While On The Subject Of Yummy

Boulder's got this restaurant called Antica Roma. Antica Roma's got this entrée called "Noce e Zucca." In English, that's "perfect creamy fattening divine goodness involving walnuts and butternut squash and various moaning noises." (Stick that in your phrase book and take it to Italy.)

Here's how I have something very much like it at home for exceedingly cheap.

• Roast* a couple handfuls of diced squashies. Which type? Eh. Your choice. I have some zuccini in the fridge and a bag of frozen butternut in the freezer.
  
• Cook the pasta from a box of Annie's Peace Parmesan. Alfredo Shells & Cheddar will do in a pinch.
  *If in a hurry, cook squashies by tossing them in with the pasta during the last couple minutes of boilage.
  
• While pasta drains, simmer together 1/4 C heavy whipping cream and 1 Tbl sherry or whatever else you have on hand and like to cook with.
  
• Toss in a handful of crushed walnuts.
  
• Dump in pasta and squashies. Mix thoroughly.
  
• Commence with the yummy.
  

Those Crabapples ARE Edible After All

These are my plans:

• Pick about 10 ripe crabapples. Ripe means red.
  
• Mince 'em with a vengeance and no mercy. Seeds? Meh. Seeds never hurt anybody.
  
• Stick 'em in a pot with a couple tablespoons honey. Simmer simmer simmer. Destination: mush.
  
• Put the mush in a PIE. (A small one. More like a tart, really.)

I'll let you know how it works out.

Things That Go Bump In The Night

Something just went "clunk" in the air conditioner.

I performed a roll call and both cats answered "present." (Actually, they said "Go 'way, we're napping.") So it's not them. Also nothing fell off the air conditioner unit outside. Compost bucket, check! Orchid replanting materials, check!

What goes "clunk" inside an air conditioner wall unit?

My theory is hamsters. Because hamsters is what makes things run. I think my air conditioner running hamster fell off its wheel and hurt its little footsies. This is unfortunate. We've been having an upper-nineties summer and we need that A/C unit working.

Do you figure McGuckin's carries replacement A/C hamsters?