This week will wrap up with the Fourth of July and we know that means you will probably spend at least some time firing up the grill. This holiday screams burgers and hotdogs, but there’s something else that is fantastic grilled that you probably haven’t given much thought to – grilled fruit!

Sure, you might have added some onion, tomatoes, peppers, or other veggies to your grill, but fruits are in season this time of year too. Consider grabbing a colorful selection of fruit from your nearby farmers market or grocery store and with just a few minutes on the grill, you’ll have a perfect complement to your other grilled goods. What fruits are good for grilling?

• Apricots – Just cut them in half, brush with oil, and place on the grill cut-side down for about 30 seconds. Turn it over and grill again for another 30 seconds or so. Nectarines and peaches work great this way too, just cook two to three minutes more.
• Banana – Cut them in half lengthwise but leave the peel on. Place the cut-side down on the grill and cook for about three minutes. Brush with honey (or a mixture of your choice, and grill about five more minutes.
• Cherries – Toss some cherries in balsamic vinegar, place in a grill pan, and grill about five minutes, turning a few times while cooking.
• Mango – Cut in half and remove the seed, brush with oil, place flesh side on the grill and cook two to three minutes.
• Pears – Cut your pear in half lengthwise and remove the core. Brush with oil, place cut-side down, and grill for four to five minutes.
• Strawberries – Leave whole or cut in half, coat with balsamic vinegar, sprinkle with sugar, and grill for one to two minutes.
• Watermelon – Cut into ½ inch thick slices and brush with oil. Grill two to three minutes or until grill marks appear.

Pineapple is another fantastic fruit to try on the grill. Give this recipe from Elif’s Kitchen a try.

Grilled Pineapple and Blood Oranges

Ingredients:

1 Pineapple

2 Tbsp Dark Brown Sugar

2 tsp Cinnamon

2 Blood Oranges

10 Mint Leaves

Directions:

Cut the pineapple into ½ inch thick slices in the shape of a half moon. Cut the blood oranges in half. Place the pineapple slices and orange pieces into a large Ziploc bag. Add the brown sugar and cinnamon and shake gently to coat everything evenly. Preheat your grill and lightly oil the grate. Grill the pineapple slices and orange halves for two to three minutes per side until grill marks appear. For more flavor squeeze the blood orange halves onto the pineapple slices. Serve with mint leaves and enjoy!

Tips for Grilling Fruit

One of the best things about grilling fruit is that it takes hardly any time at all. Five minutes or less  and your fruit will be grilled to perfection. Plus, there’s a reason it tastes so good. When fruit is grilled, it evaporates a bit of the water from the fruit, making the sugars more concentrated. To get the best results when grilling fruit, give these tips a try:

• When grilling smaller fruit, place them in a grill pan or on a skewer. It will make them easier to turn and less likely to fall between the grates.
• Make sure the fruit is ripe, but not too ripe. Fruit that is a bit more firm will hold up better and will still caramelize and taste amazing.
• Use neutral oils such as grapeseed, safflower oil, or melted, unsalted butter to keep you fruit from sticking.
• Try to be patient. Let the fruit sit on the grill untouched for a few minutes before checking and turning it over.
• Grilled fruit works great for savory and sweet options, so mix and match your ideas. You might be surprised!
• Just like with bananas, try grilling softer fruits with the skin on to help them hold their shape.
• Give different toppings a try before and after grilling. Good ones to try include honey, lemon juice, and cinnamon. They help enhance the natural flavor of the fruit.

Don’t Forget to Include Fruit Cocktails!

Now you have burgers, hotdogs, fruits, and veggies for the grill, but you need something refreshing to keep you cool while standing over that grill. Here’s another area that fruit shines! Since fruit is in season right now, which equals cheaper too, stock up on that fruit and mix up some fruit cocktails too. Remember that pineapple that you grilled up earlier? Grab an extra pineapple and give this cocktail from Elif’s Kitchen a try.

Pineapple Rum Cocktail

Ingredients:

2 Cups Chopped Fresh Pineapple

2 Cups Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice

¼ Cup Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice

2 Cups Ice

¼ Cup Pineapple Rum

1 Lime

Directions:

Cut the lime very thin and into half-moons. Add all the ingredients besides the lime slices into a blender. Blend ingredients until smooth. Pour into cocktail glasses and garnish with lime slices. Makes 2-3 glasses to enjoy!

As you can see there are plenty of great ways to add fruit to your weekend 4^th of July celebration. So, fire up that grill, kick back and relax, and enjoy some of that colorful, healthy goodness!

It's the summer time, and the weather is good.  And we've got something for you to enjoy! The sun is shining, and so are our free downloadables! 

The start of a new month means it is time for a new wallpaper or calendar. We’ve got you covered! Choose your favorite format below & download it. Calendars in laptop or mobile versions, with both Sunday & Monday start. And of course, there is just the pretty wallpaper if you don’t need the calendar backdrop. Click on the version (or versions) you like below to download!  

Since it is July, we did a summery orange version AND a patriotic stars/stripes version.

Go here  to grab your summary orange version, in desktop or mobile version

Go here to grab your patriotic stars & stripes version, in desktop of mobile version

And if you REALLY love these designs, you should check out our blank note cards! 

Read more

We're pretty excited around here. 

Our very own Kara Williams, founder & fearless leader, has been featured on several recent episodes of the Shopkeeper Podcast!  

Check out Episode 88: Direct Mail, the latest episode of 100 Ways To Promote E-Commerce Products video series here.

And if you are an eCommerce seller, or thinking about becoming one, check out Paulina's full video series & check out her tool, Shopkeeper, available for Amazon sellers! 

Now is the Perfect Time to Clean Up and Get Organized

Have you been binging on Tidying Up with Marie Kondo on Netflix while you’re stuck at home? Are you ready to organize and clean things that you didn’t even realize needed to be organized and cleaned?

We’re talking deep clean and major organization.

It’s not as hard as it sounds and we’ve got a few tips to make it easy peasy.

• Make a Checklist – It may sound unnecessary, but making a checklist will make the process so much easier. Stroll through your home and make a list of everything that needs to be organized and cleaned. Our journals are perfect to create your list in – both beautiful and functional. Once you have the list, group things together by task. For example, wash the shower curtain, bath mat, and kitchen towels.
• Create a Schedule That Will Work for You – Once you’ve made your list, place them into your schedule – even if that means you will only work on a couple of tasks each day. You don’t have to try to tackle this project in a day or even one weekend.
• Assemble a Cleaning Kit – This also goes along with creating your list. Having a checklist makes it easier to know what supplies you need to get the work done. What types of cleaners do you need? You likely need some paper towels, a mop, vacuum, tools to dust, etc. Go ahead and get these things together so you are ready to go once you get started.
• Consider Renting Equipment – Many home improvement stores and even some grocery stores rent cleaning appliances by the hour. If you need one of these tools, rent a furniture steamer, floor polisher, pressure washer, carpet shampooer or others when elbow grease just isn’t going to cut it.

Time to Tackle the Work

Now that you’ve made your list and assembled the tools, it’s time to get started. Here are a few tips for tackling the list.

• Start With the Laundry – Gather all the dirty clothes, rugs, and towels and take them to the laundry room. Start your first load of laundry, but don’t strip the beds yet.
• Raid the Fridge – It’s likely that you have dirty dishes hiding in your refrigerator. Clean out those dishes as well as anything that is spoiled or past its expiration date. Give the freezer the same treatment. Consider organizing your kitchen using our utensil holder.
• Wash the Dishes and Take Out the Trash – You don’t want that rotten food sitting in the trash or the dirty dishes in the sink. So, take out the trash and wash and put away all the dishes.
• Don’t Forget the Window Treatments – If you have curtains that can be washed, put them in the washer and get those clean. Be sure to wipe down any blinds as well.
• Work on Those Surfaces – Get rid of any clutter from your kitchen, dining room, and living room surfaces. Give your countertops a thorough wipe down and then dust all other flat surfaces. If you need some organization for your countertops or desk, try one of the pieces from our galvanized home collection.
• Now for the Bathroom – Spray down the toilet, sink, and tub. Give them time to soak and then start wiping them down to clean them. This is also a good day to replace the toothbrushes and shower curtain if you haven’t done that in a while.
• Wash the Bed Sheets – Strip all the sheets off the beds and wash and dry them while you tackle the next task.
• Vacuum and Mop – While your bed linens are washing, vacuum and mop all your floors. After that is done, put all the beds back together.

Now it’s time for the best part of cleaning and organizing your home. Sit down with and relax and admire your hard work. Need tips on how to create a deep cleaning schedule?  Check that out here! 

Hip Hip Hooray!  Summer is nearly here! 

It's just about June.  The sun is shining, and so are our free downloadables! 

The start of a new month means it is time for a new wallpaper or calendar. We’ve got you covered! Choose your favorite format below & download it. Calendars in laptop or mobile versions, with both Sunday & Monday start. And of course, there is just the pretty wallpaper if you don’t need the calendar backdrop. Click on the version (or versions) you like below to download!  

Go here  to grab your desktop versions

Go here to grab your mobile versions