ON THE MENU

Hey Friends, I bet you have noticed that StoneGable has a brand new look! And not only a new look but now it is so so easy to find all the posts you are looking for! Look around, and on Monday I’ll give you the official tour and share all the fun things the NEW StoneGable blog has to offer. Until then here’s what’s On The Menu this week!

Ahh, summer! Hot, humid, sunny summer! I love summer! I was not always a summer fan, not one bit! But over the years I’ve learned that summer holds some magic that no other season possesses, especially here in Lancaster County! Like the tomatoes! Beautiful, scrumptious tomatoes!

I love to walk in my garden and pull big red so-full-of-flavor tomatoes right off the vine! We have a small garden now but we have planted lots of tomatoes! And when I put a garden tomato up to my nose the aroma is intoxicating! Take that no-taste, no-smell store-bought tomatoes!

I also love fireflies that dance in the air from dusk till late into the evening! They make summer evenings truly spectacular! I could never get tired of their free-for-all-to-see light show!

I’m a huge fan of those long days that melt into the prettiest sunsets while sitting on my back patio sipping iced tea or maybe something a little stronger! What do you like to drink in the evening?

And speaking of summer evenings… I adore them!

Other summer phenomena that pull hard on my heartstrings are garden flowers, big booming thunderstorms(and we have had the most spectacular ones this summer), the smell of freshly cut grass, air conditioning (thank you dear God!), bare feet, sprinklers, freckles, the smell of cocoa butter in sunblock, fields of corn growing all over our beautiful county, small farm stands dotting the back roads, Amish children walking hand-in-hand, eating dinner on the patio, driving at night with the top down, my container kitchen herb garden, canning jellies and now freezing them too, all veggies, butterflies, and hummingbirds, watching the golfers, listening to the crickets, wearing a big-brimmed straw hat, patio lights, riding bikes after dinner, concerts in the park, hometown parades, and on and on!

Make sure to leave me a comment with what you love about summer in your neck of the woods!

I also love to plan and make summer dinners! So here’s what’s on the menu this week…

MONDAY

Roasted Tomato Pies means there are tomatoes in my garden! Just look at these little darlings!

This recipe is so easy because I used puff pastry instead of making my own dough.

My family is still with us and my little guys will love these!

• ROASTED TOMATO MINI PIES
• BACON AND SPINACH ORZO SALAD
• CUCUMBER SALAD– an oldie but so so good recipe!

TUESDAY

Now you know you love a good hot dog!!!! And so do we! It’s all about a great quality hot dog and lots of amazing fixing!

Have you ever baked them in the oven?

I remember these as a child. I love the crisp bun on the outside and how soft everything is inside! This recipe is perfect for feeding a crowd!

Preheat oven to 400°. Score hot dogs and put them into the buns. Add your favorite cheese and I like a bit of relish on mine too. Wrap them up in foil and bake them for 15 minutes. That’s it! Remember to serve lots of other hot dog fixins’ on the side! YUM!

Tonight’s dinner is fun and super easy! I made Potato Salad at the end of last week when my sister and husband came to visit us. So we are having leftover potato salad. I think it is even better leftover!

• GOURMET HOT DOGS
• LEFTOVER POTATO SALAD
• SLICED GARDEN TOMATOES

WEDNESDAY

We try to eat fish or some kind of seafood at least once a week. I’m drawn to this recipe by Nicole from Family Table Treasures because baking cod is the easy way to go and the topping sounds divine! Who doesn’t like a Ritz cracker?

I keep these buttery crackers on hand because they make the best topping for so much!

• NEW ENGLAND BAKED HADDOCK WITH RITZ CRACKERS
• ROASTED POTATO WEDGES
• WW TOMATO, CUCUMBER AND ONION SALAD

THURSDAY

Thank you, Jamie, from Life Is Sweeter for this week’s Tex Mex recipe! YUM!

I love everything about this recipe. I know some people turn their noses up at casseroles thinking they are not high-brow enough. I say they are missing out! BIG TIME! There is culinary synergy in casseroles!

Just think how delicious those ingredients are when they are married together by the heat of the oven! So excited for tonight’s dinner!

Tonight I’m making a very quick and easy Guacamole. I don’t like avocados. It’s a texture thing with me. But I LOVE guacamole! Don’t ask! This recipe is what I call a cheater recipe. So easy, so good, and using lots of shortcuts!

Cut and separate the two halves of the avocado. Discard the pit. Scoop out the flesh of the avocado into a bowl and mash it a bit. Squeeze the juice of one lemon over the avocado. Press two garlic cloves and a couple TBS of your favorite salsa into the bowl. Mix to blend. Top everything with a squeeze of lime. Ta-ta! Great Guacamole!

• WW CHICKEN ENCHILADA BAKE
• MEXICAN CHOPPED SALAD
• CHIPS AND GUACAMOLE

FRIDAY

I love one-pan meals, don’t you? And this dressed-up chicken recipe from Chrissie at The Busy Baker looks amazing! I can’t wait to try it!

To make it a little more WW friendly I’ll use less cheese and more wilted spinach.

• ONE PAN FRENCH ONION STUFFED CHICKEN
• CAESAR SALAD
• SLICED GARDEN SALAD

SATURDAY

I’m super excited about tonight’s dinner from Savita from Chef de Home! Clams in wine sauce is of Bobby’s favorite meals!

Don’t be intimidated by ingredients in recipes! I really like how Savita breaks down how to cook mussels! And it could not be easier because she cooks them in one minute in an Instant Pot (recipe also includes cooking mussels in a pan, too).

Even more than the mussels, I like sopping up the scrumptious sauce with the bread. This is an elegant dinner but one that would work any night of the week!

• MUSSELS IN WHITE WINE SAUCE
• BAGUETTE
• SLICED GARDEN TOMATOES

SUNDAY

Have you ever seen a drunk chicken?

Beer and chicken work together to make tonight’s main dish! Thanks, Brenda at A Farm Girl Dabbles. I have a feeling we will make this over and over! Thanks, so much for the really fabulous looking recipe, Brenda!

You can see the beer can roasting pan HERE.

• BEER CAN GRILLED CHICKEN
• SOUTHWEST PASTA SALAD
• SWEET WATERMELON SALAD

Get a free printable menu plan below…

SWEET TREAT OF THE WEEK

Another thing I love about summer is ice cream! And these ice cream sandwiches are so easy to make. No baking just assembling! How easy is that?

This is such an old recipe but it is so good! I’ve been working little by little to redo all my old recipes to have better pictures and nice and easy printable recipes. This one is on my list!

• COOKIE ICE CREAM SANDWICHES

OTHER RECIPES THAT LOOK GOOD ENOUGH TO EAT THIS WEEK…

What does one do with all those garden tomatoes? Make Roasted Tomato Basil Soup.

Did you see my favorite fall dessert this week? Raw Apple Cake is the best thing you will make… and eat!

This Yummy Chicken Dish is a one-pot meal!

I am making Hot Fudge Brownie Bread for my son!

Here’s my Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe!

Bowls are a fun way to eat food! This Chicken Burrito Bowl is a slow cooker marvel!

Do you ever have leftover mashed potatoes? I do too! I’m going to make Corn And Cheddar Mashed Potato Fritters.

I made these for my four-year-old grandson last week and he ate 5 of them! Yes. these Meatballs are that good!

The image of Ina Garten’s Pastitsio makes my mouth water. I’ve gotta make this pasta recipe.

How about making a Cinnamon Roll Cake! So much easier than making cinnamon rolls with so much flavor!

For all the “southern at heart” cooks out there. here’s a y’all-gotta-try-thees” Pimento Cheese Recipe.

I love the look and ease of Baked Million Dollar Ravioli Casserole.