Yes we’re still alive

It’s been a hectic past few weeks, but the joyful kind of hectic. Micah had three weeks off of school, so we went to California, and all around our lovely Chicago.

We went to Six Flags:

And also the beach.

Went to the ward 4th of July breakfast:

Emma graduated!

And lots of other things we did. I did not take enough pictures of our trip home, sadly.

When we came back to Chicago we hit up a free outdoor African Funk concert. We had an awesome picnic.

Also had a visit from my Dad, brother and sister-in-law! And the baby Caleb :-)

Again, not enough pictures. I apologize.  To make up for it, I am going to post a recipe for one of my favorite summer salads. The only thing you have to cook is the noodles. This is a variation on one of my old roomies favorites, Pâte Truc (or Pasta Truc).

(Not my own picture, but I provided it for the sake of tantalizing)

Pâte Truc

4 cups cooked pasta (rotini is my favorite)

1 can tuna, drained

2 tomatoes, cubed

1/2 cucumber, cubed

1 granny smith apple, cubed

1/2 pound sharp cheddar cheese, cubed

olive oil

vinegar

Herbs de Provence*

Salt and pepper

Drain the pasta and dump all the ingredients onto a large bowl (For large parties I double the recipe). Add enough olive oil and vinegar to cover the ingredients, but not so much that they drown. I like a little extra vinegar, because I love it. Add herbs de provence, salt and pepper to taste.

*What are Herbs de Provence?

Fans of Gretchen may already know, but here is a quick run down. Herbs de Provence are essentially a mixture of herbs from Provence, a region of southeastern France on the Mediterranean adjacent to Italy. The mixture usually contains the following:

rosemary

thyme

sage

marjoram

oregano

basil

In various amounts. Haha. This kind of thing is annoying to me most of the time. But trust me, it works out. You basically put more of what you like and less of what you don’t like (or equal amounts of everything). I’ve been really into dill lately, so I add that too. It’s a very versatile salad, as most are. Try it. Enjoy it. You deserve it.