Linguine with Asparagus, Parmesan, and Bacon

from: Jess original

Ingredients
2 bags mini marshmallows
half a stick of butter
1 cup (approx?) peanut butter
rice cereal (rice krispies or similar) … 8 cups? I dunno
1 bag (larger) milk-chocolate chips

Directions
This is basically the recipe for rice krispie treats, but with a peanut butter chocolate cast to them. So you melt up the butter and then you add the marshmallows and melt them in like 1 min increments, stirring in between until they're all melty. Then you spoon in a bunch of peanut butter … until it looks more peanut butter colored. Then you toss in a bunch of rice krispies until it's the right consistency. I like fewer rice krispies in mine than the old recipes call for, but whatever you like. Then you smush the whole blob into a greased 9×13 pan and then you pour the chocolate chips over it in an even layer. Then you stick the whole thing in an oven (I did a couple of minutes broil this time, but next time I think I'll do 350 for a bit longer, maybe) and then the chocolate gets all melty and you can smooth it out with a spoon or knife or whatever so there's a layer on the top.

from: Cooking Light October 2003

Ingredients
4 cups cubed peeled Yukon gold potato (about 2 pounds)
1/2 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
1/4 cup low-fat sour cream
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Place potato in a saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until tender. Drain. Return potato to pan. Add milk and remaining ingredients; mash with a potato masher to desired consistency.
Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 3/4 cup)

Nutritional Info (3/4 cup(
CALORIES 215(30% from fat); FAT 7.1g (sat 4.5g,mono 1.8g,poly 0.3g); PROTEIN 4.5g; CHOLESTEROL 20mg; CALCIUM 51mg; SODIUM 280mg; FIBER 2.4g; IRON 0.7mg; CARBOHYDRATE 34.5g Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough

from: Cooking Light May 2006

Ingredients
3 cups (1-inch) sliced asparagus (about 1 pound)
1 (9-ounce) package refrigerated linguine
4 bacon slices (uncooked)
1 cup chopped onion
2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 cups grape or cherry tomatoes
3/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup (2 ounces) preshredded Parmesan cheese
Shaved Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions
Cook asparagus and pasta according to pasta package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain; set aside.
Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until crisp; cool slightly. Remove bacon from the pan, reserving 2 teaspoons drippings in pan. Crumble bacon. Add onion, garlic, and oregano to drippings in the pan; sauté 4 minutes or until onion is lightly browned. Add tomatoes; cook 2 minutes. Add broth; bring to a boil. Stir in butter, salt, and pepper; remove from heat. Place asparagus mixture in a large bowl; add tomato mixture and juice, tossing well. Top with bacon and shredded cheese. Garnish with shaved Parmesan, if desired.

Nutritional Info (2 cups pasta mixture, 2 T cheese(
CALORIES 360(30% from fat); FAT 11.9g (sat 5.3g,mono 3.9g,poly 0.8g); PROTEIN 16.9g; CHOLESTEROL 23mg; CALCIUM 171mg; SODIUM 683mg; FIBER 5.6g; IRON 1.3mg; CARBOHYDRATE 46.1g

Creamy Herbed Mash Potatoes

from: Jess original

Ingredients
2 bags mini marshmallows
half a stick of butter
1 cup (approx?) peanut butter
rice cereal (rice krispies or similar) … 8 cups? I dunno
1 bag (larger) milk-chocolate chips

Directions
This is basically the recipe for rice krispie treats, but with a peanut butter chocolate cast to them. So you melt up the butter and then you add the marshmallows and melt them in like 1 min increments, stirring in between until they're all melty. Then you spoon in a bunch of peanut butter … until it looks more peanut butter colored. Then you toss in a bunch of rice krispies until it's the right consistency. I like fewer rice krispies in mine than the old recipes call for, but whatever you like. Then you smush the whole blob into a greased 9×13 pan and then you pour the chocolate chips over it in an even layer. Then you stick the whole thing in an oven (I did a couple of minutes broil this time, but next time I think I'll do 350 for a bit longer, maybe) and then the chocolate gets all melty and you can smooth it out with a spoon or knife or whatever so there's a layer on the top.

from: Cooking Light October 2003

Ingredients
4 cups cubed peeled Yukon gold potato (about 2 pounds)
1/2 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
1/4 cup low-fat sour cream
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Place potato in a saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until tender. Drain. Return potato to pan. Add milk and remaining ingredients; mash with a potato masher to desired consistency.
Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 3/4 cup)

Nutritional Info (3/4 cup(
CALORIES 215(30% from fat); FAT 7.1g (sat 4.5g,mono 1.8g,poly 0.3g); PROTEIN 4.5g; CHOLESTEROL 20mg; CALCIUM 51mg; SODIUM 280mg; FIBER 2.4g; IRON 0.7mg; CARBOHYDRATE 34.5g Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough

Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunch Bars

from: Jess original

Ingredients
2 bags mini marshmallows
half a stick of butter
1 cup (approx?) peanut butter
rice cereal (rice krispies or similar) … 8 cups? I dunno
1 bag (larger) milk-chocolate chips

Directions
This is basically the recipe for rice krispie treats, but with a peanut butter chocolate cast to them. So you melt up the butter and then you add the marshmallows and melt them in like 1 min increments, stirring in between until they're all melty. Then you spoon in a bunch of peanut butter … until it looks more peanut butter colored. Then you toss in a bunch of rice krispies until it's the right consistency. I like fewer rice krispies in mine than the old recipes call for, but whatever you like. Then you smush the whole blob into a greased 9×13 pan and then you pour the chocolate chips over it in an even layer. Then you stick the whole thing in an oven (I did a couple of minutes broil this time, but next time I think I'll do 350 for a bit longer, maybe) and then the chocolate gets all melty and you can smooth it out with a spoon or knife or whatever so there's a layer on the top.

Weekend at Vail

We spent all weekend up in Vail. We were officially there on baby-sitting duty for a friend's wedding, but we managed to sneak in a lot of fun on the side including some mountain biking (the guys anyhow) and some hiking. The weather was amazing … bright and clear and 20 degrees cooler up there than in the city.

I took exactly 0 photos… I really need to get my photographer back on before we go on vacation later this week or that trip will end up similarly. Oh well!

Ode to the Little Green

Dear Little Green,
Perhaps when I first spotted you on that shelf in Target, I was drawn to you by your nice green color … or perhaps it was that lovely on-sale pricetag that you were sporting. $20 off is nothing to scoff at, after all. But what I really think drove me to bring you home was the idea that you would make the times when I must shell out on the order of $500 to the carpet cleaning company fewer and farther between. I'll admit, from the first I was impressed. You handled the little spots with ease. But my adore has escalated to full on love, for on Tuesday night, you returned my precious CR-V to its former sheen. The remanents of spilled sodas and dribbled doggy slobber gone, my car is as beautiful as the day it was brought home and I am very grateful indeed.

I think this is the beginning of a beautiful relationship.

Data Dots

Via FreshArrivalDatadots are teeny dots (smaller than a grain of sand) that you stick on your valuables and then register with the datadots service … so wherever your stuff goes, it's got an ID tag on it. They say it's theft-preventing too, but I'm not quite sure I believe that…. anyhow, very interesting idea.

Out of Towner

This crazy guy came to CO for a conference this week. We were lucky enough to get an evening with him yesterday. We went to the little Italian restaurant by our house and had good food, then we went back to our house with some take-away dessert and sat on the back patio chatting and having drinkies. It was one of those beautiful Colorado summer nights … the perefect temperature and no humidity … lovely. A very nearly perfect night.

Another Weekend Shot!

We had a very nice and busy weekend. I was in the field all day Friday working on some file storage issues, so my Friday went very quickly. Friday evening, we went to dinner for my mom's birthday. We went to the Melting Pot in Louisville, CO. If you've never been to one before, I really do recommend them. My favorite bits are the cheese fondue appetizer and the chocolate dessert fondue…. mmmm. The atmosphere is nice as well; you're usually off on your own and you can talk easily. This particular Melting Pot was in a mine themed building (possibly a 70s remnant?) that they'd over-hauled. A very nice evening. Continue reading “Another Weekend Shot!”

Happy Birthday, Mum!


I have the distinct pleasure of being able to wish my good friend and mom a very very happy birthday today. If I didn't know it before, in the past year my mom has clearly demonstrated her willingness to put others before herself in their time of need. I'm so proud to call her mom and friend and I'm so very lucky to have her in my life… as we all are. Happiest of happy birthdays, Mum!