the grill-master give-away gal is…
Thank you for participating in our Grill-Master Giveaway! My stomach was growling as I was reading through all your tasty dinner dishes. They inspired me to add a few new recipes to my box. Also, thanks for spreading the news to your friends through facebook, twitter and email forwards. Word of mouth has always been our best form of advertising and we couldn't do it without YOU!
Out of all our entries, our winner is Wendy Sue and her favorite summer dinner is dessert for dinner with an ice cream sundae bar… following that- cowboy caviar (mixed black bean salad)
- 2 – 15 oz cans black beans, rinsed
- 1 – 17 oz can whole kernel corn, drained
- 2 large tomatos, chopped
- 1 large avocado, diced
- 1/2 red onion chopped
- 1/4 C fresh cilantro chopped
- Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.
- Chill if making ahead.
Thanks Wendy Sue for sharing and we hope you enjoy your grilling goodies!
our troops say Thank YOU!
Just wanted to share a some sincere 'thank yous' from the troops you donated goodies to this past May in our "Taking Care of the Troops" project.
One troop writes, "We just wanted to give you an update on
things. We have been very busy and again, the heat continues to rise.
The packages coming in are a real treat to the sailors and puts a big
smile on their faces :), which in turn, puts a smile on ours. We received two packages with tons of soaps, shampoos, deodorant and some pretty pictures from some youngsters."
"Here are a few pictures of the sailors enjoying your packages. Thank you again for all of your support."
Another troop writes, "This is SGT McNeal and I'm writing you to let you know that we received your
care packages today and it made the soldiers day. The females were extremely
happy with the bath and bodyworks and everyone loved the candy. I am so
appreciative of your support. You really made our day. Thanks again and we
appreciate your support. It's nice to see someone cares."
And Sgt. David Weeks writes, "Dear catching fireflies & friends, I wanted to write you and let you know I got your package today. I wanted to thank you for all the support you have shown for my soldiers and myself. It is truly a pleasure receiving something from back home reminding us that there are some that support us while we do what we love. I want to send a special thank you to Jackson, age 6 for the drawing and am including an army patch. Thank you Jackson and all friends."
So Jackson if you read this, we have some snazzy patches with your name on them at our Berkley location;)
Thanks again to all of you who contributed to this project & helped us make days brighter for a few of our troops serving overseas.
Like to see how you can help us make days brighter for those in need? Stay in the loop by signing up to receive these inspiring updates in your email inbox!
a new twist on a summer sip
I found this tempting mixture as I was flipping through a magazine & it sounded too good not to try.
Apricot Peach Iced Tea
7 cups cool water
2 cans of apricot nectar (5.5 oz found in the juice section)
2 tablespoons of superfine sugar (optional)
2 pitcher size cold brew tea bags
a couple sliced peaches
In large pitcher, stir together water, nectar & sugar. Add tea bags & let steep 10 minutes or more depending on desired strength – dunking bags occasionally.
Add peaches & pour over ice.
Steve & I enjoyed a few glasses with our chicken caesar salads on the patio. A fab combination for a warm June evening.
Like to mix up your menu from time to time? We love finding &
sharing scrumptious recipes. Don't miss out on our future finds…
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grill-master give away
It's so nice to give the stove a rest during the summer & take full advantage of cooking up dinner outside. These are a few finds that are sure to give any grill-master a grin. Fix it in Foil Cookbook, propane tank gauge, flexible grilling skewer, butter boy, personalized BBQ branding iron ($56.75 value)
So how can you score these great grilling goodies for free?
There are 4 ways to enter – you can do 1,2,3 or all 4 to better your chances.
1.
Comment at
the bottom of this post and let us know your favorite summer dinner dish
2. Spread the word about our giveaway on your Facebook page by clicking the Share on Facebook link below then write on our Facebook wall or comment on this blog post saying that you did.*
3. Tweet this link: http://tinyurl.com/GrillMasterGiveAway
4. Post our Grill-Master Giveaway on your blog (Feel free to copy our photo & info) Then
leave a comment on this blog post so we know that you did.*
* just let your friends & followers know if they happen to win, you get some of the goodies too :-)
We'll draw the lucky firefly fan name on Wednesday, June 23, 2010 and post it on the blog.
Have fun, good luck and thanks for playing!
Don't want to miss out on future fantastic firefly giveaways? Be sure to stay in the loop by signing up here and we'll email our fun-filled blog posts to your inbox!
our favorites for father’s day
No doubt about it… it's tough picking out the perfect gift for dad – especially since you have to do it 3 times a years when you figure in Christmas & birthdays! So we invite you to take a look at what we like for the dads in our our lives and maybe it'll spark a few ideas for yours.
Between You & Me Keepsake Journal $15.95
Sometimes talking to our dad's is hard and this book is a great way to
learn more about him. It makes a great gift that everyone will enjoy
for years to come.
Weird Michigan $19.95
What a cool book! I flipped through it when it first came in and found
it entertaining to read about interesting and "weird" things that have
happened in towns that I recogized and some towns I never heard of but
now want to go visit! Great gift for Dad or anyone who lives or grew up
in Michigan!
New York Times Crossword Puzzles $13.95
Remember the one person in your household who would grab the newspaper
or hide it until they completed the crossword puzzle? This special
puzzler's edition of the NY Times is made just for them.
recycled rolling rock glass $8.95
I love these glasses….great conversation piece and functional, not to mention environmentally friendly!
Crap Cars $14.95
I love this book. My first car is the 16th crappiest ever built (Chevy
Citation) and I was driving the 25th crappiest car when I met my wife
(VW Fox). It's a fun read that left me with many laugh out loud moments
such as "If the Chevy Vega was only a little bit rusty, it was still on
the production line." Great gift for any car lover.
Secret Lives of the US Presidents $16.95
My dad devours books & keeps up with the current politics so I
think he'll really get a kick out of this 'tell-all' book about what
past presidents were really like.
xl beer glass $13.95
Remember when every dad would sit in "his" chair at night and order his
kids to get him another cold one from the fridge. Kids have it so easy
these days, now they just have to get dad one of these handy glasses
and save themselves 5 whole trips to the kitchen. Gee I wish I had one
of these growing up!
New York Times Detroit Tigers History $13.95
This was perfect for my sports fanatic dad. He claimed to have an
all-encompassing knowledge of the Tigers in his brain but now he has it
on paper!
bucky balls $29.95
Anyone who walks by these in the store can't help but play with
them….and then they can't set them down! What a perfect gift for the
father who has everything. Guaranteed to provide loads of fun for dads
of all ages.
Daddies are for Catching Fireflies $6.99
My kids are getting their dad this book for Father's Day. This is such
a sweet story and great gift that dad and the kids can enjoy together
over and over again.
Do you like seeking out thoughtful gifts that bring bright smiles? We're happy to share some of our clever ideas. Simply sign up to receive these blog posts in your email and you'll be the best gift giver around!
best gift shop celebration
Since Hour Detroit Magazine voted us Best Gift Shop, we thought a little celebration was in order. So as lovely as it would be to whisk our team away to the Caribbean… we managed to take a trip to Bahama Breeze for fruity drinks & island appetizers;)
busy berkley art bash weekend
This past weekend flew by so quickly, it was nice to catch up with myself by putting together these fun photos.
The buzz started off Friday morning…
I spent the rest of my Friday pricing goods for our annual sidewalk sale which really brought out the crowds on this steamy Saturday morning…
And the art bash was better than ever – over 90 awesome artists, rockin' live music, delicious treats & more…
A BIG THANK YOU to all of you who came out and made this weekend one to remember!
the start of summer dining
Steve & I had the chance to hang with some of our friends on Memorial Day and thought it was the perfect time to try out our snazzy fire wires. So I made up four FULL skewers (after re-watching the video, maybe I shouldn't have totally filled them up;) … but at any rate, it was really easy to do. I just marinated them for a few hours in Italian dressing.
At first I laid them across the grill, but found it was easier to turn & consistently cook them by looping the needle end through the loop. I just flipped them by grabbing the needle end with a pot holder.
The veggies & chicken were fairly easy to pull off the wire. I held the wire by the loop end and used a fork 'un-skewer' the food. A full skewer is more than enough for one person – especially if you had other sides.
Like this amazing bean salsa my friend Sarah made. I asked for the recipe and just bought the ingredients to make some for another upcoming party… so-so tasty!
Combine:
2 cans fiesta corn, drained
1 can black olives, drained and chopped
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped
3 avocados, chopped
Mix in dressing:
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup vinegar
1 package Italian dressing powder mix
Thanks Sarah & Ryan for a lovely Memorial Day BBQ!
Like to mix up your dinner menu with some fresh foods? We love finding &
sharing tasty & easy-to-make recipes. Don't miss out on our future finds…
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shipping off LOADS of supplies to soldiers
Thanks to your generous donations throughout the month of May, we were able to box up a total of 13 boxes packed to the brim with little extras that will make their lives in the hot desert a little more bearable.
Some of the troops we're helping out…
CPL Jeffery L Franks, "We are
half way through our deployment, and the time seems to be going by
pretty quick. Sandstorms are getting worse and moral is staying strong
though. We live, work, and fight as a team even with some of our
differences. We appreciate all the support everyone has been giving us.
Right now we are enjoying 120+ degree temperatures and living through it,
somehow. Please keep the letters, and care packages coming."
CPT Corey Arnold, "Thank
you for all of the support and care. We are part of the 101st and our
squadron is in a very rugged part of Afghanistan. The Soldiers here do
not have access to a PX. Although some of these requests may seem odd,
or even "unhealthy", they are shared simply because the troops cannot
get them themselves. Please send only what you feel inclined to share.
We appreciate all of the encouragement that we receive from our nation.
Please know that your support makes a big difference."
GMC Mark Ervin, "We are slowly getting into the swing of things here and the temperature is rising, so I think it is going to be a long, hot deployment. Thanks so much for the support already as we have only been here a couple of weeks. This is picture of our Guard Mount before we take the watch. You guys ROCK!"
Thanks again for participating in our Taking Care of the Troops Project. We hope to get a few emails or photos from the teams we sent goods to and will share those with all of you on the blog. Because of your generosity, you helped us make some soldiers' day a little brighter That's just AWESOME – we're SO LUCKY to have such fantastic firefly fans like yourselves! What a great way to celebrate Memorial Day.
Like to see how you can help us make days brighter for those in need? Stay in the loop by signing up to receive these inspiring updates in your email inbox!
Hour Magazine – Best of Detroit 2010
We're so honored! This is the fourth consecutive year we've won for Best Gift Shop and the first year we took home the title for Best Place to Shop for Local Crafts. We couldn't live up to these fantastic titles without wonderful customers like you. So cheers to another great year of making days brighter!
And thank you Hour Detroit for including us in your first rate publication.
