I have had some serious luck lately with my pinterest pins on my recipe board. Usually when I try out a recipe for the first time its hit and miss but as of late they really have been winners. I meal plan on a weekly basis. I only grocery shop on Mondays and every other Monday I add a Costco trip. That means no in between trips during the week...I make sure to buy everything needed on that day and stay on budget. I've been doing this now for almost 2 years and it was very difficult at first but now it has gotten much easier. I treat my pantry and my refrigerator like a store and I keep a strict inventory. I never over buy and as crazy as it sounds I be sure to memorize everything my "store" has in stock. Bryan didn't believe me months ago when we were chatting about this and I told him to go ahead and challenge me I can tell you exactly how much whether it be boxes, cans, etc...you name it I'll tell you if I have it and how much...from the pantry, fridge down to my spices...I was serious and sure enough I had gotten every single question right. Call it OCD or whatnot I just like to be organized and I take my current job as a stay at home mother, meal planner, home organizer very seriously. Anyways with that being said I meal plan and with the weather warming up I've had to put away my winter/spring cooler weather recipes and pull out and plan my summer recipes. Summer cooking is difficult in AZ. It's well over 112 degrees and grilling outside isn't an option in the summer months with the monsoons and intense heat. So lots of salads and lighter meals are great...without turning on the oven that makes it even more perfect. Anyways, I've had huge success with lots of salads and lighter meals I have pinned on pinterest but I had to blog about my two favorite. One is just plain delicious, healthy and screams summer and the other the kids have been fanatic over. I love pizza and take-out pizza is always fun. I end up over eating it and I always feel gross afterwards. I found this recipe on pinterest that uses frozen Rhodes rolls as pizza dough. I put them out 3-4 hours before dinner, (to let them thaw out and rise), and they make the PERFECT little tiny mini pizzas. My kids have had a blast making their own little pizzas. They require the use of an oven but not for very long at all and its so worth it. They come out so perfect and light and with a side of fruit,salad or quinoa dish it is perfect. Next is my favorite. Chickpea Salad. I could eat this ALL summer. It's beautiful and so tasty not to mention healthy! I stumbled upon it while looking for some sort of cold cucumber/onion salad for Bryan. He had mentioned a while ago that he wanted to try this cold salad he saw at the deli counter at the super market...I took a mental note and decided to find something along the same lines but WAY better to make for him for his Father's Day dinner. I found this recipe and decided to give it a try and serve it as a side to his favorite BBQ beef pulled sandwiches that I had planned for Father's Day. It was such a hit! We had our sweet neighbors over too and they loved it as well. Finally, how fun is the last photo?! I had made chocolate chip coconut bars for FHE dessert last week and my sweet Brody, bless his heart, always has SUCH a hard time waiting until after dinner and a lesson for treats. Can you tell? He grabs his little step stool and just stares ... until I chase him out of my kitchen.
