In case you’re wondering, farfalle is butterfly or bow-shaped pasta.  Thanks to my friend Alison’s inspiration, I was able to turn it into two different and very fabulous salads.

Alison arrived from Toronto on Sunday, following Margaret’s Friday departure and the surprise arrival from Luke on the same day.  It’s that joyous time of year in the Okanagan when the guest beds never really have a chance to cool down between visitors.

Another friend of 51 years, Liz, came to Kelowna and got Alison at the airport and they both arrived in time for dinner.  I made Jerralynn’s brown sugar and butter-topped salmon, and accompanied it with cucumber and potato salads and local green beans.  I made an apricot crisp for dessert, topped with dollops of whipped cream.

The potatoes came from my garden.  I dug them up on Sunday morning and we ate them for dinner on Sunday evening.  I love living like that.  We also made the trek up and down to the vegetable garden for herbs to add to all of the meals.

On Monday mom and Gerry came up for lunch, as they wanted to visit with Alison, and also Luke was home so it was fun.  I served the leftover salmon in a pasta salad made with the farfalle.  It was great with oil and vinegar and chopped fresh herbs.

On Tuesday we drove to Penticton and I brought lunch for Liz, Liza, Alison and me.  On the way home we had a yen for a bit of shopping, so stopped at Winners and then at a sweet wine shop in Guisachan Mall.

By the time we arrived home we needed the wine badly, so then decided to use the rest of the farfalle for yet another kind of quick and easy salad.  We shredded the leftover chicken we had, and added giant sliced olives, lemon juice, herbs and olive oil and voila, another fab dinner.

The wine went down like honey, so needless to say on Wednesday as I drove Alison to the airport I felt rather sick, but luckily able to drive.  As I always say, thank God for Gravol, as I don’t know what I’d do without it.

Luke left on the same day, so now it’s just back to Nicky and me, and peace and quiet.  I woke up this morning after a long sleep and felt great.  I adore having people visit, because I love Margaret, Alison and Luke, but I have to say I’m also the kind of person who can be alone very happily.

And then of course I’m supposed to be working on the fruitcake business, which makes me sick whenever I think of it.  However, to lull myself into beginning, I’ve decided the best approach is to spend the month prepping.  You know, chopping the chocolate and nuts and so on.  If I can just pretend I’m making ingenious recipes perhaps I can get through the drudgery of it.