We watched our friend’s two dogs this weekend. They’re sweet little things, Leah and Skyler, who want nothing more than a few scratches and a comfy place to lay down. Oh, and to chase Crouton. They wanted that, too.
As you can imagine, Crouton was not pleased by this turn of events. We’ve traumatized her a lot lately, as last weekend we moved everything out of the kitchen and ripped up the floor to lay tiles. I think she was sure we were moving her again — we have a habit of doing that, as this house is her fourth place of residence in her three short years of life — so she was probably relieved when everything returned to normal.
And then we let the dogs in the house.
Luckily, there was no blood when the dogs cornered Crouton (or did Crouton corner the dogs? Honestly, I think she hand the upper hand in this situation); however, I did received the following text message from David on Saturday night when I was in Annapolis: “Crouton just reduced Leah to noises I have never heard a dog make before.” I was slightly worried, but we managed to get the dogs back to our friends in one piece.
After all, what dog would really want to mess with this linebacker?
A few weeks ago, we celebrated Memorial Day weekend with not one, not two, but three barbecues in three days. I wasn’t responsible for hosting any of them (thank goodness!), but I did have to contribute a dish for the neighborhood potluck on Friday night. Because people go crazy for anything with the word “buffalo chicken,” I thought a buffalo chicken pasta salad might do just the trick.
This slightly-spicy pasta salad was fine the first night, but tasted much better when I brought leftovers to the second barbecue on Saturday. So, lesson learned — make it the night before and let the flavors mingle for 24 hours before serving.
Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad
1 pound shaped pasta, cooked and drained
2 cups chicken, cooked and chopped
Half a bottle of Lawry’s Buffalo BBQ sauce (or to taste)
Half a bottle of ranch dressing (or to taste)
3 celery stalks, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
Combine the buffalo barbecue sauce and ranch dressing in a small bowl and taste. Adjust the ratios to your liking. Combine the pasta, chicken, celery, and carrots in a large bowl and pour the dressing over it. Mix thoroughly. Place in the fridge and chill for 12 to 24 hours before serving.
