A Perfect Way To Celebrate BBQ

I had so much fun ‘grilling’ from May’s CBOM. It was a perfect way to kick off the summer and coincidentally May is National BBQ month so that made it even more perfect!

I really like Sandra Lee cookbooks because they are easy to use and easy on the eyes because of all the pictures. Her books are organized well with a variety of different chapters or sections which really helps break the book down. I also like her cookbooks because she goes over ‘the basics’ (relative terms, what to stock you pantry with, etc) that pertain to the ‘theme’ of the cookbook (grilling, desserts, etc.).

All her cookbooks have tons of photos, prep time, grilling time, and number of servings listed. I don’t know about you but all this info is a great plus in a cookbook for me. Another thing I loved about this cookbook was that it had directions on how to prepare the dishes on either the grill or an alternative cooking method such as crockpot, oven, etc. This is great if you don’t have a grill or want to enjoy these dishes in the non-typical grilling time of year.

I love pitas, caesar salad and pizza. So why not combine them all together in this Chicken Caesar Pita Pizza. This was an easy and fast meal, perfect for a busy night.

These Cheesesteak Subs were to die for. It is a toss up between these and the Memphis Style BBQ Pork Sandwiches as to which one was my favorite recipe from this cookbook that I have made so far. These were so easy and the simple marinade gave it an extra flavor. These will defiantly be made again on those ‘I need a quick, tasty, and filling dinner’ nights!

I love lemon flavored desserts and I love cheesecake so these Lemon Cream Bars where right up my alley. Minus chilling time these are a fast and easy ‘cheesecake’. Cutting them into bars makes them easy to serve at a party or get together (or to share with neighbors or friends).

Like I mentioned before these Memphis Style BBQ Pork Sandwiches were heaven. Throw everything in the crockpot to have delicious multi flavor sandwich that takes a simple BBQ sandwich to the next level. This is another meal that I will defiantly make again because it was so flavorful (even without the ‘semi’ homemade BBQ sauce), it was easy and served a crowd (or a hungry family of 6). These went perfectly with this Potato Salad (pictured).

Because summer is here and it gets pretty darn hot here in Texas I try to avoid using my oven as much as possible. So I thought for the cookbooks I decided to feature for June, July, and August I would try and pick ones that don’t require the use of my oven (because using the oven translates into a ridiculous electric bill trying to run the AC to cool down a house while the oven is running). I am defiantly going to feature a crockpot cookbook of sometime (which I think is perfect for summer) and then for the other two months I can’t decide. I was thinking maybe a frozen or no bake dessert cookbook, or a salad/sandwich cookbook (salads and sandwiches are also perfect meals for summer), or maybe a drink/smoothie cookbook. Any suggestions? Please help I have to hurry and pick something for June since the time is already a tickin’!