Fusilli with Walnut Pesto

I don’t know about where you are, but here on the East Coast it’s been hot. Equatorial hot. I’m talking ninety-five degree, two thousand percent humidity hot. My one mile walk to work in the morning (and I leave the house at 7am) leaves me a sweaty mess by the time I get to work. Luckily my workplace is over air-conditioned and pleasant.

When it comes to making dinner in this type of oppressive heat I like to do as little as possible. Since I never turn on the air conditioning (because I like it hot) I try not to turn on the oven that much during the summer (because I don’t like it that hot). What I cook this time of the year leans toward easy, quick and with as little preparation as possible.

Pesto is a great choice for those hot summer nights. All you have to do is boil up some pasta and grind together some other ingredients in the food processor. This meal can be thrown together in fifteen minutes, which is a good thing after you’ve walked the mile home and are now really tired and sweaty.

Or maybe you can find someone nice to make this for you? Print out the recipe and leave it in a conspicuous place. Perhaps someone will feel bad for you when you melt into the floor.

Don't you wish you had a salt pig as cute as this!??!!

Chilled Asparagus Salad

Boulder, Colorado is many things. It is crazy beautiful (I have included pictures as proof). There are too many things to do. The weather is fantastic year-round. It is the gateway to the Rockies. Boulder has so much going for it.

The one thing that Boulder has going against it? Boulder is very far from Home. I can tell you exactly how far it is… Two full days in a car, driving through endless corn fields, then endless nothingness (aka Nebraska. Sorry Nebraska, you know you’re empty). Buffalo, New York to Boulder, Colorado is a twenty-four hour drive, through seven states, gaining thousands of feet in altitude. If you want to fly back home to Buffalo it takes at least five hours. Along the way you lose two hours by way of the time zone change.

It is because of this distance that I took very few trips home during my time there. And because of this, I am so glad for the friends that I made in Colorado. The people of Colorado are unbelievably friendly, kind people. My friends in the west are exactly that.

Last Christmas I found myself an orphan. Staying in Colorado for the holidays to work, dog watch and teach a ridiculous number of group X classes. My fabulous Colorado friends would not hear of me spending the holiday by myself. I cannot thank them enough for their kindness of inviting me into the fold with their family.

What a fantastic Christmas dinner! Craziness, happiness, good food and good conversation. From this dinner I learned several things. 1. I have very little in common with a republican from Montana :) 2. I betray my nerdiness by stating that I’ve seen all of the Star Trek movies. (It’s true. And I’ve had several conversations about what the titles of all of them are.) 3. Jello is still delicious and 4. Even eight-year-olds like this asparagus dish.

My many thanks and lots of love goes to my friends in Colorado. I also send you this recipe, enjoy.

Raspberry-Peach Jam

Okay, so I went a little jam crazy. But can you blame me? Ripe summer peaches, bright raspberries, it had to be done. Now I need to find some more space in my freezer, or start eating toast for all my meals. Although, that’s not such a bad idea.

Toast is one of those perfect foods that can be eaten at any time. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner or even the middle of the night. Mmmm, it’s crunchy and warm, then slathered in jam… I’m hungry, time for some toast!