Cool Summer Recipe: Grape Summer Salad

Submissions are coming in!! Have you gotten yours in? A no-oven recipe and a picture of it e-mailed to us at: shesaidblog@yahoo.com is all you need to do - be sure to get it in by August 31st. Voting is on September 5th. For more information follow the link for our Cool Summer Recipe Challenge

Our friend Jana Wilde shares:
Best salad . . . . ever!

Grape Summer Salad

Two bricks cream cheese (can use lower fat if desired)

One 16 oz sour cream

1 1/2 Cups Sugar

1 1/2 bags (give or take) of red seedless grapes

2 Butterfinger bars

This is double the original recipe so half it if you must! Let the cream cheese soften and cream together with sour cream and sugar, you"ll want it as smooth as you can get it. Wash grapes and fold into mixture (use desired amount, more or less to taste). Grab a fresh bowl and put half of grape mixture in. Crush 1 butterfinger and sprinkle on top of layer ( if you want to be really sinful, you can add some extra layers with a bit of brown sugar). Put rest of grape mixture on top and crush one more butterfinger to top. There you have it! Great for picnics and barbeques!

Cool Summer Recipe: Frito Salad

Hey! Long time and no post! Sorry. While Nan is spending a splendid vacation in Las Vegas and I'm busy packing boxes (the big move is this week!) we have been very lazy at posting. Can you believe how fast the summer has gone by?!?

We are excited to recieve our FIRST Cool Summer Recipe Contest entry!! ( and here we thought that we would have to declare ourselves the winner and keep the prize ourselves) Our good reader Hope shares her recipe for Frito Salad.

Hope says: Hey Girls!

Sorry I'm just getting this to you, but it's a AWESOME recipe. I'm sure people have had it, but it's always a hit at family parties, and it's SO easy.

Frito Salad
6 cups drained corn (or 3 cans)
1 can olives (chopped)
1-2 cans black beans (rinsed and drained)
2 peppers (cut into small pieces)
1 purple onion (thinly diced)
1/4 bunch cilantro
1 container grape tomatoes
1 C mayo

Chill for a few hours, add 1 bag chili cheese fritos.

This recipe is nice because you can basically add more or less of whatever. Make it how you like it. :)

Thanks for sharing Hope!
Want to give Hope some friendly recipe competition? Our contest is still open to any of you who have a Cool Summer Recipe - get 'em in and enjoy some cool cooking!

House Guests 1-2-3

This is a post I ment to write a lot earlier - but it's better late than never right?Summer - vacations - staying in exotic places...well depending on where you go! Summer seems to be the season for house guests. Nan hosted us for an entire week and it was wonderful!! Ya know when you stay at someone elses house and you feel a little "wierd"...well that wasn't the case with this trip. Nan was an excellent hostess and I documented a few ways that she helped me feel right at home.

Weather they are staying for a day or a week try here are 3 steps to help your guests enjoy their stay:

1.Give them all the info they need. Providing a map (with helpful points: i.e. your house, the grocery store, the shuttle pick up) is a SAVING grace!! I carried my map with me everywhere, Logan isn't the largest city in the world, but it was great to know where I was and/or how to get where I was going. A House key. A list of phone numbers: Your cell, work phone, neighbors that can help, etc. Since Nan couldn't take an entire week off of work me & baby S were by ourselves for awhile during the day. It was awesome to have a list of numbers of close by gals that I could call (and knew that I was there too!!) if I needed someone to hang out with or to borrow a stroller.

2. Providing them with the comforts of home. During our grand tour of the house Nan also included a tour of her freezer that contained - My Favorite - Toaster Strudels (I had one every morning) and some very indepth reading of the royal wedding...it was so sweet, it was so nice, I felt so at home! We normally don't travel with a port-a-crib because there is always one at grandma's, Nan graciously provided us one that was set up and ready to go when we arrived. Find out what your guests need (or like!!)- never assume - that way they can settle in quicker and be ready to socialize.

3. Going the extra mile. One of the reasons it's so nice to stay at a hotel is the little extras that you get. Mr. S. chukled when he saw these on our pillows and asked, "Do you think she'll charge us $4 for drinking it?" Are there little extras that you can offer your guests that will make their stay more comfortable? Water, extra blankets or pillows, a manicurist, toiletries or even some good night time reading placed in their room (so they don't have to ask for it) puts the stay above and beyond more comfy.....unless the manicurist has a tendancy to snore :)

Do you have any house guest tips or tricks? Be sure to share!
Also we are still on the hunt for those No-Oven recipes be sure to turn those in!!!