under my soon-to-be one-notch-smaller belt.

Uh, but then, I blew it.

I couldn't resist a s'more.
I just had one...and used dark chocolate, so it could have been worse. 

Junior Goo Shoes and his s'more.

Toasting marshmallows on a  gas grill campfire just isn't the same.

I'll be back on the diet wagon again, tomorrow,

and I'm promising myself I won't stray n'more.

Good thing I have s'more Cantaloupe-Tomato Salad in the fridge.

 

  

Linking With:

 Best of The Weekend

Wow Us Wednesday

Share Your Style

Home Sweet Home 

FoodDIY Friday

Let's Get Real  

Treasure Box Tuesday 

Lou Lou Girls Fabulous Party

Wake Up Wednesday 

Home and Garden Thursday  

Idea Box

Best of the Weekend 105 and It's Memorial Day Weekend!

Hello, and welcome to Best of the Weekend!
Whatever you've got planned for this holiday weekend,
I'm glad that you are starting it here at our fantastic link party!
Whether holiday plans include a barbeque or a picnic,
a walk on a beach, or a swim in the lake,
a huge celebration, or a quiet weekend at home,
we should all take some time to remember those service people 
who gave their lives, so that we continue to enjoy our freedoms in the US of A! 

And now, it's time to meet our party hosts...

 Lisa: Cooking With Curls|FB|Twitter|Google+|Pinterest |Instagram

<Deb: Cooking On The Front Burner|FB|Twitter|Google+|Pinterest|Instagram

Sheryl: Lady Behind The Curtain |FB|Twitter|Google+|Pinterest|Instagram

Cindy: Little Miss Celebration |FB|Twitter|Google+|Pinterest

Ginnie: Hello Little Home|FB|Twitter|Google+|Pinterest|Instagram

Amy (me!): Ms.Toody Goo Shoes|FB|Twitter|Google+|Pinterest|Instagram

Remember that each co-host selects her own favorite posts, 

giving you a better chance of being featured each week,

so be sure to check out Ginnie, Cindy, Sheryl, Deb and Lisa,  
to see if you were featured on their blogs.

And...we'll be pinning our features to a 
Pinterest "Best of the Weekend" Features board!

Follow Cindy Eikenberg (Little Miss Celebration)'s board Best of the Weekend Features! on Pinterest.

This week's most clicked link was:

10 Fabulous Upcycled Bird Feeders from Heart Handmade UK 


My features for this week are... 

Greek Tzatziki Recipe from Nap Time Creations 
 I'm in love with Greek food, yet never made my own Tzatziki.
It's about to go down...
 


Spicy Spiralized Sweet Potato Fries from Strength and Sunshine
I've been in a sweet potato kind of mood lately.
I bet these would taste great dipped in the tzaziki!

Mini Strawberry Pies from Dad, What's For Dinner
How many minis equal a maxi? 

Because that's how many I'm gonna eat :) 


Peanut Butter Nutella Donut Sandwich from Just Us Four
OMG, OMG, OMG, is this legal?
The second I stop dieting, this is the first thing I'm going to eat.

How To Get Your Yard Ready For Summer from Clean and Scentsible 
It's been so chilly here, that I am way behind schedule.
The helpful organizational tools in this post are helping to get my rear in gear!
Just do it!

And now..It's time to link up!

An InLinkz Link-up

Mega-Mansion Tour: Outdoor Spaces and Relaxing Retreats (Part 6)

Are you ready for the final installment of the Mega-Mansion house tour?

It's hard to believe that I visited Blairsden Mansion just about a year ago! 

When I wrote Part 1, I'd envisioned it as a weekly series,

but one thing or another always side-tracked me. 

And now, I'm finally hitting the "home" stretch, 
with this segment on outdoor areas, 
as well as a few other relaxing spaces within the house. 

If I have learned one thing,

it is that I am not meant to live in a house this grand.

Nope, I'd feel guilty all the time for not spending enough time in each room. 

I can just imagine it...

"Oh, crap! I haven't sat in the Great Room since February!"
As it is, I feel guilty that I hardly ever use my living room.

Or more likely...

"I can't remember where the Salon de Thé is!"

I'd need a map to find my way around.

 And...I'd have to yell "Dinner's ready!" a half-hour before it was on the table, 
just to give everyone time to commute to the kitchen.
But who would hear me?
We'd need to install a P.A. system. 

Yet -- the outdoor areas are spaces where I could feel quite at home. 

Before we head outside, there are just a few spots left 
to show you on the inside of the house.

If you're interested in following along on the floor plan, click here. 

The Blue and White Room
Elizabeth Guest Interiors, LLC
Map Location 39

My amateur photos don't do this room justice.
It was just gorgeous.

A beautiful desk and chair...way too nice for paying bills.
It looks more suited for writing love letters.
Does anyone write love letters any more?
Do they even make stationary?
Or has modern day letter writing been reduced to...
"ily...wywh...xoxo"



Now that's a mirror that would make anyone look good!
Holy moly. 

  A "Techless" Retreat
Landy Plante Interiors, LLC
 Map Location 38

No cell phones, TV's or laptops allowed in here, as decreed by the decorator.
Works for me. I like the idea of a tech-free zone.
Just peace, quiet, and a good book.

It's a good place to come when I have insomnia,
so I won't disturb Mr. Goo Shoes.

Back To Black

Dreyer's Showroom by Alexandra Como

Map Location 37 

And then there's this little nook. 
I'll tell you, there's no lack of relaxing retreats in this house.
There's a room for every activity.

What could I do in here?

Play Words with Friends, maybe?



 I've always thought it would be great to paint the right room black,
but  Mr. Goo Shoes won't go for it.
In a house this big, he may not notice!



 OK, let's go outside.
We'll head out via the dining room, through its rounded wall of doors and columns. 

Walled Garden
Bldg. 39
Map Location L3

Now here is where I could feel right at home.
I'd plant vegetables, herbs, and a cutting garden...
hang some wind chimes and bird feeders, fill a bird bath or two...
maybe put in a nice water fountain. 
I'd be able to hear it from the patio.

Alfresco Colonnade 
Garden Cottage
Map Location 51

I'd probably spend every waking moment out here...
and likely some sleeping moments, too,
sprawled out on that couch, catching a few zzzz's.

I have visions of sitting in this hanging chair,
and being spun around by Junior Goo Shoes like a twister in The Wizard of Oz.
Ah, there's no place like home.

What a view!

Is this really New Jersey, or have I landed in Tuscany? 

Would you like to come for cocktails next weekend?



 We'll throw something on the grill for dinner. 

No worries if it rains...I've got that covered.

The Belvedere

Scott Salvator Inc.

Map Location 52 

Be still my heart!
Now, this is what I call dining al-fresco.

Forget the main house, I'll just live in this.

 

I'll light the fire...you place the flowers in the vase that you bought today.

I hope you enjoyed this long and drawn-out mega-mansion tour.
Sometimes, you go on a home tour, and have house-envy.
In this case, yes, it is stunning, and all of the designers created jaw-dropping spaces...
but in the end, I'm happy with my own little abode.
It's not picture-perfect, but it's a very fine house.

"Our house is a very very very fine house.

With two cats in the yard,

life used to be so hard.

Now everything is easy 'cause of you."

If you've missed any of the other parts, you can find them here. 

Mega-Mansion Tour - Part 1

Mega-Mansion Tour - Part 2

Mega-Mansion Tour - Part 3

Mega-Mansion Tour - Part 4

Mega-Mansion Tour - Part 5

 

Linking With:

Let's Get Real

 Feathered Nest Friday

Home Sweet Home

Best of the Weekend 

Treasure Box Tuesday

Wow Us Wednesday