Grilled Pizza at Simply Recipes

Memorial Day weekend is here and it’s the unofficial start of summer!  Most of us celebrate by having a few friends over, whipping up some cocktails and firing up the grill.  When you think of grilling, the first thing that probably comes to mind are good ol’ hamburgers and hot dogs.  It’s all American fare and with all the variations, it’s definitely a crowd pleaser.

Are you picking your brain for something new to try this year…as in stepping outside the bun?  We’re talking far away from the usual chicken, kabobs, grilled veggies and pork roasts?  How about grilled pizza?

I was introduced to grilled pizza about 5 years ago.  At first, I’ll admit, I was skeptical.  I’m a huge fan of homemade pizza and it’s something I make often…in the oven.  But, grilled pizza?  No way.

Long story short, it was love at first bite.  Grilled pizza is one of a kind and takes pizza to a while new level.  Surprisingly, it’s super easy to make.  If you can grill a burger, you can whip up grilled pizza.  If putting dough on the grill intimidates you, there are pizza stones specifically designed for grills.  I’ve never used a stone, but the choice is up to you.

What’s great about grilled pizza is it’s inexpensive and the possibilities are endless.  If you don’t want to make homemade pizza dough, that’s okay.  You can usually find pizza dough in the deli at your local grocery store.

Give it a try, get creative and enjoy something different this summer.  For step by step instructions, check out How To Grill Pizza at Simply Recipes.

It’s that time of year!  The grills are getting fired up, backyard barbecues are in the works and summer parties are being planned.  There’s nothing like a great summer gathering with family, friends, fun and lots of food.

You take great pride in preparing your favorite summer dishes.  There’s always precautions to take when preparing foods, however, during the summer months, there’s extra steps you need to take to ensure food safety.  No one wants to spend a few days praying to the porcelain goddess due to food poisoning.  If you’ve ever suffered through this, you know exactly what I’m talking about.

1.  Plan your menu accordingly.  Whether it’s a picnic, outdoor reception or a large gathering at a venue by the lake, your menu should reflect the resources available to keep your spread at safe temperatures.  For example, if there’s a party at a lake venue with no refrigeration available (aside from coolers), having numerous mayonnaise based salads is not a good idea.  You should probably avoid foods like deviled eggs, dips made with sour cream, salads with meat, etc.

2.  Remember the 2 hour rule.  An easy food safety rule to keep in mind is the 2 hour rule.  Perishable foods should not be left out for more than two hours or kept out for people to nibble on or while you take of for a swim.  When you’re finished eating, put them back in the refrigerator or cooler until leftovers are in demand.

3.  Pack meat at the bottom.  When coolers are your only source of keeping foods cold, make sure the meat is packed at the bottom.  This will reduce the risk of meats dripping onto other foods.  Also, when packing a cooler add layers of ice or ice packs between layers of food.

4.  Avoid cross contamination. It’s easy to get caught up in conversation when you’re tending the grill, however, this is when you need to pay attention.  Cross contamination is one of the biggest causes of food poisoning.  To avoid this, always wash platters, plates, bowls and utensils that come in contact with raw meat before handling cooked meat.  In other words, the platter that held the raw burgers…wash it before you serve up the ones that are ready to eat.

5.  Have a food thermometer on hand.  The burgers and chicken may look cooked on the outside, but the inside may not be done.  Make sure to familiarize yourself with safe minimum cooking temperatures before serving.

6.  Keep an eye on the cutting boards.  This is another hot zone for cross contamination. When you’re enjoying a glass of wine and socializing with friends and family, it’s easy to get sidetracked. Make sure to use a separate cutting board and knife for raw protein.  It’s important that these don’t come in contact with other foods like vegetables, fruits, salads or appetizers.  Also, wipe down counter surfaces frequently and always sanitize your cutting boards after each use.

7.  Don’t forget about marinating safety.  Never marinate meats at room temperature.  This should be done in the refrigerator at all times.  If you’re going to brush on marinades during the cooking process, do not use the same one the raw meat sat in.  Always keep a separate portion of marinades aside for use at the grill.

8.  Avoid the danger zone.  Cold foods should be kept at 40 degrees or below and hot foods above 140 degrees.

9.  When in doubt, throw it out.  If the potato salad has sat out too long and it smells a little on the funky side, don’t shrug it off and blame the onions.  Throw it away.  This goes with anything. Bacteria thrives in heat and humidity and can spread at a rapid pace.  When a food item doesn’t look or smell right, throw it away.  It’s better to be safe than sorry.

10. Desserts are high risk too.  The same rules apply for desserts especially those that contain dairy products like cheesecake, parfaits, cream puffs, pastries with homemade fillings, etc.  The best way to keep these safe is to serve and put the leftovers away immediately.

I’m growing tomatoes and peppers on the porch!

I’ve been an avid gardener for most of my life.  By the time March hits, I’m white knuckling my garden tools and itching to get my hands in the soil.  In my neck of the woods planting season is in May and, for me, that’s too long of a wait.

In the past, I’ve had everything from small gardens to a few that have taken up most of the yard.  A few years ago I had my biggest garden to date.  For the entire summer, I noshed on homegrown lettuce, spinach, beans, peppers, a half dozen varieties of tomatoes, zucchini, yellow squash, corn, cucumbers, scallions and a variety of herbs.  One of the greatest pleasures in life is going to the garden to pick dinner.

I’ve since relocated and unfortunately, my house doesn’t have a backyard suitable for a garden area. Our wonderful neighbor provided us with more than enough fresh produce last year, however it wasn’t the same.  I wanted to grow a few vegetables this summer, but how?

The light bulb went off last month while I was enjoying a break on the front porch.  Mother Nature had thrown us a couple of unseasonably warm days.  I sat there sipping coffee and envisioning the porch filled with flowers, plants and wind chimes.  It was too early for this to happen, but at that moment, I had my “ah-ha” moment.  Our porch is rather large and extends the full length of the house.  On one end, we have a small bistro set.  Aside from that, and our large selection of flowers, there’s an entire area we don’t use.

Does this sound familiar?  Let’s face it, not everyone has a yard where a portion can be converted into a garden area.  If you’re craving the taste of fresh grown vegetables and herbs, there are a couple of garden alternatives to choose from. Although you’re limited to what you can plant, something is better than nothing in my book.

The first option, and the one I went with, are large potters (aka nursery pots, potted plant container, grow pots, etc).  You can purchase these individually or in bundle packs at retailers like Walmart and Home Depot.  Aside from those, all you need is your choice of garden soil and plants or seeds.  These are ideal for your porch, deck, patio or even a small area in the yard.

I started with 4 and decided to grow 3 varieties of tomatoes and peppers.  These plants aren’t ones that require a lot of space.  The railings and beams will also provide a natural stakes for when the plants get taller.  Another plus with using potters is you can move them around until it’s time to tie them to the railings for support.  If all goes well this year, next summer I may expand.

Another option is a raised garden bed.  These come in all different shapes and make.  The basic structure is a made of a PVC vinyl material.  This is your best choice as it keeps it’s shape and doesn’t rot from moisture.  Raised garden beds are usually stackable so you can have shallow to deep soil levels.  Like potters, you can have a raised garden bed on your porch, patio, deck, etc.  It’s recommended that you line the bottom to avoid staining the surface below.

On a side note, I found another cool alternative that caught my interest.  Check out the Upside Down Tomato Garden (not to be mistaken with the Topsy Turvy).  It’s perfect for any outdoor space and holds up to 4 tomato plants.  It also has a garden area at the top so you can grow additional vegetables, herbs or flowers.

Got any other creative suggestions you’d like to share with us?

You’ve heard about this, right?  The CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch made several blatant statements regarding who he wants to wear his clothing line.  This was a means to explain why the women’s sizes didn’t extend beyond large.  Personally, I don’t have issues with retailers who cater to a specific group of people.  For example, Lane Bryant won’t be offering single number sizes any time soon and you certainly won’t find a Marilyn Manson t-shirt at ModCloth.

I’ll even go so far as to say I don’t have a problem with retailers that actively promote who their target audience is.  If Abercrombie & Fitch wants to halt their women’s sizes at large, fine.  No problem.  I won’t be shopping there any time soon because I typically purchase a size XL.  Yeah, I’m a curvy girl and I have no shame in that.  There are dozens of other retailers that cater to my body type.

What stabbed a lot of nerves is how the CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch, Mike Jeffries, presented it.  I’m sure most of you have read an article or two about that entire mess.  In a nutshell, he didn’t hold back during some candid remarks about who he wanted wearing his clothes and shopping in his stores. Once his jaded marketing strategy hit the pages, it spread like wildfire.

Within a few hours, Bloggers were angrily typing away at open letters to Mike Jeffries or plastering their lengthy opinions freely.  Social media streams lit up with colorful statements from folks who were less than pleased.  People even went so far as to take their picture in front of Abercrombie & Fitch displaying…sign language (ahem).  Threats of boycotting started surfacing along with captioned photos of Mike Jeffries.

While most folks were sitting at their desks or white knuckling their devices, Greg Karber decided to take a different approach.  At some point, Abercrombie & Fitch stated that when apparel is damaged, it gets thrown away rather than donated to the needy or homeless.  This is another group of folks that doesn’t fit into the Abercrombie & Fitch circle.  I’m going to safely assume that’s what picked at Greg Karber’s nerves.

I’m not going to provide you with a spoiler for the short Greg Karber video (may not be suitable for the little ones to hear).  What I will say is that it’s brilliant.  I’m always amazed at how some folks deal with things that leave a bad taste in their mouth. Some choose to give their fingers a workout at the keyboard while others devise creative stunts that are nothing short of genius.  It left me inspired and I may just have to visit a few Goodwill stores soon.

What do you think about this entire Abercrombie & Fitch pandemonium?

The warm weather is here and, before you know it, summer will be in full swing.  You know what that means…the grills get fired up and the stove gets a rest.  Who wants to turn the stove on when it’s hazy, hot and humid, right?  Not me.

There’s a slew of summer dessert recipes out there, however, sometimes you want something a little out of the box.  Last year, I was introduced to Cannoli Pie.  Although I like Cannolis, it’s not a dessert I indulge in often.  I was curious, skeptical and a little hesitant, however, I’ll try most any dessert once. I’m glad I did.

Hands down, Cannoli Pie is one of the best pies I’ve ever had.  I licked the plate clean and was tempted to go back for seconds.  The filling is light, creamy and not too sweet.  The best part, there’s no baking involved.  Cannoli Pie is super easy to whip up, takes very little effort and you can make it ahead of time.

In a large bowl, you’ll want to whip up 1 pound of ricotta cheese, 2 cups of powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon of vanilla.  Mix in a 1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips.  Spread mixture into a pre-made graham cracker crust and chill for an hour.  Before serving, sprinkle crushed cannoli shells on top.  Yes, it’s that easy!

Enjoy!

A few weeks ago, while sitting on the sofa, I felt a tickle on my arm.  I took a quick peek and there it was.  One of the tiniest ticks I’ve ever seen.  Since then, we’ve spotted several more on us and our dog. Thankfully, these pesky buggers weren’t embedded.

Hands down, this has to be the worst tick season I’ve seen in years.  It’s to the point where we have to check our legs, and the dog, after a stroll in the backyard.  Yeah, it’s that bad in our neck of the woods and we’re not the only ones being hit hard this year.  Mother Nature is partly to blame.  We had a mild winter and relatively early spring.  Without a deep, cold winter, the tick season surfaced early.  Ticks are active in temperatures that are 40 degrees F or warmer.

What does this mean for you?  Taking extra precaution this tick season is highly recommended. There is an abundance of information available online.  Keeping you, your family and your pet safe for the 2013 tick season is just a click away.  Take a few minutes, educate yourself and get familiar with the various ticks.  With Lyme disease on the rise, it’s worth the effort.

Preventing Tick Bites

Preventing Ticks On Your Pets

Preventing Ticks In Your Yard 

How To Remove A Tick

Symptoms of Tick-borne Illness (slightly graphic)

Tick Facts, Bite Symptoms, & Treatments

Tick Identification Chart

Lyme Disease

Early last summer, while hiking through the woods, I came across a tiny abandoned building.  After a short mental debate, I decided to explore the inside.  There was nothing interesting in the main area.  I took a quick peek inside the 3 smaller rooms.  The last room had a couple of large cardboard boxes.  I opened the top and discovered old mason jars.  Lots of them.

Right around this time I was in search of a couple dozen mason jars for my wedding.  The mason jars would house the wildflowers for the wedding centerpieces.  For weeks we had searched flea markets and yard sales, but had only found a few and they were priced quite high.  Discovering two large boxes of old mason jars was like stumbling on a treasure chest filled with gold.

We located the owner of the land and were told, “Take as many as you want.”  Two days later, armed with a tote, we hiked to the building and emptied out one box.  We left with enough mason jars for the wedding and about a half dozen larger ones with lids.  Our search was over.

A few guests took a centerpiece, but we ended up with quite a few to take home with us.  I adore mason jars, but had no idea what to do with an entire tote of these beauties.  Filling the lidded mason jars was no problem.  Over the summer and fall we filled them with antique buttons, beach finds, sea glass and other treasures.  What were we going to do with the rest?

For all you Pinterest addicts, you know just how popular mason jars are.  Stumbling on creative uses for these glass gems wasn’t difficult.  In the months to follow, the mason jars were put to good use. Some housed dried flowers, about a half dozen are used as drinking glasses, and others are scattered around the house serving a purpose whether it be functional or decorative.

Got some old mason jars laying around?  Don’t throw them away. Old mason jars are in high demand and, if you’re not interested in keeping them, you can certainly sell them for a pretty penny.  If you’ve decided to hang onto your stash, but not sure what to do with them, check out ‘31 Ways to Use a Mason Jar‘ at Keeper of the Home.  There are some brilliant ways to put these jars to good use from keeping herbs fresh in the fridge to storing dried beans & pasta.

How do you use mason jars?

I didn’t think there was such a thing as a “not so great Mother’s Day gift” until I was in my early teens. Of course, my brother and I were too young to work.  We were completely dependent on our dad to make sure preparations were made and the appropriate gifts were purchased for this occasion. This consisted venturing out a day or two before.

That year, my dad waited until the very last minute…as in the morning of.  Mom knew.  The “I have a few errands to run” first thing in the morning was probably a spoiler.  My brother and I didn’t go.  A couple hours later he returned and called us into the living room to sign the card.  Once complete, the 3 of us roamed the house and found her in the family room.  She was presented with a lawn chair, 2 cards and a bouquet of flowers.

Of course she thanked my brother and I for the gifts.  I could tell she wasn’t overjoyed.  A few minutes later she wandered into the kitchen to put dishes away.  My dad followed.  We knew better.  World War 3 broke out in the kitchen, Mom grabbed the chair, opened the porch door and threw it out onto the driveway while blasting off a few choice words.

(In case you haven’t figured it out, mom wasn’t a fan of lawn chairs.  She had no use for them and we already had about a dozen in the basement.)

Mother’s Day is less than 2 weeks away and it’s time to get a move on figuring out how you’re going to honor this occasion.  I could plaster this page with “the best gifts for Mother’s Day” however, every mom is unique.  What wow’s one mom might not wow your mom.  What I can do is give you a little sound advice on gifts to avoid this Mother’s Day.

Moms tackle household chores on a daily basis.  This includes coming up with brilliant techniques to get more done in less time.  You’d be surprised at some of their creative methods.  Unless you’re going to fold a few loads of laundry or empty the dishwasher, this is not an area that you want to impede on.  This includes gifts to assist in her efforts to conquer getting more housework done in half the time.

Is your mom on a mission to lose some unwanted pounds?  Great.  Any step taken towards a healthy lifestyle is worthy of a standing ovation.  She’ll probably blush when you tell her how proud you are of her.  She might even get teary eyed if you tell her she looks amazing no matter what.  Getting her a book filled with weight loss tips for Mother’s Day will not work in your favor.  Resist the urge.  You’re intentions may be genuine, but this won’t end well for you.

Unless mom asks for one of those fancy Dyson vacuums, these are off limits for Mother’s Day gifts.  If you’re wondering about other household items like pots & pans, an elaborate faucet or a set of cookies sheets, it’s simple.  No.  Don’t do it. Mother’s Day gifts should consist of things mom wants like a spa day, mani or pedi, gift card to her favorite store, a nice dinner out, etc.  Getting her things that she needs for around the house should be avoided.

Jean Nate was popular back in the 80′s.  It hasn’t made a comeback like most things have.  There’s a reason for this.  If you spot this on one of your gift shopping excursions, slowly back away from the yellow box.  Resist any and all temptations. In fact, you should stay away from “finding a new fragrance for mom”  all together. That’s a risky move.  A better option would be a gift card to a retailer with a perfume counter so she can choose her own.

Who doesn’t love finding some cash stuffed in a greeting card, right?  Birthday cards, yes.  Graduation cards, yes.  Mother’s Day cards, probably not.  This is one of those rare occasions when money in a card might be frowned upon.  She’s your mom.  She’d move mountains and swim a stormy sea for you.  Do you really want to shove a $50 bill in a card and call it a Mother’s Day gift?

Shopping for Mother’s Day doesn’t have to be a tedious task.  Put some thought into it and treat her to something special this year.  Still stumped?  Check out our Spring Deals Are Blooming page for some great gift ideas.

Earlier today we were out and about and stopped by to see a friend of ours.  It was a beautiful afternoon and we spotted Jen outside hanging clothes.  We walked to the back yard and took a seat on the picnic table as she finished hanging the laundry.  Upon closer inspection I noticed there was a copious amount of tie-dye clothing including kids tee-shirts, a few toddler dresses, onesies and girls jersey shorts.

I’ll be the first to admit I own a couple of tie-dye t-shirts, however, a household with this amount seemed a little peculiar.  This bordered tie-dye addiction in my book.  By that time, Jen had brought the laundry baskets inside and fetched some cold drinks.  As she handed me a glass of iced tea, I noticed her hands slightly stained in various colors.  Now, it was pertinent that I ask.

What followed was one of the most brilliant things I’ve heard in a long time and the conversation lingered for about a half hour…

Jen has 4 children and a very tight budget.  Her husband had been laid off about 2 years ago and it was necessary for some major cutbacks on spending.  This included extra monthly expenses like gym memberships, cable, newspaper deliver, etc.  Jen took extra steps like cutting coupons, taking advantage of grocery store sales, ditching the high priced novelty snacks & opting for homemade, and making dinner every night versus pricey takeout.

Two years ago, late spring, it was inevitable the kids needed new clothes for summer.  She has 4 girls so she’s been able to get full use out of hand me downs, however, a lot of the shirts and onesies had light stains and a few had a small tears.

“There was no money for new clothes.  We couldn’t even afford to shop second hand stores or clearance sales.  I had to come up with something.  I examined every article of clothing.  I always take care of stains as they happen so the clothes with stains…it was very light.  It was okay to wear around the house, but not if we had to go out.”

One night, Jen was going through her husbands clothes and found an old tie-dye shirt that a friend had bought him while vacationing years ago.

“The light bulb went off.  I have no idea what made me think of tie-dying some of the kids clothes.  It would hide the light stains and look almost new.  I looked up DIY tie-dye and the next day I tried my hand at it.  It was fun!  Most of the girls clothing are pastel solid colors so I was able to do quite a bit. It was enough to get us through the summer.  I can’t tell you how many people asked me where I bought some of the dresses.”

Although her husband is working full time and making more money at his new job, Jen still embraces frugal living.

“Having to pinch pennies really put things in perspective.  I didn’t realize how much money we were wasting on frivolous stuff until the money wasn’t there.  I still make homemade snacks, use coupons, eating out is a treat versus a quick fix for dinner and I tie-dye what clothing I can instead of throwing away and buying new.  If it cuts what I spend on clothes in half for the summer, I’m happy with that. Plus, it’s fun and I’ve had a couple of tie-dye parties at the house.”

Which, I will be attending the next one she has.

This is a great way to save some cash on summer apparel and get an extra year or two out of the kids clothes.  You can check out how to tie-dye at Parents.com or check out some instructional tie dye videos on YouTube.

Granola bars are one of those universal snacks for both kids and adults.  They’re convenient, pack easy in a lunch and it’s a quick fix for when the tummy starts grumbling.  Problem is, if granola bars are a family favorite, the cost of these chewy bars of goodness can add up.  You can pay up to $4 or more a box and you typically get 6-8 per box.  For a family of 4, that probably lasts a day or two.

Ever think of making your own?  You don’t have to be a top chef to whip up a batch of granola bars. It’s a one bowl recipe that takes less time and effort than making a batch of cookies.  Making homemade granola bars is a great kitchen activity to do with the kids.  Best of all, you control what goes in your granola bars.  You can add mini chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, toasted coconut, seeds, nuts or dried fruit.

Homemade Granola Bars

• 1/2 cup creamy or crunchy peanut butter
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips
• additional mix-ins of your choice

In a large bowl, mix peanut butter, honey, egg and vanilla.  Add oats, brown sugar, chocolate chips and optional mix-ins.  Transfer mixture to a greased rectangular cake pan.  Use any size you want to yield the desired thickness.  Press mixture firmly into pan using a spatula.  Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes or until outer edges turn light brown.  When the granola bars cool down a bit, finish the cool down process in the refrigerator.  Make sure these are fully cooled before cutting.

Enjoy!