Fabulous Friday Follow

August 13th-18th

Slowly but surely we are getting the hang of this Blog Hop thing.  I am on vacation so I am having a hard time getting back to my computer to check on things...I know poor me. If you are here PLEASE leave a comment so I can return the favor and FOLLOW YOU BACK!

2GiggleBoxes who is a good girlfriend/sorority sister of mine from UF

is hosting the Fabulous Friday Follow with me.

For this weeks GUEST HOST we picked Dana from Thoughts on Life and Dirty Diapers. 
Dana has I post I love called I Made My Kids Eat Their Sunscreen.  Welcome to FFF Dana!

To join FFF we are keeping it simple.

Here's what you do...

1. Follow the LLBB ,  2GiggleBoxes and Thoughts on Life and Dirty Diapers.
(We will follow you too!)

2. Click on the Linky Tool below and add your blog.

3. Check out the other blogs on "Fabulous Friday Follow" and follow them too.

We will pick another person from this weeks Linky List who has a
"FABULOUS" blog to host with us next week.

Linky will close on Wednesday PM and blog will be notified if they win via email!

Happy Following!

XOXO, Laura and Sarah

Black Bean Recipe.

 I love Cuban food. My black beans are in no way  a "traditional" (mine are more sweet) Cuban recipe but were influenced by eating lots of Cuban food growing up in Florida.

YOU CAN PRINT RECIPE HERE.

Here's What You Need

3 Cups of Black Beans

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

4-5 Pieces of Bacon

1Teaspoon Kosher Salt

1/2 Teaspoon Lawry’s Seasoning

1/3 Cup Brown Sugar

1/3 Balsamic Vinegar

Directions

In a large, deep skillet over medium heat, combine and brown: bacon, olive oil, Kosher salt, Lawry’s seasoning. Turn on low so that bacon stays soft. Saute for about 3 minutes stirring occasionally. Pour in dry black beans and stir around for about a minute. Cover beans with water and simmer. Needs to cook for at least 3 hours or until all beans are soft. Make sure to keep adding water so bean don’t burn. Serve with rice (like saffron yellow rice.)

I think the key to the flavor is the Brown Sugar, Bacon and Vinegar.

MAKE SURE YOU ADD ENOUGH WATER OR THEY WILL BURN!  

You will need to check often adding more water.

You can garnish with tomatoes, onions, cheese, hot sauce and/or sour cream.  I usually make a shredded pork to go on top (will add this recipe soon.)

DON'T FORGET about the Blog Hop.  You have till tomorrow to add your blog!

 I will be getting caught up with following everyone back!  Happy Tuesday!

www.LilysLaundryBoutique.Blogspot.com

Fabulous Friday Follow

 I'm still loving the Blog Hop idea so I asked Sarah from

2GiggleBoxes who is a good girlfriend/sorority sister of mine from UF

to host the Fabulous Friday Follow with me.

We are keeping it simple.

Here's what you do...

1. Follow the LLBB and 2GiggleBoxes (We will follow you too!)

2. Click on the Linky Tool below and add your blog.

3. Check out the other blogs on "Fabulous Friday Follow" and follow them too.

We will pick another person from this weeks Linky List who has a "FABULOUS" blog to host with us next week.

Linky will close on Wednesday PM and blog will be notified on Thursday if they win via email!

Happy Following!

XOXO, Laura and Sarah

Do You Shoe? I do...

I can't help it.  I also Lil Blue Boo.

If you have not checked out, Ashley over at Lil Blue Boo you're missing out on the world of an amazing creative force.  She is so crazy talented. I love to see what she is "Crafting Up." I dream of sitting down and sewing up all these super cool things but....I never seem to get to them. I have a great imagination but sometimes when it comes to the execution I fall flat.

She had this post a couple of weeks ago called Extreme Glitter Shoes and I was like HOLA! Pink, Glitter Shoes and NO SEW! Right up my ally...So off cheap shoe shopping I went.  I finally found a plain pair at Walmart....Here's how they come out!  I love them and the girls do too!

GIVE-A-WAY!
On a fun note Angela over at the Children's Nook WON the Give-A-Way! CONGRATS!
Thanks everyone for playing!  We will have another one again soon.

Drawing #2,851 PRIVATE

Strawberry Fields GAW 7th drawing held by Laurae Neil Completed on Thursday, 5 August 2010 at 15:29:14 UTC 21 entrants, 1 winner

Winners (1)

1st: veniceangel@hotmail.com

Love these Blog Hops!

One called Welcome Wednesday from Take it From Me and

One called the Tuesday Tag-Along and it is super cute! Go check it out.

WE are having our own blog hop over here called Fabulous Friday Follow and it is just so much fun! I have found so much great blogs...my brain is getting fried from reading everyone great stuff.  

Wednesday I will pick another "Fabulous"Blog to host with us next week.

Don't forget about our Give-A-Way!  It ends tonight at 10 PM PST!

xoxo,  www.LilysLaundryBoutique.Blogspot.com

Fabulous Friday Follow

We are having own own BLOG HOP over here at LLBB.

It is so easy to be a part of...

Here's what you do...

1. Follow the Lily's Laundry Boutique's Blog
I WILL FOLLOW U TOO!

2.  Click on the Linky Tool below and add your blog.

3. Check out the other  blogs on LLBB Fabulous Friday Follow and follow them too.
4. Please follow back anyone who is following you via LLBB Fabulous Friday Follow.

This is the first week I have tried this so we will see what kind of response we get.

I am going to pick one person from this weeks Linky List that I think has a "Fabulous" blog and let them host with me for next week. 

Linky will close on Wednesday and blog will be notified on Thursday if they win via email!

Happy Following!


P.S. Here are some of the other blog hops that I love...
Welcome Wednesday

Green Blog Hop

Friday Follow

Gone Bananas...Foster that is...

Bananas Foster Recipe

I have had a craving for bananas lately and have had an itch to make bananas foster. So I did. It was so easy and so delicious! I just might make it every night this summer. Here's the recipe. 

Click here to download a printable version.

You will need

1/4 Cup of Butter

2/3 Cup of Brown Sugar

3 1/2 Tablespoons Dark Rum

1 1/2 Teaspoons of Vanilla

1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon

4 Bananas

Vanilla Ice Cream

Directions

In a large, deep skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in sugar, rum, vanilla and cinnamon. When mixture begins to bubble, place bananas in pan. Cook until bananas are hot, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve at once over vanilla ice cream.

 Decorate with mint and/or raspberries.

Lovey Loved it too!

Happy Cooking!

www.LilysLaundryBoutique.Blogspot.com
www.LilysLaundryBoutique.com

Strawberry Fields Give-A-Way!

So many people loved the Strawberry Country Cake recipe I made a down-loadable/printable version.  Click Here to Download!  I will try and do this with all my recipes.  This Scribd is new to me so bare with me through all the kinks.

Strawberry Fields 2T or 4T

Strawberry Fields Swim 4T

It made me think of the Kate Mack Strawberry Fields suits and dresses from last year and I thought it's time for a give-a-way!

Since they are from last year I only have 4T's left in the swim suit and 2T and 4T's left in the dress.  Please specify in comments which one you would like (you only get one or the other:)
Contest ends Tuesday August 3rd, 2010 10 PM PST!

So here's the skinny!
General Giveaway Rules:

Become a Follower via Google Friend Connect
1 Entry for commenting on post
1 Entry for re-posting on your  Facebook page
1 Entry for joining our Facebook Page
1 Entry for becoming a follower of LLBB Twitter
1 Entry for re-posting give-a-way on you Twitter
2 Entries for re-posting on your blog
5 Entries if you purchase something from Lily's Laundry Boutique within now and end of give-a-way (you must comment on blog!)

Make sure to leave your email EMAIL ADDRESS,  SIZE and how you entered in your comments!

A comment will be chosen at random on www.random.org and the winner will be posted on http://www.lilyslaundryboutique.blogspot.com/

Winner will be posted within 24 hours. 

You will also be contacted via email .

We will only ship inside USA.  
You can still enter if you are international but you will be required to pay for the shipping.

Thanks for Playing!

www.LilysLaundryBoutique.com

http://www.lilyslaundryboutique.blogspot.com/

Chirp Chirp

Are these not the cutest things you have ever seen! I love bird houses. They bring so much color to your backyard. Think outside the box with these...wouldn't they be great for decorating an outside space (or table) for a summer BBQ? This Eco-friendly company is out of Florida, which makes me love them more ;)

Find these birdhouses at www.rossosinternational.com

Retro Chic Collection Birdhouses $17

Where's the Beef!

Summer Grilling.  Cheese Filled Burgers.

I love cheeseburgers and have a special way of making them.

I season the meat (my favorite seasoning is from Williams-Sonoma but you can use whatever you would like.  Sea Salt, Lawry's, Cracked Pepper)

I  put a hole in the middle (like a bird's nest) and fill it with cheese, covering the hole up when done.

My favorite is Blue Cheese but you can use Cheddar, Feta, Gorgonzola or try a combo...
Whatever impresses your taste buds.

Make sure to mark burgers so you know which ones are filled with what.  A great way to do this is with colored tooth picks.  Yellow for Cheddar...Blue for Blue Cheese etc.
 

This is my little brother John grilling.

Prep.

Complete. Yummy.

Helpful Tips!
1. Be careful not overcook.  These burgers  take less time because they're filled with cheese not meat.
2. Don't forget to toast your buns on the grill...Gives it just that little bit of extra favor!
3. Cook time est. 10 minutes... 160 degrees is considered safe.

Here is a great resource from Epicurious on food safety. 

Need A Side? How About Corn?

Soak your corn in water with a little bit of sea salt.  When you are ready to cook the corn put (with husks, add some butter) in tin foil and put on grill. It makes the corn extra moist.  Cook time about 30 minutes.

Happy Grilling!