Lunch for the bunch......

What a great weekend!!  I made up 12 boxed lunches for my 1st shift friends in blue and delivered them around 11:00 am yesterday.  Thanks to my Facebook page, I could quickly refer to my photos to recall the last meal I cooked for 1st shift.  It was a 'To Go' breakfast on June 15. Seems like a lot longer than that, but I guess I just miss seeing my friends.

And yes, in case you're wondering, I even miss waking up at 4:30 am on Saturdays to start the breakfast process (with only 3-4 hour of sleep).  It always turned my ordinary Saturday into something extraordinary!

But I love how AHOP has evolved into a mix of To-Go and 'dine-in' meals.  Yesterday I made this awesome club sandwich on Honey Wheat Berry bread (my first cold meal).  It was LOADED with turkey and ham, swiss and cheddar cheese, lettuce and tomato, and bacon. Deliciousness!

The Boxed Lunch

Club Sandwich

Pasta Salad

Chips

Cookie

Sweet Tea

Pasta Salad recipe below

A big thank you to Robert at Mac's Speed Shop off Sandy Porter Road and South Tryon for his contribution towards this meal.  He donated 25 containers for my pasta salad (without hesitation).... and he was so kind to chat with me about cooking and kitchen stuff.  I actually learned a few helpful kitchen tips.
  

Mac's Speed Shop
2414 Sandy Porter Road, Charlotte, NC  

And a big thank you to Newk's Eatery (Blakeney/Rea Road) for donating plenty of mayo and mustard packets for my boxed lunches. It all helps!

Newk's Eatery
Blakeney Crossing - 9815 Rea Road, Charlotte, NC

Easy Pasta Salad

• 1 box Tri-Color Rotini
• Diced Sun Dried Tomatoes (softened in sunflower oil) - diced
• Red Onion (diced) -- I didn't measure, so use whatever you think looks good with the amount of noodles you have.  
• Newman's Own salad dressing "Parmesan and Roasted Garlic"
• Shredded Parmesan Cheese
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Here's what you need. 

Boil noodles until tender, but don't overcook because you don't want them to fall apart when you stir in all the other stuff. Drain in a colander and run cold water over the noodles until they cool down. Transfer drained noodles to a large bowl and put in the refrigerator until cold.

After the noodles are well-chilled, add the onions, sun-dried tomatoes, shredded Parmesan, and salad dressing and toss. I used my hands (w/ plastic gloves), but use whatever method is easiest for you.  You are just trying to coat the noodles really well.  Keep adding the salad dressing and a little salt and pepper until you get the flavor that you want.

Return pasta to refrigerator until ready to serve.  

♥