I was so excited to open my email today to find that hubby had actually requested a specific meal for next week’s menu. That never, ever, ever happens…until he decides he wants all of his favorites (faux fried chicken fingers, buffalo chicken lasagna, and pepper crab) all in the same week and all of which take more than a quick minute (or hour) to make.
I actually said during dinner last night (as my ear drum was ringing following Piper’s high pitched message that she was DONE with dinner, EEEEEEEEEE!!!!) that I hate dinner time with the kids. With work and wanting to get in an evening walk, it just doesn’t jive with the hungry bellies of 5:30pm. It’s one big, ugly, disastrous mess EVERY night. I know I shouldn’t wish away these years, but I’ll be honest…I often have trouble convincing myself that this is, in fact true, and long for the days that I can hold a conversation with everyone at the table, all eating the same meal, at the same time – tears, messes, and wet wipes BE GONE.
But anyway, Mr. Prevention’s request for chicken-stuffed peppers shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise. As we were catching up with our DVR last night, watching Married at First Sight, he was oo’ing and ahh’ing over their stuffed peppers – something I am still scratching my head at.
He then said, “Stuffed peppers are something my mom used to make a lot and I didn’t like them.” I can’t keep up, you guys. Plus, it’s a pretty ill-timed request given all bell peppers were 10 for $10 this past week…yet I can’t muster the oomphf to get to the grocery store during the week. My one weekend trip is already too much for me, so I’ll fork it over this weekend and minimize my grocery store agony.
After 13 years of togetherness (I mean, bliss!), I know my man’s taste…for better or worse. He’s just warming up to mayonnaise even though he literally said, “Eeww!” as I put mayo on my BLT the other night. He’ll eat just about anything other than gazpacho.
Or maybe it’s just cold stuff in general he has an issue with because historically, he’s not overly fond of cold pasta salads. But really, who doesn’t love pasta with all sorts of good stuff to enjoy it with? He’s bananas. This pasta salad has it all – salty olives, spicy pepperoni, tart vinegar, and sweet tomatoes. It’s perfect for summer – enjoy!
- 20 oz refrigerated cheese tortellini
- ¼ cup + 1 Tbsp olive oil, divided
- 2 oz pepperoni slices, halved
- 8 oz fresh mozzarella, chopped into ½ inch pieces
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 (6 oz) can black olives, drained
- 1 (15 oz) can artichoke quarters, drained and roughly chopped
- ½ cup pepperoncinis, drained and thinly sliced
- ¼ cup white balsamic vinegar
- 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil over high heat. Add tortellini and cook according to package directions. Drain, rinse, and transfer to a large bowl. Toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil to avoid sticking.
- Add the pepperoni, mozzarella, tomatoes, olives, artichokes, and pepperoncinis; toss. Chop the pepperoni into quarters and add to the bowl.
- In a liquid measuring cup or small bowl, whisk together the remaining ⅓ cup olive oil with the vinegar, Italian seasoning, and garlic. Drizzle dressing over the tortellini mixture and toss to coat.
Hi, Nicole. I just found your blog and am excited to try this recipe. I just returned home from a trip to Rome…. I loved the dining experience in Italy.