Stir-Fry

Currently, my apartmentmates and I are discussing the fact that we will finally get to read for pleasure when we retire. Now, isn't that a gloomy thought. Hopefully it won't be true! Sometimes it feels that way though. Oh, lesson planning and now evidence binder-ing. Less than 50 more days of teaching. I can do this.

Anyway, for dinner tonight, I took a break from the paperwork and made stir-fry. Stir-fry is crazy popular at my college. It took me 2 1/2 years to determine that I liked it, which left me a semester to enjoy it. People here wait up to an hour in line for the stir-fry in the dining hall. And arrange their schedules on Tuesday and Thursday so they can get it. It's quite crazy.

I haven't ever made it before today. Sure, I've stir-fried veggies before, but I've never made rice and done the whole nine yards. I used MEW's rice cooker.

Her rice cooker always intimidates me. It takes up to 3 hours to cook brown rice. It's crazy. Thankfully, I have TONS of white rice (partially because I bought some right before LO gave me a HUGE bag of it), and it doesn't take more than 40 minutes. Still, it's a little intimidating.

While that cooked, I started the stir-fry. In the dining hall, I wasn't very adventurous with sauce . . . I always got sweet and sour. However, since I wasn't eating meat at that point, I just got veggies, so I was adventurous with the veggies part. I know my favorites were peppers, water chestnuts, spinach and mushrooms. So I got them. If I had thought of it, I would have gotten zucchini or summer squash too. But I didn't think of it.

I started the peppers first and let them cook some.

Then I added mushrooms and spinach and let the spinach cook down a little.

Finally I added the water chestnuts and the sauce.

It was rough trying to find the exact right amount of sauce. But I have plenty more sauce and rice. So I guess I'll be practicing, if I have any intention of using up either.

Anyway, stir-fry is pretty easy and quick to make. I just added it to the rice, and then voila! Dinner. Leftovers. And minimal clean up.

Then, for dessert:

BMM and I went to this amazing Italian bakery near her apartment this weekend. It was amazing. I ate half of the lobster tail for breakfast that morning . . . and still had a ton left for dessert tonight. And then there's the cannoli. I am excited for this.

Also this weekend when I was visiting BMM, I got a belated birthday present. I know, I said I was done with birthday stuff. But blame the mail. It came late. BMM and I have slightly conflicting views on food: BMM likes more of the meat and potato dinner, I am more than happy eating vegetarian. So, we clash sometimes. But I discovered that she knows my eating habits pretty well. These two cookbooks are perfect for my tastes:

Thanks BMM! Even if the present was wrapped in at least 5 boxes, 2 rolls of wrapping paper and duct tape.