The Weekend Dish - June 19th, 2011

Welcome to The Weekend Dish! Sunday is our day to read a quick recap of what happened this week at Jam Hands. Also included is site news, a thank you to referring websites and the featured commenter. Thank you for visiting and making this site a great place to be.

Recipes this week at Jam Hands

• Chocolate Zucchini Bread
• Caramelized Peaches with Ice Cream
• Smothered Cajun Cube Steaks
• Shrimp Etouffee
• Sweet & Savory Spinach Salad

Thoughts and other stuff

• Monthly Recipe Collection - June Refreshing Summer Drinks
• Working at a restaurant - Cooking confessions & humiliations
• Ali's Notepad - June 17th, 2011

Site News

• The comment settings have been updated and it is no longer required to login to any sort of account to leave a comment.
• The results are in from my poll that ran for 2 weeks and......you guys hate kids! Haha, just kidding. It looks like most people aren't interested in kid crafts or activities, which is fine. It looks like most of you want to see more healthy recipes, sweet recipes, and blogging tutorials. I will do my best!
• We have 12 members in our first week at the Jam Hands & Friends community forums. I'd love it if you'd pop over and say hi. I am going to figure out a way to say thank you to members who are active in the community, perhaps by changing the featured commenter of the week to someone who has posted in the forums.Oh, also, funny clips of Leslie Knope are encouraged!
• I've been working on cleaning up the design of the website. I've gotten rid of a lot of elements, moved a few to the bottom of the site, and tweaked about a million things. I hope you like it.
• I've changed from full feeds to partial feeds. This only matters if you subscribe and read this site through a reader. Not all posts will have a partial feed. Basically only the recipe posts. You will still be able to see a picture of the recipes along with the introduction, but if you want the recipe you will have to click over to the site. Visiting the site directly helps me support this site, so I hope you don't mind too much. Besides, I've been working so hard to make the design look nice that I want you to see it. 

Top Referring Sites of the Week (in no particular order)
Thank you so much for all the visitors you sent my way!

• The DIY Showoff
• IHeartNaptime
• Between Naps on the Porch
• A Pretty Life in the Suburbs
• Joy in My Kitchen

Featured Commenter of the Week!
Would you like to be my featured commenter of the week? All you have to do is leave a comment sometime during the week and it could be you!
 
Marianne at SugarFoot Designs. SugarFoot Designs is a beautiful blog that has a little bit of everything - party planning, recipes, DIY, Muffin Monday, and a new Friday Finds "Have You Seen It?" weekly feature. Marianne decided to start a blog after she had found helpful posts on blogs while planning a bridal shower for her cousin. Blogging is contagious, there is no doubt about it.

Be sure to check out her posts for this cute construction themed party, a Summer party celebrating two engagements and two babies, how to get your child to pick up their toys, and a cowboy/cowgirl party for kids. Thank you so much for being a reader and commenting Marianne.

That's all for now. Have a great week and thank you for visiting! -Ali

The Weekend Dish - June 12th, 2011

Welcome to The Weekend Dish! Sunday is our day to read a quick recap of what happened this week at Jam Hands. Also included is site news, a thank you to referring websites and the featured commenter. Thank you for visiting and making this site a great place to be.

Recipes this week at Jam Hands

• Retro Hawaiian Chicken Haystacks Two Ways
• Raspberry Caramels
• Smokey Marinated Drumsticks
• Flat Bread Taco Supreme

Thoughts and other stuff

• How to see what posts from your website have been pinned on Pinterest
• My baby boy turned 2!
• Ali's Notepad June 10th, 2011
• Blogging Round Table Discussion - Is it wrong to post recipes?

Site News

• If you host a weekly or monthly linky party, please feel free to add your button to my giant compilation of link parties.
• There is only 3 days left to vote on the poll in the right hand sidebar. I am pretty surprised at the vote results so far. Be sure to vote to let me know what type of posts you'd like to read at Jam Hands. Your feedback helps me make this site better.
• We now have a Jam Hands & Friends Community page! *Happy dance* Come join us and make new friends. You are welcome to start topics of any sort. It doesn't have to be food related. Anything goes, the only rules are 1) No spammy stuff and 2) be nice.
• I created a special board over at my Pinterest account featuring all of the 'Ali's Notepad' featured posts. There is also a new button box in the sidebar so if you were featured and would like to add a button to your site, it is there for ya.

Top Referring Sites of the Week (in no particular order)Thank you so much for all of the visitors you sent my way.

• Between Naps on the Porch
• Skip to My Lou
• A Pretty Life in the Suburbs
• A Bowl Full of Lemons
• Today's Creative Blog
• Romantic Home

Featured Commenter of the Week!
Would you like to be my featured commenter of the week? All you have to do is leave a comment sometime during the week and it could be you!

Miranda at Mangoes and Chutney. Miranda shares her love of food at her website, Mangoes and Chutney. Along with hosting a weekly link up, Fat Camp Friday, she blogs during the week to share delicious creations that have come out of her kitchen. She also posts her monthly menu plans, her quest for the perfect mac and cheese, and she has a regular spot on her blog to showcase other food bloggers. She shares the love, in other words. That is my favorite kind of blogger. 

Be sure to check out her recipes for Coconut Curry Shrimp, Mango Curry Chicken, and (oh boy) Brownie Cheesecake with Chocolate Drizzle. Thank you so much for being a reader and commenting Miranda.

The Weekend Dish - June 4th, 2011

The weekend dish is a quick recap of what happened this week at Jam Hands. Also included is site news, a thank you to referring websites and the featured commenter. Thank you for visiting and making this site a great place to be.

Recipes this week at Jam Hands

• Roasted Vegetable and Goat Cheese Wraps - Healthy and perfect for Summer.

• Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars - Chewy, chocolaty and delicious.

• Lasagna Soup - Economical family dinner with great flavor.

• Mocha Toffee Brownies - Caffeinated brownies! What could be better?

Thoughts and other stuff

• Ten on Tuesday: Ten Tasty Food Blogs - 10 amazing food blogs you need to be reading.

• Are you on Pinterest? - See what all the fuss over Pinterest is about.

• Ali's Notepad June 3rd - My weekly feature to showcase YOUR awesome posts!

Site News

• I've got a poll for you to vote on in the right hand sidebar. Please take a quick second to vote and let me know what you'd like to see posted about at Jam Hands. Thanks!
  

• There are so many new followers, feed subscribers and email subscribers! Welcome welcome welcome. Can you believe that these numbers have tripled in the last month? Thank you so much for visiting and commenting, it makes me smile!

Top Referring Sites of the Week (in no particular order)
Thank you so much for all of the visitors you sent my way!

• Between Naps on the Porch
• Skip to My Lou
• Sisters' Stuff
• Hope Studios
• Someday Crafts
• Tatertots and Jello

Featured Commenter of the Week!
Would you like to be my featured commenter of the week? All you have to do is leave a comment sometime during the week and it could be you!
 
Jen at Domesticated Nomad. FUN! That is how I'd describe the projects Jen does. Whether it is an amazing Star Wars themed kids party with fun food, or tutorials like easy peasy sidewalk chalk paint and how to make Subway Art, there is a little something for everyone.


Have a great week and thank you for visiting!
-Ali

The Weekend Dish - May 29th, 2011

The weekend dish is a quick recap of what happened this week at Jam Hands. Also included is site news, a thank you to referring websites and the featured commenter. Thank you for visiting and making this site a great place to be.

Recipes this week at Jam Hands 

• Sweet Sausage Crescent Rolls
• Oatmeal Coconut Chewies
• Deconstructed Strawberries Romanov
• Flat and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Pepperoni Mac and Cheese
• Herbed Garlic Bread
• My Big, Fat Chocolate Chip Cookies

Thoughts and other stuff

• Food Blogging - Organizing and Tracking Your Recipe Index
• Ten on Tuesday - I'm a disorganized mess
• Food Blogging - Making a quick and easy visual recipe index
• Ali's Notepad May 27th, 2011

Site news

• There is now a link at the top of the page on the navigation bar for a Visual Recipe Index. Be sure to check this out and select the different dynamic ways to view this website. (These are found in the turquoise drop down menu on the right and are named things like Flipcard, Mosaic, Snapshot, etc.)
• Tons of new subscribers, Google connect friends, and comments! Thank you so much for visiting and sharing your thoughts. They make me happy!

Top referring sites of the week (in no particular order)
Thank you so much for all of the visitors you sent my way!

• Skip to My Lou
• Mommy's Kitchen
• The DIY Showoff
• Between Naps on the Porch
• Tea Rose Home
• Everyday Tastes
• By Stephanie Lynn

Featured Commenter of the week
Would you like to be my featured commentor of the week? All you have to do is leave a comment sometime during the week and it could be you!

Katie at This Chick Cooks features delicious recipes and photos at her colorful pink and green blog. Katie hosts a weekly link party to share your best recipes. Some of the recipes from her blog that I've bookmarked are her Easy Cheese Danishes, Iced Frappe Mocha, and Chocolate Covered Cheesecake Bites. (I think she likes sweets as much as I do) Thank you for visiting and commenting Katie!


Have a great week and thank you for visiting!
-Ali

The Weekend Dish - May 21st, 2011

The weekend dish is a quick recap of what happened this week at Jam Hands. Also included is site news, a thank you to referring websites and the featured commenter. Thank you for visiting and making this site a great place to be.

Recipes this week at Jam Hands

• Blueberries and Brown Sugar Cream - A simple and refreshing dessert
• Cheesy Potatoes  - A famous baked potato dish loaded with yummy flavors
• Gourmet Cinnamon Roll Popcorn  - Addicting gourmet style popcorn on the cheap
• The Amazing Citrus Wedding Cake - A delicious, moist wedding cake that my mom made for my wedding
• Chile Con Queso  - Spicy, melted cheese recipe from The Pioneer Woman
• Bourbon Mint Iced Tea - Perfect for Summer, refreshing and delicious.
• Chocolate Brownie Trifle - Great for parties. Chocolate heaven!

Thoughts and other stuff 

• A million and one link parties - How to organize and track them. Share your tips in the comments.
• Ten on Tuesday - Horrible Food. What are your favorite horrible foods?
• Ali's Notepad 5.20.2011 - Ali's Notepad is a new weekly feature posted on Friday. Great links you do not want to miss. Tutorials, recipes and more.

Site news

• The Alternative Recipe Index is now available. This index sorts recipes by what shortcut ingredients were used, such as a cake mix or puff pastry.
• Jam Hands had a great week and was featured at quite a few websites which brought in a ton of new subscribers and comments. My Google connect followers has just about tripled in the last 2 weeks, which really motivates me to try my hardest to make this site enjoyable. (Thank you for featuring me, by the way!) 
• I try really, really hard to respond and/or visit your blog to show my appreciation, but I know a few slipped through the cracks, especially as my blog grows and gets more visits and comments. Please know that I love that you stopped by, subscribed, and shared your thoughts. If you need me ASAP, my email info is in the "About" tab.

Top referring sites of the week
Thank you so much for all of the visitors you sent my way!

• Between Naps on the Porch
• Sisters Stuff 
• Tatertots and Jello
• TidyMom 
• Skip to My Lou
• Mommy's Kitchen

Featured Commenter of the week

• Georgia from The Comfort of Cooking. Check out her beautiful site for recipes like Jalapeno Cornbread with Honey Lime Butter, Mint Chocolate Mousse, and classic Tiramisu. Aren't her photographs the best? They are so bright and cheerful, and so well styled. I wish I had the technique and skills to take photographs like that. Go. Now. Subscribe.

Have a great week and thank you for visiting!
-Ali

The Weekend Dish - May 15th, 2011

The weekend dish is a quick recap of what happened this week at Jam Hands. Also included is site news, a thank you to referring websites and the featured commenter. Thank you for visiting and making this site a great place to be.

Recipes this week at Jam Hands

• Cherry and Vanilla Layer Cake - A pretty little cake perfect for parties.

• Goat Cheese, Avocado and Slow Roasted Tomato Penne - A light pasta dish with fresh flavors.

• Lemon Yogurt Cake - Ina's recipe for a tangy and sweet lemon cake.

• Easy Cheese Danish - Crescent rolls make this a simple but delicious dessert.

• Chicken Poppy Seed Casserole - Ritz crackers and Poppy Seeds top this yummy casserole.

• Grilled Beer Brats - It combines beer and grilling meat. You know that is gonna be good.

Thoughts and other stuff

• Ali's Notepad 5.13.2011 - Ali's Notepad is a new weekly feature posted on Friday. Great links you do not want to miss. Tutorials, recipes and more.

• 10 Things I hate about your blog - Constructive criticism that everybody should consider when blogging.

Site news

• Jam Hands switched from a blogspot address to www.Jamhands.net.
• All of the photographs have been updated for archived recipes. 
• Blogger promptly went out of service and reverted all my changes, so I went back again and updated all of the photographs.
• The main recipe index has been updated. The alternative recipe index is almost finished.

Top referring sites of the week
Thank you so much for all of the visitors you sent my way!

• TidyMom
• Skip to My Lou
• Between Naps on the Porch
• Sisters Stuff
• Someday Crafts
• Tatertots and Jello - Featured my Cherry and Vanilla Layer Cake. Thank you!
• The DIY Show Off

Featured Commenter of the week:

• Veronica at Recipe Rhapsody. Thank you for your thoughtful feedback and interaction, both at my site and at your own. Check out her awesome recipes for Easy Italian Cream Cake, Tres Leches Cake, and Baked Potato Salad. Veronica has a ton of other delicious looking recipes at her site. Go. Now. Subscribe.

Have a great week and thank you for visiting!
-Ali