Soaking Up Summer

This summer has flown by. 

As I am catching up on my posts, I'm pining for it as the clock ticks down to school beginning again.  It's been a delicious summer.  I front loaded it with our activities/camps so that the last couple weeks before school would be low key.  Of course, days have a way of filling.  Life with 3 kids (or any number, for that matter) is just that way.  But it has been wonderful.

We went wild blackberry picking one night.  We found a stretch along the road and picked until our container was full.  We took them home and ate them over Vanilla Icecream.  We ate all the berries in one sitting...they were delicious.




Of course the Bug was more interested in picking flowers.  She does so love her flowers.



We have had fantastic weather this summer.  I am so grateful for every day of sunshine that we've had, and we've had a LOT of them.  The last few summers have been so cool, one summer in particular the children hardly even wore their summer clothes!  It made the transition to fall, a season I normally love, unwelcome and a little depressing.

Not this year.

It has been downright HOT at times and I've loved it.  One summer night I tried a new Antipasto Salad recipe.  It was so nice to just boil noodles and have a light, cool, salad on a hot night.  It was very simple, but tasty.  I haven't posted a recipe for a while, so in case anyone is stuck in a rut (like I have been) here you go!



Antipasto Pasta Salad 

3 c. uncooked tricolor spiral pasta 
4 oz. provolone cheese, cubed 
4 oz. sliced pepperoni, quartered 
4 oz. hard salami, cubed 
1 medium green pepper, diced 
2 celery ribs, chopped 
1 small onion, chopped 
½ cup cherry tomatoes, halved 
1/3 cup olive or vegetable oil 
¼ cup cider vinegar 
1-1/2 teaspooons dried oregano 
¾ teaspoon salt 
½ teaspoon pepper

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and rinse in cold water. In a bowl, combinethe pata, cheese, pepperoni, salami, green pepper, celery, onion and tomatoes. In a jar with a tight fitting lid, combine the remaining ingredients; shake well. Pour over pasta mixture and toss to coat.

Enjoy!!