What's new on Cook It. Blog It!

First and foremost, we have a sponsor!! WOOHOOO! The fabulous Nikki from The Gourmet Mama Blog emailed me last week right before I went on vacation to pitch this idea to me and I thought it was fantastic. I would have jumped on it right away if I wasn't jumping on a plane instead, but alas, here we are. Better late than never, eh?



Click on the banner above to be taken to The Gourmet Mama's blog where you can find many, many healthy recipes and lots of inspiration even for us novice cooks. What I love about Nikki's blog is that she not only gives you clear instructions about how to prepare these meals but she also gives you the nutritional information for each meal. AWESOME! And check out her sidebar for loads of useful information including Cooking Measurements Conversions and even how to calculate your Weight Watcher points... doubly AWESOME!

Thank you, Nikki, for sharing your wealth of knowledge with us and as if that wasn't enough she has offered to add you to her blogroll if you use one of her recipes and blog about it. YAY!

So, what's going on in Cook It. Blog It! land? Well, we have 30 participants as of now and that is so amazing to me considering I just started this a couple of weeks ago. You guys have been busy cooking while I've been away, so I spent a little time this morning perusing your blogs and found a few favorites.

Today I am featuring SWEETS because I am missing my girls big time and I know how much they love their sweets.

First of all, my friend Eva makes a triumphant return to blogland with none other than a Blueberry Muffin recipe that is to die for. I just want to lick the screen because her pictures are always so amazing. I am dying to make this but I will have to wait until the girls get home or else I will triple my weight in no time! LOL! Thanks for joining us, Eva!

Next, I want to share this wonderful Berry Gallette recipe posted by fellow blogger, Amii. This dessert looks incredibly complicated to make but I don't feel intimidated because she has given us step-by-step photos (LOVE YA FOR THAT!)... and I mean, there are like 200 photos on this blog post... see for yourself! LOL! I need that many photos, though. Like I've mentioned before, I am a visual person, so this is the only way you are gonna get me to try something. ;) I like visiting Amii's blog because she has amazing photography and awesome music. Thanks so much for making me salivate all over my keyboard, Amii.

I can't talk about sweets without throwing some libations in the mix. I luuuurve me some sweet refreshing fruity drinks in the hot Summer months!

My friend Ash, from in.full.bloom, has posted a yummynumptuous Strawberry Margarita recipe, as part of yet another triumphant blogland return. heee heee... I just love how this club is bringing people out of lurkdom! ;) She calls it Love Potion No. 9 ... oooooh, kinky. And it uses one of my favorite flavors... lime. :)

Also, check out Amii's tropical concoction using L&A's Pineapple Coconut juice. YUMMMM! Add a little spiced rum to that mixture and I'm all set. ;) I think I might just walk around with a cup of that stuff for the next couple of weeks. LOL!!!

So, what's my contribution to Cook It. Blog It! ??? Hmmm... not much right now. I haven't been cooking up much since the girls have been gone. I've mostly been trying to find ways to make water appetizing. Yep, you read right. I don't like to drink water. And yes, my mother, and my doctor and my doctor's mother and my mother's doctor have told me all my life how important it is to drink water, but that is not the issue. I know I need to drink water... I just don't like it.

So, Eva told me to try the "cucumbers in water" idea. I think they call it Spa Water ??? It was pretty good... for water. And, yes, I know there's a ton of cucumbers in there, but ya gotta do what ya gotta do, right?

I did drink a couple of glasses of that stuff and it made it taste a little better but I think I enjoyed the Cucumber Sandwich I made even more. LOL! I just took the peel off the cucumbers, sliced them pretty thin, then put them on a couple slices of sourdough bread with some low-fat cream cheese. YUM!


I also tried putting some citrus in my water. I sliced some fresh lemons and limes and dumped them in. But I think I put so many in there, that it was almost a lemon-limeade. Oh well... I'm drinking water and that's what's important, right?!?!

Oh and as I was searching for some links on the internet, I found this recipe for Cucumber-Lemon Water...why didn't I think of that? ARGH! Oh well, tomorrow's another day. ;)

Am I the only weird one around here or do any of you have a water-drinking-problem?