Friday Link Collective {Mother's Day!}

With Mother's Day a little over a week away, we figured this post could serve as both a reminder (uh-oh!) and a way to get some cute, last minute ideas for Mother's Day. I mean, anyone who does the work of twenty for free, deserves a little lovin', right?

This week's Friday Link Collective is centered around Mommy Dearest. (Note the spelling. We don't mean the Crawford story.) Show your mama a little love this Mother's Day with the help of some of these fabulous links!

If you're on a tight budget, this list from Centsational Girl of simple, inexpensive Mother's Day gifts is a great tool to have. With ideas ranging from fabric-covered mousepads to family Polaroid coasters, you're sure to find something perfect for your mom! And if you haven't already, you only have about a week, so you might want to get started.

Eating out on Mother's Day can be more of a hassle than it's worth. Why not make the day even more special for Mom by making her brunch (with bottomless mimosas, perhaps)? This list of 25 Easy Make-Ahead Mother’s Day Brunch Recipes from Babble has so many delicious-sounding breakfast/brunch ideas that you won't even know where to begin. (Why, hello there, Tiny Maple Walnut Coffee Cakes.)

You know what would make that Mother's Day brunch table look even prettier? One of these Easy Mother's Day Flower Arrangements from BHG. Super simple, but super delightful, it'll also make Mom feel super special.

We felt it absolutely necessary to include this next link, because who doesn't love pop-up cards? Though the instructions can seem a little daunting at first, these Mother's Day floral pop-up cards from Martha Stewart are a great thing to give your mama for Mother's Day and for her to keep, to remind her how loved she is, all year long.

Because she is, right? Make sure to show your mamas some love (on Mother's Day for sure, but also just all the time)!

Tailgate Party Recipes!

Now that you’ve planned your kick off party, it’s time to start prepping your table!
Here are a few easy party recipes from the Paper Style Kitchen!

Nutrient-Rich Fiesta Salad
Great for a healthy alternative to dips and heavy snacks!

Ingredients:
2 cups brown rice
1 8-oz can of corn, rinsed and drained
1 red pepper, chopped
2-3 green onions, chopped
¾ cup dried cranberries
1 carrot, grated
3 tbs fresh parsley
1 clove garlic, crushed or minced
4 tbs low-sodium soy sauce
2 tbs lemon juice
½ cup olive oil
¼ cup roasted slivered almonds
¼ cup roasted sunflower seeds
Ground black pepper to taste

Directions:
1. In a large bowl combine rice, corn, red pepper, onions, cranberries, carrot and parsley.
2. In a separate bowl blend garlic, soy sauce, lemon juice and olive oil.
3. Pour olive oil mixture over salad to evenly coat. Add roasted nuts, sunflower seeds and black pepper to taste.

Submitted by Terri

Sausage and Cheese Dip
This is an office favorite, and does not often last very long! Consider making two batches - one to share and one for yourself!

Ingredients:
1 Cream Cheese package – 8 oz.
1 can of Hot Ro-tel
1 pack of Jimmy Dean Hot Sausage
1 bag of Scoop Fritos

Directions:
Brown sausage in a skillet and drain. In a crock-pot or separate bowl, mix cream cheese, Ro-tel and sausage. Mix together until cheese is melted.
Best served warm. Small crock-pot works best.

*If guests like things mild, substitute a regular can of ro-tel and regular sausage.

Submitted by Diane

Creamy Guacamole
Very easy to make, done in 5 minutes and ready to eat! Great for an on the spot entertainment snack! Good for about 3 cups of goodness!

Ingredients:
3 avocados
2 tablespoons of lemon juice(or about half a lemon if you have it fresh)
3 tablespoons (1/4 of a medium onion) finely diced onion
¾ teaspoons salt
3 ¼ teaspoons olive oil

Directions:
Cut the avocados in half, remove the seeds and scrape the pulp into a mixing bowl. Use a fork to mash the avocado. Stir in lemon juice, onion, salt, and olive oil. I’d recommend putting it in the fridge to chill for about 30-45 minutes. If you just can’t wait any longer, you’re ready to serve. (It rarely makes it to the fridge at my house!)

Submitted by Andrew

Not Yo’ Mama’s Banana Pudding
Great presentation, and excellent for that sweet tooth!

Ingredients:
2 bags Pepperidge Farm Chessmen cookies
6 to 8 bananas, sliced
2 cups milk
1 (5 ounce) box instant French Vanilla pudding
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (12 ounce) container frozen whipped topping – thawed, or equal amount sweetened whipped cream

Directions:
Line the bottom of a 13 by 9 by 2-inch glass dish with 1 bag of cookies and layer bananas on top.
In a bowl, combine the milk and pudding mix and blend well using a handheld electric mixer. Using another bowl, combine the cream cheese and condensed milk together and mix until smooth. Fold the whipped topping into the cream cheese mixture. Add the cream cheese mixture to the pudding mixture and stir until well blended. Pour the mixture over the cookies and bananas and cover with the remaining cookies. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Makes a great presentation! Originally a Paula Dean recipe.

Submitted by Megan

Fourth of July

Looking at the weather forecast for this weekend, Atlanta is hitting the low to mid 90's all week with not a cloud in the sky! We all know what that means… Summer is here! The time for being outside, grilling out and waiting for fireworks to burst over head is near! That’s right! July 4th, Independence Day for the United States of America is just less than a month away!

This year, make it memorable – and leave your guests asking for you to make it an annual event! Check out our line of Patriotic Invitations, as well as our variety of Hot Barbeque Invitations to start your party planning!

We've included a few great recipes that you might include in your cookout. When looking for fun new recipes, I enjoy using allrecipes.com for their great conversion charts. I've tried a few of these recipes, and some just looked too good not to share! All pictures are from the allrecipes.com website.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Quick Baby Back Ribs Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 1 Hour Ready In: 1 Hour 15 Minutes Yields: 10 servings "This is an easy recipe for ribs that won't be tough at all! I tried this recipe the last time I made ribs for my family. Plenty for 9 hungry adults!"

INGREDIENTS:
2-1/2 cups mesquite chips, soaked
2-1/2 (2 pound) slabs baby back pork ribs
2-1/2 teaspoons salt
2-1/2 teaspoons freshly ground
pepper 2-1/2 teaspoons Hungarian paprika
2-1/2 teaspoons ancho chile
powder
1-1/4 teaspoons ground thyme
2-1/2 cups barbeque sauce

DIRECTIONS:
1. Prepare an outdoor grill for indirect heat - a pile of charcoal on one side, nothing under the food. Once it is going, throw some soaked mesquite woodchips on it. (You can do the same with a gas grill, just light one side at a low to medium heat.)
2. Remove the membrane from the ribs if the butcher has not already. Combine the salt, pepper, paprika, chile powder and thyme; rub onto the ribs. Cut the slab of ribs in half.
3. Place the ribs over indirect heat, and close the lid. Cook for 20 minutes, then brush with barbeque sauce. Cover, and continue cooking for an additional 30 minutes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Baked Beans Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cook Time: 50 Minutes Ready In: 1 Hour Yields: 12 servings "Baked beans baked - again - with pork, brown sugar, ketchup and Worcestershire sauce. My sister-in-law and I tend to race to the next helping of baked beans, so we always make extra!"

INGREDIENTS:
2 (29 ounce) cans baked beans
with pork
1 cup packed brown sugar 1 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons Worcestershire
sauce

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a casserole dish, combine beans, brown sugar, ketchup, and Worcestershire sauce.
3. Bake, covered, for 45 minutes or until bubbly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Veggie Kabobs Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 10 Minutes Ready In : 25 Minutes Yields: As much as you want! "For something quick and light on the grill, some veggie kabobs are sure to add some color and extra flavor to your plate!"

INGREDIENTS:
Colorful, sweet vegetables (We used: green peppers, red peppers, onions, mushrooms)
Grill Seasoning (We used Montreal seasoning)
Kabob Sticks

DIRECTIONS:
1. Chop vegetables into cubes / chunks
2. Brush / sprinkle with olive oil
3. Sprinkle grill seasoning
4. Wrap in foil and place on the grill
5. Grill for about 10 minutes, or until texture desired(less cook time for crisper veggies)
...