Antipasta, Antipesto, Antiposto?????
WHY am I even attempting ANYTHING that might be close to Italian?? I already told you that where I grew up, we
did NOT have very many different cultures~~we had Blacks and we had Whites and
yes, we had ONE Jewish family that ran the local FANCY SMASHY Men’s store
uptown~~Paul’s (I think)…LOL…
I didn’t personally know people who experienced much about all the horrible
crimes that happened during the 60s because we were raised to believe that
people were people…NOW, I will NOT lie and say that people didn’t “have their
places” because yes, there was very much a divide in WHERE people lived, WHERE
people went to school and WHAT a person did for a living.
Many of the Blacks in my county were sharecroppers…AND there was NOTHING
wrong with that. My Granddaddy was a
sharecropper (Daddy’s Father) and it was an honorable life. Many white families moved from farm to farm
to help work the crops, too. Housing was
usually provided for sharecroppers. I
can honestly say, that I spent more time as a child with people of color than I
did with White people…I was lovingly rocked by the ladies who would help Mother
with the chores while their husbands and father’s worked the fields alongside
my Daddy and brother…Son and Nanny, Emma Dee and BoJack and Hadley welcomed me
and my brother into their house just like anyone else…I felt the LOVE they had
for me and I felt the same about them…I can remember as a child going to visit
the older Black Ladies that Mother had grown to love on the farm…We were
FRIENDS…we worked and played SIDE BY SIDE.
I can only tell a perspective from MY POINT of view, because I only lived
my life…I am sure my friends have other views and feelings…I just think we need
to treat people fairly~~no matter of their color or sex…GOD is the final judge
on HOW people live their lives.
Because of this lack of diversity, as I stated in my last post, we did NOT
have different foods from different cultures growing up because we simply
didn’t have PEOPLE from different cultures to teach us! My Parent’s did a WONDERFUL job making sure
that I and my brothers got opportunities to VISIT other cultures so that we
could LEARN to appreciate their customs and yes, the FOODS!!
I have travelled throughout this great land to 38 states and to Canada and
South America and have witnessed our beautiful country and tasted the wonderful
cooking that families have passed down from generation to generation.
I don’t know why I am sharing a PASTA SALAD with you, BUT I just love
this!! It’s like a tray of Italian
Goodness all thrown into a BOWL…I was buying it at a local market but it was SO
expensive for a pint that I decided that I could make a GALLON for the same
price! =) hmmmmm…does THAT sound familiar??!!
As I am writing this, today is the 63rd Wedding Anniversary of
when my Parent’s married…When Daddy died in 2003, I would tease Mother that
Daddy took his wedding vows SERIOUSLY and he got out of the “contract” the ONLY
way he could!! They had been married
almost 52 years when Daddy died…I sit here and STILL find it hard to believe
they no longer walk this earth, but I KNOW they are at peace and having the most
glorious Family Reunion and that one day I will join them also! BUT now is not the time, so I do my best to
Joyfully attempt to follow the path that I am meant to travel…
Daddy would have HATED this recipe.
He was a meat and ‘taters guy and could HONESTLY eat the same thing
every day as long as he had meat and white loaf bread!!
I have shown the picture of the Pasta Salad in Mother and Daddy’s Wedding Place
Setting~~Desert Rose…This is an original Soup Bowl that I use most EVERY week
at least ONCE as my way to connect with the family they started…I KNOW it is
JUST a BOWL, but that bowl represents a UNION that was formed…a Union they BOTH
worked VERY HARD to keep alive…NO, they were not perfect and they did NOT have
a perfect marriage…they experienced heartache, hurt feelings, money problems,
and ANY kind of problem that people face in living life…the difference is that
they WANTED to STAY MARRIED…THEY HONORED the vows they took as they stood
before God and friends and family. They
put GOD first in raising their family…they LIVED what they taught us…they gave
us WINGS and let us make mistakes while all the time being around to catch us
WHEN we needed it…they did NOT do everything for us as adults because they KNEW
that would NOT help us one bit, BUT they were there to HELP us…They allowed us
to FIGURE out our own work schedules and meals so that when they left us, we
would NOT be lost and unable to do these things…they allowed us to solve our
own money troubles, just like they had done…We were TAUGHT to be
self-sufficient, BUT NEVER EVER were we ALONE…
Today, I am THANKFUL for the WISDOM of my Parents. I am GRATEFUL for their love…I am
appreciative of their Encouragement…I am above all else, SO BLESSED for the
LIFE they gave me.
I love you and miss you SO MUCH, My sweet Mother and Daddy…~charlotte♥
I Call this My Anti-Pasta Pasta Salad...WHY? Because it has all my favorite things from an Anti-Pasta Tray thrown into Pasta...FUNNY, huh??!!
Bow Tie Pasta, Cooked according to Directions
Marinated Artichoke Hearts (whole jar, drained)
Roasted Red Bell Peppers (half jar, chopped and drained)
Mild Banana Pepper Rings (Half jar, chopped and drained)
One Medium sized Sweet Onion, thinly sliced
Pepperoni (I often use the mini-pepperoni, but if you use the regular,
slice in half)
Fat-Free Italian Dressing~~your FAVORITE Brand (about half a bottle)
Salt, to taste
Freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
Just add as much of EACH as you like…Feta Cheese is good in this, Black
olives, but they aren’t so good after the first day, so add them before you eat
it…