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

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!

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

The Fashionista's Diary ... Guest Post by Ashley of Profoundly Ash

Hi Dolls! :)

It's Ashley from Profoundly Ash! To start out, TGIF and Happy Weekend to you all!!
I am honored to be guest posting on Put a Bird On It today. 

SO thank you for having me :)

I am a registered nurse by day, with a HUGE passion for beauty and fashion. Ever since I could walk, I would play dress-up in my mom and aunts closets, prancing around in their high heels.

I grew up styling my friends from head to toe; giving fashion advice, helping with hair and makeup. It's what I LOVE! I love that just a "little somethin" can make someone feel and look like a million bucks! It makes my heart smile :)

And yes, over the years I frequently get asked, well why don't you do this for a living?

 I have come to realize life is just too darn short. God can take it away from us any second or any minute. I have always been a dreamer. And recently with the support of my AMAZING husband, I started the journey of blogging last summer, which gave me the courage to follow my dream and open up my very own women's boutique.
And I couldn't be more excited!!!!!!

Here I am today, 2 months away from opening my very own online boutique, Ginny Blues. Words cannot express my excitement! I am excited for so many reasons, but mostly to share with you all the amazing pieces I have. Allowing you all to buy fashion that is fabulous and affordable.

I picked each item from my heart, knowing if I wouldn't wear it, I wasn't buying it. If I wouldn't spend that kind of money, it wasn't going on my racks. And ya'll don't know me, but I am one fearless fashion bargain shopper through and through!

I cannot wait to dress you all :)
Ginny Blues will be offering the most affordable, unique, and stylish apparel and accessories by the comfort of buying from your own home!

~Opening May 2014~

Today I wanted to put some fun and funky looks together for you. When it comes to style and fashion, be you and wear what you wanna wear. For this spring and summer, think outside the box.
 Mixing polka dots and stripes, leopard print and neons, T-shirts and tulle skirts, chunky necklaces and sweatshirts, stilettos and distressed denim, tie dye prints, big hair, and bright lips.
Like Marilyn Monroe says, normal is boring! :)


Look #1

another look here; photos don't do these shorts justice!

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

Don't forget to enter the Boughtin Baby & Bride giveaway happening this week!

CLICK HERE TO ENTER

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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!