Frosted Orange Sugar Cookies AND a Gluten-free Pasta Entree

Remember the cookie mixes I recently put together? I pulled one sugar cookie mix packet out yesterday morning to make a treat for a meeting today.


FROSTED ORANGE SUGAR COOKIES

Following the instructions, I added one stick (1/2 cup) of softened butter and one egg to the dry ingredients. In place of the 1/2 tsp. vanilla, I substituted 1/2 tsp. orange extract and finely grated zest from one medium orange. The result was a light sugar cookie with a hint of orange.

I thawed leftover buttercream icing from the freezer and added just enough orange juice to reach a suitable spreading consistency. Oh, yes, I added one “drop” of no-taste red coloring and one “drop” of yellow searching for a common orange color but ending up with a rather pleasing “creamsicle” look.

After topping each cookie with white and orange decorative candies, I plated them. Normally, I’d leave them out on a counter, but it was hot and humid yesterday so I stored them in the refrigerator.






CORN PASTA WITH SQUASH STRIPS



One of the food blogs that I follow featured a pasta dish that included wide, colorful strips of zucchini and yellow summer squash.

I loved the look of the squashes and decided to create my own meal using what I had on hand.

* Gluten-free corn pasta (cooked according to directions on package)

* Olive oil in a large fry pan with chopped onion and a handful of fresh parsley from the garden. (The parsley is delicious when it crisps up.)

Look ~ another use for your supply of zucchini!
* After the onion cooked, I added strips of zucchini and yellow summer squash (used a vegetable peeler to make the strips), garlic powder, leftover Canadian bacon--diced, leftover chicken breast--diced, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

* Only took a few minutes for the squashes to cook and the meats to warm up.

* Drained the pasta and added it to the vegetable/meat mixture.

This was so tasty especially when served with fresh, young salad greens from my garden, topped with a new salad dressing I’m trying out: Maple Grove Farms of Vermont Fat Free Balsamic Dressing (no high fructose corn syrup and it’s gluten-free).




Really good! Especially when followed by a couple of Frosted Orange Sugar Cookies.


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Monday schedule...



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