Things I'm Lovin' Tuesday: Carbolite FroYo

This is a non-sponsored review and I purchased my own froyo.

Last year I started a monthly blog series called

THINGS I'M LOVIN' TUESDAY!!!

Past post can be found:

here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here!

And make sure to check back every last Tuesday of the month!

Now onto what I'm lovin' this month...

I've always been a fan of frozen yogurt.
I mean really, what's not to love?
My boyfriend introduced me to carbolite this summer
and I was in heaven from the very first bite!
It tastes like regular froyo, but with a fraction of the calories!!!

Below is a sampling of some of the carblolite we've enjoyed recently.

They have many flavors and I've tried a bunch over the last few months.
If you can find some near you, you should give it a try.
I haven't been disappointed yet!

Steak & Chicken Kebabs

I purchased a propane grill in May and have been grilling nonstop!

The day I bought it I made a mental note of all the things I wanted to grill.

Kebabs have been a favorite of mine since I was a child,

so they were at the top of the list of yummy foods to make!

I like to marinate what I'll be putting on the kebabs

and that includes not only the meats,

but the variety of veggies you'll be using too.

You can use any marinade you like,

even store bought would be fine,

but I like to whip something together myself!

The Goods Part 1:

Chicken Breasts

Sirloin Steak

Zucchini

Yellow Squash

Bell Peppers

Red Onion

Cut up your meat and veggies so that it's the size of about two bites.

Try to get everything similar sized so your kebabs cook evenly. 

The Goods Part 2:

Olive Oil

Balsamic Vinegar

Fresh Lemon Juice

Course Dijon Mustard

Garlic

Fresh Rosemary

Salt

Pepper

I'm a bad blogger and didn't measure anything out,

so I don't really have instructions for my marinade.

I just dump the goods into a gallon zipper bag, seal and mix up.

Add your chopped meat and veggies to the marinade.

Let sit at least an hour, but up to overnight.

Now the fun begins...time to skewer your kebabs!

I like to do all of the same type of food on one kebab,

because cooking times vary for different foods.

Again, this will help your kebabs cook evenly.

Fill your grill with your kebab skewers and start to cook them.

Keep an eye on them, turning the skewers every few minutes until fully cooked.

MMMmmm my mouth is watering just looking at those kebabs!!!

Remove the food from the skewers and serve with a yummy side like cauliflower rice! 

And make a little extra because kebab leftovers are some of the best!!!

How To: Cauliflower Rice

I'd heard a lot of great things about Cauliflower Rice,

but hadn't given it a try until this summer.

It intrigued me, but something was holding me back.

In an attempt to eat even healthier than I already do,

I decided to whip up a batch one night.

A quick Google search led me to these instructions.

Turns out, Cauliflower Rice is really easy to make!

After making it a few times for myself, 

I decided to show you all how to make some for yourself.

The Goods:

Cauliflower

Food Processor

Remove the leaves and stem from your cauliflower

and then cut into quarters with a sharp knife.

Remove as much of the core as possible, reserving all the florets.

Put the cauliflower florets into the food processor

and simply pulse until you have a rice-like texture.

My food processor isn't huge, so I have to do it in two batches.

Once you have your cauliflower rice made,

simply saute and season it like you would regular rice.

Bubble Bath Review: Top 5 PAST Reviews!

This is a non-sponsored review and I purchased my own Bubble Bath.

I've been doing monthly bubble bath reviews since March of 2015.

During that time I've found many that have been absolutely amazing,

and a few that haven't lived up to my bubble bath standards.

I have a few more bubble baths stocked up to review,

but sadly it's been so hot lately (hello summer!)

and I haven't wanted to sit in a hot bath!

So today, instead of posting a new bubble bath review,

I figured I'd do a little round up of my all time favorites,

and share my top five bubble baths I've tried!

Because I can't pick a favorite, 

or really even put these in order,

I'm listing them in chronological order 

One

Lush Bubble Bars

Two

Avon Bubble Delight

Three

Dr. Teal's Foaming Bath

Four

Deep Steep Bubble Bath

Five

Mayfair Soup Foundry Bubble Bath

I'm hoping to have a new bubble bath review soon,

just need the temperature to drop a little so I want to relax in a hot bath! 

Blueberry Lemon Bars

I've said it before, and I'm sure I'll say it again,
but I love pretty much anything with lemon in it.
Savory eats, sweet treats and drinks with lemon are all my jam.
So when I found this recipe, it quickly went on my list of things to make.

Not only did it sound amazing,
but it seemed like a cinch to make too.
I don't think a week went by before I whipped one up,
and it was completely devoured in just two days!!!

Keep reading to see how I made these yummy Blueberry Lemon Bars!

The Goods:

Graham Crackers

Butter

Granulated Sugar

Lemons

Eggs

Sweetened Condensed Milk

Blueberries

Put your graham crackers in a large zipper bag

and then begin to crush them to make crumbs.

I used an entire pack and had more than enough.

In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, sugar and lemon zest.

Mix with a fork until everything is combined and crumbs are moistened. 

Press the mixture into a greased 8x8 pan and bake for about 10 minutes.

It make take a little longer depending on your oven.

Remove from oven and cool completely.

While the crust is cooling, it's time to make the filling!

In a large bowl, add the entire can of sweetened condensed milk and 2 egg yolks.

Whisk those together until combined. 

Next add the lemon zest and lemon juice.

Stir the mixture to incorporate the zest and juice.

Finally, add the blueberries to the lemon filling...

And gently fold in your fresh blueberries.

Pour the filling over the cooled crust and bake at 350 for about 15 minutes.

Filling should be set and not jiggle at all.  

Remove from the oven and let cool for at least an hour.

Do your best to be patient because this helps the bars set.

Finally, cut the bars into squares to be devoured by your friends!

You can tell I was a little inpatient and did cut the bars a bit too early.

Don't be like me and wait until the bars are fully set!

They still tasted absolutely amazing, 

but weren't as pretty as I'd like if I'm being honest.

Lemon Blueberry Bars

Inspired by Moms Need To Know

For the Crust:

1 1/2 Cup Graham Cracker Crumbs

8 Tablespoons Butter, Melted

1/4 Cup Granulated Sugar

3 Teaspoons Lemon Zest

For the Filling:

2 Egg Yolks

1 (14 Ounce) Can Sweetened Condensed Milk

1/2 Cup Fresh Lemon Juice

1 Teaspoon Lemon Zest

1 Cup Fresh Blueberries

1. Put your graham crackers in a large zipper bag and begin to crush them to make crumbs.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, sugar and lemon zest. Mix with a fork until everything is combined and crumbs are moistened. 
3. Press the mixture into a greased 8X8 pan and bake at 350 for about 10 minutes. It make take a little longer depending on your oven. Remove from oven and cool completely.
4. In a large bowl, add the entire can of sweetened condensed milk and 2 egg yolks. Whisk until combined.
5. Next add the lemon zest and lemon juice and then stir to incorporate both.
6. Finally, add the blueberries to the lemon filling and gently fold them in.
7. Pour the filling over the cooled crust and bake for about 15 minutes. The filling should be set and not giggle at all.  
8. Remove from the oven and let cool for at least an hour. Do your best to be patient because this helps the bars set.
9. Finally, cut the bars into squares to be devoured by your friends

DIY: Trough Planter Liners and Succulent Garden

A few weeks ago I posted the picture below on my Instagram.

I used to blog about my balcony garden quite often

but life got busy and my gardening was put aside.

I recently got the gardening bug again

and figured a succulent garden would be less work,

so today I'm sharing how easy it was to make mine!

I already had four of these awesome trough planters on hand.

I used to have coconut liners in them with seasonal flowers,

but I got sick of replacing them all too often

and sadly just had empty planters for awhile.

I had plans to purchase more coconut liners,

but in all honesty I wanted a different option.

While coconut liners look pretty nice,

it's my experience that they don't hold up well.

And after very little effort I think I found a good alternative...

WEED CONTROL FABRIC!!!

My original though was to use rolls of burlap,

but the two rolls above caught my eye at a 99 cent store!

Together they cost me less than five dollars,

which is a lot cheaper than coconut liners,

so even if it didn't work I hadn't wasted that much money.

Before I even started on the project,

I knew the liners wouldn't be perfect or even close.

I am a HUGE perfectionist,

but I am not great at sewing by any means.

Please keep that in mind as you continue to read.

I simply wrapped one end of the liner around the trough planter,

making sure to leave extra so it lines not only the outside of the planter,

but so that it line the inside of the planter as well

I figured double lining would hold up best!

Just like with a past DIY post, I had a cute furry little helper!

Hopefully this shot gives you a better idea of how I was wrapping the liner.

Once I knew the exact size I needed,

I cut not only one for the planter I was working on,

but four in the same size to line all my trough planters!

Now the sewing fun begins!

(Sense the sarcasm???)

I first sewed the liner so it was secure to one side of the trough planter,

pulled the fabric tight and re-positioned it before continuing to sew the other side.

Like I warned you, it doesn't look super pretty...

And the inside lining didn't look any better...

But that really didn't matter in the long run,

because all these guys would cover the inside anyway!

After putting the succulents into groups and arranging them in the trough planters,

I removed them from their plastic pots and put them in the soil.

While they looked pretty good as is,

I just knew they were missing something!

After very little though, I realized it was decorative gravel that was missing.

A quick trip to OSH and I came home with a 20 pound bag to finish my DIY project!

Last but not least - I'm happy to report that everything is still living after a few weeks!

This post contains affiliate links meaning I may make a small commission for certain purchases.