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What Are Your Favorite Spring Recipes? Here Are a Few to Try This Season!

March 11, 2016 by

As the days get longer and springtime (finally!) rolls around, you likely start to crave lighter meals made with bright, fresh ingredients. Retire your usual favorite spring recipes in favor of something new and exciting with these delicious dishes from around the web.

Grilled Artichokes [oprah.com]
Create a tasty side dish for chicken, steak, or fish with Oprah’s recipe for flavorful grilled artichokes. Grilling these layered veggies on a stovetop grill gives them a bit of a blackened taste, and the homemade dipping sauce that goes with them adds even more flavor.

Sautéed Fiddlehead Ferns [localfoods.about.com]
Fiddlehead ferns come into season during the spring, which makes this dish very fresh and delicious. This recipe also takes just 10 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook, so it makes quite a quick last-minute side dish on busy weeknights.

Risotto With Prosciutto and Peas [realsimple.com]
If you’re looking for something heartier and more filling, this rich, creamy risotto recipe is the perfect choice come spring. Thin prosciutto adds a salty taste, while the sweet spring peas make it perfect for warmer weather. Cook the risotto in white wine and chicken broth to add a deep, complex flavor throughout, then serve it with your favorite grilled meats or as an entree with a fresh salad.

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Bring Spring in Bloom with These Crepe Flower Tutorials

June 2, 2015 by

Whether you’re decorating for a bridal shower, a child’s birthday party, or you simply want to spruce up your home for the spring season, crafting crepe flowers is an easy project that really makes an impact. These blossoms look beautiful, but they last a lot longer than the real thing! Here are three great tutorials for creating crepe flowers at home.

Martha Stewart’s DIY Flowers [marthastewart.com]
Martha Stewart’s website includes a number of different ways to make various types of crepe flowers. The single-petal method produces lush, full blossoms, while the tulip version is great for creating a bouquet of life-like flowers to display in your home or give as a gift.

Crepe and Watercolor Flower Tutorial [craftberrybush.com]
If you’re interested in creating the most realistic crepe flowers possible, this is the tutorial for you. It involves first using crepe paper to form the petals themselves, then gently painting the petals with watercolor paints to create the gradation that you find on a real flower. By spritzing the petals with water, you can even get them to curl a bit in a truly realistic way.

DIY Crepe Paper Flowers [thebridescafe.com]
This simple tutorial is perfect when you don’t have a lot of time, but you still want to get beautiful results. All it takes is a bit of crepe paper, floral wire and tape and some microbeads to form the flower’s center.

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Spring Forward: How Start Your Warm Weather Workouts on the Right Foot

April 10, 2015 by

Whether you want to tone up before bathing suit season or you're striving to lead a healthier lifestyle, the spring season is a good time to begin an exercise routine. If you’re struggling to find the motivation to begin your spring workouts, these tips can help.

  • Put it on paper. If you write down your fitness goals and a loose schedule, it will help you to remain accountable and stay on track.
  • Start slow. Remember to keep your schedule light at first and work up to more difficult workouts. Begin with 30 minutes of moderate cardio exercise three or four times per week, and be sure to switch up your workouts to keep things interesting.
  • Enlist a partner. If you’re still feeling sluggish, ask a close friend to work out with you and help to keep each other motivated.
  • Invest in new workout gear. If your sneakers from last season have seen better days, invest in a brand-new pair that will get you excited to exercise.
  • Get outdoors. Now that the cold weather is over and the days are longer, you likely want to get outside as much as you can. Schedule early morning runs before work, go for weekend bike rides, or even sign up for yoga in the park.

Spring-Clean Your Exercise Routine [Health]
20 Ways to Spring Clean Your Fitness Routine [Shape]
Spring Clean Your Workout Routine: 21 Bad Habits To Toss Today [LiveStrong]

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How to Make Your Own Spring Floral Arrangement

March 13, 2015 by

These fast and easy tips will help you to create a florist-quality spring floral arrangement that you’ll be really proud to display in your home.

  1. Begin with the color palette. If you want to mix and match flowers to create your own bouquet, it’s best to have a color palette in mind. Stick with muted tones, a blend of bold primary hues, or variations of one color to create a cohesive look.
  2. Create a space for each flower. Cheat by creating a sort of grid guideline inside of the vase. Place a piece of chicken wire flat inside of the opening, or even create a crosshatch of durable florist tape across the surface of the vase. The goal is to have a series of 1-inch squares where you can place each type of flower.
  3. Start with the largest flower. Create a base by adding the largest flower (or branch or fern) in the center.
  4. Add the thickest flowers. Arrange thick, heavy flowers around the tallest one in the middle.
  5. Finally, add accent flowers. Add tulips, daffodils, roses or other eye-catching accents last.

DIY Spring Flower Arrangement by Ashley Woodson Bailey [Design Sponge]
How to Make a Cool Flower Arrangement: 8 DIY Ideas for Spring [Stylecaster]
Simple Spring Centerpieces [Better Homes and Gardens]

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Spring Has Sprung!

March 29, 2013 by

Spring is finally here! Wishing you a season of sunshine and warmth.

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Tomorrow is Groundhog Day!

February 1, 2013 by

Tomorrow, February 2nd, is Groundhog Day! As the story goes, if the groundhog sees his shadow, we will have six more weeks of winter. If he does not see his shadow, then spring is almost here!

This tradition comes from Germany. When the Germans were settling into Pennsylvania, they used this tradition to predict when Spring would begin. To this day, Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania is where the annual Groundhog prediction is made. The Groundhog who makes the prediction is named Punxsutawney Phil.

Are you hoping Phil sees his shadow??

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