Pasta With Vegetables

The only vegetable (fruit?) I've ever grown is tomatoes. Which is kind of selfish because WD abhors tomatoes. So this year I decided to add his favorite vegetable to my little garden: squash.

That's right. He ABHORS tomatoes. As a matter of fact, there was one time when we got take out from Taco Bell and when we got home we discovered that his tacos had tomatoes on them even though "NO TOMATOES" has become a natural, instinctive, habitual add on to everything he orders. Well, he refused to eat the tacos because the tomatoes had the audacity to touch the cheese and honestly, it's been a while since this incident happened so I'm not quite sure how it was resolved. I'm sure a hissy fit was thrown and maybe a trip back to Taco Bell was made where they hid behind the counter, picked off the offending vegetable (fruit?) and gave it back to him as "brand new" taco with NO TOMATOES. And I'm sure he ate it.

Anyway. Where was I? Oh, squash. Right. WD's favorite veggie is squash and I look forward to fixing this pasta dish with my own home grown squash this summer.

2 cups uncooked penne pasta
Sauteed vegetables (zucchini, squash, bell pepper, onion, tomatoes, etc.)
1 cup chicken broth
1 TBS lemon juice
2 TBS cornstarch
1 tsp dill weed
1/4 tsp salt


Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Add sauteed vegetables to cooked pasta.

Mix together broth, lemon juice, cornstarch, dill, and salt until smooth. Microwave uncovered for 3 minutes and stir. Pour over pasta and vegetables and toss to coat.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Big pup's school had a "Water Day" yesterday where they played on those huge, inflatable water slides. Little pup was so sad that he wasn't able to participate. I wanted to make the day special for him too, so we made some peanut butter chocolate chip cookies. Besides, everyone knows that you drown your sorrows in food, right?


Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies


1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup chunky or creamy peanut butter (I use creamy natural pb)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 egg
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips


Cream the butter, peanut butter, and sugars until light.
Add the egg and mix until fluffy.
Blend the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together well.
Add dry ingredients to butter mixture.
Add the chocolate chips.
Drop dough by teaspoonfuls onto lightly greased baking sheets. Bake 10 minutes in a preheated 375 degree oven

Key Lime Pie

This is supposed to be a sweet potato puff.

I spent 2 days last week trying to make the perfect sweet potato puff but each day I wound up with orange gloop all over my kitchen. I want a puff you can pick up! Is that too much to ask?

Anyway, while I was trying to decide what else I could fix, Little pup asked me if I had any eggs. I had no idea where he was going with that line of questioning so I answered him truthfully and said yes. "We can make chocolate chip cookies then!" And although I didn't make any chocolate chip cookies, I did make a very quick and simple and delicious dessert.

Key Lime Pie

1 ready to fill graham cracker crumb crust
8 oz cream cheese, softened
14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup key lime juice (I used about 14 key limes)
cool whip (optional)
lime zest (optional)


Beat cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add sweetened condensed milk and lime juice; mix well. Pour mixture into pie shell, garnish with cool whip and lime zest, and refrigerate for several hours.