Monday Made It {June 24, 2013) & Summer Salsa

Happy RAINY Monday from southeastern Wisconsin!  It's the perfect day to check in with my favorite blogs and link up with 4th Grade Frolics and Monday Made It!

One of the things that I LOVE the most about summer is all of the colorful flowers and gardens around my home.  I spend entirely TOO MUCH MONEY on flowers (I have no self-control!) but they are well worth it because they make me happy!  This week, I added a few more flower pots to my patio and made a pot of herbs for my deck.

I wish I was more crafty this past week, but I have spent all of my "made it" energy on finishing up my first products and opening my new TpT store!  This was definitely a labor of love for me and I am quite proud of the finished products!

The Word Parts We Know program is a comprehensive vocabulary program based on learning five new Greek or Latin prefix or suffix word parts each week.  Each level contains 12 weeks worth of units and includes student flashcards, weekly sheets, word wall cards and assessments.  It is Common Core aligned and classroom tested (and improved!).  If you are looking to include prefix and suffix vocabulary work in your 4th-6th grade classrooms, I hope you will check it out!  It is on SALE through today (Monday) at my TpT Store! 

It was birthday and graduation party central around here this week!  My daughter graduated from 8th grade two weeks ago and has her birthday on July 16th so we decided to do a combo celebration.  She decided she wanted to have an ice cream cake and cupcakes so check out this picture of her cupcake with her 14 candles -- major heat!  I could hardly light all of those candles!

I love to cook and rarely have time during the school year so I really enjoyed preparing some new recipes for her party.  There is a great summer linky party from Teaching Tales Along the Yellow Brick Road that I am also linking up with this week.  (And this would also count as a "Made It", right?)

A few years ago, a friend gave me a recipe for summer salsa that I wanted to share with you because it is SO easy and SO yummy.  It's something everyone can make!

SUMMER SALSA:
1 can black beans (rinsed)
5 plum tomatoes (seeded and diced)
1/2 red onion (diced)
1 small can corn
1 avocado (diced)
1 small can sliced olives (optional)
Fresh cilantro (to taste)
salt & pepper

Mix all of this together in a bowl.

Add the secret ingredient....

Kraft Zesty Italian dressing!  YUM!  (I love this dressing....it is good for everything -- salsa, marinating chicken, even salad!  :)

Sprinkle about 1/2 cup dressing over your veggies and mix well.  Refrigerate until ready to serve with tortilla chips.  (Also makes a great topping to a baked potato!)  From the other great recipes at Christy's linky party, I know my family will be eating well this week!

This week I hope to bring my crafty side back.  I'm planning a trip to Hobby Lobby AND Michaels...and I know I will find more ideas after catching up on the Monday Made It linky party.  From what I've seen already, I've got some serious crafting inspiration ahead.  Hope you will head over and check it out!

Have a great week!