Last week marked the official change from winter to spring, and I for one am excited to bid farewell to another Indiana winter.
This year’s winter was more on the mild side than others we have experienced in the last decade, but the older I get the more I grow to dislike snow-covered driveways, icy roads, bone-chilling wind and morning and evening drives to and from work in the dark.
This season of the year also means that it will soon be time to leave the treadmills, stationary bikes and elliptical machines at the gym in the rearview mirror as it becomes warm enough to run, bike and go for longer walks outdoors — a welcome change of pace after having spent the last five months exercising indoors.
Sunday’s beautiful preview of the temperatures to come was enough to get anyone excited, as the trails were as busy as I have seen them in 2023.
It also turned out to be the ideal day to refill our propane tank and grill dinner outdoors. One of our go-to grilling meals this past year, however, is not what you might expect.
While Jen and I love to grill chicken, salmon, hamburgers, vegetables and more, we have become quite fond of putting something else on the steel grates because of a gift we received for our wedding.
One of our friends gifted us a cast iron pizza pan that you use to grill a pizza instead of cooking it in the oven.
The cast-iron pan sat in our closet for almost two years. Honestly, I think we both forgot that we had received it. We moved from one house to another about a year after we married, and the cast iron pan ended up in a closet with other items that needed to be sorted at some point.
When we finally rediscovered the wedding gift last summer, we decided to give it a try by grilling our first pizza. It was love at first sight — or should I say love at first taste.
We tried making our own pizza dough but soon discovered that it’s much easier to buy a pre-made dough from the grocery store. It takes just a few minutes to add sauce and toppings while the grill heats up.
From there, it goes on the grill for about 10 minutes.
It’s the easiest meal we grill, as it requires no flipping or using thermometers. And not only does it taste better than pizzas we used to make in the oven, but it also has less grease.
It has been a win-win for us, especially on those nights when we need to prepare a quick meal or when we both get home late for work.
Now that spring has finally sprung and warmer weather is right around the corner, it’s time also to look forward to preparing more meals outdoors.
Did I mention that I’m just a bit excited about spring’s arrival?
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