One for the Road

Sweet friends, I have not forgotten my promise to share with you the pasta salad recipe from our road trip! In all honesty, I'm glad to share because I was afraid I might forget if I didn't write it down somewhere (that pregnancy brain will get ya when you least expect it!). Next time I make this, I will probably tweek this recipe a bit, though it is delicious as is. The reason is that I simply used what I had on hand. But I suspect a little bit of pesto would be a lovely addition!

Note: this makes quite a large batch, which would be perfect for a large summer gathering!

This pasta salad was based off of this delightful variation from my friend, Blythe.

Road Trip Pasta Salad

1 cup orzo (whole wheat if possible)
2 oz. peppered salami, chopped
1 1/2 oz. colby jack cheese, cubed
1/4 cup peperoncinis, roughly chopped
1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

1. Cook orzo according to package

2. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.

3. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.

Sustenance

As I mentioned in this post, one of my to-dos last weekend was planning out and prepping the snacks we will bring on our road trip. And I've got to say, I'm pretty excited with the spread I decided on! Silly I know, but in a quest to avoid stopping for nasty fast food, I wanted us to have plenty of healthy/tasty options while we're on the road. And I think I've succeeded!

Here's the rundown of what will be in our cooler:

Orzo salad w/ shredded chicken: I will be making my own version of a Mediterranean inspired pasta salad for lunch.

Lemon protein bars: After making these last week, I knew they would be a great road companion! Perfect little "dessert" without the sugar overload!

Fruit/veggies: We'll have plenty of options, like: berries, grapes, apple slices, carrots, bell peppers and celery to snack on.

Individual peanut butter: I usually wouldn't spend the moolah on these sort of convenience foods, but the chocolate and maple flavors were a steal at 2/$1! They will be great to spread on celery sticks and apple slices. Plus, I grabbed a few extra to keep in my purse for those pesky hunger pangs that sometimes strike unexpectedly.

Hand picked trail mix: A blend of raw cashews and almonds, pumpkin seeds, banana chips, dried cranberries and shaved unsweetened coconut. This is really for my husband, who can't get enough of the stuff!

Jerky: A must for long trips!

Larabar minis: I was planning on just packing two Larabars, but then I found a box of minis in some of my favorite flavors! How could I resist?

Water: And lots of it!!!

That should be enough to get us through the roughly 10 hour drive (maybe 11 with all the pee breaks!). And of course, we'll be at our first destination by Saturday evening, so dinner will be in Portland!