Grilled Prosciutto and Peach Flatbread Pizzas

For the past few months my daughter has been very interested in really learning to cook and I've been actively encouraging her interest.  She digs through my old cookbooks and makes lists of things she wants to try to make.  She's mastered pie crust, chicken pot pie, pancakes (oh so many pancakes have been made!), cookies, ice cream sandwiches with those cookies, and so much more.

Well...I may not have looked at one of the recipes closely enough a few weeks ago.  It was out of an old Southern Living cookbook and to be honest I didn't really pay much attention when I was jotting down which ingredients I needed to grab for her.  She needed prosciutto, ricotta, and a few other not-inexpensive ingredients.  I remember staring at my list in the pasta aisle and realizing that I hadn't written down what kind she needed.

When I got home I realized why that was...all of those ingredients were supposed to be filling for a homemade stuffed pasta of some sort.

Well...I have zero experience with homemade pasta.
I do not own a pasta maker.

Polynesian Grilled Shrimp

Summer is in full swing and I am loving pretty much everything about it!

While there really isn't a season that is strong enough to scare my husband away from his beloved grill, things definitely ramp up in that area around our house this time of year...which, as I've mentioned a time or two before, is fun for me in that I get to make (and enjoy) fun side dishes...but generally speaking I couldn't care less about the meat itself coming off of that grill.

I decided to mix things up a little bit for dinner last night- in addition to the trip-tip and sausage my husband was grilling I made up some fun flatbread pizzas (more on those soon) and these Polynesian Grilled Shrimp from the most recent edition of Allrecipes Magazine.  This month the magazine had all kinds of fun ideas, but the section tiki-inspired dishes really caught my eye.  Since I still had a couple of pounds of that delicious shrimp from the coast in the freezer (the same kind I used in that Sheet Pan Shrimp Boil) the Polynesian Shrimp recipe seemed like a perfect place to start- though there are several more recipes from that section that I can't wait to try too!

One Pot Spanish Style Beef & Rice

Do you know what I don't like?

Dishes.

I have a tendency to use every utensil and dish I own when I cook, and I get so tired of dealing with dishes!  Rinsing them, loading the dishwasher, hand washing, unloading the dishwasher, drying, putting them away...whatever.

There just isn't anything fun at all about dishes, amiright?

Thankfully this dish uses exactly one.

Nothing Says Summer Like Pineapple

Last year was a bit of a milestone birthday for my husband and I was at a loss as to how to celebrate.

I procrastinated...and then I procrastinated some more...when it came to planning a celebration.

Finally I spotted a tropical party or something random like that on Pinterest- lightbulbs went off and I decided to run with it.

I went all-in.

My house had fishing nets, leis, coconut bras, grass skirts, and all manner of tropical-y things.

I made a giant container of man-tais and served island-inspired foods all with a beachy playlist I'd curated playing in the background.

It turned out so well.

I was so happy that he liked it...it was a special birthday for him and I didn't want to disappoint.

One of the things that I served that day was this Pineapple Salsa.  It went over so well, I could hardly keep my hands off of it!  I immediately swore that I would make it regularly so I could snack on it often.

Reese's Peanut Butter S'mores Ice Cream

Do you know how long I've wanted an ice cream maker?

FOR-EV-ER.

That's how long.

When my mother-in-law asked me what I wanted for my birthday I was at a loss.  That's always such a hard question for me to answer!

I need a new 13"x9" pan- mine's in terrible shape.

I need new bread pans- two of mine were left at a cabin seven years ago when we got married and have yet to be replaced.

Also...I wanted an ice cream maker.

I know there are a lot of them out there, at varying price points, but I love having attachments for my Kitchenaid, so that's the one that made the list.

Guess what I got from my fantastic in-laws?

Yep, you got it.

I got my ice cream maker!

I decided to break it in over Father's Day weekend.  My husband's only request?

"None of your lavender/chamomile/honey/Rosemary/weird flavor craziness."

Got it.

It was Father's Day after all- my honey/lavender ice cream will have to wait for another hot summer day.

Confessions of a Tacoholic & Unabashed Salsa Fanatic

For a long time, years actually, there was really no type of food I loved more than sushi.

Pure adoration.

What did I want for my birthday meal?

Sushi.

What did I want for Mother's Day?

Sushi.

What did I want my husband to grab on his way home from work after a bad day?

Sushi.

What did I get for Christmas and use to make a culinary feast on New Year's Eve?

A sushi bazooka.

Yeah, that's right.

A sushi bazooka.

The thing is amazing.  Don't judge.

lol I actually have a half-finished post about it and the wonders I've made with it I've been meaning to wrap up for the past 6 months now.

Sheet Pan Low Country Boil

You know, I could say that I've been slacking lately given how rarely I've posted over the last couple of months.  I'm not going to, though.

Nope, I've not been slacking at all.

I've been busy.

SO busy.

Busy feeling the sun on my skin.

Busy taking my kids to museums and watching their eyes light up.

Busy watching my son learn how to cannonball into the pool.

Busy eating late-night pancakes with my daughter.

Busy packing picnics, trying new parks, visiting the library, and exploring with the kids.

18 summers.

That's all we get with these crazy little humans that we call our own.

I've been having a blast enjoying this one to the fullest- and it's only halfway through June!