Banana Delight

*I forgot to take a picture of my creation, so Martha's version of it will have to do!*

This past weekend we hosted another BBQ get together. I decided I wanted to make Banana Pudding. I thought it would be an easy, sweet and refreshing summer dessert. And it was a hit. Everyone LOVED it! I can't tell you how simple it is to put together. And if you wanted it to be light on the calories, all you have to do is substitute some items with fat-free or light versions of the ingredients.

Ingredients:

2 pkgs. Jello instant vanilla pudding (You can go the sugar free route to make it easy on the calories)

Milk (for the pudding)

About 4 ripe bananas

1 box of Vanilla Wafers

Cool Whip (Again, you can get the fat-free version or just omit all together. It would still be delicious without the whipped cream topping)

Directions:

1. In a big bowl, prepare the vanilla pudding. After whipping it together, the pudding will be set in about 5 minutes.

2. Cut bananas into slices.

3. In a dish of your choice, prepare the dessert by layering the ingredients. I chose to layer the vanilla wafers first, then pour the pudding, then layer the bananas, and repeat!

4. After all the wafers, bananas, and pudding are layered, top with the cool whip.

5. Enjoy!

our first 4th BBQ!

Our 4th of July was so much fun! I've been planning it for months, since our best friends Jackie and Lino were going to be in town. We baked, cooked, and BBQ'ed. We had Ronnie's ribs, hot dogs, cole slaw, rosemary potatoes, corn, salad, baked beans, patriotic cupcakes and patriotic fruit kabobs. Total FEAST. Everyone was so hungry, that I forgot to take pics of the food! It was a lot of work, but in the end it was worth it. Here is our 4th in pictures!

Patriotic Cupcakes! They came out so cute!

Jackie making the cupcakes! Teamwork! We even added some cuban rum in the batter to make it a little different. We called them our "Cuban-American Cupcakes!" :)

My table setup!

Flag centerpieces! Martha inspired, of course! (colored sand and flags)

I picked up the patriotic buckets and red table cover at Target's dollar spot and the napkins, flags, and centerpiece items at Michael's. And the "Happy 4th" banner I picked up at the Target Dollar Spot, too. (pictured below)

Marshmallows stars were found at good ole' Wal-Mart.

Gels clings were found at Target's Dollar Spot, too! Cute touch!

This was taken after the end of a long day....tired!

Hope your day was filled with all things red, white, and blue, too! We are so blessed to be Americans!

♥

preparing for house guests checklist

This Martha Stewart checklist for how to prepare for house guests always comes in very handy! One of my favorite tips is to add a few special touches to the room, like water bottles and fresh flowers for the guests. I also make sure to let the guests know where to find more TP and other necessities. And lastly, I try to make sure to have some sort itinerary in mind to entertain them. Click here to get a copy for yourself. Do you make sure to go out of your way for your house guests? Are there any other tips you recommend?

patriotic inspiration

Some of my favorite patriotic inspirations from Martha Stewart! We are hosting our friends The Pico's this 4th of July in GA!

Ronnie's 30th Birthday!

We celebrated Ronnie's BIG 30th birthday yesterday with a small bbq dinner at our home! I wanted to make it really special, so I decided to throw together a Yankees theme dinner party. Many of you know my hubby is a HUGE Yankees fan ever since he was a little boy. I thought it was even more appropriate since they won the World Series just a few weeks ago. We are on a budget, but I still managed to throw something cute together without breaking the bank. Here are some pics from last night. We really had a nice time and the cake was not only perfect, but delicious! (BTW, I got some nice compliments for my "hostess capabilities". That totally made me feel special. I know I get it from my mami. Thanks Mom!) Tell me what you think! We wish you were here!!!!!