Superstar!

Whenever I hear that word - Superstar! - I think of the Mary Katherine Gallagher character from Saturday Night Live.

Well, I've been given the title of "Cooking Superstar" this week by the kind folks over at Cut Out & Keep. They're featuring seven of my edible art recipes - one per day. Check them out if you'd like. Oh, and there's a fun little questionnaire they had me answer at the bottom too.

So, while I'm not a true cooking superstar like Giada De Laurentiis or Martha Stewart, I'll take creative kitchen kuddos whenever I can get 'em.

Smart Summer Smoothies

Boost your brain power while treating your tastebuds. These blueberry and avocado-layered smoothies are packed full of superfood nutrients. I know what you're thinking: "Ewe..... blueberry & avocado?" No. Really. Trust me. They're delicious. I should know. I drank about 2 gallons of them while I experimented in my kitchen a few weeks ago. I was trying to ever-so-artfully SWIRL the two flavors together in a glass. But alas, my multiple attempts at swirling failed. Instead, I ended up layering them. 

Still pretty. 

Still delicious.

Still interested? Check out the complete recipe and instructions at SheKnows.

Take a Dip!

It's summer! Time for fun, sun and something YUM.

How about this beach-themed pretzel dip? Even the striped towel will please, because it's made of cheese!

It'll be the best-tasting sand you've ever eaten, I promise.

Find the complete recipe and tutorial over at SheKnows.com.

24 Hours in Tulsa

We took some time off last week from work & YMCA camp to kick back, relax and enjoy summer. On Tuesday, we headed south for Tulsa, to check out the Oklahoma Aquarium and the Tulsa Zoo. Both were really great. Bonus: the weather was awesome!

265 photos, $64 worth of gift-shop stuffed animals, and 24 hours later..... I'd just like to say "Thanks Tulsa, we had an unexpectedly-terrific time!"

The kids loved crawling into these tubes that give you a view from inside the tank.

Check out the lips on this guy!

The stingrays were our favorite. So cool.

I think Gus could have watched these stingrays all day long.

Very cool shark tank and tunnel.

Got to watch a diver feed the fish.

Stuffed animals from the gift shop, of course.

We stayed at Aloft - a very cool, hip hotel. 

Managed to find a cupcake shop called Smallcakes. Yum.

One of the only restaurants we could find that doesn't exist in Wichita. Delicious, btw.

The Tulsa Zoo is fabulous. Lots of shade and great animals on exhibit.

Bea is the exact proportions of a chimp. Go figure.

The sea lion show was AWESOME. Wish Wichita's zoo had cool shows like this.

This guy was just beggin' to have his photo taken.

Gus was trying to act like a stone statue. And Bea... was her goofy self.

The only part of the goat he would touch.

Bea wanted to draw pictures of every animal at the zoo.

She sketched everywhere.

And kept on sketching.

Gus even posed as a meerkat for her so she could get the drawing right.

Gus was our navigator. That kid loves a good map.

Glasses-free Gus

It was a big week for our growing-up Gus. He got contacts. Ack!

He's worn glasses for 8 years - since he was 3 years old - so it's hard for us to imagine him without them. But we're getting used to it. And Gus loves the freedom of his new contacts.

Teaching him how to put them in is challenging, but he's getting better. My hope is, he'll be a pro at it by next month, when he has to get himself to the bus stop by 6:30 a.m. for middle school.

Now, I'm sure our next adventure will be braces. Doubtful Gus will be nearly as excited about those.

Gus in 2004 with his first pair of glasses. Playing Legos, of course.

Old fisherman Gus in his spectacles.

His eyelashes are so long, they would always touch the lenses of his glasses.

A Grill to Thrill

Need a simple, fun centerpiece idea for a summertime BBQ? How about this sweet little watermelon grill, and some fruit kabobs to nibble on?

I found these tiny, round watermelons at Target a few weeks ago and just had to make something out of them. They're the perfect shape for a classic Weber Grill. 

Bonus: carving skills not necessary.

For the step-by-step instructions and photos, check out my tutorial at SheKnows.com.

Thanks for the Linky Party feature, Buttercream Bakehouse!

I was featured on Made in a Day!