Right after Hunter and I got married, we took a road trip to North Carolina for our honeymoon. We were both buzzing with excitement, as our lives had just changed forever with our “I do’s.” Little did I know, my life was about to change again on that trip.

On the side of the highway, Hunter spotted a roadside antique store. He pulled over, insisting we had to walk through it and find something to bring back to our new home.

As we walked through the antique store, I spotted something on the shelves I didn’t expect: A Slap Chop, still in the box.

If you missed all of the infomercials of the early 2000’s, a Slap Chop is a cylindrical hand-held chopping device with blades on the inside. If you put it over the food you are chopping and then slam your hand down on the spring-loaded top, it takes your food (which you already had to chop to put it under the gadget) and cuts it up smaller and smaller with every slap.

Now, I don’t think you can classify the Slap Chop as an antique quite yet. You can’t even call it vintage, since the words, “for the low, low price of” still ring in my ears when I look at it.

When I saw it, I rolled my eyes. But when Hunter saw the “antique,” it made him laugh. And since I was filled with the giddiness of our new marriage, that meant the chopper had to come home with us.

Was it the best purchase I’ve ever made? No. Does it take up unnecessary space in my kitchen? Yes. But I can’t say I’ve never used it.

This week, I ran into a slap-worthy situation when I was invited over to a cookout at the last minute. One second, I thought Hunter and I would just be eating leftovers, and the next I was being asked to prepare a side to go with burgers, hot dogs, chips, fruit and other accoutrement.

Immediately, I thought I should make some kind of salad, corn, potato or otherwise. But then I remembered pasta salad and thought how easy that would be to put together quickly.

The only issue was finding a pasta salad that Hunter and I would both like, since he and I have both been disappointed by restaurant pasta salads recently. I won’t name names, but pasta salad very easily becomes bland and boring, if a cook isn’t careful.

That’s when I found this Bruschetta Pasta Salad recipe from the Country Cook, which I thought would be a fresh, light contrast to burgers and hot dogs without compromising on flavor. I modified the recipe to my own personal flavor preferences, along with the pasta shape, and I was off to the races.

Within just a few short hours, I purchased my ingredients, boiled my noodles and started chopping my veggies. But as I went, I realized I wanted to dice my tomatoes, basil and onions more finely without taking up too much time. While it felt a little ridiculous, I reached for my honeymoon chopper and started slapping.

I know everyone says their secret ingredient when they cook is love, but it was nice to have so many happy memories come back to me as I violently whacked my vegetables on my cutting board. Plus, after a few quick mixes, the Bruschetta-flavored pasta was done, and we could make new happy memories eating it with our friends.

While the slapping added to the fun of the experience, I’d recommend this Bruschetta Pasta Salad as a side for any cookout, since it was quick and delicious. Even if you don’t have a way to slap your vegetables, it’s definitely worth it.

BRUSCHETTA PASTA SALAD

Ingredients
6 cups cooked spiral pasta
3 vine ripe tomatoes, diced
1 small red onion, diced
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese
8 ounce package mozzarella pearls
1 teaspoon garlic powder
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

Directions
■ Cook the pasta according to the package instructions.
■ Once the pasta is cooked, drain and rinse under cold water. Set aside to finish cooling.
■ Dice the tomatoes and onion and chop the basil. (The smaller the pieces, the better.)
■ When the pasta is cool, add the pasta, tomatoes, onion, basil, parmesan cheese and mozzarella pearls to a large salad bowl.
■ Pour the olive oil and balsamic vinegar and sprinkle garlic powder on top. Mix well to combine.
■ Season to taste. (Taste a few times. I like it better with more pepper.)
■ Place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour to chill and the flavors to combine. Stir before serving. Serve cold.