Since it's Dining Month here at OnMilwaukee.com, I thought I would share two great recipes I tried recently. The first one is for Rachel Ray's hot and cold spicy noodles and the second is for homemade playdough, which came from my mentor / friend Debbie. I wouldn't serve them together.

Hot and cold sesame noodles (from Rachel Ray's "30-Minute Meals.")
1/2 lb. spaghetti
1/4 cup Tamari dark soy, eyeball it
1/4 rounded cup smooth peanut butter, softened in microwave 15 seconds on high
2 tablespoons cider or rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil, eyeball it
2 tablespoons hot sauce
2 cups shredded cabbage and carrot mix, available in produce department
1 cup bean sprouts or pea shoots, any variety, available in produce department
3 scallions, chopped on an angle
2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Cook pasta to al dente, with a bite to it, then cold shock it to stop the cooking process by running it under cold water in colander. Drain the pasta very well.

In the bottom of a large bowl, whisk together soy, peanut butter, vinegar, oil, sesame oil, and hot sauce. Add noodles and veggies and toss to combine the noodles and coat them evenly with sauce. Sprinkle scallions and sesame seeds throughout the salad and serve.

Kool-Aid playdough
3 cups flour
1 package unsweetened Kool-aid dissolved in 2 cups boiling water
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup salt,
1 tablespoon alum (found in the spice section)

Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add oil to water and then add to the bowl. Mix well and knead with extra flour (may take up to 1 cup) until it feels right. Store in an airtight container.

Note: This playdough smells really good because of the Kool-Aid. If your kid isn't old enough to know not to eat it, switch out the Kool-Aid and add a few drops of food coloring instead.