Yesterday evening Erik and I grilled out in our backyard and had the most lovely dinner. It was 85 and sunny, no bugs, a perfect MN night.I purchased almost every item for dinner at the Minneapolis Farmers' Market including:
Green beans
Red potatoes
Radishes
Ribeye steak
Erik is obsessed with radishes.
The beans were fresh and delicous.
Roasted red potatoes are a favorite of mine.
I had a black bean burger with blue cheese, pickles, tomatoes and lettuce. YUM.
Erik's enormous ribeye was from Bar 5. He said it was tender and awesome.
Our little kitty sat and watched us eat from the (very rickety) screened-in porch. He's an indoor kitty but he longs to be outdoors. Poor guy. We gave him plenty of attention when we came inside.I'm really looking forward to the weekend. Our friends Chris and Alena are getting married on Saturday, can't wait!
Thanks so much to everyone who participated in the 
{Photo credits: 
This beautiful event was submitted by Susana and Clara of 
Such gorgeous, clean details! Thanks so much to Susana and Clara for sending this party my way!
The hoedown BBQ my husband and I hosted was so much fun. I'm not sure what it was exactly, maybe the fact that just saying the word "hoedown" is cool, having perfect 83 degree weather with no humidity and plenty of sunshine, or an abundance of great food and drinks. Or obviously, all of the above. 
I focused on a few main details but didn't bother with stationery or labels. My friends wouldn't really notice that stuff. What they would notice? Great food. And there was plenty of that. 
My cute sister and I with mini BLTs. These were a big hit. 
Here is the appetizer table that included watermelon, veggies and dip, mini BLTs and chips. I never, ever forget about chips. 
Mini BLTs are so easy. I basically just take prepared, refrigerated biscuits, bake them in the oven, cut them in half and top with a slice of tomato, a teaspoon of mayo, a small piece of lettuce and one piece of bacon. 
Veggies and dip for those healthy types. I forced myself to eat these between huge handfuls of potato chips. 
I made a couple different boozey popsicles. One with rum and the other with champagne. Both had homemade raspberry simple syrup. They received mixed reviews. What I came to believe is the more drinks my guests had, the more likely they were to enjoy the popsicles. I think the boozey flavor concentrates as it freezes.
You can't have a hoedown without fried chicken. We catered it from 
I made a quick bunting banner with bandanas. It was easy, fold a bandana in half (from JoAnn Fabrics) and tie each end to a string. 
Grilled corn on the cob was on the menu as well. Shirts were coming off for some reason at this point in the day. 
We had little cowgirls and cowboys enjoying the party as well. 
That's my cute hubs working the grill. 
We had no shortage of 
These were easy and called strawberries on a cloud. They tasted like little bites of cake. But they are much lighter. You only need one or two to satisfy your sweet tooth. 
You can't have a hoedown without some pie and a good old fashioned pie eating contest. Three brave men participated. But only one could win. 
Tardiff (on the left) was victorious. Biffer (Jason) came in second but also ended up with a blueberry up his nose. Willie gave his all but came in third. Good job guys. 
Each guest left the party with a packet of 
Here are a few fun facts. 
{Photo credits: 
{Photo credits: 
This sweet blessing celebration was sent to me by Kaysi, mom to baby Kruz. This party was 100% DIY from the centerpieces to all the (gorgeous) cupcakes. 
Thanks to Kaysi for sending this sweet party my way. Your little guy is so adorable!