So as Sid would say "Sunny Again?"
After a weeks of pouring rain we had a fabulous sunny day. I took the kids to library story time, and then we headed to the park for a picnic lunch and some playground time. It was a good outing since we have been cooped up all week trying to catch up on housework. Its always catchup at our house. I still have high expectations that one day I will be in a maintenance phase of cleaning and not a catch up phase.
Matt got another door swapped out last night(we are slowly replacing doors to panel white doors instead of the flat standard that came with the house). I am so excited, and grateful that he is working so hard on home improvement projects. He put in garage shelves so the garage is looking awesome. We have a little bit more to do and then everything will be off the floor. (anyone who knows me, knows that I love working in the garage and it is my sanctuary, so to have an organized sanctuary is so exciting.) Little by little we will get our home like we want it, it may be 10 years from now, but it will happen eventually. It feels really good to make progress.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Copy Cat recipe for PF chang's Mongolian Beef
So if you are dying for a new recipe to try, here is a good one. The ingredients are not too fancy and the taste is phenominal. If you like chinese food you will love this one. My Hubby found and has cooked this recipe probably three times now. I think he was ready for something new, and you won't see me complaining about somebody else cooking dinner. So he found this recipe on www.recipeczar.com which also has a recipe for avacado eggrolls from the cheesecake factory(that is the only thing I go to the cheesecake factory for). I was a little less excited for the eggrolls after I saw the fat grams and nutritional information. Anyway here is the recipe for the mongolian Beef. You are crazy if you don't at least try it.
Ingredients
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon ginger, minced
1 tablespoon garlic, chopped
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
vegetable oilvegetable oil-->vegetable oil-->, for frying (about 1 cup)
1 lb flank steakflank steak-->flank steaks-->
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 large green onion
Directions
1Make the sauce by heating 2 tsp of vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over med/low heat.
2Don't get the oil too hot.
3Add ginger and garlic to the pan and quickly add the soy sauce and water before the garlic scorches.
4Dissolve the brown sugar in the sauce, then raise the heat to about medium and boil the sauce for 2-3 minutes or until the sauce thickens.
5Remove it from the heat.
6Slice the flank steak against the grain into 1/4" thick bite-size slices.
7Tilt the blade of your knife at about a forty five degree angle to the top of the steak so that you get wider cuts.
8Dip the steak pieces into the cornstarch to apply a very thin dusting to both sides of each piece of beef.
9Let the beef sit for about 10 minutes so that the cornstarch sticks.
10As the beef sits, heat up one cup of oil in a wok (you may also use a skillet for this step as long as the beef will be mostly covered with oil).
11Heat the oil over medium heat until it's nice and hot, but not smoking.
12Add the beef to the oil and sauté for just two minutes, or until the beef just begins to darken on the edges.
13You don't need a thorough cooking here since the beef is going to go back on the heat later.
14Stir the meat around a little so that it cooks evenly.
15After a couple minutes, use a large slotted spoon to take the meat out and onto paper towels, then pour the oil out of the wok or skillet.
16Put the pan back over the heat, dump the meat back into it and simmer for one minute.
17Add the sauce, cook for one minute while stirring, then add all the green onions.
18Cook for one more minute, then remove the beef and onions with tongs or a slotted spoon to a serving plate.
19Leave the excess sauce behind in the pan.
Ingredients
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon ginger, minced
1 tablespoon garlic, chopped
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
vegetable oilvegetable oil-->vegetable oil-->, for frying (about 1 cup)
1 lb flank steakflank steak-->flank steaks-->
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 large green onion
Directions
1Make the sauce by heating 2 tsp of vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over med/low heat.
2Don't get the oil too hot.
3Add ginger and garlic to the pan and quickly add the soy sauce and water before the garlic scorches.
4Dissolve the brown sugar in the sauce, then raise the heat to about medium and boil the sauce for 2-3 minutes or until the sauce thickens.
5Remove it from the heat.
6Slice the flank steak against the grain into 1/4" thick bite-size slices.
7Tilt the blade of your knife at about a forty five degree angle to the top of the steak so that you get wider cuts.
8Dip the steak pieces into the cornstarch to apply a very thin dusting to both sides of each piece of beef.
9Let the beef sit for about 10 minutes so that the cornstarch sticks.
10As the beef sits, heat up one cup of oil in a wok (you may also use a skillet for this step as long as the beef will be mostly covered with oil).
11Heat the oil over medium heat until it's nice and hot, but not smoking.
12Add the beef to the oil and sauté for just two minutes, or until the beef just begins to darken on the edges.
13You don't need a thorough cooking here since the beef is going to go back on the heat later.
14Stir the meat around a little so that it cooks evenly.
15After a couple minutes, use a large slotted spoon to take the meat out and onto paper towels, then pour the oil out of the wok or skillet.
16Put the pan back over the heat, dump the meat back into it and simmer for one minute.
17Add the sauce, cook for one minute while stirring, then add all the green onions.
18Cook for one more minute, then remove the beef and onions with tongs or a slotted spoon to a serving plate.
19Leave the excess sauce behind in the pan.
Saturday, April 5, 2008
daddy pushups
So whenever an adult lays on the floor at our house, there is incoming. They run, they jump, and they plop right on your back . Yesterday the two little ones got to go for a ride as dad showed his strength. He said I should title this picture, "Round is a shape, right?" Funny dad.
Friday, April 4, 2008
A Day in The Life
So we started our day off watching a friends little girl, Isabella, she will be here all day. And then we had a play date set up for H so he had his friend Collin here to play. It went fairly incident free. We always pray for our day to be incident free, ha ha. (I don't think poopy diapers count as incidents, or do they?) Then our neighbors and friends the Knowles came by to play, so we had a full day of kids and more kids. What fun would the day be if we didn't throw in a little crazy. The kids helped me roll oat groat into rolled oats for granola. They always have a good time turning the handle to the roller. And we also started a batch of Peanut Butter cookies, but discovered after we started that we were short some eggs so we hunted down some neighbors and borrowed a few eggs. so its almost time for Eth to be home from school, and the day has flown by. We love it when Eth gets home from school, he is fun to be around.
So if anyone wonders what I do all day. Here it is. I squeezed in some dish duty, and laundry folding and washing. I vacuumed upstairs and have started cleaning the loft. Ta Da
So if anyone wonders what I do all day. Here it is. I squeezed in some dish duty, and laundry folding and washing. I vacuumed upstairs and have started cleaning the loft. Ta Da
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Helicopter, Helicopter . . .
Well the big moment arrived. The helicopter came today at school, and the egg drops were loaded. And Ethan's egg survived the drop!!! Can you believe it? I went with Hayden to watch, and Ethan was with his class. He was so proud of himself, and they put it in the display case at school. His straws and glue were a soft cushioning success. It was pretty fun to get to watch. The news camera's were there, and I am going to have to stay up late to see if they got Ethan on there. I am sure they did. I missed the early news, bummer since I am tired and news doesn't start here until eleven. What is up with that? I never watch it anymore. Doesn't he look thrilled? He was super excited, but this picture is forty five minutes later, and he was done. Doesn't the helicopter look like it should be on magnum PI?
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
The science fair medal
So this morning, my four kids and I got up and out the door by eight to get Ethan's science fair stuff set up. It went fairly smoothly, and we got home without incident which is always a good thing. We had an absolutely gorgeous day, and like every sunny day, Sidney walks to the back door, looks out and proclaims in the most surprised and almost annoyed voice "Sunny Again?" Does that mean it isn't sunny very often? You betcha!
When Ethan got home from school he had a very LARGE medal around his neck. And this wasn't a dollar store medal (apparently our school grows money on the bushes out back). It was solid and heavy, and you better believe Eth was whipping that thing around. Because what child doesn't fling objects on a string around and around. Regardless it did get whipped around and he did hit himself in the side of the head, and I forget how loud a seven year old boy can cry. Yes I said cry and did I mention cry Loudly. Let us compare it to the wailing and gnashing of teeth.
Soon after the pain ceased and all was well, his memory failed him. . . yes it did fail him. I know what you are thinking, "he must have done it again." Nope sorry, there was no more physical pain involved. He starts flinging it around and it slips. Yet no pain was involved, but you would have thought so. This thing sailed up, and up into the sky and then it came down. And where did it land? On the roof of the house. Ethan's arm might as well have been cut off with the screaming and crying that ensued. He instantly thought it was irretrievable. He was wailing, and putting his hands on his face, screaming no! no!nooooooo! I don't want to know what the neighbors thought of the spectacle, but I was trying to hold back my amusement. It took alot of convincing for him to think it was possible to retrieve.
I hope he forgives me, not for writing it now. But for reading it to his new wife in twenty years.
It may be a had to be there moment, I wish I had a video camera. I think I would have won 10000 dollars.
On a side note, Ethan's egg drop survived the ladder today, so tomorrow it will be dropped from a helicopter at the school. He is so proud of himself, and we are proud of him, too. Even if he is a little emotional about his "precious".
When Ethan got home from school he had a very LARGE medal around his neck. And this wasn't a dollar store medal (apparently our school grows money on the bushes out back). It was solid and heavy, and you better believe Eth was whipping that thing around. Because what child doesn't fling objects on a string around and around. Regardless it did get whipped around and he did hit himself in the side of the head, and I forget how loud a seven year old boy can cry. Yes I said cry and did I mention cry Loudly. Let us compare it to the wailing and gnashing of teeth.
Soon after the pain ceased and all was well, his memory failed him. . . yes it did fail him. I know what you are thinking, "he must have done it again." Nope sorry, there was no more physical pain involved. He starts flinging it around and it slips. Yet no pain was involved, but you would have thought so. This thing sailed up, and up into the sky and then it came down. And where did it land? On the roof of the house. Ethan's arm might as well have been cut off with the screaming and crying that ensued. He instantly thought it was irretrievable. He was wailing, and putting his hands on his face, screaming no! no!nooooooo! I don't want to know what the neighbors thought of the spectacle, but I was trying to hold back my amusement. It took alot of convincing for him to think it was possible to retrieve.
I hope he forgives me, not for writing it now. But for reading it to his new wife in twenty years.
It may be a had to be there moment, I wish I had a video camera. I think I would have won 10000 dollars.
On a side note, Ethan's egg drop survived the ladder today, so tomorrow it will be dropped from a helicopter at the school. He is so proud of himself, and we are proud of him, too. Even if he is a little emotional about his "precious".
window update
I have got sooo many good ideas for my window. I might have to use more than one. First, I am leaning towards using something similar to this picture that Alison sent. I am still trying to decide on a saying so I would love some input. Something classic and inspiring. . . I would love something that you don't see everywhere. Anyway. I have a friend at church that just bought a letter cutting machine so I think I will buy from her once I decide on a saying.
I love new projects.
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