We’re definitely into the dog days of summer. Have you been enjoying the weather? For me, this really hot weather almost keeps me out of the kitchen… almost. I’ve held off on turning the oven on most nights the past few weeks and opted to cook out on the grill instead. It’s easy and I love putting together simple, tasty and fresh sides to round out our meals like this Italian Green Bean & Tomato Salad.

Simple Summer Dinner sides are made even more delicious when they come from your very own garden. Fresh and tender green beans along with colorful sweet grape tomatoes are tossed with freshly grated Parmesan and a homemade Italian Vinaigrette dressing in this flavorful salad.

One of the things I love about summer is how easy it is to “eat the rainbow” and get in your daily fruit & vegetable dietary requirements.

But if you don’t have your own garden, that’s no problem! Your local farm stand, farmer’s market or even grocery store should have these summer favorites available this time of year in their produce section.

Start this recipe by preparing the dressing. Add your red wine vinegar, garlic and spices to a blender and combine well. Slowly drizzle in your extra virgin olive oil and store the vinaigrette in a glass dressing bottle or container. Set aside.

Next, trim and cut your beans into thirds and rinse them. Blanch the beans for 3-4 minutes and then remove them to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. This gives the beans a bright green color, makes them slightly tender, while still keeping them fresh & crisp.

Rinse and then quarter your grape tomatoes and place them into your favorite glass serving dish.

Add the green beans to the bowl of tomatoes, add the Italian Vinaigrette, the Parmesan cheese and toss well.

Cover the salad with plastic wrap, and let it marinate for at least 2 hours at room temperature.

Bring this dish to your next summer get together or serve it along with your family’s favorite grilled meats for a simple but delicious meal this season!

Enjoy!

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Around our house, dinner time during the summer months varies. If it’s a beautiful day or we have a outdoor project going on, we sometimes push dinner time back. With the sun out until almost 9 pm, we try to make the most of the daylight. I love preparing something simple in the morning that I can just pop into the oven or on the grill when I am ready. Meals like this Quick Italian Seasoned Baked Pork Chops are perfect for a satisfying meal, even when you are short on time.

Pork Chops are easy to prepare and are pretty lean too! In the morning (or afternoon- whichever works best), get out my bone-in chops and place them in a lightly greased (non stick cooking spray will work) 9 x 13 glass casserole dish and mix up my seasoning. In a small mason jar combine your Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt and pepper. By making your own dry rub/seasoning, you are also leaving out additives and extra sodium that one of those little packets at the grocery store has.

Drizzle the meat with a little extra virgin olive oil, generously rub and pat the Italian Seasoning onto the pork chops, then flip them over and repeat the the other side. Cover the seasoned pork chops tightly with Glad Press ‘n Seal and store in the refrigerator until you are almost ready to bake them.

Keep those flavors and their aroma in the casserole dish and not throughout your whole refrigerator! Those delicious flavors are going sit and mingle all day with the pork, so you get a delicious, flavorful meat later on!

When you come in from outdoors, take your casserole dish out of the refrigerator and let it sit on the counter for 20 minutes while you preheat your oven. Simply remove the Glad Press ‘n Seal and bake uncovered for 30-35 minutes, depending on the size of your chops. Always use a meat thermometer to ensure proper cooking.

You can serve many different sides with these yummy pork chops as well. We like to serve this with a little Homemade Applesauce, steamed green beans, fresh from our garden and a baked potato. If you happen to have any leftover meat the next day (we usually don’t;) ) it also makes a yummy sandwich with a slice of fresh apple, mayo and lettuce! Enjoy!

Looking for more ways to keep your food fresh? How about making it last longer in storage? Check out the Glad website for tips on how you can protect your food! Follow #SaveItSunday, #FoodFairyTale and Glad along on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest & Instagram too!

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This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Glad Food Protection. The opinions and text are all mine.

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I think casseroles are just wonderful.  They are simple to prepare and usually serve a large family.  This Cheesy Italian Turkey & Spinach Bake turned out to be a hit with my family.  Everyone just loved this cheesy pasta!  Last week seemed to be a little busier than usual around my house, so I wanted to make something each night that didn’t take a lot of time to prepare.  I looked through my refrigerator and pantry and came up with this cheesy bake.  Sometimes when you think you have nothing in house to make for dinner, you just have to be creative.  Chances are you probably can come up with a great meal if you go through your pantry and give it a little thought.  Just because a meal is quick, doesn’t mean it can’t be homemade and taste great.  This casserole is filling on it’s own, but is wonderful with fresh rolls and a salad.

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I love soup when it is snowy and cold, however, it is very easy to get into a one soup routine.  Usually in my house this is because someone is sick and nothing helps soothe a bad cold better than Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup.  Don’t get me wrong- I love Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup, but sometimes I want to go a little above and beyond with a different type of soup recipe.  This Rustic Italian Wedding Soup requires a bit more time because you are making the meatballs, but the time is well worth it.  Serve this soup topped with freshly grated Parmesan and it is sure to warm you even on the coldest of evenings.

Linking up at Savvy Southern Style & Ginger Snap Crafts & I Heart Nap Time & Be Different Act Normal & Angel’s Homestead & Chef In Training & Reasons To Skip The Housework & Not Just A Housewife & The Plaid & Paisley Kitchen & Housewife How To’s

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