Complete Transportable Meal

[Marlene]

I'm having one of those "what was I thinking" moments. Graduation is in three days and I'm on the decorating committee as well as giving out two awards. We leave for a trip in 4 days, I'm running across town every day to check on my brother and bring him food and stuff. And I'm making this dinner. Tomorrow is going to be one of those days, so I'm going to try to get as much of this dinner done ahead of time. I'm changing the apple crisp to a blueberry rustic tart because I don't have the time or the patience for peeling and coring apples! I'll make the dough today and then it will be easy enough to bake off in the morning.

I want to make the salads today if I can so here's my question of the day. Will pasta salad hold well in the fridge overnight? And, here's my really stupid question, do I cook the broccoli? (yeah yeah, I've never made a pasta salad in my life!)

The mac and cheese and chickens are still going to have to be done ala minute but if I can get the salads, bread, muffins and dessert out of the way, I might actually get ahead of the game here.

Edited June 25, 2006 by Marlene (log)

[suzilightning]

depends on your pasta - an how well you drain it.

i make bow ties with veg and a vinaigrette the day before because it actually tastes better - IMHO

any tubous macaroni salads i like to eat the same day as i make them since i can NEVER seems to get the pasta drained as well as it should be.

as for the "what was i thinking" moment - you were being kind and caring and wanting to mother...

[Marlene]

I'm using the tri coloured spiral pasta. But I have bow ties and I could use those. But do I cook the broccoli at all?

[jeniac42]

I prefer uncooked broccoli in my pasta salad, because I like the textural contrast better that way. It's always chopped into very small bits, though.

[petite tête de chou]

I'm having one of those "what was I thinking" moments.  Graduation is in three days and I'm on the decorating committee as well as giving out two awards.  We leave for a trip in 4 days, I'm running across town every day to check on my brother and bring him food and stuff.  And I'm making this dinner. Tomorrow is going to be one of those days, so I'm going to try to get as much of this dinner done ahead of time.  I'm changing the apple crisp to a blueberry rustic tart because I don't have the time or the patience for peeling and coring apples!  I'll make the dough today and then it will be easy enough to bake off in the morning.

I want to make the salads today if I can so here's my question of the day.  Will pasta salad hold well in the fridge overnight?  And, here's my really stupid question, do I cook the broccoli?  (yeah yeah, I've never made a pasta salad in my life!)

The mac and cheese and chickens are still going to have to be done ala minute but if I can get the salads, bread, muffins and dessert out of the way, I might actually get ahead of the game here.

←

Marlene, I often make pasta salad a day ahead to allow the flavors to develop. I do not blanch the broccoli because 1) the florets aren't big and they soften up a bit overnight in the 'fridge and 2) I found that I didn't care for the cooked broccoli aroma that overpowered the salad.

[Marlene]

Uncooked it is! Thanks! And that saves a little more time as well!

[Marlene]

Ok, pasta salad made. Does this look about right? In the end, I did blanch the broccoli for about 35 seconds. Long enough for it to get that nice bright green, but not long enough to cook it. I made an italian/garlic dressing for this.

I've made the dough for the tart. I was going to make the broccoli salad tonight, but discovered I need more broccoli and cherry tomatoes. I could I suppose, run over to the 24 hour Sobey's, but last I heard, they frown on drinking and driving. So tomorrow's schedule will be:

get up at six and drive Don over to the rig so he can bring it back. Stop at Sobey's on the way back, get broccoli and tomatoes. Get Ryan out of bed. Start cinnamon bread in the bread maker. Blanch broccoli. Drive Ryan to school. Roll out dough for bread, and shape and bake. Finish broccoli salad. Get to a 10:30 meeting. Arrive back from meeting (hopefully) at 12:30 make filling for tart, roll out dough and bake. Make blueberry muffins. Get chickens on rotisserie. Pick up fruit platter that I've ordered. (yeah, I could make it myself, but it won't be as pretty and I just don't have time). Pick up Ryan from school. Take chickens off rotisserie, package everything up and go. I think the mac and cheese may fall by the wayside. Leftovers or pizza for us, then a drive out to visit with my brother for a while. (an hour each way.). Then maybe, a little sleep.

Edited June 26, 2006 by Marlene (log)

[snowangel]

Marlene, glad to know that I'm not the only over achiever! Pasta salad looks beautiful. And, yes, no apologies for ordering a fruit platter.

[Marlene]

Life on the edge, that's me. I got off to a good start this morning, and Don helped by driving the lad to school. So far, the rustic tart is about to come out of the oven, the bread has been rolled and shaped and it baking and the muffins are about to go in. I'll do the broccoli salad when I get back from my appointment. Whew.

[EllenC]

Marlene,

You are doing great. Your pasta salad looks beautiful. You don't need to apologise for ordering something. Everything will be wonderful. Let the mac & cheese go. Call and order a pizza. You are doing an excellent job.

Ellen

[Marlene]

Everything has been delivered. Here's the rest of what I made. I forgot to take a picture of the fruit tray, which was indeed, beautiful.

Rustic Blueberry Tart:

Broccoli and Cherry Tomatoes, tossed in a mustard/honey vinegrette

Cinnamon Swirl Bread:

Blueberry muffins (the second batch, as I totally botched the first one )

BBQ Chicken:

I'm ordering in pizza tonight.

[snowangel]

I'm ordering in pizza tonight.

←

On paper plates, I hope! Whew. I'm exhausted just looking at what you did. So, how many times did you run the dishwasher today?

[Marlene]

I'm ordering in pizza tonight.

←

On paper plates, I hope! Whew. I'm exhausted just looking at what you did. So, how many times did you run the dishwasher today?

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6. And I'm not done yet.

[EllenC]

Marlene,

You totally rock! That all looks wonderful. That was a very nice thing to do for your friend.

I hope you enjoy the pizza. Feel free to put your feet up and make somebody else answer the door.

Ellen

[snowangel]

I'm ordering in pizza tonight.

←

On paper plates, I hope! Whew. I'm exhausted just looking at what you did. So, how many times did you run the dishwasher today?

←

6. And I'm not done yet.

←

Paper. Defintely. And, yes, someone else can answer the door and fix you a martini!

[jeniac42]

Marlene, the food all looks absolutely wonderful. Good on you for doing that for your friends.

And I fourteenth the recommendation for paper plates!

[Dianne]

Malene, you are one hell of a friend. Wish you were mine. What a feast you provided. I hope you have your feet up and are being treated well.

Dianne.