patio time, pasta salad, and painting

Oh, how I love these late spring days before the heat and humidity set in and we're plagued by mosquitoes. These are the days where we can actually sit out on the patio without being eaten alive. Yes, we've tried everything natural to protect ourselves against mosquitoes. Nothing has worked. It's that bad. We are surrounded by trees, creeks, and a lake. And our little village doesn't spray for mosquitoes. Which, in one way is a good thing, as that means the air, trees and grass aren't laden with chemicals.

This time of year is also perfect for lighter meals. One of our favorites is to make a hearty and healthy pasta salad. I made this one for our lunch on the patio today. Bow-tie pasta; two grilled chicken breasts, cut into chunks; an assortment of fresh veggies that you have on-hand (I used red onion, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, sugar snap peas and olives); and fresh herbs. From my garden, I picked dill, cilantro and chives. For the dressing, I used extra-virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, fresh garlic, salt and pepper. That's it! Easy-peasy to make and delicious. Brian said he had to stop himself from eating the entire bowl. ;-)

 

While the weather's been so nice, I've also been finishing up with painting the three drawers that will be going in this chalk-painted nightstand. I'm going for an ombre look with the drawers. Stay tuned...I hope it will look nice!