Becky and Pasta Salad

My sister Becky and her family passed through Iowa last week on their move to Indiana. (Am I really that much shorter? Maybe she was wearing 6-inch platforms or something.)My three girls and her little boy and baby girl.

Love this sweet little chunky baby. There is nothing better than chubby baby thighs. She is such a mellow, happy little thing. I enjoyed tickling her and making her laugh.

My Mom, happy to be with 5 of her grand kids. Somehow my Mom ended up holding both babies. (We still call Natalie "the baby" even though she is technically a toddler now.) I like how Esther is interested in Katie's hair.
In honor of Becky's visit I'm going to share a recipe that she made for me when I was out visiting her in Utah a couple of months ago. That's actually how this post started out and then I realized that I should add pictures of their visit. (We didn't get any pictures of her husband but we were lucky to even get a picture of us. It's all about the kids you know. My Mom is smart enough to dive into the pictures with them. She's all about getting photos of the family.)

I made this yesterday so it would be ready to scarf down right after church when we are all ravenous. I had it for lunch...and post lunch snack...and dinner. I can't stop eating it...yummy stuff!

Poppyseed Salad

2 cups chopped cooked chicken (you can use canned if want. we were lucky enough to have some leftover chicken that Ben grilled out last night.)

6 oz. dried cranberries

1/2 cup celery

1/4 cup green onions

3 oz. slivered almonds (as always, toasting them first is best. not in the toaster! If you need help toasting nuts let me know...it makes all the difference.)

4-6 oz. poppyseed dressing (I really like Paul Newman's all natural. The recipe suggested Briannas but we didn't have that brand in our store)

12 oz. pasta such as bowtie or any shape of your choosing. (I really liked these little wagon wheels.)

Cook pasta. Drain. Chill. Add all other ingredients. Mix and refrigerate a few hours or overnight. Salt and pepper to taste (don't skip this step, it makes a big difference!). I like to wait and sprinkle the almonds on right before serving. I'm worried they will get soggy if I leave them in the salad. It looks like a big batch when you make it but it goes fast.