Spring Veggie Stir Fry

When I was a girl, my mother always let me choose what I wanted her to cook for dinner on my birthday. She had a cookbook with "international" recipes and every year I always chose a particular stir fry that included snow peas. Oh how I loved those snow peas! We never ate out at restaurants and my mom is a fantastic cook, but her repertoire didn't include many ethnic dishes. So my birthday dinner was always a special culinary treat and was probably the only Asian-inspired meal I ate for most of the year.

A dozen years later and I marry a fellow amateur food snob who especially adores almost any sort of Asian food. We used to eat out a lot more in our pre-offspring stage and also enjoyed roasting newlywed chickens and concocting eclectic spinach salads at home. Back then we had more time, energy, and money and we only had to please ourselves so we were exploring all sorts of different cuisines. Fast forward to now and I've noticed that the majority of times that we actually escape the house, just the two of us, we go out for sushi. Dinner dates are such a rarity that we go straight for the best comfort food that can't be replicated at our home. Utah is landlocked, ya know.

And now Ava has shown how much she loves Asian food. She cries when she finds out we got sushi without her and runs to the fridge to check for leftovers. She begs us to take her to "Jasmine", her favorite Chinese restaurant. And since she is now learning to speak Chinese and loves Chinese culture, all I have to do to get her to eat is tell her that whatever I'm cooking is a Chinese recipe. Plus, she's always loved broccoli and took roasted asparagus to preschool to share for her birthday treat.

So I've been searching for a good stir fry recipe; one that isn't way too salty or too sugary, has a depth and complexity of flavor, and lots and lots of vegetables.

This recipe was originally intended to be a gluten-free and vegetarian meal, but since our family is neither of those things (for deliberate reasons that probably deserve their own post...), I adapted it a bit for our tastes.
Because we're a meat-eating, protein-lovin' kind of family, I swapped out the tofu for fresh, lean chicken. (And because tofu does a number on my stomach) Also, my kids are sensitive to spicy heat so I only added less than a third of the Sriracha originally called for. I couldn't find any reasonable sprouts at the store this time but I love love love them and they add an extra dimension of flavor and texture. Also, I preferred to stir the dressing into the chicken and veggies rather than into the noodles so that I could cut back on the starch on my own plate while still enjoying the yummy goodness of the dressing. It's an easy dish to make and isn't very fancy but it makes everyone here happy. Last night I made it for dinner but Jon is out of town so Ava just had to text him to let him know he missed a VERY scrumptious meal.

Spring Veggie Stir Fry with Noodles
adapted from vegnews.com

Serves 4 to 6

What You Need:

For the noodles:
1 8-ounce package thick white rice noodles, cooked, drained
Salt, to taste
Sesame oil, to taste

For the dressing:
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon Sriracha
Zest of 1 lime

For the stir fry:
12-14 oz. chicken breast, cut into 1 inch pieces
2-1/2 tablespoons sesame oil, divided
1/2 cup snow peas, strings removed
3/4 cup chopped asparagus
2 medium carrots, julienned
1/4 cup soybean sprouts
1/3 cup scallions, chopped
3/4 cup fresh broccoli florets
Roasted peanuts

What You Do:

1. In a medium bowl, add noodles, salt lightly, and drizzle with a touch of sesame oil.
2. For the dressing, in a medium bowl whisk together all ingredients. 
3. In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, toss together chicken and 1 tablespoon of sesame oil and sauté until browned. Set aside. Add remaining sesame oil, snow peas, asparagus, carrots, sprouts, scallions, and broccoli and sauté, stirring often, until vegetables are brightly colored and slightly tender. Combine veggies with chicken and stir in dressing until warmed and coated.
4. To serve, divide noodles evenly among serving bowls and top with veggies, chicken, and peanuts. Serve hot.

Cycling the Legacy

So, during the construction of the Legacy Highway in Salt Lake and Davis County, UDOT added a 50mile trail which parallels most of the highway. We decided to put some new Teerlink gear to test by riding as far as out little legs could carry us. We loaded up the VW with as much cycling gear as she could hold and headed north to the trail head.

The trail was segmented by great small pocket parks which made for great pit stops. The park had smattering of kids who Ava promptly made friends with. At mile 5 we ended up taking a break at Bountiful Lake. After Ava made sure the lake was filled with enough rocks we followed her ultra pink kit (picture Kermit the frog pedaling as fast as possible) back to the car to complete a 10 mile ride! Good times.

Group Photos Redefined

Can I tell you how cool this is! No longer do I need to smoosh my favorite gaggle of friends or family together in order to get a great group shot. The panographic shot has got to be the best method of capturing the true view of a group. That's PANO-graphic, not to be confused with its homophonic counterpart.

Celebrating Colby's Graduation from Police Academy

Marianne's and Jim's B-Day Party

Of course they are only good as long as they sit still! Otherwise they end up looking like an early 1800's black and white with blurred faces

The Sparrow

Who will love a little Sparrow?
Who's traveled far and cries for rest?
"Not I," said the Oak Tree,
"I won't share my branches with
no sparrow's nest,
And my blanket of leaves won't warm
her cold breast."

Who will love a little Sparrow
And who will speak a kindly word?
"Not I," said the Swan,
"The entire idea is utterly absurd,
I'd be laughed at and scorned if the
other Swans heard."

Who will take pity in his heart,
And who will feed a starving sparrow?
"Not I," said the Golden Wheat,
"I would if I could but I cannot I know,
I need all my grain to prosper and grow."

Who will love a little Sparrow?
Will no one write her eulogy?
"I will," said the Earth,
"For all I've created returns unto me,
From dust were ye made and dust ye shall be."


-Simon and Garfunkel




Happy Earth Day / Arbor Day

The Jon and Ava Show.... or Our Trip to Zion 2010

For our Tenth wedding anniversary, Jon planned a family trip to the only place you can camp in March.... somewhere south. We didn't go on the actual weekend of our anniversary because of a nasty bug Ava and I probably picked up at the gym, but Jon is sweet and understanding and rescheduled for the last weekend in March. So he loaded up Daisy (and planned, shopped, and packed all the food himself!!) and we headed to Zion NP through the fat, drifting snowflakes.

I've been taking a photography class to improve my skills and was relishing the prospect of great photo subjects when I learned my first lesson before we even arrived; carry your camera at all times. We stopped at a burger place for lunch and I sat in a booth across from the loves of my life and watched them bug each other. Ava was rhythmically leaning her weight into Jon and he thought he'd trick her and move out of the way the next time she came around. Of course she lost her balance and fell into table, flipping fry sauce fry sauce into the air and coating half of her face and half of Jon's shorts. He starts laughing and she's not sure what to think until she bursts into tears and cries "Stop messing around, Dad!" And I missed a perfect photo op.

We finally arrived and found a campsite and explored around the river a bit. The weather was still pretty chilly and blustery so we had some hot cocoa, skipped the campfire, and turned in kinda early.

The next day we did a few small hikes and enjoyed the cool sunshine. The little midget hiked all day and didn't ask to be carried once. I guess Jon and I are slowly learning to tone down our adventures and have fun on a smaller scale. Everyone ends up a lot happier that way; we lower our expectations a bit and she sure rises to the occasion. Camping with a four-year-old is like a dream! You don't have to carry her everywhere, she sleeps all night, and you don't have to stress yourself out trying to get in the naps. There's just sooo much less screaming from all involved parties. Plus she is still stoked to just play in the sand and throw rocks in the water all day.

Ava is such a daddy's girl and they really had a blast together. The break was nice for me; I still got to spend time with my family but without all the pressures and demands. I loved just sitting back and taking pictures of the two of them and the scenery.

After we hiked, Jon suprised us with a night in the suite at Zion Lodge. Ava slept a full 12 hours (unheard of!) on the sofa bed and I got to revel in clean sheets on the king size bed. We also had a lovely dinner and breakfast at the Lodge's restaurant.

The next morning I wanted to hike the Hidden Canyon trail but Ava said her legs hurt. I expected that after a long day hiking so she got to ride in the backpack carrier. (That's the last time she'll fit in that thing!) Sunday the weather was perfectly clear, calm, sunny and cool and we took our time enjoying the hike and having lunch on the rocks. Ava kept insisting that Jon follow her lead, even when she was riding in the pack, making sure he held on to the chain on the climbs and stepped on all the right rocks. When she walked, she made him follow the line in the sand left by the stick she dragged along. At any moment on the trip if he was out of sight, she would scold me and say "MOM, we gotta wait for Daddy!" But do you think she said that when I was out of the picture?

After the hike we were supposed to drive home but decided to camp another night. After finding another site and a quick trip for groceries, it was time to relax.

The wind howled all that night and the next morning so we packed up and headed out. Can't think of a better way to celebrate ten happy stinkin' years of my little family!!

Yeah Yeah Yeah

I rarely attend concerts. The Pixies and Glen Hansard, aka The Frames, were the last bands I was lucky enough to see. But when I saw that my all time favorite punk rock garage band, Yeah Yeah Yeahs decided to grace the SLC with their presence I had to go.

Opening for the YYYs was Yacht, an indie electronica duo that have been supporting the YYY's on this tour. The girl/boy band dressed in contrasting black and white and with her bleached hair next to his black do', they evoked a ying and yang aura as they sung about the afterlife with an 80's flair set to deep bass lines. Though they only sung to the back beat, their energy on stage demanded your respect.

Yact left the stage smokin' and the audience stoked for the YYY's. Every light or sound check seemed to tease us and made the wait worse. But finally, after three years of enjoying the YYY sound and anticipating every new album release, the wait was over!

They absolutely rocked! Their setlist was more than I could have imagined. In fact after reviewing the YYY forum, I found we were able to witness songs that weren't played in other cities! The fans in these other cities hearts seemed to sink as they responed to the SLC setlist.

Karen O's performance was just as I expected; loud and obnoxiously energetic like an 80's jazzercise workout. Having explosions of Y shaped silver confetti rain over the crowd, watching Karen body slam the speaker stack and wind up her mic, spin it over her head, only to let it repeatedly crash to the stage at the end of the set (after sweaty encore) as a sacrifice to an utterly perfect and rockin' show, was euphoric.

Regardless of their rich kid-NYC upbringing the trio love their style of neo-garage punk and it showed. Look for Karen's classic voice in the upcoming movie "Where the Wild Things Are".

What Happens in Costco, Stays in Costco

Mare: Ava, tell Daddy what happen at the store today.
Ava: ...blank stare
Mare: Were you kicking Mommy at the store?
Ava: Yeah. Daddy, I kicked mommy, and it wasn't nice.
Mare: Thats right! Tell Daddy what happend after that.
Ava:(After a long pause) "...then it got weird!"

32 Years and Still Cookin'

Happy Birthday to my sweet Jonny; to whom all the cliches apply and none does justice. I love you!

Kool-Aid Points, the Poor Man's Stock

Economic downturn knows no bounds when even the Kool-Aid man gets the axe! When 10 years ago I decided to clip and keep Kool-Aid points, for purely selfish reasons, I never would have thought that their future worth would be less than the foil-backed paper they were printed on.

Anyone who has seen the inside of our pantry knows of a little blue Tupperware box that holds tons of one square centimeter bits of paper. Their “agreed” value is pretty much meaningless since you would have needed hundreds of these Kool-Aid points in exchange for even a Kool-Aid man ball point pen. If you wanted a T-shirt, well, you would better be sweating Kool-Aid!

I knew I most likely would never redeem them so saving them was novel at best, but I recently discovered that Kraft Foods has discontinued their points program altogether! I was also surprised to see that no news channels have covered this story, not even Fox! Therefore, I have taken upon myself to get the word out!

In finality, Kraft Foods has posted a deadline of June 30^th of this year to submit all unused Kool-Aid Points in exchange for prizes. To say the least, in memoriam, I will be filling out my official points redemption form for my first and final pursuit of Kool-Aid prizes. My goal; an official Kool-Aid Man brand plastic pitcher. Cross your fingers in hopes that it will be big enough to hold more than a cup of Kool-Aid refreshment. (for those in suspense, I will keep you posted)

So, farewell Kool-Aid points! I guess, it’s true when they say no one is safe in a capitalistic society as this was truly the poor man’s stock! Thank you for years of instilling in us all a fleeting hope for cheap prizes and also for giving us an elementary understanding of what "empty stocks" mean. I bid thee a respectful, OH, YEAH!!

In case you also have unused points:

http://brands.kraftfoods.com/koolaid/KoolSpace/KoolPoints/KoolPointsForm.pdf

Meet the Jensens

Congratulations to my sister, Emily, and her new husband, Joel, on their marriage this past month. They are the perfect match and I know they have many years of happiness ahead! The bride looked gorgeous (as she always does), the weather was clear and sunny, the groom was positively glowing, and the ceremony made me cry. What more can you hope for on your wedding day?

I'm sure Jon and Ross are now relieved that they're not so strongly outnumbered among the Gibson girls. We love you Emunny and Joel!

A Lesson in Taxidermy

While Marianne is living it up with friends, Manhattan style, Ava and I decided to indulge in some wanderlust and head to Wyoming. While the weather didn't quite cooperate, Jackson was the quietest I have ever expierenced it, giving Ava and I lots of space to reconnect while wandering the boardwalk town.

It is no secret however that Ava is not a shopper. She grimaces at the thought of browsing and I think I heard her mumble something under her breath when I told her we were going to walk around town to window shop. But, regardless, her charming wit had perfect timing while we walked through a store naming the several stuffed game animals on display and mimicked the sounds they make...well made, when we came to stare up at a large, shaggy moose. Without thinking I asked her what he would say (while standing there stuffed, staring blankly in a store) instead of asking what do moose say, in general. Without skipping a beat and with a bit of a grimace on her face, she growled in her best moose impersonation, "Oooo...I am not feeling too good"!
You had to be there.

The Hazards of Twirling

Ava is not very girly in any of the stereotypical girly ways. She doesn't like to play dress up and prefers balls, cars and sand over any doll. But she does love shoes, painted toenails, and twirling around in circles in a pretty dress. Even if she's not wearing a dress.

One afternoon I'm chatting on the phone in Ava's room as she's twirling around and laughing hysterically as she falls crashing to the floor. Predictably, she falls in random, ingenuous ways. Sure enough, I watch as she headplants directly into her dresser and promptly punctures a hole in her forehead on the drawer pull.

While there is screaming and some blood trickling down her forehead, both the crying and bleeding stop remarkably fast and since she is normally quite the drama queen for pain I figure that it really must not hurt that bad. (She is pretty alarmed when she reaches up to touch it and sees her own blood for the first time.) Still, there is a bit of a gaping hole in the flesh; too small for a stitch but open and deep enough to leave a nice scar. So I decide that a nurse needs to at least look at it. Ava becomes much more worried about the impending visit to the doctor's office but the magic of being three means you can now talk her through most events. We walk in the door with her blaringly red juicy wound preceding us and when the nurse comes to help, Ava understates "I got an owie!" I was surprised at how grown up she was throughout the whole thing after I reassured her how nice the nurse would be. So Ava's forehead is steri-stripped and bandaged and we're on our way.

Oh and by the way, that bandage was glued on so tight that removing it a week later was more traumatic than the whole ordeal combined.

Typical Spring Evening

If the weather is nice, this is exactly what you'll find each of us doing with some free time on any given evening.

Ava making sand cakes

Jon playing grease monkey

And me? I'm behind the camera, of course, practicing my photography and feeling content to see my happy family !

True Story

One day, long, long ago, there lived a woman
Who did not whine, nag, or bitch.


But it was a long time ago, and it was just that one day.

The End

(Thanks Maggie, for making me laugh!)

Footloose and Fancy Free

The Bean discovered the pure joy of a Hippity-Hop!

Buzz Lightyear Loves Brownie Batter

Skywalker

Ava: I can't reach the clouds!
Mare: You can't? Why?
Ava: I want to walk on them, they are fluffy.
Mare: They would be fluffy to walk on.
Ava: Can't reach.....I forgot my ladder. (with a scowl)

With a little whipped cream

Ava: I'm small.
Marianne: Yes, but you're very beautiful!
A: Yeah. Ava have pretty hair. Mommy is tall. And Daddy is tall.
M: You're right. What does Daddy look like?
A: Daddy have brown hair and green eyes.
M: Is Daddy fat or is he skinny?
A: He's skinny.
M: What does Daddy smell like?
A: Blueberries!!

Cute Cousins

Well Ava and I survived another trip to Colorado Springs and really had a great time hanging out with my sisters and her cousins. And Ava didn't even scream at all on the flight back, go figure. I guess the secret is strapping her into a carseat on the plane and not letting her get out the entire flight. .....actually I think I was just lucky this time. Unfortunately we both returned sicker than we've been all year and are just getting over it. But I can say that it was really nice that the kids mananged to get along better than ever and I'll chalk that up to them simply being 8 months older than the last time they were all together. Emily gets a gold medal for being Super Aunt all week (and always) and putting up with kid overload.

Whose kid IS that?!

Dear fellow passengers of Delta Flight #3804,

I hereby express my formal and sincere apology for the continued, ear-piercing, utterly blood-curdling screaming emanating for a full 30 minutes from the small curly-haired toddler sitting in row four. I promise that I was not deliberately torturing her, but apparently sitting in a chair with the seat belt on constitutes torture to a two year old. (By the way, the contortions used as an attempted escape tactic were actually quite amazing.) Thank you for not throwing me even one single dirty look even though I know you felt like throwing us out at 20,000 feet.

Forever grateful,
Frazzled Mama

P.S. Hope you're not on the return flight next week.