Caprese Paninis

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Gro-ables for SocialSpark.
All opinions are 100% mine.

Hey there friends!

Remember when I posted about Miracle Gro Gro-ables and gave you all sorts of yummy caprese ideas? Well, I have another one for you!

Caprese Paninis!

So easy, so delicious. Here's what you need.

• Crusty bread
• tomatoes
• fresh basil
• balsamic vinegar
• olive oil
• marinated fresh mozzarella
• salt & pepper

Start by dicing up your tomatoes and basil. Toss them with a little of the vinegar and oil, then add some salt and pepper. If you have one near you run, don't walk, to your closest Trader Joe's and get the garlic salt grinder. It will change your life.

Brush some oil on your bread. Layer on your tomatoes and some big fat slices of mozzarella. This marinated mozzarella had some red pepper in it which gave it a really great kick. Plain mozzarella would be fine too, but not as much fun!

Now, top it off with another piece of bread and put the whole kit & caboodle onto your panini press/skillet/george foreman grill and get it all toasty and gooey.

Yum! Pair it with a salad and you're all set! The only thing I can think of that would make it better would be making it with tomatoes and basil straight from the garden.

I waited a little too long to plant my Gro-ables, so they haven't sprouted yet. Here they are hanging out with my new flowers.

They were seriously so easy to plant. Those two pots have tomatoes and peppers. The basil pod will be going in my new herb garden!

You know what else goes great with fresh from the garden veggies? Dip! This one from Sprout It sounds amazing! I mean, can you really go wrong with feta cheese? I don't think so.

I seriously love these little pods. You can learn more about Gro-ables here:



What is your favorite way to eat veggies?

Be blessed!
Heather

Caprese All The Things

This post brought to you by Gro-ables. All opinions are 100% mine.

Hi friends!

We just moved into a new condo. While we love it, we lost  our back yard. Bummer. This is our new deck:

It's actually a great size and holds our grill, but it's not really big enough to put a table on to enjoy that way. You know what it is big enough for, though? A container garden! I can't wait for the weather to warm up so that we can get going. I have always dreamt of being able to go out into my back yard and grab fresh veggies. My mom has always had a garden in her back yard and I have great memories of fresh summer meals.
Now here's the thing. I'm TERRIBLE at gardens. I love the idea, and I really really want one. I'm just awful at actually making them an actual thing. So I need all the help I can get. Enter new MiracleGro Gro-ables. These babies are simple pods that contain everything you need to start a successful plant. As long as I use them correctly (and let's be real...that's a big if!) they are guaranteed to grow, and $1.29-$1.49 a pod, you can't beat the price. I love knowing where my food has come from, and Gro-ables help me take the guess work out of that.

I have the pods for Globe Tomatoes, Basil and Sweet Peppers. Three of  my favorites! I can't wait for summer veggies.

Is there anything better in the summer than a fresh Caprese salad? Especially when it comes right from your own garden? So simple. It doesn't get any easier than tomatoes, fresh mozzarella (always fresh!), basil and a little balsamic. Yum! I can't wait for these little pods to grow so that I can make my own!
In my excitement over the Caprese goodness in my future I found all sorts of great variations on the classic. Here are 10 of my favorites!

 1. Caprese Pasta Salad from Simply Scratch: A great side dish for those summer time barbeques!
2. Caprese Salad Bites from Elizabeth's Edible Experience: I've made little bite-size skewers like this for parties before. They're extra good when you use marinated mozzarella!
3. Panzanella Caprese Salad from Drizzle and Dip: Caprese salad and crusty bread all in one bite? Yes, please!
4. Fried Caprese Salad from Bell'Alimento: Crispy and salty, but still with Caprese's classic freshness.
5. Broiled Caprese Salad from Pass The Sushi: Gooey, cheesy goodness!
6. Avocado Chicken Caprese Salad from Iowa Girl Eats: This turns the simple salad into a full-on meal!
7. Bacon Caprese Salad from Real Mom Kitchen: Because everything is better with bacon.
8. Hasselback Caprese Salad from Fuss Free Cooking: These would be so pretty for an outdoor dinner!
9. Peach Caprese Salad from Iowa Girl Eats: I don't know what it is about Iowa, but this girl knows her Caprese salad! This one is definitely on my summer to-do list!
10. Strawberry Caprese Salad from Kids In The Sink: If you haven't had strawberries and basil together, you are missing out!

Want to learn even more about Gro-ables? Take a look!

I'll keep you updated on how (if?) my garden grows!
Do you have a garden?
Have you ever done a container garden? Any special tips?
Be blessed!
Heather