Rob started traveling to Charlotte for work every week almost a month ago and I immediately turned into a small monster, watching marathon sessions of Gossip Girl and The Office while eating microwaved hot dogs off of paper towels. I don't know why, but cooking for one suddenly sounded like the lamest, most complicated use of my time, and instead of having to clean up the kitchen and do any dishes, I thought it would be easier to just start eating like a really strange college student.

The truth is that I love to cook, I just tend to be a little lazy sometimes. A couple of weeks ago, I used some PAM when grilling those peaches with goat cheese and honey, and it was a quick but beautiful one-dish recipe that cleaned up so easily, so this week I decided to do a little round-up from my recipe collection to remind myself that there are plenty of things to cook that don't make a huge mess.  Most of them only require one dish or pan (and only two of them are wrapped in bacon)!

Grilled Peaches with Goat Cheese & Honey // Paleo Pigs in a Blanket // Easy Lemon-Garlic Broccoli // Paleo Chocolate Candy Bars // Bacon-Wrapped Avocados

Now you (read: I) have no excuse. Put that hot dog down--it's time to cook something!

Leaving up to 99% less residue, PAM is your ally in the kitchen and allows you to save time during prep and clean up.

Disclosure: Compensation was provided by ConAgra via Mode Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of ConAgra.

I love peaches in the summer, and I love grilling, so to me, a grilled peach is pretty much the epitome of the season. For this little recipe, I used a grill pan instead of the outdoor grill, which tends to be easier if you're just making a quick batch. Topped with goat cheese and a drizzle of honey, these make a perfect appetizer or even a unique dessert. 

Ingredients:

• Two to three large, ripe peaches
• PAM cooking spray (I used the olive oil one)
• Several tablespoons of soft goat cheese
• A couple tablespoons of honey
• Mint, as a garnish

Instructions:

1. Heat grill pan on stove, turned to medium-high heat.
2. Wash the peaches and cut each one in half. Remove pits.
3. Spray pan with PAM and place peaches cut side down on grill pan. Cook for about five minutes, then flip them over and cook for another two or three.
4. Plate the peaches and crumble goat cheese over each one. Drizzle with honey, garnish with fresh mint, and serve warm.

Leaving up to 99% less residue, PAM is your ally in the kitchen and allows you to save time during prep and clean up.

Disclosure: Compensation was provided by ConAgra via Mode Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of ConAgra. 

Every summer, my family gathers 'round for a big seafood dinner at my parents' house on Smith Mountain Lake. We sit on the deck and drink wine and eat with our hands and watch the sun set. It's really good. I am so excited to be moving closer to home and making things like this just a quick three hour drive away.

The last time I was in Roanoke, I gathered my family and invited a couple of friends to come over for our annual seafood boil. It was a lovely evening and we all had a great time. I served La Crema Chardonnay--everyone's favorite--and we drank and ate and just enjoyed each other's company.

I was kind of surprised at how beautiful a table set with paper and covered with seafood ended up being, so I thought I'd share a few tips for throwing a great, shabby-chic seafood boil party:

• Use brown paper or newspaper as a table cloth--it looks festive and is super functional, since you'll be throwing it away after dinner. I cut up some brown grocery bags and topped it with a few sheets of newspaper. I think the combination looks really nice!
• White plates, crab claw crackers, and a couple rolls of paper towels are really all you need--unless you're serving a vegetable as well (we had steamed broccoli), you don't even need forks!
• Use a citronella candle to ward off mosquitos, and use some matching tea lights to fancy up the table a bit more if you wish.
• Finally, a simple vase of flowers (I cut some roses from our neighbor's yard...it's kind of an inside joke we have going) adds an extra pop of color to really make the table look put together.

One of my favorite things I've come to realize from working with La Crema over the past four months is this: details can often be really special, and nothing is so small that it isn't worth celebrating. Summer, friends, family, wine, and really huge shrimp all make life a little brighter. So get together with people you love and, for any or no reason at all, enjoy a fantastic meal together. Cheers!

This post is sponsored by La Crema. Thank you for your support as I continue to work with brands. Make sure to visit the La Crema Blog for the seafood boil recipe!

Photos by the lovely Sarah of Photo + Love.