Summer

June, July, August

Summer ~ Independence Day ~ recipes and ideas

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Italian Pasta Salad 

I make a few different pasta salads, especially in the summer.  Here is just one of them.  This one is inspired by antipasto.  You can really play around with the ingredients.  I change ours up here and there, but this time I used:

elbow macaroni

Italian salad dressing

sliced cucumbers

roasted red peppers

pepperoni

shredded cheddar cheese

Cook your pasta al dente, according to the package directions.  Drain, and spray with cool water.  (When making hot pasta recipes, never rinse your pasta, but in this case with a cold salad, I often do. The noodles really soak up the dressing, and when the noodles are hot, even more so.)  Add in the desired amount of Italian salad dressing that you like.  It will absorb some as it sets, so be sure to add enough.  Toss in all your other ingredients, stir, and serve.

We usually like cubes of cheese better, so you can try that instead if you'd like.  I just happened to have a bag of shredded in the fridge this time, so used that instead.  You can add artichoke hearts, olives, diced tomatoes (I usually add that to my own bowl because I love tomatoes, but my family prefers not to have them.)  You could add mayo instead of salad dressing, and deli meats or veggies you have on hand or marinated items. My husband likes onion in his. Green peppers are also a favorite. Whatever sounds good to you, is on sale, or already in your kitchen.  I also often use the tri colored rotini noodles too for this pasta salad.

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I love to change little things around the house for the seasons, even if there is no particular holiday.  My husband got me this mermaid clock years ago for Mother's Day, and I just love it. I hang it up in the kitchen every year, around Memorial Day and keep it there until after Labor Day.  And I found a pretty lighthouse tapestry for $2 at a thrift store that I also use to decorate the kitchen for summer.  Even though we don't live on the ocean, I love thinking about it during the hot months.  And with any luck, we'll get to visit it.  But when home on a summer day, I still love seeing little signs of it all around....a sea shell here, a mermaid there ~ feels like summer.