Creamy Linguine with Zucchini

Hehehe, I love how that rhymes...

Anyway, I made this yesterday for dinner. I really liked it! I'm not sure my husband was a huge fan, but I liked it, and my kids both liked it, so it's going to be made again, for sure.

I did NOT take this picture. Lol. I am not that amazing.

As a side note, I used minced garlic since I already had it on hand, and I thought it tasted just fine. Also, I put in more than a half cup of Alfredo sauce because I used up what was left in a bottle I already had, and I liked how it turned out. The only thing I would do differently next time is to add a little more salt. I didn't measure it out, and so I probably just didn't add enough initially. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! I mean, my younger son even asked for the leftovers for lunch today. Can it get much better than that? I think not!

Creamy Linguine with Zucchini (via Recipe.com)

Servings: 6

Prep Time: 15 minutes

1 lb linguine

2 tbs extra-virgin olive oil

3 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced

2 lbs coarsely shredded zucchini

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (4 oz)

1/2 cup bottled Alfredo sauce

Fresh basil, for garnish (optional)

1. Cook pasta following package directions. Drain; keep warm. In large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic; cook, stirring, about 30 seconds or until lightly browned.

2. Increase heat to high. Stir in zucchini, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, about 3 minutes or until tender. Add cheese and Alfredo sauce; heat through. Transfer to large bowl; toss with pasta. If desired, garnish with basil.

Yum yummm! Eat up, my friends!

Just One Year by Gayle Forman

I finished this book a few days ago:

Just One Year by Gayle Forman

Here's the synopsis from Goodreads:

Just One Day. Just One Year. Just One Read.

Before you find out how their story ends, remember how it began....

When he opens his eyes, Willem doesn’t know where in the world he is—Prague or Dubrovnik or back in Amsterdam. All he knows is that he is once again alone, and that he needs to find a girl named Lulu. They shared one magical day in Paris, and something about that day—that girl—makes Willem wonder if they aren’t fated to be together. He travels all over the world, from Mexico to India, hoping to reconnect with her. But as months go by and Lulu remains elusive, Willem starts to question if the hand of fate is as strong as he’d thought. . . .

The romantic, emotional companion to Just One Day, this is a story of the choices we make and the accidents that happen—and the happiness we can find when the two intersect.

Here was my initial reaction to the book, which you can also see on Goodreads:

Gah! The ending for this book was just as abrupt as the first, but at least it told you what happened. Good grief, I almost had a heart attack, waiting until the VERY LAST PAGE to find out! Ahh!

It was interesting to get everything from Willem's point of view, hearing what all he did during that year. I can see now why Gayle didn't write what happens after he opened the door in Just One Day, because you have to know his story to know why what he does is important.

But honestly? It wasn't fleshed out at all! I wish that we could've had more than just that last page to help us see that everything works out in the end.

It was frustrating.

But it was definitely a good book! There were a couple things I didn't like: more swearing, and Willem definitely was a promiscuous guy, especially in his past. Yikes! But I really think he was a good guy at heart and was a perfect fit for Allyson.

I'm so glad I was able to read the two books so close together! I would've gone insane waiting for this companion novel.

4 1/2 stars.

Since a few days have passed and I've conversed with my book-savvy reading sister about the book, I've come to a sort of peace about the ending. It's pretty much alluded to what Willem's going to do after the book is over, and everything will work out to everyone's happiness if he ends up doing what he plans. Anyway, there's that.

But one thing that really irks me is Willem's sleeping around. This might not bother other people, but it does for me. It might not have irritated me so much, but even as he was looking for Allyson, he was with a girl that he had dated previously. I know he was trying to move on, but still. Annoying.

Cleanness: Like I said before, there's more swearing in this one than in the companion book, Just One Day, which I reviewed HERE. Also, multiple mentions of those he's been intimate with in the past, as well as who he's currently intimate with.

Stars: I gave it 4 1/2 stars on Goodreads, but I think I'm putting it down to 4 here. It's still fun to read, just not as good as the first one.

Christmas Crack

I have a confession to make: I am not a creative cook. I cannot, for the life of me, look in my pantry and fridge, see some ingredients, and figure out how to make something new out of it all. I can follow a recipe pretty well, though, so pretty much every food (and by "pretty much every food" I really mean "every food") I post will be a recipe I've found somewhere else and wanted to share.

Phew! I feel so much better! Who else out there is with me on the non-creative cookery? I cannot be alone!

Anyway, I love Pinterest. It has provided me with many a recipe, especially desserts and treats. I wanted to share one with you. This is so simple and easy, which is part of the reason I liked it so much. It only has four ingredients, and you can't go wrong with that!

It's called Christmas Crack. (Although the original blogger called it Terribly Terrific Toffee...) I think it was renamed on Pinterest because, dude... this stuff is as addictive as the drug. I couldn't stop eating it! I had to hide it in my pantry so that my boys and I would stop thinking about it and grabbing a piece every time we passed it. Seriously.

First, I lined up all the crackers on a smaller cookie sheet. It calls for 40 saltines, but I halved a couple to make it extend all the way to the end of the baking sheet.

Gotta love the iPhone pictures... Notice the half-crackers on the right side.

Then I put the brown sugar and butter in a saucepan and let them simmer for a little bit. As a side note, make sure that if you use a spatula, you use one that's made for hot temperatures... I ended up melting the tip of mine a little bit! Evidence #1 of my amazing cooking prowess!

When it was all nice and thick, I poured it on top of the crackers. Another tip: don't pour it all in the middle, like I did. It will push the crackers around and it makes it a lot more difficult to spread around. Evidence of my cooking prowess #2! And this is for an easy recipe! Haha! Then I baked it in the oven until it was all bubbly and yummy.

And now I'm ashamed to say that I don't have any other pictures, except for the ending product. After baking the crackers and the brown sugar/butter mixture and letting it sit a few minutes, you top it with chocolate chips. The original blog said to use semi-sweet chocolate chips, but I used milk chocolate because I like milk chocolate better. After the chocolate chips began to melt, I spread the chocolate all over the crackers. Then I let it cool and harden.

Ok, I'm kidding. I put it in the fridge to hurry it up! I wanted some in my belly!

Not the best pictures, and they don't do the deliciousness justice, but honestly. Just give it a try. You'll thank me later!

Christmas Crack Recipe, as taken from the blog A Southern Grace

1 cup unsalted butter (no margarine allowed)

1 cup brown sugar, packed tightly

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (or milk chocolate...)

40 saltine crackers

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line a 15x10-inch jelly roll pan or a 12x17-inch cookie sheet with foil and spray with non-stick spray. Lay a flat layer of crackers out on the foil. Melt the sugar and butter until a boil is reached. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 5-6 minutes or until mixture is thickened and sugar is completely dissolved. Pour this mixture over the crackers and spread to coat evenly. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the toffee becomes bubbly. After removing the pan from the oven, let it sit for 3-5 minutes. Sprinkle on the chocolate chips, let them soften and melt, and then spread them into an even layer. (You can add nuts, cracker crumbs, or whatever else floats your boat at this point.) Let cool and, if desired for expediting purposes, refrigerate until hardened. Break into pieces the size of your choice. I personally prefer a hand-sized chunk.