April is calming down, this only means with our daily activities and the Snowbirds beginning to head home. Gone from the weekly schedule is Line Dancing, Yoga, and Zumba Gold, but Pickleball, Cards & Games, and Potlucks are staying. Just because Snowbirds are starting to depart that does not actually translate to The Ranch being empty we are still booked especially on the weekends we are booking 4-6 weeks out. 

Ever wondered what is recyclable and what is not? The Ranch has two big recycling bins located next to the trash compactor at the south end of the property, as well as several blue bins around the public areas. It’s amazing how fast they fill – and with what! Our residents and guests are helping to keep much reusable material out of the landfill; but not everything that gets tossed into the bins belongs there.
The three basic rules are: Recycle bottles, cans, paper and cardboard; keep food and liquid out of recycling; no loose plastic bags or bagged recyclables.

Rule № 1 is easy – Almost all glass bottles and aluminium cans, cardboard boxes and old envelopes, and other usual items can be recycled. However, ALL CARDBOARD BOXES MUST BE FLATTENED! Also, make sure these items are relatively clean, which leads into the next tenet.
Rule № 2 is a little tougher – Cockroaches and flies love old food and especially stale beer. Help keep the bins and surrounding areas clean by washing or rinsing your bottles, cans and jars. Old pizza boxes and any container with food, crumbs or stains go into the trash.
Rule № 3 can be a little perplexing – Trash bags, loose or filmy plastic, and items like bubble- wrap and padded mailers can get caught in the ventilation system at the transfer station, so they are NOT ALLOWED. Empty your recyclables into the bin and throw away the plastic bag.
Guidelines for recyclable and non-recyclable items are posted on the front of the bins. Waste Management can and does levy fines on SHANGRI LA RANCH for gross violations of their recycling rules. This is why Ranch staff spends a lot of time each day sieving through our bins looking for unacceptable stuff like  automobile and RV parts, broken appliances, household garbage, medical devices, tattered clothing, used furniture, and a few “personal items” we would rather not mention. Some of us may remember when Patty and Cyndi brought a collection of junk to the annual Membership Meeting a few years ago. Not a pretty sight! Please keep up the great job of sorting and recycling – and help us maintain good relations with our recycling company by following their three basic rules.

Cook Time15minutes mins

CuisineAmerican

CourseMain Course

Servings4

Calories277cal

Ingredients

• ▢1 tablespoon salted butter

• ▢1½ cups uncooked orzo pasta (about 278 grams)

• ▢2 cloves garlic finely minced

• ▢2½ cups low sodium vegetable or chicken broth

• ▢½ teaspoon salt

• ▢¼ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

• ▢⅓ cup cream any kind — heavy cream will give richer flavor, light cream will be a bit thinner

• ▢2 tablespoons grated Parmesan

• ▢2 tablespoons fresh parsley

• ▢Juice of 1 lemon

Instructions

• Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the orzo and garlic and toast 1-2 minutes.

• Stir in the broth, salt and pepper.

• Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium-low, cover and simmer, stirring often. Cook until most of the liquid is absorbed and the pasta is cooked to your preference (about 10 minutes). (If you want to cook the pasta further but the liquid is gone, just add a splash more broth).

• Stir in cream, Parmesan and parsley. Add lemon juice gradually, tasting as you go, until the flavor is to your preference. Serve.

Notes

Ingredients and Substitutions:

• Orzo: you could use another pasta here, but stick to the very small varieties for best results: alphabet, ditalini, etc. 

• Cream: any kind of cream will work here. The heavier the cream, the richer and thicker the sauce. You can also omit the cream for a non-creamy version of this lemon pasta, but you will likely need to add additional broth to compensate.

• Lemon: If you are looking for more lemony flavor, feel free to add some lemon zest to this recipe as well!

Storage:

Fridge: you can store this recipe in the fridge up to 4 days. To reheat, add a splash of broth, cream or water to keep it saucy.

Freezer: this recipe can be frozen. but keep in mind that pasta will have a softer texture after thawing that may not appeal to everyone.