Happy Friday, everyone!! 
This weekend we are blessed with even more family in the house (family post 1 and family post 2, if you missed them!).
Our sister-in-law, Christi, and our two nieces are in town!
(I may be a little biased, but are these not the two cutest little girls in the world?!)
But before our fun-filled weekend begins, let’s talk grilling.
Brandon and I just bought a new grill and patio furniture, so we’ve been itching to try it out!
Our first ever meal on the new grill?
Courtney’s Chicken Parmesan Burgers!
Just link on the link above for the full recipe. I followed her exact recipe without changing a thing.
The end result was nothing short of delicious. The burgers were easy to make and full of flavor!
For dessert, we grilled up some pineapple!
This was my first ever attempt at cutting a whole pineapple. If you’re as clueless as I was on this subject, I suggest checking out this youtube video:
(Source)
Hopefully you’ll find it as helpful as I did!
After cutting the pineapple, Brandon sprayed the grill with a little cooking spray (when the grill was turned OFF). Then we just threw the slices on there for about 4-5 minutes on each side.
Cold vanilla ice cream + warm pineapple = heaven.
This whole meal was so delicious, that we recreated it less than a week later, when we had friends over for dinner! 
————-
In other news, let’s talk smoothies.
A couple of weeks ago, Swanson Health Products contacted me to see if I would be interested in trying some of their products.
Now here’s my little disclaimer: I did receive these products for free. However, all of my opinions are my own, and I won’t be receiving any other compensation for this post!!
I’m being 100% honest here, my friends. I loved working with this company, and I loved their website. They have a HUGE variety of products to choose from, and I thought their prices were surprisingly low. Even including shipping, the prices appeared to be better than the ones in the grocery store!
After spending way too much time trying to decide what to purchase, this is what I selected:
Bob’s Red Mill Whole Wheat Flour, White Chia Seed, and Xanthan Gum.
I haven’t used the flour yet, but I’ll let you know when I do.
However, I’ve used the chia seeds and xanthan gum in multiple smoothies already. 
If you’ve never heard of either product, you’re not alone! I had no clue what they were until I started reading healthy living blogs!
Here’s the description on the website for xanthan gum:
“Xanthan Gum is a soluble fiber produced from the pure culture fermentation of the microorganism Xanthomonas campestris. Used in the food processing industry as a thickener, stabilizer and emulsifier for a number of different foods.”
In English? It helps thicken my smoothies. 
Here’s what the website says about white chia seeds:
“Chia seeds really are a nutrient-dense super-food, and if it’s Salvia hispanica it’s just that–chia! We’ll make no outrageous claims about our Chia seeds, except to say that just one tablespoon of these tiny little white seeds delivers a daily dose of fiber, protein, calcium, essential fatty acids and more. We sought only the finest White Chia seeds to carry the Swanson name. This product is guaranteed to be 100% pure, unprocessed and ready-to-use in your favorite recipe. Try it as a salad topper, mix it in soups, dips or sauces, or get creative–chia is versatile, nutritious and now affordable!”
(Their website also has a TON of super positive ratings about these white chia seeds!)
So in English? They give you lots of good nutrients.
Here are my two smoothies that I’ve made thus far:
Smoothie #1
- Half frozen banana
- 1/4 cup organic vanilla yogurt
- 1/2 cup milk
- handful of frozen strawberries
- handful of spinach
- 1/4 tsp. xanthan gum
- 1/2 tbsp. chia seeds
Smoothie #2
- Half frozen banana
- 1/4 cup organic vanilla yogurt
- 1/2 cup milk
- handful of spinach
- 1/2 tbsp. peanut butter
- 1/4 tsp. xanthan gum
- 1/2 tbsp. chia seeds
Both were really tasty and filling. I couldn’t taste the chia seeds, xanthan gum, or spinach at all. But I’ve come to the conclusion that I need peanut butter in all of my smoothies. Smoothie #1 just wasn’t the same without it!
Well I think I’ve shared enough fun summer ideas for today! Now get out there and try some of these delicious treats!
Question for ya …
What are you up to this weekend?
I have a feeling that lots of pool time with the nieces is in my future!
What do you use chia seeds or xanthan gum in?
Ever tried grilling fruit? If so, what’s your favorite fruit to grill?
What food says “summer” to you?
Your grilled meal looks super delicious…Eric and I always do smores after grilling out, but we may have to try the grilled pineapple next time!
Does xanthan gum add add any nutritional value to food? I’ve heard of using it in gluten free foods when cooking, but I’ve never used it before.
kaceyjt recently posted..Blueberry Crisp
Mmmmm grilled pineapple! My FAV for summer!!! I haven’t tried chia seeds but hear SO much about them. It’s a must get soon!
Nicole recently posted..A WHINE for help.
I’m so glad to see that you got your hands on xanthan gum– it’s my go-to thickening agent in smoothies and I’ve also used it in a few baked goods that I’ve made. Have you thrown the chia seeds into oats yet? Those suckers are some great thickeners as well
Brittany @ Itty Bits of Balance recently posted..Blogging Policy & Protein Oats
Have so much fun with your fam this weekend! Those girls are precious
. I’ve been wanting to try xanthan gum for a while, but the price at the store is hefty haha. And I’m glad to hear that you liked the chia seeds! I hated them – the texture freaked me out beyond belief and I could totally taste them in my smoothie haha.
Lindsay @ In Sweetness and In Health recently posted..Shabby Apple [Giveaway]
So glad you liked the chicken burgers! We totally need to make those again over here
Courtney @ Sweet Tooth, Sweet Life recently posted..I Must Tip My Hat
Grilled pineapple is so good! I’ve seen recipes for grilled grapefruit and peaches, so that’s my next adventure! Have fun this weekend!
Laurie @Love, Laugh, Laurie recently posted..Last Post Before Dallas
those chicken burgers look fab! i love grilling fruit, too – peaches are probably my favorite. mmm! hope you have a great weekend, friend!
amy @ fearless homemaker recently posted..skinny tropical green smoothie
i still want to try out those chicken burgers too! and i LOOOOVE grilled pineapple! it’s so so good. adding that ice cream on top is great idea too!
Ashley @ My Food ‘N’ Fitness Diaries recently posted..Coconut Banana Blueberry Muffins + June Yoga Challenge Week 3 Recap
mmm we grilled pinapple this week with our dinner and it was delicious, it screams summer
I just bought chia seeds for the first time myself last week and used it to make granola and am making my first batch of overnight oats with them today, i’m loving them so far!!
Theresa recently posted..Sleeping in and Lentil Tacos
I put chia seeds in EVERYTHING. I’ve even incorporated them as a topping on pizza. I put them in my eggs for my breakfast wrap almost every morning. I’ve always wanted to try xanthan gum, but always forget to put it on my grocery list!
Yellow Haired Girl recently posted..My Weight In Fruit
I haven’t ever grilled fruit but I love pineapple so I may have to pick some up at the grocery this weekend.
I love when young kids wear matching outfits for photos! My mom used to make my siblings and me match all.the.time. Looking back on those old photos now is so great! I can’t wait to have my own kids to dress alike.
Megan@ The Running Doc recently posted..My First Love
OK those girls are the CUTEST!! How fun to have family in town!
Those burgers look so yummy! I love me som chia but haven’t used xanthan gum yet although I’ve been wanting to give it a try. Thanks for the tips and suggestions…Im gonna have to bite the bullet!
WATERMELON has summer written all over it for me!!
Cinnamon @ eatpraytri recently posted..PhotoADayJune week 2 and 3
We love our grill!! I love that it gets my husband involved in the cooking too
Your grilled pineapple looks awesome, going to have to do that asap when we move to Hawaii!!
Maura @ My Healthy ‘Ohana recently posted..Good to be home
Pineapple is my favorite!!!! I’m addicted! I have yet to jump on the chia seeds bandwagon– I don’t know why, I just have haven’t tried them yet…. what texture are they? crunchy?
watermelon is my summer fruit!
Um yeah, I guess I would say crunchy! Like eating any other smaller seed, I guess. But I don’t eat seeds that often, so it’s hard to say haha.
My Mom has been putting Chia seeds in tacos lately. They can seriously be used in ANYTHING. It’s awesome.
Kadee @kadeebugblog recently posted..Enough is Enough.
I really need to try those chicken burgers…. they look like summer
I would have to say the foods that say summer to me are.. burgers, jello trifles and fro yo of course
And I have never tried Xanthum gum or chi seeds. I feel like both are kind of hard to find in normal grocery stores.
Catlin recently posted..4th of july desserts.. help?
Those burgers look awesome! I’m definitely going to try out that recipe! I’m going to check out Swanson health products too!
Amber with Slim Pickin’s Kitchen recently posted..Low Calorie Strawberry Limeades
I use xanthan gum in ALL my smoothies – it’s the best! I use chia seeds in everything – especially oats (both hot and cold).
Grilled fruit is so amazing, especially pineapple. Sometimes when we grill pineapple, I’ll heat some nutella on the stove and spoon it over the ice cream and fruit. Sinful but delicious.
natalie @ southern fit foodie recently posted..chocolate peanut butter protein smoothie
Oooh girl, that is sinful!! But I love it!
YUM! Grilled pineapple sounds pretty amazing right now…just another reason that I wish we had a grill…wonder if we can add that to the baby registry ?!
& I think I’m making those burgers tomorrow night. I’ve had them on my mind for a while!
Holly recently posted..Over Halfway There!
Pingback: Its all about balance- Guest Post!