If someone would have told me what my life would be like AFTER turning 40, I no doubt would have laughed, while thinking “IMPOSSIBLE” but I have to admit, it’s been pretty exciting.

I'm having the time of my life right now and I'm really enjoying being the person I've become. I’m happier and more confident than I've ever been and it feels pretty amazing and it shows.

After I had my kids, I think I fell into the “mom trap”. The trap that basically says to others, “I’m boring, I have kids, I’m a mom and wife and I’m older than 40”… Now, come on, how boring and unsexy is that? I was once a great conversationalist, model, and an incredible dancer, and so much more, but now, I talk about kids, hubby and recipes?? OMG!! Could it get any worse??? We tend to forget about our own needs and we put the needs of others before our own. Who’s supposed to take care of ours?

I think this is just the beginning for me and life after 40 does have its privileges. I’m old enough to do anything I want, but wise enough to know better. LOL. After being a people spectator for years, I’m ready to go back out there and grab every opportunity I have to enrich my life… for me. Not for anyone else, but for me.

Now, that, that’s something I can do.

I’m back!! And I’m here to scream out… “Hey World, look at me!!! I’m on fire and this is exactly where I want to be!!!

Greek Pasta Salad

Penne, Rigatoni, Macaroni, Spaghetti, Ravioli, Lasagna, and you will find all of those in this house. I find that pasta is somewhat like the doorway to a world of recipes just waiting to be discovered and appreciated. I am a pasta FREAK!!

My Greek Pasta Salad has become just that. I "discovered" this when I felt I wanted both a pasta dish and a salad dish, but was too tired to make both. It's fairly easy to make and usually the ingredients will last in your fridge for at least a couple of weeks, (uncut) so it doesn't really require any special ingredients you may need to run out to buy from the supermarket at the last minute.

Michael's girlfriend absolutely loves this salad so I make sure there is always a batch of it in the fridge for the family in case they get the munchies. A great alternative to junk food and it's much healthier. I didn't think much of it, until Angela called to let me know that she and her friend Christy wanted to make the salad for the International Food Day in their Tourism class at school. Needless to say, I felt very appreciated and discovered. So let this be a lesson. You may not think twice about your special touch you may have in a recipe, but someone sure does.

This is a very traditional Greek salad and all I did was add pasta to the mix. It turned out well and I enjoy having it for lunch or dinner, especially if I don't feel like having anything to heavy. It's a breeze to put together with a couple of great short-cuts, but don't let that scare you off. This salad is anything BUT little on taste. Get ready for your taste buds to come alive again.

Again, I will be writing about the ingredients that I use.

Produce Ingredients:

1 – English Cucumber (Seedless)
1 – Red Pepper
1 – Green Pepper
1/2 – Red Onion
4 – Tomatoes (Vine Ripened)


Other Ingredients:

1 - Large can of sliced black olives, preferably Unico
1 - Tub of Feta Cheese (I use Dofo (red label) – Feta cheese in Brine)
1 - Bottle of Kraft Signature (Calorie – Wise) Greek with Feta & Oregano Salad Dressing
(as a sidebar, don't let the "Calorie Reduced" mean flavor reduced to you, because this salad dressing has more taste than the Regular Dressing)

Dry Pasta any kind such as penne, rigatoni, shell or even bow, if you want to be a little fancy.




Prepare pasta according to directions on package. I use Catelli Penne Noodles approx 500 grams.
Boil, drain, and then rinse under cold water. Leave in colander until cooled down.

Cut up the veggies into chunky pieces making sure to remove the seeds from the red and green peppers. Place into large mixing bowl. You may want only use 1/2 a red onion since they are very strong in flavor. I enjoy them, but not everyone does.

Once pasta has cooled down, place into bowl with the veggies. Using a large slotted spoon, stir all of the ingredients together.

Place a lid on the bowl or Saran Wrap, or Aluminum Foil and place in the fridge. DO NOT ADD SALAD DRESSING YET!! It will cause the vegetables to become very soggy.

This is the best and easiest part.

Open the can of black olives but don't throw out the brine. Empty contents into a ziploc or similar container and store covered, in the fridge.

Open Feta Cheese and remove the feta from the container. Place on cutting board and slice in half. Place the remainder back into the container and return to the fridge. Wash hands before you start crumbling the feta cheese into another plastic container. Store that the fridge until ready to serve on the salad.

I like to refrigerate the salad for at least a couple of hours before serving. I just find it tastes so much better.

I serve the feta cheese, black olives and salad dressing on the side, since not everyone has the same taste and the feta cheese and salad dressing will only make the salad a soggy. Your guests can then add what they like and the quantity they want.

Something easy and simple using pasta as the main ingredient has been the secret and it seems to be enjoyed by those in this family.

Start your recipe evolution and don't be afraid to try new things. It may just put a new twist on an old tradition.

Until next time, happy eating.

Sylvie Veillet

A Day for Reflection.

Are you still thinking of dismissing You Tube, so fast? You may want to reconsider.
This song you are about to listen to has received over 12 million hits just over 1 week. 12 MILLION HITS!!! Over 22 million hits since it has it You Tube. The name of the song is "Apologize" sung by One Republic and Timbaland. I haven’t seen that many hits for one song in You Tube, EVER! For those who may feel a little aged right now, this song has received more page views than the Beatles.
Please click here if the media player doesn't come up for you.