kinda like a countdown.
a little sad, a little happy. I love routine of the school, the tutors, the sports, the games. eating meals somewhat with more precision and planning.
However, I will miss the lazy days at the pool or bouncy houses, putt n bounce or at the lake. Oh this is a long list of what I will miss. We really packed in the fun this year. A lot of fabulous times. Great trips too. Our adventure to BC was rockin. Our weekends at the lake...fabulous!
This summer I read more books than I have ever read. Some good, some bad, some OPENED MY EYES. lol
My perfect newfound desire (one that I actually really made time for-to try and learn) was Pinterest. Ei yi yi. a soap opera that I can follow. Wowsa, some GREAT tips and ideas. But I found the recipes I made were just outstanding. I was a hit with the meal planning and parties we went to.
I laugh because this has actually been fabulous ways to hide vegetables my "family" aka Jim does not like to eat. (In this recipe Jim doesn't like mushrooms or water chestnuts- I chopped them so finally you couldn't even tell. he loved it. ) I LOVED it!
For example: this recipe was a HUGE HIT.
Wanna-be PF Chang’s Lettuce Wraps Recipe
Serves 4
Ingredients for pouring sauce:
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup warm water
- 2 tablespoons gluten free tamari (or regular soy sauce if you’re not concerned about gluten)
- 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/8 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon hot water
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
Ingredients for stir-fry sauce:
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
Ingredients for chicken stir-fry:
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed to 1/2″
- 1 – 8oz can sliced water chestnuts, minced to the size of corn kernals
- 1/2 cup mushrooms, minced to the size of corn kernals
- 1/2 onion, chopped fine
- 3 cloves garlic, minced fine
- 6 large leaves of iceberg lettuce or nappa cabbage
To make the pouring sauce:
- In a large bowl, dissolve sugar in 1/2 cup warm water, then add soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ketchup, lemon juice and sesame oil. Mix well and throw in the fridge until you’re ready to eat.
- Just before serving, combine 1 teaspoons hot water with dijon mustard and garlic and mix in small bowl. Add to the pouring sauce, 1/2 a teaspoon at time to taste.
To make the stir-fry sauce:
- Prep the stir fry sauce by mixing soy sauce, brown sugar, and rice vinegar in a small bowl.
To make the chicken stir-fry:
- Combine oils and add to wok or large frying pan. Heat oil over high heat until it glistens, about one minute. Add chicken and saute until mostly cooked through, about 5 minutes.
- Turn the heat under the wok down to medium-high. Add another tablespoon of olive oil to the pan, wait one minute, and then add garlic, onions, water chestnuts, mushrooms, and the stir-fry sauce you prepared earlier. Stir-fry everything until the mushrooms have cooked through, about 4 minutes, and remove to a serving dish.
- Serve stir-fry with iceberg lettuce or nappa cabbage leaf wraps and top with pouring sauce.
Variation: you can do the same thing with ground beef, if you like.
okay, off to do a little back to school shopping at Calgary this week. Cannot wait!!!!
Leica