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Steph's Pick | Jessica Wood Fine Paper Goods

I'll admit it - I'm a sucker for all things personalized. Case in point - remember this post back in May of 2008 on Personalized Stamps?

Not only do I love personalized things I also LOVE to send cards to family and friends. There is just nothing like getting snail mail. I'm that dorky girl that insists on walking to our mailbox (yes - we walk - we live in a condo complex) EVERYDAY. No joke. I just get so excited about the possibility of getting "fun mail" (i.e. not junk).

Well my dear friend Jess knows this about me and so when thinking of what to buy me for a birthday gift this past year she covered the best of both worlds - Personalized Greeting Cards. And not just any personalized greeting card - some of the cutest cards I've ever seen in my whole life. And if that isn't enough they come from a Minneapolis girl's (♥) Etsy shop (♥♥)!!! I fell in love at first site!

Check out Jessica Wood's Etsy Shop today! Christmas time is right around the corner - they would make GREAT gifts for those people you're just not sure what to buy this year :) Or snail mail junkies like me!

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My 14 day non-blogging life

I'm not sure how many of you noticed - but previous to my post on our UPPAbaby umbrella stroller I took a 14 day blogging break.

So in light of my recent blogging sabbatical I thought I'd give you a peak into our lives by highlighting 14 things we've been up to :) Don't worry... I'll make them short (and interesting...hopefully)

1. Gpa & Ellen visited AZ. Nora loved spending time with some of our most favorite people in the whole wide world. Not to mention that she just LOVES Gpa's iPad!

2. Nora and I flew to Iowa with no Alan. Maybe not that monumental for some.... but a HUGE feat to accomplish. I gave myself an honorary Super Mom award that day :)

3. Fall Colors! I know I've said it multiple times before - but one thing we miss in AZ is the changing of seasons and the BEAUTIFUL colors. I'm so grateful we were able to be in Iowa during this gorgeous time of year.
4. Nora met her BFF - Carly (the dog). Gma and Gpa T got a new puppy this summer and although Nora's "met" Carly via Skype she was thrilled to meet her in person. And I'm by no means exaggerating that they are now BFF's.

5. We bought an UPPAbaby G-Luxe umbrella stroller. See previous post for details :)

6. Upon arriving in Iowa I got back on a plane and headed to Harrisburg, PA for the Relevant Conference. To see more about my time at this event read our Relevant Update post on The Family Matters Blog.

7. Have I ever mentioned how quickly our lil' chicken is growing up (tear)?

8. While in Iowa Nora got to spend some quality time with her Uncle Erik and Aunt Amy and her GG's from Illinois. She loved all of the extra attention.

9. I don't have a picture (boo) but after flying back from PA I stopped through Muscatine to see my sweet friend, Katie and her hubby Brett. It was soooo good to catch up and to celebrate with them as they anticipate the arrival of their first baby (a girl) in February.

10. We were blessed to be able to book our plane tickets for Christmas with frequent flyer miles!! Maybe not amazing to those who don't travel much - but to those who have attempted to use miles around the holidays - it's nearly impossible. We're so thankful for the $1,200+ savings! Praise God!

11. My dear friend Liz and her sweet baby boy, Easton came to Mt. Vernon to spend a couple hours with Nora and I. For Liz's thoughts about our time together click HERE. I miss you friend!

12. Nora got to spend lots of time with Gma and Gpa T this past week. Thanks again mom and dad for watching our little pumpkin while I was away! She can't wait to be back in December!

13. I had my very first acupuncture appointment a couple weeks back. It was SUPER interesting. I'll be sure to share more about it in the upcoming weeks.

14. I'm co-hosting a baby shower for a dear friend of mine this next weekend. For those of you who know me well - you know that planning parties is one of my most favorite things to do!!! I can't wait to show you all the pics.

All for now.....toodles :)

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Steph's Pick: UPPAbaby G-Luxe Umbrella Stroller

As many of you know, Nora and I flew to Iowa this past week to visit family and friends (thanks Gma and Gpa T for watching Ms. Nora while I was away for a couple days!). I'll be posting a highlight (with pics) of this trip in the coming days so stay tuned.

Back to our travel situation - the minute I booked our flight - note: there was no Alan involved in this flight - I knew I needed to be sure everything I brought with me was light and compact. Now I knew that my suitcase would be 50 lbs (hehe) so there were only a few options to downsize....one of them being our stroller.

Some of you know that our "main" stroller is the Bob Revolution. We've been so happy with this stroller. You can read more about my thoughts about it on Scottsdale Moms Blog's "Mommy SOS: Strollers" post. BUT - the Bob is just a little too much to manhandle in an airport by myself. So we started our search for an umbrella stroller.

Where did we start? Consumer Reports of course (I am married to a man who loves CR)! We found that the UPPAbaby umbrella strollers are rated #1 and #4 - so we started there. We were initially thinking we'd go with the G-Lite b/c it's 1) cheaper and 2) rated #1 BUT when I found a NEW UPPAbaby G-Luxe on Craigslist for $100 cheaper than you could buy it at the store, I was sold.

So how did it do on the trip? GREAT! It weighs in at 11 lbs - so it's very light and compact. It reclines to almost 120 degrees (which most umbrella strollers do not). It has a great sun canopy (perfect for AZ) AND it stands upright when you fold it up which is pretty cool :). All in all - it was a great find and we'd highly recommend it.

Looking for a stroller yourself? For more insight be sure to check out our Scottsdale Moms Blog "Mommy SOS: Strollers" post and read the comments.

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Steph's Pick | My Brazilian Blowout Story

I know - it sounds a little sketchy for those of you who are not familiar with this very popular hair treatment...but keep with me. It isn't.

I'd simply repost the post I just wrote for Scottsdale Moms Blog - but for all of you SEO knowledgeable readers, you know that would NOT be good for either The Flies Blend or Scottsdale Moms Blog.

So I'm going to have to send you over to my post this morning at Scottsdale Moms Blog to read all about my Brazilian Blowout with Vinny of Salon Di Vita! Read it HERE.

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Mommy SOS UPDATE | Two Naps to One

Thanks so much to all of you mama's who chimed in on my Mommy SOS | Two Naps to One post. Your insight was incredibly helpful and has made this transition a little easier. I say "a little" solely because it's the truth! Ask any mom - switching from Two Naps to One is NOT easy - no matter how you dice it.

So how did we do it? Before we get into that a few of you had asked me what "signs" Nora was showing that caused me to think she was ready for this switch. Well - the main sign was that she was sleeping GREAT in the morning (around 2 hours) but not sleeping at all come her afternoon nap. Although she would be in her crib playing for 1-2 hours, come 4 pm she would be a royal grouch to be around. It was obvious her little body needs 2-3 hours of sleep in the afternoon and so we went about our business working to make that happen.

So here's what I did (Note: Like all of my posts...it's not for everyone but seems to have worked for Nora)

- For the first two weeks we took the transition slowly. For one day I'd try and keep her up 30 minutes longer than normal (9:30 am). Then for the next day I'd do 30 minutes later (10 am) and the next day 30 min later (10:30 am). So on and so forth. Through some trial and error (hey - I don't have this thing figured out!) - I figured out that the key was that I'd wake her up around 11:30 am. Regardless of when she went down. That way (I was hoping) she'd be tired for her afternoon nap at 1ish pm. Eventually I was able to hold her off until 12:30ish and she'd sleep

for 2-3 hours.

- As the morning wake time increased I planned LOTS of activities - which included playing with lots of other children to tire Nora out :)

- Snacks. Food's an activity, right?

- Warmth. Nora seems to sleep better when she has a little hoodie and socks on. At first I didn't do this and then I realized - why not? I always want to nap under a blanket to keep warm - why wouldn't she prefer to be warm during her naps? :)

And a quick note for those who are actually still reading this post (thanks btw)

- Note: Nora was VERY crabby (and still can be very crabby) that last hour before she goes down. BUT if I give in and put her down I know her crabbiness will only happen later in the day, so I just deal with it by playing with her.

And here's a little pic I snapped the other day of our sweetie napping. So cute, huh?!

Note: This was obviously before I figured out the hoodie and sock trick... hehe.

If YOU have a Mommy SOS topic you'd like to hear about... comment below.

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Thanks again for all of your insight.... till next time!

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{favorite things}

Nealy at Bambina Babe tagged me for a "favorite things" quiz. I answer eight questions and then tag some other bloggers to do the same. Here goes nothing...

1. Favorite Flower.

Peonies for SURE! These were the only flowers we used in our wedding and I still consider them my favorite flower 5 years later. I just wish I could find them in AZ....

2. Favorite Color Combination.

I've secretly been dreaming of redecorating our room in grey and yellow. Ever since Three Men and a Lady redecorated her bedroom in these colors I've been plotting a scheme to do just the same :)

I mean... check it out... who doesn't love this.

3. Favorite Celebrity Couple.

It's gotta be Tim McGraw and Faith Hill. A) Because she is so

beautiful. B) They tend to stay out of the spotlight which I love and C) They are

both country singers and I love me some country music.

4. Your Theme Song.

This is a hilarious question (in my opinion at least). This might be a little sentimental - but going with the TM & FH theme I gotta choose Live Like You Were Dying by Tim McGraw. One of the best songs in terms of grasping today in light of how quickly our earthly lives pass by.

5. Favorite "I had a terrible day" Food.

Oh my - this is getting real personal ;) I have to say cookie dough. Even the other day when I passed by the gallon tub of Nestle Cookie Dough at Costco I was tempted to buy it. I didn't... don't worry...but who wouldn't love to have all of that cookie dough at your disposal?!

6. Lipstick or Lipgloss.

Lipgloss. I'm actually currently loving the lipgloss I got in my stellar Costco Stila package. Remember THIS post when I talked about it? No joke ladies (and gents) - this is a nearly $50 savings.

7. Favorite Magazine.

Most of you know this - but Cooking Light! See this post for more details :)

8. Favorite thing about fall.

Fall food...hands down. You have to understand....when the temps are over 100 degrees for 5(ish) months I can not wait to make some yummy fall food. Now lets talk specifics... soup. Soup is just not something you even consider making in the summer in AZ. So when the temps are more like 80 (hehe... I know... fall temps are all relative) I'm all about breaking out my soup recipes.

AND I have to mention my obsession with anything pumpkin. The Butterscotch Pumpkin Bundt Cake is fabulous... or how about the Pumpkin Cupcakes I tried last year. Stay tuned for a Pumpkin Cookie recipe I just tried this weekend.... they are AMAZING!

Now I'm tagging...

Laura at Love, Sweat and Tears

Katie at The Euken's...Life as we know it.

Allie at Living on Lots of Prayer.

Janel at Team Sullivan.

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Steph's Pick | Pasta Fagioli

It's almost embarrassing when the temperatures drop into the 80's here in AZ and we throw up our hands (and put on our sweaters) because we're thrilled the "fall" has arrived :)

Even if it's embarrassing to admit - it's the truth! I found myself so excited that I could actually make delicious pumpkin desserts (remember THIS treat) AND soup! Mmmmmmm....

Here's a Pasta Fagioli recipe I made last night that was delicious! Recipe taken from AllRecipes.com and adapted by yours truly :)

Pasta Fagioli

• Ingredients:
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• salt to taste
• 2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
• 1 1/2 (14.5 ounce) cans of Italian diced tomatoes
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup uncooked Ditalini (small circular) pasta
• 1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans, with liquid

Directions

1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, cook celery, onion, garlic, parsley, Italian seasoning, red pepper and salt until onion is translucent. Stir in chicken broth, tomatoes and tomato sauce, and simmer on low for 15 to 20 minutes.
2. Add pasta and cook 10 minutes, until pasta is tender.
3. Add undrained beans and mix well. Heat through. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.

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♥Laguna Beach♥

We returned Sunday night from a 5 night stay in beautiful Laguna Beach - so sad. :( Although we were there primarily for a work conference we were able to sneak away to the beach in the afternoons to enjoy the sunshine.

Gma and Gpa T stayed back in AZ with Nora - which made for a great time for everyone involved! We enjoyed time away while Nora enjoyed lots of extra love and attention from her grandparents.

For those of you who ever wondered to yourself what the hype about California is.... well....I'm guessing these pictures will help you understand :)

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...we're off...Laguna Beach style

We're off to Laguna Beach for a much needed vacay (w/ a little work) from this 100+ degree heat!!! And... Nora is going to be hanging out with Gma and Gpa T for the week.

All of us are going to have a ton of fun... guaranteed!

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Steph's Pick | AZ Mom's Night Out

Most of you know that I have another blogging "home" - right? Hopefully this doesn't surprise any of you ;) A dear friend and I started Scottsdale Moms Blog this past March and have been loving everything about meeting other local mama's and connecting with local businesses.

Well tonight we're having AZ Mom's Night Out and I'm sooooooo excited about it! I just couldn't resist posting about it because it's all I'm thinking about this morning.

Here's the info for all you local mama's:

When: Friday, September 24th at 6pm

Where: The Big Bang- Tempe

What: A rockin’ good time… happy hour prices… no cover charge for those on the list… a fun filled goodie bag and door prizes!

Register Today!!

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Steph's Pick | Blurb (revisited)

If you've been a Flies Blend reader for some time you probably remember the first time I highlighted Blurb.com as a Steph's Pick. Well that was a couple years ago and so I thought it was appropriate to revisit how much I LOVE these books. (Plus... it's a good excuse to show you the Blurb book that I received a month or so ago :))

Here's a bit from my 2008 post...

Have you ever found yourself just waiting till you have time to finally put that scrapbook together or at the very least put those old photos in an album? I know I've found myself in that position on numerous occasions. Wait no longer - I've found a great way to display those photos. Blurb.com is a free bookmaking software that has been a great way for Alan and I to capture memories on a yearly (or event) basis. By going on their website you can preview books other users have created to inspire you in your own bookmaking. They have a ton of page layout/design options that assist in putting the book together in a professional and creative way. And the best part is - the software is FREE & the books are very affordable ($20 - $50).

As our anniversary approaches each year I put together a book of that year's memories. It's such a fun and easy way to highlight everything that happens each year. Plus - it's pretty cheap when compared to a lot of other scrapbooking type options.

Check out Blurb.com today!

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♥ pigtails ♥

Everyone say it together now...awww.... I just love this pic....

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

This is one small step for Nora but one large step for this momma!

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Nora Recommends | Splash Pad & Briar Claire

Some of you may remember my Mommy SOS post about switching from two naps to one. If not, click here. We're on our way to achieving this goal - but as most of you suggested - it is most likely going to take time (and patience). So we're taking it one day at a time...

For now we've filled our no-nap-mornings with Nora's new fav activity -

The Splash Pad!!! Thankfully there are a handful of these around the Valley and so we're able to go on a regular basis. (And for our Midwest family and friends - yes - it's still 100+ here).

Here's Nora at the Kierland Splash Pad...

She just can't get enough of these. :) And we can't get enough of her...

On another note - Nora got one of the cutest Briar Claire hair clips from Callie for her bday. I just had to share this pic I snapped the other day. Isn't it so cute? Shop for more Briar Claire accessories here.

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Session Nine Photography Photo Shoot

Good photography makes me giddy. It totally does. Don't ask me why... it just does.

So when Jason and Jessica of Session Nine Photography asked to do a photo shoot of Joy and me (with the girls of course) for Scottsdale Moms Blog naturally we had to say "YES!!!"

Jason and Jessica rocked it (as usual) and we couldn't be happier with the photos! To see their thoughts about the shoot click HERE.

Here is just a taste of some of them...enjoy...

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Little Girl Jeggings

One of the things I love about having a little girl is that I can use her as a guinea pig for new trends! Case in point... jeggings. For those who are unfamiliar with the term jeggings - they are exactly what you'd expect. Leggings which are styled to look like tight fitting jeans. Hehe....

Still not sure if I'll personally hop on the bandwagon but Nora sure looks cute, huh?!!! :)

Happy Labor Day!

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Steph's Pick - Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion

Where have all of my girlfriends been all of my life? I feel like at 27 I'm just now learning some of the best beauty secrets. If you didn't see my first beauty secrets post click HERE.

On with today's Steph's Pick...

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion.

I'll be honest - I wasn't thrilled about the idea of spending $18 for eyeshadow primer. I mean, how good can it be, right??!! Well I finally gave in and bought Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion - Sin a few weeks ago from Ulta. Previous to using this, after a few hours, my eye shadow would pretty much just fade to nothing, leaving black mascara creases on my eyelid. But this keeps my eye makeup in place all day (and all night, on occasion) without fading, smudging, or especially creasing. And it even has a little shimmer to it.

It's AWESOME! I bought mine at Ulta but Amazon sells it as well.

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Come back soon Grandpa

We were all blessed to have Gpa Ray (Alan's dad) visit this past week.

Nora wants him to come back soon because he took her to Dunkin Donuts...

Let her play with his iPad. Nora said she wants one of these for Christmas (wink, wink - hehe)

And took her to her swim lessons...

She had so much fun! Come back soon Gpa!

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Steph's Pick - Fish Tacos

I've been searching for a Fish Taco recipe for quite some time. Both Alan and I love Rubio's Fish Tacos (don't knock it until you try it!) and were eager to make something similar at home.

Then along comes my friend Michelle - my trusty non-blogging, share her recipes type friend (thanks Michelle!)- with an AMAZING Fish Taco recipe. We've been making it ever since.

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Fish Tacos

(serves 2)

Ingredients.

1/4 cup sour cream

1 lime (juice)

1-2 cup shredded cabbage

4 scallions (diced)

1/2 jalapeno (seeded and diced)

2 Tilapia/Cod/Mahi Mahi filets (any frozen fish will do)

4 corn tortillas

1/2 cup cilantro

1 avocado

Directions.

1. In a medium bowl, mix sour cream and lime juice. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer half of the mixture to another bowl (for serving as dressing). Mix the cabbage, cilantro, jalapeno and scallions.

2. Cook fish with evoo, either in a skillet or on a baking sheet in the oven, until it is cooked through.

3. Put 2-3 Tbsp Veggie Oil in a skillet over med-high heat. Put one corn tortilla in the hot oil, and fold into a taco shell shape until it is browned. Remove and put on paper towels and repeat with remaining tortillas. (**don't skip this part - these are AWESOME)

4. Put fish into taco shell, top with cabbage mixture, avocado and dressing.

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Steph's Pick - Epiphanie Camera Bag

Oh Epiphanie camera bag how I want you on my arm. You are so lovely and so sweet. My dream is to own you some day.

Alright - in all seriousness - isn't this bag soooooo cute! I've been dreaming of the day I might own one. The hubster says no b/c I already have a functional (but ugly) camera bag but maybe someday he'll say "yes!" (wink, wink)

For now, I'll keep dreaming...

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Photo Credit: Twice As Nice Photography

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Mommy SOS - Two Naps to One Nap

Ahhh how I was hoping this day would never come....Why can't Nora sleep from 9 - 11 am and 1 - 3 pm for the rest of her life??!!! I can just imagine it now. When signing her up for her freshmen classes we'd have to work around her nap schedule. Hehehe....right!

Well - we all know she can't keep up that routine. It's been fairly obvious over the past month or so that Nora is ready to switch from two naps to one. But the real question is - how??!!! How do I actually make that happen?

So... that's where ya'll come in! I'd love to hear your wisdom and experience. Tell me how you knew it was time to switch, how you made the switch and any other nuggets of wisdom you'd like to share. Comment below...

Note: Yes - I realize she isn't looking up with her sweet Nora smile in these photos. She's much too busy for that these days. So for now we'll have to make due with photos like these :)

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Steph's Pick - Pan-Fried Egg Rolls

Have I ever mentioned how much I LOVE Cooking Light? Oh yeah, I forgot this post. :) It really is my favorite cooking magazine. Everything is so scrumptious....

Last night I tried a recipe from the June 2010 edition of Cooking Light, Pan-Fried Egg Rolls. And they were DELICIOUS!!!

Here's the recipe...

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Pan-Fried Egg Rolls

Ingredients:

1/4 cup sweet chili sauce

12 ounces fresh bean sprouts, chopped

12 (8-inch) egg roll wrappers (look in produce/refrigerated section for these)

12 cooked jumbo shrimp, peeled, deveined and split in half lengthwise

6 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 cup peanut oil (found by Olive Oils - not necessarily the Asian food section)

1 Tbsp rice vinegar

2 tsp. soy sauce

1/4 tsp grated peeled fresh ginger

1/8 tsp black pepper

Directions:

1. Combine 3 tablespoons chili sauce and bean sprouts, tossing well to coat.

2. Working with 1 egg roll wrapper at a time, place wrapper onto work surface with 1 corner pointing toward you (wrapper should look like a diamond). Spoon about 2 heaping tablespoons of bean sprout mixture into center of wrapper; top with 2 shrimp halves and 1 1/2 tsp cilantro. Fold lower corner of wrapper over filling; fold in side corners. Moisten top corner of wrapper with water; roll up jelly-roll fashion. Place egg roll, seam side down, on a baking sheet. Repeat.

3. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 6 egg rolls, seam side down; cook 7 minutes or until golden, turning occasionally.

4. Combine remaining 1 tablespoon chili sauce, vinegar and remaining ingredients. Serve sauce with egg rolls.

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Steph's Pick - DIY Strawberry Ice Cream Topping Favors

As promised in this post, this is my last birthday celebration post, I promise! Well... until next year that is! :)

So as I was trying to decide what to do for favors I thought it might be fun to do something along our Ice Cream Parlour theme. So.... Strawberry Ice Cream Topping it was....

Here's what they looked like...

Ingredients

• 1 pint strawberries, cleaned and stemmed
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

1. Cut about 1/3 of the strawberries in half. In a saucepan over medium high heat, combine strawberries, sugar and vanilla. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. In a blender, puree about 1/3 of sauce, then mix back into remainder. Store in refrigerator.

Recipe from AllRecipes.com

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...watch out world...part II

For those who keep up with us on The Flies Blend you may remember "...Watch Out World...Part I." Well I think it's safe to say that with Part II comes even more adventures...Check it out...

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