english muffin pizzas

like i said before, we have pizza usually once a week. i try to mix it up between pepperoni, pesto or asian. when we're really busy or i do not feel like waiting for my breadmaker to mix up some dough, we make pizzas on english muffins or bagels. you can add whatever toppings you like and even us whole wheat bagels or english muffins as the base. they are so good! and i can imagine kids liking the individual portions and even helping assemble the toppings.

english muffins or bagels
pizza sauce (i like the jarred kind)
mozzarella cheese
pepperoni
i also like to add pineapple to mine
a sprinkle of salt and pepper, or garlic salt

i toast the base before putting the toppings on, to ensure that it is crispy and not soggy. bake at 400 until the cheese is bubbly and the bottom seems crisp. keep an eye on them, they're done fast. never gets old :)

rainbow cake update

here is the link for the rainbow cake!

it was so fun to make! i would definitely make it if i had a baby or a kid having a birthday. instead i just made it for fun :) the best part is cutting it open, because i covered mine in white frosting so you couldn't tell what was inside.

coconut banana bread with lime glaze

this sounds like the perfect summer snack! i am totally going to try this out.

coconut banana bread with lime glaze

this blog is very inspirational

Lamb-Burgers

I found a great sounding recipe for a Caprese Burger from a commenter on a blog i frequently read, This Week for Dinner.
A caprese salad is usually made with slices of fresh mozzarella, tomato and basil leaves. This hamburger has all of those ingredients and it sounded fabulous, so I bought the ingredients and they turned out awesome. We grilled ciabiata rolls with the aioli (which is just a jazzed up mayo, basically) on them. I added tomato, David didn't. It was nice to have something more than the regular ketchup and mustard.

What is your favorite hamburger?

bbq pork sandwiches

these are so easy and delicious. even david makes them for me sometimes :)

put these in your crock pot:
1 pork tenderloin (it's super lean but very flavorful)
1/2 c bbq sauce
1/4 c brown sugar
1/4 cup vinegar (white or cider)
1/4 c orange marmalade
1/3 c of water

put on low and cook for 6-8 hours. i serve it on french rolls with extra bbq sauce on top. it makes your house smell so good!

rules of dinner making

i've always loved to cook, but i know that most of my girlfriends hate doing it, or don't know how to go about it. there are a few things that help me make dinner a big part of my week without it taking over.

my number one rule:
1PLAN AHEAD
pick a day- saturday, or monday afternoon, for you to go to the store with a list that you've planned out. write down what you plan on eating for dinner each night (realistically) and search your pantry and fridge for what you have. write down what you need to get at the store.

if you make a list and pick a day to shop, you wont be running to get pizza or a missed ingredient right in the middle of making the meal. just doing this has saved me hours of time at the grocery store and hundreds of dollars in the past 3 years.

2buy every day items and keep them on hand. i normally buy these items at costco in bulk so they are always available. some items i regularly buy at costco are:

cheese (it's an amazing deal)
olive oil
frozen chicken, pork tenderloins, salmon
chicken bullion cubes

3start slow.
don't try to do all new recipes every night of the week. stick to what you know most nights and if you know you're going to have a little free time to try something new, fit it in.

4make it easy. think of cooking as a time to relax and enjoy. cooking is fun. you're creating something for your family to enjoy. make a main thing and one side. you only have two things to assemble and worry about cooking times for.

what days do you like to grocery shop, and why?

welcome!

this blog will help me organize all of my recipes and allow everyone to access them.

here is what i want to know for all of my family/friends who might read this blog:

what are your meal making dilemmas?
what stops you from making dinner?
what do you want to learn how to make?

comment and let me know what you'd like to see.