I can’t say the 4th of July has ever been a favorite holiday. After years and years of seeing fireworks, you kind of get immune to them. Unless they are something really special (most aren’t) then I could take them or leave them. I think the best 4th of July I’ve spent was last year when we were all in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. This year we’ll be arriving on the East Coast on July 4th. Something tells me that taking 3 kids on a red-eye flight will be all the excitement I can stand.

Since we won’t be grilling (unless the Marriott plans on having a party), the least I can do is to share some of my favorite summer recipes with you. They’ve all been time-tested and mother-approved. Whatever that means. But they are really good. Honest. Just click on the picture for the entire blog post/recipe.

I created this Grilled Tandoori Chicken recipe for Smart & Final and it was one of my all-time most visited blog posts. This is an amazing recipe and something different from the boring grilled chicken recipes you normally find.

Once I found out that you could actually grill pizza…. yes, actually ON the grill… there was no turning back for us. My kids request grilled pizza all the time and it’s such a unique and fun meal when you don’t want to do the typical burgers and hot dogs.

During the summer, I make a huge batch of this pasta salad and we snack on it all week long. It’s the perfect side dish to bring to a BBQ or party.

Want to check out some more amazing summer recipes? Take a look at the SoCal Lady Bloggers 4th of July Potluck!