Chocolate Isn't a Vegetable?

Grilled Summer Squash Finally, my garden blessed me with lots of delicious yellow squash, a veggie I planted after harvesting potatoes and onions from my raised beds in May! Grilling squash is a wonderful way to savor this last flavor of summer. Here is the easy recipe: 4 small yellow squash, washed and halved 1/4 cup of olive oil 1 teaspoon of blackened seasoning mix 1 teaspoon of seasoned salt Toss all ingredients in a large bowl until well-combined. Grill 4-6 minutes on medium heat (until softened). Enjoy!

Easiest Cronuts Ever! In case you don't know what Cronuts are, they are donut-shaped, deep-fried croissants of deliciousness! They are also super-easy to make! Heat three inches of vegetable or canola oil to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. On a piece of wax or parchment paper, unroll and slightly flatten one Pillsbury Crescent Seamless Dough Sheet. Cut the dough using a three-inch cookie or biscuit cutter, then cut out the middle of each 3-inch piece, using a cookie cutter that is about 1-inch across. Gently drop up to two Cronuts or four Cronut holes into the hot oil at a time. Fry each side for about 45 seconds, then cool on a cookie rack. Top with anything you like - I made a glaze out of a 1/4 cup of powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons of warm milk, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. You could add cinnamon-sugar, nutella, and/or a filling of whipped cream or pudding.

Easiest Fudge Ever! Making fudge that actually sets the way it is supposed to has always eluded me - until now! I found this super-tasty recipe on the Taste of Home magazine website: Empty 2 bags of chocolate chips into a glass bowl and microwave in thirty second intervals (stir every thirty seconds) until smooth. Then, quickly add one can of sweetened condensed milk and one tablespoon of vanilla extract and stir until well-combined. Pour fudge into wax or parchment paper-lined 8x8 pan that has been sprayed lightly with cooking spray. Cool in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before cutting into pieces. Enjoy! There are so many different combinations to try! Use white chocolate chips, add nuts or dried fruit, or sprinkle lightly with sea salt!

DIY Facial Powder and Blush Making your own cosmetics is inexpensive, fun, and chemical-free! Here are a couple of my favorite "recipes" for DIY make-up: Facial Powder Gently mix 1/2 cup of organic cornstarch with 1 teaspoon of organic cacao powder, adding more as needed to match your skin tone. Add 2-3 drops of Melaleuca essential oil (this helps reduce any bacteria growth). Store in air-tight container (recycled glass jars, like canning jars, work well). Blush Gently mix 1/4 cup of organic cornstarch with 1 teaspoon of beet root powder, adding more as needed to achieve the desired intensity of color. Stir in 2-3 drops of Melaleuca essential oil and store in air tight container. Depending on frequency of use, the powder and blush last about two weeks. I would recommend your local health food store to purchase the ingredients for DIY cosmetics. Internet prices may be a little cheaper, but buying local, fresh ingredients is worth it in the long run.

Puppies! No...not the kind that wreck your house, just the toy kind, but these little puppies do steal your heart just a little like real puppies do! These Pom-Pom puppies are super-easy to make! All materials needed, except for scissors, came in this awesome kit: While our puppies didn't turn out exactly like the ones pictured in the book, they were still so fun and easy to make! Boo and I made both of these pups in about 45 minutes. Once you get the hang of making the pom-poms and fluffing the puppies' fur, the possibilities for making your own unique Pom-Pom Puppies are endless!

Basil Everywhere! While the deer enjoyed a wonderful buffet, feasting on tomatoes, squash, and beans, they practically destroyed my garden. Thankfully, they somehow failed to notice the basil in my little herb corner! Now, I have tons of basil, which I decided to preserve for future use. At first I checked out this neat video on drying basil in the microwave (which works beautifully!):   However, I am not a fan of nuking food, so I looked for a method of drying herbs that did not take long, yet did also not use the microwave. Since I don't have a dehydrator (yet!) I decided to use the oven to dry the basil.  After harvesting the basil, I added it to a bowl full of cold water mixed with one tablespoon of white vinegar to clean the leaves. After letting the basil sit for five minutes, I rinsed off the leaves and set them on paper towels to dry for one hour: Basil drying Next, I spread the basil leaves on a rack on a cookie sheet and put this in the oven on 200 d