Day 26: Jump In

It was another hot day in Michigan.  In fact, we had a heat advisory.  So, it was nice to hop in the pool--especially since the water temp is up to 86 degrees!  Here I caught Ash as she was hitting the water.  [I tweaked this photo in Adobe Lightroom using the preset called Kelsey Smith- Swim Time.]

Day 25: High of 95

Madison and Ben came up to visit.  It was in the 90s today, so we spent most of the afternoon in the pool.  It was refreshing to say the least.  We ended the evening with beer and burgers.

Day 24: Raspberries

Yesterday, I made Chewy Raspberry Squares using the raspberries that Ash had picked last week (top left).  Today, I was up at eight--when it became too hot to sleep--so I picked the raspberries bushes in the backyard clean.  Then I made raspberry sorbet.  It's still not quite frozen yet, but it sure is good (bottom left).

Chewy Raspberry Squares
1/2 cup butter or margarine at room temp
1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed (it's awfully sweet, so you could probably get away with only using 2/3 or 3/4 of a cup)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup oats
1/2 cup raspberry preserves (I just cooked my raspberries on the stove with some sugar)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat an 8 x 8-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, beat butter and brown sugar until smooth and fluffy. Beat in vanilla extract.
3. Mix in flour, baking powder and oats until mixture is combined and crumbly. Reserve 1/4 cup of the mixture for topping; set aside. Pat remaining mixture into the bottom of prepared baking pan.
4. Spoon preserves on top of oat layer, spreading as much as possible without disturbing the bottom layer. Sprinkle reserved topping on the top of preserve layer.
5. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. When cooled, cut into squares.

Day 23: Classic Swimsuit Baby

Today, Sarah and Lily came over to swim.  Lily is so cute in her classic swimsuit with the cute ruffles.  Look how festive she is in her red, white, and blue suit.  So patriotic.

Day 22: Tie Dye

Today Mom and I made a bunch of tie dye shirts.  It was so much fun.  We tried different designs and different colors.

Day 21: Independence Day Celebration

Since the 4th is on Sunday and most people will want to go to the fireworks on Saturday, we decided to have the 2nd Annual Independence Day Celebration on Friday.  We barbecued and had a bonfire, along with a couple fireworks.  Most of the gang was here and we had a blast.

Day 20: Always Room for Jell-O!

Jell-O Shots
Makes approximately 25 1-ounce shots.

1 3-oz box of Jell-O
1 ½ cups water
½ cup liquor

1. Stir 1 cup of boiling water into dry gelatin , in a measuring cup (for easy pouring), at least 2 minutes until completely dissolved
2. Stir in ½ cup cold water and ½ cup alcohol*
3. Pour into 1-ounce plastic cups with lids.
4. Refrigerate until solid (at least 2 hours). Enjoy responsibly.