Panzanella - A Delicious Summer Salad

Well, I think I have found my new favorite summer salad!  I've had my eye on the Panzanella recipe from my Our Best Bites cookbook for several months.  I made it tonight for our 'Meatless Monday' meal {my husband loves Mondays - ha!}.

I cut the original recipe in half and it made more than enough for the two of us.

Here's what I used:

1/2 of a Cucumber

1/2 of a Red Bell Pepper

3 Tomatoes

1/2 of a Red Onion

3/4 c. Fresh Mozzarella

Handful of Basil, chopped

1/2 loaf French Bread

Olive Oil

Garlic

Chop veggies to desired size and toss together in bowl with mozzarella and basil.

For the dressing, mix together:

1/4 c. Olive Oil

1 T Balsamic Vinegar

1 T Red Wine Vinegar

1/2 tsp. Dijon Mustard

1 clove garlic, minced or pressed

Kosher Salt

Pepper

Combine everything and whisk until blended.  Set aside.

Cut french bread into 1 inch cubes.  The original recipe said to bake the bread but I heated olive oil and garlic in a pan until hot and added the bread.  Sprinkle with a little salt and stir until pieces are crispy.

Combine the veggies and bread and top with dressing.  Toss together and serve.

I knew the recipe would be good but it turned out amazing!!  I will definitely be making it again soon.

Linked to: Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Delectable Tuesday

Happy Friday!

Our guest bedroom is ready for our weekend visitors!

I like to place a little vase of fresh flowers on the nightstand whenever we have company.

I gathered up some hosta leaves, a hydrangea and a few sprigs of greenery from our bushes.

I love all the green!

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Try to stay cool :)

A Super Exciting Day and Yummy Caramelized Onion Flatbread

Last Friday was an exciting day around here.  Trader Joe's opened its doors in Kansas City!!!  I have been dreaming of this day for years.  I did a lot of shopping at Trader Joe's when we lived in Phoenix and I've been going through withdrawal the 3+ years of living in KC.  My hubby and I braved the craziness and shopped at our favorite spot Friday evening.  We couldn't believe how packed it was!  It was nearly impossible to shop and the checkout lines went to the back of the store.  We didn't buy a whole lot since the aisles were jam packed, but we did pick up some of our favorite items.

pic from my phone

For dinner tonight I made THIS recipe for Spinach, Caramelized Onion, and Feta Flatbread Pizzas using our goodies from Trader Joe's.  I made a few slight adjustments.

Here's what I used:

Trader Joe's Tandoori Naan

Olive Oil (instead of alfredo sauce)

Spinach

Caramelized onions

Rotisserie chicken

Feta cheese

Smoked Gouda cheese

I layered all the ingredients and baked @ 400° for about 10 minutes.

What an easy, yummy dinner!!

Linked to: Tasty Tuesday, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Wow Us Wednesday @ Savvy Southern Style

Helloooo Tomatoes!

I was out of town last week and came back to a garden full of ripe tomatoes!!  

Thanks to my hubby for taking such good care of my garden and flowers while I was gone. :)  

I ate several of the cherry tomatoes last night and they were so tasty.

Summer is here and I'm loving it – triple digit heat index and all!!

Linked to: It's Bloomin' Tuesday, Wow Us Wednesday @ Savvy Southern Style

My New Wicker Vase

It seems a little crazy to me that most of the stores around here are marking down all the summer stuff and sending it to the clearance aisle.  Didn't summer officially start just last week?!  There are some stores I refuse to walk into this time of year (ahem, Hobby Lobby) because I am not ready to be greeted by Christmas and Thanksgiving decor.  

I guess I can't complain too much because I've found some great deals lately — like this cute wicker vase.  It makes the perfect centerpiece for our kitchen table and I love how it looks filled with hosta leaves.

Linked to: Show & Tell Friday @ My Romantic Home