Favorite Ingredient Friday - Antipasto Pasta Salad

Yesterday, I asked Darren what he wanted for dinner last night and while he was thinking, I mentioned "what about a big salad, or some pasta and fruit, it's so hot out, and I don't want to cook a big meal, and I don't want anything really hot, and nothing sounds good". To which he replied "how about hamburger steak with brown gravy and maybe some green beans and mashed potatoes".

That husband of mine - I don't think he could be a better listener, if he tried. So, of course, I gave in a cooked him his heavy, hot, dinner, and I don't think you can hold it against me if I said a few choice words while I did it.

I'm just saying.

There is nothing I like better in the summer than a little cold pasta. Well, except some cold pasta with a glass of wine (or two) to wash it down with.

I can't help you with the wine, but I can give you a great pasta salad recipe that your family is sure to love!

Antipasto Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 pound Conchiglie (seashell shaped) pasta
• ¼ pound Genoa salami, chopped
• ¼ pound pepperoni sausage, chopped
• ½ pound Asiago cheese, diced
• 1 (6 ounce) can black olives, drained and chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, diced 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 3 tomatoes, chopped
• 1 (.7 ounce) package dry Italian-style salad dressing mix
• ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente (firm but not hard).
2. Drain, and cool under cold water.
3. In a large bowl, combine the pasta, salami, pepperoni, Asiago cheese, black olives, red bell pepper, green bell pepper and tomatoes.
4. Stir in the envelope of dressing mix.
5. Cover, and refrigerate for at least one hour.
6. To prepare the dressing, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, oregano, parsley, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.
7. Just before serving, pour dressing over the salad, and mix well.

The great thing about this pasta is its super easy! It comes together in no time - you can chop the vegetables, while the pasta cooks (the only thing that requires cooking), and then throw it all in a bowl and let it sit in the fridge until you are ready to serve it. It makes a LOT of pasta so if you are making it just for your family, you might want to half the recipe or even just make a third of the recipe. I know that, that can get very confusing so you might check out this really neat tool that I picked up a couple of years ago at The Container Store. It has saved me more than once. Enjoy!

Midnight Snack

Darren normally eats dinner when he gets home from work, but when we are heading out of town, we wait until we get on the road and we just pick something up. This time, we made it until about 1:30am - right as we were coming in to Nacogdoches. Darren and I decided that we would swing through McDonald's since it was still open. We pull up and Coco went crazy! She was squealing and barking and running back and forth on the seat. At first, we thought she was telling us that she needed to potty. After all, we had been in the car for awhile. So, I get out, in my pajamas no less, to take her potty. We walk across the parking lot to the grass and she just sits down and looks at me. So, I walk a little farther into the grass and she follows me, and then sits down and looks at me. So, I point and keep saying "Coco, go potty", while she continues to sit there and stare at me. Just in case you can't picture this, let me set the stage....it is approaching 2 in the morning, I'm starving, standing out in the grass, in my pajamas, with the sprinklers on, pointing and trying to convince a dog to "go potty". A dog that continues to sit and stare at me and occassionaly turn her head from side to side. So, I admit defeat and we head back to the truck. Where Darren is still waiting for us, in the drive thru line, laughing! Such a supportive husband, isn't he? We get in and Darren gets ready to order and Coco starts barking again and pacing in the seat. We then realize she was trying to tell us that she was hungry! We normally give her fruits and vegetables and the occasional piece of meat that I have cooked at home, but we haven't ever give her "junk", but at 2 in the morning, my lack of sleep and a barking dog made me throw caution to the wind, and I got Darren to order her a small cheeseburger. And to be honest, I have never seen a 4 legged creature so happy about anything, in my entire life. I kid you not. It was like she knew that it was for her. She ran over to my lap and wiggled and shook with excitement, until the bag came and she practically tried to get in it with her cheeseburger. After I got it unwrapped, and held it in front of the a/c vent, trying to cool it off some, Coco could wait no longer and scalding hot or not, she was getting that cheeseburger. She stuck her whole face in the wrapper and was licking all over it. So, I starting tearing it apart, because she gets so excited about food, she tends to forget to chew and I swear that she swallows some of it whole. She layed down, and Darren and I ate our supper. I considered giving her my fries but decided against it, but when I didn't finish my hamburger and started wrapping it up to put in the bag, I must have committed a serious food-foul and she got up and got back in my lap like "give me the cheeseburger, and no one gets hurt". So, I broke apart the rest of mine and she ate it all. When all cheeseburgers in the truck had been completely devoured, she was satisfied and finally layed down in the seat and went to sleep. Nothing like a "midnight snack" to make a fat girl happy :)

"Helping" Darren order!

Waiting for her burger.

Rushing me to get it broken up for her!

Enjoying her dinner!

We did something similar on the way home on Sunday and she enjoyed it just as much as the first time. Then, when we got home, we barely made it outside before she got sick. Needless to say, Coco won't be enjoying anymore cheeseburgers. I believe we will be sticking to fruits and veggies! Shh...Coco doesn't know yet!

Wordless Wednesday!

Fat Kid at Heart!

Last week, Darren had planned for us to go to Center for the weekend to visit his family. As I normally do, I got home on Friday and got right to work getting things ready to go out of town. I put the dishes up, cleaned the kitchen, did some last minute laundry and put it up, picked up the house, made the bed and packed. I was completey done with our bags and pillows, waiting by the door (we were taking Darren's truck), by about 8:30. I sat down to chill out and I thought, "I could go ahead and get in my pjs and ride comfortably". Then I thought "I could go ahead and take my shower and get in my pjs, so I could ride comfy and be ready for bed when we get there". This whole time, Coco keeps turning her head and looking at me like, "what are we going to do now, Mom". She likes to "help"! So, I decided to go upstairs and take a shower and get changed. And Coco went too. She sat in the doorway as I showered and got dressed. I must have been boring her because when I started brushing my hair and teeth, she bailed on me, and she headed downstairs. We don't leave her "unattended" for very long because she is so nosey it hurts (and I honestly don't know where she gets that from). So, I hurried and headed downstairs. As soon as I get to the bottom of the stairs, I hear a "crinkling" noise. I assume she is just playing with one of her toys, that closely resembles a real baby toy that makes that crinkling paper sound. Then, I notice it. The toy that makes that noise! What I don't see, is Coco! So, I come around the corner and see her, trying, unsuccessfully, to hurry and get underneath the coffee table. As usual, my "Coco, what do you have?" stops her dead in her tracks. Seriously. She must have been thinking "If I don't move, she won't see me", because she froze and didn't move a muscle. Until I started over towards her. And then, she ran to "home base". The blanket I have for her in the living room floor. She runs there everytime she thinks she is in trouble. Apparently, you can't get in trouble when you're on that blanket! I find her newest "treasure", and realize that its a large plastic Easter egg, that she managed to get open! She has completely crushed one side of it, until it opened and miraciously produced M&Ms! I run to get my camera to take a picture and here she comes! She gets back to those M&Ms and is working away, until I come back around the corner and off to that blanket she goes! She apparently held down that bag, and pulled as hard as she could (much like she did with Piggy), and got it open, and managed to get some M&Ms out. When I got my pictures and got everything thrown away, much to her disappointment, I went to Darren's desk to check out his Easter basket. His Easter basket is sitting beside his desk and every single plastic Easter egg that WAS in his basket, is now on the floor! She managed to get every single one of them out! The thing that I was thoroughly impressed with... She had "attacked" the only Easter egg with something in it! I checked every egg, and she managed to pick up the only one with a "surprise". Darren thinks she got lucky. I think she is a genius. Either way, we both think - she is a Fat Kid at Heart!!

You see what she did to that egg, to get to the candy! True fat kid!

She wound up getting that package torn open, and getting some M&Ms out!

This is when I went to get my camera. She went back to see if she could "sneak" anymore, before I took them away!

Happy 4th of July!

Independence Day honors the birthday of the United States of America and the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.

Thomas Jefferson wrote of Independence Day; "May it be to the world, what I believe it will be ... the signal of arousing men to burst the chains ... and to assume the blessings and security of self-government. That form, which we have substituted, restores the free right to the unbounded exercise of reason and freedom of opinion. All eyes are opened, or opening, to the rights of man. ... For ourselves, let the annual return of this day forever refresh our recollections of these rights, and an undiminished devotion to them."

May you all have a Happy & safe 4th of July! Remember to keep the men and women of our Armed Forces close to your hearts, and in your prayers. They fight to maintain our freedom, and for that we will forever be endebted to them. Let their loyalty and sacrifice on behalf of this Great Nation, not be forgotten during our celebration. God Bless America, land that I love...

Chocoholic - Update!

I will spare you the details and I didn't take any pictures (that's would just be disgusting), but I will tell you that Coco re-visited that Cadbury Cream Egg. Twice. Luckily, Darren was able to grab her and make it outside before it came back up. Lesson Learned: Stay out of mama's candy. It's bad for your health!

Chocoholic!

Last night, after finishing my "chores”. I mean - after working on them – they are never really done, are they? So, last night, after working on some of my chores, I sat down to chill out for a few minutes and catch the rest of The Bachelorette (I’m not even going to get into that) that I didn't finish Monday night. I thought “oh, I’m going to enjoy a nice piece of chocolate” so I went to my emergency stash and grabbed a Cadbury Egg. I sat back down, took a bite of the chocolate and then because I sometimes think that I battle ADD, suddenly remembered that I needed to make some tea, and unload the dishwasher, re-fill the soap pump in the downstairs bathroom, change the lightbulb in the garage, and move the sprinkler. So, I wrapped my chocolate back up, placed it on the end table for later, and went about the next few items on my list. When I was in the kitchen, getting everything ready for my tea, I heard some rustling. I looked up and I didn’t see anything so I went about my business. Then I heard it again. I walked over to the living room and wouldn’t you know – Coco was standing on the couch, eating my Cadbury egg. Not only had she climbed over to the end table to get it, she managed to get it unwrapped and then began to eat it. I yelled her name and she just looked up at me and turned her head, and stared at me. When she realized I was coming at her, to take her new found treasure away, she began frantically licking at that egg like there was no tomorrow. I suppose she figured if she was going to get in trouble, she was going to get the most out of it!

She managed to get almost all of the cream out of it!

Of course, I took it away, popped her and she ran as fast as she could off of the couch and over to her blanket. Once there, she tried giving me the cold shoulder. Seriously – she wouldn’t look at me (you know, because I’m the meanest “mother” in the world and I don’t even have children yet).

This is her trying to ignore me.

The "cold shoulder". From a dog!

When she finally looked at me, she gave me her best “I’m so sad, I can’t believe you are so mean and took it away from me” face.

I know she was thinking "well, you ate it too mom".