Everything about my third child has been a surprise. The pregnancy was a surprise. I had a two year old and a 7 month old at the time I found out, I was not planning on a third baby yet. The gender was a surprise. I thought for sure I was going to have another girl but nope another boy it was. The birth was a surprise. I went in to the doctor for some rib pain a month prior to my due date and was told I was dilated to a 6 and needed to deliver. What?!!? The homecoming was a surprise. I expected a healthy baby and a routine homecoming. Instead Drew was born with a condition called transient tachypnea (fluid in the lungs) and had to be transported after his birth to the NICU at Sutter Memorial Hospital.
It was heart wrenching having my newborn baby be taken away by ambulance to another hospital while I had to stay overnight where I had delivered him. The next morning I was discharged and went to be with my sweet boy at the NICU across town. That was where he stayed and I spent most of my time for the next 6 days.
Hospital food is not my favorite so for the first couple of days my meals consisted of a pack of Peanut M&Ms from the vending machine and a bottle of water. Definitely not the ideal diet for a postpartum mother. Luckily I soon discovered Selland’s, a fabulous little deli just down the street from the hospital. Everything at Selland’s was amazing! However over the course of the week, I became particularly fond of their Cavatappi Pasta Salad. It was just the comfort food I needed to survive that week of Drew in the NICU.
Now that two years have gone by since Drew was born, he is still that child who continues to surprise me. What will he break today? jump off of today? spill all over the floor? drop in the toilet? climb on? draw on? put in the washing machine? throw across the room? toss over the balcony? shove inside the vacuum hose? hide in the trash can? That child keeps me busy! He keeps me on my toes! But somehow even with all the surprises and the craziness of three little ones, I found a moment to remember that pasta salad and attempt to recreate it at home…
Then add several handfuls of fresh baby spinach
and gently toss.
Enjoy!
inspired by Selland’s Market-Cafe
** I will be sending this over to the Side Dish Show Down**
mmmm, I can taste it now!
I didn't realize how low-cal and non-fat it is! hehe. I don't care, it tastes YUMMO.
With all the rain we have had in Kodiak; I think my husband (AKA Drews's Grampa) could use this comfort food! :-)
Oh, we LOVE Selland's! Got their take-home Valentine's dinner last year and it was incredible! Salad looks great!
I'm sorry you and your precious son had to go through that Allie. He sounds healthy now and like a bundle of energy… and joy! This salad looks insanely delicious! Rich and creamy with lots of my favorite flavors. Thanks for sending it to the Showdown!
:( I was so looking forward to this but I could have saved myself time and work by dumping a jar of ranch dressing on pasta….all I could taste was ranch dressing. Oh well.
Sorry you were dissappointed in the recipe. You could always try less of the buttermilk ranch dressing next time. This is just the way I like it :)