I love to read any food blog, but these are a few of my favorites because of the crazy good sweets the ladies write about.  I am a sucker for cupcakes, and I have found some that are “must read” and “must drool”.

Cheryl at Tidymom.net‘s photography is as yummy as her cupcakes!

“Well, my mom always enjoys a good dessert like the rest of us, but there is one treat she always LOVES…… Ice Cream Floats. A big tall glass with 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream, pour root beer or cream soda over the top, stick in a straw…….. THAT is mom’s idea of heaven!!

This moist nostalgic cupcake will take you to decades past, when ice cream floats (and sodas) were once so popular at the local soda fountain.”

via Root Beer Float Cupcakes | TidyMom.

It doesn’t even need to be summer for these floats!  It’s such a cute idea especially with the straws as an accent.  How do these ladies come up with this?  Thanks Cheryl for such a cool idea!

Liz at Hoosier Homemade has a weekly cupcake challenge, and so it’s a good bet you will find me on her blog on that day. Doing research…of course..

“Autumn is in full swing at our house. We’ve gone apple picking, bought some mums, decorated the Mantle and the Hoosier Cabinet, been baking up a storm…and now, making Scarecrow Cupcakes!”

via Scarecrow Cupcakes – How to Video | Hoosier Homemade.

These cupcakes would make any kid get into the fall spirit.  I can imagine these selling like hot “cupcakes” at any school fall festival!  If you try either of these tasty treats let us know, or give us a link to your favorite cupcake!  Y’all probably have some recipe we have to try!

Trying to find something healthy and yummy for the kids to eat after school is always a challenge.  Here two of out bloggers have made it looks so fun and easy!  Make sure you click through to their posts to read the recipe!

Rachel at A Southern Fairy Tale is a fabulous cook a well as one of our featured members.  With school underway, she has prepared some fun snacks for their afternoon.

“One of my favorite ways to get them to devour a healthy grilled cheese, grilled ham and cheese, toasted PB&J (you get the idea) is to serve it french fry style (i’ve even served them in paper cups, which they LOVE)

For today’s purposes: we’re serving them sliced on a fun little partitioned serving tray:

via After School Snacks and Easy School Lunch and Dinner Ideas — A Southern Fairytale.”

Shaina at Food For My Family has the perfect “mom burnout” snack, but the kids will like it too!  Her presentation is fabulous and you want to reach through the screen and eat!

“Turns out, the perfect cure for post-migraine brain drain is simply sweetened yogurt with a hint of lemon. It’s easy to throw together, and the outcome is a perfect creamy treat just screaming to be covered with summer berries, a fresh peach sauce or nothing at all.”

via Lemon Frozen Yogurt Recipe | Food for My Family.

What are your kids’ (and yours) favorite afternoon snacks?

With 3 older kids I have had my share of First Day Back to School!   If you include preschool it’s over 50 when you add up all 3 kids.  Hard to imagine, right?  However back to school still starts the same way it did when I sent my first to school years and years ago…in the kitchen!

These bloggers know how to get the day started!  Kim at Crafty Mama of 4 shows us a fridge organizer diy to keep each of your kids school ready.  I love crafts that you can get the kids involved with and really show off their individuality!

Think you’d like apple pie for breakfast?  Jessica at Life as Mom has a cool tradition of making a slab apple pie on the first day at school.  Watch this cute video of her making the slab for breakfast!

Always looking for something different to start their day off right?  Simplebites has 8 different school morning suggestions.  The photography is fabulous!  Makes you think you are ready to take a bite!

How about you?  Has school started?  What’s your kids’ favorite morning breakfast?

We’re in the “dog days” of summer now that August is upon us. Those last weeks of heat (and depending on where you live, humidity) before the autumn cool down starts in late September. And when it’s this hot, nobody feels like cooking. But we’ve got brilliant members who know how to make yummy dishes without heating up the kitchen!

When you’re sick and needing comfort food, but don’t want to heat up the house, the crock-pot is the way to go. Nessa of Ramblings of a Texas Housewife shares a craving inducing recipe for Cowboy Beans.

The best way to cook, is not to cook at all! The Party Blueprints Blog shares a great idea from Australia for “no cook recipes” yummy enough to serve at a dinner party!

Another pleasant way to cool down is with a yummy cocktail. August boasts National Root Beer Day and Robyn of Robyn’s Online World shared an intriguing recipe for Root Beer Martini. May we have another?

You don’t always think of soup as a “beat the heat” food for summer, but when it’s made with fresh summer zucchini and only takes a few minutes of stove top time, you may rethink that idea. The Local Cook wows us once again with Zucchini Garden Chowder.

Summertime combines the desire for sweet treats but always with an eye on the waistline. Everything Moms helps us satisfy that craving without sacrificing our diets. Low Carb Peanut Butter Pie is a chilled confection suitable for diabetics and those on low carb plans.

Shaina of Food For My Family always delights us with her recipes but in this post, she delights us with photographs of food. After viewing her pictures, we know you’ll feel refreshed and inspired to create some “beat the heat” recipes of your own.

What do you make when you don’t want to cook? Please share your favorite, “beat the heat” recipes with us in the comments!

Summer is the preeminent time for seasonal eating. There are just so many choices! Many of our favorite fruits and vegetables are abundant and can be purchased at low prices. We’ve found a sampling of enjoyable recipes for vegetables, grilling, seafood and desserts from our members who are all taking the time to use the best of what summer has to offer!

If you are a farmer’s market shopper or if you participate in a CSA, you’re probably beginning to see that enigmatic produce called, eggplant. What does one do with an eggplant? Well, Southern Domestic Goddess – Cassie shares a simple, fun recipe that you may even be able to get your kids to try!

Or what about those leafy greens that are all over the place this time of the year? If you’re looking for some way to serve them that doesn’t involve soup or stir fry, The Local Cook is serving up a vegetable pasta salad that boasts kale in the ingredient list!

Of course, the best way to cook in the summertime is on the grill! You get flavorful meals without heating up your house. Plus you can grill all sorts of items other than meat. Pizzas, vegetables, even desserts can be made on your grill.  Robyn shares her experience with a couple of recipes she found for grilling chicken and corn.

Seafood is another summer staple. Whether you’re grilling fillets or mixing up some tuna salad, you can’t go wrong with a good recipe from the bounty of the ocean! Shamrocks and Shenanigans has a tasty recipe for grilled shrimp tacos served with fresh pineapple salsa which simply leads us to ask, “when’s dinner?”

And what would summer be without cool treats? Perfect for afternoon snacks or an after dinner cool down, goodies that come straight from the freezer are the quintessential summertide delight! Nicole of Gidget Goes Home has a rather delectable looking recipe for Lemon-Lime Frozen Yogurt Pops. They’re delicious and healthy!

So, what about you? What have you been serving this summer? Share your favorite summer recipes with us by linking to them in the comments! We are looking forward to drooling over your virtual table!