• puffpastry
    In the Kitchen

    Patriotic Puff Pastries Help Beat the Heat

    What I really sat down to write about (because it I need and want to write! It has been way too long), was to tell you all about these fun little puff pastries I made for yesterday's Independence Day party. I love puff pastry anything but I've never actually baked it, so this was a little something new for me.

  • red, white and blue
    Inside & Out

    A Little Red, White and Blue Love

    Did you proudly fly your flag yesterday? Our house was decked out in its finest patriotic prowess, but I have to confess that I may have gotten a little jump on my Americana this year by decorating on Memorial Day way back in May. I figured I could get just over a month of patriotic punch if I started early, and who doesn’t love a little red, white and blue as we tumble headlong into the sizzling months of summer. Between Memorial Day and Independence Day, falls Flag Day, so the reasons to celebrate just keep coming. Here’s a little peek at what my family has been looking at for…

  • Fourth of July Parade
    Life as I Know It

    I Cried on the Fourth of July

    Independence Day started so innocently with family breakfast on the way to the local quintessential small town parade in Parkville, Mo., with plans for the carnival after. We parked the minivan, walked a couple of blocks, nabbed a front-row spot, and laughed and made small talk with our five-year-old son while sipping on sodas until the festivities began. It was supposed to be a completely care-free and fun-filled day, but soon after the vehicles began rolling down the hill in front of our little spot along the road, tears began to fill my eyes. As hard as I tried I couldn’t hold them in, especially when the face of one of the gentleman…