This is a version of a pasta salad I saw a couple of weeks ago on FB! Today is a dreary rainy day so we needed something that would add a little sunshine! Both Randy and I loved it! The only thing missing was some Italian garlic toasties that we love from Market Street or Eatzis. So we settled for just plain Saltines today! But this pasta salad will be on our lunch tables now quite often. Or the dinner table should we have a heavy lunch when eating out! Used the corkscrew triple colored pasta this time. Loved it!!!

Pasta shape or your choice. Cook until desired doneness!

Drain and rinse. Add a Tablespoon of olive oil and Italian seasoning while pasta is still warm. About 15-30 min before serving add chopped ripe avocado, cherry tomatoes, chopped fresh baby spinach, shredded Parmesan cheese and diced dry Italian salami. Add salt, pepper, Trader Joe’s Aglio olio seasoning to taste, olive oil and because I had the Rosa’s seasoning we bought at Elliotts Hardware. Was shocked at how much food seasoning/barbecue seasoning they sell!! Back to the pasta salad….

Add the above items to the pasta and chill in fridge for 15-30 min before seasoning!

Did not give amounts as the additions need to be according to the amount of pasta you use! But add the items according to the ratio of them to the pasta that you like!

Last week I read about this dip (in Southern Living) that was popular with people who made it when going out in their boats and would just stick it in a container in the ice chest to enjoy while out on the water! Well, I don’t have a boat, but I have lots of containers, so I decided to make it and take it to a New Years game day at a friends house!

All I can say is “wow”. It is absolutely delicious and we almost ate the whole bowl! In fact, I thought I’d just take a bite when I opened it and then quickly got addicted to it, so every time someone walked in the kitchen, we all started to munch away with a chip or carrot stick and boat dip! It was half gone before I yelled “STOP,” I forgot to take a picture of it! So the picture you see is only half of the recipe! AND pretty green onion tops aren’t on it as I forgot to buy them. Thank you Southern Living for sharing this. It will now be on my list of very necessary appetizers or even just a dip to snack on with cut up veggies when we aren’t hungry enough to cook a full dinner!

• 1 (16-oz.) container sour cream (about 2 cups)
• 1 (10-oz.) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes and green chiles (such as Rotel), drained
• 1 (1-oz.) envelope ranch dressing mix
• 1 (1-oz.) envelope 25%-less-sodium taco seasoning mix (such as Old El Paso)
• 1 (8-oz.) pkg. shredded Cheddar-Jack or mild Cheddar cheese (about 2 cups)
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions (about 2 medium) (optional)
• Tortilla chips or potato chips, for servin

And if I ever get a boat, the dip will be the first thing that is carried aboard. Even before a life preserver! Because people started eating it before it was plated pretty with hips around it, the picture won’t win any awards, but the dip will!!!