I love summer time.  I love spending more time with my children.  I love the late nights swimming.  I love going to BBQs.  BBQs are a great excuse to hang out with friends, and for the kid’s to run rampant.  It’s a chance for everyone to get adventurous making a new dish they saw on Pinterest.

Unfortunately, most of us (even me) use it as an excuse to over indulge.  That would be fine if a BBQ happened maybe once a month.  Let’s be honest, most us attend a BBQ of some sort during the summer once a week.  Over indulging that much can lead to excess pounds no one wants during bathing suit season.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying you can’t try your friend’s amazing dishes.  I think you should, just watch your portion size and don’t go back for seconds. This nifty chart shows what the correct portion size for each person.

I recently brought this vibrant Broccoli Slaw Salad to a BBQ.  Tons of nutritious veggies are incorporated into the salad, including sweet sun-dried tomatoes.  Sun flower seeds and red onions give the dish a nice crunch, while the vinegar and pesto liven up your taste buds.

If your goal is to feed a ton of people, while going easy on the wallet, swap out the broccoli for shredded cabbage.  If you don’t like sunflower seeds, use pumpkin seeds.  Either way, the salad delivers a huge punch of flavor without compromising your waist line.

Recipe For Broccoli Slaw Salad

12 oz broccoli florets, raw, separated into bite size pieces

12 oz. broccoli slaw (refrigerated in produce section)

3 oz. sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (not in oil)

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

1/2 cup red onion, diced

3/4 cup prepared pesto sauce

1/2 cup, plus 2 tablespoons olive oil mayo

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Whisk together mayo, pesto, vinegar, salt and pepper into a small bowl.

Combine the rest of the ingredients with the pesto mixture and chill for 2 hours.  Serve cold.

Below I have posted some of my blogger friend’s recipes that they brought to our virtual 4th of July BBQ.  I recently met them at Camp Blogaway (a conference for bloggers).  They are a group of amazing ladies with incredible talent and wonderful personalities.  We joke that there must have been some roommate god that placed us together.  The match was just too perfect.  On the first night we laughed and chatted till we realized how loud we were being.  Oops.

I’m hoping to see them in person in the near future, hopefully at a BBQ where they bring these dishes.  Until then, here is our virtual version.

Crème Brûlée Tart

This is Jillian’s contribution, from Food Folks and Fun, to our space age BBQ.  She is a sweet military mommy and wife who recently moved to San Diego County.  She currently has a little girl and is expecting a little boy. Her blog is full of wonderful recipes, vibrant pictures to match, great printables and wonderful crafts.  Pin worthy, great posts, that you should check out today!

Jillian’s interpretation of the French classic: smooth custard in a flaky tart shell with a crackling burnt-sugar topping. Serve with fresh, seasonal berries.

Coffee-Rubbed Pork Tenderloin with Blueberry Sauce

Here is Barbara’s contribution from Barbara Cooks.  Another room-mate from Camp Blogaway, and one of the first people I met at camp.  If her sparkling blue eyes don’t capture your attention, her beautiful smile will.  A newlywed from San Diego County, Babara approaches food with a healthy spin.  Her food is fun and inventive.  Right up my alley!  Check it out!

Christine’s Colorful Potato Salad

Angela writes the blog Aloha:  Yinz Mangia.  She is an Italian girl who uprooted her life in Pittsburgh, to live in Hawaii.  That should completely demystify the name of her blog.  Not only is her blog name fun, so is the author.  She is currently planning a wedding to fiance Bryce, while working on the Battleship Missouri.  She has an amazing sense of humor, and her love of food is apparent in every post.  Warning:  Reading her blog will make you very jealous of her amazing Hawaiian life.  That being said, check out her blog as quickly as possible!

Angela adds unconventional ingredients like blue cheese and apples to a conventional potato salad.  An explosion of flavor is bound to ignite your 4th of July BBQ with this dish!

I hope you bring our dishes to your next BBQ.  Happy 4th of July!

A BIG thank you to all the service men and women, past and present that make our country what it is!