Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Summertime Pasta Salad and Awards

Isn't this a beautiful pasta salad? I started making this way before I ever married A.J. Well, not way before, but right after we became engaged.

This salad is fantastic for picnics and outdoor entertaining. It hardly takes anytime to make and is best made the day before you plan on serving it.
Your family and your guests will gorge themselves on this.
1 16 oz. package of tri-color rotini
1 medium size red onion, diced
1 small can of sliced black olives
1 package of pepperoni
1 small bottle (approx 6 oz.) Wishbone Italian Salad Dressing
Cook pasta for approximately 12 minutes and drain. While pasta is cooking chop onion and drain black olives. (Note: You can also add raw broccoli or cauliflower florets) Add all ingredients excpet salad dressing into a large bowl. Pour salad dressing over pasta and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate over night.
Now on to the awards...

The Renee Award is one of the most meaningful awards in blog world because it honors someone who is incredibly inspirational in her intelligent and witty writing. And by doing so, this award celebrates women's smart, strong and inspirational spirit! It honors women who spread joy and love like an Acorn......a small package growing into a tall and sturdy oak tree which gives more acorns..............





Carol from The Writer's Porch gave me this award and I am very honored that she thought of me. I am passing this award on the following friends who fit the bill for receiving it also!

Debbie from Suburb Sanity who I had the privilege of having lunch with last Friday.
The Blond Duck from a Duck in Her Pond
Gigi from Afterthoughts
Sophia from Burp and Slurp
Gladys from Gladys Tells All

Ladies you all make blogging for me a funny, enjoyable and delightful learning experience! Enjoy and pass her on!






Bytes from Texas: One Long Horns Adventures , awarded me the Premio Meme Award. I'm supposed to list seven things about me and pass it on to seven other bloggers who will share seven thoings about themselves. This is probably more than you will ever want to know about me, so here goes.





1. I am passionate. Doesn't that sound so much better the obsessive compulsive? When I start something, like this blog, I throw my heart and soul into it.

2. Happy - I am generally an even keel type of person and try to keep everything as upbeat as possible. I love to laugh and kid around.

3. Love to read. Generally i am fond of Southern authors but i'll read just about anything is someone tells me it's a must read.

4. I don't like to be kept waiting and I get really aggravated with myself when I'm late which has happened a lot since we moved here because I am always lost.

5. I love to talk and just hang out with my girls. I don't have a sister so I live vicariously through them sometimes, I think.

6. Outside, I just love to be outside when the weather is nice. Although we don't get to do it very often, I love to go exploring in the Smoky Mountain National Park. There's so much history there. So many settlements where people were forced to leave by the government, but the history and the stories are still there.

7. Learning about other cultures fascinates me.


This meme is being passed on to

Mary from My New 30

Annette from Netts Nook

Mary from One Perfect Bite

Kathy from Three on Food

Cheryl from Cooking, Dunkin Style

Ginger from Once Upon A Gourmet Gin

Pearl from A Sweet Pearl


35 comments:

  1. Interesting reading here today. And the pasta salad looks very inviting, sitting there showing off all its vibrant colors!

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  2. Hi Katherine,

    Thank you so much for the Premio Meme Award! I love the pasta salad. I am ready for summer picnics and grill outs!!

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  3. Thanks for choosing me Katherine!! How exciting! Love your pasta salad and love getting to know you better!!!

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  4. This pasta salad sounds fantastic!!! Just the thing for the warm weather! Congrats on your award!

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  5. I LOVE pasta salads! Your looks wonderful! Congrats on the awards!

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  6. Katherine, congratulations on your well deserved awards. Thank you for remembering me.

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  7. Tri colored rotini is so pretty! I enjoy it for a side dish, and my little guy makes me laugh when he says it's "entertaining noodles"!

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  8. Hot Dang!! I am so EXCITED to be given that special award! I just love it. I'll do my best to live up to your expectations! ((hugs))

    Just sayin, I got such a sugar rush from your Banana Pudding yesterday and my post on the Pointer Sisters that I just danced around and got so much done at my house you just wouldn't believe it!! If you knocked on my door today I would let you in, cause, "IT'S CLEAN" finally! So come on over, please!! No one ever comes to visit when the house is clean only when it is torn to hell and back does someone want to come and visit :)

    BTW, Love the pasta! I have kicked it up a knotch by using Kraft's Roasted Red Pepper Italian s/ Parmesan dressing the last few times I have made it and it was a big hit!! I also sprinkle a little more parmeasan cheese on top too! Try is some time, it gives it a whole different taste. Love it!

    Sorry, I should have just took this long a comment off line!
    Sunshine and smiles!!

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  9. Katherine....Congrats on both your awards, you deserve them!

    The Meme answers could have been mine except for: I do have one sister and only one girl who, as you know, I love to hang with! HA!

    Carol

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  10. The pasta definitely looks great-an ideal dish for picnics.My son will love it :)

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  11. That pasta salad looks wonderful! Makes me anticipate warm weather and BBQ's!

    Congratulations on the awards. You deserve them! I love your blog and appreciate all of the time you put into it!

    Have a great day!

    XOOX
    Jen

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  12. Congrats on your awards. This looks wonderful.. the pasta salad .. I was craving it yesterday, must make this one soon!!

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  13. Congrats on your awards - yo deserve them. The pasta salad looks delicious. I love recipes like this - easy but so tasty.

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  14. The priviledge was all mine! I had a blast.
    And thank you for that nice award. That is one I haven't seen before.
    Plus, pasta salad is on my summer menu almost weekly. We love it.

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  15. Forgot to tell you that I finally did the sweet potatoes Sunday. They were excellent.

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  16. Wonderful salad - so colorful! Congrats on the awards!

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  17. Congrats on your beautiful acorn award! I love pasta salad! Well, anything with pasta is a plus in my book, but salads are extra special. I am looking forward to more al fresco meals and bbq's. How about you?

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  18. This looks like a blog for me to read daily! Foodie and interesting writing. Love it!

    My mom used to make this salad (Spring Salad) for every picnic in the summertime.

    Thanks for stopping by my blog earlier today!!!

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  19. Great looking salad. I love learning things about my fellow bloggers...thanks for sharing some of yourself!!!

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  20. Congrats on the award adn the pasta looks wonderful!

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  21. I like to make pasta salad like this too. I just throw in whatever veggies I have laying around. I think i might actually make some tonight!

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  22. Awww! Thanks for the writing award! That really melts my butter!

    And I LOVE that pasta. It looks so good!

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  23. pasta salad looks wonderful....congrats on your award...

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  24. I love learning more about fellow foodies. Congrats on your much deserved awards!

    Pasta salad sounds so delicious right now.

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  25. Congrats on the awards! I made a similar dish to this today too....it looks so good!

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  26. Right up our alley. Just showed the wife this one and we are definitely making this soon!

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  27. I got my fill of past last week, as I eat gluten every so often, but your dish and those pepperoni are peeking out at me, and singing me a serenade...

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  28. Oh that is so funny Katherine. I posted a tri-color rotini pasta salad today too! We were apparently both on the same wavelength. :)

    Thanks for thinking of me too!

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  29. Interesting reading... Congrats to everyone and the very cool award!!

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  30. Dear Katherine, your summertime pasta salad looks so gorgeous! It will perfect for picnics! Love konwing you better! Congrats for your awards!

    Cheers,

    Miette.

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  31. My family won't touch a pasta salad but I sure love them. They are strange as far as I am concerned. The family not the salad. :)

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  32. Lovely colours...summer's nearby...I can smell, taste it!

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  33. The pasta salad just says summer! So colorful and delicious! Congrats on your award!! I replied to your question on my post today but just in case you don't see it-a drama queen made me think of The Boy Who Cried Wolf. I've always loved the story!

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  34. Congrats on your awards! You deserve them!

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  35. Love the colors in the pasta. Nice to know that this is better made a day ahead. Perfect for parties!

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Thanks for stopping by, I enjoy reading your comments.

Katherine