Just Learning

I'm trying to figure out how to blog away from my blogger. I've attempted several times to post from my cell, but I must be doing it wrong. So here is attempt one at email posting. We'll see.

New Noodles

I've not only been lazy about blogging I've been lazy bones in the kitchen too.  Sometimes it seems as if we eat the same thing over and over.  We've been in a rut here lately with weekly servings of spaghetti, roasted chicken and potatoes, red meat with garlic salad, pizza and more chicken.  Granted all of that is homemade, with the exception of the pizza. Kevin has been great about cooking while I was working late and on weekends, but now that my summer hiatus has officially begun I've decided it's time to get back to what I do best...experimenting in the kitchen.

I wanted to make Asian food last night, but I don't have a large repertoire of Asian recipes floating around in my head.  I grabbed an issue of Fine Cooking hoping for a great new recipe.  I found an article entitled Use Your Noodle which listed recipes using a range of Asian style noodles.  I have limited knowledge of cooking with Asian noodles, Top Ramen being my only real experience; however, I decided to try something new because the recipe for rice noodles with shrimp and cilantro was exactly what I had in mind for dinner.

Kevin loves spicy and this dish called for red bell pepper and jalapeno.  I knew he could fire it up with some chicken death sauce, and I could be content with the limey, fresh cilantro summer sun flavor of the sauce.

I kept a close eye on my sauce whenever Kevin was near for fear he would sabotage it with Tabasco.  It turned out great the peppers gave it a nice flavor without being HOT and Kevin enjoyed the additional hellfire he placed in his own bowl. 

I had a little trouble with the noodles.  I cooked them according to the directions below, but some of the noodles were still hard.   The package read that you should soak them in hot water for 45 minutes, but mentioned nothing of the boiling that was called for in the recipe.  Since the recipe didn't turn out the results I wanted, I soaked the parboiled noodles in hot water while I finished the rest of the dish.  This was sufficient to finish the noodles and keep them from getting cold.

Here is the recipe from Fine Cooking.  I didn't do anything different other than use 11/2 limes instead of just 1 in the sauce and I used ponzu instead of regular soy.I like to boost the citrus flavor paired with the fish sauce, and I used a pound of the smaller shrimp.  Ete Schmakalik!

Ingredients for 3-4 servings, but Kevin and I ate it all :)

6oz pad thai noodles
2 medium limes, i juiced and 1sliced in wedges for serving
11/2 tbs. packed brown sugar
2 tsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. fish sauce
3/4 lb. peeled and deveined large shrimp
3 tbs. canola or peanut oil - i used vegetable
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 medium bell pepper, cored, seeded and finely diced - I used the entire pepper.
1 medium jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
1 large shallot, finely diced - I used 2 medium
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro - I used a handful

For the noodles- Bring a medium pot of well-salted water to a boil.  Add the noodles, lower the heat to gentle simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, (HUH, maybe that's why it didn't work so well for me I don't think I actually read ALL the directions. I definitely didn't stir or reduce to simmer.) until the noodles are just tender, 5 - 7 minutes.  Transfer to a colander and run under cold water to cool slightly. Drain well.

For the sauce- combine the lime juice, sugar, soy sauce and fish sauce, set aside.

For the shrimp- toss with 1tbs. oil, coriander and 1/2 tsp ground black pepper, and 1/4 tsp salt.

Took Cook- heat 2 tbs. oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering hot.  Add the red pepper, jalapeno, and shallot, sprinkle with 1/4 tsp salt, and cook stirring, for 1 minute.  Add the shrimp and cook, stirring, until it turns pink and is almost cooked through, about 2 minutes.  Add the lime juice mixture and cook, stirring, until the shrimp is cooked through, about 1 minute more.  Add the noodles and half of the cilantro: toss until the noodles heat through and pick up the sauce, 1 to 2 minutes.

To Serve- sprinkle with remaining cilantro and the lime wedges.

Law Abiding

Today I’ve updated my status from “Card Carrying Resident” to “Law Abiding Citizen”. I finally registered mi coche to the great state of Montana and now have a blue license plate reading Treasure State.

And of course license plates makes me think of one of my all time favorite Hayes Carll songs. Can you guess which one?

It's Official

I'm a resident, a card carrying Montananan.  I finally went today to get my driver's license.  I put on makeup did my hair and smiled nice for the camera, but they asked me how much I weighed, geez.  I wanted to lie but didn't.

It was so easy to transfer from being a Texas driver to Montana.  I made an appointment online, showed up at the right time, filled out a paper, showed some documents, had my foto taken, and bing bang boom I was licensed to drive in Montana all in under 5 minutes. AMAZING.  I was expecting to be there much longer, but they've got it down here in Billings.  I can say it was a very efficient, dang near pleasant, DMV experience.

Nook or Book

I've been having an internal struggle lately.  I have a love of the written word.  Books are my friends, my movies, my vacations.  In a book you have everything right in the palm of your hand, a movie in your mind and you get to choose the actors. 

I love my books.  I don't usually loan out my books because I would miss them.  I have a room full of books in storage at my cousins house and I think about those books probably more than I think I about the cousin who houses them.  (Sorry, Kell, I love you)

If someone puts a glass on my book, I get a little nuts.  The summer when I went to Mexico, my bag was like 10 lbs over the weight limit so I had to take out books and stuff them into my backpack.  I bought more books when I was in Mexico and sadly had to make the decision to leave some behind.  I parted with them at the local public library in hopes that someone would love them as much as I did.

My delimma is this:  I've been eyeing those ebook readers, like Barnes and Noble's Nook, and have been finding myself wanting one.  I've pictured myself using it on my upcoming trip to Texas.  I even checked to see if the two new books I want can be downloaded to it.  But I love books themselves.  The crinkle of the page.  The tautness of a brand new binding.  The smell of an old book dusty and aged.  The crisp fresh inky smell of a brand spanking new book.

I have a fear that technology will take over the world and simple things like the hand written letter and books real books will disappear.  I feel loyal to the hardback, partial to the paper back, but yet ever so intrigued by the slender, shiny, 1500 books at your fingertips appeal of the ereader. 

OH, what am I to do!

Do I Love Spring

When I Think

I realized today what makes Kevin so different from the others.  I can be any shade of me I want and it's okay with him.  He doesn't mind when I shift gears from tom-boy to girly-girl and he doesn't judge when I'm stuck some where in the middle. 

I was thinking about diamonds when I came to this realization.  Not ring-finger diamonds, or even the pots and pans he bought last year but sheet metal, diamond plating.

There is more to this thought (it's profound and of a soul searching nature that one can only attain while doing things like cleaning sinks, floors and other mindless household chores) about diamond plating and how it relates to our relationship, but I haven't formulated a coherent expression yet.

I'll have to tear myself away from the blog now so that I can go back to my illuminating inner insight by way of scrubbing the toilets and a huge stack of dishes.

A New 'Do

The Two of Us

Make your Stick Figure Family at FreeFlashToys.com

Montana or Texas: A Quiz of Sorts

1.  This is a monster icicle.  Is it

A. in Billings, Montana or B. Denton, Texas

2.  At the time of this post, wunderground reported the current weather condition to be:  Currently 32.4 °F, Snow Fog, Humidity: 96% , Wind: 1.0 mph from the NNE, Visibility: 0.5 miles, Dew Point: 31 °F. 

Is this the report for:

A. Billings, Mt or B. Denton, Tx

3. According to infoplease.com, which state has the most state parks at 115?

A. Montana

B. Texas

4.Which state has 5 state forests?

A. Montana

B. Texas

Check tomorrow's post for answers.

False Memory

Minds play tricks and my mind is very tricky. Jess and Brendee both pointed out that it was Beeffalo not Boofollow. OOPS. Hope I'm never called on to recreate a criminals face, it might not turn out right.