all-american eats

happy fourth of july week everyone!

i love the fourth of july and complain every year that we don't get to spend it bbqing and running through the sprinklers and doing suburban-american things like that. but there are rumors about visiting mount rushmore and playing a good old game of american football this coming holiday, so i guess i can't complain!

if you are looking for a perfect all-american dish to bring to your fourth of july festivities, may i suggest a few?? all-american brownies? all-american chocolate chip cookies? let me tell you, i've traveled quite a bit and those two delicacies really are american. you won't find any brownies in mexico or france or italy.

i went on a study abroad on college and lived in london for four months. (ever wonder why ava's middle name is london...?) a couple days before the program ended, a volcano in iceland erupted and tons of volcanic ash went spewing into the atmosphere and all air travel was suspended and we were stuck in the uk. at that point, i was so ready to get back to the land that i love. there is nothing like the US; we are so blessed to live here in the land of free refills, free public bathrooms, clean water and clean air and freedom of speech and religion.

buttermilk pancakes

start your morning with an american breakfast staple! these are delicious with blueberries mixed in the batter or topped with strawberries and whipped cream. if you've never had it, the buttermilk syrup is a must! once you go buttermilk syrup, you never go back to the bottled stuff.

pesto chicken paninis

these are our favorite sandwich and they are great to prepare for a crowd because they taste great at room temperature too! put them together and store in the fridge until you're just about to serve. take off the top bun and broil in the oven until cheese is melty. (also really good when made with costco ciabatta bread!)

peach passion tea lemonade

an upgraded version of the starbucks classic. this refreshing gem is ava's most favorite drink in the whole world...she's fancy like that.

homemade rolls

bake up a batch of these babies and slice them up to serve sandwiches on. they would be divine with bbq pulled pork, cold cuts, or chicken salad.

frosted brownies

my husband is really into frosted brownies and you won't believe how simple and pure and delicious this recipe is! they are just as delicious without frosting, but hey, yolo.

best ever chocolate chip cookies

i promise you, these are the bomb and i have yet to find a person who tries them and doesn't immediately fall in love. these are also great for ice cream cookie sandwiches!

and now i am really not interested in sticking with this whole healthy-eating thing. send over some of them brownies asap.

for other all-american food gems, head over to my really unorganized but super yummy pinterest!

dinner on a dime

david and i love to go out to dinner. we love food...and it's a problem for our bank account. i think i've said it before on this blog, but if you ever want to be blown away, check how much money you spend at restaurants every month. ours is really kind of embarrassing, especially considering there are only 2.5 of us.

so we are into deals! and outback has a great one: half-off all appetizers after 9.

i know that most normal people don't go out to dinner at nine, but david typically doesn't get off work til then, so a couple days ago we dined at good ol' outback after work and ordered three appetizers (coconut shrimp, alice springs chicken quesadilla and bacon cheese fries) and a diet coke for the big guy and spent a grand total of $16. granted, this is not the healthiest dinner in the world, but you win some, you lose some. and david is convinced outback has the best cheese fries in all the land.

happy dining on a dime ya'll!