Yesterday, in a fit of "let's just get out of here for a few days" we threw ourselves together and pulled out of town somewhere a lot closer to 9pm than we would have liked! Sometimes, just getting out of town is half the battle, and we were willing to wage that war while we had the motivation, rather than put it off for a more than likely surrender to just stay put! Which then led to my shower in a Walmart parking lot, in the middle of Burley, Idaho, this morning. I laughed at how completely funny the situation was....I mean really, WHO SHOWERS IN A WALMART PARKING LOT?! I even started up the generator outside our trailer so I could blow my hair dry! Awesome!
So, part of the success of this whole experiment having any success requires me to put my organizational skills to the test. Everything from the spices in my trailer kitchen, to the toys in my kids room, to the 30 day meal plan complete with printable weekly grocery lists. This week I realized that my dinners were a bit more complicated and un-summery than I would like. So this is when I thought about how I could suplicate all of you for a little help! Of course, I thought I would sweeten the deal by throwing a fun Summer Giveaway in your direction!
My brain is blank and I would like to pick yours a bit! What are your favorite summer meals? Something refreshing, delish, a must-have. Your go-to's. It can be a salad. A favorite fruit. It can include a recipe or just something you love. Anything that would spark my brain into action!
And speaking of Sparks......
MyBlogSpark sent me a fabulous gift pack from Betty Crocker. It looked a bit like this.....
A Pyrex bowl with a lid, a great ZAK design serving bowl, A perfectly size insulated tote & a box of the newest flavor of Suddenly Salad...Greek.
I am a sucker for Suddenly Salad. During the summer I love to have a box or two on hand for a quick throw together pasta salad. I add a few chopped veggies, olives, whatever and VIOLA. Easy-Peasy.
So how about a possible trade.....
If you will leave a comment with your favorite summer meal must-have, I will let Random.Org choose one of you at random, of course, because that's what random.org does....random, and Betty Crocker, through MyBlogSpark, will send you a gift just like mine! How fun is that?!
Really, I just need your help and I am not above begging....even bribery! I'll do it! I'm not afraid!
I will be gone for a few days. When I come back, on Wednesday, I will post the winner of the drawing!
Be sure to enter by MIDNIGHT on Tuesday, July 6th. Winner will be announced Wednesday Morning!
Good Luck to all of you....and of course,
THANKS FOR LETTING ME PICK YOUR BRAINS! :)
24 comments:
I would have to say chicken salad with raw ramen noodles, broccoli slaw, and pea pods. yumm
Nothing says summer to me more than BBQ! We're either grilling steaks, burgers, braughts, or pork chops. We fire that thing up at least every other day... And I love eating from the garden (veggie kabobs! Mmm!)
here in our home summer is all about ease.........sometimes I just want fruit for dinner, but since the hubs is a maniac on the grill we end up grilling almost every night.
ahhhh grilled chicken is heaven.
(PS I L.O.V.E. your bloggity blog, I think I have converted my entire circle of friends to using your cleaning routine....Ok perhaps your awesomeness had something to do with it too.)
and pps I wasn't really sucking up just to win, but since I haven't ever left a comment before, I figured I may as well use this time to say I love love love this place!
hugs, Heather
Grilled pizza! So much yummier than pizza from the oven!
Pulled pork sandwiches
1. one sliced onion on the bottom
2. Trim fat and put boneless pork loin on top (1/2 lb per adult)and spice it up (tarragon, thyme, parsley, rosemary, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper)
3. Add water to within 1/2 inch of the top of roast.
4. Cook 7-9 hrs on low; 1 on high or until it falls apart at the touch of a fork.
5. Cut into strands no longer than 1/2"
6. Add bbq sauce (Sweet Baby Ray's is a fave but use whatever you prefer) and heat for 15 min.
7. Serve on rolls.
The crockpot does most of the work and we usually have it with a pasta salad, fruit, and chips (or homemade fries if I'm up to and it's not too hot out).
I'd have to agree with BARBEQUE! It's not summer without grillin up somethin!!
We have a few favorites for summer:
All time favorite is Romaine Lettuce salad with grilled chicken and strawberries and a strawberry vinagrette dressing. We have corn on the cob on the side. Even my 4 year old loves it.
Second: I mix chicken (either grilled diced into small pieces or canned if I'm short on time) barley, black beans, and 2 tbsp of bbq sauce. It is so yummy, easy, and my kids all like it. I just serve a veggie or applesauce on the side. It is really healthy too!
Third: We'll have a big fruit salad with grilled fish or chicken.
Fourth: tacos...always a winner and super easy and quick. That's what we did tonight, but unfortunately I didn't have any lettuce, but no one but me seemed to mind!
Hope that helps with some ideas for you!
On a hot summer night we love pasta salads. You can add whatever veggies or leftover meats. You can change up the dressings and pasta shapes. You can add cheese cubes or seeds or beans (I love garbanzos) plus it is quick and easy and doesnt heat up the house making it.
Another fave is Dock Salad. A local restaurant used to serve it...sort of a take on a light chef salad. It is lettuce (we use romaine hearts), diced ham, shredded mozz or monterey jack cheese and sunflower seeds. Sounds so simple but it is good. I use French, others use ranch dressing. Good with a piece of cheesy bread or a crusty roll. ~K http://scr.im/nerak
mmmmm homemade salsa is a MUST for summer! however, you don't like tomatoes I think...so maybe not the best suggestion for you =) And I love grilling asparagus, and chicken, and corn on the cob, and basically everything I can. LOVE SUMMER!!!!
Shrimp Quesadillas with mango salsa is most excellent. I also like grilled cheese on sour dough bread with a slice of garden tomato and fresh basil--that says summer to me!
I miss you Amy, next time you are in town stop by for a minute.
I love anything that I can eat with fresh basil! I love fresh basil on pizza, sandwiches, pasta salad... you name it!
I was trying to come up with something different than what has already been suggested...but summer is for grilling--ribs, steaks, chicken, salmon, veggie kabobs (mushrooms are my favorite) & for fresh fruit--different mixes every night & salads. Here is a favorite summer, yummy salad: Smoked Turkey Salad: 1 lb smoked turkey, chopped, strips of red pepper, green onions, walnuts (opt)...dressing: 1/2 c. oil + 1/4 c. raspberry or red wine vinegar + 1 ts seasoned salt + 1 ts dried italian seasoning + 1/4 ts pepper. Mix all together, then eat on fresh spinach.
fresh in season fruits and veggies are always a must have for me!
Sweetimpishpixie(AT)gmail(DOT)com
Today I made creamed new potatoes and peas fresh from the garden and it was very yummy.
Last week your dad caught a bunch of white bass and made fish tacos. He breaded the fish a little and cooked it then topped it in a tortilla with shredded cabbage, cheese, lime and salsa.
I also like to make homemade ham fried rice to serve with chicken that has been marinated in an orange ginger mixture or any other oriental type marinade and then barbecued.
I love the pasta salad with the chicken, grapes, cashews, pineapple and poppy seed dressing.
I also love to make fruit slush. I mix together fruits with lemonade concentrate and orange juice concentrate and freeze it. When it's time to serve I scoop some in a glass and pour Sprite over it. This truly saved me when I was pregnant during the summer.
For desserts I like to make "Fried" Ice Cream with Corn Flakes, almonds, coconut and brown sugar. I also like to make "Homemade" Ice Cream where I mix vanilla ice cream with pineapple sherbet and then add fruits and nuts.
BLT's- easy, different. yummy
Greek wraps- feta, cucumbers, tomatoes, greek olives, roast beef, lettuce.
Corn salsa (call me for the recipe)
even different bread for your sandwiches can mix it up (we eat alot of sandwiches during the summer.)
One of our favorite things lately is pita pizza's. They are way easy and there is no dough mess. Since I love to grill in the summertime, here is my outdoor version. Grill your pita for a few minutes to get it a little crispy. Load it with your favorite toppings and put it back on the grill for about 5-8 minutes.
I tried to create one of my favorite California Pizza Kitchen pizza's with a few additions. The BLT pizza. Instead of pizza sauce I used a little ranch dressing. Topped it with cooked bacon, cooked chicken, zuchinni,
mushrooms and cheese. When I pulled it out of the oven I put fresh sliced tomatoes, shredded iceburg lettuce and fresh cilantro and cracked pepper. So good!!! Get creative, you will love them.
BBQ, but if you want an easy yummy salad, here you go. I use hearts of romaine, parmesan cheese (the fresh stuff), cooked bowtie pasta, croutons, almonds and cooked and cut up chicken with a Caesar dressing. I can't remember the name of the dressing I get, but it is yummy! If I remember I'll let you know. Today I cheated and got a Caesar Salad kit and added the precooked chicken cubes and bowtie pasta and almond slivers. It turned out great and all I had to do was cook the pasta.
The other day I made portobello mushroom philly cheesesteak sandwiches complete with the number one summer fruit...WATERMELON. It was delicious. Also quick and easy which is what you need on a fun summer day. Recipe: http://www.mealsmatter.org/recipes-meals/recipe/35238?utm_source=SubscriberMail&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Memorable%20Picnics&utm_term=&utm_content=34ef27a37d9f4810a4638142e59d9a18
My favorite is a variety of lettuces and spinach, crumbled bacon pieces, strawberries, shredded pepper jack cheese, mushrooms and poppy seed dressing. It sounds weird but really yummy.
I have to agree with everyone..BBQ is wonderful! But if you're not in the mood for BBQ crockpot meals are also really nice. Hawaiian haystacks are on my menu for this week, it's really easy and you don't have to heat up your house with the oven.
What about sloppy joes? They are cheap, easy, and yummy. I just use the ground beef and Manwhich sauce or any other sloppy joe sauce. I like to serve it up with watermelon and maybe corn on the cob and potato chips.
Tuna casserole is one of my kids faves. One of MY favorite EASY and delicious dinners is what I call Chicken Salsa Burritos. I throw some chicken breasts in the crockpot and cover with salsa. That's it. But sometimes I like to add black beans. Then when it's done, the chicken shreds easily, I throw it in a tortilla with some cheese and sour cream. YUM!
Another favorite is a Garden Veggie Pizza w/Pesto and cheese. These pizza's grilled are delish!
Grilled Salmon on the BBQ with my most favorite fish seasoning.
(I can't eat fish without it)
Watermelon and a green salad with my homemade ranch dressing. If you would like the seasoning or dressing recipe let me know.
Love you and we had an absolute blast this weekend!!!!
Anything grilled because the thought of turning on the oven makes me start sweating...but I'll do it for bread (weakness!). Grilled chicken Cesar salad and taco salad are regulars around here.
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