A Summer Success

Being five weeks away from having a baby popped out of me makes me very tired by the end of the day. Add in the heat, humidity and the two-year old and it's a wonder that my house is still standing by the end of the day. Really, I feel great. I'm just bone-weary exhausted and not very hungry. Needless to say, this unique combination of factors has made summertime cooking more of a challenge than normal.

Last week was highlighted by a cranky toddler who didn't nap and came down with her second ear infection in a month and two pink eyes. My major culinary feat that week was reheating the baked spaghetti my husband made the night before without the use of a microwave*.

Side Note: Our very annoying microwave that beeped too much was killed by lightening during a storm. After watching my husband microwave a spoon with no results, I told him to throw it away and be done with it. I decided that I liked the counterspace more than the convenience.

I am determined to do better this week and am off to a great start. Since nothing wears me out more than grocery shopping in the afternoon, I decided to make do with what we had on hand and came up with this refreshing alternative to tuna noodle casserole.

What I Did:

• Make a box of orzo to taste. The only taste being a minute less than al dente.
• Whiz up rosemary, fresh basil (minus snail), a handful or so of oil-cured kalamata olives, zest and juice of a lemon. The Cuisinart Mini-Prep Plus is perfect for this job.
• Whisk together one tablespoon of olive oil, one tablespoon of red wine or white balsamic vinegar and a squirt of Maille dijon mustard together.
• Mix the pesto-like mixture and the vinegarette with the drained pasta. Add two cans of good canned tuna (Albacore solid white) and as many garden-fresh tomatoes as you have to the pasta salad.
• Don't forget salt and pepper as you go along. Next time I want to add some red chili flakes for some kick.