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Summer Grilling with Dr Pepper BBQ Sauce

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #CollectiveBias
For more ideas on how to create your own #BackyardBash, check out the tumblr page at www.drpepperbash.com.

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Summer in Texas is usually unpleasantly hot however this past weekend the temperature was unheard of – a cool high of 82 degrees! PERFECTION!!! That only calls for as much time in the summer air as possible! I headed to Walmart and picked up everything I needed for a delicious Dr Pepper BBQ sauce and #BackyardBash!

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Friday night, I whipped up my Dr Pepper BBQ sauce (see below for the recipe). This recipe is super easy and definitely made for great grilling! Quick, flavorful and perfect for any event or preparation time. (This recipe was based on a recipe I found online however I made a few changes and it still turned out fantastic!)

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Saturday was spent having fun outside! First up – a little bocce ball and a lot of fresh air at the park! It’s so nice to be outside in Texas in July, and still see green!! It was super easy to grab everything in one swoop with my cooler and a small snack. Plus it wouldn’t be a Texas summer without Dr Pepper as it is the official drink of Texas!

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Next up, it was time to try the Dr Pepper BBQ sauce and enjoy the grilling season. First, we coated the chicken with some of the sauce then placed the chicken on the grill. Throughout the cooking process, we coated the chicken with additional sauce to savor the flavor. Juicy with great flavors and spice enhanced by the one of a kind Dr Pepper flavor! #BackyardBash #Shop #Cbias #Recipe The summer weather made it so nice to be outside enjoying the fresh air! The view wasn’t bad either!

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What’s your perfect way to spend a summer day? Do you have any fantastic Dr Pepper recipes?

Dr Pepper BBQ Sauce

Great on all meats or as a dipping sauce.

Serves: 3½ cups

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 1 hour

Total time: 1 hour 15 mins

Ingredients

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter (I used salted)
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 tsp minced garlic
1 cup ketchup
3 Tbsp tomato paste
One 12-ounce can Dr. Pepper
½ cup cider vinegar
⅓ cup Worcestershire sauce
½ cup packed light brown sugar
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt

Directions

In a large saucepan, melt butter.
Add chopped onions and garlic. Saute until onions are translucent. (About 10 minutes.)
Whisk all remaining ingredients in a bowl, add to saucepan. Bring to a boil for about 10 minutes. (Stir occasionally to avoid sticking.)
Simmer under a slow boil for 30 minutes. The sauce will begin to thicken. Stir occasionally. Seasonings may be adjusted per taste.
Remove from heat to allow to cool for 10 minutes (or until warm but not boiling hot.)
Puree with blender. This will thicken the sauce.
Let cool.
Keep tightly sealed in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Creating Laughs with Buzzworthy Cards

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I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper amplification for Collective Bias and its advertiser. #CollectiveBias

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Endless laughter is the best medicine for any occasion. I was recently in Walmart and came across Hallmark’s new Buzzworthy cards. These #TrendyCards are short witted and hilarious. Living in Texas, I’m far away from some of my closes friends. We all love a good laugh! What a perfect card collection to fit our friendship!

BuzzworthyCards

It all began the first day of kindergarten. I met Margo, Kasey and Desiree. Little did we know, 25 years later we would all still be the best of friends. Although we all live in different states, we try to stay in touch as much as possible. There are phone calls, texts, emails and cards. Usually preposterously silly. When we do get together, its as if we didn’t skip a beat. Anything goes. And we laugh. Boy, do we laugh!

BerkshireGirls

This year is a big year for us – we all turn 30. Kasey requested a trip to Texas! Yea! In April, she came down to experience the Lonestar State. As always, we laughed our way through the four days. (I’m sure everyone looked at us like a bunch of laughing goons.) One day we were driving on a dirt road through middle of nowhere Texas. The windows down, radio on, laughing, as we do. I’m driving and all of a sudden, this MASSIVE (not sure if it’s “earthly”) bug flies through the window, lands on my lap and is still moving! Kasey swats the bug towards my feet. My heart sinks.

Me: “Why would you swat that towards my feet where I can’t see it?!”
Kasey: (Already laughing) “That things huge! I didn’t want to leave it on you.”

I pull over, open my drivers door, immediately hop out and kind of bend over to find this massive bug from outer space. It’s still slightly moving. It’s massive. I’m concentrating on how I can get it out of my car without touching it. As soon as it’s certain that all of my focus is on this alien-bug, I hear “SNAKE!”.

Good gosh! Where is the snake? Where is the snake?! Of course no quicker than I believe I’m going to need life support, does the hysterical laughter commence from the passenger seat of the car followed by “I can’t believer you fell for that!” We’re still laughing about it. When I say “we”, I mean Kasey.

DianaKasey2014

This is our relationship. We know there we are there for each other no matter what circumstance or event. When we’re not together, we still find those moments of laughter through photographs, memes and silly jokes. When I came across the BuzzWorthy cards it hit the nail on the head! The worst part was picking just one!

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For less than $2, these affordable cards provide a certified laugh that is priceless. The card selection changes often so there’s something for every season. I can’t wait until the holidays – I may need to make these my Christmas cards!

Texans may appreciate this one:

Inside: “I’ll always remember it as young and green.”

Welcome to wedding season!

Inside: “Nothing gets me all choked up like an open bar.”

Vermont is humid in the summer. So humid, this card sums up exactly how it feels and I can already hear Kasey laughing! Packaging in a few photos from her trip to Texas, this should provide a hearty laugh and great memories from our Texas Adventures. I can’t wait to be back in Vermont to reunited with my forever friends.

Inside: “Have a cool-ass summer.”

Make sure you check out Connections from Hallmark to sign up for Hallmark Rewards, and to see great content from other bloggers. Now when signing up for the Hallmark Rewards Program, you can earn Hallmark Card Rewards Program for cards purchased at Walmart. For every five cards purchased, you’ll earn a reward. Join in the #Tendycards conversation on Twitter!

Have you come across the Buzzworthy Cards from Hallmark? What’s your favorite?

Savory Summer Snacking with Nestle

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I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper amplification for Collective Bias and its advertiser. #SummerGoodies #CollectiveBias

Summer-Snacks, Nestle

This summer, I’m trying to focus on healthier snacking. It’s an area that’s easily overlooked during this super busy season but I’ve decided it doesn’t have to be! Traveling, attending various events – it’s all too easy to just grab fast food. I’m saying no more! On a recent trip to Walmart (my one stop shop), I found three products that will allow me to keep up with lots of events and activities and keep the healthy eating mentality!

Walmart, Grocery-Store, Summer-Snacks

Fruits, vegetables and protein are my focus areas:
• I love fruit, especially fresh fruit, however I have a texture issue with some of them.
• Vegetables, I have a harder time with and need to up the ante.
• Protein – we all need protein! It’s super easy to snack on “junk food” because it’s convenient and not always healthy and nourishing but can be a pain and super expensive to find them.

Edy’s Outshine Fruit and Veggie Bars, Edy’s Outshine Fruit Bars and Pepperoni Hot Pockets have made their way into my freezer. One, their affordable and won’t go bad within a weeks time. Two, they provide all the nourishment I need for a healthy snack. Three, there’s no texture issues as the fruit bars hit the spot.

Fruit-Bars, Veggie-Bars, Healthy-Snacks, Gluten-Free Being in Texas, I’ve realized that the weather has a big affect on what I eat. For those 100-degree days that are quickly approaching, I have the Outshine Bars. They are made with real fruits and vegetables and some flavors are gluten free! These are great for the days I spend next to the pool, on a quick walk or even just sitting outside on the deck enjoying some fresh air! The strawberry rhubarb flavor reminds me of picking fresh rhubarb and strawberries out of my mom’s garden and watching her make strawberry rhubarb pie. A flavor that has long been forgotten by many. Creamy coconut – maybe I don’t have quick access to a beach but I can pretend to be next to the pool.

Outdoor-Activities, Staying-Active

Summer-Activities, Outdoor-Festivals

Then there are those late nights, returning back from a baseball game, concert, day drive to a cold, A/C filled apartment where I just want to cozy up and eat something warm. I have the Hot Pocket, filled with premium meat and real cheese (and this Vermonter loves her cheese) to ensure my protein intake. Perfect-o!

Hot-Pockets, Protein-Snack, Meat

These are a couple of the ways that I’ll be sticking to my healthier snacking frame of mind this summer! What are your healthy snacking tips or do you already love these products too?!