Can you believe that summer is here! Holy cow, this year is just flying by. I was debating between doing a Life Lately post and a Peiffer Plates post, and my camera roll (and our fairly uneventful lives) essentially made the choice for me. I hope you have a snack nearby, because you’re about to get pretty darn hungry! š
I still cannot get enough of trying new Half Baked Harvest recipes! I’m now the proud owner of not one, but two of her cookbooks thanks to a friend of mine. Needless to say, we have yet to be disappointed. Especially this time of year, we love cooking with fresh summery ingredients. This chicken with fresh cherry tomatoes, lemon, and basil hit the spot! It’s actually the cover recipe for the Super Simple cookbook š
Half Baked Harvest pasta recipes have also been a hit around here. We recently made the Pizza Pasta from the latest cookbook, and the pasta bake variation of our favorite Vodka Sauce. Both were saucy, cheesy, and delicious!
As much as I despise turning on the oven when it’s hot out, I can only resist the urge to bake for so long. When Gary was away for a bachelor party weekend, I went a bit wild with the baking. I baked peanut butter bars (of course, a Half Baked Harvest recipe), and I baked some white and milk chocolate chip cookies to use up some baking chips that were close to their expiration. I had tons of baked goods and nobody here to eat them with me. It’s a good thing that everything I made freezes well!
PSA – Brioche buns make EVERYTHING better. We love brioche hot dog buns and hamburger buns from Trader Joe’s, but it seems that we always have a couple of extra ones hanging around after we’re done grilling. Well, let me introduce you to the best way to use them up…just slice your leftover brioche hot dog buns down the center and turn them into a delicious french toast brunch. Yay to getting rid of small bags of bread in the fridge and to yummy treats! š
Did you know that I cannot stand eating the same thing multiple weeks in a row? We usually eat leftovers for several nights and then a recipe doesn’t come back into the rotation for a couple of months. Well, these grilled chicken pita pockets have changed the game for us because I can’t get enough!! Gary grills up some boneless skinless chicken thighs, and we each make our own pita pockets with a variety of yummy fresh ingredients. I love to put tzatziki sauce, tomatoes, red onion, artichoke hearts, and a sprinkle of feta cheese in my chicken pitas. We’ve eaten these for weeks at a time, and I’m sure we’ll be eating them frequently this summer!
Since Gary has become quite the grill master, we’ve also indulged in more steak and tri-tip lately. We’ve marinated our own and bought it pre-packaged and marinated from Costco. We even made our own spice rub a few weeks ago. The grilling is really getting serious around here!
Rest assured that we aren’t always meal planning and prepping, or trying new recipes. We’ve had our fair share of lazy dinners, and takeout meals on weekends. From burgers, to sandwiches, to burritos, we’re always fans of food you can eat on a picnic blanket, outside, or (gasp) even in front of the tv!
Do you have a homemade birthday meal that you choose each year? Mine used to be my dad’s lemon chicken until I became a taco and guacamole fiend. We whipped up an easy batch of lemon chicken this past weekend and it brought me so much joy that I had to document it. PS – It pairs perfectly with my Lemony Couscous!
Are you drooling yet? I sure am! I have a list of recipes that I’m excited to make (and finally document for the blog) this summer. Think basil mayo, berry cobbler, and of course our chicken pitas. Hold me accountable, people!
xoxo
Jennifer