Summertime Simmer

As you probably know by now, we are trying to sell our house. This has been going on for a solid 6 months and is beginning to wear on us. We are experiencing a strange enigma of having 3-4 showings every week for 6 months with no offers to speak of.

A few days ago, we had someone coming for a second showing, which always gets my hopes up a little bit. But I feel a little better because I don't think the lack of offers is a result of anything I have neglected to do. This time, I even set out to deliciously scent my entire house. Here's how I did it:

• 1 lime, cut in half
• Juice from the above lime
• 1 cup water
• 3 mint leaves
• 1 tsp vanilla

Combine all these ingredients in a small saucepan and simmer for as long as you want! Replenish the water as it gets low.

I simmered mine for about 2 hours before I felt compelled to clean up the kitchen. We left for the evening and returned about 4.5 hours after I had stopped the simmer. The house still smelled lovely and fresh!

{Linked on My Pinterventures, Huckleberry Love, Carrie This Home, Uncommon Designs, All Things Fee, I Should Be Mopping}

Delicious Dessert Roundup

Maybe it is because I am trying to lose weight and I know that a good diet is the key for me... but I just couldn't resist putting together a delicious dessert roundup today. I have made several of these recipes and others are things I would like to try. The first is one originally posted by my hubby on our personal blog... delicious gourmet s'mores!

(Click photos to be taken to original source)

Gourmet S'mores

Caramel Apple Cheesecake from The Girl Who Ate Everything

Churro Cheesecake from The Recipe Critic

Key Lime Tarts from Our Best Bites

Peanut Butter Chocolate Eclair Cake from Purple Chocolat Home

Salted Caramel Cupcakes from Pass the Sushi

Strawberry Cream Puff Cake from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Triple Chocolate Cheesecake from Inside BruCrew Life

Quick Bread Recipe Round-Up

{Don't forget to link up on the Fun Friday Blog Hop below}

I like to bake. I don't really like to cook other stuff. Luckily, my hubby does. So between the two of us, we do pretty well in the kitchen. I don't have the patience to make normal bread, but I love making quick breads. Until recently, every time I wanted to make banana bread, I would find a new recipe because I could never remember which recipe I used in the past.

No longer! Thanks to Pinterest, I have been gathering a collection of my favorite quick bread recipes and thought I would share them with you today, you lucky readers!

First off, tried and true (as in, I have made all of these and eaten all of these and wished I had more of these to eat when I have eaten them all):

Cinnamon Crumble Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

from Indigo Scones 

Glazed Poppy Seed Bread

from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

 Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

from AllRecipes.com

 Chocolate Zucchini Bread

from Our Best Bites

And now, recipes I've pinned that I want to try:

Cinnamon Swirl Bread

from Serving Joyfully

 Nutella Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

from Something Swanky