Pasta Salad with Zucchini, Tomatoes & Feta

Hey there Hi there Ho there Peeps!!!!

I've just been busier than a swarm of honeybees and we are getting down to the wire for the wedding.  Several guests who will be staying with us will arrive Thursday afternoon and then of course we are in full on wedding mode Friday and Saturday. whew...I'm already tired!!
Not to mention that I have about 10 or 11 dozen brownies to make too!!  eeeeek!!!






Time to up the meds because you know I saw this on Pinterest this week and it's so very appropriate!!

In all seriousness....share your meds!!!

Hahahaha   Let's get down to a nice little salad.

It's fast, it's easy and it will satisfy those nice little vegetarians in your life.

12 oz. Farfalle (bowtie) pasta

2 Tbsp. Olive oil

1 whole lemon

salt

pepper

2 zucchini

10 oz. package grape tomatoes

1/3 cup minced parsley

Feta Cheese, 6 oz. or more (more if I'm coming to dinner)

First things first, get that pasta going on the stovetop.

Just follow the directions on the box.

Then drain and rinse in cold water until cooled.

Chop up those zucchini

Now cut those tomatoes up in half lengthwise please.

Mince that parsley.

This is before mincing and by the way, I used my pizza cutter to mince the parsley.

Grab that cooled off bowl of pasta

You can use other pasta if you like but hey, what's cuter than a bowl full of bowties??

Juice the lemon really well and add the juice to the pasta

Now add the olive oil.

Salt & Pepper to taste.  Now you need to actually TASTE this as you don't want to undersalt the pasta.

You could also add a little more lemon juice or olive oil depending on how your family likes the pasta.

Toss zucchini, tomatoes, parsley and feta into that pasta and mix to combine.

I used my hands...yes, they were clean but it was just easier to mix it all together using my hands than a spoon.  Sometimes simple is best you know!

Serve that up in a bowl and just to make the world a happier place....toss on a bit more Feta.

Enjoy this simple lovely dish.

Adding some grilled shrimp I think would just send this right over the top.

You could also do some nice grilled chicken too.

Either way....it's just delish!!!

And simple and easy and no oven required because yes, it's already HOT in Texas!!

Now if you will excuse me, I need to go have a panic attack because I don't have my list made out of things to do before Saturday yet!!!!  Yikes...please tell me I'm not the only one who cannot function without my list??!!!    

Peace, Love & Summer Yummies!!!

                                                       

Pimento Cheese a Southern lunch staple

Hey there Peeps!!
I really intended to be wrapping up the bridal shower recipes today but I didn't get around to posting yesterday because well, I was getting my "hair did" for about 3 hours.  Seriously 3 hours!!!  This is what happens when you don't go in for a cut or color or anything for over 6 months.  Please remind me not to do that again.    In all fairness I did have the deluxe pedicure and my brows waxed as well.  My hair was "baking" during the pedicure so I suppose we were multitasking!!   Anywho my hair looks so much better and healthier than it did so we're all happy.  Well maybe not the hubster, it wasn't a cheap trip to the salon!!!

Okie dokes let's get down to making some Pimento Cheese. Now if you are from the South you most likely pronounce this delicacy as Puh-Men-Ah Cheese. My grandmother would say "you want Memama to fix you a puh-men-ah cheese sanwich baby?"   The words in that sentence are spelled as spoken by my MeMama.  What I wouldn't give to hear her ask me that question again.

Now most people feel like Pimento Cheese is simply Velveeta, pimentos and mayonnaise.
I however like to punch mine up a bit and since it was for the bridal shower that's just what I did.

Here's what you need:

8 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded 

4 oz. jar diced pimentos, drained

2 Tbsp. greek yogurt

2 Tbsp. mayonnaise

1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1/8 tsp chili powder

squeeze of lemon juice

salt & pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients and chill for at least 1 hour.

We went all out for the shower and had ours on white bread with the crusts cut off and cut into finger sandwiches.  It was cute and fun and delightful to eat white bread again!

That would be the traditional bread of the sandwich but we're all healthified now so for now we'll go back to our extra fiber wheat bread.   I know it's really not the same is it??

Now let's talk about a few of the ingredients.

Cheese...don't buy shredded cheese shred it yourself. Yes, it makes a difference.

The cayenne pepper, I went with probably 1/8th of teaspoon.  I didn't want to light anyone up at the shower.  It had enough of a punch to tell but not enough to cause heat sensitive people to cry.

Oddly enough the greek yogurt is undetectable in this...just make sure to get the plain not a flavor.

Put those babies out on a tray and just watch everyone including those "northerners" eat them up!

That's it for making pimento cheese and I've got the stuff to whip up another batch here soon.

Hey, a girls gotta have lunch you know!!!

Do you have a special way your family made pimento cheese?  Have you even had pimento cheese?

Do you know why the sky is blue?  Oh sorry a little off topic!!

Peace, Love & Yummies!!!!