Hooked on… summer fun & giveaways!!

Yay, it’s Friday!! And that means it’s time for another Hooked on Fridays blog party hosted by the sunny and sensational Julia at Hooked on Houses :-)

And if that isn’t enough fun for a Friday, how about a fabulous Friday giveaway too!! More on that at the end of this post…

So far, this summer has been CRAPPY. I’m having major issues with Mother Nature — the woman is seriously evil. But, I’ve decided to stick it to her not let her ruin my summer fun. I swim in the lake at the cottage, even if my feet and hands go numb and I shiver for an hour after I get out. And who cares if it rains – I’m already wet, so why not keep swimming. Mother Nature can kiss my butt!!

So let’s get hooked on summer fun, and then we’ll have some giveaway fun!! Because we love having giveaways almost as much as much as we enjoy winning giveaways!! ;-)

This is the dock at the cottage, where I spend most of my time every weekend…

Time to jump into the lake for a swim…

After we swim,we can do some kayaking…

Well, actually, this is more like the kind of kayaking I do, minus the awesome view!!

Squirt likes to swim too…

and she follows me as I kayak around the lake…

Beautiful sunny blue summer skies…

Of course, we need a pair of cool shades to protect the peepers…

And don’t forget the sunblock!! ;-)

A fuzzy beach towel to dry off with after we’re done…

After all that action, we need to eat!! Ever have a BBQ in a donut?? :-)

The BBQ-Donut was designed and developed by German inventor and entrepreneur Sebastian Schmitt. This puppy is part lounge, part table, part BBQ, and part water floatation device :-) It comes with a sound system and travels at about 2.5mph.

But if you’re a landlubber, this BBQ might be more your speed… ;-)

Once you’ve got this Nascar BBQ fired up, why not grill up a few racks of juicy succulent ribs (vegetarians, close your eyes!!)

OK, you can look again… mmmmmm, juicy succulent freshly-picked berries :-)

YUM!!!!!! And what’s better on a hot summer day than sipping an icy-cold strawberry daiquiri complete with fresh strawberries…

The Best Strawberry Daiquiri EVER!

• 1 can Bacardi's frozen strawberry daiquiri mix
• 2 cups ice (crushed if you have it)
• 1/2 cup Bailey’s Irish Cream
• Handful washed & hulled fresh strawberries

Put first three ingredients in blender and blend till smooth. Add berries and blend for a few more seconds. Pour into glass and drink!

Warning: You’ll want to lick the glass clean. Don’t be shy, go ahead and do it!!

Or maybe a glass of freshly-squeezed lemonade is just what you need to refresh you…

Easy Freshly Squeezed Lemonade

• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 cup water

Combine lemon juice and sugar in a glass till the sugar is mostly dissolved. Add water. If you add ice, reduce the water a bit to prevent the lemonade from becoming too diluted. If you like extra-tart lemonade, add more juice. Toss in a slice or two of lemon for a bit of extra flavour.

Of course, summer isn’t summer without ice cream!!

How cool is this SuperKid ice cream from Laura Secord?? :-)

And check this out — Paul at Kitchen & Residential Design posted a recipe for making homemade ice cream in a Ziploc bag. I had to try it… and it really works!! The flavour could be stronger — I’ll try adding more vanilla next time…

Plastic Bag Ice Cream

What you'll need:

1 tablespoon sugar (I used icing sugar)

1/2 cup milk or half & half

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

6 tablespoons rock salt (table salt works too)

1 pint-size plastic food storage bag (e.g., Ziploc)

1 gallon-size plastic food storage bag

Ice cubes

How to make it:

Fill the large bag half full of ice, and add the rock salt.

Put milk, vanilla, and sugar into the small bag, and seal it.

Place the small bag inside the large one, and seal the large bag carefully.

Shake until the mixture is ice cream, which takes about 5 minutes. (I recommend wearing over mitts to keep your hands from freezing!!)

Wipe off the top of the small bag, then open it carefully. Enjoy!

Tips:

A 1/2 cup milk will make about 1 scoop of ice cream, so double the recipe if you want more. But don't increase the proportions more that that.

Giveaway time!

So, now that we’ve gone swimming and kayaking and eaten ribs and drank daiquiris and made ice cream in a plastic bag, it’s time to announce our giveaway. Which actually has absolutely nothing to do with summer fun… except that it’s bright like the sun :-)

The prize is…

…an original abstract painting by Canadian artist Matt LeBlanc!!

A couple of close-ups that show the texture and detail…

How to enter

All you need to do to enter is leave a comment on this post with a one-word title for the painting. If you don’t have a blog account or if you have any trouble leaving a comment, you can send your entry by e-mail to designties@gmail.com

Everyone from everywhere can enter :-)

The winning name will be selected by three random people we find on the beach ;-)

The contest closes next Thursday at 5:00PM, and the winner will be announced in next Friday’s Hooked on Fridays post — which will be an interview with the artist himself, Matt LeBlanc.

So get your creative juices flowing!! And then get yourself back to Julia’s and keep the Hooked on Fridays blog party going :-)