Chopped Italian Salad

For as long as I can remember,

I've always loooooooved salads.

And what's even better,

is when I can make a salad a whole meal!

Awhile ago I blogged about Giant Salads

that I make and eat for lunch often.

They're always filling and I love eating them. 

In fact - I'm planning to have them this week.

But today...

I want to tell you ALL about a super easy and incredibly tasty

CHOPPED ITALIAN SALAD!!!

The Goods:

Romaine Lettuce

Salami

Mozzarella

Tomatoes

Cucumbers

Red Onion

Garbanzo Beans

Artichoke Hearts

Kalamata Olives

Peppernchini

Lemon

Italian Dressing

Chop up your lettuce, salami, mozzarella, tomatoes, cucumbers, 

red onion, artichoke heart, kalamata olives and peppernchini.

Put in a large bowl, add dressing and fresh lemon juice.

Toss to combine and serve in a large bowl.

That's it!!!

I decided I needed something besides salad,

so I made up a batch of the yummy rolls featured in this post!

Pasta Salad Like Mom's

When I was growing up, my mom made a pasta salad that was so amazing, yet so simple. I loved it then and I'm sure I'd love it now. No matter how many times I've tried to recreate it, it's never come out exactly the same. Since I'm not able to recreate her recipe exactly - I've modified it a bit and made it my own.

Every time I make MY pasta salad, it comes out a bit different. It really depends on what I have and trying to use up, or what I'm craving at the time. The one thing that is constant is the fact that I use spiral, usually Rotini, pasta. More recently, I've started using the whole wheat kinds and like it just as much as the regular not so great for you pasta. :)

Here's a look at how I made my most recent batch of pasta salad. Note: this makes a VERY large batch, so be prepared to share or eat it for days! 

The Goods:

Rotini, Asparagus, Green Pepper, Cucumber, Tomatoes, Red Onion, 

Green Olives, Black Olives, Feta, Lemon Juice, Italian Dressing, Salt and Pepper

(This can be modified very easily. Use whatever vegetables you want, 

but blanch raw ones that would be too hard like Asparagus and Broccoli)

Cut Up Veggies!

Veggies covered in cooked, cooled pasta!

With a little bit of Feta thrown on top.

Lemon squeezed on top, followed by Italian Dressing and then mixed!

Ready for consumption. Oh yum!