10 Yummy Lemonade Recipes for Summer

Mmmmmmmmm. I've kind of been obsessed with LEMONADE lately. Chick-Fil-A has the BEST lemonade - and it comes in a yummy diet version, too. I started looking up yummy homemade lemonades on Pinterest and found some that look A-MA-ZING. Here in Utah, the weather is warm, the outdoors are calling my name, and you'll definitely be able to find me mixing up some of these yummy summer lemonades in the next few months. Do you have a favorite lemonade recipe or restaurant that serves your fave lemonade? Let me know in the comments! Enjoy this sweet roundup!

Homemade Lemonade by No. 2 Pencil

Super Easy Oreo Balls Recipe .. Guest Post by Mary of Eat Drink & Be Mary

Hey y'all. I'm so excited to be taking over for Daniela today.  I'm Mary the girl behind the blog Eat Drink & Be Mary.  The place where I share the "looks" that have shaped my life, how I struggle with patience, and of course recipes I have tried and LOVE.  But enough about me, and more about what I'm super excited to share with y'all today.

Have you ever been told to bring a dessert to a party but didn't know what to bring?  Are you in love with party foods that are portion-sized and don't need any utensils or plates?  Do you love no-bake recipes?  Then I'm your girl, and I've got the recipe for you. 

Super EASY, No-Bake Oreo Balls.  A recipe with three ingredients, no baking, & you end up with the YUMMIEST, bite sized party food your friends are family will love.  Seriously these are addicting, I dare you to eat one and NOT stuff your face with two or ten three more.  

The Best Italian Pasta Salad Ever!

M is for Monday - which today is. M is also for Mmmmmmmmmmmmm - which is the first word that comes to mind when I think of this recipe. For Mother's Day last week, I was in charge of bringing a side dish. I immediately knew I needed (yes - needed) to make a pasta salad. But not just any ol' pasta salad- the best italian pasta salad EVER! 

This pasta salad is more than just pasta & italian dressing - the secret is caesar dressing added in, too. It makes it creamy and light and ooooooh just amazing. It is also soooooo easy to make (especially if you get a cute boy that is conveniently married to you to chop your veggies). You basically just cook the pasta, mix in all the other ingredients and chill. That's it!

Birthday Cake Popcorn

Happy Monday, friends! I hope you all had a wonderful Mother's Day weekend. If you missed my post about Mother's Day, you can view it > HERE < !  I woke up to a giant bag of candy from Dylan's Candy Bar {from my husband's work trip this past weekend}, so I was a pretty happy momma. Plus, lots of daddy-encouraged Ava hugs & kisses for me, too. I got to have dinner with my mom and sisters and celebrate all kinds of motherhood, so it was a wonderful day.

Today, I'm sharing with you an EASY and DELICIOUS recipe for a new twist on popcorn. Birthday Cake Popcorn! I just LOVE birthday cake in any form - cake, ice cream, candy - you name it - I'm eating it. This popcorn is easy to make and the best part is that it actually has real cake mix in the batter. YUM! The photo below is an easy to save recipe photo that could easily be printed as a 4x6 recipe card. Just right click > SAVE > PRINT. Enjoy this yum yum treat {no birthday required}. :)

xo

Don't forget to enter to win a $550 Amazon gift card!! > HERE < 

Strawberry Spinach Salad ... Guest Post by Ashlyn of Belle of the Kitchen

Hi everyone! I'm Ashlyn and I blog over at Belle of the Kitchen. I am so very excited to be guest posting here at I Put a Bird On It! Daniela is one of my new bloggy friends and I have really enjoyed getting to know her. I always look forward to all of her fabulous posts and ideas that she shares with all of us! I mean, have you SEEN those adorable DIY Polka Dot Pants of hers?! If not, you should check them out! They are adorbs. ;) Over on my blog, I share recipes for the whole family. Whether you’re looking for something healthy, something sweet, or even just a little comfort food to appeal to a picky eater, I’ve got a recipe for you. I'd love to have you come by and visit me over there!

Today I'm sharing a super delicious recipe for Strawberry & Spinach Salad, with a Homemade Poppy Seed Dressing. This makes a great side dish for almost any meal, and is even great by itself as a main dish if you add a little grilled chicken! The first time I made this, my husband kind of gave me the ole one-eyed stare and asked me what in the world strawberries were doing mixed in his salad. He wasn't so sure about the fruit, but after a few bites, his frown turned around, and now he loves it when we have this for dinner! Which is good, because we have it pretty often. ;)

Strawberry & Spinach Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

Dairy Free Magic Cookie Bars

Guys. I'm going to tell you a secret! Shhhhh....come in close. Closer ... Closer ... There. Stop. Ready?

I CAN'T EAT DAIRY.

Did you already know that? Maybe. And when I say "can't" I should really say "shouldn't," because I actually do eat it. But, if I eat too much, it makes me sick. Boo. It's an intolerance - not an allergy - so I justify eating it that way! Ha ha. There are several things I will cheat for:  a Wendy's frosty, ravioli and a beefy 5 layer from Taco Bell. On an every day basis, though, I don't eat it. At my house, we drink soy & almond milk, eat dairy free cheese & butter, and ice cream is replaced with sorbet. It's a pretty simple life style change, really. You get super used to it {yes, when I first tried soy milk I wanted to BARF, but it's so good now, I honestly don't remember the taste of cow's milk!}.

The hardest part about being dairy free is the lack of yummy treats. It's not that they aren't out there, it's just that I don't ever make them! I do have a Dairy Free board on Pinterest, though, loaded with scrumdiddlyumptious treats I could make dairy free {you can follow it HERE}. I've learned over the years that it's pretty simple to substitute dairy free ingredients for "normal" ones to make most recipes dairy free - and they taste about the same - if not better! 

Double Chocolate Banana Bread ... Guest Post by Jana of Life Could Be A Dream

Hey beautiful Put a Bird On It readers! I'm so excited to be swapping blogs with Daniela today! I'm Jana from Life Could Be a Dream (be sure to hop on over there in just a minute to see what Dani has cooked up for my readers!). I met Daniela last month at Build Your Blog Conference. She was the very first person I introduced myself to, and I'm so glad I did! She is an absolute gem and we became friends pretty quickly. We bonded over having kiddos about the same age, our mutual love for Chic-fil-A, and discovering fabulous new beauty products together. One of the first things people learn about me is that I graduate from culinary school. I am a foodie times a million. I love creating new recipes, but most of all I just love to eat. Banana bread is way up there on my list of favorite foods. There are so many delicious ways you can make banana bread. My mom's original banana bread recipe is my favorite, but I love this blueberry pie swirl version as well. Today's recipe is all about chocolate. I'm a sucker for it, and I'll eat it with anything. Especially in banana bread. Holy. YUM.

Double Chocolate Banana Bread

Homemade DAIRY FREE Sweetened Condensed Milk

Good day, loves! Today, I am sharing with you a recipe that will save your life if you don't eat DAIRY. Whatever the reason - food allergy, nursing momma, health choice, taste preference - some of us cool peeps just can't eat dairy. I have a food intolerance to dairy, so I can cheat sometimes, but really I should be "eating good" and sticking to my non-dairy diet. The recipe I have for you today is for Dairy Free Sweetened Condensed Milk. As a once-dairy-eater turned non-dairy-eater, I know that sweetened condensed milk is in SO MANY delicious, divine desserts. Up until this past week, I passed on them ALL, but now I can make any of them! This recipe definitely needs to go in your back pocket, because a whole new world of desserts has just been opened up to you. You're welcome. ;) Best part of all? There are only TWO ingredients. Goodbye canned sugary milk - hello sweet, velvety, silky goodness.

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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