Wednesday's wanderings...........and easy summer recipes

It must have been the "other" day of my every other day I have energy because I did not get much done.  I straighten and clean up and do the daily stuff but can't seem to ever get to the annual or bi-annual or big projects.
But I did manage to make Aunt Nubby's pasta salad that she featured last week on her web site.  She has the best recipes!  It was simple, easy, fast and delicious...just like I like 'em!

 I also made oven roasted asparagus and do you know when I got home from Wal-Mart I saw it was from Peru!  Crimanetly Wal-Mart!  This is the season for asparagus in the U.S.  Why are you importing it from Peru! It didn't even occur to me that at this time of year we would be importing asparagus.  No wonder there are no jobs....everything happens outside the U.S.  Why are Peruvians growing our asparagus?  Do we not grow it here anymore?  I grew my own on my farm but it takes 3 years to get a good asparagus patch going so I wasn't going to try here as I was moving.  They probably grow it there because they don't have the same laws regarding pesticides but could it really be cheaper to import it?  I don't think so when you think about fuel used!  If we want to preserve energy and jobs here in the U.S we need to be buying closer to home.  Oh what a tangled web we weave!

  Anyway, I roasted the asparagus at 425 F for about 15 minutes but I watched it after about 10 minutes.  Before I roasted it I sprinkled it with olive oil, salt and pepper and mixed it with my hands on a cookie sheet.  I also sprinkled some shredded parmesan on top and then before eating I squeezed some lemon juice on it.  I got this recipe a while ago on All Recipes   It's ingrained in my brain I love it so much.  It's healthy and easy and so delicious....YUMMO! 

 The night before I fixed tuna cheese melts which I used to make for my kids.  Another easy and healthy recipe yet filling.  I use the tuna that has been seasoned with lemon pepper and dill and packed in olive oil and I don't drain it.  I spoon it onto one half of a whole wheat English muffin, slice a few cherry tomatoes and put on top of the tuna and top it with a slice of cheese.  I used American but I think you could use whatever you want.  I used to make a whole tray of these when there were 6 of us and pop them in a toaster oven.  My kids loved them!  I don't have anyone to feed anymore except "the girls" and I and I don't have the toaster oven anymore so I just put 2 of them in a bread pan and put it in the oven at 300 C just until the cheese melted which took no time at all!  Not as "toasty" but you could pre-toast the muffin in the toaster if you wanted or maybe you actually have a toaster oven!

 I am definitely resorting to "quick and easy" in the Summer time as I have too much work to do outside to be wasting time in the kitchen.  Now come Winter or a cold Fall and you'll find me puttering the day away in the kitchen but not right now!  Hope some of these recipes help you enjoy your Summer and spend less time in the kitchen!  And for dessert?  An ice cream cone....or 2!  Happy Hump Day!