Menu Plan Monday + Great News!!

I know I'm late with the menu plan.

I had it all planned out on Saturday, but then I threw out half of it. I needed things I could make using this:

That's right folks. We bought a grill!! *does happy dance*

As you know I've been toying with the idea for a while now. I had an electric one all picked out on Amazon. It was just spending the money that held me back. Should I, should I not... Welllll, on Sunday we were doing some shopping and came across a couple of grills that were on sale (which I may or may not have already known about before said trip to store...) This one was a great price and seemed to fit our needs. Not too big, not too small, it was just right!

So we snatched it up and went on our merry way.

We (meaning the hubbs, I watched and offered moral support) set it up on Monday, which was the greatest day every, by the way. 90 degrees. Do you know how long it's been since we've had 90 degree weather? Too long, too long. So naturally I did what every person should do when it's 90 degrees out. I laid by the pool. Stuck my feet in the water because it was too cold to actually go in (for me anyway) but, still, I fully enjoyed myself. :) After a few hours (tanless, I don't ever tan), I went home to supervise the grill setup and prepare our Memorial Day feast. Being grill newbies, we read ALL the instructions and freaked out over turning on the propane tank and the smell of gas after the burners were lit. It was fun. Memories were made.

The hubbs took on the job of flipping the burgers and all was well until...

...one of the burgers fell to the floor. Memories of our 1st BBQ experience.

But the other one tasted great! I'll be sharing with you the red ranch dressing I made to go with the burgers and the roasted potato wedges. It was so good!

And now, if you're still with me reading, here is our menu plan. :)

Burgers with Red Ranch Dressing & Potato Wedges
Honey Mustard Chicken
Sweet and Sour Chicken
Pork Chops with Fresh Berry Compote
Marinated Flank Steak

Link up at orgjunkie.com

How was your Memorial weekend? Got any good grill recipes? Pass them on! I need to build a collection.

Making Your Own Popsicles

I was flipping through my Everyday with Rachael Ray magazine this morning and saw these.

Chocolate Dipped Strawberry Ice Pop

Double Berry Ice Pop

Cappuccino Ice Pop

Caramel Corn Ice Pop

Green Apple Ice Pop

Can we say I Want Now...

Although now I need to buy ice pop molds. A useless kitchen gadget? I think not! Amazon has a ton of cute varieties, including these. Rocket shaped popsicles? Oh yes. I'd say they're absolutely necessary. 

How are you bringing in the start of summer? I can't wait to show you what we bought tomorrow. :)

Nantucket Peanut Butter Cookies

I dropped my laptop yesterday.

I was moving it from the kitchen counter to the floor so that I could do my Jillian Michaels DVD. I guess it was not a day for exercise. I sat there praying it would be okay (we all drop our laptops occasionally, right?) but when I opened it back up all I had was a gray screen. I'm very depressed. Lucky the hubbs had just come home and was able to console me and promised to get it fixed. I'll be using his laptop in the meantime. I feel so lost without my bookmarks and food pictures!

Anywho. You didn't come here for a pity party. You came here for some cookies.

I baked these for a special reason. My best friend back home is turning 25 this weekend. The big two five! We are getting so old. We've known each other for fourteen years. We met in the sixth grade when we both had long frizzy hair and spent countless hours on the phone talking about boys and complaining about our crazy strict parents. Good times, good times.

She's getting pampered and heading on a cruise to the Bahamas to celebrate. So, naturally, I baked her some cookies. To take with her. Or to eat on her own. Whichever! I hope you have a great time love, you deserve it. Drink up those pina colada's and strawberry daiquiris for me! But let's make it virgin. :)

Source: Recipe of the Week: Cookies by Sally Sampson
Yield: About 3 dozen cookies

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup peanut butter (I used creamy)
1/2 cup white sugar, plus additional for rolling
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all purpose white flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional but recommended)

Preheat the oven to 375. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Place the butter, peanut butter and sugars in a bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix until smooth and creamy (we all know I don't have a mixer so I use my hand mixer). Add the egg and vanilla, mixing well. Add the remaining ingredients and mix until everything is well incorporated.

To form the cookies, break off small pieces and roll into 1 inch balls. Roll the balls in the sugar and place 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet. Using the tines of a fork, push down gently until you have made a crisscross pattern on top. Be careful not to press too hard, as they get flat while baking. Transfer to the oven and bake until the cookies begin to brown at the edges, about 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on the cookie sheet for 2 to 3 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack. Let the cookie sheet cool completely between batches and repeat with remaining dough.

Have you ever not been able to use your laptop for one time or another? Isn't it horrible! We are so dependent on technology..

Caramelized Onion, Apple, and Gorgonzola Pizza

This weekend I was craving my all time favorite pizza from California Pizza Kitchen- the Pear and Gorgonzola. If you've never had it, you don't know what you're missing! My first time going to a CPK was in Michigan, when the hubbs and I were apartment hunting. With the first bite of that pizza I was in love.

We didn't feel like going to the actual restaurant this weekend, so I decided to make my own version. I did a little searching online but didn't find an exact recipe, so I improvised.

I used apples instead of pears and pecans instead of walnuts. I chopped up an onion, took out some gorgonzola cheese and grated some mozzarella and pecorino romano cheese. I looove the greens on top of that pizza, so I added my own, using cesar dressing, which actually had a very similar taste effect.

It came out perfect, if I do say so myself.

We had a few leftover slices and I had them a few days later. It still tasted amazing. :)

Source: This Woman Cooks! Original, inspired by California Pizza Kitchen

Whole wheat dough- this is the recipe I used

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon honey

1 apple, sliced and peeled

1 chopped onion

1 cup shredded mozzarella

1/2 shredded pecorino romano

2 tablespoons crumbled gorgonzola

1/4 cup chopped pecans

Roll out dough and place on a pizza stone, if using. Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet. Add chopped onion and stir, making sure to coat onions evenly in oil. Cook unitl onions begin to get soft, add honey and stir. Cook until onions begin to brown and add sliced apples, stirring to coat. Cook for 1 or 2 more minutes.

While onion mixture is cooking, drizzle the dough with the other tablespoon of olive oil. Top with cheeses. Once the apples in the onion mixture have softened, sprinkle over pizza along with the pecans and gorgonzola cheese. Transfer pizza to over and bake for 30 minutes. 

Happy Hump Day! How has your week been going?

Menu Plan Monday

It's Memorial Week!! How excited are you to have Monday off? Hopefully you are lucky enough to enjoy this three day weekend. Anyone planning to grill out? I'm still dreaming of buying that grill...Hopefully the weather will be warm enough so that we can have our first pool day, or rather, lay-by-the-pool-day (that water still must be freezing).

The school year is winding down and the kids are starting to get a little crazy. With 16 days left, I certainly don't blame them. I for one am definitely excited for the summer. We've got family coming to visit us and you can bet I've already started thinking about what to serve at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And as well as what will be for dessert!  

Chicken Romano with  Lemon Butter Sauce
Crunchy Honey Chicken with Jasmine Rice
Glazed Salmon with Cranberry Quinoa
Parmesan Crusted Pork Chops
Cheeseburgers with Roasted Potato Wedges

Got any exciting summer plans? What are you hoping to do this summer?

Link up at orgjunkie.com.