The other day I bought half a pint of cream.

Then I had to use up half a pint of cream. It's not gone yet. I may have to make some scalloped potatoes just so we can eat it before it goes off. Isn't that what always happens with cream? I can't even get through a pint of straight milk, which I even drink, without it dying on me.

I suppose I should think of this as good, since I'm clearly not relying much on dairy products. Instead it's just irritating to feel wasteful. So then I end up eating three things with heavy cream within four days. I think we're going to need to start inviting people over for dinner more often.

In the meantime, I had these two highly inventive and totally different dinners.

Pasta with red cream sauce

olive oil
shallot
red onion
crushed tomato
cream
asiago cheese
basil, oregano, salt, pepper
fresh parsley
pasta

Soften chopped shallot and red onion in olive oil. This combination will make for a pretty sweet sauce; you can sub garlic or etc if you have or want it. Season with some basil and oregano. Add tomatoes, salt, and pepper at an appropriate point and simmer together until clearly tasty. Really, it's standard red sauce. Easy.

Use a chunky pasta. Cook it while the sauce is simmering. Drain it.

When things are cooked, dump the drained pasta into your tomato business. Pour a little cream over the business, then grate any cheese you might want on top. Mix. Serve with a bunch of chopped fresh parsley and a big green salad.

Pasta with white cream sauce

olive oil
lots of garlic
mushrooms
cream
salt, pepper
fresh parsley
pasta

Chop up a bunch of garlic and soften it slowly in olive oil. Chop your mushrooms into big chunks and add them. Soften it all while your pasta is cooking.

When the pasta is done, drain it. Pour maybe a quarter or a third cup of cream into the garlic and mushrooms. Let it warm just until it bubbles, then turn off the heat and dump the drained pasta in. Mix it all up with a bunch of ground pepper and a tiny bit of salt.

Eat it with another bunch of fresh parsley and another big green salad.

Maybe I just haven't been eating enough salad.