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When the Weather is Warm

Best Pasta Salad Dressing
The countdown to spring has begun- Easter baskets and cute little stuffed chickies (and chocolate bunnies!) have been lining the shelves of every store since before Valentine’s Day.The daffodils have been smiling in little clumps across every field and under every tree for a week or two now. The tulips won’t be far behind. I’m stalking the forsythia I planted last year for any sign of new growth. I am more than ready to get a jump on my vegetable garden, and the pansies in pots all over my porch are lonely for a few warm weather companions.

We Need Friends!!!

We Need Friends!!!

While I’m off on a gardening tangent and longing for sunshine, can I just share with you what might be the coolest thing EVER?

Sproutrobot.com

It’s an online gardening tool. You enter your zip code and it tells you what to plant, when, and how. It’s amazing. I’m amazed. And am exercising a considerable amount of self control (because what I REALLY WANNA DO is run to my local gardening center and buy everything to get started right now).

Warm weather changes the face of my antics in the kitchen, too. Food starts to take on a crispy cold theme- less oven, more raw. Things shift from the stovetop to the grill, and I tend to be marinating some cut of chicken at all times. I make salads out of everything. And I LOVE pasta salad.

Little sister sent me a message a few weeks ago asking how I make my pasta salad dressing- I think she might have been bitten by the spring bug, too. What goes in the pasta salad changes according to what random vegetables are lurking in my fridge, but always I include bell peppers, onions (I’m partial to red onions in my salads), and chopped green onions (love the flavor and LOVE that they regenerate themselves year round in my window).

green onions in my window

Best Pasta Salad Dressing
Yield: 8

Best Pasta Salad Dressing

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup light mayo (Dukes always gets my vote)
  • 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 1 teaspoon spicy mustard
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
  • pinch of salt & black pepper
  • 1/2 cup oil (vegetable, olive, canola)

Instructions

  1. Mix together all ingredients except the oil.
  2. When the other ingredients have been combined until smooth, gradually whisk in the oil. Pour over your favorite pasta salad ingredients.

Best Pasta Salad Dressing

In the Summer I Still Love My Slow Cooker | Sugar Dish Me

Sunday 22nd of September 2013

[…] weather before the first day of spring (this is at least my third post on the topic; read more hereĀ and here) I am honing my skills at cooking without turning the a/c on. It’s MARCH for crying […]

gimnasia en casa

Sunday 1st of April 2012

Hmm it looks like your blog ate my first comment (it was extremely long) so I guess I'll just sum it up what I wrote and say, I'm thoroughly enjoying your blog. I as well am an aspiring blog blogger but I'm still new to everything. Do you have any helpful hints for beginner blog writers? I'd certainly appreciate it.

In the Summer I Still Love My Slow Cooker « Sugar Dish Me

Tuesday 20th of March 2012

[...] weather before the first day of spring (this is at least my third post on the topic; read more hereĀ and here) I am honing my skills at cooking without turning the a/c on. It’s MARCH for crying [...]

creativenoshing

Tuesday 13th of March 2012

Dukes! Miss that brand. Love pasta salad.

Heather @ SugarDish(Me)

Wednesday 14th of March 2012

It's a staple.

Simply Tia

Saturday 10th of March 2012

This pasta salad looks fantastic Heather and I love the simplicity of the dressing recipe!

Heather @ SugarDish(Me)

Saturday 10th of March 2012

Thanks, Tia! It's vinegary and sweet. And sort of pink (from the red wine vinegar). I like the pink. :)

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