My Love Monday ... Recipe for How to Make a Perfect Dirty Diet Coke

Imagine it. You're drinking a diet coke. Everything should be perfect, correct? Wrong. Something is missing. A bag of peanut butter M&M's perhaps? Maybe. A Chris Pine look-alike sitting next to you? I suppose. But none of those things hit the spot. Then you realize what's missing: COCONUT & LIME. Yum. My friends, I am about to open up your mind to a whole new world of tropical coke bliss. The Dirty Diet Coke. Which is the star of today's My Love Monday. My recipe for the perfect dirty diet coke.

Now, when I posted on my Facebook that I was drinking my first dirty diet coke on Ava's birthday at 2:00pm, some of my friends got a little confused. In fact, it looked a little something like this:

As you can see in the comments, my dear friends thought their good girl Mormon friend, Dani, had finally come to her senses and was enjoying a little mid-afternoon pick me up, ha ha. But, no, I am still holding true to my LDS faith and enjoying a little su'm su'm different that makes my Cokes dirty.  No alcohol here. ;) {want to know why I choose a different kind of "dirty"? you can learn more HERE}

A dirty diet coke is quite simple. quite delicious. and quite addicting. i LOVE it. You can dirty up a Coke or a Dr. Pepper too, which I've tried, and personally only enjoy it with a diet coke. Enjoy your carbonated tropical getaway. I can only hope the Chris Pine part comes true for you, too.

pour 2 tablespoons coconut syrup into a glass

add ice 3/4 full

pour in one 12oz can diet coke

squeeze in 1/2 FRESH lime & add to glass

insert stripey straw

DONE!

That last step is especially important. ;)

I've read versions adding half & half, but I don't prefer it, so guess what? You don't get it in my recipe! The hub and I usually use a ginormous mason jar, which is probably twice the amount of this recipe, and now just estimate all our additions. Which makes it fun to get a little more coconut or lime each time. Like I said earlier, we are addicted, and you will be, too. It will definitely become your new LOVE. See you in dirty diet coke therapy. {oh and bring those peanut butter M&M's!}

tips

where to get coconut syrup | most grocery stores {in Utah: Orson Gygi in Salt Lake City, Harmon's, Macey's, World Market in Park City}

don't want the guilt while getting dirty? | use sugar free coconut syrup {where to buy? World Market!}

put the lime in the coke you nut and drink it all up | less is more! start with less coconut syrup & lime. remember - you can always add more, but you can't add less.

This DDC is hanging out with my Hand Painted Burlap Coasters, which you can find the tutorial for by clicking HERE!

I would love to hear how you like your DDC. Have you ever tried DDC before? Do you make other drinks dirty? What's your sweet drink addiction? Leave me a comment!

xo

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Impromptu Gourmet BBQ ... Guest Post by Cady from Boughtin Baby & Bride

Saturday night, my plans were foiled. Matt had invited some of our close friends over for dinner, and I had this gourmet, healthy meal all planned out and ready to go and then I heard those dreaded words: "The fights are on tonight." Needless to say, my dinner plans had gone awry and it was on to Plan B. Now, in my house, I don't like to do anything half-effort, so throwing some premade patties on the grill wasn't happening. I gave him a grocery list and sent him on his merry way and got to brainstorming how I could turn this into an awesome "gourmet" BBQ for nine.

The Burgers:

I made half with turkey and half with beef. I threw each in a huge bowl with feta, chopped mushrooms and diced onions, and rolled each patty about 1-1/2 inches thick. The guys grilled them and the looked (and smelled) awesome.

The Buns:

I had him pick up whole wheat buns (for health, obviously) and, because I didn't exactly have the time to make brioche buns from scratch, I mixed whole milk in a bowl with an egg, whipped them together and dipped each bun in the mix. The guys tossed them on the grill and voila! An impromptu "brioche" bun.

The Beans:

Baked beans can never just be from the can. If you don't have time to make them from scratch, there's always things you can add to spice them up - literally. I opened two large cans into a pot and warmed them. I threw in chopped-up bacon, some BBQ sauce, a bit of ketchup, Louisiana hot sauce, cracked pepper, cayenne and red chili flakes. It really brought out a great, original flavor!

The Potato Salad:

My sister, whom I have never seen cook before, made the most amazing warm potato salad...almost like a mashed potato salad I guess? She took new potatoes (aka red potatoes) and boiled them until soft, then drained and mashed them with a ton of green onions, sour cream, some margarin and cracked pepper. I have a basil plant growing rampant, so I chopped some up and threw it in - perfection!

The "Onion Rings":

My spiral slicer is my best friend. I ran two white onions through it, and in a separate bowl, I mixed together milk, two eggs, chili pepper, cracked pepper and paprika. I dredge the onions in the mixture, then tossed them in a bowl of panko bread crumbs. Baked at 425 degrees for about 30 minutes, and I ended up with a casserole type of dish to be scooped onto the burgers.

The In-n-Out Secret Sauce:

I wanted to come up with something else to set these burgers apart (as if the onions and feta burgers and "brioche" buns wouldn't do that), so I made my own version of the In-n-Out's secret sauce, which is also very similar to the sauce at Gott's Roadside. It's just mayo (I buy mayo made with olive oil), ketchup, white vinegar, relish and pepper!

My sister and I, very proud of ourselves!

The Finished Product:

Bomb*

*Yes, I am still doing paper plates, plastic cups and utensils. I refuse to have to wash more dishes unnecessarily yet. I can wait until my kitchen is fully outfitted before I get to know that dishwasher any better. ;)

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Thanks, Cady, for a delish post! Seriously, a BBQ never looked so fancy & good.

You can stay connected with Cady through the links below.

BLOG | SHOP | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | PINTEREST | BLOGLOVIN

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Need stripey straws or colorful spoons for your next BBQ? Check out Pick Your Plum for the best deals on cute supplies!

Peppermint Christmas Crack Recipe

Today was kind of crappy. And by "kind of" I mean a lot crappy. Just not my day. I'll spare you the details. Just know it was lame and everything was making me cry. Seriously, everything. I cried watching The Voice when a contestant sang with Celine Dion, because it was so emotional and beautiful. I cried watching Adam Levine say nice things about Ceelo. I cried reading Christmas baby books to Ava. I cried watching Ava play with a straw. So that should show you how everything {lame or not} was setting off the water works. 4:00 came around, and I was pretty tired of feeling sad and sorry for myself. So I decided to crank up the Christmas music, dance with my baby and make Christmas Crack. But not just any Christmas Crack -- peppermint Christmas Crack. Yep. I can say that crack got me out of my depressive state. And it all helped. Through my puffy eyes and sniffly nose, I made a scrumdiddlyumptious treat that my husband has been eating all night and saying, "Wow - it is SO good," with each bite. I now share it with you. So that on your terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day -- you can crank up the music and make your own Christmas Crack to lift your mood and make your spirits bright.

**One of my friends sent me the recipe. She got it off of Averie Cooks, who calls it Chocolate Saltine Toffee. {though not a peppermint version!}**

Peppermint Christmas Crack
makes one 9x13 pan

The Goods

• 32 saltines
• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 bag chocolate chips
• 1 bag Andes peppermint baking chips
• Other flavors of chips you may like

The Fun Part

*preheat oven to 350*

• Line your 9x13 pan with foil. Spray with cooking spray. Lay your saltines single-file on the bottom of the pan.
• In a pot on the stove, melt your butter and brown sugar. When it starts to boil, turn the heat down and simmer for about 3-5 minutes. I watch it and stir it constantly, because I don't want it to burn!
• After the few minutes, take it off the stove. Let it sit for about 30 seconds. Add vanilla and stir.
• Pour over saltines in pan. Use a spatula to swoosh it around, so everything is covered.
• Bake in the oven for 5-7 minutes until it looks yummy and bubbly.
• Take it out and let sit for a couple minutes.
• Sprinkle your chocolate chips on top. Let them hang out there, melting away into chocolatey goodness for about 4 minutes. Take your spatula and smooth the melty chocolate chips until it's all covered.
• Sprinkle your Andes peppermint chips on top {no swooshing around -- leave them!}. Use as much or as little as you'd like!
• Refrigerate for about an hour {can put in freezer, but mine was perfect for cracking after an hour in the fridge!}
• EAT
• SHARE {if there is any left}

I also made a peanut butter version. Omit the peppermint chips. When you sprinkle the chocolate chips on top, only use half of the bag and add half a bag of peanut butter chips. Smooth it all over after it's melted. Also very yum!

Even looking at the photos is making me happier.

Wouldn't that pair nicely with a dirty diet coke?

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Before you go, feel free to enter the giveaways I am hosting!

Mod by Mel Giveaway

Hazel Berry Paper Shop

Christmas Cash + toADORN

White Chocolate Snickerdoodle Bread + Christmas Cash Giveaway!

I will admit, I am not much of a baker! Pies, I can do. Everything else -- MEH. But I am trying. And learning. And {hopefully} improving. I found the cutest ceramic mini loaf pans at Michaels for $1! I knew they would make perfect neighbor gifts. I turned to Pinterest to find a sweet bread recipe. I found this one from Lil' Luna for Snickerdoodle Bread. I didn't have any cinnamon chips on hand {I hear they're seasonal}, so I used white chocolate chips instead. I don't know what the cinnamon chips would have tasted like, but the white chocolate was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. I will post my version of the recipe, but be sure to head over to Lil' Luna to see the original!

  

Click HERE to download the recipe 

 

I added a little homemade gift tag to make it a neighbor gift for Christmas.

 

{9 days 'til Christmas!!}

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A VERY MERRY 

CHRISTMAS CASH GIVEAWAY 

Need some extra Christmas cash? Put A Bird On It is stoked to be a part of this Christmas cash giveaway, sponsored by an amazing group of bloggers! This prize is sure to make your spirits bright.

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Enter my other giveaway for this week!

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You might also like:

DIY Sheet Music Christmas Ornament

Dinner In A Pumpkin Recipe

There are still THREE dinners between now and the day after Halloween, so you DEFINITELY have time to try this festive recipe. Fall is all about pumpkins, so I think you can make this through Thanksgiving!

My family has a tradition of making DINNER IN A PUMPKIN every Halloween. This was my first year making it for my own little family! It is a really REALLY simple recipe that you can modify easily to your family's taste. I serve it with rolls and find myself making a sloppy joe out of it. It's seriously SO good. My sister adds RICE to hers -- so that's a yummy suggestion to try, too. The best part is how soft and delicious the pumpkin gets while baking. It scoops right out. The pumpkin bite is THE YUMMIEST. You don't need a massive pumpkin, either. Make sure you pick one that will fit in your oven! Whether you're cooking for one, two or a family of eight -- this dish is sure to delight everyone. Enjoy!

Dinner in a Pumpkin

serves many! :)

One pumpkin {clean out seeds}

Two pounds ground beef or sausage

One can SPAM {ok ok you can use 1lb ground ham if you're not a SPAMmer}

One can tomato sauce {regular size can}

Two teaspoons oregano

Two cloves garlic, minced

Two and a half tablespoons onion

One chopped green pepper

One teaspoon vinegar

Three eggs, beaten

Two and a half teaspoons salt

One teaspoon pepper

{remember -- you can add minute rice, if you please}

{if you LOVE the pumpkin flavor, add a few shakes of pumpkin pie spice!}

*remove/add whatever you like - it's all yummy!*

Combine all but pumpkin and fry until tender. Place pumpkin on cookie sheet, then add mixture to your beautifully scooped pumpkin, place the lid, take your Instagram photo and bake at 350 degrees for ninety minutes. Serve dinner from pumpkin!

MMMMMMMmmmmmmm.

Now I want to eat it again.

In fact, I think I will.

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Easy No Bake Cheesecake In A Jar {with labels!}

Yum.

That is one of my favorite words: YUM!

Because it usually means I am either looking at or partaking of something delectable and most likely full of sugar and butter.

Yum.

Today's post is full of YUM. And full of EASY. It's no bake cheesecake in a jar! If this treat was any easier, it would be a sin. I looked through a GAJILLION recipes online to find one that sounded easy and yummy and that I had most everything in my cupboards. The one I decided on was just a photo of a recipe from Woman's Day magazine. I twerked tweaked it a little {hardy har har} to get it juuuuuust right the way I liked it. Again. Super easy. And of course - super YUM.

The photo I found online where my recipe came from {womansday.com}

 Here is my version of the recipe:

No Bake Cheesecake In A Jar
serving size: 6 jelly jars or 3 pint jars

supplies:

1. one and a half 8oz packages cream cheese
2. three tablespoons sugar
3. one cup heavy cream
4. two teaspoons lemon juice {or more to taste}
5. graham cracker crumbs {easy to crush your own or buy in a box}
6. strawberries {or fruit of your choosing // can use pie topping as alternative}
7. strawberry glaze {usually found in the produce by the shortcake}
8. mason jars {I used pint jars}

the fun part:

1. mix the cream cheese and sugar {I used my KitchenAid} until smooth. Reduce speed to low and add heavy cream. Increase speed to high until cheesecake is thick, creamy and maximum deliciousness is achieved {just a couple of minutes}, then add lemon juice and mix a minute more.
2. Test cheesecake batter with finger. May need second taste test {or third...or fourth...}.
3. Now layer! graham crackers crumbs << cheesecake << strawberries << cheesecake << glaze << strawberries 
4. Try really hard not to eat YUM treat before giving it to your friend...or decide you don't really need friends and eat YUM treat instead.

YUM, right? YUM YUM YUM.

Just once more: YUM.

If you so desire, you can print these adorbs labels to add to your mason jar. I used Silhouette Sticker Paper to print and cut my labels with my Cameo.  If you want the Studio file, leave me a comment, and I'll post a link to the free file you can download and use.

Alrighty. Here you go!

STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE LABELS JPG

STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE LABELS PDF

YUM

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