This afternoon I got my Great Fundraising Act contribution ready for mailing tomorrow.

Would you like to see what hand-rolling 30+ sugar cookie balls does to your palms?

Ouch!  But at least it makes it ok for me to get caught red-handed having a reward for my hard work.

Sugar cookie frosting sandwich, x2.

My snack embodied sweet, so dinner was savory.

Cheesy Peasy Garlic Pasta (recipe available here and included at the end of this post).

Plus a side of roasted asparagus.

I was so excited about the creation of this recipe – which totally achieved the thick, cheesy sauce I was shooting for – but unfortunately it didn’t really fill me up.  I wasn’t sure if I was really hungry or residually hungry though, so I decided to wait a bit before refilling my plate.  Adam had a volunteering commitment in our neighborhood so I walked with him to deliver a cookie sandwich to the friend he was meeting (hi, Patrick!).

When my stomach was still grumbly mid-walk I decided to stop by the co-op for some protein.  Waldorf chicken salad fit the bill.

It filled me up and pleased my taste buds, yum!  If you haven’t tried grapes in chicken salad yet you don’t know what you’re missing.

Cheesy Peasy Garlic Pasta, serves 4

• 8 oz uncooked rigatoni
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 6 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
• 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 2 Tbsp reduced fat cream cheese
• 1 cup skim milk
• 4 oz extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 2 Tbsp fat-free ricotta

1. Cook pasta al dente according to box directions.  In the last three minutes of cooking time, add frozen peas to the boiling water.  Drain peas and pasta and set aside.
2. While pasta is cooking, heat evoo in a large pan over medium-high heat.
3. Add garlic to the oil and saute for 2 minutes; remove from pan and set aside.
4. Add flour and cream cheese to the pan and cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
5. Add milk to the roux mixture and cook 3 more minutes, stirring constantly until thickened.  Don’t worry if your mixture still is lumpy at this stage.
6. Reduce heat to low and stir in cheddar cheese and ricotta.  When the sauce has fully mixed and achieved a smooth texture, remove the pan from the heat.
7. Add pasta, peas, and cooked garlic to the sauce in the pan; toss to combine.
8. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve with a vegetable.